On 4-20·97 through the end of time, we are Uniting Spirits to exercise our constitutional rights: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and our right to peacefully assemble. We will be gathering at the City Hall in your home town, all 50 state capitals, and in every country around the world. We are encouraging all spiritual, environmental, social and political groups to come express themselves through music, theater, dance, and spoken word. We suggest having music festivals, drum circles, tribal councils, and simultaneous prayer circles at 3:20 P.M. EST. We the People will hold hands and share 5 minutes of silence in prayer and meditation to raise consciousness and awareness. We will be celebrating 4:20 in every time zone. We are declaring April 20 an International holiday. Next year we are organizing an International Skip Day. Skip school and work to come together to clean up the world. We will take away the garbage and plant seeds for Future Generations. It's harvest Time, so spread the word.
Schedule of Events
Thursday and Friday We will be cleaning up garbage and planting seeds around Washington DC
Saturday 4-19 We will be at the White House for a 24 hour prayer vigil for the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing, the Waco massacre, "The Shot That Was Heard Around The World" The first shot of the 1st American Revolution.
Sunday 4-20 We will be at the White House. We will leave some time after 4:20. We will walk to the Capitol Ball Room for the Widespread Panic Show. Following the event we will walk in peace back to the White House. There will be people gathering in Sheeps Meadow NY at 1:30
If you cannot attend one of the above events, Come together wherever you are at!!
For more information call 1-800-557-4585, 202-682-4282
Widespread Panic
We found out you were playing up in Washington DC on 4:20. We thought we would walk down and catch your show. We would love for you to come walk back up to the White House following your show. If your to tired to walk will give you a ride in one of our new shopping carts. .
We would love for you to come play. I actually caught your show in Lawrence KS and Kansas City a couple years ago..
We were also headed out west towards the National Rainbow Gathering which is in Oregon/Washington. We will be working our way west stopping in Memphis In May for a couple of days. Then to the Missouri Regional Rainbow Gathering.
There are number of caravans that are planning to come together four a tour out of the National Rainbow Gathering and we would for you to come along.
.Unity Comes From Within
This is a movement that starts inside your self. We begin this journey by learning how to forgive ourselves and others. The way of peace is to overcome evil with good, falsehood with truth and hatred with love. "Peace pilgrim." We need to help the people help themselves. We the people must come together in unity and make a stand for what is right. We need to call forth the talents of all and work together to build a community of trust, hope, and peace. We appreciate your ideas, prayers, and contributions that are making our visions a reality. Ask your self what can I do to make a difference. We can make a difference.
No Permits Will Be Signed
For the event at the capitol on 4\20\97 we will be refusing to sign a permit. The reason for this is that are right to peacefully assemble, in the National Forest, is at threat. They are trying to get the Rainbow Family to sign a permit for over 75 people. There are no leaders in the Rainbow Family. No one person could except responsibility. We feel the same way about Uniting Spirits at all 50 capitols.
Oklahoma City Bombing
We were Florida last year and we bumped into this sister. She invited me over to her house and she told me that her grandfather was a top bomb expert in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines and that if any bomb goes off he knows about.
They didn't call him out to this one. He went out there any way and went through the building. He said that bombs had been strategically placed throughout the building. The way they said it happened with the truck it couldn't of happened like that.
The whole reason they blew up the building was to pass the anti-terrorist bill. This bill went right threw giving them the right to go into any place without a warrant.
They also planned on the same day Waco went down to make it look like it was done by the Malta.
Help The Houseless
The funds we raise will go towards buying farm land and starting communities. These communities will serve as a home, as well as, a resource center, for people in need. This will be for the whole community to come take advantage of. We will offer a wide variety of workshops and activities in art, crafts, theater, music, dance, sports, counseling, treatment programs, grow are own organic food. We would like to start a wide variety of self supporting businesses: from a place to hold festivals, coffee shop, construction CO, thrift store, et. Helping people, from all age groups, find there talents and put there energy into something positive and productive.
The Whole World Is Watching
We would like to make a documentary of what went down in all 50 capitals. We are encouraging people to start interviewing people now and leading up to the main event. If you could say anything to the World, what would it be? What are some solutions to some of the problems were having today. This documentary is also for everyone's protection. Have as many cameras, audio and video recorders, and make sure to invite the press.
Breaking Down Barriers
We are also wanting to have a volleyball games that will involve the interaction of people from all directions, spiritual paths, organizations, athletes, musicians, police officers, city officials, et. In the future we will be Golfing for Peace, Playing Tennis For Love, Swimming For Life, and Diving For Solutions. These events are attempts to break down the barriers that exist between these people. This will enable us to work together on coming up with solutions to long unsolved problems. If you have any solutions to any problems bring them to the event and contact a focalizer.
Rainbow Gatherings Of Living Love And Light
Rainbow Gatherings happen in National Forests. There is pretty much a gathering going on all year round. At a gathering you will find people from all color, spiritual paths, groups gathering in the woods. There is no money allowed everything is traded or bartered. The National is the biggest gathering which happens over the Fourth of July weekend. Try and imagine between 20,000-30,000 coming together in a circle praying for world peace. On the Fourth everyone is silent until the children parade into the main circle. There are all kinds of workshops and activities music, drum circles, theater, dance, prayer circles, tribal councils. There are many kitchens that cook free food. Our right to peacefully assemble is now at threat. The Federal Government wants us to sign a permit and there are no leaders within the Rainbow Tribe. So no one person could sign a permit. They have just begun to start arresting people for not signing this permit. Now threatening our right to peacefully assemble.
Rainbow Gathering in Mississippi
We were at the Rainbow Gathering in Brooklyn MS. We were kicked out of the woods for a 24 hour period. We had to do the same thing last year. People had been there for months. We had to clean up and make everything disappear for 24 hours.
We filled our bus completely full and drove into Hattiesburg MS and raised up enough money to get a room to get cleaned up.
The following day we went out to get some food kicked down. We went into this bagel shop and told the manager about whats happening on 4:20. Her birthday happened to be on 4:20. She donated 5 dozen fresh bagles and all this flavored cream cheese. We go next door to this steak house and they kicked down 24 baked potatoes, sour cream and butter. We walk across the street and they kicked down 12 cheese sandwiches and 12 hamburgers.
I'm back waiting on the potatoes and this brother came up to me and says God is so good to me. I was like God is good to me to. We started talking and I asked him if he knew a black lady minister in town who had the gift of prophesy. He said I knew you looked familiar. I was in church with you last year giving my personal testimony.. He then gave me the name Pastor Brenda M. Benn at 408 East 7th Street.
There was actually two guys who gave testimony how they found Jesus in Jail. The other guy was an I.V. drug user who used to Rob Drug Stores. He was in and out of jails. He said he even became real violent. He kept saying it was his mothers praying that helpsave him. The power of prayer.
Prophesy
At the end of the service Pastor Benn started telling us about ourselves. She was giving prophecy over us. She told this one brother to call his mother. She told one sister she would heal people. She grabbed my hand and pulled me to the front of the church and told me people will follow me. We got into church late and she had no Clue about Uniting Spirits and what we were doing with the peace walk. We were all so excited. This was the first time I'd seen anything like this. It was the Spiritspeaking through her.
Found a Snake In his Tent
We get back to camp and a few of us start talking about what had just happen to us in church. The brother she told to call his mom started saying the church was satanic and the dancing we were dancing in church. We didn't know what was going on with him untell later. It ended up that later that night he found a snake in his tent.
I bumped into him at another gathering and asked him about what was going on. I asked him if he ever talked with his mom. He told me that him and his mom hadn't talked In years. So he really did need to get with his mom and her knowing this kind of freaked him out.
UNITING SPIRITS
Last year at the Rainbow Gathering we began hearing crazy rumors of people in New Orleans being arrested on unbelievable charges: leaning with the intent to fall, impersonation of a human being, molestation of a cheese burger, praying in public. While all this sounds ridiculous, it was when we met this sister who had been raped in a Squat by a New Orleans Police Officer that we knew we needed to take action.
Houseless Down In New Orleans
We were down in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. The brother who had given us the bus came down for Mardi Gras and decided to take the bus back home with him. I found out about it from someone on the street and then asked him about it. He talked to someone about it and they said something to someone and it got back to me.
There were many reasons why he wanted to take the bus it wasn't registered, no insurance, and we had been driving it around for 6 months with expired temporary tags. The tags still had his name on it. We couldn't get it registered because he didn't register it. We were attempting to get a lost title from the dealer he bought it from.
It was as if the police were blinded by it . Some couldn't see it was illegal. The ones that could, let us go. They didn't want to deal with all the paper work and haft to then deal with all of us in there town.
We also broke out with an epidemic of lice and scabies on the bus. I left him a note to take the rest of the stuff back home with him and I would have my sister pick it up. He ended up throwing all the stuff off the bus into this huge pile which ended up being picked through. Just material possessions.
This sister who was with us called him up and was upset. Things had gotten a little crazy. It can at time when you have up to 30 people living in such a small area. Every ones at a different place on there path and personalities clash. We had just picked up quite a few new people at the Mississippi Rainbow Gathering. We also had some pretty hard core kids hanging out around the bus to. Actually you would never know what you would wake up to in the morning.
We woke up to the police pounding on our door the last couple days we had the bus wanting us to move it. Telling us we weren't allowed to camp out in our vehicles. We couldn't get it started.
Adam bought a new battery. He got two new windshields. We were supposed to be down in New Orleans to go through all that we did. God put us through many trials and tribulations. We over came so many obsticles. We also had a few people that weren't really into what was going on. They were just more into a free ride. The people who were into it stuck with it. The others went on there way.
Napoleonic Law
Upon our arrival we drew up a petition that brought attention to the fact that our constitutional rights were being violated. New Orleans follows a Napoleonic Law, which is unconstitutional. The New Orleans Police were doing their regular pre-Mardi Gras sweeps to "clean up" for the tourists. We feel we are being persecuted because of the way we look and the life style we choose to live. What is happening hear in New Orleans is an intense situation of what is occurring all around the country.
Gutterpunk
What is a Gutterpunk? They are young people who squat in abandoned buildings, often panhandling to get by. They feed on the enormous waste generated by a disposable, capitalist America. Characterized by wild hairstyles like spikes, shaven heads, mohawks, dreadlocks, body piercing and tattoos. Many denounce American politics and claim to be Anarchists. To the police the a gutterpunk is anyone who looks a little freaky. The gutterpunks have received attention from local and national news media; from the Washington Post to Geraldo. Uniting Spirits wants to take action against the city concerning the abuse of law and power towards the people of the street.
Jewish/Christian Squat
Just after we'd been evicted from our bus along comes Phillip Slippicoff a 61 year old Jew for Jesus. He had big bushy gray beard and gray hair. He also wheres a hearing aid. Philip came riding up on his bike that had a Jesus Saves license on the basket in front.
Philip grows herbs around town and sells them to local businesses. He was on National t.v. this year and they did part of the story on where the restraint got there herbs.
He let us come camp in his back yard. and then snuck us up stairs. It was boarded up and abandoned. Then he decided to buy the building and he opened up the down stairs. There was one guy that was squatting the down stairs out and when we all moved in and he moved out.
There were so many kids that stayed there. We had up to 50 or more kids at a time. You never knew what you were going to wake up to.
Philip ended up shutting it down for a number of reasons: His Jewish/ christian neighbor and long time friend quite talking to him. He wanted it to be a Christian home. Some of the kids he thought were demons. So he ended up shutting it down.
Discrimination At The Homeless Shelter
The homeless shelters were even refusing to serve food to the kids. We were at this one shelter out in front having our petition signed. They refused to serve one of the kids that was traveling with us. I'd already set down and found out what happened. I went up to the guy in charge and asked what was going on. I asked him why they wouldn't serve my brother.
They gave you a number when you came in. On the other side there was a picture of Jesus amd below was written Jesus is Lord. I asked him if Jesus would turn people away from eating. He told me he didn't haft to answer that and walked off.
They were attempting to try and starve us out of town. I decided I wasn't that hungry and caught up with my friend, Jimmy, who they refused to serve..
Sleep Out For The Houseless
We started this action with a party at the Faughbourg Center. We were then going to walk down to Jackson Sq. for the Sleep Out For the Houseless, during Mardi Gras. A few kids were standing out front smoking cigarettes because there is a no smoking policy at the center. The police rolled up and arrested eight people on trumped up charges. The police left only to return to arrest someone for conspiracy to kill himself. We were then approached by Lt. Dabdoub III. He said if we did the Sleep Out, we would all go to jail. He gave us the option to work with him and he offered to take us to meet the Mayor, Police Chief, and City Council and to come up with some solutions to the problem.
All Plans Are Subject To Change
The Uniting Spirits Peace Walk that originally planned to start from four directions International Peace garden, Canada Border, Brownsvile, Texas, San Francisco, and New York and meet in Kansas for a big festival.
Our second stop was in Chicago. We ended up staying at the Rainbow mansion. This was the main head quarters in organizing the Festival of Life. This was the same festival that was held at the Democratic Convention in !968. The Festival of Life was planned on the same weekend our peace walk met in Kansas. We had council after council and decided to have the walk start in New Orleans, San Francisco , New York and Minneapolis and meet in Chicago for the Democratic National Convention.
Which ended up changing a third time. While we were in New Orleans we spread ourselves to thin. We were going up against the city for the abuse of law and power, the cops were sweeping the houseless off the street. We were also Going up against the Multi National Corporation FreePort Mac Moran, talking about the peace walk and the 4:20. We spread ourselves to thin. Got to many things going all at once.
All plans are subject to change. Sometimes things just don't go quite the way we expected. That wasn't the way it was supposed to happen. Just dont give up.
Democratic National Convention
We started a peace walk that started at the Ozark National Rainbow Gathering in Missouri on July 10. We walked up to Chicago for the 1996 Democratic National Convention, Festival Of Life, and Counter Convention. The last (DNC) in Chicago was in 1968. Mayor Dailey was in office. Now his son is in office. It was like history repeating its self. In 1968 the whole world was watching the police beat up a bunch of protesters protesting the Vietnam War. They ended up arresting what became known as the Chicago 7 Conspiracy trials for planning the disruption of the convention. This year five were charged with aggravated battery on a police officer and felony mob action. We camped out in Lincoln Park where the protesters camped out in 68. We went to a number of actions, marches and rallies and had a great time. We tried to get the police to come play volleyball with us. It didn't happen but it was sure fun inviting them all. We had a few officers say they silently support us.
Timothy Leary
I was back in Kansas City and it was just before the National Rainbow Gathering in Missouri where we were going to walk to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention. When the Psychedelic Drug Guru Timothy Leary died the picture in the paper was of him, Jerry Rubin and Abbey Hoffman. They were planning to disrupt the Democratic National Convention, which we were getting to walk to. They couldn't of picked a better thing to write about.. So many of the old greats have moved on and the younger generation needs to start picking up some slack for the old timers
Second Coming Of Christ
We were on our Peace Walk To Chicago For the Democratic National Convention. One of the brothers that was with us Charlie Joe Otter he is a World Peace Breather. He teaches breathing in the World and Breathing out Peace.
There was another brother Little Wolf who was with us who thought he was the second coming of Christ. He was passing judgment on Charlie and saying he was teaching falsely. This was causing major problems. We were having circles on this issue trying to work through it.
We were in Kansas City, my home town. We went to the Unity Church on the plaza. We get the program and the topic for the day was Spiritual Breathers. Our whole group heart was filled with joy. It was as if the Creator had prepared the sermon.
Following the service we went and talked with Little Wolf about what had happened in church. He didn't go because he believed all churches are false.
He said that if he was wrong he wanted God to send someone to beat him up. What do say to that. He was crying and didn't want to do wrong He ended up leaving the walk soon after.
Earth First
We were on our walk towards the Democratic National Convention, outside Carbondale ILL. We had a route planned out for the day and a few of us came together and thought we should change it. A few of us were in our chase vehicle and driving down this little old dirt road. We saw this brother hanging up an Earth First sign. We pulled over to see what was going on. They were having a meeting concerning some logging in Bell Smith Springs. This was where we had planned to stop for lunch and where they were having there meeting. It was as if the Spirit guided us into one another.
Unity Church
We were at the Unity Church, in Fort Wayne Indiana, and greeted with open arms as we walked into this congregation. We opened up the pamphlet and one of the hymns we were singing was the Festival Of Life. This was the name of the festival we were headed to in Chicago. Then the minister went into the seven spiritual laws to success by Deepak Chopra. One of the brothers from our group would read one of these laws every day. Our group was so excited. It was as if the Spirit had prepared the sermon for us.
In Jail With a New Orleans Police Officer
One of the focalizers was on his way back up to the Rainbow Gathering. They got pulled over for driving too slow. The driver gave permission to search the car. They found his pipe and he gave up two dime bags of marijuana. At the Picayune jail in Mississippi they booked him and put him in a holding cell. There he met Deputy Daron Dumas, a New Orleans Police Officer brought up on armed robbery charges. After talking for a while he asked the deputy about the street sweeps. He said they would do the sweeps on Tuesday and Thursday. "Normally they don't enforce the loitering laws."
How should we respond to a police officer? "No matter what his attitude be nice and courteous. Don't be a smart ass. You don't have to respect the man in the uniform, but you need to respect the badge and the uniform."
What do you think about the war on drugs? He thought they should legalize it and sell it in stores and have the taxes go back to the public. "Grow your own." He doesn't condone it or think it should be prohibited. "In the 20's and 30's prohibition didn't work." He also claimed to know a number of officers who smoke marijuana
Freeport McMoRan Corporation Oppressing Indonesians
We also got involved in a protest against Freeport. This corporation is in cahoots with the Indonesian Military. They have been pushing tribal people off their land to mine for copper and gold. While rehearsing for a play (dealing with the abuse or foreign lands and people by Freeport and Shell Oil in Nigeria), a man showed us a badge and claimed to be a U.S. Marshal. He basically told us to take our protest to Indonesia. We told him the annual stock holder meeting was here in New Orleans and they don't have the rights we do here. This illegal scare tactic didn't keep us from performing in The Way Of The Cross, The Way Of Justice march or from protesting in the annual stockholders meeting with the Sierra Club, Delta Greens, Freeport Watch and Pax Christi.
Vietnam Vet
We stopped at this church to get some boxes of food for our road trip to New York for the walk to DC You had to go to service to get a box of food. We ended up having a beautiful experience. The ministers sermon was on Planting Seeds and how Jesus planted them everywhere. The minister asked us what God had done for you. I raised my hand and got up and shared with him our mission statement.
This guy walks up to the front of the church. He looked over and he told us that I had changed the way he thought about us. He said when we first came into the church he hated us. After hearing me speak had changed the way he thought of us. A few of us started crying. It was so beautiful how this brother had changed his whole way of thinking in that service. We changed the way he thought.
The next time we went to a shelter was in New York City there was a sermon before the feeding on Planting Seeds to
Unitarian Church in New York City
We were in New York doing advanced work for the walk to D.C. and we went to the Unitarian Church and the topic for the day was to speak out, stand up for what you believe in. This is what were doing and it was as if the sermon was prepared for us. They ended up playing a tape of one of Martin Luther Kings speeches. I stated crying. I wanted to get up in church and speak out about what we were doing. We did connect with people after how the sermon was so perfect for us and told them about our mission,
Gift From God
We were in New York City doing advanced for our Peace Walk to Washington D.C. I ended up hearing about John Lennons memorial that was over in Strawberry Fields, Central Park. I ran into this old friend of mine who traveled with U.S. earlier last year.
I'd just borrowed this flute from Goldfish to take with me hitch hiking back to the Shawnee Regional Rainbow Gathering in the Shawnee National Forest. I thought I would take it along and play the flute while hitching home..
I took it out and started playing it. The next thing you know I'm playing John Lennon songs. It was the Spirit playing through me. I didn't
talk much, I just kept playing the flute. I had people asking me what kind of a flute is this. I had no clue. I even had a few people complementing me. It made and makes me feel so good to play. A few days before Goldfish said to me if God wanted you to play the flute you would be able to play .
I feel it was also like a tool to help bring people together. Music is the Universal language of man kind. By having a wide varied y of music you will bring all different types of people together.
Peace Walk
Uniting Spirits came into New York city to celebrate the United Nations 51 birthday. While in New York we crossed paths with The Committee of Americans For Citizen Sovereignty. They started a Funeral March September 21 at the Boston Commons, Boston Mass. They have been carrying a symbolic coffin for the victims of the violence of the "Drug War." The Funeral March had also been carrying a flag in distress, which is flown upside down and backwards. When we ran into each other they had just had there flag stolen and we had just started flying our flag in distress. We took this as a sign that the walks were to come together. When we got to Philadelphia the group split. Part of the group continued on to Washington DC Others headed towards the Bio Regional Gathering in Mexico.
Sit In For World Peace
Following the Phish show outside Madison Square Garden we were exercising our constitutional rights: freedom of speech, freedom of religion and our right to peacefully assemble. We were all sitting down around an alter drumming and raising awareness. The police tried to get everyone Up and ended up bringing in the mounted horses to push everyone away from the front of the garden. A few people got roughed up. There were a couple arrests and a disorderly conduct ticket. We had planned to do it again the next night. The cops were all over us they new who we all were. One of the cops told a few of our members and they ready to fly. They would use the mounted horses
At my fathers church
My parents flew me back home for Christmas this year. I was feeling called to go to my fathers church. He goes to the Unity Church in Overland Park, KS. I got up and called up my dad and asked him if he wanted to go. He had made plans to go out to breakfast with my uncle Rick. Dad asked if I wanted to go out to breakfast. I ended up going along.
We were in the car after breakfast and I still had time to go to the late service. I asked him to come along. He said he wasn't dressed for it. He dropped me off at home and I drove over.
I go into the church and the topic was working for peace. Some people work on peace on a Global level, some work for peace in there community, some just within there family, but it starts inside you.
She went on to talk about Mark Victor Hanson. My last name happens to be Hanson. She goes on to tell how he loans little kids money to help them work on idea. He had come up with a bumper sticker which said, "Peace Please, Tommy.
There was another pesent boy who came to is father and told him he wanted to work for peace. His father was like go milk the cow. Now he is way up in the United Nations and has done so much for peace.
I was crying throughout the sermone. I went up and talked to the minister after words on how I felt guided to come t o service. She ended up giving me a tape of the service
Uniting Spirits School Bus Set On Fire, In New Orleans, On Fat Tuesday
I walked back to the bus to get something warmer to wear. As I rounded the corner I see a fire truck next to the bus. All the windows were smashed out. I talked with the fire man and he said it was probably a cigarette that started the fire. I told him we didn't allow people to smoke on the bus. He asked me if I suspected anyone .
I had just heard that someone had who had just got on the bus hed a crack problem. He was supposed to go get some girl some crack and ran off with the money. There were rumors flying all over the place. Its amazing how bad news travels so fast.
I then walk into Kaldies Coffee House and I bump into this sister Rachel who was on the first peace walk I did. It was the Global Peace Now Walk that started in New York City on Martin Luther Kings Birthday and arrived in San Francisco five months and five days later for the United Nations 50th anniversary.
I tell her about what had just happened with the bus catching on fire. She then goes on to tell me that this brother came up to her and told her that he was so pissed off that someone had let his dog off the bus he could burn it down.
I walk out the door to go look for the main suspect. I didn't haft to walk but a block and I bumped into him. I told him what I had just heard from Rachel and that we needed to have a circle. We walked back up to Kaldies and had a circle.. He basically denied it. We had a prayer circle and we prayed for who ever started it.
I ended up going to the fire and police department and told them about all the possibilities of who could of set the fire. They basically told me that arson was one of the hardest thing to prove. So we decided to give it to God.
We had the bus towed 50 miles up North to Pantachula LA. When we were cleaning the bus out we found a Bible that only the cover had burnd but Gods word remained Justice will be served.
While we were in Panama City for Spring Break I also met the main suspects ex girlfriend. She was down in New Orleans when it happened. She had been split up from him and he ended up leaving in the Uhaul she came down to New Orleans in..
Spring Break
We went down to Panama City Florida for Spring Break. We had so many miracles happening all around us. Christopher and I went to this church across the street from the hotel we were staying at. We went to Easter Sunday and the week before. This church was like no other church I'd been to. They had a band that played opened up the service. We had fun singing a long. Then the minister gave a sermon on faith and justification.
After church we had just walked across the street from the church and this police officer pulled along the side and asked us where we were going and what did I have in my hand. We told him that we had just come from church and we gave him the program. I started talking to the officer about the volley ball game we want to have with the police officer, ministers, city officials, organizations, to try and bring the whole community to come together working to break down the barriers among different groups and work together to come up with solutions to some of the problems that were problems were having today.
As were talking to him about the volleyball game he gets a call in for the price of a volleyball net. We couldn't believe what we had heard. So we were like did you just get the price for a volleyball net. We were in complete ah. I was like this Divine Order. Only God could arrange this meeting. God knows the future, the past, and the present. I asked him if he wanted to play volleyball. He said they were really busy and didn't have much time, I gave him a flyer and told him to give us a call if he changed his mind. We never heard from him and we forgot to get his name and badge number but will never forget the experience.
Thrown Out of the Hotel
We get back to the room at 4:20 on the dot. We were getting ready to pack a bowl and the land lord called up the room and asked to speak to one of the girls we were staying with. We told him we were expecting them there shortly. He told us to get our stuff and get out. We were like we don't have anywhere to take them. He told us we better take it because we weren't allowed back on his property. We told we would have the girls bring our stuff later. He told us they were only paying for two people to live there.
We then talked to them about what we were doing. He told us we were to dumb to hold jobs. We told him we do work we pick up garbage.
We then started talking about God. Then this lady that was with him said if we knew God why would be living like the way we do. Then we told her God led us to live the way do. More was said but we cant recall it all. We need to start writing these things down as they happen. We ended up squating in the vacant field next door for the remainder of our stay with the exception of about three nights we stayed in some spring breakers room.
Easter Sunday
We went back to the same church we were at the week before for another beautiful service. At the end of service there was a black couple giving prophesy over people. One of the ladies that was prophesied over went down on the ground. She got up and went back to her seat. A few moments later she walked over to me and told me Jesus was going to be right by my side on this path that God was leading me down. Don't let peoples persecution bother me. I started crying and so did Christopher and John. I gave her a hug and we were all so thankful from this Easter gift from God.
Nathan Busted For Possession of Marijuana and Paraphernalia
We had just got down to the beach after church on Easter Sunday. They didn't show up at our camp and Layne found out he was in jail on possession charges.
As were finding out about Nathan being in jail this guy pulls out two one hundred dollar bills to bail him out..
We went down to see about getting him out of jail. Not only did they want 10% of his $2000 bail and a car for collateral. The car had to be registered in Florida. We couldn't find any one to put their car up. He had to stay in until he went to court a couple days later.
Corrections Corporation
These jails were run Correction Corporation. These prisons our privately owned. There basically putting us in prison for a profit. This is modern day slavery and there prisons our going up all over the country. They love the war on drugs. This war on drugs is war on our own people.
He ended up turning this into a positive experience. He ended up spending most of his time in praying and helped four people get saved while he was in. In the future we will have him write the experience down in his own words. .
Been Caught Steeling
I also ran into this sister on Decatur who was crying. She had run into the main suspect of the arson and he was wearing this guys pants she new. She asked him where he got them. He told them they were his.
She then asked about the button on the inside. He opened them up and there was the button.
He ended up giving the stuff back. She was so upset because she new him from tour and couldn't believe he lied straight to her face. We talked with him about this in the circle in Kaldies and he tried to rationalize. .
We were up in the Rainbow Gathering in Alabama and Wing Nut and I drove Laines Volkswagen bug down to front gate. We were turning the car around and the execrator got stuck. This car pulled up and shined its light so we could see. Wing Nut bends down and picks up five dollars. I step on something and I bend down and pick up a wallet with $65 in it. So I'm like all just ask around to see who lost a wallet. Just get a description. The kids who shined the light on the car drove us back to the tent and it ends up being Laynes wallet but short like $60.00. We were borrowing her bug. Who ever stole the money lost it. When you steel your not gaining anything, your loosing.
Steeling and Arson our similire. In both cases you are taking something from someone. The rush it gives you is addicting.
Your Either On The Bus Or Off The Bus
We got a ride up to Athens GA from the Pot Fest in Atlanta. We were dropped in front of the Twins Of Pain tattoo shop. Come to find out one of the twins had a bus that was possibly for sale. He told us he paid $1900 for it and they fixed it up. They used to travel around the country giving tattoos.
His brother was living in it and had just moved out of the bus. We went out to check it out and this bus is so fat. Its kind of pimped out. It has red carpet, red walls, red lights on the inside. Its sectioned off with a door about half way down. In the middle there are two bunks. There is room for two more bunks on the other side where there is a closet now. In the very back there is an open place where they used to have a queen size bed. Where we want to put a kitchen.
The bus had been sitting for over a year. We had to let the battery charge over night before we could hear it run. We went over early and cleaned out the inside. Then we went and got the battery around 1:00. We had to put some gas in the carburetor to get it to fire. Well we ended up with a small fire. We tried to
smother it with Christopher shirt and ended up putting it out with some water. Then it started right up. He got it pulled out and on the drive.
We had a check and he said he would cash it for us. We went down to his bank. He could deposit it but it wouldn't clear for five days. So we called up my Aunt Eva who gave me the check to see if she could transfer the money or have it wired. My dad ended up wiring us the money the next day. We went to the grocery store to pick up the wire. We also got lunch from the dumpster behind the store. We had to go the bank to get it cashed.
We get back to the shop to pay him and get the Bill of Sale. Where we paid $980. I asked him if we could keep $20 he was cool with that.
Then a cop comes into the store asking who owns the van with Rage Against the Machine painted on the side. Mitchell goes over to talk to the cop and come to find out when he went over to get the tag off the bus someone called the police and thought he was steeling the tag.
So now we haft to basically sneak the bus out of town. We have no plates and no insurance, and its not registered. We get over to the parking lot where the bus is and this trucker helps us tighten up our fan belt. We get about five miles out of town and the bus is red hot so we pull off in this biscuit shop. We pop the hood and the belt had broken.. So Bart hitches in to town. As Christopher and I are waiting we see a Rainbow in the sky. I'm standing on the side of the road with a sign saying we need tools. This brother helps us put on the belt and it was the wrong size. Bart took off again to go get another belt.
He got back just after this guy who pulled over to help us. He didn't have all the tools we needed. He told us he always pulls over because he knows what it feels like to sit on the side of the road. He offered us a beer. We told him we were all right. He then offered to smoke a joint. We did help him smoke the joint.
The brother that brought back Bart took us back into Athens. We went by his house and hung out for a while and then he dropped us off down town.
The Funky Mushroom.kicked us down a pizza. After we got done eating we ran into some kids and went back to there house and layed the drums and our
flutes. The next morning they ran us all over town trying to get the right belts. We
The guy that was helping us, worked at the Friendship Christian, is taking care of children. The weird thing about it was the last bus we had, the one that was set on fire had Friendship Christian written on the side.
The Odometer hits 420
Were on our way up Washington and the odometer roles over back to 000000. Then it comes to me this bus is going to hit 420 miles while we are in Washington D.C. We rolled into Washington and pulled up to the white House and about 60 miles short of hitting 420. We are going to video tape and take pictures as it roles over to 4:20. We are definitely feeling like we were supposed to buy this bus.
Trials and Tribulations
God puts us through many trials and tribulations to help make us stronger. These are tests to see how you handle the pressure. God wont put you any thing you cant handle. Problems are just chances for solutions. You cant let these problems get you down you work through them.
I was at a Rainbow gathering and this sister told me we were like diamonds and our problem help shape us into beautiful jewels.
Shame On China
While we were in New York we were down in front of the United Nations building and we came across a group of people chanting shame on China, Free Tibet now, The Chinese have the Dali Lama in exile. Monks have been killed.
There are little children that are forced to work for next to nothing for long hours and in bad work conditions to produce for that high demand of there cheap products because of the child labor. We need to boycott there products.
I just saw in the news paper recently they were caught buying people into our government probably to keep people looking the other way.
This is what is happening all over the world, these multinational corporations are buying up everything. They have so much power there even taking over some third world countries.
Uniting Sprits Tour
This will be a consciousness raising tour that will start out of Washington DC following the festivals 4/20/97. We will take bands and representatives from all different organizations to come raise awareness through music, theater, dance, and spoken word. We want these events to be camp outs. Money raised will go towards buying land.
