MSIA staff member, Angel Gibson, is currently traveling in Europe to do MSIA services and also MSIA events in various countries. She has been sending updates by email to John-Roger, John Morton and the MSIA staff. We are including them on the NDH website for your enjoyment.
Well, we’re not in Stockholm anymore! The first part of today was a travel adventure – though pretty tame until I landed in Madrid. I flew from Stockholm at 9:00 a.m., landed in London and departed from London around 12:30 p.m., arriving in Madrid at 3:30 p.m. I landed, but, alas, my luggage didn’t. I did the necessary paperwork and begging to get the luggage rushed to the hotel so I could look respectable for the evening’s open workshop; however, no amount of damsel in distress begging or firm intention moved the powers that be – the answer was the same: I’d get my bag sometime between 7:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. tonight. Hmm, workshop starts at 8:00 p.m. And I’m booked from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. with MSIA services.
Well at least I’d have seminar material even if I didn’t have the wardrobe. It was time to switch gears. Madrid is to Stockholm as an apple is to an elephant – they’re different. Where Stockholm was cold weather, calm paced, efficient, emphasis on comfort living; Madrid is hot weather, frenetic, dramatic, emotional, style is the thing living. They do have in common some great old buildings, a palace and a king/queen (or at least one royalty). So using everything for my advancement, upliftment, etc., I opened the workshop with the story about the luggage and my outfit. Of course, the best part was that it was so hot in our workshop venue, that my casual pants/short sleeved shirt were just perfect – fit right into the scene. Hey all things are perfect!
The Inner Worlds of Meditation workshop in Madrid had 23 participants – all Discourse subscribers – so we went to town with the exercises. Marcos Cajina did a super job of translating – he stayed right with me using hand gestures and facial expressions to match me. As hot as it was, the group stayed present for over two hours. Our venue was in the old town – a very hopping/happening place – in an antique building on the Avenida Preciados up the street from La Puerto de Sol – where all the Spanish roads meet – so they say. Outside our windows, which had to be open to get air, the Avenida was teeming with people. It was fun chanting the Ani Hu and the Hu’s, letting them sail out the windows, and visualizing a huge Light column so near to the place where all the roads meet. And how amazing it was to experience a beautiful peace come into our midst as we listened to the So Hawng and Light Attunement meditations, and chanted. There was so much gratitude expressed by participants for being able to attend the workshop and we talked about doing more PTS classes and seminars to keep up the attunement and awareness. I appreciated Patricia Bretano-Sanchez and her mother, Magdelena, for the good support in getting the workshop together.
What do you do when it’s 11:00 p.m. in Madrid after a workshop? Go have dinner because this city is just waking up, especially on a Friday night. So Marcos, his wife, Moira, Maria Alenso, Patricia and Magdelena and I had some excellent food and Spanish/English fellowshipping with lots of laughs as midnight came and went.
Tomorrow is another full day and it’s time to catch the 2:00 a.m. train. Lots of Light to Vincent & Marilyn Dupont and Mario Morresi who are halfway through the first leg of their trip.
God bless us and good night!
Day 2
Dear J-R, John and Staffers, from Angel:
A short update tonight!
Today was a quiet day in Madrid for me. Doing services and initiations was the focus. My Spanish language and history classes continued at lunch and at dinner with our very loving and expressive Madrid MSIAers educating me in correct use of grammatical tenses and idioms. For me these are working meals, struggling at times to translate my creative and “inspired” thoughts into even simple spanish. Still Esperanza, Arcelia, and Maria among others were terrific in their continuous encouragement and “tough love” having me translate into Spanish their English.
A fun conversation centered around Spanish traditions on Christmas and New Years. December 24th is the day families usually get together over an evening meal, but January 6 is the day they exchange presents in honor of the day the wise men brought presents to the Christ Child. On New Years as the clock strikes the count for midnight, the custom is to eat one grape for every sound of the bell; the 12 grape is to be peeled and eaten. And if you can manage it while you’re eating the grape you also make a wish.
As we ended dinner we went around the table – each of us sharing how we came into MSIA. By the end tears were flowing and faces were shining as we each had delighted in the telling and listening to all our different journeys to the Traveler. All ending in the same Loving.
Thanks for your Light and Loving.
God bless us!
LL, Angel
Day 3
Dear J-R, John and staffers, from Angel:
My last day in Madrid was capped in grand style. I was escorted by a band of 10 Madrid MSIAers, including Magdalena Sanchez and her husband, Angel, and daughter, Patricia, Yulay Sanchez, Esperanza Aguilar, Arcelia, Marta Ruiz, Arturo and Nicolas, Marcos Cajina and his lovely wife, Moira Palfy, for an evening city tour encompassing dinner at the Plaza La Mayor and ending with a Flamenco Spectaculo.
The downtown of Madrid was packed all day with people coming from around the country to watch and cheer the Spanish bicycle race. As we headed downtown we were diverted numerous times because of blocked off streets. My compa
