Thursday June 5, 1997, 200 leaders gathered at East Garden to do Pledge service together with True Parents. Father spoke for one hour after pledge, on the importance of national and tribal messiahship, as well as on the value of Blessed families. He talked about the meaning of bringing 160 couples to the Blessing.

From 9.30 am to 11.30 am Father gave a special service at Belvedere to an audience which included approximately 30 clergy. There he talked about the meaning of the Day of All True Things and about his experiences with nature in South America. Throughout the whole speech Father made the audience laugh and feel good.

Father shared a wonderful story of life in prison where there was time with nothing to do. He put some saliva on his finger and attracted a pair of flies. He clipped their wings so they couldn't fly away and they became his pets and a source of study while feeding them every day. Even after their wings grew back, they did not fly away but rather chose to stay with Father.

In his speech he talked about races and their origins, again. and talked about how the Messiah must be oriental because whites had enslaved blacks. There were several ministers there. one from Zimbabwe who lives in Chicago and had received the Blessing a week or so ago, he was visiting UTS and then went to the speech at Belvedere. He loved Father, was so inspired, and said his speech resonated with his African traditions (he is an Anglican).

The entertainment took place in the Manhattan Center from 7 pm until 9 pm. The program included singing and dancing. The audience especially enjoyed the African delegation's performance of African music, as well as the singing and dancing of the second generation.

The entertainment was spectacular, with the New York City Symphony opening the show playing a short Mozart symphony, followed by Broadway selections from well-known performers.

Probably the highlight of the evening was the Moon Dance, a Korean high-energy spectacle performed by Blessed children.

Then a video was shown about the Blessing of Rev. Al Sharpton and his wife. Rev. Sharpton is a candidate for the office of New York mayor.

After the video was shown, Rev. Sharpton and his wife Kathy came to the stage and congratulated the audience on the True Day of All Things and expressed their hopes for a successful Blessing in November. Al Sharpton said he was so high from the Blessing, he didn't know how he would get to Nov. 29 Blessing; by plane or train or car, but he felt he was so high as if he had wings and could fly there himself.

Rev. Sharpton gave testimony to True Parents and to the Blessing. He said that the Blessing started many years ago under difficult times and hasn't been well received until now, but the signs of the times show clearly that Rev. Moon was right all along. He offered his thanks to True Parents for sticking to the task God asked them to do, and looked forward to working with the Blessing and to being at RFK Stadium on Nov. 29.

True Parents were very happy. At the end everybody sang "Amazing Grace" together.

At East Garden the next day, Father spoke to an international gathering mostly of National Messiahs. He told us of his desire to finalize the 3.6 Million Couples goal by July 7 lunar calendar (Aug. 9 solar). On that day he will make a proclamation to the world.

Father said that the most important thing about True Parents is their authority to give the Blessing. They planted a seed in each of us, and if we nurture that seed of True Love, it will grow and grow. If we neglect it, it will wither. Now True Parents are giving us the authority to give this seed to others, i.e., our own tribe. If we give the seed to others, then it is the same as the seed we received. Those who nurture it will see it grow.

Father strongly urged us not to waste our time. All the years of failed witnessing can now be restored through giving the Blessing. As we give the Blessing, we are loosening Satan's grip on this world by removing his objects in both physical and spiritual worlds.

The State Leader of Kentucky reported that his couple is now Blessing five couples per evening going door to door. He is very excited, and urged everyone to try it.

In Korea, over 300 Blessed couples have fulfilled their Tribal Messiah responsibility. All those couples emphasized the same important point: the first Blessing is the most difficult: break that barrier and then it quickly multiplies. Find the first one somehow and then proceed from there; victory will come. Those who are breaking through in America testified the same thing: get the first one somehow!

 Download entire page and pages related to it in ZIP format
Table of Contents
Information
Tparents Home