Happy 18th anniversary to all the couples celebrating their Blessing on July 26! The 5th Phase of the 400,000 Couples Holy Marriage Blessing Ceremony was held on July 26, 2004, for thousands of couples at an indoor stadium near Sun Moon University in Asan City, an hour south of Seoul.

“To become a parent yourself, you begin to understand and realize the sacrifices that all parents make,” said Mr. Edward Polk, who, alongside his wife, Sharon, was awarded UPF’s 2022 Parents of the Year award during a July 24 online program celebrating National Parents’ Day. “We share this recognition with all parents, because on some level we all make sacrifices for all of our children.”

The Polk couple were among 52 nominees for the award, which honors National Parents’ Day and recognizes the important role of parents in America and throughout the world. Award recipients also included Pastor Quanitta Favorite-Battle (2022 Single Parent of the Year), Mr. Raeese and Mrs. Aisha Khan (2022 Faith Community Parents of the Year), and Mr. Heen Banda Weerasinghe Mudiyanselage and Mrs. Priyanthi Kanakaratna (2022 Parents of Outstanding Sacrifice).

“We have many testimonies from our elders working around the country who are witnessing and teaching ministers one-on-one about our movement,” said Rev. Richard Buessing of BFM’s Senior Pastor Association (SPA). On July 19, Rev. Buessing shared a particular highlight during an FFWPU USA leaders’ meeting. He recounted an inspiring testimony from David Rogers, a Unificationist in Washington state and retired National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ship deck officer, safety manager, and longtime Kodiak fishing guide.

“Many of us remember it like it was yesterday, we remember the heart and attitude that True Father demonstrated throughout that time, and the bravery and courage of our True Mother,” said Dr. Thomas Ward. “[True Father’s imprisonment] was such a sad day for our movement’s founders, America, and Christianity. It was a heavy and difficult time, but True Father assured us that he would never be defeated, nor abandon his course.”