Through The Mists. Translated into Simplified “Modern English”. Chapter Eight. Hope Blossoms into Promise.

I was surprised to see that Cushna was just as ready to leave as his two companions, as this went completely against my previous experiences. On Earth, such a massive ceremony or service would surely leave countless details to handle afterward. Yet, the audience here dispersed with the same flawless order that had defined every aspect of the Chorale. This starkly contrasted with the chaotic scenes we are so accustomed to on Earth.

There were no loud voices or frantic gestures to grab the attention of a friend, no discourteous interruptions for a casual remark, no rushing back and forth in the crowd to find someone who was missing, and no rude pushing to catch a train in haste.

Friends met one another without the usual barrage of questions about absent loved ones or the anxious, uneasy looks that often accompany such inquiries. There were no prolonged goodbyes filled with the lingering impression that it might be the last.

What struck me most was how I had such a long and uninterrupted conversation with the three directors of the service without anyone interfering or breaking into our communion. Once the grand finale of the welcome home had been sung, it seemed as if everything concerning the event was complete. No one had anything left to do except leave. Those who had received extraordinary benefits were joined and guided away by friends, while the entire crowd departed with the clear understanding that they could easily meet again, whether individually or as a group, without needing to add any uncertain "ifs" to their plans.

We were the last to leave the hall. As I listened to the insights Myhanene was sharing with me, I also found myself admiring the undisturbed state of the space.

Despite the great multitude that had just departed, the hall showed no sign of their presence. It was as calm and pristine as if nothing had happened there.

The same calmness was noticeable when we stepped outside, where Myhanene and Siamedes had taken their leave. Everything around me was just as peaceful and serene as when I had first observed the building, before I fell asleep or heard the melodic chiming of those silvery bells.

“Now,” Cushna said, “I would be pleased to take you to meet a sister whose story is both inspiring and full of valuable lessons.”

“This place isn’t your home, then?” I asked as he led me in a direction opposite to the one we had taken to approach the hall.

“Not at all,” he replied. “My home is filled with children, and they bring me my greatest joy and purpose. This is just a temporary resting place, meant for the restoration and recovery of those we’ve been helping.”

“Are we heading to your home now?” I asked.

“No. There is much for you to see and learn first before you can understand its nature and purpose. But you will visit soon, and there you’ll have the chance to reunite with the little boy you carried through the mists when you arrived.”

“Is he with you? How is he?” I asked eagerly, the memory of him suddenly vivid in my mind.

“Gently now, gently!” Cushna interrupted, halting the stream of questions that had rushed to my lips. “One question at a time is always better, especially here, where even the simplest question often opens up a wealth of knowledge. I can tell you he is with me and, naturally, that he is well.”

"I wonder what his family thought about his death. It’s strange that I’ve never considered that before, but—"

"Take it slow now, or I won’t be able to answer you," Cushna interrupted gently.

"Try to remember there’s no need to rush your questions. You have all the time you need to ask each one and get a full answer. As for his family, they weren’t overly troubled after the initial shock. He came from a large family that was struggling just to get by, with every effort focused on survival. They didn’t have much time to develop the deeper emotions of the soul. So, in some ways, after the first sorrow passed, his death brought some relief—one less mouth to feed."

"How do you know all this?" I asked, puzzled.

"Ah, now you’re starting to see why it’s best to ask just one question at a time," Cushna replied with a knowing smile. "It’s not hard for us to learn everything we need in a situation like this. There is a delicate thread—a kind of connection—between the child and his former body. By following that thread, we can gather all the information we need. This will be explained to you in more detail later."

"How, Cushna? How?" I asked eagerly, my heart racing with a sudden, daring thought.

Could it be possible to open the door of hope fully and see my prayer on the slopes answered in the most literal way? The very idea overwhelmed me, and for a moment, I felt frozen, unable to move, as though I were waiting for a life-altering verdict. But Cushna didn’t seem to share the gravity of my feelings. Instead, he looked at me with a calm, amused smile and replied quietly:

"Now, how else do you think it could be done but by sending someone for the purpose?" Cushna asked.

"What? Sending someone from here?" I exclaimed.

"Of course! Do you think anyone on Earth would do it and give an accurate report?" he replied.

"But is such a thing really possible?" I asked, feeling my hope becoming more real with every moment.

"Why not?" Cushna replied teasingly, avoiding a direct confirmation.

"I don’t know, Cushna," I cried, feeling my emotions tearing me apart between hope and fear. "Tell me clearly—yes or no—is it true?"

"It is certainly true, my friend," he said calmly, "even though it may be difficult for you to grasp. Myhanene has already told you about an unchangeable God—and an unchangeable God implies unchangeable communication. The connection between the two worlds existed in ancient times, and it must still exist today."

"I don’t doubt what you’re saying," I replied, "but what you’re telling me is so far beyond anything I thought possible—even though I’ve hoped for it many times since I arrived here—that I can’t help but question my own senses when they deliver such incredible news. Please help me understand—do you speak from practical experience?"

"Yes! It was during one of my missions from Myhanene to Earth that I first met the sister we are about to visit," Cushna replied.

"Tell me about her," I asked, "and maybe hearing your story will help me grasp this incredible truth that feels beyond my understanding."

"A friend and fellow worker, who is still alive on Earth, made a request to Myhanene, and I was sent to deliver the reply," Cushna began. "During our meeting—which I will explain to you later—I noticed a young woman standing behind one of the group. It was clear she was deeply distressed and in desperate need of help and comfort. I tried to speak to her, but she couldn’t hear me. Several other attempts to get her attention also failed.

"I couldn’t leave without trying to ease her suffering, but I needed to understand the cause of her pain to do anything about it. To find out, I described her and her condition to the group using a method you will learn about later. She was recognized by someone who knew her well, and from them, I learned all I needed to know. I promised to do everything I could to help her. What became of that effort, you will see when you hear her story and witness her current state."

"Are you telling me, Cushna, that death creates no real barrier to ongoing communication between the two worlds?" I asked, astonished.

"Not exactly," he clarified. "Such a belief would be mistaken. However, I do want you to understand that while there are challenges, they are not insurmountable. As you’ve already seen, the boundary between our world and Earth is marked by a curtain of mist. The difficulties we face are entirely due to the nature of that boundary. These obstacles vary, influenced by conditions on Earth that shape the state of the mist. You may not understand this yet, but when you have the chance to study it, you will appreciate what I mean. For now, it’s enough for you to know that these barriers can be overcome and that communication between the two worlds is not completely severed."

"You’ve been able to participate in this connection," I said eagerly. "Ever since I realized I had entered this life, my first and strongest desire was to experience it myself. Tell me—will I ever have the chance to fulfill that wish?"

"Of course, you may, if that is what you want," Cushna replied, "and I can’t think of a more meaningful work than helping to dispel the doubts and fears that burden our brothers and sisters on Earth. I thank the Father for granting me the privilege of contributing to the important task of re-establishing this communion, a responsibility entrusted to those better equipped to teach His love. The work is slow and difficult, but the progress we’ve made so far is already acting like a powerful leaven, and since truth is strong enough to dismantle the foundations of error, it will continue until the shadows of ignorance are dispelled, and the peaceful, harmonious kingdom of God is established on Earth as securely as it is here."

"How soon can I start?" I asked eagerly. "Such a mission would transform the dream of my life into a wonderful reality. I always knew there was error, but even though I searched for the truth my heart longed for—truth that so many others are seeking with weary, broken spirits—I couldn’t find it. Now that I have, nothing could bring me greater joy than taking this knowledge back to comfort and guide others."

"Once you’re ready, there will be no shortage of opportunities to begin," Cushna said. "But until then, you must be patient. You’ll soon realize that great skill is required to uproot error effectively and replace it with truth. To be prepared for such a task, you’ll need careful training, diligent study, and a deep understanding of the laws and principles of spiritual life as you’ll see them revealed here. It’s better to leave old errors in place than to remove them only to replace them with new ones. Unfortunately, this is what many unprepared individuals are doing right now. They have rushed into this communion without the necessary qualifications and are achieving little more than demonstrating the simple fact of the soul’s immortality."

"Is it really possible," I asked in amazement, "that friends can return to Earth and teach things that are wrong?"

"Not only is it possible," Cushna replied, "but sadly, it does happen.

However, I must add that, except in the case of deliberately deceitful messengers—wicked, earth-bound men and women—the mistakes are almost always due to ignorance rather than deliberate intent. Let me explain how this happens.

Every soul that enters this life feels the same desire you mentioned: to return to Earth and share how different everything is compared to what they were taught to believe. But at the same time, very few take the time to learn about the nature and conditions of our life here, as you are doing now. The majority are content with things as they first find them and, for a long time, make no effort to expand their understanding.

With their minds mostly unoccupied, they eventually learn it’s possible to reach Earth again. Driven by their strong desire to make their continued existence known, they break the silence of death. But when they do, they find themselves overwhelmed by countless questions about matters they’ve never taken the time to learn about. This lack of preparation leads to the mistakes and misunderstandings I just mentioned."

"Think for a moment about the situation you'd find yourself in," Cushna said, "if right now you were to open up communication with Earth and were asked: ‘Do children grow in the spirit world?’ or ‘What methods are used to teach children here?’ or ‘How do you help elevate a spirit in a lower condition than your own?’ For the first question, based on your limited experience—having seen children at the Chorale—you might answer ‘No,’ which would be incorrect. For the second question, you’d have no answer. For the third, you’d only be able to offer a personal opinion, which your friends on Earth might accept as fact. People there often assume that after death, a kind of omniscience is gained.

"Now imagine if your desire to return to Earth had been granted as soon as you conceived it, before you had received any instruction about the things you’re learning now. If someone had asked you these questions then, would your answers have conveyed the truth as you understand it now?"

"Of course not," I admitted.

"And that is the issue for others in a similar situation. They cannot do justice to the questions asked of them. That is why I say it’s better to let an old error remain than to remove it only to replace it with a new one. This ignorance leads to contradictions, which in turn gives critics of this communication strong evidence to claim it is unreliable. Many come to believe and teach that it’s merely a trick played by wicked or malicious spirits to deceive people.

"I fully understand the wisdom of your advice to wait," I assured him, "and I promise that if I ever have the chance to break my silence, I won’t offer any opinions beyond what I truly know. But isn’t it possible for those of you who have this knowledge to anticipate such false assertions and stop their harm?"

"Sometimes, but not often," Cushna replied. "Even so, in those instances, we plant seeds of truth, and they are already growing and bearing good fruit. However, in most cases, we are hindered from doing more by a very powerful spiritual law."

"What law is that?" I asked.

"You’ve already seen that we’re drawn to each other by the law of spiritual harmony and compatibility. Kindred souls share mutual feelings, and when those feelings are fully reciprocated, our happiness becomes more complete."

"Yes, I understand that" I replied.

"That same law of attraction and repulsion exists and governs the communication between the two worlds. Let me share my own experience when I’ve tried to open this connection. Often, I’ve found that the individuals I wanted to speak with were rigidly dogmatic, clinging to an accepted creed. This prevented them from honestly and openly exploring new spiritual truths. Their mindset wasn’t compatible with mine, and because my presence was equally uncomfortable for them, suspicion arose that I couldn’t overcome. As a result, I had no choice but to withdraw and leave them to those who, in their ignorance, affirmed the infallibility of their accepted beliefs."

"Weren’t you able to expose the ignorance of those teachers and undermine their authority?" I asked.

"Not easily," he explained, "because their lower spiritual state aligned more closely with the ignorance supported by their creed. My teachings, being more spiritual, found no sympathy and were dismissed as false and deceptive. I was told to leave, not to disrupt their faith further, and to let the work remain in the hands of those who confirmed the beliefs they already held."

"And did you leave them?"

"Of course. I had no right to impose my presence on anyone who found it unwelcome. They were seeking, but they found only what they were looking for—not truth, but validation of their creed. They’re content with that. Even though we know their communication only deepens their error, rather than spreading truth as it’s meant to, we have to be patient. We wait for the right opportunity to correct the mistake and do everything we can to address the harm when that moment comes."

"What chance do you have of realizing that hope?" I asked with some hesitation, as it seemed like the promise of hope was fading away while he listed the obstacles in its path.

"I am certain of it," he replied with calm confidence, immediately restoring my faltering faith. "People are starting to realize that truth is infinite, while creeds are limited. Just as it’s impossible to fit the vastness of the world into a small geographical atlas, it’s equally futile to try to contain the entirety of truth within even the most flexible statement of faith. Spiritual nourishment is falling on Earth like crumbs of bread, and, being deeply satisfying to hungry souls, people are beginning to value the natural food prepared in heaven. Everywhere, they are seeking, discovering, absorbing, and growing into a visible spiritual maturity. They’re understanding in ways they never could before, lifting their eyes to higher places and praying earnestly for a greater supply of this living bread. And the manna is indeed falling, day by day, despite the Church’s condemnation or priests’ curses.

"The morning of our hope is dawning, the clouds are clearing away, and when we call out to the watchmen on Zion’s towers, their responses are full of encouragement, urging us to prepare for the victory that is coming. Truth must prevail because it is the child God has named Omnipotent. But, like a loving parent, Nature advises it to achieve its victory with patience. The number of its followers is steadily growing—from individuals to tens, from tens to hundreds, and from hundreds to thousands. The armies of truth will grow, and they will be led by those sent from the hosts of heaven. Then the two worlds will join together in a final effort to establish the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ—a kingdom where truth will reign forever and ever."