How it all began

Meeting Dr. Cary Rasoff was when the direction of my life changed for ever and for good. Everything became clear and I knew immediately that the Bodisattva path that I had been on for more than 20 years had been been all leading to this very moment. It was immediately after the Tsunami hit Sumatra, Thailand and India on December 26, 2001. I was shocked and mesmerized by the television news footage of the devastation that had wiped out entire communities without warning. I couldn't tear myself away from the television as it replayed again and again the same clips of this tragic natural disaster.

The more I watched, the more hopeless and helpless I felt. How could I live with the pain of knowing that I felt so for the mass of people whose lives were taken in such a shocking and tragic way. Understandably, many people were so overwhelmed that they refused to watch the news at all. But I was already so emotionally involved and there was no way to turn my back on the problem.|

After several hours of watching as the estimated numbers of so called"casualties" (a word I can't quite come to terms with), was growing by the hundreds and thousands, my attention was drawn to a man who spoke in Indonesian about the heart break of loosing his family and his home. It was in that moment I realized that I had to do something, anything. I knew that the only way to deal with the sorrow, was to get proactive. But what was I to do, I wasn't a Doctor, or a Nurse, and I didn't have great financial resources, but I knew that it wasn't a coincidence that I had booked my New Years holiday in the neighboring island of Bali. There simply was no way I could enjoy a holiday in Bali, while people were suffering a disaster that had wiped out 180,000 people nearby.

The signs were there, I had a ticket and I knew how to speak a little Indonesian so I thought that I might be able to offer some help. Not knowing exactly what I would be called to do, I trusted that Spirit had taken care of the details and all I had to do was show up. "Who do you think you are?", my ego mind asked. I wasn't a trained relief worker. Well intended friends who were feeling the collective fear of the treat Muslim terrorists tried convince me that it was too dangerous to go to a country that had been closed to for many years and had a strong anti-American political policy. And my heart said "Trust in the Divine, you are guided and protected". Then and there, I knew I was not in any danger and I knew I was going to Sumatra.

Now, I only needed to decide what would be the most helpful thing I could do. I put out the word to my community and within 24 hours I had $10,000. My research told me that the one thing that was most needed was drinking water, since all the underground wells in the areas near the ocean had been contaminated with sea water and sewage. Further inquiry led me to the Ketadyne Water Filter company who graciously offered a 50% discount on their portable water filters. I filled up six suitcases with water processing filters and medical supplies that had been donated by generous local doctors and clinics and I flew to my first stop in Bali.

When I arrived I was told that the airport was closed and there would be no way to get to Sumatra. People continued to try to convince me that it was dangerous and that I would only be a hinderance to"real" rescue operations. Once again I heard, "You are guided and protected" so I went to the airport confident that there would be a flight and that I was going to be on it. The next day, to the amazement of everyone, the airlines announced that the airport was open, and ta seat was available, Within 24 hours I was on the first flight into Banda Aceh along with 500 relief workers. It was on that flight, that I met Dr. Cary. He asked me who I was working with, and I told him I was there on my own. I went on to explain how only a few days earlier I had been sitting in California watching the news clips and how I had been called to take action.

He asked what supplies I was bringing and I told him I had water filters and antibiotics for children. His face lit up, as he spoke of the one thing which his organization had asked him to bring but that he couldn't find, children's antibiotics. It was clear that this was not a chance meeting.

The experience of being of true service and in the hand of the Divine, was so powerful that I remember thinking that I had never felt so alive and wondered if my life had taken a different path, how I would have loved to devote my life to the service to those who were in extreme suffering. Fast forward a couple of years, when I suddenly found my life path completely turned upside down, and I realized that I was now available to live that life I had dreamed about years before.

I hadn't had time during our flight to Banda Ache, to tell him about the work was doing with women's co-op's in Nepal and Indonesia. Now years later, I wondered if he could give me some direction on how to go about living the life I felt so drawn to, so I looked up Dr. Cary on the internet. I remembered the trust I had in his wisdom, his compassion and his ability to see the Divine in every situation. As we talked, I explained how my companies Mango Moon and Gaiya Tribe were my tools for empowering women by helping them to create and market their handicrafts at fair trade markets in America and Europe. It was wonderful to reconnect and hear about all his works in the world. We agreed to keep in touch, but it was many months before I would hear from him again. This time he was in Zambia.