by Nina Makarova-Frankfurt, Germany
Finally we are able to report some exciting news from Germany, too. Last week a door-to-door Pre-Blessing strategy was introduced in Germany for the first time. As a result of the members' determination 44 couples and 17 singles were blessed in one week.
This number might seem to be small, compare to thousands in Africa or Philippines, but one should remember, that such action in a country like Germany often means knocking at the doors not of some modest flats, but rich villas, where people think they already have everything they need. Also, it is just a beginning.
While reporting about the Pre-Blessing at Sunday Service in Frankfurt, Werner Lindermann, a city community leader, said, that the response of the people was very clearly positive or negative. Surprisingly, they met couples who seem to have been waiting for somebody to visit; there were people out there who were prepared, thus breaking the concepts, that Germany is a very tough country for a spiritual work.
Shortly before this 40-day Pre-Blessing national campaign was lunched in Dusseldorf, a group of the German Church leaders came back from Chung Pyung lake, where the spent together 40 days at the workshop. They were totally inspired and Andreas Rath, the national leader, personally led the campaign together with national messiahs Hans Wagner and Mrs. Kumagawa. That was a very important condition for success, for it happened often before, that leaders had good ideas and strategies, but left reality-test to the members. More than 10 other brothers and sisters joined them, coming to Dusseldorf from other cities as well.
Makoto Noguchi said, that he had met the person blessed by him the next day and this person told, he felt somehow completely different from before. At Sunday Service Werner Lindermann explained the „technology" of the Pre-Blessing Process to those, who would like to try it out, and demonstrated the „Blessing case" which they used. When you visit homes with such a case, people might take you for an insurance agent. In Germany there is a very well established social system, however, spiritually the country is going down. The „Blessing case" contains no insurance papers, but the Holy Wine (Holy Nectar, etc. ), Holy Water and True Parents picture. The newly blessed couple receives a special certificate with True Parents' signature.
The Pre-Blessing team will continue their activity in Dusseldorf and surrounding area, while members in other cities will introduce a new strategy as well.