Chinese New Year has come and gone. This year is the quietest New Year in years. Usually people brighten up at festivities and light firecrackers for the first two weeks. People are off and visit with family and friends. This year by the second day, you couldn't even buy a firecracker if you wanted to. Different reasons have been given - from the snow catastrophe to people just not having money due to inflation to its just too cold to go out!

This year many Bouyei were not able to make their usual Chinese New Year village visits because all roads leading to Guizhou were shut down due to the icy conditions. In some places, the ice was as thick as 40 cm! Some people slid down the road on the rear end because they had no other way down. Things are slowly getting back together. Power lines are slowly being restored but it won't be until the end of March that everything is in full working order. Emergency supplies and personnel have been dispatched from all over the country to help around the clock in the worst hit province of Guizhou.

Please pray: