BKs on service trips

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jann

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BKs on service trips

Post28 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

jann

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Re: BK 's on service trip.

Post28 Aug 2008

xxxx wrote to Dadi Janki:

The service in xxxx went well. The couple hosting us are sort of like Uncle and Aunty. He has a high position in the government (in the 80ties, he was the xxxx ambassador to the UN) and they have many good contacts in the society. They want to organise Raja Yoga programs for when we can visit and they want to introduce the LV program to the minister of education. He told me 3 times: "We (xxxx society) are in desparate need of soul upliftment'. He himself has taken the first lesson of the Raja Yoga and he wants to learn to meditate and continue with the lessons. His wife is also very much interested. They said the BK can come whenever we want to and stay as long as we want to in their home.

The country itself is in an extremely bad condition. 80 % lives in extreme poverty, misery, dirt, apathy, ignorance and carelessness. I've never seen anything like it, not even on the news. Former slaves and the first free black nation in the history of the world (they say with some pride). Less than 15% has had some form of education. It is very clear what is the end result of body consciousness and bhogi life-style. Absolute HELL.

Bro xxxx from xxxxx is coming to xxxxx and from 8 till 13th of June to xxxxx and than we will go to xxxx for some activities (8 hours by bus).

In xxxx we had a TV interview in one of the most respected educative and informative programs called 'Being Human'. Many people have called and lot of new students are finding their way to Baba's home. And we are working with UNESCO and artists from different countries on an exposition on 'PEACE IN THE AMERICAS' in september.

There are now 5 Brahmin quality students here including the young Kumar who is living now in the servants quarters of the centre.

From 24th of May till 6th of June I will be in xxxxx for meetings with the core group (8 including xxxxx) and a general retreat.

In sweet Baba's Yaad
sr xxxx
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ex-l

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Re: BKs on service trip.

Post28 Aug 2008

The couple hosting us are sort of like Uncle and Aunty. He has a high position in the government (in the 80ties, he was the xxxx ambassador to the UN) and they have many good contacts in the society.

Hmmn ... I wonder if that "high position" was under Baby Doc's (Duvalier) and the Tonton Macoute enforced kleptocracy or the post-1986 military dictatorship (both of which the U.S. government, CIA and deathsquad called FRAPH backed)? Organizations which, along with the United Nations occupying forces worked with Duvalierist to overthrow the democratically elected religious leader Aristide and shielded the murderous Tonton Macoutes.

During the mid-1980s, pretty much all the key members of Haiti's military and political leadership were on the CIA's payroll. Basically, there is a tiny minority of upper class mullatos (part-whites) who are "in on the money" (may be 3 or 4% of the population), who had and have no wish to be equals with the impoverished black majority and wanted to destroy democratic reform.

Am I going to spoil the party if I point out that between 40,000 to 60,000 political opponents were killed during the 29-year reign of the Duvaliers? Or that the son is accused of embezzling at least $500 million (possibly $800 million) along with family and political cronies during his last decade of rule?

Whilst the yearly income of the ordinary people is less than $350 per head, and around 70 per cent of the people are illiterate, French authorities say they caught Mrs. Duvalier flushing a notebook down her toilet during a raid to find the missing wealth which logged her recent spending; $168,780 for clothes at Givenchy, $270,200 for jewelry at Boucheron, $9,752 for two children's horse saddles at Hermes, $68,500 for a clock, $13,000 for a week in a Paris hotel ...

The regime has been described as ... "the most violent regime in [the Northern] hemisphere" ... which waged a "campaign of rape, torture and mutilation, people starved" ... "executed children, raping women, killing priests" ... "slaying of Haitian orphans" suspected of "harboring sympathy toward President Aristide for no other reason than he ran an orphanage in his days as a parish priest" ... of "soldiers and policemen raping the wives and daughters of suspected political dissidents-young girls, 13, 16 years old-people slain and mutilated with body parts left as warnings to terrify others; children forced to watch as their mothers' faces are slashed with machetes" ... the USA government backed Duvaliers and the Tonton Macoutes used a corrupted form of Voodoo to frighten their people into submission.

"Uncle and Aunty" are the former Vice President of Guyana's Steve Naraine and his wife. BK Gayatri of the BK's UN mission ... I am not entirely sure that they would appreciate such a comparison so I wonder who this is and who the "good contacts" are? It wont take much work to fined out.

Note, the BKs who regularly deny the Living Values is a BK service program using the Living Values is a BK service program.

jann

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Re: BKs on service trips

Post29 Aug 2008

Dear Beloved Family

Many heartfelt greetings of peace and love from Beirut.

You must have been receiving the news of the conflicts in Lebanon during the last few days.

First, we would like to thank all of you for your emails or phone calls , full of genuinely good wishes and of course for the supportive thoughts and energy reaching us through or without technology at these delicate times. lt is such a special experience to have all these blessings showered on our way from such special souls like all of you.

Although l have not been able to reply to you individually ,as l would have truly liked,( access to technology is not always available )yet, each time that each and any one of your email reaches us here, the heart is full of thanks and appreciation . At such moments one becomes aware and appreciative in a deeper level of what Baba has been telling us all this time regarding various aspects of knowledge,. Through your efforts to connect with us and you loving messages we are constantly reminded of the beauty of the unity and of the pure and spiritual love of the Godly Family. So lucky to be part of it.

l am sure that these thanks must be reaching you .

For the 3 days, just before the conflict started ,we were reading Avyakt Murlis chosen randomly , as we did not have access to the Sakar for those few days . All of them were focussing a lot on how everything will happen suddenly.... And it actually did .

On the 18-21si of July we were planning to have the Middle Eastern retreat with Sister Jayanti in a wonderful place on the mountains , a little bit outside of Beirut. We had many participants, at some point around 80 and a big waiting list and all them so keen to come.
Even after the conflicts had started and when the airport was already half damaged , they kept encouraging us to go on with the retreat. When they found out that the retreat would not happen because of the situation , then they wanted to make sure that we ll definitely have it and this time in a bigger scale when things settle down.

So, after having finished all the preparations of the retreat we started hearing the first news of the attacks and only a few hours after this, we heard the first bombs. hat a dramatic change!!!

Lebanon is one of the old countries in world history.

The Mediterranean sea on the one side and the high mountains on the other , just 15 minutes away by the sea , the co existence for many years of all sects and divisions of both Christians and Muslims , the presence of both the Middle Eastern and West element make the country full of contrasts.
Before the last civil war , Beirut was called the 'pearl of Mediterranean ' or the 'Paris of the Middle East'

After the last war in the area which lasted for 17 years, Lebanon and especially the down town of Beirut was reconstructed.

Everybody was saying that this summer the country was amazingly full of tourism. People from everywhere but especially from the Arab world , that is Kuwait, Bahrain, Dubai, Jordan, Egypt etc come very often here and own their own houses as they feel comfortably with the language and the religion.

Dadi Janki visited Lebanon for the first and only time so far ,a few years back ,when there was no centre yet, for a program connected with Living Values. She prepared the field then and has been sustaining the service that started 2 years back ever since with her constant good wishes and elevated vision.

The amazing cooperation of the locals to find and renovate Baba's house , (which we found one year back), the big numbers who have been coming to the centre since the very beginning and the fact that everything escalates in the drama, were the signs that everything should happen fast.
Baba s house is next to down town . We are now having the morning classes there and bhahttis in the evenings although now the center of the city is being abandoned as the ones who can afford it are trying to protect themselves by escaping on the mountains,

Everyone is very much touched that Baba's house is still there for them(especially when they hear that Joanna , a Sister from Greece who is now doing Baba's service in Kuwait and was here the help for the retreat, and myself chose to stay in the country although we had the chance to leave with the help of the Greek Government, while at the same time all foreigners who did not escape yet are trying anything possible to leave and they are still stuck because all the roads and ports have been bombarded and there is no way out from the country or the few ones left are risky) . Baba's house is in the right in the borders between Muslim and Christian areas. The whole Lebanon including Beirut is divided in Muslim and Christian areas after the last war. So, they cannot quite figure out what is the power behind that makes us be literally immovable when there are other choices.
The pure energy of the Baba's place can help them to find some peace within. There is such a contrast with what is happening outside.

The atmosphere now is very tense and many people start panicking. The supermarkets are empty and the banks do not have any money left as they say.

lt is very likely that soon there will be no electricity or gas at all as there are no supplies in the country unless there are dramatic changes which is also a very possible option in the drama.

lf it is necessary we will move to a very lovely, comfortable , big house and safe house on the mountains which belongs to one of the Sisters.
We feel protected in any case...

We ll try to postpone leaving from the centre as much as possible as there is a lot of service happening here in various ways and meeting amazing personalities in the most entertaining ways ...drama is amazing..we all had this thought especially when one of the times that we were leaving the center , because there were too many bombs around, we passed by a church and we witnessed a very pompous and fancy wedding taking place at the same time ...

The atmosphere in the family is one of lightness, humour , fun , closeness and tapasya

Baba is showering us with all His powers and somehow we are now able to absorb and use them more easily. His silent voice is echoing constantly in our mind ...'use Me... trust Me,l am Almighty...', it is all a game and all temporary,

The deeper experiences and recognition hat we have from Baba make all of us here to feel so much mercy for the so restless and peaceless souls around us who do not yet know who their Father is. Experiencing Baba's love ,mercy and compassion makes us feel much more love for Baba' s personality and motivate us to be as much as possible useful to his Divine task.

l feel

Deeper realisations and appreciation of the value of this unlimited knowledge and path

Thanking the self that was able to recognise and choose Baba not out of compulsion but out of love for who and what He is

immense gratitude to the drama for the intense, skilful ,special and so beneficial training through its last scenes

Very deep appreciation , respect and love for the Divine family and its unique subtle ways of connecting with each other, especially at delicate times as such

Deeper understanding of the role of all of us and especially of the senior instruments of Baba .

Dear Dadis, Senior Brothers and Sisters , how can words ever describe who you are and what you have been doing all these years...

Many of us were not with you from the beginning but all of us want and will be with you until the end...

In the Light and Love of the One
on behalf of the Lebanese Family
BK Anna

jann

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Re: BKs on service trips

Post29 Aug 2008

Dear all
Hope you remember that in Russia we have started a Project "Positive Change". It was inaugurated on 31st March in Moscow. Baba mentioned about it on the same day in the last Avyakt Murli of the season. That was a big blessing to all of us and for the success of the project. Today, after three months, we are very happy to inform you that the programmes under this project are going on very well and following is the brief report of the service under this project. Total number of cities in Russia, CIS and in Baltic countries: 2001. Total number of cities where programmes were already held: 602. Total number of programmes already held: 1203. Number of cities in which centres are expected to open: 54. Number of cities where first contacts were already developed: 255. Two new countries are added to the service in this Region6. A big preparation is going on to organise an International Forum (Conference) from 14th to 16th September'2007 in Moscow7. Greetings and good wishes for the success of the Project "Relay Race Of Positive Change" and for the Forum are being received by the Governers and other area administration of Russian Federation. The project is moving ahead by gaining more power in it and is expected to cover a large area in Russia and around by September'2007 covering about 150 cities. In September we will hold an All Russian Forum dedicated to this Project and the 70th Anniversary of Brahma Kumaris Institution.

Divine family
Russia Om Shanti

jann

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Re: BKs on service trips

Post29 Aug 2008

Om Shanti Sisters and Brothers
Loving greetings to all.

It's the wonder of Beloved BapDada and sweet drama and everyone good
wishes that serve Carribbean project has started. Sister gail and
myself will be going to St.Kitts on Thursday 20th -Sun 23rdSeptember.
There will be some interviews, public programmes and meeting some VIP's

Looking forward to see the magic of Baba's wonder.

In Baba's Yaad
Sister Jasmine

jann

friends or family of a BK

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Re: BKs on service trips

Post29 Aug 2008

Dear family,

Om Shanti and sweet greetings from the Dominican Republic.

As part of the Caribbean service project, a local Brother from the Dominican Republic and myself went to Cuba for a week of service. We went with no expectations and many people to contact and 1 vague request for a meeting with a group of hatha students. We had received lots of warnings and requests to be very cautious because of the communist system and very strict rules and a government that has an attitude of rejection towards anything religious or spiritual.

But people there were extremely open and receptive. Someone put us in connection with a government department that organises informative/educational events and they invited us to come and give courses on our next visit. So this was a big succes.

We had 2 lectures on 'Meditation and the power of the mind' with an group of hatha Yoga students and with a group of reiki students and a lecture in the national library on: The mind, the missing link in health. All was organised through contacts whilst we were there.

We did a short introduction course for a small group and many contacts showed interest in follow up. We visited a Sai Baba centre and a Tai Chi centre and both asked us to give the course to their students on our next visit.

It is Baba's greatness to make service happen and our fortune to be His instruments.

Love and remembrances from the families of the Dominican Republic and Curacao,
In Baba's sweet Yaad,
Rona

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