The Words of the Cotter Family

Meeting with True Parents in Las Vegas and the Seven City Tour of Hyung Jin Nim and In Jin Nim

Joshua Cotter
September 10, 2009

Family Federation for World Peace and Unification North American Headquarters
481 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10001
Tel: 212-324-9600 | Fax: 212-324-9227 | E-mail admin@familyfed.org

To: District Directors, State Leaders, all Brothers and Sisters
From: Rev. Joshua Cotter
Re: Meeting with True Parents in Las Vegas and the Seven City Tour of Hyung Jin Nim and In Jin Nim
Date: September 10, 2009

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Last week marked a very significant time in our movement as over 200 leaders from Korea, Japan and America responded to True Parents' call and gathered in Las Vegas on Monday, August 31 (Pal Chung Shik) to receive education, direction and guidance from Father and to become absolutely united with him. Following this, Father asked Hyung Jin Nim and In Jin Nim to go together and speak to our families in seven cities across America, giving a clear message of unity with True Parents and asking us all to pray for our leadership to unite completely with True Parents.

Through this speaking tour, Father wanted the American members to see and know clearly that he has placed Hyung Jin Nim in the central role as the international president of our worldwide movement. Hyung Jin Nim and In Jin Nim responded immediately to True Parents' direction, leaving Las Vegas on Tuesday, September 1, and traveling to Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and New York to deliver this important message from the heart of True Parents.

We celebrated the 21st Pal Chung Shik with True Parents in Las Vegas on August 31. Hyung Jin Nim and Kook Jin Nim came from Korea, on the foundation of Hyung Jin Nim's victorious completion of his 21,000 bow condition on August 7th. At the same time, In Jin Nim completed her 21st Lovin' Life Ministry Sunday service in America on Sunday, August 30, having spoken to over 1,000 of our members and their guests during each of 21 weeks.

Together with True Children and members of True Family, the leaders gathered with True Parents at their house at 7:00 AM on Monday morning to observe the Holy Days (Pal Chung Shik and the Declaration Day of Heavenly Parentism). Father called all of the leadership of America from HSA headquarters, District Directors, State Leaders, UPF and UCI leaders, and major leaders from Korea, as well as many Japanese leaders to Las Vegas so that Father could educate everyone himself and be sure that all were united with him. Originally, Father had planned for the leaders to be in Las Vegas for 10 days of education, but Father instead spoke for about 9 hours on August 31 and then declared that the meeting was concluded.

Father spoke in Korean, of course, and it was difficult for the American leaders to understand all that he said, but his main message was that there is and will always be only one True Parents and one lineage and that all of us (including True Children) need True Father to guide us, educate us and lead us into God's Kingdom and heavenly nation. During the 9 hours of Hoon Dok Hae, Father never left the room to eat or use the restroom. He was very serious about our unity with him and at one point he said, "If we continue here all day and night until tomorrow morning without eating or sleeping, I wonder how many of you will be left?"

Perhaps after almost 9 hours of sitting and receiving Father's words and education, he may have felt that the leadership had made some small condition of unity with him. Toward the end of our time with True Parents, Father invited True Mother to sing. Then, singing together with Mother and holding her hand, True Parents walked out among all of the leaders, singing and dancing and bringing so much joy to us all! Father's final song came at almost 4:00 PM, where he ended with words, "Good bye!"

The next morning (September 1) at True Parents' breakfast table, Father asked Hyung Jin Nim and In Jin Nim to go right away and take Father's message of unity and prayer to the American members in seven cities. True Parents are so grateful and inspired by Hyung Jin Nim's leadership as international president and by In Jin Nim's great leadership in America through Lovin' Life Ministries. Father agreed that they could speak in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and then conclude with the Lovin' Life service in New York on Sunday, September 6th, where four areas (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Boston and many more) would be able to hear their words. Hyung Jin Nim and In Jin Nim departed that afternoon for the first city on the tour, Los Angeles.

Rev. Tim Henning (the Los Angeles district director) and the members in southern California had only a day to get ready for the event, but they did a great job in preparing their newly rented church building in L.A. and an overflow crowd of over 600 packed the church on Tuesday evening to hear In Jin Nim and Hyung Jin Nim. After great music from the L.A. Family Church youth choir and band, Rev. Kevin Thompson welcomed everyone and then a moving and tearful video of Hyung Jin Nim's 21,000 bow condition was showed to the audience. Then Rev. Joshua Cotter introduced Rev. In Jin Moon, who beautifully and lovingly introduced her younger brother, who happens now to be her 'boss'. Hyung Jin Nim's sermon was absolutely transforming for both young and old in the congregation, as he led us through his own spiritual journey to discover the true value of True Parents and our Unification Movement. He inspired us all to have a renewed sense of pride and in who we are and to stand with confidence, fulfilling our destiny centering on God and True Parents. Following Hyung Jin Nim's sermon, all of the members were able to come on stage and greet True Children personally. As they were leaving, Hyung Jin Nim and In Jin Nim blessed the church with a ribbon cutting and the first night of the tour concluded with a great victory.

On Wednesday, September 2, Hyung Jin Nim came to Chicago as the 2nd stop on the speaking tour. In Jin Nim was unexpectedly called to New York, and although she couldn't be there, everyone felt her spirit strongly present. Rev. David Rendel and the Chicago district are to be congratulated for hosting a second great victory at the Wyndham Hotel near the O'Hare Airport in Chicago. Even thought the event began at 6:00 PM (when most people were just getting off of work), the grand ballroom was full to capacity (over 500) by the time the event started. Archbishop Ki Hoon Kim, our Continental Director, greeted the large crowd of enthusiastic families from Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana and explained the heart of our True Parents in sending Hyung Jin Nim and In Jin Nim on the tour across America.

After the 21,000 bow video was shown, Hyung Jin Nim again poured out his heart to our brothers and sisters, comparing the Unification Movement to Hannah, the mother of Samuel. He described so eloquently how Hannah (who was barren) desperately prayed to God to be able to live up to her name and to fulfill her destiny to be richly blessed. She was persecuted by her rival, who was able to bear many children. God finally answered her fervent prayers and she bore her first son, Samuel, whom she offered to God. Samuel, of course, grew to become the great spiritual leader of the Israel people.

In the same way, Hyung Jin Nim explained that the Unification Church has not been able to live up to its name and to the promise of God, instead enduring suffering and persecution. Hyung Jin Nim called us to tearful, desperate prayer that God would bless our church and our families to be able to fulfill our destiny, to bring the world into one family centering on True Parents. He then called us to unite in prayer for our leaders that they might unite with True Parents. Hyung Jin Nim's message was one of great hope and encouragement.

All of the Chicago District members greeted Hyung Jin Nim on stage following his sermon. Hyung Jin Nim and his wife, Yeon Ah Nim then waved goodbye and departed for Las Vegas to report to True Parents.

The power of God working through the leadership of True Children, in absolute unity with True Parents was so evident as In Jin Nim and Hyung Jin Nim took the stage at the Sheraton National Hotel in Washington, D.C. for the third city on the tour on Thursday, September 4. Once again, the hard work and efforts of Rev. Randy Francis and all the members in the Washington, D.C. District helped to make the evening a great victory.

A crowd of about 800 packed the ballroom. Everything began with powerful music led by Pastor Angelike Selle and Mr. Dan Fefferman. After Hyung Jin Nim's 21,000 bow video, Chris Allen, the lead singer for the Lovin' Life Ministries Band, sang 'Landslide', by Fleetwood Mac. When In Jin Nim came to the stage, she made reference to the fact that a great 'landslide' of growth was coming to the Unification Movement in America and around the world. She spoke so deeply and profoundly about True Parents and again introduced her brother with so much love and pride. Hyung Jin Nim's sermon became more powerful each night and he spoke with such depth of heart about his experience of seeing True Parents finally with his 'spiritual eyes' and realizing the full meaning and power of true love and the parental heart. In Washington, it was as if his words were going out into the audience and entering directly into their hearts. Everyone there was overwhelmed and filled with the Holy Spirit as Hyung Jin Nim concluded with powerful prayer. After a beautiful group picture in the ballroom, the True Children and True Family members were whisked away to catch the last flight back to New York.

The finale to the speaking tour, as Father had directed, took place on Sunday, September 6th at the Lovin' Life Ministries Sunday service in the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. This was a very special Sunday in many ways. It was the first Sunday of In Jin Nim's 2nd 21-weeks of Lovin' Life Ministries (#22) and what better way to begin than to have Hyung Jin Nim give the sermon! At the same time, over 80 of our churches throughout America began their own 21-week condition of watching In Jin Nim's first 21 Sunday services. In addition, September 6th is In Jin Nim's birthday by the lunar calendar and it is Hyung Jin Nim and Yeon Ah Nim's 12th Wedding Anniversary! What a powerful way to conclude this historic tour.

Brothers and sisters came from up and down the East coast and from the Ohio District, from as far away as Indiana to attend the service. The lines outside the Manhattan Center stretched around the corner to the New Yorker Hotel. when the doors opened, the Manhattan Center staff were amazed that the Hammerstein Ballroom filled to capacity in 15 minutes. It filled up faster than any event that had ever been held there. We had to open the Grand Ballroom on the 7th Floor for overflow for the first time. By the time the service began at 10:00 AM, there were over 1700 in the Hammerstein and more than 900 in the Grand Ballroom; a record crowd of 2700 or more had come to hear In Jin Nim and Hyung Jin Nim.

The Lovin' Life Band was thunderous and the audience was on their feet from the beginning. After two Holy Songs the band played "Long Black Train", "You Raise Me Up" and "Dream On". The spirit was so high as In Jin Nim appeared at the podium, following the scripture readings. She spoke about how remarkable it was that a few days earlier, they had celebrated the 21st Pal Chung Shik with True Parents and that Hyung Jin Nim had offered a condition of devotion of 21,000 bows, and then she herself had offered 21 Lovin' Life services up to this point, reaching 21,000 people. She mentioned that the rest of the country was now uniting in offering 21 weeks of Lovin' Life services. There was such a strong sense of unity as she spoke. We truly felt like one family under our True Parents, guided by True Children.

After a beautiful introduction by In Jin Nim, Hyung Jin Nim blew the roof off of the Manhattan Center with his incredibly moving sermon. His love for Jesus and Christianity and all faiths was profound. His poise, maturity, humor and depth of heart totally won over everyone who was there. Certainly after this tour and on the foundation of True Children's words and heart, we all have a renewed sense of hope and pride as Unificationists in what we have to offer to America and the world. True Parents were wise to send Hyung Jin Nim and In Jin Nim to represent them and they truly transformed America in a few days.

Hyung Jin Nim concluded with a powerful prayer and then took his seat to watch In Jin Nim's eldest son, Preston, Jaga Gavin and Chris Stein do the "Tithe Rap". Hyung Jin Nim loved it so much that he asked if they could come to Korea and do it in Korean! After the weekly Announcement Board, the band wrapped it up with U-2's "Beautiful Day" and "Everlasting Love", the Lovin' Life theme song.

We said goodbye to Hyung Jin Nim and Yeon Ah Nim, as they had to fly back to Korea; but America will never be the same! Thank you True Parents, thank you Hyung Jin Nim, thank you In Jin Nim! America is rising up to fulfill her destiny. And the U.C. will lead the way!

Aju!

Rev. Joshua Cotter
Executive Vice-President
HSA-UWC USA 

Table of Contents

Tparents Home

Moon Family Page

Unification Library