Testimony Of Richard Francis

May 2009

My name is Richard Francis, and I was born on the Caribbean island of Barbados in the year 1954. My grandmother was a member of the Pilgrim Holiness Church, and my mother was a Seventh Day Adventist. Between the both of them, my brothers and I had more church than we cared for, but we had no say in the matter!

Whenever I was in church, I always day-dreamed that the messiah would come while I was in church. In 1970, at age sixteen, I was knocked out during a martial arts session, and I experienced something that changed my life forever. It was from that experience that I became aware of the spiritual world.

One year later, in 1971, I began having dreams every morning at around 5:00 AM. For exactly three years, I would dream of an Oriental man who would appear to me in what appeared to be a huge stadium filled with people. He was always dressed in a suit and tie, and he would always look me straight in the eye while pointing his index finger at me and smiling. When I discussed it with my grandmother, she said, "Because you love martial arts, you are having those dreams." It was during that time that I began the quest to find the truth.

Sometime around early 1975, while walking through one of our bus terminals, I saw a young native man with a book in his hand. The picture on the front of the book caught my eye. Immediately, I recognized the face of the man in my dreams, so I walked up and said, "I know that man." The guy replied, "You do not know him," to which I said, "Yes I do!" But I did not tell him how I knew the man. However, the picture on the cover of the young man's book was exactly how True Father appeared in my dreams.

Two weeks later, I met one of the Japanese missionaries from the Unification Church and was invited to the church center. While waiting for the lecture, I curiously opened a Divine Principle Book, and I saw the picture of Father Moon. The book immediately seemed to turn to gold, and a blinding ray of white light from Father's picture came out at me. I froze; then I regained my composure and ran out.

After a few weeks, I went back to the church center because I could not sleep. After the first lecture I was asked to pray about it. After seven days of praying, Jesus appeared to me with Father Moon beside him. Then Jesus went behind Father Moon and into him. This was not a dream. This occurred while I was praying on the last day of that prayer and fast. Then I knew that God and Jesus had sent Father Moon.

Ironically enough, I found out that the first missionaries sent out by Father Moon in 1974 had established their first center up behind the hill which was a stone's throw from my house. I finally answered God's call on January 1, 1976.

As a young church member, I was always curious as to whether Father Moon could heal people. Then in 1982, I got the answer through a direct experience. I had injured my right hip during a martial arts training accident one Saturday afternoon and had to be carried out. I did not want to go to the hospital, because I did not want to miss our early 5:00 A M service, even though I was in excruciating pain. "I will see a doctor after service," I thought.

But during the night Father Moon came to me, looking very serious, and touched my right hip. He pointed his finger at me with that look in his eyes, as if to say, "You doubting Thomas," and then he left. I was awakened at 4:30 AM, and my thoughts went to my injured hip. Suddenly, a voice said, "Get up," which I apprehensively did. To my amazement there was not an inkling of pain. Everyone was shocked when I walked into the room. After service I gave my testimony.

God is truly walking with the couple we know as True Parents.

Thank you, and may God richly bless you.

Richard Francis ¦

Biography

Hometown: Bridgetown, Barbados
Joined our church: January 1, 1975
Blessing Group: 360,000 Couples
Member of the Clifton, NJ congregation
Korean Mobilization 2003
Israel Mobilization 2004

Presently working as a member of the New Yorker Hotel Middle Management Team. Richard and his wife Evelyn have a daughter, Jazzera Adia, and a son, Ethan Taeho.