Sending Comfort and Hope
By Colombia and Costa Rica Relief Team (Originally in Spanish) In the Department of Caquetá 
In the first week of June, eight of Colombia’s departments were struck by serious floods, with the Department of Caquetá being the worse affected. More than 3,500 families there had not received any help at all. Master promptly provided US$10,000 for assistance, saying, “Their suffering is so vast. My heart aches for them.” When our Association relief team arrived in Florencia, the capital of the Department of Caquetá, on June 12, they bought food for 1,050 families in need. After meeting with Governor Germán Medina, they distributed the supplies to six communities including La Floresta, lower Juan XXIII, Comuneros, San Luis, El Obrero and El Idema. The people were especially happy to have Master’s aid, because it was the first they had received following three floods in two weeks. To several families with children that needed additional assistance, the relief team provided extra food and cash to get them through the tough times. Due to subsequent floods, our Association members returned to the Caquetá Department with another US$10,000 contribution from Master a month later to provide more relief. Governor Medina was deeply touched by Master’s loving concern and sent Her thousands of blessings. The team distributed food to affected families in the Municipalities of Belen and Curillo, and nine communities in Florencia. Many said that the food was like “Celestial food from Heaven” and were exceedingly grateful to Master. They sent Her messages like, “Tell Master Her love really touches the depths of our hearts. We never will forget Her and She will be always in our prayers,” and “Now I have faith again. God didn’t forget me; He still listens to my prayers.” Before leaving, the team gave some food to the priest at a local church to share with more families in desperate need.
In the Department of Sucre
The Mojana Region in the Sucre Department endured serious floods since the winter started in July. Concerned about the welfare of the people, Mr. Pedro Luis Chavez Bueno wrote a letter to Master, asking for assistance. He remembered that She and our Association had lent them a hand two years ago after a flood. With deep emotion, he requested food, clothes and other supplies that might ease the suffering of the people, brighten the days for the children, and bring comfort to the hearts of the parents in sorrow. Master immediately provided a US$15,000 fund and our Association members from Costa Rica and Colombia travelled to the Mojana Region, bringing much needed food. Taking boats and sometimes canoes, the team distributed the food to as many families as possible and talked to the people about the need to stop eating meat in order to avoid future floods. The region’s cable TV company showed great interest in Supreme Master TV and requested signal transmitting equipment for each of the cable TV companies in the four municipalities in the Department of Sucre.
In the Departments of Magdalena
From October, torrential rains continued to deluge Colombia. By December 15, it was reported that fatalities due to flooding and landslides rose to 257, and a Red Cross statement indicated that over 2 million residents had been affected. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos declared a state of emergency. Moreover, some 300,000 students were unable to attend classes after 600 schools were damaged, and nearly 1 million hectares of farmland were submerged. A team from the US Army Corps of Engineers joined the Colombian army in the disaster relief efforts and President Rafael Correa of neighboring Ecuador visited Colombia, offering his country’s aid as he helped to assess flood damage and deliver food kits to affected families. On November 20, Supreme Master Ching Hai offered US$20,000 in emergency aid, conveying Her deepest sympathies and prayers. Following an investigation of the disaster areas, a relief team formed by our Association members from Columbia and Costa Rica travelled to the Municipality of Santa Ana in the Department of Magdalena by air, car and then by boat, where they purchased enough food for 550 families. After preparing the relief packages with the help from 20 Civil Defense members, the team took a canoe to the communities of Gavilán, Gallo Solo, Las Palmitas, Jaraba, Barro Blanco, and Tapia. Although crossing a swamp was not easy at times, they did not give up, thinking about the families waiting for them. The much needed supplies brought happiness to everyone, as it meant they could have a real Merry Christmas. In the City of Barranquilla in the Department of the Atlantico, our relief team purchased more food for 700 families, and the people in the store kindly helped them divide it into small packages. By boat and then by canoe, in the Municipality of Remolinos in the Department of Magdalena, they were able to reach out to families in the communities of Dividi, Martinete, San Rafael, Santa Rita, Las Casitas and El Salado despite the difficult travel conditions. Everyone was truly overjoyed to have food for the New Year. 
All of our team members were grateful for God’s protection
and blessings during the relief work. They wish the Colombian people
a swift recovery to their fulfilling daily lives as they pray that
such disasters are minimized through humanity’s caring efforts
to restore the Earth’s balance.
Expenditures by
Supreme Master Ching Hai
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