Welcome to the 75th Birthday celebrations of our Lord
Dear Friends, Sai Ram!
November 23rd is a day of great joy for every Sai devotee and for us, it is much much more than that. Welcome to this special newsletter carrying the news and views of our old students as they took part in the global celebrations of our beloved Baba’s B’day.This newsletter will also be the last for the year 2000 and that also gives us a reason to cherish the golden moments of the past year and excel further in the coming year and all the years to come.

The Golden Trip to Parthi
Undoubtedly the most awaited and the most cherished trip to Parthi so far in the history of our school was the trip that the students had been in the month of November where they staged a drama titled 'Tvameva Sharanam Sai'. The following is the narration of one of our old students who was also on the trip, helping the students in a number of ways. To preserve the melody of the narration, the matter is presented as it was mailed to SOS. ENJOY IT.

"On the 14th when we were doing practice in the auditorium swami came. He first went on to the stage and saw the orissa people practicing and cracked some jokes with them and later on he came to us and asked the name of our program and all of us together answered 'Tvameva Sharanam sai' then swami also repeated the same and he turned towards the boys and said 'good boys' and went away.

On the 15th was our program. In the morning we did not go for Darshan and in the evening by 5 we were ready and were sitting behind the PC (Poorna Chandra Hall) and after the bhajan Swami came inside and he came to Prahalda and He asked her 'nee role yemiti?' she replied 'Prahalada Swami' then Swami asked 'Prahalada Ku Krishnudiki yemiti connection?' Parthi teachers answered 'Swami Chinna Katha nunchi teesinadi' then Swami said 'telusu telusu'. Then he came inside and came near kousalya mam and she offered the Padukas that she took along with us and asked swami to bless them to be kept in the school. Swami said 'manchidi manchidi' Then the teachers showed Shabari to Swami and He said 'telusu telusu'. He asked chinni Krishna from where she was came and she replied 'Visakhapatnam Swami' and Swami replied 'nee talakai patnam' and went away. Three students went to swami and one offered him a bouquet and the other offered him an invitation and a birthday card and a synopsis and the last one offered him a bowl of groundnuts and lavangalu. Swami took all of them and then the program started. We were the stage setters and we were sitting to one side and we could see swami very clearly. He enjoyed the program very much. He was smiling during the entire drama. We took a group photo along with the Orissa people.

Swami patted the elephant trunk and blessed the flower that the elephant was holding. When he came inside he told Kousalya mam that the drama was very good. He said to all of us 'drama chaala chaala bagundi Vizag pillalu chaala chaala baaga chesaru'. He also said that He hasn’t seen such a drama in 35 years! Then Parthi teachers asked 'Swami mimmalne santosha pettama?' then he replied 'Chaala santosha pettaru' then teachers asked for padanamaskars and then he told 'Ieppude enduku? Reepu battalu ichhe bujjaginchi pampistanu'!!. The next day morning He searched where we were and gave padanamaskars and saris to each and every one. Swami’s feet were swollen and he was giving the padanamaskars slowly. Swami is very weak.

Swami is mainly concentrating on grama seva because while He was reading a newspaper an article touched Him and He also cried in front of the students. The article was that a mother committed suicide by giving Poison to her children and she too ate Poison. She took Poison because she did not have food to feed her children. Swami wept while he was telling this incident to the boys. He told all the youth to take part in the awareness program and he also told that from ow 'Your life will be my message'.

So guys and girls, the question that each of us must ask is 'Are we up to it?' Lets think about it.

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Swami Says 20 November 2000
'Wings for Flight to the Divine - Love and Service
Just as the birds fly with the help of their two wings, so also man should reach the goal of life quickly with the help of the two wings, namely, love and service.'

News at a glance
· Ushodaya Center is no more! It’s Sathya Sai Complex now.
· Standing in the center, a Sarva Dharma stupam now illumines the Sathya Sai Complex
· All Autos in Vizag now have Swami sayings.
· Birthday celebrations were concluded following a three-day grand musical feast on 23rd.

Old students Participation in the B’day Celebrations: Vizag
There was a photo gallery section opened on Swami’s birthday. All the rare photos of Swami and the service activities of the youth were displayed. We were the guides to people who thronged to see these rare pictures.We took part in the distribution of sweets at the juvenile house, K.G.H., Mental hospital, and at the Stupam inauguration. We distributed chocolates to 20 schools in Vizag. Interestingly, Most of us bunked colleges to take part in the celebrations!!!!! In the morning we used to go to schools and in the evening we helped the youth at the photo gallery And of course the most crucial part of the event, they helped out the devotees at the chappal corner.

Celebrations Abroad
From the mails that were received from some of the old students, it appears that there has been tremendous amount of activity among the Sai Centers of USA. At the Houston Sai Center, there was an absolutely magical display of song and dance program by more than 50 kids ranging from 5 yrs to 18 yrs. Celebrations in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago and California too have been equally jubilant.

Christmas is just round the corner
With the holiday season starting on Thanksgiving, the air is resounding with the ringing of the Christmas bells all over America. At Houston Sai center, service activities like giving gifts to poor patients in a neurological unit of a nursing home are in full swing. At Baltimore & other centers, a drive to collect and distribute winter clothes for the homeless are underway. Lets see what our Santa brings us for this Christmas!!
By the Way, our SOS Santa Claus is in USA, Baltimore .. No prizes for getting this right. Yes! its our Prabhav!!!

Service Activities sponsored by our contribution every month
Apart from our regular contributions every month which go to College Education for the adopted children and Monthly Medical Camps, we, SOS have done an excellent job by pooling up our resources and contributing specially for the B’day celebrations. We are extremely thankful to all the old students who have contributed both in money and in support towards this fund. The fund has been used for the various activities like Poor Feeding, Buffet for orphans kids, Sweets and for the Birthday arrangements. We must not take the credit for any of our contributions because when we think back, what we have is all that we received from Him and whatever we contribute is all His. What we must think is whether we are doing this with nothing but Pure Love. That is when Swami will be extremely pleased no matter what amount we contribute. In fact when Swami said, 'Your life is my message', it appears that Swami is giving us more responsibility and we must all think back and decide whether we have been doing service at our full capability.

Song sung at the First world Youth Conference
Truth Needs a Hero Truth needs a friend
Sathya needs a Hero Sathya needs a friend.
Sai Needs a Hero, Sai needs a friend.
Lets all be Heroes, Lets all be friends.

We are young, we are strong, we are ready.
We are the youth of the world.
God gave this world and its beauty
But, what have we done to this world!
O Man, O Man Can’t you see?
There is a war and truth is losing
Its up to you and me.

Truth needs a Hero Truth needs a friend
Sai needs someone who can say I am
I am your Hero I am your friend.
Mother don’t cry I know I am.

I am your hero I am your friend.
Sathya needs a Hero Sathya needs a friend.
Truth needs someone who can say I am
I am your Hero I am your friend.