The group leader for the western brothers, Antonio Betancourt, suggested that we post our testimonies of the workshop on the internet so that other brothers can be inspired and motivated by the spirit world to attend the workshops. Thus I send in my testimony.

Initially, I had some ambivalence if I should go again to Chung Pyung. However, with my wife's encouragement I decided to go.

The first day of the seminar was for registration by 5:00 pm and the opening ceremony was held at 7:00 pm. Rev. Hwang Sun-jo (president of FFWPU International) gave the address. First, he spoke of how he joined the church and then the significance of the Coronation Ceremony for God's Kingship and this workshop. This workshop is not like any other 2, 7, 21 or 40-day workshop where we were taught by a lecturer. We are to teach ourselves through Hoon Dok Hae, he said. To know the time we are in and who we are, we need to see with providential eyes. Jesus' life may have seemed insignificant 2000 years ago, but today the whole world celebrates his birthday. We are reborn as 4th Adam and now report to God directly. The saddest thing in life is not being poor, but that we didn't know the value of our own life and didn't live accordingly.

After the speech the brothers divided into Korean, Japanese and Western groups. Our group met and divided into 12 subgroups with a group leader (for doing cleaning assignment). We chose a leader (Antonio Betancourt), Hoon Dok Hae leader (Tom Ward) and administrative person (Dr. Tyler Hendricks) for the entire group of about 200 western brothers.

The days always ended with pledge and prayer together at the Jeong Shim Won (prayer hall) at 12:00 midnight. The Basic schedule for the 8 days was Hoon Dok Hae at waking up, 3 meals a day with Holy Song (clapping) sessions after each meal, and Divine Principle Hoon Dok Hae, Unification Thought or special lectures during the day. We had D.P. lecture practice as well using an overhead projector. For those who wished, a DP Lecturer Certification was given by the House of Unification for World Peace for completing this training.

Lunch was provided with enough time to climb to the Holy Ground (Tree of Blessing). We now don't have to visit each Holy Tree to pray. We can pray in the Prayer Hall or at the Tree of Blessing and receive all the benefit because Dae Mo Nim sent all the angels there. There was also time for self-reflection (or sleep) each afternoon. The schedule was structured around these major activities with variations each day, which included talks on the Chung Pyung Providence or guidance by Dae Mo Nim.

Saturday and Sunday we participated in the 2-day Ancestor Liberation Workshop. A lot of members arrived from Japan and Korea for this event. It was the 494th (I think). Dae Mo Nim said that the 500th workshop will be held in January of next year and that there will be a commemoration for this and the 7th anniversary of Chung Pyung Providence.

It might be of interest to some to know that the donation amount for Ancestor Liberation has changed slightly. If you live in a country other than that of your nationality for more than 2 years, the donation amount for both your father and mother's side is according to the amount for that nation where you live. This made it more accessible for me to liberate the ancestors on my wife's mother's side, which we hadn't done before. Also, even if you can't make the full payment at once, by making a deposit for the liberation and paying the registration fee ($20 for each 7 generations) your ancestors can at least be brought out of hell. They are then in a waiting position until you pay the full donation when they can then go to Heung Jin Nim's 100-day workshop.

Dae Mo Nim spoke to us 3 times (including the 2-day workshop). Her message is always cutting to the bone, I felt, but not condemning or judgmental, rather encouraging us to understand our true state and live a life of heavenly habits to be able to live in the Kingdom of Heaven.

The highlight of the workshop for me was the visit to the site where True Parents' palace is being built. It is a one-hour trek from Chung Pyung workshop up the side of the mountain (the road is graded and is not steep). There was a photo of how the palace will look. It has four buildings in the shape of the four-position foundation. Everything will be built according to the Principle. It is a museum, but will be the residence where God and True Parents will dwell eternally on earth to rule the cosmos. It was explained that we should have built this already when Father was 70, but we couldn't. Therefore, Dae Mo Nim and Heung Jin Nim are taking responsibility from the spirit world. Father is desperate to finish as soon as possible (2005) so that he can welcome dignitaries and VIP personnel to give them God's love. All the donations from the ancestor liberation are saved to fund this project. Of all the construction projects undertaken in Chung Pyung, this is the most important. I was grateful to have participated in the Ancestor Liberation because now I can say to our descendants that we contributed to building True Parents' palace.

There is a graduate school, seminary, and international village among other projects planned for the area. It was emphasized that we understand that everything was for True Parents and the True Family. It is not for members' residence. A sports complex for youth education and elementary and secondary schools are also planned.

The hospital being built at Chung Pyung already has reached its full 8-story height. Father said the hospital should be like a resort so that patients can recuperate there -- not just for intensive care. It will combine western and eastern and spiritual healing to provide cosmic healing. Thus members will be able to remain in Chung Pyung and receive medical treatment without having to go to outside facilities any more.

My overall experience from the workshop is a sense of physical fatigue, but a sense of internal renewal. I didn't have any spiritual experiences like seeing ancestors or angels. But my experience was one of coming deeply in touch with Father's words and Father's heart as he struggled to gain victory over Satan to liberate Heavenly Father. I felt the words from Hoon Dok Hae seeping more deeply into my heart. I could feel that these words are really the words of truth of this universe, even though they are still not accepted by the majority of people living today. I really felt that God is my Father and was seeking for me. Suddenly the same words that I had been reading before at home all took on a much deeper meaning.

The leaders for the Holy Song Sessions encouraged us to invest ourselves into the clapping and singing. The more we invest and repent, the more the angels can remove the evil spirits in our bodies. (After each session we would pray at the Prayer Hall to report to God). Perhaps one brother expressed it best when he said, "You almost come to look forward to the pain (of clapping and hitting) because you want to experience the love that is on the other side." That was precisely my experience as well: pain and challenging my limitations on one side and a rebirth through the deep love of God, True Parents, Dae Mo Nim and Heung Jin Nim on the other. Truly it is an opportunity that should not be lost by those who are called to go. Father said that the sisters' 21 Registration Workshop was not enough and that the husbands must go to 8-Day as well. It is because Father wants us to inherit his victory and become 4th Adams ourselves. It was explained that religions until now all tried to connect humankind to God through an intermediary, but that Father broke this pattern and made us directly connect to God.

Thank you for this opportunity to share my experience. It is not at all comprehensive, I'm sorry. Perhaps others can fill in with their reports as well.

 Download entire page and pages related to it in ZIP format
Table of Contents
Information
Tparents Home