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By Gary Abrahams
It's always exciting to have the opportunity to travel to
the Fatherland and it was a privilege to participate in the 3rd
International STF Assembly in Korea. The theme of this Assembly was
"Envision, Own and Expand the Culture of Heart", and the event was in
the last week of July. I attended as a representative of the STF USA
Parent's Advisory Board.
STF members came together from Japan, Europe, Latin
America, the US and Korea, combining into international teams at the
Assembly, do that they could come closer to transcending all the
cultural and language barriers which currently exist, and realize their
common identity as 2nd Generation, born of the lineage of
True Parents. By energizing and uplifting each other, they build a
common determination to become Owners of God's Providence.
Upon arrival from the US we were greeted by our Korean
STF hosts and transported to the brand new Cheongshim Youth Center, an
amazing and splendid addition to the buildings around the Cheong Pyeong
Lake area. The next morning 460 STF members jumped right into the
program, jet-lag and all. This day we had orientation, team building
activities, reports and testimonies. The International Junior STF 40-day
workshop (with 160 participants including staff) was in mid-stream when
we arrived and we shared several sessions together. We were all truly
happy to see and meet the eldest children of Hyun Jin Nim who were
attending the Junior STF workshop, Shin Won Nim and Shin Ae Nim, and the
son of Heung Jin Nim, Shin Chul Nim.
On day two, after an early wake up and Hoon Dok Hae, all
the STF members went white-water rafting on a river near the 38th
parallel. This activity really brought out the inherent sense of
teamwork in each person. We ended the day beautifully with high quality
international entertainment.
The third day was the day that all of us had been eagerly
awaiting. After a passionate and inspiring speech, Akiko Ikeno called
Shin Won Nim up to the stage to share his heart. It was very special to
hear his words and his testimony of meeting God during last summer's Jr.
STF Workshop. He spoke of the value of STF which brought about his own
life altering experience and brought him to dedicate his life to God,
his grandfather and his own father. He expressed to all of us Hyun Jin
Nim's heart, love and expectation towards the 2nd Generation.
He said that if his grandfather or father asked him to do even the most
impossible task then he would do it without hesitation.
As part of the introduction to Hyun Jin Nim's speech,
Rev. Kwak spoke and welcomed us all to Korea, He shared with us that
God's most essential goal for all of us is to create the ideal world
through creating ideal families. He told the members that by joining STF
they have the best chance of being well prepared to accept and
accomplish this challenge.
Then came the much anticipated visit from Hyun Jin Nim.
After a number of hours of preparation through prayer and singing we
welcomed Hyun Jin Nim with the tradition of the "STF greeting" of
specially prepared cheers from each nation. Hyun Jin Nim expressed how
inspired and energized he feels to meet with STF members. In them he can
find a great hope for the future. He said, once again, that our ultimate
goal and God's dream for all of us as humanity is to build an ideal
family, but, not just one ideal family, more so one ideal human family
centered upon the True Family. His favorite part of the Principle, and
the most important part, is the Principle of Creation because it is
God's ideal. We all have to embody and expand the culture of the heart
centered on true love, specifically, living for the sake of others. He
stressed the importance of understanding their role as the 2nd
Generation. The 2nd Generation are so important in fulfilling
God's dream. He asked them if they could raise the bar and challenge the
culture we live in today. In all over 1,300 people participated, mostly
2nd Generation; 600 of them were participants of Cheong
Pyeong workshops.
Hyun Jin Nim encouraged STF members to prepare themselves
to become true families and emphasized that the best way to develop
their leadership abilities and become owners of the culture of heart was
by learning to live for the sake of God and for the sake of the greater
good. He told the young people that they all had to "earn their stripes"
in order to become future leaders by living the core values through
experience. At some point he asked the leaders about the schedule for
the Assembly. He found it not challenging enough and asked the audience
if they wanted an easy schedule or a challenging one. STF members all
responded, "A challenging one!" At that point Hyun Jin Nim asked us to
add more challenging experiences, which the kids enthusiastically
accepted.
The next morning we were all awakened at 2 am to travel
to Hoon Dok Hae at Han Nam Dong with True Parents. After the reading
Father spoke to us about the importance of creating one Ideal Nation; in
order to restore the world we need a nation. Father told the STF members
that he was very encouraged to see such a bright and enthusiastic 2nd
Generation sitting in front of him. For many of them it was the first
opportunity to meet with True Parents.
After Hoon Dok Hae all members prepared for two days of
outreach/frontline activities including Service for Peace near the DMZ,
and holy wine Blessing activities. Through the challenging experiences
of overcoming language and cultural differences they were able to break
down many barriers. At the end of the two days of action, members
returned to the center physically exhausted but with very excited and
high spirits!
Day 6 began with a prayer walk to the Cheong Pyeong
Training Center about 15 minutes away. We went and prayed at the Trees
of Heart, All Things, Loyalty, Blessing and Love. It was a great way to
start the day with reflection and prayer in such a holy environment.
Sports activities filled the rest of the morning. The members broke into
groups to play capture the flag and then engaged in an organized water
gun fight/game involving the practice of teamwork and strategy.
As the Assembly was drawing to a close we spent the
afternoon reflecting and discussing. That night, we held the closing
banquet, and the gymnasium was set-up with banquet style tables. The
members all wore their best clothes. During the delicious banquet we
were treated with songs and moving testimonies from representatives of
all of the continents. What a great and fulfilling way to end an amazing
week!
This Assembly was an experience of a lifetime for all in
attendance, and the members returned to their countries re-energized and
ready to face the challenges of the upcoming year.
(Gary Abrahams and his wife Friedrun are the parents
of 6 children and were Blessed at the 2075 Blessing at MSG. Gary is
currently working for Shining Ocean, Inc., True Parents' seafood
company in Seattle and serves as the Tennessee state coordinator for
ACC/AFC as well as volunteering his time as a member of the STF USA
Parents Advisory Board.) |
