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Herschel Pool is an active teacher of God. Prior to his initial
awakening he was a “head hunter” in the racy world of corporate
executives. He gave up this ‘life’ for his newly recovered relationship
with Jesus and his A Course
in Miracles.
He became a teacher through his willingness and determination to
undergo a total change of mind and apply the principles of A Course in
Miracles to all the aspects of his life. His process of awakening was
accelerated in his personal association with Master Teacher, a pure and
uncompromising Course Teacher, who prepared him for his fieldwork. Four
years ago Herschel began to play a key-role as an ambassador in the
international outreach of the Miracles Prisoner Ministry. His country of
assignment is MEXICO.
He visited Mexico City for the first
time four years ago, on a sailing-trip with his friend Myra. On arrival in
Mexico City a very exciting invitation was extended to him. He was asked to
teach A Course in Miracles (ACIM) and join a most remarkable group of
fellow-teachers. At one of these initial gatherings he met Dr. Mercedes
Cruces Heredia or “Michie” as she is affectionately known. Mercedes
introduced A Course in Miracles into what she regarded to be the darkest
place on earth; the Mexican prison-system.
Thousands of inmates of these Mexican prisons received ACIM
through her and the work that she initiated. Herschel became an integral
part of this miracle-work, and now works very closely and intimately with
Mercedes and her team of volunteer teachers. On his travels to Mexico,
Herschel always brings with him Spanish translations of the so-called
“twenty-minute book” (an all powerful little pocketbook which contains the
review of the first 50 workbook-lessons of A Course In Miracles ) as well as
subtitled video-materials from the Miracles Communication Center hosted by
Master Teacher, and other Course-materials. The demand for this 20-minute
book in particular has been extraordinary. The smallest booklet on earth
offering a complete transition from false perception to true vision, can be
practiced anywhere and at any given time. One time when he left one of these
booklets on the front counter of a restaurant on his way out, someone
immediately came chasing after him asking for more copies.
It makes Herschel happy to know that he is divinely guided. He is always
shown where to go, what to say and to whom. It brings up a lot of amazement
in him to witness all the miraculous “co-incidences” that occur in his
encounters with people.
The miraculous way in which ACIM has spread across Mexico City’s twenty-one
federal prisons, and has even reached state and local prisons like Amoloia just
outside the city, is a book yet to be written. A non-fiction book filled
with stories of how relationships of anger, fear and guilt were transformed
through grace and forgiveness to a true relationship of love and light. A
retired army general who has recently become the prison-administrator, has
been a witness to the miraculous improvement of
the relationships between inmates and their guards. Prisoners got
happier and became easier to deal with. This Mexican state-official is now a
great supporter of this spiritual and life-changing program. Amoloia is a
maximum-security prison housing high profile murderers, kidnappers and
the heads of state convicted for varying acts of corruption. Into this ‘high
society’ Herschel, Mercedes and her teachers of God arrived. Three classes a
week are being held here for the inmates, administration, guards and family
members. These classes and the presence of the teachers made such a profound
difference that the Mexican government is now actively promoting ACIM in
jails.
In Magella prison forty men crowded into a cell to watch Master Teacher's
video on Healing. The questions and answers went on for an hour afterwards.
Islas Marie, which is the name of the last of the Twenty One prisons to have A
Course in Miracles
introduced to it, recently held a graduation ceremony for those at the
prison who had completed the
365 lessons of the workbook of A Course. In this celestial ceremony counting
over a thousand celebrants of the whole prison-community; family,
administration, guards and inmates took part. The celebrated graduates now
formally ordained as the new teachers of salvation, were each burning a
candle symbolizing their individual spark of divine reality and their
rebirth as the light of the world, shining and carrying this light to all who
are in the house, out into the world, and God’s universe.
Sixty new volunteers fell out of the sky and attended a most recent
Christmas-party hosted by Mercedes and her team of teachers. Here again just
like the example of Islas Marie and its feast of ordination, we get a sense
of the miraculous efficiency in which the transfer of training is allowed to
occur here in Mexico; thanks to the totally unique and genuine way with
which Mercedes and her miracle-team approach their mission. A pure
demonstration of what the Course is designed for and is meant to be;
a plan of teachers. After a period of undoing and the second phase in the
acquirement of true perception and vision; you are it.
The Mexican prison system is not as rigid as its US counterpart, and it does
not put any convicts on death row. This fact makes the Mexican prison a
better soil for A Course in Miracles to be ‘incarcerated’ and enables each
individual to face their own repertoire of horrors existent within the mind
and escape prison altogether, not by a violent act of breaking out, but by a
quiet melting in, an individual conversion or rebirth.
"Thank you Jesus for
this incredible book, no more bars to imprison me, no more obstacles to the
awareness of love’s presence."
A notable fact at this juncture is that not a single inmate dedicated to
this life-changing program has
returned to jail after leaving the prison-gates. Recidivism has been brought
back to zero, a claim both
Mercedes and Herschel share in making. Not long ago a very promising
invitation reached Hershel and Mercedes of a certain Dr. Bedi who is a
revolutionary female prison-administrator and reformer of the largest prison
of India. She wants Mercedes to introduce their miracles prisoner program to
the Indian prison-system.
“Mercedes” says Herschel “is a dedicated Teacher. This loving woman gives
herself entirely to her healing work. The power of the mind and heart of
Jesus is her healing tool”. She specializes in helping people overcome their
addictions. For this reason people visit her from all over Europe, and the
US. The great joy that “Hank” (as Herschel is called in Mexico) experiences
in his relationships with his Mexican brothers is conveyed in the pure
delight of his words as he speaks about the devotion these people have for
Jesus. “Any Mexican will talk to you of their love for Jesus. The true heart
of Jesus is seen in the people and has nothing to do with organized
religion. It only has to do with their faith and respect for the one who
came to earth to deliver eternal peace to the hearts of mankind.” Eternal
gratitude is Herschel’s wholesome feeling toward his Mexican brothers for
their hospitality, courage, focus and patience in teaching ACIM with him. He
carries this experience back with him to his fellow teachers at Endeavor
Academy, and his colleagues at the Miracles Prisoner Ministry.
Giving freely is how Herschel approaches his ministry, and he is very
pleased that the Foundation for Inner Peace has given permission for all
Course-material to be copied freely. And a big thank you to The Xerox
Company for donating its services, copying the pages of the text, the
lessons and the manual for teachers of ACIM. His attitude of
gratitude goes out last, but never lost, to his brothers back home in
Wisconsin who are always ready to help and support his mission, thanks
Herschel.
Contact Herschel: email
hpoolpart@jvlnet.com
Telephone, fax 608 253 2348
Article by
Margo Knox
and Bastiaan Berende
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