We became involved with the Family Federation, and we loved the marriage Blessing ceremonies. My husband and I would rededicate our marriage every time they held the Blessings! And I would invite members of our congregation to come and participate in the ceremonies. To my surprise, however, I was criticized because of that, even from within our own church. Some of our congregation left our ministry, and a number of those were people who had been giving substantial offerings.
One night, we met with a group of Christian pastors that we thought were our friends, and some of the Japanese and Korean missionaries attended. At the end of the meeting they approached the ministers to talk with them but were told, “We cannot talk to you.” Shortly after that, one of the Christian organizations that we were involved with told us that we were no longer wanted. In addition, some of the Christian pastors told students at the certified college my husband and I ran, “She’s associating with the Moonies.” But my students didn’t pay much attention, aside from being curious.
Then other pastors decided they would not associate with us. They wrote us letters, severing their ties with us. We were no longer welcome in their churches, and they would not come to ours. They instructed their members accordingly. But my husband and I told these pastors and our own congregation, “If we have no members, it’s OK, because we still love our Heavenly Father and Jesus, and we are thankful to our Heavenly Father and Jesus for True Parents. This church will open at the time it is supposed to, and we will welcome anyone who chooses to come through the door.” I reminded them that Jesus associated with people others would not associate with.
So other Christians would not talk to us. In 2001, some of them even dispensed propaganda throughout the locality of our church. Of our original congregation of one hundred ten members, our numbers dwindled to twenty-eight. Some left because they opposed our association with True Father; others simply because they received so much humiliation and persecution for being associated with us.
The female pastors whom I thought were my friends stopped talking to my daughter. They persecuted her by talking about her parents. It was really very, very difficult.
As far as the ones who hurt us, we have told our Heavenly Father that we have forgiven them. We didn’t have to think about it; we just knew that was the right thing to do.
I just love Father for teaching me how to treat the enemy. When I was going through persecution, I would think of what Father and Jesus did when they were persecuted. Just to think of how he suffered in the North Korean prison and was still able to love —it’s too much to comprehend. He was still able to help those who were there, making the best out of any environment and any circumstances that he had to endure in life.
The more you think about Father and Mother, the more you understand who they are. I cannot tell you the amount of gratitude I have for them. I needed to have them as a role model to make it through the torments my husband and I suffered. But the more the torment, the more I understood who Father is and why Heavenly Father wanted me to be in his care.
We have a smaller congregation now, but they are very supportive of what we are doing.