"I have come for everyone"

Physicians' lecture for Russian speaking interested friends in Berlin

Berlin-middle. In the well-filled auditorium of the Russian House in central Berlin there was an atmosphere of anticipation: The Bruno Groening Circle of Friends had issued an invitation to a Physicians' lecture in Russian. After thorough investigation, the appointment was advertised in Russian magazines, recreational facilities and shops, and flyers and posters were also distributed. The idea of a Russian presentation in Germany arose from the wish to provide an even better service out of Germany to the many communities in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and other former Soviet states. Some months before a medical lecture had been held in St. Petersburg. The leader of the Berlin region, Robert Busse, and Dr. H. Hagemosser, had given it. Now a "bridge from Berlin to St. Petersburg" was to be established. Russian speaking friends were urgently sought who were willing to help build this bridge out of Berlin.

THE BATTLE AGAINST ADDICTION

Drug addicts also find hope and healing in the Bruno Groening Circle of Friends.

Stuttgart. One of the biggest problems of our time is the addiction and dependence on drugs, and their effects. Alcohol, tobacco, medication and the so-called hard drugs are the scourge of mankind. In 2001, more than 155,000 people died in Germany as a result of drug addiction and the tendency is growing. Most of these people died as a result of nicotine dependency (>70%).

Help and Healing is Possible
Even in this near-hopeless vicious circle of addiction, help and healing is possible through the teachings of Bruno Groening. Since 1993 success reports have been gathered and documented in the Bruno Groening Circle of Friends (see p. 6,7). They are proof of healings from nicotine, alcohol, heroin and other serious drug addiction.

A Sign of Love for your Neighbour
Since 1993 ten communities have been founded in Germany and three in the Netherlands for so-called "persons most in need of help" (drug addicts). The same is planned for Zurich and Vienna where the Bruno Groening friends are also prepared to be available for these people. It is a particular sign of charity when people are prepared to make themselves available, especially in this field, and give up their free time for this not always easy task.

Power and Confidence
The significance and ideals of these communities are the acceptance and care of heavy addicts. In the community hours, in the presence of experienced Bruno Groening friends, they can fill up with power and confidence and find the faith in health and a drug-free life. Bruno Groening said: "In life the will is a precondition for everything. As the will, so the thought. Thought brings people to action (…) I don't forbid or prescribe anything." For this reason neither therapy nor treatment by physicians is ever discouraged in the Bruno Groening communities.

Power and Confidence
The significance and ideals of these communities are the acceptance and care of heavy addicts. In the community hours, in the presence of experienced Bruno Groening friends, they can fill up with power and confidence and find the faith in health and a drug-free life. Bruno Groening said: "In life the will is a precondition for everything. As the will, so the thought. Thought brings people to action (…) I don't forbid or prescribe anything." For this reason neither therapy nor treatment by physicians is ever discouraged in the Bruno Groening communities.

Work in the Netherlands very Successful
The so-called "open scene" still exists, particularly in the Netherlands. Although the trade in cannabis (hashish) in the some 15,000 coffee shops is not legal, it is tolerated, making the entry into addiction with soft drugs easy. Although heroin is regarded as "uncool" and as the drug of "losers" by the Dutch youth, the regular consumption of opiates has remained constant over recent years while the smoking of hashish has increased by one percent annually. Therefore, it isn't strange that these people lie around on the streets or take up pitiful residence in derelict houses. Here they can be persuaded by personal contact to come into the community and ask together for help and healing. In Rotterdam there is a unique opportunity: the community hours are conducted in a church. The pastor there is very sympathetic towards the drug problem and has worked in this field for many years. Usually there are more than 30 serious addicts in this community hour. There they tune in to the healing stream according to the teaching of Bruno Groening.

Presentations by Physicians and Psychologists
In 2001 and 2002 there were numerous lectures in many German cities (Berlin, Hamburg, Kassel, Bremerhaven, Saarbrücken, Frankfurt am Main, and Ingolstadt) on the theme of "Freedom from drugs." The Medical Scientific Study group (MWF) also concerned themselves with the problem of addiction and gave presentations on the subject. Physicians and psychologists presented an alternative and cost-free of charge method out of addiction. This year lectures are planned in Germany: amongst others in Stuttgart, Munich, Münster and Hannover, as well as for Zurich and Vienna.

Comments by Bruno Groening Friends who Help
Why are you involved in this community?

"Out of gratitude for my healing from alcohol." (Me. B.)

"I observe and hear how the aggression, violence and use of drugs have increased amongst school children. I experience the hopelessness and also the resignation." (U. G.)

"Because for me it is of great importance to fight for that which can give life, love, happiness and satisfaction: the divine. Nowhere else could I experience, observe and feel this fight in greater intensity than in the communities for those most in need, when those are helped who have been living on the outskirts of our society." (Ma. B.)

"After my healing from a hopeless illness, I feel a deep sympathy for these marginalized people and want to bring this wonderful healing power which I experienced myself closer to them." (A. d W.)

"In my youth I took drugs myself, therefore I know the whole path of suffering. Today, where I can be healthy because I have received my healing in the Circle of Fiends, I know about the great opportunity we can offer to drug addicts. I experience how quickly and overwhelmingly the healing power realizes success for these people. When a young man (full of crack) five minutes into an information lecture on the teaching of Bruno Groening, suddenly looks up and announces that he is feeling heat and tickling all over his body, one cannot conceive how great God's working is. This moves one to find out more and free these people from the trap they're in." (L. N.)

"From my work amongst addicts over many years, I know how difficult it is for an addict to free himself from drugs. With the simple teaching of Bruno Groening it is possible to be healed, not only physically, but also mentally. It disappears completely 'out of the mind'." (Ch. H.)

What was/is your most impressive experience?

"The most impressive is to see time and again how people who have no confidence whatsoever, take up hope, that they comprehend a part of divine truth." (Ma. B.)

"This healing power is everywhere, can be experienced by everyone, even on the street, where prostitutes offer themselves in order to pay for drugs." (A. d W.)

"I have experienced that a completely neglected person most in need, without any vital energy, heard about the most important part of the teaching of Bruno Groening and saw the picture of Bruno Groening. Three weeks later a well-groomed young man was standing in front of me selling the paper for homeless people; he was hardly recognizable and even had a smile on his lips." (Ch. H.)

Excerpts out of letters from those seeking help and those healed
From a letter by J. v. G. from F.:

"I think my treatment up to now brought me to a certain point, but now I no longer want to hold onto the disease and I don't want to continue to declare that I am an alcoholic, but to trust in the belief that I will be relieved from it."

From a letter by M. J. K. from L.:

"Through the book 'My Way over the Abyss' I found the Bruno Groening Circle of Friends. I will never forget the day I got the book, because on that day I was freed from alcohol dependency, nicotine addiction, unemployment etc."

From a letter from M.M. from B.:

"Since Bruno Groening - and here I include those of you from the community hours - helped me out of my drug addiction which had stretched over many years, I now try to tell of my experiences to other addicts. I am a voluntary worker in addict counselling. For the past four years I am clean and have learnt to say 'no'."

THIS IS THE GROWING WORK

Introduction to the Bruno Groening Circle of Friends 
Region Bavaria (Part 5/1)

Köfering. The Bavarian region played a special role in the life of Bruno Groening. In the autumn of 1949 up to 30,000 people streamed daily to the "Traberhof" at Rosenheim. Unbelievable healings took place. The minister-president of Bavaria supported Bruno Groening and the Ministry of the Interior for Bavaria described his work as "an act of love, given freely." Yet later he was brought before the court in Munich and prosecuted up to the end of his life. In the Circle of Friends of today, Bavaria still plays an important role.

A Glance at History
Already in the beginning of the eighties, therefore just after the founding of the Bruno Groening Circle of Friends in 1979, a community existed in Munich. Today, more than 20 years later, there are 93 (!) covering all of Bavaria. How that came about is a real success story.

In retrospect: At the time it started with ten friends. Of course the first community drew members from an immense region. That meant great travelling distances to experience how spiritual healing can become possible. The friends came from Regensburg, Nuremberg, Rosenheim, Allgäu, and from the Bavarian forest region to the community hour, which took place every three weeks, in the beginning only for adults. In addition, friends from the Cologne region provided telephonic care. In 1987 the first youth community in Bavaria was founded in Augsburg.

Slow Expansion
In 1988 a community was started in Fichtelberg, (Bavarian forest region) out of which arose the Bayreuth community of today, together with children's and youth communities. In 1989 there were 95 friends in the Bavarian region. Within the same year a community started in Regensburg. Soon afterwards, there followed Coburg, Bad Kissingen, Schwäbisch Hall, Nuremberg (in the meantime three communities, youth and children's community), Erlangen and Ingolstadt.

More and More People Get Acquainted with It
At the beginning of the 90's, although still hesitant, the first public work was started. Attention was drawn to the Bruno Groening Circle of Friends and the teachings of Bruno Groening with wall posters in pedestrian areas. The enthusiastic response led to information lectures at various "esoteric fairs" so that more and more people became interested in spiritual healing and visited the various communities. This way, between 1993 and 2000 many local meetings became possible, amongst others in Kempten, Sonthofen, Leutkirch, Kaufbeuren, Lindau, Memmingen, and in Kisslegg, for children, youth and adult groups. Since 2001 there is a children's community in Allgäu.

Helping out of Inner Conviction
Often it was those who themselves had been healed who took up the initiative to start communities in their own residential areas. That is how, for example, the community in Garmisch-Partenkirchen was started in 1990 (since moved in 1991 to Murnau). Two years later the same happened in Kirchheim and Lauingen, and in 1993 in Augsburg, where since 1996 a second community was founded because of the great interest. At the end of 2001 a children's community was founded there as well.

Physicians' Lectures Successful
Especially since 1999, physicians' information lectures were given with great success. As a result communities were started in Buchloe, Dillingen and Bad Wörishofen. A year later there was one in Füssen and, since 2002, in Landsberg and Bobingen. In Fürth, Schwabach, Erlangen, Forchheim, Bamberg, Schwäbisch Hall and Ebermannstadt, as well as in Hof and Kulmbach, friends of the Bruno Groening Circle come together to receive the healing stream.

Personal Recommendation
How is this constant growth to be explained? Certainly the many healings is a deciding factor. Numerous physicians in the Medical Scientific Study group (MWF) explain and document these successes - that is convincing. The communities grow particularly by personal recommendation. This happens from time to time practically everywhere. Friends are grateful for the shortest route to the nearest community hour. Also, announcements in the press and TV contribute to inform about this reliable way towards spiritual healing.

Central Services for all of the Work
At the beginning of the 90's additional activities began in the region. Intensive success report training helped the friends to enforce documentation of the many healings. In 1990 the first publishing printer took up its work. This lowered the cost of schooling letter production (Information publication for Bruno Groening friends) substantially - which is an important factor, since everything is financed out of donations. Later, two additional printing shops were added. In the meantime the circulation of the German schooling letter has become so high that the production and dispatch had to be outsourced. The completed schooling letters are prepared for dispatch in Simbach-am-Inn. Many volunteer friends place the schooling letters into envelopes, each with the appropriate CD, and affix address labels containing a special postcode. Bundles sorted according to postcode are placed in yellow post containers and stacked on pallets, sealed and ready for dispatch. This work by the many helpers is infinitely valuable because it enables sending costs to be reduced considerably. As time went by the number of pallets increased to 17 (!) so that the limitation of available space necessitated a new solution: since 2002, friends in the Geseke region in Westphalia stuff nearly half of the adult schooling letters in envelopes and process the dispatch for the North German region. In total, nearly six tons of paper is used for the adult schooling letter in Germany. Furthermore, out of Simbach-am-Inn it is seen to that the Austrian friends receive their schooling letters by post.

Also Active in other Countries
Within the scope of the international expansion of the Circle of Friends the countries Italy, India, Japan and Greece are served energetically out of Bavaria. As is customary, community hours are held there in three-weekly cycles.

Varied Activities
In the meantime Bavaria now also has a central book warehouse so that every community can get its own book table.

At the same time the technical equipment is state of the art so that conferences, congresses and physicians' lectures can be set up in a satisfactory fashion technically. This holds for audio as well as video. In Munich there is a chorus of the Bruno Groening friends with a very appealing sound. Many musical contributions come from the Bavarian area, for example the recently published "Sing-along CD." In Nuremberg there are chorus weekends. The idea of a book for the youth, as well as the film for the youth, came from there. Furthermore, the children's CDs are compiled in Frankenland. Since the year 2000 there is also a weekend meeting for children twice a year. For the youth, apart from community hours, there are also other activities (theatre groups, canoe trips, etc.)

A Moving Experience
A particular experience was the "Traberhof scene," the biggest cinematographic scene for the documentary "The Bruno Groening Phenomenon." It was filmed in 1997 near Rosenheim with 2000 extras. Interestingly enough, Bruno Groening himself had founded a community in the years following the events at the Traberhof in Rosenheim. For the same reason the conference for the whole Bavarian region takes place there twice a year since June 1965. Many guests from all over Germany, Austria and South Tyrol also attend these conferences. For everybody it is something special: The link with the Traberhof events at the time of Bruno Groening is still present.

Great Public Interest
In October 2000, there was a big physicians' information lecture in the centre of Munich: About 800 visitors came to this event. Because of the great interest a physicians' community was founded. In the meantime, there are 93 communities in Bavaria, of which six are youth communities, ten are children's communities, and two are for "those most in need" (see also pp. 4,5). In the provincial capital Munich there are five communities. In autumn 2002 there were ten physicians' lectures about the teaching of Bruno Groening. This is more than obvious: it is the growing work!