In commemoration of their help during the most devastating national disaster ever to have hit the area, the Department of Religion of Banda Aceh has honored the Scientology Volunteer with a plaque stating: "Thank you all the Scientology volunteers for helping the Acehnese people after the Asian tsunami 2004. Your help changed the lives of our population."
The hundreds of Volunteer Ministers who went to South Asia, and many hundreds more who helped at the scene of fourteen different disasters throughout 2005, have been recognized for the tireless help they have given.
Since the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, over 60,000 people have trained as volunteer ministers and helped more than four million people.
Helping in the Wake of the Tsunami
Scientology Volunteer Ministers have been in headlines this past year with their work to aid victims of some of the worst disasters the world has ever seen. They have proven by their actions the truth of their motto: Something CAN be Done About it.
It began on December 26, 2004, when the gigantic 9.1 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake and the powerful tsunamis it produced devastated innumerable coastal towns throughout South East Asia, killing over a quarter of a million people. More than 500 volunteer ministers from almost two dozen countries took part in the relief operations in Indonesia, Thailand, India, and Sri Lanka.
In Thailand, the Volunteer Ministers helped establish morgues, and assisted international forensic specialists. They distributed badly-needed food, water and other supplies. They helped construct temporary housing.
In India and Sri Lanka they helped fisherman get over their traumatic fear of the water so they could go back to their jobs. They trained religious and military officials so they too could use these techniques to help others.
In Banda Aceh, Indonesia, they gave Scientology "Spiritual First Aid" directly to 15% of the population and trained another 35,000 people to administer Scientology assists1, thereby providing help to hundreds of thousands of survivors.
And their work in these countries is not done: Scientology Volunteer Ministers have stayed on and they continue to help the people of these countries rebuild their lives and their cities.
London Bombings
In London, more than 200 Volunteer Ministers took part in the relief operation following the London July 7 terrorist bombings, providing assists and other forms of comfort to victims, police, medical and other emergency personnel. Volunteer Ministers worked side-by-side with the other relief workers, nonstop, day and night, for two solid weeks.
One local Londoner who insisted on traveling in the Scientology Volunteer Minister van was Mohammed Al Fayed, Chairman of Harrods of London who delivered Harrods food hampers to the emergency workers at the bomb sites, had this to say:
"My experience of being with you in your van delivering food from Harrods, going to the different bomb sites and meeting with the emergency teams, showed me how Volunteer Ministers are highly dedicated to helping others. There are no obstacles you will not overcome."
Hurricanes Relief
The relief effort following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita was the Volunteer Ministers largest to date, involving over 1,000 individuals, including scores of non-Scientologists who were trained when they contacted the group to find out how they could help.
Volunteer Ministers from the Scientology missions of Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Lafayette established local shelters to help the workers and evacuees and as more Volunteer Ministers poured in from other parts of the country they expanded operations eventually manning 38 shelters.
They performed every possible humanitarian act for the refugees ? they ministered assists and Dianetics auditing2 distributed food, water, clothing and other supplies gave tetanus shots manned FEMA and other government relief desks reunited families tutored children repaired roofs rescued pets cleaned facilities. Two of their most famous volunteers, John Travolta and Kelly Preston, even flew much needed relief supplies into the area in their own private jet.
This letter of thanks from Louisiana State Senator Nick Gautreaux, shows the impact of their work:
"All of us at Vermilion Parish now know that when a yellow shirt arrives here to help us we can count on them to bring control and understanding to a situation. And we now all know that no matter what happens, SOMETHING CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT!"
Although the eyes of the world have turned to other areas, Volunteer Ministers continue their work in this region, where they already have helped more than 75,000 people.
Working in the Community to Make the World a Better Place
The work of Scientology Volunteer Ministers is certainly not limited to disaster relief. Scientology churches and missions around the world coordinate the actions of these teams of volunteers, who provide the help most needed by their own communities from tutoring and violence prevention in the Boston inner city, to training immigrants in Torino, Italy to speak Italian as a second language from running the thousands of kilometers of the anti-drug ultra-marathons throughout the Czech Republic and Hungary, to giving stress tests in New York or training police officers in South Africa and Brazil, Scientology Volunteer Ministers are there to help.
The Scientology religion is unique in that it offers a practical and very effective technology for addressing and resolving society?s problems.
Volunteer Ministers (http://www.volunteerministers.org) are specially trained in Scientology techniques, which are capable of resolving a full range of personal problems. These techniques include spiritual assists and spiritual counseling. They enable Volunteer Ministers to resolve problems such as emotional or physical trauma, drug addiction, learning difficulties and ethical and social issues.
Volunteer Ministers also have the interpersonal and basic administrative know-how to enable people to communicate better and even work together more efficiently and productively.
If you would like to train to become a Scientology Volunteer Minister or find out how you can support their mission, contact the International Volunteer Minister Coordinator at vm@volunteerministers.org.
1 Assists are techniques developed by L. Ron Hubbard. They operate on the principle that one tends to withdraw mentally or spiritually from an injured area. Only by restoring communication with this area can one bring the spiritual element into healing, thereby greatly speeding the healing process. Assists are used to alleviate stress and physical aches and pains, or to orient a confused or distraught individual to his present environment.
2 Dianetics auditing is a spiritual healing technology that addresses and handles the effects of the spirit on the body and can alleviate such things as unwanted sensations and emotions, accidents, injuries and psychosomatic illnesses (ones that are caused or aggravated by mental stress). Dianetics means "through the soul" (from Greek dia, through, and nous, soul). It is further defined as "what the soul is doing to the body." |
