By Maureen Gottesman
This testimony which happened in an unnamed nation in North Africa, was originally prepared more than 30 years ago for a publication to mark True Father’s 70th birthday.
When I heard that Kim Il Sung from North Korea had come to this nation, I began a fast and determined not to eat until he left the country. On the fifth night of my fast, I had a significant dream which I would like to share. It took place in front of the oldest mosque, located in the oldest part of the city. I had not yet visited this spot, but recognized it later. I was with seven of Father’s children. I remember Ye-jin nim, In-jin nim, Un-jin nim, and Hyo-jin nim most clearly. Together we cleaned the area around the mosque as there was so much debris everywhere. I was with the sisters on the steps of the mosque; we picked up papers from dawn until dusk. Each time Ye-jin nim would pick up a paper, another one would be in its place, yet she would never lose hope. Her patience and perseverance were a model for me. Meanwhile, Hyo-jin nim was leading the brothers in a cleanup campaign on the sidewalks around the mosque. He was so full of energy, never discouraged by the heaviness of his task. His exuberance became an inspiration to me.
At the end of the day, we were all so exhausted. Some work still needed to be done, but a large portion was already finished. We met together on the steps of the mosque and with a child’s heart of unconditional trust, Un-jin nim offered me a world that she was holding in her two hands.
I realized through this dream that our work would only be completed and fulfilled by future generations. I felt also that True Parents and their family would spiritually support us in the months and years to come.
The following day Kim Il Sung left this nation.
Heaven’s special protection
One night we were driving back to my friend’s home around 11:00 pm on a country road when a flash flood-type rain started to fall. Blinded by the rain, we unfortunately drove the car into a place where the road had been flooded. Naturally, the car stalled and we found ourselves stranded in a most desolate spot.
Yet a most unusual thing happened. Suddenly a taxicab pulled up and the driver asked if we needed help. We left the car there and asked for a ride to our friend’s home. It is hard to describe just how unusual the circumstances were. It is next to impossible to find a taxi in such a place at that time of the night, but another example of just how much Heaven protected us.
The next day I went to retrieve the car and have it driven to a service station. We left the keys with the station attendant who assured us that no serious damage had been done. I returned a day later to pick up the car but found neither the attendant nor the car. I was told that he had been arrested and the car confiscated by the police because it was discovered he drove the car without a license. I was then asked to personally get the car from the police station. This was the worst possible time to meet with the police since they were already suspicious of us. A further complication was that the car had been brought into the country by Yasuaki (the Japanese pioneer), but the papers were not in his name. Furthermore, he was out of the country…in short, a highly irregular situation!
We immediately sent a telegram to Yasuaki and meanwhile, I decided that it would be better to go to the police station right away, fully realizing the possible consequences. When I walked into the police station that day, my legs felt more like bananas than legs! As the police officer questioned me, he became aware that my papers were not in order. After several minutes of questioning, the police officer asked me for my driver’s license. A very amusing thing happened. My driver’s license was from the state of Wyoming and sported a picture of a rodeo cowboy on the front. Furthermore, the license was in my maiden name, Murphy. The policeman came to the conclusion that I must be related to the great Western movie star, more well known to audiences here than to Americans, Audy Murphy. He called over all the other policemen who were so excited about the coincidence that they forgot about the irregularity of the car situation! Ten minutes later I received the keys to the car and a round of handshakes telling me that if I ever needed help just to call them up…and I was on my way.
Many times people have asked us how we could survive in a socialist country like this. This story serves as an illustration of how, even in humorous ways, Heavenly Father helped us slip through the most potentially dangerous circumstances.
Taking a stand helped avert tragedy
One very miraculous thing happened during our stay there. The political situation at that time was quite unstable, and because the man in whose house we were living had more moderate political views than the government, some people in power became afraid of his influence. He was constantly in contact with various high-level officials while we were staying with him. One night the German missionary, Ulrike, and I decided to offer an all-night prayer vigil, alternating every two hours. I must add that this was the first time we had made a condition of this sort. I was praying around 2:30 am when I heard some noise in the hall. I wasn’t too alarmed until the door opened and a strange man started to come into our bedroom. With uncalculated courage, I stood up on the bed and began jumping up and down on it, screaming to tell our landlord that there was a strange man in the house. The man was horrified and fled.
Nothing had been stolen, and it was apparent that this man had come to assassinate our landlord. The family knew that I had been awake because Ulrike and I were praying, and they strongly felt that God had worked through me to save his life. To this day we maintain a close relationship with this family and they have since heard and accepted the Divine Principle!