The Words of the Kim Family Before 2008
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The Words of the Kim Family Before 2008 |
Brothers
and sisters of the Thailand family
Four months prior to the convention, during a monthly leader's conference in Bangkok, we received an urgent fax from New York telling us that the 5th CARP Convention would be held this year in Bangkok. We were totally shocked, and we felt such a message had to be a mistake -- a communications mix-up! We had assumed that a World CARP Convention in Thailand would be at least five or six years in the future.
Thailand is the first country not in the central providence chosen by Father to host this annual convention. To prepare for such an extravaganza, all second selves and chosen ones throughout the Southeast Asia region were mobilized and invested all their energy. Many of our members have been in this movement less than a year, but they were able to work continually day and night. While preparing for the convention, everyone fasted 12 hours a day. There was just no time to eat! The spirit world was mobilized by the prayers of Father and Hyo Jin Nim, connecting us to the worldwide foundation of victory.
We were able to host more than 3,500 Thai and foreign delegates. God totally moved the rector of Ramkhamhaeng University and influenced many other university officials to help us as well. Through all the difficulties and problems, our primary concern was to do our best to welcome our elder brother Hyo Jin Nim.
There were several particularly significant aspects of this convention:
1) Bangkok has serious moral and ethical problems, so the convention's main theme, "World Students and Original Ethics," was very appropriate as a starting point for a campaign to establish a new sense of morality.
2) The fact that Ramkhamhaeng University co-hosted the convention, with the close cooperation of Chulalongkorn University, was most unique.
3) Hyo Jin Nim showed a great example of leadership and the heart and attitude of a true son attending our Parents. We were grateful but amazed that Hyo Jin Nim could come. Thailand is surrounded by [communist] Cambodia, Laos, and [unstable] Burma, and Bangkok is known as an international spy center; the security problems were considerable. But still Father sent Hyo Jin Nim. He told me that Father had told him not to leave the hotel except for specific events. For three days he concentrated on his Main Convention speech in his hotel room. His deepest prayers and efforts were devoted to internal and external preparation.
He made a powerful proclamation during the Main Convention based on the theme "True Lovism." Throughout the whole convention, his heart was totally on his mission, and he cared nothing for his own personal comfort. During his meals, if he spoke of Father, he would begin to cry and couldn't continue his meal. Although the entire Main Convention and Festival lasted nearly five hours, he never relaxed for one moment. He sat straight up in his chair the whole time, even during the entertainment.
During the four-month period of preparation for the convention, we learned that miracles can and do occur through unity. I want to give all credit to the missionaries and church members for their hard work. I'm especially grateful to Jin Hun Nim for his constant prayers during the convention.
His prayers at the holy ground for Hyo Jin Nim's security were most moving.
The victory of the 5th CARP Convention is the victory of True Parents, Hyo Jin Nim, and World CARP. The spiritual support and preparation of Heung Jin Nim made an atmosphere for loyalty and unity possible to Father and Mother. They were so happy.
Hyo
Jin Nim's music intoxicated the audience at the Closing Ceremony
I would like to mention that just before the convention, on August 22, Father called some young leaders together at Han Nam Dong (Father's house in Korea) and spoke for nine hours. In his speech, Father said that he has taken responsibility for the three years since he was released from Danbury -- until August 20, 1988. From now on, he said, the second generation must indemnify Father's youth. We know how much hardship and suffering Father went through when he was a young man in his 20s and 30s. Jesus Christ also endured much suffering and hardship. Father said that it is our responsibility to indemnify both Jesus' youth and True Father's youth. He said, "Until I was 30 years old, I never had enough food. Every day I was hungry."
Today, we should really be hungry to do our mission. When Father was young, the floor where he used to pray never dried; it was always wet. We should have that kind of determination. We are like David, fighting against Goliath. We must be courageous and bold.
Father said we must go the path of the Principle centering on heart. God is our vertical parent and True Parents are our horizontal parents. We should inherit that vertical center and the blood lineage centering on the vertical true love of God and the horizontal true love of True Parents. Through that we can inherit the lineage of God's heart.
Even if we have to risk our life, we must invest our total heart. We must inherit the elder son's birthright. Father already restored that position; so did Hyo Jin Nim. Now we as Abels must inherit that birthright too.
Father was basically addressing this speech to young people. All of us are young, including myself, so I think this is appropriate for everybody.
Hyo Jin Nim repeatedly says to the members that he feels he is the extension of True Parents at all times. "Even though Father might not play the guitar, the reason why I can play the guitar is because I am the extension of Father. Father already has the internal ability to do it, and I am just inheriting it from True Parents. Whatever I do is because of Father and Mother. It is not just because of my ability. I am part of True Parents and I don't exist at all in that sense." Hyo Jin Nim said that whenever he gives a speech or when any important thing comes up, he repeats at least 30 times, "I don't exist, I don't exist. I am part of True Parents." This is his internal attitude.
I feel we must resemble True Parents. Before that, we must resemble True Parents' children, particularly Hyo Jin Nim. We are younger brothers and sisters to Hyo Tin Nim, so we must unite with him first so that we can go through him to True Parents. We cannot go to True Parents directly.
Father and Mother are really concerned about us and are praying for us. We should give our best so that Father doesn't have to worry about this country. Let us do our best and bring victory.
The
Thailand family holds up a banner signed by Hyo Jin Nim in a final
burst of enthusiasm
Having heard that Thailand was a "third-world country," I hardly knew what to expect when our 21 American representatives arrived in Bangkok, Thailand, on August 27 to attend the CARP Convention. I had never been to Asia, and to tell the truth, I wasn't very thrilled about going, in spite of knowing that it was an honor to represent America and that the future lies in the Pacific.
However my experience was so much more than I expected or dreamed of! It's a whole other world over there: sunlit, warm, exotic, yet strangely familiar. Thailand family CARP had done an outstanding job of finding accommodations and facilities, as well as providing air-conditioned buses that the native Thai drivers had decorated with colorful, free abandon. We were superbly welcomed and taken care of from the very beginning. The Thais laughingly accused themselves of a national characteristic of being "disorganized," but there was no evidence of that at all.
Bangkok is a bustling, highly motorized city, with colorful jeep like taxis, sampans, motorcycles, and trucks crowded to overflowing with waving, smiling workers.
We stayed at the YWCA, and each morning and evening we had a pleasant, balmy walk there under the palms, smelling the enticing and sumptuous smells of the street cookers and cafes.
A
traditional Thai dance troupe performs at the Main Convention and
Festival
Our first day was a free one as people were still arriving, so after leaving the very international hubbub of registration to the capable Thailand family members, several of us hired a car and guide and went to the famous River Kwai to view the spots where 10,000 Allied prisoners of war, most of them in their late teens and early 20s, gave their lives in World War II. We visited the Chungkai cemetery where "sadness blossoms" -- frangipani trees -- had been planted in commemoration. Our guide, a Buddhist, told us that it was good we were going to honor our ancestors who had died for his and our freedom, and he thanked us for their deeds. He later took us to a Buddhist temple where he burned incense and prayed. It seemed to me I could feel in his prayers an appreciative mention of us.
We were all especially moved by the graves that had no names, only the simple inscription, "A soldier in the 1939-1945 war. Known unto God." Exotica like floating houses and discos, a floating restaurant, and languid Thai maidens dipping their hands in the brown waters of the River Kwai while twangy Oriental music wafted over the water would have seemed like a mirage to the suffering soldiers there. I could not help thinking of Cambodia next door, a boneyard now with one-third to one-half of its population murdered by communists. I found myself fearing for the happy-go-lucky Thais.
Frequently a face unconscious of being watched would burst into an exuberant grin, carefree and full of life. The Malaysian students we talked to also expressed a great deal of happiness and satisfaction in their country and living in Asia. Feelings toward Americans seemed to be curious, warm, and positive. Thailand is a kingdom with a benevolent king and queen whose pictures are frequently seen. The army is a presence, but the soldiers are so impeccably dressed, so sprightly, with such high morale and naturalness among the people, that there is no feeling of a militarized society at all, nor of abuse of power.
The peaceful spirit of Buddhism pervades the Kingdom of Thailand. When we toured the Grand Palace, we had the opportunity to pray before the Emerald Buddha, a treasure that has caused many wars. It is said that the country that possesses the Emerald Buddha has God with them. I felt a deep sense of peace and reconciliation and was very grateful that so much spirituality permeated this Far Eastern land. Even the Thai signal for "good-bye" is hands folded prayerfully in front of the chest and a solemn bow.
Hyo
Jin Nim is given the Han Ma Dang flag at the close of the Games
The Welcoming Ceremony and Festival was held on August 28 at Chulalongkorn University, and representatives from over 50 countries presented themselves to the cheers of the other participants. International CARP dignitaries, including USA CARP's own Dr. Joon Ho Seuk, gave welcoming remarks. The President of World CARP, Hyo Jin Nim, gave a fiery speech. He exhorted us not to lose sight of our purpose in the excitement of international friendship, fun, and games, but to remember that our true goal is to become true people, true representatives of God.
The next day, at the International Student Symposium, held at Ramkhamhaeng University, several professors quoted Hyo Jin Nim in their speeches. Mr. Joachim Ng, vice president of the Inter-Spiritual Fellowship of Malaysia, said in his public address that Hyo Jin Nim had explained the relationship between law and love more clearly than he had ever heard before and had clarified a theological difficulty for him that he had been working on for several years.
The discussions and paper committees dealt with such topics as: the contrast between the Oriental and Occidental view of ethics; the problems of youth, including drug abuse, premarital sex, and suicide; and the CARP Worldview and Original Ethics.
We visited and had lunch under the palm trees at the largest restaurant in Thailand, which featured waiters on roller skates! The Main Convention and Festival was held in the ultra-modern Thailand Cultural Center, where a floating pagoda marked the past, and carpeted marble and fountains spoke of the present and the future.
One of the emcees of the Main Convention was Jack Hart, one of our American missionaries to Thailand, who impressed the audience with his ability to speak and make jokes in Thai. His co-emcee was a vivacious female television star from Thailand. The Royal Thai Orchestra played beautifully, and the program ranged from classical to rock, featuring the bands Blue Tuna from Europe, Sunrise Ocean from Japan, and New Vision from America. A famous Thai singer who had won an international singing competition rocked the hall with "Somebody to Love," but she brought out cheers and nostalgia when she donned a traditional Thailand cap and began singing traditional songs. The Thai people invariably broke into sighs and applause whenever traditional dance gestures or songs began.
The
winners of the Games triumphantly raise their trophies
One of the most interesting personal experiences I had was on the day of the Han Ma Dang Games. With only 21 American participants, most of whom had to be out on the field, the USA cheering section was pretty sparse. In fact, we only had one or two people, and I was the only American. The Korean cheering section was as synchronized as the Rockettes, and the Japanese were pretty wild -- they had megaphones and drums and all kinds of banners and noise-making instruments. But then, to my surprise, a contingent of 40 Thai university students came up with members of Thailand CARP, saying that they understood the Americans had no one to cheer for them and that they had come to help.
They urged me to come forward and lead the cheers, and I thought, "Well, Father hates it when Americans just sit back and let other countries do everything, so I guess I'd better do it." But I really didn't want to lead the cheers. Frankly, I felt that would I be arrogant. So I just went up with the Thailand CARP members (who spoke little English but who had great audience rapport) and Charles, a young Korean brother. At first I felt incredibly self-conscious and foolish, and they said they didn't want to learn any American songs, although they did agree to learn the simple cheer, "USA team!" But we sang in Thai and banged on the drum and did Thai dances. I hummed along and faked it! Actually, it became a really fun and exciting experience, with all of us laughing, clapping, dancing, singing, and smiling into one another's eyes.
Afterwards, several of them came up to me and invited me to come to dinner with them at their university. They wanted my address -- and my autograph and my sweat-soaked hat!
One of them said in halting English, "Thank you for you!" and we gave each other the Thai "good-bye" -- prayerfully folded hands and a bow.
The Thailand family and their guests captured most of the gold medals. Hyo Jin Nim praised them for having brought in non-member students and urged the other countries to do the same. In the overall score, Europe came in second, the United States third, and Japan fourth.
An exuberant, spontaneous cheering dance took place on the basketball floor while Hyo Jin Nim and Jin Hun Nim laughed and watched from above. (Jin Hun Nim later said he had wanted to join in.) Hyo Jin Nim came down and watched the awards ceremonies and then gave a rousing speech, asking us to remember the feeling of giving 100 percent and to apply it to our missions. Then he said happily, "See you at seven o'clock!" We were to meet him at the Central Plaza Hotel for the Closing Banquet.
The Central Plaza Hotel was beautifully appointed, and we dined in the banquet hall, where the string quartet of the Royal Thai Orchestra again entertained us with beautiful classical music. Filet mignon was served, and the roses, candles, and crystal chandeliers added to the general delight of the banquet.
Jin Hun Nim spoke, and then Hyo Jin Nim took the stage. He spoke feelingly about true love. Referring to Thailand's Buddhist tradition, he said, "Buddha said life is suffering and to overcome the suffering you must be desireless. I say to overcome the suffering you must have true love." It was a deeply affecting speech. True love seemed to radiate out of Hyo Jin Nim, and I felt tears dripping onto my plate. I was so deeply grateful that here was a family of people who were willing to stand for true love on this earth -- people who would accept no substitutes, who would never be taken in by the sham and the falseness and errant values that the world shoves in our faces day after day while robbing us of the very love it promises. Hyo Jin Nim obviously felt a great victory at this convention and ardently hoped that this spirit would be carried by us back to our various countries and missions. He announced the site of next year's convention -- London.
My feelings for Hyo Jin Nim have been admiration, respect, love, fear, and sometimes deep pity for the painful life he has had.
Now for the first time, I experienced him as my Messiah and personal friend.
At one point during his speech, I was thinking very deeply, "Where am I to go? What am I to be? Does God have a specific ambition for me, or should I just aim for a generalized journey into true motherhood?" I was not expecting an answer to my yearning prayer, but Hyo Jin Nim responded to the spirit world, looked me in the eye, and told us that we would find our identity and destiny in the ideal of God. That has happened to me many times with Father: A prayer has been answered spontaneously in his speech, with the same expression on his face as the one on Hyo Jin Nim's -- the pause, the listening to the spirit world, the searching of the audience, and the firmly spoken answer. I realized that Hyo Jin Nim was so at one with God that he could feel and respond immediately to a heartfelt prayer.
I was a big rock fan in my 20s, but I am in my 30s now and my tastes have changed a great deal. But this night, I felt so one with Hyo Jin Nim that I loved his music! He rocked the room with it. I went to the back and danced and felt totally intoxicated with it. I felt like I was 20 years old again! I realized that this was what my entire generation, with its rock and its drugs, had been looking for -- an intoxicating love movement.
Dr.
Thamnoon Soparatana speaking at the International Student Symposium
At the end of evening, the beautiful Thai family hostesses gave all the sisters roses. I felt as if mine had been given to me by Hyo Jin Nim. I felt completely enveloped by true love, and any loneliness from being in a foreign country melted away. Everything seemed so sweet and fulfilling.
On the way out of the banquet hall to the parking lot of the hotel, I passed a white Buddhist shrine and thought, "Oh, it's probably just a fancy decoration." But then I thought, "If I have learned anything about the Thai people at all, I believe they are using this as a real shrine." Indeed they were. A golden Buddha smiled benevolently down at me, and the altar was heaped with flowers, candles, and pearl-strewn statues of elephants.
I was about to give my rose to the altar in thanks to Buddha for this visit to this beautiful land. Then I remembered how Hyo Jin Nim, just two weeks before, at the commemoration day of the Victory of Danbury, had given Bill Sheppard back the slippers Father had given to Bill in prison. Hyo Jin Nim had refused to accept them as a gift from Bill, saying with his whole heart, "I cannot accept these. You must keep them. Father gave them to you for a reason." I felt the whole altar now exude love, communicating to me, "No, I cannot accept this. It was given to you for a reason. You must keep this rose in memory of this very special night." I still have it, pressed in the pages of my journal.
Thailand is an ever-happy memory for me. I remember it as a peaceful, sunlit, beautiful land where heavenly romance visited and mingled with the jade green of the lily pads and the glories of the Grand Palace and the Emerald Buddha, and where I first glimpsed the golden glories of the exotic Far East.
During one gathering of brothers and sisters of the region in Bangkok, God spoke to us through someone's suggestion that the Convention be organized with a recognized university co-sponsoring it. This casual suggestion was taken seriously, and we later understood that this was Father's original ideal for how universities could get involved in staging the CARP Conventions. The close support of Ramkhamhaeng University stood out as the most important external reason for the success of the Convention.
Four distinguished speakers were suggested to deliver papers on the Convention's theme, "World Students and Original Ethics," from the following perspectives: Buddhist, Confucianist, Christian, and Unificationist. And since the Convention was concerned with the students of the world, we decided that certain students should also present papers during the committee sessions. Though many of those students were not fluent in English, we felt it was absolutely essential to directly involve the students in presenting the issues of immorality and original ethics.