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Seicho-No-Ie News

SPANISH-LANGUAGE SPIRITUAL TRAINING SEMINAR DRAWS A RECORD 291 PEOPLE


Attendees from Latin American countries

A Spanish-language spiritual training seminar was held from September 25 to 29 at the Santa Tecla Spiritual Training Center in Grande do Sul in southern Brazil. The number of participants, a record 291, came from 10 South American countries as well as Europe. This was an increase of 109 people (63%) over the previous time.

The Seminar has been held almost every year since 1984 under the sponsorship of the Brazil Missionary Headquarters. This year’s was the 24th Seminar.

According to Rev. Yutaka Yokoyama, Chief of the Latin America Propagation Department, the reasons for the record turnout were that the leaders who participated in the Latin America Leaders and Delegates Workshop, held in January 2007 at the South American Spiritual Training Center, worked very hard to promote, and also the newly appointed Chiefs and vice Chiefs of Missionary Areas engaged in active promotion.

The breakdown of participants by country was 193 for Argentina, 38 for Uruguay, 27 for Paraguay, 14 for Mexico, 5 for Peru, 5 for Brazil, 4 for Bolivia, 3 for Chile, 1 for Panama, and 1 for Spain.

The Seminar was guided in Spanish by Rev. Yoshihico Iwassacca (Ordained Minister, Chairman of Brazil Missionary Headquarters), Rev. Yutaka Yokoyama (Assistant Minister, Chief of Latin America Propagation Department), and three Regional Lecturers. There were lectures such as “In Order to Materialize God’s World,” “The Way to Harmony in the Home,” and “Meat Eating and Environment.” The Seminar program also included Shinsokan for Mutual Prayer, an explanation and practice of Mind Purification Ceremony, devotional labor, recitation of “the Reality of God-created world is perfect and harmonious,” and a Q&A session.

According to the Brazil Missionary Headquarters, more than 200 people requested individual counseling, and there were people who traveled 1,500 km to participate from Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina.

Many comments of joy were received, including one from an Argentine female participant: “During the Seminar I wrote a letter of apology to my deceased parents. Although it had been many years since their passing, I was able to reconcile with them from the bottom of my heart. The sense that I was forgiven makes me feel very happy.”

Rev. Iwassacca remarked,

“I was impressed by all the participants’ earnest attitude during the Seminar. Since they went to great trouble, some traveling a few thousands miles from distant places for dozens of hours, naturally they were very serious students, trying not to miss even a word of the lectures on the truth. This Seminar was characterized by many requests for individual counseling. I personally guided about 50 people and was pleased to see all of them looked happy when they left.”