Re: World Tour News Please « Reply #7 on: Aug 6th, 2002, 6:23pm »

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All Glories to Sri Guru & Gauranga!!  
Well, here I am in Russia. It took awhile to get on the internet. We are in the city and I stopped in an internet cafe. It is quite amazing here! I am overwhelmed. The devotees here are out of sight, I mean they are so hard working and enthusiastic. The temple is outrageous and Gurudeva seems so happy! According to Vidura, the progress is quite remarkable from his last visit. Yesterday we had Maha Sankirtana in the downtown of St Petersburg and there were about 70 of us, including little Mahaprabhu. Can't even fathom that I'd ever be in Russia, let alone doing sankirtana. Tirtha Maharaj and Acharya Maharaja are the sankirtana leaders and very inspiring. Today we went on a boat ride through the canals and had sankirtana also. I didn't think St Petersburg was as big as it is. There are 300 canals throughout the city. Gurudeva spoke at a program last night at this old library. It was quite a turnout. He spoke for one hour straight. The other day was some program at an old ISKCON temple and many people came. There were sitar players, Indian dancers and then Gurudeva spoke, followed by another large kirtana. 25 people took initation yesterday and a handful more today!! The Russian devotees work so hard. I must say, at times it is difficult to get any seva because EVERYONE wants to do. The Russians are so austere too. They have been sleeping in tents, on the temple floor, in rooms with 15-20 other people while we have dorm like rooms and take prasadam with Gurudeva. They don't want us doing anything for them, however today, I went and forced my way into serving them lunch prasadam.
All the western devotees are doing well and doing seva and being blissed out by Gurudeva and the other Maharajas. The kirtans and arotiks have been ecstatic and the deities are so beautiful.
It seems that Gurudeva is resting well and He just seems so happy with everything here (not like I can read His mind or anything, just my humble observation).
I will try and write as often as I get to town.
Dundavats to you all.
 
~ Tunga Prema devi dasi