Is faith indispensable to receive the assistance we require? I believe it is. We should not hold onto the limiting belief that unless we constantly work at what we want, what we believe we need, it will not manifest in our lives. We should let go of the fear of not being seen or heard, or wondering, ‘when will I be healed?’ Trust that the most important things in life arrive in their own time not because we’ve ‘earned them’, but because it is our birthright. I look outside my window here in Boulder and marvel at the beauty and persistence of tiny snowflakes that conceal my driveway yet again — a driveway that was immaculate at 8:30 this morning! I’m not enjoying the cold either, a frigid 5 degrees. It’s hard to believe that just a week ago, I was looking out another window, marveling at the lush greenery in Abadiânia Brazil, complaining about the heat and humidity as I walked to the Casa for the morning current session. It’s been seven years since my first visit to John of God and his spiritual healing center, the Casa de Dom Inácio. At that time I knew relatively little about the man, João Teixeira de Faria, or his extraordinary devotion to healing through mediumship; nor of the untiring efforts of the Casa volunteers, guides, and mediums that support the work of the Casa both in Abadiânia and around the world. Thousands of people flock to this tiny village each week in hopes of being cured of what Western medicine perceives as incurable illness: cancer, HIV, mental illness, degenerative neurological disorders, just to name a few. For myself, the experience of being a Daughter of the Casa, a healing medium, has been a powerful and at times, unnerving journey, in trying to understand and integrate the realms of science and faith. I’ve tried to looked beyond the surface – past the miraculous physical operations (eyeball scrapings, Kelly clamps up the nose, physical cutting of skin and often removal of tissue and other matter) performed without anesthesia, with little or no pain for those receiving surgery, and to the instantaneous healing of open wounds without infection- and asked myself what is really going on here? I myself have attended to the aftercare of many of these individuals in the Casa Infirmary, as well as my own clients, and I’ve been privy to their life stories. And in listening to their unique and individual narratives I’ve found some common desires: to overcome feeling lost or discouraged in life to experience greater love and acceptance to let go of anger, despair, hate, judgment, envy and the feeling of not being or having enough a willingness to address these issues on a deeper level in order to evolve and grow, both spiritually and physically And the ever-present existence of faith: a level of trust or confidence in our higher nature, and what we define as the Creator or Universe. And with all that I’ve seen and experienced, on this trip with 32 of the dearest people in the world, and Heather Cumming (my mentor and dear spiritual sister) I had further confirmation of the importance of living one’s faith and more insight as to how science and faith are equally important in our healing. During the second week of my stay I waited to see the Entity to present photographs of friends and clients who were in need of long distance healing. The Entity is able to view a photograph and imbue a special energetic medicine into the herb passiflora: the herb is used as a base to hold this energy so that an individual is able to ingest this regularly and receive healing. As I approached the Entity waived me away and told to come back the next morning on the 8:00 o’clock line. Being ever dutiful and spiritually obedient, I sat in current for the rest of the session and the next morning waited on line again: in the heat, humidity, among hundreds of people! Once more I was waived away and told to return that afternoon in the 2:00 o’clock line. When we stand before the Entity we are actually standing in front of a representative of a much larger group consciousness, what is often referred to as the phalange of spirits. Think of them as medical teams who work with us on our physical, emotional, and psychological health. Sometimes the Entity who is present is not the one working with us, so we are told to return when that Entity, and our spiritual team, is in residence. That afternoon, after an unusually long wait as there were 4 buses that came from the south of Brazil with about 400 people, I stood in line and finally had the opportunity to present my photographs. As I handed the photos and Heather translated for me, the Entity told me, “You know you are a much better person now don’t you?” I smiled and carefully thought about this. I knew the Casa changed all facets of my life. My friends would be the first to agree with the Entity. I am less critical, judgmental, bossy (although I still see bossy as a good thing: knowing what needs to be done and doing it) more patient and accepting. I no longer feel I have to hide my vulnerability or work on forging my protective armor. I let that go and found long ago and when I did, the Universe showed me how loving she is. Free of this armor I live from my heart and easily shared this light with others. So after this ten-second-life review I responded, “Yes father I know and I’m very grateful.” Without missing a beat, as he wrote the last prescription, he smiled and said, “Had you not come to the Casa when you did you would not be walking today. I am the first person who saw you when you arrived.” I glanced at Heather and before I could ask, she asked for me. “Who are you father, are you Dr. Valdivino?” The Entity replied, “No, I am Dr. Oswaldo Cruz”. As Heather ushered me back to the Entity’s current room she quickly said, “Did you hear what he said?” but I was already deep in thought. I heard him. I heard him loud and clear. In January of 2004 I traveled to Brazil for personal reasons: my healing story revolved around my marriage. I never specifically asked the Entity to heal me of degenerative disc disease. I had suffered greatly from misshapen discs and had to give up gymnastics at 16. From then on my life revolved around monthly appointments at the orthopedist and painful sessions with physical therapists. I was too young for disc fusion or surgery so I lived my life around the pain. It was never an issue of faith. After all I experienced at the Casa, I had great faith in the Divine and in myself. And after my first trip I never experienced that pain again. I had no doubt that I was healing but I didn’t give it much thought because I was preoccupied with a more unbearable, emotional pain. And that is what I focused on year after year, giving nothing else a second thought. And now I found I didn’t need to. I might have been narrow in my perception of what I needed for healing but the Entities were not. They healed all of me- mind, body, and spirit. They healed what they saw coming down the road, one possible outcome. And now, that one possible outcome was null and void. As I sat in current and these thoughts swept through my mind I wept. I felt a deep level of being loved and taken care of, just as I did seven years earlier, sitting once more in the Entity’s current room. How amazing to have the opportunity to speak with the Entity who needed to convey the message to me that I had been looked after without asking? Simply holding the intention in my heart of my complete and perfect health? Let me leave you with the following thoughts on the importance of faith for our healing, taken from the book In the Domain of Mediumship, by Francisco C. Xavier, page 195: “In photography we require a negative to hold the image and in electricity a wire for the transmission of electric current. In spiritual assistance, the one in need requires faith to present a ‘favorable tension’. We are not referring to religious fanaticism or to the blind faith of ignorance, but rather to an attitude of intimate assurance, with reverence and submission to Divine Laws, under whose wisdom and love we seek support. Without devotion and respect, we cannot take advantage of the imponderable resources that are offered to us for our own good. A heart that jeers at faith creates an icy barrier around the Soul.” Let’s decide here and now that we live from the knowingness we are always being looked after and the source of our pain is always attended to. Let’s decide to allow spirit to lead us to the people and circumstances we need to continue to heal and evolve with great ease, joy and love.