Stories of Camp Fire 2018

幕後的推手：backend support team. 還有瑞仙，美杏師姑和很多很多的work from home 的菩薩們！

前線的菩薩們在努力，在後線的菩薩們也在努力的解決client的問題。儘管很多困難，大家都在盡力的幫助

“Grief is a journey with a resolution”
Written and photos by Tina Tuan

On the morning of Nov 8th, 2018, when Gerald Smith first heard there was a fire nearby his home in Paradise, he didn’t think the danger was eminent since there was no evacuation order. So he went to his church where he serves as the Treasurer, to get key documents out, “just in case,” he thought. On his way home from the church, he knew something was terribly wrong, the heavy smoke had turned day into night, and he saw his house engulfed in flames. He was relieved to see that there was no car in the driveway so he knew his wife had fled already. He turned around and drove away as fast as he could.

Gerald saved his church’s key documents but none of his own. “I used to be a pastor and my wife Marie is a chaplain at the church,” said Gerald, a 72-year-old resident of Paradise. Later that morning, the couple reunited at their son’s home in Chico, grateful that both of them are alive.

On December 1st, Gerald and Marie came to FEMA DRC to receive Tzu Chi’s emergency cash card, they sat down at my station and shared the most horrific day of their lives. Marie said, “as a chaplain I do a lot of grief counseling, I always carry a grief cheat sheet in my purse, it’s very helpful at a time like this.” She explained to me that grief is a tangled ball of many different emotions - denial, pain, helplessness, abandonment, and everything else that is negative. Marie said, “grief is a journey, it’s a process, but it has a resolution.” Marie kindly offered the laminated cheat sheet to me and said, “you can have it and use it to help the others who come here.” I took a photo of it so I can have the information but she can keep the card with her. I can tell she needs it for herself.

Gerald and Marie are staying with their son’s family in Chico for now, but his son also took in two other families who were also evacuees. There have been lots of tensions for four families in a crowd space, so Gerald and Marie decided to go to Washington to stay with another family member. “Getting your cash card is the last thing we do at Chico, we will drive up to my sister’s in Washington now,” said Gerald. The couple were deeply touched by Tzu Chi’s story and wanted to take a photo with Master Cheng Yen’s portrait on display. “You guys are godsend,” said Gerald.

To start a new life in a new town at age 27 is exciting and romantic, but not quite so when you do it at age 72. Gerald and Marie are faithful people and believe God will guide them through. If grief is a journey then there must be an end to it. What’s the resolution of grief? It’s love, compassion, and the human spirit of everyone caring for one another.

It is hope.

12/2/2018 北加州Camp Fire災區中醫義診
撰文：中醫師黃香妮

今天一大早不到五點摸黑起床,摸黑出門,與一群慈濟的志工搭乘小巴士開了三個多小時的車程,來到了今年北加州史上最大規模野火肆虐造成傷亡慘重,許多人無家可歸,迄今還有八百多人住在臨時帳棚裡的重災區天堂鎮.

感謝慈濟的人醫會讓我有這個機會參與今天的中醫義診,得以貢獻個人之微薄心力,幫助災區居民稍稍緩解身心之創痛.

今天來診的居民有很多人是第一次接受針灸治療,許多人對中醫針灸的療效立竿見影,直呼神奇不可思議.疼痛當場緩解.
原本深鎖的愁眉也轉為笑逐顏開,請看下面附圖的燦爛笑容,當知所言不假.

今天親眼看到一位滿頭短白髮的老奶奶整隻左手被火灼傷,結痂未癒的粉紅色皮膚令人怵目驚心.據老奶奶描述:火災當時她駕車逃離家園,無奈車子被火苗波及,她跟兒子奮力推開車門時,手臂與頭髮遭火神親吻,那恐怖慌亂的瞬間,久久無法忘懷.

還有一位原本大火之前打算要搬家到別州的女士因為猶豫不決,結果一場大火燒毀了她所有的家當,如今她說用不著搬家了,全部都燒光了,只剩下一個人,一隻狗,一部車,說走就走了.令人不勝唏噓.

大多數的災民都罹患了PTSD創傷後壓力症候群,有人失去了家園,有人失去了親愛的家人,寵物......療愈創傷,重建家園,劫後餘生還有漫漫長路要走......

水火無情,人生無常,請在心中為災民們祝福,也請好好珍惜與心愛的家人朋友們相處的每一個時刻.

災民故事之四～Sara Hitchison

日期：2018/12/02
撰稿：黃芳文

莎拉（Sara Hitchison）夫婦與十歲的女兒黛斯特妮（Destini）一起來到奇科市災難恢復中心的慈濟發放現場。有著燦爛笑容的黛斯特妮特別引人注目，莎拉表示因為她和先生無法生育，在黛斯特妮三歲時領養了她。

黛斯特妮的情緒並沒有被這次的災難而覆蓋陰影，只有一想到失去珍愛的小摩托車（scooter）而崩潰痛哭時，一位陌生人得知後，買了一台新的捐贈給她，從此就再也沒有任何情緒失落的時刻，母親莎拉感到相當欣慰與放心。

當莎拉為失去的物品而抱怨與傷心時，女兒就會提醒她

「我們可以活下來，就已經很幸運了！」

「我把剛拿到的毛巾小熊送給鄰居阿姨了，因為我想要讓她開心點。」笑容滿面的黛斯特妮跑來跟母親莎拉說。

「她平時就很喜歡幫助人，樂於分享的孩子」莎拉臉上露出了滿足與驕傲的笑容。

每年聖誕節時，莎拉家族都會聚在一起歡喜的過節，和先生也會準備很多女兒所需要的禮物，但是今年就無法實現了，因為他的兄弟姊妹也都失去了自己的家園。但是，莎拉卻非常平靜與滿足的表示：

「實際上今年是最好的聖誕節，因為我們都還活著，就是無上的幸運！」

志工黃芳文感動黛斯特妮樂於分享，為他人帶來快樂的精神，再又送給她一隻毛巾小熊，一家人相擁歡喜而離去。