December 2009- Arizona, New Mexico, Texas

December 2009: Arizona and New Mexico

Dear Friends,

The last report ended with your pilgrims in the desert of southern California. They filled up their water bottles, stuffed their bicycle panniers with dried fruit, crackers and oat meal and headed for Arizona. Cycling through the desert posed some challenges...but also brought many rewards. We had to plan the legs of the journey a bit more than usual in order not to be caught in a desolate area at nightfall, and in order to stock up on food and water. The right clothing was also important: generally, we found it better to wear long, loose clothing with a high neck and long sleeves to protect from the sun. Once the helmets came off, the sun-hats went on.

Above all, the right inner attitude proved to be important. One could concentrate on the heat, the dryness, the cold nights, the bumpy roads or the monotony of the sandy landscape. Or one could be thankful for the starry nights, the sunny days and the beauty of the natural environment, full of wondrous rock- and sand-formations, cacti and other fantastic plants (sometimes in flower!) deer, jackrabbits, roadrunners (desert-dwelling relatives of the cuckoo) and other animals. Then there were the kind and friendly people we met on the way. One could also be thankful that there are roads at all (some even well-paved) and adequate water-stops and that the bicycles (with help from Uli Bahle of Rad-Mobil in Rosenheim) withstood the bumps, the gritty sand and the long hours of use superbly. Above all, one could be grateful for the blessed silence of the desert and the opportunity for long, uninterrupted prayer.

Our first stop in Arizona was in Yuma, where we stayed with M. and V. They are a very active, industrious couple who built their own beautiful home. M. explained that he does not like "couch potatoes", so that when he heard about this couple who had cycled thirty thousand miles, he and his wife opened their door to us. The four of us soon hit it off. We learned much there about the agricultural system, its dependence on irrigation and the people who make it run--from the vegetable bosses to the immigrant field workers. Virtually all of the domestic fresh vegetables in the US during the winter months come from there, or southern California.

Heading off through the desert, we made a stop at the oasis of Dateland, AZ where, we enjoyed a date milkshake and stocked up on dried dates from the palms there. Then it was on to Gila Bend, a primarily Mexican-American town, where we received a very warm welcome. We were guests of the Catholic parish there, sang (in English and Spanish) at one of their prayer meetings, and also gave concerts at a local school and a senior center. Two retired school principals who were brother and sister--the brother had moved away and was visiting, the sister was still living there--took us under their wing. Through these wonderful people, we learned much about the trials and joys of the earlier--and recent--Mexican immigrants.

Soon we were whisked up to the north of Arizona: T. and T., a couple we had met in Oregon, took us to their home in Prescott as well as to Sedona and the Grand Canyon (see picture above), and then south again in their pick-up truck. There were many memorable conversations against the background of--or after the experience of--the magnificent natural monuments there, as well as more opportunity to sing in Prescott.

Cycling through the desert, you soon begin to understand why the old desert fathers like St. Anthony (251-356 AD) went into the desert in their search for God. Therefore, it is not surprising that some people have founded spiritual communities in the American desert. We visited the Greek Orthodox monastery of St. Anthony near Florence, AZ, founded by Elder Ephrem of Mt. Athos. The monastery is a stunning island of green in a sea of desert. It is full of beautiful buildings in Greek or Russian style architecture. There are also sparkling fountains, gardens, gazebos, ornamental plants, vegetable gardens and groves of olives, dates, citrus and other fruit. When followers of Fr. Ephrem bought the land at his suggestion, it was barren and dry. We were told that, after spending three days in prayer and fasting, he took some friends to a certain spot and told them how deep to dig to find water. Soon afterward, they hit an underground river which not only provides for the monks, the hundreds of guests there virtually every day, and the irrigation of the grounds, but also yields a surplus which is sold to the city of Florence.

Most of the visitors to the monastery are Greek--either living in Greece or in the US or Canada. Only Greek is used in the church services, and most conversations one hears in the guesthouse or on the grounds are in Greek. We asked a couple of people why they flew thousands of miles to Arizona when there are plenty of monasteries in Europe. The answer was that Fr. Ephrem is a holy man, and it is worth the trip to be in his monastery and receive his blessing. This opinion is strengthened by the number of monks who have joined the monastery, as well as by a number of first-hand accounts we heard from people–sometimes with tears of joy and gratitude in their eyes-- who had received helpful counsel in times of serious distress from one of the father-confessors there.

The outer rules of the monastery are rather strict. Wake-up is at 1:00 am. Church services go from 1:30 am to about 3:30 or 4:00 am, followed by breakfast. Then there is a rest period until 7:00 am. There are more services in the afternoon and a brief "compline" in the evening. Quiet time begins at 7:00 pm. Men and women are to keep their arms and legs covered. Women are to wear skirts or dresses and scarves over their heads. As is customary in Orthodox monasteries, the monks tend to keep to themselves, often praying the "prayer of the heart" aloud when working or walking through the grounds. Yet, when approached, they respond with friendly warmth and brief, practical answers to questions or problems.

The Elder is very much loved and sought after. Though in his eighties and somewhat frail, he spends hours (as his health allows) in his office in the "Catholicon" (the main church) hearing confessions and giving counsel. We had the grace to speak with him about our pilgrimage and receive his blessing. He spoke to us (as non-native speakers) in clear simple Greek, yet with words full of meaning. His aged body seemed surrounded by light, and this impression was strengthened by the joy, love and good humor glistening in his eyes. We left the fairly brief meeting feeling that the veil between heaven and earth had become extremely thin.

Of course, where ever people are striving to know and do the will of God, there will be all kinds of human error and failing. Nonetheless, this monastery is a genuine example of Athonite tradition. In our time, when so many people turn to eastern spirituality for answers to the problems afflicting European and American society, eastern Christian spirituality is often curiously–and sadly--ignored. There, in the southwestern desert, we found a place where sincere seekers wanting to overcome this ignorance may go. We were soon to find another.
In Safford, AZ, we visited the women’s monastery of St. Paisius. Externally, it seems quite different to St. Anthony’s: It is a women’s monastery. Though under the Serbian Orthodox Church, the services are conducted in English, and the father-confessor is an American-born convert to Christianity. Yet in spirit, and in the depth and sincerity of spiritual striving, the two are very similar. It was likewise a joy and a blessing to be there, too.

Your pilgrims also visited a number of Orthodox parishes in Arizona and New Mexico. They made extended stays as guests of the parishes in both Tucson, AZ and Las Cruces, NM. They were in these parishes during Christmas Lent, i.e. the forty days before Christmas, which are considered to be a time of prayer, fasting and preparation for celebrating the coming of the Lord to the earth. Though not as strict as the pre-Easter Lent, it is nonetheless a time to collect and purify one’s self. In Tucson, the priests of two parishes had joined together to celebrate the Divine Liturgy (Eucharist) every morning of the forty days. We found this a great help in our preparation for Christmas-time.

By the beginning of December, we were at the border to Texas...just as a big snow-storm hit the state. Following Mother Nature’s hint, we checked our bikes on a train on a snowy morning in El Paso, then hopped in ourselves. We were soon walking the beach along the Atlantic Ocean in New Jersey, thus coming around full circle from where we began our North American journey back in April.

What were our biggest impressions and lessons from this journey? First, we were touched by the friendliness and helpfulness of the people we met, and by the natural beauty we encountered on the way. Second, we were surprised to see much more provision made for cyclists than we had seen thirteen years ago. Moreover, we met quite a few long-distance cyclists, especially along the more popular routes we traveled, i.e. the C&O Canal path; the Allegheny Passage; the Pacific Coast Route and the "Northern Tier" Route.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, we experienced the truth of a statement made to us by a clergyman in Detroit. American culture and American history are not simply a manifestation of materialism. Our culture and history are a struggle against materialism–and against the malevolent Spirits of Materialism and Mammon. And this struggle is allowed by divine providence precisely because Americans, with their gung-ho, can-do attitude, sober practicality and optimism are ideally suited to undertake this struggle. Materialism, when it takes root in the cultures of the old world, can be much more cynical and destructive of the soul. By comparison, materialism in America is more like an adolescent illness.

Of course, what appears as an "adolescent illness" is not to be taken lightly. Make no mistake about it: the struggle for the souls of human beings is being fought here furiously. The various struggles for the natural environment and economic hegemony, the various wars on the military, political, legal and mass media/ propaganda fronts are all only reflections and consequences of this more fundamental struggle for our essential humanity and our eternal individuality. The outcome is still undecided. Uncritical adulation of the United States as a land of milk and honey is of course mistaken. But equally mistaken and harmful is unthinking condemnation of America as a land of greed and immorality. It is the scene of a battle of far-reaching consequence for the whole world. Far better than any judgementalism here is a sincere prayer to the Creator of the world and the Good Shepherd of our souls that we may do our part in His plan to heal the world.

There were many people whom we met who have helped and supported us in many ways, and whom we did not mention in this letter. Our thanks goes out to all of them, as well as to all of our friends around the world.

Alexandra and William
4 January, 2010

P.S. One of the biggest topics of discussion we have heard here in the US is health care financing. Dr. Patch Adams (made famous from the movie about him with Robin Williams) has summed up the current state of affairs in a brief note he wrote. You can download it from:
http://www.patchadams.org/letter_on_reform_12_09