Bridgeport

Apr 2 ~ 4

Our stay in Bridgeport was short, but deep and dense. We stayed in the personal home of Lucimar, who expressed so much happiness about hosting us. She lost her blessed husband through kidney infection, but this did nothing to diminish her great love for True Parents.

Before the program we had dinner with Mika and Abe, a second generation couple who are co-pastoring the Bridgeport church, and student leaders. Some of the questions they asked Mrs. Eu brought out treasures from her.

They asked how she knew that Father was Messiah and also asked her to tell them stories of Father in early days. She said: When she first met father, he was speaking with so many tears and so much passion, which formed a stark contrast with Ewha University professors’ lectures, which she found boring and empty. At that time she did not understand much of what Father said, but still his tears made her cry with him.

In early days Father used to sit around with members and talk about each one of them—about their characters, ancestors, etc. In this process she was surprised that Father knew her and members so well, and felt deeply loved and cared for by Father even more than by her own parents. Father would also hear people a lot, even for hours and days. Everybody wanted to come to him and tell him their stories and problems, and he did not stop them. Some old ladies kept coming day after day and said the same stories over and over. They could tell Father stories they had not even told their own families, even intimate stories such as how they made love in bed. Father said people have so many wounds from the fallen world, and all these must be healed before they can be saved; listening was his way of healing their wounds.

Another person asked about President Hyo Won Eu’s tough lecturing condition. Mrs. Eu said Father asked him to make a condition to lecture the Principle 16 hours a day for 3 years. When there was no one to hear the lecture, Father would sit and listen to his lecture, giving him comments and guidance. I also told a story I heard. In early days the members always made a big noise, crying and shouting in religious fervor. The Chungpadong church was initially very small, and the neighbors could hear all this noise. So one day people came to the church to protest, and it was President Eu’s job to deal with them. When he saw the people in front of him, instead of begging and pleading, he started lecturing the Principle; the people could no longer protest, and eventually left one by one. Perhaps some of them even joined.

Thank you, Bridgeport!