COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Our crew, including Lisa LaFlamme and cameraman Al Stephens, arrived in Sri Lanka five days ago. Since then we have seen villages flattened, homes demolished and hungry, homeless children. But despite the devastation, the people of this country still smile.

We visited a small fishing community completely wiped out by the waves. Homes were either completely gone or all that remained of them were crooked slabs of brick. The people living by the beach lost everything. The fishermen could not fish because their boats were beached and broken. And the women could not cook because their food had been swept away.

But one woman, carrying a small baby and surrounded by toddlers, waved us into the area where her home once stood. It was a small patch of dusty earth surrounded by palm trees. She wanted us to meet her children and sit down with her on a dusty mat and have a cup of precious tea.

She wanted to give what she could for people she did not know.

One old weathered woman searched though the mud and sand for anything of value. She recovered a tin cup and a plate. But her eyes lit up when she uncovered a tattered, floral dress, belonging to her daughter. She held the dress up to us and smiled.

The woman was so happy because her daughter still had a nice outfit to wear.

At a makeshift medical clinic near the beach, people stood in line for hours to see a doctor. One family, near the front of the long line held their one-year-old baby boy injured in the disaster. The gashes on his legs were infected and he was in need of aid. But when the aunt saw us, she jumped out of line and came over. The woman wanted to introduce us to her nephew.

He was a twin, she said. And she was so proud of him. She said he brought the family good luck.

The little boy's aunt didn't seem to mind that she'd have to wait in line even longer. She just wanted us to meet him.

The people of Sri Lanka have experienced a disaster of epic proportions, but still they possess strength and a kindness that is hard to describe. Their small acts of kindness -- whether it's a wave as we drive by, or an invitation to tea -- is remarkable given what they have gone through. They are truly a remarkable people.