MSIA travel staff were in South America recently, providing MSIA Services (Innerphasings, Polarity Balances & Aura Balances) as well as MSIA events in various locations. Staff member, Angel Gibson, provides this update:
DAY 11 — BOGOTA
Today we all go to the S.E.D.E, that is what they call the headquarters or offices of MSIA in Bogota. John, Vincent and Paul are meeting with the Executive Board of MSIA Colombia, Celia and I are doing Services. Lesley and Ani are sitting in on Services. The S.E.D.E. is a virtual beehive of activity. To add to the mix we are visited by a TV interviewer and journalist who want to film a short segment promoting the Inner Worlds of Meditation workshop. They interview John Morton and then take some film of John leading a group of us in doing a meditation. This makes for a fun break in the day. Then it’s back to the meeting and the Services. John goes out to visit the school that Pablo Lipinsky and his wife Adelaida have started. Pablo told me that he was touched deeply as he watched the Traveler talking with the young school students and blessing the school, fulfilling a dream Pablo had had for his school for a long time. Then it’s time for the evening event. This one is a Q&A seminar for Discourse subscribers that starts off with the Villegas baby blessing. This blessing sets the tone of loving and peace for the whole evening. We dine late and dive for our beds for tomorrow starts the workshop and we need to rise early to prepare.
DAY 12 — BOGOTA
God bless those little double espressos that help some of us open our eyes this morning. Once we get to the location of this weekend’s workshop, Inner Worlds of Meditation, we hit the pavement running. Vincent to the sound board, Paul to review the script, Celia and I to help the assistants prepare the room. There is lots of excitement and anticipation, as 25 more people are added to the registration at the last minute. What fun! John Morton participates throughout the day facilitating some of the exercises and taking sharing, adding a sweet richness to our experience. As this first day ends Paul, Vincent and I have initiations to do with those who have come from out of town. Soon these are completed and because we don’t have to pack up the equipment this evening all of us staff, John, Lesley, Ani and some of our Bogota friends dine together. The fellowshipping and teasing is joyful and we are more than ready for bed as soon as dinner ends.
DAY 13 — BOGOTA
The second day of the workshop is as full as the first. John participates again with us. John Marin (Little John) stands next to John Morton (Big John) throughout the day translating not only with words but closely matching the facial and body expressions. Several times I find myself giggling at the perfect way he captures and gets across the Traveler’s communications. The workshop ends giving us but a moment to catch our breath before it’s time to start ordinations. Tonight we’re doing those ordinations of people who have come from out of town and there are 7 to be done. Another small break as the room is prepared and then we open the doors to admit the MSIA Ministers and Initiates who have come for a seminar with John. There are questions and answers with sometimes John asking the questions and other times answering. We learn as each one who stands at the mic asks for us too. The evening ends and we are grateful for the large amount of assistance we get, volunteers stepping forward to help us pack up the equipment. This is a big job at the end of a series of events. All the equipment must be carefully packed for we take it through customs yet another time – this time will be in Santiago. We are eager to get back to our rooms, pack and get a little sleep for tomorrow we have Services to do before we board the plane for Santiago. Oh, by the way we are joined today by Mary Ann Settembrino who is coming all the way from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to sit in on Services in Santiago primarily.
DAY 14 – ADIOS BOGOTA AND SANTIAGO HERE WE COME!
We know we have a long full day ahead of us so what’s the first thing we do after showering and finishing our pack up, EAT of course. Our motto is Carpe Food (or sleep or spiritual exercises) whenever you can. Ani comes to get our luggage for she will shepherd it through customs before we ever get to the airport. Alberto and Olga Elena Villegas pick us up and transport us to the SEDE for we have Services and initiations to complete before our visit to Bogota is done. Then there’s one last yummy lunch prepared for us by our chef, Gustavo. We say good bye to Lesley Freeman who will be returning to Los Angeles tomorrow, and off we go to the airport.
Our trip this evening will take us through Lima, Peru. And we have a first – we’re flying on TACA airlines. Jokingly we’re wondering what kind of airline is this anyway, but from the first moments on our first leg of the trip, we are very happy — nice seats, nice plane. Our flight starts at 4:00pm and we’re due to arrive in Santiago at 2:30am. Yep we’re a crazy bunch. We land in Lima around 9:30pm and head for the lounge. As we enter the TACA lounge we are pleasantly surprised by our environment — nice TV’s, good espressos, chips, snacks. Hey, this is so much better than we thought it would be. Thank you, God. In the midst of our enjoying the snacks we become aware that we’re missing Ani. We go back outside the lounge to find out that Ani is not being allowed to transit onto Santiago because she has lost her passport, visa and flight ticket. Now Ani is an experienced traveler as she is a retired flight attendant and veteran of many years flying. We just expect that in any moment one of the TACA personnel will come running up with the documents. However, as the minutes then hours go by and the drama unfolds, the documents are nowhere to be found. We even call ahead to the next city in which our previous plane has landed. No documents of Ani have been found. It is clear now that Ani will have to stay behind, and quite possibly fly back to Bogota to get a new passport and visa. Our next flight is called and we must go ahead. We all hug Ani, sending her Light. The Traveler hugs her and tells her to “enjoy herself”. Ani takes in all the loving and the directive. Some of us seed for her.
DAY 15 — SANTIAGO
Arriving at 2:30am in Santiago feels a little bit like arriving in the Twilight Zone. However there to meet us with exuberance and hugs are Jose Caraball, Paty and Lucio and Maria Eugenia Ducci, the Chile MSIA Rep. Wow, what a great reception! They help us get through customs and into cars which we thoroughly appreciate. Once at our hotel it takes just a little bit to get to our rooms and prepare for sleep. Just as I’m going to sleep I download and get the wonderful news that all of Ani’s papers and airline tickets have been found and returned to her. Ani will be in Santiago later this morning. how sweet it is to fall asleep on that note — once again seeding works.
Mercifully we have the rest of today off so most of us sleep until around noon. We meet at brunch and who is there to fill us in on her adventures by Ani. It’s still a mystery what exactly happened to her tickets and documents, but a little while after our group departed Lima, Ani was notified that her papers had been located. As Ani tells it, she experienced blessing upon blessing as she drew upon inner resources and the love of the Travelers to hold with her. AND seeding works! We each go our own ways for the rest of the day — Celia and Mary Ann are sight-seeing; I’m doing some running and email, Vincent, Paul and John are catching up on email too. Ani enjoys a little nap. Looking out our windows we see the Andes mountains looming way above us; snow is atop these mountains. They are awesome. For dinner we join Jose and Gabriela at a delightful Italian restaurant. Everything tastes delicious to me and I’m full after the first course of pasta, but who stops there!
DAY 16 — SANTIAGO
Our plates are full today with Services and a double-feature of MSIA events — a closed MSIA seminar and then an Open PTS Loving Relationships workshop. both events are being done in the Club Manquehe — a German estate that has an aura of gracious living in its own way. Our Chile MSIA family greets us as we move towards the Salon Manquehue. Nigel Moleker and his brother have been helping Vincent set up the sound; many other volunteers have prepared the room. Nigel is also the MC. He welcomes the group, calls us into the Light and chanting of the Ani Hu and then introduces Olivia, a joyful belly dancer, who is the first contribution. Arle Moleker reads a poem and then Nigel invites John Morton who is accompanied by the lovely, Nora Valenzuela, his translator, to come to the stage. John wastes no time in getting to the essence with this group of Discourse subscribers and spends time answering questions too. With just the tiniest of breaks John, with Nora right beside him, start the second part of the evening, the Loving Relationships workshop. One of the most simple yet profound keys expressed in the workshop is “Loving is a decision, a commitment” and what a start that is. It’s a very grateful group that says their thank-you’s this evening having participated in over 5 hours with the Traveler this day.
DAY 17 — SANTIAGO
It seems like a simple day today with just Services and some initiations to be done. While Paul and I are doing initiations, Vincent and Nigel are setting up in a different location for the Ministers and Initiates Breakfast/Q&A to be done tomorrow at 9:00am. However, we also need to pack and prepare for tomorrow starts early and ends with us at the airport ready to board our plane and return back to the U.S. Still we manage to do a last dinner together with John and then each of us makes for our room and our own closure for the day.
DAY 18 – SANTIAGO AND HOME
We start today at 9:00am with ordinations. It is beautiful and aligning to listen to each of these blessings. We take them in as our own. We visit with each other and fellow Chilean and Argentinian ministers as breakfast is served. Then John addresses the ministers and initiates nudging us along to expand in our loving for ourselves and one another. We take a moment to send Light to J-R too. There are hugs and then we’re spirited away to the cars for we have Services just about to start, then some lunch and then we head to the Hotel Acacias to listen to John do sharing with the Chile MSS class. John’s dedication to participate in the MSS and DSS classes around the world brings tears of gratitude to the participants and this group is no exception. Maria Eugenia Ducci and Veronica Zarate are beyond words to have the Traveler amidst this class. After John shares we pack him into the car with Remy and Nora and off he goes to the airport. He has a plane to catch and a son’s championship football game to catch on arrival in Los Angeles early tomorrow morning. We’re not far behind John as we pack up the equipment, do our hugs and kisses and goodbyes – Mary Ann and Ani stay here for a little longer- and head off ourselves to the airport. Our plane is later so we take a little time to catch dinner at the airport. We have about 13 hours of air travel ahead of us in coach. Grace is with us and the time evaporates.
DAY 19 – HOME SWEET HOME
John arrives early and makes it to the football game in plenty of time. We arrive and Arissa Bright is there to get the sound equipment and be a chauffeur for some of us. We are full of gratitude for a Light and Blessings filled trip. Thank you for sending the Light each step of our way. See you around the bend!
