© 2023 Barb Maier and Sally Annabella
© 2023 The Urantia Book Fellowship
by Sally Annabella and Barb Maier
This October, 2022, The Urantia Book Fellowship’s International Fellowship Committee (IFC) was represented by Sally Annabella and Barb Maier at the Thirty-Fifth Conference in beautiful Mazatlán,-Mexico. Our hosts, Agustín Arellano and Xochitl Quintero, and dedicated Urantians took great care of us and the superlatives are many. Xochitl (flower in Aztec language, pronounced SOChi) is Mexico’s new Area Coordinator Field Worke (ACFW). It seems like Xochitl is very well known and loved in Mazatlán. She’s been mentored for this role by Agustín, who has been a long standing global ambassador of the revelation to Mexico and all of the Spanish-speaking world for over twenty-five years. Augustin is well versed in many languages, and he has been completely devoted to sharing and living the Urantia Book teachings. His WhatsApp contacts are well into the thousands. We were in great hands, both human and divine.
COVID had greatly restricted the IFC’s ability to travel to the many countries where we have previously gone and taken books, as well as sponsored book fairs, conferences, and events. Getting out to meet and greet the many ACFWs, truth seekers, and those new to the Urantia Book teachings was our main purpose to go to Mazatlán.
The Urantia Book Fellowship (a.k.a. the Fellowship) is a fraternal organization that is known for its socialization as we foster and develop personal relationships, along with providing encouragement, sharing the resources of the Fellowship, and listening to how we in the US can be of service to readers in Other countries. Basically, we are global ambassadors learning and sharing love.
We were committed to being with our “Urantian Mexican family” as we are very much aware of how much service they do. Mexico sponsors full time media channels called Radio Urantia and Urantia TV. Both mediums feature content that Spanish-speaking Urantians have developed through projects sponsored by the IFC and others, along with online Zoom study groups, sharing educational topics, music, art, and well-done videos with interviews of personal stories.
The Spanish-speaking world knows and studies The Urantia Book. We see the growing volume of online hits, through media algorithms and the Spanish readers mailing list. The Fellowship website can be read in Spanish and big changes are coming in 2023 with the, soon to be produced, Spanish website. Since the inception of the ACFW program with leaders in three countries, there are now twelve countries represented.
The Latin America Subcommittee (LASC) of the IFC (with the great leadership of Flor Robles, Pablo Segovia, and Jack Holloway) meets regularly, with the help of Zoom and translators. Often those on the IFC who don’t speak Spanish are able to meet and participate via the translations. They are an inspired and passionate group. Despite COVID putting a stop to much travel in these past three years, the IFC used its time wisely through Zoom, Facebook Live, and full-time media programming to build our local support networks and to maintain great contact. Members Of the IFC have begun to travel again and the trip to Mexico was a wonderful way for us to meet our AWFC, Xochitl, and support her efforts to lead the conference and the teachings of The Urantia Book.
The conference consisted of presentations from Mexican leaders on topics like faith, health, and science; a wonderful laughter therapy workshop (hopefully to be presented at the Fellowship’s International Conference 2023 [IC231]); and art by Patrick Yesh, as he taught the connection between personality, soul, and the Thought Adjuster. Many presentations were translated and accessible via Zoom in Latin America. Evenings were social events including the Mazatlán symphony at their local theater, a dinner banquet, seeing the local aquarium, boat touring around an island, and quiet time at the pool. A hurricane was expected, but we were dancing and learning salsa and didn’t notice any rain or wind.
We both highly recommend anyone wanting to participate in Urantia service in the Spanish- speaking world to be in touch with the IFC. If you are planning a trip to Mexico, take a few Urantia Books and drop them off with our contacts. Many Americans live in Mazatlán and we’re told the French translation is in high demand at the book fairs every year. It was a quick trip and we now have at least twenty new dedicated Urantian friends. We hope to return soon. Our hope is that Mexican truth seekers Will be able to come to IC23. Many are interested in attending, depending on affordability.
Efforts are being made to fundraise for international students and information Will be soon to be available on how to donate.
For more information on IFC travel and more ways you can be of help in our global efforts, please contact ba rbara.maier@urantiabook.org or sally.annabella@urantiabook.org
Vaya con Dios (Go with God).
