June 2007 Outreach Journey
to Argentina and Chile

Armed with a variety of PowerPoint presentations and supplies consisting of books, spiritual vitamins, posters, and CDs, a group of readers has just completed an extensive outreach tour to cities in Argentina and Chile.  Several live radio presentations were made as part of the trip including one in Buenos Aires that lasted for one hour with only a single 5-minute break. 

Places visited include Cordoba, Capilla del Monte, Santiago de Chile, and Buenos Aires.  Over 65 people attended one of the several public presentations in Buenos Aires.  Of this meeting IFC Chair Buck Weimer writes, "It was a remarkable gathering for many reasons.  The vast majority of attendees were truth-seekers, and completely overwhelmed us after the presentations requesting books, coupons, posters, descriptions of the books - in what I referred to as 'a soul food frenzy'."

Pictured above is the core team consisting of (from left to right) Dr. Raphael Arias and his wife Nidia from Costa Rica, Dolores Nice, Nelida Oliver who works in both Argentina and Ecuador, Agustin Arellano and Alba, an interested reader from Mexico, and Arlene Weimer.  Buck Weimer is the one behind the camera.     

A series of three presentations was given in Santiago de Chile where contact was also made with long-time readers in the area including Juan Pablo Vega, Olga Tartarovsky, Nina Bravo, and Yolanda Silva. Several of these individuals have attended our meetings here in the States. Olga and Nina were involved in organizing one of the first study groups in Latin America.

 

 

At left, Nelida Oliver--an active evangelist for the revelation who works in both Argentina and Ecuador--leads a meeting in Buenos Aires.

 

 

 

 

 

At right, Dolores Nice and Dr. Raphael Arias (from Costa Rica) are on the air in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Thousands of individuals were exposed to the revelation by means of the several radio programs in which the team participated. Both Nelida Oliver and Agustin Arellano have proven to be very adept at arranging mass media exposure for the book.

At right is Fellowship International Committee Chair, Buck Weimer, with former Urantia Foundation representative for Argentina (now UAI representative), Carlos Rubinski, shown at one of the meetings in Buenos Aires.

Dolores Nice commented that, "This was a very important event because it brought together members of the two major organizations and we were very well received. More than one person commented, 'This means the war is over!'" Plans are being formulated related to the participation of both organizations in an upcoming Argentine book fair.

Around 93% of Argentineans declare themselves Roman Catholic according to different surveys, though most are not practicing; the Church estimates an affiliation of 70%. Evangelical churches have gained a foothold in Argentina since the 1980s. Their followers now number more than 3.5 million, about 10% of the total population. Traditional Protestant and Mormon communities are present in most areas. The country also hosts the largest Jewish population in all of Latin America, about 2 percent of the population.

A more extensive report on this mission will be published on the Fellowship website when participants have had a chance to review and compile their notes. Check http://urantia-book.org/whatsnew.htm to keep current.

  Fifth Annual Lithuanian Gathering

Nearly fifty Lithuanian readers of The Urantia Book met in the Moletai campground for the annual National Gathering over the weekend of June 9 and 10.

The theme for the weekend was "The Father and Us," which provided a context for a variety of presentations.  But most meaningful were the sessions during which individual participants discussed their own personal relationship with the Father and their own journey toward fuller consciousness of that relationship.

The Moletai campground is part of what was a vacation destination during the Soviet period for families of workers from a large factory in Vilnius which manufactured television sets.  The grounds are now made available through the contacts of a reader who once worked in that factory and who now has a significant interest in the teachings of The Urantia Book.

In the picture above, readers prepare a place in the adjoining forest to serve as the primary meeting room for the gathering. Gotta make sure those circles are straight!

 

 

Mealtime at the Lithuanian gathering is always a delightful social event.  All meals are prepared by attendees who bring with them to the gathering a variety of fresh produce and home-prepared foods.

All conference sessions are held outdoors in the Lithuanian forest.

At right is a photo of the traditional evening bonfire at the Lithuanian gathering. This photo was taken about 10:30 PM, shortly after the sun went down. Because at this time of the year it does not get completely dark at night at this latitude (54 degrees North) it is easy for conversations around the bonfire to extend well into the wee morning hours.

Since World War II, the most active Roman Catholic Church in the former Soviet Union has been in the Lithuanian Republic, where the majority of people are Catholics. The Roman Catholic Church there has served as an institution that both fosters and defends Lithuanian national interests and values. Since 1972 a Catholic underground publication, The Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania, has spoken not only for Lithuanians' religious rights but also for their national rights.

The present Catholic Church in Lithuania is opposed to The Urantia Book and from time-to-time plants provacative questions or comments on the Lithuanian Urantia website public forum. These are very well addressed by Algimantas Jokubenas, the person who translated The Urantia Book into the Lithuanian language and who is at present the primary spokesperson for the revelation in this language group.

Lithuania was one of the last European countries to be converted from Paganism to Christianity (Catholicism). In fact, one of this editor's most interesting friends is the leader of the present neo-Paganism movement in Lithuania. In 2009 Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania, will become the cultural capital of the European Union. This will coincide with the 1,000 year anniversary of the region known as Lithuania.

The Urantia Book at the International Institute of Integral Human Sciences in Montreal

The Urantia Book was promoted in Montreal, Canada, at this year's Annual International Conference of the IIIHS.  The institute is affiliated with the United Nations Department of Public Information and is tasked with promoting global inter-religious and inter-cultural understanding as well as the convergence of science, spirituality, and universal human values.  The theme of this year's conference was "Visions of a New World and a Transformed Humanity." 

The conference featured outstanding speakers from the United States, Canada, Europe and South America. This year’s keynote speaker was the renowned Dr. Fred Alan Wolf, a.k.a. Dr. Quantum in the film "Down the Rabbit Hole," the sequel to "What the Bleep Do We Know!?" Dr. Wolf is pictured above with Diane Labrecque.

The Urantia Book was exhibited during the entire 10-day event in downtown Montreal between May 4 and May 13 in an effort led by Diane Labrecque with support from Thomas Orjala and the Fellowship's Outreach Committee.

Diane writes:  "The most interesting aspect was that most of the internationally renowned speakers knew of the Urantia Book and spoke positively and openly about it. It was a true uplift to see the inquisitive interest of attendees who ended up buying the book and receiving the beautiful 2007 Urantia Calendar as a gift.

"Besides Dr. Fred Alan Wolf, I had the opportunity to meet personally with some of the other outstanding speakers such as Dr. Harvey Bigelsen, former Apollo 16 astronaut Brian O’Leary along with his wife, the incredibly talented artist Meredith Miller, physician Steven Greer and founder of CSETI and the Disclosure Project, Mark Macy who is pioneer in the research field of Instrumental TransCommunication, "America’s Prophet" Sean David Morton known for his TV and film investigative reports on prediction of events, prominent astrologer Noel Tyl and Harvard graduate in psychology, as well as Mark Kimmel who has focused since 1987 on the study of the ET phenomenon.

"Some of them told me that they have known about the Urantia Book for many years, have read it or were still reading it while one speaker informed me to my amazement that he had dined with one of the Trustees of the Urantia Foundation a few years ago. This gave me a great deal of encouragement for promoting the book at the conference."

For more information on next year’s IIIHS Int’l Conference from July 11-20, 2008, you can call their headquarters in Montreal, Canada at 514-937-8359, visit their website at www.iiihs.org or email them at info@iiihs.org or contact Diane Labrecque at dianelabrecque@osauna.com .

SSS'07 Update: Local Transit Tips; TDA Information

Not registered yet?  Click here to do it now! 

It's not too late to register but you must register NOW. We have extended the registration deadline to June 27th. However, payment must be made in full. Please note: If you registered in advance with a deposit, the balance of your conference fees are due now. We need to get a room count to Dominican University so that we can be assured enough rooms are available for our meetings.

Flying to SSS'07 in Chicago?  Want to avoid the approximately $25.00 taxi fare to Dominican University (pictured at left)?

Take the train from O'Hare. Follow the signs at the airport to Ground Transportation/Trains.  Get on a Blue Line train and travel to the Forest Park station. Make sure you have appropriate cash/change for the train fare as the tickets are dispensed from a machine. This station is between 2 and 3 miles south of Dominican College but a much cheaper cab ride than cabbing all the way from O'Hare.

If you choose this option, make sure you get on a Blue Line train to Forest Park. During the day some Blue Line trains go to Cicero (the Douglas Line). Look at the sign on the train. It will say either Forest Park or Douglas.

If you don't mind a change of trains, the closest stop to Dominican is the west end of the Green Line at Harlem Avenue near Lake Street.  From there Dominican is about a mile north on Harlem and a mile west on Division. To get from O'Hare to that stop, you would get on the Blue Line at O'Hare, take it to the Clark and Lake subway station in the Loop, and then take the escalators up to the Green Line. Make sure you go to the north platform where the trains go to Harlem Ave. If you find yourself on the wrong platform, you can take a footbridge to the other side.

The difference between these stations would be as follows: If you would rather walk 2 miles instead of 3, and don't mind the complexity of a transfer, take the Blue Line to the Green Line.  If you would be taking a cab from the station anyway and don't want to bother with a transfer, take the Blue Line to Forest Park.

There is a Dominican College shuttle running between the Green Line station and the college.  Call Dominican College (ahead of time) to find out the schedule.

To get to Dominican College by taxi, it is suggested you call a day or two ahead (up to 30 days
before arrival) to make a reservation. Go to baggage claim, and after picking up your luggage call to initiate pick-up. Cost is the same for both companies: From O'Hare - $21.00 - From Midway - $23.00.  Any additional passengers are $1:00 each.  

The campus is located at 7900 W. Division St. , River Forest , IL 60305

Taxi service:

Blue Cab Company: 708-583-6900 or 800-779-3131 toll free

Red Cab Company: 708-848-1010 or 866-973-3222 toll free

A local trip planner is available at http://www.transitchicago.com

The conference theme is “Cosmic Citizenship.”   It will be held at the lovely Dominican University campus in River Forest , Illinois . It’s the same campus we used last year. On-site registration will begin at 3:00 P.M. on Thursday, July 19, with a reception/social planned for that evening. The conference program officially starts at 9:00 A.M. on Friday, July 20th, and ends at noon on Sunday, July 22nd. The accommodations are air-conditioned and the beautiful campus is easily reached from both O’Hare and Midway airports.

During the conference weekend there will be meetings of the General Council, the Executive Committee, and the Triennial Delegate Assembly.  If you are a Society member, now is a good time to get together with other members and your TDA representative to make your thoughts known on matters that are in development.  TDA delegates give instructions to the General Council regarding programs that the readership would like to see developed as well as input on administrative matters.

Conference schedule:

    

Triennial Delegate Assembly:  Convenes Thursday, July 19 at 9:00 AM
General Council: Convenes Sunday, July 22 at 1:00 PM
Pre-conference spiritual retreat:  Convenes Thursday, July 19 all day beginning at 8:00 AM, concluding with a morning meditation at 8:00 AM on Friday, July 20.
Conference Program:  Begins Friday morning at 9:00 AM.

If you plan to participate in the TDA or the retreat, you will need to arrive on Wednesday so be sure to check the option that includes Wednesday night on the registration form.

IC'O8 Conference Venue Confirmed

The Fellowship's 2008 International Conference, IC08, will be held July 2-6, 2008 in Los Angeles, California, on the campus of UCLA -- the University of California at Los Angles.

 Urantia Book readers from around the world will come together for fellowship and worship as they explore the conference theme, "The Thrill of Loving Service."

The beautiful UCLA campus is close to Pacific Ocean beaches, and offers a variety of housing and dining facilities. 

IC'08 will focus on loving service. So much is needed in so many places. An exciting, creative, experiential program is planned for adults and children of all ages. 

We each experience the privilege and honor of service. Let's multiply our efforts as we learn from and inspire each other.

Please plan on participating in this exploration of loving service. If you wish to offer a workshop or help facilitate the conference, please contact us.  Additional information will be forthcoming shortly.

2009 Parliament of the World's Religions to be held in Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia, has been chosen as the venue for the 2009 Parliament of the World's Religions. For more information visit the Parliament website.

Support the work of The Urantia Book Fellowship

As a non-profit organization, The Urantia Book Fellowship relies on the financial support of the readership.

You can help in a big way by signing up for the auto-debit program. It is easy to donate effortlessly by going to http://urantia-book.org/support.htm now. A monthly deduction of any amount you wish to contribute is taken each month until you wish to make a change. Your donations are deeply appreciated and make possible reader services such as this e-newsletter as well as major outreach missions such as that described in the above article about Argentina and Chile.

Remember: The spread of the revelation in our world is limited only by the availability of resources which can be brought to bear on this project of great import.

Published by David Kantor for The Urantia Book Fellowship
Visit our website at http://urantia-book.org
Send comments or questions to sysop@urantia-book.org