Love In Action
The Supreme Master Ching Hai Relief Team Helps Flood Victims In Chile

By The Santiago News Group, Chile (Originally In Spanish)

The Chile Center of the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association was not indifferent to victims of severe flooding that hit the country this month. The disaster was caused by continuous and torrential rain, and the whole country was seriously affected. To make the situation worse, before the heavy rains a persistent drought lasting five years had already victimized thousands throughout the country. The Government declared seven of the thirteen States as disaster areas, and announced that they had taken all possible measures to cope with the emergency.

Mayor Fernando Guaman G. of Vicuna brings the relief team to a village immersed in mud.

When Master learnt of the tragedy, She immediately instructed fellow initiates in Santiago to help the regions most severely affected. With oneness of mind, initiates in Chile and Brazil cooperated together to raise $US 30,000, which they used to buy about five tons of food (including noodles, rice, sugar, flour, tea, salt, soup, milk and candy), blankets, medicine (i.e. aspirin and cough syrup), personal hygiene items (i.e. soap, toothbrushes, tooth paste), and clothing (i.e. disposable diapers, socks, clothes).

In Lampa, near Santiago, the relief team distributed five hundred relief bags. Vehicles of the relief team managed to overcome the adverse road conditions to render timely and efficient help to many isolated and helpless families. They were all very grateful to our compassionate Master, who gave them a helping hand when they needed it the most.

The second relief operation was launched deep into the northern region of Chile. The team, traveling in several vehicles, set off from the Santiago Center, taking with them over a thousand bags of relief material: 100 blankets, 200 bags of clothes, medicine and personal hygiene items.

Mayor Fernando highlights Master's loving actions to the villagers.

It took them eight hours to reach Vicuna City near Coquimbo. Vicuna was the most severely affected city in this region. The Mayor of Vicuna, Mr. Fernando Guaman G., led fellow practitioners to a village, which unfortunately had been submerged by muddy water. In a school, which temporarily accommodated the victims, the relief team distributed the materials to over a hundred victims who had lost their homes. With candies in their hands, the children danced joyfully. During our time spent with Mayor Fernando Guaman G., we were impressed by his compassion towards his people as if they were his own children. He also very much admires and agrees with Master's teachings.

Finally, the relief team reached another small village in Paihuano. Accompanying us was a television reporter from Canal Telenorte. His original intention was to cover the efforts of another relief team, but he decided to cover Master's relief effort in Paihuano instead.

Here, fellow practitioners donated 800 bags of relief material and blankets that would be shared among nine villages in the neighboring disaster area. Also, fellow practitioners donated $US 2,000 to Mayor Lorenzo Torres as a relief fund. The Mayor was about to visit the flood victims, but he was frustrated by a lack of relief materials. The relief team arrived at his office just in time, and so his problem was solved.

When the gifts arrived, and the victims received the relief materials, their expressions reflected their happiness, gratitude and surprise.

While the relief team was still working in the northern region, a person from Lampa called the Santiago Center expressing gratitude for our help the previous week. He also requested us to come again, because many people there hadn't received any food. Therefore, after returning from the north, fellow initiates in Santiago got ready to launch another relief operation in the two heavily affected regions around Lampa. They prepared sufficient food, Master's sample booklets and the necessary items for each family. Two hundred households benefited from Master's loving help.

On the way, we visited a school that accommodated over a hundred victims. They were receiving help from other groups, but the children had not been considered. Therefore, we left several boxes of candy for the children, which delighted not only them, but also the adults. Thanks to God's arrangement, all work was accomplished smoothly and joyfully in one day.

As a result of this relief operation, which was efficiently coordinated by the fellow practitioners from Brazil and Chile, the Chilean people have received Master's boundless love and care. Fellow practitioners are grateful to Master for giving them a chance to develop selfless love, and learn how to serve others as if serving themselves. Through this personal experience with a natural calamity, we are reminded that we must care and love each other. Disasters are not that terrible; what is more terrible is forgetting to put our love and compassion into action! We should cherish every chance to send our love and concern to others. Only then can we gradually become one with God.