Author Mimic

The life of a spy has been romanticized by American films and literature to being a high stakes action filled lifestyle. The reality this is the farthest from the truth a person can get. There are very few instances which come to mind, that are anywhere near this public idea of espionage. However we did have one mole in the CIA who performed above and beyond what I had ever asked of him. His codename was Mr. Adams and he was a mole posing as one of the higher up officials in the CIA’s Western German office. Through him we were able to learn much of what the CIA was planning in terms of the Eastern Block. I remember reading one of his reports where he actually had crawled through a ventilation system to gain access to some private documents belonging to one of his superiors. Although we appreciated his enthusiasm in our Berlin headquarters, we could not have him taking such risks. Mr. Adams never attempted anything quite so drastic up until we had to cut ties with him when he was ordered to return to the states.

Another instance which comes to mind centers on a female operative who worked in Western German Counter Intelligence, transcribing debriefings of enemy operatives. We gave her the code name of Minerva, her information allowed those of us behind the Iron Curtain to root out several moles in our offices and in a few cases feed them information which led to the arrests of certain people in Western Germany under the suspicion of espionage. Of course those westerners who were arrested had nothing to do with Eastern Germany, but the misdirection caused a bit of necessary chaos in the Western State, which allowed for the extraction of several key operatives who were facing possible arrests for actually committing crimes of espionage.

Personally I never faced any very exciting moments while working as the East German Spymaster. I had always worked behind the scenes directing operations but never actually participating, which I believe is in no small part one of the reasons the Westerners could not identify me.

There was one incident shortly after the East German Intelligence service was created where I had to put myself at risk. At the time I was a simple radio personality, I was asked to cross into Western Germany in order to obtain a set of documents that would aid the then new born Stasi program to flourish. My orders were to meet a person in a café in the Western section of Berlin and await my contact: I Was not given a codename, nor was I informed as to what my contact would look like. I waited in the café for 30 minutes before a man in a dark suit came to my table. He told me that the drop had been aborted and that I was to leave immediately. I paid for my unfinished coffee and left the building. I did my best to blend into the crowd, but I was untrained for anything like this. I was beginning to panic and was sure I was being followed. I was stopped only once by a passing police officer, who thought I was in trouble. I stammered out an assurance that I was fine, and made my way to the border. I crossed and was safely back in the Eastern Quarter. I learned after I rose to my position, that there was in fact noone tailing me and that the drop had been aborted because the agent who was meant to gather the documents had been captured in his attempt. It is because of the terror which filled my mind, that I ensured that all of my agents were highly trained and capable of rising under pressure.

4th day

Hey everyone, my name’s Derek DaSilva, and I’m a senior at Malden High school. This talk that I volunteered for is what we call the Fourth Day. It’s a funny thing to call a talk, fourth day… what it means is that we’re here for three days, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This fourth day is the time after the retreat, and it’s not just one day. I really hope that you guys take what you learned on this retreat and let it into your lives. I volunteered for this talk because on my first retreat it was the fourth day talk that really made all the difference for me. Way back before I came to IC, I was a member of a parish in Cambridge. It was a beautifully designed church, but the CCD there didn’t have much to offer an inquisitive young mind. I was there for 7 years. Think of it. Seven years of people force feeding you information. It was not a fun time. At some point my parents realized that it wasn’t worth dealing with the people at the parish, but they still wanted my sister and I to be in some form of religious education. IC turned out to be the answer.

I still remember my reaction when I heard about GOF, it went something like this: ARE YOU SERIOUS???!!!!1 When I finally went to my first GOF session, I couldn’t believe the difference. Scott and the team were welcoming and they encouraged questions. That was something very new to me. So Time passed but I still wasn’t feeling the whole religion thing. Then it came time for the retreat, I didn’t want to go at first, but my parents forced me. I doubt I need to tell you guys what happened on that retreat since we haven’t changed the schedule since. I can tell you thought, the witness talks were my favorite part. The fact that the people giving the talks were so willing to open up and tell the candidates about their own experiences really impressed me. But even more impressive was the faith they all had. Each person worshipped in a different way but it was all for Jesus. At the end of the retreat I wanted to stay active in IC. But I wasn’t sure just what I could do. That’s why the fourth day talk was so important to me. From the talk I gathered that I should bring the retreat to the other people I knew. That’s nother thing that sounds really strange. Bringing a retreat to other people; well I figured that I learned a lot over my retreat weekend, I learned a lot about Jesus and where I stand in my faith. And I wanted to share that with other people. The best way I could do that was work with the youth ministry and with you guys. I think my favorite thing I do other then the retreats is playing with the 5pm youth ensemble at the youth mass. It’s so much fun to be a part of a group made up of such talented people. But you don’t need to be a musician to bring the retreat to others. There is another retreat we go on during the year. That retreat is our Vermont retreat, where we visit the dumanes, at the Melo’s retreat center. Dave and Terri are amazing people. They work at this amazing youth center and it’s also their home. They literally open up their home to all of us and welcome us. Sadly their home burned down last February, but it’s been rebuilt and they moved in the week before Christmas. The next Vermont retreat is coming up in the spring and personally, I’ve been counting the days until then. The retreat itself is for peerleaders. After going on it you can help work on the confirmation retreats and as a peerleader at GOF. Then there’s this funny thing called the W, it’s our weekly highschool youthgroup. We meet at seven o clock on Wednesday nights eat some marvelous cookies that Scott’s mom bakes, play some games, and just chill out. So come on by one of these weeks and check it out, believe me it’s a lot of fun. There’s plenty of stuff to do, heck there’s more then plenty, just talk to any of the leaders if you want to know more.

Twisted Fate

Twisted Fate

Here I am at the timeless hours of the night, looking through the window frame

The air is still as a crypt, and the scent of the night wafts in, cars flash past

On the way to the dull streetscape

I drink some cold tea which invigorates me in my vigil

And asks me to have the memories and to look again at the decision I made.

The streets look for Tom, Jesus or me Tom

It’s

Grown quieter as the last traveler returned home. The memories descend on me. I wade through it, them, as

The fears and rages sipped on the lost dreams now

4 years almost ago, and the man walked in

a forced smile on his face. & telling

Who would have thought I’d be here .nothing

Makes sense, so many questions. Everything

The ideas haunt me, hurt me, rip at me.

They’ll never leave, the scars forever marking the failure.

Up in the shy the moon passes, and questions appear clearer, now

More then ever before.

Not that there will ever be an answer. There’s the man in the black coat

Eyes penetrating, he is me, I am he

& neither knows our place in the world. Not that insecure teen. Who was

going to have to go. Careening into the next life so.

To spiral & to twist out of control and never imagined

So to go. Not that girl who from very first meeting

I would never forgive, nor will I forget, the wound is to fresh to give

Into the ideas of hope and happiness & so demanded

To find someone who will never leave me. Not for money, nor family,

Not even for the blind lust which is

only our human lot & means nothing in the end. No. not that.

There’s a song “Paralyzer” . but no I won’t do that.

I am everything and nothing. When will I die? I will never die. I will live

To be 130. & I will never go away. & you will never escape from me

Who is always & only a pillar. Despite this rage. Spirit

Who lives only to watch and protect

I’m only human, & I am powerful. & I didn’t do this for me.

It was always for you.

I came into your life because I cared. I wanted

To help you.

You & I. entwined in fat. Never the less

I watch.

The world spins, and we are along for the ride.