Days 1-3 Adelaide, Australia — Here we come!

As we’re getting ready to board the plane Vincent Dupont, Cleora Daily and I are remarking that here we are again on our way to Australia. It seems like just a few weeks ago we were there, and yet it’s been a whole year. This time we also have Paul Kaye with us. Paul Kaye received his royal title, “Lord Tithington” from one of the MSIA elders in Australia, Murray Strudwick, who has since passed over. The dubbing was done over 15 years ago. On our way to Australia we settle into our seats, watch a movie, do some email, go to sleep and when we wake up it’s 2 days later, March 3. It’s one of those Rip Van Winkle moments and a phenomenon that goes with crossing the dateline.

Our plane arrives at the international terminal in Sydney. We go through customs and are greeted by Sumitra Menon, known as Sumi. She is our Sydney MSIA Rep and she guides us to our transit check-in desk as we must now transfer over to the domestic terminal to catch our connecting flight to Adelaide. Thank goodness that Sumi is there to help us stay focused as we’re all in that lovely twilight feeling that is otherwise known as jet-lag. Sumi stays with us making sure we each board our Adelaide flight and bids us adieu until she sees us back in Sydney in a few days.

Our Adelaide flight seems very quick, particularly since we dozed most of the way there. At baggage claim in Adelaide, Wendy( our Adelaide MSIA Rep) and Paul Bennett greet us with big hugs, and help us get our baggage collected. I’m thinking that I’m pretty focused and clear-headed until I hear myself paged over the loudspeaker and I’m instructed to go to the Quantas service desk. Curious about what they might want with me, I shortly find out that though I thought I wasn’t all that spacey, I had forgotten my backpack under my plane seat. My illusion popped, I realized that I’m going to need to be extra specially focused today.

We load our luggage and sound equipment into the cars and head for our hotel in downtown Adelaide. Adelaide is in southern Australia and has always reminded me of an old-time frontier town. It has a beautiful park in the center of this city, and very unusual architecture with its one story Victorian style homes. Today it is warm here — close to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Tomorrow it’s supposed to be warmer. The rest of today goes very fast as we settle into our rooms, go in search of dinner and surrender to sleep.

Day 4 – Full Day in Adelaide and John Morton is on the road to Bangkok

We wake up feeling quite rested and ready for a full day of MSIA Services in Adelaide at Wendy and Paul Bennett’s lovely home. It is very hot today — over 100 degrees. In their backyard, Paul and Wendy have created a beautiful Japanese garden with two ponds, many goldfish and even more frogs. The combination of a soft breeze and Zen landscape creates a peace and stillness that is so restful. We caught up with our many old friends as they came in for services — Edith Knobloch, Louis, Romana and Michael Davis, Beverly Voight, Jutta, Claire Kikkert. Lunch was bountiful and very tasty, tea time even better. And then it was time to pile in our van and head over to the Fullerton Community Center for Paul Kaye to give an evening presentation on Exploring Spirit in our Every Day Lives. In a festively decorated room over 40 people attended this evening; 19 were new to MSIA. Paul interacted with a number of the participants drawing them with finesse into his humorous presentation. Afterwards there was tea and plenty of “bickies”, cookies to us Americans, and other goodies and some good schmoozing. Then it was back to the hotel, a little email, and then the comfort of sleep.

Meanwhile our Traveler, John Morton, departed today (which is still March 3 in Los Angeles) for Bangkok where he will be met by our one and only MSIA minister in Thailand, Brian Cutshall. You avid e-NDH readers may remember that Brian joined us in Kyoto, Japan this past October and was ordained there. He is currently living and working in Chiang Mai, Thailand which is about 300 kilometers from Bangkok.

Day 5 – On the Road to Melbourne, Australia

Our band of brothers/sisters is up and running early this day as we prepare to leave Adelaide and fly to Melbourne. Wendy Bennett escorts us to the airport and has packed us a morning tea-time treat of fruit, nuts and cookies. After we check in, we all sit down to enjoy the goodies and de-brief our short visit. All too soon our flight is called and we do a mini-hug line with Wendy. She has looked after us like the penultimate mother hen. We’ve been well-fed and nurtured during our short but sweet visit. We know we’ll see Wendy at the Sydney events so it’s a happy goodbye!

Our flight to Melbourne seemed to be a work flight for each of us — we were awake enough to get a little business-material reading done. Maggie Breedlove, our Melbourne MSIA Rep, and former Dallas PTS Rep, and Marina Shilo greeted us as we deplaned in Melbourne. Maggie was very efficient in helping us get all of our luggage/equipment from the baggage carousel onto the special pickup area. Maggie and her compadre, Marina, led us to our hotel in downtown Melbourne. We noticed how jammed the traffic was as we left the airport. Maggie told us that this is the famous Australia Grand Prix weekend and people were arriving from all over the world to participate in this event on this weekend. There’s a party atmosphere all around.

We have just enough time to get into our rooms and unpack a little before we do some MSIA Services. Then we have a leisurely dinner. I can barely keep my eyes open so I head right for bed, and the others are not too far behind me with their bedtimes.

From Bangkok and The Traveler:
We hear from John Morton today. He writes:

Turns out today, March 5, in Thailand is a national holy day celebrating Makha Bucha Day which is observed on the full moon day of the third lunar month, commemorating the spontaneous gathering of the first 1,250 of Lord Buddha’s disciples without first being called by him (come to think of it I don’t recall being called by him). Taking advantage of this momentous situation, Lord Buddha delivered a Sermon summarizing his cardinal rules (I bet something on the order of the 8-fold path).

On this day, devout Buddhists of all ages recite prayers in praise of the Triple Gems and afterwards in clockwise movement march in a slow procession around the temple hall to commemorate this special occasion. Brian Cutshall, our local MSIA minister, and I are planning to visit via boat on the river from near the hotel Wat Prakaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) and Wat Prakaew to bvis Baan Wemanmek (largest all teak house in the world and former Palace of King Rama V). Later we leave Bangkok for Ahyuthaya to see the ruins of this ancient Thai capitol.

Day 6

Our body clocks are still waking us up early, so rather than fight it, Cleora and I get dressed and take a brisk morning walk around Melbourne. We see the Yarra River and the boat docks. We walk on Bourke, Collins and King streets catching sight of some of the grand old architecture as well as the modern skyscrapers. We breakfast with Vincent and Paul and then all of us head out into the suburbs to Ginnette Everest’s home to do MSIA Services. As we get close to Ginette’s home we’re treated to a vista of multicolored waters – blues, purples and greens. It’s the bay that is so big you can’t even see the other side of it. Sail boats are just beginning to dot the waters. The sea air is wonderful to smell. Ginnette and her partner, Iain Martin, welcome us and, as we get ourselves ready to start Services, we notice something unusual. No one is here yet for Services. Looking again at our Services schedule, we realize that we’re actually an hour early (yikes – we’re still not quite all here yet).

We take advantage of this gift of time and on Iain’s suggestion we pile into his car and head for the beach. The sun is out, a strong breeze is up. We take off our shoes and walk along the beach. What a treat to feel that warm sand under our feet and the sun and wind on our faces. (Note Paul Kaye’s stylish beach attire). After a 20 minute walk we’re refreshed and ready once again to start Services.

This time when we return to Iain’s and Ginette’s home, there is a full house with people waiting. The morning passes quickly and we break for a yummy lunch of quiche — made especially with no onion/garlic/pork, and lamb chops and salads. There’s a little time to start a game of pool with Vincent and Paul. Then we’re onto more Services in the afternoon.

Now it’s time for tea and the tea table is loaded. There’s the Australian Pavlova — meringue topped with thick whipped cream, passion fruit, kiwis and strawberries (hear the groans of delight); there are the lamertins (chocolate icing/coconut covered sponge cakes), more fruit and cakes, and, of course, tea. And best of all there is wonderful catching up talk with Adelene Roberts ( a former Melbourne MSIA Rep), Roz George, Marie Norris, Keith Parrish and Ginette. What a blessed day! Finally we gather our things, and head for our car. We prepare tonight to welcome John Morton, and tomorrow is another full day.

Day 7 — Melbourne, Australia

Life on the road is never boring. There are always lessons to be learned. This morning Paul, Cleora and I had a lesson, courtesy of Monsieur Vincent, on the French table manners. By the end of our lesson tears of laughter were rolling down our cheeks, and our table neighbors were saying to their servers that they wanted what we were having for breakfast.

Cleora and I headed off for Services and Paul and Vincent first to do email and then to set up the audio/video for the MSIA Open Seminar this evening. Cleora and I were hosted today at the home of Keith and Dorothy Parrish, a wonderfully jovial couple. Again we had a superb lunch topped off by these delicious wheat-free chocolate chip cookies. Thank you — yum. Lunchtime is particularly sweet when we’re on the road because we get to break bread and catch up with our extended family all over the world. Today we visited with Keith and Dorothy, Richard Dooley and Anna Scott, Maggie Breedlove and Ginette Everest. Cleora and I had another lesson at lunch — this time on Australian languaging. I won’t get into the details, but let’s just say our vocabulary is now more colorful than ever with some new Australian expressions.

Meanwhile Vincent and Paul headed over to South Yarra and the Faulkner Senior Citizen centre for the a/v setup. All must have gone well because by the time John, Cleora and I arrived, they had created, along with some creative volunteers, a very warm and cozy environment for the seminar.

Carla Marsh, the MC for the evening, welcomed the group, did an invocation of Light and led the group in chanting Ani Hu. Not wasting any time, Carla introduced John Morton who went straight away into the meat of the evening. John talked about the key elements of MSIA highlighting his points with stories from his trip to Bangkok, from his home life with his children and his life on the road. John took questions from the group, including: “What is Soul Transcendence?” “Please explain the concept of Ministers in MSIA.” “I’m having trouble with acceptance — can you help me?” “I’m having difficulty with the word