News brief from Iowa and Chicago programs

[Guest guest]

Namah Shivaya to all of Amma's darling children.

 

Your sister just returned from Iowa and Chicago programs.

Amma wore a unique purple at DB in Mt. Pleasant.

Best way to describe color would be "grape".

Token color that night was same color!

Unlike last year's scorching weather,

Mt. Pleasant was very pleasant, by Amma's grace.

 

Met Sara from our list there.

I hope she'll tell a little of her story.

She also attended Chicago program and we enjoyed some seva together.

 

What a blessing to spend Guru Purnima with our guru!

It was celebrated with puja on Sunday morning to a packed, overflow hall.

Many had flown in especially for this part of the program.

 

One leela: on Sunday morning as the flame was being waved, people spilling

out of the hall, swamis chanting, 4 fire marshals arrived and were hovering

just outside the hall as the hosts and hotel officials scrambled to consult

with them. I was standing just outside a door to the hall and had one part

focused on the puja in front of me, another part tuned to what was going on

behind me, wondering how Amma was going to handle this. By her grace, they

went away smiling, all we had to do was open all the doors to the hall and

keep them open for the rest of the program. How's that for a lesson on guru

purnima: Just open the doors to your hall (heart) so that Amma can continue

her program of spiritual upliftment.

 

Amma was also officially welcomed by the Mayor the host city, Naperville and

the mayor of the neighboring city, Lisle, in separate ceremonies. The first

ceremony was delightful. The mayor said he was a hugger and he looked

forward to his hug from Amma. Then he went for darshan and said Amma was way

ahead of him in the number of hugs given. The second ceremony was very

moving because the hosts talked about working with the city on humanitarian

projects. So Amma's teachings are coming into the public sector in the

middle of USA.

 

 

Amma wore deep red with gold trim in Chicago DB which ended this morning

around 7 am and those from west coast enjoyed a real midwest thunderstorm

just before darshan ended, complete with tornado warning.

But since we were already swept away by Amma's sweetness, no tornado was

necessary.

 

And a joy to see Bala again and to hear him pour out devotion in song.

 

May we all feel her with us every moment.

For the guru and disciple are the same.

 

Jai Kali Ma!

 

At her feet by her grace,

premarupa

Aum Amriteshvaryai Namah