The Words of the Olson Family
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The Words of the Olson Family |
A
Venezuelan sister receives her diploma from Regional Director
Christopher Olson.
For the third consecutive year, the Northern Region of South America was able to provide education and training on a 40-day level to the regional brothers and sisters. From August 1, to September 9, 1987, a 40-day training session was held in Sangolqui, Ecuador.
A total of 36 participants, including staff, gathered at our rented training facility in Sangolqui, a small country town located about 45 minutes from Quito. Nestled high up in the Andes Mountains (2,700 meters) Sangolqui offered an excellent spiritual and physical environment for our program.
Although 36 is not a large number for such a workshop, this limited size allowed for a warm and close family feeling to be created.
The participants represented not only the countries in our region -- Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia -- but also Spain, Costa Rica, and Brazil. Including Japanese and United States staff members, a truly international atmosphere was created, ideal for a 40-day training session in the Unification Church tradition! Of course, creating harmony among such a diversity of nations and cultures is not always easy, but this is what "real restoration" is all about.
The range of spiritual ages ran from as young as two months to as much as six years. The physical ages ranged from 18-33 years. Center members as well as associate members participated, thus creating a full spectrum of spiritual levels.
This workshop could possibly best be characterized by its emphasis on truth, prayer, and fellowship. Lectures and study of the Principle, Unification Thought, Godism, and various internal guidance themes were the central focus of fully 34 days out of the 40; the remaining six days of the program included orientation, fundraising, and fellowship. The three main lecturers were Mr. Christopher Olson, the regional director, who taught the Principle and gave internal guidance, Mr. Masao Mine, who taught Unification Thought, and Mr. Pedro Rodriguez, who presented CAUSA lectures. Every morning from 7:00-8:00 am, a 40-minute sermon was given by one of the missionaries.
The
40-day participants in front of the training center in Sangolqui,
Ecuador.
Recognizing that prayer is a fundamental part of our life of faith and that oftentimes our prayer life is gravely deficient, our training program strove to address this most important area. The members heard one full day of internal guidance lectures on the theme of prayer. A 40-day prayer condition was initiated right at the beginning -- we prayed for 40 minutes each night at 11:00 pm. We also scheduled an Il Jeung prayer vigil, which we held outside around a big bonfire. Once or twice a week, members would go outside at night by groups to pray for one hour together. It was incredibly moving to hear an array of tearful prayers ringing out from all around our training center. Perhaps the most touching thing for me was to see individual members spontaneously and frequently entering the prayer room and praying in tears. This prayer area seemed to be constantly filled with brothers and sisters sharing their hearts with Heavenly Father.
The workshop schedule was balanced with a variety of fellowship activities. This provided us the opportunity to "live the word" that was so lovingly offered to us constantly throughout our weeks together. Besides daily group meetings to discuss the lectures, there was also time for exercise, sports, entertainment, testimonies, drama, house cleaning, and cookouts. There was no shortage of time devoted to learning how to live together and love each other as brothers and sisters.
"Real
restoration" -- creating harmony among brothers and sisters from
eight different nations.
Although Heung Jin Nim and Jesus did not speak directly to us through any medium, their presence was constantly sensed and experienced by many of us in dreams and spiritual sensations. I, as the training-director, felt their presence regularly, sometimes on a daily basis. I never before experienced giving lectures in such an inspired way. During each lecture and sermon that I gave, I felt divinely inspired truth coming out of my mouth. At times I was completely surprised at what I heard myself speaking. Truly amazing!
Finally, I would like to say how happy and grateful I am to have been able to organize and conduct 40-day training sessions in our region for the past three years. To me, this can serve as a substantial foundation upon which the- five countries in our region can develop new hope and vision for the restoration of our nations and peoples. We give thanks to our Heavenly Father, True Parents, Heung Jin Nim, and Jesus for giving us love, truth, new life, and the capacity and desire to devote everything for the building of the eternal Kingdom!