by Mrs. Betty Lancaster-NYC
Pledge #8-Our family pledges, as we enter the Completed Testament Age, to achieve the ideal oneness of God and humankind in love through absolute faith, absolute love and absolute obedience, thereby liberating the Kingdom of God on Earth and in Heaven, by centering on True Love. Blessed families now have the opportunity to go to South America for the 40-day Ideal Family workshops. Senior blessed couples should plan to lead the way. The education we receive guides us into the future. The 21st century is the Century of the Family, centered on True Love.
At this workshop you are liberated, your family is liberated. This is the place of liberation. As a result, you become stronger. "Birds that migrate become stronger" True Father said. "The world of God’s perfection is the era of the world of liberation, the world of completion of God’s Will."
During this Ideal Family Education for World Peace we find ourselves being cleansed and renewed. Parents have been separated. Brothers and sisters have been separated. Through this 40-day workshop this is healed. Heavenly resentment is resolved. No one stands over you, prays over you or delivers you from anything specific. Some inner strength begins to surface within you, just by the education you are receiving and just by "the nature of the place."
The nature of the place, "New Hope East Garden" (formerly New Hope Farm but renamed by True Father 7/22/98), Jardim, Mato Grosso, Brasil, is a Garden of Eden. It has been prepared to be a territory where high heavenly standards and heavenly traditions will be maintained by those who dwell there; where no barriers exist-whether national, racial, religious or otherwise-and where the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth can begin and spread. When you go there, you are to think of yourself as Adam or Eve, having no possessions, just growing in God’s Love.
The basic reason we should be willing to deny ourselves, our possessions, is because Adam and Eve had nothing in the beginning. We have been falsely taking what is not ours. We must reverse that. We have to restore Adam and Eve’s positions. God gives Adam and Eve possessions after they have kept His conditions. In the Old Testament they offered "all things." In the era of the New Testament "children" were the offering. "Parents" are the offering in the Completed Testament era. The future will be the era of liberation; the world of liberation; the completion of God's Will. So here in this Garden of Eden we can reflect on how we can offer everything to God, thus restoring these 4 eras of time.
Realistically speaking, at the present time New Hope East Garden is still under construction so it is not yet the peaceful and beautiful place it shall one day be, with tree-lined avenues, sparkling lakes and such. We also have to realize that the property as a whole here is vast, and we are just talking about one area which is set aside for the educational grounds and facilities. There are other areas adjoining, such as property with 22 natural waterfalls which will be used for other purposes; and there are other properties, in addition to all this, which are to be used for various projects.
The Grounds
But even in its present state you will find the educational facilities to be quite adequate. You will room in a house with eight units. There are many such houses. Each of the eight rooms have ample space and each has its own bath and hot shower. You will take your meals buffet-style in a beautiful, large 2-story structure with 4 dining halls and a veranda all around. A lake will soon be made behind this hall. Of course, the whole community is surrounded by bodies of water, but this lake will be in full view of the "restaurant" as the community calls it. The two upstairs dining halls are used for classrooms right now, with windows on all sides.
Just across the street and a few steps away is the splendid Temple, which seats 1,000 and is used for worship, classes and special events. Behind the Temple, there are six good-looking schools, three in a row, which are scheduled to open in February, grades 1-12.
Washing is done by hand, in your own bath or in outdoor laundry tubs, with nearby clotheslines. Speaking of clothing-some people dress up, some people dress down. To dress comfortably, casually and respectably might be a good code. And put a couple of "dress up" items in your bag. There is Sunday Pledge service to consider, maybe some stage entertainment, an invitation to lunch or dinner with the Education Director Rev. Jung Rho Yoon or you might have to lead a group sometime. You might even find yourself in some nearby town having your photo taken with its mayor. This happened to our group one day. Then there is family picture-taking day and who knows what else might come up when you want to be better dressed.
Take an umbrella and poncho. There are downpours off and on. You most probably will see the soccer field double as a lake sometimes! Rubber or plastic boots are a good idea as well. Tennis shoes or something similar is good for walking. "Keds" have excellent soles because they don’t pick up the clumps of clay that larger treads do. Take sandals or slippers for indoors. You will need a pair of work gloves for community service days. Take a flashlight. The power occasionally goes out for short periods. The temperature is usually warm, hot and hotter, with an occasional cool early a.m. and late p.m. in spring, autumn and winter. Take a pocket radio for translation.
Jardim is only 1 hour ahead of New York. Money denominations are the same. Very convenient. And you can exchange monies almost dollar for dollar. And you should do so because you will need some Brasilian money for in-country expenses, tips, and so forth.
Education
In a place like this, we stand a good chance to get a glimpse into the spirit world. This is something we should not delay any longer (after all, a glimpse or two gave St. Paul the enthusiasm and fervor to march on for years). We, likewise, will be invigorated. Since June 13, 1998 the physical world and spiritual world are one. We do not need to be in darkness anymore. We can develop our five spiritual senses in the same way we develop our five physical senses, which is done over time after we enter the physical realm from the womb. It is the same process. We want to be able to live with God.
We have three parents who take care of us from our beginning throughout our eternity: Our physical mother, while we are in the womb; [mother] nature, while we live on Earth; and God, after we go to the spiritual world. True Father told us this. We need to be prepared for the transition.
Angelic activity takes place very much at New Hope. We were told that here we would understand the Divine Principle more clearly. This was definitely experienced even before we heard that it was so. And some were very much aware of ancestors accompanying them for learning. Answers come through more clearly to questions you might have on your mind.
Until this time, the Blessing has been on an individual-level. It is now the era of the family-level Blessing. On attending the Ideal Family 40-day workshop, participants can resurrect to the family-level Blessing, which represents the national level.
Upon receiving the family-level Blessing, the family is then entered into the Eternal Family Register of True Parents. On this foundation a family then becomes one having the same value as True Parents family. When your family is entered in the Register of True Parents Family you have then entered the era of the Fourth Adam, as tribal messiahs, so that now your family can inherit the authority to give the Blessing to your tribe.
During the 40-days we 1) become educated about the heavenly traditions of God and True Parents and 2) we learn to put these traditions into practice. We study True Father’s New Hope Farm, Jardim declarations.
The Four Declarations
For example, in True Father’s 1st Declaration-April 3, 1995, at New Hope, Jardim, in front of leaders representing 160 nations-Father declared: Have absolute faith, absolute love and absolute obedience. At that time we learned of the purpose for the establishment of the model for an ideal society and ideal nation, where God’s people will live in cooperation and true love; where nature can be loved and preserved; a place where blessed couples have restored their blood lineage and the realm of ownership and will center their lives on God’s heart, language and culture; where all will live for the sake of others, transcending all barriers known to humankind in absolute faith, love and obedience to God. (Read Way of Unification, v. 2, ch. 8, HDH series.)
The 2nd Jardim Declaration centers on God’s four major attributes. As citizens of the Kingdom of God, we must become people of God’s character. The new nation will center on God’s character and attributes.
During this 40-day period, we study God’s attributes and realize that we must quickly take on these attributes ourselves in a substantial way:
God is Absolute, Unique, Eternal and Unchanging.
As God’s children we also become Absolute, Unique, Eternal and Unchanging.
We live as Absolute couples, Unique couples, Eternal couples, and Unchanging couples.
We become Absolute parents, Unique parents, Eternal parents and Unchanging parents.
We live as Absolute families, Unique families, Eternal families and Unchanging families.
At the 3rd Jardim Declaration Father declared: The first creator is God; the second creator is Adam and Eve; the third creator is their children. God can now say He has grandchildren. The creation of the universe is the ideal of God’s creation, in a real, visible sense. The entire universe is becoming perfected now in our 3-level family structure.
We have entered the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the great era of transition. Mass migration may now take place. The Elder Son must save the world’s families. We can prepare ourselves to go out in the world as saviors. It is interesting to migrate to another country, especially this one, Brasil, where you can gain the benefits of being in the midst of the providence. The 40-day family workshop is the equivalent of attending True Parents directly for a three-year period.
From the 4th Jardim Declaration we learn that as blessed couples we offer ourselves and all we possess on the altar, as conditional offerings for the sake of humanity and restoration.
On the foundation of this 40 days, your family resurrects to the formation level of the perfection realm. In this new era we will come into the direct dominion of God. Through this workshop True Father is opening a new age. This workshop is different from the past.
Schedule
Following the Blessings of June 13, 1998 and February 7, 1999, a new world will start. True Father will solve the youth problems and family problems as we go into the new age.
It is best to take three generations to the workshops. Husband and wife is a must, and children and grandparents should accompany the couple if possible. This will enrich and empower your 40 days of learning and practicing.
At this workshop we inherit True Parents’ heart and tradition. Through the first 21 days you will be in the classroom reading and sharing together The Exposition of the Divine Principle; Blessing and Ideal Family; The Way of God’s Will; True Parents (v.10, HDH series); Life in the Spiritual World and on Earth (and Father’s Prayers when it is translated into English). Be sure to take all these books.
This is a family-style workshop; it is serious but relaxed at the same time. The schedule we had, for example, was as follows:
6:00 am Pledge & Hoon Dok Hae
7:00 am Breakfast
8:30 am Classroom
10:00 am Break
10:30 am Classroom
12:00 Lunch
2:30 pm Classroom
4:00 pm Break
4:30 pm Classroom
6:00 pm Dinner
7:30-9 pm Classroom
There are some variations, especially in the afternoons and evenings. Your group, for example, might want to visit the local ostrich farm and learn the interesting aspects of that project, or whatever else might come up. Some groups extend the evening sessions to 9:30 or 10 pm. Some groups keep late, late prayer conditions.
Our group would occasionally set aside time during some sessions to have guest speakers. There are members on the property, for instance, with special missions that are of interest to everyone. Or sometimes we invited a leader from another workshop to speak, like Rev. Hideo Oyamada. One day all workshops were called to meet together in the Temple and the mayor of Jardim came to speak to us.
In the second part of the workshop you will be spending 7 days traveling back and forth by bus to various other properties of True Parents. At these places you will be educated about the projects going on there and you will most probably be doing some fishing. Each family should take fishing equipment. They sell things like leaders and hooks at New Hope but you need to bring your rod and reel. Various baits are used: live small fish, corn, meat, worms, artificial bait and such. You will probably want to fish also at the local lakes on New Hope property during breaktime.
The third and final session involves 12 days of working for the community. There are many categories to choose from so everybody’s skills (or lack thereof) can be put to use. When you someday look back on this and realize, no matter where you may be, that you played a part (though maybe it was only a matter of hours or days) in building this kingdom, it will be your heavenly pride.
As far as children are concerned, you just hang loose. There were toddlers, pre-schoolers, on up to teenagers and young adult second generation. Japan had the largest group of children. So many, in fact, that the Japanese set up two age group classes to keep the children occupied, probably rotating the caretakers.
For others, you just do what you have to do. In our class some brought their children and hoped they would quietly play in the corner. Some sat on their parent’s laps. Some children found friends there and went off to play. Or sometimes the father or mother would stay in their room while a child was sleeping. It is not something that needs to be worried about. The children enjoy the fishing and walking times, mealtimes, the bus trips to other places, the animals, and just being with other families.
Way of Life
Speaking of walking times: One day a couple of us were strolling down a dirt road and suddenly we heard a loud hissing sound! It was undoubtedly targeted at us. We stopped dead in our tracks, our hearts thumping! Then, out of the corner of our eyes we saw a mama duck nestled in the brush, sitting on her eggs, hissing at the top of her lungs! We had greatly disturbed her. We politely hurried on our way.
The meals at the workshop are good-a combination of oriental and Brasilian food. It would be nice, however, if they would include some wild or brown rice to add nutrition and fiber to the white rice! You can have plenty of fruits, ice cream and snacks which are sold at a concession outside the dining hall. All proceeds go to the project there, so it is a pleasure to support the food concession as well as the "shopping center." I laughed when I first saw the crude little sign with an arrow pointing "Shopping Center." It turned out to be a tiny room in one of the buildings, but there’s a whole lot of stuff in that little room. Baby diapers and such are no problem. And if they don’t have what you need, they can probably pick it up for you on one of their daily trips to Jardim. Take any special medicines you need; maybe throw in some stomach medicine and laxatives, just in case the change in diet and water might effect you, but probably it will not. Take mosquito repellent and itch medicine as well.
Our first workshop was incredibly fortunate to have True Parents there a great deal of the time. In truth, because they were with us so much we were hardly aware that Parents actually came and went so many times, between us and the National Messiah workshop, which was a day’s journey away, not to mention their coming and going as well to the Northern Hemisphere workshops during that time! It was quite incredible. True Father is so seemingly omnipresent! So that first pioneering workshop had a more varied schedule than the ones to come are likely to have!
Our little band of pilgrims from North America, symbolizing the number of Jesus’ disciples, held strongly and tightly to the schedule, and though our 12 representative families came along at staggered times, still we anchored ourselves as much as we were able; and as clearly and correctly as we knew how, we made our mark in God’s history.
On August 28, the Holy Day of the Cosmic Sabbath and our graduation week as well, the Temple was filled and True Parents were present for the entertainment. Amidst the large classes of Koreans and Japanese, with their various performances, when our time came to perform, our little group proudly walked up on the huge stage and lined up representing North America, and to the best of our ability, we delivered several songs (one Korean, one Japanese, and one English), ending with "America the Beautiful." We appropriately changed a couple of things: "America, America...became "America, the Americas..." and "brotherhood" was changed to "fatherhood." It also seemed appropriate for us to take the children of our group on stage, so there we were, one baby in arm, three small children and one teenager all singing together. A true family group. It felt good.
Inheritance
Upon completing this workshop, blessed couples should now substantially become the couples that God intended for Adam and Eve, having no national, racial, cultural or language barriers. All will become one. This is how we secure our eternal life. We learn to live earthly life correctly-in practice. In our life of prayer we begin to be conscious of communing with God in terms of "we" not "I"; praying in terms of family instead of self, according to True Father’s instructions.
Through practice of Absolute Love, we can obtain Absolute Lineage. And on that foundation, we can attain the four attributes which engrafts us to God’s Lineage and God’s True Love.
Between the satanic world and the Fourth Adam era, we will learn to build ideal families. "Crossing the Jordan River" means departing the satanic world and reaching the heavenly shore. The Jordan River lies between these two borders. (Read Way of Unification from the HDH series, v.1, p.189). At this workshop we can cross the Jordan. Soon we will reach the other great shoreline.
We have to inherit God’s tradition of loving and protecting nature. South America is the place to do that. In fact, it can begin at your very door, where you most certainly will feed, hold or just chat with the gorgeous macaws that dwell in the trees in front of True Parents porch. With their beautiful feathers of green, yellow, red, and blue, they will perform for you on the wire between the trees, or just stroll along the ground at certain times of the day. You might be sitting on a bench nibbling a cookie or cracker and plop! You will have company beside you! Green parrots are there as well, sitting in the trees around you.
Dogs, cats, ducks, and even a few wild animals are all present. Some frolic together. Picturesque white Brahmin cows are seen everywhere. Eating beef is no problem there. A cow sells for one or two hundred dollars. Easy to feed a large crowd.
The fish you catch in South America will "talk" to you. Some of us have been surprised to have them sing or look up at us making funny little noises after they are caught.
When we return to our nations after this workshop we return as Abel-type citizens. There is now no opposition and no persecution for us. We begin anew our heavenly families.
True Father is the victor of land and water. The National Messiah fishing workshops that have been held represent the water, and the classroom workshops represent the land, so land and water are being connected, by true love. And by having simultaneous north and south workshops, True Father has been connecting the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. He long ago connected the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. How marvelously wondrous and all-encompassing is our beautiful True Father. Who else in all of history past or that which is yet to come could so beautifully weave all things, all beings together in the Cosmos to be harmoniously one. There is only One-Our Beloved and Revered True Father. Marching in complete harmony with God, Our True Father and True Mother have brought that harmony to the horizontal level, that all of humankind and all creatures might live and walk in that same harmony on Earth and in the Spiritual World forever.
Imagine how Jesus Christ and all the Christian martyrs feel right now. All the blood they shed, all the suffering paths they trod will now be totally glorified on Earth as well as in Heaven. Christianity itself can be united. What a glorious new age this is. Daytime is coming.
For this article, I have drawn from my own experiences at the Ideal Family workshop as well as notes taken there from True Father’s talks or talks of other leaders; some notes came from Rev. Kwak’s memos; some notes came from True Father’s recent speeches at Belvedere; and some words were taken from True Father’s Hoon Dok Hae series.