Day 2: In remembrance of the loss and witness to the resilence of a people.
Now, truly been a month and a week since we are back. I wondered how the students in Meulaboh are?

Life must have settled back in its complete normalcy for all of us. Adrian was very busy recently, up till 9pm++ he was still working furiously in office. Another volunteer, I chatted recently, said that God reminded her that He remembered his promise to her during the trip -- via a rainbow.

I am wondering how much the volunteers are still impacted by the trip. The trip was a testimony that at any one time, if a group of people wanted to contribute and connect to some strangers out in unconnected, remote place -- it is always possible.

Back to the trip, the 2nd day in Meulaboh was spent visiting Meulaboh. Ground zero of the disaster, the coastal trip, a village. We witnessed from the relics, the destructive power of nature, heard about a wall of water moving in, taller than a tree, 3 kilometers in-land.

But what caught my attention was not so much the destruction, by the resilence of the Acehnese in the region. In the town, only faint reminder of the destruction was visible. The people, my guess is through shared grief have handled their grief well, welcomed us, so warmly and joyfully to make our stay were mostly most unforgetable.

There was not to understate that much rebuilding work that needed to be done, means of livelihood to be restored, but I had little doubts that these people and students we had seen would overcome and emerge a stronger people. It was through the much sorrow; It might be said to be cruel to experience such disaster, but to bear witness to common humanity, like other NGO groups, relief-institutions, help from their countrymen coming in to lend a helping hand. This was what brought humanity closer together.

We shared a deeper, more common bond that through the frality of life, the strength of human kindness, are qualities that would be treasured, hold dear and close to our hearts, and expressed in outward acts for remembrance.

Any readers out here -- want to continue to lead a new group to disaster relief zone, or to Meulaboh? Or simply contribute to rebuilding of Babbusalam. (see See Meng entry)