My Day Off

1976.9.20

I sort of had the day off, which was very unusual. I'm used to being by myself a lot on MFT, but never without a "mission." So for once I was without any clear purpose or direction and I decided to go sightseeing around DC.

I spoke to the folks last night to tell them I was able to come visit for a day and see my grandfather, who had just suffered a heart attack, but they said it wasn't worth it for them to drive all the way from Dover to Washington just to see me for a few hours and then drive me back. They felt they needed at least a week to have all their questions answered. They were fairly negative and very confused.

I had called them right after we got back to the hotel from the victory celebration, which was at the park at Great Falls, Virginia, along the Potomac River just upriver from DC. We all gathered, several hundred MFT members, in one of the parking lots where the walking trail goes up to the dam.

Father was not able to come because Kim Il Sung had publicly threatened him and the security people advised Father to leave for New York as quickly as possible. However, Colonel Pak came in his place, which was almost as good because Colonel Pak was able to give testimony to True Parents, which he would not have been able to do if Father had been there and he was simply translating. It was unusual to see Colonel Pak in such a personal way. Usually he is translating for Father, so it was very interesting to hear his perspective on the rally.

Then Colonel Pak spoke directly about MFT. He said Father said all historical indemnity of the past 6,000 years, all the failures of the central figures in God's providence, had been indemnified by the victory at Washington Monument. So now we were in a special blessing period that would last 40 days, just like Pentecost after the Resurrection. God's spirit would pour down on us and all of our fundraising results would multiply. So it was Father's desire that we should all stay on MFT for at least the next 40 days.

I looked around and almost everyone seemed excited by this revelation that fundraising results would suddenly start pouring down like manna from heaven. It made my head spin. I thought back to some of my best days when I had made $300 or more and how for the next 40 days every day on MFT was going to be like that for everyone, only better. It seems entirely possible to me I could now make a $500 average or more. I can't wait to get started.

After Colonel Pak spoke, the national MFT was reorganized. Some new regions and new commanders were announced, and all the commanders were given new regions. Then the commanders announced the new team captains that would be coming to their regions, and then the team captains called out the names of all the members who would be on their teams. It was very exciting. Everything was completely reshuffled with all new people to get to know. I was assigned to a team that would be based in New Orleans.

But I wouldn't be driving with my new team to New Orleans. This morning I was given a special mission to first drive up to New York to pick up a new van and then drive it to New Orleans to meet up with my new team. I was waiting in the Ambassador Hotel for John Hessell so we could drive up to New York together, but then something came up, I don't know what.

Instead I was asked to help a brother named Joe, whom I'd never met or seen before, as he ran errands around DC with a short van. Joe, however, apparently had no idea what he was supposed to do or where to go. He just drove around the city aimlessly for most of the morning while I tried to nap in the very back seat. Already it was hot and humid and it was hard to sleep, and his driving was very herky-jerky and it was a struggle to keep from getting dumped on the floor every time he slammed on the brakes. So I laid back there with my eyes closed, my arm slung over the back of the seat to keep from flying off, and I listened to Joe mutter to himself as he drove around for a couple hours.

It gradually dawned on me that Joe was a "problem member." He was the kind of person who understood Principle and knew who Father was, but he couldn't do a frontline mission because he had some personal problems, and no one could really do anything to help him. So he was just sort of pushed to one side and given menial tasks to keep him busy and in the family, but that was about it. I don't know why someone thought it would be a good idea for me to waste my morning with him. I don't think we spoke three words.

Then Joe stopped the van and got out. I heard him pop the hood, and then he let loose with a string of swear words I didn't know existed.

I'd heard plenty of cussing in my life, and I had talked that way myself before the church, but in the year or so since I had joined, I had never heard any church member cuss, not even a "damn" or "hell." Nothing. Everyone knew Satan would invade that kind of foundation, but either Joe didn't know or didn't care or couldn't help it. The words that came out of his mouth were stunning. All I could do was lie there in shock. I think I may have stopped breathing, wondering if Satan would suddenly strike us both dead in some horrible manner. I don't think Joe even remembered I was there. I just prayed that we wouldn't get into an accident.

After wandering around in Joe's van for several hours and accomplishing absolutely nothing, I ended up back at the Ambassador Hotel. I was told it was now too late to drive to New York. No one seemed to care what I did, so I decided to take a walk and see the sights.

The first thing I did was go to the Deli Sun, a small delicatessen the church had opened nearby where they sold Korean barbecue. I'd had one of the bulgogi sandwiches when we first came to Washington, and it was so delicious I couldn't wait to try another. It was a bit expensive, but truly one of the most flavorful things I'd ever eaten.

After lunch I walked back to the monument and went to the top. This time I spent a long time looking all around, trying to take in and memorize every building and feature as far as I could see. I tried to imagine what the place had looked like when it was still a wild, swampy frontier along the river. From this height, it seemed I was looking down upon a miracle. I said a little prayer at the top of the Washington Monument, and then I went down.

My first stop was the visitors' center at the monument. I watched a movie called "Washington the Man," with George Washington portrayed by Lorne Greene. I thought it was excellent, using only Washington's own words. At one point Washington explained how the American troops endured incredible hardships, yet they never complained. I began to feel that God had given me a special mission after all -- to find the heart of our forefathers in preparation for the next 40 days on MFT.

Next I went to the Jefferson Memorial. There were some very inspiring inscriptions on the walls, but the greatest was engraved around the rotunda. It said: "I have sworn on the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny on the minds of men." I remembered Commander Hayashi saying our mission now is to defeat Communism. I felt I must be greater than Jefferson in my determination.

From there I went over to the Lincoln Memorial. On the walls were engraved The Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural Address. Both were very deep and serious, the words as true now as when they were spoken.

I looked around and had a choice of going to the Capitol or to the Kennedy Center. The Kennedy Center was closer and I was getting tired, so I walked over there. I found a series of abstract tapestries called "The Seven Days of Creation," which were very beautiful, but there were no inspiring words or inscriptions. I began to think I had made a mistake and should have gone to the Capitol. But it was getting late so I went back to the hotel.

As I write this, I am sitting at the gate of American Airlines at National Airport with a sister named Darlene Kelley. Darlene told me Lady Dr. Kim, who can see the spirit world, says Satan was crying and wailing in defeat because of our victory at Washington Monument. We are waiting for Commander Hiyashi to get to the airport, and then we will all fly down to New Orleans. I'm eager to join my new team and get back to work.