YAO JIN VILLAGE, China – Picture the scene: a man lifts a heavy block into place and then wipes the sweat from his brow. He and his fellow Chinese countrymen are in a hurry as they build a wall to protect themselves from potential threat. Read the rest of this entry »

What an awesome day – we’ve reached a “turning point.”

City officials have really started to turn to and rely on Operation Blessing. As we worked, we gained the respect and favor with the local government, emergency management officials and residents.
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YAO JIN VILLAGE, China - It’s the weekend but there has been no rest for the weary. Our machines have been ploughing through rubble, 10 hours per day. On Friday our excavator dug a huge trench around the backside of the village. The trench will divert water away from homes (the old trench was destroyed by the quake). Read the rest of this entry »

YAO JIN VILLAGE, China - We had a successful meeting with the local party leader this morning. We told him OBI wanted to help other villages in his region and asked him for suggestions of places that might need some simple projects done such as latrines. Read the rest of this entry »

YAO JIN VILLAGE, China - Debris removal from Yao Jin is now in full swing. Yesterday and today we had three trucks working on rotation to haul away rubble and we are definitely making a dent in the sea of destruction. Read the rest of this entry »

TERRA HAUTE, Ind. – On my first day out in the affected neighborhoods to do assessments with OBI’s construction foreman, I could not believe that after nine days there was still standing water, roads washed out with water still gushing over them and water still seeping up from the saturated ground. Read the rest of this entry »

TERRE HAUTE, Indiana - Terre Haute, a French expression for “high land,” looked like anything but high as we, in a tiny red mosquito of a plane, flew above flooded fields, farms and ruined homes that would never dry out to be what they once were. Read the rest of this entry »

YAO JIN VILLAGE, China - The name of the game today was “tank repair.” Most villages in the quake zone have huge concrete water tanks for storage and most of these were cracked during the quake. The cracks range from hairline fissures to gaping 4-inch splits. Either way, cracks and water don’t mix. Read the rest of this entry »

YAO JIN VILLAGE, China – We had another action packed day. In Yao Jin, we diverted the water flow from the village water tank so that we could carry out some vital repairs. Read the rest of this entry »

SICHUAN PROVINCE, China - I was still responding to the death and destruction that had devastated Myanmar when I read the news: “Massive Earthquake Strikes Central China.” A few weeks later, I’m surrounded by death and destruction yet again. But despite the horrific 7.9-magnitude quake that rocked Sichuan Province, I am also surrounded by remarkable hope and resilience.
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YAO JIN VILLAGE, China - Today’s site visit was excellent. The villagers were warm and exceptionally motivated. By tomorrow they will have finished the construction of the ‘bath house.’ Read the rest of this entry »