Spreading the Blessing in Kentucky

by Dennis Wooley-Louisville, KY

With a few countries and continents bestowing the Blessing upon large numbers of individuals and married couples, I considered seriously what we in America will do to open the gates. I anguished over this question primarily for our state, Kentucky. Finally the breakthrough arrived, and we are experiencing great hope.

I would like to start from the beginning. I arrived home after 40 days at Chung Pyung Lake. In spite of the phenomenal experience of Daemonim's workshop, I still wondered how our state could bring victory with the Blessing. I began contacting our ministers, and I invited them to lunch to have a chance to inspire them about the Blessing. Although the ministers' experience at last year's Washington conference was very high, they still experienced reluctance and hesitation. My reaction to that was to reach out to new ministers, only to experience rejection and more hesitation and heartache. I offered two successful seminars on The Holy Communion of Marriage, but no substantial Blessing resulted. I even gave one private seminar to a bishop of the House of God church, but still I could not move this man and his wife to receive the Blessing, nor could I persuade him to allow me to give the whole church a seminar.

While I was spinning my wheels with the churches and the ministers, one Tribal Messiah sister, Sun Willett, was successfully inviting couples for the Blessing. What a comfort that was for me! Our first Blessing took place in Lexington, Kentucky, where seven couples including one minister and his wife were Blessed. My wife and I experienced such joy as we officiated! But my heart was still filled with pain and uncertainty regarding future Blessings.

My wife and I decided to do a Divine Principle reading condition. One evening as we read together, we experienced a strange noise in our apartment; it sounded like a bell's ringing. We had no logical explanation for this sound, so we considered that it was spiritual. I am not one who has had many spiritual experiences, such as seeing or hearing the spiritual world. I should mention that while we were reading, I had a very intense headache. Later, I thought that this bell-ringing sound was a way for spirit world to comfort us. That night, during the 100-day prayer condition which Daemonim gave us, I could break through and cry for the first time during the condition. For me, shedding tears in prayer is next to impossible-I am just not a very good weeper. I spoke to God in a very personal way, and I asked Him how to achieve the Blessing goal. I said to God that we have many theological ways to express our motivation to act, but that it's more from my heart to say that my motivation to act and to sacrifice springs from my love for God and True Parents. I explained to God that I could see no clear path to fulfill the Blessing goal: what can I, what can we, do? When I concluded this prayer, I was surprised because my headache had lifted, and a very warm and peaceful feeling enveloped me. The only way I know to describe this feeling is that it was like a parent putting an arm around me with the purpose to encourage, and I emerged from this experience with expectation, hope and love.

The answer came, but in an unexpected way. Sun Willett had gone house to house, and she invited 12 couples to a hall Blessing. My wife and I drove down to Georgetown, Kentucky to officiate. There was only one problem: not one couple came! Then Sun Willett said to me that we should visit them in their homes and Bless them there. I agreed. In about one hour, we Blessed six couples in their homes. Then I had a great inspiration that we could go door to door and Bless couples whom we have not previously contacted. My imagination was filled with intense expectancy.

As a couple we began experimenting with door to door Blessings, and we discovered it works. I gave Holy Wine and Holy Water to each of our Tribal Messiah families, and I educated them how to conduct Blessings. Including my couple, there are several couples working, and our state brings this great Blessing to new couples almost every day. One can imagine that if every American Blessed couple brought one new couple per day, that would mean about 2,500 new Blessed couples daily, and 360,000 couples would be no problem by November. As I write this, Kentucky has brought 140 new couples, and that number increases every day by five or six couples.

I have developed a script for the door to door Blessings, and I would like to offer it here. Hi. (Showing my business card.) My name is Dennis, and this is my wife and baby. We are working with the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. The world founders of the FFWPU are the Reverend and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon. We are on a campaign to reach out to 160 married couples who would like to do a five-minute marriage rededication. The purpose is to revive family values and to create world peace. May we come in and explain?

When we enter, we take them through the Holy Wine and Holy Water Ceremonies. My spouse and I embrace the couples' hands, and I pray. Next, we ask them to say "yes" after each marriage vow. It is very important for the couple to fill out the headquarters' application. I explain that through the application they can receive a beautiful certificate. One Tribal Messiah, Norman Presley, suggested giving each couple a lunch or dinner certificate from a delightful restaurant. At the end, I explain to them that the FFWPU is a large organization composed of many ministers and leaders, and that its purpose is to strengthen marriages and families. I tell them that we are not expecting anything from them. Most couples are very joyful. One couple said to me that they appreciated the religious wedding because they had been married by a justice of the peace. Once we encountered a married couple while another couple was visiting them. We pre-Blessed both couples at the same time, together. During the vows, I asked both couples to shout "yes"! They united with my direction perfectly, and they experienced much joy as they shouted "yes!" in unison. We have met virtually no negativity. Our challenge is to find both spouses home or to find married people. When we found married couples, they invariably elected to invite us in and receive their home Blessing. They were surprised, but their original minds were powerfully moved, and they expressed much joy and gratitude because we had knocked on their door. Recently, my wife and I pre-Blessed an Indian couple. The husband explained that he is agnostic. I exclaimed to him that I understood, because many years ago I too was agnostic. He then very sincerely asked me how I changed. I said, I can answer very simply; I discovered Rev. Sun Myung Moon's Divine Principle, and after having studied its contents, my life completely changed and from that moment there was never another doubt about the existence of God. This highly educated man whose wife is a medical doctor asked very humbly where he can get the Divine Principle. I said, I will get it for you now, but the man said, we can come to you, and both he and his wife jumped into our van and came home with us. We served them juice, and I served them the Divine Principle, and as I write this now, the husband is reading the Divine Principle from cover to cover.

I would like to share about the effort of Sun Willett, our Korean Tribal Messiah sister in Georgetown, Kentucky. Sun Willett has brought 90 couples from our 140 by herself. From the couples she brought, at least 15 hold Ph.D. degrees, and several are doctoral students from the University of Kentucky in Lexington. One key to her success was because she joined a group for foreign wives who met at a church for fellowship. As she is Korean, she fits right in with the group.

On April 28, Joe and Sun Willett invited nine couples for the Blessing. They were Russian and Palestinian. Two of the Russians hold doctorates in scientific fields. My wife and I officiated this Blessing, and I gave the talk which Dr. Hendricks developed, God's Plan for Conjugal Love. All participants were Christian. One Palestinian man who has lived in the United States for many years said to me that this marriage talk was the best he ever heard in his life. Therefore, I owe a huge debt to Dr. Hendricks for developing these brilliant seminars. One Russian wife sang two beautiful traditional Russian songs for our entertainment. One of the Russian husbands, with much enthusiasm, said to me that he enjoyed the Holy Wine Ceremony very much because this ceremony is similar to the marriage ceremony of the Russian Orthodox Church. During my talk, I was moved by the spirit, and I asked if anyone was married more than 20 years; each couple then began spontaneously to shout out how many years they were married, and we all applauded each couple. This raised the atmosphere very high.

On May 20, the Willetts once again as well as Greg and Keiko Breland invited 14 couples to Ryan's Family Steak House for the Blessing. Most of these couples were friends of the couples whom we pre-Blessed on April 28. The couples from April 28 felt compelled to share this great Blessing with their friends. From those pre-Blessed on May 20, nearly each couple said "thank you" after my wife and I gave them the Holy Wine. Before I read the Blessing vows, I asked all couples to respond to each vow with a resounding "yes!" in unison. That moment was very exciting as we really raised the roof! I felt True Parents were in the room. One man from India came to us with tears in his eyes and exclaimed, "I did not know that this experience would be so touching." For entertainment, we listened to songs from Russia, India, Palestine and-as our very own Sun Willett sang Arirang-Korea. The spirit and atmosphere of this international Blessing felt like a Unification event. I closed my eyes and imagined I was attending a celebration at East Garden.

The Willetts and the Brelands invited very accomplished and distinguished people for this Blessing. One participant is a medical doctor, and three other participants hold Ph.D.'s. Two are engineers; another, Xijun Fu, is the artistic director of the Lexington Ballet. The nations represented by couples at this Blessing included Russia, India, Egypt, Palestine, China, Vietnam, Armenia, Tanzania and the United States.

Through the door to door Blessings, I have found incredible liberation. Of course, I still intend to work with our ministers and with the churches, but at the same time I must not wait for them, and in Kentucky, for the present, the door to door method is moving at the speed of light compared to the speed of the ministers. The comfort I feel is the result of the freedom to stay in the subject position in my approach to the Blessing. Often I have allowed ministers to make me the object completely, which is fine when it comes to serving them and the community, but we simply have no time to waste. We must quickly go on the offensive to bring God's liberation to this nation, to save the families and marriages. I know with full certainty that it is entirely possible for America to pre-Bless 360,000 couples. But we have to become aggressive and consider creative modes of reaching out.

Dennis Wooley is the Kentucky state leader.

Salvation through Marriage and the 21st Century

The image of God is male and female. That is, the very foundation of the universe is a dynamic existence which contains energies which we call male and female, or positivity and negativity, or complimentary, polar opposites.

Therefore we observe the interaction of male and female, or positivity and negativity, throughout the natural world. The Creator's nature is manifested in the creation. Either that, or 1) there is no creator and we are not creations (i.e. we created ourselves) or 2) the words Creator and creation have no meaning, that is, they are falsities, naming something that is not actual.

Even by observation we can know that nothing can come into existence, nor maintain its existence, without this interaction of male and female. This interaction takes place both within an entity and between an entity and other entities. For example, within an atom there are interactions of protons and electrons, and externally the atom relates with other atoms to form molecules. Everything is relational. The world is an ecological whole. That's why we enlightened westerners now put our plastic containers into one receptacle and our glass into another and our coffee grinds into a third. There is no garbage (except for that amazing new invention: information).

This universal principle of masculine/feminine is a guide for human life. That is, it reveals how we can live in order that we might be in harmony with the cosmos, or in synch with the cosmos. This is a good thing to know, because the cosmos is one unit, indeed, a universe. William James, the American philosopher, said it is a multiverse, but science has advanced since his day. Since the universe is one unity, there is no other place to go. If we are not in synch with the one reality, then we are indeed "out of it," big time. And being out of it has been more or less the human condition since the fall.

The fall can be looked at as the great disharmonization, as the event when set humankind at odds with the universe and its principles. Some say that we can regain harmony through physical means: the food we eat (as if the fall were eating the wrong food), the clothes we wear (as if the fall were the killing of animals), the fuel we use (as if the fall were the discovery of fire). Others say we can regain harmony through spiritual means: a well-adjusted personality (as if the fall were a psychological trauma), humility (as if the fall were a sudden onset of arrogance), or enlightenment (as if the fall were a sudden descent into blindness and ignorance).

But the fall, by Unificationist thinking, was the misuse of love by a man and a woman. Therefore, we can regain harmony by establishing the true harmony of man and woman. This means true marriage, and it is the meaning of the Blessing of marriage.

The Blessing of God is necessary because a man and woman by themselves cannot establish harmony with the cosmos; the cosmos is involved as well. And the Creator of the cosmos, God, therefore is involved. No individual can declare to the universe: you have to harmonize with me; rather, the individual must harmonize with God who is the Origin of the universe; in that way, the human being is in harmony with the universe.

Similarly, a couple cannot proclaim themselves to be perfectly in harmony with creation, without gaining the approval of the creation. To gain this, the couple must love the creation, live for the creation, be true stewards of creation. Again, this comes through the couple establishing true oneness with God. To do so is to gain God's Blessing.

We live at a time in history when the price of such a Blessing has virtually been paid by the generations which have come before us. Just as we enjoy the fruits of the scientific and political works of the past generations, we enjoy the fruits of the sacrificial faith, hope and love of the past generations. The question is, what do we do with it?

In the field of technology, for example, we can simply drive cars and fly airplanes, enjoying the fruit of the labor of past generations. But there is a little more work to do, to solve, for example, the problems of pollution caused by this not-quite-perfect technology. If we settle for this "pretty-good" technology, without bringing it to perfection, it will destroy us, and decree that the work of the generations was in vain. To solve the pollution problem will cap off the work of generations, and allow it to be sustainable.

Similarly, we can simply enjoy free love in a prosperous and open society, enjoying the fruit of the sacrifice of past generations. But there is a little more work to do here, too, to solve, for example, the problems of adultery, fornication and homosexuality caused by this not-quite-perfect love. If we settle for this "pretty-good" love, without bringing to perfection, it will destroy us, and decree that the work of the generations before us was in vain. to solve the polluted love problem will cap off the work of generations, and allow it to be sustainable.

This "capping off" is the meaning of the Blessing. It is the final step on a long road toward the sanctification of marriage.

The Vision Thing

Who will give shape to the world of the future? Will it be the blind forces of economy, politics and nature? As we know from our own lives, we can do the most when we have a clear plan for the future. Setting a goal gives shape to the future which we in part create through our hard work.

Take, for example, the United States. The founders had a clear vision for the shape of the society which they intended to create. The pioneers of the 19th century had a clear vision of the nature and destiny of this nation. This vision lapsed in the mid-twentieth century. Thus, the nation has floundered, its tremendous economic energy being dissipated a far too great investment in products and services which are not beneficial to the greater world ($8 billion a year on pornography, for example; or hundreds of billions on Hollywood films).

What are the compelling visions for the next century? Islam has a very strong vision. The vision of communism failed. Christianity has a great vision for individual happiness and family coherence as long as they do not raise their eyes to far and go wandering off into the clouds in which they expect to meet the Lord. The most effective vision may be that of the techno-barons. But I would advise such folks to read a short-story written over 50 years ago by a science fiction writer named, if my memory serves me, E. M. Forster, called "The Machine Stops." He envisioned a world in which everyone lives alone underground in an air-conditioned home, connected with everyone else on the planet through a system of televisions and computers. It surely is the world which the architects of virtual reality are bringing us. I read recently of prototype body suits through which people can have virtual sex with each other. Anyway, the story proceeds through some plot which I forget, but the end is that the machine stops, and people have to face real reality.

I digress. The point is that mankind is in need of a vision for the world as one, beyond poetry and songs and into practical reality. Now is history's golden opportunity to bind mankind together, to heal the wounds of the past and create one true world under God. Everyone wants it, and it is not that far away, if only we would move in the right direction.

That direction is defined by the healing and wholeness of marriage and family life. The special work of Reverend and Mrs. Moon, which they have been pursuing for years with single-minded intensity, is to connect this ideal of the family with the structures of the world: scientific, technological, governmental, media, educational, cultural, legal, recreational, and so forth. We find that all peoples are ready to combine their energies for common goals of peace, freedom, unity and happiness. But the foundation is pure love, absolute sex, complete marital fidelity. Once adultery and fornication are overcome, the world and universe will be God's oyster. This is the meaning of the Blessing.

RYS American Friendship Projects in the Dominican Republic

by John W. Gehring-NYC

The RYS as an inter-religious peace project is constantly seeking for ways to create better cooperation among the youth of various nations and religious backgrounds. Each region of the globe has its own particular historic situations as well as its current social, political, religious and economic strengths and dilemma's.

RYS founder, Rev. Sun Myung Moon and its religious advisors agree that the central foundation for a healthy future lies in the cooperation between people of faith and this task is increasingly falling on the shoulders of the upcoming generation.

As part of a strategy to better connect the people's of the America's, the RYS has sponsored its third "America's Friendship Project" which was hosted by the Dominican Republic on May 19-27. Forty staff and participants representing Haiti, Dominican Republic, USA, Japan and Germany helped repair a rural school 20km. outside of the capital of Santo Domingo. The central theme of the program; "Creating an island of friendship" was based on the current need for closer relationships between the residents of this island, the home of both Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

In January, 1996 the RYS in cooperation with the IRFF and the WFWP held a project in Haiti in which foreign participants came largely from the USA and from the Dominican Republic and helped to build a medical facility and school rooms at the Haitian Academy outside of Port au Prince. Based on the success of this initial project and the cooperation between the sponsors a plan was made to invite a large team of Haitian participants to the Dominican Republic and build on the trust and good will from that initial project. The RYS project in May was the result of this plan.

The ideal of peaceful cooperation and friendship takes more then a vision and good intentions, hard work and effective planning are also needed. One example which helps to illustrate some of the difficulties encountered in implementing the friendship project was that all our programs had to be conducted in Creole, Spanish and English. The three way translations were time consuming and laborious, often testing participants patience.

Aside from the linguistic differences of the participants, cultural outlooks, religious background and economic situations were often widely diverse and people had to work to find common denominators to which to build trust and friendship. Dr. Ron Burr (University of Southern Mississippi) and Dr. Kathy Winnings (IRFF) teamed up and helped model and guide the teams to come to points where cooperation and sharing could begin. The physical work at the school also provided a way to create team spirit and cooperation.

The rural village where the repair of the school took place was eager to welcome the RYS. The school had suffered from years of negligence and a new school master was trying to make a last effort to keep the school open. The appearance of international volunteers did two things for the community; it provided a needed service on the building but more important, it renewed the communities interest and involvement in the school.

Mother's and children, out of curiosity, increasingly appeared at the work site. Before long, the children and parents were drawn into the activity and joined the work teams, painting, scrapping, cleaning and doing jobs that fit their abilities.

The contrast of the schools appearance before the coming of RYS and at the time of departure was dramatic. The contrast in the energy level of village at the time of arriving of RYS as to the time of the project was just as dramatic. People serving people generates joyful energy and provides a visible demonstration of what religious cooperation is about.

One special gift that the RYS created for the school was a beautiful friendship mural, designed and painted by participants from the University of Bridgeport. This mural required an enormous amount of cooperation and extra work but provided the personal warm of a gift of love.

During the project RYS participants were able to involve themselves in discussions on themes related to their religious faiths and to the theme of peace. One demonstration of this spirit occurred during the project was the Island Friendship Ceremony which was sponsored by the WFWP. During this evening program fourteen teams of three represents from Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Japan were matched in friendship. Participants commented that the time they were able to spend together and share openly was one of their deepest experiences during their stay at the RYS.

One afternoon, RYS participants had a chance to test the Caribbean waters, which were found to be warm, blue and to the liking of all. In addition, participants visited several historic sights in Santo Domingo among which the museum in honor of Christopher Columbus was of most interest.

RYS programs conclude with evaluations and a time for reflection. Ms. Rachael Wood and RYS director, John Gehring conducted several sessions which gave the participants a chance to think about what they learned during this time together and allowed them to make some personal commitment to what they would like to do when they returned back home. One session included the creation of a "Declaration of Friendship" between those representing the Dominican Republic and the Republic of Haiti.

As the RYS plans future activities in the America's, it hopes to draw an increasing number of students from the USA and Canada into a deeper relationship with our neighbors to the south. RYS as part of the International Religious Foundation (IRF) seeks to show the value of the religious heritages that belong to the America's. This heritage goes back to the America's First People's and has strong Christian roots, yet it is a heritage that is continually adjusting to the impact of new immigrants and contemporary changes in our understanding of Ultimate Reality.

Rev. Al Sharpton Blessed in NYC

by Juanita Pierre-Louis

No Justice! No Peace! No Justice! No Peace! What do you want? Justice! When do you want it? Now!

This is the battle cry you hear on Madison Avenue at 125th Street every Saturday morning at the broadcast of the Right Reverend Al Sharpton-or should I say, Mayor Sharpton-at 11pm, the headquarters of the National Action Network, better known in Harlem as The House of Justice-where Rev. Sharpton is also the President.

Rev. Sharpton is planning to run for the seat of Mayor of New York City. And all of us know that's a big seat; however, Rev. Sharpton is a big man, spiritually and physically! It might fit!!!!

On May 24, 1997, The House of Justice turned into The House of the Holy Blessing, where Rev. and Mrs. Al and Kathy Jordan Sharpton renewed their marriage vows, as their beautiful daughters approved. Officiating the ceremony were Rev. and Mrs. J.H. Pak, leaders of the North America True Family Values Ministry, and Dr. Tyler Hendricks, president of the American True Family Values Ministry. Also in attendance were the directors of the Harlem True Family Values Ministry, Mr. and Mrs. Edner and Juanita Pierre-Louis, with other members and staff of the TFVM.

The ceremony was profound and beautiful. In rededicating their marriage, Rev. and Mrs. Sharpton made certain vows to God and each other. The vows pertained to never divorcing, always guiding their children to practice sexual purity before marriage and fidelity to their spouses after matrimony, and pledging to participate in the 3.6 million couples Blessing on Nov. 29, 1997 at RFK Stadium in Washington DC to help foster world peace.

Rev. & Mrs. Sharpton Officiate at NYC Blessing

by Edner & Juanita Pierre-Louis

On May 15, 1997 at the historic Manhattan Center, an especially historic event took place, presided over by a man and woman who are history-makers. We're speaking of none other than Rev. and Mrs. Al and Kathy Jordan Sharpton.

In the rain, by bus, by train they came to hear words of inspiration and receive vows of rededication of marriage from Rev. and Mrs. Sharpton.

Nothing could dampen the spirit of the enthusiastic crowd coming to hear. As the night quickly moved along, there was stimulating music performed by the Henry T. Wilkerson Gospel Combo, a rousing rendition of "Bye and Bye" by Lady Grace of Phoenix, Arizona. The group's leader, Evangelist Elayysandria London, had the crowd on its feet, ready for Rev. Sharpton.

Whatever the difficulties Rev. Sharpton has encountered in his efforts to understand and lead people, it should be clear to all reflective thinkers that his techniques of dealing with them is a vindication of love.

And it was an act of love which ushered in the officiation of Rev. and Mrs. Sharpton and Rev. and Mrs. Pak for 21 waiting couples from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

In His mercy, God sent Jesus to save us and empower us through the Holy Spirit. Today the Lord is opening the gate of the original Blessing of Marriage. This is the day God and Jesus long desired to see (Rev. 22:14). The officiators were adorned in white Holy Robes. Rev. and Mrs. Sharpton offered the Holy Wine. The Holy Wine Ceremony contains deep spiritual significance. Jesus turned water into wine at the marriage at Cana. Through the Holy Wine Ceremony, God changes our sinful blood lineage into a sanctified blood lineage in preparation to bestow His Holy Blessing.

Rev. and Mrs. Pak sprinkled the Holy Water. The sprinkle of Holy Water represents the sanctifying love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit upon the couple.

John the Revelator told us, "The Spirit and the Bride say 'Come!' Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life" (Rev. 22:17).

And they came to receive the Blessing of God, and His Holy Communion.

The Bridge of True Love

Another highlight of the evening was the crossing of the bridge by husbands and wives. They met in the center of the bridge and embraced. It was like watching two worlds come together in a peaceful manner.

This bridge has also been called the bridge of peace, and has been crossed by nations and races. Maybe someday future former Mayor Giuliani and future Mayor Sharpton will cross this bridge at City Hall, and chant together, "No Justice! No Peace!"

Reminiscence - Facing Fear in Central Africa

by Joy Pople

A twin-engine propeller plane waits at the foot of the stairs of Syracuse's Hancock Airport. It's August 18, 1991, and I'm on the first leg of a three-week trip to Africa. Last fall the Reverend Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church, launched an International Exchange Program, encouraging Americans to serve for a few weeks in some overseas aspect of the movement.

Names were drawn out of a hat, and our family was assigned the Central African Republic. Out with the atlas. North of Zaire and south of Chad. A sparsely populated country about the size of Texas, right in the center of Africa.

Africa. So far from central New York, not just in miles but in consciousness. I had become enchanted with the French language in high school, but I never had the money to travel to a French-speaking country. Will anyone understand my schoolgirl French? Will I catch some weird tropical disease?

I got a telephone call from Steve in Boston, who traveled to the Central African Republic last year. He told me that a group of members live in a village he called Wonju, outside the capital. They have no telephone or street address. Mail rarely gets through, so communication is by telex to someone working at a government office in the capital, Bangui.

Leave without pay has to be arranged at my work, and baby-sitting organized for the children. It takes a lot of effort to make all the travel arrangements on one's own. At the County Health Department, I get various shots and a supply of malaria pills. I send off for a new passport, get a visa application and express-mail it to Washington, and make airline reservations that will take me through Paris, the city of my dreams. I send a telex to Bangui, advising them of my arrival date.

As my husband John drives me to the Syracuse airport our children, Stacy and Jason, are blowing paper wads through pea shooters. Do they know how very far away I am going?

My bags do not arrive in Paris on the same flight I do; my connecting flight departs while I trying to figure out what to do. It's too late to send a telex advising people not to meet me on today's flight. I book a room at the cheapest hotel near the airport ($80.00 a night), in hopes my bags will arrive tomorrow. My dream of exploring Paris comes true when Air France gives me free bus tickets to the city, where I walk the streets until I cannot lift one foot above the other. The only thing I buy in Paris is a cup of coffee at a sidewalk cafe on the Champs Elysees. At nearly $5.00 a cup, I can't afford to stay in Paris very long. Upon returning to my room I find my lost luggage. I decide to try following Steve's directions for getting to Wonju.

In the morning I turn on the television and see shots of tanks in the streets of Moscow, but I comprehend little of the newscast. On the airplane I search the Herald Tribune for an explanation of current events. Overnight there has been a crackdown in the Soviet Union and hard-line conservatives are taking over the government. Few details are known.

The flight from Paris to Bangui takes six and a half hours. As we reach the shore of Africa. I see patchy vegetation, roads, villages, and eventually only sandy terrain. Buildings and roads are scattered over the landscape. Perhaps fifteen minutes after we cross over into Africa, only rippled sand is visible below.

A movie is shown. By movie's end patterns appear on the ground. Some greenish patches amid the sandy-colored areas. Meandering green strips, like curled ribbons, might be river courses. A muddy river becomes visible. Occasional groups of buildings line its banks. Ahead of us the landscape is clearly green. The river meanders, with various islands and sand bars perched on the curves. Vegetation mixes with reddish-looking soil, and there are some cultivated fields. The landscape resembles a bright green tortoise shell, crisscrossed with darker green lines following the changing contours of the land.

I buy the tourist booklet sold by the airline. On the map of the capital I look for the village of Wonju, but there is nothing by that name. What will I face on the ground? As we descend, clouds filter the rays of the sun. The plane touches down at 4:45 pm.

As the rear exit opens, a wave of humidity hits us. Soldiers line the tarmac leading to the terminal. Porters and taxi drivers pull at my bags and scream at me. I feel like a rabbit with falcons ripping it limb from limb. I say I want to take a bus to the central market and then go to Wonju. From what I can make out, there is no Wonju, there are no buses to downtown, and the market is closed by now. A kind of unreality sets in. There is less sunlight than when we landed. I'm going to have to find some place for the night.

I spot a van with an empty rear seat, pick up my bags and climb in. They all talk at once. I say I'm looking for l'Eglise de l'Unification, Unification Church. They understand the church part. After a few minutes, they pull up in front of an iron gate. Someone puts my bags on the ground. I offer to pay for the ride, but they shake their heads and drive off.

There I find an American couple. I say I am coming to visit Unification Church members somewhere near Bangui, but the directions I was given were unclear, and I need a place for the night. They introduce themselves as the Lindquists and explain that this is a support center for evangelical missionaries and they have rooms to rent. They are dumbfounded, though, that I would travel so far without a precise destination. Rev. Moon teaches us to serve, wherever we go, so I start washing the dishes in the sink. I am urged to stop, because Africans need employment, and they are hired to do the housework. It's not easy to be accepted even as a servant.

Over breakfast we study the map and conclude that Ouango must be my destination. They describe how to reach the downtown market on foot. "But we still don't understand why you came at all," they say. "Didn't you know about the U.S. State Department advisory warning Americans not to travel to the Central African Republic?" They describe recurrent instability, strikes, and riots.

"I came in faith," I respond.

"If you feel anything suspicious, go quickly in the opposite direction," they urge me.

Heading downtown, I spot a sign and recognize part of the telex address. I walk through the door and ask for Noel, the contact person on the telex. A dignified man, perhaps in his 30's, appears. Slowly a smile ripples across his face.

Noel finds a vehicle to take me to Ouango. Large trees line the roads. We head east along the Ubangui River, the green hills of Zaire rising on the other bank, passing hotels, embassy residences, a military camp, and a village. In about 15 minutes we reach Ouango. We wind our way between houses for about a kilometer and stop in front of a cinder block building. Rather than formal church structures, our movement often chooses a building that can serve as a residence as well as a center for worship, education and outreach.

Someone is sent to locate Lenga, the pastor. There is warmth and intensity in his eyes and handshake. He is 37 and has worked in several countries, in addition to his native Zaire. He speaks good English.

Just yesterday, Lenga explains, the military government promised to allow general elections; the riots have been called off. He gives me more background. Nine years ago, our movement here was disbanded, due to pressure from the French government officials and some missionaries. A large pilot project was going to provide agricultural and technical education as well as moral guidance, to young Africans. However, all the equipment was confiscated and nationals from other countries were expelled. Many members became discouraged. The nation has experienced severe economic difficulties, and its large external debt translates into no salaries for government workers. "Your arrival is concrete testimony to our members that we are not forgotten," Lenga says.

Various members are trying to generate income through sausage production, a small restaurant, and butterfly artwork. Even in the worst of times, at least people have to eat. Christine, an energetic, young Central African woman, experiments with menu ideas for the restaurant. On the porch she mixes sweet yeast dough. I am thirsty and ask for boiled water. For three weeks, I am always thirsty.

Our mid-afternoon dinner is rice, fish, cabbage, bread, and bananas. We do dishes on the front porch, using water from the open tap between our house and the next one. In this tropical climate, many daily activities are open-air and visible to everyone, since there are no barriers between yards. Children stop and stare on the way to or from the faucet.

On a tiny black and white television, we listen to news of events in the Soviet Union. Here in a humble African village there is a world consciousness. We pray in tears for true freedom in the Soviet Union. How small the world is!

After dark, fires are built on top and bottom of an oil drum that serves as an oven. An opening was cut halfway down the drum and ledges welded onto the inside of the drum. One dray at a time, rolls are thrust into the drum for baking, and a stick props a sheet of metal over the opening. Periodically Christine adjusts the fire and uses her intuition to know when the rolls are finished. Each roll is almost exactly the same size and each pan baked to the same degree of doneness.

At 11:00 we turn on the television and learn that Gorbachev has returned to Moscow. We end what seems like an awfully long day with a short prayer.

It becomes light around 5:30, and we rise for morning prayer. I am asked to speak each morning, and I use as inspiration the book of Joshua.

Everyone helps clean or prepare breakfast. Afterwards Lenga and I go by jitney cab to Bangui. Several blind or crippled beggars approach disembarking passengers. Muslims in distinctive dress give alms. There are dry goods stores, specialty shops, and a covered food market. Manioc, millet and corn are staples, along with bread, rice, tomatoes, beans, onions, peppers and various greens.

Lenga wants to take me to see a house they are hoping to rent in the capital. We walk about a mile in a steady rain.

Back in the village, Christine is baking another batch of rolls. I give her a shoulder massage when she dozes off. Children bring a coin to buy a roll. I search a song book for translations of familiar tunes. Shy Gilberte and several neighbor children join in the singing.

In the village people greet each other in passing. One person says "Bonjour," [hello] and the other replies, "Merci," [thank you] in gratitude for the greeting. Village children stare at me as I pass, and sometimes they come running up to me with hand outstretched. When I say "Bonjour" they giggle or run away. In the urban environment of the capital, people do not interact much with passersby.

The task of the next morning is to shell a vast quantity of squash seeds for the restaurant. Children are promised some of Christine's sweet rolls in return for helping, and the porch has a festive atmosphere. Some children amuse themselves by moving seeds from one person's dish to another, to change the appearance of the comparative amount of work done. Two aggressive boys pester the older girls, who defend themselves quite well.

Clothes are placed to soak in basins and washed when there is time and when the weather is favorable. Generally each person does his or her own wash, but when someone leaves things to soak, another person may take the opportunity to serve. I scrub and scrub someone's clothes and hang them up to dry. However, Christine tells me later that the socks weren't cleaned well enough, and she redid them. It is not easy to be a good servant.

Around noon a car pulls up. One of the sausage customers is looking for meat. He and his friend complain how hard it was to find the place. They ask about Rev. Moon's teachings. One man describes how his mother has a book of Rev. Moon's thought, and every time she reads it she becomes a better person. This country needs spiritual values and moral guidance, he says.

On Sunday we rise early for prayer. The night heat is always oppressive, especially since windows are shut tight to keep out insects. After prayer I go outside to breathe in the fresh dawn air. Feeling drained by the cumulative lack of sleep, I return to bed. Christine and Gilberte stop in to announce breakfast, but my body protests. At 8:30 Lenga sends word that I really need to get ready to make it to 9:30 Sunday service. A cup of coffee helps, but I am still in a fog as we take a taxi to Noel's home on the far side of Bangui, where a couple of dozen members living nearby are gathered. The familiar hymns uplift my spirit and slowly energy fills me. I am introduced as the guest speaker. I'm surprised to discover my French flows somewhat naturally. Noel and his wife invite us to stay for a chicken dinner, a traditional meal for honored guests. A pitcher of Tang is set under the table, and I can't resist refilling my glass twice.

On Monday we wake up to a hard rain. There is a timelessness to the downpour. The year could be 1891. Or 2091. Water assembles in reddish-orange rivulets. None of the usual scavenger pigs, goats, chickens or dogs appear. Ducks claim exclusive rights to the breakfast crumbs. To stand in shelter and watch the downpour is so peaceful, so healing.

A young girl from next door comes over. She often goes on errands for whoever is cooking here. I get out pencils and paper and offer her a pencil if she would make a drawing for me. She begins eagerly, but if I look in her direction she hides her paper. There has been no school since last October, the teachers having gone on strike because there is no money to pay their salary. Two more children come and work a long time on drawings. They compete for space on the only chair. The children communicate in the local language, rather than French, and we don't totally understand each other. As the neighborhood telepathy spreads the word about free pencils in return for a drawing, more and more children come, and when the pencils are gone they get upset.

After supper, Lenga talks to me about his family, his experiences with God, his longing to bring God's heart to the people of Central Africa. The next morning I wake up to see light coming in the window. I must have slept. The delight of at last being able to sleep remains with me all morning, and I begin to feel at home.

I accompany Tshimpsa, a Zairian expert in sausage production, to the city to deliver the sausages he made yesterday and visit some members. After a lunch of chicken, potatoes, manioc and papaya, I wash dishes and enjoy a leisurely bucket bath in the enclosed stall behind the house. But first I had to shoo off some nosy boys. The simple joys of life--a bath, some papaya.

The next day it is late afternoon when we return to the village. I sit on the porch drinking boiled water, while dinner is being prepared. A young girl arrives to remind us of the Wednesday prayer service. Tshimpsa and other members leisurely discuss how exhausted I must be. "Maybe yes, maybe no," I reply. I rise to follow the girl. "No, wait. You haven't eaten," the others protest.

It is farther away than I had supposed, but I focus on moving one foot in front of the other. Singing has begun when we arrive at a humble house. One person reads from Rev. Moon's words, translating the French into the local language. I am asked to speak. I had forgotten that as a visiting elder, I would be expected to offer words of inspiration and guidance wherever I go. As I open my mouth, French words and phrases come to mind. I talk about raising children with a spiritual foundation and developing a supportive spiritual community among the church families.

We head back in the dark and sit down to a combination of dinner and supper. I want to visit local families, and Tshimpsa takes me to the home of Papa and Mama Tomas. We are shown to an immaculate living room. Behind the couch is a large blackboard with notes from a lecture.

I ask what had attracted them to the Unification movement and where they found the greatest difficulty. The wife was contacted first. Her husband, a Catholic, didn't want to hear about anything new. But bit by bit the members visiting their home caught his interest and he began to study the Principle, Rev. Moon's teaching. Still he always had questions, long series of questions which would severely try the patience of our members. When he finally became convinced of the significance of the Principle, he outstripped his wife in devotion. To her consternation, he quit his job to devote full time to church work for three years. How did they survive financially, I ask. The wife's answer chokes in her throat.

Their seven-year-old daughter has missed a year of school, due to the strikes. Yet she knows how to read even complex words. They explain that their children join them in daily family prayer and study. Then Papa Tomas has questions for me. His pointed questions require thoughtful response, and like his wife, I find myself choking on memories.

Eventually arrangements are made to move to a house in the city, and we go to clean it. I pull weeds from around the flowers, check the walls for cobwebs, and sweep loose sand from the floors. I see a young man scrubbing an armoire with water that appears like thick mud. I try to tell him he should get fresh water, but his face has a blank look. I call over Lenga and protest that to clean this way only makes things dirtier.

As I listen to myself I hear a critical tone and bite my lips. I didn't come here to complain, an inner voice says. Biblical stories of how people recognized their wrongdoing come to mind. I get a scrub brush and work on the kitchen; then I do the bathroom. For some reason, during these twenty-one days I get the message that I am suppose to serve, without criticizing or complaining. Rain begins. We haven't eaten anything since our morning bread and coffee. Finally back in Ouango, a cold supper and a warm bath bucket awaits us.

Gertrude comes over from the Zairian village across the river to be with me, and I talk to her about what I learned while cleaning, that when I begin to criticize and complain I leave a position which God could bless. I give my last morning service in Ouango on that theme.

Before returning to America I stop to say good-bye to the Lindquists. They ask for my impressions of my visit. I reply that I met God in a deeper way. I came here to give, but my conclusion is that I have received far more than I have given. They remark that everyone who has stayed with them has the same report.

Religious Youth Service (RYS) Announces Summer Schedule

The RYS is welcoming you to take part in its summer of international adventure and service. Upcoming projects include the following:

Ufa, Bashkortostan Republic (part of the C.I.S.) on July 21-August 11 will host a project that includes the restoring a rehabilitation center for handicapped children. A great increase in the number of handicapped children has occurred in this region that was once an industrial center in the former Soviet Union.

The IRFF and CARP already began work on this center in February and now the RYS is gathering fifty young adults from all over the globe to take part.

The RYS will work with the WFWP Bangladesh and WFWP Japan in a project in rural area outside Dhaka, Bangladesh on August 19-29. This project will include the construction of a facility that will be used for adult education and women's economic development. This project is open to US and other international participants. Please apply through the New York office.

The RYS of Great Britain is finalizing plans for an ecological project in Birmingham, Great Britain on September 2-13. This project follows the success of last years international project in the same city. Participants will be mostly from Europe but others are welcomed.

For more information please contact:

The RYS
4 West 43rd St., New York, NY 10036
PH 212 869 6023 ext. 429 or FAX 212 869 6424

Information on the CIS can be received from either RYS, New York or

IRFF c/o Mr. Tom Philipps
113093, Moscow, ul. Bolshaya Serpuhovskaya, 48-30;
Phone (++) 95 238 61 28.

We hope that this summer's programs will provide for you an opportunity of a lifetime.

Partnerships for Peace - Recognizing Healthy Families as the Cornerstone of a World of Peace

Heather Thalheimer
June, 1997
Manchester, NH

One of the most urgent issues facing us today is how to help families be strong and healthy. We are all too aware of the consequences of family breakdown. Judith Wallerstein, one of the most influential researchers on the effects of divorce and the author of one of the longest-running studies on the subject states that, "The effect of the parents' divorce is played and replayed throughout the first three decades of the children's lives... While this does not necessarily cause them to fail as adults it does make the normal challenges of growing up even more difficult."

What can we do to strengthen and empower the family? At the very core of the family is the conjugal relationship of husband and wife. The power behind that crucial relationship is a sense of commitment. Commitment makes a difference because when it's there we become solution oriented; looking for ways to make the relationship work versus ways to get out.

We loose sight of our commitment when we loose sight of the big picture. Why does my marriage matter? Michael Medved addresses this issue in an article published in The Washington Times, National Edition. He writes, "The missing ingredient in American marriage...is a context-a feeling of higher purpose derived from the knowledge that one's marriage matters to others" In what way does it matter then? Mother Teresa spoke to this question when she said, "Your work in the family is so important. If there is no peace in the world today, it is because there is no peace in the family. Help your families to become centers of compassion and forgive constantly and so bring peace." Our families are the very cornerstone of world peace. When one family breaks down the community is affected and ultimately the world. There is a ripple effect.

The founder of the Women's Federation for World Peace, Mrs. Hak Ja Han Moon and her husband Rev. Sun Myung Moon have together initiated numerous, diverse projects around the world reaching into every aspect of human life. However, they see their central work as strengthening the family. To rekindle and affirm the commitment between husband and wife, WFWP has invited couples to "Build a Bridge of Love".

Why the Bridge of Love? First of all, WFWP is widely known for it's work in "Building Bridges of Peace". Since 1995 over 20,000 American women have crossed the Bridge of Peace to meet women from other nations and racial backgrounds, replacing resentments and distrust with hope, compassion and love to become Sisters of Peace. These are incredibly moving events. Through the Sisterhood Project WFWP enables people to personally experience the depth and power of reconciliation. To be a peacemaker. Countless women spoke of experiencing a sense of healing as they crossed the bridge. They spoke of being suddenly empowered to go beyond their resentment and pain and wanting to create a relationship with someone who was formerly an "enemy". Powerful stuff!! These beautiful ceremonies allow an individual to take a new direction. Ceremony or ritual is often used to allow our hearts to take a quantum leap. The Bridge of Love Ceremony can be a transforming moment for any marriage.

Each of us carries baggage from the past; our own past or from centuries and lives long gone. We have a tendency to reenact the limitations of our parents and grandparents and so on. In the sacred texts and other literature we see incredible pain and suffering because of the misuse of love and selfishness. Those same scenarios are played out all over the world today. Through the Bridge of Love ceremony we address the pain of the past so that we can put it behind us. Often true love eludes us. True love and resentment cannot co-exist in the heart. To build true love we need to let go of the resentments in our hearts. In drinking from the cup of love and unity we are separating from the past; from a tradition of self-centered or false love and connecting to a new tradition of true love. True love is a love that lives for the sake of the other. It is a love that uplifts and empowers and is life giving. Our love can reflect all that we know God to be.

On May, 18th 1997 WFWP of New England celebrated its first Bridge of Love Ceremony in Salem, New Hampshire. Tears flowed as each couple crossed the Bridge to meet each other anew. The value of this ceremony is that it walks people through three important steps; renewing their commitment to each other, acknowledging their marriage strengthens the extended family and offering their family as a cornerstone of world peace. When we see our commitment makes a difference we reconnect to the "higher purpose" that Michael Medved referred to. Thus transformed each couple can practice true love and the tradition of living for the sake of others.

WFWP would like to invite you, your family and your friends to the Bridge that together we can Build a Bridge of Love.

Reprinted with permission WFWP National Newsletter.