one month mark!

Hare Krsna everyone!

We've officially come upon the one month mark till we return stateside...yay!

Bala Nitai's last day with the academy is tomorrow, the students are involved with seva for Nityananda Tryodasi.  He finished in the top 10 for their last big test.  The "prize" was the opportunity to do personal seva for Sri Pancha Tattva--the same that they were tested on, offering 16 upacharas (items) during bathing, dressing, food offering...he was blessed with service to Sri Gadadhara yesterday morning.

I've been still involved with the midwifery world...prenatals, meetings with apprentices, perhaps one more birth!  

Nitai has been mostly just interested in playing these days...there is a definite "wildness" about Mayapur that is really sweet for kids...they get to just be kids...Nitai seems to always be covered in dirt or dust, carrying a stick and running to the next spot to play...I was thinking that yes, one can walk in the forest in Portland, but all the paths are paved--here, you're lucky to get a paved path anywhere!

Anyways, I was looking through our photos and realized that there's a lot that I had wanted to post, but haven't yet...so here's a back adventure for ya:

A Boat Ride Up Mama Ganga

Some friends of ours from S. Africa organized this trip.  About 15 devotees loaded on a boat and went for about a 2 or 3 hr. ride...this was back in December.

Nitai with his dear friend Lochan from S. Africa.  His mom is the doctor that attended the birth with me.  They've left now, but are returning to try living in Mayapur in August.

Most of the shoreline of the Ganga is frequently populated, which means a lot of trash accumulates...however, we stopped @ an island in the middle of the river that was pristine and beautiful.  The sand is super soft and shiny--it's full of mica specs as you can see here...

Here's us on that island.

View of the TOVP and Prabhupada's samhadi (white dome) from the Ganga. 

Heading back after snacking on homemade cheese cakes and cinnamon rolls...sheesh!