23 June 2008 — Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA  Upon the commencement of Amma’s five days of programmes in New Mexico, State Representative Gayle Chasey officially welcomed AMMA to the state, placing a garland around her neck and reciting a traditional Navaho prayer. “Unexpected blessings sometimes come the way of those in public service,” said the representative. “And my invitation to welcome Amma back to New Mexico tonight falls in that category. As one who believes in the dignity of all human beings—the most vulnerable, those who have no other voice, the hungry, the homeless, those in prison, those who are sick and lack healthcare—I am deeply honoured to be in your presence this evening. “I am moved by AMMA’s good works—her service, her teachings, her emphasis on every aspect of well-being: material, emotional, spiritual. “I would like to borrow from our Navaho brothers and sisters here in the great Southwest to make a wish for Amma and all of us. At the heart of the Navaho way is the concept of harmony—the need to be in the right relationship with all things. This concept is often translated as ‘beauty.’ The Navaho Night Way Ceremony begins with the words ‘In beauty, may I walk.’ AMMA, may you walk in beauty here in the Land of Enchantment, and may you help us do the same.” 24 June 2008 — Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA  “There are thousands of veterans coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan that need to know about this,” Joe Thergood, the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Veteran Services for the State of New Mexico, said from the dais at the beginning of Amma’s second night of programmes in Albuquerque. Thergood explained to the ballroom full of people that until that day he had never met Amma before, nor heard of her. He said that he had been in the hotel on business and at the conclusion of the morning’s program had happened to see Amma as she passed through the hotel lobby. When Amma passed by Thergood, she stopped briefly and took his hand. “I noticed that she didn’t shake anybody else’s hand—and I felt guilty… and I was honoured,” he said.  After Amma had gone, Thergood—who primarily works with veterans suffering from mental and physical disabilities—began speaking to a devotee, who coincidentally happened to be a Vietnam veteran. “I had no idea who he was, but I walked up to him and we started talking and it just so happened that he was a Vietnam veteran. And he shared with me his story—how Amma had blessed him 10 years ago after the hug. And that got my attention. And he said, ‘I was suffering with PTSD [Post Traumatic Stress Disorder] and I was healed.’”It was at this point that Thergood proclaimed—to a thundering round of applause and cheers—that Amma’s darshan and love would be a great help to the thousands upon thousands of soldiers returning from the Middle East who had incurred psychological problems during their tours of service. “[Veterans] need the love that is exemplified in this audience and by Amma,” Thergood said. Obviously moved by his brief meeting with Amma, Thergood then turned to face Amma, who was sitting on her peetham, and said, “Amma, I want you to know something. You’ve been with me all my life, and I didn’t even know it—because we’ve helped so many  people.”
He concluded by reading a few sentences he wrote down after his brief encounter with Amma earlier that day: “We all have common concerns, common pain. We need uncommon healing, uncommon healing from Amma, and we welcome you to New Mexico for sure.” Amma was also welcomed by Martin Heinrich, a former council president for the City of Albuquerque who is currently seeking election to the U.S. Congress. “To look at the incredible change that her work has wrought is truly inspirational,” he said. “Healing the sick, housing the elderly, teaching people not just to make a living but how to live—these are things that we should all aspire to. And I believe we can all be inspired to make that change within our own life.” |