Dear Friends and Family, I recently returned from two weeks in Fortaleza, Brazil where I had the honor of serving in this years “Mission of Light”. For the past four years now, friend, colleague and mentor Lou Corleto has been organizing a chiropractic mission trip of service. I met up with 40 other chiropractors from the States there in Brazil and in 5 days we “set Free” between 30,000 and 40,000 people through chiropractic adjustments!

Dear Friend, as you have seen with your eyes, the social situation is not so good in brazil. It’s a hard life here. Life here don’t worth nothing, too much violence; it’s too easy to die here so hard survive; people live scared, like prisoners in their homes. They don’t trust in others. No one trust in no one. That is the result of a criminal political administration, producing poverty, fear, violence, depression, a lot of negative energies. It happens in all of Brazil not only in the NorthEast region. But here, people is abandoned to their destinies. “Your work, it wasn’t a simple medical treatment, it was human contact, the way you touch them. After the treatment, they felt happy and not only wellness. The secret is in human contact, a person shares good vibrations, good energies with other persons through the hands. They feel this at the end, good feelings and energies. To know that exist a person doing that, free, without any payment, just to do wellness for them, hope reborn.

I hope a day, people like you will establish here to give them this great present of love, like a mission of life. It will be people helping you and many people against you; it will be not so easy, but we will help you because I won’t see this person smiling of love. Think about it; you are necessary more here than in the USA because here it doesn’t exit practice love with the power of hands.If you will want to do this beautiful experience we will help you.”

(note: the above message is from an Italian, now living in Brasil, who translated for a few days during the 2004 mission)

Dear Friends and Family, I recently returned from two weeks in Fortaleza, Brazil where I had the honor of serving in this years “Mission of Light”. For the past four years now, friend, colleague and mentor Lou Corleto has been organizing a chiropractic mission trip of service. I met up with 40 other chiropractors from the States there in Brazil and in 5 days we “set Free” between 30,000 and 40,000 people through chiropractic adjustments! Our “base camp” was a beautiful, modest convent in the middle of the misery where the majority of the world’s population lives. It was a sacred sanctuary whose lush tropical gardens nurtured, comforted and enriched our beings as we gave ourselves totally into service. The head sister was a gentle, humble angel who made sure that our bodies were always provided with fresh tropical fruits and juices in the morning and healthy dinners in the evenings. I will never forget her gentle manner and the feeling of total respect that I felt for her lifetime commitment to God and service.

The 40 chiropractors were divided up into 13 different sites throughout the city. Some were chosen to serve in churches, others in community centers, schools, centers for the terminally ill… Each morning we would be picked up by groups of people who cared for us throughout the week, shuttled us back and forth, translated, fed us, held us, cried with us, served alongside us. There are no words to express my enormous gratitude, love and admiration that I have for the two angels who served us: Fatima and Ione. They could not have protected, nurtured and aided us more. Their un relinquishing spirit made my efforts look easy. I will hold the two of them close to my heart for the rest of my life. At my particular site I had the enormous honor to serve alongside three absolutely beautiful people. I was impressed with their stamina, shear will and total commitment to chiropractic. We served in an open-air church in a mostly middle class community. Every morning Fatima and Ione would arrive to deliver us to the people of their parish. We were greeted every morning and afternoon by 200-300 people standing, clapping and singing our praise. After a short prayer amongst ourselves asking for the Light to envelope, fill and guide us throughout the day we would begin checking people. Within the first hour we were all taken outside of ourselves and diffused into the infinite web of existence. No longer existed the pain of the past nor the anxiety of the future. We were in the present. Conscious only of the very moment and the person before us. Dancing with the formless flow which is life. We were not conscious of anything around us, our physical needs, nor our egos. We were pure columns of light transmitting love. Several times during the week Lou would say, “Wait til the last day. You’re gonna have your hearts torn out. If you don’t break then you better check your pulse cause there’s something wrong.”

On the last day of the mission we began the day by asking the parish to join hands with us as we asked for God’s blessing. I became overwhelmed with the sheer bliss of gratitude. Gratitude towards God, the path that I’ve been chosen to follow, the people of Fortaleza, Fatima and Ione, the three others who served alongside me… My heart opened wide as it was filled with complete gratitude, a feeling which continues with me still to this day in every minute. The last week I had planned to travel by myself to a desolate beach for several days of well-deserved relaxation. However, it became quite apparent that I would need absolutely every minute possible with the others in order to try and begin to assimilate all that had happened. I hadn’t realized the subtle process that had occurred which had transported me outside of myself where I had lived for past 5 days. The process of re-entry into my body was difficult, however, made easier by going to the airport every day to say goodbye to fellow DCs as they returned to their respected practices.

I spent the first few days in bed upon returning to Argentina. Not from physical exhaustion but from the overpowering waves of energy that would course through my body in half hour intervals accompanied by feelings of sadness, gratitude and surrender. Fortunately I was comforted by a friend who was by my side as I gave myself to the process which transformed me. I wasn’t quite sure what it would be like to return to the practice on Monday and I quite frankly feared the experience. Feared to have lost some of the magic I felt for my practice members here in Mendoza. Feared returning to the mental chatter which dominates so much of our daily lives. But what I discovered was that the overwhelming love which had brought me to my knees in gratitude in Brazil I had created right here in my daily life. I realized that I’ve been creating a life of love, service and compassion right here in Mendoza.

The days since my return have been filled with many lessons. I was originally challenged with desires to move to Brazil in order to live. I felt so comfortable in the beauty that is Fortaleza; long white sandy beaches, warm Atlantic waters, bright spring sunshine. Overwhelmed with the joy, smiles and huge hearts the Brazilian people have. But I knew enough that my emotions were at play and that I had not seen things clearly as I was vibrating at a higher frequency. How many times in my life had I fallen in love; gotten married, had children and lived my entire life all within the first few days only to fall out of love. I knew better than to react to my emotions. Since my return it has become extremely clear that my life is no longer my life. That I can no longer make decisions for myself. My life is a life of service. I’ve since discovered a rd-dedication to my mission here in Argentina. A new desire to complete what I set out to accomplish.

From time to time many of the faces of the people that I served in Brazil flash before my eyes. Serving as constant reminders of the blessings that each face brought into my life. I will never forget the experience nor the transformation which has occurred for me. Each day my mission in life becomes clearer and clearer as I dedicate myself further into service.

May all of you find purpose and live with certainty,
Rak (Ken Rakowicz, DC)