To Adriane on Hope, Heart and Action

[Guest guest]

Adriane wrote:

 

Our government can plant National Guard in Iraq in 24 hrs. But it took days

and days to get to the Gulf states. Many died who did not even need to die

due to the lack of response. Bush has failed us, he...was still on vacation

for

the first two days of the disaster! In fact, the reporters state the relief

efforts resemble Haiti, not America. So much could have been done with

planning and preparedness. I also agree that we are wasting countless elite

soldiers and money in a war. Now we need help and so many resources are

scarce.

 

I just needed to vent my anger and my sadness. I have 5 people I know in

Mississippi and they were in one of the hardest hit areas, 20 miles from the

sea. I have not heard a word yet. One is a young, single mother with 3

children whose husband had died tragically in a car accident a year ago. She

had no money. And I wonder, did she make it out? So I am worried and sad. I

cry to Amma and wonder, how can this all be so?

 

I am hopeful to find a local group organizing relief efforts by packing

supplies. I also plan to donate blood. I feel so helpless being so far away

in St. Louis. We are supposed to have a prison renovated within 2 weeks and

they will also be bringing some of the hurricane victims here. Let us all

pray together as Dayamrita has suggested. The Ashram is doing the 1,000

Names this Saturday 2x-once in the morning and once in the evening.

Dear Adriane ~ though you feel hopeless, heartbroken, angry and sad as most

of us do, at least now things are starting to happen. I noticed yesterday that

several gathering spaces in our town are collecting concrete items such as

clothing and food. The site that Arun Raj posted early on shows many creative

ways that individuals and communities are helping.

Here is the site: _http://katrinahelp.info/wiki/index.php/Main_Page_

(http://katrinahelp.info/wiki/index.php/Main_Page)

 

After the tsunami, some of the artists in our group, held a fundraising

auction exhibit. Artists contributed works of art of all kinds for free, the

exhibit was up for a month and a half, and the proceeds of the final bids for

all

the art were donated to the Red Cross. (Well, they didn't know about Amma).

So many people have unique talents and abilities that can be used to organize

this type of local effort, magnifying the caring of one into the caring of

many.

 

Please put the names of your friends on the prayer list this week, Adriane

(for as long as you like). We will all pray for their safety as we do our

prayer seva this week.

 

Amma has appeared with Her Love and Her Action into a hopeless, almost

heartless situation, and is once again bringing Love, Hope, Heart, and Action to

help in whatever way is needed. She is not only our Mother; She is the Mother

of us All (isn't there an English Bhajan with this theme?)

 

Jai Ma,

Linda

 

"We should be able to join hands giving primary importance to humanity and

universal values." ~ Amma