dgiriLots to report, but little time. I am headed off to a 10-day Vipassana course today in Igatpuri, the location where the first Vipassana center was established outside of Burma by Goenkaji.

Paras, our good friend from CharityFocus, known internally as “God,” has been staying with us for the last couple of days.

He has gotten a taste of some of the guerilla service work we are up to.

For instance, one night, at about 11:30 pm or so, we all jumped atop a truck with two men shoveling out sand. We took control of the shovels and found another and unloaded the whole truck. Was tough physical work and we were all sweating buckets by midnight. Unfortunately, God threw up his mango juice. :-(

ludiyabigshotsThe following day, we went to a village where Manav Sadhna was receiving an award for their groundbreaking work they did in Ludiya, reconstructing a ‘model village’ after the earthquake. Somehow, fearing the long-winded program soon to come, we allowed ourselves to get carried off by the kids to the heart of the village where women were making bricks under the hot midday sun. We all three went at it, loading sun-dried bricks on top of a big bed of hay, where they would be fired in an unusual kiln. The work was hot and hard and we recruited some of the kids to create assembly lines. Once again, as we were supposed to head back to the ceremony with some of Gujarat’s most powerful figures in attendance, we were dripping with sweat and instead hung out with the village women for a bit.

pithbricWe took a couple bricks home which we might use to inaugurate construction of the community center in the Tekra (slums across from Gandhi Ashram). This project is incredible and very exciting (more later).

Lots of good stuff happening. Many things in development still to share. But now I’m off to Vipassana for a little soul recalibration. Love to all.