President of El
Salvador Receives Tzu Chi Volunteers: "The Spirit of Great
Love warms the hearts of my people."
(Translated by Wil Lin, Northern California)
Tzu Chi's relief efforts
in El Salvador continue. A few days ago, Salvadoran President
Francisco Flores made a trip to the relief command center to
meet and personally thank Tzu Chi's disaster relief team. "The
Great Love of Tzu Chi volunteers warms the hearts of my people."
He asked the team to relay his gratitude to Master Cheng Yen
and the Taiwanese people.
The meeting occurred
in the evening of February 26 in the Tzu Chi relief command
center in El Salvador. Representatives of the Tzu Chi team included
Tzu Chi Religion Department chief Huang Szu-hsien, Hsieh Ching-kui,
Ko Chi-she, Tseng Chi-ying and Yao Shu-tu. Huang reported to
the president that on hearing news of the earthquake in El Salvador,
Master Cheng Yen and Tzu Chi volunteers were very concerned.
Volunteers in Taiwan and the United States immediately sent
dis-aster relief teams to El Salvador. Besides holding free
clinics and distributing supplies, team mem-bers also personally
consoled victims of the earthquake. Huang observed that because
of the earth-quake that struck Taiwan on September 21, 1999,
Taiwanese felt great sympathy for quake victims in El Salvador.
President Flores said,
"I know Tzu Chi volunteers have come to El Salvador a number
of times to hold free clinics and other disaster relief activities.
They have also warmed the hearts of the Salva-doran earthquake
victims with their love and concern. Our gratitude for Tzu Chi's
Great Love cannot be expressed with words. I thank you on behalf
of all Salvadorans. I have visited the areas where you have
helped. The people there told me that your Great Love warmed
their souls, and they did not feel alone and helpless anymore."
Huang thanked the
president for this opportunity to serve the Salvadoran people.
Volunteer Hsieh Ching-kui also shared his experiences with the
president. Hsieh commented that while distributing goods in
the disaster areas, he laughed and cried with the earthquake
victims as if they were his own family. An elderly woman said
during an interview that at first she had felt that there was
no hope in life, but seeing Tzu Chi volunteers come from halfway
around the world to comfort her gave her love and hope again.
Different religious groups served the earthquake victims. Several
Mormon elders worked with Tzu Chi volunteers to carry food for
victims, shouting, "Tzu Chi, Taiwan, Amitaba, hallelujah!"
Hsieh said he was very moved by all these things.
"I cannot express
my gratitude to Tzu Chi with words," President Flores said.
"I can only step up the reconstruction efforts to repay
Tzu Chi's concern for El Salvador." Tzu Chi is currently
plan-ning to build housing for earthquake victims, and is also
exploring the feasibility of rebuilding damaged schools. Huang
relayed Master Cheng Yen's ideas to the President, hoping that
the rebuilt communities will have schools, clinics, and activity
centers to help the victims build new lives. Tzu Chi volunteers
will also continue to care for the victims. President Flores
commended the thor-oughness of Master Cheng Yen's plan and promised
to do all he can to make all this a reality. After Hurricane
Mitch ravaged Central America in 1998, Tzu Chi provided food,
clothing, and other ne-cessities to El Salvador. Last December,
during his visit to Taiwan, the president went to Tzu Chi General
Hospital in Talin to personally thank Master Cheng Yen. Immediately
after the earthquake at the beginning of this year, Tzu Chi
began helping El Salvador. Ever since January 16, Tzu Chi volunteers
have stayed in El Salvador to provide goods, medical care and
food and to help build "Great Love" housing. The current
plan is to build 1327 units before the rainy season begins in
May.
(Translated by Wil
Lin, Northern California)
President of El Salvador Receives Tzu Chi
Volunteers: "The Spirit of Great Love warms the hearts of
my people."
Tzu Chi's relief efforts
in El Salvador continue. A few days ago, Salvadoran President
Francisco Flores made a trip to the relief command center to
meet and personally thank Tzu Chi's disaster relief team. "The
Great Love of Tzu Chi volunteers warms the hearts of my people."
He asked the team to relay his gratitude to Master Cheng Yen
and the Taiwanese people.
The meeting occurred
in the evening of February 26 in the Tzu Chi relief command
center in El Salvador. Representatives of the Tzu Chi team included
Tzu Chi Religion Department chief Huang Szu-hsien, Hsieh Ching-kui,
Ko Chi-she, Tseng Chi-ying and Yao Shu-tu. Huang reported to
the president that on hearing news of the earthquake in El Salvador,
Master Cheng Yen and Tzu Chi volunteers were very concerned.
Volunteers in Taiwan and the United States immediately sent
dis-aster relief teams to El Salvador. Besides holding free
clinics and distributing supplies, team mem-bers also personally
consoled victims of the earthquake. Huang observed that because
of the earth-quake that struck Taiwan on September 21, 1999,
Taiwanese felt great sympathy for quake victims in El Salvador.
President Flores said,
"I know Tzu Chi volunteers have come to El Salvador a number
of times to hold free clinics and other disaster relief activities.
They have also warmed the hearts of the Salva-doran earthquake
victims with their love and concern. Their gratitude for Tzu
Chi's Great Love cannot be expressed with words. I thank you
on behalf of all Salvadorans. I have visited the areas where
you have helped. The people there told me that your Great Love
warmed their souls, and they did not feel alone and helpless
anymore."
Huang thanked the
president for this opportunity to serve the Salvadoran people.
Volunteer Hsieh Ching-kui also shared his experiences with the
president. Hsieh commented that while distributing goods in
the disaster areas, he laughed and cried with the earthquake
victims as if they were his own family. An elderly woman said
during an interview that at first she had felt that there was
no hope in life, but seeing Tzu Chi volunteers come from halfway
around the world to comfort her gave her love and hope again.
Different religious groups served the earthquake victims. Several
Mormon elders worked with Tzu Chi volunteers to carry food for
victims, shouting, "Tzu Chi, Taiwan, Amitaba, hallelujah!"
Hsieh said he was very moved by all these things.
"I cannot express
my gratitude to Tzu Chi with words," President Flores said.
"I can only step up the reconstruction efforts to repay
Tzu Chi's concern for El Salvador." Tzu Chi is currently
plan-ning to build housing for earthquake victims, and is also
exploring the feasibility of rebuilding damaged schools. Huang
relayed Master Cheng Yen's ideas to the President, hoping that
the rebuilt communities will have schools, clinics, and activity
centers to help the victims build new lives. Tzu Chi volunteers
will also continue to care for the victims. President Flores
commended the thor-oughness of Master Cheng Yen's plan and promised
to do all he can to make all this a reality. After Hurricane
Mitch ravaged Central America in 1998, Tzu Chi provided food,
clothing, and other ne-cessities to El Salvador. Last December,
during his visit to Taiwan, the president went to Tzu Chi General
Hospital in Talin to personally thank Master Cheng Yen. Immediately
after the earthquake at the beginning of this year, Tzu Chi
began helping El Salvador. Ever since January 16, Tzu Chi volunteers
have stayed in El Salvador to provide goods, medical care and
food and to help build "Great Love" housing. The current
plan is to build 1327 units before the rainy season begins in
May.
