In ordinary times, some of them take paint brushes in hand and some use stethoscopes. Some are presidents of big companies and some are office clerks. But now they have put their own work aside, come to this earthquake-devastated region, and picked up their shovels. They work with diligence and concentration, hoping to complete as soon as possible these solid, warm "Great Love houses" for quake survivors to live in.

At two o'clock in the morning of October 7, the residents of Chunghsing New Village, Nantou County, were still curled up in their sleeping bags under tents on the open ground. There was no water or electricity. A tent which could hardly protect people from the wind and rain was their last choice. Nobody would consider it a cozy home.

Just at that time, ten buses carrying eight hundred Tzu Cheng Faith Corps members from northern Taiwan slipped quietly into Kuangming Road, Chunghsing New Village, after a four-hour trip.

The blue-uniformed army

The next morning, when the residents of the neighborhood looked towards the construction site of the "Great Love houses," they saw that many of the prefabricated buildings had already been erected--only nine short days after the launch of the construction project on September 29.

More than one thousand blue-uniformed engineers had gathered on the two-acre lot. Shouldering steel frames or pushing carts loaded with bricks, they shuttled busily back and forth over the construction site. Making sure that every screw was tightened, these men skillfully assembled building materials and erected one house after another.

If not for their eye-catching blue uniforms and the graying hairs of some of the volunteers, local residents would have taken them for regular construction workers. Trucks delivering building materials were promptly unloaded and the materials distributed to different task groups. New prefabricated houses were quickly erected, one after the other. A building contractor who watched the crews working shook his head and said admiringly, "If any of you ever wants to change jobs, please come work for me. Your efficiency is really astonishing."

The lot near Kuangming Road is one of the sites provided by the Nantou County government for the construction of prefabricated houses. The ground there was already in good condition and did not require leveling. In addition, the area enjoys convenient transportation and is close to schools. Therefore, it was the first site where ground was broken.

In order to complete the construction as early as possible so that victims still living in tents could move into warm homes, the Northern District of the Tzu Cheng Faith Corps was notified at the end of September that a large supply of manpower would be needed.

Once the news was announced, Tzu Cheng members rushed to enlist. Participants included office workers, shopkeepers, company directors, and overseas members who came back to Taiwan to help in the reconstruction. There were even other young men who volunteered to work when they heard on the street that Tzu Chi people were going to build these houses. All these people put their own jobs aside and pitched in with the construction.

Each with his expertise

"There are all kinds of talents in the Tzu Cheng Faith Corps and everyone knows what they should be in charge of," said Li Feng-shih, chief of the Northern District. "We go wherever we are needed."

In completing the construction of a "Great Love village," from the foundation to the interior decoration to the installation of water and electricity, every Tzu Cheng Faith Corps member gave full play to his expertise. Members experienced in construction or related businesses were responsible for basic engineering. Those who ran hardware stores were responsible for the installation of water and electricity. Those who specialized in carpentry were responsible for interior decoration.

In order to make the construction process run more smoothly, the Northern District team invited experts to demonstrate the building process to members. On the seventh and eighth of October, more than eight hundred members who had received intensive training worked from early morning until late at night, undeterred by hot sun or falling rain. Within two short days, they completely assembled the prefabricated houses.

"We want the survivors to feel that they are moving into new homes, not temporary shelters," said Kuo Ting-jung, who was perspiring profusely as he fitted together steel frames.

While waiting for construction materials to be delivered, some members began to do a little environmental protection work. They collected and sorted garbage and flattened empty soft drink cans.

"It's a habit. We do recycling work all the time, so whenever we see garbage, we automatically sort it out."

"The Tzu Cheng Faith Corps members who came to the first aid station mostly had cuts from sharp steel bars," said Dr. Lu Shao-yin, a medical volunteer. "The Tzu Chi women in the kitchen cut and washed food all day long, so the skin on their hands was cracked. These were the results of their almost too enthusiastic participation in the work and from overworking their bodies."

The more than one thousand Tzu Cheng members on-site included members of the Tzu Chi Police Association, the Tzu Chi International Medical Mission Association, the Calligraphy and Painting Association and the Honorary Board Association, as well as overseas members of Tzu Chi who had traveled to Taiwan.

"In ordinary times, some of us take up painting brushes and some use stethoscopes," said Brother Chou. "We support the Tzu Chi missions either by making donations or by participating in the actual work. Today we have all gathered here, shovels in our hands, to work wholeheartedly for the construction of the 'Great Love houses.'"

Chou pointed to the other members hard at work. "I would be lying if I said my body wasn't tired. But my heart is not tired. To be able to serve people is a great pleasure for us."

Volunteer cooks

"The members in the Central District are busy enough with the disaster relief work," observed cooking team leader Lo Mei-chu, who came from Sanchung, Taipei County. "We should not add to their burden. So we brought all the cooking utensils and food materials."

Tzu Chi commissioners in the Northern District organized a cooking team and went along with the Tzu Cheng Faith Corps members to the disaster area. They worked in turns, with thirty to forty members working on each shift to provide meals for the labor force.

They brought everything with them, from cooking utensils and groceries to scrub brushes and clothes hangers. Before departure, they held a meeting to discuss what dishes to prepare so that they could supply the Tzu Cheng volunteers with meals that were both delicious and nutritious. According to the Faith Corps members, these ladies on the cooking front enabled the working force to concentrate on the construction work.

The members of the cooking team rose as early as 3:00 a.m. and immediately began to wash and cut vegetables. After October 7, when the reinforcement team of eight hundred Tzu Cheng members arrived, some of the cooks even got up at 1:00 to prepare food.

They supplied three meals a day plus a late-night snack. In the sweltering weather, they shuttled carts around the construction site to deliver cold drinks. Because there were so many workers, they were divided into five groups and meals were served to them in shifts. The volunteer cooks were always the last to eat.

In addition to providing meals for the Tzu Cheng Faith Corps members, the cooking team also invited earthquake victims in the neighborhood and other enthusiastic helpers to take their meals with them. Japanese students from Tokyo Kokushi Kan College not only assisted in the construction, but also showed their cooking skills by making miso shiru (typical Japanese soup) and pickled vegetables.

When the students saw Tzu Chi cooks suffering from backaches caused by bending over stoves for long periods of time, they immediately gave them Japanese-style massage. In the evenings, before serving the late-night snacks, the cooks talked to the Japanese students about Tzu Chi with the help of an interpreter. Some of the older women, who had received their education during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan from 1895-1945, even sang the Japanese song "Momo Taro (Peach Boy)" for the students.

The students said that they had been warmly received here and taken good care of. They learned about Tzu Chi as a charity organization and witnessed how devoted its members are. They even picked up a little Chinese cooking! In addition to having helped in the construction work, they felt that they had learned a lot from working together with Tzu Chi volunteers.

Healing wounds with each brick

"I only want a place to shelter me from the wind and rain." So wrote Mrs. Chien from Nantou in the housing registration book.

Having written these words, she raised her head and observed the completed "Great Love houses." A broad smile broke out on her face. "I had heard that the houses here were being built very quickly. Yesterday I came to see the houses for myself and I liked them very much. So I came early this morning to register for one."

Because of downed telephone and electricity lines, information did not travel very fast in the devastated district. In the beginning, very few people knew that Tzu Chi was going to build prefabricated houses there. As volunteers began to arrive in large numbers and the structural frames of the houses were installed, survivors began to spread the news to one another. They often visited the site to inspect the progress.

When it was confirmed that there would be a bath and toilet in each house, many victims smiled with delight. One woman who was eight months pregnant was worried about what she would do after the baby was born. But as soon as she saw what the houses were actually like, she felt greatly relieved.

In order to assist the Tzu Chi people to finish the houses as early as possible, many victims voluntarily came to help. Women urged their children to clear out stones around the construction site while they themselves helped in the kitchen. While they washed vegetables, they listened to the Tzu Chi cooks tell them stories about Tzu Chi. Some residents trucked in fruit grown on their own farms or frozen vegetarian foods they had bought at the market. Others brought medicines and local products. When they could, they always did their best to show their gratitude to the Tzu Chi people.

After having learned about the Tzu Chi project, various other organizations formed groups and came to help with the construction. Many Mormons, responding to the call of their bishop, came by bus from Miaoli, Changhua and Yuanlin. They helped with the grouting and carried heavy things such as rocks and cement. After observing how the Tzu Chi volunteers worked, Mormon youths from the States said with a smile, "Tzu Chi is an organization much like our church--we both do our best to help those in need."

The earthquake has wounded this land we live on. Members of Tzu Chi and many other compassionate people are gradually healing the wounds with every brick and tile they lay down.