They took me along

THE CAST OF YULI'S CONVOY

The Leader

The Record-Keeper
(noseless, she likes to add)

The Leader and Record-Keeper with her brother,
tireless neighborhood charity collector Joko,
and a recipient of convoy donations


The Leader and Record-Keeper's sister, Dewi

The Convoy (Today's Version)
Leader waving left of center (next to brother), Leader's sister Dewi waving back right


The Middle-Person
(coerced into being pictured donating these shovels)

24 hours later, and we're back at the Dixie Diner for another update. I joined the convoy today, and confirmed with my own eyes what Yuli has been describing in words and visuals since the day after the quake.

I've received more than one comment about the absence of photos of the Convoy's Leader. Therefore, in order of importance, the pics of the project participants above. Remember to click to enlarge.

Firstly, I have to say that until we got into the deep deep jungle/rice-farming areas, it was inspiring to see that so much really has been done in these past two weeks by everybody involved in the relief efforts. The great majority of the masses ARE sheltered and fed. Yet even in those more accessible areas, Yuli was thrilled to be able to point out a shovel in use here, a sleeping mat there, cleaned clothes hung out to dry all around, and say "that's thanks to you!" At which point I would say, "no, that's thanks to you and mom's church." More accurately, it's thanks to all of us, because none of us could do any of this if we weren't working together.

However, what I saw after we got off the main roads and onto the little tracks, defies verbal description. Here, it's the elderly, the very young, the mothers with multiple children (some, sadly, recently inherited), the injured, and the transportless that need, and get, the convoy's help.

I can't begin to explain how exhausting this work is. I can't imagine how the convoy does this every day. That said, the Leader's dozing off next to me and wants to go to bed, so I have to log off now. Some more notes and action pics tomorrow. I suppose the last thing to say tonight is about how much virtually disbelieving thanks I got from convoy riders and the helpless. I always pased the thanks off to you all, and back to the convoy -- you have no idea how much impact your contributions are making.