We thought you might enjoy this account of a volunteer's experience of working in Cabella - don't miss the link to the photos!

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Jai Shri Mataji!

I just had the great pleasure and honor of being practically involved in the 'facelift' of our puja property in Albera, near Cabella. Thanks to our dear brother Gunter (the brilliant European stage and hotel designer) who has been put in charge of upgrading and maintaining the physical infrastructure of all the Foundation properties, a new world-class image is in the making.

If you have any professional skills, time and or material to donate, please contact Gunter to engage in this lasting, very creative process. There's much to be done, so consider it your joyful duty if you feel passionate about getting involved!

Gunter Thurner:
0039-339-1443236
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Here are some images of a recently completed project:

http://web.me.com/ed_saugstad/outdoor_construction_in_Italy/by-the-old-water-mill.html

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And here are a few personal impressions, just to give an idea of how it feels to be directly involved in these important developments….

Gunter, who now oversees the work of the valuable 'volunteers' based in Shri Mataji's castle in Cabella, mentioned the other day that most yogis don't realize that workers are needed not just when Shri Mataji is physically present, but that ongoing dynamic involvement is essential in order to get all the work done that is coming up in the next months and years.

My own lucky chance started forming when, about a year ago, it became clear to me that the way from our dining area to the women's facilities above the kitchen was substandard and even dangerous, especially considering it was used thousands of times every year. I drafted and submitted an initial improvement plan to the Foundation, with the intention of investing some personal effort and materials in the project. I was waiting till I had enough time and money to spend, so it came as a bit of a test to me when Gunter recently insisted that it was a top priority, and would have to be done before the next puja. He told me to come back already in a week! After juggling my affairs at home, I returned in three weeks with all my tools and a couple hundred kilos of material, later noticing in my horoscope that for exactly those seventeen days that the intense project took to complete, I was advised to go out and do some 'outdoor sports' with all my energy!

It was a magical time, working out there in that fairy-tale valley, sleeping under the stars, being showered with tiny white flowers from the blossoming trees, visiting the enchanted castle every day for vibrated meals, making new friends from all over the world. At the end of those two-and-a-half weeks I went home a new yogi. You also have a lot to offer. Don't miss your chance :-)

love,
Edward

Here's a photo, taken the following day, of where Shri Mataji drove by twice in the afternoon – just a few meters away – as the final touches were being added to the new wooden structures. Where else on Earth can God incarnate suddenly cruise by, showering you in Divine Grace, as you work to help create a better world?
http://web.me.com/ed_saugstad/God-passes-by.jpg