The Words of the Ureta Family
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The Words of the Ureta Family |
I came to America 1992 as a 200 exchange members of Japanese members in US and Japanese members in Japan. I belonged to one of the church in Tokyo before I came to US. The members who were assigned to the mission had to get the religious visa first to come to US. Less than half of the brothers and sisters could get the visa back then. I was the one of the lucky one who got visa. I prayed so hard to Heung Jin Nim that "Please grant me a visa, I'll do my best for America."
I was actually born in American Territory. I mean I was born in Okinawa, Japan but after the World War II, Okinawa belonged to America until it returned to Japan in 1972 (When I was 3 years old).
My parents bought several excellent English picture books like "Where the wild things are" and my Father read it to me adding his translations (Mostly he could do that by looking at the pictures than really understand its meaning...)
I came to US as an exchange student and stayed with wonderful Christian African American family lived in Richmond, VA. I went to American high school for 1 month with their son. Oh, how I loved American life!
I didn't want to go back to Japan when my time came to leave America! I kept my shoes on in my house and drank a lots of 'Coca-Cola' which made my mom hopping upset because it is our custom to remove our shoes inside the house and it is considered 'rude' and 'dirty' if we don't do that. But I didn't care. I just wanted to feel that I'm still in America!
I still remember the beautiful full moon I saw from the air plain window the night I came to NY, I promised again that 'I'll do my best" to the moon. NY was illuminated with thousands of neon I was intoxicated with its beauty.
It was my dream come true!
We arrived at New Yorker Hotel, then went to sight seeing around Manhattan.
After that we were divided into 2 groups, one went to LA MFT, the other Philadelphia MFT.
I was one of the later. In the beginning I was full of determination and everything was new, I had so much fun!
But soon I started to struggle a lot, and before I knew it I was a headache to the Captain, members, and sadly to the Commander. Even though I have lots of good memories, but most of the days were not so great...
I stayed there for 5 years and graduated but I couldn't fulfill my promise to Heung Jin Nim.
It's been almost 20 years since I came to America. I still haven't fulfill the promise.
But I'm determined now to re-dedicate myself for the sake of fulfilling American Providence.
It's better late than never! I'll support In Jin Nim's ministry and distribute Father's Biography.
So far I gave 6 of them, only 424 more to go! (Oops!)
I decided to read the testimonies of the brothers and sisters who completed distributing 430 of the book [As a Peace Loving Global Citizen -- The Autobiography of Sun Myung Moon] to inherit their faith and strategy. I must start from some where.
Now I see what's happening in Korea, I know America has to play critical role for peaceful unification of North and South Korea.
I'll do my best book by book with my utmost sincere heart.
Thank you for reading. May God bless you.