After months of planning and organizing hundreds of logistics for our three week trip to South America with John Morton and Leigh and staff, getting onto the first flight is actually a moment of calm. There\u2019s nothing to do but sit back, breathe and enjoy the no-thingness until I get to Miami and meet up with Vincent Dupont for our nine hour overnight flight to Santiago, Chile. I treasure this time as I know that once our feet touch Chilean ground we will be off and running. Vincent and I have a happy but short-lived reunion in the Admiral\u2019s Club. Before we can get too comfortable we are informed that the Club closes in five minutes so we are escorted out and decide to make the best of it and get some exercise with our hand carry bags in tow. Thank God for wheels on the bags, simple pleasures of travel to be grateful for. We walk and window shop, up and down the concourses, growing a little punchy as we near midnight.\u00a0 Finally boarding is called and we settle in for the ride in our eerily blue lit time capsule that will fly us over the Andes mountains and deposit us at the break of the next day in Santiago. Flying over the Andes<\/em> <\/p>\n SANTIAGO \u2013 DAY 2<\/strong><\/p>\n We breeze through immigration and customs and into the waiting embraces of Pedro Domancic, the godfather of the MSIA Chilean community, and Jose Caraball, whose joyous camaraderie entices us to enjoy a caf\u00e9 cortado and relax. Why not?! Jet lag and not a lot of sleep makes us easy to convince to just sit and enjoy the fun company. The first cortado of the trip and it is yummy. Then we go to our cars, load ourselves and the luggage and head to our hotel where check in awaits along with our smiling services coordinator, Gema Vial. She makes sure we each have water, services supplies and a few snacks. Though our beds call to us we\u2019re too excited so we begin to unpack and head down for some serious food. Jose keeps us company and keeps us awake enough, regaling us with his enthusiastic takes on life. From our restaurant we see the towering Andes. They stand around us like silent guardians of the city. The end of October is like our end of April. It\u2019s spring in the valley but snow lays thick still atop the mountains. We make plans to get together for dinner and perhaps be joined by Paulo Fortes and Ricky Valle who are balancers and in training to take their next steps in learning AB2\u2019s for Ricky and AB3\/touchups for Paulo. Lana Barreira will be coming in late tonight and be my roomie for this part of the trip. Lana is a balancer who is in training to learn the aura balance 3\u2019s and touchups.\u00a0 It is always fun and exciting as our traveling team comes together and we become a tightly knit band of brothers working like a finely tuned loving machine.<\/p>\n SANTIAGO \u2013 DAY 3<\/strong><\/p>\n Ooooh, morning comes quickly and Lana gets some music going so we can get our sleepy bodies moving. Since we use our rooms for services, we have to get ourselves up and out so that the housekeepers can be about tidying up the rooms in time for the first service which luckily today starts at 12noon. It\u2019s hard to stay lethargic when the music gets going. I make up my own words which make us laugh. This and doing Walking in Light in the shower keeps everything light and soon we go to breakfast and are joined by \u201cthe guys\u201d-Vincent, Ricky and Paulo. Each hotel has its own character and the breakfasts reflect if the hotel is luxurious or is more business\/family. We\u2019re in the business\/family type of hotel which works just fine especially as the baristas know how to make a good double espresso. We look at the day\u2019s schedule and decide which trainee goes with me and which with Vincent and which will do an AB1, 2 or Polarity. They take turns sitting in. After our powwow we head to the services greeter\u2019s station in the waiting area and Gema greets us with warm hugs and alerts us to some changes. Changes are a way of life where services are concerned. We get continual opportunities to learn flexibility and creativity. We tell her to keep an eye out for Roger Wakefield, our audio\/video team member, \u00a0who will also be arriving this morning. Then it\u2019s \u201c ladies and gentlemen start your engines\u201d and off we go.<\/p>\n The morning whips by and soon it\u2019s time for lunch and Roger has made it, looking a little dazed but smiling. \u00a0Over lunch we catch him up on our evening\u2019s dinner plans and he heads up for a little siesta and we to do an afternoon of services.<\/p>\n Later we join Santiago\u2019s key MSIA volunteers for a rousing dinner walking distance from the hotel. Feels good to get some fresh air and visit with our long-time friends -Claudia and Diego, Veronica Zarate, Gema, Enrique, Gladys, Nora Valenzuela, Pedro and a few more who so lovingly have prepared the place for the Traveler and our staff to be with them. As we visit together John and Leigh are in flight and there is an air of expectancy knowing that they will be with us tomorrow. We toast John Morton who is celebrating his birthday enroute and we send the Light ahead to him, Leigh and all on their plane. Every time we get together with our South American friends it is a Spanish\/English lesson for all concerned, and thank goodness for my Iphone translator app that I can go to in a pinch too.<\/p>\n Walking back to the hotel after dinner feels extra good as I start to accustom myself to eating later at night. I\u2019m so grateful for the fellowshipping and sharing we can do. Then after a welcome shower there\u2019s time for a few emails (yes, the office work and questions from the cities on our itinerary continue rain or shine, no matter where we are).<\/p>\n SANTIAGO \u2013 DAY 4<\/strong><\/p>\n Wuhoo! Happy Birthday Me!<\/p>\n I\u2019ve celebrated many a birthday in Santiago and I\u2019m blessed again with copious hugs renditions of Feliz Cumplea\u00f1os (Happy Birthday), and cake all day long. I love that my kids even manage to find me and sing Happy Birthday on Facetime. The energy picks up too as John and Leigh arrive late this morning. They settle in as we do another round of services and they manage to get in a little siesta time so that they can join us for a grand fiesta in honor of both John and my birthdays.<\/p>\n Diega de la Barra and his beautiful wife Claudia created a magical place and space so that almost 40 of us could feast on Pasta Bolognese and Steak and celebrate the Traveler being with us and our days of birth.<\/p>\n SANTIAGO \u2013 DAY 5<\/strong><\/p>\n Some beloved roadies have swelled our ranks. Dean Davies, Dawn White, Matt and Rita Van Fossan from the US, and Fernando Almensa from Colombia. Even though they are fresh off their planes we see them chatting with our Santiago family members that are waiting for their services. It is truly a family reunion. While we do services, Roger is fully engaged in setting up the a\/v for tonight\u2019s open workshop, Opening to the Divine Presence. The workshop is in person and on Zoom, so Roger has his hands full to get his four computers hooked up so that videos and participants can be seen(Videos) and heard (videos and participants). How he manages to have it all up and running by start time is a divine mystery to me. Ines Bringas as the Team Captain does her best, along with Veronica Zarate, the Santiago MSIA rep and events coordinator, to support Roger so that the whole room is ready.<\/p>\n Veronica is a steady and joyful presence as the Mistress of Ceremony and welcomes Leigh to facilitate the presentation. Leigh prompts us to look at what the Divine Presence is for us and how can we open ourselves more to this Divine Essence. In her joyfilled way Leigh invites John Morton to be with us and John leads us into experiencing that Divine and Sacred Presence. Afterwards we seem to float through packing up the equipment ever so grateful that we actually will have time to rest in the morning as our flight to Mendoza won\u2019t depart until later in the afternoon. God is Good and thank you Traveler!<\/p>\n SANTIAGO to MENDOZA \u2013 DAY 6<\/strong><\/p>\n Ah, so wonderful to sleep in a bit longer this morning. Still there\u2019s lots to do before we depart for the airport. SE\u2019s, exercise, breakfast, and yes more email, and packing, and then we\u2019re downstairs, check out complete, and being loaded up into the van to catch our flight. Everything goes so smoothly with our flight check in that we actually have time for a leisurely late lunch. Some of us find a terrific restaurant called Loyola that has \u201cto die for\u201d olive oil and a very good steak. So far I\u2019ve eaten more bread than I\u2019ve eaten in months. Oh well, it\u2019s because it\u2019s such a good vehicle for the delicious olive oil. What can I say?!<\/p>\n Happily fed we board our short flight to Mendoza, It\u2019s happy SE\u2019ing or SZ\u2019ing or maybe a little of both, and before we know it we\u2019re crossing over the Andes and swooping down into the beautiful city of Mendoza. Vineyards are all around as this is wine country.\u00a0 Charly Gonzalez greets us with hearty hugs and guides us staff to our minibus as he takes John and Leigh to his vehicle. We are now in Argentina.<\/p>\n Leigh Taylor-Young Morton and John Morton with Charly Olsina in Mendoza, 2023<\/em> <\/p>\n <\/p>\n John and Leigh in Mendoza, Argentina, 2023<\/em> <\/p>\n The jacaranda trees are starting to bloom and their delicate purple blossoms frame many picturesque buildings as we travel into the heart of this city. Our little band of Light holders arrives at our new home for the next four days, the Park Hyatt Mendoza, and this is a beautiful luxury hotel. Oh boy, we feel so spoiled from the moment we drive up. Beautiful marble columns form tall arches at the ceiling, even our bathrooms are marble.<\/p>\n Eduardo Vera, Mendoza\u2019s MSIA rep and devoted to the Traveler, is overflowing with his welcome for us as is Sol Ruiz. Florencia Miguel awaits us with our services schedules and supplies. Florencia is a beautiful combination of graceful effectiveness and fun. She makes sure that we have all the water and supplies we need to get services done as efficiently and supportively as possible. Ana Lucia Pacheco, our Ani, joins us and our South American travel team is now complete. While we were in Santiago, Ani was doing some extra services in Buenos Aires. Ani and I settle into our room, as the guys and Lana settle into theirs. It\u2019s a toss up as to whether just to unpack, do email and go to sleep or do a late dinner. The beckoning of our full team being together wins and we have our first dinner in the airy and graceful dining room. We could certainly chat forever, but the next three days will be a marathon of services and events and being with our loving and caring Mendoza family, so we must capitalize on what sleep time we can get. Angel Harper with Eduardo Vera, Mendoza's MSIA Rep<\/em> <\/p>\n MENDOZA \u2013 DAY 7<\/strong><\/p>\n Happy Halloween!<\/p>\n A luscious buffet bedecked with festive Halloween cookies and decorations makes the start of today a treat.<\/p>\n We launch into services even as Roger sets off for the Mendoza events location at Torre Emilia. Eduardo is like a magical, creative visionary and Charly is his right hand man who lays the foundation and helps us with all of the logistics. The Mendoza team is marvelous. They have enthusiastically created together a thriving Insight and MSIA community. Eduardo holds three home seminars a week, most weeks of the year, at his home. The team loves sharing and celebrating the Traveler\u2019s teachings in all ways and it\u2019s infectious in the joy and exuberance that radiates from each of the volunteers. This evening\u2019s event is the What Is Grace? workshop and over half of the attendees are new to MSIA but have attended Insight events and trainings. The room is packed and eager.<\/p>\n Charly is our elegant MC. Sharing wholeheartedly about MSIA he introduces Leigh as the facilitator for the presentation. Riding on the flow of energetic loving Leigh takes the stage and guides our group to look at What is Grace? She directs us to look at what it\u2019s like for us to \u201clive under the law\u201d and what does it take to \u201cLive in Grace.\u201d Which do we want to choose in each moment \u2013 the Grace or the Law? We always have the choice to let go and let God, to step under the consciousness of the Light of the Holy Spirit. John comes forward then to encourage and remind us as J-R would say \u201cthe only Grace is loving God.\u201d By the end of the evening it is as though we\u2019ve just completed a mini-Living in Grace training. We are floating and grateful and there\u2019s more to come tomorrow.<\/p>\n MENDOZA \u2013 DAY 8<\/strong><\/p>\n Hard to believe it is November already. It\u2019s another day of services, forgiving and loving ourselves and giving it all up to God, and the blessings continue. We grab a few hours to have a breakfast meeting with the leadership team \u2013 Eduardo, Charly, Sol, Delia, Florencia and our translator, Nora. We listen as these amazing people share what they are doing as a team, integrating those graduates from Insight who want to participate and know more about the spiritual foundations of Insight and anyone in the community from all walks of life that are called to experience more Spirit in their lives. These meetings give us key information as to how we can better serve and support each community. By the way somewhere after his training in AB#2\u2019s during the Santiago section Ricky is cleared to solo on AB#2\u2019s. Wuhoo! We love it and good job, Ricky!<\/p>\n Tonight\u2019s event is a Q&A for Discourse Subscribers. Charly continues as our Master of Ceremony and we\u2019re gifted an original heartfelt song by Mario Ariniti called Todo Sube (Everything Goes up) to\u00a0 warm the space in our hearts for the Traveler to be with us. It doesn\u2019t seem to matter what the question is the essence of the answer always seems to come to Love. It is the essence, the Divine Presence, and the Grace.<\/p>\n MENDOZA \u2013 DAY 9<\/strong><\/p>\n Today is our last full day in Mendoza. We savor being with each person, watching our balancers in training grow in confidence and attunement and trust in Spirit. I once again am humbled to be a witness to all the goodness and all the loving that is made manifest. Tonight\u2019s event is the Ministers meeting for the Mendoza Ministers. It is wonderful to partake of the fellowship and prayer and chanting together. It is a perfect time amidst our traveling to restore and refresh our ministries and energy. As the meeting ends we take group pictures and selfies with each other, lots of hugs and goodbyes \u2018til the next time, and help Roger to pack up the equipment for tomorrow we head to Buenos Aires.<\/p>\n MENDOZA to BUENOS AIRES \u2013 DAY 10<\/strong><\/p>\n I do love travel days on our trip. There is the fun of going to the next community, and having a few moments when we get to put our feet up, get in some SE\u2019s and chatting amongst ourselves while we wait to board our plane and when we\u2019re on the plane. It\u2019s a quick trip to Buenos Aires and we quickly collect our bags and under the guidance of Juan Cruz Bordeau we are led to the cars and minibus awaiting us. Our hotel is new to us this year; it is the Buenos Aires Marriott, right on the main boulevard 9th<\/sup> of julio, through town. One block up from the hotel is the iconic monument, the Obelisk. For those of you who love facts this obelisk has only one entrance (on its west side) and on its top there are four windows<\/a>, that can only be reached by a straight staircase<\/a> of 206 steps with 7 breaks every 6\u20138 meters (20\u201326\u00a0ft). Roberto Mazzer, Marcelo Sabbi, Marta Gallucci and Diana Berengue and Graciela are all on hand to greet us and assist Roger to get the sound cases into a safe place, and the bags of services supplies and water to each of us. All of these wonderful beings will continuously look after us during our stay here.<\/p>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/Over-the-Andes.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nBeautiful Mendoza<\/em><\/p>\n
\n<\/a><\/p>\nHalloween treats!<\/em><\/p>\nA full room at MSIA event in Mendoza<\/em><\/p>\n