Mission to Jamaica

Barbara Burrowes Van Praag
March 1988

Some of the Jamaican family. Back row, left to right: Trudi-Anne Green, Silvio Van Praag, and Joel Green. Front row, left to right: Desmond Green, Beryl Roberts, Jackie Roberts (not related), and Dennis Salmon.

I was born in the Republic of Guyana and served from 1973 as the pioneer missionary and national leader of our church there. In late 1984, when I was preparing to leave Guyana, I had the premonition that I would not return for a long time, perhaps never.

I arrived in New York, where I was to attend my second 120-day workshop. During the workshop I reflected deeply on my life in the church from the time I joined in 1965 in Italy, and I evaluated my weaknesses and my abilities. I realized that no matter how hard we try in our life of faith, we make errors, and those errors can weigh us down. The Guyanese Unification family that I had left behind was fairly large and had many inspiring projects to its credit. I had experienced times that were by turn exciting, painful, joyful, and sad. Yet I couldn't feel satisfied because I knew I had the capacity to do much better.

When I left Guyana, I wondered if the opportunity to pioneer a nation would ever come again for me. After two decades of intensive and fulfilling missionary work, I certainly did not ever want to stop. Besides, I knew that my husband Silvio, to whom I was blessed in the 2075 Blessing in 1982, also desired this experience. True Father has said that the worst thing that can happen to anyone is to die with regrets because of things unaccomplished.

As things turned out, we found ourselves in July 1985 in Jamaica. We had come in order to attend the inaugural meeting of the Jamaican chapter of PWPA. We were also to begin our work there as missionaries!

Silvio and Barbara Van Praag

A Spark Is Rekindled

The first Unification Church members had come to Jamaica in 1975, while I was regional director for the Caribbean. Mr. and Mrs. Kazuhisa Ikemoto had pioneered a highly successful business in Montego Bay, assisted by two or three Guyanese members. Another missionary, Uschi Warwas Williamson, had an efficient IRFF program in Kingston, the capital city of Jamaica. However, due to certain unfortunate circumstances at that time, centers as such soon ceased to exist in Jamaica. Yet Uschi was determined to take responsibility to care for the family members who had been scattered.

Uschi was a very enthusiastic member. The Jamaican people liked her and she liked them. The Jamaican members were very disappointed when she had to leave the island for another mission. When she did, most of them lost faith, and our church stopped functioning in Jamaica. Uschi's work, however, had not been in vain. Her love for the Jamaican home members had left a spark burning in them that could be rekindled.

When Silvio and I began our mission in Jamaica in 1985, we faced several obstacles. It seemed that we were destined to have problems finding a house. Everywhere we went we had to deal with unreasonable rents and terms (no meetings, no singing, no blackboards, no teaching, and almost no visitors). Another obstacle was the difficulty we had trying get work permits in order to function as missionaries. Without them, we would have to journey in and out of the country every three months. We were able to register the church, but we could not get work permits.

It was a very favorable sign when Rev. C. H. Kwak forwarded us a copy of a letter that a former center member living in Jamaica had sent him. We immediately contacted her. As she was on her way to visit us, she met two other Jamaican members whom she had not seen for about five years. She told these brothers that missionaries had come again to Jamaica. Overjoyed, they came with her to meet us, and we had a heartwarming prayer together.

Desmond Green teaching the Principle.

A Flourishing Center

Although the sister soon lost contact again, one of the brothers, I tennis Salmon, moved into the center and again adopted the Unification Church lifestyle and traditions. Not long afterwards the other brother, Desmond Green, who had heard and accepted the Principle in the United States and who had returned specifically to witness to the mother of his two children, also moved in. This gave us great joy because once more there was a center in Jamaica! This meant that the nation was on its way to fulfilling the will of God. Just before the brothers moved in I had a spiritual experience in which I was shown a scroll with the names of many nations on it, but Jamaica's name was missing. I understood from this that we were mandated to work hard and make it possible for the name of Jamaica to also be included on the scroll.

We finally met Uschi Williamson while in London in May 1987 (one of those times when we were obliged to leave Jamaica and wait in a country where there was a Jamaican High Commission). Uschi cried tears of joy when we told her that Jamaicans were once more listening to the Principle, and that her spiritual children were again active in the church. We received her blessing and felt truly connected to the original mission, without failing to realize, of course, that certain difficulties that had not been overcome in the past would be inherited by us for indemnification.

I have had many deep spiritual experiences here in Jamaica. In one of these, I had to fight against strong spiritual powers to climb a tall mountain. When I reached the top, I found a beach where many people were enjoying themselves. I began to sing "The Song of the Garden," but everyone ignored me. I continued to sing, and one by one the men and women began to sing with me. Then I had to drink two kinds of water -- one acidic and the other sweet. I felt this meant that many people would join our church and that we must be able to accept any kind of personality!

Presently there are four core members in Jamaica (two brothers and two sisters), and almost 100 associate and home members. The brothers are excellent teachers and preachers, and the sisters are learning to teach and are very good at moderating our workshops. We hold Sunday service at 11 am at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, and we give lectures on the Principle and conduct a Bible class on Mondays and Thursdays at 5 pm at the YMCA on Hope Road. Members have regular jobs instead of fundraising and contribute to the church's financial foundation in this way.

Jamaican society is strictly stratified by class, and in order to cross the many barriers, Silvio and I have joined several Jamaican organizations. Our classical music ability has been a help to us. This nation is in a "Bible belt" and we have many challenging experiences! One religion journalist, Ian Boyne, constantly keeps us in the news with his articles about Rev. Moon and the Unification movement.

A New Beginning

My husband received a small inheritance, which he used to buy a Korean marble vase that had attracted me spiritually at an exposition in London. It's called "The Phoenix." We can identify with "The Phoenix" because we are representing God's foundation in Jamaica which, like a phoenix, is rising again after a period of obscurity. Our new beginning was further enhanced at the time of our meeting with Heung Jin Nim, when we were assured of our enduring value to Heavenly Father. We must never think that we are too old! We ourselves are ten years younger than True Father, who has never stopped working desperately to fulfill the will of Heaven.

The Jamaican Church is indeed rising from its ashes. Because of Uschi's deep love for the people, a flame could remain burning over the years when no missionaries were there. Our two brothers now are like flames of fire as they preach and teach; the sisters shed many tears in their determination to save the people of Jamaica.

We feel it is a great blessing to be the missionaries to Jamaica. We ask that you would remember us in your prayers and pray for the advancement of God's providence in Jamaica.