28: Twin Peaks

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At five in the morning we gathered for service and prayer at Twin Peaks in San Francisco . The northernmost peak was consecrated into a Holy Ground by Rev. Moon on February 15, 1965. The southern Peak, also known as Mother Peak, is also considered a Holy Ground, though it did not receive the blessing. Father renamed them “Parents Peaks.”
             It was freezing cold with the fog and the salt wind blowing in from the Pacific. While everyone had dynamic prayers I took some photographs of members pounding their fists in the air.
             When I first joined the church in 1979 I would go to Twin Peaks every Sunday morning with the Oakland family. There would be two or three antique buses pull up at the base. I looked through the fog at the other peak and saw a number of people who were also praying and asked who they were, and I was told that they were CARP members. "If they're part of our church why aren't they up here with us?" I asked. I had seen CARP witnessing at Berkeley campus approaching everyone saying they are with Rev. Moon. Oakland used to witness under the banner of the 'Creative Community Project,' and were able to bring more members. Finally CARP and the few who remained after most Oakland members had been assigned to New York joined forces to witness.  

    
Within a few days Joel and I met Claire Begley from England. She was walking in front of Woolworth's wearing a Fleur-de-lis sweatshirt promoting Quebec. We took her to a table, which was set up before a board, advertising 'International Student Cooperative.' The board was an extension of the Creative Community Project on a global level. She decided to come with us for dinner and walked with us up the hill towards Bush Street. "You aren't Moonies are you?" she asked. We told her we were with the Unification Church as soon as we got to the Center. She didn't make the connection.
             I went to Camp A as it was called, with Claire that night, to spend a day or two waiting for the lecture cycle to begin at Camp K. It was my first time to see Camp A. Some of the buildings at Aetna Springs were designed by Frank Loyd Wright. Over breakfast Annie Redmond explained our affiliation with the Unification Church to Claire. She was a bit suspicious due to a warning she has read in her travel guide, but said we seemed like "normal people."
             Since there were no scheduled activities Annie suggested I take her to the swimming hole, with another brother. The swimming hole was in a secluded area of the property, set in Pope Valley, in idyllic California hills, about a hundred miles north of San Francisco. The sky was pure blue, the dry grass golden and the air peaceful and serene. The three of us set off down the path, but the brother who was to act as a chaperon went off by himself, leaving me alone with Claire. Claire was 22, and fairly attractive with her freckles and red hair. She had a similar accent to my mother, and would have been everything that I would look for in a girl, had I been looking. Claire wore a lime green bikini under her jeans and blouse. For some reason it reminded me of a scene out of the movie Lost Horizon, about ending up in Shangri la. In the movie a beautiful girl swims in a secluded swimming hole with the dappled reflections in the water. In the version that I saw, some of the visuals had been lost, due to the age of the film, and there was a blank screen with only dialogue. That made it even more exotic. But this was the heavenly kingdom, not Shangri la. When Claire got out of the water and sat beside me on the bank, I told her I had a wife.

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July 28, 1983 Camp K
Dear Yoshiko-san,

             Just finished praying by a quiet shady pool beside the river where water spiders glided across the surface creating ripples. It is “meditation time” here at Camp K. I felt a deep realization of God’s Love, because I was praying for my guest, thinking God must really trust me to send me his precious child. Her name is Claire; she is 21, from England and traveling on a Greyhound Bus pass. I met her two nights ago and spent yesterday at Camp A at Aetna Springs in Pope Valley and came here last evening. She was going to travel on to Canada tonight, but had such a joyful time and really opened up. She is a lot higher in her standard than when I joined — real friendly, bright and open to the Principle. I felt a strong urge to pray for her last night and have been doing as many conditions for her to be moved.
             There is such a good spirit here. Today Dr. Seuk and Mr. Aoki came here to speak to the new members. (My guest was not ready for that, so we did the dishes.) Actually Clare opened up just before lunch and asked what must be done to become a member.
             I talked to Kaeko last night; she talked about working with you, and said you had the qualifications to be an elementary school teacher. Kaeko also talked about her real name being Yoshiko, but it is written with different characters and means “Fragrant child.”
             There are not as many people here as when I joined; but the ones here are really chosen, the atmosphere is free as we can talk more about Father. Claire has asked me much about Father and about the Principle. It is good to witness so deeply to a spiritual child.
             I hope everything is going well for you, with your spirit and good health. Keep working hard — I know you have strong dedication. God Bless you for your beautiful heart. ITPL Stefan


The atmosphere was freer than Oakland in its heyday; we talked openly about Father and the Principle. I felt a deep realization of God's love as I prayed for Claire thinking, "God must really trust me to send me such a precious child." I had been doing conditions for her to be moved by the Principle. Claire was planning to travel on to Canada with her Greyhound bus pass, but had opened up and stayed on. She was a lot higher in her standard than I was when I joined; being friendly and bright and open to the principle.
             After lunch Claire asked what it takes to join, and I took her to Virgil who was in charge of the camp. We spent about two weeks at Camp K studying the Divine Principle; then Claire decided to study at the camp on her own. She said that Rev. Moon was a "Twentieth Century Jesus."  Virgil warned me that Claire fits the pattern of British recruits who had negative parents that may cause problems for the church. He said we shouldn't push her to stay.
             We went on an excursion to a Redwood forest by the coast. During the day we watched sea lions in the Ocean, and during the evening we had a barbecue beneath the stars. Kaeko introduced me to her spiritual child Nancy, who was also from England. Nancy said the sky looked beautiful and I looked up between the Redwood trees just as a shooting star happened to fall, or a satellite passed. It was beautiful to see a small part of our modern age through the wonders of creation. It reminded me of how God had prepared this world for the coming of the Messiah. Then Claire told me that she was going to join the church and went off to see Virgil about the details, leaving me alone with the stars.


The next morning I slept in a bit. Many times I had gotten up at 5 a.m. to pray for Claire by the rocky riverbed. That morning I didn't. Some one woke me in the Kiosk and told me that I needed to go to the Leaders' Cabin. Mr. Aoki told me that Claire's parents have arrived and were waiting to see her in San Francisco. I was to drive her there and meet Tony Divine at the Berkeley center. Claire and I got our stuff together and we drove to the city in a compact car with a bad clutch. Tony told me that Claire's parents would be arriving at the center at 4 p.m. He introduced Claire to Lindsey, an English sister who was to help with the parents. We advised Claire to try not to go alone with her parents, who most likely would hate 'the Moonies'. The parents arrived and were cordial at first, sitting down in the front room for tea. There was not much talk about the Church, but tourist talk about the town. They decided to go sightseeing and prepared to go out. Lindsey went with them. Across the street the parents started yelling at Lindsey and disappeared with Claire towards the subway.
             Tony and Lindsey managed to follow them. We didn't hear from Claire for three days, when her parents finally arranged to meet us in their hotel room. I slipped a note into her hand and tried to sit beside her but her mother intervened. It was a very tense meeting; with Claire seeming distraught and distant. We tried our best to answer their questions, which were mostly about arranged marriages and why God was working through America and not Britain. I stayed up all night writing a letter to Claire at Denny's Restaurant, as Tony sat with me. The next day Claire stopped in at the center to pick up her backpack and left us forever. I sat on the stairs inside and cried. Mr. Aoki comforted me.
             I had a couple days before flying to Texas to rejoin my MFT team. During the two days I had an outpatient operation on a little cyst that had formed on my lip. The newspaper headlines were about the Soviet's downing on KAL flight 007.

August 30, 1983 Berkeley, California

Dear Yoshiko-san,
             Claire Begley. Last Friday she was about to make a commitment to join, but I am sorry to say that the next day her parents flew in from England, and took her away. Today she came to the center and picked up her belongings and walked out the door. For the last four days have been a real ordeal for her, and me; my heart is so anguished to see a precious daughter of God, whom I prayed for, shed tears for, taken away and had her faith broken.
             During the lectures I gained many insights — one in particular was about my mother coming from England. England failed her mission as the Eve nation; so this mission went to Japan. My mother is a monarchist and loves the Queen’s Royal family. (When I went to England in 1978, we went to Buckingham Palace, and saw the Queen ride by on her horse.) Through the years my mother has collected mementos of the Royal Family, perhaps in preparation to receive the King of Kings — The True Parents Family.
             Mr. Aoki has been put in charge of a special task force for witnessing here in the Bay Area. I participated in it yesterday, starting with a prayer at Twin Peaks overlooking San Francisco, and later joining up with the IOWC team that is witnessing here. They had a noontime rally, which we joined in, at Powel and Market, standing before a banner of “Unificationism” singing a few songs, before a speaker addressed the crowd with a megaphone.
             The other day we went to a National Park, where Redwoods stood majestically against a night sky. Through the trees I saw a satellite as it moved before the stars. It was beautiful to see a small part of this modern age, through the wonders of creation. I thought about how we are an encapsulation of the cosmos — having unique, cosmic, eternal and God’s value. We stood by the ocean and saw a family of seals frolicking in the waves, and marveled them. I love creation. Anyhow, take care. ITPL Stefan