Last Day At The Casa

"I have listened and I have looked with open eyes.

I have poured my soul into the world seeking the unknown within the known.

And I sing out loud in amazement."

Rabindranath Tagore

This is Joanne and I in our "healing whites". Last day for these outfits! Joanne was still recuperating in our room today. I went in front of the Entity this morning and got permission to guide groups down here - Yes!! I sat in "Current" for the last time this afternoon.

Tomorrow morning a friend and I will hike up to the sunrise point, greet the sun and then hike to the Sacred Waterfall for one last cleansing. We will say a teary goodbye to some very dear friends here and leave by taxi for Brasilia. Our taxi driver will take us to the Temple of Good Will, the church of Don Bosco and another cathedral and then to the airport where our flight leaves at 10:00 PM for Atlanta. We are ready to go home ( so eager to see all of you) and sad to leave this sacred place. We will be back.

A Rainbow Day

Joanne and I both went in front of the Entity this morning. He prescribed another surgery for her. I asked him about the neurological condition in my legs (undiagnosed). He smiled beautifully and replied "I will help you". That's it. I also took to the Entity a picture of a friend from Bellingham who is living with a chronic disease.

Joanne had the honor of having her surgery done by the Entity St. Francis Xavier. He rarely shows up and when he does, it's a big deal. He did three physical surgeries on stage and then did the psychic surgeries. She had a powerful surgeon!! I meditated in "current" again for three hours this afternoon so I got a hit of his energy.

Last night Joanne and I went out at night to photograph orbs and Entities of Light. We got a few - am not comfortable posting them on the web. She is on bed rest again until tomorrow afternoon.

While we are here, we are not allowed to eat pork, peppers of any kind or drink alcohol. It is so cool to walk the streets at night and see people from around the world laughing and talking at outdoor cafes and juice bars - having fun with no alcohol in sight!

We had our first thunderstorms today - it was delightfully cool. This full rainbow appeared at our Pousada at 5 pm. I wish I had a wide-enough lens to capture it all.

Hope your day was equally beautiful.

Blessings Continue

"For those who believe, no words are necessary. For those who do not believe, no words are possible." Joao de Deus

I realized last evening, when I chose not to post, that it is getting harder and harder to put this experience into words. So much of what I am experiencing is so profound, ineffable and emotional that I am feeling tender and private about what is happening here. I will say that when I came here I had many faith-based beliefs about what is possible in the realm of healing, what is possible around experiencing God, that we are not alone, etc. These have now morphed into experienced truths. My ground feels so much more solid and there is a peace that passes understanding. . .

Everyday a group of volunteers prepares a vegetable soup for everyone visiting The Casa - it is served at 10:30. It is blessed by the entities and is very nourishing - we are asked to eat it daily. Yesterday I had the privilege of helping to prepare the vegetables for this soup. We're talking a massive amount of vegetables to feed about a 1000 people/day. There are about five different vegetables in the soup ( it is squash based) and all are peeled by hand - there is one electrical machine that chops - one carrot at a time. I was assigned to squash detail -removing seeds and rind. The picture is one of my friends who worked with me on this project. We had such a good time - two hours - about 40 people working. One of the components of Spiritism is service/contribution. This was one way we could give back to this amazing place that does not charge for their healing services (another component is that no one should be charged to be healed by God).

I keep receiving unusual blessings here. Today I had just entered the Current room, preparing to meditate when I heard "Janet Ott!!" It was a woman who had taken two four day workshops from me in 1995 (Context programs). We talked for two hours this afternoon. Her dream in those workshops was to sing professionally - she was VERY shy. Today she has three CD's on Itunes, a thriving international spiritual coaching practice, three E-books, and is here for three months to heal her Lyme Disease. I actually remembered her! It was so great to reconnect - it is a small world...

Also, while I was meditating in the Current Room this morning, someone placed a long-stem white rose in my lap. I asked some guides what this meant and who it was from. They said it was from the Entity - and was a special blessing. I will dry the petals and bring it home.

Joanne and I keep meeting people here who come very frequently over the years. Most of them are literally beams of light. The stories they tell would be unbelievable in any other context. There are fascinating stories about physicians and other health care professionals who come here skeptical and announce their skepticism to the entity. The entities have powerful, creative ways of changing their minds!!

We both feel so blessed to be here and healing is happening.

'Crystal bed' this afternoon

The site we're on sits atop a huge crystal bed. There are so many crystals here that our garden is full of giant formations like the one here. The water at the waterfall has run through these underground crystals and is particularly good at cleansing negative energies.

As I contemplated how to spend this morning (Wed-Fri are healing days), I decided to continue to ask for 'protection from cancer'. The last two times I asked for that, psychic surgeries were prescribed. Today the entity said "crystal bed". Janet and I both have experienced the crystal beds twice so I will be curious to see how today's experience compares. Lying on the bed, there are 7 crystals with flashing light directly aligned with each chakra, designed to facilitate the flow of energy. I scheduled it during lunchtime so I will be available to sit in the current room this afternoon. Janet has done that twice now and this will be my first time.

It's a beautiful day today, not too warm yet bright with sun. At the Casa the air is full of hope. Smaller crowd than last week by a lot. John of God came out to the main gathering area and performed a physical surgery on the stage. I was in the back but could watch the woman's peaceful face during the 90 second procedure. These kind of experiences are the norm here. Another day, another 500+ miracles!

Much time is spent listening to other peoples' experiences. Last night we met a woman at our Pousada from Sandpoint, ID who first came in 2002 with end-stage systemic lupus. She was very close to the end and there was nothing else her doctors could do for her. Without the details, she's here today, beautiful and vibrant. Because of her miraculous story, over 80 people from the Sandpoint area have come here.

Off to another great lunch with fresh papaya, pineapple, watermelon, etc. Too bad it's the end of avocado season :-(

Love, Joanne

Instant Manifestation

Flowers outside our door

It's time for a little comic relief. It's this hammock thing again. Yesterday I walked the labyrinth and asked Spirit to let me see some divine beings, orbs, etc. (They teach you here to ask for what you want - and then say "thank you", assuming it will happen soon... we are collecting many delightful stories of "instant manifestation"!)

After the labyrinth I attempted another hammock-training session, better known as "Can Janet really learn how to rest?" I was lying in the damn thing when it started rockin' and rollin' - I immediately assumed a friend was playing with me (knowing my fear of the hammock). I looked - no one was there. Oh well, I went back to listening to Taize on my Ipod and attempting to relax.

Soon, it started pitching and jerking and shaking so badly I thought I was going to be thrown out. My immediate thought "It's an earthquake!" (The Guatemala earthquake memory is in my cells).

I leapt out of the hammock - adrenalin racing through my body - and ran over to Joanne (who was blissfully sleeping in her hammock. I screamed "Are we having an earthquake???"

As you can probably figure out, there was no earthquake. No one else felt a thing - there wasn't even a breeze. I was told by the medium at the Pousada that this wasn't unusual - the entities were playing with me. After all, I did ask to "see" them, and they know I'm more kinesthetic than visual, so.. I think it's hilarious - sort of.

Easter

Happy Easter to all of you! Our Easter has been unique so far, but very satisfying. I must confess I had fleeting thoughts of wishing I could be with my church family today because I KNOW it was a magnificent service of joy. Also, I'm never known to pass up a chance to sing the Hallelujah Chorus...

Some friends from the Pousada and I walked about a mile up a dirt road to a very high point for the sunrise this morning - about 6:00 am. We had a 360 degree viewpoint of the forests and mists below (we are at 3000 feet here). There were about 40 people up there - it was a do-it-yourself sunrise service. I did Tai Chi - others sang, prayed, did Sun salutation, etc.

The Easter eggs were decorated by a group of Polish women staying at our Pousada - it is a tradition in their country to spend the day decorating the eggs - they were magnificent!

We went to a "service" at The Casa at 9 am. Lay lead by anyone in the group of about 150 people. Folks did spontaneous prayers, poems, and led us all in their favorite songs. Again, it was amazing to say the Lord's Prayer and hear it being said simultaneously in many languages!

After lunch a guide took myself and five Norwegians to the sacred waterfall where so many entities "hang out". No photos allowed. I received an apparent blessing by having several gorgeous butterflies alight on my head and body before I went into the falls.

Margie and others who did the body prayer in the chapel at 9:40: I looked at my watch when it was my turn to enter the falls - 1:40 our time - the exact time you were praying. I received the second baptism of my life in the waterfall - an amazing experience that resulted in my tears mixing with the water. Much more meaningful than the baptism I received at age 10! I have felt so connected to all of you at FCCB all day.

During this time Joanne was connecting with a fascinating woman we met at the Pousada - a psychic and medium who worked at the Casa for years and was cured here of breast cancer - she had a psychic surgery that removed her cancerous breast tumor. Like all the people we are meeting here, her stories are consciousness blowing! Especially amazing are her hundreds of photos on her computer that show entity orbs so clearly in the photos, along with angelic beings of light, etc. We have never seen anything like it.

We are now going to walk the labyrinth again. After that another WONDERFUL Brazilian dinner at our Pousada and then we will engage in more dialogue with the fascinating people here. So many countries represented and also many parts of the US, including Idaho, Vermont and Texas.

We hope you all had a rich and meaningful Easter Sunday.

Just Being

I'm finally In!

Master of the Hammock

"Nothing in all creation is so like God as stillness". Meister Eckhart

OK, part of the major learning these two weeks, especially for yours truly, is about slowing down and being instead of frantically doing. John of God is only at the Casa on Wed, Thurs, and Friday. The rest of the time the Casa is open but only for meditation, crystal beds, prayer, etc.

So, now that Joanne's 24 hr bedtime is up, we are facing four days of "nothing to do". Get this - the entities say NO exercise of any kind for 8 days after surgery - not even 15" walks! No Quigong, no yoga - NADA! I was so looking forward to renting the old rusty one speed bikes they have in this village and riding around. That's out. My eight days is up, however, on Wed.

So, what is there "to do?" Well, walk the labyrinth, read, write, meditate, take pictures, sit in the garden - and LIE IN A HAMMOCK! One of my realizations is that I have hammock issues.

I went to lie in this thing - and immediately flipped over - head over heels and really hurt my hip and back. Interesting. I'm hammock impaired. We actually have one at home - but it hasn't been out of the storage closet for over three years! I obviously need some training - lots of time for that. Joanne has it down as you can see in the picture.

I have never moved so slowly, intentionally and mindfully for this long - except after major surgery on my legs or feet. There is nothing to rush to or for. Quite enlightening!

What are we going to do tomorrow? Watch the sunrise - and then ...

Holy, Holy Good Friday

"There is a balm in Gilead - to make the wounded whole . . ."

I don't know how to capture the experience of today - or this week so far. I so badly want to paint a verbal picture of everything here so you can sense it in some way. That also feels overwhelming. I promise pictures soon. . especially after these coming five days "off"

Joao de Deus is the most powerful medium alive on the earth today. This little man uses his body as a conduit for some very powerful spirits who have chosen to continue their healing work through him.

Joanne and I got to go in front of him again this morning. I found him sitting upright, leaning forward with his eyes open and he extended his hand to me. I was prescribed more herbs and given permission to visit the sacred waterfall with a guide. Joanne was prescribed another surgery and was denied permission. Hopefully she will get it next week and we will be able to go together at least once.

Since Joanne had surgery at 2:00 and my afternoon was free, I got permission to sit in the "entity/current" room for four hours while hundreds of people passed in front of Joao for the afternoon session. About 100-150 people sit in this room meditating for up to five hours or as long as it takes for all the people to see Joao.We sit on both sides of a narrow aisle where people file one-by-one to see John of God. Our job is to raise the vibrations in the room so that the entities can enter. Strict rules: eyes closed entire time - no leaving - no talking - arms and legs uncrossed. It is VERY hot (no air conditioning anywhere in this town!) We are sitting on some-what padded benches. I had some concern as I get intense pain after sitting for more than an hour - I am not a sitter - or a meditator. I wanted to see if I could do it and what my experience would be.

I am SO glad I did. I made it for the whole four hours. Yes, there was discomfort/pain and I breathed through it. I was present when he channeled Mother Mary. I had been told by a guide that she often showed up on Fridays. They play music during these four hours. The hint came when they played at least 30 versions of Ave Maria and Santa Maria! When the second entity came in (I heard it was possibly Saint Ignacio (founder of Jesuits) they switched to classical music and pop inspirational! Based on the music, I think the entities have to have a sense of humor!

I had a profound internal sensory, visual and feeling experience while Mary was there, which I'm not ready to talk about yet. Actually, every time I entered that room to see John of God (twice now) I immediately burst into tears. The love in that room is palpable and I get a physiological experience and my heart just opens in a huge way.

Today, with my eyes closed, hearing the wheelchairs, crutches, walkers move by me (a foot away) and the babies crying (so many people bring their children or babies who apparently have severe birth defects) again I was so moved. This whole experience here is a graceful Tai Chi dance of giving and receiving love.

I am high on this experience. Everything we have read, heard, and witnessed is in total alignment with our belief systems. Now we get to be immersed in the visceral experience for two weeks.

My job until 3:00pm tomorrow is to take care of Joanne. She must totally rest for 24 hrs and I get to wait on her - what a pleasure. Tomorrow I get to lay on a crystal bed for 20 minutes - another new adventure. . .

I have had many Good Fridays and birthdays in exotic locales during my 64 years on this planet. Today is my personal best. . .

PS. I've said The Lord's Prayer so many times now I think I have it down in Portuguese!

Post-operacion

An elegantly gentle day

Moving into stillness

Every breath a prayer

First Time

Joanne and I had a profound morning. I'm not yet ready to put it into words. Suffice it to say that it was an intense energy experience.

John of God prescribed psychic surgery for both of us today at 2:00 our time. After surgery we are required to take a taxi to our Pousada (three blocks away) and go to bed for 24 hrs! Not allowed to read or talk and requested to keep our eyes closed except when eating. They will be bringing our next three meals to us in our rooms. The only time I have ever stayed in bed for 24 hours I was either in a hospital or under a narcotic haze! Huge challenge ahead, I suspect, for me.

They tell us we will be exhausted. There is much love for us here - we will be taken care of. This truly is a Holy Week for everyone here. All is well.

I will check in again after 2:00 tomorrow afternoon. Hold us in your prayers.

La Luz Divina

We arrived at our Pousada (The Divine Light) at 12 noon after a harrowing, nauseous two hour taxi ride - we lived to laugh about it! Our room is very small and spartan. It reminds me of monasteries I stayed in while backpacking in Crete. The grounds are beautiful - we have the only Pousada in town with a walking labyrinth! Some pictures coming tomorrow - maybe.

We spent the very hot afternoon hanging out at the Casa (House of Love) and had the privilege of joining a "sing-a-long" of about sixty folks. We sang mostly hymns (a lot of which Kent has introduced to us in the last year) and secular songs like "Imagine". I cried most of the time - no clue why. . .

Joanne and I are boning up quickly through books and a two hour orientation this evening on the subject of Spiritism. If interested, look up books by Allan Kardec.

We are in good hands. John of God channels 38 entities, including John the Baptist, St. Francis of Assisi and King Solomon! We are really curious to see who shows up for each of us - although we'll never know for sure.

We report to the Casa at 7:30 tomorrow morning to see John of God. They expect two thousand people tomorrow because of Holy Week. The adventure continues. . .

Brasilia

We had an easy, uneventful trip from Bellingham to Brasilia. We left home at 7 am Sunday and arrived Brasilia 7 am Monday. We are four hours later than PST (Mara and Nat: We are on Nova Scotia time!) It was so wonderful to land in sun and heat! We spent the day napping (didn't sleep on the plane) , soaking up sun and swimming in the hotel pool.

Brasilia was built to be the country's capital city in the early sixties. It has some striking modernist architecture and many avenues and thoroughfares - traffic moves smoothly and quickly. Never saw a cyclist. Definitely a city built for cars.

Tomorrow we take a two hour taxi ride to our Pousada. We are eager to leave this city and "open the present" that awaits us in Abadiania.

Blessings Upon Blessings

Joanne and I are both blessed to be part of a women's spirituality group at our church, First Congregational of Bellingham. We call ourselves "Women At the Well". Monthly we drink from the well of love, connection and support.

Last evening our group came together prior to a Lenten service and created for us a blessing ritual for traveling mercies, incorporating prayer, song, water, rocks, and words for the journey. I am a strong believer in the power of ritual - I usually create and facilitate them for others. It was very moving to be on the receiving end - I'm working on this "receiving graciously" thing.

Thank you to Cheryl, Terri, Sharry, Krista, Mary, Sharon, Lisa, Marla and Stevie. Margie - thank you for your word - you were there in spirit.

A huge thank you to two other angels in our lives. Eugenia and Larry own a cleaning business "Angels At Work". Yesterday they both spent 3 hours cleaning our home as a gift. The house is ready for our house-sitter and we have some free time to squeeze in a trip to the Tulip Festival in Skagit County before we leave.

PS. To those of you who told me you wanted to leave comments but didn't want to hassle with a Google account, just check "anonymous" after your comment and put your name in the body of your post. Easy.

Prayer Flags packed

In preparation for this much-anticipated healing journey, I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching, particularly about setting intentions for this experience. Since the power of focus is, well, powerful, I came up with 5 words that resonate with the qualities I’d like embody.

This last week I spent 4 days in Port Townsend (Fort Worden State Park) at ArtFest, truly a feast for artists of all kinds. Of the three classes I took, the first one about making Prayer Flags, helped me focus on the things I will want to remember while in Abadiania. Narrowing the word selection was most challenging, followed by finding the perfect images.

Drum roll please: Vitality, Health, Heart Song, Courage and Creativity. These flags will be on display in our room at Luz Divina (Divine Light), the name of our guest house.

We're Back!!

Wow - it's been 3.5 years since I last posted. It's been quite a roller coaster ride on this healing journey. Joanne's longest remission was about 22 months. We had a wonderful three week trip to Vietnam in November, 09. Upon our return, we discovered the cancer was back and Joanne went into chemo again. The last remission was about 7 months long. She just finished another long round of chemo last week. Her cancer marker, her CA 125, is now normal again.

It's now time to explore other options for healing, as the chemo has taken a heavy toll on Joanne.

I've restarted this blog because we are about to embark on another adventure - a two week trip to Brazil to visit John of God. John of God is a powerful spiritual healing medium who has a clinic, Casa de Dom Inacio in the small village of Abadiania, about 60 miles from Brasilia.

We've known about John of God for years, but lately have been encountering many friends who have been there. All report it to be a "life-transforming" experience. We decided to sign up for that!

Both of us will participate in the "treatments". I'm hoping for healing from some chronic painful orthopedic conditions and some heartache. Joanne is obviously focusing on her cancer.

We know that healing occurs on many levels, and it is difficult to not live in hope of physical healing also. We believe we have nothing to lose.

We fly to Brazil on the 17th of April. We will be spending Holy Week and my birthday in Abadiania. We both are eagerly anticipating this adventure. Stay tuned for further updates and please hold us in your prayers.