by Michael Graf--Jersey City, NJ
The is a report on a happening at the True Parents' northwest residence, North Garden, in Kodiak, Alaska, this past summer of '93.
Sometime in the month of May, Master Marine received a message that it was to deliver a pair of 28-foot Good Go boats which had been converted to diesel from outboard to be used in Alaska. The message, however, was changed to two 16-foot boats, namely, the newly-developed Go Sea edition.
The question was, "By which means was it to be transported there?" After some research had been done, it was decided that some of us were to do the task--for two reasons. One, it cost far less. Two, some work had to be done to the boats upon arrival and to perform the actual presentation once the preparation was complete.
Having been with the company since the start-up of production in '80, I felt that I should do the job, and thus I volunteered myself. I had participated in many cross-country trips by truck in the past as well, so I was experienced enough to handle the task. It did present some adventure as well, which was another reason for taking on the job. The total mileage to be covered was approximately 4,800 miles each way, or nearly halfway around the earth.
These two 16-foot boats start a new chapter in the Ocean Providence, one in which the boats we're producing can be sold to the general public. Father had us bring these two boats to Alaska for him, as the first official sales representative of his own boats from his own boat factory, to present them to visitors from the domestic United States as well as from overseas; in other words, Father is to be the first person officially to sell his boats. He has not approved in the past of any attempt to sell the boats, although such moves have been tried.
During the late winter of '93, Master Marine received an order to build 12 16-foot boats. This order was accomplished by July of '93. After the first two had been delivered in Kodiak, all the rest of them were shipped out to the various regions in the U.S.A. and something that still is taking place at the time of this writing, but for which Master Marine is not responsible, as our schedule is filled with a multitude of other tasks.
Since the task of delivering anything on order from Father is so important to accomplish in the required time period which he has prescribed, Lucifer is most certain to try to halt the effort. We had a couple of experiences of that when trucking the boats to Alaska.
Customs
The first incident occurred upon entering Canada. We had just cleared customs when we had to enter a weighing station. This was as far as we came. Here they wanted more papers on the identity of the boat owner and the authenticity of our purpose for trucking through Canada. They were suspicious of us. Perhaps we were to drop these boats off in Canada.
Upon entering the truck I jumped into the boat to remove some loose items, because the plastic cover had broken. Back in the truck and ready to leave the weight station for the customs authorities as this crew had told us to return there due to their suspicion with regard to the purpose of our transporting the boats through Canada, one guy comes running over to us from the building and jumps up on the side step of the truck. He asked me furiously, "What did you take out of the boat?" I showed him the plug. He asked, "What else did you take out of the boat?" to which I answered, "Nothing." Looking at the open glove compartment door, he asks, "What do you have there?" Then I got upset and said: "I have nothing to hide." Eventually this was all sorted out.
Another small incident which took place later, but which could have slowed us down even more, was when around one a.m. the last night, while changing drivers we discovered a massive fuel leak between the tank and the engine. A very good distance behind the last fuel stop and who knows how far it was to the next gas station. The problem was a fuel filter which was too tall. Somewhere behind us we passed a road construction area where we hit a big bump with the truck. Here the front axle struck the filter-bottom and skewed the canister so the rubber gasket came out of position. It was an easy task to correct it, but before knowing what the problem really was, it was kind of discomforting: stuck on a remote road far from civilization in both directions, no fuel and a busted fuel line or whatever it was that was broken.
Well, we got ourselves back on the road again and arrived in Anchorage without any further delay.
There, President Kamiyama, Mr. Sato of Ocean Church and Mr. Oyamada had been waiting for us to arrive. Two hours earlier President Kamiyama and Mr. Oyamada had left by air for Japan. We were actually given three days to complete the transport, but we did it in six and a half. If we could have driven around the clock we would have made it in that amount of time, but with three guys on a bench seat, the rest became so exhausted that an accident would have been very likely. Thus we had to lodge in at night.
It is very evident that spirit world is mobilized to assist us in every affair we take on to build the Heavenly Kingdom at any time. Through repeated experiences like this, this belief grows in strength, thus one's faith strengthens.
Well, in Kodiak we had to mount some hardware and make alterations suggested by Father. By the way, the boats were located right in Father's path by the dock where he leaves and enter the boat so he could see them every day an explain to us details he wanted to change before the official presentation.
The night before Father was to bless the boats, the three of us drivers got a message from our central figure, Mr. Sato, that Father had invited us to stay for the night at Father's residence, North Garden, and that we were invited for breakfast the following morning. Thereafter, Father would sanctify the two 16-foot Go Sea models.
Father had told Mr. Sato, "Maybe the brothers are feeling lonely if I don't invited them to stay at least for one night. He even apologized that it would only be for one night, as there are so many guests he has to entertain and space is very limited.
We only want Father to know that even if he had not been invited to his house, in a sense we already received so much blessing just being able to bring the cargo.
We are grown and responsible people, our joy is to share True Parents with the world and as Father has laid down his life to provide the world with salvation from Satanic bondage, so do we also lay down our lives to help him with the completion of it. Nobody lifted up True Father when he pioneered the way, but he even uplifts his worst persecutor. I cannot ask anything, but just figure how to give even more. Anyway, after Father had sanctified the two Go Sea models, everyone was kind of waiting to see what Father would do next.
For us who often have the opportunity to see Father leave and return on his fishing excursions, we know he needs a hand upon entering and leaving his boat as his body is coming of age; so what happened next sort of took us by surprise. Remember, the boat railing is about four feet above ground. Father is jumping up on the trailer fender and then into the boat. Wow, just like a young guy. Father must have been so inspired. I know the boat still has some way to go before they can be deemed technical wonders, but still....
Anyway, Father did not leave the boat until 3pm when returning from fishing. While in the boat at North Garden, Father calls for Mr. Sato and Mr. Inoue to join him. Father is explaining about details. Then Father calls out, "Let's go!" I, thinking the three of them will leave by car for the launch site, wait a few minutes for them to exit the boat, but whereupon father calls out again and now louder than the first time: "LET'S GO!" It was pretty clear Father wasn't going to leave the boat. All three of them rode in it from North Garden all three miles to the launch ramp and through the launching as well.
After Father returned from fishing and while on his way up the gangway from the dock, he stops, turns and with his head slightly tilted, replies; Jr., cute, just like a little lady all with a nice smile on his face. The small boat was at rest right next to the 28 foot Good Go if you can imagine the sight.
I was able to attend the trip itself as well. On a small boat as this, I think people would fish two rods on the back, usually. Father, as usual, packs the transom with rods. This way, the chances for a good catch, many doubles. This trend gives a greater chance for success, regardless of where it is applied.
Going with Father to fish is a very working experience. I hold the reason for that to be the intense way in which Father tends to fish. He really earns his success. I brought both video and regular camera, but there wasn't much opportunity to shoot tape or film as there were plenty of tasks to do to keep Father at his rods. Each person had their respective task to perform: Mr. Sato handled the wheel and starboard rod, Father handled any rod with fish on it, Mr. Inoue operates the tackle box and a rod, and I am handling the net and third rod.