Meet a Scientologist - Barbara Schneider's Happy Ending

Scientologist Barbara Schneider is a model, TV personality, paramedic, Scientology counselor and mother of four who didn’t anticipate how well things would turn out 18 years ago when things went wrong.  

Born and working as a paramedic in Lugano, Switzerland, in the early 1990s a failed relationship left her desperate to get away.

“I went to a travel agent and told him I needed a change,” she says. “I wanted to be someplace far away and on the sea.”

The next thing she knew, she was flying to Majorca with her 3-year-old son. Once there, she was paying a friend a visit at a hotel when a man directed her ‘right this way for the audition.’  She tried to tell him that was not why she was there, but he insisted, and she ended up being cast as co-host of a TV show.

Despite the change in scenery and an exciting new job, a year and a half later, Schneider was still suffering.

“My twin sister Elena could tell I was unhappy,” says Schneider. “She had been a Scientologist since we were 16 and she was convinced Scientology would help me.”

Agreeing to give it a try, she received some Scientology spiritual counseling and was amazed—the upset vanished.

Schneider relocated to Clearwater, Florida—the spiritual headquarters of the Scientology religion.  It was there that she met and married husband Roberto. 

A Scientology auditor (religious counselor), she credits the skills she has gained from her training for her success as a mother and in so many other aspects of her life.

“I don’t know how I would raise a family in the world today without what I’ve learned in Scientology,” she says.

She is tremendously proud of how self-reliant and responsible her children are.

“My kids have a very good life but they work hard for it,” she says.  “It’s not automatically—‘Oh, you’re 16 so here’s a car.’ They earn what they get by studying hard and doing well in school. Even with my little one who’s only four, she loves contributing to the family.  She helps me around the house.  We make it a game and she’s proud of what she does.”

Schneider’s commitment to helping others extends beyond the family.  A Scientology Volunteer Minister, she traveled to Port-au-Prince in January 2012 with her three sisters and several close friends to help in the wake of the Haiti earthquake. 

 “We are all mothers and the children there really touched our hearts,” she says. “We took on helping more than 100 children who were living on the streets, orphaned or separated from their parents. We built tents, turned an old school bus into a cafeteria, cooked and served their meals, arranged medical care, and tutored them.  Where possible, we helped them find their families.  My sisters stayed on for months and made sure the children would be cared for when they left.”

Involved with helping others since she was a child, Schneider finds being a Scientology auditor (counselor) enormously gratifying.

“What I like most is to touch someone’s life with a bit of magic—that’s what I really love to do,” she says, “to inspire them, bring out the best in them, so they can see solutions on their own and go ahead and resolve their problems and be happy.”

To meet more than 200 Scientologists and hear their stories, watch the “Meet a Scientologist” videos at www.Scientology.org. 

###

The popular “Meet a Scientologist” profiles on the Church of Scientology International Video Channel at Scientology.org now total more than 200 broadcast-quality documentary videos featuring Scientologists from diverse locations and walks of life. The personal stories are told by Scientologists who are educators, teenagers, skydivers, a golf instructor, a hip-hop dancer, IT manager, stunt pilot, mothers, fathers, dentists, photographers, actors, musicians, fashion designers, engineers, students, business owners and more.

A digital pioneer and leader in the online religious community, in April 2008 the Church of Scientology became the first major religion to launch its own official YouTube Video Channel, with videos now viewed more than 7 million times.

^{Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard}, founder of theScientology relgion

Scientology Added to the Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy

For the first time, the Scientology religion is included in the Diccionario de la Lengua Española de la Real Academia Española (Dictionary of the Spanish Language of the Royal Academy of Spain) or DRAE, the most authoritative dictionary of the Spanish language. Produced, edited, and published by the Royal Spanish Academy since 1780 and now in its 22nd edition, it defines Scientology religion as a “religious movement originating in the United States, which aims to promote awareness through certain introspective techniques.

Dictionary additions such as this one require the consensus of the 22 Academies of the Spanish Language which represent all Spanish-speaking nations throughout the Americas and the Philippines. Members of the Academy are chosen from among the most prestigious Spanish artists and scientists. As with their French counterpart, the Académie Française, members of the Royal Spanish Academy are elected for life by their peers.
“We are pleased that our Church is now represented in this dictionary, as anything that makes greater knowledge and understanding available benefits society as a whole,” says Ivan Arjona-Pelado, President of the National Church of Scientology Spain.
Scientologists have been practicing the religion in Spain since the 1960s. The Spanish Ministry of Justice officially recognized Scientology as a religion in 2007.
The National Church of Scientology Spain is located at Santa Catalina, 7 in the heart of Madrid.
“The opening of our new Ideal Scientology Organization in 2004 and the expansion of its public information center and seminar and conference rooms in 2011 have made it possible to introduce scholars and civic and community leaders to our religion,” says Arjona-Pelado. “This makes our technology and social betterment programs even more broadly available.”

###

Ideal Scientology Organizations (Orgs) realize the fulfillment of Founder L. Ron Hubbard’s vision for the religion. They not only provide the ideal facilities to service Scientologists on their ascent to greater states of spiritual awareness and freedom, each is also designed to serve as a home for the entire community and a meeting ground of cooperative effort to uplift citizens of all denominations.
The Scientology religion was founded by author and philosopher L. Ron Hubbard. The first Church of Scientology was formed in the United States in 1954 and has today expanded to more than 10,000 Churches, Missions and affiliated groups, with millions of members in 167 nations.


^{Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion}

Church of Scientology Cuts Ribbon on Twin Cities Landmark Home in Minnesota’s Capital of St. Paul

Scientologists, guests, state and city officials assembled in downtown St. Paul, Saturday October 22, for the dedication of the new Church of Scientology Twin Cities. The Church stands at 505 Wabasha Street and was formerly home to the Science Museum of Minnesota. The acquisition of the 82,000-square-foot facility in the heart of St. Paul was necessitated by the meteoric growth of the resident Scientology community. The Church of Scientology Twin Cities is now the largest Scientology facility in the American Midwest and will serve parishioners from Wisconsin to the Dakotas.

Located just blocks from the State Capitol and St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Church is additionally adjacent to the famed Fitzgerald Theater and so forms an “historic square” of buildings in downtown St. Paul. The premises were carefully renovated to preserve its most memorable features, including the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Wabasha Street and the three-story atrium. Also faithfully preserved was the original 300-seat IMAX Theater, now to serve as the Scientology Chapel and community meeting ground for citizens of all denominations.

Just off the expansive reception is a Public Information Center presenting the beliefs and practices of the Scientology religion as well as the life and legacy of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. The Information Center further provides an overview of the many Church-sponsored humanitarian programs. These programs include a worldwide human rights initiative, an equally far-ranging drug education and prevention campaign, global networks of literacy and learning centers and the Scientology Volunteer Minister program now comprising the largest independent relief force on Earth. The multimedia displays include nearly 500 documentary films.

In tribute to the import of the occasion, Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center and ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, officiated at the ceremony. In pointing to the significance of the day, Mr. Miscavige cited all that new Ideal Churches of Scientology traditionally bring to their surrounding communities, pledging the Church's resources and support across a broad range of civic programs for the benefit of all citizens. Thus, by dedicating a new Church for Minneapolis and St. Paul comes the inauguration of a new partnership in Twin Cities.

Welcoming the new Church were St. Paul City Councilmember Dave Thune; Minnesota State Senator Sandra Pappas; Minnesota State Representative Rena Moran; and President of the Minneapolis Chapter of MAD DADS (Men Against Destruction Defending Against Drugs and Social Disorder), Mr. V.J. Smith.

In his salutary address, City Councilmember Dave Thune said: “I’m so happy to see that the Church of Scientology has moved into this landmark building. I always hate to see buildings go unused and sit vacant, especially in my Ward! So let me say this: thank you for moving across the river to the best side of Twin Cities.”

President of the Minneapolis Chapter of MAD DADS, Mr. V.J. Smith, addressed the Church’s anti-drug initiative: “I want to thank you, because we’ve already given out thousands of your Truth About Drugs booklets that show the impact drugs have on a person. The Church of Scientology and the Foundation for a Drug-Free World provided those to make it easier for us to do our job. You gave us a resource... and we’re really excited to see this beautiful Church open up in our community.”

Minnesota State Representative Rena Moran spoke of the Church’s pervasive volunteerism: “I believe very strongly in community engagement. And that is why I’m especially excited about your Volunteer Ministers and so impressed by the work that they do. It takes a certain kind of heart to give unconditional help to people you don’t even know and may never meet again. Your volunteers seem to specialize in that. They’re reaching out, they’re engaged, they’re facing the needs in our communities—and proving that something really can be done about it.”

Minnesota State Senator and leading proponent for human rights and human trafficking legislation, Sandra Pappas spoke to the Church’s award-winning Human Rights education materials and its longstanding support of human rights in general: “At the core of this support is an educational campaign that delivers a clear and impactful presentation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. That is certainly a credible endeavor that I think you should be acknowledged for, so thank you. …I am proud of my work and you should be proud of your work to educate others on what are human rights. Please continue.”

_________________

The Church of Scientology of Twin Cities is the newest of dozens of Ideal Scientology Church Organizations (“Ideal Orgs”) opened in the past five years. Ideal Orgs realize the fulfillment of Founder L. Ron Hubbard’s vision for the religion and its Churches. Ideal Orgs not only provide the ideal facilities to service Scientologists on their spiritual ascent, but they are also designed to serve as a home for the entire community and a meeting ground of cooperative effort to uplift citizens of all denominations.

The Church of Scientology of Twin Cities is the fourth Ideal Org to open in 2011, joining these new Churches:

• Church of Scientology of Tampa opened March 13, 2011, in historic Ybor Square

• Church of Scientology of Moscow opened February 26, 2011, in the Russian capital’s central Garden Ring, a mile from Red Square

• Church of Scientology of Melbourne opened January 29, 2011, in a landmark estate in the cultural capital of Australia

• Other new churches opened in the past two years include Dallas; Nashville; Washington, D.C.; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Pasadena; Seattle; as well as Malmo, Sweden; Rome, Italy; Brussels, Belgium; Quebec City, Canada and Mexico City, Mexico.

For a complete list of new Churches of Scientology, visit Scientology.org.

_________________

The Scientology religion was founded by author and philosopher L. Ron Hubbard. The first Church of Scientology was formed in Los Angeles in 1954 and the religion has expanded to more than 9,000 Churches, Missions and affiliated groups, with millions of members in 165 countries.

^{Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of theScientology relgion}

What is a Volunteer Minister

"A Volunteer Minister is a person who helps his fellow man on a volunteer basis by restoring purpose, truth and spiritual values to the lives of others.

A Volunteer Minister does not shut his eyes to the pain, evil and injustice of existence. Rather, he is trained to handle these things and help others achieve relief from them and new personal strength as well.

How does a Volunteer Minister accomplish these miracles? Basically, he uses the technology of Scientology to change conditions for the better — for himself, his family, his groups, friends, associates and for mankind."--L. Ron Hubbard

^{Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion.}

Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of theScientology relgion

Who are the Scientology Volunteer Ministers?

The Volunteer Minister (VM) program was launched more than thirty years ago, in response to an appeal by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard.

Noting a tremendous downturn in the level of ethics and morality in society, and a consequent increase in drugs and crime, Mr. Hubbard wrote, “If one does not like the crime, cruelty, injustice and violence of this society, he can do something about it. He can become a VOLUNTEER MINISTER and help civilize it, bring it conscience and kindness and love and freedom from travail by instilling into it trust, decency, honesty and tolerance.”

Accordingly, in addition to traveling to wherever disaster strikes, Volunteer Ministers work with public servants in their own communities, helping to improve conditions right at home. Their information and training centers are bright yellow tents open to the public at weekend events and fairs, where anyone may enroll on a course or seminar that is delivered right in the tent.

Extensive information displays present the full array of tools for resolving any situation—from rescuing failing students or getting addicts off drugs, to alleviating emotional trauma of physical injuries, salvaging troubled relationships or solving human conflicts.

Volunteer Ministers also deliver seminars to police, firemen and disaster relief organizations with local community programs as well as through Goodwill Tours traveling from city to city with their tents.

So whether manning a tent at home or in a village 10,000 miles away, Scientology Volunteer Ministers all live by the same motto: “Something Can Be Done About It.”

Because of their courage, compassion and training, they have become indispensable in times of greatest human need—traveling halfway around the world to help people who have lost everything in an earthquake, tsunami, hurricane, flood or the like.

This includes a corps hundreds strong at Ground Zero within hours of the 9/11 tragedy. It also includes more than 500 volunteers from 11 nations in Southeast Asia in the wake of the tsunami and over 900 Volunteer Ministers attending to victims in Louisiana and Mississippi in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Likewise, during the Haiti earthquake disaster, the Church of Scientology and its parishioners flew in planeloads of much-needed medical and food supplies. In addition, they have brought in hundreds of medical professionals and Volunteer Ministers to help Haitians cope with their losses and rebuild their lives.

Volunteer Ministers have also trained and partnered with over 1,000 different groups, organizations and agencies around the world, including the Red Cross, FEMA, National Guard, Army Cadets, Salvation Army, Boy Scouts, Rotary Clubs, civil defense and disaster management agencies, YMCAs, police and fire departments of dozens of cities and towns and hundreds more national and regional groups and organizations.

^{---------
Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion}

David Miscavige Officiates New Scientology Church Gran Openings.

In just the past three weeks David Miscavige officiated the grand openings of three new Ideal Scientology Churches—one in Mexico City (the first Church of Scientology in that country), in Pasadena, California and in Seattle, Washington.

All three churches are works of art. They are practical and comfortable but utterly gorgeous.

You really have to be there. I attended the Pasadena grand opening. To say I was impressed by this building and by the Scientologists who drove the project to put it there and those who joined staff there over the past few months is the ultimate of understatement.

If you can get there, go for a guided tour. Not just to check it out, but to see what there is there for you. Because the thing about these new Ideal Scientology Orgs, and that's the entire point David Miscavige made in the speeches at each of these three grand openings--they are there for you. And that "you" means anyone.>>

^{Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of theScientology relgion}

Freedom Magazine Exposes Lies on Scientology

If you would like to know why the network that calls itself “the most trusted name in news” is the least trustworthy, Freedom Magazine brings you, in living color, what Anderson Cooper refused to show.

With the ratings for Anderson Cooper 360 in a free fall over the past year and rumors rampant he is bailing out for another network, CNN had one final act of desperation up its sleeve.

CNN became the latest media outlet to buy into the increasingly over-the-top, bizarre tales spread by four admitted liars leading a self-proclaimed “Posse” of expelled former Church of Scientology staffers. Their yearlong orchestrated campaign exploits the media to run stories which attack their former Church, attack their former friends and even attack their own families—parents, wives and children. It’s all part of an effort to aggrandize themselves and make money by promoting everything from their self-published rants to their perverted style of psychological counseling and “deprogramming.”

In doing so, the once-great network—that nearly 20 years ago set the standard for journalism during the Persian Gulf War—broadcast five nights of so-called reports on the Church of Scientology, becoming the mouthpiece for a criminal group of cyberterrorists. It used salacious, false allegations to try to salvage a program whose ratings have been so anemic that at times only about a half-million viewers tune in—roughly the population of a mid-size city.

Far from conducting an actual investigation, CNN was simply the latest stop on the “Posse’s” anti-Scientology media tour. There was literally no original reporting—just a regurgitation of long disproven allegations that sourced from the Internet, and which dozens of outraged Church officials refuted with statements sworn under oath. This should have raised the antenna of any seasoned journalist, especially one who portrays himself as a skeptic, as Anderson Cooper does.

^{Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of theScientology relgion}

Something more

People who tell you to just look after yourself and forget the other guy are operating on a basic misconception.

This video points shows why.



^{Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology relgion}

Scientologist--Empowering Youth in Africa

I wanted to share this story about Tim Bowles. Tim received the Freedom Medal of the International Association of Scientologists for his human rights work. Here is an article form the Scientology press office on his work in western Africa to empower youth and bring peace and equity to the region.

Tim Bowles and friend in Kpando, Ghana.

Tim Bowles, the Director of International Development of Youth for Human Rights International, recently returned from West Africa where he is working to implement sweeping human rights reforms. Scientology Today interviewed him about the program and what inspired him to do what he is doing.

Scientology Today: Tim, you have been very active with Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI), and have been concentrating recently on helping implement a YHRI program in Western Africa. What made you decide to take this project on, and why there?

Tim Bowles: I have held an abiding interest in assisting people in the most challenging areas of the world since my college days in the 1960s. I met Youth for Human Rights International President, Mary Shuttleworth, in early 2005 and agreed to volunteer on a few youth training projects. Traveling to assist the group with a regional conference in Ghana that year, I saw the need for broad human rights education in that region and this program developed from that realization.

Africa represents the worst and the best in humanity. West Africa particularly is the site of some of the most infamous atrocities since the close of World War II. Yet, for all the invitations the populace has had to descend into unrelenting hatred and retribution, I have found Africans intensely ready and willing to work for and secure survival for themselves, their communities and the continent's population as a whole.

While their desire and demand for change is obvious, they face enormous challenges. With all their natural resources, will the people of Africa be able to acquire the know-how they need to capitalize on them? Will they harness the greatest resource they have—the youth of their countries—through effective education programs? Will they be able to create and sustain the ethical, competent leadership and organization they need to actually pull out of the dwindling spiral of polarization, violence and destruction?

Some of the 30 high school level youth from Accra, Ghana, participating in this summer's Human Rights Leadership Project.

During my first visit in 2005 I was privileged to meet a group of committed African human rights activists. Together, we have been developing a West Africa leadership campaign dedicated not just to inspiring youth through human rights awareness but to training and equipping young people with the leadership tools necessary to play key roles in creating and sustaining just and prosperous societies in Africa over the coming critical decades.

Scientology Today: Can you describe the project that you are implementing there now?

Tim Bowles: Starting in March this year we began running a six-month-long youth leadership pilot project in the nations of Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The project is our first step in enabling young, able African men and women to make human rights a reality in their communities. By also involving prominent local proponents of human rights as speakers and instructors, we are training high school students on leadership, organization and human rights advocacy and connecting them with leaders who can greatly assist them in accomplishing their purposes. The competition involves 30 students in each country, divided into two teams of 15 each, who are creating public awareness campaigns on human rights abuses. They are documenting their work in writing and with photography and video footage. The competitions in each country will culminate in August, 2008 with large, public events, where the teams of young people will present the results of their work with the help and support of local leaders, educators and the press.

Scientology Today: How did you come to create this competition?

Tim Bowles: I created this project based on what I learned through five recent trips I made to the region between July, 2005 and July, 2007. With these tours, and the able help of my African program directors Sammy Jacobs Abbey in Ghana and Joseph Jay Yarsiah in Liberia, we significantly increased student community activism and won expanding support from government, civil society and media for the implementation of human rights education.

What we hope to gain from this six-month human rights project is major, long-term support for the establishment of this African leadership campaign as an innovative and product-oriented initiative to be implemented throughout the continent.

Scientology Today: What difference is Youth for Human Rights making in these countries?

Tim Bowles: This is our second year of competitions in each of these three countries. We have been able to reach thousands of young people across the region and inspire humanitarian purposes and diligence in them to an extent we never imagined.

There is not a single young person with whom we are working in Sierra Leone and Liberia who has not been deeply affected by the bloody struggles only recently concluded there. And they see that human rights education is vital to bringing an end to the destruction they have experienced.

Tim, delivering a workshop to students in Freetown, Sierra Leon.

As one young participant put it, "Sincerely speaking I now understand my rights and how to protect those rights. As a leader I promise to teach anyone his or her rights and to make human rights expand in the world, especially in Sierra Leone."

Strong leaders dedicated to tolerance, peace and real justice are the key to transforming the prevailing despair into overriding confidence and development in these countries.

Scientology Today: What do you see as the most important human rights issues in the world today, and do you feel YHRI is helping to handle these?

Tim Bowles: Whether we're talking about populations emerging from genocide and civil conflict such as in Liberia or Sierra Leone, or peoples simply being empowered to reach out and help themselves as in Ghana, the most important human right is education. And this is true in Europe, the United States and anywhere on Earth where people are oppressed and need tools to improve their lives. Having the opportunity and ability to learn is fundamental to constructing and sustaining a future worth living in. The education and training of young leaders based on human rights values is of course key to this. The young people with whom we are working see this, and many have chosen to research and do presentations on education rights as their topic in the competitions.

Scientology Today: What do you recommend for anyone who is passionate about human rights?

Tim Bowles: I welcome them to join us and advance what we are doing here into other countries of course. The best move for anyone motivated to help improve human rights conditions is to get out there, see the realities for himself or herself and, whether on our successful model or some other innovation, to construct creative ways to engage young people particularly in solving human rights abuse. Getting started with any community betterment undertaking is a "which comes first—chicken or egg" proposition. The "egg" is the resources: money and volunteer support necessary to carry out a bright idea. A human rights project needs to demonstrate results quickly despite minimal means. The resources necessary to building that project into something bigger will come with tangible products, however modest it may be initially. Youth for Human Rights International has created educational materials—DVDs, publications and a teachers' handbook—and these are available for anyone to use to make the subject of human rights real to young people.

Scientology Today: Is there something about the Scientology religion that you feel particularly aligns with human rights and with YHRI in particular?

Tim Bowles: The broad support of dedicated Scientologists in YHRI's worldwide campaigns comes from the common commitment our parishioners have to the establishment of human dignity and integrity. The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 60 years old this year, is the first truly international proclamation of basic human freedoms in all of recorded history. The Scientology religion is based on the principle of human rights for all people, as shown in the Creed of the Church of Scientology, written by L. Ron Hubbard in 1954. Scientology is all about attaining and sustaining responsibilities and freedoms across the spectrum of life. Thus, it's no surprise that for decades Scientologists have been working and fighting for the establishment of human rights.

Scientology Today: How has your experience in Scientology helped you in accomplishing your own humanitarian goals?

Tim Bowles: Scientology of course places the highest value on communication as the means to achieve increased understanding between individuals, family members, community groups and cultures. I can attribute the success of this leadership project to the skills I have attained through my Scientology studies, which have enabled me to communicate and work effectively with peoples from all walks of life and, perhaps more importantly, to the confidence I now have. No matter how challenging the circumstances, persistence along humanitarian lines guarantees humanitarian results.

Scientology Today: Do you have any other message for our readers?

Tim Bowles: When I first went to West Africa I was troubled and almost embarrassed about being with people, particularly in the refugee camps, who have so little resources and often so little hope. How could I, one individual, help so many people in such desperate circumstances? But it is now clear to me how profoundly we are bettering the lives of the young people we reach and through their work we are bettering the lives of whole populations now and in the decades to come.

^{Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of theScientology relgion}

Video of what people think of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers

I have a number of friends who went to Haiti as part of the Scientology team down there. They all came back saying it was brutal but the most rewarding think they have ever done. We have Scientology volunteers there from as far away as Australia and Russia, and many from the US. And there are now about 600 local Scientology Volunteer Ministers teams set up to work there. This is tremendous as there are so many hundreds of thousands who were traumatized by the earthquake, and many speak only Creole. Having local VMs makes it possible to help at the correct orders of magnitude.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers program was developed in 1976 by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. In the wake of 9/11, David Miscavige greatly expanded the scope of the program, which now includes Goodwill Tours throughout the world.


^{Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of theScientology relgion}

Scientologists: How We Help

The global devastation and human misery wrought by drug abuse, illiteracy and moral decay—to say nothing of natural and man-made disasters—is unmistakable. They threaten to rip the social fabric to shreds and in many parts of the world these societal ills have already caused irreparable damage.

What is conspicuously lacking in combating these virtually apocalyptic scenarios are effective solutions. To that end, in the course of his decades of research into the mind and spirit, L. Ron Hubbard developed methods by which to address the crises that threaten our world.

While to bring those solutions to bear, the Church sponsorship of permanent centers to act as “generation plants,” which thereby set in motion broad-scale movements in the name of morality, literacy, drug prevention and rehabilitation.

Further, and to realize Scientology’s greater humanitarian objective, the Church has made readily available, easily assimilated and rapidly distributable multimedia tools to raise awareness, educate and activate millions.

The result: the Church of Scientology’s revolutionary social betterment and humanitarian programs. They are utterly unique, indisputably cutting edge and most importantly—effective.

^{Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion}

California Scientology Volunteer Minister and Dentist Volunteered in Haiti

Santa Monica, California, dentist Darrell Craig had no idea what to expect when he arrived in Haiti. “It was disaster beyond belief,” he said.

Assigned to General Hospital, he and Scientology Volunteer Minister Ayal Lindeman, who is also an EMT and LPN, tackled the night shift of the Critical Care Unit with “no supplies, very unsanitary conditions, too many patients and very little time.”

With two to four hours of sleep a day in the first week, they cleaned up the wards, searched for and located vitally needed supplies, and improvised tools to perform life-saving procedures, often in the dark because of power failures.

While in Haiti, Dr. Craig also examined the teeth of children at a local orphanage, and set up rudimentary medical clinics at a refugee camp and a nearby island, where he and two doctors treated wounds and the doctors did physical exams.

“I cried many times while I was there, but I feel I was able to contribute to the welfare of these people, even though far below what I would like to do and what they need,” said Dr. Craig. “I would do it all again in a minute. The Haitians are fabulous and resilient people and they will overcome this. And I will be ever grateful to have been a part of this phase of the rebuilding of their country.”

^{Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology relgion}

Scientology VMs in DC help Haiti survivors

WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA9.com) -- Family members looking for information about relatives in Haiti are rubbing elbows with people who want to help survivors at the Haitian Embassy in Northwest Washington.

...

About a dozens volunteers from the Church of Scientology came to the embassy today too.

"We can see these people are in big trouble," Ken Spliethof says. "We are here to help."

^{Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of theScientology relgion}

Blood letting in the Scientology ranks

Newspaper article:

SCIENTOLOGISTS from the church’s national headquarters in Dundas lost a lot of blood over the last two weeks, but it was no accident.

Rather the members of one of the youngest religions were trying to help those who had been in road accidents during the holidays by donating blood.

Cyrus Brooks from the church led a group of almost 20 Scientologists, some of whom live at the Dundas base, to give blood at the Red Cross in Parramatta.

He said he was moved to action by the holiday road toll.

“You hear the holiday road tolls and it’s the sad part of the holidays,” he said. “I heard that over the holidays specifically, the supply of blood is very low. That was the kicker for me to get involved.”

Mr Brooks had to cajole some of his fellow parishioners to donate for the first time, but said they were happy they did.

“There was the apprehension of giving blood, the apprehension of the needle, but they felt really good about it,” he said.

“They realised it wasn’t going to kill them to donate, and it’s a gift you can’t buy.”

He said giving blood fitted in with the life that Scientologists are expected to live.

“It’s part of our faith that you contribute to society,” he said.

^{Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology relgion}

Scientology Volunteer Minister Returns to Kenya

As Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga was speaking to a regional forum on the economic and social ramifications of global warming Monday, Scientology Volunteer Minister David Dempster had just arrived back in Kenya to deliver a weeklong training session to Scout Leaders in Nairobi.

An active Volunteer Minister of the Church of Scientology of Tampa, Dempster first visited the country in September when he was asked to fly there to deliver a series of Volunteer Ministers seminars. Based on practical technology developed by L. Ron Hubbard, these seminars help people cope with the issues of a changing society.

For ten days, together with staff of the Church of Scientology Mission of Nairobi, Dempster delivered seminars to a wide variety of groups and organizations in the city of Nairobi and neighboring towns and villages. These seminars helped the attendees improve their communication and organizational skills as well as their ability to resolve problems.

Now back in Nairobi at the invitation of the Scouts of Kenya, Dempster is helping Scout Leaders accomplish their purpose for the entire country with courses aimed at developing good citizenship, character and self-reliance.

“It is a particular pleasure to work with this group and help them add to their scouting skills.”said Dempster. “These dedicated leaders are working hard to help their fellow Kenyans and improve conditions in their beautiful country.”

For more information about the Scientology Volunteer Ministers, visit their web site at www.volunteerministers.org.

^{Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of theScientology relgion}

Scientology Volunteer Ministers India Goodwill Tour

Nearly five years since the Indian Ocean tsunami crashed onto the shore of southeastern India, work continues to rebuild the region itself and the lives of those who survived. Key players in this phase of recovery are the Scientology Volunteer Ministers.

Within days of the tsunami, Scientology Volunteer Ministers arrived in the region from all over the world to work with the search and rescue personnel and provide help to those who lost loved ones, homes and property. And when others returned home, a group of French Scientologists stayed on and made Pondicherry their new home and the full recovery of the region their mission.

Towns and cities have emerged from the initial devastation, which, according to the Government of India, amounted to some $2.56 billion. Having completed the initial recovery phase, concentration has now moved on to “development”, and “Disaster Risk Reduction” (DDR) has become the primary concentration of aid to the area. High on the list of DDR priorities is establishing community-based programs that prepare local residents on how to survive in times of calamity.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers India Goodwill Tour arrived in Pondicherry in August to certify members of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers group and provide disaster preparedness training based on the Scientology Handbook. The members of this tour, who are experts in this technology, have already trained police, fire departments, health care and relief workers and volunteers throughout India.

The defining characteristic of a disaster is disorganization and chaos, and the Scientology Volunteer Ministers courses on the basics of organizing and communication enable people to quickly set up new communication systems and infrastructure. They become skilled at restoring calm and getting people operating as a team to overcome the immediate threat from the environment.

Once the initial panic of a disaster is over, those trained in this program can confidently take on the next order of business—the survivors themselves. They learn how to speed up recovery from injury. This unburdens otherwise overloaded medical resources who need to concentrate on life-threatening injuries. Those trained in Scientology Disaster Relief can also bring survivors through loss and trauma so they can get on with their lives, care for their families and participate in the relief effort themselves.

What enables them to do this is the “Scientology Assist“. Developed by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion, assists address the emotional and spiritual side of trauma, enabling the person to recover fully from injury, stress or shock.

For more information on the program, disaster response training and Goodwill Tours, visit the Scientology Volunteer Ministers web site.

^{Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology relgion}

Scientology Success Stories at "Seekers of Truth"

I was very fortunate to find Scientology at a time in my life when everything was going downhill very fast. After attending to the first Scientology Seminar, I was able to turn things around. I now have a bright future ahead of me, I have a wonderful relationship with my fiancee, and the best job in the world at the Church of Scientology of Los Gatos.

Thanks to Al Guerrero for introducing me to Scientology and thank you Ron for your wonderful technology.

- A. Murillo - Los Gatos, CA

+ + +

After 14 months of suffering from a broken knee, unable to walk normally even after surgery due to constant pain, I had one Dianetics session and like a miracle the swelling disappeared before my eyes, the pain was gone and when I got up I was able to walk in a normal painless way. This happened in 1979, and for over 20 years I have a normal knee that bears a small scar, and feels like nothing ever happened.

- M. Villegas - Miami, FL

+ + +

The first miracle I witnessed using DIANETICS technology was in 1980 when I delivered a session to a 75 year old lady who had a chronic arthritis condition which got worse over the years. It got so bad that she was unable to walk. After her first session she stood up, forgot her cane and walked like a normal person!

My greatest gratitude to L. Ron Hubbard for giving me the knowledge and workable technology to help my fellow man.

- A. Shatria - Miami, FL

Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.

~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion

Church of Scientology: Drug-Free Marshals Promote Red Ribbon Anti-Drug Week

The Drug-Free Marshals from the Church of Scientology Los Angeles pledged in hundreds of youth last Saturday to live a drug-free life in honor of the 21st celebration of Red Ribbon Week commemorating DEA (Drug Enforcement Agent) Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena.

Camarena was an 11-year DEA agent working under cover in Mexico on the way to breaking up a multi-billion-drug pipeline but in 1985 he was caught, tortured and murdered by Mexican drug traffickers. His death was an eye opener to the danger of drugs and the widespread dangers of the drug trade. In 1988, President Reagan and Mrs. Reagan along with the National Family Partnership coordinated the first National Red Ribbon Week.

The new Drug-Free Marshal’s and their parents armed themselves with The Truth About Drugs booklets, which educate by telling what harm drugs actually do. The booklets are published by The Foundation for a Drug-Free World along with 12 other booklets that inform on the most commonly used drugs, i.e. marijuana, alcohol, heroin, crystal meth, prescription drugs, inhalants and painkillers. Thousand of these were given out to youth and parents so they could learn the dangers of these drugs.

“We need to educate our children regarding drug and alcohol abuse. Drugs are a large part of our children’s lives from school, television, or movies so if we don’t tell them the truth, you can be sure that the drug-dealers are selling them their lies. By early intervention we can prevent drug abuse, which also leads to violence,” said Edie Reuveni, President of the Church of Scientology Los Angeles. “Studies show a direct link between youth involvement in drugs and gang violence. As humanitarian, L. Ron Hubbard said ‘When children become unimportant to a society, that society has forfeited its future’ so unless we educate them and take responsibility for them we all lose.”

The Drug-Free Marshal’s program, sponsored by the Church, was started in Los Angeles in 1993. Since that time more than 5 million youth worldwide have pledged to be drug-free and to help family and friends do likewise.

For more information about Drug-Free Marshals visit www.drugfreemarshals.org or call 323-953-3200.

^{Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology relgion}

A new side of a special Church of Scientology: Celebrity Center International

The Examiner today reports about "Unique L.A. destinations that offer the unexpected—a meal" and guess who is on the list? Celebrity Center International. Featured as one of "Three religion-related sites" the restaurant run by this special Church of Scientology is described as follows:

"At the Church of Scientology's Celebrity Centre International, 5930 Franklin Ave. in Hollywood, the seven-storey Manor Hotel (buit in 1929) includes the culinary award-winning Renaissance Restaurant, which is open daily to the public. The restaurant offers indoor, patio, and garden dining and serves a Sunday Brunch."



^{Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology relgion}

David Miscavige, Scientology Leader, speaks

I've been a Scientologist for more than 25 years and of all of the breathtaking addresses from Scientology leaders that I have heard, this one is an all-time favorite I wanted to share. It is by David Miscavige:

"Contained in the body of Dianetics and Scientology are answers to those age-old questions — Who am I? What’s the purpose of all this? And, What happens when I die?

"The direct answers are: You are a spiritual being, distinct and separate from a body. You have lived lifetime after lifetime and will live again. You are seeking to survive for yourself, your family, group, mankind, the physical universe, and to survive as a spirit. And only when you have fully achieved that level of enlightenment can you truly understand the Creator." Mr. David Miscavige, August 7, 2004 in Hollywood, California speaking to over 2,000 leaders in the fields of the arts, entertainment, commerce and government.

^{Happiness and strength endure only in the absence of hate. To hate alone is the road to disaster. To love is the road to strength. To love in spite of all is the secret of greatness. And may very well be the greatest secret in this universe.~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of theScientology relgion}