Mariko

1976.3.1
Dallas

Needless to say, there isn't much time for personal things like diaries and journals when one is on MFT, so naturally my little book has been suffering from lack of attention.

The past two weeks have been an improvement for our team performance, especially with Robert Bovie, who didn't make any kind of result until he fasted for two days. We had over $200 average the second day of his fast. Mariko, our beloved Japanese sister, has worked miracles in making members determined to achieve victory.

Of course, I have had very wonderful experiences fundraising every day, doing mostly small towns in Arkansas, but recently we did Shreveport, Louisiana, for a few days. I have been averaging about $200 this last week.

Now we are in Dallas with all the other MFTs of Commander Hayashi. We have been re-divided into new teams and I have been chosen to be sub-leader with Steven Shute. Our area will be Colorado and Wyoming.

Last night we had about an hour of sleep after arriving in Dallas before we had to get up for Pledge Service. But in that hour I dreamt I was being tempted very terribly. It was like I couldn't escape. I was just being assaulted from all sides. Finally I just prayed and I simultaneously felt so repentful and so grateful for MFT, and then Mariko appeared and put her hand on my cheek and I felt the holy spirit. 

MFT: Colorado

1976.3.19

I am so sorry I haven't written in so long.

It has been almost three weeks now on Steven Shute's team. The members, besides myself, are Mariko as team mother; Basil Gallagher, who is struggling but has a good heart; Michael Douthit, who has a very heavy spirit which makes it difficult for him to stay awake and he can be arrogant at times but is a pretty good fundraiser; Roger Ballabano, who is just a good strong brother; Susan White, whom Kent Stuth from Richard Panzer's team in Arkansas used to talk about a lot as a top seller but is now struggling and I'm sure is suffering very much internally; Lori Davis, who is just a good strong sister; and Kate, who is usually our top seller.

Anyway, I went selling with Mariko today. It was great. I love Mariko so much. She has such a strong determination to achieve victory that I can really unite with her. More than just selling, she's been teaching me how I can win victory as sub-leader. First one must question how to bring victory. The answer is in the asking. Ask and ye shall receive. By simply asking and seeking, one is faced in the proper direction and God can then use that person.

As sub-leader, I must stimulate captain by making high result and raising and supporting team members to also make good results. 

A Moment with Maurice

1976.3.28

We went to the movies tonight to see "The Winds of Autumn," which everyone liked very much. Mariko left this morning to go to Tim Folzenlogen's team in Lubbock, Texas. Tim and I were on the same team with Richard Panzer in Arkansas.

Tim would tell me then how much I inspired him because I was a new brother but I was making a high result, around $200 every day. Tim told me that before the family he was an artist, a graduate of art school in Cincinnati who showed his paintings in galleries and even had a patron who supported him financially. That amazed me: The Principle is so powerful it could even move a successful artist like Tim to put down his brushes and pick up a box of candy. He said he knew that Father would let him go back to painting one day, but right now he was needed on MFT. It was one of the most sacrificial things I could imagine. I didn't have anything that I was giving up to be here.

We now have a Japanese captain named Takayuki Yasuda. Steven was called to Oklahoma City last Sunday, the 21st. Mariko left that day too to go back to Dallas. For that day and the following Monday I was the acting captain. On Sunday night we had a team meeting to give everyone a chance to express their thoughts and opinions, and I think it made, at least I hope it made, a good foundation to receive our new captain.

I went to pick him up at the Denver airport Monday afternoon and was very surprised to see Mariko get off the plane too. The next two days we would stop fundraising early, about 10 o'clock, and come back to the center. But Friday we pledged a $150 team average and we stayed out until we fulfilled. I set a no eating condition until I made my goal of $150, and I ended the day with $152.

The next day, Saturday, was more difficult. We had to stay out all night, right up until Pledge Service at 5 am But we made our goal.

We also fundraised in Pueblo and Colorado Springs earlier in the week. In Pueblo I made over $200, and in Colorado Springs I met a man in a bar named Maurice Campbell. As soon as I walked in the bar he said, "I'll help." But I was already talking to some other people so I didn't pay much attention. He called out again. This time I went over to him and he just said, "How much?" and bought my last two boxes of thin mints without knowing anything of what I was doing.

Then he told me he had studied to be a missionary but had dropped out and he knew he had failed God and Christ and himself. I told him God still had great things in store for him, and he started crying. He wanted to believe it so much. He asked me to pray for him because he was going in for open heart surgery and he was scared to death.

I cried very much that night. I kept wondering how many Maurice Campbells there are in the world, looking ahead at the possibility of dying, and looking back on a life of regret. 

Absolute Order of Melchisedec

1976.3.30

Tomorrow begins 21-day competition for Yankee Stadium. A couple things I have learned about Yankee Stadium are that afterward we will be in the perfection stage of the messiah's mission, as Jesus died at the top of the growth stage and Adam also fell at the top of the growth stage. So we must bring victory or all will be lost.

I must make internal as well as external goals or after Yankee Stadium I will feel like I didn't accomplish anything. Externally I pledge $175 a day. Internally I will seek to comfort God's heart through repentance. Each member of the UC is responsible for 3,320 people in spirit world.

Today Lori and Susan had a police problem. Lori spent nine hours in jail. Tonight, blitzing Denver's downtown bars, I was telling people the flowers would bring good luck. It felt good, but Captain Yasuda told me not to say that because it wasn't true.

There is another spiritual group in Denver called The Absolute Order of Melchisedec, based on Hebrews 7 in the Bible, and they fundraise the downtown bars every night with flowers, leathers and trinkets. They have been very down on us and rude to us because they feel we are stealing their area. I have tried to talk to them about what they believe, but they are very evasive. All I know is they have an arts and crafts school that they fundraise for. 

Here's Two Bucks, Have a Blast

1976.4.1
April Fools Day

We celebrated Parents Day today, although New York celebrated yesterday. Today Mr. Hayashi and Mr. Sawamukai, who is from MFT headquarters in New York, came to visit our team. So we began our competition yesterday. Unfortunately, I failed to fulfill my $175 goal with only $143 at 12:30 am. I got dropped off for one hour but I didn't make a single cent. I felt really bad but I tried to sing and think about the team and Captain Yasuda. We did finally fulfill our team goal of $160 average.

Today we went horseback riding, the first time since I broke my leg three-and-a-half years ago. But it was great. I want to ride again. Then we had dinner at a Korean restaurant in downtown Denver with Mr. Hayashi and Mr. Sawamuki. Then back at the center Mr. Sawamuki showed us a movie about the Yoido Island rally held in Korea last June 7. I was trying to remember when Imoe and I left Atlanta. It was June 17, ten days after the victory at Yoido Island.

Now we are sixty days from Yankee Stadium. Father says that these sixty days represent 6,000 years of human history, so that every day represents 100 years. I think I will make a condition to change my heart to become more serious and united with Captain Yasuda by not eating during the day until 6 o'clock, at least for the competition.

Today Captain Yasuda dropped us off downtown with $2 each to just do whatever we wanted. Mike, Basil and I went to a used paperback and comic book store, but it was kind of depressing because there was nothing of any value there. Basil left and finally Mike and I left.

We stopped by a Catholic church on the way back. It was very beautiful and we prayed. I put my $2 in a donation box by the door which said, "To help the poor." I couldn't spend it on myself. 

The Holy Grail of MFT

1976.4.2
Second Day of Competition

This was the most incredible day I have ever had since I've been in the family, at least on MFT. Today I did not worry so much about making money but more with paying indemnity for 6,000 years of human failures. I thought that maybe I was so impure that God could not work through me to make much money, but at least I could pay indemnity, and I felt good about that.

There was only four cents difference in my results from the first two periods, lasting until 7 o'clock. Then I got dropped off at a shopping center, JCRS, where Imoe, Jason and I had stopped when we came through Denver last summer. I was selling giant sticks of chewing gum, which was really good product because it was a novelty that most people hadn't seen before and it didn't cost much, only $1 a stick.

There was another fundraiser from the Absolute Order of Melchisedec selling flowers outside the Casa Bonita restaurant. I saw him and went wild, running down and chasing everybody. Eventually I sold out, so I went over to waste this guy's time. My thinking was that I had to steal the blessing from Satan. I had met the same guy before and he remembered me too, though this time he was not so negative. I managed to get some information from him, which all sounded so principlistic. He even used the word "principle."

Then I got dropped off downtown near Larimer Square with flowers. It was after 11 o'clock and I had until 1 o'clock to make $60. I came back to the van at 1 o'clock with $85 because some guy had bought the whole thing, bucket and all, for $55. Susan said she had been praying for me all day to get a large donation. I could have had the whole $100 bill if I had been quicker, but nevertheless I did make over $200.

On the way to pickup I saw some guy getting arrested. It was exciting. Must go to bed now. I don't get so much sleep these days. 

"Shut Up or I'll Christian You!"

1976.4.6

The whole team has not been doing so good since I got my big donation. We have not fulfilled our $160 team average for the last three days, so tomorrow we are leaving Denver for four or five days.

Last Saturday I was fundraising in Greeley and some lady in a shop I went into did not like us and called the police. I told her I was brainwashed and was afraid to leave the Unification Church. I could see her get possessed right in front of my eyes, because she knew I was just making fun of her. She accused me of seducing people into giving money without telling people who we really were, and she wanted to put an article in the newspaper to expose us.

The police came, but he just told me I couldn't fundraise without a license. Of course the city hall was closed on Saturday, so I had to go ahead and fundraise without a permit. Later in the afternoon, close to pickup time, the cop saw me again and also saw my much emptier bucket of flowers and got really mad. But I told him I was just talking to people and giving the flowers away, so he couldn't do anything.

The next day I fundraised in Loveland. I spotted a man who reminded me of my spiritual Rosicrucian friend, Frederick Messina, back in San Francisco with the long white hair and waxed handlebar mustache. But this guy was really negative and also called the police. I then asked the gentleman his name as I wanted to know who was going to such great lengths to give me such a difficult time.

He said, "None of your goddamned business. Reverend Moon is the cause of your problems. What do think of that?"

I said, "I think you have a fine Christian attitude."

"Shut up or I'll Christian you!"

The cop just said I couldn't fundraise without a license, so of course I went back to fundraising after they left, but it wasn't so good.

Captain Yasuda took Debbie and Lori up to Cheyenne to fundraise by themselves, but they also had a police problem there, and Basil had a police problem in Golden today. He was too scared to work and came back to the safety of Denver. 

Hey Mikey, You Awake?

1976.4.11

Today was our first day back in Denver after being on the road for a few days.

We went to Pueblo but ran out of gas on the way. I had to hitchhike into Colorado Springs, but HF was with us and I made the entire trip in 12 minutes. Pikes Peak was extremely brilliant, with fresh snow in the sun.

I got dropped off in Rocky Ford. It was the first time I had ever had a whole town to myself. I started out good, but sometime around 11 o'clock the police caught up with me. They said I needed a permit from the Chamber of Commerce, but that it would take a long time and would I just leave town and go to La Junta or someplace else? I insisted I was within my right to get a permit and within an hour I was out on the street again with a permit in my pocket.

Around 5 o'clock I solicited a ride for La Junta using the method the sisters had taught me when we ran out of gas, which involves jumping wildly up and down, frantically waving the hands. It really works.

Captain picked us up in La Junta. As a couple of sisters had fundraised La Junta that day and night, we drove to Trinidad. Basil and Kate got large donations. The next day Kate and I stayed in Trinidad while the others went to small towns in the mountains. We were to take a bus to Walsenberg that night and Captain would pick us up there.

When we started out in the morning, after we prayed, three big black shiny limousines pulled out of a side street and drove by us. The sight of those luxury cars -- especially three of them together -- seemed totally out of keeping with the modest surroundings. Kate found out later from some Children of God, who were also fundraising in town, that Trinidad was a Mafia town. Kate believes the man who made the large donation to her the night before was involved in the Mafia because of things he said.

I did pretty poorly until I started going house to house. In the evening, about 8:30, I rang the bell to this one house three times. The people looked out their window but wouldn't answer the door. I was getting angry and thinking of chastising them if they did come to the door. But they never did. Instead they called the police.

The officer stopped me at the next house. At first he just took my name and was going to let me go. Then another cop came and said I was breaking the law, soliciting after dark in a residential area. They took me down to the station, but they finally let me go, provided I didn't fundraise anymore and would leave town on the bus as I promised.

So I walked back to the Ramada Inn, wondering what I should do and wishing I could find Kate. It turned out she was in the lounge and had sold out her flowers to some guy from Utah with a chapter two problem. He gave us a ride to Walsenberg in his pickup truck, complete with CB radio, which we talked about most of the ride. In Walsenberg we met up with Susan, who had had the town to herself. Then Captain came and we made plans to go get product in Denver and then head for the hills.

But on the way back to Denver we had a bad accident on the highway just south of Pueblo. Mike, who was driving, fell asleep and slammed into the concrete divider. It nearly flipped the van over. It was really smashed up. I was sleeping all the way in the back underneath some shelves that held our product and had no idea what had happened. Incredibly, no one was hurt except Kate, who injured her back. They took her away in an ambulance.

The next day I rented a car and we fundraised Pueblo, then drove back to Denver this morning. Tomorrow I must try to lease a van until we can get ours repaired.