‘An Indomitable Spirit:’ Polish Arizonan Continues Outreach at Age 92
Contributed by Rev. Staffan Berg
For Jerzy “Grandpa Jerry” Wolinski, a Polish-born Unificationist living in Arizona, age will not hinder his community outreach. At 92 years old, Jerzy still fully dedicates his time to spreading messages of peace, testifying to Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, co-founders of Unification and Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) and affectionately referred to as True Parents.
Every day he takes a number of small pamphlets created by his friend Pastor Tom Corley of Long Island, New York, with excerpts from True Parents’ teachings, and makes his way to a corner near his home. His target audience has become the dog-walkers, runners, and other early birds; anyone who ventures out around dawn to avoid the daily melt of the tarmac in the intense Arizona heat. Jerzy also leaves pamphlets on nearby scooters and vehicles waiting to be rented. He has little physical stamina, but his determination drives him to leave his home every day and continue reaching out to the people he meets.
“Jerry often shared with me how joyful he was when he discovered True Parents and the Divine Principle, and since that time, he has never lost his passion for witnessing,” said Pastor Corley. “When he stayed with us here in Hempstead, [Long Island], he was constantly out on the streets or in the local supermarket with a speech in hand, ready to talk to anyone who would lend an ear.”
When Jerzy first came to Arizona eight years ago to recover from the unpleasantly cold East Coast weather, he took up bicycling to share his pamphlets, but after a particularly bad fall, he now walks everywhere he goes.
In addition to outreach, Jerzy loves reading Hoon Dok Hwe and doing QiGung exercises, which he feels have kept him going for the past 15+ years. He cannot see well enough to read anymore, so now Godible and headphones are staples in his daily routine.
Mark Anderson
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Jerry is a saint. A true man of God. We are blessed to have him in our community.
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Boniface Nwabuisi
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Thanks Grandpa Jerry! Absolutely no excuses not to follow in your footsteps
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Carmen Kimura
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Jerry, God bless you!!! May we all have the same strength and determination at 92!
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Richard Karnowski
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I miss you. You are my oldest friend. My mentor. G B Y.
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Roger Wetherall
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Jerry, we love you! We lived in the same center in Korea after the Blessing in 1989 and I remember that you got so sick, I thought you were on your way out, yet here you are, 31 years later and still going strong. I am sure it is the indomitable spirit of your determination to do God’s Will that keeps you going. GOD BLESS YOU
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Tyler Hendricks
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Yay Jerry!!! God bless you, 92 years young! It makes a difference in heaven and on earth eternally!
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Joanna Hartl
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What a wonderful inspiration ! Thank you!
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