By Patricia Iversen
Patricia joined our movement in 1976 and was matched and blessed to Halward, a Norwegian, in 1978. They have four children and have served as missionaries in Iceland, Russia, and Latvia. She published her testimony in a book titled Following the Messiah, which you can find on Amazon. Here, we would like to share a brief excerpt from her story about her witnessing experiences.
Aberdeen
I was asked if I would like to be a pioneer and if I was willing to go anywhere. I answered yes but expressed a preference for Aberdeen. I departed for Aberdeen with a one-way train ticket and some fundraising leaflets. I found a one-bedroom flat on Powis Place. The first Korean disciple, Won Pil Kim, visited me there. He ensured that the members who came with him, as well as myself, had places to sleep on the bed or sofa, insisting on sleeping on the floor himself. He remarked that the carpet was luxurious compared to the first shack he shared with True Father. I offered him my down sleeping bag for comfort.
As more people joined, we realized we needed a larger space. I had been instructed not to leave Aberdeen for the first 40 days. During this period, I learned that my sister was ill. Despite the urge to visit her, I decided against leaving Aberdeen and instead went to Interflora to send her flowers. Next door was an estate agent’s office. As I flipped through the brochures, the word “Affleck” kept capturing my attention. It struck me as unusual and reminded me of “genuflect” from the Catholic Church. Upon looking closer at a house on Affleck Street, I instinctively knew it was meant for us. It was the right size and conveniently located near Union Street.
However, I had no luck securing a mortgage, so we decided to undertake a nine-hour prayer walk around the outskirts of Aberdeen. As we ascended the first hill, I prayed continuously, repeating, “Please let us get the house; we need the house; give us the house.” Just before reaching the top of that first hill, I distinctly heard God’s voice saying, “OK, OK, OK, I heard you.” From that moment on, I stopped praying for the rest of the walk.
One morning, I entered the first bank I encountered and asked to speak to the manager. I explained that I wanted to buy a house, and he asked how I planned to repay the loan. I told him that I sold things. He inquired if I sold African violet pot plants, to which I replied that some of our members did. He then approved the loan, evidently impressed by one of our members who had previously sold him a plant.
Mike Breen was working on the oil rigs when I met him one day with just two to three hours before his train left for England. I taught him the Divine Principle and gave him a book on the subject. He joined a few months later and eventually traveled to Korea, where he wrote a book about Sun Myung Moon’s early life.
Paul Dracup was a diver on the rigs who would visit me during his two weeks off before driving back to England in his new Alfa Romeo. I encouraged him to attend a weekend workshop in Dunbar, but he always said he would come next time. Eventually, he promised that he would definitely attend the workshop during his next break. When he arrived two weeks later, he informed me he had an appointment in England, but he returned an hour later to tell me that his Alfa Romeo had overturned and was now a write-off. He ended up attending the workshop and joined.
David Malloch was a student at the University of Aberdeen. He was deeply moved when he heard the Principle and cried upon learning True Father’s life story. He joined immediately and wanted to quit university to become a full-time member, but luckily, he agreed to finish his degree. David’s father had been a Christian missionary and was unhappy about David joining us; he wanted us to shut down the Unification Church in Aberdeen. Despite his father’s disapproval, David remained steadfast in his belief in the Principle, though it was challenging for him. Later, David and I met David Earle, who was pursuing a PhD at the university. He expressed interest in attending a workshop in Dunbar but always had a squash game scheduled on weekends. Even when he broke his racket, he simply bought a new one. Eventually, he joined and, hopefully, will share his own story one day.
During this time, True Father had asked each member to find one person each month, a goal we referred to as 1-1-1. I think we fell short of this target.
I had some profound prayer experiences in Dunbar. One time, as I prayed to remain faithful even if I was the last follower, I had an intuition that the worst outcome would be if it took three generations—similar to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who are regarded as one in the eyes of God. I hope it doesn’t come to that.
Fire from the North
Around that time in 1977, several Christian churches in Britain began receiving revelations that “the fire would begin in the north,” with “fire” symbolizing truth. A person I met took me to his church to meet his minister, who led the most popular Church of Scotland in Aberdeen at the time. The minister spoke about many topics that aligned with True Father’s teachings, particularly concerning the dangers of Communism.
One Sunday, while the minister preached about Moses speaking to God on a mountain and how Moses’ face shone, I sat in the back of the crowded church and suddenly felt my own face burning with the Holy Spirit. To my surprise, the minister then proclaimed that my face was shining just like Moses’ had.
The following week, I taught that minister the Divine Principle. He was amazed; although he had studied both Jewish and Christian history, he had never recognized the parallels explained in the Principle. He was so excited that he declared if the Messiah were on Earth, he would certainly follow Him.
Later, when I visited his home, he expressed concern about losing everything if he decided to follow. His house was owned by the Church of Scotland, and he felt he had to prioritize his wife and child. I desperately wanted him to understand the critical mission of Christianity to help restore the Jewish reluctance to accept Jesus. I attempted to visit him again, but he told me he had to attend a funeral. I must admit, I was tempted to say, “Let the dead bury the dead.”
After the 1978 Blessing ceremony, True Father remained in Britain for some time. A professor from the university, who had attended science conferences organized by our movement, had developed a friendship with True Father and even invited him to go fishing in Aberdeen. Shortly after I returned from the Blessing, I learned that Father was in Aberdeen. A sister named Laurette was eager to see him. I offered to take her to the airport to see him leave. While on the phone checking flight times, the doorbell rang. Laurette answered, and to our surprise, it was True Father walking up the path. He gave me some seed money and instructed me to buy a church. After visiting our church center in Aberdeen, Father asked if there were other centers he should see. I mentioned Dunbar, so he canceled his flight and drove there instead.
Later, an Aberdeen newspaper headline announced that the professor supported Moon. He was inundated with concerns from the parents of members who had joined in America and did not want to return to Britain to finish their studies. At that time, the professor needed the support of the minister; together, they could have convinced many, and the fire truly could have started in the north.
Years later, someone from Aberdeen sent me a newspaper clipping stating that the popular minister had been sent to prison and had lost his job and family.