WARNING: This post contains graphic content.
The tragic earthquake in Nepal has left many Scientology watchers wondering when and where the Volunteer Ministers will make their appearance, and if they will help the relief effort or get in the way with a “touch assist” tent.
We reported on Monday that Shannon Barnes, an Emergency Medical Technician as well as a Volunteer Minister, was heading to Nepal, and that a Gofundme page was established to pay some bills while he is there. Today that page has raised $1,060 out of a goal of $5,000.
The researchers at whyweprotest.net reported that Barnes is a former Sea Org member, and has survived a suicide attempt while at Gold base near Hemet, California.
Shannon drives a Jet Ski recklessly into concrete side of lake going 50 MPH destroying Jet Ski and almost killing himself and a passenger. After recovering and deciding that he was not good enough to be at Gold, drinks large bottle of bleach. Survives suicide attempt but it was confirmed that he was not good enough for Gold and he was sent to LA to work in PAC.
Yesterday, Scientologist Cary Goulston put out a call for 100 Volunteer Ministers to go to Nepal. Goulston has spent years visiting many parts of the world to create new Scientology groups.
Dear Friends,
My friend in Nepal wrote to me after they had a devastating earthquake of over 9.0 Help is needed over there. Please read the letter I got from Bijay explaining what it is like in Nepal right now. Let me know if you want to help. I am trying to organize some aid to go to these people:
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your concern.
Situation here is more critical all hospitals are full of
patients and dead bodies over there, so terrible horrible condition in all Hospitals.Our group have started as a volunteers in different areas.
Not only Katmandu but most part of its neighboring places
are also affected by this earthquake. In news we are hearing
there is not a single houses are remaining in some places.
But we are inside Katmandu valley,so haven’t seen any
conditions in other places than in Katmandu. Katmandu is valley and is capital of Nepal.
Sir as I heard to Secretary of Ministry of Economic,he was
telling only problem we have to face is resources but not
money as being poor country many countries are showing their help towards us. India have sent about 10 helicopters for rescue along with team of 50 doctors and food and tons and tons of Medicine and Pakistan and China along with US AID is probably sending rescue team and food and other help so hope food water problem will not exist if Earthquake will not continue as it is not stopping till now.
Next thing we are doing our best from our sides to serve those who have directly affected by this . Sir as time have cometo serve our humanity, your thoughts will work as a support to my team and as we are trying to get in contact with Binod also to continue our work to Serve our mankind.
ARC
Bijay
His posts received only one reply of an offer to travel to Nepal, but that didn’t stop today’s blog post from the Volunteer Ministers, Scientology Volunteer Ministers to Send 100 Volunteers to Nepal to Aid in Earthquake Disaster Rescue and Response.
The Church of Scientology Volunteer Ministers are immediately dispatching a group of 16 members of the Mexico-based search-and-rescue team Los Topos to Nepal to comb through the rubble for survivors and assist in the relief effort following Saturday’s deadly 7.8 earthquake. Thousands are still believed trapped beneath debris from collapsed buildings, houses and monuments.
Scientology’s Disaster Response Unit is seeking medically-trained Scientology Volunteer Ministers—doctors, nurses and EMTs available to travel to the disaster zone. Those interested should contact the Scientology Disaster Response Coordinator at disasterresponse@volunteerministers.org, who will arrange their flights and in-country plan.
The death toll in the Nepal temblor has climbed to over 5,000, with tens of thousands injured and thousands more unaccounted for. The full extent of the devastation is still unknown. The meager resources at hospitals in Kathmandu and elsewhere are strained beyond their limit and in desperate need of help.
Local Volunteer Ministers headquartered at the Church of Scientology Mission of Kathmandu at Old Baneshwor, Bhimsengola, Prayag Ghat, Prayag Galli, Ward 9 are distributing supplies, providing first aid and helping survivors with Scientology assists—Scientology processes that help speed healing and reduce trauma and stress. They will be joined by Volunteer Ministers from India and other nearby countries as well as a team of experienced VMs traveling from Australia.
Created by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard in the mid-1970s, the Volunteer Minister program is a broad initiative bringing effective physical and spiritual assistance to anyone, anywhere.
For more information on the Volunteer Ministers program, visit: http://www.scientology.org/how-we-help/voice-for-humanity/
The headline announcing the arrival of 100 VMs in Nepal and the body of the article naming 16 Los Topos are at odds. Los Topos, or the Brigada Internacional de Rescate Tlatelolco-Azteca A.C., are a volunteer group specializing in underground recovery, mine collapses and the like. As we reported in March, Los Topos “The Moles” visited the Ideal Org of Mexico City for an awards presentation.
We think an average reader would assume that the photos on the VM blog article depict Scientologists in action, or at least Los Topos. They are not.
This photo has been lifted without attribution from Agence France Presse.
This image is currently on the main page of the infoplease.com web site, attributed to Krish Dulal.
This image was lifted without attribution from a Bangladesh news site.
And finally another Agence France Presse photo.
None of the photos on the VM blog depict Scientologists in action in Nepal.
Scientology does have a mission in Kathmandu, and an unnamed Scientologist acting as “The Way To Happiness Nepal” says:
We are meant for creating Happy faces all around!!!Humanity is not over yet and doing our best efforts for serving mankind…So our team is likely to head towards Gorkha(Region Where Epicenter was measured)…So some helping hands to these helpless people will be much more mattering at the moment…So plz if some one is willing to help and have not found any helping hands to be there…do contact @+977-9849059315,9818518338 1)Food
2)Dustbins
3)Tents
4)Clothes
5) Masks matters much more…
Tikla Dipen Karki and “Rahul KC” are the Youth For Human Rights representatives in Khathmandu. They have posted photos of the destruction, but none yet of their relief efforts. We don’t know that they have any medical or rescue training, so it seems likely they are limited in the help they can provide.
Some of the TRAGEDIC picture that i took when YOUTH FOR HUMAN RIGHTS NEPAL team were helping in EARTH QUAKE DISASTER AREA. The suitation here was very terrible, YHR Nepal team is giving thier best efforts to help in these areas. Thank you all the team member see you all at 7 AM toady.
We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates. Disaster relief agencies universally recommend donating money to an established NGO rather than sending supplies or flying to disaster sites to volunteer for relief work.
UPDATE:
Over on the Ex-Scientologist Message Board, user “Lord Xenu” has posted an email from Scientology to raise funds for the IAS effort on earthquake relief in Nepal.
RE: NEPAL EARTHQUAKE:
Following has come in yesterday from Bijay Babu, a Scientologist in Nepal:
Hello friends…me Bijay Babu,Scientologist From Nepal we are here in terrible horrible conditions due to earthquake, so we are here in need of some support throughout the world, and from Scientologists, So if you can help us by VM rescue force we would be pleased with you all!!! Pleased share this messages to your friends…if they could help through some assist or VM team
also:
Situation here is more critical all hospitals are full of patients and dead bodies over there, so terrible horrible condition in all Hospitals. Our group have started as a volunteers in different areas. And I am sorry to inform the person with whom I did practice of Self Analysis before a week is missing. Hope he is alive.
Not only Katmandu but most part of its neighboring places are also affected by this earthquake. In news we are hearing there is not a single houses are remaining in some places.
But we are inside Katmandu valley,so haven’t seen any conditions in other places than in Katmandu. Katmandu is valley and is capital of Nepal.
Next thing we are doing our best from our sides to serve those who have directly affected by this . Sir as time have cometo serve our humanity, your thoughts will work as a support to my team and as we are trying to get in contact with Binod also to continue our work to Serve our mankind.ARC
BijayWe need people to answer this call for help right now. People are still stuck under the rubble so time is of the essence. We need Volunteer Ministers who can and want to go out there. If you cannot go, then we ask you to do a meaningful donation to the IAS so that the approved grant can be paid out and so that we can send 100 VMs out there to help those in need.
If you want to go send an e-mail to ihelpuk@ihelp.org or to graemereidwilson@gmail.com.
You donations go to http://www.iasmembership.org/uk in the comment box write for Nepal disaster relief c/o I HELP UK
ml, Ann
Sec Check 