May I first express my heartfelt gratitude for all your support expressed through your channeling and receiving Johrei, offering donations of gratitude, guiding your family and friends to our movement, reading and practicing Meishu-sama’s Teachings, as well as attending our services both in person and online. 

 During our Meishu-sama’s Birthday celebration this past December, we witnessed one Ohikari presentation to Tatiana Leggiero, who was introduced to our church by her friend Rodrigo Rogatto. 

 Rodrigo’s mother, who is also a Johrei member in Brazil, shared her faith experience at the Johrei Center she belongs to, which I would like to share with you: 

FAITH EXPERIENCE LUZIA ALVES DE OLIVEIRA 

Ponta da Praia Johrei Center – SANTOS – BRAZIL 

FEBRUARY 17th 2024 

Luzia Alves de Oliveira has been a Johrei member for 10 years, and she works as a bank employee. At the Ponta da Praia Johrei Center, she gives service as an administration manager.  

She has two children, one in the spiritual world and the other in the physical world. 

In 1999, after 6 years of marriage, she became pregnant but had a miscarriage. Six months later, she became pregnant again, and her son Rodrigo was born in 2000. In 2001, she divorced. 

She experienced many conflicts with her son; she herself experienced depression and insomnia, and both took many prescribed medications. On top of that, Rodrigo was diagnosed with ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, which deeply concerned her. 

In 2013, a friend who is a Johrei member, witnessing this whole troubling scenario, invited her to begin receiving Johrei again, as she had received it a few times back in 2004. 

In January of 2014, after receiving Johrei, a member asked Luzia to channel Johrei to her. Luzia responded saying that she could not because she was just a regular attendee, not a Johrei member. The member told her that she was self-centered, wishing only to receive the Light, and asked if she would like to become a useful person.  

Reflecting upon what she had heard, shortly afterwards, Luzia decided to take the membership classes and was granted the Ohikari later that same month, January 2014. 

In July of 2016, she was invited to participate in the pilgrimage going to the Sacred Grounds in Japan. She felt quite reluctant, and replied that it was virtually impossible, because of her commitments to both her son and her job.  

Her minister then gave her the following advice: "Fear is lack of faith, and it's not me who is inviting you, it is Meishu-sama, thus, go to Japan and see what He wants to tell you". 

She accepted her minister’s words, then began preparing herself and ultimately joined the October 2016 pilgrimage, which was an unforgettable experience for her. On the first night in Japan, Luzia had a significant dream about her son who is in the spiritual realm.  

He expressed significant anger towards her and pleaded for help and to be rescued. Luzia immediately began to understand more about our relationship with ancestors and further strengthened her conviction about the existence of the spiritual world. 

Upon returning to Brazil, her son Rodrigo asked her to no longer require him to take medications any longer because he felt like a fool when he took them. Upon hearing these words, Luzia went to a psychiatrist to report about her son and was informed Rodrigo was in fact extremely intelligent, indeed almost a genius, and had no visible disorders. When she returned home, Luzia disposed of all the medications they had in the house. 

 Later in that same year, 2016, Rodrigo became a Johrei member, and with that greater harmony prevailed in their relationship. 

 In 2018, Rodrigo was invited to attend and play soccer at a university in the United States. In 2023, Luzia was blessed to introduce 3 people to our church. Daily, through her SONEN and prayer requests, she asked that her son may be able to find a Johrei member girl to date. It was an almost impossible SONEN, because he lived in a city where there was no Johrei Center, not even one nearby. 

 During the November monthly appreciation service at the Johrei Center she belongs to, while in conversation with the minister responsible for the region where she lives, she learned that Reverend Resende, president of our church in Brazil, would be going to the United States in early December. 

 On December 2nd, 2023, Rodrigo and an American friend, Tatiana, went to New York to participate in the dedications preceding Meishu-sama’s Birthday service there. 

 That day, Rev. Resende, after observing Rodrigo channeling Johrei to Tatiana, invited him to come sit and talk for a few minutes in the minister’s office. Rev. Resende asked Rodrigo if he wanted to receive Johrei from his friend, Tatiana. 

 Rodrigo responded that he did, and Rev. Resende told him to tell Tatiana that he had this wish. Rodrigo advised the reverend that she could not channel Johrei to him because she was not a member, and that he would address the matter to her sometime later. Rev. Resende insisted, "but don't you want to receive Johrei from her? Then say it! Ask, ask for Johrei from her, don't you want to save her?” 

 They were talking in Portuguese, and Tatiana, who is American, didn't understand anything they were saying. Concerned, she asked, “What is going on?” Rodrigo, a little embarrassed, told Tatiana that he actually wanted to receive Johrei from her and asked if she would like to channel Johrei to him. A beautiful smile appeared on her face and she exclaimed, “YES!”. Rodrigo, exhilarated, could not believe her response. The reverend immediately reaffirmed, "Didn't I tell you, young man?" 

 The next day, Tatiana received the Ohikari Sacred Focal Point, and channeled her very first Johrei to Rev. Resende. Luzia’s dream of her son finding a Johrei member girlfriend finally materialized. 

 After this particular Ohikari presentation, which was carried out by Rev. Resende himself, and along with the guidance he shared at the service in New York, which encouraged openly asking to receive Johrei from someone who is a non-member, the members in the United States and Canada came to understood the need to freely express to family members and friends, their desire to receive Johrei from that person. 

 The members in North-America became excited and started to awaken about the need of those around them to receive the Sacred Focal Point, and the minister responsible for the United States and Canada came to Brazil to be presented with many more Ohikaris, because in 1 month their inventory of Ohikaris, which typically might have lasted one year, ran out. 

 After receiving the Ohikari Sacred Focal Point, many miracles occurred in Tatiana’s life. Conflicts she experienced with her father dissipated; she was allowed to take care of her sick grandfather, which recovered thanks to Johrei; the various universities she had applied to for her doctorate degree, all highly competitive ones, accepted her application. 

 Luzia learned that to guide someone and teach them the path of salvation, we need to be humble, engage in our practices of faith, pray earnestly, entrusting everything into the hands of God and Meishu-sama, while also manifesting the desire to receive Johrei from that person who is not yet a member. 

 Luzia commits herself to follow the ways and pragmatism of Meishu-sama, while dedicating herself to the construction of Paradise on Earth, and guiding many people to our Johrei movement. 

 Luzia is very grateful to God and Meishu-sama, as well as her ancestors, her ministers, and most especially to Rev. Resende and his tireless approach, for experiencing these wonderful blessings.  

 This was Luzia’s faith experience, which mentions that she felt quite reluctant to think about going on a pilgrimage to Japan, replying that it was virtually impossible, because of her commitments both to her son and her job.  

 Her minister then gave her the following advice: "Fear is lack of faith, and it's not me who is inviting you, it's Meishu-sama, thus, go to Japan and see what He wants to tell you". 

 She accepted her minister’s words, began preparing herself and ultimately joined the October 2016 pilgrimage, which became an unforgettable and life-changing experience for her. 

 You too may wish to consider what Meishu-sama wants to tell you when you go to Japan. As we have been announcing, we have a pilgrimage going to Japan this year, with tentative dates ranging from September 25th to October 9th. Thus, make your preparations accordingly. 

 In today’s Teaching entitled “One Equals One Hundred”, I selected the following passages: 

 Suppose someone becomes a member of our movement after you have helped that person with Johrei and have carefully explained about aspects of our faith. Do not assume that the individual's faith has been firmly established at that point. You have simply led the visitor to the entranceway. You have yet to bring your guest inside the house to see its beauty and its complexities. As many of our ministers and lay leaders know from experience, only after that newcomer has begun to more fully fathom our organization and its teachings can a lasting commitment take place.  

If you can lead one person to become a true believer, you have the potential to help another hundred. If each of these one hundred believers were to do the same, our membership would multiply in geometrical progression until it would reach a most magnificent number.  

 And also: Ours is a religion, but it encompasses much more than religious faith and doctrines. We have already made great contributions in medicine, agriculture, and the arts, and we will soon launch epic projects in other areas of culture, as well. Our goal is to see the gravely distorted purgatory that humanity lives in be replaced by the realization of an authentic Paradise on Earth. Through a religion endowed with such exceptional strength, certainly it is only natural that one believer should be able to guide one hundred more to the same faith. 

 Do you still remember the first Johrei you ever received? 

 I think everyone here may truly be grateful for the person who ultimately guided you here, or the one that gave you that first Johrei. 

 If today we feel joy to know Meishu-sama, is because once, back then, “there was someone who saw us, gave us Johrei and was destined to become a person of relevance regarding our happiness.” 
 So, wouldn’t we also want to seek to become a person of relevance for other people's happiness? Guiding and giving the gift of Johrei and Meishu-sama to them? 

 We cannot be aware of the ultimate impact or scope of the work that God will manifest after that first Johrei is channeled to someone or by our guiding a person to the Johrei movement. 

 Consequently, in preparation for our upcoming Paradise on Earth service in June, try to be attentive to your surroundings, because you may actually find someone suffering, waiting for salvation. 
 
In fact, a suffering person’s sorrow is the manifestation of the will of their ancestors, asking that you extend a hand of salvation. If you can give that person Johrei, directing him or her to be useful to God, their ancestors will be very happy. 
 I wish to encourage you to set this kind of personal goal for these coming months.  

 These kind of opportunities amongst relatives, co-workers or neighbors do exist. And sometimes, the opportunities occur right here at the center. Whenever you come to volunteer to channel Johrei, by having this Sonen, this mental attitude of guiding someone, you may be blessed to attend to a person for the first time, or to a regular visitor who has not yet become a member, and be able to inspire him or her by asking to receive Johrei from them. In this way, you will become a person of great relevance in their lives. 

 There is an interesting experience regarding how the Johrei expansion in Africa occurred: 

A member in Sao Paulo named Sachiko would normally carry Johrei newsletters in her purse, seeking opportunities to guide someone to our church. 

Upon seeing a man walking through the streets wearing traditional African clothes, something that is an unusual scene in Sao Paulo, Sachiko decided to approach him and talk about Johrei and offer him a newsletter. 

The man, named Pegado, accepted the Johrei publication, and upon returning to Africa and thoroughly reading the newsletter, decided to call the headquarters in Brazil, and asked if a minister could pay a visit to introduce Johrei to his friends in Luanda, Angola. 

The minister assigned to make such a trip was Rev. Francisco Fernandes, who agreed to make the journey if Pegado would gather at least seven people who could become Johrei pioneers in the African continent. 

Pegado indeed gathered his family and friends, and seven people were able to receive the Ohikari Sacred Focal Point. 

Today, we have nearly 100 thousand members in 26 different African countries. 

Thus, Sachiko, who had the initiative to guide someone, received the spiritual rewards of all the thousands of people who have become Johrei members, from that one she introduced to our movement: Mr. Pegado. 

Something else I want to share about this member, Sachiko. One day, while serving at the reception area of her Johrei Center, she became engaged in a heated discussion with a man. 

The minister overheard their discussion and came to intervene. He approached the man saying he should have more respect for Sachiko, since she was the instrument who guided the pioneer member in Angola, and that now there were thousands of members grateful for her existence. 

The man didn’t think twice, and said: “Well, they should be grateful for my existence too!”. 

The minister asked, “How come? Why is that so?” 

The man replied, “Well, I am in fact the very person who guided Sachiko to Johrei!”  

The minister became flabbergasted and had to admit that this man was also reaping the spiritual benefits of all the Ohikaris that have ever been presented in Africa! 

 An experience of my own, which I have written about and shared here a couple of times, is worth mentioning. In my memoirs the chapter is entitled: “Judge Not, But I Did!” 

 This happened in the neighborhood of the Santa Cecilia Johrei Center in Sao Paulo, sometime in the early part of 1986. 

 As part of my ministerial training program, every Saturday afternoon trainees were assigned to different neighborhoods to knock on doors and offer Johrei, like some other well-known religions that engage in similar activities. 

 Besides offering Johrei, we carried with us books that spoke of faith experiences for us to sell. I couldn’t simply give them away, or I would have to reimburse the church for the books’ cost, and certainly at that time I did not have money to spare. 

 The purpose of this kind of training was for us to overcome shyness and explore the potential that each individual could tap into when guiding others. 

 My first day involved in this kind of activity proved to be a real challenge. After almost four hours walking up and down the streets of a residential neighborhood, I was struggling emotionally due to my lack of courage – I had not even knocked on a single door. I then decided to sit on a park bench, filled with disgust and frustration by my own lack of confidence. 

 It dawned upon me that I would have to return to the headquarters to make reports regarding my efforts. I envisioned that every other trainee would come back with successful stories, while I would be empty-handed and embarrassed. 

 I gathered my strength, got up and finally knocked on a door. A man let me in to his home, accepted receiving Johrei and even purchased one of the books of faith experiences I had shown him! 

 That single result was essential for my subsequent door-to-door activities that took place during the following weeks. To my surprise, when sharing my reports along with the other trainees, I came to realize that virtually every one of us experienced the same difficulties that I had endured. 

 After my confidence level on going door to door increased and I began having more positive results, I determined to focus on buildings with inter-coms, since my assigned neighborhood had more buildings than homes. I began to look for them on purpose, as I could sometimes approach as many as forty apartments, without having to walk too much. 

 Fortunately, I was able to skillfully remain out of sight of receptionists and security guards at those places, before they would be able to come and shout: “No soliciting!” 

 On one occasion, as I was walking, I noticed not far from me on the same side of the sidewalk, a man in his early 30's that was acting crazy and speaking loudly. 

 I acted quickly and moved to the other side of the street, fast-walking to distance myself from that man. I was thinking, “He's going to interfere with my mission!” 

 A few moments later I stopped at one small building with an inter-com and began pushing buttons, asking: “Is anyone interested in receiving a prayer?” 

 Then to my surprise, suddenly the “crazy” man had his face adjacent to mine near the inter-comm. Someone inside the building responded to my inquiry, and I asked that person if she was interested in receiving a prayer. The crazy man, now next to me began loudly repeating: “Prayer, prayer, prayer!” 

 Then somebody from one of the apartments remotely opened the building’s entrance door! The man instantly grabbed my hand and pulled me with him, as he rushed up the stairs headed somewhere. I had no clue where to. I decided to go with the flow and see where this was going to lead me”. 

 One of the apartments on the third floor had the door partially opened. Inside there was a family waiting for him. He lived there! 

 When they had heard him say “prayer”, they recognized his voice and that was when they’d remotely opened the door. 

 There were five other people there, besides the apparently disturbed man. All of them received Johrei, including him! They even bought one of the books of faith experiences that I was carrying with me. 

 The man whom I had thought was going to “interfere with my mission”, actually saved my day, and I was able to submit a most positive report to my superiors. 

 Until today I nurture dear thoughts about this special man and his unorthodox help. 

 Finally, after six months of engaging in the door-to-door activities, I accomplished channeling Johrei to more than 100 people who received it for the first time. My peers also had substantial positive results. Our superiors then decided that since the door-to-door activities were no longer a major challenge, that instead it was time to focus our studies on learning the Japanese language, which in my case continues even today. 

Thank you very much, have a safe return to your homes, and a joyful and successful month of engagement in our practices of faith, centered on the practice of Johrei, Meishu-sama’s Teachings, and becoming an instrument that will eventually guide one hundred people or more!