MSIA travel staff were recently in Europe, providing MSIA Services (Innerphasings, Polarity Balances & Aura Balances) as well as MSIA events with John Morton in various locations. Staff member, Angel Gibson, provides this update, with photo slideshows by David Sand below as well:
Click here to view the photo slideshow from the MSIA Open Seminar with John Morton in London, 2005.
Click here to view the photo slideshow from the Blessingsfest with John Morton in London, 2005.
DAY 8 — From A Dios Madrid to Good Day London
Arturo and his team (Yulay, Mario, Oswaldo, Mirabelle await us this morning to take all of us and all our luggage/equipment to the airport. After many embracitos y besitos (hugs and kisses) we wave goodbye and board our plane for London. We are very grateful for the loving and caring we received from our MSIA Spain family. Paul and Vincent whisk through immigration as they have dual citizenship. At first we’re a bit envious, but then when we finally catch up, we see that they’ve been busy unloading those nice and heavy equipment cases–and here I had visions of them waiting for us with their feet up sipping a proper cup of tea–just kidding.
Wending our way out of customs we are a parade of carts. Shirley Gordon, the London MSIA Rep, has arranged for us to be met by our drivers. Just in the nick of time too as my cart was starting to have a mind of its own moving, as I turn corners, horizontally instead of vertically. Our drivers deftly maneuver us through the airport throngs and down to the parking garage to our waiting vans. In a few short minutes our luggage and bodies are loaded up and we begin our ride into London and to the Mayfair/Marble Arch districts. Marble Arch is exactly that — a large marble arch at one of the corners of Hyde Park. Hyde Park is huuuge and lovely. Lots of green, with a body of water with swans (and these are biiiiig swans), and much more. When we arrive at our hotel Shirley is there. Like a true lady-in-waiting her willingness and caring that our comforts are attended to is so warming. We’re in our rooms quickly and begin the settling in process that is second-nature to us roadies. The drill may vary slightly by personality but usually includes setting up the computer and test-driving the internet connection — we dare not miss the earliest opportunity to down-load any latest update from the home office. Then, if it’s me, I meet with the Rep — in this case Shirley — to look at the MSIA Services schedule and any overall logistical concern of any event John/staff are doing while we’re there. Sometimes this is done over a meal, sometimes over unpacking or both. Shirley has done a very good job of setting up Services, and there is very little to tweak. She lovingly leaves us to our own devices for the evening and we hope that she’s catching her breath for we are like a whirlwind whipping into town. We’re ready for an early dinner so we head off into our Mayfair and dine Japanese. It’s hard to keep our eyes open, especially for John and Vincent who are still orienting to European time. Once back at our hotel we do some more email and sleep and hopefully the Traveler claims us for some rest and night travel.
Day 9 — London
Today is a fun and busy day. Celia and I have Services all day with MSIAers who have come from far afield to participate in the London weekend events. We see that some of the contingent from Sussex — Beth Hay and Gloria Carter– arrived. Ann Naylor from France is here too. It is a gathering day. Later in the afternoon Vincent, Paul and their gang of merry MSIAers perform Vincent’s first miracle of the sound setup — he sets up sound in under 2 hours at the Mayfair Conference Center, a short walk from our hotel. Given that we generally like to take 5-7 hours to set up sound/video and do the equalizing, this truly is just a breath short of miraculous. I’m keeping records here so that when Vincent’s up for canonization we have this miracle documented.
Tonight’s event is an Open MSIA Seminar with John Morton and it’s fun to see some new faces as well as more of our long-time European friends. Our British MSIA family is very welcoming of new and old timers — even of us American types, like Stephen Keel and Ezra Mack who have a come a long way across the ocean to be here with the Traveler and their UK MSIA family. David Sand is on hand to take pictures too, and Julie Standing is back to visit her family. Nathalie Franks, our lovely Mistress of Ceremonies, welcomes the group and introduces: Louise Lautman to sing “Hey, Big Traveler”, Gavin Robinson who does a fun skit “The MSIA Interview”, and Paget Aishling who reads her touching poem. All these sharings help create a sweet energy to welcome John Morton, the Traveler, to be with us. I find myself reflecting how amazing it is that John finds yet another unique way to talk about the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness relating to the different people in this seminar. Then he opens to taking questions from the new participants, such as “What is spiritual inner awareness?” “What is the Movement?” “What is initiation?” They certainly knew how to go right to the heart of the matter and we were grateful.
Click here to view the photo slideshow from the MSIA Open Seminar with John Morton in London, 2005.
Day 10 — London
This day starts with Paul Kaye facilitating us in the new one-day PTS workshop, “Spiritual Exercises and Soul Transcendence.” Paul’s wonderful sense of humor warms us up and brings in the joy that is such a signpost of the presence of Spirit. We spend the day practicing spiritual exercises, listening to excerpts of John-Roger, observing in exercises that let us observe how our minds are keeping occupied while we’re doing spiritual exercises. John Morton comes in to share with us during the day, assisting us to experience the keys of Soul Transcendence. The energy of this weekend just continues to build.
Day 11 — London
Today the MSIA Ministers and Initiates come together for fellowshipping over breakfast and then sharing with the Traveler. John has each of the 50 of us share, and the room fills with the sweetness and tenderness of loving as each minister and/or initiate offers in their own perfect way who they are, why they are here and what they’d like to place in the Light. We witness again what can happen when two or more of us come together in that highest intention and are held by the Traveler’s love for us.
And there is more to come as we prepare the room for the BlessingsFest. Each time I participate in a Blessingsfest I think it can’t get any better and it does. There is something special and magical at each BlessingsFest — asking for and receiving blessing after blessing and then watching over time these blessings manifesting in a perfect way. By the end of this event we are overflowing. We pack up the equipment and then later our suitcases as we prepare to go to Paris tomorrow. Later this evening we have a staff dinner and share with each other the special moments of our trip so far.
Click here to view the photo slideshow from the Blessingsfest with John Morton in London, 2005.
Day 12 — On to Paris
Taking the chunnel is a delightful way to go to Paris and so civilized. In a blink we are at Gare Nord and being hugged by our Paris friends who efficiently load us and our luggage into cars and whisk us to our hotels. As we drive along our friends point out to us the Palais Royale, La Place de la Concorde, and there’s the Tour Eiffel. The trees are turning colors, and though it’s a little warm, there’s a hint of cool in the air. I love Paris. We unpack and then head out for dinner. Our restaurant is atop a Modern Art museum and we catch up with our Paris family over pommes frites, chevre and entrecote. Slowly my sleeping French is waking up.
Day 13 — Paris
Paul and I begin Services today. Vincent translates for me which is a treat. The day passes quickly and we metro through town to our seminar location. The Open seminar is done in the old way; there are contributions from each person, staff included. This sharing that we do brings us into a oneness as we listen to each other express our humanness, gratitude and love. We each place situations, people, and / or ourselves into the Light. The Traveler takes it all in. It’s been quite awhile since there’s been a seminar here and we are happy to be part of this occasion. Some of us metro back across town, enjoying an evening’s meal in a very French way at a very French time of night. I’m starting to get used to these midnight meals. Back at our hotel we embrace our computers for some late night emails.
Day 14 — Paris
More Services today and then we get a treat. Our foursome hops on the metro and heads to the old part of town (ok the older part of town). Vincent leads our happy group starting at the Hotel du Ville as we head for tea at Mariage Freres. This is a tea shop non pareil, and if you ever have a chance to go there, please do. Then we do a walking tour wending our way through these many centuried side streets with gorgeously old frontages to our next metro stop and then to the seminar location. The ministers/initiates await us and soon it’s time to start the ordinations. That sweetness of the evening before unfolds into a profoundness that wraps us like velvet. We are in the Traveler’s hands and surrender one by one. Our evening ends with schmoozing and eating French style – delicate and robust cheeses, breads, fruits and tortes. So happy to be together our French friends plan dates for the next meetings — they are on-purpose. As the evening closes we hug and kiss — both cheeks — and drive back catching moments of Paris in its elegant shimmering beauty by night. The glow of its lamps give reality to Paris title “City of Light” and now the Eiffel Tower sparkles on the hour. Back at our hotel we pack for our morning departure is set for early, early morning.
Day 15 — From Paris to LAX
More hugs and kisses and adieu’s. After check-in and making our way through immigration we relax in the lounge catching up on what is happening with Hurricane Rita, our ever-present email, and snacks. Our motto on the road is “Carpe Snacks” as you never know when the next meal is coming. We’re notified it’s time to board and we head to the boarding lounge in hope of upgrades, but there are none to be had for us, so we prepare to be one with the other 150 people traveling in coach. Happily the movies are entertaining, there are always emails to do, and the time passes quickly as we can’t help but catch a nap too. Once in San Francisco we find our plane is delayed so we have time for a quick meal and then board for the last segment of our trip. the jet lag starts to hit me as I nod off frequently on this flight. I’m very happy to see Chuck Moore and Olga Schmal who are at the LAX airport to greet us and get us back to our homes. It has been a long full day, yet we’ve seemed to be cocooned in Light all the way through. We are grateful for all the Light you’ve sent to us and to all the events, and we thank each and every one of our European hosts who made our trip so easy. God bless you, and we look forward to being with you again as soon as we can.
Click here to read Days 1 through 3.
Click here to read Days 4 and 5.
Click here to Paul Kaye’s report “From Herring To Anchovies”.
Click here to Paul Kaye’s report “From Kippers to Foie Gras”.
