Johrei News 5 by Gilmar Dall Stella

WORLD MESSIANIC CHURCH IN AFRICA

Teaching Salvation Column Directive Religion and Science Experiences of Faith

Johrei News

Actuality WORLD MESSIANIC CHURCH – CENTRAL AFRICAN HEADQUARTERS

YEAR 2 – AUGUST 2009 – #5

Angola: Pioneer in Natural Agriculture in Africa Pg. 3

Messianics tell stories about the practice of the Home Natural Garden Pgs. 4 & 5

Cases solved with Johrei Pg. 7

Messianic practices Pg. 7

Solar dehydration of fruits – A viable alternative for agriculture in the family Pg. 8

Mission: purify Africa through Johrei and Natural Agriculture In order to rescue the wealth of the African continent, the Worldwide Messianic Church in Africa – IMMA – is investing into Natural Agriculture. In answer to important questions, the president, Rev. Francisco Jesus Fernandes speaks about the development of the three agricultural poles – Bom Jesus, Cacuaco and Caxito -, the implementation of the Agricultural School, the campaign for the Home Natural Garden and about his dream of seeing the continent inhabited by Interview with Dr. healthy, prosperous and Ernestina happy men and women. Coimbra

The Messianic Church sows life

Pgs. 4 & 5

Pgs. 6 & 7 1

Food and Nourishment I would like to warn the specialists that there is nothing as wrong as today’s food and nutrition. They changed them into academic theories, too distant from reality. I’ve done, for over ten years, deep researches about the subject and, surprisingly, the obtained results were exactly the opposite of what Dietetic recommends. I will explain them based in my own experience. Till fifteen or sixteen years ago I was a great enthusiast of meat and my dinner, almost always, consisted of western food based in this kind of food or, eventually, Chinese food. According to nutritionists, this kind of food is the closest to the ideal, but at that time I was skinny and would easily become ill. I constantly had the flu, stomach problems and there wasn’t a single month when I didn’t have to go to a doctor. In order to improve my health, I tried all the fashionable treatments at the time and some other practices, such as deep breathing, cold water bathing, meditation and so on. They had some effect, but not enough to improve my physical condition.

editorial

Teaching

When I learned that meat wasn’t good, I returned to eating Japanese food, which consisted in vegetables and fish. My weight then increased from 125 to 134 pounds, in two or three years; at the same time I became more resistant to the flu. I even forgot that I had stomach and intestinal problems and, for the first time, I felt the joy of having a good health. From then on, and this has been going for over ten years, I have always been working with quite a disposition.

Besides Natural Agriculture, the messianic philosophy is based in solid concepts. Answering about religion and science, Dr. Ernestina Coimbra, integral part of the Secretary of Scientific Research and of the IMMA Board of Directors, explains the profile of the persons who seek our Church, the messianic practices, the mission of Johrei, the importance of the natural diet, the cure of illnesses and the solution of problems that add quality and well being to the life of such persons. The ones to confirm this are exactly seven individuals that lived such transformation and told what happened.

The result was surprising: During their elementary and high school years, my children had one of the best physical bearings. Their nourishment was good because, from the oldest, sixteen years old, to the youngest, four years old, none had any serious illness. Every year they monopolized the frequency award at school for not missing a single day. Taking advantage of the valuable experience obtained through this practice, I tried the same method in hundreds of people that sought me since I began to care for the ill, for the last eight years. The results were, without exception, excellent. The meals based in green vegetables have been very effective in the case of people with pulmonary problems and pleurisies. Therefore, I would like doctors to research how this diet is beneficial to such cases.

Meishu-Sama – June 1935

Johrei News is produced by the Worldwide Messianic Church – Central African Headquarters – Luanda, Angola Register: MCS - 390/B/2004

Johrei News

President: Rev. Francisco Jésus Fernandes Vice-President: Min. Claudio Cristiano L. Pinheiro President’s Cabinet: Min. Glauro M. S. Leite Filho Communication Department: Gilmar Dall’Stella

he Worldwide Messianic Church, founded in Japan in 1935 and having three million followers around the world, came to Africa in 1991. In eighteen years it has already gathered 150 thousand believers and thousands of miracles. Many of them performed with the implementation of Natural Agriculture in the continent. At present, our Church counts on three Agricultural Poles, is about to implement an Agricultural School and has already given orientation in the development of fifteen thousand homegrown natural gardens. Because of that, our president, Rev. Francisco Jesus Fernandes, answers some questions about the Natural Agriculture subject and declares his great dream of seeing Africa inhabited by healthy, prosperous and happy individuals, rescuing its original wealth. Since Angola was the pioneering country in the adoption of messianic agricultural method, there is an article with a retrospect of what has already been done and with technical explanations from the minister responsible for this sector in the Worldwide Messianic Church of Africa – IMMA, Min. Marques Zambo Bambi.

I then decided to try the method with more than ten people in my family, including my six children, and had good results, being able to banish the ghost of illness from my home. Most interesting was trying to feed them with a diet poor in protein elements. Thus, I asked my wife and my maid to feed the children with poor meals. We used 70% refined rice, a lot of vegetables and, eventually fish, but only salted salmon, dried sardines and common fish. Besides those, “ochazuke” (tea soaked rice) or “shiomussubi” (salted rice balls) accompanied by Japanese pickles or still, home made “norimaki” (rice balls wrapped in algae) and so on. Meals that, according to the Dietetic viewpoint, lack in protein content.

To finalize, an article about the Solar Dehydration of fruits. Good reading and until the next issue.

IMMA

From the facts I exposed, you will be able to see that the Dietetic, with is vertiginous progress these days, presents a fundamental error. I am not shy to point it out, because it is a serious problem from health’s viewpoint. I firmly warn, not only those who study the subject, but also everyone in general. If this new food I’ve been defending becomes common practice, it will be great good news, even from a national economy viewpoint. Our county’s farmers have physical resistance to work because they have a poor diet; should they begin to eat meat, which has a high protein value, I guarantee that they wouldn’t be able to endure farming work.

ANGOLA – Tel: 244 228 740620 MOÇAMBIQUE – Tel: 00258 21 300-275 REP. DEM. DO CONGO – Tel: 243 315 102 187 SÃO TOMÉ E PRINCIPE – Tel: 00239 227805 ÁFRICA DO SUL – Tel: 27 12 320 5484

Operational Manager: Raquel de Oliveira Fernandes Responsible Editor: José Armando Estrela Electronic Editing: Ana Cristina Stabelito Photography: José Armando Estrela, Manuel Armando Guerra Lopes, João Mavinga Collaborators: João José Tavares, Avelino da Costa, João Mavinga Proof reading: Ana Florência e António Panguila Translation: Samuel Elyachar

Distribution: IMMA Printing: CPD Print (Pty) Lda Issue: 50,000 Period: Every 3 months E-mail: redacao.africa@hotmail.com

Salvation Column

Part of the Western coast of Africa, bordered by three countries and by the Atlantic Ocean, Angola was the first nation of the African continent to implement the messianic method of

Angola: Pioneer in African Natural Agriculture

Natural Agriculture The first signs of this challenge appeared in 1994, a result of isolated initiatives made at the Kikolo district, close to Luanda, which had the purpose of trying the agricultural method proposed by the Worldwide Messianic Church. In order to explain what is Natural Agriculture we have to start with its basic principle, which is the soil. It is of general knowledge that soil is a product from the Creator of the Universe and, in planet Earth’s case; it is used to cultivate cereals and vegetables, important food for the maintenance of human life. Its nature is, therefore, mysterious and impossible to be unraveled by the science of matter. Today, unknowingly, agriculture ended up taking a wrong path and, as result, it demeaned the power of the soil, concluding that to be able to get better results, it is necessary to employ manure, chemical fertilizers and other products that weaken the soil. It was this way that soil’s nature gradually degraded, undergoing changes already quite visible in many parts of earth’s globe, where farmers complain about it, due to the inactivity of their fields. Logically, the immediate consequence was the diminishing of the original soil’s strength. Today, this is still not perceived in its greater dimension because many people still think that that the cause of bad harvests is the absence of fertilizers. With this kind of creed, Man ends using them in progressively greater quantities, which further reduce the soil’s strength, nature’s own strength of generating the essential nutrients that feed the earth. In Angola, the use of fertilizers still doesn’t affect a great part of its tillable territory, but it is known that that the tendency of agricultural expansion is likely to prioritize the use of agro toxics in its respective development programs. It is also known that researches done in the soil of coastal provinces and in some sites of South Kwanza and Huambo, show that in those

The agronomist Marques Zambo Bambi is the minister responsable for the development of the Natural Agriculture in Africa.

regions, soils with an accentuated salinity and/or acidity, predominate. In August 2000, the Worldwide Messianic Church of Angola was given by the Government a piece of land of about 10.5 hectares at the region of Bom Jesus, province of Bengo, which in Colonial times had been used for the cultivation of sugar cane. At the time, the soil was severely affected by chemical products such as urea, and ammonium sulfate and the land was refered as having a very saturated soil. To these days, there are still certain places where it is visible how the soil was quite acidic.

The majority of illnesses is an exclusive consequence of a wrong diet or of anti-natural feeding habits.

The Worldwide Messianic Church’s Minister, responsible for the Natural Agriculture in Africa, Marques Zambo Bambi, guarantees that, with the use of the Messianic method of Natural Agriculture, the parts of unproductive soils began to gain life and that it has already been possible to recover eighty percent of the vitality of the soil at the Experimental Agricultural Pole of Bom Jesus. In order to enable this work, he explained, the Bom Jesus land went through several recovery steps, basically with the cultivation of food that, at the same time, would feed the soil itself, He told that, initially, they tried to cultivate corn, because it was the food most consumed by the population, at a time quite known for a fierce war, that is, in 2000. The Minister said that corn was tried because it was a culture that could be harvested in 70 days. This basic work was repeated for three consecutive years, keeping pace with the increase in cultivated area. Since corn quickly responded in this soil recovery, later, tomato, yucca, yam, cabbage and eggplant were introduced. At present, we are experimenting with the culture of ‘rena’ potatoes. Another goal in experience in the Natural Agriculture practice is the production of fruit. Papaya, mango, pineapple, passion fruit, banana and guava are the big references in the experimental field of the Bom Jesus Natural Agriculture. In accordance with an ancient medical experiment and with the actual scientific knowledge, the majority of illnesses are an exclusive consequence of a wrong diet or of anti-natural eating habits, kept and encouraged for such a long time that caused chronic illnesses and

pains of all kinds, reducing and even destroying our vital power or our joy for life. ACHIEVED RESULTS Minister Bambi explains that, when you start doing Natural Agriculture on land where too much chemical products were used, recovery is slow. “The seeds were sown and it was noticeable that the soil was too acidic and the growth was not normal. The final product was of an inferior quality”. As the work progressed, we began to notice some difference in the plant’s vitality and in the soil’s change. “We also noticed changes in the quality of the product, the presence of worms in the soil, the change of the vegetation itself in the soil and that a plant can reach the height of 4 to 6 inches by the 20 th or 30th day, but that after three years it already has a different stance”, tells Minister Bambi. THE EXPANSION OF NATURAL AGRICULTURE According to Minister Bambi, the best way to expand the NA is to teach the method to the members and visitors and even to the non-visitors of the messianic institution, mainly to the producers of the society. It is also necessary to regularly orient and follow up on them. He says that the Pole reveives visitors from all layers and gives help to all producers, be they national or foreign. The important thing is for the person to produce and obtain a product one hundred percent natural, that doesn’t use any kind of chemical additive. “Another way we saw to encourage the expansion of this method is the practice of the homegrown Natural Garden. We orient the producers and faithful of our institution to tell everybody (neighbors, friends, colleagues) to practice the homegrown Natural Garden”, states the Minister.

Natural Agriculture is visible in counties such as Angola, Mozambique, South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Republic of São Tomé and Principe. Presently it is starting in Nigeria, through the homegrown Natural Garden and, in the Republic of Zambia, one member has already been formed in order to give the initial kickoff of the homegrown Natural Garden practice and thus support the local producers.

Directive

Mission: purify Africa with the Joh In the beginning the soil was fertile. With enough space to produce food for many people, we ask why there is of so much hunger, poverty and illnesses. In order to rescue the wealth of the continent, the Worldwide Messianic Church of Africa is investing in Natural Agriculture. Here, its President, Reverend Francisco Jésus Fernandes, answers important questions about its development. JN: What do you mean by “purify Africa through Johrei and Natural Agriculture”?

Rev. Francisco: When I arrived in Angola, the country was at war. That was in November 11, 1991. Besides the soil being contaminated with agro toxics and chemical fertilizers it also contained, from impurities from spilled blood in the accumulated wars to the sweat from suffering slaves. The country was full of diseases, conflicts, poverty and hunger: sufferings that have been accumulating for hundreds of years. Kyoshu-Sama, the spiritual leader of our Church tells us that among our ancestors, “there are many that must have been able to feel joy and gratitude for having had contact with the Supreme God. Many, however, did not feel such joy and left this world without reaching the true spiritual peace.” We all know through history that millions of ancestors of the African people left this world under the agony of suffering. We have a Human Nature that binds us to our ancestors. Their thoughts and emotions manifest within us at all times. We are important to them because we are the sum of them all. We are their representatives and, for many of them, a salvation cord, the only hope for salvation. Many of our ancestors who didn’t evolve, are still bound to earth. We found out through the Experiences of Faith of the persons who practice Johrei, Natural Agriculture and the homegrown Natural Garden, that many ancestors who were suffering under the earth, are being able to purify and be saved. We do the practice of Johrei! Johrei accelerates the purification of the spirit. We do the march of the Flower-of-Light! The flower prepares the spiritual environment of the home. It has the power to thaw the

heart. We do the Deep Reflection and the practice of Sonen! The practice of Sonen is to clean all the negative thoughts and feelings of the ancestors, cultivated within each individual. The Natural Agriculture, however, is to clean the earth and the body. The earth and the body must be clean. If we accelerate the Natural Agriculture, we will be able to purify the deepest roots of our familial lineage. The roots (ancestors) being saved, the descendants will also be saved. JN: Besides the purification of the familial roots, what are the other

Rev. Francisco Jésus Fernandes says that the time has come for the Africans to change their guns for hoes in order to build a healthy, prosperous and happy life.

benefits of the Natural Agriculture?

Rev. Francisco: The first one is the recovery of the soil. When the soil becomes alive and is loved and respected, it will respond positively. Natural Agriculture is a Divine revelation to show Man how to treat the earth. The soil is alive. This is why the feeling of the producer is important. The soil is there to make people happy: this is the mission of the farmer. The second is the restoration of the true taste of the food. That’s because that the farmer who loves the soil, respects it and doesn’t weaken it, produces foods increasingly tastier. One of the greatest pleasures of the human being is eating. These days, however, how many people can really feel the true taste of their food? Food

is there to make Man happy, for him to enjoy and to feel the great love of God – the blessings from God. The third is the respect for the environment. Presently we are afflicted wit the problem of desertification, the depletion of forests, the erosion and the contaminated water. Natural Agriculture preserves the earth, respects the natural habitat of the living beings, preserves the water, the forests, the species, creates purer seeds, anyway, it develops itself in harmony with the ecosystem. The fourth is the respect for the health of the farmer and the consumer. We have many people that went to dedicate at the agricultural pole and recovered their health. Many producers are seeking us. They feel that

Messianic statements about the practice of the homegrown Natural Garden

Conceição Ferraz Dala Johrei Nucleus at Samba – Luanda, Angola

My cousin had cough, asthma and sinus problems. For over 5 months I have been telling her to come with me to the Church to receive Johrei and practice Sonen, but she always ignored me. One day, I went to visit her and found her anxious and in pain. I invited her to pray and to do a homegrown natural garden but she refused, saying she was too busy. I then invited her niece. As we began to work the soil I kept visualizing my cousins and all their ancestors as if they were also dedicating. When finished I returned home and, at my altar I thanked with a donation for the dedication and, through the practice of Sonen, I led all ancestors from that suffering family that were imprisoned to the negative feelings of ignoring the Johrei. I asked the Messiah that they be forgiven, purified, saved and resurrected.That same night I dreamed of a man that told me: “I came from Brazil to thank you for your dedication efforts.” He also told me not to stop there and that he had asthma problems that were healed with this dedication. A week later I went back to my cousin’s house with flowers and, to my surprise, when she saw me she asked me for the flowers and also for prayers and Johrei. Suddenly I heard a voice that said: “Don’t be afraid, keep on praying because we are all here.” I prayed and afterwards I channeled Johrei to the whole family. Presently she gratefully receives Johrei and is willing to become a member. I learned that working with soil we manage to rescue thousands of ancestors linked to it and that Meishu-Sama is the Messiah awaited by humanity.

Daniel Huambo Johrei Center at Kikolo – Luanda, Angola

I am in charge of Natural Agriculture in this religious Unit. The mother of a member suffered with chronic cough for over four years. He came to see me worried, because he had already been to hospitals and quimbandas without satisfactory results. After listening attentively to him, I gave him orientation to begin getting natural foods produced at the Church’s homegrown natural garden. Two days later his mother stopped coughing and she is now completely cured. At the end of July, the responsible for the Johrei Nucleus at Paraíso requested some natural products to be sold to his faithful. In response, I packed a box with eggplants. The adjunct responsible bought some and took home. As she prepared dinner in her backyard, she felt like going inside. When she went back outside, she didn’t find the eggplants and not even their shells. Instead of complaining, she thanked for the purification. The mother of the boy who had taken the eggplants prepared them for dinner, even though she didn’t know where they had come from and invited her neighbor to eat, the original “owner” of the eggplants. Although she had noticed that they were her eggplants, she ate them and said nothing. After eating, however, everybody in the house purified with diarrhea. The boy who had taken the eggplants had a malignant tumor in his buttock for which, for over five years, he couldn’t find cure in hospitals. After that dinner the tumor vanished. It was then that the boy confessed that he had taken the eggplants from the neighbor’s house. His parents, moved by the miracle, sought her and, after listening to an explanation about the importance of natural food, the whole family awakened and was awarded. I learned that natural products cure any disease, even the chronic ones.

Ilda Caiala Johrei Center

I already had a vegeta my house, saw it and a Jesus, isn’t it?” When I Pole is already purified of the family lineage, w

He asked me to choos another for my daught That night I had a dre asked: “Why did you o mine?” I didn’t underst work the soil of his line from that dream very t

After the practice of happened: The freque am responsible, increa up, knocking at the Un the frequency was of 1 know about the Churc who was keeping my h the next day; my car wa amounted to twelve tho same day I got a call sa dollars; the spiritual atm I showed my appreciat the natural garden we d who are in hell.

Material de Estudo

hrei and the Natural Agriculture they have gained a new life at a low cost. They come to us to learn about this system, without having to buy fertilizers and neither placing their lives at risk due to the insecticides. Because of that, Natural Agriculture is considered by the Messianic Church one of the pillars for the salvation of humanity. We have many statements from persons who, after changing their diet to organic food, recovered their health, as we can verify further on. JN: How does the Messianic Church intend to make society aware and expand Natural Agriculture in Africa?

Rev. Francisco: We have three main goals: one is the development of Natural Agriculture Poles, another is through the campaign of the homegrown Natural Garden and the third is the implementation of an Agricultural School. At first, the members’ efforts and dedication in preparing the soil in their own homes or other sites began to generate a sincere and positive feeling towards the expansion of Natural Agriculture. That went on till the Government graciously gave us plots to farm. The Bom Jesus Pole was the first and later came the Cacuaco and more recently the one at Caxito. At Bom Jesus we are already getting close to be a model. Many producers come to this pole to learn how to implement Natural Agriculture in their land. At Cacuaco, we will invest in reforesting and in producing water, as for Caxito, since it is already a site with a better preserved nature, we will invest into an agroforest project, based in the reintegration of earth with forest, promoting the return to the natural habitat. Through these projects we have already started to achieve a great acceptance by society. They also serve as a reference for the expansion in other countries. We are just beginning in Mozambique, in South Africa, in Congo and in São Tomé, but those countries are taking advantage of the structural model of Angola in order to be able to develop their projects faster. Another project of wide social acceptance is the Homegrown Natural Garden Campaign. A work

at Maculusso – Luanda, Angola

ble garden at home and when a missionary came to asked: “This soil is from the Agricultural Pole at Bom answered yes, he said: “The soil from the Agricultural d. Since the purpose is to deal with the deepest roots we must use soil from our own home!”

se three vases, one for the Unit, one for myself and ter. At the time I didn’t understand it but did as told. eam where my late husband showed up angry and nly do the natural garden for your lineage and not for tand his attitude. Then he ordered me to immediately eage. I then began to strongly stir the soil. I woke up ired, sweating and crying.

the homegrown natural garden, many changes ncy at the Nelito Soares Johrei Nucleus, for which I ased from zero to five. Next day, five visitors showed nit’s door to attend to the morning service. That day 0 people, including a neighbor who never wanted to ch and came to receive Johrei. Besides that, A man usband’s identity card and documents returned them as about to be auctioned at customs due to taxes that ousand dollars which I hadn’t been able to pay. That ying that the dues had been reduced to three thousand mosphere at my house and at the Nave also improved. tion with a donation. I learned that by the practice of deal with the deepest roots of our lineage of ancestors

integrated wit Johrei and the practice of Beauty. It is done at the members’ homes and open to anyone who wishes to participate. The homegrown Natural Garden is designed so that people can experience in their own lives the benefits of a natural diet. When they acquire this experience in their own homes, it becomes easier to expand natural agriculture. Today, in Angola, there are practically fifteen thousand homegrown Natural Gardens and the results are spectacular: people being able to experience the true flavor of food and becoming healthier. The Homegrown Natural Garden supplies food to purify our body and to save the ancestor that is bound to earth and suffering within us. Because of that, we are campaigning to create Paradise through Natural Agriculture and the march of the Homegrown Natural Garden. Now, united and helping one another, is the time to replace guns for hoes! Now is the time to save Africa through Natural Agriculture! When I say that it is the time to let go of guns to pick up hoes, I am referring to the people who will return to the fields to work in the expansion of Natural Agriculture. We have in Caxito, a project for the implementation of an Agricultural School. As we form qualified people to develop Natural Agriculture, we will be able to expand it into other countries and not only in the African continent. This way, we will cover the whole world. At the Agricultural School we will form farmers that respect nature, the environment, human health and that know how to accomplish their projects in a sustainable way. Our purpose through this agricultural school is give support to people so they can return to the fields and rescue this original vocation of the African people: work for the earth. Africa’s vocation is agriculture.

of the return of Man to earth, to work in Natural Agriculture. As they produce foods that make people happy, the feeling of gratitude for the African people will grow. When this feeling spreads through the hearts of people, the salvation of the ancestors will also happen. This is the beginning of the end of the cycle of social problems that begin with hunger. However, in order to solve this alimentary crisis, it is not enough to increase farming, that is, to fill Africa up with agro-toxics and fertilizers. The solution is to increase the amount of healthy land. Many illnesses appear because of the lack of food, but they also appear because of the lack of healthy food. Because of that, it’s not enough to produce just more food; it is necessary to produce more healthy food. We will, thus, be contributing for the salvation of Africa, be it in the agricultural aspect as well as in the socio-economic and health aspects. I feel that through the Natural Agriculture, Africa will not be seen anymore as the continent of hunger, but as the continent of plenty. One day, Africa will feed the world, not only for the quantity it produces, but mainly for its capacity of producing healthy food, with such quality that the whole world will want to buy. Inside the word Africa, there is a sequence of four letters that form another word: rica (rich). Therefore, Africa is rich in its essence, in its root. It became impoverished because its soil became poor. “My great dream is

to recover the

wealth of Africa through Natural Agriculture and to see this continent inhabited by

JN: What is your great dream with the development of Natural Agriculture in Africa?

healthy, prosperous and

Rev. Francisco: We actually have one billion people starving in the world. Therefore, in solving the issue of food, we will solve the problem of health. In Africa, the path is not that of uncontrolled urbanization, but that

Conceição Jerónimo J.N. at Chendovava Buraco – Luanda, Angola

As responsible for the Johrei Nucleus at Chendovava Buraco and after seriously purifying last June, I had spent too much energy recovering and no longer had the strength to dedicate. At the end of August I thought a lot about the decline of the Johrei Nucleus and saw that I was to blame and was taken by an urge to work the soil. I called my children and began the dedication of working the soil at my natural garden. After thanking before Meishu-Sama’s picture, I did a Deep Reflection together with my children and I asked them why they didn’t channel Johrei. They answered that they didn’t do it because their mother (in that case, I) was bad. “The same hand that is used to channel Johrei is the one that hits us, the mouth that is used curse us is the same mouth used to practice the Sonen”, they explained. I decided to stop hitting them and, next day, ten friends of my children plus forty-four visitors, totaling 54, showed up to receive Johrei, plus another seven members who weren’t dedicating. I did a general cleaning and gave away all the unneeded family clothes. Then my husband got a salary raise and, at his workplace he was given two boxes of assorted new clothes. Besides that, the daily frequency of visitors is of 25 people. I learned that the natural garden, the Deep Reflection with my children and the cleaning were fundamental.

happy individuals.”

Fernandes António Fula Johrei Center at Rocha Pinto – Luanda, Angola

I dedicate as an adjunct Head Minister of the Johrei Center at Rocha Pinto. At the end of January, after receiving orientation from Rev. Francisco Jésus Fernandes about building the Paradise on Earth through natural agriculture, I decided that same day to be the first to materialize this orientation so that I could later orient other people. I gathered my family and we grew a natural garden at home. At night I dreamed that my vegetable garden was so big that it extended from the crossing at Camama to the Viana village. Four days later I got news that my sister’s purification had intensified. It is important to emphasize here that my sister was already receiving Johrei, but in her haste to get better sooner, she instead went to quimbandas and later hospitals without, however, getting any better. On the contrary, her situation increasingly worsened until I got a call asking me to go to her house since she had no more hope to live. Five minutes later they called me to tell me she had died. At that moment I practiced Sonen and prayed, materializing a gratitude donation. Ten minutes later they called again to say that she had just resurrected. I thanked deeply and ran to her to channel Johrei. After growing the natural garden at home my wife got from her nephew a refrigerator and a bookshelf; another nephew, who hadn’t called me in two years, called to tell me that he was getting better from the illness he had had for decades and that now he was able to work without difficulty. I learned that by following with conviction the orientations from our superiors, we are casting the rope of salvation to our deepest roots, which are the cause for our suffering.

Religion and Science

After seeking the cure of their illnesses in traditional medicine, many individuals are finding the solution for their problems in the power of the Messiah

Meishu-Sama and in following messianic practices.

he Messianic Church sows life

Due to the increasing interest of people and the media about the progressive miracles promoted by the Worldwide Messianic Church of Africa – IMMA, Dr. Ernestina Olinda Prazeres Coimbra answers the main questions presented about the subject. Medical Doctor, with a degree by the António Agostinho Neto University and a member for seventeen years, presently part of the Scientific Research Secretary and the Board of Directors of IMMA, she explains the situation of the per-sons who seek the Messianic Church and the conveyed orientations. She gives a retrospective of the worldwide health situation and tells about the institution’s plans for the African continent. The institution is present in more than eighty countries and has over three million followers. To prove her explanation, she presents seven cases of persons who had illnesses cured by following the messianic practices. JN: Is the Messianic Church against the use of prescription drugs?

Dr. Ernestina: It is not against it, but we all know that many voices are raised against products (drugs or food) that are harmful to human health. Included are the scientists and international institutions that control the quality of prescribed drugs. In Angola, we have the recent case of the syrups. The national health services warned the public about the use of certain syrup of Congolese origin. The side effects of the drugs must be disclosed. They range from cardiovascular troubles and lethal liver cirrhosis to depression and suicide. The first warning appeared in 2004 with the hasty release to the market of Vioxx, when it was proved that the drug increased the risk of infarction and stroke. At the time, over 85 million people in more than eighty countries were already taking this anti-inflammatory. Later, we followed up some cases published all over the world of drugs that caused people to die. Last year, two more anti-inflammatory were withdrawn from the market, Prexige and Arcoxia (120mg), for being associated to liver troubles. The idolized anti-belly pill

Acomplia was also recently withdrawn from drugstores, just after two years of being released, for increasing the risk of depression among its users. In the last forty years, the FDA (Federal Drug Administration in the USA) and the Emea (European agency for the control of drugs) have already removed 130 drugs from the market. A British study, done by the Birmingham and Warwick Universities, published by the Public Newspaper in March 30, 2009, says that cleaning and hygiene products may be causing bacteria to become resistant to chemicals and antibiotics, at least in England. “According to the investigation, softeners, disinfectants, shampoos and other cleaning products are promoting resistance in bacteria.” The study goes further and points out that “antibiotics, when used in an irresponsible way or with low hygiene standards in daily hospital chores, aren’t thus the only cause for the development of multi-resistant micro-organisms.” Compiling the information from the Guardian newspaper and from the teacher Liz Wellington, the Public cites: “Our investigation shows that the resistance to antibiotics isn’t restricted to hospitals. It is widespread and, at each instance, is eroding our capacity to control infections”. Analyzing it well, they are not telling us not to use these products. It indicates that their intention is that people should be careful when using these goods, which can make each consumer’s life more complicated. JN: Does the Messianic Church advise its followers not to take prescription drugs?

Dr. Ernestina: The Church doesn’t forbid the use of drugs, but it is important to explain that there are many instances of people that come to the Messianic Church because of illnesses. There are people that have been taking drugs for five, ten, twenty or more years without finding a solution for their problems; people who are suffering from the side effects caused by the drugs; people who are used to self-medicate, that is, they take drugs without medical orientation and people that don’t have the condition of having an adequate medical care due to the financial situation in which they are. Our concern isn’t only with the drugs, but

also with the chemical additives and the agro- toxics contained in the foodstuff. Anyway, we don’t have the habit of orienting people forbidding or stopping them from doing whatsoever. To do so, is to ignore the basic principle established by God, which we all know: freedom of choice. What we do is to orient the people that come to us about the practices of the Messianic Church, such as Johrei, which enables them to increase their natural power of recovery. When they start receiving Johrei, they begin to notice that they are naturally recovering their health. Thus, they start, also naturally, abandoning the drugs. Even the doctors themselves, who know about Johrei, reduce or completely remove the patients’ drugs. The thousands of experiences of faith around the whole world easily prove this. JN: Is it possible that if a person stops taking prescription drugs it can lead to his/her death?

Dr. Ernestina: What can be said is that there are people that depend on drugs to keep on living. In these cases we advise them to follow their doctor’s instructions. Nowadays the Messianic Church is respected all over the world by always seeking to fit along the traditional medical principles and, mainly, within the laws of each country. We also know, however, that drugs cannot be seen as a guarantee of life. After all, presently, thousands of people around the world die every day in hospitals though medicated. This is why many individuals who have already undergone several medical treatments, are disillusioned with medicine and seek our Church. We see death as a natural act, created by God. Nobody is exempt from this reality. Because of that, we must all be aware that one day we will depart, according to God’s Will. Even so, in face of cases where medicine itself can’t find or offer solutions, we turn to the Supreme God as a last resource. The result, instead of death, is the recovery of health and life. JN: What does the Church do in order to heal people?

Dr. Ernestina: The Messianic Church doesn’t have as a direct goal the cure of illnesses. Those who only seek a cure may even obtain positive results momentarily.

Experiências de Fé We notice, however, that as time goes by, the problem or the illness returns equally or worse than before. For us, the cure is a consequence of the spiritual condition of the person. Therefore, our goal is exactly to change this spiritual condition, offering practices that enable the individuals to elevate spiritually. To sum it up, the messianic practices such as Johrei, Natural Agriculture, the Flower-of-Light, the practice of Sonen, the homegrown Natural Garden, the prayers and so on, seek first of all, the spiritual elevation of the human being. That’s why so many miracles happen within our Church. JN: How does the Church see the relationship between Religion

Cases solved through Johrei and messianic practices 1. Angelino haukongo vikihi Kuvale I am 46 years old. I came to know the IMMA in October 1999 with typhoid fever and malaria. For five years I also suffered with insomnia. I had already spent great sums of money with several treatments that had no effect and to make it worse left my organism more intoxicated. Because of that, the doctor told me to stop taking medication for an undetermined time. At the religious Unit I told all my suffering to the person responsible who oriented me to do the basic practices. After 3 weeks I got much better. My bad dreams and bodily pains stopped and my health was restored.

and Science?

Dr. Ernestina: We are coming out of an era where the main characteristic was the division of everything. Anatomy and Physiology are such an example. The dominant thought was the belief that a living being can be seen as a mere sum of its constituent parts. This thought caused religion and science to grow apart from each other. Many researches, however, presently show that faith can promote cure. In1998, a research done by the doctors Harold and David Larson, of the Medical Center at Duke University, showed that people that attended church every week had a lesser probability of being hospitalized. However, were they hospitalized, they wouldn’t spend as much time in the hospital as those who would go to church less frequently. The patients reassured by faith also presented a three times greater probability of survival after heart surgery, according to a study by the Medicine School at Dartmouth. We have scientific researches about Johrei. Dr. Andrew Weil, for example, is a doctor and director of the Integrated Medicine Program and of the Social Perspectives of Medicine Division of the Medicine School at the Arizona University. Since he channels Johrei, he documented a case of cancer cure achieved by just receiving Johrei. Another example is that of Dr. Larry Dossey, general clinician and an assistant to the Presidency of the Mind/Body Intervention Group at the National Health Institute of California, who discovered through examinations that with Johrei, immunological and physiological changes happen. As a function of the countless results, scientifically proven through Johrei and with the purpose of reducing governmental spending with drugs, England started a daring project. Dr. Michael Dixon, president of National System of Safety and Health of the country, started a project of cure within the family, using Johrei in the course if integrated medicine. JN: Does the Church have a project of such magnitude for Africa?

Dr. Ernestina: We are have ongoing efforts in public health activities, with great emphasis in cleaning campaigns, garbage collection and embellishment, homegrown natural gardens as well as the education of people about the best diet. In a practical way, the Church is making an effort to educate people about the importance of preventing illnesses and promoting health.

2. Basílio Alexandre

I am 42 years old. I came to know the IMMA in 2002. For two years I’ve had headache, (maculo???), urinary infection, insomnia and conjugal conflicts. I went to hospitals, traditional houses and spiritual churches. That’s how my nephew led me to a Johrei house, where the on-duty member received me and oriented me to do the basic practices, to attend to the services for the Souls of the Ancestors and to clean the Nave and the bathroom. I followed all orientations, purified with a hemorrhage and everything was gone, just by receiving Johrei.

3. Cipriano Francisco Adão I am 62 years old and a member of this Church for six years, dedicating as responsible for the Johrei Nucleus at Coreia and for the Science Johrei department, at the Central Headquarters of Africa. When I came to know the Church on November 15, 2001, I had been suffering for ten years with illnesses, conflicts and poverty. By receiving Johrei, my health was recovered in thirty days.

4. Domingas Droia I am 47 years old. I came to know the Messianic Church on March 2005. For five years I’ve had typhoid, my belly was inflamed and I had “hot spells”. Besides that, I had family conflicts and business losses. When I got dressed I couldn’t touch my belly without feeling great pain. I went to many appointments in three hospitals and four medical clinics. With no satisfactory results, I went to eight quimbandas. At one of them the man in charge used to give me nude baths (from the waist up) in the river and afterwards would keep my clothing and shoes. I spent enormous amounts of money and began to be accused of witchcraft, causing conflicts in my family. Due to those many treatments, my house smelled of traditional medicine. I became disfigured and finally was struck by a urinary infection. I was led to a Johrei Nucleus where the on-duty member received me and oriented me to do the basic practices. I had some difficulties because I wasn’t able to sit on a stool or chair to receive Johrei. I also couldn’t stand for too long to do the cleaning or to distribute the flowers. After doing some dedication, the pain intensified. One day, there was a cleaning dedication at the biggest garbage pile in the city. Despite my pain, I made the effort and participated. After the dedication I felt relieved and my pain was gone. In appreciation, the head minister oriented me to distribute from100 to 150 Flowers-of-Light a day, for a month. I was known around town as “the flower witch”.

From then on, my belly became smaller and the familial conflicts decreased considerably. Today I feel very happy.

5. Engrácia Elisabeth Chissesso I am 25 years old. I came to know the Messianic Church in January 2007 because I suffered with strong headaches, vomiting and vertigo. Besides that I’ve had, for five years, a great difficulty in getting pregnant. I had already gone to shamans and to hospitals where I spent enormous amounts of money without satisfactory results. In November 2006 my health got worse and I was hospitalized for two weeks. My husband took me back to my family to be taken care of. My sister, who had heard tales about the miracles that happen in the Messianic Church, carried me in her back (I was unconscious) to the Church. I received intense Johrei and that same day I woke up. The on-duty member oriented us to do the basic practices, to do a pilgrimage to the Central Headquarters of Africa, to dedicate at the Agricultural Pole of Bom Jesus and at the Sacred Grounds of Cacuaco. On the second day I had the permission of doing the Deep Reflection where I told about all the suffering I went through, from my childhood to the present day. Afterwards we did the practice of Sonen leading all ancestors bound to those sufferings so that they could be forgiven, purified, saved and resurrected by the Messiah Meishu-Sama. I followed the orientations and five days later my illness was completely gone. A month later I had the permission of getting pregnant and gave birth to a beautiful girl.

6. Fernando Abel I am 58 years old. For a year I lived in utter poverty and had a stroke when I came to know the Messianic Church, in January 2009. Because of the stroke, all my limbs and both my sides were paralyzed and also my neck couldn’t move. I felt stinging all over my body and couldn’t walk for a year. I needed help from relatives to be able to move. I tried hospitals and quimbandas. I also attended to several churches but all trials came to nothing. I just spent a lot of money and assets. It was in this setting of suffering that I came to a unit of the Messianic Church. I was so weak that I was unable to walk. My son and my sister took me in their arms. My weakness was such that they both had to carry me on their arms. My whole body was shaking with exhaustion. I was received by the vice-responsible who, seeing my state, began channeling Johrei with the practice of Sonen with donation and led all the ancestors bound to my suffering. With my sister’s help, we did a Deep Reflection about my life from the day I became ill. The responsible oriented me to do basic practices and told some members to place me on a wheelchair to receive more intensive Johrei. After one hour a miracle happened: I got up by myself to go to the bathroom, without anybody’s help. I came back and received another two minutes of Johrei when suddenly I felt as if somebody was telling me: “Get up!” I shook my arms and legs with incredible speed, went outside and began to run. The brothers cried out: “Miracle, miracle!” Today I am a different person and can walk by myself without any help.

Messianic practices JN: Could you tell some of the experiences of people who obtained results through the Messianic Church?

Dr. Ernestina: We have thousands of experiences of faith, told by the members and visitors of the Church. You will find some of them below, in a condensed way, told by the very individuals who experienced them.

. channel and receive Johrei . do the Deep Reflection . practice Sonen . keep the Flower-of-Light at home . grow a natural garden at home . read and practice Meishu-Sama’s Teachings . offer the gratitude and the building funds donations 7

Actuality

Actuality Dehydration is one of the oldest techniques for the preservation of Man’s food.

OLAR

Alexandre Bertoldo da Silva

DEHYDRATION

OF FRUITS

–

A viable alternative for agriculture in the family

It is a simple process and consists in eliminating the water of a produce by evaporation, with transference of heat and mass. One of its greatest advantages is that they don’t need refrigeration during storage and transportation, which, doubtlessly, adds a considerable value to the products thus obtained.

traditional separation between industry, services and agriculture is inadequate. The concept of agro-business represents, therefore, the modern focus, which takes into consideration all the companies that produce, process and distribute agricultural and animal-farm products.

The dehydrated vegetables are used as condiments in the formulation of other foods, in the making of soups or consumed whole, as in the case of dehydrated fruits (banana, mango, pineapple, and so on).

Solar Dehydration pilot unit at the Natural Agriculture Pole of Bom Jesus

The great challenge in the globalized world is to produce food for an ever-growing population that surpasses six billion people. Since the farming areas are shrinking, the availability of irrigation water is scarce and the production technologies can’t have productivity leaps anymore, some specialists believe that the offer of food in the world will grow less than the population till the year 2020. Despite the indisputable need to increase the production of fruits and other food stock, it becomes essential to reduce the losses that occur throughout the whole productive chain. In emerging countries, as it seems to be the case in Angola, losses are estimated to be about 50% for some products. From the producer to the consumer, the magnitude of the losses is considerable. This fact makes evident the urgent need for simple and cheap processes that can offer ways to preserve such extremely perishable food stock. The establishment of agro-industries close to the producing areas may turn to be a good alternative to reduce the great losses that occur during the processes of sorting out, transportation and commercialization of vegetables, especially bananas and tomatoes, in Angola’s case. With the globalization of markets, the success of a company, mainly in agro-business, depends ever more on the interrelation among the suppliers, producers of source materials, processing sites and distributors. The

Step by step

There are several techniques and equipments for the dehydration of food. Solar dehydration, however, is presenting itself lately as a viable alternative, from an economic viewpoint, since the spending with energy is virtually zero, as well as from the environmental sustainability viewpoint. It is, furthermore, a transformation factor in what concerns habits and costumes. Solar dehydration of food stock is, therefore, simple and has a very low operational and installation cost. Although noble materials such as steel or even aluminum can be use to build equipments, wood or even bamboo can be used, which make the costs even lower. In social terms that means the possibility of a real economic and cultural change because low income families can, not only improve the question of preserving agricultural products, but also be inserted into agro-businesses programs, mainly in a familial scale. Angolan society, as a whole, fits perfectly in this outlook of needing to add value to its work, mainly that originating from rural activities. Being so, we see very enthusiastically the introduction of dehydration techniques using the sun as an abundant source of energy, healthy and with practically zero cost. At the end of last March, a schematic for the construction of the solar dehydrating model called

Assembly of the CDS-02 solar dehydrator

CDS-02 was sent to the Africarte team in Angola, since the equipment has been developed at the Sustainable Development Center “Guaçu-Vira”, in partnership with the Natural Agriculture team of the state of Espírito Santo, Brasil. With this kind of equipment it will be possible to dehydrate practically any type of vegetable, be they either fruits or legumes. Ina first working step, however, we opted for the dehydration of banana fruit to obtain dried-banana. Through this, not only the losses due to a quick ripening can be minimized, because dehydration allows for a relatively long storage period (two to three months), if adequate conditions of hygiene and packing are observed, but we will also be adding value to this precious food stock. It is worthwhile to inform that the dehydration of fruits, if done at low temperatures (160ºF) as the ones obtained through solar dehydration, favors the concentration of nutrients and natural sugars, besides allowing for the preservation and increase in the concentration of vitamins per total mass of dehydrated product. That is, if we slowly remove the water from the food stock to the adequate point, besides increasing its nutritional and vitamin content, we will also provide a natural concentration of its flavor. Another product that is being developed at the Bom Jesus’ Pole, is the oil preserve of dried tomatoes. Tomato, a widespread culture in Angolan territory and a ubiquitous product at practically every home, also suffers considerable losses at the agricultural fields, due to deficiencies in storage logistics, transportation and commercialization. The production of dried tomato preserves is an excellent way to preserve the food stock, besides being an extremely valuable item in the international market. As we previously saw in the dried banana example, its production is also very simple and, if there is abundance of sunlight, extremely quick and cheap. The pictures below show the final assembly sequence of the solar dehydrator at the Bom Jesus’ Pole and the production of the first batch of dried bananas.

2 days later...