All glory to His Divine Grace Sri Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj.

All glory to Sripad Bhakti Kusum Ashram Maharaj and all the Vaisnavas, as well as to all the devotees, whose example and mood of surrender are showing us the path to the most sweet and beautiful reality.

Thanks to the mercy of His Divine Grace and under the perfect guidance of our directress Srimati Madhuchanda Devi Dasi, and with the help and service of many souls who wish for the association and service to the Mission of our beloved Srila Guru Maharaj, we held a very auspicious Sri Krishna Janmastami festival in our Veracruz Community.

On this occasion, the preparations started one week in advance, with the making of a curtain for Sri Sri Gaura Nitai's altar, as well as some dresses (made by Pranesvari Devi Dasi). We, Sruti Devi Dasi and this servant, Krishna Prema Tarangini Dasi, were in charge of ornamenting them.

The next day, after finishing these activities, we went to ask for bhoga donations at a very famous market in Veracruz called 'Malibran.' In this place, Madhava Kanti Devi Dasi has a store, and we kept whatever was collected in her place. It was very surprising to see that, after some first negative responses to her petition, Sruti Devi Dasi didn't lose enthusiasm and with determination continued her way looking for donations. And finally, she got them.

Many bags and a box with fruits, vegetables and even butter milk was collected by her. It was such a big quantity that it was necessary for some kind people to help us fill a taxi which took us to the temple. At the end, even the taxi man gave us a discount when we paid. The most beautiful thing for us was to know that so many people helped the Mission in a pleasant way when we made a simple petition to them: donate whatever their will was for the Sri Krishna Janmastami festival of the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math. Many of them were not aware of the existence of our temple, but nonetheless helped with very good intention.

That very day also, Gaura Devi Dasi (daughter of Krishna Devi Dasi) from Orizaba arrived for helping with the preparations, and she went with Sruti Devi Dasi, Tripti Ghana Devi Dasi and Sachi Devi Dasi for selling sweets in the downtown area, in order to get money for the festival. Bhakta Farid went later to join and help them. He moved from Orizaba to Veracruz two months ago and is attending the Saturday programme and going out on our weekly Harinam. When they returned we made a balance of the money collected and it was more than one thousand pesos (a little less than one hundred dollars), sufficient for all the expenses of the festival, which made Srimati Madhuchanda Devi Dasi very pleased. She congratulated and gave encouragement to everyone in their service.

At last the day arrived, and early in the morning Sruti Devi Dasi, Tripti Ghana Devi Dasi, Gaura Vani Devi Dasi and this servant made an offering of food to Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, and we executed the morning chants for giving entrance to a whole day of arduous service.

Sruti Devi Dasi and Gaura Devi Dasi collected mango leaves and when they began to make lines with those leaves, some folding screens arrived, which Madhuchanda Devi Dasi had asked Syama Krishna Prabhu of Mexico City to bring. The folding screens were placed in the nat mandir for embellishing it even more.

While some were cleaning and decorating the temple, other devotees began kitchen activities. This group was only of young people: Arjun Krishna Prabhu, Tripti Ghana Devi Dasi, Sruti Devi Dasi and this servant. Each one was in charge of some preparation. Also, a simultaneous lecture about Lord Krishna's Pastimes was read by Gaura Devi Dasi, and later by Krishna Kripa Prabhu, Bhakta Farid and Radha Devi Dasi, who arrived in the course of that day to take their role in the feast of the Lord.

One of the most waited visits was that of Krishna Devi Dasi with five of her seven children: Shanta Devi Dasi, Radha Devi Dasi, Prahlad Prabhu, Yudhisthir Prabhu, as well as Gaura Devi Dasi, who had already arrived the previous day.

In the course of that day, for joining the activities came Mathura Devi Dasi, who became part of the second group in the kitchen, as well as Urjesvari Devi Dasi, Gauri Devi Dasi, and Yugala Kishori Devi Dasi. Later arrived Pranesvari Devi Dasi and Sumangala Devi Dasi with more preparations for Sri Krishna's satisfaction in His divine celebration. Those preparations were made mainly with the bhoga and money collected on the previous days.

By the afternoon (and because that day was Wednesday, when we regularly have it) a Harinam group was organised with an attendance of fifteen devotees who went out onto the streets to chant the Holy Names and invite the people for our Saturday programme. When we came back to the temple the Nama Sankirttan was so melodious that it was not possible to stop the energy, and only because we had to start the programme of the festival of Sri Krishna Janmastami was it necessary to stop it.

After 10 p.m. we began the programme with chanting and worship, and it was then that Lord Krishna had one more surprise ready: suddenly eight young people arrived who had been invited by Sruti Devi Dasi some days ago on one Harinam. They stayed with us through the whole celebration, even for prasadam. And speaking of prasadam, Lord Krishna must be very happy because all attending were happy when honouring it the following day.

The next day we woke up early for the morning programme led by Srimati Madhuchanda Devi Dasi, and later we went to the kitchen for cooking the offering to celebrate the Appearance of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Prabhupad, which also went in a very auspicious and pleasant way.

When finishing the second day of festivals, and sharing with the devotee family so many pleasing moments, it was difficult to say goodbye, because approximately forty-eight hours were spent in service leading to the most sweet and beautiful reality. It was in this way that Sri Krishna Janmastami and Srila Prabhupad's Appearance festival finished with the participation of all the devotees in the community as well with the visit of the Orizaba devotees and guests in general. And of course under the guidance of Srimati Madhuchanda Devi Dasi. With her perfect example she is always encouraging us to put more and more effort on the path of devotion. Now we are getting ready for other activities like the book fair at the University of Veracruz, as well for the next two celebrations: Sri Lalita-saptami and Sri Radhastami.

May the remembrance of pleasing His Divine Grace and his intimate associates give us strength for making every festival more satisfactory for the delight of Their Lordships Sri Sri Gaura Nitai.

~Krishna Prema Tarangini Devi Dasi