On the evening of October 22,
2004, Panamanian initiates were astonished to watch a TV broadcast showing
yet more floods caused by heavy rainfall overwhelming their country.
For with Master's help the initiates had just finished conducting relief
work in response to local flooding that had occurred in late September
and early October. As with the earlier deluge, this round of floods
caused great devastation, leaving many victims homeless and without
possessions.
Most of the relief team members
were not in Panama City when news of the October 22 flood broke. However,
through Master's arrangement, the following morning one sister from
the relief team, who had stayed in the city, was able to deliver clothing,
mattresses and bags of relief items to families in the Rio Cabra region,
which had been affected by flood damage.
More initiates and several Convenient
Method practitioners were later able to join in the aid work, carrying
bags of supplies to areas such as Nueva Esperanza Arriba and Arnulfo
Arias-Caminos de Omar, where the team had not previously visited. Almost
a hundred families thus lovingly received material assistance. The relief
team workers were happily surprised to see that the victims in one area
still had faith in God and were gathered in a house discussing their
situation and praying for help when the aid arrived. Thus the sisters
and brothers told the recipients that the support had come in the name
of the Almighty and Supreme Master Ching Hai and that they were simply
instruments of the divine. One woman hurried to cook the food the initiates
had brought because the victims had previously had nothing to eat, and
she was very grateful to our beloved Master for providing the much needed
items.
During the October 22 project,
the relief team members worked continuously for an entire week, and
so it was difficult to sustain their energy, but they persisted in carrying
our Master's supreme love to their Panamanian countrymen, who now know
of Master and are extremely grateful to Her for providing relief supplies
to thousands of families. Thank You very much, dearest Master for all
the happy moments of human solidarity experienced during the relief
effort, and for allowing the Panamanian practitioners to be Your envoys
of love in their tropical homeland!
