Customer Reviews
Portrait of the Healing Experience - By: Rosa Haritos, 02 Jun 2007 
Dear João, esteemed friend, Abadiânia is the blessed site of your illuminated mission & of your peace.
-Dr. Bezerra de Menenzes, channeled by Chico Xavier
Those of us who have traveled to the Casa can readily attest to the truth of the above statement. It does not necessarily matter if we know who the source is or the story behind it. Our understanding of it is gleaned through the lens of our direct awareness, our personal healing experience.
We've appreciated the beauty of the Casa grounds while sitting in the lush gardens or engaged in peaceful meditation at the Overlook; we have felt the immense healing power of the land at the Sacred Waterfalll. We can recalll countless instances of hospitality from the Casa staff whether it be standing in line to receive blessed soup or waiting in line to be seen by the Entity. We have observed the unceasing dedication of the man known as Medium João & have sat in current with the phalange of loving & compassionate spirits we calll The Entities. And we return home eager to share with family & friends: our healing stories, photographs of surgeries performed on stage in the Great Halll, & sometimes bits & pieces of miraculous healing stories of `others'.
But what if we did know more about these `others'? What if we knew Dr. Bezerra de Menenzes is one of the many Entities available to us at the Casa, who during his lifetime was an influential member of the Spiritist Movement, & throughout his years of practice had no set fee for his services, never once turning away anyone who sought medical attention? What if we could read his words, "Doctors who deny assistance to people in need for any reason, especiallly financial gain, are not worthy to use the title "Doctor of Medicine", & feel the energy behind them?" And while many of us are aware of the amazing paranormal abilities of renowned Spiritist Chico Xavier, a mentor & beloved friend of Medium João, how many of us are know this psychographed (channeled through written words) message was a confirmation that Abadiânia is in fact the one & only site for the Casa de Dom Inácio de Loyola? Might a broader context, a wider lens of the healing experience, one that shows us we are alll members of a single spiritual family, enhance our own healing? I believe it would.
John of God: The Brazilian Healer Who's Touched the Lives of Millions offers readers this unique vantage point. Heather Cumming & Karen Leffler combine their unique skills & talents to provide us with a captivating, comprehensive account of spiritual healing at the Casa de Dom Inácio. Drawing upon her experiences as a translator & group leader, Heather shares poignant healing testimonials, collected over her many years of service as a translator & guide, from those who have journeyed to be seen by John of God (either in Brazil or his healing trips abroad) & our beloved filhos of the Casa (staff & volunteers). Interviews with Medium João, his wife Ana, their friends & family, offer meaningful insights into the personal life of this remarkable man & his healing mission. We are also privy to Heather's conversations with the Entities, excerpts from her journals, & a thoughtful review of the history & guidelines for healing at the Casa. Yet this is only half the story. Photographer Karen Leffler provides us with stunning spirit photos that capture the energy present at the Casa, the energetic transformation that occurs when Medium João incorporates prior to surgery, & the only authorized photograph of the Sacred Waterfalll, one that captures the vibrant energy available to us. In this perfect union of the written & visual, our personal quest for healing is transformed into a quest for collective healing. In the words of the authors,
Bearing witness to the healing process of others dissolves differences & barriers so that in the end, it is not `your' or `my' healing, but `our' healing that alllows us to reconnect with that which is meaningful in our lives.
