Love in Action

Korea

Flood Relief Work in Korea

On July 2006, the Korean peninsula suffered from extremely severe unprecedented damages due to a typhoon and heavy rain which destroyed many roads and villages. Korean initiates quickly responded to assist during the disaster. As soon as roads were temporarily recovered, the Relief Team entered the villages to provide necessities and to offer a helping hand in recovery work.

Inje-Gun, Gangwon-Do

Gangwon-Do is a tourist destination with excellent sceneries, attracting a large number of people from all around Korea during the summer time. Beautiful and high mountains provide spectacular views of Gangwon-Do. On July 16, local downpours eventually caused the greatest disaster to ever occur in some of these areas. Heavy rains poured down in a very short period of time and created a huge water bomb from the high mountains. The water blast pushed huge rocks and trees downhill at such phenomenal speeds that houses and villages were destroyed or covered entirely by the muddy water.

Although roads were cut off, the Relief Team speedily sent advance members to the areas. The roles of these members were very important since government offices were unsure of the situation in these isolated villages. According to the advance members, the damages were much more extensive than expected, and villagers were staying in temporary shelters in fear. In response to the situation, the Seoul Center quickly prepared 300 emergency relief kits and sent them to the disaster areas.

On July 20, the Relief Team rushed to Garisan-Li. With electricity and telephones cut off, there was nothing but temporary roads, fear and tension. The Relief Team helped to recover some damaged houses and provided 100 emergency relief kits as well as 25 burner sets to the victims. When we inquired about their needs, they requested a nervous sedative (Nervine) as many were still in mental shock.

Afterwards the Relief Team entered the Deokjeok-Li village. The village had been completely isolated for several days. Mr. Kim Youn-Geun, the leader of Deokjeok-Li explained that the local downpour destroyed two thirds of the village and around 30 houses were gone. The Relief Team was the first civil help and the visit brought great comfort to the people. Due to the isolation of the village, food was dropped from government helicopters, but some people did not have the strength to collect it. With the comfort and love received from fellow initiates, they started to calm down and conveyed their needs. Digestive and diarrhea medicine, ointment and bandages, batteries, detergents, portable gas burners and so forth were requested The Relief Team quickly prepared and provided them with those items as well as some rice.

On July 21, the Relief Team divided into four areas to recover houses, repair facilities, clear up mud around an elementary school and deliver relief items to damaged villages.

On July 22, the roads opened one by one and it became easier for cars to access the villages. About 14,000 civil volunteer workers went to the disaster areas to help. That day, The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association Relief Team went to Hangye-Li to help with house recovery. The beautiful volunteer efforts were broadcasted on MBC TV main news and initiates wearing yellow jackets were shown several times in the news reports.

Mr. Lee Gwan-Hyung (74 years old) of Hangye 3-Li expressed his deep gratitude saying, “It was simply hell. My warehouse was washed away, three large trees from the village also drifted away. Without volunteer workers, it would have been impossible to recover; I will live in gratitude for the rest of my life.” Other villagers also expressed appreciation for the devoted help from sisters and brothers. Hopeless victims were in need of God’s grace, so when initiates gave them the Alternative Living flyers and sample booklets, they paid good attention to it.

Another team visited Garisan-Li and Deokjeok-Li again to provide them with 100 medicine sets, rice, detergents and other requested items. Mr. Gwon Oh-Seok, a Deokjeok-Li villager was very delighted to see our team; he warmly welcomed us. There was no electricity, but he thoroughly read by candlelight Master’s sample booklet and the Alternative Living flyer included in the relief package he received from our first visit. During our conversation we found that not only had he read it but almost memorized the entire content of the sample booklet! He said, “This disaster was bigger than the bombing during the last Korean War. This village is 700 meters (2,300 feet) above sea level, so it was the first time that houses were washed away by heavy rain. Master Ching Hai’s worldwide support is enormous. She provides love and services to others, She puts love into practice, actively participating materially, and your Association saves people with the guidance of Master. There are many religious organizations in Korea. However, in this flood disaster, villagers especially appreciated The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association because you provided continuous help. We should get rid of our desire and selfishness. This disaster is a price for selfish environmental destruction by humans. I read the Alternative Living flyer and it seems that your Association is headed towards a positive environmental movement which is very good. The world is receiving enormous help from you.”

On Sunday, July 23, more initiates joined the Relief Team; so we had about 50 participants, we all went to Deokjeok-Li to assist in house recovery efforts. The first team came to an old man’s house, which was near the stream and had flood damages. Fellow sisters and brothers cleaned up the house like their own, and also cleaned up the damaged greenhouse so that they could do farming again. As initiates cleaned up the house with bright smiles and the abundant love of Master, the elderly regained their bright faces.

Another team climbed up to the house of an elderly lady who lived alone, it needed a lot of work. Fortunately the military force joined us. Brothers and military officials cleared up earth and sand inside and around the house. Sisters cleaned the inside of the house. One military official, who noticed the devoted working attitude of fellow initiates, received a sample booklet from us and thoroughly read it on site.

Then, all the teams joined hands to recover a house which incurred huge damages. Several days had already past since the disaster but the owner was so hopeless and could not think of a way to clean it. Everything was covered with mud, and even with broken concrete which made the recovery work harder than expected. However, with the help of dozens of devoted initiates the house regained its cleanness in a short period of time.

Ms. Park Deok-Bo, the chief of the “Women’s Association of Deokjeok-Li”, expressed her gratitude to Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association and God, saying “Many organizations helped us but our villagers especially thank The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association as you provided us with much needed items such as medicine, rice, blankets, etc. I am also very grateful for your substantial volunteer services. I can not express my gratitude enough. If it continued to rain for another 10 minutes, everything else would have been destroyed as well. I thank God that the rain stopped at that moment.” Mr. Kim Youn-Geun, the leader of Deokjeok-Li also expressed his gratitude to initiates and asked us to return when the village is fully recovered so that the villagers could return our kindness.

Jinju City

On July13, the Relief Team sent an advance team to the disaster areas. From the advance team and local initiates, we learned that Munsan-Eup had the most severe damages in Jinju City. The relief work started and continued until July 16.

Initiates arrived at a supermarket that was completely flooded to the ceiling. The disaster was so devastating that the owner of the supermarket was hospitalized for some time due to mental shock. The helpless shop owner and employees welcomed the helping hands from fellow initiates. Initiates cleaned in and outside the shop, as well as the living room and kitchen at the back, to enable the family to settle again. A fire truck arrived timely to provide us a lot of water for cleaning. The owner was touched to see the initiates helping devotedly; he mentioned that till this day he was unaware of these good qualities of helping and sharing amongst people. He promised to himself that he would assist others in the future.

Next the Relief Team went to an agricultural chemical shop which also suffered flood damage. The Jinju City Office staff assisting with relief work there paid close attention to our sisters and brothers who worked ceaselessly. Some took sample booklets and Alternative Living flyers for themselves and to give to other staff at their office. Two of them said they would start a vegetarian diet from then on forth and visit Master’s website for further information.

On July 16, the Relief Team arrived at a seriously damaged greenhouse to help with the cleanup.

A Jinju MBC Radio program came to know about the devoted work of our Relief Team, and conducted a live interview with a fellow sister. When asked about The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, the sister explained that Master Ching Hai teaches us to develop our inner nature through meditation, and that we should help the world through love.

Later, on another day, initiates went to Jincheon-Gun and helped to clean up a cosmetics store.

During their relief efforts, Korean initiates worked fast and effectively since they realized the importance of timely help. Every time after house recovery work, fellow brothers and sisters were covered in mud but shined from within with happiness since their hearts were filled with glory.