The last time I visited the Philippines to see the psychic surgeons and faith healers was in 2008, when I took a mediumship seminar with Rev. Jun Labo. In December 2012, I felt ready to go again. I wanted to renew my spirit and advance my abilities as a medium and magnetic healer—not to mention escaping the freezing Oregon winter. I also knew Rev. Jun Labo was approaching eighty, and I wanted to see him while he was still doing healing. Then, in January 2013, I received a surprise phone call from Denis, who wanted to see the healers because of his advancing throat cancer. Denis wanted me to be his personal tour guide, and I agreed without hesitation.
A few weeks later, I flew from Medford to San Francisco and met Denis at the airport, and off we went. We flew into Manila, but I have not included anything about Manila in this posting because we were only there one night before taking the bus north to Pangasinan Province. When we reached Urdaneta City, we checked into the Lisland Rainforest Resort, with its gracious tropical vegetation, open-air restaurant, air-conditioned rooms, and magnificent lagoon-shaped swimming pool.
—This posting is written with the assumption that anyone reading it already knows what psychic surgery and faith healing are all about. If not, please refer to earlier posts in this blog, or purchase my e-book Psychic Surgery and Faith Healing: Revised Edition (available on Kindle, Nook, and as a pdf file.) Used copies of previous print editions are also available on Amazon. My newest book, Mediumship and the Flow of Grace: Messages from Paul, is available as an e-book and in print.
—Disclaimer: This post contains photographs of healing that include lots of blood, so if blood upsets you, it might be best not to look at the photos in the section on Rev. Jun Labo.
—Another Disclaimer: Jessica Bryan, the author of this blog, does not do psychic surgery, nor does she know of any Filipino healers currently working in the United States. Jessica does clairvoyant readings and energy healing based on what she learned in the Philippines; see also, http://www.mediumshipandtheflowofgrace.com
— Please see the posting below this one for resources related to visiting the healers.
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ESTHER BRAVO’S CHAPEL AND HEALING CLINIC IN URDANETA
So, let’s begin with Rev. Esther Bravo Roxas, the first healer on our itinerary.
The official name of Esther Bravo’s healing center is “Temple of God Espiritista Christiana Inc., Silaw ti Biag.” It’s located several miles south of central Urdaneta, down a cement walkway. The business in the front of the walkway sells stone markers. Like much of the Philippines, Urdaneta is dirty, smelly, and crowded. Even with several fans going, Esther’s chapel is usually quite hot. We were there in March, which is the beginning of the Filipino hot/wet season, but in November, December, and January the climate is dry and more moderate.
There’s a small shop that sells bottled water, snacks, and toilet paper (there’s none in the tiny bathroom). Shoes are left outside the chapel door, and there are likely to be several local residents sitting in the small courtyard, cooking and eating.
The chapel itself has marble floors, wooden benches, and silver and gold banners. Sitting on a table, there is a plaque in a mother-of-pearl frame announcing: “International Academy of Kindness, Awarded to Esther Bravo. Your love and help to the people is the greatest proof that God exists in the earth. Russian Academy of Kindness, Gregory Pototsky, President.” There is also a Certificate from the “International Order of Eastern Dimensions” written in Russian. A banner reading “Children of God Who Follow the Holy Spirit, 2005, Italy” hangs on the wall.
Esther does not allow photographs of the physical healings because the flashing lights are too distracting, but here is a picture of the front of the chapel.
Saturday and Wednesday are Esther’s regularly scheduled days for healing, but she works every day when there is a group of foreigners in the clinic—except when she goes on a mission, and then she takes visitors with her. Unfortunately, the time she does healing is not always definite, which can sometimes require waiting. In addition to her chapel in Urdaneta, a healing sanctuary is being built for her in the mountains.
We saw Esther every day for about a week before we went to Baguio, but I’ve combined everything into three days.
HEALING WITH ESTHER BRAVO
A rooster was crowing, asserting dominance, the very pregnant cat cried for food, and somewhere close by a cockatoo was singing. Inside the simple chapel sat crammed together at least thirty Filipinos, several Italians, and numerous Russians and Germans. At the front of the chapel, an elderly man was pounding the podium as he preached from the Bible in Ilocano, his voice rising and falling in the musical cadence I know and love so well.
We listened and meditated for about an hour as we waited Esther. Finally, she arrived, and the room fell silent and reverent. She seemed to be a high state of consciousness, her black eyes flashing and swimming with compassion as she said, “Be not prideful but be humble, and especially honor the gifts you have received from the Holy Spirit. As you receive, also give. Do not speak aggressive words to another, because it will fill your mind and heart with darkness. Remember the Lord and be always in the light.”
Next came the ceremonial blessing of the water, which was piled high in bottles on the altar at the front of the room. Her hands were raised in a blessing, as she murmured emotional prayers in her native language. Then she began doing “spiritual injections.” A cue formed, and one by one we went up and stood before her.
Holding a white sheet of paper, she used it as a “scanner” or “X-ray,” moving it quickly up and down each person’s body, front and back. Then scooping the energy of the Holy Spirit from the Bible held open by her assistant, Esther “injected” the Holy Spirit into each person in several places. When it was my turn, she touched my forehead and whispered “Bless You.” One man, an Italian, with obvious symptoms of a stroke had to be escorted by several friends up the stairs. A child cried in the back of the room, some people were moaning, and a young girl was singing low in her throat.
With her golden brown skin, long straight hair, arched eyebrows, and a sprinkle of freckles across her cheeks, Esther seemed tireless. A thin line of perspiration formed on her upper lip as the line went on and on, until finally everyone in the room had received the Holy Spirit by invisible injection. Her incredible strength of purpose is a powerful teaching—keep your eyes on the goal of doing the Lord’s work and do not waiver.
The injections completed, Esther’s physical eyes held a faraway look as she focused on her inner sight and began doing psychic surgery on an elderly woman. A brief nod of her head, or just a word, and her assistant would call the next person by name. Each, in turn, would get on the table in front of Esther, while an assistant held up a sheet for privacy. Shirts were raised high and pants pushed low, exposing most of the body. Although there were people from many countries, the Russians seemed to need the most attention—some of them had obvious tumors. Several people lay down on their stomachs so Esther could remove their hemorrhoids.
Denis was the third person called up for healing, and I went with him to observe. Esther asked how long his tumors had been growing and whether they had been biopsied. Then she talked about how a biopsy can spread the cancer cells. She removed a small tumor about the size of a grape from the right side of his neck and held it up for him to see.
She was extremely cautious when she started working on the large tumor on the left side of his neck. I had felt this the day before, and it was quite hard, perfectly round, and almost as big as a golf ball. It was very scary! Esther said the tumor had grown around a nerve and this was serious. Next, she worked around his Adam’s apple; I’m not sure what she did there, but it’s possible she was working from the outside on the smaller tumor inside his throat. Afterwards, she gently rubbed some cream on his neck.
WHAT DENIS EXPERIENCED
“At first, I kept my eyes closed, feeling no pain, only a very warm pressure. I was aware that Esther had somehow opened up the flesh to expose the tumors. I opened my eyes to see her removing something from the right side of my neck. Afterwards I felt no pain, had no scars, and I still had plenty of energy to enjoy the trip.”
ANOTHER DAY AT ESTHER’S
We arrived several hours early and waited, “soaking up” the strong spiritual energy present in the chapel. During this lengthy meditation, I had a remarkable “visit” from our Himalayan cat, who had died rather suddenly just before I left for the Philippines.
In my mediation, “Buster” simply marched into the middle of my head (by this I mean my clairvoyant “viewing screen”) and said quite emphatically, “Hey! What’s going on here?” Then he turned into a gorgeous, youthful angel with blond hair and blue eyes. The angel was tall and slender, with graceful white wings. He looked deep into my eyes and love flowed out of him in a blessing. This experience has made it easier to accept the loss of our beloved pet.
Denis reported a similar experience. During meditation, he had a vision of his deceased mother floating above Esther as she stood at the front of the room doing healing. His mother downloaded important information, which has brought Denis great peace. He also reported that he felt his mother’s presence almost every time we were with Esther.
As a medium, I’ve had similar experiences when doing healing. Perhaps the spirit of a deceased person is trying to make contact with a friend or relative who is still alive, but the living person is not able to tune into the correct frequency. However, when the living person is in the presence of a medium—a person who is tuned in to the higher frequencies and can receive information from “the other side”—the deceased person can make contact with the living through the medium. Jonathan Edwards and Sylvia Browne are good examples of this phenomenon.
Esther arrived and first blessed the water and did spiritual injections. When my turn to get on the healing table came, she plunged her hands deep into my belly in the area of an old surgical injury. She also worked around my heart. I couldn’t see Denis when he was on the table, but the large tumor on the outside of his neck is beginning to get smaller and change shape.
Once again, we observed the Italian stroke patient struggle to get up and down the stairs on his own, a beaming smile on his face. Unfortunately, we also saw him outside smoking after his healing!
AN INTERESTING SIDE TRIP
At the suggestion of Brother Robert—a wonderful man from Texas who has been writing to me—the next day we visited Centro New Divine Life, a rural Espiritista church in Barangay YatYat, Laoac, Pangasinan. There we met a beautiful medium in his late 80s named “Uncle Tony Ringor.” It was difficult to speak directly with him, because the only available English translator was working in the fields at the time, but words are not really necessary when in the presence of such a strong spirit.
We sat together outside his humble hut, and he held my hand almost the entire time. Tony transmitted something of his powerful soul essence into me, and I felt the energy of his hand in my hand for about an hour afterwards.
Jessica and Tony
Tony also spent about five minutes gently feeling the lump on Denis’ neck. Denis later said Tony channeled golden energy into the tumor. He must have been doing magnetic healing. Denis also felt Tony’s energy in his body long after we left.
What a beautiful human being. I nearly cried when we had to leave him. I felt so blessed to have been introduced to Uncle Tony—it was like meeting a living saint.
We also had a nice talk with Pio Daus, who showed us where Brother Robert is planning to build a house and retire. The lot was filled with grazing goats and surrounded by brilliant green rice paddies glistening in the sun. Brother Robert plans to be in residence at YatYat by the end of 2013, and he has volunteered to assist any travelers coming through Pangasinan who want to visit the healers. (More on this in a future blog posting.)
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After visiting Tony, we returned by tricycle to Esther’s. A Filipino “tricycle,” by the way, is a medium-sized motorcycle to which a side cart has been attached. These carts can hold several adult Filipinos, but they were a tight squeeze for Denis and me. The drivers of these vehicles dart in and out of traffic at unsafe speeds—it’s rather like the bumper cars we used to ride at the county fair! They are used mostly in the provinces; there are taxis in Baguio and Manila. Jeepneys are another popular, inexpensive means of transport, but that’s a subject for another article!
Back at Esther’s, there were again many foreigners in the chapel with their tour guides. It was extremely hot and crowded, but we stayed for hours because the trance energy created by the healing was so powerful and conducive for meditation.
ON TO BAGUIO
When Esther left to go on a mission, we took the air-conditioned bus north to Baguio. The same day we arrived, we visited the healer Rev. Jun Labo. He looks great! I can hardly believe how good he looks at age 78. He appears transcendent. The first thing he said to us was, “In the mornings I do healing in the clinic, and in the afternoon I am trying to heal the city.” He is running for mayor again because he is so disgusted by the air pollution in his once beautiful city. I asked Jun what he would do about the pollution if he is elected mayor (scheduled for May 2013), and he basically described instituting an emission test similar to what we have in the states. Any car that failed would be taken out of use, which would mean most of the cars in town, especially the taxis!
We booked ourselves into Forest Lodge at Camp John Hay after a horrible night at Golden Pines Hotel in central Baguio. The air at Camp John Hay reminded me of the smell of pencils because of the many pine trees. Walking between our building and another containing the main restaurant, I was often greeted with at least ten “Morning, Mam(s),” a nomenclature I find it difficult to relate to.
At Camp John Hay, there are managers and the managers have managers. There are also security guards and supervisors for the hundreds of hotel staff. The supervisors also have supervisors. “We are in service as trainees,” one of waitresses in the restaurant told me. “We are earning our college degrees.” College? To learn to pour the coffee and change the sheets? How many Filipinos does it take to change the sheets? At least four! The Philippines is a tribal society where everyone works together in supporting the whole. In this place a person is never lonely. Take a Filipino away from the tribe and the sadness is crushing. Coming from a culture where we are so often isolated from each other, the Filipino lifestyle seems so comforting. Even if they are brutally poor, they have each other.
FIRST BAGUIO MIRACLE
Soon after we arrived, while walking back from lunch, my hands started fluttering with energy the same way they do when I’m doing magnetic healing. I also felt something pressing into my palms. I told Denis, “ I think Jun Labo is trying to strengthen the healing power in my hands.”
FIRST HEALING WITH REV. JUN LABO
Today we went to Jun’s for the morning session, and the first thing Jun said was:
“I was reading your new book yesterday. It’s a beautiful book.”
“Did you give energy to my hands while you were reading my book?” I asked him, and he smiled.
“Yes, because I was thinking about you,” he said. Then he added, “When I say the prayer, hold out your hands and I will bless them more.”
Before we went downstairs for healing, we gathered in the chapel upstairs. First Jun said a lovely prayer, and then he blessed everyone’s hands and chakras. He also did this after everyone had received healing.
Of course, it was absolutely amazing, especially for Denis. I literally almost fainted when Jun took a large piece of the tumor out of Denis’s neck. Interestingly the camera malfunctioned when I photographed this tissue and the photo came out blurry. It’s also possible the energy in the healing room was so powerful that I jumped and moved the camera.
Here are a few photos of Denis on Jun’s healing table, taken during the six days we were with him. Note the first photo showing a large red opening on Denis’ neck, which stayed open even though Jun was not touching him.
My healing was rather uneventful. Afterwards, Jun said I was basically healthy. He checked my eyes and took a small amount of tissue from my abdomen. We didn’t tell him we had already been to Esther’s, because he prefers that his patients see only him. He describes this as, “It’s only my work.”
SECOND HEALING WITH JUN
Yesterday Jun said I was in good shape, but then today he took a much larger clump of tissue from under my sternum. This area hurt slightly for about 24 hours, but I believe this type of minor pain validates or “proves” the healing, (as described in homeopathy). Once the diseased tissue is removed, the surrounding cells work to complete the healing in the same way that a scab forms on a superficial wound.
Jun worked again on the outside of Denis’ neck. Then he put his hand inside his mouth, took out more tissue, and asked Denis to spit. At this point in our journey, Denis seems satisfied and hopeful about his healings with both Jun and Esther.
THIRD HEALING WITH JUN
When we arrived, Jun was telling part of his “life story” to an Australian woman and the man she had brought for healing. He described how at age nine his mother wanted him to pray four times a day—she was a medium in the Espirista church. He would pray the first time and then “fake it” for the rest of the day. If she knew, she never said anything about it. Then he talked about how they discovered he was a healer when he held his hands on a man in a wheelchair and the man got up and walked. This happened three times with three different people in wheelchairs, and pretty soon folks needing help were lining up at his door.
After our healings today, I spoke with Jun about how I want to help him write his autobiography. I’m not sure whether this can be accomplished, because he is so busy, but I’m sure a book about his life in his own words would be treasured by the thousands and thousands of people have been to him for healing—and also those who might have wanted to meet him but were unable to.
* * *
Denis seems to be able to turn off anything he’s not interested in or that doesn’t serve his highest good. He made the comment this morning that he feels like his life has been extended by his healing in the Philippines. At this point there is still more to do, and Jun has indicated that Denis needs a total of six treatments.
As for me, I am experiencing an improvement in the vision in my right eye. Also, Jun has been blessing us, saying, “I am giving my power to your hands so you can be healers in your own country.” When my turn came today, he hit my open palms with great enthusiasm and energy transference.
After healing we took a bumpy, twisty ride out into the jungle to the Asin Hot Springs to relax in the warm water. The villages in the jungle and all the foliage and flowers and butterflies were spectacular.
FOURTH HEALING WITH JUN
When we arrived at the clinic, several people were already there, including a man who appeared to have fairly advanced cancer, likely of the lung. Even though he was weak, he had a beautiful smile and we felt very much in tune with him. Jun actually did two healings for this man during the same session, removing several growths both times.
Denis’ healing was similar to previous days, in that Jun worked more on the same areas of his throat. When it was my turn, Jun first “checked” my body to see if something was going to come out. There was nothing but a couple of small bits of tissue. Then, suddenly, he grabbed my left hand and blew hard on it. He guided my hand on my own stomach to see if I could do psychic surgery on myself! According to Denis, blood came out. I knew Jun was “testing my hand” because he is getting old and he hopes to pass on his gift. He did the same thing with all of the students in his 2008 seminar.
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That night at Forest Lodge, the food was fantastic: salad with roasted shrimps and really, really good French bread, plus a mango shake. A trio of Filipinos playing mariachi music serenaded us. They said they had learned the Mexico music from a cassette! It was very authentic except for their pronunciation. They played “Folsom Prison Blues” in broken English, and then I borrowed one of their guitars and played “Friend of the Devil” by the Grateful Dead. One of the Filipino guitar players knew all the accompanying licks. The audience was rather blasé, but most of the people here are Chinese, Japanese, and upper class Filipinos, and they are not as raucous as the lowland folks.
FIFTH HEALING WITH JUN
We arrived early, just as Jun was leading the others down the stairs to the healing room. The young man from Switzerland was first, and several tumors were removed as his three tour guides stood reverently by and took photos.
When Denis got on the table, Jun again worked on the same areas of his neck. Then he put his hands on Denis’ lower left belly and warned me “Watch out, dirty blood!” I jumped back just as blood spurted out about four to five feet all over Denis and the floor. We were quite surprised.
This might be a good place to mention one theory about how psychic surgery works—even though many of you reading this are already familiar with my other writings on the subject:
(1) Diseased cells can be found anywhere in the body, not just in a solidified tumor or other disease. (2) When the hand of the healer enters the body (see earlier posts for an explanation), the healer’s hand functions like a magnet, drawing diseased cells from different parts of the body into one clump, which can then be easily removed. (3) This means the tissue and/or blood clots removed in one location could have come from several different areas of the body.
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Denis’ tumors can still be seen, but they are changed, and the hope is that what’s left of them is now “dead,” and his body will gradually reabsorb them. Denis is an amazing person; his level of yogic de-attachment is inspiring. He just refuses to involve himself in petty or negative thoughts. We can all take a lesson from Denis in this regard.
SIXTH HEALING WITH JUN
Our final day with Jun was nothing less than spectacular. Three young men from Saudi Arabia had arrived, and also the same man from Switzerland. Jun did his beautiful opening ceremony—pausing to give me a glorious smile and a hug—and then we went downstairs to the healing room.
I was a bit nervous getting on the table nearly naked with three young Muslim men watching. But they seemed okay with it. Nothing more was needed, so my turn was over quickly.
THE MOST DRAMATIC HEALING
Jun invited us to watch from a distance of about three to four feet, and then he removed the eyeballs of one of the young Saudi Arabian men! I have heard about this procedure, but I’ve never seen it done. Jun was extremely careful, and we actually observed first one and then the other eyeball come out. Jun held them in his hand for a moment, did something to them but I’m not sure what, and then returned them.
There is no way to adequately describe this experience. It’s totally “beyond belief.” Too bad a movie producer wasn’t with us! The man wore big thick glasses, but hopefully he won’t need glasses much longer! Many tumors came out of the other two men from Saudi Arabia—one of them was as big as a grapefruit. Unfortunately, I was unable to take photos of the men from Saudi Arabia, because in Jun’s clinic you are not allowed to take photos of people you don’t know, only those you are traveling with.
When we came upstairs, a new group from Germany was waiting. Tomorrow we are returning to Urdaneta, and it was very hard to say goodbye to Jun. Pictures were taken and hugs given as we made ready to take our leave. Jun Labo is 78 years old now, and I made a joke, saying, “You’ll have to work for another fifty years because everyone loves you so much!”
WHAT DENIS EXPERIENCED
“Words lack the proper expression here. I experienced pure Love. There is no other way to describe it, other than as a gift from God for which Jun Labo’s hands were the vehicle. I knew that I was in the hands of God, and that I would experience no pain. I kept my eyes open during all the healings. Several times Jun showed me strings of chocolate-colored material he had pulled out of my throat and neck. He said he had to cut the cancer away from the nerves.
“On the last day that we visited Jun, he seemed to glow. Showing his human side and having a cigarette, he talked a little about his bid for mayor. He then took us over to the chapel for a blessing. Afterwards, I had the chance to thank him and tell him what a great honor it had been to meet him.”
Here are photos of us with Jun:
BACK IN URDANETA: ANOTHER INTERESTING SIDE TRIP
One day, we took a tricycle out into the countryside to find Rev. Alex Orbito and his “Pyramid of Asia,” which is an actual pyramid made from small stones located on the road to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Manaog. In the 1990s, Alex’s brother, Marcos Orbito, did a mission at my tiny apartment in Berkeley. Because of this connection with the family, we received a warm welcome even though Alex was in the middle of a seminar with sixty students from Europe.
We meditated in the air-conditioned chapel/seminar room for about an hour, waiting for Alex to begin healing. I had a severe headache—caused by banging my head during a wild ride in a tricycle—and while meditating I felt invisible hands working on my head. The pain subsided, and I also received a meaningful message from my Spirit Guide. After about an hour, Alex came out of the seminar and began working in his healing room on Denis and his students.
Alex Orbito’s treatment of Denis was quite different than Jun Labo, in that there was less blood. He began by saying, “First clean the liver,” which is probably a good idea with any cancer patient. Then he proceeded to remove several blood clots and one piece of stringy tissue about three inches long from the area of Denis’ liver.
When he pulled out his finger, I heard a loud “pop.” Denis reported that he could feel Alex’s finger enter his body because it actually hurt a bit. I was impressed by the “pop,” having never heard this with any other psychic surgeon.
Next, he gently put his hands on Denis’ throat. His eyes were closed as if he was diagnosing Denis’ condition. He told Denis to come back later in the afternoon for a second healing—at an additional charge. (The expected “donations” at Alex’s clinic range from 50 to 300 Euros, per session).
We returned in the afternoon for Denis’ second session, during which I met Alex Orbito’s beautiful older sister, Juliette. For me, it was “love at first sight,” and I fell into her open arms even though we were strangers. Later, I learned she is a medium at the Orbito home church, Interfaith Spiritual Church in San Manuel, Tarlac. She must have recognized me as a sister medium because she just kept hugging and hugging me. I was so distracted by my meeting with Juliette that I missed Denis’ second healing.
Denis said all of the healers he’s seen—Esther Bravo, Jun Labo, and Alex Orbito—are genuine, true healers, but he thought it odd that Alex only opens one area of the body per session, necessitating numerous “donations.” Alex also charges 2,000 Euros for his seminars, making his Pyramid of Asia the most expensive clinic and teaching facility I’ve heard of in the Philippines.
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We returned to Lisland for lunch, during which we had a discussion about leading tours together at a future date, and anyone reading this is welcome to request more information later this year or early in 2014. Of course, a notice will be posted on this blog if a tour is planned.
At this point, our journey is nearing an end, so even though it had already been an eventful day we returned to Esther’s chapel. When it was my turn on her healing table, she seemed to focus on my heart, but mostly I experienced her deep, loving energy.
We were there when she completed her work, and we observed her come out of trance. She prayed, put her head down, and began to yawn. She looked vacant-eyed and tired for a few moments before she got up to leave. Esther Bravo does, indeed, work very hard, and she seems to work all the time. She is totally focused on her mission, and anyone wishing to understand the roots of psychic surgery and faith healing can experience it in abundance at Esther’s small chapel—and also at the Faith in God Spiritual Church in Vacante, which is my “home church.” (More about this below.)
FAREWELL SWIMMING PARTY AT LISLAND
About twenty-five people from Vacante, mostly kids, showed up for my farewell swimming party at Lisland Rainforest Resort. It was a glorious party, and it only cost $60! The children were ecstatic, and it was difficult to get them out of the pool even after six hours.
Jessica and Trinidad at Pool Party
SUNDAY AT FAITH IN GOD SPIRITUAL CHURCH IN VACANTE
We arrived early in the morning at the Faith in God Spiritual Church, about twelve miles north of Urdaneta. This is where everything started for me. It’s almost as if my entire life began when I first went to this church in 1992. I wrote extensively in my book on psychic surgery about my experiences and how I received the gift of healing from the medium at Faith in God. This visit with Denis was a long-overdue follow-up. The original healer at the church, Rev. Filomena “Mely” Naces, died about 16 years ago, but before she died she asked me always remember her church and help her family. Here are three photos from Faith in God:
We took our places in the front row, and I began to sing with the choir. The congregation and the choir are not as big as they were twenty years ago. Many people from the community have been working in foreign countries for some time. But the few remaining voices were strong. The guitar player was familiar; he had just returned from working overseas and was surprised to see me again after so many years.
The service began with opening comments, and then I was called to the podium to speak. I spoke on the topic of life after death, and fortunately there was a good translator. Next, Denis spoke from his heart about how his life has been affected by having cancer:
“Illness can be a blessing in a person’s life. We need to give thanks for every day, every hour, every minute, and every breath we take.”
—I have used the term “the medium” below, because once she is in trance Belen is no longer merely Belen. She becomes a “medium” for the transmission of information and energy from the spiritual dimensions. In other words, God speaks and acts through her. She might or might not be aware of what transpires, depending on how deep her trance is.
—Please refer to my books if you want to learn more about magnetic healing, which I also call “energy” healing.
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Belen, Mely’s older sister, is the current medium-in-residence, and she got up to take her place at the podium. She quickly entered a deep trance state and began to do automatic writing in big loopy circles on a large tablet of paper. This part of the service was done in Ilocano, but I know from past experience that part of it involves giving the congregation specific Bible passages to study during the coming week.
Unexpectedly, someone tapped me on the shoulder and told me to get up and stand before the medium. Readers of my book on psychic surgery will remember how the same thing happened in 1992, except that back then it was more of a surprise.
“Do you want more power to your hands?” said the medium.
“Yes,” I replied.
“Use your Third Eye,” she said as she touched my hands.
Focusing on her with my physical eyes and my Third Eye—which opened my clairvoyant vision—I watched as beautiful golden energy poured into the medium’s crown chakra (top of her head) and then flowed out of her hands and into my hands as I held them open before her.
Next, she closed my hands tightly and held them for a moment, as if to preserve the gift that had been given. I returned to my seat feeling like I never wanted to open my hands again. But of course I will, and I did, and as I opened them I became aware of golden cords of light going into both of my hands and also into the top of my head. It felt like the light energy of Christ moving throughout my entire body.
Denis was also called up before the medium, and she gave him a blessing for his healing.
Preaching by various community members in Ilocano followed. It was rather like a Quaker service, in which anyone can get up and speak. The soft voices lulled me into a sweet, dreamy state in which I was floating in bliss reveling in the feeling in my hands.
At the end of the service, anyone desiring magnetic healing was invited to come up to the front of the church and sit in a chair—those who wanted to give magnetic healing formed circle around them. Four people choose to sit in the chairs: Denis, two women with vision problems, and a woman who had suffered several strokes.
Standing behind the people in the chairs, I raised my hands and simply touched the head of each one, watching as the golden energy flowed out of me and into them. No matter how many times I experience this flow, I am always amazed. Even after twenty years, I still find it hard to believe that God has blessed me with such a gift.
Many other members of the community also contributed to the group healing. Trinidad, Mely’s former assistant, said to Denis emphatically, “Open your mouth!” He hesitated, but then opened it.
WHAT DENIS EXPERIENCED
“With the group of magnetic healers in a circle around me, I felt surrounded by pure energy. One of them, Trinidad, had me open my mouth. She then “threw” something towards my mouth and had me swallow, which was very strange. It felt like I had swallowed something—a mass of energy—and my airway briefly constricted.”
Denis and Trinidad
In this photo of Denis and Trinidad, a halo can be seen around Trinidad’s head as she gives him magnetic healing. This type of photo is called a “spirit photo,” because it shows the energy of the spirit that is working through her. I believe the energy created by the healing also blurred this photo, because I was standing quite still when I took it.
The true sense and meaning of community is expressed with simplicity at the Faith in God Spiritual Church, just as it is at Esther Bravo’s. This is a tribe, a group, a community that strives to heal and support each individual. Small Filipino churches such as Esther Bravo’s and Faith in God embody the true beauty of the Filipino experience in the coming together for the worship of God and in loving each other. Most, if not all, of the more famous healers in Baguio and elsewhere got their start in a small, rural Espirista church. In seeking out these churches, you will come to understand more about what the term “faith healing” really means, and why it’s integral to the healing that can manifest with psychic surgery.
Anyone is welcome to visit the Faith in God Spiritual Church on Sunday from about 8:30 to noon. I have been encouraging Belen and Trinidad to put together a class in magnetic healing—a training or simply an experience—for people who want to expand their spiritual healing skills without paying exorbitant fees. This will likely happen spontaneously if visitors show up on their doorstep.
The Faith in God Spiritual Church is located in a rural farming community (called a “barangay”), and although the church is quite comfortable (including cool marble floor tiles and ceiling fans), the bathroom needs improvement. Thus, if you visit I would encourage you to make a donation in any amount to the facilities improvement fund, which also includes updating the electrical wiring in Mely’s original healing room. Specific directions to the church can be found in the resources post that follows.
FINAL MEETING WITH ESTHER BRAVO
We were due at the airport in Manila on Tuesday, so Monday night we went to Esther’s to say goodbye and because we had been told there was a special service with mediums (or for mediums) every third Monday of the month. Unfortunately, we were given the wrong information, because this event happens on the third Sunday. Well, technically this isn’t wrong because the service starts at 6 p.m. on Sunday and ends at 6 in the morning on Monday!
Esther was there, however, and it was the first time we were able to speak with her informally when she wasn’t in trance. She told us a wonderful story about how the American Ambassador had recently come to see her for healing. (She couldn’t remember his name.) He was scheduled for a time when no one else was there, and he brought numerous bodyguards with him! They were stationed all around the chapel, inside and out, and one of the bodyguards also had healing.
She told us, “Sometimes my mission is difficult, and there is no time for sleeping or eating.” She also said her most heartfelt desire is that someone locate a large Bible and send or bring it to her. She was very specific that it had to be BIG and the King James Version, with all of the verses included. She said her present Bible omits some verses. I’m not sure what this means; maybe she only has a Catholic Bible. Esther held her hands about two feet apart when she described how big her new Bible has to be, but so far I have not located one. If anyone reading this has any ideas, please let me know!
So we left Esther Bravo, taking with us her beautiful, loving energy—and already knowing that we will return to her again before too long.
SPIRITUAL GIFTS
One of the valuable gifts I brought home with me from my journey is a dream I had the night before we left:
In my dream, I am carrying two things: a photo of my mother in a frame and a beautiful, blue box that has been decorated with great care. In the box is the string of pearls my father gave me for high school graduation.
Clutching these items tightly, I enter an antique store. After wandering around for a while, I realize these two precious items are no longer under my arm. In a panic, I begin looking everywhere for them but cannot find them. Finally, I decide to simply let them go and forget about them.
This dream shows me that after sixty years of trying to overcome the emotional and energetic “stuff” I’ve been carrying from my family of origin, I’ve finally let go of these burdens.
CLOSING COMMENTS FROM DENIS
“Esther Bravo is wonderful. She works on everyone who comes to her —people with all types of afflictions and disease, accepting donations only. Her dedication is inspiring. On one day alone she saw over 100 people.
I saw Esther Bravo over ten times and experienced many states of higher consciousness at her chapel. I felt blessed to be in her presence. During the healings, I always experienced a cold feeling, then a very warm sensation, and finally I felt some bloody discharge. She removed tissue from my neck area. During one of the earlier healings, I saw her hands turn orange for about thirty seconds and sensed an especially strong vibration of energy.
A highlight of my trip was talking with her the evening before we left. She was humble and powerful, taking her gift very seriously, stating, “It is my calling.”
Esther and Denis
IN CONCLUSION
If you feel inspired to visit the healers of the Philippines, I encourage you to take a leap of faith like we did, but try to go without expectations. Well, that’s nearly impossible, but try to keep your expectations in your “back pocket.” Don’t let your desires get in the way of any possibilities that might arise, because you just never know what special gifts the Holy Spirit might have in store for you.
The posting below gives specific resources for travel to the Philippines.
Many blessings!
Jessica Bryan
JESSICA’S e-mail: medium@mind.net
DENIS’ e-mail: denis555_2@hotmail.com
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THE HANDS OF THE HEALER: REV. JUN LABO, Baguio City, Philippines 2013
David Dees of Ashland, Oregon created this close-up photograph from the original.
