WenChuan5.12 EarthQuake

It was really a humbling experience in Sichuan, while I thought I went as a public health worker, trying to access and learn about the situation, and thus participate in the subsequent follow up work on a long run. I ended up as a interpreter more than anything else that I could do. 

The situation at the sites was in a constant change. On Tuesday evening we heard a report from the site that there were no road, no food, no resource, no medicine at one place, and when we got there by Thursday, the road was cleared, food and resources were a lot, and two medical team appeared on the same time at the refugee camp at the site. Tents were being distributed, though few families had to squeeze in one tent. 

When there was news from the sites that people were having diarrhea, headache, vomiting, no food, no water, I fear that it could be an outbreak of cholera. I was concerned and insisted that this should be reported to the local authorities. We nearly had a fight within the team on this matter. But what I really had was only theories. My team comprised from a group of loving Christians doctors and nurses who had experience in infectious disease control, and many of them went through SARS. However, I wasn't comfortable because my knowledge and judgement told me otherwise. And of course, it was justifiable because the hospital setting and wide open area were different, as well as SARS and Cholera were different. 

Praise God that when Christians work together, we agree in submission to the decision of the team leader and trusting that God will help us to make a right decision. Moving with the team had always been a priority in missions. Finally, my team decided to move in to access the matter before we do any reporting, and also be prepared of what medical aids may arose at the site. We split into two teams on 5/21, the next day, so that a team stayed in the hospital and another went to inspect the site as a mobile clinic. When they came back, the news proved to be exaggerated, the sites had a lot of resources. Perhaps out of fear, out of uncertainty, or perhaps not having trust of the local authorities. 

So now, I learned to trust. Trusting the Lord, trusting the expertise of my team members, trusting the wisdom and responsibility of the team leader. In the same time, I learned about my in-discernment and lack of risk-communication ability. 

The next day which was also the 10th day after the quake, as it was my turn to visit the site, we went to Shifang, HongbaiZhen, the most remote village in Shifang. As we arrived, we saw another medical team from Sichuan Community Hospital. They just came and just set up a few hours earlier than us. Many tents were set up, and this place was not lack in resources. But as I chatted with the survivors, they told me that this was only set up around these fours days. 

Therefore things proved to change very fast in China. The aftershock warning was just as severe and terrible, and held many people in fear, even in Deyang and Chengdu cities. People continue to live in tents and fear to go home. 

To be Continued......