The Words of the Cotter Family
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The Words of the Cotter Family |
Lovin’ Life Ministries (LLM) came to the western United States for the first time last weekend as Rev. In Jin Moon brought Lovin’ Life Live to Las Vegas on Sunday, October 25! Hundreds of families, young people, and guests came to Las Vegas from as far away as Texas, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and Washington, as well as from San Francisco and Los Angeles. Some drove over 12 hours to spend a powerful and uplifting weekend with In Jin Nim and to experience the Lovin’ Life Sunday Service live.
Rev. In Jin Moon was the keynote speaker for the dinner banquet at the 10th Annual International Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP) Leadership Conference in Las Vegas on Friday, October 23, at the Riviera Hotel. Since she and the Lovin’ Life Ministry Band were already going to be in Las Vegas, In Jin Nim decided to sponsor a Lovin’ Life weekend in Las Vegas, concluding with Sunday Service.
WFWP sponsored 100 young people to attend the Friday night banquet, where together with several hundred WFWP leaders from around the world, they were treated to a concert by the LLM Band for over an hour, followed by Rev. In Jin Moon’s moving address, “Human Rights, Women’s Rights and Religious Freedom.” Ms. Ariana Moon also gave a beautiful ballroom dance exhibition with her partner, Mr. Namjin Bowman. The evening concluded with everyone on the dance floor!
We were greatly blessed to be able to have True Parents in Las Vegas at this time! Following the WFWP event, In Jin Nim was able to introduce the Lovin’ Life Band to True Parents. The band sang, “All You Need is Love,” a capella style, to True Parents. (At the end, Diego Costa sang, “We love you, yeah, yeah, yeah” directly to True Parents.) They loved it and Father said it made him think about his youthful days in nature and the sound of crickets chirping! (First there were the Beatles, now the Crickets!) He liked the fact that the band was composed of different generations, races, and cultures, and he encouraged us to perform around the world and bring true love.
Saturday, October 24, was a day for young people (and their families) to experience Lovin’ Life Ministries for themselves. LLM Youth Pastors Jaga Gavin and Dave Hunter did an excellent job with their staff of preparing for the day. Over 250 young people attended during the day, including the Blessed Teens Academy from Colorado; those who came in the evening swelled the numbers to nearly 400.
We began at 9:00 AM at the South Point Hotel with a session on In Jin Nim’s vision for Lovin’ Life Ministries. Dave Hunter served as MC, giving his own very moving personal testimony, and introduced Pastor Jaga Gavin, Pastor Kevin Thompson, and Mrs. Sheri Rueter, who all spoke very passionately about their own experience with In Jin Nim and their commitment to her vision. Rev. Joshua Cotter closed the session in prayer at 11:30, after singing, “Love is Born Anew” with Mrs. Sheri Rueter, a song they wrote together during their time spent with In Jin Nim in Boston in the 1980s.
Everyone was able to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner at South Point Hotel’s excellent (and cheap!) Garden Buffet. After a good lunch, we reconvened in the ballroom for a ballroom dancing class led by Ms. Ariana Moon and Rev. Sakamoto. The class was an overwhelming success, with over 250 attending and dancing up a storm! Even those who were skeptical at first ended up dancing and having a great experience. The spirit was heavenly and beautiful to behold as we first learned the waltz and then finished with swing dancing, learning several moves. Ariana is an excellent teacher, and Namjin Bowman was the perfect object.
The dance class lasted until 5:30, at which time we broke for dinner. Following another amazing buffet meal (well earned by all the dancers), we gathered again in the ballroom at 7:00 PM for Open Mike Night.
The West Coast was really getting a taste of what happens in New York during the week at Lovin’ Life Ministries. By this time, many people had arrived from the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Texas and elsewhere, in time for dinner and the evening program, anticipating the Sunday Service the next day.
Around 400 listened enthusiastically as individuals, duets, bands, and groups entertained with fantastic music for over two hours. Members of the Lovin’ Life Band, such as Ben Lorentzen, Diego Costa, Kurt and Omar, performed to the delight of the audience. The young adult worship band from New Mexico, consisting of the Schnorr and Boitano families, sang and played a moving praise song, and there were many offerings that demonstrated the enormous talent of our young people in the West!
During the evening, we watched a beautiful slide presentation of the pictures taken of In Jin Nim and her eldest son, Shin Myung Preston Moon, and his recent Blessing by True Parents to Krista Karjaleinen. It was very inspiring to see this beautiful young couple at the Blessing and in a more intimate setting together with True Parents and members of True Family. The audience was totally wowed! By the time Open Mike Night had concluded, everyone was ready for a good night’s sleep after a long, fruitful day.
The Lovin’ Life Ministries stage crew spent the whole night setting up sound, lighting, and video in order to deliver the same great quality and standard of excellence that In Jin Nim requires at the Manhattan Center. David Eaton, Robert Carvel, Roy Clark, Toshi Tagawa, George Kazakos, Koichi Nakai, and the whole LLM crew deserve great credit in putting together Lovin’ Life West. In Jin Nim personally went to great lengths to ensure that the West Coast would have a great worship experience and feel her tremendous love for them.
The service began at 10:00 AM in the South Point Ballroom. Around 900 people lined up outside and quickly filled the hall when the doors were opened. Many of the international WFWP representatives attended the service, having been inspired by In Jin Nim on Friday evening. They were all greeted by a double line of LLM greeters from the East and West Coast, welcoming them with big smiles to “Lovin’ Life”! It truly was a blessing to see all of our families from the western United States gathering to hear In Jin Nim’s message and attend the service. Many who came would probably never have a chance to go to New York, so In Jin Nim truly brought the nation together, from coast to coast, on this Sunday morning, centered on true love.
The service began with the famous “Lovin’ Life” countdown; as the audience counted down the last 10 seconds together, the LLM band exploded with “Grace of the Holy Garden,” followed by four more songs. The Holy Spirit came down as the band played, “Living Prayer,” sung beautifully by Ilhwa Gallo Compton. The WFWP women were dancing and praising God during the singing, and many around the room had their hands raised in the air. Before the sermon, the band played Hillsong’s, “With Everything,” which brought down the house and the Holy Spirit! Many remarked that this was the best they had heard the LLM band play. The spirit of the West was upon us!
There was a thunderous applause and a standing ovation as In Jin Nim stepped to the podium to speak. Her sermon was beautiful and powerful and often tearful as she spoke deeply from her heart about the value of True Parents and our inheriting the true love of God. Many throughout the audience were in tears throughout the sermon, as she herself was. She also spoke again about the human rights and religious freedom issue facing our brothers and sisters in Japan, centering on the Goto case, and how it is our responsibility to take up this cause on behalf of these precious ones, our family. Everyone in the audience felt the impact of In Jin Nim’s love and were so grateful to be able to hear her in person. Lovin’ Life West was a complete and overwhelming success!
A beautiful prayer following the sermon was given by Pastor Chee, who is from Las Vegas. She prayed for True Parents and for In Jin Nim’s ministry. Pastor Jaga Gavin gave his tithe message and included a moving story of a Korean sister whose cancer disappeared after she had faithfully obeyed God, giving her tithe. A special “Message Board” was prepared especially for the West Coast communities, with their own announcements, done by Jaga and Dave! Just another expression of In Jin Nim’s love for the families in the West!
The LLM band came back powerfully with, “We Are Family,” and the audience rushed to the stage in droves to sing and jump together! The spirit was amazing! As everyone was jumping in unison, the floor was actually going up and down. (We could feel it on stage!) Some were worried that we might literally “bring down the house”; but, by the grace of God, the floor held! The finale was “Everlasting Love,” the LLM theme song. By this time, hundreds were down at the stage, young and old alike. When it was all over, someone asked me, “Well, do you think the spirit in the West is as good as in the East?” I had to answer honestly, “It’s better!”
After the service, In Jin Nim stood in front of the stage for nearly two hours and met, greeted, embraced and took pictures with every last person there. Her heart and stamina are astonishing! Her love for our families knows no bounds! Several international WFWP leaders from Europe asked me, “When can In Jin Nim come to Europe? We need this spirit over there!” Lovin’ Life has been to Korea and Las Vegas; perhaps Europe is next!
We’re thankful for this weekend, to True Parents for their incredible love and sacrifice for America; and to In Jin Nim for her vision to raise our young people, grow our church, and offer this nation to God.
Are you Lovin’ Life?!
Rev. Joshua Cotter
Executive Vice-President, HSA-UWC America