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After arriving at the Frankfurt airport from Paris on the afternoon of August 27, Hyung Jin Nim and his party, including his wife Yeon Ah Nim, and elder sister Yeon Ah Nim (Choi), wife of the ascended Hyo Jin Moon, Dr. Thomas Walsh and Tajeddin Hamad from UPF-International, and Rev. and Mrs. Song, went to the Holy Ground at the Gruneburg Park. They were welcomed at the airport by the Schmidt family, the Hausmann family and the Piepenburg family together with a small delegation from the Frankfurt community. The Holy Ground in Frankfurt was established on July 29, 1965 by True Father himself, when he established Holy Grounds all over Europe and the Middle East. Some 20 members of the Frankfurt congregation had been waiting there to give them a warm welcome.
We then travelled to a village near Giessen to visit the family of Seppo and Brigitte Makkonen, who had been picked by lottery. Soon a lively discussion was going on between the Makkonen family and the three guests of honor. Hyung Jin Nim began to share freely about his vision to challenge atheism and secularism. He then asked each member of the family to explain three blessings or positive points about the other family members. This became a very deep and intimate sharing of how each one of the family appreciates the other, moving people to tears. Everybody was impressed by the spirit of openness; honesty and brotherly support which Hyung Jin Nim and Yeon Ah Nim were carrying into the home of this chosen family. He also explained about the three stages of filial piety and said, while he is the son of True Father, he still feels he is in the position of a servant as well, especially when it comes to providentially important decisions and mandates. At around 8:30 PM, after staying there for nearly 3 hours, the party left for the Neumuehle training center near Bad Camberg, where they would stay for the following two days.
Saturday, August 28th
As he does every day, Hyung Jin Nim started the day at 3:00 o’clock in the morning with his morning mediation. He was joined by his party and a part of the German trinity. Also present were some 120 young people from the “Original Divine Principle - Plus” Workshop. This was followed by Hoon Dok Hwe at 5:00 a.m., when all workshop members were reading from Father’s Autobiography sentence by sentence.
As he does every day, Hyung Jin Nim started the day at 3:00 o’clock in the morning with his morning mediation. He was joined by his party and a part of the German trinity. Also present were some 120 young people from the “Original Divine Principle - Plus” Workshop. This was followed by Hoon Dok Hwe at 5:00 a.m., when all workshop members were reading from Father’s Autobiography sentence by sentence.
Saturday was the day for visiting religious sites. We went to the Wartburg and enjoyed an exclusive tour through the castle, walking on the footsteps of Elisabeth of Thuringia. Elisabeth came to the Wartburg Castle from Hungary at the age of 4 as the future wife of the prince. She invested her life and wealth totally for the poor and the sick, even after her husband had died on a crusade. She died at the young age of 24, leaving behind three children, and was canonized by the Catholic Church shortly afterwards.
The other prominent religious figure in the Wartburg was Martin Luther. After being outlawed by Emperor Charles V, Luther was protectd by his friend Count Friedrich and brought to the Wartburg. There Luther translated the New Testament into German in only 10 months.
Hyung Jin Nim recognized the fact that the Wartburg is an early place of ecumenism, since a Catholic saint as well as the founder of Protestantism was living under the same roof and are both remembered there.
After a quick lunch at the “Kartoffelhaus” in Eisenach, the party went to the former Concentration Camp of Buchenwald near Weimar. The visit to Buchenwald was made on the specific request of Hyung Jin Nim. During the time of the Hitler’s Nazi regime, some 56,000 inmates died there of overwork and malnutrition. We all gathered at the main place, forming a semi circle, and had a deep unison prayer for the many people who suffered at the hands of the SS-men and died. Hyung Jin Nim later shared with us his thoughts about the causes of such deplorable human behavior. It rests on a morality based on atheism which made it possible that the young SS members could behave so inhumanely against their fellow men. In fact one condition for the young SS recruits was not to belong to any church. Elder Yeon Ah Nim (Choi) later remarked that she is always amazed how God, despite the vileness and corruption of men, continues to work His providence of salvation and continues to believe in the successful conclusion of the providence of salvation.
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On the way back to Camberg, Hyung Jin Nim sat in the car together with Dieter Schmidt, Christian Hausmann and Fritz Piepenburg. Throughout the 3 hour drive, he shared about his ideas and vision to renew the Korean church and the worldwide church. However he also listened to our questions and both he and Yeon Ah Nim gave answers in a lively discussion. One of his points of emphasis was the need for deep faith, if we want to become successful in witnessing. He specifically lauded the Japanese brothers and sisters, who are exemplary in their life of faith and dedication.
Sunday, August 29th
The day started at 3 a.m. with one and a half hours of meditation, which Hyung Jin Nim developed based on the Unification Church symbol. This time members from all over Germany, but mainly from the Frankfurt community, were given the chance to experience his way of meditating and exercising. At 5 a.m. we continued reading Father’s autobiography and then Hyung Jin Nim began speaking mainly to the workshop participants, who had rejoined them. He explained how, from an intellectual and philosophical viewpoint, the theistic viewpoint of the world is actually more plausible than the atheistic viewpoint. This lecture will be transcribed and translated, especially for our 2nd generation, who are sometimes overwhelmed by the reasoning of atheism and secularism. Hyung Jin Nim plans to train a number of Korean CARP members in the art of debating and arguing and then have public debates in universities and other places.
The day started at 3 a.m. with one and a half hours of meditation, which Hyung Jin Nim developed based on the Unification Church symbol. This time members from all over Germany, but mainly from the Frankfurt community, were given the chance to experience his way of meditating and exercising. At 5 a.m. we continued reading Father’s autobiography and then Hyung Jin Nim began speaking mainly to the workshop participants, who had rejoined them. He explained how, from an intellectual and philosophical viewpoint, the theistic viewpoint of the world is actually more plausible than the atheistic viewpoint. This lecture will be transcribed and translated, especially for our 2nd generation, who are sometimes overwhelmed by the reasoning of atheism and secularism. Hyung Jin Nim plans to train a number of Korean CARP members in the art of debating and arguing and then have public debates in universities and other places.
The highlight of the day, of course, was the main event held in the City Hall of Limburg. The seating was originally planned for 900 people, but soon it became clear that attendance would reach over 1000 people. An additional side hall had to be opened to accommodate the 1200 people who finally entered, among them some 450 from neighboring countries. Following a beautiful performance by two 2nd gen. music bands and a choir of over 40 members, Dieter Schmidt greeted Hyung Jin Nim, followed by an introduction from Pres. Song. When Hyung Jin Nim came on the stage, he quickly won the heart of the audience with his humble and unpretentious appearance. He then gave a well received sermon on the power of prayer and the spirituality of the world religions, who all seek to reconnect man with God. But only the Principle of the Unification Church has the logic and power to satisfy the many questions on the mind of man since centuries past. Right after the sermon, some 300 pictures were taken of various groups of people and all families present. This happened in a record time of less than 2 hours. All throughout this time, Hyung Jin Nim, Yeon Ah Nim and elder Yeon Ah Nim (Choi) received the families with a big smile, jovially talking to each one of them.
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After a quick Sushi lunch, the party left for the city of Frankfurt, where they briefly relaxed at a Starbucks coffee shop. Then at the airport, Hyung Jin Nim again talked to the German leaders, sharing his vision about the completion stage level Cheon-bok Gung and how all the major religions will receive their holy place in it. A new Christmas will be celebrated each year, which is True Parents birthday, when pilgrims from all faiths and traditions will come, bring soil from their holy grounds and share in a big celebration of mixing the soil and giving out the mixture to the attending religious leaders to take back with them. He also wants to study the world’s religious scriptures in their very own original languages to deeply understand the spirituality behind each religion.
Those were some very intense and busy two and a half days. But people joining the great event on Sunday morning could gain much from it and, most importantly, get to know the international President of the Unification Church in a very intimate and personal environment.
Contributed by Fritz Pipenburg in Germany
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