Scouts and Scientology Volunteer Ministers Partner to Help the People of the Amazon

Scientology Volunteer Ministers and Cuauhtémoc scout leaders team up to bring help to the indigenous people of the Amazon.

As the Scientology Volunteer Ministers Amazon Goodwill Tour pulls up stakes and prepares to head farther downstream, the volunteers look back on the past five months. This is the first in a series of articles that tells their story.

In April 2009, Mexico City, Scientology volunteers were preparing for a Goodwill Tour to help indigenous people of the Amazon improve their lives through simple technology developed by L. Ron Hubbard.

The leader of Troop 333 of the Cuauhtémoc Scouts heard about the Amazon Tour. The skill and compassion of the Volunteer Ministers confirmed his impression of Mr. Hubbard, creator of the program, whom he first encountered through the pages of Dianetics in 1975.

The troop leader devised a plan to combine forces—Scouting and Volunteer Ministers—as he saw in the Volunteer Ministers program a technology to better enable the scouts to fulfill their oath: “to help other people at all times.”

His idea was to invite a team of his most trusted scouts to join the Goodwill Tour, learn the technology and gain practical experience in using it under the guidance of experienced Volunteer Ministers.

As the Scouts loved the idea, the Scout leader proposed it to the Scientology Goodwill Tour and selected three candidates from among his best group leaders to form this unique partnership.

Nasxihly, 22, a nurse and Scouting group leader of children ages 6 to 10, brought enthusiasm and compassion to the Volunteer Ministers team, and her nursing skill was invaluable in areas where illness is rampant and hygiene often lacking.

Ivan, 23, a marketing student and Scouting group leader of youth ages 11 to 15, contributed his professional talents to reach out to people through TV and radio interviews.

Manuel, 20, a university student and Scouting group leader of teens and young adults ages 18 to 22, took care of the many details in moving the tour from place to place and documented the Tour’s work through photos and video.

The three new Goodwill Tour members learned the skills that make the Scientology Volunteer Ministers so effective, through courses based on the Scientology Handbook.

In a moving ceremony on April 30, 2009, the Cuauhtémoc Scout Leader presented the entire team with the flags of Mexico and Scouting. The Scouts and the Scientology Volunteer Ministers joined hands as the leader called on them to “work very hard and achieve the purpose of bettering the lives of the people of the Amazon.” Expecting the best from them all, he said, “This is a great responsibility and we know that you will do excellent work.”

With that, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers Amazon Goodwill Tour left for Iquitos, Peru, the largest city in the Peruvian rainforest, and the gateway to the Amazon.

As their story continues in part two of this series, the skills and teamwork of the team are put to the test, as they arrive in Iquitos just as the Amazon River reaches the highest level ever recorded, prompting Peru’s President Garcia to declare a 60-day state of emergency.

For more information on the Scientology Volunteer Ministers visit www.volunteerministers.org.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers Help Samoa Recover from Tsunami

A team of Scientology Volunteer Ministers is helping Samoa recover from the tsunami that hit the island early Tuesday, September 29. The tidal waves carried entire villages out to sea and killed at least 140.

An 8.0 earthquake 120 miles off the coast jolted people awake in Samoa at 6:48 that morning. Ten minutes later the first of four 15- to 20-foot-high waves pounded the shore and surged inland, destroying everything in their path.

Alerted to the disaster, Scientologists from Sydney, Australia, flew to the devastated island. There, they joined a team of Samoans who trained to be Volunteer Ministers in 2008 when the Scientology Volunteer Ministers South Pacific Goodwill Tour was in that country. They are working together to help local officials provide basic services for several thousand survivors living in emergency shelters since the disaster occurred.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers have set up their bright yellow tent as a headquarters for their relief activities. There, at shelters and in villages throughout the island, they provide Scientology Assists—simple procedures developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard that help people recover from the emotional and spiritual effects of trauma, illness and injury.

“Our Scientology Assists are the ’spiritual first-aid’ people need in a disaster,” said Mathew Andrews, leader of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers South Pacific Goodwill Tour who is coordinating the Volunteer Ministers disaster relief in Samoa. “People who are grieving, in pain or fixated on the tragedy become extroverted and bright and start planning again for the future. We helped a man who was in pain, struggling to walk. Today we saw him in town. He was smiling and walking easily and came up to me to shake my hand.”

For more information or to join the relief effort in Samoa contact the Volunteer Ministers Consultant at vm@volunteerministers.org. To learn more about the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program visit their web site at www.volunteerministers.org or the Scientology site.

California Scientology Churches Back Fire Crews

Scientologists from throughout Southern California rally to support the firefighters battling blazes that threaten thousands of suburban homes

Acknowledging the many Scientologists volunteering on the LA fire lines, Ms. Eden Stein, President of the Church of Scientology of Pasadena said, “The firefighters are the true heroes. They are out there under the most trying conditions, literally putting their lives on the line. We have the finest fire crews in the world protecting us and they deserve our full support.”

Scientology volunteers are distributing food and water and providing security patrols in addition to giving Scientology assists, simple procedures developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard that help relieve the emotional and spiritual aspect of trauma from injury, stress or shock.

“We encourage anyone who wants to help to contact the Church,” said Ms. Stein. “Whether you are trained or not, if you want to assist the fire crews we welcome your contribution.”

The Los Angeles fire killed two firefighters, consumed nearly 20 per cent of the Angeles National Forest, damaged an estimated $13.6 million in property, caused thousands of evacuations and destroyed 50 structures in its first week, prompting Governor Schwarzenegger to declare a state of emergency for Los Angeles County.

The Church of Scientology of Pasadena is acting headquarters of the activities of the Scientology Disaster Response Team for the greater Los Angeles area during this crisis, coordinating the efforts of Scientologists with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and other civic and volunteer organizations to provide whatever help is needed.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers program was created in 1976. Volunteer Ministers have given aid at 126 major disaster sites providing disaster relief services at 42 locations in the past year alone.

To contact the Volunteer Ministers Coordinator at the Church of Scientology of Pasadena, call (626) 792-7533. For more information on the Scientology Volunteer Ministers visit their web site at http://www.volunteerministers.org

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers program was created by L. Ron Hubbard to bring help everywhere. The huge expansion of the program in this past decade was inspired by Scientology ecclesiastical leader David Miscavige in his famous appeal to Scientologists to use 9/11 as a wake-up call and extend their help to their communities and society at a far greater level than ever before.

People Who Inspire the Volunteer Ministers Movement

Of course, L. Ron Hubbard, who created the movement in 1976, inspired it when he wrote an article called "Religious Influence in Society."

David Miscavige ,Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center (RTC), inspires Volunteer Ministers. At least twice yearly he presents an overview of the work of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers in his speeches at the Anniversary of the International Association of Scientologists (IAS) (which funds many of the VM programs) and the mid-year IAS report which he presents on the Freewinds each summer.

And all the individual VMs who put themselves on the line to help, inspire others to do the same.

Scientology Tour Helps Benin Orphans

Scientology volunteers work with Benin humanitarian group to improve the quality of care for orphans in the City of Djougou

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers Goodwill Tour, which travels throughout western Africa offering seminars, courses and one-on-one help for people throughout the region, has provided training to orphanage administrators in the city of Djougou, teaching effective solutions to the challenges they face in improving the quality of care in their facilities.

An estimated 340,000 Benin youth are orphans, with no anticipated decrease in the short term. In the first half of this decade the number of AIDS orphans—children who have lost either one or both parents to AIDS—in Benin more than doubled, from an estimated 23,000 in the year 2000 to some 62,000 in 2005, and the prediction is that this will only continue to escalate. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Agency for International Development have predicted that by the end of the decade, 20 million children in Africa will lose one or both parents to AIDS.

To effectively address issues related to parentless children, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers partnered with a non-profit group responsible for 28 orphanages in the City of Djougou. The Volunteer Ministers delivered “The Raising of Children” seminar for orphanage administrators, presenting procedures and practices, developed by humanitarian and Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, that can be applied to improve the quality of care of children in these institutions.

The orphan care initiative is just one in Benin, an emerging nation whose Gross Domestic Product ranks 159 of 177 nations. The Scientology Volunteer Ministers Goodwill Tour offers seminars and workshops free of charge to any non-profit group or government agency on increasing efficiency, improving communication skills and organizing to increase production.

Scientology volunteers also trained nurses at a local clinic to use Scientology Assists, techniques that provide relief and speed recovery from emotional or physical trauma. They also gave a drug education seminar to a local youth group and a workshop to a women’s association on how to resolve conflicts and save marriages.

In addition to seminars in community locations, the volunteer ministers provided small-group training and one-on-one counseling at their big yellow tent, where visitors could select from 19 courses ranging from “Assists for Illnesses and Injuries” to “Tools for the Workplace.” These free courses are also available online at the Scientology Volunteer Ministers website.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers

The Church’s 153 regional Volunteer Ministers traveling centers—known for their signature yellow tents—have given aid to 10.8 million people in 116 countries.

Through the last 20 years, Scientology Volunteer Ministers have provided emergency service at 126 worst-case disaster sites. Today, they are among the world's most recognized independent relief organizations.

A Scientology Volunteer Minister does not shut his eyes to the pain, evil and injustice of existence. A Scientology Volunteer Minister is a person who helps his fellow man on a volunteer basis by helping restore purpose, truth and spiritual values to the lives of others.

Volunteer Ministers live by the motto that "Something can be done about it."

Overview of results:

• Today there are 196,000 Scientology Volunteer Ministers worldwide, compared to 45,000 in 2005 and 6,000 in 2001.
• Volunteer Ministers have helped over 1.4 million people in the last year, a 300 percent increase over the 2004 figure of 550,000 people. Volunteer Ministers have helped 10.8 million people since 9/11.
• More than 470,000 Volunteer Ministers information mailings have been sent out over the past two years.
• Over 750,000 people have visited the Volunteer Ministers Internet site (www.volunteerministers.org) in the last year alone, with 149,000 people starting free online Volunteer Minister Courses in the last seven months alone.
• 18 Continental Volunteer Ministers traveling centers have toured through 116 countries covering over 300,000 miles (more than 140,000 miles within the past year).
• The 135 regional Volunteer Ministers traveling centers—the signature yellow tents attached to Churches of Scientology in major cultural centers—have toured throughout their cities or towns helping hundreds of thousands yearly.
• Volunteer Ministers have been involved in disaster relief efforts in 126 major disaster sites, 42 locations in the last year alone.
• Volunteer Ministers have trained and partnered with more than 500 different organizations and agencies including the Red Cross, FEMA, National Guard, and local police and fire departments.

More articles from Freedom Magazine

Scientology Volunteer Ministers Help Martial Arts Students in Zambia Gain New Skills

With workshops based on the Scientology Handbook, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers African Goodwill Tour gave martial arts students a new perspective on life.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers Africa Goodwill Tour trained students at a national marital arts tournament in Kitwe, Zambia in technology developed by L. Ron Hubbard. As Church of Scientology leader, David Miscavige, described the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program: “The final word, as regards our front-line work bringing our help wherever and whenever needed is our corps of Scientology Volunteer Ministers — on call, 24 hours a day in scores of nations.”

The volunteers usually provide training at the big yellow tent they erect in the towns and villages they visit, but while stationed in Kabwe, in central Zambia, a young man who had trained at their tent invited them to come to the nearby city of Kitwe, to attend a martial arts tournament and hold workshops for students and their guests.

The workshops were based on chapters from the Scientology Handbook, a compilation of technology developed by L. Ron Hubbard to help people cope with the problems they encounter in life and improve conditions for themselves and others.

From the feedback received, the workshops were a great success.

“Doing this course has been a challenge to me,” said a graduate of the communication workshop. ” I will use the knowledge I have acquired from this course to make my world better to live in.”

“Doing this course has really helped me,” a graduate of the Integrity and Honesty workshop said. “I have attained self-worth and integrity and the ability to feel honest with myself and others.” Another young man who completed the same training said, “This course was challenging. I have benefited so much. It has helped me become honest in everything I am doing, which will help my friends and family as well.”

Scientology churches around the world provide workshops and seminars free of charge in these and other subjects. To arrange for a seminar for your own group or organization visit the Scientology Volunteer Ministers web site.

A crime against children

This is the type of story that rips at the heart -
that this kind of abuse was EVER allowed.

Their spokesman is a hero on my book.

For the full story.

CONDEMNING YOUTH TO A PSYCHIATRIC HELL:
Subjected to a lifetime of brutal psychiatric "treatment" subsidized
by the Quebec government under Maurice Duplessis (above) and
others, the children above are lined up in a "waiting zone" orphanage.
Most will be transferred to Canadian mental hospitals — their only "crime"
a poverty-stricken background or a lack of education.

My team won, Mac!

THAT means we go to the Freewinds for the convention :)

Many are not so lucky

Children are taught that slavery was abolished in the US by the Civil War.

But international organizations and NGOs put the estimate of the number of people trafficked each year at 2 million.

Freedom from slavery is covered by Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, illustrated by this short film.

Do you like elephants?

I do, so I donated to the Earth Organization's
project to save elephants in South Africa.

I will never understand why any man would
think slaughtering animals like this is a solution to
anything.


Go here for more info.

OK, Mac, you're on!!!

If my team wins...
we go to the Convention on the Freewinds.

Right after course in the morning, we have the group over
to our house.

One group on the right in the den

The other group on the left.

A day on

Dr. Martin Luther King was being celebrated for
his day ON. We should be helping others in the
community daily.

http://www.scientologytoday.org/press/701161047581_scn-local.html

Are you.....

Worthy of TRUST?

Book recommendation

I really like the way this is set up.
http://www.authorservices.com/index1.html

Check for one of my favorites FEAR. That will
keep you on the edge of your seat.

He is definitely THE Master story teller for me.

Mr. David Miscavige

One individual who has been a driving force behind the major expansion of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers help force throughout the world is Mr. David Miscavige. The St. Petersburg Times did a great interview about him a few years ago.

And here is more news about what the VMs are doing around the world.

A Good Way to Disseminate

This is the one, Carmen.

LRH himself answers the questions your friend asked.

http://www.scientologytoday.org/press/701012300081_scn-int.html

Ok, ladies ... ready?

Time to go for more sales.

This is almost as much fun as Christmas shopping.

I have a map of the places we need to go to,
so I'll navigate. Carmen wants to drive.

We're leaving my house at 8 am, so we'll be by
to pick you both up shortly thereafter.

Good morning!

OK ... OK ... OK

YES, I GOT THE PANDA!!!!

Thanks, Mac, I new you were a good guy when we met!

Ok, folks

I promise I will be better about keeping you
up to date this year.

After putting away all the Christmas decorations,
and retiring the tree (fake, because I hate the
thought of seeing a beautiful pine die before my
very eyes), and getting all the thank you cards
out ... time to get going for the rest of the year.

Noticing the news, this is not a time I would want
to be living in Denver. It's a beautiful area, but
BOY, the snow they've had. News today is an avalanche
on Highway 40. That's a main highway in the Rockies,
and a fantastic drive most
of the time - but not today.

Hope everyone there is doing ok.