Relief Reports

Heavy rains at the end of July caused serious flooding in Pakistan. Three of Pakistan's provinces, namely, Sindh, Baluchistan, and Punjab, all became water logged. Many people died. Crops and dwellings were destroyed. Southern Sindh Province and southwestern Baluchistan Province were the most seriously affected. Hundreds lost their lives. The flood cut off roads and railroads and caused the main route leading to the port of Karachi to be closed. The flood zone was as large as a lake. The victims had to move to higher ground for refuge. The Government announced a state of national emergency and sent soldiers to help the Dadu Region in the northern part of Sindh Province. After it had rained continuously for many days, roads and communications systems were severely damaged. More than fifty thousand people were trapped in hundreds of villages.

Suma Ching Hai, concerned about the flood victims' suffering and immediate needs, instructed our initiates to donate money for relief at once. Through the Pakistani Embassy in the U.S., 330,539 PKR were donated to buy medical and daily supplies, food, and other necessities to be distributed to the flood victims. Master also sent letters to the President of Pakistan and the Governor of Sindh Province to express Her deep concern.

To relieve the Cambodian people, six thousand tons of rice were shipped to Cambodia, and distributed to people in different regions. Minister Nhim Vanda, First Envoy of Cambodia, on behalf of the First and Second Cambodian Prime Ministers, has recently sent a letter of gratitude to Suma Ching Hai. He also expressed the need for more rice for which they hoped Suma Ching Hai would provide further help.

The merciful Suma Ching Hai immediately instructed disciples to ship another 1, 000 tons of rice, and has written to the King and Prime Minister of Cambodia extending Her sincere concern and goodwill. The Suma Ching Hai International Association is now purchasing the rice from the Formosa Central Trust Bureau, Agricultural Committee and the Food Bureau, hoping to expedite the shipment of rice to relieve the Cambodian people from the acute shortage.

Upon the request of three English charitable organizations, Suma Ching Hai immediately instructed Suma Ching Hai International Association made donations to them to help in promoting their work, which is beneficial to the public. The amount of the donation to each was $5,000 for a total of $15,000.

 
 
 1. National Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Children
 2. The Worldwide Fund For Nature
 3. Action Aid
 
 

 Suma Ching Hai has been concerned
 about the flood disaster in Mainland China. She especially
 sent Quan Yin messengers from Formosa who brought relief
 money more than 300,000 RMB Yuan with them. Later, Master
 granted another US$50,000 relief fund, and instructed Quan
 Yin messengers to relief the Quake disaster in Gansu
 Province. They rushed to various affected areas of China,
 along with fellow initiates from Hong Kong and local fellow
 practitioners to engage in the disaster relief operation.
 
 

In early July, a disastrous flood swept through regions near the Yang Tze River in China, and the most seriously afflicted area covered several provinces. Millions of acres of farm fields were devastated, making the life of the farmers even more difficult than usual. The flood carried a tremendous load of sand that destroyed the fertile soil, making it impossible to plant any new crops this year. The future livelihoods of the people were in jeopardy.

Responding to Master's instructions, fellow practitioners poured in from cities and provinces all over China, Formosa and Hong Kong to help, working with unity and cooperation. Some of them went to the affected villages to investigate the number of victims and the extent of the damage. Some were assigned to buy food, rice, oil and other necessary materials, including medicine, tarpaulins and nylon bags. The rest of them packed the relief materials, and arranged them to be delivered to the affected villages by large trucks or boats.

Several seriously afflicted regions had been neglected because they were far away from the cities, so they were specified by Master as priorities on the distribution list. With the help of Village Chiefs, the work team delivered the relief items personally into the hands of the victims in these villages. Faces glowing with bliss, the villagers sincerely expressed their gratitude before they rushed home carrying their share of relief material. While waiting for their turn in the distribution process, some victims could not control the saliva from dripping out of their mouths while staring at the sacks of rice on the truck. The work team members were so overwhelmed by this miserable sight that they had difficulty swallowing their meals. Day after day and year after year, the farmers have worked arduously under the scorching sun, straining their backs to plant rice seedlings. They can only reap the rice after going through indescribably difficult labor. Their greatest dread is the outburst of a great flood that will destroy both their fields and farm produce, turning their blood and sweat into futility. It is even worse when their houses are destroyed, their properties are all swept away by the water, or they even lose their lives.

Although this relief operation could only temporarily ease the most imminent difficulties of the victims after the disaster, the most important result was that the victims received spiritual comfort, and the loving blessing of Master.

1) As traffic means are completely paralyzed, the working team has to resort to distributing relief materials in canoes.

2) The rice, foodstuffs and clothes arrive at the disaster area just in time, rendering practical help and warmth to the victims in cold and hunger.

3) The most disastrous flood of the century swept through central and southern China, devastating villages and futile fields. The livelihoods of the victims are in great difficulties.

 A severe flood, the like of which has rarely
 seen in this century, recently swept through Hunan Province
 in China. The fellow practitioners there responded earnestly
 to Master's call, besides from utilizing Master's relief fund
 in buying urgently needed materials, they also donated money
 and materials. Oblivious to danger, they rushed to the
 affected area to examine the situation, and distribute relief
 materials and love, right into the hands of the victims.
 During this operation, many touching incidents occurred, and
 the infinite and tremendous power of Master's love impressed
 the fellow practitioners.
 
 

Paikou Village in Yiyang was the area most affected by the Hunan flood disaster. To save the big cities downstream of the Yang Tze River from being destroyed by the flood, the Government picked the Paikou region as the 'flood discharge area.' The deluge swallowed all the houses and fields in over a dozen Paikou production communes. The whole area was turned into an ocean. Victims were evacuated to the main dam on the Zi Sui River. It was reported that all the relief materials airlifted by the Government were all snatched as soon as they touched the ground. Corpses were often seen in the water.

There are two elderly sisters from Yiyang who are fellow practitioners. The older one is a nurse and is over sixty. The younger one is almost fifty. When they heard that people were needed to distribute medical supplies in the affected area they enrolled willingly.

Despite their age and physical weakness, early the next morning, the sisters reached the affected area by bus, and immediately joined the younger volunteers in loading the relief materials onto a boat, under the scorching sun. During the relief operation they diagnosed sick victims and gave them medication while distributing other emergency materials.

Returning home in the evening, they heard that relief materials were to be delivered to another heavily affected area in Taojiang that night. Without even quenching their thirst beforehand, they immediately telephoned their local relatives, and even acted as guides on the way there. They continued to work until early the next morning.

The two sisters said that, at this stage of their lives, it was their greatest honour to have the opportunity to do Master's work by helping the flood victims, and to apply Master's teachings in practical life. A Deeply Moved Young Driver Since the affected area in Yiyang was vast, and the number of victims involved was enormous, the relief work often lasted until midnight. Usually, as soon as the relief materials arrived, rescue vehicles would immediately set off to the affected regions. These places were very far from the metropolitan area where the fellow practitioners lived. To get to certain areas, they had to travel on steep and slippery mountain roads, with hanging cliffs on one side and a roaring river on the other. The road conditions were very dangerous.

The driver helping with the delivery was a young man of about twenty, and he joined all the relief work for several days. Imperceptibly, he was influenced by Master's infinite love and concern for the victims, and also by the working spirit of the fellow practitioners who followed Master's example of selfless devotion.

Late at night on the first day, while delivering materials to Taojiang, his large truck almost got stuck in the narrow and muddy mountain road. With flashlights in hand, fellow practitioners led the way on foot for him. With great emotion, he said that he would not have committed to such a long journey if he had not been touched by their spirit.

Then at about eleven o'clock, the truck suddenly ran out of gasoline, and there was no gas station in the vicinity. He and one of the fellow practitioners walked for miles on the mountain path, and knocked on the door of a cottage where they asked to borrow some fuel. Using a plastic tube, the young driver sucked out two small buckets of gasoline from the fuel tank of a car belonging to the residents. They doubled back, and the truck was on its way again!

He worked with the fellow practitioners until early the next morning, and was responsible for the delivery of relief materials on two consecutive days. However, he demanded no reward in return, and said that it was his greatest honour to join Master's relief work to save the victims.

The initial relief work in Yiyang was completed with the cooperation of fellow practitioners from Xiangtan, Yiyang and Beijing. Immediately afterwards, took a long distance bus to two other heavily affected regions I Chenxi and Mayang. The journey took them over ten hours.

As scheduled, they arrived at Anping Town in Chenxi County on the next morning, and finally reached Zeng Jia Ping by the Yuan River. According to local villagers, when the flood came, the whole village was swallowed I one hundred and eighty houses in the village were levelled, and the villagers' property was completely lost. Even the high-voltage power posts I twenty-meters high I could not withstand the water, and almost all the rice paddies were scoured by the flood, making harvesting a hopeless task.

The County Government could only give limited help to the victims afterwards. For about two weeks, each victim was given only twelve jins (equivalent to about 13 lbs.) of rice which had been soaked by the flood. As the victims expressed their urgent need for rice, fellow practitioners planned to deliver relief foodstuffs to them the next day. However, they also needed to assess the situation in Mayang, which was even more seriously affected. The problem was, how could they go to Mayang, and come back in time to deliver the rice?

As the fellow practitioners wracked their brains, an old lady approached them and said that her son could take them upstream to Mayang in a boat. Delighted, the fellow initiates followed her son to the riverside. Wow! His boat happened to be a motorboat!

For the next few hours, they travelled upstream, and inspected the worst hit regions in Mayang as planned. Their findings were essential in planning the next step of the relief operation. They clearly understood that everything that had happened was due to Master's imperceptible arrangement.

After over an hour's rough ride, the fellow initiates' truck finally ended its journey in a small village. The time was only nine in the morning, but dozens of villagers were already waiting. Just as our truck stopped, they gathered around us. They looked very exhausted, and their clothes were largely worn out. Each of them carried a short bamboo carrying pole attached to a nylon bag.

The local fellow practitioners briefed us on the situation: " There is a huge reservoir downstream which was filled by the torrential rain. The water that was too much to be discharged in time, flooded all the villages upstream, destroying houses, crops, and everything, and incurring casualties. We are now at the entrance to the villages. The immersed villages are still a long distance away, and cannot be reached by car. These villagers have walked seven or eight kilometers over mountain roads to get here. ? "

" Three days after the flood, the regional government brought a supply of food, which was all taken by those people living nearby, or those who were informed in advance, and the young and strong people. Nothing was left for those most severely afflicted, who were living in remote districts, the old and weak people, or those who have experienced casualties in their families. They are now in great distress. "

"Therefore, when fellow practitioners volunteered to help here, the Village Chief was very happy. Complying with Master's instructions, fellow practitioners are giving priority to register these miserable and helpless people. "

Just then, more villagers came from the mountain villages in all directions, and the food distribution began. With the help of the Village Chief and following the registered order, each household of village folks came forward to receive one 25 kilogram sack of rice, four packets of iodized salt, one can of edible oil, and waterproof tarpaulins. The distribution was finished in about an hour, and the remaining food was distributed evenly among the other villagers. The village folks hung the foodstuffs on their carrying poles and prepared to go home. Some of them put down their poles and expressed their gratitude to us.

I recall that when I took part in the quake disaster relief work in Kobe, Japan early this year, the whole world reported that the Japanese Government was taking good care of the victims, and that foreign help was not required. Therefore, I could not help wondering why Master still asked us to go. It was not until we had gone deeply into the disaster area that we found many foreign citizens (many of them Au Lac people and Koreans) sleeping outdoors in the cold weather, without water and electricity. They dared not register with the Government for help because they had lost their identification papers. Then we understood what Master had arranged for us. We were God's tools sent to help the forgotten brothers and sisters trapped in that distressing situation.

This time, when the fellow practitioners went deep into the affected area, we found that many families were still living in miserable conditions. Therefore, we arranged to deliver the foodstuffs directly to them. The relief work became especially meaningful for us, as we could convey Master's love straight to the most desperate group of people, and let them have the chance to develop affinity with Master.

Having gone through this relief activity, I deeply experienced God's incredible arrangement. The truth is, everything is done by Master, including the practical relief work, tying affinities with people, and training the initiates involved in this work. I am very grateful to Her for giving me this opportunity, so I can learn to function as God's tool, and spread Her love to the most remote corners of the world.

When I was a child, my parents taught me: " You must not waste a single grain of rice, because each of them is the grace of God. " Unfortunately, I could hardly realize the agony of hunger, as I have been living in a rich society like Hong Kong. It was only when I joined the disaster relief operation that I understood what hunger is.

By Master's directive, the fellow practitioners from Hong Kong had the opportunity to join the flood relief operation in China. Our job was to help the inhabitants affected by the flood, bring them rice, food, and tarpaulins, and meanwhile convey Master's message to them to share Her love.

Observing the happy looks on the victims' faces, all of my tiredness disappeared! Having spent many hours on the journey, and then packing over a thousand bags of rice, we had not slept the whole night. If it had not been for Master's blessing, we would have collapsed. Before we arrived at the affected area, fellow practitioners living there and in the local vicinities had already determined clearly the exact location of the affected area, the number of households afflicted, and the number of houses destroyed by the water. They then purchased rice, foodstuffs, and tarpaulins from the nearby towns, (more tarpaulins would be issued to victims who had lost their houses), and packed them in portions. The coordination of the whole operation went very smoothly.

I have an insight: This disaster relief effort served not only to help others, but also to help ourselves. It trained us to really work with selfless love, to practice steadily, and step by step, to rectify our ignorance, learn to cooperate with others, and minimize our ego. I also came to realize that by always bearing in mind Master's love, the job will naturally be accomplished in perfect fashion.

In late July, vast areas of the Liao River in Liaoning Province, China encountered the largest flood disaster in a century. Dozens of counties and towns as well as hundreds of villages were swallowed by the deluge. Tens of thousands of victims lost their homes and fled to other locations. The severity of this disaster surpassed that in areas of Huachung and Huanan (Southeast China).

Upon hearing the news, merciful Master immediately instructed Quan Yin messengers to go and relieve the victims. From August 11-14, fellow initiates from the cities of Shenyang and Anshan, under the leadership of Quan Yin messengers, engaged in relief operations in 23 villages in the four most severely afflicted areas, namely, Shenyang, Liaozhong, Anshan, and Haicheng in Liaoning Province. They distributed a total of 36,000 jin rice, 14,020 jin dry Chinese noodles, 12,240 jin cookies, 3,500 jin potatoes, valued at 117,765.50 RMB yuan, and various kinds of emergency medical supplies valued at 4,794 RMB yuan to 6,533 families.

Two towns in the Anshan and Haicheng regions, namely, Gaotuolian and Wenxiang had large affected areas, and many victims. Their homes were completely swallowed by the flood. The victims from 18 villages in these two areas were dispatched to the elementary school and some villagers' homes at Teng-ao town in Anshan City, and lived in widely dispersed areas.

Upon hearing that the victims were unable to cook their meals due to the lack of wood, the relief group immediately ordered 34,300 packs of vegetarian cookies with a total weight of 12,240 jin (about 13,200 lbs). The manager and employees of a local baked goods factory were deeply moved by the selfless devotion to their work shown by members of the relief group, the plant manager thus decided to provide vehicles to deliver the cookies to the victims. Hence in only two days, all the cookies were dispensed to the victims. Although the victims lived in widely separated areas far from the cookie factory, the road was difficult to traverse, and the weather forecast indicated heavy rainfall, our fellow initiates still persisted in inquiring in village after village about the location of the elementary school where the victims were staying. Then they delivered the cookies and medicines to each village. By sunset they had delivered all the cookies and medicines to the victims in the 18 villages in the affected areas. That night, when fellow initiates returned home, the forecast rainfall finally arrived, and they happily praised Master's miraculous blessing power.

The area affected by the flooding was large, and the number of victims was huge, thus the timing of the relief effort was crucial. Our fellow initiates in the relief operation sent each share of the relief materials to the victims's hands in just one or two days. Seeing the indescribable gratitude shown on the victims' faces, the members of the relief group deeply felt Master's loving power. Her relief actions to victims of various regions in the world demonstrate Her boundless love. We are only the tools through which Master conveys this love. By working we also feel the love Master gives us, because each time we work for Her we obtain one more opportunity to develop our own love, and thus experience more bliss.

On the way to the disaster areas, a fellow initiate saw Master look very serious on Her portrait; upon accomplishing the relief work, she looked at Master's portrait again and found that She was smiling. This made her realize even more that Master is happy when sentient beings are happy, and She suffers when they suffer.

Due to the shortage of time, the newly purchased relief medicines were loaded onto the vehicles before being divided into portions. The fellow initiates thought of Master's carefulness in all thing; in order to bring more convenience to the victims, all the way they ignored their car sickness and dispatched the various medicines into many portions according to the villages, conveying Master's love in all details. One initiate suffered from arthritis, typically, when working his hands became swollen; however, after dispatching hundreds of packets of medicines, he did not have any problem with his hands.

Another initiate rode a motorcycle during the period of the relief operation, several times while riding through the rain he went deeply into the affected area to assess the severity of the disaster and determine the location of the victims, serving as a liaison to deliver the relief materials. From morning till night he ate nothing; but he obtained the greatest reward from Master. During the days of helping in Master's relief operation, he shed many tears, and came to understand that life in this world is indeed suffering. Sentient beings are really in misery. Only bey following Master and practicing the Quan Yin Method can one return to one's eternal happy homeland. Being able to do work serving sentient beings under the guidance of Master is the most meaningful part of one's life.

The severe earthquake in Gansu Province conducted heavy casualties. Many houses were toppled and thousands of people were left homeless. The worst situation was in Qishan Village of Yongdeng County. After the Quan Yin messenger had presented a summarized report of the disaster, Master immediately granted a relief fund of RMB 43,000. The local fellow practitioners also donated RMB 7,000, so the fund amounted to RMB 50,000. Coordinating with the Quan Yin messenger, fellow practitioners from Qinghai and Gangu rushed to buy the urgently needed materials like paint and bamboo blinds, and gave them to the victims to repair their homes, thus avoiding further harassment from rain and storms.

Giving considerations to all details, Master instructed the Quan Yin messenger to buy some nutritious food, including milk and other foodstuff, for the children and people who needed them. The fellow practitioners there executed Master's direction promptly, and have delivered Master's love to the victims promptly.

July 8 Distributed cash and 200 clothes to 85 victims in 12 families at Fenghuang County, Hunan.

July 8 Distributed cash to 100 victims in 18 families at Chenxi County, Hunan.

July 10 Distributed biscuits, mineral water, medicine and clothes to 1,500 victims in 280 families, at Paikou area in Yiyang, Hunan.

July 12 For the second time, distributed biscuits, mineral water, anti-hot-weather medicine and anti-inflamma tory medicine to 750 victims in 350 families of four villages, at Paikou area of Yiyang. Later, for the third time, distributed pickles, medicine, water and 1,000 catties of rice to 270 households in four villages (Hsihu, Chienjin, Jinfang, Xinhe), at Paikou area of Yiyang. Blankets were given to three specially difficult families.

July 14 Distributed 3,060 catties of rice, 620 clothes and 19 pairs of shoes to 610 victims in 150 families at Zeng Jia Pin, Anpin Town of Chenxi.

July 18 Distributed 19,700 catties of rice, cash and tarpaulins to 3,360 victims in 712 families at Mayang County, Hunan.

July 18 Distributed 6,180 catties of rice and tarpaulins to 1,000 victims in 206 families at Meihe Wan Village, Chenxi County.

July 19 Distributed 4,320 catties of rice and tarpaulins to 700 victims in 144 families at Lu Jia Pin Town, Chenxi.

July 19 Distributed 2,100 catties of rice, some tarpaulins, medicine, and nylon bags to 350 victims in 70 families at Zheng Jia Tan Village, Huangshuang Xiang, Mayang County.

July 19 Distributed 10,050 catties of rice and tarpaulins to 1,000 victims in 335 families at Huchi Village, Huangshuang Xiang, Mayang County.

July 19 Distributed 90 catties of rice to 5 victims in one family at Lu Jia Pin, Mayang County.

July 20 Distributed 7,500 catties of rice, and 450 packets of pickles to 150 families at Niutan Village, Taojiang, Hunan.

July 21 Distributed 6,600 catties of rice, 300 clothes, 2,200 packets of pickles, and medicine to 9,883 victims in 2,395 families at Hanshou County, Hunan.

July 23/24 Distributed 5,910 catties of rice to 220 families at Mautian Town in Hunan Province.

July 23/24 Distributed 30,002 catties of rice, and 473 clothes to victims in Jima Village, Zhonghuang Village and Changxing Village of Pinjiang County, Hunan Province.

July 24/25 Distributed 9,800 catties of rice, 588 catties of oil and 1,960 catties of salt to 196 families in Meigang, Tongshan, Hubei Province.

July 26/27 Distributed 70,875 catties of rice to 2,695 families in four villages (Longmen, Xiangu, Nangang and Guangching) at Tong Cheng, Hubei Province.

July 31 Distributed 13, 130 catties of rice, 3,750 catties unhusked rice, and RMB 18,000 cash to 578 house holds in two villages (Liufang, Fengchiao) at Hukou County, Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province.

August 11-14 Distributed 36,000 catties of rice, 14,020 catties of dry Chinese noodles, 12, 240 catties of cookies, 3500 catties of potatoes, and emergency medical supplies valued at 4,793 RMB yuan to 6,533 families from 23 villages in the cities of Shenyang, Anshan, Liaozhong and Haicheng in Liaoning Province.

 Description:                                    Credit:       Debit:       Balance:
 Donation by Suma Ching Hai                   RMB379,572.65
 Donation by Fellow Initiates From China      RMB50,910.00
 Donation by Fellow Initiates From Hong Kong  RMB220,000.00
 Mayang and Chenxi counties Hunan Province                   RMB63,900.50
 Taojiang, Yiyang County Hunan Province                      RMB7,116.40
 Lake Danan, Hanshou County Hunan Province                   RMB91,875.00
 Pinjiang, Yueyang, Hunan                                    RMB55,000.00
 Meigang, Tongshan, Hubei                                    RMB18,855.70
 Tongcheng County, Hubei                                     RMB87,175.95
 Hukou Town, Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province                      RMB18,230.90
 Liaoning, Shenyang, Anshan, Liaozhong, Haicheng             RMB117,765.50
 Gansu Province                                              RMB50,000.00
 Sundry expenses                                             RMB6,562.60
 Total:                                       RMB650,482.65  RMB516,482.55  RMB134,000.10