Czech Republic

November 2, 2006
By Petr & Martine Masner

Prague - Rev. Marilyn Kotulek
By Petr & Martine Masner

The main event in Prague started with a beautiful piano presentation by 11-year-old Benjamin Lajda. There was a very warm feeling from the people. The guest speaker, Mrs. Rev. Marilyn Kotulek, was very well received. She testified about her recent experiences with the UPF movement, especially her trip to Israel with the Middle East Peace Initiative (MEPI), where she met a wonderful Jewish lady, with whom she made sisterhood relationship and is working on various peace  projects. She believes that God asked her to do this tour and to testify about being an Ambassador for Peace. She told the audience how she feels that God is with people who work as one in Christ. Mrs. Kotulek's husband is from the Czech Republic with an American passport. She expressed her great joy to be able to serve the country of her husband’s roots through this occasion.   
 
To everyone's surprise, during the flow of the event, Rev. Jenkins walked into the room. He had missed his connection flight to Sarajevo and was redirected to Prague. This was a great blessing, as he read the founder's speech with such great spirit. He also made a few passionate comments thanking Czech families for hosting his son Miken, who was in the Czech Republic last year on the Special Task Force and had meaningful experiences with God.

Ambassadors for Peace and guests were impressed by the wonderful evening and joined the travelers later for a short sightseeing tour in the city of Prague.

Rumburk - Rev. Henry Coaxum
By Frantisek Kucera

Guest speaker Rev. Henry Coaxum is a bishop at the New Jerusalem Church of God and Christ in New York City. Accompanied by Alena Disha and Vlada Panek, he went to Rumburk, a city next to the German border, where the peace tour event was held.

Bishop Henry Coaxum has known the Unification Church since the 1990s and he is deeply convinced that True Parents are the True Parents of all mankind. He gave his testimony on how God spoke to him about the tour three months before Father Moon announced it. He described the Christian churches as still in darkness, expecting Jesus to come on the clouds. He went on to explain the difference between the working of God’s spirit and the spirit of the antichrist.

Everybody listened intently and did not want to go home, wanting to learn more from the speaker about the spiritual world and how he communicates with God. The program finished late, and the drive back to Prague featured fresh snow.
  
Ceske Budejovice - Rev. Carolyn Parker
By Petra Poledníková

Rev. Carolyn Parker came to Ceske Budejovice, and because of the delay of her flight, she arrived only shortly before the start of the event. Although very tired from her trip, she gave so much love and inspiration. The atmosphere was warm and the participants—mainly students—felt good especially about the blessing ceremony in which they pledge eternal loyalty as a couple. Michal Zatloukal served ably as the translator.

After the reading of the founder's speech, everyone joined in a prayer circle holding each other's hands. It was a moving conclusion of the evening.
Even though the event was small, it was a wonderful evening.

Brno - Rev. Annette Dorothy Dixon
  
Pilsen – Rev. Julia Horton
by Brunhilde D'Alberti

Guests were warmly welcomed with music played by two brothers. Everybody joined in the Holy Juice ceremony. Mrs. Brunhilde D’Alberti read Rev. Kwak’s keynote address, followed by a video presentation introducing UPF and the work of the founders of UPF, Rev. and Mrs. Moon.

The main speaker, Rev. Julia Horton from Marietta, Georgia, is a pastor of the Triumph the Church and Kingdom of God in Christ. Even though her trip was very tiring, we could see that she came to give God’s word with the heart of True Parents. She spoke about love and how four generations in her family served as pastors to the community. In her family, love and service to others is and was always in the center. Now she can experience and feel a new dimension of love, the universal love which breaks all barriers and is taught by Father Moon. She shared about the interracial vision and how the roots of her denomination are close to the founder's vision and teaching. She also mentioned how she studied Divine Principle very deeply and closely.

Reading the founder's speech took more than an hour, as people followed the message attentively. At the end of the program, which concluded with the Blessing ceremony and three cheers, people freely shared about the heart of Father Moon, who never wants to miss any opportunity to give love and embrace everybody.