I feel compelled to write this letter to share my experience, strength, and hope. I write this as much for me as I do for others in the fellowship. I want to share a message. A message I have learned the hard way.

The autonomy of individual SA groups (Tradition Four) does not extend to matters affecting the fellowship as a whole. Nothing is more basic to the SA fellowship as a whole than what has come to be known as the SA sobriety imperative. The sobriety imperative is the thing which makes SA unique among several 12 Step programs dealing with sexual addiction.

Our groups SA and S-Anon in Frauenfeld have existed since spring 1988. They grow up very slowly. Our meetings are every Friday. Once a month on the first Friday we have our meeting together with S-Anon. For interested members, we also have rooms in our homes that we will make available to visitors for lodging.

Our fellowship continues to grow. We are averaging between 20 to 25 a meeting. By God’s grace there’s a lot of healthy recovery with many over one year of sobriety. God is changing lives slowly but surely. I have almost ten months of sobriety—Praise God!

We now have an ongoing San Diego intergroup and an SA meeting every night of the week. San Diego is so large that a person may need to drive a little.

I am really pleased to be a member of SA and I’m now sober nine months. Miracles do happen. Thank God for SA…. We are growing here in Australia. The city meeting last week was up to ten and the outer city meeting has a strong regular four to five. It really is amazing.

…Our Penn Hills Wednesday night group has varied between nine and twelve attenders the last couple of months. Thanks for being there.

To prevent the Central Office from being placed in a position of endorsement, the CO will no longer mail flyers or do select mailings for regional retreats, marathons, conventions, and the like. The CO will continue to list such activities (SA only) in the Calendar section of Essay.

Two American SAs flew to Germany to attend the German SA Conference this June. We arrived four hours late and missed our German host at the airport. After two obsessive and fearful hours, our powerlessness was rewarded by a phone connection with Kornelius, an SA, who directed us to the Thursday meeting in Mainz.

Since our last issue of Essay, we learned that Mark M. of West New York, NJ died of complications from AIDS. I met Mark a couple of times, and he would phone me from time to time over the years, so I followed his progress in the program.

…I agree wholeheartedly [with J.L.’s letter regarding hugging in February ESSAY], it’s sad to say, but it’s such a slippery place whenever angels dare tread. Today I know the difference between my old body-grinder hugs and an appropriate lean forward gentle family hug, but how many newcomers know that!

I am writing you about the details of Michelle’s death. It has taken me awhile due to grief. I hope these details will be shared so others will find help. Michelle was beaten and tortured to death for two and one-half days.

I assume I’m writing to the Central Office. I’m so thankful I received the big white envelope with ESSAY. I was really needing it. After my father died, two weeks ago, I started acting out again. I was perplexed, and numb with fear, I prayed to God for a miracle. The next day I got the envelope in the mail. Hope is renewed again.

As always, my deepest thanks to you and the Central Office staff for all your hard work and dedication to this life-saving program of Sexaholics Anonymous. Without your efforts, passing the message on, something very necessary for my sobriety and indeed my very existence, would be very difficult. I want to reiterate my appreciation and ask God’s Blessing on you all at the Simi Valley office.

Thanks so much for your letter. I was feeling down, and my addiction was being painfully felt. Your note called me back to the program and my recovery. A few minutes later the phone rang, and I was offered a rather suggestive invitation. I was nervous, afraid, etc., but refused. Your note had just given me the strength I needed to be faithful to my deepest self. Thanks.

Last Sunday I celebrated one year of sexual sobriety, due completely to my magnanimous Higher Power and the Program (SA) He has placed in my life. Transformed one-day-at-a-time from a totally hopeless, spiritually anemic person into a hopeful, significant part of His Plan, I am of all people most blessed. Thank you.

Giles and I have formed a group of two and are eager to welcome new members. We have been meeting for about three months.

Greetings from all of us in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Our group is doing well. Lately we average 8-12 each meeting and slowly growing. For me, personally, it was a door out of hell. After three years in another 12-Step program, I was finally “forced” to learn what surrender really meant! What deliverance.

…I would like to take this opportunity to let you know how we are faring in San Diego county. In the seven months that I have been associated with SA, I have witnessed incredible growth, in our numbers as well as our sobriety. One of our largest meetings (Friday Night Men’s) recently had to change locations to accommodate its growth.

It continues to be exciting here in Middle Tennessee watching the growth of SA. We are now up to 17 meetings per week, which does not include some of the meetings in locations outside the city limits of Nashville.