2 Aug 2009

Impossible dreams coming true

We know that Swami Vishwananda helps people around the world. This ability began very early with friends and at school in Mauritius. One of his old friends, Arwin remembers how Swami was on his side during his studies:
"In 1996, I completed college and was waiting for my final grades; then I got an interview for a nursing officer position. When Swami Vishwananda and I were discussing it one afternoon, I expressed it was my dream job. “Why are you worrying about it?” he asked. I said there was much competition for the position and he reassuringly said, “Don’t worry, you already got the job”. I became carefree, trusting in what he’d said.   Later I interviewed before the board responsible for approving the prospective candidates and their concluding words to me were, “Consider the job yours”. The next time I saw Swami Vishwananda, I happily said I‘d got the job and he said, “This is just the beginning. Take my word for it; you are going to be a doctor very soon”. His statement was completely unexpected and seemingly impossible to me because my finances did not permit further study.   So I continued with my job as a nursing officer and in my spare time worked as a first aid officer. I devoted all my time to this work, but soon had some problems with the organisation which forced me to leave. I felt completely crushed and lost. This was such a big part of my life and I didn’t know what to do.   Then a friend called one day to suggest that since I’d done so well on the first aid training course, I could apply to medical school to become a doctor. I told him I didn’t have the money. He suggested I attend school in Russia and pay annually: He said he’d arrange it for me at the University of St. Petersburg. So I contacted St. Petersburg University, sent in my application and was accepted. At the time, I was working as a nursing officer at a hospital and couldn’t break my contract. No one was being granted a leave, but I wrote the hospital a letter requesting leave-without-pay to further my studies and bought my airline ticket to Russia. The date of the flight was growing nearer and no answer had come from the hospital ministry. I simply trusted what Swami Vishwananda had told me and thought whether they accepted or rejected my request for leave, I didn’t care. The date of my flight arrived and I left for St. Petersburg. It was a Saturday. Two days later on Monday, the letter approving my leave application arrived. As a student in Russia, I was very fortunate and bonded with my new professor. I was staying with him, which was very unusual. The other students had begun their course two years earlier. Despite this obstacle, I scored first in my final exam, which I put down to my professor’s faith in me". Arwin – Mauritius