Chananda Cultural Society will host our first-ever International Violet Flame Intergenerational Community Retreat at the ashram during the fall of 2017 from Thursday, September 7 to Sunday, September 10.
The retreat welcomes those who are not yet familiar with the violet flame or the ascended masters, Indian students, long-time students, young adults, and families with children over six years old. The learning sessions will be in English and Hindi. Decree sessions will be devotional and in English with mantras in English and Sanskrit.
It will be a great opportunity to meet Indian Keepers of the Flame, visit temples around New Delhi, serve “Chananda’s Children” and their families, and enjoy fellowship and worship together in the magical atmosphere created by the violet flame and the blue lightning of angels of protection.
A Physical Focus of Light in Darjeeling!
Sometime following the retreat, an exploratory work team will travel to Darjeeling to research locations for an ashram. We are planning another gathering there in 2018 to inaugurate “a physical focus of light in Darjeeling,” God willing!
“We would free the world to understand that in a spirit of oneness in the heart, the light from the heart can prepare the way for the coming of the golden age. And if, then, we decide to open a physical focus of our light here in Darjeeling, it will also be the tying together of the hemisphere here with the hemisphere there. And it will come to pass that we will be the binding up the world and binding it up so that the golden age may manifest more quickly. This, however, is up to humanity. It is up to those who respond to the light to make their own determination.”
(El Morya, April 9, 1970, Unpublished dictation used by permission of Summit Publications, Inc.)
We look forward to welcoming you to the beautiful land of India. For more information, please contact Jaspal Soni (chananda55@aol.com) or Lois Drake (lois@loisdrakemail.com).
Chananda’s Children, Phase 2: School in the Park
As mentioned in our previous issues, Chananda Cultural Society initiated an exciting project, “Chananda’s Children” in November 2016 which involved providing education for children whose parents work in the public park as gardeners and caretakers. These workers live in mud homes in the park with their families. Since both parents in the families must hold jobs to survive, the children play in the dirt while their parents are working. There are seven children in this group ranging in age from 3-6 years old.
With Chananda Cultural Society’s help, the children began a new cycle of going to a nearby non-profit organization that provides education services. In March of this year, we made a slight adjustment in the program. The mothers of the children asked if we could arrange for a teacher who could come to the park and teach their children onsite rather than transport them by three-wheel taxi to a non-profit NGO that was some distance away. This practical request gave us the idea of starting “School in the Park.” Fortunately, we found two teachers who work for the same NGO until 3:00 pm and had some free time afterwards. They come to the park and teach Monday-Friday from 4:30 pm-6:00 pm and are very happy to take on this noble undertaking. They began teaching the kids in mid-March.
We identified an open area in the park located right across the homes of the children where they can be surrounded by nature’s greenery. The children are enjoying learning the English alphabet as one of their first lessons. This program also gives comfort to the mothers and fathers who can now keep an eye on their children while doing their work outside and inside their homes. After the class, the children are served light refreshments when possible.
It is a win-win-win situation for the children, parents and the teachers. Thank you beloved Mother Portia for opening the doors of opportunity!
And thank you, dear supporters of India, who offer your prayers and donations to Friendship Homes and Schools for this cause.