"Namaste,’ the goodness of God in me, recognizes the goodness of God in you." With these words I began to read the "Peace Message" each day in Europe. After Japan and Korea, our group was sized down from 120 to 40 and we were dispersed throughout Europe. The organizers assigned us to various countries in a seemingly random pattern, yet God choreographed my trip impeccably. I spoke in England, France, Spain, Germany, Norway and Slovakia in seven days.

What an amazing pace. Each day I awoke around 3:00AM, reached an airport by 5:00, flew around 7:00 and arrived in a new country more or less at noon. I visited my new family until 7:00 PM and then gave my speech. The formal gathering lasted until around 9:00 PM. We then talked about spirituality, healing and peace issues until almost midnight. Content, I fell into bed and slept three hours before awakening to begin again.

At each new airport I was greeted by a stranger. But within five minutes the stranger was gone and in his/her stead was my family: a sister, aunt, uncle or cousin to rediscover. Everyday, I fell in love again. As I boarded the plane, I began to anticipate the pleasure of the metamorphosis from stranger to family. I lived in an unusual state of mind where everyone I was with, was my family and everywhere I went was home. It wasn’t a process I tried to do but a state I existed in. The journey was magical. Everyone was gracious. It was a little taste, right here and now, of a global family dedicated to world peace. A true family reunited.

In England, I met a Congolese spiritual teacher and healer who was having great success curing AIDS with a secret herbal brew God had given him. He asked me to help him get his discovery out to a needful world. A friend of mine runs an AIDS clinic in Uganda so I am presently working to connect them.

In Norway, my dear friend Roseweither greeted us at the airport. She and I met earlier this year in the Middle East on a peace tour to Israel, Palestine and Jordan. On that journey we were traveling with Native American leaders and Korean military leaders, including four four-star generals. We were all working to resolve issues between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

The Middle East is a complex tinderbox. Every action is both life-affirming and destructive at the same time. Every action has two sides. If it helps one, it automatically hinders the other. There are no "good guys or bad guys" just complex webs of pain and suffering. The two cultures are but little fishes fighting one another, unaware of the harsh net ensnaring them both.

The one radiant light I found in Israel is Neve Shalom. In this beautiful community, an equal number of Israeli and Palestinian families are living and working together. Their children are being raised bilingually and celebrate each others’ holidays together. They are growing up in friendship in a community devoid of prejudice. The adults work shoulder to shoulder sorting their way through the madness and mayhem of their clashing cultures. Neve Shalom is truly an oasis of peace. They have a waiting list a mile long. A great many people want to live in peace and are willing to work through the issues. Their idealism is hindered by the lack of land upon which to expand. If a non-Jewish, non-Arab group were to buy a large piece of land in Israel, they could lease it to Neve Shalom for a second settlement. On a grassroots level, this is a powerful way to seed peace in the Middle East. The community offers many public events to garner economic support.

In Lille, France, I met a group of women who felt so familiar; we must have known each other for lifetimes. Time stood still. Our one evening was so rich; it will live in my memory always. I hope to return to Lille in the springtime and visit my dear sisters when all our creativity is in bloom.

I was driven to Slovakia where I met a wonderful group of people. When I told them that my father had grown up somewhere in Czechoslovakia on the Hungarian border, they told me that this is where I am. They showed me the Jewish ghetto where my father may have lived. In this lovely little city, I reconnected with my ancestral roots. I felt very grateful to God, fate, and the peace tour organizers for allowing me to experience a taste of my own family’s history.

The very next day I flew to Munich. On the highway, we passed an exit sign to Dachau, the concentration camp where my little sister and brother were murdered. Intense energetic waves passed through me. I suddenly understood that even though I cannot go back in time to save my little siblings, I work for peace so no more little children will die. That day, I opened my heart even wider to love the German people more deeply. It turned out to be a very rich and satisfying experience. The people I met were very kind.

Spain was a treat. I was sent to Malaga, jewel of the Mediterranean. My guide was a wonderful historian. He expanded my understanding of the culture by insightfully explaining the connection between the Inquisition and Spain’s present social issues. This glorious autumn day was spent high in the hills overlooking the sea. There were ten of us seated on the terrace, savoring a wonderful Castilian feast, while we discussed our spiritual awakenings. Everyone around the table was a practitioner of some form of healing. We had much to share, while all their children played quietly together in the yard.

When the time for the presentation approached, about twenty adults and a dozen children arrived. The children formed their own circle and enthusiastically participated all in the rituals. After every paragraph I read in English, someone in the group read the Spanish translation. Everyone participated to make this wonderful night a group creation. After the guests left, the core group from the afternoon stayed on to chew on this fascinating topic of peace a little more.

The last country I visited in Europe was Switzerland. My new sister, Hanna and I hiked over emerald green rolling hills and through sweet little villages filled with small winding roads and window boxes overflowing with colorful flowers. As we strolled beneath a canopy of trees, we delved deep into each other’s lives. Each day of the journey was a week long and this particular afternoon was timeless.

The evening presentation went wonderfully. Only a few people attended but they were enthusiastically inspired. Several said I had renewed their faith. Their sincerity touched me deeply. My Swiss family was wonderfully generous to me. They bought me all the little things I needed for Africa: bug spray to quiet my fear of malaria and a sleeping net to keep out the mosquitoes.

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