I first learned of the Brazilian spiritual healer Joao Teixeria de Faria (John of God) in January, 2001 from Robert Pellegrino-Estrich's book, The Miracle Man. I was amazed at the miracles described and felt compelled to go and see for myself. The two weeks I spent in Abadiania substantiated what I had read in The Miracle Man. Two years later I went to the Casa accompanied by my younger son when there was no where else to turn.

In April of 2003 when our younger son was eleven, I had become desperate about the severity of his mood disorder. His capacity to cope in the world had been steadily deteriorating. The severity of his mood disorder - depression and explosive episodes - had reached a point where we feared for his safety and ability to ever have a normal life. By then he was taking seventeen pills a day, a portion of which where powerful psychotropic medications, like Depakote, Risperdal and Trileptal.

The medications were an attempt to stabilize a destructive descent into unmanageable living. The stresses on our family had become unbearable. Without medications he was explosive, abusive, and constantly agitating for one thing or another. Along with constant cravings, he was prone to frequent violent outbursts, extraordinary anger, suicide threats. The medications produced a degree of calm but at a terrible price: cognitive dulling, weight gain and a loss of coordination that was devastating for a child that had always been a gifted athlete. In school, his academic performance had deteriorated significantly on the medications. His appearance was zombie-like. He looked spaced-out most of the time, with a pasty white complexion. His face was emotionless, showning no animation or joy. The year leading up to the spring of 2003 had included a heart-wrenching series of ice-hockey and soccer practices and games during which he fell from among the among the best performers of his cohort to the among the worst. So in pure desperation I took him to the Casa in April, 2003. The first time we passed by Joao, he said my son was
to "sit in current" in one of the meditation rooms and then do three crystal baths. We sat in the meditation room for five or ten minutes maximum, since he could not sit still.

A "Crystal bath" session at the Casa involves lying fully dressed on a table, listening to soothing music under seven crystals, each lighted a different color.The first time, since he was very nervous, I sat in the dark with him, while he lay, restless and agitated and wanting to leave. He gave up after ten or fifteen minutes and we went back to our room. The next session was scheduled for early the next morning, before the Casa was fully open. Amazingly, my son went in and did the entire procedure by himself, while I waited outside. Afterwards we made our way back to the assembly hall for the start of the 8 a.m. lines of people waiting to pass by Joao. We got something to eat and drink and sat outside under the covered walkway near the
hall next to the garden.

While we were sitting in the sunshine, facing each other, waiting for the lines to form, my son, to my astonishment, took on a completely new aspect. The flat, unanimated, tuned-out face became filled with light and joy. He metamorphosized while sitting in front of me. I was so moved by the transformation that I began to cry as I looked at him. The tears would begin to well up, I'd take a picture, get a handle on myself and then do the same thing again, a minute later. I must have done this three or four times. It was the child I hadn't seen since he was two years old. It was as if a possessing spirit had lifted from him in the morning sunlight. My son himself felt the difference and said so. Before me sat an animated, happy, normal-looking child. The experience was overwhelming.

When we passed by Joao that morning, he said that my son would no longer need to take his medications. I think we were asked to sit in the Entity's current room.

On that second day in April, before the afternoon session, I prepared a small chart outlining a proposed tapering of medications down to zero by Thursday of the next week. I did a matrix indicating days of the week, numbers of pills, and type of medication: one letter for each medication, along with an example of a single pill taped by its corresponding letter. During the afternoon session, with the help of an interpreter, I showed the card to Joao-in-Entity and he apporved of it. By Thursday of the next week, My son was taking no pills at all. On the last day at the Casa, I asked if my son's healing was complete and was told no. On the weekend we flew back to the United States.

I was interesting how my scientifically minded wife reacted when I brought my son home. She was amazed by her now normalized younger child. For someone inherently sceptical about spiritual healing and the existence of a place like the Casa, she couldn't deny the miracle of his transformation. Ben was a completely different child, free of cravings and anger and depression, while taking no medications whatsoever. After more than a month at home in Vermont my son relapsed. Again, I flew with him to the Casa. The trip in many ways seemed to be more for me than it was for my son. I had memorable encounters with others, all pointing to my bringing groups to the Casa. Bob Dinga, who has been bringing groups out of California to the Casa for years, spent a number of hours with me discussing what would be involved. I found myself assisting people - at the Casa itself, at the sacred waterfall and at Martin's pousada - in such a way that it almost seemed I was already engaged in this work. On the last day, when I was told again, by the way, that Ben's healing was not complete, I asked permission to bring groups to the Casa and Joao nodded "yes".

After our return to Vermont in June, my wife discovered a new medication for my son (Abilify) that requires one very small pill a day and has as yet no side effects. He now manifests for 99.9% of the time the condition I saw him enter into sitting outside the assembly hall on Thursday, April 17th.

Since our experiences in Brazil, life in our family has become much more normal and sane. My younger son continues to call the 17th of April his "rebirth day" and asked to celebrate it last time it came around. His weight gain is a thing of the past and his athleticism has returned - he scored about 75% of his soccer team's goals last season.

I am now taking groups to the Casa with the continued support of Bob Dinga and have a new website at www.casamiracles.com and the email address michael@casamiracles.com. I am hopeful to return with my son to the Casa again and see Joao nod a "yes" when asked if the healing is complete. Until then, I
am still thankful for the healing my child received through to the work of John of God and for the transformation it brought to our family.

Journey with Michael to Brazil to the Casa de Dom Inacio to meet with Joao de Deus (John of God) The Miracle Man of Brazil. http://www.casamiracles.com