Controversy in Mackenzie Country

Mackenzie Country stems kilometres of beautiful land in the South Island. I’ve had the absolute pleasure of being able to visit it on numerous occasions and every single time it has absolutely taken my breath away. 

While I was scrolling through my Twitter feed, I noticed ‘Mackenzie’ was trending and decided to see what was going on. I also had a couple of people protesting about stopping the increase of dairy in New Zealand – two topics that coincided with one another.

What is being proposed is 15,000 cow dairy expansion which will result in great economic profit, but it will be at the expense of tens of thousands of kilograms of nitrate pollution into the vulnerable lakes and waterways in the Mackenzie that greatly make up parts of the ecosystems in Te Waipounamu, the South Island.

Photo by Greenpeace

Where has all this come from?

“Dunedin accountant Murray Valentine has been methodical and meticulous in planning for a $100-million-plus dairy conversion in the Mackenzie Basin” explains David Williams, the Newsroom’s South Island correspondent and investigative writer. Williams breaks down the following information in the article:

- Valentine is the owner of Simons Pass Station which has 9,700ha of land (some of it is Crown owned)
- He has secured or sought after 80 consents to follow through with the irrigated dairy farm operation
- 15 years and millions of dollars have been spent preparing the farm
- More in depth information can be read here.

Essentially Valentine has been planning to create a self-contained farm, ship the animals in for the winter, and have a plot which would grow the feed for the cattle.

The controversy that surrounds this issue, largely posed by Greenpeace, is that around the environment pollution and damage that will scar the landscape of the ātaahua Te Manahuna. The kaupapa that they are supporting is showing governance of the land due to the uniqueness of the region.

The area that is going to be used for the farming is home to a variety of native flora and fauna, included the endangered kakī (black stilt) of which there are approximately 100 remaining.

The irony is that the landscape itself is extremely unsuited to dairy farming and protesters are arguing that one of the main issues is that by having the dairy farm here communicates just how extreme the industry has become here in New Zealand. Furthermore is the issue of how much detrimental damage the whenua will now have to bear with the effects of farming. Previously, I wrote a post on why we need Earth Day and in that post I outline more about the effects agriculture has environmentally.

Getting back to the action today, it’s reported that police spent the afternoon arresting people, having to use bolt cutters to release them from the machinery they had tied themselves to earlier.

Photo by John Bisset/Stuff

Is this behaviour from Greenpeace too extreme? Though it makes a point and I admire their efforts, I wonder what can be done to improve the overall impact that agriculture is having on Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Something I would challenge, especially with a Labour government is creating policies around reducing the waste, at the very least, that is created as a byproduct of dairy farming. It is evident that there is a lot of damage occurring due to the farming, but with the dairy industry contributing $8 million to our GDP in 2017, it wouldn’t be wise to pull the plug out from underneath us.

Therein, the question remains what the best way forward is. I wonder if there can be conferences made with both environmentalist, farmers, and business owners on how we can collectively embrace more kaitiakitanga towards this issue and work together going forward.

Sources:

• https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/dairy/105157124/police-arrest-12-greenpeace-protesters-in-mackenzie-district
• https://www.greenpeace.org/new-zealand/greenpeace-activists-halt-dairy-conversion-in-the-mackenzie-country/
• https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2018/01/21/75698/mackenzie-divisions-as-wide-as-ever#
• https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/dairy-sector-contributes-8-billion-gdp-jw-199810

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Tēnā koe, Taranaki

I sit 39,000ft high. Seat belt buckled low as it hugs my hips, my legs stretch out as I slide my way into the row of emergency seating. The blues in my eyes reflect the deep ocean hues as I lose myself in the expanse below. In my hands contains a world of unexplored taonga. Unexplored to my mind but imminent with mauri, it breathes new life into my bones. The more I open my mind to things that have been cultured closed in a Western worldview of New Zealand, I learn things I never knew I never knew. Huia come home, a book graced by the fingers of Jay Ruka is a story, an account, a beautiful description of Christianity merging itself on a equal playing field with Te Ao Māori; these words have graced me in its warm embrace.

Chapter 11 looks at land and the love of money. My mind wired intrinsically with kaitiakitanga paired with an entrepreneurial way of life, I anticipate a meaty chapter of learning a new applicable way of thinking. I understand some history of our lands and the blood that’s left gaping scars in our landscape, but this chapter unpacks more pockets of history that I have not yet learned of. My knowledge of the history of Taranaki is lacking, the land confiscation is something I have knowledge of but not something I can confidently call my own. I read on to ‘The Taking of Taranaki’ which recounts the tale of conflict between the people of Parihaka and the Crowns Treasurer, Julius Vogels. Not surprised but still taken aback by the process of how European mindset raped the land, I pause to take a moment to reflect and digest the information.

Looking below, I see a deep blue of waves gently, slowly caressing the coast. My gaze continues west. There below is a perfectly formed maunga. Standing tall, standing it’s ground, is Taranaki.

I hear the hum of the airplane engine, but the air is still around me. My moment in time stems back to that time and my gut feels heavy. My eyes search the whenua below me. It is an agricultural takeover. The only bush I see is the carefully placed trees in people’s fenced backyards. Green. The colour of growth or the colour of greed?

My heart is laden with the cries of tangata whenua who were stripped of their tino rangatiratanga and it makes me reflect more on how through years of misunderstanding we too have lost purity in heart towards others in society and our relationship with our creator, Mana Atua, God Almighty.

Being someone conscious of relationships, but also being sure of myself, this kaupapa has really been challenging me on what this means in regards to how we rekindle what was lost and regain that land in terms of the hearts of the people of this nation. How then do we realign as one people made whole and running back into the arms of our Heavenly Father?

Seeing Taranaki has challenged me. To read is one thing, to see is another. To do and to act is now what matters. My hope and prayer in this is that our actions now in today will rebuild this nation into a land that God can look down on with joy in His heart.

Tīhei mauri ora. Kia ora.

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Do 27% of kiwi kids need to live in poverty?

Last week I shared a story that a friend of mine experienced while he was at work. I wanted to continue examining this as it is one of the leading issues that our country, particularly our tamariki face on a daily basis.

To hone in on this issue, I want to examine more closely the delicate area of child poverty and what that looks like in Aotearoa. I researched into who's taking a closer look at this issue and came across Child Poverty. It uses a "Poverty Monitor" and the platform is a partnership project between the Children’s Commissioner, the JR McKenzie Trust and Otago University. Alongside this meter, it looks at ways in which child poverty can be decreased as it recommends ways we can tackle this issue head on. To give a better example of what they do, here's a deliverable of their stats from 2017 on material hardship and income poverty:

Above images from childpoverty.co.nz

Going on from income-related child povery rates, we can also examine how this has changed and increased since the 1980s. 

Image from childpoverty.co.nz

As the wellbeing of people is close to my heart, seeing these sorts of statistics always hurts a little. Though through the history of our country, I can see how trends from colonialism have had a play in this, but since that time, how have we not developed in this way as a forward-thinking country? New Zealand is leading the game in environmental care, being a paperless economy, and providing good wellfare through work and income on top of having good systems such as StudyLink which allows our students to study without paying full price. Engari, tonu! What's happening despite the mahi government is doing to create change. This is not small, but a raru ki tai - a serious problem. How do we have healthy trees? Prepare the soil, then plant the tree.

UNICEF adds to this issue and their research has showed the following:

290,000 NZ children - around 27 per cent of kiwi kids - are currently living in income poverty.*

A quick breakdown on child poverty by UNICEF is that there are 3 big things tamariki are missing out on:

• Missing out on essentials
• Social exclusion
• Health consequences

One of the largest problems that is keeping the fire burning in my opinion, is our abundance of cold, damp housing. If the parents are struggling to keep the house warm because of high power bills, how can they afford kai to feed their tamariki? The money used for medicine when the kids are sick cannot be spent on things to keep them warm or prepared for school. Automatically a lot of these families are on the back foot and the systems to move up this ladder are as slippery as the runny noses that these tamariki are fighting to sniffle up.

This is a systemic problem that is tightly integrated in many whanau in Aotearoa - what can we do about it? I am very aware that a lot of people are conscious of this issue and doing what they can to create kōrero around this but it is an issue that needs a lot of mahi by a lot of tāngata.

As someone not in politics, but as many other kiwis - born with the classic kiwi ingenuity these are some ideas that I would love to hui with those in power to create governmental change.

-> Get rid of all the old houses. The money in creating new ones might not be sustainable in the short term, but for the longevity of our country is much more important than that. Using what you can recycle can be put into materials to create new whares with sustainable energy such as solar and guttering being connected to grow your own kai to cut down on food costs, but allow the opportunity and encourage people to go back to our roots.
-> Subsidise sustainable energy such as solar panels made available to those who are in income poverty and are fighting to just meet their basic needs.
-> Remove the stigma and being whakama about these struggles. We are have to start from the bottom and that conversation should be had together. Strength is not found in the individual alone, but in the collective. More people want to help than most realise. How can we cultivate that wairua of kotahitanga and do whakawhanaungatanga together?

To create change in every day, Dear NZ has some create ways you can show your aroha through your resources.

Tena koe for your gracious taringa to this post.

Please see these other posts on the same topic around kiwi kids and education:
The girl stronger than fear
How should we educate ngā tamariki?

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Why we need Earth Day

Growing up in New Zealand has been nothing but a blessing.

The land is incredibly beautiful and to have such a variety of landscape really reveals the glory of God as well as giving a lot of opportunity for travel and adventure. The land is not only something to be marvelled at, the whenua is a moving life force that protects and nurtures us. It grows as we grow and this isn't something that we should ever take for granted. As someone who is conscious of this, I am a firm believer in kaitiakitanga - guardianship and stewardship - of the land.

Furthermore, God has provided us with air and rain free of charge; without this generous gift we wouldn't be able to live. With this mindset, it encourages me to look after what has been given as an inheritance that it would glorify God, respect the land, and represent humanity well.

So what is Earth Day?

Earth Day was first initiated in 1970 in America, a movement that has since grown global and raising peoples awareness for the land and making sure we look after it correctly. More information about Earth Day can be found here.

It's not a mystery as to why we need it, but I wanted to highlight some of the issues that we are facing in 2018 in Aotearoa and some steps of action for decreasing your carbon footprint on the land.

1.  River pollution:
   
   There is an increasing rise in water pollution due to fertiliser and pesticide runoff from farms into local water systems. This directly disturbs wildlife and ecosystems which can kill animals and plants which play a massive role in keeping an environmental balance.
   
2. High methane gas levels due to cows:
   The digestive system of a cow is nothing short an incredibly interconnected system. With four stomachs cows have leveled up their game on what it means to digest their food. However, due to their digestive abilities, they produce a lot of gas - methane gas, that is. It is commonly known that methane gas is a large contributing factor to the break down of the Earths ozone layer and our countries agriculture is definitely playing a large part in this. Agriculture is also a contributing factor to river pollution as there aren't systems to prevent cow feces from entering nearby water systems.
   
3. Ocean plastics
   
   Reducing plastics was the main driver of Earth Day 2018. Recently I stumbled on an article that shows penguins using plastics to make their nests in Wellington. This is a complicated interweb of issues as sealife mistakes plastics for foods and ultimately this follows up the foodchain to where we ourselves are beginning to see the introduction to plastics in our food via their bloodstreams. Have a watch of a Plastic Ocean for more information on this topic.

For more information, have a look at the OECD Environmental Performance Reviews New Zealand for a more detailed account on how Aotearoa is doing.

The earth never asks us for anything, yet it gives us everything. Out of respect for the earth, all wildlife, and humanity, there are things that we can implement into our every day to ensure we practice kaitiakitanga. Here are a few simple examples:

• Introduce a meatless Monday to cut down on your meat intake.
• Make reuseable bags out of old tee shirts.
• Take a reusable coffee mug and opt for a walk on the beach collecting rubbish instead of just sitting at a cafe.

Though this is great on an individual level, check out what Mexico is up to - something I'd really like to encourage in New Zealand considering we have the perfect conditions for this sort of project.

As a country, we know we aren't as green as we claim to be, and recently we have really been called up for this. However, there are a lot of great people that are doing their part on behalf of New Zealanders. One of these people is Helen Clark who played an integral role in NZ's first ever Sustainable Development Goals Summit 2030  which is exploring the alternatives we can make as a country for positive and productive steps to a healthy and flourishing future. It has a large focus on the 17 SDGs approved by the UN and how to then implement them and align the purposes of businesses, educators, governmental, and civil society to embrace this kaupapa.

The #SDGSummit2030 has a lot of emphasis on leadership. Whether or not you are there, making these SDGs part of your everyday life plays a massive part in our future as a global village. If our mindset can change collectively, the world will altogether be a place for growth and advancement.

So what's the point of all this? Every day is Earth Day and every small thing you do has a big ripple effect. I want to really encourage you to educate yourself more about what's going on around our planet and what you can do to make a change and practice kiatiakitanga for yourself and your whanau.

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How should we educate ngā tamariki?

A dear friend of mine has returned to do his post-graduate diploma in order to become a teacher. He has often shared his goals and dreams with me of pursuing education over the years and has a burning passion for the tamariki of Aotearoa. I've had many kōrero with him about the value and importance of education and what it means for them as they grow into rangitahi and then into the future leaders that will take us forward. 

It was a Friday afternoon and in celebration of the end of the week, we went out for a catch-up. He was nearing the end of his placement at a school in South Auckland and was gleefully telling me all these beautiful stories recounting the tamariki's earnest hearts to learn, the art they'd created, their fascination grow in subjects like maths and science, and how they were learning to powhiri manuhiri onto the schools marae.

However, there is a darker reality that is sparking this passion. Many families around the country undergo a lot of struggles in their day to day lives for these kids to attend school. Whether that be putting bread on the table, paying the bills, dealing with domestic violence, transportation issues - all of these things come into direct effect to the children who are in those homes. Now before I go on, I don't want to point out individuals or anything like that, but rather highlight the systemic issues that are often swept under the rug and overlooked. 

One anomaly that he found was one student who every day had to get a uniform pass for wearing the incorrect uniform. He inquired with some of the teachers about what was going on and it turned out that this student, along with his tuakana and mother had been kicked out of home by his father. This is the short of the story but it really tugged at my heartstrings. To hear that their 'home' was outside a McDs left me feeling extremely raw and with a large array of questions.

This sort of situation isn't something new nor is it unheard of, but I wonder if we have become desensitised to it. Or have we become desensitised to the idea of it so that coming up with a solution is what we're numb to? 

Firstly, where is the root of this stemming from? Clearly, the main issue presented is that this family is living on the streets while still going to school and likely without adequate food and shelter.

Secondly, the deeper issue is with the father and why he's acting in this way. What has been deeply instilled and rooted in him that this has been his reaction and action towards his family?

For a tree to grow well, it's root system is one of the important parts of being healthy and fruitful. The same principle applies to the human psyche. If the heart is hurt or bruised, then the actions that follow through will unlikely be that of love and consideration. If this is then planted in another, like the sons, then this system statistically repeats itself. 

However, we all know this analogy but when the rubber hits the road, or the kids hit the street - that's the kōrero we need to involved in. What prevention can be used for future cases instead of this cycle running around and becoming engrained and normalised as these precious tamariki come to school? What's gone on in the past in the individual's life, or the history of the family, iwi, region, etc? How can we work as a collective to restore what's been so broken for so long?

As the saying goes, learning starts in the home but there is learning in the schools in that process too. Knowing that singlehandedly one cannot break this oppressive chain that is wrapped around so many, but if a mindset grows within passionate people who band together, that kotahitanga and whanaungatanga can surpass the walls and hurdles that pain and misunderstandings have put in place.

If you are a teacher, I'd love to know how you feel on this topic and if this is a familiar story. 

Let's talk about changing leadership on twitter and start with whakawhanaungatanga today.

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The girl stronger than fear

I can clearly remember the day I heard the story of Malala Yousafzai. 

I was sitting on a bus going scrolling through my social media to see an unusual trend on twitter. With the little information I had, I found it difficult to decipher what was going on until I looked further into the story:

A young girl, stands up for education, gets shot in the head on her way to school by the Taliban.

Once I'd figured out the aforementioned, that's when I noticed that quickly this news was spreading like wildfire. 

Surprised and outraged by this news, I started to dig for more research. People get shot often around the world, and news like this didn't shock me to my core initially. However, despite frequent desensitisation by this type content of current media, this was an article that particularly struck my heart; namely, because she was a young, innocent girl who was retaliated for standing up for her right to an education.

My morning continued and I noticed my local cafe displayed a newspaper with a sub-title informing me that inside its pages held more details on the status of this brave, young woman. I read through the article and decided to really keep an eye on where this story led as Malala started her journey to recovery as her family went to the U.K. to escape Pakistan.

Later, as the years went on, I did what I could to keep a track on the story and made sure to purchase her book as soon as it was released.

As her story grew more and more on an international scale, she spent some time on national TV following her respite care from the wounds she recieved:

"Nothing can stop me in this mission and in this campaign of education - that girls deserve the right to go to school."

Since then, she won a Noble Peace Prize but only found out as her teacher told her during a chemistry lesson - as she describes in the interview with Ellen.

Following on from that to a few weeks ago today, Malala returned to Pakistan for the first time since the incident in 2012 which you can read more about here.

Despite Malala's incredibly inspiring story, there is still a fight being fought - that being the right for girls to receive an education. History has told many tales of young girls not having the access to an education but the times are changing.

Having grown up as a girl in the education system in New Zealand, I feel extremely blessed to have had the opportunity to receive education and be encouraged to pursue higher goals such as completing a PhD. Following Malala's story to this day has not only motivated me to value and pursue my education more but to be educated about human rights and to make sure I also speak up for those who do not have the basic right to an education.

With more people becoming aware and advocating for Human Rights around the world - there is a stir in the waters and we are slowly but surely creating change and peace for the betterment of humanity.

If you'd like to read other posts I've written about Human Rights, please see the following articles about the story of Ms. Ju-In Gu who was recently murdered for her choice in religion:

The Global Protest Shaking the World

Coercive What? Unnecessary Death of a Young Woman

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Achieving success over suicide

What kind of New Zealand do we want to live in?

Across the country kiwis are blessed with the opportunity to grow up in a nation free of war, access to education, and surrounded with an environment cleaner than most places around the world.

However, there is a systemic issue that has gripped the people at the core. Mental illness has swept the islands of Aotearoa like a plague which is causing concern for communities and is a serious issue. 

Regardless of the taboo that lingers around this topic, it's something that's affecting the nation and it's something that we need to tackle as one. 

Suicide isn't just a health issue, it's a social issue. 

Despite the decrease in suicidal deaths with the increasing population, at least 500 people commit suicide each year which is a staggering statistic, or 12.6 people per 100,000. More facts and data sets can be found at the Ministry of Health.

Mike King has a brutal honesty about why people hurt themselves and what we need to do to reduce harm.

Mike King, Key to Life spokesperson, shares his thoughts on this too and his outlook for change - click on the link under the photo to check it out.

http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/national/native-affairs--lets-korero-about-suicide

So we have the problem, but what can we do to create change??

The Ministry of Health put together a New Zealand Suicide Prevention Strategy which has the suggestions to tackle suicide head on:

• Promote mental health and wellbeing, and prevent mental health problems.
• Improve the care of people who are experiencing mental disorders associated with suicidal behaviours.
• Improve the care of people who make non-fatal suicide attempts.
• Reduce access to the means of suicide.
• Promote the safe reporting and portrayal of suicidal behaviour by the media.
• Support families/whānau, friends and others affected by a suicide or suicide attempt.
• Expand the evidence about rates, causes and effective interventions.

Young people, rangatahi, men and women, are all equally as important as one another. This attitude around mental health as a nation needs to change and is a conversation we need to start having more. Please let me know your thoughts in the comments on how we can build a culture with more whanaungatanga and acceptance so that everyone feels cool to korero regarding these issues.

____________________

Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor 

Lifeline – 0800 543 354 (0800 LIFELINE) or free text 4357 (HELP)

Suicide Crisis Helpline – 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)

Healthline – 0800 611 116

Samaritans – 0800 726 666 

____________________

Regarding issues like these, I write a lot about similar things. 

Recently a young woman died at the hands of a 'Coercive Conversion Program' which you can read about here. 

On the other hand, you can read about what's happening to turn things around in our global society, check out these posts:
3/14: The Most Important Birthday
Shincheonji Volunteers: How to love your neighbours?


Ka kite ano / See you later

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Coercive what? Unnecessary death of a young woman

Kia ora whanau! / Hello family!

To begin, a question: 

What urges hundreds of people including high profile leaders and people from multiple faith backgrounds to gather in a rally?

To reply to that question, here is the answer:

Recently, in the news, NBC News of U.S. reported ‘Protest against Coercive Conversion Education’. This event was in retaliation of a death of a young 27y old Korean woman who lost her life as a result of Coercive Conversion Education. 

Please see the video below:

So what is this all about??

To begin, what is Coercive Conversion Education? It is an organised 'education' by Korean pastors belonging to the Christian Council of Korea (CCK) who guide parents to forcefully get their children to join education to convert them to the doctrine designated by the CCK.

Secondly, how does Ji In Gu fit in?

Ji in Gu was one of the most recent victims of the program and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she died as a result of the actions due to those involved in the education program. 

The 27y old young adult was previously in the Coercive Conversion Education and she managed to escape as described more here. However, when her disappearance was reported, there was no immediate response to this, even her pleas to those in governmental positions fell on deaf ears. This lukewarm investigation already chimes alarm bells, let alone the alarms of emergency vehicles rushing to her aid - or in this case, the lack thereof.

Members of the Korean public all gathered together in support of putting a law into place to prevent such things ever happening.

Regardless of your religion, be it Christian, Sihk, Buddhism, etc, you should be allowed to choose as you deem fit. There is simply no justification for violence and confinement of an individual and the same goes for religious discrimination. The irony, however, is that victims of the coercive conversion are increasing at a steady rate. 

Despite the above, we must take a stand for this. 

Human Rights must be protected. 

In response to the event of this young woman's death, other countries are also showing their interests around the globe. 

But, what can we do?

We must protect Human Rights.

We must stand our ground for the protection of ourselves and others.

One small step we can do to make a change is to educate ourselves which is why I have linked the pages below for your information.

Please take action today so that no more lives would be lost to such harsh causes, and that instead we can live in a world with more harmony among people regardless of their race, gender, or religion.

Remembrance page in Facebook for Ms. Ji-In, Gu.

Official Homepage of the Association of Victims of Coercive Conversion Programs (AVCCP)

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3/14: The Most Important Birthday

Faith has always been an important part of my life. Whether it being the acknowledgement of wairua and mauri in my surroundings, striving to be more in the image of Christ, or receiving grace through reading the words of the Bible, Church is something that is dear and precious to me.

I am a congregation member of Shincheonji Church of Jesus Christ, The Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, or in short 'SCJ'. SCJ is a place to call home with a true family. As those unified by God and sharing one Word and one common purpose, I thoroughly enjoy being able to carry out my walk of faith with like-minded believers without bias, prejudice or discrimination. Above all these things, what I love the most is the scriptural evidence that Shincheonji is built upon, providing a strong and stable foundation for ones faithwalk.

Established on the 14th of March 1984, Shincheonji is the nation of God - otherwise known in English as New Heaven New Earth (NHNE) and signifies the new tabernacle and new saints (2 Pt 3:13; Mt. 13:31-32; Rev 14:1-5; Rev 15:2-5).

2,000 years ago Jesus came and God dwelt with him (Mt 3:16). At the time of the first coming, Jesus said that there would be one who came in his name who would teach all things, the Spirit of Truth, a Counselor (Jn 16:26, 16:14-15). The person whom the Counselor is with is the pastor promised at the time of the second coming in Revelation and also the one who overcomes (Rv 2-3, 10).

Congregation Members [both images from: http://en.shincheonji.kr/?ch=about03_01]

Graduating Congregation Members from Zion Mission Centre, Shincheonji's Theology Students

Something that holds my heart dearly is the way that Shincheonji celebrates with an intricately beautiful culture. On this note, one of the exciting things that is happening this week is the Live Broadcasting of 34th Anniversary Service of Shincheonji Church of Jesus. 

Don't want to miss out? Why don't you get on the action with us as we celebrate and listen to the Words of the promised pastor?

Watch it on www.hmbc.tv

3pm GMT+13, 14th of March 

But, why is this important? What makes it so precious and valuable?

For a majority of my life in my walk of faith, I felt like I was wondering in the woods without knowing where I was going...

What was my direction in life? 
Where did God want me to go? 
How could I use what I have for his kingdom? 

These questions rattled me. 

I cried out to God for answers and it wasn't until I myself studied the theology of Shincheonji, that I grew to a correct understanding of the scriptures, and now I get to be part of the best gathering for God - Shincheonji's 34th birthday!

Amongst all this is the exponential growth that Shincheonji is experiencing, it is undoubtedly a well watered tree that is bearing many wonderful fruits - and I definitely don't doubt that this trend of going onwards and upwards will stop any time soon.  

What do you think? Jump on board while the train is moving and have a look at what's going on over in Korea:

www.hmbc.tv

3pm GMT+13
14th of March

It's not really a proper party without a goodie bag so here's a list of links to check out with more information about Shincheonji:

-> Shincheonji Official Homepage

-> Shincheonji Official Cafe(Let's truly know the Bible and the Word of Shincheonji)

-> Shincheonji Official Youtube

-> Shincheonji Official Twitter

Be sure to come back on Thursday for another article and in the mean time, have a read of my first post.

Ka kite ano / See you later!

Atarangi

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