BKs on service trips
Posted: 28 Aug 2008
Dear xxxxxx,
News From xxxxxxx
Dear Sister xxxx, Loving Greetings from xxxxx. I arrived here yesterday morning on 27th Oct.
My heart cannot stop singing the song of “Wah Baba” from the time I step my feet in St. xxxxx until I left.
As I had mentioned before, I was given a telephone number of someone there, by xxxxx, the contact I had there.
On 14th Oct at lunch, I was not sure where I would stay and with one phone call, I was able to arrange place to stay and the same person to pick me up at the airport.
xxxxx and xxxxx, two Guyanese, they are young and living with each other for 6 years now because it is convenient than to marry until they get their citizenship. They were at the airport to pick me up and drove me straight to the supermarket to get whatever vegetables I need. From there, I went to their home and had a lovely room all fixed for me with two single beds. It was the upper floor and I was alone there. They were living downstairs. From that day until I left, I cooked for all three of us. Every morning after bath and Murli, I would come downstairs at 7:30 and very early make breakfast and whatever for Lunch so that they don’t have to cook for the rest of the day. They neither cooked nor ate no meat at the house but enjoyed Baba’s vegetarian food instead. From the time I arrived until I left I had not spent any money. Except for airport taxes. xxxxx took care of accommodation and food and xxxxx took care of all transportation and phone calls.
It was interesting how Baba did magic. Living in a home with xxxxx as a Night Editor of a famous newspaper, and xxxx, who is also a journalist. She also worked for the same paper and so all publicity was so easy. xxxxx arranged for a few radio interviews and a TV interview. By the end of the week on Thursday, I had the first public prog. 35 persons attended, included two journalists from a TV and a Newspaper and they both put a feedback later on their TV and Newspaper.
I met someone who, as soon as I ask her, she said yes to use her hall. A very big and beautiful community hall, painted with white, spacious, with chairs, and all other facilities free
At first I was told before going to xxxxx that I would have to rent a hall for $50 US an hour. So you can imagine, how I was smiling when I saw what Baba was doing.
Everyone cooperated so well. xxxxx was so loving and caring and did everything to make sure I was comfortable and xxxxx and her husband also did the same. It was as if they knew me for a long time.
At our public programme, an old BK Brother from India who is living there for 16 years here in xxxxx came and was so happy to learn Baba was now in xxxxxx. I called him up later and visited his home. He was so happy and showed me his Baba’s room and how he goes to Madhuban every year to meet Baba. Also another girl who came with her husband and son, her Brother is also a BK in xxxxx and runs a center there. She met the Sisters from xxxxxx in Madhuban this year. She has done the Raja Yoga course several times. She has for 5 months now joined her husband in xxxxxx. He is not a BK. She and her son go to Madhuban to visit regularly.
It was so lovely to go to two houses on Sunday and hear Baba’s songs being played. There is another person whose husband is a big business man there. He is not a BK but she is, but unfortunately, I did not get to meet her. She had promised to come to our second public prog but did not show up and I left the next morning.
I had several other programmes, in two schools, and also a meeting with the Lions club. I spoke about the Living Values programme because they, Lions Club, is focusing on one value per month and so they were very keen about it. I tried to inspire them to arrange training for all social workers of the island. The island needed something like this very much.
They were very inspired and will consider sponsoring training. I have presented a copy of the Living Values guidebook and have left behind a set of the L.V. books for them to research. There is someone who is the president of the primary school and we had a meeting, but she was unable to keep the appointment. However, she is now in xxxxx. We traveled together and I will be meeting her here soon to discuss L.V. She saw the prog on TV too.
I had 3 articles in the newspaper with each carrying a picture of myself. I was also able to get in touch with another journalist. I made this effort myself to get his number and after speaking with him, I was able to inspire him to be on his talk show for one hour. This programme is right after the news at 8:30pm and is very popular. Although he was booked all the way into January, I was able to get an hour with him. Everywhere, I go, people will mentioned the talk show prog. It was a live show and people were allowed to call in and ask me questions, so this made it so interesting. The host of the prog liked it very much and I am sure he will give us a chance again.
xxxxx, joined me for 4 days. Not much was happening on the weekend since it was a holiday weekend. But I took the chance to start the Raja Yoga course with xxxxx, xxxxx, xxxxx and her husband and another man. I was not able to finish, but at least they got some lessons. xxxxx and her husband took a lot of benefit.
Although, I tried to call several times the names and numbers that xxxxx sent me, I was unable to get to anyone except one man who promise to try to come but did not show up. Maybe some of the numbers had changed.
Anyway, I spoke to xxxxx, just an inspiration I got. I ask her if she would like to take a transfer from her job and come and stay in xxxxx. She immediately said yes. I was surprised. There are vacancies there in xxxxx for her position, so she just needs to get a transfer. I suggested staying with her for a few months and setting up everything and doing a lot of PR work and then leaving her. Of course others can visit her, xxxxx and xxxxx and xxxxx etc can also visit. In this way she don’t have to be alone. This is of course just a suggestion and we said that we will discuss this with you some friends over to both our programmes. The promised that when I visit xxxxx again, they will help arrange progs and be our translator for us. They were two Sisters.
I did another public prog before leaving and so some of the people who watch the talk show, came to it. A man and his wife and daughter from xxxxx came after seeing my picture in the papers. The man’s Father is a BK who goes to the xxxxx center. He also visited the center when it was opened. His title is xxxx. So I think there is enough scope for a center in xxxxx, in fact everyone told me, we need you here and I had to promise them all that I will come back again in March.
I am now here in xxxxx and will leave for xxxxx on 15th Nov.
The president give permission for them to use the congress hall, which is a big hall free of charge and the First Lady promise to come as a guest speaker. She may stay behind for the day, of course it depends if she finds the prog interesting. We are aiming for 100 persons. I already called Sr. xxxx and she is aware that I will be coming on 15th. I have also sent much of the materials over already. I spoke to xxxx several times already and their plans are coming up.
In Baba's Yaad