(Have Espresso, Will Travel)

The FIRST DAY:

After months of planning and organizing hundreds of logistics for our three week trip to South America with John Morton and Leigh and staff, getting onto the first flight is actually a moment of calm. There’s nothing to do but sit back, breathe and enjoy the no-thingness until I get to Miami and meet up with Vincent Dupont for our nine hour overnight flight to Santiago, Chile. I treasure this time as I know that once our feet touch Chilean ground we will be off and running. Vincent and I have a happy but short-lived reunion in the Admiral’s Club. Before we can get too comfortable we are informed that the Club closes in five minutes so we are escorted out and decide to make the best of it and get some exercise with our hand carry bags in tow. Thank God for wheels on the bags, simple pleasures of travel to be grateful for. We walk and window shop, up and down the concourses, growing a little punchy as we near midnight.  Finally boarding is called and we settle in for the ride in our eerily blue lit time capsule that will fly us over the Andes mountains and deposit us at the break of the next day in Santiago.

Flying over the Andes

SANTIAGO – DAY 2

We breeze through immigration and customs and into the waiting embraces of Pedro Domancic, the godfather of the MSIA Chilean community, and Jose Caraball, whose joyous camaraderie entices us to enjoy a café cortado and relax. Why not?! Jet lag and not a lot of sleep makes us easy to convince to just sit and enjoy the fun company. The first cortado of the trip and it is yummy. Then we go to our cars, load ourselves and the luggage and head to our hotel where check in awaits along with our smiling services coordinator, Gema Vial. She makes sure we each have water, services supplies and a few snacks. Though our beds call to us we’re too excited so we begin to unpack and head down for some serious food. Jose keeps us company and keeps us awake enough, regaling us with his enthusiastic takes on life. From our restaurant we see the towering Andes. They stand around us like silent guardians of the city. The end of October is like our end of April. It’s spring in the valley but snow lays thick still atop the mountains. We make plans to get together for dinner and perhaps be joined by Paulo Fortes and Ricky Valle who are balancers and in training to take their next steps in learning AB2’s for Ricky and AB3/touchups for Paulo. Lana Barreira will be coming in late tonight and be my roomie for this part of the trip. Lana is a balancer who is in training to learn the aura balance 3’s and touchups.  It is always fun and exciting as our traveling team comes together and we become a tightly knit band of brothers working like a finely tuned loving machine.

SANTIAGO – DAY 3

Ooooh, morning comes quickly and Lana gets some music going so we can get our sleepy bodies moving. Since we use our rooms for services, we have to get ourselves up and out so that the housekeepers can be about tidying up the rooms in time for the first service which luckily today starts at 12noon. It’s hard to stay lethargic when the music gets going. I make up my own words which make us laugh. This and doing Walking in Light in the shower keeps everything light and soon we go to breakfast and are joined by “the guys”-Vincent, Ricky and Paulo. Each hotel has its own character and the breakfasts reflect if the hotel is luxurious or is more business/family. We’re in the business/family type of hotel which works just fine especially as the baristas know how to make a good double espresso. We look at the day’s schedule and decide which trainee goes with me and which with Vincent and which will do an AB1, 2 or Polarity. They take turns sitting in. After our powwow we head to the services greeter’s station in the waiting area and Gema greets us with warm hugs and alerts us to some changes. Changes are a way of life where services are concerned. We get continual opportunities to learn flexibility and creativity. We tell her to keep an eye out for Roger Wakefield, our audio/video team member,  who will also be arriving this morning. Then it’s “ ladies and gentlemen start your engines” and off we go.

The morning whips by and soon it’s time for lunch and Roger has made it, looking a little dazed but smiling.  Over lunch we catch him up on our evening’s dinner plans and he heads up for a little siesta and we to do an afternoon of services.

Later we join Santiago’s key MSIA volunteers for a rousing dinner walking distance from the hotel. Feels good to get some fresh air and visit with our long-time friends -Claudia and Diego, Veronica Zarate, Gema, Enrique, Gladys, Nora Valenzuela, Pedro and a few more who so lovingly have prepared the place for the Traveler and our staff to be with them. As we visit together John and Leigh are in flight and there is an air of expectancy knowing that they will be with us tomorrow. We toast John Morton who is celebrating his birthday enroute and we send the Light ahead to him, Leigh and all on their plane. Every time we get together with our South American friends it is a Spanish/English lesson for all concerned, and thank goodness for my Iphone translator app that I can go to in a pinch too.

Walking back to the hotel after dinner feels extra good as I start to accustom myself to eating later at night. I’m so grateful for the fellowshipping and sharing we can do. Then after a welcome shower there’s time for a few emails (yes, the office work and questions from the cities on our itinerary continue rain or shine, no matter where we are).

SANTIAGO – DAY 4

Wuhoo! Happy Birthday Me!

I’ve celebrated many a birthday in Santiago and I’m blessed again with copious hugs renditions of Feliz Cumpleaños (Happy Birthday), and cake all day long. I love that my kids even manage to find me and sing Happy Birthday on Facetime. The energy picks up too as John and Leigh arrive late this morning. They settle in as we do another round of services and they manage to get in a little siesta time so that they can join us for a grand fiesta in honor of both John and my birthdays.

Diega de la Barra and his beautiful wife Claudia created a magical place and space so that almost 40 of us could feast on Pasta Bolognese and Steak and celebrate the Traveler being with us and our days of birth.

SANTIAGO – DAY 5

Some beloved roadies have swelled our ranks. Dean Davies, Dawn White, Matt and Rita Van Fossan from the US, and Fernando Almensa from Colombia. Even though they are fresh off their planes we see them chatting with our Santiago family members that are waiting for their services. It is truly a family reunion. While we do services, Roger is fully engaged in setting up the a/v for tonight’s open workshop, Opening to the Divine Presence. The workshop is in person and on Zoom, so Roger has his hands full to get his four computers hooked up so that videos and participants can be seen(Videos) and heard (videos and participants). How he manages to have it all up and running by start time is a divine mystery to me. Ines Bringas as the Team Captain does her best, along with Veronica Zarate, the Santiago MSIA rep and events coordinator, to support Roger so that the whole room is ready.

Veronica is a steady and joyful presence as the Mistress of Ceremony and welcomes Leigh to facilitate the presentation. Leigh prompts us to look at what the Divine Presence is for us and how can we open ourselves more to this Divine Essence. In her joyfilled way Leigh invites John Morton to be with us and John leads us into experiencing that Divine and Sacred Presence. Afterwards we seem to float through packing up the equipment ever so grateful that we actually will have time to rest in the morning as our flight to Mendoza won’t depart until later in the afternoon. God is Good and thank you Traveler!

SANTIAGO to MENDOZA – DAY 6

Ah, so wonderful to sleep in a bit longer this morning. Still there’s lots to do before we depart for the airport. SE’s, exercise, breakfast, and yes more email, and packing, and then we’re downstairs, check out complete, and being loaded up into the van to catch our flight. Everything goes so smoothly with our flight check in that we actually have time for a leisurely late lunch. Some of us find a terrific restaurant called Loyola that has “to die for” olive oil and a very good steak. So far I’ve eaten more bread than I’ve eaten in months. Oh well, it’s because it’s such a good vehicle for the delicious olive oil. What can I say?!

Happily fed we board our short flight to Mendoza, It’s happy SE’ing or SZ’ing or maybe a little of both, and before we know it we’re crossing over the Andes and swooping down into the beautiful city of Mendoza. Vineyards are all around as this is wine country.  Charly Gonzalez greets us with hearty hugs and guides us staff to our minibus as he takes John and Leigh to his vehicle. We are now in Argentina.

Leigh Taylor-Young Morton and John Morton with Charly Olsina in Mendoza, 2023

 

John and Leigh in Mendoza, Argentina, 2023

The jacaranda trees are starting to bloom and their delicate purple blossoms frame many picturesque buildings as we travel into the heart of this city. Our little band of Light holders arrives at our new home for the next four days, the Park Hyatt Mendoza, and this is a beautiful luxury hotel. Oh boy, we feel so spoiled from the moment we drive up. Beautiful marble columns form tall arches at the ceiling, even our bathrooms are marble.

Beautiful Mendoza

Eduardo Vera, Mendoza’s MSIA rep and devoted to the Traveler, is overflowing with his welcome for us as is Sol Ruiz. Florencia Miguel awaits us with our services schedules and supplies. Florencia is a beautiful combination of graceful effectiveness and fun. She makes sure that we have all the water and supplies we need to get services done as efficiently and supportively as possible. Ana Lucia Pacheco, our Ani, joins us and our South American travel team is now complete. While we were in Santiago, Ani was doing some extra services in Buenos Aires. Ani and I settle into our room, as the guys and Lana settle into theirs. It’s a toss up as to whether just to unpack, do email and go to sleep or do a late dinner. The beckoning of our full team being together wins and we have our first dinner in the airy and graceful dining room. We could certainly chat forever, but the next three days will be a marathon of services and events and being with our loving and caring Mendoza family, so we must capitalize on what sleep time we can get.

Angel Harper with Eduardo Vera, Mendoza's MSIA Rep

MENDOZA – DAY 7

Happy Halloween!

A luscious buffet bedecked with festive Halloween cookies and decorations makes the start of today a treat.

Halloween treats!

We launch into services even as Roger sets off for the Mendoza events location at Torre Emilia. Eduardo is like a magical, creative visionary and Charly is his right hand man who lays the foundation and helps us with all of the logistics. The Mendoza team is marvelous. They have enthusiastically created together a thriving Insight and MSIA community. Eduardo holds three home seminars a week, most weeks of the year, at his home. The team loves sharing and celebrating the Traveler’s teachings in all ways and it’s infectious in the joy and exuberance that radiates from each of the volunteers. This evening’s event is the What Is Grace? workshop and over half of the attendees are new to MSIA but have attended Insight events and trainings. The room is packed and eager.

Charly is our elegant MC. Sharing wholeheartedly about MSIA he introduces Leigh as the facilitator for the presentation. Riding on the flow of energetic loving Leigh takes the stage and guides our group to look at What is Grace? She directs us to look at what it’s like for us to “live under the law” and what does it take to “Live in Grace.” Which do we want to choose in each moment – the Grace or the Law? We always have the choice to let go and let God, to step under the consciousness of the Light of the Holy Spirit. John comes forward then to encourage and remind us as J-R would say “the only Grace is loving God.” By the end of the evening it is as though we’ve just completed a mini-Living in Grace training. We are floating and grateful and there’s more to come tomorrow.

A full room at MSIA event in Mendoza

MENDOZA – DAY 8

Hard to believe it is November already. It’s another day of services, forgiving and loving ourselves and giving it all up to God, and the blessings continue. We grab a few hours to have a breakfast meeting with the leadership team – Eduardo, Charly, Sol, Delia, Florencia and our translator, Nora. We listen as these amazing people share what they are doing as a team, integrating those graduates from Insight who want to participate and know more about the spiritual foundations of Insight and anyone in the community from all walks of life that are called to experience more Spirit in their lives. These meetings give us key information as to how we can better serve and support each community. By the way somewhere after his training in AB#2’s during the Santiago section Ricky is cleared to solo on AB#2’s. Wuhoo! We love it and good job, Ricky!

Tonight’s event is a Q&A for Discourse Subscribers. Charly continues as our Master of Ceremony and we’re gifted an original heartfelt song by Mario Ariniti called Todo Sube (Everything Goes up) to  warm the space in our hearts for the Traveler to be with us. It doesn’t seem to matter what the question is the essence of the answer always seems to come to Love. It is the essence, the Divine Presence, and the Grace.

MENDOZA – DAY 9

Today is our last full day in Mendoza. We savor being with each person, watching our balancers in training grow in confidence and attunement and trust in Spirit. I once again am humbled to be a witness to all the goodness and all the loving that is made manifest. Tonight’s event is the Ministers meeting for the Mendoza Ministers. It is wonderful to partake of the fellowship and prayer and chanting together. It is a perfect time amidst our traveling to restore and refresh our ministries and energy. As the meeting ends we take group pictures and selfies with each other, lots of hugs and goodbyes ‘til the next time, and help Roger to pack up the equipment for tomorrow we head to Buenos Aires.

MENDOZA to BUENOS AIRES – DAY 10

I do love travel days on our trip. There is the fun of going to the next community, and having a few moments when we get to put our feet up, get in some SE’s and chatting amongst ourselves while we wait to board our plane and when we’re on the plane. It’s a quick trip to Buenos Aires and we quickly collect our bags and under the guidance of Juan Cruz Bordeau we are led to the cars and minibus awaiting us. Our hotel is new to us this year; it is the Buenos Aires Marriott, right on the main boulevard 9^th of julio, through town. One block up from the hotel is the iconic monument, the Obelisk. For those of you who love facts this obelisk has only one entrance (on its west side) and on its top there are four windows, that can only be reached by a straight staircase of 206 steps with 7 breaks every 6–8 meters (20–26 ft). Roberto Mazzer, Marcelo Sabbi, Marta Gallucci and Diana Berengue and Graciela are all on hand to greet us and assist Roger to get the sound cases into a safe place, and the bags of services supplies and water to each of us. All of these wonderful beings will continuously look after us during our stay here.

Welcome to Buenos Aires!

By the time we settle into our rooms, get all the services schedules looked at, distribute all the services supplies AND check out the beautiful salon for the events in the Amazonas room, it is late so we opt for dinner in the hotel restaurant. As it turns out, what is “late” for us 8:00pm, is actually very early for Buenos Aires diners (who like to eat typically around 10:00pm). However, the kitchen and serving staff embrace us and create a table and food coming out for us that is delicious. I’ve always had fond memories of the “Carne” in Argentina, and tonight’s is perfect….and there’s good olive oil too. They serve us while we wait a kind of wine sangria that is also delicious; however, on a rather empty stomach I quickly see that a sip or two does the trick. Happily fed we each return to our rooms so that we can unpack and prepare for the next three days which are full to the brim too.

BUENOS AIRES – DAY 11

This is a very big hotel and we’re in one of the tourist areas of town so at our breakfast buffet I hear familiar US stateside accents. It is a breakfast hubbub but thank goodness the espresso machine works and we can have all the espresso and its variations that we want to get us moving. We secure a big table and over the next three days the restaurant personnel start to remember us and wave us to “our” table. Lana is usually the first person down and she secures our place.  Roger, eager to start his a/v set up, fills up and heads downstairs to the salon. The rest of our services staff trickle down and we review the day’s schedule for which trainee will be with which staff person. We go to the meeting area right outside the Amazonas room downstairs to greet the people coming for services and give our lunch order (the lovely Graciela and Ivanna will coordinate our lunches with the kitchen and restaurant staff so that when we arrive at 2pm in the restaurant our lunches start to come out. This is such a blessing and we are so very grateful to each of our lunch coordinators in each city for taking care of us in this way. Roger takes a break from set up and joins us. He likes the room and is being very ably assisted by Frederico who also speaks English. Helping to set up the room and guiding the team of assistants is Grecia Silva.

After services, we make it with a little time to spare down for the workshop. Our MC’s for this event are Luis Sabbi and Graciela Caprarula. They warmly welcome all the participants in the room and online and introduce Maria Jesus de los Angeles to call us into the Light. Tonight’s theme is GRATITUDE: An Attitude of Success. Juan Cruz is the translator, looking elegant and handsome. Luis and Graciela welcome Leigh to begin our evening’s journey by asking us how many of us would like to experience more gratitude in our lives and be more aware of gratitude. We look at how Gratitude is a wonderful way of knowing that God is always at our side-with us. We look at how Gratitude is part of the cycle of giving and receiving, and that gratitude is the heart of giving and receiving, how when we are grateful we say to the universe I am full and open to more-this is an attitude of abundance. Leigh reads a quote from J-R that began the evening and now sets the stage for John Morton to be with us:

“You will receive in direct proportion to your clarity of vision, your definiteness of purpose, the steadiness of faith, and depth of your gratitude.”

John guides us to look at what is our clarity of vision, our purpose, how might we strengthen our faith and gratitude as part of our journey as a Spiritual Being having human experiences on this earth.

BUENOS AIRES – DAY 12

The BlessingsFest  fundraiser is happening today and there is an air of excitement as people start to arrive early to get their name tags and places at the lovely Blessings Table.

We catch glimpses throughout the afternoon as we go up and down, collecting our services people at the meeting space outside the Amazonas room where the BlessingsFest is taking place. Our MC’s Luis and Graciela do the honors of welcoming both the in person and the online participants and describing how the food buffet will work during the event. Then they welcome John who thanks each participant for their generosity and describes the Blessings process, how to use the Blessings Cards and how he will work with the Blessings that are requested on the cards. By the end of the Blessingsfest there is an overflowing of Blessings that have been made available to those who are open to receive and many happy basic selves who have eaten as much as they wanted.

After we finish services we decide to get a little airing and walk down to Piegari, a classic beef and pasta restaurant – one of our old haunts – for our out on the town dinner experience. The walk is about 25 minutes and it is worth it to see the old buildings lit up. We almost overdid the appetizers, forgetting how generous the portions were, and how seductive the crisp bread dunked in olive oil can be. I managed to do credit to the lambchops and I saw good work was done to the steak that some of the others put away too. The walk home was appreciated and essential to work off dinner. We knew there would be some email to do and then it would feel blissful to fall into bed to prepare for our last full day in Buenos Aires.

BUENOS AIRES – DAY 13

This morning,  as we breakfast, Vincent and I  meet with the leadership team of MSIA in Buenos Aires. Roberto, Marcelo, Marta, Diana, Luis, Graciela and Cate Kirby who is our translator for the meeting. We spend time responding to their questions and taking in the feedback of what isn’t working for them. They also share how much this vital community is doing to support the MSIA ministers and discourse subscribers AND to make the Traveler’s teachings available. This community is also blessed with an active Insight community some of whom want to experience the spiritual foundation that MSIA offers. We are touched by their willingness and devotion to serve, and we are so very grateful for the way that they work together and the loving and caring that they share for one another.

Afterwards we all move quickly to prepare for our last day of services for this trip and then before we know it, we gather in the salon for an ordination and then for a Q&A for Ministers and Initiates.

Tonight’s MC’s are Luis and Andrea Marcuzzi, and we’re gifted by Ivanna Russo with a lovely rendition of the song Stand By Me. Then John is brought to the stage and takes us ministers and initiates on a ride into the higher realsms. I did start to take notes as I find that often helps to keep me present; however, at some point I just surrendered and went out (I’m claiming it was to the great seminar on high that was happening) only to be brought back to my earthly chair as I heard John say Baruch Bashan. What a great triad of events we have had here in Buenos Aires. Our deep thanks goes out to each and everyone who made us feel so welcomed and cared for there. Now it is time for pack up as tomorrow we will sojourn to Rio de Janeiro.

BUENOS AIRES to RIO – DAY 14

Lana and Paulo fly out ahead of us today to assist Roberta Vasconcellos and make ready our rooms at the Hotel Winsor Marapendi. We have a few hours of waiting in the lounge before our flight is called. I love these moments of quiet delights as the buffet provides pumpkin soup and a few treats with our favorite espressos to hold us until we make it onto the flight to Rio. Soon our flight is called and we’re boarding. John gets pulled out for a random security check and graciously goes through the process. Sometimes I wonder if that person knows that they’re being blessed to have this extra time (as human as it looks on the outside) with the Traveler. As our flight takes off we settle into SE-dom for most of us, and I even have time to watch the beginning of one of my favorite heartwarming Christmas movies “Love Actually.”

On arrival we whip through immigration and customs and it’s into the arms of Roberta, Abilio and Geraldo who hug and guide us into our vehicles for the ride into Rio. Without traffic it can be a forty minute drive. We seem to be moving along when we come to a halt and nothing is moving. The word comes back to us that there is a protest happening, so we hunker down and send the Light ahead.  Our driver only speaks Portuguese and no one with us speaks Portuguese. In my best “spanguese” and pantomime I ask if I can charge up my phone which is about to be out of juice. Our driver gets the idea when I show him my phone and he laughs, nods, and plugs my phone’s cable into his charger-bless him. Finally the cars start to move and eventually we are on our way again arriving at our hotel after a total of an hour and half enroute. Still we’re happy to be there and Lana and Linda Darlis and Ana Yamaguishi have gotten our rooms all set to go. After getting our things to our rooms -joy of joys our room overlooks the ocean – we hungrily head downstairs into the cavernous dining room – this place easily can handle 600 people and the sound decibel is almost deafening at one point. Several large parties are going on and it makes us laugh with the sheer energy of so many people enjoying themselves loudly.

Magic of Rio!

Ricky Valle, who came on a later flight with his love, Valeria, join Roger, Ani, Linda, Lana and me for our first meal in Rio. Light ahead as we climb into bed and let the roll of the ocean waves lift us into some needed out of the body time.

RIO – DAY 15

It’s the one free day of our trip and we each let ourselves unplug in our own special ways. Ani takes off early to find the local gem store. She loves to make jewelry and this is the city and country for gems and stones. Vincent and Beatriz have some much appreciated together time; Ana touches in with all her friends, getting the lay of the land for arrangements for our next few days. Paulo goes for the resting, Ricky and Valeria head for the beach. Roger and I, opting for a walk along the ocean, run into John and Leigh returning from a morning coffee and bowl of acai at our little go-to café called Golden Sucros. I note to myself that I want to pop in there after our beach walk. I’m so happy to be outside, smelling and feeling the ocean spray as the waves crash up and on our legs as we walk along. The temperature is perfect and after an hour of wind, sand and sun, we’re both ready  to head to our respective rooms and catch a bit of a rest. But first we pop into the cute deli mart that has everything you can think of and some things you wonder how they got there – like 100% dark chocolate, and little containers of ginger, and rolls of these sweet and fruity jellies. Ah the simple pleasures on the road.

Later we all head down to Hollandaise restaurant for dinner. We sit at one long table and enjoy the carpaccio, the pasta, the margarita pizza, and the salmon with this amazing fruit sauce. We feel so blessed as we walk back to our hotel, renewed and recharged for a new round of services culminating in a weekend of events that will cap our three week journey with the Traveler.

RIO – DAY 16

By now we are a finely tuned crew. We congratulate Ricky who has graduated to being a solo balancer with all the aura balances and polarity balances! Wuhoo! Lana and Paulo are coming along too, so we’re very excited to see each of them expanding in the trust in themselves and in Spirit. John and Leigh have whisked off to Copa Cabana not too far from that famous area tread on by the girl from Ipanema. Vincent and I have an evening meeting with the Brazil MSIA team which is made up of people from different areas in Brazil – Ana Yamaguishi and Beatriz from Brasilia, and Elane and Flavio from Minas Gerais, Nancy Gia, Roberta and Lana from Rio and Simone and Linda. Two hours fly by as questions are asked and sharing is done of what is working so very well and what refinements are wanted. We are in awe of the way this group works together and their love and dedication to the Traveler and doing the Traveler’s work.

It’s too late for me for dinner so I munch on some snacks as I do urgent emails, and am so grateful for a good shower and a welcoming bed.

RIO – DAY 17

On the way to breakfast I meet John and Leigh in the elevator and join them for a little cup of acai at our golden Sucros across the street. Acai is a unique fruit and apparently it has some very healthy properties. For me it is like eating a bowl of astringent grape ice cream mixed with banana and sprinkled with granola. Add a strong double espresso and boy do I feel healthy, and ready for a day of services to be topped off by a Soul Transcendence Seminar that evening. John and Leigh have counselings this day too so our whole gang is working full steam.

Roger has been working tirelessly, ably supported by the sound assistant-Carlos Hoyos and Team Captains -Regina Papp and Antonella Donato. As people register they help themselves to some coffee or tea and some petite sandwiches -just the perfect touch to keep a basic self content during the two hour event. Many people have flown or driven in from places like Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, Brasilia, just to name a few. I haven’t seen many of them for 4 years so it is a wonderful reunion with lots of hugs.

Beatriz Serafini is our radiant Master of Ceremony and charmingly welcomes all the online and in person participants. Our fun gang of roadies – Dean, Rita, Matt and Dawn have also made it to Rio and are loving connecting with this arm of the MSIA family.

John steps up on stage with Fernando Sabete, the translator, at his side. It is great fun to watch Fernando’s face as he does his very best to translate the unique idioms that John periodically expresses. However, he has great support from the audience who he can turn to like lifelines for the trickiest of phrases. A  recurring theme that will be declared throughout the weekend sharings with the Traveler is:

HERE! NOW! HERE! NOW!

AQUI! AGORA! AQUI! AGORA!

It is truly a sublime seminar this evening as we get the experience of Soul Transcendence presented to us if we but choose to partake.

View the Photos from John Morton event in Rio

RIO – DAY 18

Today we get to choose to be HERE and NOW in the Divine Presence. Our MC-Ketherine Ferraz so naturally calls us forward into the Light and warmly welcomes Leigh Taylor-Young to facilitate the workshop, Choosing into the Divine Presence. Leigh demonstrates with her devotion what it is to choose to live in the Divine Presence, and it is a choice. The day seems to fly by as we are bathed in the Light and the sound of quotes and excerpts of John-Roger and a bountiful sharing with John, leading us playfully, lovingly into the knowing and experience of the presence of God within each of us.

RIO – DAY 19

We continue with choosing into the Divine Presence. Roberta  has been the simultaneous Portuguese translator for the workshop and she and Paulo have switched off to keep the translation as clear and flowing as possible. How wonderful and special it has been to have John do another sharing this morning. We are called into a special anointing of the Spirit as John completes the workshop and are blessed with a final Moment of Peace with J-R.

We grab lunch at our reserved table in the dining hall. By now the servers know our names and they smile as they catch sight of each of us coming in to sit by our name cards. They even know to bring double espressos or cortados at the end of the main course and who likes which one. We’ve also been gifted the presence of Roberta’s and Abilio’s sweet children, Micaela and Matteus. So young and so intrepid as they are veterans of this summer’s Israel trip.

After lunch we return to the salon for two ordinations before the doors will be opened for the Q&A for Ministers and Initiates.

Paulo and Lana each stand in as the ordaining minister and it is a honor to hold with them as they express the words of the ordination and the blessing.

Then we take our seats as Simone Rosa welcomes all the participants online and in the room, reminding us that this event is for active MSIA Ministers and/or Initiates. Cards have been handed out for anyone who wants to write a question for John to address. John takes the questions from online as well as from the in room participants. I love these events when the Traveler is talking to his Ministers and Initiates directly, it is like being in very rarified air, and I do my best to listen also to the seminar that is happening inside of me with the Traveler.

At the Q&A in Rio

Afterwards we head back to Hollandaise for our last dinner together. Tomorrow, after the BlessingsFest, some of us will fly back to the States. We toast the trip and the Traveler and head back for a few bits of email (the next trips need tending), a little packing and a little sleep.

RIO – DAY 20

It’s a double-barrel day! Both services and a BlessingsFest are happening.

Roger along with Linda Darliss and Rosana Asunta prepare a beautiful table for John, Leigh and the participants to enjoy a bountiful luncheon and feast of blessings. Since a camera person is needed-Carlos has been drafted to be first up as translator – I get a quick lesson on picture framing and zooming in. By the end of the first hour I have a lot of respect for what it takes to stay alert behind the camera when the energy is so strong all I want to do is sit down. God bless all our camera volunteers! As John and Carlos settle into the flow of addressing the Blessing requests on the cards that are collected throughout the day, Roger takes over manning both the camera and the sound board so that I can do some late morning services.

We end the morning of services with a de-brief session for the balancers in training that clarifies many of the questions that have come up during the last three weeks of observing and doing services. Then we softly come into the Blessings room and take our lunch from the buffet and bathe in that Divine Presence that emanates now through the Traveler’s blessings.

This afternoon we finish up services, and I complete my packing so that I can assist with Roger to pack up the equipment in time to go to the airport for our flight back home. All the crew come out to see us off as we bid goodbye to our band of brothers and sisters. John and Leigh catch up to us a little later as we wait out the final hours before boarding. What a trip!

RIO – DAY 21

For the crew left behind it is another day of services and another tender farewell dinner. The next day will see Ani head back to Bogota, and Vincent and Beatriz will go to Brasilia. Ricky and Valeria will take in a beach day before they head back to Buenos Aires and Ricky does 20+ more services that were on the wait list. Paulo gets a little rest break too and heads to his apartment which he so lovingly shared with some out of towners who had come in for the events. To our precious Brazil family we are grateful to you for the way you lead us in living the loving and sharing so fully the Traveler’s Teachings.

We are blessed!  Adios por ahora!

With loving,

In love and Light,

Angel