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Upon arriving in San Francisco, the Russians expressed their delight to be resuming our plans for a trip to Swami. An excellent translator at the psychiatric meeting, Carolyn, aided our discussion. Enthusiastic about the trip herself, Carolyn volunteered to go free of charge just to be the official interpreter. How smoothly everything was working out. I would go to Moscow before the trip to orient the psychiatrists on what to expect and to firm up final plans.
Here I was on another Sai project and feeling full of joy and wonder. Though there were still many unanswered questions about travel within India and accommodations at the ashram, I knew everything would work out fine. Then a drama began to unfold with incredible twists and turns, and always a sense of Baba’s presence. Beware! The master teacher of detachment was at work! Lile did I know that this 21st trip to Baba was to teach me more about devotion and detachment.
Sharon and our four daughters joined me. I planned to meet 10 Russian psychiatrists in Delhi and bring them to the ashram where my family and the Russian interpreter, Carolyn, would meet us.
Not only was Carolyn the group’s interpreter, she had also quickly become a friend. Highly qualified, in the past she had interpreted for Nancy Reagan and Risa Gorbachev, as well as for Mikhail Gorbachev and George Schultz. She was a giving person who had spent time in Africa administering to famine-stricken Ethiopian children, and she now worked with terminally ill children in the San Francisco area.
We arrived at Prasanthi Nilayam on the very day that the then President of India, Venkatramana, arrived with his family. It was an inspiring sight, seeing the President of India acknowledge Swami’s greatness. My plan was to spend some time at the ashram helping to arrange accommodations for the Russians and then to fly from Bangalore to Delhi where I would meet and escort them to the ashram. Five comfortable rooms were made ready for the scientists expected to arrive at the ashram only two days before Guru Purnima.
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