Minnesota: 3112 Couples Blessed in 2 Days

by Jim Gavin-St. Paul, MN

On July 4th and July 5th 3112 couples were blessed at a Hmong sports festival, at Como Park, in St. Paul Minnesota.

Like all breakthrough events it was proceeded by humble beginnings. Our focus since January had been with the Native American people of the Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota. Over the next several months our region invested a lot of time and resources in the area learning to work with these wonderful people. Our approach was to invite people to events and give the Blessing at a community center or church. Over the course of four months some 70 couples were blessed.

A few weeks prior to Easter we held an event at Rev. Emerson Spider's and Rev. Renee Mill's Native American Church of Jesus Christ. Over the course of the weekend 13 couples were Blessed. However 5 of the 13 couples were blessed after the main event by the Hoffman's and Weigel's of South Dakota in peoples homes. Like many events there were people who said they would come and for various reasons were unable to make it. Rev. Hun Sook Lee our regional director suggested they go back to the homes of these people and make the Blessing available in their homes. This proved to be a breakthrough for our approach to Blessing couples. Instead of spending so much time and money on events that few people came to we brought the blessing right to peoples homes. It seems so simple now but at that time it was a big breakthrough.

Fresh from that door to door success we met with Mr. Pao Yang and his wife in a Chinese restaurant in Minneapolis. Mr. Yang has his own auto repair business and is a community leader in the Hmong community. On one occasion Mr. Yang brought over 100 people to hear Rev. Moon speak at the Raddison Hotel in Minneapolis. Esther and Edward Batino who had worked with the Yang's over the years arranged the meeting and Rev. Lee asked me to explain to them the work of the Family Federation for World Peace and invite them to receive the Blessing. The Yang's consented and instead of waiting for an event to give them the Blessing, I suggested we hold the Blessing in their home like we had recently done with the couples in South Dakota. The Yang's and his sister and her husband received the Blessing a few days later on May 10th in their home.

From that day on the Hmong Blessing began from home to home. Rev. Lee formed a handful of teams and over the next several weeks 100's of Hmong couples were Blessed in their homes and in parks. Rev. and Mrs. Lee's team made up of the Lee's, Batino's and Marika Hoegl were in the forefront of this effort, they set the pace by working day and night to bring the Blessing to the Hmong community.

Steve Schutte said, "A breakthrough blessing for me was a week into our 40 day condition in region #7. It was at the home of Tou Xiong Vue. Noriko Pearson and I worked as a team. We were joined on this evening by Eri Pehling. We met him and his family while going door to door. After the holy juice was shared, I felt the Holy Spirit move through me and my hands into their hands as I prayed for their couple- like divine electricity. He was so grateful for the blessing and the work we are doing. He was inspired to help us and began to explain how active he is in the community. He offered to work together with us and introduce us to family, friends and his other connections

At the end of June Steve received an invitation from Tou Xiong Vue to attend a "family picnic". The "family picnic" was in fact a soccer tournament with venders selling goods and food and people generally socializing with one another. Steve, Rev. and Mrs. Lee and several other couples found over 2000 people at the "family picnic" and blessed 150 couples on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Prior to this event Rev. Lee had arranged for booth space at a major Hmong gathering on the 4th and 5th of July. Buoyed by the picnic blessing of 150 couples Rev. Lee invited members from South Dakota, North Dakota and Wisconsin to attend the July 4th event.

On the 3rd of July 10 teams of 3 to 4 couples were formed. Very early on the morning of July 4th our teams converged on Como Park and set up tables all around the soccer fields and in the concession areas, anywhere people gathered or flowed.

Before large numbers of people began to arrive some of us went from concession stand to concession stand and blessed the couples who ran them. By 8:00 or 9:00 am thousands of people began to flow into the park. Over 30,000 people a day attended the gathering and unlike other events of this size, there was no alcohol and no fighting. The Hmong gathering was a family affair held by a warm and loving people.

As families passed by each team's location they were stopped and presented with the opportunity of the blessing. Couples were asked if they loved one another (and of course they said yes) and if they were committed to never getting divorced. The couples were then asked to take a stand with millions of couples all over the world to keep our families strong, healthy and together by rededicating their marriages. They were asked to each drink * a cup of "true love juice" as a symbol of their commitment to one another. We then asked God to bless their families and future generations with his true love, good health and prosperity. All couples were invited to attend the Family Festival on Nov. 29th officiated by Rev. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon. Each couple filled out a Blessing application form and two Polaroid pictures were taken one for the couple and one for the application. Each couple was warmly congratulated as we held their hands and asked for God's blessing for their family and then they went on their way.

For 15 hours a day couples were blessed non stop. Each blessing took about 10 minutes from beginning to end. The more blessings that were given the more energetic and confident we became. There was no time to sit down. We were always on alert to meet the next couple. And the couples were so receptive. They always stopped to listen and most couples consented right away to participate in the rededication and blessing of their marriage.

The first couple my wife and I blessed let us set up our table in the corner of their concession stand. On a few occasions he served as a translator to explain the blessing to someone who couldn't understand English. The Hmong people are incredibly warm and gracious. We were sincerely thanked by many of the couples. We received many warm embraces, smiles and handshakes from the newly blessed couples.

Jim bard who played in high school football games on the fields in Como Park said "all my prayers for my home state were answered on July 4th and 5th at the Blessing in the park. The Mayor of St. Paul, Norm Coleman, who had presented Parent's Day awards last July, approached me at my table and thanked me for participating in the festival. He said that it was good that the Family Federation for World Peace was present and expressed that he wished that more St. Paul residents could come and participate in this terrific event. I am grateful to God that the long suffering Hmong people could immigrate to Minnesota bringing their tenacious work ethic, their deep hearted family traditions, their delicious foods and all their love to my hometown. What great fortune do I have that I could now show my gratitude by giving God's blessing to them. Our True Parents have paid and continue to pay a great price that God's blessing might now be given so freely. Glory to god and True Parents forever."

Keith Anderson said, " I was impressed by the seriousness and hope with which the Hmong couples responded to our offer to bring the blessing to their families. One couple childless after many years of marriage and so obviously desiring a child became the object of my sincere prayer for God's greatest blessing, the fulfillment of the four position foundation. I was deeply moved by the hearts of the Hmong couples."

Sachiko Johnson felt she got so much more than she gave. "I came back from Chung Pyung lake on June 29th and my whole family came down with bad cold sickness. It was very hard to do anything. When I was in Chung Pyung I prayed for victory of 160 couples and the 3.6 million blessing. Minneapolis members were working very hard going door to door every day. I felt so sorry for Heavenly Father because even though I wanted to go door to door, I and my children were so sick. When July 4th and 5th came I really wanted to get out of the house even though I didn't feel well, so I went to the park. When I looked at our members they all looked like strong soldiers and I felt like a little lamb. But when I started giving the blessing to people I felt so much power and energy, people who received the Blessing gave me so much power. That day I was able bring the Blessing to 30 couples. I felt so grateful that I went out even though I felt sick in the beginning."

By the end of the first day, July 4th over 1700 couples had been blessed. We were all happily exhausted and went home to replenish our supplies and get a little sleep. At 5:00am the next morning we were out of bed and set up in the park again by 6:15am. Some of us again went from booth to booth Blessing concession stand owners until around 9:00am when the crowds began to flow. By now our 10 teams were well seasoned, any trace of shyness was gone as our members warmly greeted and blessed people as they strolled by our tables.

Steve Henry was amused and moved by one experience he and his wife Jeanette had. "My wife and I came across an older Hmong couple and having experienced in the past the open heartedness of the Hmong families, we felt an immediate connection with this couple. The wife was smiling so bright as she walked with her 2 daughters and rather stoic husband. With the older daughter as an interpreter we explained what we were doing to the couple and offered them the holy juice to drink. The wife drank but her husband shook his head and walked away. We followed after him until we found him and approached him again with the holy juice. "How do I know it's not poison ", he said. I said your wife is still alive isn't she? He laughed and then he drank. Afterwards he was beaming with joy and thanked us very much, he was truly grateful."

Rain moved in off and on and many blessings took place under umbrellas. Nothing stopped the administering of the Blessing. I'm sure everyone got more tired, voices wearing down, legs aching, however, the spirit of what was transpiring as couple after couple was being Blessed lifted us up and energized our efforts.

Michael and Esther Moyongo said "I felt so grateful and thankful for the great opportunity to be with brothers and sisters to give the pre-Blessing to a big sports festival of the Hmong community for two days in Como Park. I felt and observed peoples spirit resurrected on those days. Spirit world was so close to us and inspiring these people. It's so easy to invite them to receive the blessing. I was able to give the Blessing to so many kinds of families. Black couples white couples, Spanish, businessmen, Hmong husband and white wife and the organizer of the Hmong sports festival. God has prepared them all, they are so beautiful and wonderful couples. I am so moved by God's creation."

Keiko Borer was deeply moved by the experience, she said, "when Rev. and Mrs. Lee gave us the holy juice and holy water I felt so much blessing from True Parents. When we think about ourselves we are not qualified to give people the blessing but because of True Parents conditions we are qualified to do so. My sisters family came to Minnesota in June and I was able to give them the blessing. I am grateful to Rev. and Mrs. Lee that we have had the opportunity to give the blessing to the Hmong community. "

At the end of the day, around 9:30pm, on July 5th, 3112 couples had been Blessed. There was a wonderful peace that filled our hearts. Our members from South Dakota, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Minnesota had witnessed the outpouring of God's grace and Blessing on the lives of 1000's of couples. All of us are deeply grateful to True Parents and are determined to bring the Blessing to 1000's more couples by August 9th.

Ministerial Alliance Meeting Held at FFWPU

by Rev. Marie Hudson-Chicago IL

On June 17, 1997 the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification hosted the Illinois Ministerial Alliance meeting. In attendance were Bishop Little, the leader of all COGIC (Church of God in Christ) churches in Illinois. The late Bishop Ford's son, Rev. Charles Ford, and the Rev. Stan Davis attended, along with many others. The alliance is made up of not only black Christian ministers but white ministers and rabbis as well.

The alliance was formed in the winter of 1996 in order to spearhead a movement to change the name of the Calument Expressway to the Bishop Ford Expressway-successfully!

Our church was asked to join this organization at that time. Rev. Spicer, Rev. Hudson and Rev. Tonkumoh worked hard to make the alliance a success. As time passed, the alliance asked our brothers to be on the committee to write their statement of beliefs.

Rev. Ford asked our brothers if we could hold the meeting in our church; the alliance had invited the parents of the young men charged with the beating of Leonard Clark to come to our meeting. The parents accepted, but they could not attend this meeting because formal charges have been pressed against their children, and they have been advised not to attend any more public meetings.

The Ministerial Alliance seeks issues to work on which seem to be a huge burden for the people of Chicago, and they also want to show the people of Chicago that we must come together as one to solve our problems.

Rev. Stan Davis gave a short homily about the passion ministers must have in order to save this country. He emphasized love, unity and forgiveness. As the ministers toured our church building, met our members, and saw and heard of our True Parents' activities, their hearts moved closer to our movement. They were excited to see pictures of their friends who have already rededicated their marriages, and asked questions about how they could have a marriage rededication in their church.

As Bishop Little closed the meeting, he asked our Bishop, Rev. Ki Hun Kim, to speak at the next meeting. This is such a great victory. Through our members' hard work, our movement is finally being recognized as something which can help heal the city of Chicago. As we put our True Parents' words into action, we can see how we can help to be a point of healing not only for the people of the city of Chicago but also for the ministers of Chicago.

Kenya Responds to True Parents Blessing

by Adruma Victoria-NYC

God's Blessing is taking root in Africa. Malawi and Nigeria have already Blessed over 100,000 families each. Since the inauguration of FFWPU-Kenya last November, Kenya has received her four National Messiahs: Rev. Im, Rev. Tsuboi, Rev. Victoria and Rev. Capone (from Korea, Japan, America and Italy, respectively). Heaven has much hope for expansion in Kenya and has found a beautiful response in the heart and deeds of Mrs. Caroline Ojow. Mrs. Ojow was blessed just three months ago. She informed me that before the Blessing, her husband used to go to the disco. But now after the Blessing he's home at night, and her marriage has never been better.

Caroline says, "I feel True Parents in my heart and I must go give people the Blessing." Caroline has done just that: she gave Blessing to over 1,000 families. She works tirelessly traveling to many churches and groups to spread this heavenly fortune. Our East African region includes Rwanda, Burundi, Seychelles, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Uganda.

For nearly a year, Rev. Dow Soon Im, the Adam-nation National Messiah, made many conditions spiritual and physical to deepen the foundation for Heaven's Blessing to settle in Kenya and the region. He traveled extensively to give Blessing, finance fishing projects and inspire the region, sharing his wealth of experience from living so closely with True Parents and conveying deep insights and heart. The Blessing will save Kenya and the world from the destruction of the family. AIDS and all forms of human decay are the results of premature sex and immature parents. The Blessing strengthens the family unit. God is desperate to Bless all of His children.

After Caroline raptured and invited me to Bless her contacts, I got the Blessing spirit. While daydreaming about Batman, and his "Utility Belt" ever-ready to fight crime, I thought of what I could design to make a mobile Blessing unit. God peeped my thoughts as I was leaving our office to go Bless with Caroline: she said, "Rev. Victoria, this sister needs the Blessing!" We were running late to our appointment, so I said, "Get in the elevator; I'll Bless you right here!" With my children's lunchbox in hand and my elbow in a sister's face, the Blessing was given, right in that elevator car on the way down and up. Entering passengers said, "Are you getting off?" I said, "Don't mind us; just come right on in!" The next day Sarah was so grateful to have received God's Blessing. So I could give Blessing to 200 families, a phone call from Nairobi informed me that Rev. Capone just Blessed 1,000 families yesterday, all this love and more, because of our Beloved and awesome True Parents. Caroline, representing over 21 women's groups and church organizations throughout Kenya, requested support to empower their villages and communities to become independent. There is so much need: farming equipment, sewing machines, carpentry machines, knitting machines, poultry keeping, water tanks, fishnets, tractors, and health care and finances.

If you would like to help, please make your contributions to: International One World Crusade, Inc., c/o Adruma Victoria, P.O. Box 1755, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. e-mail: adruma@usa.net

"It is neither wise nor prudent to follow the Messiah"

uViews by Tyler Hendricks

We learn important lessons from the Bible. The Old Testament teaches that "every man is wise in his own eyes." Jesus commented that the wise and the prudent could not receive the kingdom of God. (Luke 10:21) This was spoken after his 70 followers had returned from their tour of Israel's towns. Jesus had told them to "heal the sick, and say to them, 'the kingdom of God has come near to you.,'" (Luke 10:9)

The disciples returned proclaiming that they were able to subjugate demons, but apparently this was not what Jesus really wanted. He told them to rejoice not at their power over the enemy, but "rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." (v. 20) He then rejoiced himself, praising God even in the midst of his own difficulties, praying, "I thank You that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight." (v. 21)

He then was tested by a wise and prudent man, a "certain lawyer," who asked him a wise and prudent question, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" (v. 25) Jesus gave the absolute and absolutely simple answer, to live for the sake of God and others (v. 27). This was not enough for the lawyer, who wanted to justify himself. Let's be clear, now, Jesus; I just want to make sure about whom you are saying I should love, "who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied with the well-known parable of the Good Samaritan, in which he taught, or warned, that the "babe," the Samaritan, was going to inherit eternal life, and the "wise and prudent," the priest and Levite, would not.

The chapter ends with the story of Mary and Martha, in which the sister who made herself worried and troubled (read: "wise and prudent") based upon her external view of Jesus, was shamed before the sister who simply sat at his feet and heard his word. Note that Martha actually reproached Jesus for his indulgence of her sister (v. 40).

Let us draw a lesson. God is now dispensing His blessing of marriage freely upon all who will receive it. Blessed couples are visiting homes across America and around the world with this good news, God's free gift of family salvation. In North America, it is the "babes," the "Samaritans" who are humbly receiving it. I am sorry and miserable to observe that the chosen ones, the white descendants of the Christian world, are failing to choose the good part.

My experience yesterday in Portland, Oregon, is illustrative. I spent an hour in an apartment complex. The whites, the "Yanquis," were rude and arrogant. One abruptly asked, as he opened the door, "what d'ya want?" "I'm a volunteer with the Family Federation for World Peace, . . ." "Ya selling something?" "No, I here to give you something. This is an outreach for married couples. Are you married?" "That's none of your business. Get outta here." Slam.

The other white person (I could tell by her voice) wouldn't even open the door. "What is it?" she said. "I'm a volunteer with the Family Federation for World Peace." "I don't want any."

On the other hand, there were Hispanics in the complex. They were friendly. They listened and took me seriously. Three were married couples, and they all participated in the Blessing. Uneducated people? I suppose so. Poor? I think so. Babes? The "babes" understood Jesus. Marginal? The Samaritans were the marginal people of Israel.

These Hispanics, these Vietnamese, these Hmongs, these Ukrainians, these Filipinos, these Russians in America: they are not the movers and shakers. But they have open hearts. Sure, maybe it is because they are poor, maybe they have nothing to lose. You could say that, seeking to justify as the lawyer did in front of Jesus. It was those who had nothing to lose, perhaps, who stuck with Jesus when he went about as one whom the polite society deemed offensive, blasphemous, claiming to be king, pretending to forgive sin.

We overflow with joy for the literal millions of families around the world who are receiving the free gift of the blessing as children. We cry with sadness for those at ease in Zion, those invited to the marriage feast, who may be distracted with much serving, or seeking more explanations than we can give or they can understand.

As I meet couples and invite them to the wedding banquet, Jesus' words, "the kingdom of God has come close to you" keep running through my mind. Someday, my white, influential, wise and prudent friends, the kingdom of God may knock on your door. As Paul and Linda McCartney sang many years ago, "Somebody's knockin' at the door. Somebody's ringin' the bell. Do me a favor. Open the door. Let'em in." Don't be, as Bob Dylan sang, among those who "have many contacts/among the lumberjacks/to get you facts when someone attacks your imagination," hoping to get by with a check to a tax-deductable charity organization.

Finding God in Moscow

by Joy Pople

When we arrived in Moscow after the long ride from Latvia, our train family of teachers and students who had spent days or sometimes weeks together studying the teachings of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon. Alla invited me to accompany her and her daughter Olga to their apartment in a southern suburb of Moscow. We will take the Metro downtown, change to another line, and then transfer to a bus.

Alla is very proud of the Metro. Some stations have artifacts and sculptures of museum quality. The cars are quite noisy. It is still evening rush hour. Alla says that it used to be the tradition for young people to offer their seats to older people, but that is no longer common. Then suddenly one young girl gets up and points Alla to her seat. Alla tries to get me to take it but I defer to her as my elder.

Alla is concerned about what I will think of their apartment. I ask her if it is typical. Americans don't know much about ordinary Russians, and I would like to give them some idea of how Muscovites live. Yes, she assures me, her place will be fairly typical.

At the bus stop, we follow a path to her nine-story building. A small elevator takes us up to the eighth floor. Alla unlocks the door. To the left is the bathroom and kitchen. Ahead is the bedroom that Alla and Olga share, and further back is the living room and the bedroom of Alla's married daughter and her family. Off that room is a small balcony. There is a crib for the little grandchild, and the four-year-old sleeps on the living room couch.

Outside glimmer the lights of the high-rise apartment buildings on the other side of a freeway. What used to be a stupendous view of Moscow to the north when they moved into this apartment some 25 years ago was blocked by the apartment buildings constructed fifteen years later. The air is warm and hazy.

Alla bustles around. She makes phone calls and goes to the neighbors for borrow some fresh bread. I wash some dishes and sort through the food leftover from our trip, slicing tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese, salami, and hard-boiled eggs for supper. Alla's face brightens. "Oh, you have already made our supper!" She gets out hot dogs to cook and rummages around for tea cups. Finally, Alla sits down.

I tell Alla about my sister Louise's apartment building in Queens, New York. She, her husband, and their two children have a two-room apartment similar in size to theirs, minus the smaller bedroom. And do they have a balcony? No. Alla seems surprised. She asks what kind of place I live in. Our two-story house sounds mighty spacious.

We take turns bathing. Alla is sleepy, but she wants to show me her treasured books. We go to the living room, with its piano and bookshelves filled with collected works of English masters, encyclopedias, art books, and novels in English and Russian. It's nearing midnight. I head for bed and soon fall asleep.

At 7:15 am Alla knocks on the door. It's time to get dressed. We drink tea and eat more bread, cheese, and salami before heading out for their school, which is located in the same housing development. Alla wears a tailored black-and-white dress. Olga has a white blouse and a short denim skirt they bought in Latvia for 400 rubles, a third of what it would cost in Moscow.

School is a five-minute walk. It has classes from first through twelfth forms. A large crowd is gathered at the entrance of the school. Parents and children are waiting, almost every child carrying gifts of flowers-large zinnias, roses or gladioli. Alla regrets that she did not have time to get flowers for Olga to give to her teacher. In front of the building, where students are assembled behind signs indicating their form, and section A or B. Proud parents stand by the youngest children. The little girls wear black dresses with white pinafores of various styles, and the little boys wear dark blue suits. The older children do not wear uniforms.

September first is commemorated as the Day of Knowledge. The principal congratulates the students on this special occasion. Finally, the youngest pupils enter the school, each one hand in hand with a student from a higher form. The young faces are a study of excitement, anxiety, and seriousness. The parents are dressed in their best, bursting with pride.

With the seventh form students, Alla tries some simple conversational English, with little response. Then she tells them to open their textbooks, and she asks them questions about a drawing of a beach scene. She asks students to read in turn from an essay about the Day of Knowledge. Afterwards Alla complains to me that these students are beginning their third year of English studies but have never learned to talk English. It's hard for them to understand the need, because to meet an English-speaking person is very rare. Alla herself had never met an American before this spring.

Alla tries to inspire the fifth-form students who are just beginning their English studies. She is handicapped by the lack of any classroom map to show them how many English-speaking countries there are.

We walk around the school. There are three floors of classrooms. We stop in the dining room where pancakes and raisin pastries are available; the cooks put some water on to serve us tea. As we wait, a boy comes in shyly bearing a bouquet of flowers as a gift for the cooks.

We stop to say good-bye to the principal. Alla asks for tomorrow morning off to be with her visitor. The principal graciously agrees and offers me a bouquet of gladioli.

We board a bus and head for the Metro. Sidewalk vendors display their wares at the exit downtown. My mental image of the Kremlin is that of the long red brick wall facing Red Square behind which mysterious meetings take place. I learn that the Kremlin is the site of the medieval fortress built on the highest hill of Moscow. The original wooden ramparts have been replaced by massive brick walls. Over the centuries, the Kremlin has been the center around which the Russian people rally to fight off foreign invaders.

We walk through a long series of immaculately-kept lawns and gardens, past the eternal flame memorializing an unknown soldier who died defending Moscow during the Great Patriotic War (1939-45), past memorials to the heroic cities that withstood the invasion of Hitler's armies, past a reconstructed battlement, past a monument to heroes of the revolution. Floral tributes lie on the granite slabs.

Entrance to the Kremlin itself is through a small gate and down a long cobblestone walkway to the Troitskaya Tower. On our right is the newest building, the enormous glass-and-marble Palace of Congresses. Built in 1961 to house Communist Party gatherings, it has many meeting areas, including a theater hall with 6,000 seats On the immaculate lawns we see a tsarist cannon and a massive iron bell, the largest ever cast.

Up the hill and to the left is the government office building. Behind a second-story window is Lenin's old office. A guard blows a whistle sharply and holds up his hand. Pedestrians stop abruptly. From the entrance to the office building come three black limousines. Standing on the sidewalk, I smile and wave enthusiastically. "What are you doing?" Alla asks nervously. Probably only an idiotic American would wave at officials in the Kremlin.

"Do Americans really hate Russians?" I am often asked. No, we don't hate the Russian people; we don't know much about them. Our government has been afraid of the Soviet government and its repeated threats and attempts to destroy freedom-loving people. That answer seems sensible to the Russians.

There is distrust and despair in the hearts of many middle-aged Russians. I tell Alla that in these uncertain times the task of government officials is very difficult. I hope they pray to God for guidance.

I had no idea that the heart of the Kremlin consists of cathedrals. The core of Russia's faith was never obliterated. A quintet of gold-domed churches built between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries graces Cathedral Square, on the highest hill in Moscow. Under Marxism-Leninism they could not be used for religious services; for years at a time they were boarded up, to be opened on occasion to tourists as museums of Russian art. The highest form of Russian medieval art was religious art, in particular icons. Some of these icons have been restored to resemble their original glory. Russians can now see evidence of their glorious spiritual heritage.

For one whose exposure to religious art has been primarily Protestant or Catholic, to step into an Orthodox cathedral is to enter another realm. It reminds me of my sunrise pilgrimage to the huge statue of Buddha on the east coast of Korea near Kyungju. In its presence I began to understand something of the Buddhist ideal of the serenity that comes from renouncing worldly desires.

The overwhelming dimension of an Orthodox cathedral is vertical, drawing the eye up and up, past seven or more layers of religious images, to the cupola, which also is covered with painting. Inside the dome of the Cathedral of the Annunciation, which served as the tsar's private chapel, a huge, sad fresco of Jesus stares down at me. Here he is given his proper role as the center of faith, but his heart must grieve at the failure of his followers to carry out his example of sacrificial love.

This cathedral contains a famous array of icons depicting the complex hierarchy of religious figures in Orthodox tradition. The best artists from the Orthodox world, including the renowned iconographers Andrei Rublev and Theophanes the Greek, contributed to these panels. Like little children Alla and I exclaim to each other as we discover one marvelous art treasure after another.

The Cathedral of the Assumption has an austere, Romanesque exterior. In the ornate interior the tsars were crowned, ecumenical councils were held, and patriarchs were laid to rest in sepulchers.

In the Archangel Cathedral I stand for a long time looking at a painting of the Archangel Michael, considered the patron saint of Russian soldiers. He is portrayed as a young warrior in his prime, with wings rising from behind a coat of mail. Around his image are the faded scenes of what was supposedly his boyhood. The childhood of an angel? This compelling portrayal of a warrior angel fascinates me and causes me to ponder the special role of archangels in combating the forces of evil.

We walk down to the heavily-guarded museum displaying the crown jewels of the tsar and other magnificent treasures of jewelry, gold, and platinum. "Do you have anything like this in America?" Alla asks mischievously. She says the greatest masterpieces were sold off by Khrushchev and his successors to finance their luxurious private life.

Then we go back to Red Square to see the goose-stepping changing of the guard at Lenin's tomb. St. Basil's cathedral, with its multitude of onion domes and gold decoration, keeps vigil over the far end of the square. We cross the huge plaza to the GUM, which resembles a suburban shopping mall in the United States, and then head for the Metro and home. Olga will be hungry for supper.

I want to get some food for Alla and her daughter before I leave. At the market where we exit the Metro, I buy cheese, salami, bread, and milk. I purchase some corn, potatoes, and cucumbers from a sidewalk vendor. There was far more food available last summer in the Central African Republic.

When she can, Alla takes Olga for weekend retreats to the country cottage which her husband and his brothers bought along the Volga River. They spend a good part of every summer in the country and grow fruits and vegetables in the garden there. This is the only way she finds peace, she explains.

The phone rings after 10:30 pm. It is Rosalia, the artist who became close friends with Alla during the seminars. Suddenly, as she was preparing for bed, Rosalia realized that ever since the first seminar she hadn't been going through her usual nightly panic about dying. With great excitement, she calls Alla to share the good news.

Olga, also, had been having trouble sleeping at night for the past two years, after watching a horror show on the television. At the first seminar this summer, they went out to pray at night, and Olga saw two streaks of light illuminating the sky, and she began to believe in the reality of God. Nobody else saw the lights, but Olga believed that the lights had special meaning for her and that they were a sign of God's presence. Now she is not afraid of the dark. She likes to pray and eagerly responds when I suggest that we pray together before going to bed.

On the way to the train station, we pass a bookstore. How can two book lovers resist the temptation to browse? There Alla sees a book on contemporary Russian Christian art. We are in a hurry. I look at a couple of pages and know I want to buy it. It is worth far more than the 300 ruble asking price. Published just last year, its images are testimony to the power of the spirit to penetrate decades of official atheism. Particularly fascinating to me are the modern interpretations of the classic icons.

Alla boards the coach with me and talks to the two young men and the young woman already in the compartment. This second-class coach is newer and cleaner than the third-class coach we shared two days ago. None of my compartment mates speaks English. Alla asks the young man on the lower level bunk to relinquish his space. We embrace in farewell.

The train ride to Riga is slow and seems lonely. I offer my compartment mates some fruit. They shake their heads. The whole ride they are absorbed reading pornographic tabloids. I write in my diary. When the girl sets out her meal, I offer her some cheese and she accepts it. She offers me dried fish, and I pull off a small piece and chew on it. I walk to the window and stare at the endless forest.

At the airport in Riga, the last group of Americans returning from the summer seminars slowly assembles. Some have been sightseeing in Riga. Two of them haven't eaten anything since last night, and they quickly finish the rest of my cheese, bread, salami and fruit. Now I know why I was given so much food.

On the plane, Louise and I share stories about our adventures in the capital. Both of us were astounded by the cathedrals in the Kremlin. Louise had deep experiences of communing with Jesus there. We pore over my book on Russian Christian art. Both of us feel we were led there to help understand the heart of Christianity in Russia.

Father of the Tiger

by Alex Colvin-Washington, DC

I must confess, I can't deny, that I do not play golf. Nor do I generally watch golf on television. However, this past Sunday, I got caught up watching Tiger Woods in the Masters. I was sitting in a pizza parlor, about ready to go home, when I saw that the TV was on and a few folks were watching the Masters. I was curious because I had seen Tiger Woods on the front page of the Sunday paper and I wondered what all of the fuss was about.

Before I knew it, I was late for dinner. I hurried back home and blurted out to my wife Linda, "We've got to turn on the TV, the Masters is on." She looked at me like I was crazy. I went into the living room and turned on the tube. My 13 year old daughter was sitting on the floor writing something on the laptop. She wondered why I was putting on something as dull as a golf tournament.

We were at the 18th hole. Tiger had just missed his first putt. He had a four and a half footer. If he made it he would finish 18 under par breaking Jack Nicklaus record. The crowd fell silent. I started to tell my daughter how critical it was. "This is history in the making." "This may be his only chance in his lifetime to break this record." etc. As tiger finished his calculations, we hushed and watched intently. Tiger tapped the ball. It inched its way toward the hole, then - Plunk - it was in. "Yes!" yelled Hanalyn, flushed with excitement.

Then we watched as Tiger made a beeline for the Gallery, a path cleared, and he walked into his father's arms. They embraced for about a minute. The camera focused in, and I saw a tears of joy in Tiger's eye.

The Beauty of Father-Son

Earl Woods received his discharge form the Marine corps and married a lovely girl that he met in Thailand. They had a son and named him Tiger after a friend of Earl's in the Marine Corps. Earl had a dream that his son would become a great professional golfer. He was a good loving father. He raised his son with tough love. The boy in turn loved his father. He inherited his father's desire that he become a great golfer and made it his own. He concentrated his mind on achieving his goal - their goal - and disciplined himself to become the greatest player in the history of golf. And he stuck to it!

Their embrace that evening in Augusta was a dream come true for both of them. A father and a son united in a common victory. It's an example and a testimony for us all.

It has become commonplace for us today to lament the rise of single-parent homes. A predominant percentage of the problems of modern youth are endemic to single-parent families. Now, research is leading us to the conclusion that a critical factor is the lack of the father. Single-parent homes in which the father is raising the children do not have the same incidence of problems as those in which the sole parent is the mother. This is in no way to cast aspersion on single mothers. They do their best to provide for their children. But the fact is that the father provides an important psychological role in the development of the child. The father provides vision and goals which help the child to develop self discipline. A good father helps a child to make sense out of the world and to define his direction in it. The relationship between Tiger Woods and his dad are a perfect example.

Axis of the Universe

It is not surprising that the role of the father is important. The family is a paradigm of love which God created. God is the original parent. We are created in his image. God's desire was that we could understand his heart and will just as Tiger understood the heart and will of his earthly father. God's desire is that, as we grow, develop our mind and body to reflect his nature, and share in the creation of a loving and just world, He can share the same type of embrace with us that Earl Woods shared with his son. The tragedy is that we became fatherless children when we abandoned God. We are the prodigal sons and daughters.

Winning a golf title is nice. But how much more valuable is it to be victorious in achieving an everlasting relationship with our eternal source of love? We can rejoice that Tiger Woods and the Woods family have established such a fine model for others to follow. But let's take the lesson and go further. Let us strive to discover the heart of God, the desire of God, the will of God, in the same way that Tiger related to the will of his father. Let us make God's will and desire our own, just as Tiger made the dream of his father his own. Let us focus our efforts to achieve a loving character, loving families, and a loving world to the same degree that Tiger focused his efforts to become an outstanding athlete.

It is more difficult to become a true child of God than it is to win the Masters. We need to master ourselves. But the prize is also greater - infinite and eternal love, profound and everlasting joy, and the healing of our wounded world.

Father Endures Pyungyang Prison

by Lesa Ellanson

Father was put into the Pyungyang prison on August 11, 1946. This was several months after Mrs. Ho and the other members of the Inside Belly Church were put in that same prison. In fact, Father was put into the same cell as one of their leading members.

Soon Father learned that the communists had told the members of that church that they would be set free if they would just sign a paper saying they were wrong. But they refused to do that.

Father told his cellmate he should go ahead and sign the paper and save his life. That man obeyed Father, but he was already so badly beaten that he died a short time after he was released.

Father wanted to tell Mrs. Ho the same thing, but she was in a different cell. Somehow, he managed to write a note on a little slip of paper. It said, "Tell them you are wrong. Pray to find out who wrote this." He slipped it to her in a bowl of rice.

Mrs. Ho knew she was supposed to meet the Messiah in prison, but she didn't realize this note was from him. She did not pray to find out who wrote it, she did not obey the note, and later she and all the other members of the Inside Belly Church were killed. After all the hard work they had done to prepare for him, after their thousands of prayers to meet the Messiah, they never even saw him.

The note Father wrote to Mrs. Ho was discovered by the guards. They asked him over and over who he was and why he had written the note. They hit him many times. The guards asked so many questions trying to catch him, but he never denied his mission, and also could not let them know he was the Messiah.

Give up God

The communist guards were angry because Father was not afraid, they decided to torture Father. They wanted to break Father's spirit and make him a weak man. Because so many other Christian ministers had given up when they received many beatings and other punishments, even cursing their captors, the communists believed that Father would do the same. They said, "If we beat this man hard enough, he'll give up his God."

But Father never changed.

Father prayed, "Heavenly Father, help me to withstand the torture and live so that I can work for You. I will take responsibility for mankind's sin, and free You from suffering."

Father knew that if he could not live through this, then God's broken heart would continue for many more years to come. Even if every cell in his body cried out in pain, he would not allow his spirit to deny the love of God. So Father stood up straight and strong and told God he will not die.

The first thing they did to Father was to not let him have food or sleep. Since the body can go longer without food than without sleep, they tried to make Father so tired that he would become crazy. But the unity between Father's mind and body was far greater than the guards could believe. Father willed his eyes to remain open, even though his body was asleep for short periods of time. The communists had to change shifts every three hours to watch him and be sure he didn't sleep. After nearly one week of "no sleep", the guards thought, "Surely this Reverend Moon has some sort of magical power." They became afraid of him.

Since Father's will was so strong, the guards met and said, "We must try and break his fighting spirit with more severe physical torture." Then they began to use the "water treatment"- a hose was forced into Father's mouth and nose and then a powerful jet of water was shot into his head. They wanted to make him feel as if he were drowning, until finally he would faint. Then once the water drained out, and Father recovered, they would do this water treatment again.

Since Father still refused to give in, Satan became desperate. Satan said, "If this religious man cannot be broken, he will fight against evil if he lives." Finally, Satan made a last try to break Father's iron will and stop God's plan to use Reverend Moon to save mankind. Satan made the guards feel more and more angry at Father.

The guards tied Father's hands behind his back with a very heavy rope. Using a large beam in the ceiling, they pulled the rope which lifted Father up high over the heads of the guards. Suddenly they let go of the rope, causing Father to fall. But before hitting the floor, they violently jerked the rope upward, causing Father's arms to be jolted from their sockets. The pain was so terrible that it was impossible to stand it without fainting. Father called this awful torture "the crane dance".

Do Not Worry

But all the time he was being tortured, Father never stopped praying. He said quietly, "Heavenly Father, please do not worry about me; I know your painful situation has been far more miserable than my own. Give me the strength to endure this torture. I want to continue Your work of restoration and finally free Your heart. Please forgive these guards; they are being used by Satan, your enemy, to destroy mankind. Forgive them, forgive them..."

Finally when Father's strength was about to give out, the communists began to beat him with bats. They hit him in the face so hard that his back teeth shattered and blood gushed from his mouth. Father tensed his muscles against the blows, but he was struck in the stomach so hard and so many times that his intestines turned into pulp. He began to throw up, covering his body with so much blood that it dripped onto the floor. He could hold on no longer, and Father finally fainted from loss of blood. His body was so beaten and scarred that the guards thought, "After what we've done to him, surely he is dead."

And on the night of October 31st, 1947, Sun Myung Moon's limp, bloody body was thrown out into the snow. The communist prison guards thought he was dead. That night, one of Father's disciples came to visit him in prison. As he walked through the snow outside the prison gate, he saw the bloody body of Father thrown on a pile like a bunch of old clothes. The disciple turned white with fear.

"They have killed him," he gasped. He moved closer-he felt Father's body. It was still warm. "Oh God, save him!" he prayed.

Running home he quickly gathered several other followers. Sadly and tenderly, they carried Father's body home. One by one they touched him and washed the blood off.

"He is dead!" they cried. They began to prepare for the funeral.

But then a miracle happened-Father began to move. He was coming to life. When his followers saw this, they lovingly and hopefully nursed him back to life. Father threw up large amounts of blood. He was terribly weak and sick. Won Pil Kim was there. He helped to find herbs and medicines to give Father. He was so determined to live and do God's work. His first thought always was of Heavenly Father.

"I must begin to preach again," Father said, as soon as he had enough strength to talk.

Divine Principle Volume 1, Part 5

The Third Blessing, "Having dominion," is fulfilled when spiritually mature men and women understand and appreciate the creation as God does. The creation then would respond with beauty, abundance and a festive glow.

Divine Principle suggests that before He created the first person, God made all things in man's image. Therefore we share various qualities with the things of nature. The beauty of a rose is precious because it corresponds to the quality of beauty in ourselves. The majesty and nobility of a mountain are striking because they reflect something deep in the human spirit. Because things in the universe reflect the many aspects of man, we feel joy through the stimulation given by them.

God feels joy when his children are living joyfully. Therefore the Lord created the things of the universe to bring man joy. When a perfect individual has a productive relationship with the created world centered on God, a four-position foundation is established among God, man and the universe. The result is joy. According to the Bible, the creation eagerly awaits the revealing of the sons of God (Rom 8:199). Although we may sometimes glimpse a vision of eternal beauty in and behind creation, mankind as a whole has never realized the earth's true value, nor presided over it in a true dominion. Though man was to be the lord of creation, he has often shamefully exploited his physical resources, particularly in the modern age.

Co-creators with God

Instead of a dominion of care and love, our rule over the earth has been one of indifference and waste. In return, we have suffered from a harvest of polluted air and water, ravaged landscapes and filthy cities. Again, we have abused the environment because God's image within us has not matured. Divine Principle anticipates that as we fulfill the first blessing by uniting with God in heart, we will come to have a proper dominion over the universe. Then we will be able to co-create with God a joyful and harmonious world-the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

Although the coming of the Kingdom of God on earth was a central conviction of the Hebrew prophets, the hope has largely faded in the centuries since then. One reason for this is that after the crucifixion of Jesus, the developing Christian Church tended to focus its faith on the cross rather than on the Kingdom of which Jesus so frequently spoke. In addition, of course, the record of human history in the past 2,000 years has not given us much reason to hope for a promised world of justice and peace.

Regardless of the present situation, Divine Principle reminds us that the Heavenly Kingdom is still the central purpose of God. Indeed, for God to be God He must one day achieve His ideal. When people throughout the world fulfill their purpose of becoming united with Him, forming God-centered families and taking dominion of love over the creation, we may have hope for the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

Peace and well-being

Divine Principle, in other words, reminds us of the original purpose of God a purpose which finds clear expression in the Scriptures. The Old Testament is replete with visions of a coming age of peace and well-being. Isaiah, for example, is the author of one famous passage:

"...they will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks, nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." (Is 2:4)

Likewise in the New Testament Jesus stresses repeatedly the promise of the Kingdom, ultimately encouraging his disciples to pray "Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven" (Mt. 6:10). The Apostle Paul anticipated a time when God would unite all creation, "things in heaven and things on earth" in Christ (Eph. 1:10). The writer of the book of Revelation, envisioning the ultimate triumph of goodness over evil, foresaw the day of "a new heaven and a new earth" (Rev. 12:1). Today, many people feel humanity has entered a new age and that a new day will dawn in the not-too-distant future.

What will the Kingdom be like? While Jesus gave some vague hints in his parables, comparing the Kingdom to a pearl of great price or a wedding feast, Paul tells us that we mere mortals have no way of imagining what God has planned for those who love Him (1 Cor 2:9). Indeed, the average person who has been ravaged by the sufferings of the real world cannot easily imagine such a Kingdom.

One Heart

Nevertheless, based on our understanding of God's original ideal, some educated guesses are possible. First of all, the Kingdom of God is a kingdom of one heart. In the words of one of the original innovators of the social gospel, Walter Rauschenbusch, the Kingdom of God implies the "reign of love in human affairs." Divine Principle would agree. In the Kingdom of God, each person would be one with God, triumphant in love. The citizen of the Kingdom would love as Christ loved. He would be a person of absolute value, living not just for himself, but for the whole world,. He would indeed be a citizen of the world.

For Divine Principle, the redeemed world is to be rooted in the family as the heart of life. The relationship between a mature man and woman would serve as the well-spring of love for their children and the larger society. Parents would be in the position of communicating God's love to their children and children would find in their parents love examples by which they could live. From such a family would come the society, nation and ultimately the world centered on a true way of life.

Also, in the Kingdom contrasting elements would find their point of harmony in God. Black and white, occidental and Oriental, believer of different faiths a saints and scholars would all, through higher truth and love, find reconciliation and harmony. To paraphrase Rauschenbusch, the reign of love would tend toward the progressive unity of mankind, while preserving individual liberty and national distinctiveness.

Since the standard of living for all members of a family is the same, Divine principle teaches that in the global family of God, the all-too-familiar disparities between industrialized and Third World nations will be eliminated. God's children are all to know health and well-being, both spiritual and materially.

For Divine Principle then, the Kingdom is no idle dream. The Principle perceives that throughout history God has sent such men as Moses and the prophets, Mohammed, Buddha, Confucius and Krishna, as teachers of the way. In His greatest effort God sent Jesus Christ.

Will the Lord let these efforts go unfulfilled? Can He allow His children to continue to suffer without end? Definitely not. As later volumes of the Divine Principle will explain, with the advent of then new Messiah God will initiate a further effort to overcome the suffering of the world and to establish His Kingdom on earth.