by Dr. Jin Choon Kim-UTS
Rev. Young Suk Song is the team leader of 12 Korean regional leaders currently studying at. UTS. This is his basic prayer in English at their morning meeting: "Good afternoon, Heavenly Father, True Parents, harmony, together, Amen." It has been more than 30 years since he studied English at high school but his extremely simple yet profound prayer reminds us of the sorrowful and painful heart of Heavenly Father and True Parents.
In this prayer still we can find an essential message: By attending ("Good afternoon") God the Heavenly Father ("Heavenly Father") and the Lord of Second Advent ("True Parents"), let us make an ideal world ("Harmony") through working together ("together").
When Father called Korean regional leaders at Hannamdong (Korean East Garden) this year, nobody was able to read what was going on in Father's mind. Father explained about the significance of UTS and their study at UTS. Some of them were shocked and other might have been excited. By various ways Father chose 11 candidates among them. Later, Father called Rev. Pyung Lae Moon, 52 years old (430 couple) and the eldest among 12 leaders, and Rev. Song, 51 years old (430 couple) and the second eldest, to Father's room and asked whether they could study at UTS in English. Their answer was "Yes, Father." They offered their majority times of 30 years to the God's providence and True Parents' ceaseless desperation, as pioneering ministers and especially 16 years (Rev. Moon) and 10 years (Rev. Song) as regional directors. Never did they think about their English and family! Simply they wanted to follow Father's idea and order. This was their founding faith for the Father's new plan.
Here are those 12 former Korean regional leaders: Pyung Lae Moon & Young Suk Song (430), Heung Tae Kim & Dong Suk Ku (1800), Chang Shik Yang, Chi Joong Kim, Sun Jo Hwang, Hae Chull Jung & Dong Woo Kim (6000), Won Seok Kang, In Hoe Lee & Man Ho Kim (6500). Mr. Sang Sun Park (6000) couldn't join this group of 12 leaders because of VISA situation but might come on Winter trimester. They all have exemplary faith and strong commitment to fulfill Father's new plan. Their family situation and the possible difficulty of studying in UTS with English were not strong enough to stop their devoted determination. This level of faith do we need, I'm sure, to have in this True Parents and Completed Testament Age in order to march forward the millennium coming soon.
With such a short notice, they managed to have a warming-up to wake up their latent English for one month or so. Although they were near being knocked down and going back to Korea at the immigration office in Alaska, Heavenly Father didn't let them become victims of secular fallen system. As a matter of fact, there were full of TOEFL books in their tourist bags! Who on earth carry tourist bags full of TOEFL books! But to them without passing TOEFL exam, they will not be able to register as students of UTS.
When their arriving at Kodiak on August 10, the beautiful heavenly treasury of Alaska, an intensive 10-day training program by True Parents has been waited for them. Six pink salmons, three silver salmons, and one hundred pound halibuts per day were individual goal in fishing. To fulfill this goal they must wake up 5:30 a.m. every day and challenge themselves all day long, coming back exhausted. Father explained about the significance of their study at UTS, saying "You are the representatives of those members who had to give up their study at college and instead go to the front line for the sake of Heavenly Father's urgent providence in 1960s. Now after 40-year anniversary of HSA-UWC, we are able to stand in different providential stage and resolve their cherished desire of study. When you become students, you must show good example and establish a good tradition in UTS. You must graduate UTS within two and half years. After you graduate I will assign you as leaders educating members of six continents. But some of you may run away from UTS while you are studying."
While they are being trained by True Parents at Kodiak, Mr. Peter Kim worked hard in many aspects to prepare for them because of True Parents' special concerns. In UTS also, President Dr. Shimmyo, in order to unite with True Parents ' idea, pushed himself and his staff to prepare for receiving them internally and externally. Since Father visited UTS this spring and changed administration, all UTS community of faculty, staff, and students have been busy to grasp what is the Father's true intention about UTS in this age of Completed Testament which is different from before. When we heard for the first time that Hyo Jin Nim decided to come UTS for study, we all were very excited. That excitement was mingled with the news about coming of these 12 new Korean former regional leaders and made a new spiritual atmosphere.
The difficulties, which they must face gradually, welcomed them with diverse tastes. First of all, the main difficulty of English challenged them severely. Among the five physical senses, the four senses which are related with listening, speaking, reading, and writing got paralyzed in communication with English speaking people. When they were in Korea, their position of regional leader never let those senses paralyzed. The new culture and life pattern of America and western world are another challenging factor. Their family situations were also not easy matters. Nevertheless, they are challenging themselves to be accustomed to a new atmosphere as soon as possible and at the same time to keep Father's direction as long as possible.
They greeted and reported to Hyo Jin Nim at East Garden and Hyo Jin Nim invited them at Manhattan Center. True Mother invited them at East Garden for True Family's birthday and Deer Park. True Parents invited them at East Garden when True Parents celebrated Ch'us'k (Korean thanksgiving day). President Shimmyo, Dean of administration Dr. W. Brunhofer, and academic dean Dr. J. Tanabe had lunch together with them. They know what these signify and what their proper attitude is. Whenever they have difficulties, each one of them would generate a fresh determination by recollecting Father's warning "Some of you may run away from UTS while you are studying." President Shimmyo and Mr. Peter Kim initiated organizing study groups for listening & speaking and grammar. I sincerely hope that they could express their enthusiastic heart fluently in English when they graduate UTS and go to the world.
As a witness and helper of them, I can testify a vivid transition of UTS to a new mission and stage centered on True Family and these new Korean elder students. As Father stressed, they are trying to contribute something in establishing a heavenly tradition in UTS. President Shimmyo asked them to give morning service at the first day pledge of each month. Already Rev. Moon on October 1 and Rev. Song on November 1 gave speechs to UTS students that had a great impact.
I want to finish this short reflection with some of Father's words that Father gave to them at Kodiak during 10-day training.
* If a man loses time (or chance), he will die on his way even before he goes over the top of the mountain.
* There is no victory where we didn't overcome. A person who overcame will become a victor and lead human history.
* Overcoming and victory are in the same shoes.
* The champion will be the person who overcomes to the last moment.
* If you want to be the owner of ocean, you must devote to ocean more than any other.
* Overcoming will participate in victory.
* The only person who has overcome will be the owner of next generation and gain victory.
* Be a person who can cross the deadline.
* There will always happen certain problems until the end.
* The responsible person can not eat when he wants and can not sleep when he wants.
* There will not be any development until you overcome.
* The person who comes as the owner of love is the messiah.
* The restoration of essence means reassembling of what assembled in the wrong.
* Only when you can have dominion over atmosphere, you can become the owner.
* You can't go the way of restoration with debt.
* If you don't know, you'll be a prey of Satan.
* If you inherit anything without your efforts, it will flow away.
* You must be wiser than Satan.
* Aspire to die completely in the death camp.
* If you die in your home, you can't participate in the list of patriots.
* To make efforts is important.
* To be able to command English fluently in old age gray-haired is a wonderful tradition.
* The person who has lived for the sake of other will not perish.
* If anything doesn't perish and keeps doing well, it will go to the central position.
* If you are more sincere when you are hungry and sleepy, heaven will cooperate with you.
* Studying is a lonely time.
* Look at a distant mountain once a day to uphold the hope of future.