Angelika Selle
July 8-August 15, 1985
Chung Pyung Lake, Korea
An interview with three participants of the blessed children's workshop in Korea, Young Hwan Chi, Jin Man Kwak, and Jin Goon Kim.
Young Hwan Chi, 21:
I'm studying psychobiology at New York University. There were over 200 participants at the workshop, all of college age or about to enter college. There were about 101 boys and 110 girls. Around thirty came from America and the rest were from Korea. Of the True Family, Hyo Jin Nim, Kook Jin Nim, Jin Whi Nim, and Jin Sung Nim participated in the seminar.
The purpose of the seminar was to create unity between Korean blessed children and American blessed children and to unite with Hyo Jin Nim, because Father emphasized the importance of unity among the second generation. At the time of Moses, when the first generation wasn't able to go to the land of Canaan, the second generation united with Joshua, and in our time we have to unite with Hyo Jin Nim. Father said that if the second generation can unite with Hyo Jin Nim, God can directly work through the blessed children. We learned that we need to keep in touch with each other and support Hyo Jin Nim, because we have to be the strong foundation upon which he can stand.
We formed 20 mixed groups. Most of the group leaders were blessed children from America, because we had been close to the True Family and could understand the hearts of True Parents and Hyo Jin Nim more. In the groups we discussed all sorts of things -- school, Hyo Jin Nim, and the other True Children. Once the two brothers who were in the accident with Heung Jin Nim got together with some of the Korean blessed children and they just talked about Heung Jin Nim. By speaking about the True Children and understanding their heart, we could share True Parents' love. That was one thing that helped us unite.
Every day we woke up at 6:00 a.m. and met on a sports field. Hyo Jin Nim was usually already there waiting for us and we did exercises for about 20 minutes. Then we wished up and had to be at the lecture room by 6:40. At 6:40 we had prayer or sometimes Hyo Jin Nim spoke. At 8:00 we ate breakfast and at 9:00 we attended our first lecture. We heard the Principle three times, all taught by elder Korean members. We also heard VOC and a little bit of Unification Thought. There was a 20-minute break and then at 10:40 our second lecture began. At 12:00 we had lunch. From 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 was sports. We had 20 minutes to get washed up, and at 3:20 we heard the third lecture. That was followed by another 20-minute break, and then at 5:00 we listened to our fourth lecture.
At 6:20 we had dinner, followed at 7:40 by a fifth lecture or a guest speaker, who usually gave his or her personal testimony. One of these was Mr. Moon, Father's cousin. He talked about his childhood experiences, when Father was a little boy. Usually at 9:00 p.m. we again had prayer, and from 10:00 to 11:00 we had group meetings to discuss the day. Sometimes a lot of groups went overtime to 1:00 a.m. I guess they must have really enjoyed talking.
As in every 40-day workshop we had a few days of fundraising and witnessing. I went fundraising with a sister who spoke Korean. I think Korean people are more friendly and more humble than Americans. At one house she asked a man if he would like to buy some of our household products, but he said no. I told her, "Hey, keep talking;' and finally we went in and displayed our product. Even though I didn't know how to speak Korean that well, I was able to say in Korean, "Please buy, it's not that much!' Finally he bought one.
In witnessing I had a lot of fun because the people I witnessed to were mostly college students who had many things to say. Although I didn't understand Korean I talked for one hour with a student who was in Bible School. I was trying to explain to her about Moses and the separation of the sea and I couldn't; but there was a bucket of water there and with that I was able to explain it. Although finally she didn't come, her brother did.
Hyo Jin Nim addresses 800 blessed children of elementary school and high school age. The younger children stayed at the workshop for three days and shared in the sports and other activities.
That night we had a meeting for brand new people. And it was so nice, because when the guests came I felt responsible and I wanted to talk with all of them.
On the final day of witnessing we were in an area of rich houses but we were somewhat hesitant to go in because we thought that rich people were rather close-minded and snobbish. But I thought, "Maybe God has someone there for us',' so I said, "Let's go:' We went and met a nice old lady who understood some of the problems of the world right away, such as: If there is one God, how come there are so many churches? Altogether our experiences were very good because we were giving our hearts. We were trying to show them God's truth. I think a lot of blessed children felt the same.
For me the climax of the workshop was the time the 800 younger blessed children came, the ones about high school age and under. They were each given a blue shirt with a white collar that said "True Parents -- True Children," and they wore them for three days they were there. The final night we made a huge campfire in the center of the sports field. Hyo Jin Nim sang and all the young blessed children were running around the campfire, singing songs. When Hyo Jin Nim was taking a break between songs, the little blessed children ran up to him and sat down, looking at him as if he were a superstar. It was really good that they could experience him in that way. Even though they haven't seen Hyo Jin Nim very much they feel so much love for him in their hearts. By the way, we also had heavenly disco. Hyo Jin Nim danced around the campfire singing, especially the song normally sung between husband and wife -- "Sarang He."
I personally don't know exactly what we're going to be doing in the future. Right now our mission is to go to school, and not just go to school but master our studies, because we have to use our knowledge for the future. Now is the time for us to take responsibility. Father wants all blessed children to work with CARP. We can't just stay in school and do nothing. There's a lot happening right now and we should be part of it. Already many blessed children are participating in CARP. I think in the 120-day workshop, which will take place next summer, we're going to be doing a lot more.
By next year we have to learn how to lecture. Hyo Jin Nim gave us strict orders that blessed children should meet at least two Sundays a month, and from the oldest to the youngest we should practice lecturing the Principle. One time Hyo Jin Nim got really angry at the lecturers because it was clear that they did not really understand Father's heart. So he canceled all the lectures for that day and climbed up a mountain to pray. He said if we wanted to we could climb the mountain and pray also. After that the lectures resumed. But he said next year he would teach the Principle himself, personally.
At the end of the workshop, we gave Hyo Jin Nim a huge card made of cardboard with space for every blessed child to write a message to him. Most of them mentioned that they would give up their lives for him, for True Parents, for this mission, and for God's will. We had learned to really unite with Hyo Jin Nim and to take our lives seriously, because we have a big future in front of us. And it will come soon, too, because we're already in college and in confrontation with the satanic world.
Whenever Hyo Jin Nim spoke he poured out his heart to the blessed children.
Jin Man Kwak, 19:
I am in my first year at New York University. Up until now, all the older blessed children had no center and just went their own way. Father never proclaimed Hyo Jin Nim as the central point, although all of us blessed children knew, as we were growing up, that we should unite around the True Family. Father always emphasized unity between the blessed children and his own children. Father's children are in the position to know and feel True Parents' heart more clearly and deeply than we can. Therefore, by uniting with Hyo Jin Nim, we can inherit True Parents' heart.
The era of the second generation has come, and we are now preparing for the future. Hyo Jin Nim always stressed that we should have an absolute standard of faith in our daily life, and based on that God can work through us, since God is Himself absolute, eternal, and unchanging. In order to develop such characteristics and for God to believe in us we must change and approach that absolute standard. Hyo Jin Nim says the second generation must unite and set that absolute standard of faith in True Parents, even to the point of giving our lives for them.
Throughout the whole workshop Hyo Jin Nim led a life of prayer. At the workshop site there was a small room where the True Children stayed, and Hyo Jin Nim prayed there every night. The atmosphere in that room was very intense because of his constant prayer. On that foundation of prayer Hyo Jin Nim could speak to us. I think that's why, when he spoke, we all felt he was talking to each one of us personally. That kind of feeling could only come from his prayer, his preparation, and his total investment, trying to show us True Parents' and God's heart. He tried to make us feel close to God.
During the workshop Hyo Jin Nim was in very poor health because of a minor car accident he was in. From what Jin Sung Nim told us, Hyo Jin Nim threw up every day, sometimes even blood. Yet even though his health was so bad, Hyo Jin Nim gave out everything to us. He would normally never go to a hospital, but this time he had to go. He didn't want to because he didn't want to lower our morale by showing that he was weak.
In addition to his continuing prayer condition at the workshop, Hyo Jin Nim had done a 120-day prayer vigil at East Garden earlier this year. He did it mainly for this workshop, for the unity among the second generation. Our workshop was based on such a foundation of prayer and heartistic investment.
Nan Sook Nim and Shin Jeung Nim had gone to Korea with Hyo Jin Nim, but Hyo Jin Nim was conscious of living a public life and therefore didn't want his wife and child to be to the workshop at all. So he didn't see them for 40 days. And even though he was in such bad health he climbed Chun Syung Mountain, where there's a holy ground. This mountain is very steep and you have to climb a rope in order to get to the top. It takes about two and a half hours. During the workshop Hyo Jin Nim climbed up three times and prayed there. Every time it was like Moses going up to Mt. Sinai to receive a new inspiration. Once we went up there with him and when he reached the top his face was very pale and white.
However, being there with him was a very spiritual and moving experience.
The most wonderful thing I experienced during the forty days was a lot of friendship between the blessed children. Spending time with the blessed children is quite different from spending time with outside children. Among the blessed children we have something in common; we are all of one family, one blood, and that's why we feel such a kinship and brotherhood. I felt an especially strong connection with the brothers, and I sensed God's love very much. I felt so honored and grateful to be in the position of a blessed child, to actually have Father's children guiding us and leading us. We are like the fruits of God's dispensation of 6,000 years. So man., righteous people sacrificed and died for us, and we haven't really done anything; yet we are in the blessed position. We have to realize that this position is crucial and very important. I feel a very deep love for Hyo Jin Nim. I'm pretty sure that Father prayed for us during the workshop while he was in prison and at Phoenix House. We received a lot of spiritual energy.
Afternoon sports with Hyo Jin Nim (center).
Jin Goon Kim, 18:
I'm a senior in Arlington High School. I think the purpose of the workshop was the same as last year's: to unite with Hyo Jin Nim as the inheritor of Father's role as the Messiah. As we found out after the workshop, because of the foundation of unity with Hyo Jin Nim that.' e tried to achieve last year and this year, Hyo Jin Nim could stand as the first son of all of humanity before the True Parents, and the blessed children could be in the second son's position. This unity between Cain and Abel was necessary to allow True Parents to stand as the True Parents. That's why this workshop was significant. So we could see the great role Hyo Jin Nim played in God's dispensation.
Last year Father had asked the blessed children to become completely united with Hyo Jin Nim and serve him, just as our physical parents have served the True Parents, so that we could become a bridge between True Parents' family and the world -- in a John the Baptist position. We have to testify to True Parents' children before the world.
Another reason why this workshop was so significant was that until this time the blessed children didn't really know where they belonged. And they also had to find their own faith. Please understand that we also struggle with lack of faith in many cases because we did not really choose to be who we are. We were born to it. But there has to be a point where we realize that this is the way we want to go; we have to make a decision for our- selves. In order for us to do that we have to have a center, like Father. That person is Hyo Jin Nim. He completely poured himself out at this workshop, and because we could feel the sincerity of his love we concluded that we could wholeheartedly follow him.
Before the workshop, a lot of the blessed children hadn't really decided whether they wanted to go through with this life of faith or not. As you know, it is very hard for parents to explain to their children what faith is. It's one thing for the parents to have faith, but to teach faith by words and actions to a child who has never had experience with it is just not possible. There has to be a point where you have to feel it for yourself.
Now as the American members are having children, they can understand a little more that our parents were not able to be with us all the time. The blessed children lived in poverty most of their lives and some still do. When their mothers were pregnant they had to go out for a three-year pioneering course. Because the blessed children led such unusual lives, receiving so much persecution for being different, for not being normal according to the outside world, they had a lot of struggles. The most important thing about this workshop was that the blessed children were finally able to find their road.
The workshop was mainly an experience of opening our hearts: exposing what our common problems are, what we are facing in the world, and helping each other overcome the problems and become one with our True Parents. Now is the time when we really have to get rid of all the garbage that we might have experienced, and then determine ourselves to go the way that we're supposed to go, that we are fated to go. You might say there's not much choice, that there's nothing to decide, but there is a big difference between just going because you have to and going because you're determined to, and you want to. It was good because we decided on the right choice.
I think this is just the beginning of the children's course. Whether or not the workshop was successful will be seen after the workshop, in what we actually do. The workshop itself was just a training, to find the road and step out onto it. From now on it's a matter of walking it and persevering to the end.
Hyo Jin Nim was so sick that it was hard for him to even sit through the lectures. His body was very weak, and there was a period of ten days during the workshop when he had to go to the doctor, even though he didn't want to. He wanted to persevere even though his life was in danger. The doctor told him that if he had come only a few days later, he might have died. That is how serious his condition was. But because Hyo Jin Nim has a very strong constitution, he was able to endure the physical difficulties. Every morning Hyo Jin Nim would give a speech, and for him to give a speech he had to pray to God and really think about what he wanted to give us, what was appropriate for the time. To do all that takes so much effort. And Hyo Jin Nim is not a superhuman; he can't just automatically pop something out without any preparation. He had to pour so much into it, and as much as he poured into it, results came. For these reasons we could truly feel the sincerity of Hyo Jin Nim's heart in his speeches.
Basically he spoke about what Father usually speaks about: absolute unity, the need to be absolutely unchanging and eternal like God, and to live for others, always remembering that we are living for eternity. Therefore we can't follow temporary or physical values. We always have to think about God and eternal, absolute values. That is the main thing that Father emphasizes. Many of us mentioned that Hyo Jin Nim sounded so much like Father. Father speaks a lot about universal things, and so does Hyo Jin Nim -- universal things that are very important.
By the way, while Hyo Jin Nim was praying for 120 days for this workshop, some of us prayed with him there at East Garden. Many nights it was freezing cold. Hyo Jin Nim decided to invest three days of prayer for each single day of the workshop. That's how much he prepared himself beforehand.
One time he told us he had learned through a medium in Korea that Heung Jin Nim was setting up a time to be with him at East Garden every day during that 120-day prayer condition. I think that is just one expression of Heung Jin Nim's deep love for Hyo Jin Nim, how much he wants to help and support him along the way. I think the same thing happened at the workshop; that Heung Jin Nim probably prepared the Chung Pyung area for the workshop a long time beforehand.
We were not touched or moved so much by the lectures, but we changed through listening to Hyo Jin Nim's speeches and through living and learning from each other. Of course, the Principle lectures and all the other lectures helped. But we did not come to this workshop to learn the truth. We've heard the Principle all our lives. What we needed was true love, the sense of belonging somewhere and experiencing True Parents' and Hyo Jin Nim's love. And I think that was only possible because of Hyo Jin Nim's prayer life and Heung Jin Nim's cooperation.
Concerning the role of the blessed children in the future, Hyo Jin Nim hasn't really spoken about that specifically. But he gave us guidance about what we have to strive for in the future, such as becoming one with True Parents and the True Children, centering especially upon Hyo Jin Nim. Father himself explained those things during last year's workshop, when we had more time to be with him. There was one sentence Father said that sums it all up: The blessed children have to be a bridge between the True Children and the world. We have to become the foundation upon which the True Children can stand and work. Without the blessed children's unity with them, the True Children can't be leaders of the second generation.
This workshop coincided not only with the end of Father's forty-year course, but also with the anniversary of the liberation of Korea on August 15, 1945. Exactly forty years from that day the workshop ended. August 15, 1985, marked the liberation of the world, because Hyo Jin Nim could successfully stand as the center of the second generation. It was a liberation that enabled not only the blessed children but the world to come to a new level. On that day there was a feeling of total victory, and we went up to Heung Jin Nim's resting place and Hyo Jin Nim prayed. After that day, Total Victory Day (Il Seung Il) could be proclaimed on August 16. I think it was partly due to the foundation of Hyo Jin Nim in Korea. So this workshop was quite significant for God's dispensation.
This is the time when we can really feel that we belong somewhere and we can realize what our responsibility is. It is important for us blessed children to take on our responsibility and mission. I understand that Father alone can't do it and True Children alone can't do it, no matter how hard they try. They need the cooperation of us, not only of the blessed children but also of all the members. But, because the blessed children are in the second son's position to the True Children, we have to be especially united with them and become their foundation.
I want to make a special determination to live up to the expectation of God. Although we don't often think about it, the blessed children are such precious children to God. We are the first children without original sin in 6,000 years of tragedy because of our parents' and ancestors' suffering for God. I want to say to all other blessed members that you are doing the same thing for God, and your children will be in the same precious position to serve God. We want to pioneer the way for the blessed children in the future, because being the oldest, we want to make it easier for all the other blessed children to come. We want to set up a tradition that can pass on much more smoothly, so they won't have to struggle as we did.