Scroll to the bottom of the article for links to articles & slideshows from each country of the tour.
Click here to view a photo slideshow by Jsu Garcia from the Spiritual Warriors Tour in Cartagena, Colombia.
The South American Spiritual Warriors Tour began with Melba Alhonte and Ani Pacheco working diligently to get us accepted to the Cartagena Film Festival, located on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. When Spiritual Warriors was accepted, Melba and Zoe Golightly spearheaded for a year, and before we knew it over 150 South Americans in MSIA arrived to Cartagena for the festival. Over 40 Americans from MSIA came as well. It was a party.
With the help of NOW Productions and VER, Phil Danza and I went earlier to Cartagena to set up the video equipment so as to have a great opening at the “Teatro Heredia” which seats 600 people. The theatre was named after the Spanish Conquistador Don Pedro De Heredia who founded Cartagena. The name Cartagena originated as a base for the Carthaginians in Spain during the Conquest. Note: Spanish and Portuguese are Roman languages created by the Romans. A form of Latin if you will. I forced myself to learn and perfect my Spanish and therefore began to understand Portuguese. Thanks for the schooling J-R. There, the history lesson is over.
We prepared for J-R and about 25 people to arrive in Cartagena. We met them at the airport and bused them to the famous El Caribe Hotel. I was there once on a film location 20 years before. It is a beautiful hotel. A pink Colonial looking hotel. Dating back to the 1940’s, this hotel is very close looking to the one in Havana, Cuba, The Hotel National. J-R and I stayed there once for a Film Festival invitation for “My Little Havana”.
I was happy to see my mother in Cartagena. I remember praying to God when I was younger, during bad times, to please take care of my mother. Well, my mother is in great hands. God’s Hands.
Brooke Danza did a great job booking flights, hotels and getting everyone their rooms as best as she could. One thing I learned — what you plan for on paper will most definitely not be reality.
We had Melba, Carmen and many more “Colombian Light Angels” helping to lead the many friends and families that would fill the lobby of the hotel every night for the different events.
The trumpets blasted a sound across the lands of South America that J-R had landed in Colombia. The New Granada. John Morton of course brought his presence, and his support was awesome in how he held for J-R and the film. John Morton also had a packed house for a Q & A Seminar. The Q&A started small, but when the countryside heard of the news that “The Travelers” entered The New Granada the people began to multiply. This was a site to behold.
My old PAT IV buddy from 1988, John Marin, showed up and it was like old times. During a Q & A someone asked me “What is Spirit”? I said, “For me, Spirit and love is Traveling to foreign places with J-R and our family and friends in fellowship with each other.” We threw a welcoming party dinner at Melba’s for J-R and friends. It was a magical night. We all shared in a great soup called “Ajiaco.” Ingredients are Malanga, Yucca, Corn and Chicken. Tasty!
We met family and friends from The Cartagena Film Festival, including: the honorable Victor Nieto who was the Founder and has led the Festival for 48 years, the awesome Salvo Basile, Manuel Pineda, and of course the lovable Gerardo Nieto the son of Victor. Gerardo and his family were our guides and trusted friends.
We needed a leader and a Consignor to direct and assimilate information — the Great Amelia. I love her. She was on point.
The highlights for me were standing on stage at the “Teatro Heredia” and looking at over 600 people ready to watch Spiritual Warriors. J-R was in the audience and that’s all I needed. Taking the horse carriages to the “Teatro Heredia” and back to the El Caribe Hotel had a romance that I can’t explain. Imagine a 20 horse carriage procession trotting towards “Teatro Heredia” for the Premiere of Spiritual Warriors.
Highlights: Screening Spiritual Warriors the second time in “Plaza de la Aduana” under the stars. J-R attended, also a packed house. We had over 400 people that night.
Highlights: Dinners with an average of 30 people at Colonial style restaurants much like “El Floridita” in Havana, Cuba.
Highlights: Speaking at the University of Buenaventura. John Morton and I spoke to students about life, Spirit and movies and when we finished they all flocked around J-R to get their free signed Spiritual Warrior book.
Highlights: The last day was an excursion out to the Island of “Baru”. A family sized group of 67 people just relaxed in the Caribbean sun. It was special.
After many years trying to get famous and be in a film where I’m the Star and all that worldly stuff, I realized it’s all good. I wouldn’t want to change a thing. To be able to serve and see with my eyes what the film Spiritual Warriors is doing out there, just plain shocks me every time. There is no logical way to explain the experiences that people are having.
J-R and the Magical Circus left town and I continued on the South American Spiritual Warriors Tour.
As I’m reflecting back on this Rock-Star Tour of Spiritual Warriors through South America, it made me think a lot about Christopher Columbus or as they call him in S.A. “Colon”. I discovered through the Light/J-R that guided me which was already there, an audience filled with hunger for the Spirit and love of the “Traveler”. This energy that runs through Insight, USM and through MSIA and many other organizations is so very present here in SA. Some people only have heard of the “Traveler Dr. John-Roger”, only by video or audio tapes or by just the Discourses or “Home Seminars”. Maybe, their local Reps have talked to them about J-R. I’m not sure how they found out but many have never met J-R. This tugs at my emotions. This makes me appreciate J-R even more.
Flashback to the Ancient times where the leader would speak to the tribe of their Hero’s feats. Although J-R is alive, thank God, J-R is now a Legend in most of these parts. I personally have the luxury to talk with J-R when I feel like it sometimes. Sometimes we wait a week, a month or years for a response and finally we get them. But there are so many people that I met on this Tour in S.A. that have never met J-R physically yet know him on the Inner. I found them to be stronger in the Inner because there is no outer form to rely on. No crutch to hold on to. No excuse of “Oh, I’ll see J-R at Conference or Easter or Christmas.” I was having dinner with a Minister and they were telling me how great J-R is, and for me it felt like they hung out with J-R before. So, I asked them when was it when they met J-R? They replied, “Never”. I realized at that moment how lucky and blessed I am and I also asked and challenged myself with the question, “Am I strong inside?”
I wanted each Rep of each Country to write from their POV. Click on the links to see each country’s article and slideshow:
First stop Caracas, Venezuela: Our very Special Gaby/Gabriella Grigorescu. My Angel.
Then Buenos Aires, Argentina: Cate Kirby. Cate is also another Angel.
Santiago, Chile: Reymi Urrich
Lima, Peru: Kaiser Petzoldt
