Evangelizing testimony (A)

20 April 1999 07:40

Here is the first of two testimonies written in the hope of inspiring TLIG supporters to evangelize in accordance with Jesus’ plea of March 3rd, 1999. It comes from Benito Prieto from Venezuala.

When a group of people decided to ask Vassula to come to Venezuela in June in 1998, not one of us thought deeply what it would mean. Each of us, though, had the same desire – simply to hear Vassula, the messenger of God, and to take advantage of this personal spiritual encounter.

We planned her visit and worked very hard, with little time and many difficulties. But when Vassula came in December 98 we were very surprised by the response. Without a doubt, many people received graces from Jesus.

Afterwards, our group of ten met privately with Vassula and received an explanation (in accordance with the Jerusalem Conference booklet) about what the Lord wants from each of us in order to evangelize with the messages. Vassula pointed out the path to be followed by us in future to maintain and increase the life of the messages. So, we were finally aware of the responsibility that was undertaken by all of us – responsibility that comes directly from God because Vassula is only an instrument in His Hands.

Right after Vassula boarded the airplane to return to Italy, our group met and decided to write down and translate into Spanish all the private conversations we had had with her in the car, in the restaurant, travelling, etc. We knew that there was a lot of guidance therein for decisions in the future. Each of us received a copy of these private conversations. I can state that we were touched by the finger of God.

Later, we met again and decided that first we must build up our efforts with prayer. Since then (January 99) we have met every 15 days to do one hour of prayer in front of the exposed Holy Sacrament in the chapel of the Bethlehem School. After the first hour of prayer, the Virgin of Fatima (who stands at the door of our meeting room) gave us a visible sign of Her blessing: Rays of light came from Her left brow for at least three minutes. We were following the prayer guidelines by Vassula (issued by us when she came in December 98). Vassula had seen our book and had also seen our statue of the Virgin of Fatima on her first day in Caracas, as our meeting room is the same room where Vassula talked to us as a TLIG group.

In our group meetings we discuss our evangelization plan. The consequences of our prayers and decisions follow:

1. In January 1999, we were invited by Father Vicente Mancini, spiritual director for a large charismatic group in Caracas (about 1000 people in each Sunday retreat) to participate every Sunday in his radio program, ” Radio Sensaci¢n”. The last 15 minutes are dedicated to the messages of TLIG and are broadcast to the entire country. Mary Trevi¤o, Vassula’s translator during the meetings in Caracas speaks on the first two Sundays of the month and I speak on the following two Sundays. In addition, at the invitation of Father Vicente Mancini, Mary Trevino talks about TLIG every Sunday (after Holy Mass) to the charismatic retreat group.

2. 2000 copies of the 1st book of TLIG messages are in production using our own resources, and we plan to issue 5 more (translated into Spanish by

Jose Luis Lopez). The first book will be in our hands at the beginning of June. With the profit from the sale of the first book, we will issue the second book – and so on, and so on… Thus the Lord accomplishes what Niels relayed in his mail of 3.3.99: take the first step, and the Lord will continue the work with you, doing marvels. We are witnesses of that.

3. I was invited by the monthly magazine ‘Familia’ (45,000 copies distributed throughout all of Venezuela) to write an article each month about Vassula and TLIG. The publisher had been receiving a lot of letters asking about Vassula and TLIG after two articles appeared before her visit in December 98. So, beginning April 1999, the magazine will include a regular section featuring TLIG. Who has made this miracle? Who is inspiring people to send letters to the publisher asking for TLIG articles? Have I done it? No! Clearly, the Lord is stepping out with us. (I have to say that the article that appeared in October 98 was rejected at first, because the publishers said that Vassula was not well known in Venezuela. But after a while they decided to put the article in the magazine – and then they received a lot of letters!)

4. Currently, we are planning a one-hour video for television to air before Vassula’s next visit in December 99 (content: her life and TLIG messages). My son, Luis Arturo, has a degree in film and television direction and production from a school in the USA, and he has accepted the responsibility to create this video. (He works at Channel 10 Venezuelan Television as director and producer of the “Flash” program.)

The material for this video will use videotape from Vassula’s visit to Caracas 98, and footage from other videos we have received from Spain, Switzerland, and Argentina. My son and I will make the sketch and the TV script, perhaps with the help of our TLIG group.

5. We have begun preparations for a large meeting when Vassula visits

Caracas again in December 99. We plan to rent the covered sports gymnasium of Central University, which holds 8000 people.

6. We are now selling or (if needed) giving away the video taken during the Vassula’s meeting in December 98. At this time we have sold or given away at least 15 videos, and we have 30 more available, in order to help others constitute news groups of TLIG people.

Our group in Caracas is increasing, and we have the intention to do many other things. The Lord will inspire our initiatives, and as we accomplish them we will write more. But we know that in other cities of Venezuela new groups are arising as a result of Vassula’s visit, and they are working under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, too. We hope to gather into one great united group.

All we have said in this letter has the intention of giving some kind of inspiration to other people in order to work for the Holy Trinity. We thank God for His help. May God bless everyone who will read this mail. .

Benito Prieto <[email protected]>