HOSHO CHANGED ME JUST AS IF I WAS REBORN
As related by Vera Lucia Paiva Guedes from the Brasilia Church in Brazil
Misasage to materialize our Makoto
During the fall three years ago (1999), Vera was driven to despair. Her husband had left her after five years of marriage and the only thing remaining for her was a large debt, so she wanted a job right away.
She used to be a very good real estate agent but the situation changed while she had stayed home as a housewife and it was very difficult to find a job. She couldn't even pay for her children's education. After many sleepless nights she was even thinking about suicide.
Vera's friend was very concerned about her and introduced her to PL. She didn't go anywhere and usually stayed at home, but some strange power pulled her to the Thanksgiving Service at the PL Church. She received a consultation from a minister there and felt, "This is the only teaching that can help me," and she decided to go to the church every day.
She attended the morning services and did her very best to do physical Misasage but she only did a small amount of Hosho. About three months later a minister told her about a member who wanted to donate his house to the church but Oshieoya-sama said, "Please do Misasage for 10 years then do the donation." This story somehow struck her.
"Hosho is not just a donation. It is not specifically given for church finances but is a sacred right to save members. That's why Oshieoya-sama put his Shikiri into it. Hosho is really a form of Misasage to materialise our Makoto."
She learned the scale of money through the teachings
Vera reflected on herself and realised that she was stubbornly attached to money and decided to do Hosho seriously even though she sometimes had to borrow money from friends to do it.
Shortly after she started to do Hosho she got a job as a real estate agent. She also heard from her church minister's wife that she had been offering 10% of her income to Hosho and decided to do the same thing. As soon as she had some income, she put 10% into Hosho. She was very happy that she could do this.
By doing this kind of Misasage her work received unbelievable blessings. Even though she hadn't worked as a real estate agent for five years she was getting a large amount of real estate work continually one after the other.
She now has her own office, employs over twenty sales agents, and has also been given the exclusive right to a large housing development.
She paid off her large debt in a short period of time, bought a new house and a car. She was also able to pay for her children's tuition without any problems. Her family also joined PL and her house has changed to be a cheerful place.
Her friend, who loaned her the money to do Hosho, also willingly donated to the PL church and was accepted at the University of her choice to take an economics course. She has also met a nice partner for her life.
Her PL Holy Land decision
Before she left on a trip to attend a Rensei at PL Holy Land in Japan, she had wanted to do a Shikiri Prayer there for her own wishes but she changed her mind on the way. While listening to some of the members on the trip to the Rensei, she completely changed her thought about no one having a more difficult time than she did.
There are other people who have overcome even more difficulties. She realised that she is still a lucky one. Therefore, she changed her wishes to being able to do Misasage, Shingei and Hosho for world peace once she returned to Brazil.
She always takes her Hosho envelope with her because she doesn't want to forget her gratitude to PL. She said she is going to do Hosho as 10% of her income for the rest of her life.
She said, "Learning to do Hosho with gratitude has been the best treasure of my life."
(Translated from the November 2002 issue of the PL Magazine, pages 54-55)
