The Words of the Ten Wolde Family

A Visit to Our Homeland

Barbara R Mikesell [Ten Wolde]
January 1971
New York Center


Barbara R. Mikesell

Prior to the international gathering of couples for blessing, seven of us spent seven days in Korea. I would like to share a brief report with you: Freedom Leadership Foundation has been conducting various activities against radical movements demanding American withdrawal from Asia.

Because of some of our FLF activities against this stand, the South Vietnamese Embassy invited and paid for a delegation of 12 (nine from FLF) on a fact finding tour of Vietnam. There we found a brave and industrious people and a much more hopeful situation than the newspapers indicate.

But this trip was especially fortunate because I had longed to visit my homeland for six years, however, the possibility of that trip disappeared for the near future since I became a student and had no means to get the money it would require to take me there. Father's direction and the Vietnamese government made it possible for me to have a return visit to Japan in time to assist in the street preaching for the WACL Conference. Also, I could visit my Homeland.

We found Seoul quite a contrast from the frantic pace of Tokyo. Although the city is very large and modernized, there was still something quiet and simple about it… something Korean. I sensed the energetic desire of her people to industrialize and modernize, but I was filled with longing that this country finds its wealth, yet somehow not lose her moral standards and the richness of her traditions. I was sad to see in Japan, the corruption that has come with her abundance; there was such a difference even in the four years from when I saw her last.

Although they had just finished a long day, Leader and Mother visited us soon after we arrived. It was late and there is still a midnight curfew in Korea, but our movement has been given blanket passes of our anti-communist work. This was the first visit of several that we were so grateful to share with our Parents and also with their children, in our homeland. In their simple home above the church, we saw Father's room where the foundations of the cosmic movement of God were laid in lonely tears, prayer and struggle. I felt the dreams being -dreamed there have only begun to materialize throughout the world, and are hovering there in the air on the heart of Master and our elder brothers and sisters, and on the breath of spirits and angels. Such a simple home -- the axis of the New Age, the fulfillment of the dreams of the Father and His children.

We enjoyed getting to know the lively Hyo Jin, and learn from him that the reason why Travis Jones had red hair is because he is the "descendant of an orange;" and the reason why Koreans have round faces is because they are the "descendants of plates." Each time we visited he ran and got our three month old prince for me to hold. I was touched that at young age he could read my simple desires.

We would like to extend our deep respect and gratitude for the time that was given to us by Young Whi Kim. I know that his mind and heart were so occupied by many things of the Korea and World Family. We were deeply grateful of the patient and gentle way he gave of himself to us during the week that we were in Korea. He introduced us to the factory and to Seoul, the Korean Family and Korean culture, anti-communism work and the universities where our Family is active with CARP, and through it all he was teaching us the first chapter of Divine Principle.

I treasure the many conversations and moments that I could spend with brothers and sisters in Japan and Korea. More and more, I realize that we are a movement of people: it is through our individual lives that the Kingdom is being built. When we meet along our busy lives and share together even for a moment, a thread that will never break is attached eternally between two people, two nations. As these threads are multiplied over and over the world will soon be shrouded with a net of the love of God made flesh. "-- and they shall be His people." I remember the woman polishing gun handles, elder sisters at the meal table and in the kitchen, long midnight conversations in the quiet of night and excitement of being together, sharing the HSA office, campus, bath and bus. Thank you my brothers and sisters.

In America, we had heard much about the dedicated work of our members who spend long days working as the machine and gun factories, and I was proud to visit them. But I was surprised at the diversity, size and fine quality of the different machines being produced by the factory. At this time it is in the formation stage, developing plans for the guns and machines that will later be produced en mass throughout Korea. It was truly the Kingdom of Heaven at the factory where-with much sweat, blood and tears-the ideas of Father's children become manifest.

At the factory, we also became acquainted with the anti-communist training center that was built by our members in 28 days on the frozen ground of early spring. Since that time there have been continuous seven-day lectures running to back.

The hall holds 300 trainees and is often filled to capacity. There, and in centers in other provinces, many hundreds of thousands of people have been trained by our movement. The government, which at one time was plotting to destroy our movement now depends (with a bit of trepidation) on us. They are the ones who chose those who will be sent to the meetings and pay for the trainee's room and board. The age of the trainees ranges between 24 and 45 years, and they all have a high school education or above. Many of them lead on various activities in their cities or towns. In this way our movement is directly affecting the "cream" of Korean society.

The day we arrived, the rice paddy and truck garden next to this first hall were harvested and the foundations begun to be dug for a second training building. This building, which would take about three months to build under normal conditions was to be constructed in 25 days; lights were strong and the construction went on night and day. This building will be the training center for people of Seoul alone. Already, even before the building was constructed, 7,000 trainees have been registered for the back-to-back seven day training sessions. I treasure in my memory the quiet conversation I had in the cold night with an elderly brother who was stationed to guard the new site all night. Only God knows how much our Family has given of their efforts to make the establishment of the ideal on earth possible.

Standing next to the training hall, we could look out at the land our Master has bought as the future site of the International University where our children will be attending school taught by leading professors from all over the world. There one afternoon, most of our group sat before Mr. Kim to hear stories of the early days of the movement.

The Han River flows through the city of Seoul. One afternoon we drove by an island in the Han which has been chosen by the government as the future site of the Capitol building and all the government offices. With $100 thousand dollars, our Master bought a large plot of this strategic and premium land upon which he will be constructing for the inheritance of the Unified Family a 120 story building -- the HSA-UWC office of 120 nations.

In Korea, in a tangible way I became much more aware of our Leader as the Messiah -- truly the heavenly Dragon and of our Korean brothers and sisters, the children of the Nation of Priests. His dreams are not only for Korea, but they sketch across the world. They are not only for this generation, but they span the time from Adam through all our ancestors to the far future. They are dreams not only of religion, but dreams of politics, economics and social change. They are the dreams of a man and his followers-a great man. It was such a blessing to be walk upon the Homeland of humanity and see these things -- and a great responsibility. 

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