Passings
From SI Exco News
Passings
Contents |
Bob Luitweiler
Bob Luitweiler is grandfather of Servas. Read his Seeds of Servas and compare to "Big Picture". See how far we have come!
Let us celebrate the life our founder, Bob Luitweiler who, over his long life, instilled a sense of purpose in many lives that he touched. Remember the greatness and goodness of the man. Bob liked a photo that I took of him at our first meeting in 1989 at my first-attended SI Conference, in Montreal, Canada. I think it shows him as a man of vision.
Brides on Tour
On the road to the essence of humanity
If you rapidly spin a color chart, the color image that you see is white…White symbolizes peace, purity and innocence. It is open to changes, external influences and all taht is new. White has the capacity to have this effect on us and help us to understand the meaning of time and flow.
A bride dressed in white symbolizes a new expansion, innocence, fullness and peace with all its reflections. Two good friends, Pippa Bacca and Silvia Moro, set out on a journey in March. Wearing white wedding dresses to symbolize purity, beauty and change, their dream was to live this experience and have a positive effect on others.A philosopher once said, "A journey is an ideal like a star we can never reach. But just like the sailors, its the sign that helps us find our way" It is not known whether this is the same for all of us, but to move forward for our ideals and living in this way is real for the ones who share it.
Today, we faced one of those journeys. A journey that is difficult to understand, but with a spiritual message. A journey with no timescale but that was tragically cut short after only one month. A journey that has now had an impact on everybody's heart. A journey that began in Europe traveling through many civilizations with the Holy City of Jerusalem being the final destination. A pure, naive journey of peace… Brides On Tour…
Today we are on a very different stage of this journey, but not very different from the one that was planned. Today Pippa Baca has left the physical stage of this journey; however her spirit continues with Silvia Moro, heightening its awareness.
She showed us how to risk everything for the sake of our dreams, even if it is very difficult. She reminded us that the move towards peace is more difficult than anybody knows. She reminded us that peace for all is more important than individual peace and the first stage is peace within ourselves. She, herself, took this first step.
We may not be Pippa Bacca or Sylvia Moro, but today we can feel what they feel and see the light in their path. This light not only showed us the path, but gave us warm feelings and also reminded us that the belief of change comes from inside and awakens our awareness.
It was a pleasure to know Pippa, to come together with her family at this stage of the journey, to listen to Sylvia sharing her thoughts with us and to feel the support of friends from around the world. Most importantly it is to share these feelings.
Pippa, we send you our deepest love for everything that you remind us of on your journey to peace with Silvia and including us in your path to your inner self.
Pippa, we send you our deepest love for the road that you showed us Peace and for including us in your journey towards your inner self.
Sercan DUYGAN (translated by Arzu Altinanıt & İrem Levend)
http://bridesontour.fotoup.net/
In Memoriam Felipe Azaña
Ex National Secretary Servas Peru
Dear Felipe,
You passed away on Friday 27th of June 2008 after some months of severe illness, you didn’t win the struggle…doctors couldn’t help you…hope, faith and prayers weren’t enough to survive … 47 years is too young to die…Your family and your friends still have to overcome the sadness of your death.
You were Servas member for 25 years, you loved to meet travellers from all over the world in Lima. Although you had a busy and active professional life you always found time to share with them a Peruvian dinner, a pisco sour, to go out to listen to Peruvian music, to go for a walk in Barranco, to have a good talk about the cultural differences between Peru and the country of the traveller. As you spoke fluently four languages you could solve a lot of problems of Servas travellers, you simply helped everyone who needed you. You were above all very proud to be Peruvian and enjoyed sharing the beauty of Peru with your Servas guests.
You was National Secretary during a very difficult period in Servas Peru (2003-2004), your leadership was vigorous and inspiring and your dedication to Peace was great but you never wanted to be in the picture. Family, Peace and Friendship have always been very important values in your life and that’s why you were so unhappy when someone disappointed you. Felipe, we are very sad for the lost of such a good friend like you, but we are grateful that we had the privilege to be your friend. Thank you Felipe for the joy you brought into our lifes! We will miss you …but you’ll remain one of us…you are in our heart for ever... You always ended your letters in the same way, two simple words, two basic principles of Servas…Servas that has been part of your life. “ In Peace & Friendship”, “ En Paz & Amistad”, Rita Dessauvage NS Servas Belgium & Luxembourg
Rita Weiss of Austria
Sad News
-Rita Weiss of Austria
Dear Servas Friends, I have the sad duty to report that Rita Weiss, long-time national secretary (recently deputy national secretary) and main interviewer of Servas Austria, passed away on 29 June 2008 following severe illness which she had been fighting bravely for the last couple of years. Rita was not quite 58 years old, and had been in Servas for almost 40 years. For more of this time she had also been actively involved in our Servas branch, first as an interviewer (I was approved by her as a young Servas traveller in 1976!), and then as national secretary (from 1980 until last year).
We have yet to overcome the shock of her death, which -although it was obviously coming closer- still came suddenly after her condition deteriorated very dramatically only during the past few days. We will have to find a suitable successor for her role in Servas Austria.
Eva Meggeneder Servas Austria
