"And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night; the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people."

Good morning brothers and sisters. The title of this sermon is "Beyond the Pillar of Fire". What do you imagine from these words? Moses course. Right? Do you like Moses course? I know some people don't like it because it is too complicated to understand. It is very complicated if you just read the Divine Principle book. But if you read it with the Bible side by side, it is very interesting story.

Yes, for me, Moses course is the most favorite part of the Divine Principle. Do you know why? Because in Moses course, the relationship between God and man is so real. God guided the Israelites with the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night! Imagine the pillar of fire guiding us in the desert in front of us. How real it is! More than that, God split the Red Sea. God gave them manna and quail. God gave them the Ten Commandments. There are a lot more! I love Moses course because the relationship between God and man was very real and substantial.

According to the Divine Principle, we are living in the Completed Testament age. So our relationship with God should be more real than that of Moses course. I asked to myself, "Is it true?" Is my relationship with God as real as that of Moses course?" It should be. It should be even more real than that of Moses course because we are living in the Completed Testament age. If so, what kind of relationship should we have with God in this particular time? In this aspect, I would like to share with you some of my experiences in America.

I went to America in 1985. At that time, Rev Moon asked many Japanese members to go to America. I first went to New York City and I was there for about one week. After that I went to a fundraising team in Washington DC. I was fundraising at the flower stand selling roses and carnations. At that time my English was terrible. Even though I had been studying English at schools and university in Japan, all I could understand was "How much?" That was all. When people asked something else, I could not understand. All I could say was "One for three, two for five." But people sometimes could not understand me because of my strong accent. I sometimes had to show them a piece of paper, which was written "One for three, two for five." I was 27 years old and university graduate but I felt reduced to the state of five-year-old. I was even afraid to go shopping by myself.

There were about twenty members in Washington fundraising team. Almost all of them were Japanese. We had one or two western members. Everybody spoke Japanese. I wanted to study English because without English I couldn't do anything in America. But it was very difficult to study English with this circumstance.

I was in the capital of America but I didn't feel I was in America because I was always with a lot of Japanese members around me and also I was always speaking Japanese. It was kind of comfortable place to stay, you know, there was no language problem, no culture problem. But I really wanted to study English and wanted to go to somewhere where I could feel "Here is America."

So I prayed every day like this, "Heavenly Father, I want to study English because I can't do anything without it. I want to go to the place where there is no Japanese members. Please send me somewhere where there is no Japanese."

It was almost impossible dream because there were a lot of Japanese members all over America. Almost all city centers and state centers at that time had more Japanese members than western members. But I strongly felt like, "I really want to go somewhere where there is no Japanese." But how could God send me to the place where there was no Japanese when there was almost no such place like that? I wondered. It seemed impossible. But I strongly felt that was what I should do. I think that it was inspiration from God.

God answered my prayer. After one month, I was sent to a small city in South Carolina where there was no city center. One American brother was pioneering in that city by himself. That was actually his hometown. There was no house to stay. We stayed at a bedroom in his friend's house. We fundraised together and we rented a house. This house became a new city center. God answered my prayer even though it seemed impossible to answer. I felt that "God is my father and I am His son and He is taking care of me". And He found a place for me even though it seemed impossible.

This is not the end of the story. The American brother and I fundraised on weekends and visited churches on weekdays to invite ministers to CAUSA seminar together. It was still difficult for me to communicate with him because of my English. I had to use my dictionary when I talked to him all the time. But somehow we were working together well.

After a while, God gave me more difficult situation. He sent us a Korean sister to our city who was in America for more than three years. Her English was very good. Before she came, it was already difficult for me to work with the American brother because of my English. But he had no choice. He patiently tried to communicate with me. It was a lot of work for both of us. But it was OK.

However, after the Korean sister came, when the American brother and the Korean sister talked I could not understand what they were talking about. It was very difficult for me when three of us were talking and I did not understand what they were taking about. After a while I was asked to do something, to do this and to do that, but many times I could not understand them. So I had to do kind of guess game. Sometimes my guess was wrong and they scold me. It was difficult for me to work with them. At that time I thought my English was the only problem. If my English improved everything would be OK. However, later I found out that it was not true.

The main problem was the difference of culture. I grew up in Japan. The American brother grew up in America. The Korean sister grew up in Korea. All of our cultural backgrounds were very different. That's why the Korean sister was sometimes having a difficult time communicating with the American brother even though she did not have a language problem. When they argued to each other strongly it was painful for me to be with them.

We Japanese do not usually express our heart directly. We are all rather shy. But we are very sensitive to each other and we can get along with each other without a lot of words. We are trained in this way from generation to generation. That's why it is difficult for me to speak out what I am thinking about all the time. But it does not mean our communication is superficial. Our communication is actually very deep even though we don't talk a lot. This is very different from nature of Americans and Koreans.

So three people who had totally different cultural background were working together. It was very difficult for all of us. Especially for me, I had strong language problem on top of it. I was so difficult. Many times tears came our from my eyes naturally when I got into my sleeping bag at night. There were a lot of frustration and misunderstandings. I had to pray very hard to survive in this circumstance. Without sincere prayer I could not continue.

I joined the Unification church in 1977. I have a sister who is three years younger than me. After I joined I tried to witness her but it had been not successful. I went to America in 1985 so tried to witness her in many ways for about eight years but it was not successful. But right before I went to America she started to go to the video center to study the Divine Principle. So it was very important time for her and at that time I had to go to America. After I went to America all I could do for her was to pray for her.

Every night I prayed for her with tears like this, "Heavenly Father, I am having very difficult time, a lot of frustration and misunderstandings. But it's OK. I can appreciate this situation. Please guide my sister so that she can understand the value of the Divine Principle. Please use my suffering as indemnity condition for her so that she can know the value of True Parents. Heavenly Father, she is in Japan. She is studying the Divine Principle now. All I can do for her now is to pray for her. Please guide her." I prayed like this with tears every night. It was not just reciting words. It was not just ritual. It was really sincere prayer with tears.

After a while, I received a letter from my sister. It said that she attended two days workshop and four days workshop and she became a full time member. She was blessed and she has two children now. When I read her letter I felt that because of my suffering course in South Carolina God could witness her. God answered my prayer again and I was very surprised.

When I was in Japan, I tried to witness her for about eight years but it did not work. After I went to America she was on the other side of the earth. But with appropriate indemnity condition and prayer of tears God could pick up my sister. I felt that "God is my father and I am His son".

I was in South Carolina for about one year. I was visiting churches to invite ministers to CAUSA seminar and ICC conference in Korea. My English was getting better. But I was still having hard time to talk with ministers. I mean I could invite them to the seminars but when I visited them many times it was difficult for me to talk with them about many different topics. So after one year I strongly felt that I had to do something else. I wanted to learn English and Christianity to visit ministers.

I think that God knows everything about us. When I was thinking like this a seminary student came to our city to fundraise. At that time seminary students fundraised during summer vacation for the seminary. He came to our city and told me many things about the seminary. I felt God send the seminary student to inspire me to go to the seminary.

So I went to the seminary. I was there for three years. I did many things there, It was another challenge for me to study theology and philosophy in English. Many times I had to stay up all night to finish my papers or to prepare for my exams. I sometimes felt that it was intellectual torture. I spent a lot of energy at the seminary and I loved the seminary so much. When I graduated from the seminary I wanted to stay in America. As a missionary I never imagined to go back to my homeland. I thought I should stay there rest of my life.

But right after the graduation Rev, Moon came to the seminary and gave us direction that I should go back to Japan. Rev. Moon said to me directly, "Go back to Japan." There was no choice. Even so I felt I wanted to stay in America very strongly.

I think that this is a feeling of a missionary. I knew if I go back to Japan, my life would be much easier. There was no language problem. There was no culture problem. I could live peacefully there. But once I was chosen as a missionary to a foreign country it is kind of shame if I have to leave that country. I wanted to stay in America because I loved that nation so much.

I prayed like this, "Heavenly Father, I want to stay in America to do your Will. Past four years I did many things in South Carolina and at the seminary. I suffered a lot. I endured a lot. I spent a lot of energy to do your Will in America. I love this country even more than I love Japan. Now I really feel that I want to stay in America. Is there a way?" It was also very sincere prayer.

At that time God did not say "Yes". I had to go back to Japan. But God did not forget my prayer. After ten years, God answered my prayer. God sent us to Canada seven months ago. It was not easy for us to come to Canada as a family. Rev. Moon asked all 4200 Japanese missionaries to go to their mission country with their family. We are the first family who could say "Yes". For most of the missionaries it is almost impossible dream to go to their mission countries with their family. Without His help we are not here today. I think God could choose my wife as a missionary to Canada because of my prayer in America ten years ago.

In conclusion, the title of this sermon is "Beyond the Pillar of Fire". If you see pillar of fire guiding you in front of you when you got lost somewhere, you will feel God's presence very strongly. I will be very surprised if I see pillar of fire like that. But that is just like master is guiding his servants with the pillar of fire. That is the Old Testament age. I think we can experience God beyond the pillar of fire because we are living in the Completed Testament age.

When I was in Washington fundraising team I go inspiration that I wanted to go to somewhere where there was no Japanese. It was kind of internal inspiration, inspiration from God. It was what God wanted me to do. I could say, "Yes" to Him, just like I did, or I could say "No".

Because I said to Him "Yes" and I prayed about it desperately I could experience God very personally. I could feel God like, "God is my father and I am His son". If you pray desperately for something what God want you to do, He will help you and you will feel "God is my father and I am His son". This is very heartistic relationship with God which is much deeper than the pillar of fire.

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