CARP UNLV celebrates Pastor Sandy's birthday

At the beginning of the Fall semester, I was introduced to Pastor Sandy, a Christian minister who felt God’s calling to reach out to young people at UNLV. She was looking for a student organization to connect with and was guided to CARP. Throughout this past semester, Pastor Sandy, her sister Pastor Lois, and another co-pastor named Pastor Wanda have been coming to every Tribe Talk. They have truly become a part of our CARP family this semester, and have shown such a deep heart and love for all of the students. We can feel God’s motherly heart through them deeply.

Pastor Sandy has lived her life following wherever God has told her to go. This has led to her participate and lead revivals all over the world, including going undercover in Communist China among other missions. When she came to her first Tribe Talk, she realized that she had had a dream earlier in the week of being in that exact spot, and so she realized that God had guided her to meet CARP. God also told her not to bring her Bible, but just to listen and receive what is shared. In addition, she also held two different worship services this semester, and many CARP members were able to go and learn from her.

December 2nd and 3rd was a very special celebration: it was Pastor Sandy’s 75th birthday, her husband Bob’s 94th birthday, and also celebrated her being in the ministry for 53 years. Friends and family came from all over the country in order to be there. It was an incredibly beautiful and joyful experience. Pastor Sandy comes from a family of 10 children, the children of Christian ministers, and all 10 children are also ministers. We met her older brother, who is the bishop for the Church of God in Christ for the entire state of Montana. Though it was a celebration for Pastor Sandy and her husband, the spirit of the entire event was just to praise God and give Him glory. At the same time, we heard testimonies from people who have been touched by Pastor Sandy’s life. There was one minister who shared that she was so distant from God, but Pastor Sandy personally raised her. We talked with that minister later and found out that she is an Ambassador for Peace and that she was at the rally in Korea just a few weeks ago!

I was very blown away to hear about Pastor Sandy’s life. We learned that she was the very first African- American woman to make the honor roll at UNLV. Though she was always devoted to ministry, she also has worked in government and media. She has always been a very active part of the Las Vegas community. On the first day of the celebration, the MC read an official proclamation that came from the Mayor of Las Vegas, declaring December 2nd to be a holiday in Las Vegas called Sandy Blake Toles and Robert Toles Day (named after Pastor Sandy and her husband). That was amazing to hear. Though she was able to do such amazing things in her life, the thing that was most inspiring for me was to hear how obedient she was to follow God’s directions. One sister shared how Pastor Sandy had been going to church, but felt a calling to start her own church, and she dropped what she was doing to be able to do it.

We felt it was such a blessing to have met Pastor Sandy this semester. Now that the celebration is over (it took a lot of planning), Pastor Sandy has more time available, and she is interested to learn more about the Divine Principle. She attended an ACLC event in September and really enjoyed it. She also attended the purity pledge ceremony in September (but she had to leave before she could see the entire blessing ceremony). She was very moved by the purity pledge. We are hoping and praying that she can receive the Principle and understand True Parents, and hopefully go to Korea soon. God told her that He approves of what Rev. Moon is doing, so she feels good to connect.

Jinil Fleischman President, CARP Las Vegas