Expanding a Very Powerful Program of Introducing Our Lady to Countless New Souls

 

We know many of you have been waiting to hear about how the billboard campaign for “This is My Time” billboards is going. We are excited to report that the tremendous success of this program, that’s ongoing, far surpassed anything we could have imagined, and there is great interest to keep it going. We received many beautiful stories of how Our Lady used the billboards to confirm the faith of believers and nonbelievers alike, such as the following story we received from one of our supporters:
 

 

February 25, 2010

Hi all,

I just wanted to share that I did see one of your Mej.com advertisements in East Rutherford, New Jersey and it couldn’t have come at a better time. We were just discussing Medjugorje with a cousin while visiting and driving through the neighborhood and all of a sudden your board was right in front of us. Perfect timing! But why should I be surprised, Our Lady always has impeccable timing!

My wife and I had purchased a board last year, but have never actually seen one in public. So it was really cool to see it out there. Anyway, God bless you all in the work you do for Our Lady.

Joe
Glen Burnie, Maryland

 

We are receiving multiple calls daily regarding sightings of the billboards with the picture of Our Lady across the United States. We often speak to people who are driving down the road and who spontaneously call after seeing a billboard. Others take the phone number down and call when they get home, or look up Caritas’ website, through Medjugorje.com. It seems as if the picture of Our Lady does not leave their minds. As calls come in, people share their experiences after having an encounter with Our Lady’s picture. The following is one such story recorded by a community member:

 

I had a nice woman from Pennsylvania ask me who the beautiful lady is on the billboard. I told her it was a picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary and she said she knew it because it brought her so much peace. I told her, as I tell everyone, to go to our site, mej.com, and learn more about Medjugorje. I also asked if I could send her some free materials through the mail. She replied that she is not Catholic. I told her that it didn’t matter because Our Lady is the Mother of us all. She started to cry because she said that she used to be Catholic but no longer practiced her faith and was going to a different church. I told her that Our Lady said all religions are not the same but it was man that brought the separation, and again I asked if I could send her more information and she agreed. She ended with saying I am no longer Catholic but maybe I am supposed to be. She said to thank whoever sponsored that billboard.

 

With millions of daily eye contact of the “This is My Time” billboard, we hear from many people of how they have been moved by Our Lady. But for us, just one conversion makes the whole campaign worthwhile. Through God’s grace, the picture of Our Lady is reaching out to multitudes of people around the country who are living peaceless lives, lives often in shambles. They are struck by the loving expression that greets them as they drive by and are drawn towards the peace the Woman in the picture seems to be offering. Others took the billboard as a sign from God personally to them, such as the following testimony expressed, that also came through a phone call to our mission:

 

Last Friday, a young woman called from her cell phone, as she was getting ready to go to a business appointment. She had just passed a billboard somewhere in New Jersey. She also became emotional as she related that she had been hurt and now was very mad at God and Our Lady. That morning in great anger she yelled out to God that if He loved her, He would send her a message that He existed and that Our Lady was real. Two hours later she passes the billboard with the picture of Our Lady and she knew from the bottom of her heart that this was for her from the Father in Heaven.

 

Once the campaign was announced, we received almost 1,000 responses which was overwhelming, to say the least. The total booked billboards thus far across the country is 481, and the initial posters were seen as early as November, 2009. Although some have been taken down, others still remain longer than our 30 day booking. It was beautiful to see the billboard companies work with us. We contracted space in the following cities:

 

Your donations paid for the printing and shipping of the posters to these companies—but they were surprised that by giving us special discounted prices, their businesses were positively affected by their own generosity. Several of the owners of the billboard companies found their businesses being blessed after working with Caritas to get Our Lady’s billboards up in their areas. This contributed greatly to their enthusiasm for the project, not only to continue to work with us on pricing, but also to find additional space for more billboards, and to place them in the most sought after locations for advertisements. Following is a few communications that one particular billboard owner sent to us:
 

January 20, 2010

Dear Caritas,

I hung the vinyl today…Since committing to the MEJ campaign, I have rented 10 new locations. I have been in business for 11 years and have never seen my sales so high in such a short period of time. I must say, the design is beautiful, not only because it is the Blessed Mother, but it has a soothing tone to it. It is hard to describe, so I will not even try. I hope you understand what I mean by that. The DEC (daily eye contact) is 33,000 per day and is the main exit out of Morgantown, West Virginia. It is lighted. Please send me one that is sized 12×50 and another 12×24. I have the perfect locations for both of them. Thank you for the card and words of encouragement. Sometimes people don’t know what impact they have on the lives of others. PLEASE know that. Peace,

Billboard Company

 

 

February 9, 2010

Dear Caritas,

Hello, I wanted to let you know that the newest two billboards are going up today…I have had many positive comments from people who have seen the first board. When I go to Mass on Sundays people ask if I had anything to do with that billboard and I just smile. I hope you can track the “hits” to the MEJ website and see what impact these latest additions have to spreading the MESSAGE. I will say it again, my business has NEVER been better since committing to the MEJ.com campaign. Thank you again for all that you have done for me. I mean that in the sincerest of terms.

Billboard Company

 

March 2, 2010

Dear Caritas,

Here is a picture of the electronic face in Morgantown, West Virginia. Five lanes of traffic out of Morgantown, two of them go to the shopping center past the stop light. SHE looks MAGNIFICENT!!! It moves me each time I look at Her.

Billboard Company

 

In a few cases we were able to obtain much larger billboards than the 10×22 standard size we most often requested, as was mentioned in one of the letters above. These were in very high traffic areas and illuminated so they could be seen 24 hours a day. In those cases, some of you agreed to pool your donations together to pay for the extra printing, shipping, and billboard costs.

With the nearly thousand of you who donated to this billboard campaign, more than 3,000 billboard companies to contact, the contacts made to the printer who scheduled and shipped the posters, and the logistics of logging and managing all of this we were pushed to the limits. This is why we simply couldn’t contact many of you to tell you where your billboard was placed. We only have one full time person covering this particular project. We do not have any other hands available as we are covering so many other fronts within Caritas’ mission. However, we did try to make contact with as many as possible. Following was one person’s experience with sponsoring a billboard. She had sent in her donation and asked to know where the billboard was placed.

February 25, 2010

Hi. I ordered a billboard in support of exposure to Our Lady in December 2009. I would like to know where the billboard was placed. I would greatly appreciate your help.

Kim
Cypress, Texas

 

February 25, 2010

Dear Kim,

East of I-45. 10879 Highway 242. Illuminated, Conroe, Texas. It has a daily eye contact of 47,000 which is HUGE. It is lit up at night so more people can see it. The only reason we got this big one, normally the size we are given is 10×22—is because this billboard company owner is a Catholic and loves Our Lady. So she gave us a great location with many people seeing Our Lady’s picture every day. In one month’s time, 1,316,000 people will see Our Lady.

If only 10% of the people turn back to God—you’re responsible for a lot of conversions, Kim. Please pray for two things: 1. In thanksgiving for this billboard company and that God will bless them, and 2. That every single person who looks at this billboard will have a seed planted in their heart that God will water with His Grace.

This woman billboard owner said she was going to try and keep it up a long time and just keep switching from one of her billboards to another. So, this particular location is the mother load of locations. She also said this was an answer to a novena she was praying—cool huh! Thanks for your generosity, Kim. You are doing just what Our Lady asked—BE Her Extended Hands! God Bless you and good job.

February 25, 2010

Dear Caritas,

Thank you so much for the information. I am so happy to hear all of this and it honestly brings tears to my eyes. I cannot take credit for it alone (six of us split the cost). Thank you for all of the kind words. I will pass on the information to the others and we will pray as you have asked. Thanks again,

Kim

February 27, 2010

 

Dear Caritas,

I just wanted to let you know that I went and saw the sign last night. It was so easy to find and only about 30-40 minutes away from my house. I saw it at night and it is just radiant…Our Lady is just glowing out of that sign. Thank you so much for giving me all of the information. As I stood admiring the sign I prayed just as you asked…for the sign company and everyone who sees it. This is truly an amazing experience for me. Thanks again,

Kim

 

The actual owner of the Texas billboard company wrote as well. She said:

December 28, 2009

Dear Caritas,

Honestly, I think your message is an answer to a novena I am currently saying to the Blessed Mother. How blessed we are to help. Thank you for the opportunity. Let’s spread the message.

Billboard Company

As has often been our experience over 24 years of spreading Our Lady’s messages, Our Lady connects people together to achieve Her plans. From the Caritas mission that initiated, organized and orchestrated the project, to the owner of a billboard who felt called to help “spread the message” through offering discounted pricing, to thousands like Kim, who participated with their donations and prayers. All three ingredients are necessary for the project to work. In this case, this one single billboard drew the eyes of 1,316,000 people who had the opportunity to view Our Lady’s face in a 30 day period. This happened through the efforts of Kim and her five friends, one Catholic business woman and the hands of a Caritas missionary with one billboard. Pretty amazing!

Even though we weren’t able to contact most of you individually for specific locations, the testimonies we received on a daily basis were proof that Our Lady planted many seeds in the hearts of those that looked at Her billboard. One woman called in and shared her miracle that resulted from seeing the billboard. This story was recorded by our receptionist.

 

I had a call from a lady who said she was suffering from panic attacks and did not like to leave her home. Her friend told her that Ivan, the Medjugorje visionary, was going to be in her hometown and that she should try to be present for an apparition. Again, she did not want to leave her house. A few days later she had a problem that needed attention and she had to go out. On the way to her appointment she spotted a billboard and called us to see who it was. After speaking with her a few minutes she was convinced that this was a gift for her. She called back later in the week to say she did attend the apparition of Our Lady and felt much better.

 

This woman would have missed the grace of a lifetime, being in the presence of Our Lady in an apparition, had she not seen the billboard! Our Lady called to her, through Her picture and Her words on the billboard.

We are sorry that we were unable to accommodate many of your requests to have a billboard placed in your own hometown. We simply do not have the control of where most of the billboards are placed. But you can be sure, wherever the billboards are up that you purchased, they are bringing hearts to conversion.

February 9, 2010

Hi,

At least one billboard went up last week in Beaumont! Beautiful! A friend told me about it and said it brought tears to her eyes when she saw it. It’s not on the highway, but on a busy “in town” road. It’s about two blocks from where I work—St. Elizabeth Hospital, so I see it every morning on my way home. Thanks so much,

Allene
Beaumont, Texas

 

 

March 1, 2010

Dear Caritas,

I saw a big billboard here in El Paso with the beautiful image of Our Lady Queen of Peace saying to all of us: “THIS IS MY TIME”. I opened my computer and read many of the articles you posted on this website, all of them are important. I would ask you if it is possible to include some information in Spanish language. Thank you very much.

Jose
El Paso, Texas

 

 

March 6, 2010

I love your site and love your message. Thank you! I found you on a billboard in my county on I79. Thanks,

Jeremy
Weston, West Virginia

 

 

March 11, 2010

I just noticed your billboard on Route 46 while going to work today. I was interested enough and after work sat at my desk and typed you in. I believe there is a message! I might like to visit this summer with my adult son. Thanks,
Mary

Wood-Ride, New Jersey

 

We are so grateful to Our Lady for blessing this program so generously, and we continue to pray to Her each day that She will allow the billboard campaign to expand to reach so many other areas of our country.

We ask that you would please pray in thanksgiving for this program and for it to touch and even bring conversion to the millions and millions of people who looked at Our Lady on a daily basis. We can only continue the program if there are people who want to support it. When donations come in, billboards go up. At this time, all the donations have been used, and there are billboards that are still up. We heard from several of the billboard companies that they hate to see the billboards go, and assured us that they would like to see the program continue.

 

April 1, 2010

Dear Caritas,

We have had your ads out there for awhile and have had a great response from the local churches and call ins….It looks like most of the ads will be replaced and I hate to see them go. Thanks,

A Chicago Billboard Company

 

With this report, we are inviting you, once again, to help Our Lady plant the seeds of conversion. The majority of those who see the billboards do not contact us, but with the prayers being said that God will use these billboards to bring conversion, we know that God can grow the seed even five or ten years from now that are planted when people look at the face of Our Lady. Just seeing Her face is a blessing and a grace. It certainly counter-balances the filth that often assaults our eyes from many images we encounter on the road. We can be confident that many consciences are being pricked as they pass under the loving eyes of Our Lady.

Another grace with this program is that there are many Protestants that are calling in to help us realize that it is only through Jesus that we will find salvation. We tell them that is exactly what Our Lady is saying in Medjugorje, and it has opened the door, to some, to hear about Our Lady. Quite a few are fallen away Catholics who already have some understanding of the Blessed Mother, as you read in the second letter of this report and feel a desire to come to know Her again. Again, the billboards are giving us opportunities to plant seeds about Our Lady. God is unlimited in how He will water those seeds.

In the course of this promotion, we received different requests and suggestions to expand the billboard program. At this time, we want to share with you a couple of these suggestions that we are currently implementing. With these suggestions, both you and your home can become a billboard for Our Lady.

#1. We had many requests to have this billboard design made available in a bumper sticker. Its simple design is actually very well suited for a bumper sticker. You can order one for your car, or in bulk to pass around. In this way, every car becomes a billboard for Our Lady.

 

#2. We have a farmer up in Minnesota who ordered a specific sized poster of “This is My Time” to fit the side of his barn. He installed it and even wired up spot lights so it could be seen at night (see picture in centerfold). For those of you with similar circumstances, buildings, barns, big walls, large fences or big yards—we can have our printer make the posters out of vinyl which should last for a long time. Send us the measurements along with your check for $125.00 and we will have it shipped to you. All you need to do is install it once it arrives. This way we’re not limited to the normal 30-60 days a billboard is up.

Three Opportunities to Become a Billboard for Our Lady of Medjugorje

 

1. Donate to sponsor the placement of a billboard somewhere in the United States – Visit Here

2. Order a special sized mini-billboard to post on your property or business – Visit Here

3. Order a bumper sticker for your car, easily removed (single and quantity pricing) – Visit Here