by the Nantou News Group, Formosa (Originally in Chinese)

On July 2, 2004, Typhoon Mindulle swept across Formosa, followed by strong southwestern air currents that brought heavy rainfall causing severe mudslides in the mountainous Nantou region of central Formosa. Overnight, surging torrents of mud flooded homes, buried roads and destroyed crops ready for harvest in the fertile fields. Thus local residents were taken by surprise and rendered helpless, providing a perfect example of the ephemeral nature of life in the physical world.

In light of this disaster, initiates from the Nantou Center of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association phoned local officials to gather information, and learned that the victims needed relief provisions such as dry food and drinking water. So on July 7, the practitioners delivered the first batch of emergency supplies to the Ren-ai Township Typhoon Midulle Victims' Accommodation Center at Ren-ai Primary School. Then, at the urgent request of Ms. Hong Feng-jiao, head of the Social Welfare Section of the Ren-ai Township Office, the initiates purchased and delivered a hundred tents to the Ren-ai Relief Operations Center within twenty-four hours. Ms. Hong was amazed by the positive attitude and high efficiency of the Nantou initiates, who before leaving the area left her an emergency contact telephone number.

Then on the night of July 8, a heavy two-hour rainfall cut off communications among five indigenous mountain settlements. The following day, Ms. Hong asked the Nantou initiates for further material support as the Township Office was preparing to set up emergency rescue centers at areas where roads had been cut off. On the morning of July 10, the brothers and sisters delivered a second batch of relief provisions including infant milk powder, diapers, rice and seasonings to the local Victims' Accommodation Center. Military personnel helped unload the supplies and the mission was soon accomplished. Hopefully, these materials were rapidly delivered into the victims' hands.

At about 8:00 AM on July 8, The Supreme Master Ching Hai Relief Society, run by members of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, also received a request for emergency supplies from the Council of Indigenous Peoples, which had previously contacted the Nantou County Aboriginal Administration about transportation assistance. In the empathetic spirit of the motto "others' mishaps are our own," Society members launched a relief operation in Ren-ai.

The initiates learned that numerous landslides had occurred in the area, making the roads rough and treacherous so they quickly decided to send six jeeps on the mission. On the first day, the Society members brought two tons of materials to Cin-ai Village in Ren-ai, and the following day delivered another two and a half tons of materials to Jingying Village.

The rough journey to Ren-ai Township did not intimidate the initiates, who had prepared for their work with rigorous training. And through Master's grace, all the relief supplies were safely and efficiently delivered to the disaster-stricken regions.

......Nex