On the foundation of years of prayer and preparation, Dr. Pak delivers an emotional and personal testimony of the Moscow Rally and True Parents' providential meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev on April 11, 1990.

I would like to read several excerpts from a newspaper article that illustrates how even non-members view Father's trip to the Soviet Union. This particular article is a column written by Ms. Georgie Anne Geyer that was printed in the Washington Times. Her column is distributed through the Universal Press Syndicate and appears in 250 newspapers around the United States. Ms. Geyer has attended many World Media Conferences and fact-finding tours. She attended the Moscow World Media Conference, and afterwards wrote an article entitled "Most Unlikely Moscow Meeting." She writes:

Of all the impossible events that have occurred in the Soviet Union in the last five years, probably none has been as unlikely as the happy meeting in recent days between Mikhail Gorbachev and the Reverend Sun Myung Moon. The Moscow News called Mr. Moon the "most brilliant anti-communist and the No. 1 enemy of the state"-and then added, please, that it was "time to reconcile." For his part, Reverend Moon said that he loved the Soviet people and that now the "Soviet Union was going to play a major role in the plan of God to construct a world of peace." To crown the new era, Mr. Gorbachev on Wednesday hosted Mr. Moon in the bowels of the Kremlin. This was after Reverend Moon, the head of the Unification Church, had lectured the Soviet people on Adam and Eve. If this meeting did not cap the new era, one wonders what would.

Father is beginning a new dispensational era. So, horizontally speaking, historians will also see it as a new era. At the conference, a full gamut of former heads of state surrounded Father, from Marxists from South Yemen and a former leftist president of Mexico to royalty and moderate and conservative leaders. Fifty people were seated at the head table, 40 of them former heads of state invited by the Summit Council.

Father's plenary address [to a joint assembly of the World Media Association, Summit Council for World Peace, and the Association for the Unity of Latin America conferences] was given on April 10 and concerned the Principle of Creation, the Fall of Man, restoration, and most importantly, the vertical and horizontal True Parents. They got the whole message, lock, stock, and barrel.

Ms. Geyer continued, "The highest level Soviet officials present -- atheists all -- listened impassively. When Albert Vlasov, chairman of the Novosti Press Agency, spoke afterward, he simply said that `the Reverend Moon has really crossed a long way to come to the Soviet Union, and not only miles."

Father brought the message of God, as Ms. Geyer put it, right into "the bowels of the Kremlin." That was Father's purpose, and he did it without hesitation. I was the one sweating next to Father because his words were so strong. I looked around at this Russian face, that Russian face. I was worried they might stand up and walk out, which sometimes happens in the United Nations when an ambassador disagrees with someone. So I was watching everyone carefully, but it didn't happen. Of course, the Soviets don't know how to say amen, so they clapped a lot.

Father can now show the world that he has, in a spiritual sense, completely conquered Soviet atheism. This is the true victory, and it is this victory that will hasten the unification of North and South Korea. This next goal will only happen through Father.

Harvard professor and world-famous Sovietologist Richard Pipes attended the World Media Conference. Previously, when we had invited him to a conference, he brusquely turned us down. This time, he came and listened attentively, particularly after Father's meeting with Gorbachev. He commented: "The man of the hour today is not George Bush or Mitterand or Kohl, and not even Walesa. The man of the hour is Mikhail Gorbachev." Mikhail Gorbachev is at the pinnacle of popularity in world opinion. Time magazine gave him the title of "Man of the Decade," when they normally only use the title "Man of the Year." The time will come when Time magazine will say that Reverend Sun Myung Moon is the "Man of the Century" and "Man of the Millennium."

Gorbachev personally invited Father and Mother to meet with him. He first spoke about one and a half hours in the conference with True Parents and the other presidents. Afterwards, he cordially escorted Father into his own personal office to a private meeting for 30 minutes. This is totally extraordinary!

Father is respected by the Soviet Union for several reasons. Now that communism is crumbling, the anti-communist is a hero for the intellectuals of the Soviet Union. Because Father was an unflagging anti-communist his entire life, it follows that Father is the number one hero of the Soviet Union. Second, he always stands up for God, wherever he goes and with whomever he meets, whether that person is a Soviet journalist or a Soviet politician.

The people of the Soviet Union are now God-hungry. They know that this anti-communist who stood up for God his entire life, even during incredible torture by communist forces, is an avatar of their country. Responding to that sentiment, President Gorbachev had to invite Father and Mother into the Kremlin.

On the day Father landed in Moscow, Mr. Albert Vlasov, the chairman of the Novosti Press Agency, which cosponsored the World Media Conference, and many other Novosti officials were at the airport. There are two VIP rooms, one for regular VIPs and the presidential VIP room, which is used only for Gorbachev or people on the level of presidents. The presidential reception room was reserved for us. Mr. Vlasov and Ms. Natalia Yakovleva, the editor-in-chief of the North America Department of Novosti Press Agency, presented Father and Mother with flowers.

There was a national television interview in which Father was asked for a few words about the meaning of his coming to Moscow and how he felt, to which he graciously responded: "I am very happy to be here in Moscow." We then entered the VIP room, where they had prepared a toast. Mr. Vlasov lifted up his glass and said, "Reverend Moon, welcome to the Soviet Union." Then Father responded, "Now let me return the toast. I would like to toast to the great people of the Soviet Union and your great leader, President Gorbachev." In Father's toast, the "great people of the Soviet Union" came first.

There was a VIP car waiting for us, a Chaika. We had a BMW police escort. I thought the Soviet Union was treating Father very well. Later I asked about it and their response was, "Yes, this kind of escort is only used for presidents." The sirens were on and the lights were flashing as we rode from the airport to the city. We traveled the traffic lane usually reserved only for the president and special officials. There were stop lights, but our caravan never stopped from the airport to the hotel.

Father's hotel was the Oktobraskaya Hotel. It is the Central Committee's hotel reserved for the highest communist officials. There was no better hotel in which Father could be accommodated. Father was escorted to the 12th floor, where he could see the Kremlin towers and the Russian Orthodox Church buildings from his balcony.

Every time we traveled we had a police escort. The first policeman who arrived at the Oktobraskaya Hotel said to me, "Representing the entire police force of the Soviet Union, I want to salute Reverend Moon. Could you allow me to do so?" So I invited this police officer, a very bulky man, to meet Father, explaining, "He wants to represent the Soviet police to you." He then saluted. Father smiled and shook his big hand.

At the April 9 reception there were participants from all over the world, including many former presidents and prime ministers, as well as the incumbent vice president of the Philippines and several incumbent prime ministers. There were two presidents' representatives standing in the receiving line, through which about 700 people came. Approximately 1,000 people attended the reception with each one receiving a name tag. The Soviets had never seen such beautiful name tags; everyone was so proud to wear them.

During the reception Father and Mother shook hands with many Russian journalists. Mother was especially beautiful. Mother wore Korean clothes on three occasions: at the reception, on the visit to the Kremlin, and at the Little Angels' performance. As soon as one Soviet photographer saw Mother, he forgot everyone else. He confided that he had never seen such a photogenic woman in his entire life. Each of Mother's Korean costumes were photographed, so Mother became a one-person Korean fashion show on Soviet television.

Before the opening session speech on April 10, the conference participants found the special book we created, Reverend Sun Myung Moon, Peacemaker and Unifier, in Russian and English, on their tables. This book is Father's life history and of its 225 pictures, the most important one of all is a beautiful grand finale picture of Father's and Mother's happy faces. By the time they finished looking at all the pictures and reading about Father's life, everyone was ready to hear Father's message. At that time Father could have said anything and everyone would have said "Amen."

Mr. Yuri Ossipyan, an influential member of the Presidential Council, attended the conference and gave the first speech, greeting the participants on behalf of the government. Father was then introduced; everyone was so absolutely attentive that you could have heard a pin drop. Father taught the Principle for 45 minutes. Although this was not a religious conference, Father was speaking about Adam and Eve. Logically, it didn't make sense, but Father is so well respected that everyone listened deeply. The spiritual atmosphere was building and heightening every moment. Father's message was an immortal one: good for today, good for 100, even 1,000 years in the future. Father left a declaration in the Soviet Union that the Moscow Rally is also a world rally. This message was translated into English, Spanish, Russian, Korean, Japanese, and French.

The next day, April 11, was True Parents' 30th wedding anniversary. We had a humble but very heartwarming celebration with all of our members. Father and Mother were very happy, very energetic, and very beautiful.

That same day, President Gorbachev invited Father and Mother to meet him at the Kremlin. At 4:30 p.m. we entered the Kremlin and were seated. Father was first, Mother was second, and I, as the translator, was third. Other presidents were seated on both sides of us. Gorbachev entered and sat down. In that formal meeting, President Gorbachev spoke and listened for an hour and a half. In his opening remarks, he stated formally: "I am here to welcome the presidents of various nations, and especially Reverend and Mrs. Moon. I welcome you to our country. Your conference is a very important and special one. I am happy that it has been very successful so far."

Father was the first speaker; Ambassador Chaves introduced him as the founder of the Summit Council for World Peace and the World Media Association. Father can always capture the heart of the other person in his first sentence. He said, "Mr. President, this is my first time to see you. You look very young and handsome." President Gorbachev didn't need a translation for that. The ice was broken and intimacy was created. He replied, "Thank you, Reverend Moon. I was forgetting that I am a young man because my job is so tough. Thank you for reminding me."

Father thanked him for the opportunity to come to Moscow and for being a good host. He explained that all the heads of state at the table were supporting Gorbachev: "Therefore, you must utilize these powerful people by sending the message to your embassies to work with them. Let us make perestroika and glasnost known all over the world immediately. This assemblage has the capacity to do it; it is your asset."

Father said, "Mrs. Moon and my family are very pleased to come to Moscow. This is truly a deeply emotional experience. We are learning about this great country, and I think we can do a much better job in the days to come. I brought a special gift for you." The gift was a white marble vase, carved with a dragon, a beautiful masterpiece. Father said, "I want to present this special gift of South Korea to the Soviet people in the name of Mikhail Gorbachev, for your museum. This vase has a special meaning. You and I are working for world peace. The white marble represents peace. This graceful shape represents art. The dragon in Oriental philosophy means power, good health, and good fortune. I think you and the Soviet Union need these three things the most at this time."

When Gorbachev heard that, he came to Father and received the marble vase. Mother was standing right there while Father and Gorbachev shared a firm handshake. After this meeting, everyone was leaving. But I escorted Father and Mother, Ambassador Chaves, and Reverend Kwak in a different direction. Everyone wondered, "Where are they going? I thought the meeting was over." We entered a secretarial office, then another door opened, and Gorbachev's aide came out to say, "Reverend and Mrs. Moon, please come this way."

We entered another office where Mr. Gorbachev and a couple of aides were standing. Gorbachev said, "Reverend Moon, this is where I work." We were in his personal office where usually no one is invited except his own staff. Usually, a person from a country without diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union can never enter that room. But Gorbachev invited True Parents there. Outside this office, Gorbachev was rather formal because he was dealing with other presidents, but inside he was completely free, embracing, and talkative. It was the most incredible fellowship-truly the moment when the universal Jacob met the universal Esau. Father gave him a big hug.

There was a lot of publicity in the Soviet Union. The Moscow News, with eight million circulation, did a great interview with Father. Another interview was published in Family magazine, with five million circulation. In Izvestia, Father's meeting with Gorbachev was carried on the front page. Pravda also carried a big article, publishing Father's words in detail. The greatest thing was the Soviet national television's interview with Father. On April 20, a one-hour special aired in the Soviet Union. The central themes were the journalists' visit to Korea, Father's meeting with Gorbachev, and the World Media Conference in Moscow. The show was carried on Channel One and seen by 300 million viewers!

Another one-hour special will broadcast the Little Angels, who came to Russia as cultural ambassadors. They really live up to their name. Father and Mother were deeply pleased. The Little Angels brought an anniversary cake from Korea to Russia to celebrate True Parents' anniversary. The First Lady, Raisa Gorbachev, came for the second half of the program. She had a state function that evening but left early to come. She really enjoyed it. At the end when the Little Angels sang a Russian folk song, many Russians cried. It melted Koreans and Russians into one.

Can you imagine if 2,000 ago Jesus Christ had gone to Rome, visited the Senate, and been welcomed by Caesar and his wife? The kingdom of heaven would already be on the earth. This is exactly what happened in Russia. Raisa Gorbachev came to greet Father and Mother. Father gave a speech, in front of the First Lady, who was sitting there listening. Father said:

Yesterday, I had a remarkable meeting with President Gorbachev. I respect and admire his courage and leadership. I assured him that I would cooperate in every way I can to support his program of peace. I told President Gorbachev that the secret for the success of the Soviet Union is to place God at the very center of every endeavor. Throughout my own life, this has proven over and over again to be essential. Mr. Gorbachev's burden is great and his mission difficult. It is only with God at his side that he can win the victory. I am leaving the Soviet Union with great hope in my heart. This nation will play a central role in God's providence in the coming decade. I know that in my every prayer I am going to include the Soviet Union and her great people.

In my opening remarks, I spoke about the importance of a God-centered worldview. Many of you commented about that point. As a religious leader, I firmly believe that a God-centered worldview offers the solution to all problems. Atheistic theories centered only on man bring disaster and self-destruction in the end. This is the universal principle, true in both the East and the West. I sincerely hope that all the distinguished statesmen and journalists who have been attending this conference will unite with this principle. Let us work together to support glasnost and perestroika in the Soviet Union; let us work for lasting world peace.

Then the Little Angels brought out the wedding cake. In front of the First Lady, True Parents blew out the candles and cut the cake while the Little Angels sang "Happy Anniversary." I could not imagine anything more beautiful. The First Lady was absolutely charming. Finally, they sang "Moscow Night," and the First Lady sang along. She came back to congratulate Father and Mother, and let us take a picture of her embracing the children. She completely forgot about the time. She finally stood up and said in English, "My Little Angels, bye bye." On the way out she spoke to the Korean press and said, "I have never seen such disciplined beauty in my life. It's almost like my girlhood dream coming true."

My dear brothers and sisters, I want to conclude by saying that Father and Mother won the greatest and highest victory ever imagined. You and I doubted that the Moscow Rally would ever take place. Father and Mother attained the worldwide mountain peak. All we have to do is expand it. Father is going back to Korea to have a True Parents' welcoming party throughout the country. After a once-in-a-lifetime experience you sometimes feel that you can die with no regrets. After this Moscow rally, I feel that if I were to die any moment, I would have nothing to worry about.

This great victory could occur because the dispensational time was correct. The True Parents' preparation was fulfilled spiritually, even kingship was declared. Father's most incredible strategy and wisdom accomplished this. So we thank True Parents and are grateful for True Father's wisdom. Once again I could witness the greatness of our True Parents. God is working every minute of the day.

When we work with the mind of the victorious Moscow rally, we can score a Moscow victory in our home church areas and our workplaces, day after day. We have the greatest blessing to have True Parents. Today we are all Moscow victors. The victory of True Parents' celebration is going to reverberate throughout the entire year, but today is the beginning. Let's pray for the Soviet Union and Mr. Gorbachev, and for the next dispensation: an even bigger summit conference in North Korea. It's going to happen. Believe it and pray for it. Amen.

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