Some Stories From Akunthita Devi Dasi
Pamho agtsp
I was distributing one day and I noticed that one business man was watching me. After I finished talking with a young couple he came over and said, "Can I have one of those books? I'm a business man and I travel a lot. In the past three days I have been to five airports in five different cities, and in each place one of your members stopped me and offered me a book. First I got angry and refused it, second time I just said 'no', then I started to become more curious about what are you people doing, and I looked at one of those books briefly, but I didn't want to get it because I'm a Christian and I know these are a different religion. At the next airport I talked with one of your members and asked some question, but I still didn't take a book. But what I heard was very interesting and impressive. On my way to this airport I thought about it some more and now I want to get one of those books." So he took a Bhagavad-gita and a Lilamrta, because he was impressed by Prabhupada's work. So……..after associating with five different devotees and touching Srila Prabhupada's books this man became gradually purified and began his devotional service. I was the only book-distributor at that airport, but all of a sudden I felt the protection and support of our spiritual family. Five of us invisibly worked together to start this man on his way back to Godhead………
and another one…
I was at the airport distributing books. it was a fairly good day, with many books going out. No crazy people (there are a lot here). But then I stopped this Christian. I don't know how much you know about American Christians. They are fanatical to the ultimate degree, nasty, and all other bad qualities you can just imagine. I even had one spit at me. I stopped talking to them long time ago. When I see that they want to "save" me, I just say, "Hare Krishna, have a nice day." This man definitely didn't want to take any books, and he started to say the usual Christian mantra, "Jesus is the only way! You will go to hell! Then he said he was in a hurry to catch his flight. I said that's all right, but let me give him something. I gave him an article I just photo-copied from an old BTG called "A Christian Tribute to Krishna Consciousness." It is a wonderful article written by a Christian priest. Comparing devotees to Saint Francis of Assisi. I found it some time ago and thought it was nice.
The man accepted the article and hurried away. I stopped and talked with other travelers and I forgot all about this man. But about an hour later I saw him again, running by to catch his plane. While he passed by me he handed me back that article I gave to him earlier. It was just one sheet of paper. Now it was folded. I just put it in my bag and thought, "Oh, he didn't like it. How unfortunate." When I went back to the temple I emptied out my bag to organize everything, count the laxmi, etc. I found that piece of paper again. I opened it up……..and there was $50 in it! Since then I always carry that article with me and give it to Christians. I'm so happy about it. When I was young my hero was Saint Francis. Now he was helping me to spread Lord Caitanya's mission……..
