Day 1, 2 and 3 – Travel to Brisbane
We look forward every year to visiting our MSIA family in Australia. The thirteen hour ride in the airplane is like a mini-vacation as we kick back and enjoy watching movies, doing email and catching as many winks as we can. And then there’s this little phenomenon of losing a day on the way over. Cleora Daily and I are heading first to Brisbane, Queensland which is up north — sort of like the Miami, Florida of Australia — at least weather-wise. But first our plane arrives in Sydney where we go through customs and are met by the lovely, exotic Sumi Menon, the MSIA Rep of New South Wales. Sumi’s warm smile and embrace plus some good old scrambled eggs and a short black ( 1 shot of espresso) is just what’s needed to make us feel at home. With our Australia MSIA Services schedules in hand, we’re ready to transit onto Brisbane.
Vonnie Van Wyck and Tony greet us as we arrive in Brisbane. It’s fun to hear Vonnie’s accent –I’m starting to discern that Australians have different accents like Americans do. We are loaded into the car in no time flat and on our way to our hotel where Vonnie and Tony lovingly say goodbye until tomorrow. Our game plan on getting to the hotel is to keep ourselves awake until night time so we can get on Australian time as much as possible. The trick is to keep moving. So we unpack and head out for what else but “shopping” — well window shopping anyway. We walk all over downtown Brisbane, picking up some fresh fruit juice, and then down to the riverside. The warm breeze is soothing, and at one point we sit on a bench under these thickly leaved green trees and feel the air stroking our cheeks and arms — but not too long because we’ll doze off. Up and more walking, back to the gym for a little yoga — our new addition in the area of exercise — then back to our room. Shower, some emails and it’s dinner time. Wow, we’re still going and right proud of ourselves, but after dinner we find ourselves falling asleep practically standing and we surrender.
Day 4 — Brisbane
It’s a full day of MSIA Services. Julie Chenery from Sydney has come up to help us do the Services here. Adele Newberry and Pat Rowles treat us royally. Pat makes the best soup — like kids we look forward to coming to Brisbane for her soup. Cleora and I are a little punch-drunk by evening with our bodies not quite on Brisbane time. But it’s time to be with our Brisbanite family as we facilitate the Awakening Into Spirit workshop. It’s a full house with a number of very attentive new people and appreciative old-timers. Pam Conder is our MC and David Craven our sound man. We bask in lots of warm eyes and smiles as the evening progresses. How wonderful to share in the Traveler’s teachings and witness the Traveler and Spirit touching to all of us in a deep and joy-filled way! Afterwards there’s tea and biscuits (cookies to us Americans) and back to the hotel for our still jet-lagged bodies.
Meanwhile Vincent Dupont and Mario Morresi, the other half of our staff team, have landed in Sydney and are doing their own grounding rituals as they ready themselves to go into Services tomorrow. We will see them soon.
Day 5 – A little more Brisbane and then to Sydney
This is a light day for Services as we’re traveling onto Sydney this afternoon. One good thing about jetlag is we’re getting up very early in the mornings, around 4-5am, so we’re ready for an early morning walk again. This time we decide to luxuriate and have a morning coffee at the cafe down by the river. Ah, sometimes life doesn’t get any better than this! The early morning soft sunlight glistening off the rippling waters, the shadow and light show playing off the old-fashioned paddle-boats anchored nearby, the gentle humidity in the air, and that balmy breeze, the sounds and smell of espresso and the taste of a smooth macchiato. Thank you, Traveler, for the gift of this moment. And we’re off and running back to the hotel for a few Services and then to the airport to fly to Sydney.
Anita Maria gathers us in Sydney and ferries us to the Stamford Ryde hotel which will be our home and center of all the week’s events. Cleora and I are delighted with our “lagoon” room. We have a balcony that looks out onto the lagoon with its waterfall, koi, palm trees and assorted birds that have these unique calls and colors. At dinner we’re joined by Mario and Vincent and we chat away catching up on what each of us has been doing since we’ve been in Australia, and looking ahead to what needs to be done in preparation for the coming events and John Morton joining us. I love our team!
Day 6 — Sydney
Vincent and I go to Julie Chenery’s for Services today and Mario and Cleora do Services at the hotel. Julie has a lovely home not too far from our hotel. She has a garden, beautiful wood floors, and two happy, peaceful cats who stay outside while we’re doing Services. Chris Haupt, who also does Services joins us today too. Louise Berry makes us a tasty lunch; we greet and do quick catch-up with many sweet friends throughout the day. And then in a blink we’re driving back to our hotel. Vincent is amazing – he just seems to flick an inner switch and is driving on the other side of the road like a veteran. Me — I still find myself trying to remember which way to look when I step off a curb — are the cars coming from my right or is it my left?
Our last free night before the festivities begin, so Cleora and I do a little food shopping for we staff and then catch a movie at the nearby mall. Something about going to a movie and having popcorn is so universal we feel right at home again. Time for email and off to sleep. The Traveler, John Morton, joins us tomorrow. Yeay!
Day 7 – Sydney – the events begin
It’s breakfast time and John is here, having arrived in Sydney at the glowing hour of 6:15am. He’s looking pretty perky for an over the ocean flight, and ,with good humor, checks in with each of us throughout the meal. He won’t be letting any moss accumulate under his feet today as he jumps into the thick and depth of it with a Blessings Fest this evening. In the meantime there are Services to do, and audio/video equipment to set up in two locations. Vincent and Mario go to town with the help of Geoff Hale and Stefan. Bob Zapf is our point person for the entire week’s activities and hotel liaison. With a ready laugh we see Bob coming and going all over the hotel today. Sumi is behind the scenes helping with the preparations for the Blessings Fest.
Seems like a second goes by and it’s 5pm and time for the Blessings Fest that starts with a little schmoozing and juice-sipping lagoon-side with the Traveler. Then we’re ushered into the Brook Restaurant which has been decorated for us. The Traveler magically arranges the seating. Sumi calls us forward into the Light. Marina Shilo shares her delight in holding for these special fundraising events to take place here in Australia. John then gently leads us through the blessing process. First he explains how we can use our Blessing card and then throughout the entire evening he addresses and flows and presents the blessings. We receive and receive and are filled to overflowing. Each time I participate in a Blessings Fest is like the first time. I take time to reflect on what I truly would like to have blessed and be blessed with. But should I forget one, I soon realize that we truly are “one” as I hear that forgotten blessing brought forward through the expression of another’s request. And again I breathe a “Thank You, God.” John continues on until each blessing is attended to and seals the evening with a final blessing. What a day for John who has been strong and clear and loving as jet-lag seems to have been gracefully held at bay until Baruch Bashan is spoken.
Click here to read Days 8 through 12 of the MSIA Staff Trip to Australia with John Morton
