GREEN MIRACLES

Chapter: GREEN touch & Maryam

My favorite color is GREEN.

For many years I had a RED problem. Finally after twenty years, I was able to see my mother and sister.

The 3 days we spent together brought back so many memories, especially of the time my sisters and I shared growing up in India.

After so many years we just clicked. It all felt so right.

Although we share so much we have diverged in our ways of thinking, feeling, believing, our ways of life and our perspectives.

With my vow of poverty and service, I feel that I have become so different compared to the rest of the world.

On the first night together with my mother and sister in Mumbai I had to go provide service to the poorest of the poor.

After putting my mother to bed near the Taj hotel, I asked my dear sister if she would accompany me.

She said sure.

At the time I knew she did not understand my world and vows, but she just missed me and wanted to hang out.

So off we went in Mumbai buying fruits, biscuits and whatever we could find and began serving

the poorest of the poor sleeping on the sidewalks with their children and families.

At one point, I noticed my sister was giving very small GREEN candies to the children.

I asked her where she bought them and she said that it was a habit she has had for many years living in India.

She explained that when she was a student she could not afford to give money to all of the people begging and also that if you give to one child, 10 more kids would show up,

so she just gave them each a small candy. With this way of giving she did not have to say ‘no’ and she also felt that candy was more pleasant than money.

I was so shocked. I said ‘bravo’. I had totally forgotten that she had spent more time in India than I did.

I am SO proud of my little sister’s genuine touch for the poorest of the poor. As a matter of fact,

I learned something so VALUABLE about charity, something

So simple yet so Powerful,

So small yet so Big,

So GREEN yet so bright,

A simple act of mercy.

I brought that lesson not only to my business world but also to my hospitality. If you offer dinner or something else bigger to someone,

they will most likely refuse. But if you offer something small such as Tea or a bottle of water, odds are more likely they will accept, and the effect is much greater. It was quite a strategy because it’s an absolute win- win situation, you don’t get ‘no’ and at the same time you serve and practice your hospitality.

I think of this and practice it ‘til this day.

The next day, I took a beautiful photograph of my sister giving the small GREEN candies to the Crying Nobodies children on the side walk.

I called the photo ‘Maryam’s GREEN touch’.

My sister’s simple green candy gift has now become a part of Serving Charity’s practice.

I also practice this with one of my amazing charity friends who always gives me candy when I go away to give to the poor. This practice has such a magnificent feeling.

Money has such a negative connotation but the candy has such a positive one. It changes the spirit and just lifts and gives so much more to the act of GIVING.

When I pass on the monetary donations to the poorest of the poor I give it with a little candy, it is such a green touch.

Chapter: GREEN raffle & Arup

Two Years after my family visit, with one of

Serving Charity engineers, Rishi

and one of my lovely Italian friends, Lisa

we decided to work together on a few charity projects.

First we worked on the Princess Margaret bike ride for Lisa.

We did a fundraising event together and then trained. From this experience there was so much growth in charity and friendship.

Let us more and more insist on raising funds of love, of kindness, of understanding, of peace.

Money will come if we seek first the Kingdom of God –

the rest will be given.
”Mother Teresa”

Second was Serving Charity for Crying Nobodies’ Children.

Our intention was to use the raised money for an orphanage project but the

Crying Nobodies’ Children crew in Calcutta were also in need.

For the last four years we have had a Serving Charity team in Calcutta. They are all poorest of the poor children that sleep on the streets.

Some of them sleep with their families, brothers and sisters on the sidewalk.

These children are truly in my heart, they are so down to earth, genuine, and pure.

The love they have for caring, sharing, giving, compassion, mercy, charity, faith and GOD

absolutely blows me away. I took another Serving Charity engineer, Puneet, to Calcutta. He was so touched.

Serving charity also helped to save the life of a very young child in Calcutta.

Last year I met this young girl that was dying and needed a kidney transplant. It was so disturbing to see her mom crying outloud as her child was dying before her.

I took the young girl to the hospital immediately for treatment and it was just in time,

the doctor said that if this child had waited a few more minutes she would have died.

The miracle was when the administration told me how much the hospitable bill was,

it was unbelievable, it was exactly the amount I had in my wallet.

Engineer Puneet did a fantastic job communicating with the SC children crew in Calcutta and the hospital to find a donor,

because we do not believe in buying organs.

The operation was expensive and SC supported the operation cost along with donors from Switzerland the USA.

It was such a glory to see the family smile

The operation went well but later in time her body began to reject the kidney, so we decided to borrow part of the funds raised at OrphanAid to pay for the kidney medication.

Going back and forth between needs we decided to donate the funds to the orphaned children living with the Sisters for milk and cookies.

Then for one of our fundraising events for OrphanAid we needed a prize for one of the raffles. I remembered the charity with my sister from two years ago and decided to use the photograph I took of her giving candy to the children. It was the most appropriate fit for this event.

The photograph framed was ‘Maryam’s GREEN touch’.

So my brother Victor,

who similar to me has experienced struggles himself,

framed the photograph beautifully and kept the prize in our office for a few days.

A few days later the OrphanAid event arrived. As a result of being so busy, my and my secretary Kristina we double booked one of our bartenders Arup.

In the process, Victor asked me if he should punch out Arup, our double booked bartender.

I had said ‘no, not yet’, not knowing that Lisa did not bring a volunteer to cover the door.

I could not believe that the double booking had been for this event but a miracle was soon to manifest.

Out of all of my staff, my brother

Arup who has the most past experience working the door and who is also from near Calcutta was here to work the door.

That night there were miracles everywhere I looked.

Chapter: GREEN offering for blessing & Mr. Khosla

In most religions when someone passes away, families and loved ones give offerings to charity in the name of the deceased as a blessing. After having her husband ill and then unfortunately passing away, Mrs. Khosla, a friend of Serving Charity, offered a donation in her husband’s name.

I went with Brittany my Punk Rock staff to pay my respects to Mr. Khosla at the funeral home.

When I saw him lying down in front of his wife, Mrs. Khosla, I felt her grief.

Serving Charity wrote 3 letters in response to Mrs.Khosla’s suffering.

1^ST Letter form SC

Dear Mrs.Khosla,

This is ABBAS from Serving Charity.

From the bottom of my heart, I would like to express my condolences for your loss.

I have been through many similar times of suffering and I understand how hard and painful it is to lose a loved one.

The first couple of months are absolute hell.

But I promise to you, it will get better. It will change us in a different way.

Before I came to the funeral, and after the funeral on Thursday,

I went to the Swami Narayan Mandir and I prayed to my LORD

for you and your family to give you strength to get through this suffering.

GOD has a plan for all of us and He works in a very mysterious way that we cannot understand.

The answers don’t come today or tomorrow. But one day, unexpectedly, we realize there was a reason for all the suffering we had to go through.

I wanted to thank you so much for your support and caring for the poorest of the poor, and the suffering.

I wanted to thank you for your donation. When Ms.Poddar told me about the donation I told her to bring it to me right away.

I wanted to pass on your good deeds on behalf of your husband, Mr.Khosla so that he can receive the blessing.

And you and your family can receive healing.

And Serving Charity and the children of Sathya Sai School can also receive blessing.

I did not know your husband, Mr.Khosla, until Wednesday night when I received a text message.

Right away I responded that I would like to come and pay my respects.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta has inspired me so much that five years ago I gave up everything that I had.

I followed GOD and the poorest of the poor in need of mercy,

and the suffering. And, this is my world. I love to be among the suffering.

Dear Mrs.Khosla, with all my heart I feel your pain and suffering. But believe me, these are the most incredible times when we become so close to GOD.

And He is watching you. Please understand we all love you very much and we are here for you for anything you need. We are at your service.

I personally doubled up your donation and this is one of the ways that your donation for Mr.Khosla’s loss is going to save someone’s life. And it is one of GOD’s miracles.

I have a friend named Robert who I met on the street a few months ago. Robert is homeless and he is very sick.

He used to work at the circus and he knows how to make balloon animals and shapes. Ms.Poddar wanted to come with me on her birthday to serve our homeless suffering man on our Serving Charity 2:00am run to give tea. And Robert was waiting with a few other homeless people to wish Ms.Poddar a Happy Birthday.

And he touched her heart by making a few balloons for her birthday.

Again, Ms.Poddar and Mrs.Ganesh brought the Grade 9 alumni students to El Mocambo and Robert did a very nice balloon-making and paper-folding class for the children.

It put smiles on all the children’s faces.

I have been seeing Robert for the last few months, every night, and the suffering of our homeless, poorest of the poor is so great.

But one night, it was very cold (-25 or -30 degrees). I went to a coffee shop, saw Robert, and during our conversation he told me that he has been praying.

When he said that, it put a smile on my face. And I asked him, “What have you been praying for?” He said, “I have been praying for the weather to get warmer.

I am an old man, and it’s so cold. I can’t sleep outside.” His prayer took my smile away.

Although he helped me a few times, I did nothing about it. But I prayed for him.

On Monday, we had a Children for Charity event at El Mocambo. We put together a quality education program for the children, including making sandwiches for the homeless. We provided meringue and salsa dance classes for the children, a dance performance by the children and the teachers, a speech about prejudice as it was Dr. Martin Luther King Day, a class for comprehension in music about Mozart by our incredible blind teacher, a charity class by making sandwiches, a pizza and coca-cola lunch, a music performance, giving them each gifts from our photography class that we had during their previous visit, playing foosball, a values class by allowing them to help

KSN (Kids with Special Needs) that came from another school,

But finally, after all the activities, presents, pizza and Coke, the best joy they had was when our poorest of the poor,

a man sleeping on the sidewalk, forgotten by society – Robert, came and started making balloons for the children.

The kids were so excited and happy. They were yelling and screaming to receive one of the balloons - a sword, or puppy, or heart or

GREEN flower.

While he was making the children happy, I was thinking of Robert’s prayers. But again, I did absolutely nothing for Robert.

But when I came and saw Mr.Khosla lying down, and felt your suffering, my heart and prayers were with you. When Ms.Poddar told me about your donation, I thought of you volunteering with the children and Robert putting a smile on all the children’s faces. I thought of him being an old man, and I thought of his request and his prayers.

It was -20 degrees at 3:00 in the morning. I went to pick Robert up this morning and I put him in a basement apartment. I had one of my friends volunteer with me to help serve tea while I was giving sandwiches. It was his first day coming with me and after seeing one of my staff, Richard, whose legs have been amputated sleeping at City Hall, my friend told me that you may not notice this, but you have saved many people’s lives.

You see, your good deeds for Mr.Khosla touched my heart, so that I have actually made a decision to bring Robert in. And his life will perhaps get saved because of your suffering of Mr.Khosla’s loss.

GOD’s peace will be with you, our beautiful Mrs.Khosla, and your family.

LOVE, ABBAS

Serving Charity

In GOD We Trust

2nd Letter form SC

Mr. Khosla’s miracle grew and grew for the poorest of the poor in need of mercy.

Dear Mrs.Khosla,

This is ABBAS from Serving Charity.

I just wanted to update you about the homeless man that you saved not only his life but also answered his prayers.

Since last week Robert has been living with one of my homeless construction workers, John. I have pulled John off of the sidewalk and put him in one of my construction companies. He helped me build a few commercial projects including a donation to build the sub-flooring for 8 rooms in the Sai Baba temple. He also helped me build 3 residential units for my 1^st manager at one of my companies.

Unfortunately due to winter we cannot work outside and I have been paying John’s rent in a(n) direct/indirect way. I did not have enough budget to keep him on and this is one of my hardest challenges, to create finance for the homeless guys to pay for their salaries, rent, food. It is quite a challenge for me. Two weeks ago I told John that he has to find a place because I have to rent the apartment but on the other hand I knew he had spent all of the money I had given him and he had no place to go. The thing about John is that he has a 38 year old son with kids and a 28 year old daughter with kids, and he is a grandfather. His children and grandchildren do not know that he is homeless.

A big part of me could not let him go because he has done such beautiful good deeds for others and on the other hand, I am responsible to balance the half-million dollar budget for my 1^st manager’s finance. I rented one of the apartments.

Last week I brought Robert to live with John. I told Robert there was a miracle for you from Mrs. Khosla and I have doubled up her donation, so I got him a place for a couple of months until the weather gets better. He was in such a great spirit. He was so happy to have a warm place to sleep. You should have seen his smile when I took him there last week and just as a blessing I had a leftover blanket from my staff Adan from Australia who used it for his newborn baby, it was just meant to be the blanket was waiting there for Robert. This week Robert told me he can get social assistance and social services called me and told me they have approved Robert’s case. It was really comforting news because your donation in the name of Mr. Khosla has so much blessing that it opened up gates for the poorest of the poor in need of mercy and the blessing grew and grew. So I told my assistant manager, Victor, and Roberta to come on Wednesday to go to Cash and Carry and I gave them your $500 and my $500, since Robert’s rent has been paid by social services, to buy food for the soup kitchen that we can pass on to our homeless suffering man. I had asked him to track down the donation because I want to pray for Mr. Khosla and his family as I hand out those sandwiches to the homeless.

I also was touched with GOD’s way of miracles again through Mr. Khosla and I invested in Robert to purchase equipment so he can make lots of balloon characters to inspire and brings smiles, joys and happiness to Children for Charity of Sathya Sai School.

Because of that investment now he has a job with my other company and he applied for transportation and I filled out the disability form for the city of Toronto and he

received the metro pass.

Our dear Mrs. Khosla and family, I have been praying for you.

And this particular donation carried on so much blessing and is going to feed so many hungry and homeless people that have been forgotten by our society.

I feel Mr. Khosla’s blessing in my heart with how everything just worked out in such a beautiful way.

GOD bless you and your family.

LOVE, ABBAS

Serving Charity

In GOD We Trust

3^rd Letter form SC

Mr. Khosla’s miracle grew and grew for the poorest of the poor in need of mercy.

Dear Mrs.Khosla,

This cross is a gift made by Robert. When I met Robert a few months ago he was making them at Tim Horton’s at 3 a.m. He was making crosses, it drew me to him and I brought him sandwiches. It takes him hours to make each one. He puts so much love and effort into making each one.

After a few days, he made me one of the crosses and I had a SC team leader with me and he also gave her one. I gave my cross to a parking guy at the back, he is Christian and he always prays. But she forgot to take her cross and I brought hers to my office to give to her the next time she came in. She was helping me draft letters because I am dyslexic and she asked me about the cross that Robert made for her a few months ago and while I was printing out your first letter, I reached up and there was her cross.

She was touched by Robert’s and Mr. Kholsa’s story and she said Mrs. Khosla should have this cross.

It just amazes me, this is not a balloon or any other type of item Robert makes for children like a sword, puppy or flower.

But it is a cross he made,

a symbol of

GOD and peace in Christianity.

GOD and peace be with you Mrs. Khosla.

LOVE, ABBAS

Serving Charity

In GOD We Trust

Chapter: GREEN balloons & Robert

On the night of the OrphanAid event we were selling raffle tickets. Robert was invited to make balloon characters for the event and during the night he bought JUST ONE ticket for the raffle. Out of all of the people in attendance that bought tickets that night, his ticket WON.

I was so shocked and happy to see that, again, out of ALL OF THE PEOPLE that came that night He Won the prize. What are the odds? It was most significant that Robert won. It was such a miracle that he was the one chosen to receive ‘Maryam’s GREEN touch’.

What is so incredible is that Robert was handing out GREEN balloons all night and at the end he received the GREEN touch. Robert’s act of giving GREEN was reciprocated with being given GREEN.

That night there were more miracles to come for Robert.

Earlier in the evening before the event I had asked Robert to go across street and buy coffee. Robert replied that he had no money and felt bad so I gave him $5.

It was such magical night and part of the SC Friday Team and the SC. C4C VP. came to support the beautiful cause.

With the SC-C4C VP, I spent time trying to explain that if we lead the children to understand by bringing them among the poorest of the poor, they will FEEL the NEED and suffering and serving will come naturally.

During the night I was also trying so hard to explain to my Friday crew how necessary it is that we be among the poorest of the poor because we constantly get pulled by life in different directions, and the poorest of the poor end up at the bottom of our list and other things take priority. We simply are not the poorest of the poor, we do not have the problems and concerns that they have. We are blessed by having people among us and to have simple necessities like a bed, washroom, shower, food, and pocket money. To not have $1 to buy coffee is not something we are concerned with therefore we are responsible to serve the poorest of the poor and suffering. The more we put ourselves among them, the more we receive their blessings.

Right after the show Robert went and tried to GIVE his Winning prize to my manager

who helped him by letting him stay at her house. Prior to that night she had spent a few days crying, she had found out that Robert has cancer and is very very sick.

But she did not accept the gift. In continuing the act of giving, Robert brought the framed photograph and offered it to me.

I tried to explain to him that it is his prize and he should keep it but I knew inside that he has so much to give so I accepted his gift.

In the end I received ‘Maryam’s GREEN touch’ back

It was all so amazing. This simple GREEN candy started with a beautiful story in Mumbai and turned into a GREEN MIRACLE and is now sitting in my office.

I was so pleased with Robert’s work for the event. He was so strong, despite being sick, to blow up all of the balloons for charity.

No one can blow up the balloons like him, all my staff and volunteers have tried but no one has succeeded to blow up even one.

Earlier that night while I was with members of my SC Soup kitchen Friday Team, we dropped $20 dollars in Robert’s donation jar for his balloons. Who would have known that later that night $20 was also just what Robert needed. Right before I left to go out that night at 2.am., Robert asked for and received $20 dollars because he had no money.

That night when I went out to serve the suffering men and women I was thanking GOD the whole night for such an incredible day filled with Miracles. And as usual, it was a beautiful night. It had rained throughout the day but when it was time to serve the rain had stopped. For three years I have been going out at 2 a.m. to serve and not once have I gotten wet with rain, the rain always stops for the poorest of the poor.

Chapter: GREEN supper & Fred

Every night that I go out to serve there is a Tim Horton’s that I stop at to buy coffee and food for the homeless.

I have met some of my most special friends, Robert, Tony, Victor, Fred and others at that Tim Horton’s and I always have friends waiting for me there every night

when I arrive just after 3 a.m..

This Saturday night was extra special.

This Saturday night, like every night, I was sitting having a chicken noodle soup with the number one person closest to my heart, Fred.

Fred is 70 years old, homeless and has the best hair ever. He has a full head of golden brown hair that he trims himself. I remember the first moment I noticed his hair when he took his hat off, I realized my own wisdom. My own salt and pepper hair has way more salt then pepper.

Fred is such a good friend. He always sleeps standing up at the same place and never begs or asks for money despite his hunger. He and another man Kevin that sleeps close by are always looking out for each other. If one has eaten they offer the other a sandwich and are often trying to convince each other to go to the church basement for a good meal. We can all learn how to share from the homeless. Fred had his CBC debut with me last December. You can see him at

http://www.cbc.ca/national/blog/special_feature/cool_to_be_kind/helping_the_homeless_1.html

Every night when I arrive at Tim Horton’s Fred is waiting for me.

When he sees me he says ‘Hi ABBAS, I have been waiting for you’ and every time it touches my heart.

For years we have been sitting down and eating chicken noodle soup together at the same Tim Horton’s.

I say the same joke. He loves hot chocolate and butter. Our joke goes like this,

I say, ‘Fred, do you know what the Japanese call butter?’

He replies with ‘what?’.

I say, ‘Butta’. Then I say, ‘Fred do you know what the Japanese call Jam?’

He replies again with ‘what?’,

And I say ‘Jama’.

And every night when I leave Tim Horton’s he gives me the same wave salute goodbye.

So that night when Fred and I were sitting eating our chicken noodle soup Robert walked in.

Chapter: GREEN ticket & Robert

Actually Robert suddenly came in and he was SO HAPPY.

He told me that with the $20 I had given him earlier he bought TTC tokens and a $1 lottery ticket. And with that lottery ticket, he won $200.

He kept saying over and over how happy he was, and every time he said it, it lifted up my heart. But then he did something so special.

He went up to the person behind the counter at the coffee shop and gave them a $5 tip.

Robert is not very well and has a difficult life. He is blind in his left eye and walks with a walking stick and lived on the streets. And as mentioned before, now he is very sick.

Robert has cancer and is going for chemotherapy treatment. But despite all of his misfortunes, Robert mastered the gift of giving.

As Robert continued to receive he just kept on giving.

Intense love does not measure, it just gives. “Mother Teresa“

Chapter: GREEN DOOR

For the past 5 years, I’ve been coming to the Dominican Republic once a year to feed the Haitian refugees - CRYING NOBODY’S CHILDREN.

These children are in great suffering, not only is there a great struggle to feed the emptiness of hunger, but the greater emptiness of love.

The government does not recognize them as citizens, and they have absolutely no identity.

You can only understand and feel their emotions if you have been put through similar circumstances. Otherwise, the rest is just imagination.

But for all these children to experience these survival challenges and unwanted negative forces it is quite inhumane and creates a lot of anxiety.

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.

“Mother Teresa”

So I came with my beautiful friends in charity to serve the poorest of the poor here and when they read the first draft of the GREEN Miracles story,

they were quite touched. They decided that we should all wear GREEN t-shirts instead of the Serving Charity uniforms for a day and continue giving in GREEN.

So we all wore green and off we went to serve the poorest of the poor.

I knew from the bottom of my heart, my Lord would provide GREEN miracles.

So I rented a car, and the ladies packed up the goods that I brought.

They packed an incredible gift bag for young kids with school supplies

(pencils, pens, erasers, sharpeners and paper), toys, some clothing,

and a bag with a Canadian flag.

And off we went.

The FIRST person that we served was a pregnant, Haitian, very poor-looking woman with a big bucket being carried on her head to sell items.

We were going fast on the highway, so we passed her. But we pulled-over, stopped and turned the car around to go back in the opposite direction and then pulled her over.

She didn’t speak English. We assumed that she already had other children, so we gave her one of the gift packs, some woman’s clothing, and a donation.

When she took the basket off her head we noticed that she was selling GREEN vegetables.

So I bought all her GREEN vegetables.

And she pointed in the direction we were originally headed. A very tired, pregnant, refugee woman simply needed a ride home.

So we took her bucket, she sat in the back seat, and we gave her a ride home.

We took her to her really poor neighbourhood filled with Haitian refugees. Many of the children did not even have pants. She was so happy, that she invited us into her home.

We kind of hesitated, because we had other charity meetings to attend to, but we did not know that her invitation was GOD’s will for us to see the GREEN miracle.

So we went down a very dirty alleyway and there was the most beautiful GREEN door.

And that was the entrance to her home. Out of all the houses Serving Charity has served in the Dominican or around the world,

I don’t remember serving in a house that had a GREEN door.

We almost turned down her invitation but that open GREEN door had me thinking about GOD

The Revelation 3.8

“I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.”

And

GREEN miracles all day.

But, when we went inside, it was not GREEN. Everything looked very RED to me.

There was only one mattress over some boxes which filled the room that housed her four kids and herself.

When we went back a few days later there was no light, her home was in darkness.

We asked her where the light was and she said that she could not afford a light-bulb.

I cannot believe we live in a world where the poorest of the poor’s living conditions are much worse than that of dogs living in North America.

Wearing GREEN t-shirts, and with a bag full of candies – some GREEN toys and clothes – some more GREEN… we left to bring GREEN miracles to the poorest of the poor.

Chapter: GREEN peas

It was Sunday. The LORD’s day.

It was just the GREEN day. I just wanted to go see the GREEN sea and pray. A day before, we had returned the vehicle and had no plans to go to Puerto Plata.

But, I received a text from my SC staff (my friends) a few rooms away saying, “Dear ABBAS, please join us for prayers in the morning.”

Although I was so tired, when I woke up, it was the perfect time before my staff was going to leave. So off we went to pray.

I dropped them off for their prayers and I went for my prayers. As soon as I entered the church, it was jam-packed.

A few people were standing at the back so I was looking for a seat.

I saw a very old woman, very dirty, and she smelt GREEN. She was asking for GREEN - “pesos, pesos”. Then I heard a loud, “Shhh!!”

from people praying while they were standing. I took the woman out and I gave her some pesos. It was such a relief for everyone.

When you need the silence to pray and people talk or disturb you, it is so annoying. But, it was just a GREEN miracle.

That the poorest of the poor who was in the LORD’s house just needed the GREEN pesos,

and the timing was just absolutely beautiful. And this is something I always pray for,

I pray, “Dear LORD, Put the poorest of the poor before me, so that I can be their servant.” So, again,

It was a GREEN miracle for me, not to go ask for GREEN miracles, but before I even got there, I received the GREEN miracles.

My prayer was answered.

It was a beautiful mass. I served three other elderly people, who were so old and poor, but they were all in my path and I gave them GREEN pesos.

I went back to pick up my friends, but their prayers were not finished.

While I was waiting, I saw a lady carrying a sac on her head.

She looked pretty RED and was wearing RED. When I helped her to unload the bag off of her head,

I could not believe how much weight, that skinny fragile, RED life-styled, poorest of the poor, woman had to carry.

I was shocked. It must have been at least 60 or 70 pounds of weight. I told her that she is going to hurt her back like this.

She told me that her neck and shoulders are hurting so much. But that Sunday, another miracle was before me.

When I put her sac down, out of all of the things that she could be selling,

she had a bag full of GREEN peas.

All my life I have been serving GOD and the poorest of the poor, I don’t remember the last time

I bought green peas.

When my friends came from their prayers, we bought all of her GREEN peas,

and divided them into individual bags to hand out.

We met some incredible people and went to a D.R. home for kids with special needs (KSN). These kids have been abandoned.

Some of them were put into a basket by their parents and left at the door when they were born.

When we arrived at the KSN orphanage, the young girl in the photo on the left was crying.

The nurses were telling us that this girl cries and cries all of the time.

So I went over and picked her up and held her really tight for a minute or so, and then she stopped crying.

I could feel her lack of love in my bones.

Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger,

a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat. ”Mother Teresa”

Some of the GREEN peas went to the orphaned, unwanted KSN.

The rest of the GREEN peas went to the GREEN door neighbourhood of Haitian Refugees.

Our original plan was to go to that neighbourhood to finish off our last few donations since it was our last day.

But now the GREEN peas ended up at the GREEN door, and my friends passed on their good deeds to almost 20 families.

Chapter: GREEN NEED

When we went back to the Haitian refugee neighbourhood, the people were in such Desperate Need of Mercy that it was almost impossible to control the crowd and goods.

The need was so great that they become aggressive and violent. It was so sad to see how a piece of cloth, toy or bread has such a great value to our brothers, sisters and especially the children in NEED of mercy which we do not understand the meaning of.

The aggression was so bad that the people went after SC staff and almost knocked her down for the shoes and goods. We were yelling ‘let go of the donations’.

I kept thinking of a strategy to control the crowd and aggression to distribute the goods fairly. For the first time I prayed for it to rain because I thought that if it rained,

the poorest of the poor would run into their homes, and we could pass out the goods one by one.

Unexpectedly my prayers got answered and rain, rain, rain.

So we had to wear garbage bags over our SC uniforms to continue serving.

But I learned something so valuable about serving when there is desperation with aggression. I developed a new perspective about crowd control for charity.

Rain, snow or anything else is not the answer to hope for, for better service in poverty. It doesn’t matter what the circumstances are.

Using a lot of discipline and researching the needs of people is vital to the genuine purity of giving and should be our priority in the first place.

And only focusing on being faithful and having the will to give with LOVE.

Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary.

What we need is to love without getting tired. “Mother Teresa”

I thought of my very sophisticated crowd control house policy at el Mocambo in the security department. So I just practiced that with the Haitian refugees the next day.

We lined up everyone against the wall and I got a couple of big guys to help me say ‘nobody gets anything until you line up’.

I picked a couple of guys to go with the SC girls to pass out the goods to families and it was such great progress from the chaos of the previous days.

The service was so smooth, happy and peaceful for everyone.

It was so interesting to see how the crowd control of a music venue came to the salvation of Haitian refugees for the fair distribution of donations.

This wouldn’t have happened if the SC ladies didn’t decide to wear GREEN in the first place.

You see, good deeds and GOD’s work are contagious and carry on miracles.

All you have to do is,

Eat your GREENs, wear your GREENs,give some GREEN candies and let it grow just like GREEN leaves on a tree and wait to see the GREEN miracles.

Chapter: GREEN giving

Charity begins

Today.

Today somebody is suffering,

Today somebody is in the street,

Today somebody is hungry. Our work is for

Today, yesterday has gone …

Today- do not wait for

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow might not come.

Tomorrow we will not have them if we do not feed them

Today.

”Mother Teresa”

The framed photograph of ‘Maryam’s GREEN touch’ is a symbol of giving and now it is waiting to be given and received again.

Email me if you want to be part of Maryam’s GREEN touch for CRYING NOBODIES CHILDREN and experience

GREEN MIRACLES

LOVE, ABBAS

In GOD We Trust