Four of our 2nd generation young people decided to go to Chung Pyung this summer. Two weeks ago they completed a three-day fast as a condition to prepare. They also have started on their own a weekly DP study group. Rev. Jang, our Korean UTS graduate, has been supporting them. Seeing their faith, he got the idea to take them to East Garden for Hoon Dok Hae with True Parents. When Father returned to America, and most of the students were off for spring break, we decided this was the time to go.

We had 21 2nd Generation and 5 adults go for the trip. We rented an airport-style stand-up van and used the church car. These two vehicles traveled together. The Charles Cook family, with their four boys, drove their car and met us at the hotel in Tarrytown. We were pleasantly surprised at 9:00 PM Monday night, March 28, as we were driving through Pennsylvania, when one of our members called us to let us know that Father had just invited members to come to East Garden at 2:00 AM to watch a live broadcast of Hyo Jin Nim's concert in Tokyo. We arrived at the hotel in Tarrytown at 10:30 PM. For the concert the gates at East Garden opened at 2:00 AM, March 29. With showering and preparing a lot of us did not get any sleep.

Our young people were so proud as Rev. Jenkins and Dr. Yang introduced our group to everyone. Soon True Parents came in and the concert started. True Mother had donuts and fruit passed out doing the concert. After the concert Father spoke and the Hoon Dok Hae session started. When Father finished he said Michigan could represent America fishing today. So, one boy, Tada Sakaguchi, one girl, Hyang Jin Ahn, and one adult, Scott Howard, went on the boat. Before we left we had pictures takenwith Dr. Yang and Rev. Jenkins.

While our three "fishermen" were out on the boat I took the rest of our group on a tour of East Garden and Belvedere. This was a most interesting experience for me and for the 2nd Generation. As I showed them around the properties so many memories started coming back to me. I remembered: That True Mother's mother, Dae Mo Nim, lived in the original East Garden house with True Parents. Those early state leader meetings where we would attend the children's birthdays at that original house the national fundraising condition we had in the fall of 1973 to purchase Belvedere, that Dae Mo Nim's Sung Hwa Ceremony was held in the Belvedere house. The big sports event Father held at Belvedere where Rev. Sudo hurt his arm, Sitting at the Holy Rock at Belvedere totally depressed the morning after Yankee Stadium and how Father lifted us all by proclaiming we will go to Washington, D.C., and have a victorious rally at Washington Monument. And of course the Belvedere "garage" where Father gave sermons each Sunday for so many years. How do I transfer these precious memories to these young people?

I realized I can't but as I read their testimonies of this trip I could feel that they are now making their own memories. I think you will find their testimonies interesting and hopeful as they begin to experience True Parents for themselves.

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