28 Janvier 2001

Dearest God, My Dearest God,

0130 and although I’m exhausted, the adrenaline pulses through my body bearing witness to this feast of miracles. Once it was decided to depart this evening, we had 6 hours to materialize the mission.
 
The feat was festive and people from all over worked with ease and the grace of a ballerina. There were no dead end roads or impasses to pass. There were no impediments, no distractions, deviations or derangements. Once the will was made and the intent offered, everything happened perfectly, so perfectly, that it is indeed hard for me not to see the Guru’s hand in it, a magnificent play. Ministers in key government positions were contacted without impediment. Key figures in the ashram were reached immediately by phone without busy tones, answering machines, absences or delays of any kind. Congested phone lines in the midst of the earthquake’s decimation somehow took decongestants just long enough to plan, support and materialize the mission’s strategies. Four trucks were commissioned. The mobile hospital was cleared for take off and alternative plans to serve the chronic patients in Ganeshpuri were drafted to insure continuity of care and prevent lapses in treatment. Medications were procured from pharmacies whose owners were contacted on a Sunday and willingly agreed to open their warehouses for all of our needs. They gave us permission to return any unused supplies giving us security and an ability to order excessively without financial ruin to the organization, which doesn’t normally engage in such emergency missions. And most remarkable of all? The ashramites gathered thousands of their own garments to donate to the poor, disadvantaged, traumatized, fortunate living victims in a matter of three hours. Word spread from a simple board in the path entering the ashram through the entire facility in three hours. Clothes were packed, sorted, labeled and arranged. 75000 rupees were donated and collected in ninety minutes as the ashramites opened their hearts. People with five dresses gave three away. People with three sweaters gave two away. And those with nothing went to the bookstore and bought numerous shawls to offer. In keeping with the spirit of the heart, the bookstore was opened specially to give people the chance to make their offerings. Merijke handed us an enormous pumpkin from the ashram garden, a stranger gave me a chocolate bar, Anne put a magnificent mala around my wrist, Taryn bought me my favorite coconut cookies, as much as I could fill in a bag and she added the most succulent tangerines brought from a secret stash in the armrit for the rest of the team. Christian gave me incense and chlorella to keep me healthy, leant me money and his camera and the love just poured as if from an unending source. Hundreds of ashramites congregated outside the gates to send us off with their blessings. They thanked us for our courage and vowed to keep us in their prayers and during their recitation of the Guru Gita. The swamis cracked coconuts before the vehicles, people chanted, sevites packed the vans, people showered us with hugs and kind words to thank us for going to help. The euphoria was one I have not known previously. One Indian woman took my hands and said, “Be my hands.” They want so much to offer their assistance, but cannot go to the area so they work through us. I am overwhelmed by the loving response of all these people. And once again, I’m reminded that man’s true nature is love. Give him a chance to love and he overflows with it.

0524—a bang. The driver fell asleep at the wheel and side swiped a parked semi on the highway. Grace was with us if you see the damage to our van. The side collision dented the van quite severely without damaging the inside. What grace. The night was

long, quiet with a questioning about what we would encounter next. We all tried to ignite the driver by chanting, opening the windows and distracting him from his tremendous fatigue driving to the night. The emergency mission was in his hands. Any delay would mean more suffering for the people in Gujarat . So, we drove straight through stopping only for tea, potato chips and peanuts. I’m so tired. We are so tired.

Love,

Cary