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Fifteen Year Old Goes to Sri Lanka to Help Tsunami Victims
SCIENTOLOGY VOLUNTEER MINISTERS (VMs)
Asian Disaster Relief
5 February 2005
The disastrous effect of the tsunami's force on the shores of Sri Lanka
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Young Scientology Volunteer Minister, Max McFarlane listens intently along with Buddhist monks (Max is 1st from the right in the back row)
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Max (left) and fellow Scientology VM, Mike, talking with local Sri Lankan women providing them with a method to help others through their trauma
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Every tragedy has its unsung heroes. This is a story about a fifteen-year-old boy who made a decision and truly IS “doing something about it.”
“I just couldn’t sit around watching those images on the TV for one second longer. Knowing what I know as a Scientology Volunteer Minister I had to go there and help,” said fifteen-year-old Max McFarlane. Max is the youngest Volunteer Minister (VM) from the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles to join the Sri Lanka VM Disaster Relief Team after December’s tsunami.
Max joined an international corps of Church volunteers from Germany, UK, Australia and Italy in a country in sore need of help from people of goodwill.
“I’ve been a Volunteer Minister since I was 13 years old,” Max explained, “and I had the tools to help the Sri Lanka people revive their spirit and courage. I can help and I enjoy doing it. I want others from all over the world to join in and help.”
Max’s mother, Sue McFarlane, is very proud of her son. “Max has always helped others,” she said. “The volunteer minister program gave him the tools to do just that. He wants to set a good example and get other teenagers involved to work towards a better world without drug problems, wars, conflicts and criminality.”
Scientology Volunteer Ministers are organized into groups before they leave for the disaster areas. Max’s group included Scott Curry of Pasadena, California; Michael Loumeau of Brentwood, California; Julie Ochoa of Pasadena, California; Christine Busby of Orange County, California and Kaye Hooker of Michigan.
“While the loss of life and loss of property is phenomenal and we do everything we can to help with this, the real expertise of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers at disaster scenes is in the area of trauma alleviation,” said Barbara Daikin, coordinator for the Church of Scientology Los Angeles’ Sri Lanka and Indonesia VM relief effort.
The Scientology Volunteer Ministers program is a year-round voluntary activity implemented in 1977 to bring spiritual relief and succor to anyone coping with the troubles of life. “Scientology is all-denominational and the only requirement to be a Volunteer Minister is a desire to help others and improve situations and conditions. Anyone can be taught these assists,” said Ms. Daikin, who encourages people of all faiths to train to become VMs and join the VM Disaster Relief Team.
If you can help with donations or wish to volunteer time, call (323) 960-1949 or 1-800-435-7498 or e-mail vm@volunteerministers.org
For more information: Scientology Volunteer Ministers News
1. Assists are techniques developed by L. Ron Hubbard. They operate on the principle that one tends to withdraw mentally or spiritually from an injured area. Only by restoring communication with this area can one bring the spiritual element into healing, thereby greatly speeding the healing process. Assists are used to alleviate stress and physical aches and pains, or to orient a confused or distraught individual to his present environment.
Learn on-line how to do Scientology Assists.
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