Dear Family:

We just completed the education of the Ambassadors for Peace (AFP) in New York and the response was very, very strong. This is thanks to the sacrifices that you and the 840 representatives of 7 enemy nations have made. The gathering at the New Yorker hotel was an all-day symposium with seminars and also appointment of AFP at the luncheon. The gathering was representative of many, many nations and looked like a small UN from New York. The enthusiasm was so high that even after our lunch hour the final session at 3:00 p.m. was still overflowing (a time when there is usually a significant drop-off in a one-day seminar). With the AFP this was not the case.

Our opening seminar was addressed by Dr. Chang Shik Yang, the Chairman of IIFWP-North America, Sen. Donzella James (a former state senator from Georgia), and Imam Omar Abu Namous from the Islamic Center of NY, the primary mosque of most Muslim UN ambassadors and some of the most prominent Muslim leaders in America.

The opening symposium was highlighted by Dr. Yang’s talk on the principles of reconciliation, and also the 30-minute presentation by Mr. Jim Flynn (Sec. Gen. of IIFWP-USA) on the in-depth core values of the AFP. This presentation on the core values was very satisfying to both scholars, political leaders, community leaders and clergy.

Senator Donzella James gave a powerful talk based on her experience that if the religious leaders unite, the political leaders can do the job of instituting moral values and strengthening policies that support healthy two-parent families, monogamy, and other values that have been eroding in our society. She called upon the religious leaders to stand strong, and said that as a Catholic she felt that her faith very much was the underpinning for her work as a legislator. She also gave a profound statement that if Muslims, Christians and Jews really would unite, then there would be no problem of having clear respect for God in our public domain. Even prayer in schools is not out of the question. Her experience is that usually the religious leaders are not united. The legislators can’t move without their unified support.

Imam Omar Abu Namous gave a very important presentation, explaining that the political processes cannot achieve peace without the support or religious leaders, and we can see in many parts of the world that if we allow the politicians to work alone towards peace, they usually end up trying to achieve it through war. This will never bring peace.

At the lunch banquet, a PowerPoint presentation by Rev. Jenkins highlighted the recent pilgrimages to the Middle East, showing the literal power of faith and the reality of True Parents’ proclamations at this time that all walls are down. Rev. Jenkins proclaimed that the religious leaders who went to the Western Wall and on to the Al Aqsa mosque were deeply moved upon seeing the reality that Father Moon’s proclamations are not theory. They are a living reality. The audience was deeply stirred as they saw the visuals of the walls coming down, particularly at the Al Aqsa mosque, which has not had an interfaith group there for three years.

One feature of the presentation was on exchange marriage. Denise R. from Channel 13 was deeply moved by Father Mon’s concept of exchange marriage. She said she had never before heard the concept of marrying your enemy. She said, maybe this was why I did not find a husband – I was looking in the wrong places.

The finale of the luncheon was the appointment of 40 key AFP, and altogether over 100 were appointed that day. The exciting thing is that the ACLC spirit of fellowship and feeling the movement of the Holy Spirit beyond denominational and religious barriers has now come into full bloom with the AFP, who are catching a new kind of spirit that is based on moral and religious values, but not based on only one religious tradition.

The final session was at 3:00 p.m. with Rev. Jesse Edwards, who gave powerful testimony of his experience in Gaza, and how before as a Christian he couldn’t relate with Muslims or Jews, but now finds it is the center of God’s will. There is only one God.

Karen Smith (director of the IIFWP UN office ) gave a tearful presentation of how desperate the situation is in the world, with tens of thousands of children dying each day, not only in war-torn areas but also in poverty-stricken areas. How urgent it is that we cooperate to solve these problems. Only when the governments of the world come together to decide they’re going to cooperate fully can we bring resolution to these urgent matters.

The people did not want to leave. People stayed for another hour afterwards in discussion. Imam Wael gave a testimony. He was so moved because Dr. Glaubach from Israel and also Archbishop Stallings and other key leaders visited him in his mosque before the UN rally. He said it’s the first time in his life that a Christian and a Jew came into his mosque. They came to witness to the glory of God. That moved him so much that he knew right then he should join the AFP.

Brothers and sisters, pray for us. Now we are in Israel. The next providence is unfolding. The 7 nations are now gathering under True Parents ’ direction for an historic rally in the Holy City. This rally will proclaim the end of enemies, both in heaven and earth, and the walls will come tumbling down.

Thank you America,

MWJ

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