Love In Action
Tornadoes Rip Through The Lives Of The People In Alabama

[Report From USA] In a small valley where a community once thrived, debris and ripped timber now litter the ground and only remnants of homes now stand. An elderly homeowner rummages through his house, if it could still be called that since the roof was torn away and laying in a neighbor's property and the walls lay crumbled on the ground. He was looking for any part of his life that could be saved. Other people, scattered here and there, stared in disbelief at their neighborhood, where they, their friends, and their family lived, now laying in utter ruin. The site looked more like a trash dump than a place where people lived and raised their children. This was the aftermath of a tornado touching down and ripping through the communities of Alabama in April of 1998. This was the scene that President Clinton saw when he came and declared it a federal disaster area. This was the scene that we witnessed when we came offering Master's love and assistance to the victims.

When we reached the community described above, the National Guard, who safeguarded the entrance to prevent looters, confronted us and told us that special permits were required to enter. We simply showed them some identification that we were the Supreme Master Ching Hai Disaster Relief Team, which they accepted and then promptly gave us complete access to the blockaded disaster areas. Bringing with us Master's love and care-packages containing snacks and personal items, we visited the distraught residents who struggled to pull their lives together.

Each told his horrifying story. One said that he, his wife, and son didn't have time to run into the basement when they heard the tornado's terrifying howling and so they just ran into the closet. Their next sight was of their roof being torn off and whipping through the sky. He was happy that his family was alive and that he could still rebuild. Receiving our gifts, he felt touched that we had traveled so far to ease his suffering. Another man told how his brother's house next door was ripped off its foundation and flung, with four family members inside, over a hundred feet into a gully, killing the two children. His own house was also demolished. He lamented how he had just finished paying all his debts and finally owned everything before the fury of the tornado took everything from him. In the delirious condition that he was in, we could only listen in sympathy so that he could express his misery. Another person narrated how he was sleeping on the porch when his friend dragged him into the house just before the tornado tore off the porch. He was thankful for his life.

With each family we visited, we could feel their sorrow but also their faith in God and Hiers protective power in saving their lives.

We also visited over 20 hospitalized victims at the Baptist Medical Center, the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, and the Carraway Methodist Medical Center. At first we ran into red tape since hospital rules prevented our finding out who the victims were, much less visiting them. But through the communication, the supervisors of the hospitals consented. The patients all welcomed our visit and gladly accepted our love. They were so surprised that we came from several different states to share in their hour of unhappiness.

We talked to one man with a mental disability whose parents died in the tornado. He was overcome with grief and felt lost in this world without them. We consoled him and gave him a care-package and some money. He thanked us for being there with him. We then talked to a lady who said her family was thrown along with the house by the tornado. She was well enough to leave the hospital, but her husband and son were not so fortunate. We visited her husband and he asked us to pray for his son who was in critical condition at the Children's Hospital, while he himself was paralyzed as a result of the tornado. We didn't need to pray knowing that Master was taking care of them already.

From seeing the devastation caused by the tornado, we could see the ephemeral nature of life and how things that we thought stood solid could be blown away with the wind. Master teaches us this so that we will pursue spiritual practice and realize the permanence of our God nature. Through the misery, the victims found love from their fellow human beings and strength to rebuild. We disciples hope that they also realize Master's teachings and begin building a home that lasts, a home in the Kingdom of God.

Alabama Tornado Disaster Relief
April 1998

Tornadoes Rip Through The Lives Of The People In Alabama Master Helps The Victims Of The Hurricane Georges War-torn Sudan Reels From Famine Ruthless Floods, Human Love A Visit to The Home For The Elderly Life Is Ephemeral Visit Of Love To The Taipei Happy Mount Home

List of DonatedItems	Amount(US$)
School Supplies	$147.16
First-aid Supplies	32.94
Plastic Bags	29.97
Socks	508.07
Underwear	968.36
Oral Hygiene Supplies	407.48
Body Hygiene Supplies	786.06
Baby Diapers	87.96
Candy	303.19
Sweet Snacks	98.83
Chips & Crackers	168.10
Hot Cocoa	29.94
Canned Fruit	90.87
Juice	113.01
Miscellaneous	67.27
Tax	98.46
Cash Donation	200.00
Total	$ 4,137.67