Naples, Florida ( USA ): The annual Florida Family Retreat was held in Naples, Florida. More than 125 BKs attended from Florida, Chicago, Puerto Rico, Atlanta, Peace Village, New York, and from around the globe, including Mexico, Trinidad, India, Colombia, and Peru.
BK Maureen from London brought special power and enthusiasm to the retreat. Throughout the weekend, she guided the group on a deep exploration of Becoming Equal to the Father: The Journey and the Destination.
From Amrit Vela (Early morning hours), she shared powerful thoughts, guided personal inquiries, and tied together with the “whole package” of deep soul consciousness. “Soul consciousness is about Truth, and letting go of everything else …. Do I accept God’s vision of me? Do I accept myself, or am I battling? If you live according to the Truth, you will never know how many lives you’ve touched.”
The coordinating team recreated the Madhuban experience with a special Meditation Room for silent reflection, historical photos in the dining room for reflecting on Brahma Baba’s special qualities, and a gift of the official Madhuban Retreat booklet.
A Virtual Reality meditation experience was a new addition to the retreat this year. Singing, dancing, and qigong kept everyone moving. BK Mary (Chicago) and BK Shweta (London) also shared stories and provided special workshop activities during the weekend.
BK Waddy, Area coordinator of the Brahma Kumaris in Florida, regaled the group with stories of the early days and the founding of the museum in Tampa. BK Rick and BK Sandi added to the memories. BK Maureen joined in and everyone enjoyed learning about the roots of Florida service and commented on how strong those roots are now!
BK Sister Mohini, Regional Coordinator of the Brahma Kumaris in the Americas, joined the retreat via video call to share her inspirations, emphasizing Purity as the “main quality needed to establish the Golden Age. A pure attitude means everything that comes is a blessing.” She encouraged us to “make everything a blessing in life.” As the retreat closed, that is exactly how everyone felt … blessed!
