ASIAN MISSION 2008

May 9 - June 9

Vassula's tour of 5 Asian countries has just ended, the Lord had once again brought her to the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, India, and added China to the list of countries which now know the Messages of True Life in God. In the midst of the natural calamities in Myanmar and China, Vassula once again fulfilled a difficult mission faced with many challenges in the way of minor oppositions from some misinformed lay people and clergy, and with traveling endless hours by air and by road to venues where eager crowds awaited the Good News God's Messenger would bring to their doorstep. Vassula successfully clarified TLIG's stand on Cardinal Levada's letter to concerned Clergy, and motivated our TLIG Associations and Prayer Groups to utilize important information to neutralize the confusion created by the letter.

PHILIPPINES

May 11, Sun. - Public Meeting in Cebu Coliseum, Cebu City
Vassula was invited by Msgr. Kriekenbeek to speak in Cebu to 10,000 people from several Catholic Charismatic communities who gathered together on Pentecost Sunday in Cebu Coliseum to celebrate the feast of the Holy Spirit during an all day recollection whose theme was: "The Holy Spirit Unites the Church and All of Us!"

May 12, Mon. - Visit with Archbishop Arguelles and Public Meeting in Lipa Batangas
She was flown to Manila the next day to meet with her close TLIG supporter, Archbishop Arguelles who celebrated Holy Mass and prepared a Public Meeting in Lipa, Batangas for 300 people.

May 13, Tues. - Vassula meets the President of the Philippines and speaks at a Meeting in Malacanang Palace, Manila

Early the next morning, Vassula was in Malacanang Palace on invitation by a civic-action Women's Committee called "Mahal Ko, Bayan Ko", to speak on True Life in God, which was meant to give a spiritual dimension to the nation's call for Reconciliation and Unity. Vassula was placed beside Her Excellency, Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the President of the Philippines during the Holy Mass celebrated by 2 bishops and some priests, and was asked to deliver a 30 minute talk on Reconciliation and Unity after the Mass. Vassula addressed an audience of 500 which included the President of the Philippines, members of her family and staff, the Clergy present, the "Mahal Ko, Bayan Ko" Committee of Catholic and Moslem women and the Media.

SINGAPORE

May 17, Sat. - Vassula speaks at a Meeting in Singapore Swimming Club
The TLIG Singapore Association organized a 1-day Recollection entitled: "The Holy Spirit Within Us" in a private Conference Room in the Singapore Swimming Club attended by the Singapore TLIG Prayer Groups and others. Vassula spoke to 60 people on the Holy Spirit and Our Blessed Mother.

TAIWAN

May 21, Wed. - Public Meeting in Kaoshiung
In the southern city of Kaoshiung, TLIG Taiwan's Kaoshiung Prayer Group organized a Public Meeting at the National Hero Hotel Auditorium with 200 people in attendance.

May 23, Fri. - Vassula meets the Bishop of Taichung
We traveled to Taichung to visit His Excellency, Most Rev. Martin Su Yao-Wen, Bishop of Taichung, Taiwan who warmly welcomed Vassula and the TLIG Taichung Prayer Group. He questioned Vassula about Cardinal Levada's letter and she clarified the situation, reminding him that the CDF under Card. Ratzinger had studied her work for 2 1/2 yrs., and Cardinal Ratzinger himself declared to her and the theologian accompanying her that the situation about the Notification had been modified. After Vassula's talk with Bishop Su, he insisted that we hold a TLIG Prayer Meeting in his Chapel, and afterwards invited all of us to lunch in his refectory. He gave his blessing for the Public Meeting to be held the next day.

May 24, Sat. - Public Meeting in Taichung
In spite of a certain priest's negative announcements against TLIG in the Church after Mass the night before, TLIG Taichung organized a very successful Meeting at the Wenchuei Hall in the Ming De High School premises in Taichung. A very animated audience of 400 people attended, many books were sold.

CHINA

May 26, Mon. - Meeting in Rose Village Shrine, Fuzhou
Vassula entered mainland China from HongKong to the southern city of Fuzhou. She was invited to speak in the Rose Village shrine located in the outskirts of Fuzhou. It was a very private talk attended by about 50 people to whom the Messages had already been introduced, including many religious.

May 28, Wed. - 2 Meetings: in Ning Jin diocese, Hebei province & Shijiazhuang Cathedral
After flight delays and flying from Fuzhou to Beijing the day before, Vassula was invited to stay in Shijiazhuang, a city 4 hrs. drive from Beijing, and the capital of Hebei province which is the Catholic stronghold of China.

Fr. John Zhang of Faith Press was Vassula's host and organizer, and who arranged her first Meeting in Ning Jin county where she spoke to 200 students in the Minor Seminary.

Visit to retired Bishop Paul in Shijiazhuang, followed, in the evening, by another Public Meeting in Shijiazhuang Cathedral, 150 parishioners attended.

May 29, Thurs. - Public Meeting in Hanan diocese Catholic Church
2 hrs. drive from Shijiazhuang, Vassula spoke at a Meeting held in the Parish Church attended by 200 lay people and priests. TLIG Vol. 1 books in Chinese were distributed at every Meeting.

May 30, Fri. - Visit with the Vice-Chairman of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association in Beijing.

INDIA

June 1, Sun. - Public Meeting in Muthangi Divine Word Retreat Centre, Hyderabad
We drove 1 hr. from Secunderabad-Hyderabad for the Public Meeting in Muthangi Divine Word Retreat Center with 10,000 people attending. Archbishop Joji of Hyderabad had given his green light for the Meeting, after Bishops Toppo and Couto informed him of their support for TLIG. Nevertheless, persecution came from the Vicar General, Fr. Solomon who managed to overrule the Archbishop and ban the distribution of TLIG flyers, the selling of TLIG books and the videoing of the Meeting. In addition to this, a young man from the Charismatic community named Roshan took the initiative to print out negative information from the anti-Vassula websites and distributed copies to the Clergy. Our TLIG Hyderabad Prayer Group struggled and persevered through the persecution and at the end, the Lord opened doors; they managed to distribute the flyers, sell the books and video Vassula's talks!

June 2, Mon. - Visit with Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai & Public Meeting in St. Peter's Church, Bandra, Mumbai
We flew from Hyderabad to Mumbai to attend a private meeting with the Cardinal of Mumbai, His Eminence, Oswald Gracias. At the meeting, the Cardinal had invited Fr. Anthony Charanghat, the editor of the Catholic News Magazine, The Examiner which had published a layperson's letter to the Editor calumniating Vassula and the Messages, advising the readers to boycott Vassula's talk that evening in St. Peter's Church in Bandra, the Christian quarter of Mumbai. Vassula answered the Cardinal's questions regarding Cardinal Levada's letter by reminding him of the 2 1/2 yr. study made by the CDF under Cardinal Ratzinger, and informed him that she was seeking to re-establish a continuing dialogue with the CDF. She strongly withstood his attempts to make her admit the Messages were her "private meditations", she insisted they were locutions from God. The Cardinal received all the relevant information from the TLIG Mumbai Prayer Group members and was finally disposed to inform himself of the facts. After the audience with Cardinal Gracias, Fr. Anthony advised the TLIG Mumbai group to publish a letter in The Examiner in answer to the false statements in the Letter to the Editor.

The Public Meeting in St. Peter's Church in Bandra was a great success! She was introduced by the parish priest Fr. Gerard, and spoke to over 1,200 lay people and religious. TLIG Prayer Group members from around the region and Goa helped TLIG Mumbai to organize this activity.