Lending a Oneness-Heart

When the Sri Chinmoy Centre began to get involved with humanitarian service activities in a big way I was inspired from within to be of assistance. Our first task was to send shipments to Angola a country devastated by 40 years of civil war.  I really knew nothing about organising humanitarian aid, shipping or customs requirements and soon embarked on a very steep learning curve. The task was to find the necessary items and transport it all in a big sea container half way across the world. The problem was we had no money so everything would rely on donation and heart power. After being knocked back repeatedly by shipping companies across the country I finally left a desperate and pitifully pleading message on a answering machine of a women from a shipping line in Sydney. I had forgotten all about it when out of the blue she called me up and offered us freight to Angola for this then another shipment 6 months later. Then there was the task of packing the goods. I called a local service club and they agreed to assist. While we were later packing the container the President of the club, who had many year’s experience in the game came up to us and began chatting to us. He said. “I am not a religious man you know, but 6 years ago God came to me and told me to start sending humanitarian goods to our poor brothers and sisters in other parts of the world.” It was touch a touching moment. Since that time they have sent 70 containers of aid to communities in Asia and the South Pacific and assisted us with 7 of our large sea shipment since then. I don’t know how Sri Chinmoy leads us to these great people but it is so rewarding when it happens.