How I Witnessed to My Entire Town
For those of you considering publishing your memoirs, dig this. I published my story— Uncle Mark’s Amazing Adventures: The Lyrics of a Unificationist’s Life—back in July with Reader’s Digest through Liferich Publishing. On the weekend of August 11, 2018, my family and I went to Pittsburg, NH where I had taught in the public school for 10 years. Even though some of the town knew we were Unificationists, we never directly witnessed to anyone during that time.
After my book came out I was compelled to go back to the town and promote the book. I cannot overstate how much of a miracle we experienced as a result of this. The first thing I did was contact the local newspaper, The Colebrook Chronicle, and let them know I was coming to promote the book. They printed an amazing article which appeared on the front page and on page 3 of their August 17 issue. One of our teacher friends helped us to set up shop at the Fiddlehead’s in Colebrook on Friday afternoon.
We met a few people on Friday. One was a retired teacher who approached me in tears, hugged me and had me sign the book. He had read every word and told me with such deep sincerity how much he loved it and how special it was to him. That evening I went out with a few of my old friends to a local restaurant. I knew half the people in the restaurant. They had all already read the article. I hugged many people and sold several books right there.
On Saturday we set up a little booth as part of the Pittsburg Old Home Day Celebrations. All Day I talked with people about the book. They had all read the article. They were so curious. I even met an old adversary school administrator who I had fought with for 10 years. We had a tearful embrace. By the end of the day I had sold out of more than 30 books. I also sold one to the public library. One teacher who runs a book club ordered a book for each of her members. I was stunned. I had just witnessed to the entire town!
My book is now available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Liferich Publishing (a division of Reader’s Digest) and other booksellers and outlets. It’s available in electronic media for $3.99, paperback for $12.99 and hardbound for $30.95. I’ll be holding a book release party on September 30 at the MLK Center on 237 Chandler St. in Worcester at 10:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Please pop in and say hello.
Report contributed by Mark Hanlon.
Are you a Unificationist and would like to have your autobiography featured on familyfed.org? Send us an email at info@unification.org.
Mark Hanlon shares his interesting yet astonishing adventures throughout his life as a Unificationist in his book Uncle Mark’s Amazing Adventures: The Lyrics of a Unificationist’s Life. Mark was a musician who later became a music teacher at a school in his hometown of Pittsburg, NH.
While studying music at UMass Lowell, Mark became friends with a few devout Christians, which struck his interest in religion and God. He became a reborn Christian, and soon later heard about the Unification movement through some coworkers. As luck had it, Mark got a job at the mall selling musical instruments and equipment and just so happened to be stationed right next to a booth operated by Unificationists selling Ginseng Tea and butterflies mounted in jars. From there he was invited to a Unification Church center for an exotic Korean and Japanese dinner, which also included a lecture about the Divine Principle, the core text of the Unification faith. From there, Mark was invited to a Divine Principle weekend retreat, which then lead to a week long retreat and eventually to his becoming a member of the Unification Church. “I began to realize that The Divine Principle was not an ordinary teaching,” he shared.
His story continues with many miraculous tales about the times he experienced God, the highs and lows of fundraising, all the fascinating people he met, what is was like to be a Unification Church state leader in America and his interactions with True Father, Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon, the founder of the Unification movement.
To purchase your copy of Mark’s book, visit Liferich Publishing here.
Jim Edgerly
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Way to go Marcus. I always knew you were a ROCKER! Proud to know a music man of faith like YOU
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Mark Hanlon
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Thank you Jay Dee
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Rosa Malinverni Bofenda
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Thank you! You could just write a minimal trace of the topics covered, if you face in the book topics that can indicate the position of the Rev. Moon as a messiah that you followed and what you talk about him. Nice, thank you for your hard work
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Mark Hanlon
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Rosa, thank you. Just to let you know I basically just told people what I did as a UC member and leader who has been following True Parents for 41 years. My experiences and interactions with True Parents and the missions I worked in. I tried not to preach, but to let the readers see the miracles I experienced along the way, also so they could feel something about how difficult and impossible some of the things we faced.
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Elisabeth seidel
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Thank you mark congratulations and good job. I didn’t read the whole book yet but I do like the preview and I love the coverpicture. Whish you much success in promoting your book and tribal messiah. God bless always.Elisabeth Seidel
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Mark Hanlon
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Hi Elisabeth. Just to let you in on a little secret…..The juicy parts are not in the preview. BTW, cover art was done by Elaine Cox of Georges Mills, New Hampshire.
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Fusae Jackson
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Thank you so much for your wonderful and faithful testimony .
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Mark Hanlon
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Thank you Fusae. In case you don’t remember, I was state leader in Arkansas just before a Mr. John Jackson. I think you might know him.
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Jay Dee Local
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This is one great and inspiring testimony of sharing a happy, loving, blessed life with others. May your words touch countless lives and multiply the heavenly gift.
All the best.
God Bless and Godspeed.
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