by Angel Harper, photos by Angel
Click here to view photo slideshow by Angel Harper from the MSIA travel staff trip in South America, 2009 DAY 1 - from Los Angeles to Caracas Our alarms have us rising this morning before the sun...way before the sun...so we can get to the airport by 4am. Vincent and Lesley Dupont rendezvous with Celia Allen-Graham and myself to check in for our day long travel from Los Angeles to Caracas, Venezuela. Roger Wakefield, from NOW Crew, in spiritual warrior mode, delivers to us the sound cases that will travel with us...what a guy to get up in the middle of the night! We're in a mellow, go with the flow mood as we go through the check-in and security process. Before we know it we're boarding and settling into our seats for our first flight of the day to Miami. Some of us are asleep by the time the plane is up...I watch the movie and have some breakfast and then join the out-of-body part of our gang for a little dozing and a little se/z/ing. Once in Miami we relax in the lounge appreciating some time to download emails and grab a bite to eat. We girls are already in the one-ness as we see that we're each reading the latest Dan Brown book....ah yes, good to keep well-rounded... Soon it's time to board our flight from Miami to Caracas and between reading and napping the flight seems to be over very quickly. No sooner do we disembark than we see Ani Pacheco, from Bogota, who will be joining us as part of our travel staff for this trip. It's great to see her again and she's also a great help in whisking us through immigration and customs. It takes a while for the luggage to come but when it does we get right through customs...Vincent and Ani had just a little blip with the customs clerk and then they join us outside hugging and greeting our good and old friends Santos Gomez and Gaby Grigorescu and Armando. They are such loves and take charge right away. Again in such a smooth fashion we are herded, boarded onto a van and are now snaking up the mountain on our way into Caracas. Lots of catching up on the way too. No matter how many years I've come to Caracas as we drive through these mountains I still feel like I'm coming into a frontier town with gunslingers...goodness knows what imagination is drawing from here. Caracas is teaming with cars going every which way in this city nestled in the valley of the mountains. Hotel check-in is another breeze and then some of us choose to have a quiet night and others of us choose to go to dinner at our special restaurant, Limoncello. The servers there are so friendly and helpful and go out of their way to make sure we have no onion/garlic or pork in our food. Our friends have a special surprise for me in the form of a birthday torte. Even though I had been trying to be under the radar with my birthday they had sussed it out and the celebration was fun complete with singing Happy Birthday Venezuelan, Colombian and Brazilian style. Great fun!! We take a moment to bless the land, bless and send Light to our whole trip and bless ourselves. Happy, well-fed and nourished in many ways we retire for the evening, each of us to complete the day in our own special way and prepare for the Traveler to be with us in our dreams and in the flesh tomorrow. Vaya con Dios! DAY 2 – Caracas We're in arepa country! Arepas are these wonderful thick corn mini-pancakes that go with just about everything. We stuff them with anything from butter and honey or jam at breakfast, to chicken, avocado, cheese and more at any other time of day. Yum! After breakfast las chicas--we girls--start our day of Services while Vincent with Armando, as his willing assistant, head for the event location to set up for tonight's Q&A and tomorrow's workshop. We girls have fun visiting with friends who come in for Services and we meet some new friends who are getting Services for the very first time. While at lunch we hear that John Morton and Leigh Taylor-Young have arrived at the airport and are on their way to our hotel with Gaby. Magaly Sanchez and Santos keep us company at lunch and we're like a bunch of magpies or chickens chirping away with Santos as the king rooster. Back to Services we go and the afternoon flies by. We've barely time to freshen up and then ride over to the event location which is near a famous landmark, at least for us, the Tamanaco Intercontinental. This hotel has many nostalgic memories for me as I recall my first year in Caracas we stayed at this 40's type hotel...done in the grand ol' style. But hey, it's back to the present and saying hello to all the friendly faces who greet us with basitos (kisses) and embracitos (hugs). Soon John and Leigh appear and Santos, our MC for the evening, takes the stage to welcome the group of Discourse Subscribers and introduce John. Mariana Machado is John's translator and both John and Mariana soon take the stage. We are treated tonight to both a seminar and Q&A. Spirit seems to hold us in a velvety embrace and just when we're ready to float off we hear John's Baruch Bashan....and we jump back into our bodies. We wave buenos noches to John and Leigh as they head back ahead of us to the hotel to catch some winks. We follow shortly. What a day! DAY 3 – Caracas John and Leigh are up early with Gaby this morning driving over to appear on Elba Escobar's radio show by 8am. Elba is a beautiful and vivacious woman whose radio show is heard quite a ways around Venezuela. This morning John is her guest for 2 1/2 hours. As John talks and Elba shares about this evening's workshop, people start calling and texting in to register for the evening and ask John questions. It's a wonderful buzz. Meanwhile, we staff are breakfasting and getting ready for a day of Services. Alicia keeps us on purpose and on schedule as we go hour by hour through Services. Lunch has all of us--John and Leigh included--getting together to swap stories and just in general relax and get some nourishment. Magaly has made a special treat for all of us--pumpkin and ginger soup. Goodness...it is pure delight...so great to have a homemade onion/garlic-free soup...and she brings to accompany it some parmesan cheese cassabas (cracker-like) that are yummy. We're like kids around this table just loving her dishing up the soup. Thank you, Magaly. Santos and Gaby have joined us too...and Lana Barreira is with us as she is our balancer-in-training for this trip. We are definitely one lively happy family. Then it's back to lunch and for Vincent back to tweak sound. Once Services are over we have just a few minutes to freshen up and then we girls head over to the workshop. Lots more people here tonight as many have come because of Elba's radio show or have been brought by friends to experience for the first time an MSIA event. The theme tonight is Rest and Rejuvenation with the Beloved. Again Santos is our handsome MC and he quickly gives the stage to John with Mariana again his translator. Leigh makes a special guest appearance doing a meditation. John leads us through some key resting points and takes Q&A too. It is so nice to have a little mini-vacation just by doing some of the "resting" techniques that John shares from John-Roger's book The Rest of Your Life. The assisting team watches over the room as Liz, the team captain keeps an eye overall. At the end of the evening the participants gather around the refreshments and visit and we staff start packing up the equipment as tomorrow we will be flying to Bogota. Santos, Magaly and Gaby escort John and Leigh off for a little dinner. The pack up goes lightly and quickly with a number of laughs--which is always fun. Kenny drives us gals back to the hotel. I'm happy that we get back so quickly to do our own pack-up of clothes. While we're packing, Ani corrals the kitchen into making us a light dinner snack. She is so amazing in that regard no matter where we are Ani seems to get the airport or kitchens to take care of us. Well, there are emails and Skype phone calls to make, maybe a little reading to do, and then it's time for sleep and perhaps to dream with the Travelers. Thanks for all the Light holding us along the way. Buenos noches. Day 4 - From Caracas to Bogota I love travel days...there's a sweet mix of good byes and hellos. A little sadness to say goodbye to our brothers, sisters and friends here in Caracas and the anticipation of seeing our dear brothers, sisters and friends in Bogota. This morning Magaly and Ani go ahead of us to the airport to start check in. Armando and Chuyo have each stopped by for quick hugs and goodbyes. Mariana and her daughter, Sophia, and Gaby play with us while we wait to depart. Sophia brings out the child in each of us as we watch and feed the koi in the bubbling waters of the architected brook in the lobby of our hotel. Then it's into the van for our descent down the mountains to the airport near the ocean. Ani greets us with our boarding passes and passports--thank you, Ani---and sweet hugs and besos goodbye to our three musketeers, Magaly, Santos and Gaby. Our deepest thanks beyond words for all your loving and caring, and to all those in this fun and beautiful Caracas MSIA community who took care of us. Our flight to Bogota is quick and soon we see the shining faces of our new hosts, John Marin and his wife, Virginia, our spirited Ana Maria Gonzalez and her groom-to-be and wonderful, Felipe, and father and son duo, Hugo and Erwin Gallo. Such a great welcoming! Bags in the van, our bodies in the cars and we're gabbing away catching up as fast as we can on the way to our hotel. At our hotel the MSS 3 class is in full swing. They just happen to have a break as we check in and we're hugged and loved as we get our room numbers. The catching up and fun teasing continues all the way through dinner at our favorite little Italian restaurant on the old square near our hotel. Already with full stomachs we're drifting off and it's time to lay these bodies down...a few more emails...a touch of reading and off we go to sleep. Day 5 – Bogota Oooh, must be the altitude that got to me this morning. My head is pounding and aspirin doesn't touch it. Ah, life on the road does have some bumps. Still there's much to be happy about as I look out and see the lofty mountain beyond my window and the green park below. Thank goodness for espresso and loving hands on my shoulders, the pain ebbs and the fun comes in. Happy bubbling spirits all over this morning as we greet anew old friends and meet some new ones as Services get underway. Ilse Arango is our mistress of Services and though she is in the MSS 3 this morning still has organized able assistance for us. Ana Maria Arango, is our translator par excellence, throughout the day. It's a full day too. John is on for sharing at the Masters class this morning, then Vincent heads over to Torre Samsung for set up for tonight's workshop. Les girls do Services. Our lunch break provides us with one of our favorite Colombian taste treats, Ajiaco, a divine soup made of chicken, carrots, potatoes, corn and wonderful herbs....just the ticket for nourishment and comfort...not to mention the sides of avocado, rice, capers and fresh cream, and arepas...if you want them. Ana Maria Gonzalez seems to be everywhere today...my heart is so happy to have her spitfire loving and joyful expressions around us. Once Services are done we head nearby to prepare for the workshop. As we enter the building there is a throng of people waiting to get in. A baby blessing is scheduled and quickly becomes part of the workshop program. Carmina Lopez is our glowing MC. She welcomes the group and introduces Juan Antonio, Sandra and Helena Ortiz who play on violins and piano a Bach Concerto. Wow, what a lovely and rich way to prepare the space for Resting and Rejuvenating with the Beloved, our theme for tonight's open workshop. John Morton is introduced and welcomes and invites the baby and family to the stage for the blessing. But, the baby has other plans so we have a rain check to possibly tomorrow for the baby blessing. These little Souls know the perfect timing for their blessings and tonight's not to be. Flowing with the Spirit, John and his companero and translator, John Marin, get us underway into relaxing and experiencing "resting points" that can bring us to a profound rest right in the moment. I get to lead the group in an exercise of breathing and find myself experiencing that rest that comes with letting go and letting God...such a blessing. The peace that surpasses understanding surrounds and holds us and we float out at the evening's end to sleep in the arms of the Beloved...after just a few more emails of course. You just gotta love emails...the Beloved is in them too. Day 6 – Bogota Whoa! We're off and running full speed this morning. Initiations, Services. Then we break for more ajiaco and a de-brief with our eager MSIA and PTS Bogota Reps -- Ligia Marcela, Carolina Rodriguez, Martha Cortes, Pablo Lipinsky, and our uncorked and fun Ana Maria G. The air is playful and sincere as we combine joking and updating looking at what is working and what refinements on both ends can be done. There is much gratitude all the way around for participating together in the Traveler's work...a little more ajiaco and then off to the next round of Services and initiations. Just enough time for a quick freshen up and we're on to ordinations and yes, the baby has her blessing, and then Ilsa Chavarriaga Penuela welcomes us as ministers and initiates for a Question and Answer Seminar with the Traveler. Bringing in the beauty of movement Amalia Munoz dances Arabian style for us and then our multi-talented, Ani Pacheco, leads the group in the song Amigos expressing deep gratitude to the Traveler as the friend that is always there for us. The rest of the evening is dedicated to and expands on that blessed, enduring relationship and presence the Traveler carries with his initiates. It is hard to stay in our bodies but somehow we manage to get back in just enough to pack up. Amazing how grounding coiling cable and putting machines into foam packing can be. Looks like it's the mini-bar for dinner tonight...salted peanuts hit the spot as now we pack up for tomorrow we'll have Services and then a long flight to Chile. My goodness, the email is full-on tonight too. Even though we're on a different continent I'm always amazed how life continues on full-throttle...keeps it exciting. Well, enough excitement for today...how 'bout a few se's and some sleep. Take it away, Viajero, por favor! DAY 7 - from Bogota to Santiago Though we're traveling later today there's still a bit more to do here in Bogota. We gather for breakfast...I'm just loving this fresh papaya and the special star-shaped fruit that's indigenous to Colombia. All staff are doing Services and then we have our final lunch back at Amarti. The Arango trio -- Alberto, Ilse and Ana Maria -- keep us company and soon we are joined by Ana Maria G and Felipe. We are so happy to be filled with good food, good company and good laughter. We toast the soon to be married couple realizing when next we see them they'll be married. Light and happiness to Ana Maria and Felipe. Then we grab our hand carries and head out to the airport. Ani has already gone ahead to the airport and is preparing our way. There's an unusual amount of traffic tonight. I fall asleep listening to the gentle talking and laughter of Alberto, Celia and Lana in my car. When I awake we're still a few minutes from the airport, but right behind Ana Maria and Felipe's group. Ah, must say goodbye again to our sweet friends...sniff, sniff. Our hearts have had the best time being close again. Hasta ano proximo! Y muchissimas gracias por sus amorisidad y cuidando por nosotros! Once in the airport we huddle waiting for Ani to appear. we're not alone for long as soon Pablo, Kaiser, and Veronica join us...Veronica to fly with us to Santiago, Pablo's going to Caracas and Kaiser back to Lima...Ligia Marcela to drop off Kaiser...how fun to touch in again. Then comes John Marin and Virginia to be with us 'til we get to immigration. Still no Ani...the clock is ticking. John Morton takes out his computer...usually guaranteed to bring on whatever we've been waiting for...but it isn't 'til Leigh pulls her computer out that there's magic, and here comes Ani to hand out our boarding passes. Our merry band escalate up to immigration. We take extra long and double-hug Virginia and John...we know the year will fly by and maybe we'll see them at Conference...we get thoroughly checked and secured and finally we board the plane...settling in for our overnight flight to Santiago. Our love and thanks to each of our Colombian MSIA family. Your big hearts make us so welcome. We are deeply grateful! DAY 8- in Santiago Boy, that was a quick flight! Try as we might Celia and I could only catnap, but hey, the Harry Potter movie was fun and I almost finished my book...and the s.e.'s were dreamy. As our gang debarks our plane and walk towards immigration we find ourselves in that zone of being half out of the body. We are blessed with an easy pass through immigration and customs and are welcomed, hugged and ushered to our cars by Ana Maria, Joaquin, Pepi, and Pecki. Nothing to do but go with the flow...brr, it's cooler here than Bogota...they are having more rain and cold than expected...figures there are always surprises that seem to come with the Traveler's arrival. Dear staff person, Nora Valenzuela, has prepared our rooms and is waiting for us. Ah, Happiness is having our sleeping rooms all ready for early early check-in...6:30am. Good news--breakfast is open. Though we could go to sleep, we are hungry and opt to eat together with Nora before catching some winks fully supine. John and Leigh provide a new coffee for our tasting and Vincent supplies the French press. As a special treat he prepares the coffee in true French style...it is so worth the weight. Now that our tummies are satisfied, we can hardly wait to lay down the bodies...it's a free form day today for each of us. I for one am delighted to get some exercise and enjoy the beautiful water-fall and terrace near the pool outside of our hotel. Celia and I venture out to see some of the neighborhood and a huge nearby mall...noting some late night dining spots for possible forays in the next few days...then it's back to the hotel for email and dress for our social time with our Santiago MSIA family. What a lovely presentation of tapas and juices this evening! Ana Maria Corvalan, co-MSIA Rep with Veronica Zarate, welcomes us and calls us forward into the Light. As we hold hands and chant, we touch to each other marveling at this Chilean face of our South American family. John shares with us for a few minutes. While still holding hands, he leads us in a blessing of Santiago and all of South America. He reminds us how just 20 years ago this week, the Berlin Wall came down and how he was with J-R when J-R and the MSIAers with him, put the "worm" in the wall just a year and some before it fell. For the next couple of hours we laugh and share how our year has been with one another. I'm loving the guacamole 'cuz it's rare we get to have it without onion and garlic. I also enjoy the chirimoya and strawberry juice mocktail. So many of our long-time friends-Reymi, Maria Cristina, Jany, Miriam, Nigel and Helio, and many many more have come to just to spend a few moments welcoming us here. My yawn signals me and the rest of staff that though we may have had a little nap earlier, we could use a little more rest. More hugs and then off we go to finish our day and tuck ourselves in. Lots more to come. Thanks for your Light along the way. It is so very welcomed and appreciated! |
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