Love in Action
The Eternal Spring and Boundless Compassion of Supreme Master Ching Hai Ever Exist in Au Lac

(Originally in Au Lac language)

Convalescent Home and Center for the Blind.

Two children at the Orphanage for the Handicapped.

Paying visit to a catholic orphanage.

An old woman from a poor family.

Supreme Master Ching Hai recently has extended monetary assistance to needy artists and their families, victims of natural disasters, and disadvantaged children and elderly people throughout Au Lac. Since its founding many years ago, the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association has rendered humanitarian assistance throughout the world. This spring, the graceful stream of love and blessings of Master Ching Hai once again flowed through the entire nation of Au Lac, from North to South, to help alleviate the suffering of the Au Lac people, whose experience of adversity had become even more poignant with the coming of the New Year.

In accordance with Master Ching Hai's wish, volunteers from the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association traveled from Northern to Southern Au Lac, from cities to villages, to distribute gifts and provide comfort in God's love to those suffering on the Lunar New Year. Not only did the volunteers personally visit villages and residential areas where there were many ill and disabled people, but they also stopped to talk with, console and give the homeless, elderly, disabled children, and victims of natural disasters New Year's presents when they encountered them along the way, in hopes of brightening their lives.

With Master Ching Hai's gracious blessings, the volunteers flew into Saigon on January 26, 1999, and on January 28 drove to Hanoi to start their humanitarian journey from North to South.

NORTHERN REGION

After two days and two nights of non-stop driving, volunteers from the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association arrived in Hanoi on January 30, 1999, on a considerably warm and sticky afternoon. The group immediately started its itinerary of visits, bringing New Year's gifts to local artists and families of deceased ones. Volunteers met with these individuals personally to wish them a happy New Year.

The recipients were deeply touched by the compassion and generosity of Supreme Master Ching Hai. A person who was thousands of miles away and had never met any of them still showed Her concern for them and their families during the New Year holiday. They expressed again and again with all their respect and sincerity their deepest gratitude to Supreme Master Ching Hai for all Her love and compassion.

CENTRAL REGION

Leaving the North, volunteers traveled to Central Au Lac to comfort the elderly, abandoned children, and people with disabilities in this harsh land. Volunteers offered New Year's gifts and red envelopes wrapped with Master Ching Hai's love to each person, along with their best New Year's wishes.

In the northern and central provinces of Central Au Lac and other areas, where natural disasters have occurred year after year, volunteers from the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association visited and distributed gifts to the Association for the Blind, the Children's Orphanage, the Social Services Agency, the Center for the Protection of Street Children, and the Red Cross. Volunteers also visited the family of a deceased composer and a poet.

Later, volunteers met and presented gifts to impoverished families living in villages ravaged by floods. Thin and malnourished children, white-haired elderly people with bent backs, and people with illnesses and disabilities were all moved to tears. They conveyed their gratitude to Master Ching Hai, whose compassion and generosity were extended to them in this difficult time. Overwhelmed and moved with emotion and with tears in her eyes, one woman stated: "I'm truly, truly touched. Now, I will have money for new clothes this New Year. Thank You so much, Supreme Master Ching Hai, for bestowing on me this truly generous gift."

Traveling southward, volunteers visited destitute patients sharing New Year's red envelopes and gifts from the Supreme Master Ching Hai.

Volunteers also paid visits to the Vocational Training Center for People with Disabilities and Orphans. The children there were very happy and touched to receive presents from overseas. Volunteers also visited a service center for disabled elderly people and the blind. Volunteers next visited a center for orphans and the elderly, some of whom were deeply moved as they held the volunteers' hands, and with overflowing tears, said thanks to Master Ching Hai.

And then, volunteers entered the Village of the Lepers to distribute New Year's gifts from our beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai and to offer solace to each person. Besides New Year's red envelopes from the Supreme Master Ching Hai, volunteers provided two to three months' supplies of rice to these families. They also extended words of consolation and best wishes to the recipients for the New Year. The villagers responded sincerely that they were very happy and felt comforted by Master Ching Hai's compassion. One of the patients shared his heartfelt appreciation as follows: "I have spent over twenty years of my life here in this village. I am very touched by Supreme Master Ching Hai's noble love, which encompasses all of humanity. Our life is very poor and full of hardships... and Supreme Master Ching Hai's love replenishes our lives like a river and rain restoring vitality to a barren land."

Next, volunteers sent gifts to three hundred children from poor families, in the hope that they might be able to enjoy the New Year with their new outfits and monetary gifts. Volunteers also visited the School of Love where many orphans resided. While there, they also visited the Convalescence Center, which served children and the elderly with disabilities and some ethnic minorities.

SOUTHERN REGION

It was Master Ching Hai's wish that gifts be presented to people before New Year's Day. Volunteers thus tried to accomplish their mission accordingly and reach the Southern region in a timely manner. Upon arriving in the South, volunteers immediately went to visit some poets and composers, and personally presented New Year's gifts to 20 artists facing adversity, illness and/or old age.

Volunteers also traveled to the southernmost part of Au Lac, to distribute New Year's gifts to people there. Rice and daily necessities were purchased for homeless families, most of whom had been flood victims in the past. At the time of the visitation, they were without shelter and in need of many things. In addition, volunteers visited and extended offerings to various monks and nuns.

At the end of their trip, needy families were visited and monetary gifts were given to homeless flood victims who lived along the coast, and thus volunteers from the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association completed a successful journey from the North to the South of Au Lac, visiting many less fortunate people and impoverished Au Lacese artists with New Year's gifts from Supreme Master Ching Hai.

Supreme Master Ching Hai's eternal spring of generosity has brought the light of hope to these less fortunate people.

Receipts of helping the needy throughout Au Lac, Spring, 1999

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