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Sai Seva in El Salvador
Source:
Radio Sai
E-Magazine, March 1, 2004
http://www.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_02/05March01/08_Window_to_sai_seva/sai_seva.htm
About
1985, the Sathya Sai Organization started visiting a group of
invalids, (wheelchair people) who lived in a dilapidated house on
the outskirts of town. The visits were infrequent in the beginning,
and the devotees took mostly food items for distribution. The
house was very inadequate for their needs since it had two floors
and they had to leave their wheelchairs downstairs and pull
themselves up the stairs to the bedrooms. About 1990, the Sai
Organization found a one floor dwelling in the center of town
where everything was close by. The house was very old, but it was
much bigger than the one where they were living. The Sai devotees
rented this place for the handicapped and the group increased to
20 at the new location. In 1995, the lady who rented this house
decided to sell it, and one of the devotees was able to buy it and
donate the same to the Sathya Sai Foundation.
It
had become apparent after so many years of association with the
handicapped that their biggest problem was to live, and work or
study in the same place, as the wheelchairs are not adequate for
moving long distances, or in traffic. The Sathya Sai Foundation
decided to build a residence and workplace for them by tearing
down the old house and making a new one with three floors. On the
ground level were several workshops including sewing, computer
center, watch repair, electric appliance repair, bakery, shoe
repair, and wheel chair repairs and a kitchen and dining area. On
the first floor were 11 dormitories and a social area. The third
floor is a Sathya Sai Center. The building has an elevator and a
large cistern for water storage. By Swami’s Grace, this new
building was inaugurated November 23, 1997. About 20 handicapped
are able to live there without paying any rent. They only pay for
their food with the money they can make in the workshops, and from
pensions which some of them have.
The
Sathya Sai Organization has not made any efforts to convert the
handicapped residents into followers of Sai Baba, but some of them
have become interested in His teachings and voluntarily attend the
Sai Center. One fellow, who had fallen from a tree nine years back
had two long pins supporting either side of his spinal column. He
could hardly walk with crutches, and used a wheel chair most of
the time. The pins had become infected and pus was coming from an
opening made by doctors. He had become interested in Swami and was
reading some Sai books, including Howard Murphet’s “Man of
Miracles”. A medical ship had docked at El Salvador, and
specialists from USA were doing free operations on board. A
devotee took this fellow to the boat, and one of the doctors,
after analyzing his x-rays decided to take out the pins and treat
the infection. When the patient was returned to home after the
operation, he was unable to move.
He
was sleeping on the floor on a mattress for about two weeks. Then
one night, Swami appeared in his room, sitting on the floor
besides his mattress and asked him in Spanish, “How do you feel?”.
The fellow could hardly believe that Swami was there in person. He
told Swami that he was completely paralyzed and the operation had
been for the worse. Swami told him, “You can now walk, get
up”. Swami disappeared. The fellow got up without crutches and
walked to the phone. It was 2:OOAM, but he called the devotee who
had taken him to the hospital boat and cried over the phone, “I
can walk ! Swami has come and healed me!” He was later able to
reunite with his wife and assume a normal life. His character also
changed for the better.
This labor of love
has continued to this day by the Sai Organization. The youth group
recently shared a Christmas dinner prepared by them for the
handicapped members of this home.
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