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Message from Cheri
Gasshō, I get to deliver the Good News this month! On Saturday, Oct 22, we held our 4th Annual Golden Gate Bridge Walk to benefit the work we do with vulnerable children in Zambia. Everyone who participated, the hundred-plus walkers and their sponsors, raised $21,000!!! More money always follows as sponsors continue to deliver their funds to the walkers. Based on what happened last year, the total will probably exceed $25,000, which will feed a lot of hungry children in Zambia! The meals program in Kantalomba (the slum area), and the revamping of the Home Economics room at Masala Primary School (enabling teachers and students to cook a meal for themselves each day) can move forward with confidence. Thanks to all. Not only did we raise a lot of money, we had a huge amount of fun. The weather was not all we had hoped for—alternately warm and sunny/breezy and foggy (sooo San Francisco). But an extraordinary group of people gathered, the energy was high, and I think it is safe to say a good time was had by all. We became immediately inspired about next year’s walk. If one hundred walkers can raise $25,000.00, let’s get five hundred to raise over $100,000.00! We’re changing the dates for 2006 hoping for better weather. Next year the walk will be on the weekend of September 24-25 (most likely on the Sunday.) It will be a week-long event so people coming from a distance can get their money’s worth. I think we had folks from three countries this year; next year we are hoping for visitors from ten. So friends from around the world please mark those dates and start making travel plans. After attending the Bioneers conference the weekend before the Bridge Walk, we realized that where we live, the Monastery, is a model of sustainability. Solar electricity, organic gardens, composting, and living gently with the earth and our fellow creatures makes our little home base a classroom for sustainable living. Many of you have been here on retreat, but not so many have had the opportunity to introduce family and friends to the peace and beauty of the Zen Monastery Practice Center. We want to remedy that. Here’s the whole plan for the 5th Annual Bridge Walk, 2006, as we are seeing it today: We will have an “Open House” that begins on Friday, Sept 23, 2006. People can come to Murphys, stay at the Monastery if they prefer and there’s room, or stay in town. On Sunday, Sept 25, we go to San Francisco for the Bridge Walk. We return to Murphys and the Open House continues, enabling people to visit after the walk. Families and friends can tour our beautiful area in and around Murphys. We will have tours of our sustainable life-style, updates on the work of Living Compassion, workshops and group discussions, and plenty of good food. Then on the evening of Thursday, Sept 29, those who have taken Precepts can participate in a Precepts Renewal weekend. Those not participating in the weekend can stay in the area, begin their trek home, or continue their travels as they please. Ceremonies will take place on Friday and Saturday, leaving Saturday afternoon and Sunday as travel days. Once again, many, many thanks and gasshōs to all who supported and participated in this year’s happy, successful Bridge Walk. Please put the last week of September 2006 on your calendar and plan to join in next year’s ambitious adventure. We’re making a huge difference in countless lives. Amid the seemingly endless stream of bad news coming from around the planet, we must always keep sight of the fact that kind, compassionate people from every walk of life, all over the world, are doing heroic work, reaching out in lovingkindness to those who need a helping hand. We are all playing each of those roles: We are heroes, we are reaching out, we are extending a helping hand of lovingkindness, and we are each the recipient, each in need of support, caring, compassion, and kindness. Gasshō,
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