Precious Memories: How I Became a Unificationist

Ethel Hayakawa
January 23, 2011

Dearest Family,

I was scanning my old diary and an idea occurred to me. I thought that it would be nice too if I could write stories of my personal experiences and compile them for my daughter.

I thought that there will be time in the future that she would wonder and ask how I was living my life when I was young. So I started writing and I named it precious memories because they are stories of my life that I can't ever forget.

My daughter is still too young to be interested in it, so I thought I'd share it with you first. Hope you will enjoy it too. You can add your stories if you want. It would also be a great reference for my daughter in the future.

Thanks very much.

Best regards,

Ethel

Precious Memories: How I Became a Unificationist

I came to know about the Unification Church for the first time in August of 1990. I had just graduated from college that year in March. After spending a holiday at my grandmother's place in Mindanao for few months, I returned to Dumaguete City for the next stage, job hunting.

Back in 1990 typewriters were the only available device to type application letters and resumes. I was a psychology student at Silliman University and being one I came to know the school guidance counselor. Apart from that, she was also one of my psychology instructors. She was a very kind lady and was always helpful, like she let us used the typewriter in her office. It was for this reason that I was coming to my school for a period of time. And it was one of these days that I met my spiritual mother for the first time.

I was walking in the campus when she approached me. She was speaking in English but I kept responding to her in Bisaya (my native dialect). It took me a minute to accept that she was not a Filipino. I found out later that she was from Malaysia. She invited me to a one-day seminar and of course I said yes. It is always the nature of Filipinos to say yes to invitations from strangers so not to appear rude. However, the problem is, in reality we really don't take the invitation seriously and worst we don't or never show up. So it's normal that out of over 20 names (who said they would come) on her list, I was the only one who came. Actually, I also wasn't really planning to come, but there was something unusual in the invitation, it was bothering me all the time. There was this voice at the back of my head that kept pushing me to go to this meeting, telling and scolding me to get rid of my shameful Filipino nature. Finally after three days of internal battle with this voice I gave up and I was at the seminar.

The one-day Divine Principle seminar was wonderful yet odd. Chapter one, the Principle of Creation was the best explanation I ever heard about God, I was completely awe-inspired. Then came chapter two, the Fall of Man where I was so sleepy. It was strange because not long ago I was feeling so happy and excited, how could I become so sleepy all of a sudden. When I shared this to an older member later on, she said it was Satan working because he didn't want me to know his secret.

The last chapter was the Second Coming. Here, again I was transported to another state of mind. Learning that the Messiah has already come I got so scared, scared because I had made a lot of mistakes and I was not ready to receive his judgment. During the lecture I sat hunched in my chair, like I was hiding. It was a memorable one-day seminar. When the day ended I thought that was all. However, the following days and weeks there again was this voice in my head telling and pushing me to visit the center. These visits led me to attend the 3-day seminar and finally the 7-day workshop where I became and declared myself officially part of the Unification Church.

I was born in a Catholic family, but I was not very active in practicing my faith. In fact, when I was young, if my grandmother wouldn't forced me, I would go to church only when it's my birthday, also when it's Christmas, New Year and Good Friday. Though I was like that, deep inside I absolutely believed in God. But after meeting and knowing the Unification Church I had changed and my life just went willingly and happily along the course and advancement of the Unification Church. It's been 20 years and now I am here in Japan living with my husband, a gift I received from True Parents, and with my daughter, a precious gift I received from Heaven.