On September 21st as part of the International Day of Peace, John Morton facilitated IIWP’s first-ever Peacemaker Meeting via Skype for the European community. In total, 87 participants from 8 countries tuned in to this landmark event.
We had folks attending in person at the London hotel suite where John facilitated the meeting. Other participants connected in via Skype – some individually and others in group gatherings (including a gathering of over 30 people at Prana!).
A special thanks to PTS Staff member Julie Lurie for her support with the Skype technology.
Here’s an account from our Meeting host, Sherain Messenger, as well as highlights from participant testimonials. Enjoy!
Love and Light,
Debbie Roth, IIWP Coordinator
P.S. – the next online Peacemaker Meeting will be on Sunday, December 4th from 11am – 12:30pm PST (or 7:00 – 8:30pm GMT in London). You can attend in person at Prana West in Los Angeles or online around the world! For more information, please contact me at 323-328-1905 or peace@iiwp.org
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From Sherain Messenger, Cambridge, UK – Meeting Host:
I am doing the MSS 3 in England this year and after doing various homework assignments, I realized that the time had come for me to be of greater service in some way, but I had no idea what that would look like.
At Conference, I got a strong hit to go to the IIWP Gathering of Peacemakers on the Thursday night. During a process, I chose the peace quality of clear intention. In the early hours of Friday morning, I woke up and was filled with such intense love and the clear direction to bring IIWP Peacemaker Meetings to Europe via Skype.
I had been “hosting” a European ministers meeting that Ruth Grodek leads on Skype, and had an understanding of the software. So I thought, how hard can this be to set up?
I contacted Debbie Roth, who is the IIWP coordinator, and asked her whether it was possible to run a meeting like this via Skype and whether John Morton would be prepared to facilitate the first event. It seemed to flow from there. I got a yes back to everything I requested. I kept saying to myself, “This is actually going to happen.”
Debbie sorted out all of the MSIA logistics, handouts and flyers. Julie Lurie helped me understand Skype better and we worked on various tests to check that the technology could do the job. We got a good response from people across Europe with several people opening their homes for others to join them on their connection into the Skype call. Then several other people who heard about it via the grapevine from the USA, Canada and South America asked to join the call.
The Skype call was scheduled for the 21st September – International Peace Day. John Morton was in the UK and the intention was to run the call from a hotel room. We had a volume test call on the Monday before International Peace Day which tested the both the peace and patience of all the participants. We couldn’t hold the number of connections and had to abandon the test an hour later.
We knew that the Skype meeting was going to happen, it was all about finding a plan that worked. So the call got split in two. I ran one call from home and Clive Messenger, my lovely husband, ran the other one from the same hotel room where John ran the meeting from – a room filled with about 30 people.
The Skype Peacemaker meeting was incredible. The Traveler energy was so strong and despite the distance of all the people on the Skype call, it was like we were in the same room with John, sitting around a cozy fire and talking about peace and what blocks us from experiencing peace. We were able to tune into our inner peace and create a web of peace from this Skype call across three continents.
We had a few giggles when people forgot to mute their microphones, but at some point in the meeting all of that melted away and it was a community wrapped in the loving arms of the Traveler.
It was an amazing test of internet conferencing abilities and bringing the wider community together – a far greater outcome than originally envisioned. Thank God, Spirit is in charge.
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From Kenneth McIntosh, Sussex, UK – Skype Participant and Host of Group Gathering in His Home:
Where there is a will there is a way.
On September 21st, the first ever IIWP event took place that incorporated the use of the services offered by the internet and free communications software called Skype.
Folks participated in groups, such as those that gathered in the splendour of Prana, Los Angeles, or in a modest home in West Sussex and others in their own homes individually or again in twos and threes in various parts of the world.
Early on I had volunteered to hold a group meeting anticipating that not all folks would have the required software and knowing that my audio visual system could be put to good use to enhance the experience. Further the experience in participating in ministers meetings over Skype had shown that there were protocols to observe, technical glitches to manage, and work to do to get around the limitations in the number of connections that could be made.
As is the way with people who step forward and people who support, they made sure the event went well, and incredibly well it went too.
Being in a comfortable lounge, at home with kindred spirits, experiencing the gracefulness by which folks in all parts of the world we initially hooked up to the system was awesome.
Once folks in various parts of the world were on and some h’allos were exchanged we were “off” awaiting John Morton’s entry into the London room already set up for the event.
John’s preliminaries and asides made the event vibrant to those not in the room with him. Calling in the Light with singing-in the Ani Hu’s suddenly transformed my lounge to a room filled with the voices of a hundred melodies. Melodies spoken in many tongues, in devotion, in supplication, in forgiveness and more. I felt, as the rest of my gathering did too, truly connected.
The pre-prepared question provided focus to the sharings and John’s responses to these sharings were heavenly. Light! It guided all responses and it seemed that all was answered. When nothing was left to be done, John closed meeting quietly and professionally as if he was a natural broadcaster.
Before the Skype connection was disabled, some folks rushed loving messages to all participants and expressed their gratitude to all that had made this happen.
As our way – where there is a will there is a way.
Read on for the many feedback summaries that were sent to Debbie Roth following this incredible new opening to our “church”. I, and I know it to be true for the folks in my living room, were god smacked in the mouth with the blessings received.
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From Nathalie Franks, London, UK – In Person Participant at the London Hotel:
Wow what an amazing gathering. Spirit filled the room as John Morton lead us several times into blessings of peace, intention, change and new beginnings.
Please do more.
Love Nathalie
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From Alice Cablayan, Los Angeles, CA – Skype Participant in a Group Gathering at Prana:
I received tremendous value from attending this global Peacemaker Meeting at Prana today.
When I first arrived and read the handout with the quotes and questions by John-Roger, I had to stop and think what “stuff” I was going to put aside for the day. While thinking, I really could not find the words to describe what I was experiencing inwardly because I had been under a lot of stress these last few months and had challenges in choosing peace on a moment to moment basis. So I decided to put everything that was indicated on the handout (righteousness, accusations, inadequacies, problems, insecurities, indignation) aside today and choose peace.
The sharings by other peacemakers and the gentle and practical wisdom that John-Morton shared throughout the Meeting, addressed so many issues of my heart, it was amazing.
Thank you so much for letting me share. I am still basking in the peace that passeth all understanding. I have received a wealth of insights that I feel will be revealed to me in its proper time and I am grateful for having experienced such a graceful and beautiful inner transition from today’s Peacemaker meeting. Baruch Bashan.
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From B.W, London, UK – In Person Participant at the London Hotel:
I was reminded of how important Peace is in my Life. Peace is a choice in every moment and how easy it is to slip away from the commitment from using the tools. This was a good reminder for me.
I was also reminded that Peace is our Natural state, the disturbances are outside and it is our choice how we deal with them inside. The tools: God Bless You, I Love You, Peace Be Still are excellent !
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From Christine Garnon, France – Skype Participant:
What value (learnings/keys/tools/insights) did you receive from this Meeting? Please be as specific as you can.
The oneness, the togetherness of us initiates & ministers because of the format of that meeting through technology (Skype). It’s great for people like me who have to stretch out geographically to meet other ministers.
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From Lily Waterstone, Sussex, UK – Skype Participant in a Group Gathering at Kenneth McIntosh’s Home:
It was my first SKYPE experience! WoW! What a success! Prior to the meeting, for the whole day, everything within me that wasn’t peaceful came up!! I kept calling in the Light & reaffirmed, “Today, I am not participating in those, I only have this one thing to do – and that is to participate in peace.”
As soon as the roll call began at the meeting, I was holding with the Christ to bring peace into the process of the situation, I felt the Loving & Light very present with us all. I was deeply moved by the sharings. I was grateful to hear of other people’s experiences; of their quest for peace. I got so much from what John said! I was busy writing and this morning I am remembering “Peace Is Present”.
I think for me one of the greatest and most uplifting aspects of the meeting was the ‘closeness’ I felt to everyone….John in the hotel and everyone there, knowing there were people gathered at Prana; that we were Gathered Together for Peace was very touching and very powerful! I loved the physicality of being able to interact via the message box whilst being together in our spiritual hearts.
