This is a story of a journey into healing on both sides of the globe

This is a story of a journey into healing on both sides of the globe. It begins with an accident high in the Sierras. It passes through healing meditations in southern California and crumbled villages in Nepal. It involves growth, music and healing.
This story does not have an end.
We stood near the peak of the mountain holding our breath as the gurney with our friend swung out from the rescue helicopter over the valley 3,000 feet below and headed toward the horizon and medical care. The roar of the helicopter had made conversation impossible for a long time. The first words I heard after that changed the trajectory of my life.
“Life is too short, Andy. Will you help me to learn to play the native American flute?”
All of us were deeply shaken, Bobbi, our hike leader had blurted out one of her hearts great desires.; to be able to back pack with a flute and play familiar tunes. I had not played a musical instrument since I was twelve years old. I was then 57 years old, a refugee from thirty one years in the corporate world and suffering the pangs of several years of small business failures. I answered Bobbi’s heart call in the only way I could, ” I would be honored to help you.”
Less than a year later, I went to this new thing called a sound meditation. One young man with a very old soul played Tibetan singing bowls, bells, gongs and crystal bowls. I began to hang out with this eclectic group of world travelers; I wanted to work on my new found love of playing Native American flutes with these fascinating people. The young man leading the chants and the sound meditation was a fellow from Nepal aptly named Deep. He was a few months older than my oldest son.
Deep Deoja was 19 years old in 2003 when he arrived in the USA from Kathmandu, Nepal. As a free and sacred offering to the San Diego County, Deep began offering sound meditation classes soon after his arrival. People insisted on giving him money. At first he refused these generous offerings for what he considers his spiritual gift to the country that opened it’s heart to him.
Eventually, Deep accepted donations. He sent the money to his uncle who was housing 5 low caste orphans and paying for their schooling in Panauti, Nepal.
Meanwhile attendance at his sound meditations started to grow. I began to play a flute call and response with Deep at the end of the meditations. The Deepok Chopra Center began asking Deep and his volunteers to guide the attendees at the Center in sound meditations. The number of kids receiving food and schooling began to grow along with the sound meditations.
In 2009 Deep founded a 501 (c) (3) trust called the Bishwa Seva Foundation. “Bishwa Seva” means to serve the world in Nepalese. In 2013 the number of disadvantaged students being fed and educated by the Foundation grew to 50 kids.
These sound healings are now on schedule to be offered more than 70 times this year. I am honored again to spend time organizing and playing in these healing offerings on this side of the globe so that we may support the children on their side of the globe.
I play the Native flutes, the didgeridoo and the bansura ( a bamboo flute made in India) at other sound healings and even professionally in drug and alcohol recovery settings.
With the recent earthquakes in Nepal our mission has greatly expanded. I get the feeling I just said “yes” to an adventure that I can’t imagine. I got into all of this because I wanted a chance to play the flute just a little bit in public.
We are receiving contributions from tattoo studios in Denver, Colorado, community acupuncture shops in Oceanside, California and people from all over the world. Recently we got hundreds of letters from school children in Taiwan to present to our school children in Nepal.
Through all of this we remain a very humble grass roots organization. We are here to serve.
The Bishwa Seva Foundation is now turning its attention to developing a model earthquake resilient, ecologically sound home for villagers in Nepal. We are calling this project, Smart Home Nepal. We are looking at straw bale homes, rammed earth structures and earth bag construction, linked to different forms of sustainable agriculture and wise eco-tourism projects. We are discussing a establishing a tree planting project.
Do we have the money, volunteers or final game plan for these projects?
Of course not, however the forces of change and opportunity keep showing up with increasing frequency. Such as:
Local members of Engineers Without Borders are assisting us, as are several sanghas and church groups. One of our local cities here in San Diego county is considering a sister city relationship with Panauti, Nepal. We are planning on asking a number of our local universities and colleges to follow the leadership of the University of Oregon and offer a scholarship to a student in Nepal. I happen to know some great ones in Panauti. Nurses, doctors and students are all stepping up and asking us to help them help. This is a healing story that has no end.
The poor soul carted off in the helicopter is fine. She went back to her normal life. I however, never will. I am so blessed. I hope to meet some of you as we travel through this journey!
We do need sponsors for our students if this feels right for you. Our website is www.bishwaseva.org. We have a Facebook page, too. Send me an email if you are in the area and need a sound meditation suggestion: Laub.andy@gmail.com.
Blessings!
Bishwa Seva in Nepales means, “to serve the world”.