In the following excerpts, Unificationists of Generation Peace Academy (GPA) reflect on the significance of True Parents as they count down the days until True Mother’s speech at Madison Square Garden on July 15. 

“Through True Parents, I’ve come to slowly understand who God truly is, and how precious I am to God. My dream is to become a filial daughter and that can attend them directly. I’m excited to continue to grow in my faith and relationship with our Heavenly Parent and True Parents for the rest of my life. True Parents, I hope I can become someone that brings you joy and makes you proud. I know it’s not easy to be the True Parents, but thank you for all that you do–for  giving me life, love, and purpose. I can’t imagine a life without you.”

“It is not always easy to fully understand True Parents’ deep, sacrificial, and loving heart for God and humankind, but what I’ve realized for myself is why I want a relationship with God–because I want God as my center. Now, I’m truly grateful for every moment, for all the love True Parents give to us, all the investment they put into us, and all the sacrifices they made for us. Now it’s our turn to give it all back.”

“I am looking forward to seeing and possibly meeting True Mother on the 15th of July at Madison Square Garden. For so long, I’ve been taking True Parents’ love and my parents’ love for granted.  Completing a second year of GPA has allowed me to grow closer to becoming a pure and beautiful daughter. I will never forget when True Mother looked straight into my eyes and embraced me for who I am at the Aloha Workshop in the summer of 2014. She has never given up on me and all of us. She truly is our Only Begotten Daughter of God.”

“The same God that works through the True Parents of humankind can work through me too. Every time I feel lonely, I step into True Mother’s shoes. All large bodies of water start from a small river. The small rivers start from steady spring rains of pure water. Fundraising means going through rocks, sands, swamps, mud, cliffs, and seeing the world’s condition and clinging to God’s heart as a lifeline. I am pure water and whatever I go through, I must stay pure water. ”

“I’ve been working on my goal of developing a filial heart towards my parents – Heavenly Parent, True Parents, and my own parents. Through studying God’s words, prayer, fundraising, and leading other brothers and sisters, I’ve come to understand much deeper about Hyo Jeong (culture of heart). I don’t want to be a child who is ignorant of my parents’ struggles and suffering. I am grateful for True Parents, who gave us true love, showing us the way to attain it ourselves so that one day we, too, may become true parents.”

“The value of True Mother’s life is greater than I can fathom. I find it incredible that she was able to support True Father for the past fifty plus years she has been married. Even after has True Father ascended to the spirit world, she continues to attend him, without fail. I’m sure she meant the universe to True Father. True Mother, I want to point out that my life would be meaningless without you. Because of True Parents, I have a community I can proudly say I belong to, a community that stretches across the globe and a community that I can consider as my family. Because of them, I can find inner peace knowing that Heavenly Parent exists and loves us very much. I can now find happiness even in challenging situations for I know that they are there for me to grow my heart to love. Without True Parents, I wouldn’t have thought about becoming a filial son, a supportive brother, a faithful husband, or a loving father.”