This is just one of
thousands of similar stories
of my team's earthquake
experience last
Friday. First let me say
that the Chinese government
is doing an AMAZING job
here, and meeting 80% of the
needs of say 70% of those
most affected. We set out
to find and assist some of
the other 30%. There are
more than 60,000 dead,
untold still missing and 5
million homeless. This
quake shook so hard that the
ground moved over a meter
underfoot. It's hard to
imagine. This photo story
is best viewed in the widest
possible window.
The trip starts with
planning in the Heart to
Heart emergency response
center in Chengdu about an
hour south of the
epicenter. Dr. Brian
Robinson in red. (photo 1
see links at the end)
Under the Red Cross umbrella
our team loaded up 2 4WD's
and set out to find a
village that earlier reports
said was not yet accessible
due to massive land
slides. We kept driving
when told that you could not
get through. Over and around
land slides and through
rivers where there were no
roads. Through the
epicenter (photo 2)
The army had just arrived
and set up 4 tents and
strung a phone line. The
villagers beyond the land
slide had run out of food 3
days ago. One girl gripped
in fear sprinted the 50
meter "gauntlet" where the
ominous rock slide teetered
waiting for the next
aftershock to claim it's
next victim. We unloaded our
supply of tents, tarps, food
and medicine and the
villagers helped to trek the
supplies in over the rocks
and through the rivers. I
was humbled how these
mountain people, young and
old grabbed 110 lb bags of
rice and tirelessly
negotiated the dangerous
landslides. After an hour
we made it to Bamboo Dragon
village, a mystical cascade
of rich green semi-tropical
forest and kiwi fruit
plantation. Paradise
shattered by grief and
despair. 200 families
starving and grieving.
We met the party secretary
and asked if we could help,
she just wanted to talk but
it didn't take long before
she was sobbing profusely in
front of her broken
people. The soldiers armed
with picks and shovels were
on their way out, they had
just buried 18
victims. She welcomed us,
next we met the village
doctor, his house was
totally destroyed, he could
only dig out a hand full of
medicines. He probably had
not slept in a week, there
was a sort of glazed look on
his harrowed face as if to
say "everyone need me to
help them and I have nothing
to help them with." I
looked down at his feet, he
had hand-made a pair of make
shift sandals from a
tire. I could barley
compose myself to ask a few
questions. The doctor on
our team took over.
We stocked the shelf in his
tent with the few supplies
we had, and his countenance
lifted about a mile. After
9 days he finally had a few
medicines and bandages to
help heal the scores of
injured. That moment was
one of the most fulfilling
moments of my live here in
China. Then the lady who
lost her only two children
(teenagers) came in to the
medical tent. Thank God
Vicky Bowman was there, the
lady started sharing her
story and was bawling within
moments. Vicky was just the
right person for the
task. She went up the
mountain to her home, now a
pile of rubble, and within
minutes the word was out
that "the councilor" had
arrived. Out of the thick
foliage dozens came and
mobbed her with their
stories. Vicky listened and
prayed with each of
them. They begged her not
to leave.
We found a couple teenagers
cleaning up their kitchen,
yes that's their kitchen
below, and we jumped in with
a hand moving rubble and
saving bricks. The party
secretary joined the
"assembly line" until we
cleared out a pile of
rubble.
Then a fit elderly man came
down from the mountain where
800 survivors lived, 100% of
the homes were
uninhabitable. Tile roofs
had just rattled to the
ground.
We help to carry up roofing
materials and
tarps. Because of the 4
days of rain right after the
quake there wasn't a dry bed
in the village.
On the way out we stopped on
what used to be the road for
a rest.
We plan to return with some
coworkers who will live with
these guys for the next year
or two and we will supply
them with the materials to
start building bamboo
temporary housing, kitchens,
and then more permanent
housing.
Training is already underway
for over 300 of our national
partners to care for
emotional needs as well as
physical needs. Starting
with those most at risk; the
injured, very young and
widows. I just can't
explain the amazing
opportunity to make an
eternal difference in these
communities. Thank you for
lifting us up and making it
possible to do more. We
love you and thank you for
the privilege to be His
hands and feet on the
field. Our task is to find
as many of these villages as
we have people to serve and
then support them with the
materials and training to
restore lives and transform
communities. Thanks for
helping.
See: May 23 USA Today page 6
article
Dr. Robinson, president of
Heart to Heart, meets
Chinese Premier in
earthquake zone. Cut and
paste link below to your
browser.
Deductible gift can go
through REN Group, PO Box
65531, Va. Bch, VA
23467-5531
You may pass this along to
anyone you want.
BeiChuan,
view from our village 
Chris
Yuan dismantling a broken house
We
are building a tarp tent for this 95 year old lady
Tarp
tent construction
Her
tarp tent home - until we can build her a house
It
isn't much, but at least it is a 'roof' over her head
