These are my own notes from this weekly 6 am meeting, which I intend to start reporting about on a weekly basis so that members in far-flung and near-flung areas of the world can get an insight into the activities and strategy of our members in the capital of the United States. Please do not take them as gospel, or something to be rigidly adhered to, merely ideas and inspirations for your own ministry.

Father has arrived in America. If you want to go to Belvedere tonight, then call Damian Anderson today at 301-921-0082, and leave a message if I am out. We will leave from the Washington DC Holy Ground at the Ellipse after the 10pm prayer.

We need to encourage the role of the community leader. In Washington, there are 12 districts, and each district contains one or more communities, each with their own local leader. We have a total of about 350 families and well over 1000 children, by my estimate.

Try starting a prayer meeting with your community members on a weekly basis, or at least once every two weeks.

The district and community leaders will meet at Upshur House in Washington DC for Hoon Dok Hae and a leaders' meeting every Saturday at 6 am.

Connect the districts to the IOWC (International One World Crusade). The IOWC went on a tour, including the Washington Times, Danbury, and True Parents' personal Holy Ground in a secluded spot among the trees at East Garden. Part of the mission of the IOWC should be financial. America as the elder son nation needs to support True Parents' projects in America, such as the Washington Times. The economies of Japan and Koreas are seriously weakened and cannot be expected to support True Parents' work in the wealthiest nation in the world.

IOWC is NOT just a spiritual condition. We need to find young single full-time staff for our movement who can benefit from the cleansing of our rigorous life of faith, and take over some of the responsibilities currently held by overburdened older married church members with families. We need young fresh people to revitalize our membership.

The focus of the IOWC initially will be on helping every family to accomplish 10,000 pre-Blessings, until August 21, 1998. We now have permits from the US Park Police for working on the National Mall, and from the US Capitol Police for working at the US Capitol. You need to keep a copy of the permit with you when you are working at your location. Coolers, water, cups, tables will be provided at designated spots around the city, and those working at the tables will be expected to make a contribution towards the cost of materials, for the time they work there.

The US Park Police and the US Capitol Police see this as a First Amendment issue, that we are able to promote True Family Values through this giving out of water. For us, it is a holy communion of holy wine, or holy water, and a protected form of religious expression. In some cases, we are expected to carry out a signature campaign and make literature available. These are the conditions of our permits, and we are happy with them.

Our National Park Service permit reads in part:

This is a demonstration activity, therefore participants must be demonstrating a particular cause and dispensing literature with the message relative to their cause, not just "giving away water".

Washington DC already has given the pre-Blessing to 2.5 million couples.

We are no longer required to use expensive bottled water, but are allowed to use any water considered potable by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). So tap water would be allowable. Filtering it may improve the taste, depending on where you get the water.

After August 21, 1998, the focus of the IOWC will turn to witnessing, education, minister outreach, finding single people to be matched. We expect to have 80 million couples matched by True Father for Blessing 99 on February 3, 1999.

We plan to begin 2-day and 7-day workshops as soon as we can. It is preferable if we can BUY a property within about a two hour (100 mile) driving radius of Washington DC and Baltimore. We can start with workshops in our homes and communities, and at the church.

We need to develop local spiritual activity. Rev. Chang Shik Yang, our regional leader, is still waiting to feel that urgency from our members.

We can do open-houses, evening programs, teach Divine Principle and True Family Values seminars, conduct Bible studies, have international dinners. Be creative! How about a singles' white water rafting trip? Go hiking in the Shenandoah Mountains. Do what it takes to build a bond of heart and love with your people. First make them your friends, sincerely, with no thought of gain on your part, but only to comfort God's heart by liberating this person from the bondage of sin. Make a friend for life! I suggest reading Father's words on "The Way of the Spiritual Leader" for ideas in this area. We read from Chapter 5 of this book at Hoon Dok Hae this morning, "Ministering and Giving Guidance to the Members."

We need to add to our numbers. Reap the benefit of the great merit of the age as a result of the expansion of the Blessing Providence.

We want to create a wide open gate for people to be able to offer 40 days between now and February on the IOWC, not necessarily consecutively or contiguously.

We need to encourage people to do pre-Blessings and accomplish 10,000 couples.

We need to go back to the original point, where we first heard the Divine Principle which gave us life.

District and community leaders can help the IOWC members reach the community. The members in the community should coordinate with the district site leader for pre-Blessing activity, or with Rev. Linda Howell at the Washington DC Church at 202-462-5700.

You can do 2000 to 4000 pre-Blessings per day at a good spot at the Capitol if you work hard all day.

Eighty (80) families in the Washington DC area have already accomplished the 10,000 couples pre-Blessing.

We should focus on pre-Blessings until August 21, 1998, and then focus on finding matching candidates.

Ideally, we should facilitate and help all the members in our community offer whatever they can towards giving 40 days of effort towards Blessing 99 on February 3, 1999.

There are five 40 day periods up to that day. We could consider 6 hours on spiritual work as one IOWC day, or a total of say 240 hours (40 x 6) up until February. People could give time as they are able and not have to make a full-time commitment, as many families would find this very difficult.

We need to honor ALL offerings, whether they be time, money, witnessing, fundraising, babysitting, driving, cooking, site maintenance, staffing workshops, and so on.

Community leaders need to facilitate the community members supporting one another to be able to fulfill this commitment. Making cooperative child care arrangements for example would be a big help. Making a fund of money available for lost time in other activities may also help.

Share our views and feelings on the IOWC mobilization with Rev. Yang and with the IOWC members.

Please pray for True Parents' Family, and for Hyo Jin Nim, Nan Sook Nim and the Hong Family. Nan Sook Nim has written a book due to come out soon, and there will be a "60 Minutes" documentary coming out soon which will be very critical of our movement, and of Rev. Moon's family.

That's all for now.

God bless you in your efforts to work with Him to fulfill his ideal under the guidance and coaching of our True Parents.

Sincerely,

In Our True Parents' Names,

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