Chambumo Gyeong - 314. A difficult passage
The purpose of the third world tour was for True Parents to begin leading world mission activities from the United States. However, from the time they left Korea they encountered difficulties, and these continued as they passed through Japan and Canada. Finally, however, they arrived in America and began to lead the global mission centered on the United States.
1 In 1959 I dispatched missionaries to America to prepare the worldwide foundation. If the missionaries had fulfilled their responsibilities, they would have become quite influential. They would have made the foundation for victory without my having to go through a brutal three-year course there. I knew the urgency of God's Will and my heavenly mission, but I could not realize this in America using only these missionaries. They were not capable of managing so great a task as America. That is why I left for America in 1971, promising to God that I would break through there as I had in Korea and Japan. (078-316, 1975/06/10)
2 We left Korea to go to Japan one day before the Korean government declared a state of emergency. We knew that the situation was serious and we needed to depart, but because it was a Sunday, we could not go through the regular procedure. I needed approval from the head of immigration under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but his office was closed. As time was running out, I contacted the passport section chief and received a letter of authorization a mere 30 minutes before departure. This was the work of heaven. (060-225, 1972/08/17)
3 I did not say this to our church members, but I departed for America in 1971 because I had God's command to carry out the historic world mission, and I felt an urgent responsibility to do so within three years. I knew that God's Will was for me to set the direction for Americans to follow within three years. I had to create a new path of faith and a new Christianity. That is why I went to that huge country on my own.
Difficulties arose from the outset, beginning with my very departure from Gimpo Airport. They were blocking my departure, but thanks to a special connection I had formed, they gave way. Then at my layover in Japan, I faced another problem. I needed a United States visa, and the authorities would not issue it. Nonetheless, it was God's Will that I go, so when traveling to the United States did not work out, I went to Canada.
There, Unification Church members went to the United States Embassy to ask why the State Department denied my entry. The report the embassy received stated, "Reverend Moon cannot enter the country because of his history of cooperating with the Communist Party since 1967." Someone had given them such a report. Right away, United States senators and congressional representatives were contacted and asked to communicate with the United States embassy in Canada. This led the embassy to contact the State Department, and it became a major issue. It created a problem even for the Korean Embassy. Finally, when it was revealed that the report they had was false, they had no choice but to issue the visa. (070-034, 1974/02/08)
4 If I had been delayed a few more days in Canada, I would not have been able to enter the United States. Through this experience, I clearly saw how Satan's forces were trying in every way possible to block the advance of God's Will. From Canada I had to travel to Washington DC, but there was no flight that fit my schedule. I had promised to attend the Tittle Angels performance, which was scheduled at the Kennedy Center on December 18,1971. No matter what, I had to be there for that, so I ended up riding a twin-engine plane for a six-hour flight, crossing mountains and valleys at a very low altitude. That is how I entered America. |