Circle of Love Inside - a growing tree
It has been three years this past thanksgiving since the conception
of Circle of Love Inside.
We begin 2008 with:
220 inmate correspondents in 16 states and Mexico
60+ inmates are waiting for letters from us
142 letter writing volunteers
5 administrative helpers
The helpers are Sherry Chuang (Fremont, CA) who helps me keep
track of the program's data, Eric Jensen (Chicago, IL) who says in touch
with
and supports new letter writers in getting a post office box, Sweda
Kurtz (Minneapolis, MN) who invites new letter writers to join
the
Circle of Love inside Yahoo Group and keeps it up to date, and
Ravi
Natarajan (Atlanta, GA) who has built our website. Aikya is the
main co-ordinator of this program.
Thanks to the generosity of the MA Center, we sent 204 books about
Amma, seven of which were in Spanish. Several books which were
not
from the Amma's Books and Gifts were sent as well. A copy of the
Bhagavad Gita was sent to the chaplain at Santa Rita County Jail
at
the request of an Amma devotee who works there. Half a dozen copies
of Live in the Soul by Revered Ellen Grace O'Brien were sent to
inmates. This book gives a 90 day practice to develop the habit
of
daily meditation.
We take the first steps toward having a newsletter and a website
in
2008. Those of you whose correspondents do artwork or write wonderful
letters that you think are worth sharing, please ask the permission
of
your inmate correpondent for us to use those in the newsletter
and
online. Ask also if the inmate wishes us to use his or her full
name.
I tend toward using initials and the city and state where the inmate
is located but we'll take some legal advice on this issue.
If you have skills to work on either the newsletter or website,
please
reply to this message and let me know how you would like to help.
We
need people with layout and graphics ability. As mentioned above,
Ravi Natarajan of Atlanta GA will be building the website.
Several times I have encouraged you to think about and put in
writing
the blessings that you have received from this seva. By doing so
you
bless yourselves by becoming aware of the grace flowing to and
through
you. By dong so, you move into gratitude to Amma for these blessings
and open your heart for further growth. Feel free to share these
thoughts via the Yahoo Group. When one of us shares blessings,
we all
are inspired.
My deepest thanks to each and every one of you for your service
in
2007. We look forward to many blessings in the New Year.
Aikya Param
Coordinator
Circle of Love Inside
.
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