First, we went a small village north of Calang. We landed in the bay [in the amphibious Beaver] so a boat came out to pick up the supplies. They have asked us before to come in and visit but we never had the time until now. The village itself was totally demolished - every house reduced to a pile of rubble and broken glass. It is hard to imagine how anyone survived. As we went ashore there was a husband and wife pushing a rickety bicycle loaded with random pieces of junk they had collected out of the rubble. The road we followed was not only washed out but literally picked up and set down twenty feet away. It led up a small hillside studded with tarps, tents and makeshift homes. We walked among the shelters realizing that every person there had not only survived the destruction but was now forging a new life. The people here are so resilient. We interviewed a number of them asking how they escaped the wave. The stories were pretty similar. They either heard people yelling or actually saw the water coming. They grabbed the nearest children and ran for the hills. Some were lucky enough to have a motor bike, others just had to run. One lady told us that when she couldn't run anymore her husband pulled her as the water reached up around legs. Each was a harrowing story of near escape and a mournful tale of family who didn't survive. And yet here they were, up on the hillside going on with life as they had for the last 3, 10, 50 years. It was easy to see the skills of every person as you passed. Their businesses were literally set out on their doorsteps. Here is a carpenter using recovered wood for his new house. Here is a woman shaving cocoanut to use in her next meal. Down the road is the fisherman with his wife and daughters cleaning and drying the day's catch. It was all laid out right before us; the whole community on the hillside overlooking the barren landscape that used to be their village.

Throughout our walk through the village we were accompanied by the military. The one in charge knew a little bit of English and was very helpful in showing us the village. It didn't take him long to ask if we were Christians. We are not supposed to be flaunting our faith persuasion in this area, especially in connection with our organization. So, I quickly answered yes, that I, myself, was a Christian and left it at that. It wasn’t until quite a while later that I noticed he wore necklace with a cross and bible on it. I felt badly for trying to evade his earlier question and nearly missed an opportunity to see some of the incredible ways that God is working here. I had been under the impression that there were extremely few, if any, Christians in this area. It is neat to see that God has his hand here and to know that he has gone before us and will continue to work here even after we leave.

The theme of resilience continues to jump out at me. Even from the plane I see progress in the villages and green is returning to the fields. More people are coming back to, literally, pick up their lives and get a fresh start. I took Kate, the reporter, to get pictures around the area we are staying in Meulaboh and started talking to a man on the side of the road. I asked him where he was staying and he pointed to a tent about 30 feet off. I asked him where his house used to be and he pointed to the exact same spot. There was nothing left but the cement foundation but it was still his home. He was on his land and was starting from scratch to rebuild his life.

I had a day off because the airplane was due for a routine safety inspection. So Kate and I accompanied a team from Samaritan’s Purse who pumped out wells. That is such an amazing ministry. As we drove through towns the people all recognized the cars and would wave and smile. It was neat to see the impact that well pumping can have on relationships with the community. All along the road were families rebuilding houses and cleaning out yards. Every house here has its own well so, assuming the well wasn’t covered with debris, we were able to pump the wells of everyone we came across. Since that trip, we always about the wells in the villages we fly to. Almost every village we serve needs wells pumped. So, we are going to start brining in SP teams to pump wells. I hope and pray that those kinds of things will open up opportunities for long term service.

There are just a few more stories that I wanted to share. The first was actually from a while ago when we were clearing out an airstrip. One of the men had gotten some splinters in his hand and was looking for something to get them out. He grabbed an old, rusty piece of sheet metal and was about to use the corner to dig out the splinters. I don’t think he understood why I was objecting so much to him using the rusty metal. Nevertheless, he was grateful when we produced a pocket knife so that he could use something cleaner. I noticed this because it shows not only the lack of tools available, but also their lack of medical knowledge. Along the same lines, I was with the Samaritans Purse guys when they picked up [the resuts of] well water samples from the Spanish Red Cross. One particular sample was contaminated with not only salt water, but also bits of feces. They were stressing very strongly not to drink the water. The girl talking to us looked like she nearly fainted when we said the [sample of] water was from the local clinic. Again, it shows how little is available and also the limited knowledge of safety and health.