2014 Cosmic Blessing

Hak Ja Han
February 12, 2014
Cheongshim Peace Center, HC 1.13

True Mother presents a ring to a groom in one of the representative couples onstage

True Mother sprinkles Holy Water. Father once spoke of the Holy Water Ceremony as a way to make a clear dividing point between past and future

Husband: I am from the Dominican Republic.

Wife: I am from Germany.

Question: How did you meet?

Wife: We met when we did a program together -- STF, Special Task Force, in Europe.

Question: What countries did that bring you to?

Husband: Many counties. Basically, the main...

Wife: ...country that we stayed in was Albania.

Husband: Yes, Albania, but we were in Germany, Switzerland, Ireland...

Wife: Many countries in Europe.

Husband: Poland.

Question: Did your parents have much to do with the process?

Wife: Yes. It was a parents' matching because my mom and his mom are from Italy, and they had known each other before. They met again and had a close connection.

Question: Aha! The Italian connection.

Husband: Yes. They met and they started to talk -- lala lala, and after a time we were matched.

Question: How was it to go from being teammates to prospective husband and wife?

Husband: It was interesting.

Wife: It was a bit awkward in the beginning but afterward -- because we had already been together for about a year, always developing teamwork -- we sort of knew each other. We knew about the weaknesses and the strengths and stuff.

Question: Weaknesses? Really?

Husband: We knew what the other person liked and we knew how to act toward each other.

Wife: How to communicate with each other, and understand.

Husband: Over time, with talking, talking, talking...

Wife: So it was rather easy, in a way, because we already knew each other and got along quite well. We were good friends.

Question: Were you on STF when you were matched?

Wife: No, afterward. These were two separate things.

Where do you intend to live?

Wife: That's still open. We don't know yet.

Husband: Because she is still studying in Germany and I am living in Italy. I am trying to find a job there. We are looking to see if I can study there. I will stay in Italy, or I will move to Germany or go back to the Dominican Republic.

Question: So many options!

Wife: Yes. The whole world is open.

Husband: I'm Hungarian and she's from Thailand.

Question: When did you meet?

Husband: I visited her for the first time at Christmas time.

Question: How were you matched?

Husband: The Blessing Department sent the information and we started speaking by Skype. We've been speaking since then. We communicate in English and a bit of Thai and a bit of Hungarian.

Husband: I am from Albania. We were matched on March 9. She's also from Albania. I am from the city of Shkoder and she is from the city of Lushnje. The European Blessing Department matched us. I am twenty-three, and she is twenty-two.

Question: How far away do you live?

Husband: Not so far, but I am in a mission part time and studying in the city of Vlore. She is studying in Tirana. We meet each other just once every two months. That's not good. I am studying to become an elementary school teacher and she is studying mathematics. We are very happy with each other.

Husband: I'm from New Jersey.

Wife: I'm from Nova Scotia, Canada.

Question: How did you meet?

Husband: Online. We first started talking on Facebook and then we talked to our parents. It was a parents' matching ultimately.

Question: How did your relationship grow on Facebook?

Wife: We met through a mutual friend, but then actually met and started talking. We were just friends, and then our parents suggested the idea of it.

Husband: In person, we've known each other since March.

Wife: We've been communicating since January 2013. It has been about a year.

Question: Have you heard of other couples that came together through Facebook?

Husband: I haven't heard of any others, but Facebook is such a powerful medium of communication, so I'm sure there are others.

Question: What do you do?

Husband: I'm a musician and I'm studying music education and sociology.

Wife: I'm an artist. I'm studying art and graphic design.

Question: In Canada and in New Jersey?

Husband: We're both in New Jersey right now. Wife: I moved there.

Question: What's it like to be involved in such a big wedding ceremony?

Husband: It is definitely an honor. It's amazing that we could be part of this.

Question: Do either of you have a parent here?

Husband: My mother is actually there in the upper balcony.

Wife: My parents will watch through the internet.

Question: They can read this.

Husband: Awesome!

Question: Where are you from?

Husband: Albania and she's from the Philippines.

Question: How did you meet?

Husband: We met here in Korea on February 10 at the Hanwha Resort)

Question: How did you first contact each other?

Husband: Through Skype, over the internet.

Question: How were you matched?

Husband: We were matched through the Blessing Department. I received an e-mail from this sister. She was the suggestion for me, so we started to communicate and to decide about the twenty-one days -- if we are to go to the Blessing Ceremony or become a couple and get to know each other.

Question: Twenty-one days?

Husband: Yes. Within the first twenty-one days, the couple decides if they are to continue.

Question: Did your Blessing Department communicate to you?

Husband: Yes, but in my case, the Blessed Family Department director gave my mother the blessing application. I am in the first generation; I am what they call "Jacob's child." The director explained to my mother that he [pointing to the groom] was willing to move to my country. My mother wants that, which is why she already liked this idea.

Husband: I'm from London.

Wife: I'm from Melbourne, Australia.

Question: How did you meet?

Wife: Our parents contacted each other through the web site. Husband: They had never met before.

Question: What are you doing now?

Husband: We are both studying in our home countries.

Question: What are you studying?

Husband: Product design. Wife: Health Science.

Question: Do you have any grand plans?

Husband: I plan to move to Australia in August after my studies finish. She has still two or three years of studying to go, so for us to be together I would have to go to Australia.

Question: Were your parents in a Blessing Ceremony such as this?

Wife: Mine were in Madison Square Garden in July 1982. His were a married couple.

Husband: They were in the Thirty-Couple Blessing Ceremony in Camberg, Germany.

Question: Where are you from?

Wife: The UK and Congo.

Husband: Congo Kinshasa'

Question: How did you meet each other?

Wife: We met through our parents. They'd known each other for a long time. My parents knew his family in the UK, where I'm from, so they introduced us like that.

Question: How long have you known each other?

Husband: Since last year.

Wife: The middle of last year.

Question: How did you first make contact?

Wife: I think it was verbally, over the telephone. Husband: Yes, and we communicated by internet.

Question: What do you do?

Wife: We've both graduated. My major was business management and his was fine art.

Question: How much contact have you had face to face?

Wife: Just under a month.

Question: What was it like coming to Korea to a big Blessing Ceremony like the one your parents were in?

Wife: I've been here many times before, so it was okay for me. Husband: It's so exciting. It's so great; I'm really glad about it. This is my first time coming here.

Question: Which countries are you from?

Husband: I'm from France and Switzerland.

Wife: I'm from Austria; I'm half German. We live in Austria.

Husband: My father is French and Vietnamese and my mom is German.

Question: Are you also living in Austria?

Husband: I'm living in Australia, in Sydney. I am always moving. Wife: It's a long, long-distance relationship.

Question: How did you meet?

Husband: Our parents, my mom and her dad, used to play in the same musical band forty years ago. They were friends and that's how we met each other, how I met Daniela. We like each other.

Question: When did you meet?

Wife: The first time was in September.

Husband: We started to communicate eight months ago, but it took four or five months to meet, in Switzerland, because I am so far away.

Wife: Because he is so far away, it was a bit difficult but now... I went to Australia to visit him and by then it was okay; we knew we were going to get married to each other. It was the right decision, the best one.

Question: Where do you plan to live?

Wife: Probably Australia at first. Husband: And maybe Switzerland later.

Question: Are you working in Australia?

Husband: I'm working there in the mining industry.

Peter Zohrer

Question: What's it like to have your child blessed in Korea by True Mother?

This is wonderful. I have two children here, actually. Our youngest son is here and our daughter, our youngest child.

Question: Who is your son being blessed to?

My son is being blessed to a wonderful sister. She's half Japanese and half German. I knew the parents before. This helped because we could immediately communicate. In both cases, they were matched through the web site.

Question: Which countries are you from?

Wife: Japan

Husband: Venezuela

Question: You recently joined the church?

Husband: I have been a member for five years. I was a university student in 2007 and a friend invited me to a seminar. I went to seven or eight seminars, one every month. I began to study the Divine Principle. I even went through a forty-day workshop. I am a lawyer now.

Question: How were you matched?

I sent the form to the center in Venezuela and it was sent to Japan. We contacted each other and communicated through Skype. We communicate in English.

Wife: I'm from Israel.

Husband: I'm from Austria, but at the moment I'm teaching English in Ivory Coast.

Question: How did you meet?

Wife: We got to know each other in November 2013.

Husband: Our first meeting came through our parents who introduced us to each other.

Question: Did your parents know each other?

Husband: No. They didn't know anything about each other. They connected through bcmatching.org.

Question: In what areas are you similar?

Wife: Our faith in the True Family and in True Parents and in God. I feel we have something in common that is the most basic. It is the main reason that I can relate to him.

Question: That's a good, solid reason. Where do you plan to live?

Husband: For now, we'll live for a year in Israel and after that, in Austria.

Husband: I'm from the Netherlands.

Wife: I'm from Japan.

Question: When did you first meet?

Husband: When did you come to the Netherlands? Wife: Last February. Husband: A year ago.

Question: How do you communicate?

Husband: It is difficult to communicate long distance. We use Skype and e-mail.

Husband: I was born in the United States but soon moved to Japan. I spent my kindergarten life in Japan. In stayed in Japan for half of first grade and then moved to Korea because of my dad's job. Our family lived here for about fifteen years, so I pretty much spent my whole life until high school in Korea. Now, I'm in the United States for university, college. It's been four years now; I'm still working on my English.

Question: How about your bride? Did you grow up in Japan?

Wife: I'm Japanese. I grew up in Japan and both my parents are Japanese.

Question: How did you meet each other?

Husband: Through the second-generation matching web site. I had uploaded my profile. She had her profile on the Japanese side and mine was in the U.S. part, but I thought it was an international thing.

Somehow, her parents called my dad. My dad talked to the parents and then asked me about it. He told me that some Japanese family was interested.

I had been about to take down my profile. I told him I was not interested at that moment. I was about to refuse but my dad asked me to pray about it. I did pray. I do not personally want to say that this was God speaking to me, but the answer was yes. Somehow, the feeling was Okay, let's try this.

Because of hearing about couples breaking up, my motivation was dead at that moment, but after I prayed, I thought, Why not? Let's try this. I got her number and I contacted her. As soon as she answered she seemed happy to have me. I mean, at that time, we were not matched, but as soon as I talked to her, I had a feeling like, hmmm... This is interesting. I felt a different energy just from her voice. Now, it's been five months, six months. At that time, we spoke through Skype only. Until two days ago, we had never met.

Question: Just a few days.

Husband: Yeah. We only talked through Skype. We talked once a week for four hours.

Question: Four hours?

Husband: Yes. Every week for four hours.

Question: Who paid the electric bill?

Husband: I mean, it's Skype, you know, so... She's busy, really busy. I'm kind of busy, too, but I was very happy to speak to her once a week.

Question: What language do you communicate in?

Husband: I can speak Japanese.

Question: You remembered since kindergarten?

Husband: My mom taught me since then, after we moved to Korea during summer vacations. Man! I had to stay in the house even though I didn't want to. But she kept me in and I had to learn it. I'm very thankful to my mom now. I'm also grateful to True Parents and God for protecting us from temptation coming from outside. I had a hard time but I'm glad I kept my purity and am able to attend this Blessing Ceremony.

Question: If you say something in Japanese, we'll translate it.

Wife: When I saw his picture the first time, he looked gentle, but I was surprised that he was black -- half black. But the way he speaks, I don't feel as if I'm talking to a foreigner at all. I felt he is very friendly. At first it was difficult to have a conversation but little by little I felt he was friendly. It became enjoyable for me to talk to him.

Husband: I'm from England.

Wife: I'm from America, from Seattle.

Question: How did you meet?

Husband: Through our parents, who got in touch and started e-mailing each other.

Question: Did your parents know each other before?

Husband: No, just through the church, through the web site initially.

Question: How did they explain to you what they had in mind?

Husband: I think it was more that we went to our parents and asked if we could go through the process.

Question: At what age did you do this?

Husband: I'm twenty-six.

Wife: I'm twenty-four, turning twenty-five.

Question: You're still young. A year ago, you decided it was time?

Wife: A year and a half ago.

Husband: We've been matched just over a year. The process from the start might have taken a couple of years.

Question: What about the way your parents explained the prospective match made you willing to take the next step?

Wife: They never really explained him. They just said that this is someone that approached us and showed me his profile. They asked if he would even be a possibility.

Question: Was it an impressive profile?

Wife: It was very plain, with not much on it.

Husband: You can't get much on the profile; it's not a super high- level introduction.

Wife: But it wasn't an instant no. He had a good job and an education.

Husband: We seemed to have the same values and outlook on life from what I could gather. So, I decided to take a step to start communicating. She and I started to get to know each other.

Question: What is this good job you have?

Husband: I work for BP, the oil company, in engineering.

Question: Do you have siblings?

Husband: Yes, I have got four brothers and two sisters. I'm the second oldest.

Wife: I'm the oldest out of five; I have three younger brothers and a younger sister.

Husband: I've met nearly all of her brothers and her sister and we all get on very well, with each other's family.

Question: Does the matching process you've been through inspire confidence in the matching for your siblings?

Husband: My brother went through the same process; he got matched and blessed. That inspired me, I guess, to go through the same process.

Husband: We're from Colorado Springs; we go to the Denver church.

Question: Did your parents know each other?

Husband: My parents live in Japan, actually. My mom is Japanese. My dad's American.

Wife: My father's Austrian. My mom's from California, American.

Husband: We both work for the same program -- Blessed Teens Academy, a second-generation school. We both staff there. Her parents are one of the staff families there.

Question: Is that when you started working together?

Wife: I was very young. I'm actually eighteen right now.

Husband: Her parents moved into the program in 2007 to help staff there. She came as a student. I was already there as a volunteer student counselor, taking care of other second-generation kids.

Question: Are you still at the academy?

Wife: Yes. We're still there.

Question: Was it awkward at first?

Wife: It wasn't awkward, just a bit surprising. It was in 2012.

Question: How did you find out?

Wife: He approached my parents and talked to them. Then, my mom told me.

Question: What countries are you from?

Wife: Sweden and England.

Husband: We met through the matching web site, through our parents; our parents supported it.

Question: What do you do?

Husband: I'm currently living in London and working in a children's theater, and Lisa is a student.

Wife: In Stockholm, Sweden.

Question: What do you study?

Wife: Aesthetics, which is a branch of philosophy

Question: How involved were your parents in the matching process?

Wife: Mainly they supported through doing conditions and offering moral support, but they were very open to our leading the process.

Question: So, you found each other?

Husband: Yes, largely in some way, we did. After we started to speak, our parents offered spiritual support and guidance, that sort of stuff, rather than bringing us together, they left it up to us.

Wife: But they introduced us.