Mrs. Ki Sook Yoon Pak was the first woman in-law of True Parents' family to reach her 60th birthday. The True Parents honored her with a special celebration at East Garden. Father explained that this was not just a celebration for one day, but a new tradition. On the 60th birthday of all Blessed members, the combined families should celebrate together and every 10 years after that. Father said that based on Dr. and Mrs. Pak's "standing as an ideal couple, this kind of unified and united family involvement, family standard, is set today and will continue forever."

I would like to introduce Mrs. Ki Sook Yoon Pak's life briefly. She was born on April 25, 1933, which makes her 60 years old. Before she joined the Unification Church, she had married Dr. Bo Hi Pak on November 29, 1953.

In 1957, they heard Divine Principle and accepted Father and Mother as their True Parents, and in March 1961, they received the Blessing as one of the 36 Couples (Dr. Pak was in America at the time). Since their marriage and Blessing, they have had three sons and three daughters. They all got Blessed and some of them have children. As you know, out of the six, Jin Sung Nim and Hoon Sook Nim joined the True Family. Mrs. Pak has one brother and six sisters. They all joined the Unification Church, and some of them are Blessed. All of them are still in the movement. Mrs. Pak has a special message this morning to show her special thanks to God and True Parents and everybody here.

[The morning included Father's explanation of the event, cake cutting, pictures, and gifts. Mrs. Pak read her thanks in Korean.]

This must be a dream. How could this occasion be real? Father and Mother, when I heard from my husband that you instructed him by saying, "Bring Ki Sook to East Garden; we shall celebrate her 60th birthday," I was absolutely shocked, to the point of almost fainting.

At that moment my heart began beating fast, and tears of overwhelming disbelief and gratitude for such great fortune began to run down my cheeks. That stream of tears continues at this moment. Father and Mother, I thank you from the very depths of my soul.

However, I know that no matter what I do to express my gratitude to you, our True Parents, I could never thank you enough for this most extraordinary heavenly blessing and for the honor you are bestowing upon me today. Even if I gave my thanks to you every moment of my life for the rest of my life, until the last day of my existence here on earth, it could not be enough. Even when it is time for me to go to the spirit world and I give you my thanks for the rest of eternity, still I would not have responded enough to the true love you have bestowed upon me, this meager, humble daughter. Today, I must confess, I am eternally indebted to you, and it can never be repaid.

In the Unification Church there are many outstanding leaders and members who are absolutely loyal to you and serve you with unconditional filial piety. There are also many heroes and heroines in our church, who served you from the very early days of our church, and whose impeccable record of upholding the tradition and whose spirit of dedication are unparalleled.

Then, who am I? I do not even feel near to those great forerunners and great members of our church. Yet I am receiving today a most extraordinary honor from True Parents, which was not given to anybody before me. When I think of the significance of this occasion, I am completely overwhelmed. My heart is filled with gratitude. I do not have a sense of how to respond properly to this occasion. Only these ceaseless tears running in a helpless way can express the most honest feeling of my heart.

My husband and I have been in the Unification Church for almost 38 years. During this relatively long period of time, I have had no notable accomplishments. Therefore, I have always felt I am not worthy of coming before the True Parents.

Furthermore, since I am not that healthy, I have simply taken a passive role behind the scenes, silently enduring all the difficulties, obeying our True Parents, helping my husband, who is serving beside our True Parents in a very important role, and simply bringing up our children so that they will live up to our tradition and True Parents' expectation. I have always felt that this is nothing special or spectacular, just the normal duties of any good wife in the Unification Church.

Yet, miraculously and to our great surprise, two of our children have been chosen to become members of True Parents' family. In my entire life I could never imagine, nor would I even dare consider, that such a blessing would be possible. I know that this extraordinary blessing did not come by our merit, but came solely to us as a gift from God and through the mercy of our True Parents.

Father, I pledge I shall cherish and value this unforgettable honor for the rest of my life. Father and Mother, you often ask my husband, "How is Ki Sook's health? Is she doing all right?" Whenever my husband would relate to me your concern and remembrances of my health and that you frequently asked such questions of him, I would be totally overwhelmed and tearfully thankful. Each time I heard of your concern for me, I would feel revitalized and gained new energy to go on. Father and Mother, I am convinced that the fact that I am even living today is solely because of your love and your blessing.

Dear Mother, this time, in order to arrange for this celebration, you called Korea to prepare for me and my husband these beautiful Korean gowns. You also had custom-made for me this golden double ring which is a symbolic gift of good health. Then, today you prepared my 60th birthday celebration with an amazingly beautiful offering table. These are all beyond me and beyond anything that I deserve.

Father and Mother, you have breathed into my life and into our family new life, energy, and resurrection. Today we feel like we once again became a bride and bridegroom. Again, how can we repay you for such immense blessings?

Father and Mother, today I am beginning a new life. Although I am not worthy, still I pledge upon this monumental occasion to be most obedient to you, to become your pious daughter, and, to the best of my ability, to serve you until the last day of my life.

Long live our True Parents! Long live our True Parents' family, which shall be prosperous and fill heaven and earth.

Father and Mother, I thank you once again from the very bottom of my heart.

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