Lymhwa Kim and Krista Moon
May 20, 2013
When True Mother spoke, memories of True Father flooded back about the time he spent to establish Tongil Industries at Changwon.
On May 12, 2013 True Parents attended the Changwon Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) Church Sunday Service to commemorate the dedication of the church to Heaven.
A Dedication Ceremony was held to reestablish the newly refurbished church located in Changwon, a city near Pusan in the southern part of South Korea and also the place where True Father established Tongil Industries. The Changwon Church had been established in 1978, and in 1980 it became a Kyeongnam Parish church. True Parents conducted a dedicationceremony for the Changwon Church on September 27, 1982. Last year on May 27, 2012, the church was selected for reconstruction and refurbishment. After one year of re-designing and construction, the church now has four floors and a basement.
During the ceremony, True Mother planted a commemoration plant and led the tape-cutting ceremony. The Sunday Service began with praise and worship from the Parangsae band. Then everyone sang the Cheon Il Guk anthem and recited the Family Pledge. Rev. Jae Hyeong Park gave the prayer report. The VIPS were then introduced, contribution awards were handed out and congratulatory messages were spoken by Congressman Ki Yoon Kang and Mr. Young Jin Ko, superintendent of education. Dr. Chang Shik Yang spoke words of encouragement, followed by True Parent’s speech given by True Mother.
The following video and transcript of the video includes the speech True Mother gave at the Changwon ceremony in which she encouraged the members to dedicate themselves in front of heaven and to become more determined to fulfill their responsibility towards a project known as Vision 2020. The video includes a short talk True Mother gave the following morning in which she explained how the emotions from her memories of her time spent in Changwon with True Father prevented her from speaking about her main point. She explained that building a museum will show the world True Parents’ accomplishments. She encouraged members to be determined to bring in a new member every day.
True Mother gives the offering prayer before the ribbon cutting ceremony to open up the refurbished Changwon Church.
Transcript of True Mother’s Talk at the Dedication Ceremony of the Changwon Church
“A new church is being offered after 32 years. Then, you are all in your prime years. I felt so many things on the way here, and seeing long-standing senior members gave me the idea of asking more of you all.
“I assume that all of you have been working hard making plans with a new resolution and determining with 2020 in mind and that things have been going well.
“But I think with this offering to Heaven of a new church you must be more sincere, dedicate yourselves in front of Heaven and be more determined. Korea has been blessed beyond imagination, and we mustn’t forget who the owner is.
“You are blessed in providential history as Blessed Families, and you sang the Cheon Il Guk anthem, that includes our mind-set that pursues freedom, peace, unification and happiness, didn’t you? Is the world at this moment a world of freedom, peace, unification and happiness, though we have pursued one world centered on the Heavenly Parent?
A group photo was taken to commemorate the Dedication Ceremony during the Sunday Service at the Changwon Church.
“When we look at what is taking place in the world, it appears to be a world that has many issues rather than one that is on the path toward happiness and peace. And the failures, horrors and anxieties make it difficult each day to say what the future will hold.
“I am sure you are aware of this reality through watching the news and through events that have taken place. There is a wide gap between the country that God desires and reality.
“It is true that as Blessed Families you have taken a path vastly different from others. It is true that because of the mistakes of humankind’s progenitors, the world has become fallen and is on the side of evil. Yet, God is not idle on the sidelines, and in each period and in each environmental region; He has led people and humankind toward goodness through four great religions. In particular, the Messiah was to be sent to earth through Christianity. However, did the people of Israel accept the Messiah 2,000 years ago after all the planning and preparations that went into his arrival? They sent him to the cross.
The Changwon Church congregation during the Sunday Service Dedication Ceremony
“That’s why after 2,000 years of Christianity and because of the hope of his return, he came. What did the people say they would do? They said they would attend the marriage supper of the Lamb. What is the marriage supper of the Lamb? It speaks of a providence that men alone cannot fulfill. We can say that the four great religions until now have been ‘son religions.’ But, what would have happened if Christianity bore fruit, welcomed the Lord at his Second Advent and held the marriage supper of the Lamb? They are still waiting and are in a world of darkness.
“True Parents restored all of you. You were reborn. Many children have been born into our second generation. Nevertheless, when looking at reality today, God has given us a great blessing, but it was too much to bear.
“I cannot help thinking about Tongil Industries when coming down to Changwon. Though we cannot explain all of Father’s providential history, because it involved Father, he created many environments for the future that others had not thought of before. But you must become awakened children who fulfill the will of their parents.
Congressman Ki Yoon Kanggave a congratulatory message
“Last week I received a report about a river in Paraguay. Father thought about the future and 60 years ago he was concerned with a plan for the world of the future. Father’s work in South America is just over 20 years old. And there is a river that flows through Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay. It flows out to the Atlantic. Actually the regions along this river have not been developed. They are untouched forests. Father thought about the future there and did much providential work, wishing for the ongoing happiness of your joyful lives. But, people who cannot see into the future are destroying much of the environment. When that was happening, Father bought a lot of land in the region and thought about how it was the most important are for producing oxygen. He thought about the global environment. And he worked to protect hundreds of endangered species. At the time, the cost of labor was $100 a month. It was then that Father gave instructions. Farm Leda was to be created with the help of Japanese missionaries. He encouraged conservation but also farming and protecting endangered species. There is a fish there called the pacu. It tastes like beef. Have you ever eaten pacu ribs? They’re a delicacy. After recognizing the value of this fish, he research team began releasing young fry back into the river. The President of Paraguay heard that, took part and was thankful. Father worked hard and invested himself in solving the problem of feeding humankind in the future amidst an environment where dozens of endangered fish species are disappearing off the face of the Earth. Through this one example alone, we realize that only the True Parents alone can act this way with this parental heart.
“I keep thinking of the days ahead. You must tell True Parents what you will do with the 2020 goal ahead of us. So, as people who are the parents of this country, the chosen people who can welcome God, the responsibility of awakening the people to the glory of becoming God’s Fatherland lies with you. In particular, Changwon is a place where Father set his sights on the future, established Tongil Industries and enlightened the country, as you know. In 1960, do you think Korea had developed a machine industry? It was pitiful. You cannot be satisfied with the fact that Father incorporated industrial technology developed in Germany to create a future for this country just so you can have a nice church here. You have a responsibility. I heard that there are more than one million residents here; you must tell them just who it is that developed this advanced community they are living in. Before it is too late. So, now is the time for you to live up to your faith. Father, True Parents, are the savior, the Messiah, and not just the Lord at his Second Advent, but parents, the True Parents of Heaven and Earth, and those children who do not attend their parents are disobedient children. I want to lead you all to join the ranks of filial children, loyal, holy saints. I would like to do that someday.
“You all should truly have desperate hearts, and put forth your maximum effort, filling this church completely so that just one more person can be aware of True Parents. I hope that you all can do your best to become good generals that can charge forth on the front line making this region the torch that can light all of Korea.
True Mother’s Hoon Dok Hwe after the Changwon Church Dedication Ceremony
“Yesterday, I wanted to speak in depth in Changwon, but I was overcome with nostalgia after seeing Father’s efforts unfold before me like a panorama. I could not contain myself, so I left out some of what I wanted to talk about. I thought about how before your lives are through, as pupils and Blessed Families who have lived at the point in time when True Parents are on earth, you all should give back to heaven and be in the position in which you can leave something behind.
“At a glance, when the people and the True Parents come on the day that mankind has eagerly awaited, and that God has anticipated and completed and fulfilled providential history, and when it was said that the new era has begun, I decided that we must build a museum to explain everything at a glance. In the future, you will be truly blessed. And with the new era and the new history of Cheon Il Guk, though you may fall short, you have the special grace to be in the place where your ancestors can stand. Also, how much you followed the vertical standard with True Parents, and how you lived your life according to absolute faith, absolute love and absolute obedience will be recorded on earth and in your country. When I think about this, it is not an easy decision.
Mr. Young Jin Ko, superintendent of education, congratulated the church and its congregation on the opening of the refurbished church
“True Parents have pioneered everything because True Parents started a new history while on earth. I remain living after Father’s ascension, so it is my job to polish our tradition so that it shines brightly and to organize things from every angle. That is Father’s will and my will. Now you must all make clear just who True Parents are. You must speak and demonstrate how the Unification of North Korea and South Korea can take place because of True Parents. And we must live exemplary lives that testify to that.
“So, today must be different from yesterday. In the past, the Women’s Federation chairwoman said they had resolved to bring in one new member per month, but is one person a month going to be enough? You must be determined to bring in one person a day for this nation to be restored. That is what was said. It’s the same with you all. You are becoming the people who can represent your ancestors. This depends on whether or not you can take responsibility for the blessed position you have been given. As someone living on the earth in this era, you are in a position to receive great blessings. What status will you have in this position of having outstanding blessings in front of your ancestors and descendants? Do you understand?
“True Parents are always centering on you and are with you. This is solid backing. You are not alone. What kind of offering will you make it in front of Heaven for the torch to be lit from the south and spread throughout the whole country making it a country that can fulfill its mission in just seven years?