In December 2016, we were a given a first time opportunity to offer the Journey of the Gift Seeds at the Asian Rural Institute in Tochigi, Japan. Participants were rural leaders from Asia, Africa, South America and the Pacific, residing at Asian Rural Institute during their residential program, along with teachers and volunteer staff.

As part of our preparation, we asked for interviews with eight different rural leaders. The purpose of the interview was to deeply understand who they were and their experience around healing, reconciliation and forgiveness. During the interview process, over several days, we listened to incredibly deep stories about their lives, and how they overcame exceptional challenges including war, social disruption and community disasters. The experience was remarkable and overwhelming. When asked if healing was possible, each one in turn, without a doubt, said yes. When asked if forgiveness was possible, they once again, said without a doubt, yes. And when asked, “How is that possible?” we heard “When we forgive, we can truly heal ourselves.” Each were exceptional examples of the great potential of the human being, about our capacity to heal, and to forgive and reconcile, even in the most extreme cases of war, disasters and disruption. This gave us an exceptional foundation for the work we wanted to grow.

The day came when it was time to gather with those who would journey with us for the first time. We were stunned by the beauty of the people in the room, forty-five leaders from Asia, Africa, South America and the Pacific. Each person was given a small leather pouch with 5 seeds, to hold the energy and memory of their true inheritance. During the morning session, each of them embarked on the journey of discovering the gift of their own heritage. We witnessed the dignity in their eyes as they remembered their roots. During the afternoon session, they approached a life challenge requiring healing and reconciliation. The Journey of the Gift Seeds opened a new pathway forward filled with potential and possibility.

This was the birth of the Journey of the Gift Seeds. These rural leaders demonstrated the nobility of the human spirit by their most exceptional example. Asian Rural Institute offered us the most powerful opportunity for launching this work. We remain grateful. In the following years, 2017 and 2018, we held a fundraising event called “How to Live Peace in Community” for Asian Rural Institute. These events were a co-creation between Asian Rural Institute, Yuri Morikawa, who originally introduced us to Asian Rural Institute and Healing Between Worlds.  

Photos from the fundraising event “How to Live Peace in Community”