An Unforgettable Seva in Gujrat

It was a day Barry Speck would never forget - his country's national holiday - Australia Day, 26 January, 2001. It was also the day of the devastating earthquake in Gujrat, India. Barry spoke with Amritapuri.org about his experiences in helping with the relief efforts:

How did you get involved with helping the M.A. Math's earthquake relief project? (news)

I remembered the previous four years that I had been following Amma's housing project at Her annual programs in Australia and was extremely impressed when I read about how Japanese students would spend their entire school holiday of eight weeks donating their help towards constructing houses for the needy. So, a few months later, after reading Br. Shantamrita's website message concerning the need for volunteers to rebuild the destroyed villages, I signed up on the email list and waited for a reply. I was more than ready to serve Amma.

So, when were you finally able to come to India?

In August 2001. I, along with another fellow Australian, met some 13 additional sevaks in Mumbai before embarking for the Gujrati villages of Dagala, Mokhana and Modsar.

In what way were you able to serve?

Because I had a technical background as a civil engineer, I was frequently consulted during my four-week stay. Beginning in Mumbai, my team members and I explored the possibility of using solar power, and were able to obtain solar lanterns free of charge from the Indian government. Although my role was as a laborer, my technical expertise was sought concerning different phases of construction, including how to implement an efficient sewage system. When I observed workers swinging pick-axes as they dug the foundation for the new houses, the suggestion was made that a backhoe would be extremely useful. One magically appeared within a few days.

What were your impressions of the local relief efforts?

I noticed that Amma's teachings of no waste had been instilled in the local volunteers. The leftover wood shavings at the carpentry shop on the construction site were saved and used as kindling for fire to heat water for cooking. In speaking with one of the older village men, I learned that instead of mixing stone and sand for concrete on site at each separate house, by which concrete was often leftover and wasted, a plan to mix at one central location and deliver to each site as needed was in the making.

Can you describe a typical day of service?

The seva schedule began at the crack of dawn right after chai, and finished up at dusk with a rest break in the heat of the day. Bhajans followed in the evening. In those four weeks, I helped with the foundation of a medical clinic and seven houses, often moving and putting into place 30-kilo (60+ lbs) concrete blocks.

What impressed you most about your experience?

The immensity of Amma's work, the dedication and organizational skills of the brahmacharis, and most of all, the people's faith in Amma. Amma had wanted this project finished within 18 months. This included over 1200 houses in three villages. Sometime after my return to Australia, I contacted the project managers and was surprised to learn how quickly the completion was near. With Amma's grace of 900 workers on site in two daily 12-hour shifts, the project that had begun in August 2001 was nearly completed and ready for the dedication ceremony in March 2002.

Barry's sadhana is seva. His main focus is to give Amma maximum service. Back home is Australia, he participates with his local satsang where they tirelessly run various fundraising projects for Amma's numerous charities. These include car washes, handmade products and catering to name a few. He says his wife, Elizabeth, first introduced him to Amma in 1997, and is a satsang coordinator in Adelaide, where she is constantly researching and creating ways to contribute to Amma's charities.

Barry spent four weeks laboring in India's heat, using his entire vacation leave from work to serve Amma by serving others, and never even sought Amma's darshan. His love for Amma was helping him to see Her in all. It is this spirit of selfless sacrifice that Amma wishes all Her children to strive to express. In such a spirit our hearts become expansive, and slowly we develop the awareness of the fundamental unity of all hearts.

When we find that Unity, we find Amma, and enjoy a permanent Darshan.