© 2022 Belen Asidao
© 2022 Urantia Foundation
| The Cultural Advisory Council Welcomes Poland | Volume 16, Issue 5, Dec. 2022 — Index | Our Urantia Book Stand at the Cali, Colombia Bookfair |
By Belen Asidao, Illinois, United States
Editor’s Note: The Asidaos began their personal outreach program in the Philippines in 2014. Urantia Foundation has supported their efforts through the donation of hundreds of Urantia Books. Thanks to Eugene and Belen’s generous and selfless service, the local readership has grown steadily, and the Filipino translation team is making great progress.
After two and a half years in quarantine, my husband Eugene and I prayed that the COVID epidemic would end. We longed for the day when Urantia Book study groups could once again meet face to face. Above all, we were excited to return to our country of origin, the Philippines, so we could continue the outreach work begun almost a decade ago.
Months before the pandemic tapered off, we optimistically asked Urantia Foundation for additional copies of The Urantia Book. Whereas book shipping used to take two to three months to reach the Philippines, it took almost a year for the last shipment to reach its destination. But the books did finally arrive, and so did we.
Since 2014, we had traveled almost the entire country, donating Urantia Books to public libraries of universities, colleges, trade schools, and even one resort. Yet in this archipelago of 7,100 islands, hundreds of libraries still lacked a copy. Having recently felt comfortable traveling again, we resolved to continue our dissemination work to libraries we hadn’t visited before. I am pleased to report that in the last three months, more than 100 books were placed on these shelves.
We also received many requests for books during our Jesus’ birthday celebration in August, where nearly 50 attendees gathered. These books are going to new readers, who eagerly join local study groups. Zoom is an alternative for those living far apart.
While many of these readers start with Part IV, “The Life and Teachings of Jesus,” others read sequentially from Paper 1. What a joy to see kindred souls longing for revealed truth! Worth noting is the interest of the youth, some as young as 14 , who attend study groups by their own choosing. To the delight of their parents, children come in to say hello and show off their schoolwork while the adults study.
Since our last visit in 2019, there has also been progress in the work of translating The Urantia Book into Filipino. After the national conference in November of that year, the translation team met and reached agreement regarding the daunting work of bringing the spiritual teachings of the revelation to the Philippines. First, each translator agreed to spend two full years reading the book before embarking on their labor of love. They pledged tolerance for the points of view of every other member of the team, along with the humility to seek advice and counsel on passages that are not well understood.
The team also agreed to set up practical guidelines regarding the frequency and duration of meetings. For example, the team meets three to four times a week on Zoom, for three to four hours each day. The more often the group meets, the better and faster their progress. When power outages occur, each member adjusts and compensates for the lost hours. Confidentiality is observed among the team members, who refrain from discussing the details with inquirers. And each session begins with prayers for spiritual guidance.
Most importantly, there is unity in spirit. God gives us each a unique personality, and we are each indwelt with a fragment of the Father. As Jesus said, “When did I teach you that you should all see alike? … You do not have to see alike or feel alike or even think alike in order spiritually to be alike.” UB 141:5.1
Yes, teamwork is what the revelators want from us mortals! While translation software is helpful, the translators impart the soul and depth of meaning to the work of the celestial revelators. Layer by layer, as we pursue the best and highest of each meaning from English into Filipino, we have been enriched spiritually in body, mind, and spirit.
As of now, Papers 1 through 36 have been translated and submitted to Urantia Foundation. We appreciate all the donors who support the propagation of the fifth epochal revelation in the Philippines: “Life is but a day’s work. … The act is ours; the consequences God’s.” UB 48:7.13
Please pray for us as we continue with this profound spiritual undertaking.
¶ References
| The Cultural Advisory Council Welcomes Poland | Volume 16, Issue 5, Dec. 2022 — Index | Our Urantia Book Stand at the Cali, Colombia Bookfair |