“The Traveler is coming to Chihuahua!” Apparently that is what a local radio station in Chihuahua, Mexico was announcing in Spanish every five minutes on Thursday, June 6th, 2002 in preparation for John Morton’s visit. The MSIA community in Chihuahua also ran ads in the local newspaper — about the board member of a peace institute talking about blessings (which would be John Morton, of course). And MSIA’s own self-proclaimed “French debonair”, Vincent Dupont, gave a television interview that morning in front of live cameras on the equivalent of “Good Morning Chihuahua”. Vincent reminded the host that peace is always an option and invited listeners to John Morton’s workshop.
The result of all of this advertising? One hundred and thirty three people filled three sections of the main conference room at the Sicomoro Hotel in Chihuahua to participate in John Morton’s Blessings Workshop.
Fina Garibay introduced John with deep gratitude for his presence. With the lovely translator Ina Christina Carbajal Kiernan by his side, John ran down the who, what, when, where, why, and how of blessings before an attentive audience. Many were seeing John in person for the first time.
When John asked how many people participated in some form of meditation, nearly everyone in the room raised their hand. So John led them in a sweet meditation to help each person access a deeper understanding of the blessings in their life. The room was profoundly still, except for the persistent hum of air conditioning.
Then John took questions on everything from what limits us to what blesses us. The last participant to share with John talked about the blessing of her relationship to cancer, the preciousness of her life, and the deep gratitude in her heart for finding John’s teachings for the first time that evening. Afterward, John signed copies of his book “The Blessings Already Are.” Eager volunteers sold dozens of books in English and Spanish.
Preparing to leave, we heard the rare sound of thunder. Though Chihuahua has been suffering the kind of seven-year drought that forced many of its ranchers to get rid of livestock and the airport to install waterless toilets, tonight water came down in huge drops.
Unlike Mexico City, the streets did not have drainage, and so the rain pooled in gullies, turning some roads to small rivers and splashing up on our driver, MSIA Representative Tere Carlin, as she came to pick us up and relate the story with delight. Indeed, at that moment, someone could shout, ‘The Traveler is blessing Chihuahua!” And Chihuahua was so glad.
