A Letter from Project Hope Volunteers

May 14, 2015

Yesterday we received a beautiful letter to Pujya Swamiji from our dedicated Project Hope volunteers in Nepal, who share their experience of the Earthquake that shook Nepal yet again yesterday and the aftershocks which continue. With Pujya Swamiji’s guidance, blessings, direction and inspiration they are full of courage as the fulfill Pujya Swamiji’s vision and mission of reaching out to as many people as possible with much needed supplies such as tents, blankets, tents, food, tarpoline, lanterns and so much more.

Here is the letter received from the volunteers:

Yesterday, it was a very dangerous day for us. In the morning, at around 9am, we left Kathmandu for our distribution to a remote and affected village by the name of Ranipauwa Thansing Village (Nuwakot). On the way, the whole Earth started tremoring under us, we had to stop the car and the shaking was so strong that we all fell.

But by your divine blessings, Pujya Swamiji, we suffered only minor injuries and are safe and recovering well. Even after the Earthquake we decided to continue to the village, arriving around 3pm, and distributed the much needed blankets, daily supplies and other things for nearly 700 families. There was huge crowd gathered to collect the relief material and they were so, so happy to receive the things we provided.

Pujya Swamiji, it is so tragic that just as everything was beginning to return to normalcy after yesterday’s earthquake everyone in Kathmandu is again sleeping out on the open spaces. We really have no safer option because, at night 2:32am we were shocked by earthquake again. Everything in our room was shaking. We came out on the road, after half an hour we went back to our room then at 3:42am another earthquake shook everything in our room. We ran out to the road again. Since then we are all living in a park nearby. I took a newspaper which I am sending you to share the situation on the ground here. Here in Kathmandu every thing seems to be in chaos. People are so afraid to go into their homes.

Pujya Swamiji, with your blessings, the Project Hope team are committed to return back only after completing the mission you have given to us, to serve as one team with one theme. We are not afraid of the situation here because Your blessings are always with us.

Today the weather is very cloudy and all markets are closed, however we have made another friend here by the name of Surendra who has a internet café in his house. In fact, we are sitting with him right now and he is helping me to send all reports to You. Plz continue to shower your blessings upon us.

Tomorrow we plan to go back to Ashapuri Buddha Temple to start the reconstruction work. We are in constant connection with the villagers, they have become like family.

Our doctors team, who are working day and night, have also returned back from this morning. So we are planning to work together with them to distribute relief material as well as provide medical relief.

Please bless us Pujya Swamiji that we can fulfill our mission and return home safely.