Stories of Young Members Who Went to Communist Countries in Eastern Europe

Michael and Marianne Irwin
June 17, 2011

Mission Butterfly – a must read book Review by Michael and Marianne Irwin

Mission Butterfly is an anthology of the stories of thirty-two brothers and sisters that worked in eight countries behind the iron curtain during the tumultuous 1970's and 1980's. This book is a priceless treasure of the untold stories of loneliness and sacrifice of modern day saints attending True Parents, oftentimes at the cost of their lives.

Imagine delivering church literature in those days to a missionary in the Soviet Union, when any meeting between foreigners could draw the attention of the KGB. Eluding them on the subway or through changing cars was a daily practice, even if they could not see their pursuers.

Cultivating a spiritual child was a two-edged sword. That person could betray you, so you had to be careful who you decided to share more deeply with. On the other hand, what would be the fate at the hands of the secret police of someone who was consorting with a missionary?

A common thread which runs through each testimony is that each one of the "butterflies" could see God's hand directly involved in their lives. Independently from each other, each had to answer their calling on a very personal level. Each had to jump over incredible tests of faith, perseverance, and motivation and cultivate an unending patience.

For all of them, the worst action they had to take was to outwardly and publicly denounce their faith in True Parents and apparently leave the movement before they started as a missionary. This was needed to protect their dangerous undertaking. They went to their countries as businessmen, teachers and students, but all the while were seeking those who were prepared by heaven.

When you read a spy thriller you can always tell yourself that it is fiction, but in Mission Butterfly you will feel like you have climbed on a spiritual roller-coaster. You will cry out loud and shiver with fear of what will happen next as they recount their harrowing experiences. You will also laugh with them in the awkward moments and breathe a sigh of relief when at the end they are safe.

Each brother and sister relates their own unique experience; each story grabs and fascinates you until the very end. Their testimonies serve as a shining example of what human beings are capable of when touched by the highest motivation – to attend our True Parents and spread God's True Love.

In his autobiography, As a Peace-Loving Global Citizen, True Father made special mention of the guidance that God gave these "butterflies" through dreams and visions protecting them on their course while in their cocoons till the demise of communism when they could grow wings and begin to fly.

These stories were translated and edited by Barbara Grabner and Christa Segato Stadler.