4·14 Earthquake Relief Special - 13

　　Yushu Rescue—We’re Doing Our Best, Part 13

　　Your kindness will always be etched in our hearts.

　　May 6, Sunny

　　Today, the preparatory work for the distribution of the second batch of relief supplies has been completely wrapped up. Tonight, three new team members—Pu Qiong, Hu Gang, and Zhaxi Quda, a student from Tongji University—will arrive with the third batch of supplies to replace Wanma Dazeng, Gao Ming, and Cisang (Chen Congwei). There will be plenty of tasks tonight, such as storing and handing over the supplies, so everyone is getting up very early to finish today’s supply distribution as soon as possible.

　　After having breakfast, we set off for the Ganamani Stone Stacks to distribute the remaining Buddha statues we’d brought from Tibet. The Ganamani Stone Stacks are located about two kilometers from Yushu Jiegu Town and are the largest mani stone stacks in the world. They’re made up of more than 2 billion stones inscribed with the six-syllable mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum.” This site is a must-visit destination for local residents who come here daily to circumambulate and pay their respects. Since the earthquake, many people who’ve lost loved ones—especially lonely elderly individuals—have been coming here almost every day, often staying for an entire day. It’s truly the perfect place to offer Buddha statues as gifts.

　　When the local residents who were spinning prayer wheels saw the Buddha statues we were holding, they became deeply moved and eagerly rushed toward us. We explained to them that these statues had been specially brought from Tibet as a gift for everyone. The crowd that surged forward didn't immediately take the statues into their hands. Some first removed their hats or scarves, then carefully held the statues aloft above their heads in respectful reverence before gently lowering them to examine them closely. Many elderly people, upon receiving the statues, would quietly gaze at them for a long time; some even shed tears. Others, after paying their respects to the statues, returned them to us, saying that the statues should be kept in a clean and tidy place and worshipped with utmost reverence. Since they currently live without a fixed home, they decided not to take the statues back with them. We firmly believe that the deep devotion and respect in their hearts will surely safeguard the radiant light of Buddha-nature. No matter how difficult the external circumstances may become, the light of peace and serenity will always envelop them.

　　In the afternoon, we split into two groups and conducted follow-up visits to households that had received relief supplies at the village and township levels. We visited each household reported by the villages and townships as being in need of assistance, and confirmed that the relief supplies had been distributed to every single family without any omissions. We’re truly grateful to those down-to-earth rural officials for bringing our second round of relief efforts to a perfect conclusion. Everywhere we went, the local residents kept expressing their heartfelt gratitude to us—and just yesterday, we even received two thank-you text messages.

　　The village officials from Zaduo County in Yushu sent a text message saying: “Don’t overwork yourselves in your busy disaster-relief efforts. Face your worries with optimism, and never let your aspirations fade away. With the help and support from all sectors of society, Yushu will be even more beautiful tomorrow. Wishing all Qizheng people good health and smooth progress in your work—thank you so much, Zaduo disaster victims!”

　　A member of the public who received supplies also sent us a text message: “We’ll always keep your kindness in our hearts.”

　　When the compassion of all Qizheng people comes together unconditionally in response to the disaster, every heartfelt intention and wish is profoundly sincere, and every act of assistance—no matter how small—given on the ground is made with utmost dedication. As we step forward to represent everyone in carrying out these efforts, no one thinks of receiving anything in return. Hearing words of gratitude, we realize that even the tiniest, most seemingly insignificant acts of care can add a vital source of strength to the hearts of those affected by the disaster—and that’s precisely what brings us true comfort and joy.

　　Around 7:30 p.m., the three new team members and the third batch of relief supplies arrived safely at the storage site—the Jiegu Temple. The temple management committee organized the monks to help unload and arrange the supplies, while our team members stood by, counting the items and assigning them to appropriate storage locations. The monks were remarkably enthusiastic and proactive; in less than an hour, they had moved an entire truckload of supplies into place and covered them with tarpaulins. It’s worth noting that this shipment included as many as 40 different types of supplies. During this relief effort, the monks of Jiegu Temple provided us with tremendous help and support. Whenever supplies were distributed, the monks eagerly joined in, lending a great deal of assistance. Through the temple management committee, we donated the remaining 400 pairs of training shoes from the second batch entirely to Jiegu Temple. The temple management committee said these shoes will meet the needs of two-thirds of the temple’s monks.

　　To ensure smoother coordination of tasks, everyone started holding meetings and eating as soon as they returned to the tent. The veteran team members shared with the new members their experience in distributing supplies over the past few days, as well as contact information for local government agencies and civil organizations. Together, they discussed and planned the distribution of the third batch of supplies and the medical services to be provided. Tonight’s dinner was special—celebrating the arrival of the new team members and bidding farewell to the veterans. The logistics team had specially prepared dumplings, making this by far the best dinner since we arrived in Yushu. As everyone enjoyed the dumplings and continued discussing various matters, the meeting didn’t officially wrap up until around 11:30 p.m.

　　The addition of new team members has brought fresh energy to the third batch of medical and relief efforts. However, tomorrow at 8:30 a.m., Wanmadan Zeng, Gao Ming, and Cisang will be leaving. Ever since they arrived in Yushu, all three have been suffering from altitude sickness—but it’s truly admirable that they’ve managed to hold on for so many days. After spending over ten days together day and night, everyone feels a bit reluctant to part ways.

　　According to the schedule of our discussions, the first thing we’ll do tomorrow morning is to hang up the newly delivered bilingual Tibetan-Chinese signage banners, so that the public can find us more easily. In addition to the two Tibetan doctors, Losang Nima and Lasang Qudan, we’ve also welcomed two new Tibetan doctors—Puqiong and another team member—strengthening our medical team and enabling us to continue carrying out Tibetan medical treatments and consultations. Tomorrow, we plan to organize the distribution of supplies based on the information gathered from our prior surveys, ensuring that the third batch of supplies can be distributed swiftly and seamlessly alongside the ongoing efforts. Now that the new team members have arrived and another shipment of supplies has come in, building on the experience gained from the second batch, we’re hopeful that we can provide even more comprehensive assistance.