MSIA travel staff recently traveled in the Southwest with John Morton, providing MSIA Services (Innerphasings, Polarity Balances & Aura Balances) as well as MSIA events. Staff member, Angel Gibson, provided this update from the trip:
Click here to view photos by Angel Gibson from the Southwest trip
Click here to view photos by Angel Gibson from the Boulder events on the Southwest trip
DAY 5 – SANTA FE
All righty! Jean-Marie, Vincent and I wake ourselves up this morning as we workout in the gym. Actually feels great to get some cardio in. Then we breakfast al fresco on the patio. Perfect temperature. Roger joins us too. He’ll be setting up today for the Closed Q&A and dinner while we do a full day of Services at the Waterman’s home. Lesley and Vincent meet us at the car and away we go. Today Marion Sears is our hostess and we touch in with so many of our Santa Fe and Albuquerque friends who are coming in for their once a year service before heading over to the dinner and Q&A. Our day flies by with a little break for a yummy lunch. The snacks alone here are so good with all sorts of wheat-free cookies, fruit and delicious chocolates, nuts and crackers…oh my!! Well, as the day comes to a close we hug goodbye Karey and Robert with many many thanks for their sharing their home once again with us and the MSIA community.
Then we drive over to the Q&A location. Marsha Winborn, Kathleen and many others have been working all day to turn the Aldea Center into a festive and joyous salon. We gather before the official event begins for an ordination. Then Joel Salisbury calls us forward into the Light and asks for a blessing on us and the food and the buffet is opened. For dinner there are grilled Portobello mushrooms, shrimp and chicken; there’s Chile cornbread, coleslaw and salads and for dessert–sweet potato pecan pie and key lime pie AND brownies…ok, yes, I just had to try a little bit of everything!
After dinner Joel again calls us present into the Light and introduces John Morton. The group leap to their feet to welcome John being in our midst. There is such gratitude. John shares and then opens to questions. The next two hours melt away and John closes this Light-filled evening with one of his special and perfect blessings. Many hands come forward to help re-set the room and pack up the equipment. We are done and on the road in just about an hour. Our deep thanks to all who came forward to assist in preparing for the evening and helping afterwards.
We are back in our rooms, remembering the yummy tastes and the beautiful sharings as we pack up our suitcases and finish off a few more emails before calling it a night. Thank you, Traveler! thank you all for sending the Light to all of us and the southwestern communities!
DAY 6 – From Santa Fe to Austin
It’s a travel day today, but first a little more exercising at the gym…if nothing else then to wake us up and work off some of the yummy sweet potato and pecan pie. We pack and scramble for some breakfast waving Hi to Leigh and John who are already into their morning libations. Roger joins me and Jean-Marie for our final Santa Fe open air breakfast. Our waitress Kathy now has down our orders and is making sure we get well taken care of. Then it’s time to load up the luggage into the vans and drive to Albuquerque where we’ll catch our plane to Austin. On the way the traffic slows to a crawl. We can tell something is up as police cars and a huge tow-truck pass us on the side. We send Light ahead to whatever has happened. Hmm, wonder if we’ll miss our flight at the rate we’re going?! Soon traffic starts to pick up and we pass a huge burnt-out bus on the side of the road surrounded by police cars, and a fire truck too. Looks like everyone made it out safely, thank goodness! We speed up and soon have arrived at the airport. Check-in goes quickly for us. Vincent and Roger return the cars. We each do our own thing for awhile before boarding starts…shopping, eating, resting. As the boarding begins we realize neither John nor Leigh have yet made it to the boarding area. We’re traveling Southwest so we decide to head in and grab some seats. Good thing we do as John and Leigh make it in just a bit before take-off after weathering some challenges of their own. That’s one of the blessings of traveling as a crew…we look out for each other just in case. We’re delighted they’ve made it and we all settle in to catch up with some SE’s or email on this flight which will touch down for a while in Dallas before landing finally in Austin.
Our hotel in Austin is a historic landmark. There are beautiful stained glass domes above us and intricately carved ceiling panels. The reception desk is made with huge dark wood that has me quickly imagining myself in a long hoop skirt with a parasol waiting any moment for a man in a cowboy hat or wide-brim hat and long-coat to appear next to me and escort me into the dining room. After we get into our rooms we freshen up and speed downstairs to have our first complete staff dinner of the trip. It’s fun to swap stories about the day and the trip so far, to catch up on the Belmont race and how is Tiger doing, and once again to share trip war stories. Today is D-Day and we also share about our fathers’ experiences fighting during World War 2, and our gratitude and appreciation of what they had to do. It’s a long, leisure dinner tonight, but sweet. Now it’s time to check in on emails and get to sleep for tomorrow is another full day.
DAY 7 — AUSTIN
This morning some of us are eager to do exercise. I take to the streets and do a run/walk up Congress Avenue. Blitzing past me is a group of men running full speed — the official CP Classic is on. I make it up to the Capital building which is still one of the most beautiful Capitol buildings to me in this country. (Tomorrow I’ll bring my camera and hope to get some pics to post for you all). I rendezvous with Jean-Marie, Leigh and John for breakfast on the porch at our circa late 1800’s hotel. After a Texas sized breakfast we head off to the MSS class and John takes sharing there. I’m barely staying in my body; it’s such a sweet energy there. Vincent, Lesley and Roger are with us too. Before we know it, it’s time to leave to get to Sherri and Kevin Robinson’s home for Services. Roger stays put to handle the sound recording as John continues the sharing…lucky class! We begin our Services half-day with a yummy lunch provided by Alvin Richter and Nina Karpouzes. Then we launch into our Services afternoon. In between I catch some nature moments on the back porch or the swing…it is idyllic and perfect place for rest and renewal. At the end of Services with snacks in hand we wave goodbye ’til tomorrow and head back into town. Tonight we’re each on our own. Jean-Marie and I hit a fun Sushi place and then back to our room to catch the last of the NBA finals game. Go Lakers! We each do some email too. Tomorrow will be full on so soon we will be catching the Soul train, we hope.
DAY 8 — AUSTIN
This morning Jean-Marie and I jump into exercising. We head over to the capital as a destination for our walk/run, snapping pictures as we go. We’re charmed by pigeons that alight atop a statue marking a tribute to southern soldiers who fought in the Civil war. We stop in front of the capital and plant a Light column there. I can’t resist climbing onto one of the cannons gifted to the state…a memory of battles gone by. I remind myself that I can turn any againstness into play. On the way back we’re accompanied by a biking policeman marveling and appreciating that he so much enjoys biking in his black uniform during the 95 degree mid-day heat. All cleaned up we go for breakfast outside and Roger joins us before he heads over to the Hilton to start setting up for tonight’s Q&A. Lesley lets us know she’s ordered up the car. We say goodbye to Roger and Les Girls load up the van and drive over to Sherri and Kevin’s for a full day of Services. We are treated at lunch by chef Tim Teague’s fajitas…oh yum, super yum. These are good, sooo good that we don’t even want dessert! We are recharged and ready for the afternoon’s Services and in a blink we find ourselves giving copious thanks and goodbyes as we again get into the van and drive to the Hilton for the Q&A.
Roger with Vincent’s assistance and Rhonda Young who’s the ultimate angel have been there all day setting up. The room looks lovely as we enter. Carol Beau and Candy Spitzer, the co-MSIA Austin Reps, greet us and review the program for the Q&A. Carol is our gracious MC for the evening. As she goes up to the stage John is getting mic’d and takes time for a sweet family photo session. Carol then opens our event as she welcomes the group and calls us forward into the Light. Cynthia Loft shares with us her written piece “Shared Universes” and Robert delights us with his active and playful sharing. When John comes up to the stage he invites Leigh Taylor-Young to bring our attention even more present with our hearts and God’s loving energy in a prayer-filled invocation. Then we lift off as John opens the Q&A. It’s hard to stay in my seat as waves of love and energy move through the room. As each person poses their question, there is something for each of us to hear and take for ourselves. Thank you, Traveler, for the way you touch to each of us. Thank you to each person who brings themselves, their consciousness to this evening such that we all may share in the blessings and revelations. At evening’s end we pack up with fellowshipping, and then it’s back to our hotel. There’s packing, a few more emails, and sweet moments to lay down and rest. Tomorrow we travel on!
DAY 9 – Austin to Boulder
This morning is a more natural rise for all of us. I want to get out one more time and take some pictures in the historic area on Congress Avenue. There’s a statue of a woman lighting a cannon. This is a memorial for the woman who warned the Austin people that men from Houston were trying to steal the archives and bring them back to Houston so that Houston could be named capitol of Texas. This woman saved the day and Austin remained the capitol of Texas.(at least this is Angel’s version of Austin’s history!). After a quick pack up, I grab a quick breakfast with John and Leigh and join Lesley, Vincent, Jean-Marie and Roger to drive to the airport for our flight to Boulder. After awhile John and Leigh join us there while we leisurely await our boarding call. We’re on Southwest again and though I’m not wild about not having a designated seat, I sure enjoy the humor of the Southwest attendants. Our flight gives all of us some kick back SE and SZzzz’s time. Landing in Denver we become a fine-tuned crew machine with the girls getting the baggage out to the curb and the guys getting the cars. Soon all is loaded up and we’re on our way to Boulder. Wow! Those mountains as we approach Boulder are awesome and majestic. Our hotel is nestled in downtown Boulder near the walking mall. We happily unpack looking forward to our dinner tonight with the Babinets.
DAY 10 — BOULDER
Today we do Services at Lewis and Susan Guthrie’s beautiful home. Jack Henderson is our Maitre d’ of Services and has done a complete job of setting up the rooms. Already people have arrived and are eagerly waiting to hug us and begin Services. Bruce Rosenfeld and Elizabeth Frumin have come in from Philadelphia to continue their training as balancers-in-training. We’re grateful for their dedication. Soon it’s lunch time and Beth Strimpel has prepared quite a bounty of choices-grilled salmon, beef and turkey, broccoli, salad, spinach, chips, wheat-free cookies, strawberries and blueberries–is your mouth watering yet?! Thank you, thank you is all we can say before, in-between bites, and afterwards! Roger Wakefield is at the Boulder Inn starting set up with the able assistance of Joel Blakeslee and Steve Dreher.
After Services we head over to the Boulder Inn to schmooze and do the final preparation before the Open Seminar with John Morton begins. Mindi Kelly is the MC for the evening and she is at the door with Dan and Kate Kendrick welcoming arrivals. These three are the co-MSIA Reps for Boulder. Soon John and Leigh appear and we’re ready to start. Mindi warmly welcomes the group and introduces MSIA to the newcomers. After a few videos of study materials and Moments of Peace the room and space is prepared, and Mindi brings up John to start the seminar. The themes of truth and loving were woven throughout the evening for me. With Baruch Bashan sounding in our ears John completes the seminar. It’s an early evening for us with no equipment pack-up so we’re very happy to go back to our hotel and luxuriate a touch before sleep beckons us. Thank you for your continuous Light as we finish up the last days of this trip.
DAY 11 — BOULDER
Ooooh, we’re up early this morning; something just woke us up. Feeling a bit foggy we go to the gym. John and Leigh are just coming back from breakfast. They’ve been up since really early. Hmm, wonder what’s happening in the ethers! Oh well, just another of those on-the-road mysteries. A little work-out, a shower and some breakfast and soon we’re joined by Lesley and Vincent to drive for another round of Services at the Guthrie’s home. Lunch is a welcome rest with yummy grilled steak, salmon and turkey with lots of sides. I take a walk around the neighborhood marveling at the vivid color of the flowers against the blue then stark grey rain clouds. Quite changeable the weather is around here! After a quick afternoon of Services we munch on goodies and prepare some snacks for pack up time later, chatting all the time with Madonna Smith, Lewis and Susan Guthrie and a few others coming and going.
Then it’s off to the Boulder Inn for tonight’s Q&A for Discourse subscribers. Mindi Kelly is our fine MC and we have the best gift tonight — Kate Blakeslee serenades us with The Impossible Dream. Her rendition is magnificent. Truly vintage Kate and we rise as one to our feet to give her a huge ovation. Then Mindi introduces John and we’re off and flying for more than two hours. What a beautiful night and we’re so grateful to have been treated to such a glorious time with the Traveler! Pack up is quick as Steve Dreher, Kate and Dan Kendrick, Bruce Rosenfeld, Amy and Zach and others help coil cable and pack up the sound cases. We’re all pretty tired as the last of the suitcases are put into the vans and we drive off to our hotel. Today has been a rich full day and a shower and sleep are looking so good as we are on a fast run to catch tonight’s soul train.
DAY 12 — BOULDER
Up and at ’em this morning for Jean-Marie and me. We’re packing and heading out after our Services today. I head back to LA to catch up with my son and granddaughter, Jean-Marie goes to visit with some of her relatives in Colorado. Vincent and Lesley, Roger, John and Leigh will carry on for this evening, as John takes sharing with the Boulder MSS class. Lucky class! We had breakfast this morning together sans Vincent and Lesley and it was wonderful to do a last huddle before moving on. We laughed and cried as we shared some memories and stories and experiences together. Those are such the best parts of traveling as a crew together. Light to all the travels tomorrow for our crew (DAY 13). Thank you to each one of you along the way who has assisted us to have such a smooth and wonder-filled trip. Light ahead to Conference and the journeys in store.
Baruch Bashan, etc…..
