I'll Translate for You

Yeunhee Chang

Doctor of Ministry

The Dream

I had this dream in November of 2023. I was at one of the lowest points of my life — desperately searching for something meaningful to hold onto. Although I had received my doctorate, things were not working out as I had hoped. I was going through a great deal, and I had begun to feel as though I had no purpose, as though I was somehow useless.

Then I dreamt I was at the Cheonbo Training Center, in one of the workshop areas. I was surrounded by young people. I remember walking up one of the ramps that leads toward the lecture halls, noticing that the young people all around me were wearing white t-shirts. I wondered, quietly, privately, what I was doing among all of them. They are so young — what am I doing here?

And then something shifted. I started running — up the ramp, as fast as I could, passing all the young people — because I wanted to be the first one to reach Holy Mother Han. I ran all the way to the top of the hill and entered the room where she was, went straight to the front, and knelt before her.

She was enormous. A giant, radiant in a silver shiny suit jacket and skirt.

She reached out and handed me a large pink diamond ring encircled by white diamonds. I slipped it onto my finger, proudly looked at it, and started polishing and shining it with a cloth, as it looked a little hazy. Then I looked up, and she had placed about ten sparkling three-carat diamonds on the table before me. I quickly gathered them close, pulling them toward me with both hands.

When I looked up again, I saw that her gaze had moved past me — beyond me, to something behind. I turned around to see, and there were thousands upon thousands of young people seated in long, straight rows filling an enormous room. Pink light poured in through the windows, washing everything in a soft, rosy glow. All those young faces were looking toward us.

I turned back to her and said, "Mother, I'll translate for you."

Then I woke up.

Reflection

A month later, in December, I attended the 6th Spirituality 40 Day Workshop at the training center, participating alongside 65 other participants between the ages of 18 and 32. I never ever thought I would ever do a 40 day workshop, not at the age of 47 and not while raising 5 young children. But I was there and one of only three older participants over the age of 47 who joined with special approval.

At the time, I thought — maybe someday. Maybe someday I'll translate for her. I was even asked, not long after, whether I wanted that position. And I turned it down. Stupidly, I turned it down — because I didn't believe I was good enough. But in the years that followed, I began retranslating her autobiography and her talks and speeches, and have since been sharing them online and through my lectures and podcasts.

Here I am, three years later, doing exactly what I said I would do in my dream. I honestly never thought I would be here — not in the way I imagined, not as her personal translator standing by her side, but translating Holy Mother Han's words so that people around the world could have them. Searching for the diamonds — the gems, the young people out there who are waiting, who can truly receive her words and do what she asked with them — and bringing those words to them.

It turns out I was already holding the ring. I just needed to shine it.