Mother of Peace: Episode 46
Mother of Peace: And God Shall Wipe Away All Tears from Their Eyes
A Memoir by Hak Ja Han Moon
Chapter 7: Today’s Growing Pains Bring Tomorrow’s Sunshine, pg 224-227
In Korean, aewon means “a garden of love.” In 1994, Father Moon and I established a service organization, the Aewon Bank, to enable all people to share love in Korea. It is not a literal bank; it brings people together to offer voluntary services, everything from the provision of free meals, to concerts for charity, to international aid.
In order to expand this further, I established the Wonmo Pyeongae Scholarship Foundation. This actually was the first major action I took after my husband passed away. Monetary offerings of condolence flooded in from all over the world, and I saved all of it as seed money for this purpose. I also sold the helicopter we had used for our mission work and added that money to those funds. It all went into an endowment, out of which we have been able to give $10 million in scholarships to help educate talented people for the future. Excellent students from all over the world, including Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe and America, are benefiting from this scholarship. Of course, I heard some people buzzing about that. “I heard that Mother Moon is selling the helicopter she and Father Moon used together!” one would say, and another would respond, “It’s such a historic artifact; shouldn’t it be in a museum?” While I respect expressions of regret over the sale of the helicopter, and completely understand the sentiments, I made the decision. It is for the sake of our future leadership. While it is important to honor the past, it is more important to teach God’s word and raise future generations of faithful leaders.
The truth that education shapes young people, and that young people shape the future, will never change. To ensure a bright future, it is absolutely necessary to raise up youth of talent, wisdom and virtue. Wonmo is made up of the Chinese characters won (圓) meaning “round” and mo (母) meaning “mother.” In the family, it is the mother who embraces each family member with love, despite their different personalities, and guides the family towards harmony. Pyeongae (平愛) means to take care of the less fortunate so all can stand on an equal plane in a cosmos of true love. I set the foundation for such education to endure beyond the generations. When children play with a spinning top, it is hard for them at first, but once it starts spinning, they can keep it spinning with minimal effort. A scholarship endowment is the same. It is difficult to establish, but once it is up and running, it is not too difficult to keep going. Education takes time. We need to erect a wall to block the wind and watch our offspring 24 hours a day so they can grow into beautiful and moral adults. It takes nine months in a mother’s womb to create a life. Even after such a period of preparation, a baby cannot walk overnight. Children need to go through a period of growth.
I forget myself when doing this kind of work. When I put others first, I feel I am living a life of true goodness. If we devote ourselves to the people around us with the heart that nothing we give for God’s purposes will go to waste, we will find true happiness. When we are not fixated on our personal happiness, God will come to us.
The future Joshuas and Calebs
To raise future leaders, in 2015 I founded Global Top Gun Youth (GTGY), which teaches enthusiastic young people from all over the world how to contribute to world peace and the salvation of humankind by living for the sake of others. Among biblical figures, I point GTGY students to Joshua and Caleb, who attended Moses in the wilderness. Throughout their lives, Joshua and Caleb remained loyal to Heaven, and they led the chosen people into Canaan. Caleb completely united with Joshua, and devoted himself to the cause of the nation and its people. I am raising outstanding young men and women through Global Top Gun Youth to be like Joshua and Caleb and lead the world into the Promised Land.
Almost 1,500 years ago in Korea, the Silla Dynasty raised their young leaders through a training program called Hwarang-do, which means, “flowering youth.” These young leaders were known for their allegiance to the kingdom and determination to overcome obstacles. Hwarang-do took youth from the elite of society and trained them in martial arts, meditation in nature, and methods of resolving conflict between social classes. They were known for never retreating in war and for choosing an honorable death over being taken prisoner.
Young people who are to lead in the future must focus their minds, do well in their studies, and lead lives of sincere faith. Armed with wisdom and practical experience, they can build upon and surpass their parents’ filial heart for Heaven. This is why I am intentionally guiding future leaders for the establishment of God’s kingdom of Cheon Il Guk under the name Hyojeong-rang (youth of filial heart)—it is my hope that they will surpass the Hwarang of old in their devotion to Heaven.
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In February 2017, at an assembly at the HJ International Cultural Foundation in Gapyeong county, east of Seoul, we inaugurated YFWP’s successor, the International Association of Youth and Students for Peace (IAYSP). I asked the thousand or more participants to be “the special forces that build God’s kingdom of Cheon Il Guk.” And they put my words into action immediately.
In June of that year, 12,000 young people took part in the IAYSP Youth for Peace Rally in Bangkok, Thailand, where I implored them to “become the leading figures of the culture of filial heart and the light of the world.”
Then in September of 2019, at the Africa Summit and Blessing Ceremony in São Tomé and Príncipe, 40,000 young people gathered at the Festival for Youth and Students. The capital city’s wide plaza, with its view of the beautiful sea, was packed with young people. That evening, the Hyojeong Cultural Foundation hosted the IAYSP Youth Sounds of Peace, with various performances upholding universal values. Government leaders participated in celebrating the revitalization of their nation’s youth. It was the largest Youth and Student Festival to date.
I spared no effort to give the young people hope and encouragement, with the words: “You are the hope of São Tomé. Because of you, the pure water, São Tomé can achieve the kingdom of heaven on earth that our Heavenly Parent desires.”
For hundreds of years, the French royal family employed elite young soldiers from Switzerland. The Swiss Guard is world-renowned for their dignity, loyalty and selfless service. Today, it is the Vatican that receives the protection of the Swiss Guard.
We are creating the future of God’s kingdom of Cheon Il Guk to fulfill God’s dream. Like Joshua and Caleb, like the Swiss Guard, the IAYSP must serve the highest heavenly purpose in this time, with an indomitable spirit, never yielding to any difficulty. IAYSP members are the loyal citizens and filial sons and daughters of God’s kingdom. They are True Parents’ pride and the protectors of Heaven’s will. No matter what difficulties emerge in their time, such young people will meet those challenges and emerge victorious. They are the ones who own the future.
When young people dedicate themselves to Heaven with body and soul, no matter their position, they can become filial sons and daughters and patriots remembered by our Heavenly Parent and all generations. They will know that the growing pains they endured for a short time have an eternal value.
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