Articles from the September 1997 Unification News

Victoria Wilding is a 17-year-old tour participant from Canada.

Make it sure! Keep it pure! Thousands of people in America and abroad heard this message as 300 young people stormed 25 North American cities on the Pure Love ’97 Absolute Sex National Tour. Initiating revolution, the Pure Love Alliance (PLA) stood up for sexual purity before marriage and fidelity within marriage. As a tour participant, I believe that Pure Love ’97 was a growing experience and, more importantly, that it gave a new hope to America and the world.

From the west coast to the east, we spread our message in various, often creative ways. For example, we each prepared a three-minute "Absolute Sex" speech which explained that sex is a precious act which must be saved for marriage. To the shock of the public, we would ask the question "Who Owns Your Sexual Organ?" at the top of our lungs from the busiest street corners, then go on shouting, so that someone even a block away would learn that his/her sexual organ belongs to his/her spouse.

Others heard a shorter explanation of Absolute Sex before being asked to donate "a dollar for decency" in return for a button and a brochure.

Also, in every city, curious businessmen and businesswomen peered out of their office windows hearing the drum beat from the street below. Many were surprised to see a group of parading youth loudly chanting and clapping in unison, and waving banners and placards. The colorful placards proclaimed slogans like "Condoms can’t protect your heart," "Honk for Purity," and "Pure and Proud."

Our marches were followed immediately by an energetic rally, the most entertaining way to convey our message. Rock’n’Roll played by our band, The House of Montreal, classic hits sung by the Circle of Life choir, rap[ by Chocolate and Vanilla PLA Pudding, a ’50s song by the "Funky Gals of PLA," hiphop dancing performed by the PLAettes, martial arts performed by the Won Hwa Do team, body surfing in the audience, skits (including dancing STD’s), live classical music, guest speakers, and even speakers from among the tour participants, provided a wide variety of entertainment to suit everyone’s tastes.

The tour was not only a lot of fun; it was a chance to practice what we preached, a chance to develop our characters. Our Absolute Sex speeches allowed us to become confident public speakers. By doing "DFD" (A Dollar for Decency) we learned to embrace all people as God does, and the marches made us realize God’s longing to save the people suffering the consequences of free sex. I tried to maintain a prayerful heart as we marched through the busy streets, making eye contact with all the bystanders in sight. On time, feeling God’s pain, I couldn’t help but cry as we passed a night club in Baltimore, inside which one of the dancers stood watching us. Also, many of us discovered an abundance of energy which could be used for encouraging the rally performers by jumping, dancing and hopping around crazily. And whether it was through the public speaking, the fundraising, the marching or the rallying, we all had the opportunity to experience God’s Heart through challenging our limitations and investing 100%.

To expand our minds as well as our hearts, the tour provided us with education. We were repeatedly told that the bus is a classroom, not a bedroom. So we were given time to study "Condom Nation" by Richard Panzer, a book which appallingly reveals the flaws of safe sex education and teaches the advantages of purity. We were also very lucky to have Rev. Sudo, a humble and exceptionally good lecturer, give us four full days of lectures, mainly about the Four Great Realms of Heart, and the importance of purity and the Blessing.

Obviously, the tour participants-riding the buses together, singing together, eating together, sleeping together (even frozen together at Yellowstone National Park), and sharing showers together, for close to two months-became the closest of friends. Our assigned groups became our new families and, whether we shed tears of frustration at the beginning or not, by the last day most of us were crying to see each other leave.

Finally, thanks to the unwavering faith of our founder, Jin Hun Park Moon, the tour was an enormous victory. For one thing, the television coverage totaled over three hours. In fact, we even inspired True Father, whose idea it was in the first place to start a movement for purity.

Surely, the PLA’s success will continue into the future. A ten-thousand person march is scheduled for November in conjunction with the Holy Blessing of Marriage ceremony to be officiated by True Parents. In addition, plans for Pure Love ’98 Absolute Sex National Tour are already underway. Three thousand people are expected to attend.

Victoria’s mother, Michiko Miyamura Wilding, added this to her daughter’s testimony

When I first heard from my oldest daughter Victoria that she was going to join the Pure Love Alliance summer tour visiting 25 cities, I felt that the age of Second Generation is already here. It reminded me of Father’s Day of Hope tour in the early ’70s. While my husband and I were visiting Japan and Korea to give pre-blessing to my Japanese and Korean relatives, PLA team came to visit Seattle. My son Adrian went to see the rally and was so inspired by PLA that he jumped in the bus and off he went. When we came back from the trip he was already gone. Victoria and Adrian had such unforgettable experiences and memories-they will remain in their hearts forever, just as my memories from the Day of Hope tour are the most precious ones in my life. I could see that they had grown up to a higher dimension. I always recall the Day of Hope times as the golden period of my life. When my children came back from the tour and showed us the video, I was in tears. Their energy, determination and team spirit were so inspiring to all the first generation couples. Adrian told his younger sister Marianne that she shouldn’t complain about food at all, because he sometimes was hungry, sleeping in parking lots or on top of the dryer. The most precious gift is the bond of love which they established with one another during the tour. Victoria and Adrian are already talking about meeting the team during the winter vacation. I would like to express my gratitude to Heavenly Father, True Parents and Jin Hun Nim.

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