Mrs. Shirin Mehrabanpoor Shiraz:

My acquaintance with Baba began in my childhood, because my father was in the Prem Ashram with Baba, and he would tell us at home about Baba's work and his kindness and everything. I was familiar with Baba, and gradually became very interested. It was as if Baba's teachings were not new to me. Perhaps, I knew them from a previous life; I could understand and comprehend all of these things when I was told them.

When I was in 8th grade in school, I was in a special state; I don't know how to explain it. Maybe I could call it a spiritual state. I don't know. I constantly wanted to tell everyone that someone great was going to manifest soon. I would tell this to the children at school. I would say that there was a wonderful man in India named Meher Baba and I would tell them about his sayings.

I was in this state for a while, and then, this passed away and finished. My faith in Baba remained. This lasted for a long time, until I finally married my husband. Then we went to visit Baba.

Meantime, whenever there was a difficulty, when everybody called on God's name, or the Prophet, I would call Baba's name. If I say that more than thousands of times Baba has helped me, you might not believe me. Whenever I was in either the worst of states, or the best of states, I called on him, and he helped me. And I really have faith in him.

When we went to India, although I knew that he was a great person, I did not expect to see him the way I did. I don't know how the rest of the people felt, but, for me, I would look into his eyes, tears would start to flow, because He had such shining eyes and face, like the sun. I don't know how the others felt. I couldn't look into his eyes without having tears in my own. Since the rest of the people there were also in tears, maybe they had the same experience.

One incident I remember, our visit to Mehera, and Mani, Baba's sister. We got acquainted, and they were both very kind to us. We had taken a few things for them, like pistachios and honey, which they accepted and liked very much. They gave us a bedspread as a present. The interesting part is that when I was about to leave Mani and Mehera's room, Baba was in another room. We were speaking very slowly and walking very silently, so we would not bother Baba, who of course, was silent. Without him seeing, or hearing, since he was so far away and with his back to me, he signaled that I should go to him, and take the things I had been given, so he might touch them and bless them. So I went close, and he touched the cloth. He also put his hand over my head, and although we did not say any words, my feelings were so strong and deep that it's hard to express. At that moment, I was not myself anymore. Finally, we said goodbye, and we left.

I have many other memories of incidents that happened to me, and of many times that Baba has helped me and told me things in dreams. For example, whenever I had a difficulty, he would solace me in a dream. Just when my children were about to be born, I would see their faces completely in my dreams. When they would be born, they looked the same as they did in my dreams. When I was pregnant with our boy Meherbad, I had a dream in which I was holding him in my hands, and then Baba came and put his hand over his head. After my son was born, sure enough he was a boy, with the same face I saw in my dream.

Once, we had an accident in Iran. When we left our house, I was accompanied by my sister, my brother-in-law, another lady, our friend, and her two children. When we left our home, my sister and I both said Baba's name, but the people sitting in the front of the car did not have faith in Baba . . . my brother-in-law, the other lady, and the two children. When we said Baba's name, they made fun of us with a smile, but didn't say anything.

We were just approaching Shahreza, in Iran. It was there we got into an accident. I don't know if I was asleep or not, I can't remember; my sister says that we were not