I believe this document will be of great historical value, as well as give us a renewed perspective of the emphasis and beginnings of Urantia's Teaching Mission.

For those who haven't read it, or don't have a copy...

Calvin

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Teaching Mission Conference
Snowbird, Utah July 6, 2001

First Conference Speaker 
The Teaching Mission -- The First Ten Years
By: Rebecca Bynum (Nashville, Tennessee)

Did any of you, even in your wildest dreams, ever think that one day you'd be part of a group of people that has contact with the unseen Planetary Government and that you'd be taught on a regular basis by supernal teachers just like in the Mansion world schools? Did you ever think that you'd be given a task and then guided, step by step, through every phase of it? Did you ever think you'd be part of a celestial mission to actively change the direction of the entire world?

Well I didn't, but then as Jarad says in one of his songs, "everything's different now." Let me tell you a little of how it started here in Salt Lake.

When I moved back to this beautiful city where I was born in 1985, I found companionship with other Urantia Book readers for the first time. Thern Blackburn, Ida Young, John Womeck and others became my extended Urantia family. We read the book every week and discussed it in Thern's living room in Wood's Cross, just north of here. It was a great comfort to me to know other people who loved the book as I did.

Then one day in 1989, I think, Thern received a strange letter from some people in New Zealand. He called me on the phone to tell me about it. Thern had a habit of being cryptic on the telephone, like his phone might be tapped or something. His tone was conspiratorial,

"You'll never guess what I received in the mail today. It confirms something I've been thinking about for years."

"What do you mean?" I asked, half listening. I was working in my drycleaning plant and had a million things on my mind.

He continued, "It's about something big....About....Melchizedek!"

"Really?" He had my attention then.

"Yes. Really. He's back here on this planet! And that's not all."

"Isn't that enough?" I was still trying to take it in.

"No. There's someone else with him."

"Someone else? Who?" I asked.

"Guess," he demanded.

"I can't guess. Come on, tell me," I answered.

There was a long pause and then he whispered, "Abraham!"

After a few more exchanges, we hung up the phone and I was half thinking that my old friend had just lost it. As I listened to him read the letter from New Zealand to our group that Thursday evening, part of me thought, "Oh, I don't know about this! But then, the wording sounds authentic, not like something made up. The people seem sincere enough. It's probably not true....but if it is true.....If it is, I don't want to miss out."

Not long after that, a strange thing happened. I was sitting on my bed at home and suddenly the room seemed permeated with a "presence," and I was rooted to the spot as a voice spoke to me. It wasn't so much exact words as ideas that came to me. The voice seemed to tell me that our group was part of the reserve corps of destiny and that if I wanted to participate, it would mean I had to be willing to give up everything I had including my business which was something I was very proud of at the time. The presence made it clear that it would not be an easy road by any means and then it asked me very plainly, considering all this, did I want to participate and become like a modern day apostle? Then it waited for an answer.

Well, I didn't have to think about it at all. My answer was an emphatic "yes!" Then I was told that Abraham was now in charge of the reserve corps and we would be under his supervision. Then that was it. I sat, dumbfounded for a while, mulling it all over. The next day I called Thern and explained that I felt I had to pass this on because I was sure it wasn't just for me, but for our entire group, small as it was.

Thern decided that the "voice" I heard was that of my Thought Adjuster and published that information later, but looking back, I think it was either Ham or possibly Abraham himself. Understand, we had no experience of this kind of thing and the only "voice" that the Urantia book talks about mortals hearing is the Thought Adjuster's. So it was an understandable mistake, but one that brought a lot of criticism as I recall.

Anyway, we decided to send a letter to New Zealand to ask about Abraham's being in charge of the reserve corps. They wrote back some weeks later with confirmation and then nothing at all happened after that for about a year and a half. All the while, Thern kept saying, "I can't help feeling that something is going to happen to our little group."

Then, in late February 1991, I was pressing pants early one Saturday morning at my store, when again I felt a presence and this time a voice spoke very forcefully, "I am Ham and I will be the teacher for your study group."

I said, "Me? Though me?"

"Yes," came the reply.

"Who are you? Where do you come from?" I managed to ask.

"The Garden," was the reply.

"Eden?" I asked.

"No...further...." Then, "I have come to redeem or correct......"

My mind was racing and that was all I could get. I picked up the phone and called Thern. After I explained what had happened, it was Thern's turn to doubt my sanity. I could hear it in his voice, "Really?" he said, "humm."

The we started talking and speculating on who Ham might be. We thought, "further from the Garden of Eden," might mean, further back in time, maybe to the Prince's staff. Ham had a three letter name, same as those guys. Thern said he's research it and call back.

"No Ham," he said. "There's every other kind of three letter name, but no H-A-M."

"Are you sure?" I asked. I had already built up a scenario in my mind in which the loyal members of the Prince's staff return once more to save the day.

"Positive," he answered.

"Oh well," I said, "I guess all we can do is wait and ask him when he comes again."

"I guess so," said Thern.

I could tell he wasn't completely sold on the whole thing, but he showed up that Thursday at my house with an old tape recorder, and we stumbled through our first Ham meeting.

We asked questions about how we should proceed. Should we study the Urantia Book and then ask questions about it?

"No," came the reply, "I will give you a lesson each week."

Thern persisted, "But, what about the Urantia Book?"

The answer stunned me. "The Urantia Book is a tool," said Ham.

Up to that point, the Urantia Book had been the anchor of my life. How could he talk about it being merely a tool? What heresy was this?

Toward the end of the meeting Ida asked, "Where do you come from?"

The reply was "The Garden"....and then "Edentia." But I didn't say the word "Edentia," out of fear of getting it wrong, so the meeting was hung up at that point. I couldn't get any more, and we broke up for the night, none of us knowing what to make of it all.

I got out my Urantia Book, looked up Edentia, and there it was, "Edentia, known as the garden world." That was a powerful confirmation for me. Then, come Saturday afternoon I received a visit from Abraham himself. Evidently he had received a report from Ham, especially the part about my not transmitting the word, "Edentia," and blowing the meeting.

He said, "It is not your job to edit or change the communications in any way. You are simply to transmit as exactly as possible what you receive without commentary or alteration. It is not important what you think about them. In fact, it's best if you do not think about them at all. These are the conditions. Now, do you want the job or not?"

Well, that was exactly what I needed to hear. Something strong and definitive. I didn't have to try to sort out what was what during the transmission. It was a great relief and I promised Abraham I'd do my best.

Over the next several days and weeks, I made three decisions. First, I made a solemn vow to stay in this thing for the long haul. Come what may, I would never give up or shirk my duty to the teachers. Secondly, I made a vow of loyalty to the Teachers and to Melchizedek. If there ever came a time when my loyalties would be divided, my loyalty to them would always be paramount. And thirdly, I made the decision that I would never accept material compensation this work no matter how tempting it might be to do so. I am proud to see that that standard has spread and is, in a way, a policy of the Teaching Mission to this day, some ten years later.

For those of you who are wondering, yes, in fact, I did lose everything for a while. But what I gained in it's place was beyond my wildest dreams. I lost my little old drycleaning business and a couple of houses, but I gained the love of my eternal life, my partner Jarad and the wonderful life he's given me, in its place. We live a truly blessed life in service to Michael, we are rich in love and friendship, have exciting and fulfilling work, and all our material needs are more than met. I pray that you all find this same degree of happiness in this life. You are my most treasured friends and I love you all and I thank you for being so supportive of me when I have needed it.

As we enter into our second decade of service, I think it's important for us to remember three things. One is that we must be careful to keep ourselves available to serve the Supernals according to their purpose and never to use them for our purposes, no matter how noble those purposes may be. Secondly, we must rededicate ourselves and our loyalty to them and vow never to split that loyalty no matter how worthy the other recipient of that loyalty may be. And thirdly, we must recognize that the Supernals place their supreme focus and all their efforts on our measly individual spiritual progress. To them all else is secondary. So the spiritual progress of ourselves and others must be our primary focus as well. The mightiest cause waits humbly upon the progress of the least of us.

My brothers and sisters, we have been through a lot together in these last ten years. No doubt there are more trials and tribulation to come. But I wouldn't trade it for the world. Would you?

Calvin: Rebecca, could you stay up there for a second? Does anyone have questions for Rebecca?

Rebecca: Okay.

Q(?): How's your dog? (Beau)

Rebecca: Oh, the dog's fine ... he's home with the baby sitter. (laughter)

Michael Painter: Rebecca, was there any specific point in time when you actually felt any doubt and uncertainty, of what you've been through?

Rebecca: I don't know if there was ever any time when I felt any doubt, so I don't know if there was a change from when I felt doubt  to when I didn't feel doubt. Um... because ... the only thing I doubted was myself, whether I could keep doing it. I wasn't doubting Ham, but whether I could fulfill what he asking me to do.

Jerry Dalton: Would you breifly summerize the first steps taken to announce the program when you went to Los Angeles, that episode? (Yes) I believe that was really the first 'outreach,' right?

Rebecca: Yes. It seems like Ham just came and said--and it was to me personally and wasn't like, to the group--that he would like to address the General Council of  the Urantia Movement. I told Thern about it and he called Duane Faw. It was going to be held in L. A. that year so we could all go and visit with Duane and Roxey and Vinnie and everybody out there, and so we did and everybody was very supportive, except for when we got to the meeting ... the actual meeting (laughter). Then, you know, it was like you'd expect -- about a third of the people kind of got up all together and left, and about a third of the people were wondering 'what was going on' and the rest of the people were jumping up and down with excitement and enthusiasm and saying "wow, it's about time" kind of thing. I don't know how else to explain it. Is that it? Is that what you needed, or was there something else that you were thinking?

Jerry: That's fine. (Okay) Were there specific instructions from Ham, in doing this?

Rebecca: No, no. It was "you've been doing it for a year, you can do it now" you know, so I just got up and let whatever come. Everyone was pretty fidgety you know, because ... when I was first doing (TRing) Ham, it was real slow. Nobody ...  that hadn't been to our group, was used to that, so it was hard for people to have the patience to listen to each --- word --- come, and so that was kind of hard too.

Q(?): Is Ham your personal teacher? (Yea) Do you have other Teachers that have come--since? How does that fit into your life? Do they guide you and tell you what you should be doing...?

Rebecca: Yes. We mostly talk, on day to day stuff, we mostly talk with Jared's (Hal Bynum) personal teacher who's a wonderful female named Ian. She hasn't told us that much about herself except that when she was on her mortal world she reached out to the Master and he helped her through some dark times. She wrote a diary and that diary, after she passed on, became a spiritual guide book on her world. So, we're in awe of her every day. She keeps us in line, keeps us moving forward and doesn't let us get too far off the track.

Q(?): Hi. I have an issue with security--physical security, losing things. Losing my home--losing things. So, can you tell me about your loss with your business and your homes -- is it necessary to really go through 'loss' in order to advance?

Rebecca: Yes. I don't know how it is for everybody else but for me it was. I was attached ... I was really attached. I had to make a choice ... what was more important? Was the spiritual life more important than the physical life? It was, to me. It always has been, for a long time, but I had a lot of attachment and when I let go of all of it, then my life just became great and beautiful and I would have never married my husband. I'd be a little lost person, like I was. I feel so blessed, after having gone through that, it was just never a big horrendous deal. It was always just a step ... taking steps.

Loraina: Hi Rebecca. Remember when we were all being taught to transmit? (Yes) And during that time there was a lot of confusion ... I remember the feeling, the conversations about ... 'was this real -- was I making it up?' and all of that. And did you go through some of that personally when you were beginning the transmissions? (Um...) Could you tell ... I never could actually distinguish my mind, very clearly, from my Teacher Danielle -- so I did end up dropping out, basically, and I'd like to come back to it and I'd love some guidance?

Rebecca: Yes. I guess everybody has to have their own criteria as what makes it real for them. I would just sit there and wait for one word at a time to come, for the longest time. One word would come and it would repeat, and I would say it. The next word would come, and I wouldn't be sure, and it would repeat until I said it. Then next word, etc. It was just like that. I mean, you remember how slow it was! It would take us an hour to get a paragraph, and sometimes even a sentence. It was because I was really unsure and I wanted to put the burden on Ham, you know, that it wasn't on me to just 'try' to get it right, I wanted him to make sure that I got it right. That's just how I did it. Does that help? (Yes, thank you.)

Q(?): Do you think there's any significance, in your mind, what the significance was waiting 18 months for that to start?

Rebecca: Well, it was personal stuff going on in my life, probably, that had something to do with that ... that I had to get some things sorted out. I had some deaths in my family and divorce ... traumas that I probably couldn't have started and then go through that and so I think everything had to settle down for me. I think that's what it was.

Rick Giles: I'd like to add a comment to that. I find that significant in light of -- when Jesus was visited and told to be about the Father's business, and right after that his Dad dies and he has to raise the family. So there may be some morontial principle that goes on ... that waiting period? (Rebecca: Good point, yes.)

Q(?): This is kind of a curiosity question, but when we had a study group in Bakersfield and we all attempted to transmit ... we were aware of sensations happening in our mind during the week. Did you experience that sort of thing? Maybe they were working on some little adjustments in your mind, or trying to improve receptivity?

Rebecca: Probably. I don't remember specifically...

Q(?): But then you also had very strong impressions once Ham made contact with you too...?

Rebecca: Once Ham made contact it didn't seem like I had to really do anything ... it's like he had done all that and, like I said, I kept putting the burden back on him ... "It's got to be strong or I won't say it," you know ...  "If there's any doubt I won't say it," that kind of thing. And so they had to make sure it was real forceful and strong.

Q(?): Well, consistent with this subject of obstacles, one of Ham's recent lessons was on the importance of obstacles that are placed in our lives, that they in fact--our celestial helpers--often times will intentionally create obstacles for us for a variety of reasons that we may not understand at the time. (Yes) So obstacles can be a blessing. (Yes, yes)

Stella R.: Rebecca, I was in Los Angeles that night that you transmitted Ham and I took it all down in short hand and then when I walked out of there I thought "well, maybe it's so and maybe it isn't." So I put them away for about 5 years. Then when I thought it was my idea to de-code the Book of Revelation, my celestial Teacher Coreli gave me just a little bit of information about Chapter One. They had apparently thought about two or three other people and they had watched me to see what I this human would do. Well, I picked up the ball and then I continued with them and the result was -- this book after four and a half years, so I blame you. (laughter)

Rebecca: Well, I can take that kind of blame. (laughter)

Gerdean: Rebecca ... let me get this thing straightened out here [Microphone] I don't know how to talk in these things ... and I noticed, speaking of talking, you've picked up a bit of a twang girl? (laughter)

Rebecca: (twangy reply) Yea, I'm a Southerner now! (laughter)

Gerdean: I wanted to ask you, as a TR ... you know you get in there with those Teachers and it gets rather intimate, and you can observe, I can observe, how the Teacher handles questions. I have learned a great deal by observing the various Teachers -- Tomas particularly -- but I wanted to ask you if you've given any thought to any of the characteristics ... how has Ham added to your character, your spiritual character. By observing how he does something, what have you learned from Ham in that context -- in your intimate association?

Rebecca: Boy, that's a great question. If I could be just a little bit like Ham, I ... that's what I want. Because observing him over the years, talking to all kinds of different people -- people I know, people I don't know ... people in all kinds of different stress problems/things. He is unfailingly great. I'll be sitting in there thinking... "oh, you know this is just -- whatever, whatever, yea right," --- kind of being down maybe on the person a little bit; and Ham will come through and be the most loving, kind, generous and gentle soul ... and then it makes me feel really bad. (laugher) and I think "oh, whoops, uh oh." But, you know, we're just human beings -- I mean were just doing the best we can. But yea, if I could be more like him ... he's who I'd want to grow up to be like. Yea.

Lucille Faw:  Rebecca, it's Lucille. (Hi) We were driving up to Utah one time to join your study group for a visit at Thern’s (Woods Cross Group). We played Ham tapes all the way up there. We got through two tapes and I said "this is real. There's too much love there not to be real." But I want to say, that in my opinion -- being in the Teaching Mission, serving God in any way, does not automatically lead to loss. It happens to everybody in the world regardless of what they are doing in life. We were having study groups at our house on Bocanna (sp.) and the big Malibu fire came and took it right down to the foundation. That night in the motel, I prayed to God to give me strength that when we went back, if it really was burned down, to just accept it. And I did it felt all right.

Rebecca: Yes. That was a horrible fire. You had to be very brave to go through that. I guess with everything. Every everything, go to Spirit, yes. Just to accept, yes.

Fred Harris: Rebecca. I've known you for a long time. First of all, I want to say that I really do appreciate the courage that you've shown throughout this in the face of so much ... (group applause) (Thank you) In light of that, I came out to visit you in 1991. Ham was exceedingly gracious and said some things to me which caused me to rethink my whole life. But ... I really want to focus more on the 'Gabriel appearance' and the 'Melchizedek appearance' ... both of which did not materialize in the way we thought they were going to ... and I just wonder how that impacted your faith ... the criticisms that came from that, how did that impact you?

Rebecca: It was one of the best things that happened because it made us all really think about what we really believed. We were getting, at that time, we were getting material messages and we were getting spiritual messages. I think in our enthusiasm we kind of went overboard a little bit -- and got carried away with 'what all was going to happen.'  We kind of thought a big ship was going to come down and just 'take us all away' ...  yes, we were just going to 'know everything' and 'we had it together,' you know. That really showed us really where we were, and ... hanging in there through that ... you were there Calvin ... (Calvin: I started the week after) The week after? Okay. Well, see! We still had people coming! (group laughter). But ... it shook everybody up, and it shook some people out. Some people left ... because they had expected this huge thing to happen and then it didn't. And, you know, but we just hunkered down and kept transmitting the lessons and ... Ham was kind enough to kind of take some of the burden off of us and on to himself ... and that helped us. But ... it was really a good thing because it made us all evaluate 'what is it that we truly think? What is it that we truly believe in? Do we have to have a miracle? Do we have to be shown?' And most of us decided  'No, we didn't have to.'

Calvin: Hey Fred, on the heals of that question and that reply, I'm going to ask Nina (original Woods Cross group member) to tell of her story of the "Melchizedek appearance" up in the mountains. (Nina: No, no) It was funnier than all funny!!!

Nina: I'm going to kill you, Calvin. (laughter) And mother (Faye) was with me!

Faye: Oh no!

(Someone): I think she should stand up on this one?

Nina: No, no, no.

Group: Nina! Nina! Nina!

Nina: Okay, Okay. this was probably after the "Gabriel" and "Naperville" and all that, and during the days we were all practicing "transmitting." Well, ... one day my Mom called me up and says she thinks she got a message from some Melchizedeks that, you know, something might be going on. So ... she says "why don't you try to do some stillness and see what you can come up with." So, of course I came up with the date and time that they would be arriving. (group laughter) So actually Mom was like ... preparing a room and buying some groceries for them (group roar). And, the time I came up with was way way early in the morning. At that time I was married and I had to explain to my husband "we're going to meet the Melchizedeks" (laughter) and he said "Who? the Gelesnicks?" (laughter) But anyway, he didn't say anything, just  "whatever." But my step-dad, Tom, he was very good about it and he says "well, if you think you got this message, how could you 'not' show." So, we decided "okay, let's do it." My kids were babies and we packed them up and the diaper bags and got them buckled up in the car, and we drive to the 'spiritually designated area.' (group roar) ... Oh God, this is so embarrassing! (group roaring) Oh ...  it was like 5:43 in the morning and it's darker than hell (roaring laughter) ... and all of a sudden from far away we see this light and we're going "Oh my God, here they come!"(group busting up) And it gets closer and closer and we're screaming "Oh my God," and all of a sudden we hear "hoooonk" ... and the kids started screaming and crying and as it gets closer ...  it's a train!!! (group roaring) So, it was all a good lesson, like Rebecca said you know, 'what are we going to look for in this' ... and I think that the people who lasted throughout 'Gabriel' and 'Naperville' are the strong people that's supporting the foundation today. (group applause)

Bill Kelly: Rebecca, one of the reasons I initially was not interested in hearing from Ham, was I heard rumors about all this material stuff ... this "Sonarington" project ... it just sounded hokey to me.

Rebecca: It was hokey. (laughter)

Bill: It sounded like some other human production and I thought 'I don't want that stuff.' It took me two weeks of listening to Ham (on tapes) and writing down what he said, the seven months of transcripts in 1991, and I sensed the presence in the room and I fell in love with Ham -- became convinced it 'was' real. So, you know, when you made a designation between the spiritual and the material, I just wanted to verify that it was the spiritual part that got to me also. (Rebecca: Yea.)

Q(?): I'm curious. In the early years of the Teaching Mission when you were getting these messages that there would be a materialization ... do you think they said that to set us up for disappointment so we'd focus on what we were thinking? or do you think it was human error?

Rebecca: I think that there was human error but that they 'let it go.' They didn't try to dissuade us, or ... you know, they figured that we needed to run into that brick wall and learn the lesson. So, they let it happen. That's what I think.

Hal Bynum (Jared): You know one time, I don't remember what lesson it was, that Ham was teaching us the different stages of this revelation. I don't remember what the first one was but the second one was "disillusionment." Because, I remember thinking that--when this all started--I thought that, you know, if we had cats and dogs -- they wouldn't get run over ... they'd be protected by Midwayer creatures ... and I found out that wasn't true right away, and we lost two of them, (laughter) and we didn't have to pull them in at night; and all kinds of things. I thought that, you know, that we'd just walk on water and all kinds of crazy stuff. Maybe everybody thinks that you know, that you're going to have all kinds of powers and that you won’t have all those ego struggles ... boy, what a dream that was, (laughter) ... so anyway, the second stage being 'disillusionment' -- it sounded like that was what they were allowing to happen there. (Rebecca: Yes)

Calvin: Abraham's taught us this so many times -- these lessons on disillusionment and letting the self-agenda's go and so on, so yes ... what you are saying Hal.

Loraina: Before I ask my question... I just want to remember that night with Gabriel, it was so funny... We sat up all night, I mean this group -- and we had lots of people show up. In fact, that was Brad's first night, because I went home the week before saying "Gabriel's going to appear. The angel Gabriel is going to appear, and in the flesh" and we believed it. We were there all night long, being very patient, very still and waiting and getting very sleepy (laughter), and people really getting kind of grumbly ... and it was just this most amazing experience. And I thrilled to have gone through it because it really did serve ... kind of a waking up to a deeper place in my faith ... because when I was coming to the idea of it, it was like an innocent child with a magical story. And then when it didn't happen the way I pictured it, it was like you said--we had to drop down deeper to 'well what IS real.' So it's just been a part of the whole journey. It was great.

Rebecca: Yes, and I kind of had a little bit of a ... in a very early part of the night, I really felt a strong presence and I kind of saw a being in my mind, but he didn't materialize, and I couldn't see with my eye's open, but yea. There was something there, but I don't know...

Loraina: Well, my question goes to a different subject, with regard to Teachers ... Do they choose us, are they chosen 'for' us? Are there specific reasons a Teacher and a mortal are connected?

Hal B.: (From audience) They volunteer.

Rebecca: Yes, like Hal says, they volunteer. But, I don't know anything about the process of what they go through.

Bill Bryant.: The examples we've heard about ... disillusionment and false predictions and disappointments and all these physical things that didn't happen, aren't restricted to our group. If you look at the history of the churches of this country and other countries, and many times they've predicted the Second Coming and one thing or another ... look at the Seventh Day Adventists and all the others who have had these disappointments, so it's not confined to us "we good people." (laughter)

Rebecca: Yes, that's true.

Question: Rebecca, I have thought, while you've been speaking to us about what Gard Jameson said in his letter last night about "our being part of a beautiful time of healing," and what I want to ask you is ... Surely there are many brothers and sisters that we know and love who are Urantia Book readers but they have not embraced the Teaching Mission yet. They are kind of on the fringes, they want to know more, they want to reach out, they want to connect -- but they're skeptical and afraid -- they have issues ... and I just wondered if you've had some successful experiences, to be able to communicate your understanding and your experiences with the Teaching Mission to those people who want to know more but are being held back for some reason?

Rebecca: It's hard to say because ... you know you always talk to people and tell your story and how you feel about things, and you don't know how it effects. And, I don't know any particular person that was hard core 'Urantia Book only' that I've single-handedly brought over to the Teaching Mission. Um... I don't think I've had much success I guess ...  I don't know! Calvin has.

Calvin: Now ... Listen to the humility of a good TR up there folks. (applause for Rebecca) Is there any more questions? We have one more item after Rebecca, if there's any burning question, then we will do that.

Lee Rector: I just want to make one comment about the Gabriel night. I was there. There was no question in my mind that they were there. (Rebecca: Yea.) I actually recall feeling the presence move from one person to the next. (Rebecca: Yes, me too.) And, I think about how the Master was always asked to perform miracles ... and sometimes we look for miracles with our eyes, and not with our hearts and with our spirits. I left that room that night feeling as though ... exactly as what was to transpire, came.

Calvin: I think people make the same, in religion, about Jesus' Second Coming, they think 'well, He's going to come' and when that day comes they have all kinds of different expectations but ... can they realize perhaps that 'he has come?'  and maybe not as we expect but little by little He's going to bring the lights on to us so that we can see him literally maybe even. One more question and then we'd better break.

Steffani Murray: Rebecca. I think it was, you know, part of a learning process that everyone's going through. It's like we mix up the material and the spiritual ... and I think a lot of these lessons has been that -- what you're talking about, being able to perceive someone with your mind as a presence ... I think we're learning more to see in other ways than with our material eyes and have less expectations. The only incarnational events, it's like the Bestowal Sons among the Spiritual beings, it's a rare thing. (Rebecca: Yes) Even then there's those who think ... 'but the Melchizedek's that materialize,' ... they don't have to be. What you're talking about is seeing someone as a light, feeling their presence, knowing that someone's there, feeling their personality, recognizing their energy, you know. One of the greatest things that this Mission's done for me, who really was kind of locked in to 'Urantia Book only' until I found out I had friends involved with this that I trusted, and I really listened at Flagstaff (Teaching Mission Conference about 1996) and it was so unmistakable. It was really funny because I would never  have expected a 'material presence' with the understanding with Spirit ... one of the funniest things then that happened to me was having a material--a very material thing happen after that, which was Teacher Will getting a copy of her unpublished book in two days. You know, which was like ... basically miraculous, I sure it was, for them, relatively easy. But our expectations of mixing up our mortal thinking are what we need to transcend. That transcendence of our agendas or what we want. The plan this world is more glorious than we can dream up or imagine if we each do our assigned tasks and be patient and work, then we are contributing to the whole. And hanging on to that is just so important. We're so grateful that you've been able to do what you have and you know, just to have that faith, to walk in it step by step. That's the miracle right there.

Rebecca: Thank you.

Calvin: Just before we break for cake, Byron Belitsos is going to make an announcement and then we're going to go upstairs and have some 10 year anniversary cake.

(Conclusion.)

(Big applause)