DE VERENINGSKERK UNIFICATION CHURCH NEDERLAND

July-October 2010

As is stated every week in the Sunday Service sheet: “Bringing people to the Blessing is the main purpose / goal of our activities. We seek to do this by making many new contacts and inviting them to our meetings.”

In addition to holding Community Sunday services in Amsterdam & Utrecht, and some other cities - Haarlem now has one a month, we hold regular meetings every Wednesday in Amsterdam and aspire to have regular Saturday workshops.

In addition, we have special DP lectures, UPF activities and seek to respond to special mobilization requests.

Maria Olinda Verhoeven ascension, July

On July 21, Maria Olinda Palmeiro da Silva – Verhoeven passed over in her native Portugal, where she had gone in hope of receiving better medical treatment. Her family were with her and the Portugese Family held an initial Seung Hwa ceremony; she was later brought back to Nederland for a further Seung Hwa ceremony & internment in Maarssen on July 28. In addition to relieving Maria Olinda from her suffering, her passing brought many members together, also a number who had become 'distant', because of the deep love they felt from her. Her husband Jacques is Utrecht Community Leader.

We sent delegates to all three Gatherings to Proclaim the Word:Korea, July: 31 // 30 members & one AfP, Sufi Imam Hashim Janssen; New York, July: 25 // from Nederland 13: 11 Unificationists & 2 AfPs, Imam Hashim

Janssen & Sheikh August Santoe (Ahmadiyya Muslim Lahore); from the US: 12Israel, August: 5 // 2nd Gen. brother Corne van Es & 4 AfPs: Imam Jansen; Abdullah Haselhoef; Mw. Stegerman, Protestantse Kerk; Hans Noot, LDS educator.

Imam Janssen attended all three Gatherings; and on Sep. 5, he testified at the Amsterdam Sunday Service about his experiences with MEPI, including moving stories of interreligious respect between participants and his experiences with Hyung Jin Nim.

Three Gatherings to Proclaim the Word

Members in Nederland attended the gatherings via webcasts, in Community meetings & at home

UC Special Assembly with Mr Jin Hwa Chung

On August 16, we held a Unification Church Special Assembly with Mr Jin Hwa Chung, Director of the Tongil Group PR Dept., who went deeply into the current situation, with a clear & systematic report & explanation of events in the past 18 months...

… and then showed us many examples of the current extensive, factual, truthful & respectful media coverage in Korea, including positive reports about True Parents' birthday celebrations, interviews with Hyung Jin Nim & Kook Jin Nim, and reports of UC developments.

Attending Hyung Jin Nim in GermanySome 80 members attended Hyung Jin Nim at the Sunday August 29 gathering in Germany, Limburg Town Hall.

Attendees included AfPs Paul Gron & Henna Linger, Blessed in Korea last year;

also Kees Terol, young as a member & young at heart, now, physically, in his middle 70s; here with Rudi & Thea Rijntjes (on right);

and, at the other end of the physical age spectrum, Sadikoen & Andrea Wirjoredjo took their children, the youngest, Rosalie is 17 months old, here also with Grandma.

Little Angels visit, KW60 tour, Sep. 14-16In three short days, the Little Angels visited the Yi Jun grave & Yi Jun Peace Museum, Tehuis voor Oud-Militairen Bronbeek & Korean War Veterans monument, in addition to performing in the prestigious Lucent Danstheater, The Hague. The Korean Ambassador hosted a dinner for them and Dr. Pak met AfPs at two lunches.

Possibly the most lasting result for UC-NL was the effect on AfPs, a number writing enthusiastic & thoughtful reflections, including realizing how little was known about the Korean War & Dutch sacrifice, and how hearing the Little Angels sing the Dutch National Anthem made them realize we should help young Dutch people become more patriotic for the sake of a harmonious society & national unity.

Working with Ambassadors for PeaceOn the day the Little Angels left - as mentioned, many AfPs wrote reflections, we held one of our three monthly AfPs meetings in Utrecht, chaired by Dr. Beelaerts. We seek to engage AfPs in UPF projects, for their own benefit, as well as giving them education.

Three AfPs, Dr. Beelaerts, Dr. van Eekelen & Dr. Bertens, attended the Fact Finding tour in Japan, Aug 1-5, and made active representation to the Japanese authorities about the need for greater respect for human rights & freedom of religion.

UPF conferences, supporting AfPs & PartnersThe September 19 UPF-NL Development Aid Conference was basically purposed for AfP Maartje Bos & the work of Community Partnership for Youth & Women Development in Ghana. UPF-NL also supported the CPWYD meeting in Haarlem the next Saturday & gave founder CPWYD Jakubu Iddrisu a platform to speak at the Day of Peace in Dusseldorf, Germany the week before.

On the same day, UPF supported the ninth Ahmad Shah Massoud Commemoration in Nederland; AfPs Sayed & Akram Taheri are on the Organizing Committee. Christopher Davies addressed some 500 participants on behalf of UPF Nederland.

10.14 World Peace Blessing

AfP & Protestant minister Ds. Enzo & Mw. Bijl attended the Interfaith Assembly / ILC & Blessing in Korea, and AfP Sayed N. Taheri the ELC & Blessing, on his return placing a quote from Father on his Facebook page, in Persian.

Second Gen. brother Christian Moons was Blessed with Teresa Stacey from Finland, and Patrick Weijenborg (First Gen.) was Blessed in New York, with Aurelia Derflinger from the US.

Members in The Netherlands attended the Blessing via the webcast, in Community gatherings & at home.

Christian leadersDs. Bijl attending the Blessing was encouraging when considering the need to work with native Dutch Christians, historically, the spiritual core of the country; and on Sep. 27 there was a special one day workshop which was attended by Roman Catholic Pastor Louis Weel, who served many years in Brazil and now cares for four parishes in Noord Holland. The Netherland's raison d'etre is religious “tolerantie”, in the 17th century that meant, in particular, between Roman Catholics & Protestants.

On Sep. 15, the AfP meeting was addressed by Drs. Edy Korthals Altes, a former senior diplomat and now Honorary President, World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP) New York. In 2008, he published “Spiritual Awakening: The Hidden Key to Peace and Security, Just and Sustainable Economics, A Responsible European Union”; he will speak again at the December ELC.

Media

A journalist with Ikon, a Christian broadcaster, was challenged for referring to the “not without controversy” Unification Church and mentioning accusations of “fraud and brainwashing” - without any explanation or qualification, in an on site report on the Blessing. In discussion, he defended his wording as being “finely nuanced”, but these phrases have now been removed from the article.

Reports of activities are regularly sent to the media, also press releases such as “UPF Nederland proposal for interreligious centre at Ground Zero” and “Geert Wilders is mistaken, there are Moderate Muslims, says Familiefederatie President Hans Campman”.

WitnessingRudi & Thea Rinjtes witness with their “bakfiets” in Alkmaar and other cities. Earlier this year, they met a lady who had been shown True Father's autobiography - which is currently being translated into Dutch, by AfP Akram Taheri. Olga Hammet meets people through her dogbreeding business. AfP Haselhoef told Imam Janssen about UPF, he told Ds. Bijl. Everyone is encouraged to use “all possible means”.

World Peace Blessing Nederland: November 7Invitations for the Blessing, to be forwarded / given to contacts, were sent to all members on Saturday, October 16. The next day, in preparation for the Sunday, November 7 World Peace Blessing in Huize Glory, Hans Campman gave his third Amsterdam Sunday Service talk on the Blessing. He suggested that each family make a goal to bring at least one couple; and reported enthusiastically that some members are contacting groups. The national aspiration is to bring 40 couples, anyway a minimum of 21.

On Sunday, Oct. 24, Hans spoke about the Blessing at a special meeting in Huize Glory to which Olga Hammet had invited clients from her dog breeding business. Wim Koetsier once commented about a dog owner attending a workshop, but worrying about her dog: that she needed to decide whether her priority was DOG or GOD. Maybe now one can have both.

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World Peace Blessing 7 november 2010 van 14.30 tot 18.30 uur in

Huize Glory, Elzenlaan 2, 1865 BM Bergen aan Zee