Testimony and prayer offered on the occasion of Soon Ae Hong Halmonim's ascension

Miho Panzer
November 6, 1989

Seated on the lawn at East Garden, from left to right: Mrs. Haruko Kanari, Soon Ae Hong Halmonim, Lady Doctor Kim and Mrs. David Kim.

I offer a deep prayer for the ascension of our beloved Mrs. Soon Ae Hong. Recalling her greatness I would like to express my feelings toward her to the best of my knowledge.

To begin with, she was a prayerful person. She was always praying from early morning until late at night. She was a person who loved our True Parents and the True Children more deeply than anyone else. She prayed for each one of our members around the clock.

In her room she kept a prayer candle burning at all times. She sat upright and prayed tearfully in front of it. And besides her formal prayer time, she did everything with prayer. She prayed even when she was walking. I could always hear the whispering voice of her prayer. I can clearly recall Hong Halmonim going to the Holy Ground to pray deeply.

She woke up earlier than anyone else in the morning, dressed and then started the day by bowing three times in front of True Parents' room and then each of the True Children's rooms. Also, before she retired to her room at night she again bowed in the same manner in front of each room. She was second to none in loving the True Family. She constantly prayed for the sake of their safety.

Furthermore, I recall her being not only a faithful person but also a woman of love. I had an unforgettable personal experience with her. One day I showed a little fatigue. She sensed it and called me to her room right away and gave me a whole piece of honey ginseng saying, "Miho, eat this and keep your body healthy to serve the True Parents. After eating it, please have a little rest here." Truly she was a lovely person. How deep her heart was!

Whenever the True Parents took a trip, she prayed for their safety and well-being until they came back home.

And she was always purifying East Garden by scattering pinches of Holy Salt and praying. She sang holy songs at all times.

She prayed deeply for each one of the True Children. She prayed for brothers and sisters who were having difficulties on the front line. She prayed for each leader and each member of the East Garden staff, mentioning their names one by one.

Whenever she had time, she came down to the kitchen and checked the taste and nutrition of the food the True Parents were going to eat. She was worried about them, particularly about their health. Around the time she first arrived in East Garden she made kimchi by herself and served it to the True Parents. Thus the True Parents could taste the same kimchi in East Garden as they had in Korea.

In the early summer of 1979, she went back to Korea. At that time the True Parents themselves went to the airport to see her off. How carefully and painstakingly she attended the True Family, praying day in and day out. She was a person who set an example of what faith should be for each one of our members. She did so by practicing her faith with few words.

I had several opportunities to meet her in Korea. Every morning she paid a visit to the True Parents' home and lovingly waited for the True Parents to come out of their room. At breakfast time, she deeply bowed three times in front of the True Parents and, representing all brothers and sisters, gave three cheers saying, "Abonim, Omonim, Mansei!" She started each day in that manner.

She was a humble person. The house she lived in was also a very simple one. She came down to each one of our members' level and helped their green and immature faith grow up. She took kind care of us as if she were our real grandmother. And she always walked the path of a pioneer.

Since she joined the church in 1955, she put herself in the front line to fight for our cause more earnestly than anyone else. And on November 3, 1989, at the age of 75, she was finally called by our Heavenly Father and went to the place were our elder brother Heung Jin Nim resides.

When the Sunghwa Ceremony was held in Belvedere at 8 a.m. on November 6, 1989, at exactly the same time as in Korea, I had the opportunity to attend the ceremony along with other members.

I wondered how much she wanted to see the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth with her own eyes. I deeply repented. If we had dedicated ourselves more to the accomplishment of God's will with much deeper faith, God's Providence could have progressed much more rapidly and the Kingdom of Heaven could have been already realized upon this earth. Now that the world has been changing dramatically and all people are looking for freedom, I wish that Hong Halmonim could have seen the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth while she was still here.

I deeply repent, but at the same time I feel deeply grateful to her. Upon the victory of her strong faith, True Mother could be sent to this earth and the True Family could win the victory. And the harvest time has come.

The Prayer

Thank you so much, Hong Halmonim. Through the Sunghwa Ceremony you ascended into Heaven in the midst of True Parents, True Children and all our members watching you, accompanied by our deep love and holy songs. And since you reached Heaven, you again started leading a prayerful life, did you not? You will start the path of a pioneer more determinedly than ever, will you not?

We should feel the presence of Hong Halmonim more closely than ever, and with the help of her deep prayer, dedicate ourselves more to our cause and completely unite with the heart of the True Parents and the True Children. In this manner, God's Providence can be accomplished as soon as possible.

I express my gratitude for this opportunity to be able to make a redetermination together with all our members.

And also for being able to share my testimony of our beloved Hong Halmonim with all our members, I am grateful from the bottom of my heart.