February 20, 2012

Dear friends and family,

Please accept our humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada & Srila Acharyadeva!

We are most pleased to announce that Srila Acharyadeva’s 40th Sannyasa Anniversary will be celebrated at the lovely Ratna Ling Retreat Center in Mendocino County, some 2 ½ hours north of San Francisco.  

However, in order to maximize our options for accommodations, the days of the retreat have been changed to May 11-13th. The retreat will run for three days and two nights. Please see a preliminary retreat schedule below.*

We received many enthusiastic RSVP’s after our initial announcement, unfortunately Ratna Ling can only accommodate 40 people. Thus, we would like to show our gratitude to those of you who took the time to RSVP by offering you priority in the registration process.

Registration Instructions

Registration

If you would like to be with Acharyadeva & friends on this monumental occasion, please register by submitting a $108 deposit per adult in addition to a completed registration form. Upon arrival on Friday, May 11th, you will be asked to pay the remaining $150 for all your accommodation, meal, and retreat expenses. The deposit can be made by check (see address below**) or by credit card via PayPal. If you are unfamilar using PayPal, please see the instructions below.*** Please note that we will promptly recognize your payment and acknowledge your reservation via email.

The retreat accommodations consist of cottages with two bedrooms and a shared bathroom. As you can tell from the website, we chose this facility because the accommodations are first-class. However, alternative lodging accommodations are available. Retreat participants are welcome to book their lodging outside of the retreat facility and pay a $75 retreat fee for the weekend, which includes all meals and retreat expenses. Click here for a complete list of nearby hotels, rates, and website information.

Transportation

In regards to transportation, the best airports to fly into are the San Francisco International Airport or the Oakland International Airport. Depending on traffic, the drive from either airport takes around 2 ½ - 3 hours. Everyone will be responsible to arrange their own transportation to and from the retreat center (although we will do the best we can to assist in carpooling arrangements…we are also looking into shuttle services). Check-in at Ratna Ling begins on Friday, May 11th at 3pm and check-out will be at 1pm on Sunday, May 13th. Please indicate on your registration form if you are interested in carpooling to and/or from the retreat center.

On behalf of Srila Acharyadeva, you are all cordially invited to join him on this special occasion. Please remember that accommodations are limited at the retreat center. Thus, those who sent an RSVP will be given priority until February 27th. Whether or not you are requesting accommodations at the retreat center, do not forget to submit your registration form by March 12th. If you have any questions, please e-mail Jaya Sita dd at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

For additional information about the Ratna Ling Retreat Center, including driving directions, public transportation options, photos, etc., please visit their website at: www.ratnaling.org.

Your servants,
Jaya Govinda das
Jaya Sita devi dasi
Ali Krishna devi dasi


*Tentative Retreat Schedule (times subject to change)

1. Go to www.paypal.com.
2. Click "send money" from the toolbar menu.
3. Once the page has opened, type $108 under “amount,” check the box listed under “friends and family,” then click continue.
4. Inside the “to” box, type “ This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ” and your enter your personal email address under the “from” box.  
5. Click continue then add your credit card info. Registration complete!