Jeanne Azam was born in Olonzac, a small town in the south of France where she spent her childhood and adolescence. In 1945, when World War II was ending, she qualified as a nurse. After a spiritual experience with God - in September 1946 - Jeanne discovered the beauty of her profession. Up until then the patients were just “cases” to her, but from that moment onwards they began to be people in need of compassion and affection. When Jeanne discovered the heavenly “Other” she was able to discover “the others.”
One day, she met a Swiss nurse who spoke about the marvels she had experienced there. Jeanne managed to get a job at the Cantonal Hospital of Geneva (she had always wanted to travel to other countries).
In Switzerland, she decided to meet Dr. Paul Tournier as she was very impressed by this famous Swiss doctor's book entitled “Faith and Technique”. When they chatted, Dr. Tournier told him: “God has a plan for you and this plan is part of his plan for the world. You can discover it, day by day, step by step, if you take time to listen to Him.” Then he spoke to her about Moral Rearmament.
Little by little, the practice of quiet times and writing down the thoughts that came gave a new dimension to her life.
Through a family who were friends of Dr. Tournier, Jeanne heard about Caux where the MRA Centre was. She decided to visit there during Holy Week in 1948. She said: “There was a lot of talk about forgiveness there; It was said that, if we are divided from someone and they are 95% to blame, we must apologize for the 5% that is ours.” This shocked her greatly since she had blamed her stepmother for all her problems. For the first time she decided to face her part and ask for forgiveness for the hatred and resentment she had harboured for years. “I wrote to my father asking for forgiveness and I felt as if a stone fell from my heart.” From this she experienced a great change in attitude towards her family and in the way she saw what had happened.
After several visits to Caux, deep conversations with friends and regular quiet times in search of God’s guidance, Jeanne decided to abandon her paid work and dedicate herself full time to Moral Rearmament.
In 1954, while in Caux, Jeanne received an invitation to go to Brazil because they were needing reinforcements for MRA's work there. During the journey by ship – which lasted 45 days – a thought came to her in her quiet time: “Would you be willing to be in Latin America for the rest of your life?” And Jeanne answered decisively: “Yes!” According to her, it was as if God was preparing her and that “yes” helped her make this continent her second homeland.
In 1961, Jeanne joined the cast of the play “El Tigre” during its tour of South America. She joined as a nurse to look after the health of the 200 members who were travelling with it at that time.
In 1965, MRA in Brazil had proposed sending a delegation of one hundred young people to Mackinac Island in the USA. Jeanne helped young people from northern Brazil to go to this. During that conference in Mackinac a young people’s musical show was created called “Sing-Out”. On their return from Mackinac, the young Brazilians were determined to form casts to perform in their country and Jeanne accompanied some of these groups.
In 1969 the North American cast of Up With People / ¡Viva la Gente! went on tour in Spain. Jeanne joined as the group's nurse on that tour. Omar and Jeanette Ibargoyen also travelled with this cast and for the first time Jeanne heard from Omar the idea of forming a Latin American cast.
In January 1970, young Argentines, Brazilians and the, who were local, came together at a conference in Montevideo, in this way starting up the Latin American cast “Viva la Gente!” (later called “Gente que Avanza”/ People on the move). Jeanne Azam, the Uruguayan Omar Ibargoyen Paiva his wife from the United States, Jeanette Alonso de Ibargoyen and the Frenchman Bernard Paris knew how to blend the best of Moral Rearmament of Europe and Up with People of the USA, in a new current of multidisciplinary life in a group of young people and adults from different nations. Starting with Uruguay it slowly began to radiate power and new life out towards the rest of Latin America. Young people who sought to develop themselves as new types of people who are not formed by reading many books, but by digging within themselves.
Jeanne travelled with the Cast during their 30 years of constant touring throughout Latin America. Many young people - and mainly many members of the Cast - approached Jeanne knowing that they could open up with someone of complete trust, discretion, and deep faith.
When Jeanne said in the group meetings which happened each morning: “I had a thought today…”, the young people opened their eyes and ears wide because they knew that something truly inspired would come out of her mouth. She was a practical woman, of few words, thoughtful, and... when she spoke, she hit the nail on the head!! Amusingly, among the young people it was said that "Jeanne had a direct telephone line to God."
Among the famous and wise words that were heard from her mouth, and that served as inspiration for many, were: “If God gives us the ability to dream, He also gives us the ability to realize these dreams,” or “If you are at peace within yourself, any place is your home”, as well as “The greater the amount of action, the greater the need for reflection”.
The last 12 years of her life she lived in Montevideo, where she helped shape the experimental Youth Training Centre of “Gente que Avanza”, constantly participating in morning meetings and being available to “listen” to young people - and those not so young - who were trying to move forward in their process of becoming better human beings in order to be able to respond to the needs of this world.
For everything mentioned here, there are many Latin Americans who honour and appreciate Jeanne's presence in our lives, because she knew how to generously give so much of God who lived in her.
Jeanne died in the city of Montevideo, on July 30, 2015. She was single and without children.
By Fabiana Duarte de Villavicencio
Sources: Writings by Jeanne Azam
Book “De Viva la Gente a Gente que Avanza “ – Pedro Gaudiano
