Public Program in Caracas Venezuela

This Saturday we had the opportunity to make a public program, placed in a east park here in Caracas. Since the last week the devotees were organizing and making all the arrangements for this program. Our dearest brother Sripad Iswara Prasad Prabhu (recently initiated in the last visit of Sripad Janardan Maharaj) made the legal arrangements with the park, and the main idea of this program came from his mind. So, on Friday afternoon some devotees went to the temple to help with the kitchen, and the flyers for the program made by Krishna Mohan Prabhu. We have to thank Suarupini Didi, Ritu Raj Prabhu, Sukadeva Prabhu, Laksmi-kanta Prabhu, Krishna Bandhu Prabhu and Antarjami Prabhu, for their hard work in the kitchen and in many of the arrangements for the program. Gaurachandra Prabhu, as always was taking the wonderful pictures and made a big poster that was placed in the park for the view of the visitors.

So, on Saturday morning after mangal aroti and a fast breakfast, many devotees left the temple in three cars to the program. We arrived at the park called "Parque del Este" at 8:30 a.m. and started to set up the tents, one with the books, CDs, flyers and Prasadam, and the other tent was set up for the devotees to be able to sing and play mrdanga there. Everybody was working enthusiastically and decorating the tents that were placed practically in the entrance of the park. The spot was perfect, so everybody was able to see the huge poster and the devotees chanting and distributing Prasadam for free. The books and CDs were only for exhibition, but it was amazing to see how many people were interested not only in the 'free food' but also in the philosophy, the temple address and the meaning of all the signs in the decoration. They asked a lot of interesting questions, so it was a nice experience to share with the elder and younger Vaisnavas.

Especially we are happy to mention Srimati Shyamagauri Didi who has a lot of experience making all kinds of services and attending people, she has a nice ability to preach and her mood is so enthusiastic that she encourages everybody to do more and more service. The younger devotees like Ramachandra Prabhu, Madhurani Didi, Radhika Didi, Rukmini Didi, Vrajesvari Didi, Ritu Raj Prabhu, and Krishna Mohan Prabhu were distributing the prasadam, which was: hallava, koftas, barats, milk cake and cookies, among with the flyers and the preaching.

At noon, more devotees came to help with the service and preaching; so, many of us were able to take a break while they continue to attend the thousand of visitors in the park. As always, the wonderful sisters Kamala Nayan Didi and Nanda Priya Devi Dasi, came to help very fast with the prasadam, also came Priyanana Didi (an amazing girl also recently initiated) who has the ability to serve always in a happy mood, Mandakini Didi, Dayal Krishna Prabhu, Kanta Krishna Prabhu and family, Ramanuja Prabhu, Priya Lochana Didi, Syamanandi Devi Dasi, the excellent cook Rasa Moi Devi Dasi, Hari Prasad Prabhu, Krishna Mohini Didi who brought her nice family and the sweet Lalita Sundari Didi. The prasadam distributed there was uncountable along with the times that we had to give the recipe of the preparations. The flyers given that day, had these content headers:

"The difference between the soul and the body"
"How to get benefit from our low tendencies"
"How to eliminate the delinquency"
"How to have everything without debts"
"Feeding without meat"
And several recipes

After that we had a nice kirttan and many of the visitors were there enjoying in an harmonic mood with us. At 3:30 p.m. we had to go out of the park with the happiness of that successful program. And everything, everything was possible by the mercy of our beloved Gurudev. Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, ki jaya!

Written on a rainy evening on Monday 20th September,
by Laksmi-Kanti Devi Dasi.