Two reports:
Dear all!
I will dare to be the first to report about a great success of True Mother's visit to Moscow! However, I don't want to jump ahead of other people, who are much more knowledgeable and experienced, and I hope that either Gunnard Johnston or Dallas Stafford (or even both of them) will for sure tell about everything in detail a little bit later.
First of all I would like to thank everybody for the opportunity you provided for me to be present at True Mother's speech! I would like to personally thank Gunnard Johnston and Dallas Stafford for the information and support they've given me (even though I'm not a member of the UC - at least, yet), and Markus Buergi (even though I don't think he is a subscriber to the list), who actually put a lot of effort into assisting me to attend the speech. And, of course, I would like to publicly thank Gene Garbowski, who's been a very special person for me for almost 4 years already, and who has been very patient and understanding with me, and who's helped me to make a spiritual breakthrough in my life! Thanks to him I came to the speech with much understanding, and with my open heart and soul! Thank you, Geno!!! And the Divine Principle, his personal and very cherished copy, which he passed to me is really opening my eyes every day!
True Mother's speech finished only about 3 hours ago (about 9pm). True Mother was presenting at the Children Musical Theater, which is a very famous and beautiful place, known, I think, to everybody here. It was packed!! Even not everybody could find a seat. I haven't ever experienced any warmer atmosphere than that during the meeting. It is a true union. And, being a sort of an outsider, I still could experience this feeling of FAMILY! Thank you all!
With love,
Olga Alexinskaya
To Olga, I am very happy you could come to see and hear True Mother at the event in Moscow.
To everyone else, I would like to offer a brief report on this historic wonderful experience:
As you all know, Russia is going some very turbulent times right now. After the changeover of 1991, when the Soviet Union was officially ended and a new era begun, with a new Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) born, the Russian Federation has experienced quite of shock, not unlike a non-swimmer being dropped into deep water and told, "Swim or die!".
Externally, I have never seen Moscow more beautiful than it is now: buildings are looking newer, brighter, more shining and clean. Especially around the main center of Moscow, near the Kremlin, the city looks like an emerging jewel that rivals New York, Paris, or London for stately and charming presence. Parks and streets are taking on a brighter, more colorful, more alive look to them. But economically, for many many people there is a great deal of desperation to make ends meet: lots of street merchants everywhere, and, unfortunately, a number of older people begging on the streets and in the Metro (subway system).
To the midst of all of this, internally, Mother's visit brought a breath of such freshness, it was like the day started anew after a long hard winter. The weather, by the way, had been unseasonably cold and forbiddingly cloudy for about two weeks prior. Then just two days before Mother arrived, the spring breeze descended with warmth and sunshine bright and crystal clear. It was, in a word, gorgeous!
For Mother's speech itself I had the good fortune to attend a short meeting of the World University Federation, headed by Rev. Kwak. It is an extension of the Professors World Peace Academy, and has the purpose to link univerities and scholars around the world under the True Parents' ideal of world peace. To this meeting I accompanied one professor from my nation of Lithuania, a man who has been with PWPA for seven years. Rev. Kwak conveyed True Father's hopes and dreams for these scholarly men and women, with the hope of uniting them together in the great quest: world peace, true family values, open education, ending hunger and want. About forty prominent guests attended this distinguished meeting.
Then, it was on to Mother's speech. Here there was a most inspiring mix of 90% young people (17 to 24 years old) and the rest was us old fogeys! Upon going into the theater 30 minutes before the program was to start, Professor Buracas and I found we could not get a seat! The first two sections were maxed out, so we had to try a third door. (We had not known there was reserved seating for VIPs, like the professor, so we continued to grope for an opening somewhere, anywhere.) But everywhere we turned, there were walls of young folks all bouncing around joining their friends or charging to open spaces, as we were trying to do.
Finally, I got the notion to just push down to the front. I had seen some open seats in the very first row, and thought that perhaps they might still be available when we got there. Sure enough, seats were available -- right in the front row, not more than ten meters from Mother's podium!
The dignified master of ceremonies gave a very elegant introduction of True Parents, with many letters of welcome and congratulations from various prominent members of society, those who were not physically in attendance. I'm sorry I do not have the names at hand, but I am sure someone else will provide such details later. A children's violin ensemble performed a beautiful piece. One opera diva gave a lovely rendition of "Ave Maria". And the mood was set. Finally, Mother appeared.
It was like the sun had risen on a cool fresh morning when Mother walked out to the podium. Her pure dignified motherly poise immediately elevated the atmosphere to unforseen heights! Mother's warmth and charm filled the entire theatre. No corner was left untouched. The quiet radiance of pure love flowed in wave after wave, like an invisible pulse of super-rarified energy, yet so gentle you simply feel embraced and enfolded at your mother's breast.
As Mother spoke it was like being breast-fed by your true eternal mother, the Mother of life itself, the Holy Spirit of the living Heaven on earth. As Mother spoke the words of her talk, it was as if the spiritual Heaven came and settled in that theatre, making Heaven and earth one. The audience, some of whom in the VIP section had come obviously with doubt or some trepedation, was quickly drawn into the warmth of the True Parents' heart. It was unmistakeable. It was also utterly and absolutely genuine. It was the fruit of tears, sweat, and blood, shed for us all for decades and millenia, by God Himself. Mother was standing on Father's foundation who stands on God's foundation. All the years of yearning, hoping, praying, and crying for unity and love among His children is borne out in Mother's presence as she speaks from the depth of her heart.
By the end of Mother's speech, even the most doubtful of the dignified VIPs were clapping approvingly at Mother's punctuated declarations for "true families, true love ideals, and True Parents". No one held back. All joined in.
When Mother concluded her speech, after she received several flower gifts, several more personal gifts, and several rounds of cheering applause, she finally departed the stage to a standing ovation!
A few moments later, the stage was quickly transformed into a comfortable area for Mother, about ten dignitaries, and Rev. Kwak to sit and celebrate with True Father, who had listened to the speech and was waiting with brothers and sisters in South America. The internet and telephone connnections were fragile, and several times we lost internet video contact with Father, but through it all, Mother carried on as a champion of warmth and love, fulfilling her role as mother to the world. It is amazing that, as Mother has given her speech now to over eigthy audiences around the world in fulfilling her duty to bring God's and True Parents' love to everyone, she is still as fresh and spontaneous as if she were coming to give a special visit to Russia alone. Each place and every person that Mother meets is special -- this is the spirit Mother gives: we are ALL special in God's and True Parents' eyes.
Father, Mother, and brothers and sisters, from South America to Moscow, were exchanging their love and greetings, and we were all treated to this demonstration of Heaven on earth! Truly, we were MOST priviledged to be able to attend such an historic event. This will go down in the Book of Life as one more example of how much God and particularly True Parents themselves really and truly love us all. NOBODY left that wonderful meeting with True Parents without being eternally touched. I did not see one person who did not have a smile on their face after this evening. There was no escaping the love of God and True Parents on this evening. It was surely a night to remember and cherish for all eternity.
With warmest regards to all,
Gunnard Johnston