Keeping It Pure in Asia

Miho Yoshida, 19 yr. Old
PLA member Chicago

Holding a pure love tour in two countries very different from America was a very bold idea. Having been a participant in the cross-country tour last year, I rushed to sign up for this year's international tour.

As an American, I felt incredibly responsible for the crisis that Japan is facing. Korea is starting to face problems about family breakdown, but Japan's problems are full blown and ready to explode. The Hollywood lifestyle exported from America to the world has created this concept in other countries that free sex is okay and popular.

Of course as Americans, we had to show the other countries that not everyone in America followed this lifestyle. We also needed to tell them how much "free sex" hurt and how to have a more fulfilling life by practicing "Absolute Sex," which is abstinence before marriage and fidelity within. I believe that these are both essential to both ones physical and spiritual well being.

Being in Japan was a whole new experience. It seemed really crowded and small compared to America. I remember that sometimes at the places we were staying, we would cram our sleeping bags on the floor, and there would still be a few people who would not fit. So we would cram some more until we fit, which meant we were like sardines in a can. It was pretty funny.

Although the media did not cover us very much, we still got the attention of many people on the streets of Japan and in the buildings surrounding our marching routes. It felt really good to be screaming out for purity and family. I could see on the faces of the participants, how meaningful it was to be doing these activities.

The Japanese people were very organized and really took good care of us. After Japan, we had the opportunity to take a ferry to Pusan, Korea. It was fun, the ocean was really beautiful. Korea was completely different from Japan. The culture and people were very different.

We were less organized, but the rallies and marches had lots of the fighting spirit that characterizes Korea. We also had a brother and sisterhood ceremony where each World PLA member was matched to a Korean PLA member. My partner was my age, and I really felt like she was my sister. She was very helpful and friendly. I am really glad that I was able to participate in the PLA tour this year, and I feel that it really changed the lives of many people.

Hello, Elmer 2!

by Catherine Ladolcetta-Irvington AL
This is part two of a three-part series

"It is possible, Elmer, but, ya know, nobody has ever asked to go back so soon as this before. At least, not with a sincere heart. I’ll have to ask my boss. He’s my dad, ya know. May be y’ll need a little bit more training afore we can send ya back. Yer lucky, though; time was when we couldn’t let anybody go back. Not even with the best of intentions. Right now’s the Returnin’ Resurrection and, as ya might have noticed, it’s mighty empty around here. Nearly everybody has gone on back to try to help. Mostly, it’s just the newcomers and a few late bloomers as stay around here anymore." Billy dug his long, thin fingers into his denim pockets and hunched up his skinny shoulders. His face took on a far away look and he seemed to be talking to someone as he nodded and shook his head back and forth. "Okay, Boss. I got it. Yep. O.K., I’ll do ’er. Back later."

Elmer watched Billy as he slipped back into his usual happy self, lifting his thin shoulders up and down and rolling them to relax. "What was that all about, Billy? Who were you talking to-were you talking about me?" His face with tight with a sudden anxiety. "Come on, Billy, was that your boss? Hey, who is he anyway?"

"Boss says yer not ready yet, Elmer. He says y’ve got to learn a few more essential tools of the trade afore ya go back on across to work. Say, haven’t ya figured out yet who’s the Boss? I mean, where do ya think ya are, anyway?" Billy’s mischievous grin flashed like starlight and calmed Elmer’s fears.

***

"Okay, Elmer, now this is the tunnel. Ya remember it? Ya came through here on yer way in. In fact, ya spent quite a while at the Earth end of it. We thought ya might change yer mind and head on back to the living. Uh, y’know what I mean. Ya stood right here, when ya got to this side, and ya looked over yer shoulder. Then do ya remember how ya put yer hands over yer eyes and just walked on in? We all felt like clapping, but the Boss thought that it might scare ya right back on down the tunnel."

Elmer stood, floating gently to one side of the great brightness that was the tunnel. "I was so scared, Billy, I remember that. I didn’t want to be here. I-I knew where I was, but I thought it was a mistake. I guess my real mistake was going on vacation alone and not keeping my promise to my family." Elmer’s face was long and sad. His mouth turned down just as far as it could and still be in the right place.

"Why, Elmer, y’ve got it all wrong." Billy put his arm around his despondent charge. "Yer not here because ya made a mistake. The Boss said ya were ready to come on. Do ya think He makes mistakes?" At this, Billy turned and looked right into Elmer’s eyes. "Believe me, He doesn’t. He’s been watching ya all yer life and saw that ya were ready to move to a new place in yer heart. He said it was too hard for ya to keep on growing where ya were and that ya better come on home. The Boss never brings anybody that doesn’t need to come. Don’t be so hard on yerself, Elmer, this is a good place to grow ya a better heart o’love." Billy hugged Elmer and patted his cheek softly. "Ya got a good heart, ole Buddy, yer gonna do right well." Billy grinned reassuringly. "Now, how ’bout some lunch?"

***

"Billy, Billy! Who are those people? Why do they look so unhappy all the time? I’ve been watching them all morning and all they do is wander around looking lost. Don’t they have a home or some place they can go?"

Billy craned his neck over the ephemeral side of his favorite observation spot and stared at the crowd of empty-faced folk who walked up and down in the dimness. He sighed. Teaching Elmer about these ones was the toughest job he had met up with so far. He reminded himself that it was always hard, but his boss trusted him to give the newcomers a heartfelt explanation; that’s why he, himself, hadn’t gone back as a Returning Resurrectee long ago. "Well, Elmer, it’s like this: these people made an easy choice. What I mean is: they took the wide road."

Elmer looked confusedly at his friend and teacher. "What road? I don’t see anything like a road. Not even a bike path anywhere." Elmer leaned way out over the edge and searched the plain with serious eyes.

"Fact is, when the time came, those folks couldn’t make up their minds to walk on through the tunnel, Elmer. Ya kinda had a hard time, too, right? But, then ya just sorta closed yer eyes and followed yer better feelings. I’m afraid those poor folks down there just plain chickened out. Maybe they couldn’t trust the situation-maybe that’s part of their struggle, ya know? Not trusting anybody, that is. Maybe it was just easier to stay on the other side than to trust. Not trusting is a wider road than trusting." He saw Elmer nodding in agreement and he went on.

"Some of them down there are ashamed."

Elmer’s morose expression showed his understanding of feeling shame. Billy shook his head sadly as he watched Elmer’s profile dissolve into tears.

"Shame is real hard to get over, Elmer. I’m glad ya can feel for those who suffer from it. Ya must try to forgive yerself, though; it’s important if ya want to progress. To feel ashamed is the first step toward resurrectin’. To go past the shameful mistake ya made is the next step. That is, ya fergive yerself. Can ya guess what comes third, Elmer?" Billy’s watchful eye caught Elmer’s expression as he thought about it. Elmer’s face began to show hope. Hope and a new willingness.

"That’s it, Elmo, ole boy! That’s the thought I was waitin’ fer! Ya just say "good-bye" to that ole excuse of being ashamed and start goin’ an’ growin’! Don’t ya feel better a’ready?" Billy’s wide-open heart lighted up his round face and Elmer had to smile.

"You know, Billy, I do feel better. Maybe I can talk to one of those people sometime. Maybe they don’t feel any hope. Do you suppose that’s why they’re so alone down there?"

"I’ll bet that’s at least part of what they feel, Elmer. There’s another feeling they might have. I wonder if ya can tell me what that is?"

Elmer looked right into Billy’s midnight-blue eyes. "It’s guilt, isn’t it, Billy? I wouldn’t feel ashamed if I weren’t guilty of doing wrong. I did lots of wrong things, especially to my family. I was so ashamed, I didn’t think God-I mean, the Boss...." Here Elmer swallowed hard. Billy held as still as he could, hoping Elmer would go all the way. "Gosh, Billy, it’s so hard to call Him that, I’m not sure I should...."

"Go ahead, Elmer, He’s waitin’ to hear ya say it. He’s been waitin’ a long time-all yer life."

"Well, then...Heavenly Father-my Father. I was afraid my father wouldn’t want me after-after all that...."

Tears poured down Elmer’s thin, pink cheeks. Billy stuck his big, gold-as-the-sun hanky into his hand and wrapped his long, loving arms around Elmer. "Ya gotta cry, ole buddy. Around here, we call it repentin’. That’s the only way to get it all out of ya. The guilt and the shame, that is. Cryin’s the best ole thing ya can do. Dad’s cryin’ too, ya know; why, He’s so happy!"

***

"Look over there, Billy! Do you see that man? I think I know him. He looks like a man I got convicted of robbing a Speedy Mart back home. He got surprised by a night guard and pulled a gun and shot him. He-he got the death sentence. He’s dead. But that can’t be him...he’s been dead ten years."

"Well, sure, Elmer, that’s him all right. He couldn’t get up the nerve to come on through the tunnel and he’s been wanderin’ around on the other end for all those years. Just waitin’."

"What do you mean, waiting? Hey-look over there!" Suddenly Elmer pointed far off to his right. Through the cloudy, grayish atmosphere, they could just see the bright glow of the tunnel’s end.

"Golly! It looks like somebody’s gonna try to come on through! Gee, Elmer, I gotta go. It’s my job to meet these latecomers. I’ll see ya later. Say, Elmer, why don’t ya go on over and have a talk with yer old friend? He’ll be mighty glad to see ya." Billy was gone in a blink, but before Elmer could turn away, he saw Billy step right into the tunnel; he carried a huge, yellow cowboy hat in his hands and wore an even bigger loving smile on his face.

"He’s not going to want to see me," Elmer turned to look toward the dead man. "He’s going to want to kill me." He sat down right where he was in the soft, gray nothing of the lost people’s world. He watched as the man he knew was dead walked up and down, back and forth in the dim light. "It’s so dark here, how come?" Elmer realized that he hadn’t thought about the difference between this dull, cool place and the bright warmth of the world he and Billy lived in. Looking up, he couldn’t help himself as he searched overhead for the sun.

"What did Billy tell me when I first got here? Oh! There’s no sun-the light is the light of love." Elmer felt a chill as he understood. "This place is part of Hell." Nervously, Elmer glanced over his right shoulder to see the fires or at least some smoke. He saw nothing like that. The chill dimness felt like nothing at all. Elmer realized that’s what it was. No feelings. "Well, that means that Hell is a place without love," he thought. "Still, I can see something here. I can see Beau Dillon down there. Maybe there is a little love around here. Maybe this is just the edge of Hell."

First Anniversary of the Declaration of the Cosmic Sabbath for Parents of Heaven and Earth

by Christian Lepelletier-Jardim, Brazil

I was part of a group of eleven people to leave Sao Paulo on the 26th at night to travel 16 hours by van to go Jardim to attend the celebration held at Jardim, South Matto Grosso, Brazil, August 28,1998. Our National Leader, who was included in this group, had made some arrangements for us to stay at night in the city of Jardim (30 km away), because the Center for Education for the Ideal Family and World Peace was already packed with 800 members mostly from Japan and Korea. Many of them came as a couple or family including children. The Korean National Messiahs, participating in another seminar at Forte Olimpo, near the border of Paraguay, came also.

On August 28 (July 7 by lunar calendar), we gathered before 7am in the hall, on the 2nd floor of the restaurant building. Rev Kwak was in the front making the list of the representative groups to be called to bow in front of True Parents and the offering table, Rev Oyamada was helping to translate from Korean to Japanese. When he saw me, he called me to come to stand in the front row next to Rev Zin Moon Kim, and he gave my name to Rev. Kwak to represent the National Messiahs. The process of the ceremony went as usual, after the representative bows, recitation of the Family Pledge, True Father prayed, cake cutting, three Manseis and Father spoke.

I cannot report about the content of the speech, because of the language. Father spoke often in Japanese; the Japanese members were the majority in the audience. Rev Oyamada was translating from Japanese to Korean and vice-versa when Father switched back to Korean. One small group of American families were in one corner as participants of the 40-day workshop.

In the afternoon was the sport tournament, soccer, volley, running including men and women teams were competing for a $500 prize. True Father, together with the Korean elders, was watching from underneath the official tribune and listening to the loud shouting, plus the many types of noise made by the Korean and Japanese groups supporting their teams. The Japanese and Koreans teams finished equal and shared the prize.

In the evening we gathered in the main hall for entertainment which started after 7:30pm, after True Parents entered. The back stage was beautifully decorated with a large painting representing the natural surrounding of the New Hope Farm. One Korean man and one Japanese lady shared the work of master of ceremony, in their respective language. The program included: Korean drummers, singers, second generation dance and skit, Japanese songs, magician, ballet dance, etc.

On Saturday True Parents spent many hours sitting on their chairs in the shade of a large tree in front of the farm house, posing with the couples finishing the 40-day training. The couples were well dressed and made lines and waited for their turn to stand a few seconds to take a picture together True Parents.

Sunday morning we had another chance to participate in pledge service with True Parents at 5 am. Father then spoke, mostly in Japanese, at some point asked the Japanese women to stand up, He walked a few steps in the middle alley in the crowd, he continued to speak and asked them to pledge and commit themselves, with loud voice and by raising both hands.

After lunch, a little before 2pm, True Parents departed from the farm house in a jeep driven by Pres. Kim, director of the New Hope Farm. Both side of the dirt road were lined with many members waving good-bye, until the car disappear over the bridge.

Education of Our Second Generation

by Yun Jin Kim
European Second Generation Leader

It has been more than one and a half years since I came to Europe to take responsibility for the Second Generation and European HARP.

Compared to Korea and Japan our main difficulty in Europe is connected to the relatively young age of our Blessed Children. There are not so many Blessed Children and they are living very far away from each other in many different nations.

The responsibility to educate the Second Generation is very great and important and I feel not really capable enough to do it. However, I would like to take this opportunity to share my heart and experiences about educating the Second Generation in Europe.

At the moment there are over 2,700 Blessed Children in Europe. Korea has already more than 10,000 Blessed Children and Japan has even more: 13,000! Even though the European Second Generation brothers and sisters are still quite young, there are already twelve Second Generation Blessed Couples.

A deep understanding of the need to educate the Second Generation is very much needed, especially when we think about our HARP members. The majority of the Western HARP members are Blessed Children. Their years spent in the middle and high school are most crucial to the development of their characters and towards their life of faith. Father always speaks about children of this age and has said that they should form one body together with True parents in order to be protected. Father also said that all members of the Second Generation should go through a seven-year formula course. I feel that we cannot overemphasize the importance of education of the Second Generation.

The Purpose of Educating the Second Generation

Education for the Second Generation should be an education of heart centered on True Parents’ heart and tradition. We need to guide all Blessed Children, who were born through the Blessing given by True Parents. All Blessed Children should be able to respect the sacrifices made by the First Generation and be able to grow up properly centering on Heavenly Father’s heart and tradition. As we know, the Second Generation of Israelites who arrived in Canaan after the 40-year wilderness course couldn’t establish their nation centering on heavenly tradition. Instead they started to worship idols and fell into materialism. Seeing the situation of our Second Generation from this point of view, they are in a very similar and therefore dangerous position. We are living in such an important time in which we can establish the Heavenly Kingdom together with our True Parents as Heavenly soldiers or fail in misery.

True Father has already prepared such a huge foundation through incredible sacrifice and hardship. All of these accomplishments are for the Second Generation to inherit. There are currently around 12,000 Second Generation Blessed Couples. In the future this number will increase dramatically, particularly in Europe. When we think about this, it is important that we prepare well with a good and precise education plan.

Parents should become Teachers of Teachers

Some Blessed Children have come to me and said, "I know that we have to do the Pledge service every Sunday and beginning of each month, but my parents don’t do it; why should I do it?" Thinking about this, I always remember Father’s words: "Parents should set a good example in front of their children, they should have a good life of faith, a good prayer life and raise their families according to Father’s words." The Pledge service is a precious opportunity given by Heavenly Father and True Parents to educate our children centered on God’s Will.

On one occasion Father said, "If we don’t give proper guidance to our Second Generation concerning family and church matters before they are seventeen years old, they will be absorbed into the secular society." Therefore parents should become teachers of teachers. The standard of the life of faith of the parents has a lot of influence on their children.

Plans and Investment for the Education of Second Generation

Members and leaders need to understand the importance of investing in the education of the Second Generation. We sometimes neglect the importance of education because of the nature of education itself, which often brings few visible results in the short term. Education of the Second Generation is often neglected because of lack of financial support or difficulties in finding a responsible person for the education. For a ship to make a safe voyage, you need a compass and a marine map. In the same way the most important things we need are to find capable teachers and have a precise plan.

Sometimes I wonder when members say "We are taking good care of our Second Generation; we organize workshops two or three times a year and this is enough." We cannot be serious if we think such a way. Our church education can only be good when we have a day-to-day education program such as Sunday school and so on which takes place from childhood to adulthood.

The 40 Million Couples Blessing (Nov. 1997) was a great success, even though we thought it was impossible to do. Now Father gave a new direction for all members: we should bless 360 million couples by Jan. 1, 2001. When we think about that direction, we have to realize that we are living in a very important time. Also, very soon parents of the Second Generation will receive the authority to conduct the Blessing for their own children themselves.

What Should We Do Now?

We know that whatever Father says will come true. After we have accomplished the 3.6 Billion Couples Blessing, a great burden will be lifted from our shoulders. However, we still need to set up an education for after the Blessing. When we look at the ultimate goal of the FFWPU which is to establish True Ideal Families centering on True Love, we have to make a lot of investment especially for the Second Generation, who are our hope for the future of our movement. The main reason why Second Generation brothers have problems is because of their lack of heartistic relationship with True Parents.

The ultimate goal of the Blessing is to eradicate the satanic blood lineage and restore the lineage through engrafting onto True Parents. It is clear that we have to fulfill the next Blessing. But if we continue to have only Blessings and at the same time very serious problems are growing among the Second Generation and we are not able to show a good family standard to the world, the Blessing will have almost no meaning.

This is the time to practice serious concern and investment for the Second Generation here in Europe not only by words but by action.

Yun Jin Kim is the leader of the European Second Generation. Reprinted from The European.

Camp Tongil Northwest 1998

by Vanessa Nishikawa-Seattle, WA

The morning bell clangs out over the sleeping camp-ding dong, ding dong, ding dong-resonating over the lake, breaking the stillness of the quiet summer morning. A new day at Camp Tongil Northwest begins for youth from five different states-Washington, Oregon, Montana, Alaska, and Idaho, plus British Columbia. This was the fifth annual event for youth ages 8 - 14 and the second year that it was held at the beautiful and rustic site of Millersylvania State Park, Environmental Learning Center, 12 miles south of Olympia, Washington, from July 19 - 24, 1998.

This year’s camp hosted 84 very lively children with 30 attentive adult staff to guide and organize the multitude of activities. The camp theme, "Becoming a Champion for God," was enthusiastically applauded-with special emphasis during Divine Principle Education presentations being placed on the life and mission of Jesus Christ.

Over the past five years, the camp has grown steadily both in numbers of participants and staff members and duration. For comparison, the camp in 1995 had 24 children with six staff members, and was held over a weekend.

Tongil means "unity" and that is most effectively accomplished by the internal camp structure-teams comprised of eight children and two adult counselors each. This somewhat conservative ratio is not just a safety precaution but also enhances the quality of the campers’ and counselors’ experience. Camp Tongil is a learning environment as an extension of the family, and the adult volunteers, largely parents of campers, are the ones who create the circumstances through which true family values are taught and practiced. In a unique campfire ceremony, which the children have come to love, the campers state ways by which they may become champions for God. Some of the promises clearly show just what is valued at Camp Tongil: "to be kind to others, even when they are not kind to me,"; "to speak the truth when it must be spoken"; "to respect everything God makes,"; "keep a positive attitude,"; "trust God,"; "help Mom more at home,"; "be helpful to people," ; "challenge self to be strong,"; "be obedient to parents."

Team structure

The teams stay together for most of the activities for the duration of the camp, and by the end of the five-day experience, there are many moist eyes among team members saying farewell until next year. Each team wears a different color T-shirt (i.e., the "Red" team, the "Periwinkle" team, the "Sage" team) with a beautiful logo designed by David Hose, Jr. emblazoned on the front. The specific colors have been cause for endearing titles-this year, on skit night, the "Blue" team did a take-off on the "Men in Black" and presented a skit by the "Boys in Blue".

An early start to the day is necessary in order to fit in all of the exciting activities, and campers are roused from sleeping bags at 7:00 AM. Exercises follow, then Hoon Dok Hwe by teams. Morning clean up and "teamwork" with assigned chores are accomplished prior to breakfast. Appetites do not present any problems, as campers have healthy ones at each meal and snack time. Extensive appreciation is shown to the hard-working cooks, Helen Abelseth and Helen Downey, by the fact that there are very few leftovers. Divine Principle Education in the form of brief "youth-friendly" presentations are next in the schedule, followed by skits including adults and campers as actors. This allows for a fresh understanding of significant religious principles. David Malloch guided the presentations and skits for the "Junior" campers while Eric Sylte offered guidance and led discussions for the "Senior" campers (the Mountain Challenge participants-the Sage and Silver teams).

After team meetings, teamwork and lunch, the afternoon is divided into four sessions, including "Hands On Education" directed by Toni Lee Curry, swimming and canoeing, plus "Team Choice" activities such as sports, games, hiking, etc. After a bountiful dinner, each evening program has a particular theme: promises to "Become a Champion for God", skit night, songfest around the campfire, culminating in an extraordinary "Awards Ceremony." Lights out at around 10:00 PM concludes the official camp day, however, many treasured stories are in the hearts of campers and counselors who found themselves still awake after official "bedtime".

Mountain Challenge

An innovative and very exciting highlight of this year’s camp was the Mountain Challenge experience. Led by Craig "Mountain Man" Dahl and "Aunt" Penny Frisk and assisted by Eric Sylte, Teddy Hose and Mary Hose, two teams of "Senior" boys and girls (Sage and Silver) went on an off-site overnight hiking/camping adventure. This expedition, by all accounts, was an incredible experience for all that challenged themselves to trek up Mt. Ellinor in the Olympic mountains.

All Mountain Challenge participants went way beyond their personal limits of physical endurance, and in so doing, were blessed with deep spiritual experiences of the presence of God. At the top of the mountain, besides the spectacular view of the world below them, they were amazed to find mountain goats coming up to lick their hands. The Seniors were treated to a day of technical rope work and utilized their new skills to rappel off a 50 foot vertical wall. Upon completion of the cliff challenge they enjoyed the coolness of a swim in a pristine mountain lake.

Testimonies

On the final afternoon of camp, all participants spend time to fill out a reflection and take a quiz to assess the educational development, progress and effectiveness of the Divine Principle presentations. Eric Sylte challenged the "Seniors " with three essay questions. A few excerpts from their responses follow:

Q: How could Adam and Eve have protected themselves and avoided "fallen" relationships.

Response from Rachel Curry, age 14, (Silver team): First, Adam and Eve could have been more careful with each other (Eve convincing Adam into a sexual relationship) and others (Lucifer convincing Eve into a sexual relationship). If Adam and Eve were more careful, Eve wouldn’t have fallen and neither would have Adam. Second, Adam and Eve had to trust God completely and with absolutely no doubt. (Satan convincing Eve to have a sexual relationship by saying that God wouldn’t care). If she did trust God and not the archangel, she would have eventually become the Queen of the universe = True Mother. In turn, Adam would have become the King = True Father.

Response from Josie Wells, age 14, (Silver team): Eve allowed herself to be alone with Lucifer. If she had not done this it might have been avoided. Yet this did occur and even then it could have stopped there if Eve had not involved Adam. I have my own wonders though. What if Adam and Eve had been honest right afterwards? Also, what if they had taken the blame themselves, and said, "it was all my fault". Instead of blaming each other. They were given everything. Freedom to choose, ability to bear children, and a rule, not to "eat the fruit" until they were married and mature....If Eve had listened to God and not Lucifer, the whole fall could have been avoided. If Adam had listened to himself, God, and his conscience, instead of Eve and Lucifer, he would have been able to protect himself and save mankind from "fallen" nature and relationships.

Q: What do we mean by the term "True Parents"?

Response from Gregory Nishikawa, age 13, (Sage team): "True" meaning what is more pure or spiritual implies that "True Parents" are the parents that are most pure or spiritual. "True" Father and Mother are therefore more spiritual than other people; they’re more religious, understanding, loving and "True". It’s also said that they can speak with God and understand God or God’s heart. Since God is spirit, and Jesus (who brought the "Sword of Truth") was the Son of God, this also makes "True Parents" more spiritual. I believe this because I am part of the Unification Church; and "True Parents" are the leaders of the Unification Church. So, naturally, I was brought up being taught that. Also, if I take "True" literally, it would mean that "True Parents" are more honest and truthful. That would mean that they tell the truth about religion and God. And, thirdly, since "True Parents" are more spiritual than other people, they have stronger spirits. And, because of this, they act as protectors or guardians to our spirits. Therefore, acting as spiritual parents. Also, because they are the leaders of the Unification Church, they guide us in teachings and blessings, again acting as parents to all of the followers of our Unification Church movement. We also look up to them when things become difficult.

Q: Why do we call Jesus a champion for God?

Response from Yoshiko Araki, age 13, (Silver team): Jesus...dedicated his entire life to God. Jesus loved God and understood his heart; he was willing to do anything for him. Jesus would go and speak God’s words to the people wherever he could. He knew that all the people on earth were God’s children and loved by him, so Jesus loved them just as much, even when he was thrown in prison. When Jesus knew that he was going to die on the cross, he did not back down. He did not go run and hide but sacrificed his life for God and his children. It was probably really painful for Jesus because he could never experience having a wife and children, having a family. Jesus knew how important it was to restore this world and allowed himself to go through worse than hell to indemnify all the sins of all the people. Jesus gave his sweat, blood and tears for God; Jesus gave his everything for God and therefore is a champion for God!

Incentives

For the past four years, an innovative "incentive program" has been developed by Assistant Director, Vanessa Nishikawa. This year, campers collected tickets for good deeds and healthy attitudes from counselors and other adult staff and exchanged tickets at the Camp Tongil Store which was open nightly and offered some fun prizes that truly excited most of the younger campers. Some campers earned alphabet beads to spell out their names or the acronym of our camp theme B.A.C.F.G. (Be a Champion for God) and promptly made necklaces or bracelets. Next year, we will focus more on heart and intent, and seek to elicit and reward selfless behavior and heavenly attitude. At the Awards Ceremony each camper received a beautiful, laminated Certificate of Participation and congratulations from many of the adult staff members, including a handshake from Rev. Won Geun Kim.

Each year, the Camp Tongil experience gets bigger and better. Feedback from campers and staff is reassuring-Camp Tongil Northwest is a very good thing that is here to stay. Next year, we are seeking to add on one more day and will create a precedent to embrace children of newly blessed couples in the program.

In addition to those already mentioned, we’d like to extend our appreciation to the following staff members: Dreux Amaral, Diane Araki, Yoshinori Asaoka, Michiko Barrett, Izabela Byrne, Will Couweleers, Sun-Hee Davies, Deloise De Goede, Fred Dehen, Junko Jones, Mubina Lagare, Ray McCready, John Nattrass, Tom Picard, Dario Pisano, Richard Stumpf, Eva-Maria Taylor, Lucy Wells and Katsuya Yamauchi.

For more information on Camp Tongil send email to camptongil@aol.com. We are interested in comparing notes with other summer camps.

Calling all CARP Ghosts

Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of CARP?

No, this is not a question from some futuristic version of the Spanish Inquisition or House Committee on un-American Activities. But we would like to hear from you, very much.

For the past four or five years, CARP has been focused on three main issues: creating a Purity Movement; educating young members and 2nd Generation through the STF; and rebuilding a foundation on America's campuses.

These days, our main CARP centers are in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington DC and Bridgeport, with smaller activities in San Diego, Boulder and Seattle. But we'd like to expand again, especially in those schools where our members and 2nd Generation students are studying.

Under the guidance of Jin Hun Nim, we are gradually streamlining CARP membership to a basic course of seven years. The first one or two years out of High School are spent working full time on the STF. Then comes four years of full time college, followed by a graduate year in a leadership role. This marks a big change from the past.

One thing that would really help is to have an active alumni association. Father once said that people never truly leave CARP, but just become CARP "Ghosts." In that spirit, we'd like people who are joining CARP today to learn about the activities of the past, hear the testimonies of the immortals, and perhaps get a larger perspective on how valuable the CARP training can be.

The first step is this appeal. Make yourselves known! Please send your email, snail mail and fax and phone details to Michael Balcomb by email to worldcarp@aol.com, or by mail to 4 West 43rd St., 3/F, NY, NY 10036. In return we'll put you on our mailing list for our CARP newsletters and other exciting activities, including the World CARP Academy and the Pure Love '99 tour. If you want to, please include a photograph of you and your family, or even a testimony or anecdote for our upcoming Alumni newsletter.

Hope to hear from you!

Michael Balcomb

Book review: The Shelter of Each Other, Rebuilding Our Families by Mary Pipher, Ph.D. $12.95

reviewed by Cathi Close-Arlington, VA

In The Shelter of Each Other, Mary Pipher does for the American family what she did for adolescent girls and their parents in her best-selling book Reviving Ophelia: she opens our eyes wide to the desperate realities we are facing and shows us a way out.

Drawing on the fascinating stories of families rich and poor, angry and despairing, religious and skeptical, and probing deep into her own family memories and experiences, Pipher clears a path to the strength and energy at the core of family life.

"A canny mix of optimism and practicality gives Pipher’s fans a way to resist the worst of the culture around them and substitute the best of themselves." Newsweek

"Using her analytical and story-telling skills, Pipher lays out the cultural, technological and economic forces that are tearing families apart and creating a crisis of meaning and values in the society as a whole .... The Shelter of Each Other generates a feeling of warmth and a sense of possibility that families need not be doomed. What families need today, Pipher says, is hope -and her book succeeds in showing how to build it." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is trying to make more sense out of the struggles we experience in the context of our families (doesn’t that include us all?). It’s honest and I like that. Just as much as we need high ideals to strive for and work toward, we also need frankness and honesty. Without micro-analyzing our pasts, we still need to understand where we are coming from and why we are the way we are.

Mary Pipher attempts to do this and, in my opinion, does a very good job of it. We are living in a culture that offers the potential for the best and the worst of possibilities. This book is encouraging reinforcement toward what we all hope to achieve. Family love and unity. Easier said than done, I’m sure we agree, so the more help we can get, the better. Some books are food for the soul, this one is nourishment for our families and one that offers what we need most, hope.

Blessing My Hometown - Restoration of my Hometown

by Chris Bihary-Painesville OH

Family restoration and hometown tribal love have been a challenge to me and my family. The hometown providence has given me and my family a perspective on God’s historical heart, through the enduring situations. This story of family perseverance shows that to gain victory of tribal love, one has to set the goal and, step by step through God’s formula of True Love, establish victory.

In 1990, the message for home town sent us from the World Mission Center (full-time missionary) to do hometown in northeastern Ohio; we could move to my home neighborhood in 1992. There, with family and clan and all my home schoolmates, we started the tribal love work. Every year in my town there is a summer celebration for the city folks to gather in the town square. From here I started our family’s work by having a booth set up to bring them the Blessing. The first year I made a booth for sales of gift items. The following years I made information booths for Women’s Federation, then Family Federation, and now the True Blessing Booth. We became known as the city’s Moon family. At first we were externally persecuted; sometimes we were even rejected. But folks here in this town are still friendly and know the good basic family root that I came from. I was known as the rebel. The one who did things different from others: becoming a hippie, rock and roll and being a Moonie! Publishing my own high school underground newspaper REVELATIONS, I was well known as a person who was not afraid of speaking the Truth. Well, that all changed now that it became known I was a Moonie disciple for the last 20 years. People believed me in heart, but they were apprehensive about my so-called religious beliefs. When they would talk with me, they found I was very full of spiritual insights and scriptural understandings. This led them to have a change of mind about me and my family. Especially, being an international family, the ethnic and racial barriers could be overcome. Hometown for me was dealing with a small community which did not have too much concern or connection with the larger realms of society. It has been well contented with its ongoing situation. The problems of societies have been very minimal; that is to say, there have been no natural disasters such as floods, tornadoes or the like.

I have every year, at this summer festival, become a symbol of a new tradition of strength and perseverance. At first I could meet many young couples for whom my proclamation about True Families had great appeal; this message made sense to the elderly as well. I was calling this my home and I was staking the Moon claim of the True Love Tribes here in the town.

Within the Structure

Through the children’s activity and my volunteerism, I could begin to win the hearts of the folks here in town. I knew it would take time for this family feeling of True Love to grow, but I still had to persevere every day, and year after year making a mark of accomplishment showed at the fair. As a parent at the birth of a child, one might feel pride, but the job of being a parent is just at its beginning. Blessing ’98 the meaning of Parentism and town education is really the time to begin the true mission. The family training of True Love now will be implemented in the creation of Hometown Family Values. I have a good heart connection with my involvement. through last year’s summer party I have Blessed many people, such as the judge and the local city, state and congressional officials and representatives. I have let my Moonie perspective be known in many areas.

Last year, 1997, I blessed folks from all areas of lifestyle, such as: bank robbers, ministers, Cleveland Indians players, school teachers, etc. My family has been supportive but I have always served and made effort to be a good, filial son. This is important; doing it becomes a tradition. When you do something and then forget about it, that is the key plan. One must never count the many good deeds one does, but build upon it as one takes responsibility doing it with a loving heart. After a while it becomes a natural love that you enjoy doing for others, as well as others feeling that joy when you do it. Only love can give this feeling.

Blessing ’98 Family/Tribe

After returning from Puerto Rico, working at the Navy base, I had a chance to bless many for the ’98 Blessing. My wife being Japanese, she went to do Blessing work and family witnessing in her hometown for three weeks in Japan. Back at the Blessing ’97, I worked for three weeks in Washington DC, so now my wife was working in Japan this year. This family sacrifice and offering was made by all the family. Coming to America 25 years ago, my wife only visited her hometown once; it was 10 years ago, after our first son was born. She really did not get a chance to see all her childhood friends. This time she could go home as a Moonie and proclaim her Love of God and True Parents. Testifying to the international Holy Blessing, she could give many Blessings to her hometown family.

On Father’s Day, June 21, both Eiko and I had the opportunity to Bless our Tribal Clans. In America, my cousin (who has received us warmly since 1982) had a graduation party for their youngest daughter. I Blessed the celebration cake with Holy Wine with permission to give this special Blessing to all my relatives young and old, creating a true celebration day. On the other side of the planet, my wife was having a special banquet with all her relatives and she also had a special Holy Wine ceremony sharing the cup of True Love Blessing with them. This is now a Tribal Holiday for us!

Hometown Tribal Blessing

My family became involved in sign-making and poster-making for this event. I had spiritual dreams every night for seven days. I met many ancestors of the city and dreamed of holding a Blessing rally every night. Most of the booths at this city fair are 10 feet by 10 feet, but I rented two spaces making a very large statement about what I was doing. I felt the need for as much spiritual space as possible. I used some special gifts, showing the banners and flags to really decorate and honor the Blessing booth. I set up a Holy Wine table with special Holy Wine Lemonade as well as a video display table, which accented the charts from the True Family Values book.

One of the best situations working to create this hometown Blessing was the Blessed children, who were really investing themselves giving out the holy wine and candies. The Cleveland church director, Joel Lindstrom, along with three blessed wives and their children, also participated with the Blessing Festival. This is the Northeast Ohio Blessed Families who together could make this victory. We also had others who had been Blessed last year come to the booth and help too.

Buying and pre-Blessing the candies was important because when the festival was on, so many could receive the blessing as fast as we could give it. Keiko Biddle, Martha Toshiro and Megumi Lindstrom helped to make that foundation of having the candies ready and putting them together with flyers. The Blessed children were so pure in heart that even the hardest of hearts I have known for five years broke down and received their Blessing from them. Yoko, my six year old daughter, was out there for almost 20 hours in three days. But the support of my two boys, ages 12 and 10, supplying a tandem effort, played a part in passing the goal. I truly did not expect at first the 8,000 goal beforehand, but by that Sunday evening we were out of Holy Juice and Holy Candy and were well beyond our goal. This made a joyous sound unto the Lord!

My biggest joy was Blessing so many friends and family in my True Tribal Hometown. Example: my high school friend’s band was ready to play music for the townspeople in the gazebo. I went with a silver tray holding 12 cups of Holy Wine to the band. I announced this is the time of Blessing. One of the Carrol twins (in this famous local band) said "OK, everybody, drink!" The bass man said, "Is this Moonshine?" The other twin said, "Not! It is Moon Wine!"

I said, "Yes! It is Holy Wine! I give you the Blessing!" The whole band drank up, said thank you and the music played.

Next month is the county fair; the Northeast Ohio FFWPU has a Family Booth, and we will also have a Family Federation Trailer in the County Parade. The Blessing is coming! Truly the Kingdom is come like the lightning flashing. All shall enter the gates of Heaven! Now is Parental birth and responsibility.