Matching Our Son, A Testimony

Tom Cutts
May 17, 2008

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On Saturday, March 17, 2008, our oldest son, Brian Soo Minh Cutts, was Blessed in holy matrimony to Joy Harris from England. After the Blessing Ceremony, I mentioned to Jim Stephens, the Director of the Blessed Family Department, that Brian and Joy met for the first time on Friday, the day before the Blessing. Jim asked me to send him a note about how Angelika and I matched Brian. So, here’s the rest of the story. I am sending you a copy, in case you might be interested.

Brian graduated from high school in 2006, and joined Oceania Leadership Team (OLT) at the end of summer. This is a special missionary program of our church. Brian spent time on Vanuatu and New Zealand. When he returned he expressed three strong desires: the first was to be matched by Angelika and me and to be Blessed. The second was to participate in a forty-day workshop in the mountains of Korea at the Chung Pyung Heaven and Earth Training Center. And finally, not only did he want to attend a forty-day workshop at Chung Pyung, but he wanted me to attend with him.

Unfortunately, Angelika and I had no idea how to proceed with matching our son. We had heard about the parents’ matching convocations, but we had not desire to attend one.

We decided to ask Heavenly Father how to proceed. In September 2007, we started a 21-day prayer condition to ask God how to match Brian. We were not specifically looking for a match, we just wanted to know how to get started.

On the third day of our condition, we received an email from Steven and Tomoko Harris from England. They were looking for a match for their daughter, Joy. Steven and Tomoko are friends of Angelika’s spiritual parents, Philip and Petra Hill of England. They had asked Petra if she knew any young men with whom they could match their daughter. Petra recommended our son, Brian. Up until that time, no one had ever spoken to us about Brian as a potential match.

As Angelika learned more and more about Joy, and because of the “timing” and Petra’s recommendation, she felt that this match was prepared by Heavenly Father. Personally, I was looking for more clear sign from Heaven. It didn’t have to be a “lightening bolt”, but that would have been nice.

As I mentioned above, Brian wanted me to attend a 40-day workshop at Chung Pyung with him. With my duties as District Director in six states, I could not see how I could be away for that length of time. I thought maybe I could go over with Brian, and get him started, and leave after a week. In January, I mentioned to Rev. Jenkins that I was planning to attend the Cheon Il Guk Leadership Assembly in February, and I asked him if I could stay for an extra week. In response he asked me if I had ever attended a 40-day workshop at Chung Pyung. Since I had not, he said, “Then you should stay for 40-days and don’t wait for February, go next week.” So, Brian and I packed our bags and left for Korea.

(Rev. Jenkins is very serious about our church leadership attending a 40-day workshop at Chung Pyung. In fact, he would like to see every member attend. True Father said that every member should attend three 40-day workshops in their lifetime.)

While we were at Chung Pyung, Brian and I prayed about a number of points, but two of the things we prayed about were what he should do with his life, and to whom he should be matched. One of the members of the international team was Mrs. Sayouri Herman. She and her husband are the National Messiahs of Iceland. Mrs. Herman knows Joy, and as she got to know Brian, she said the two would be great together.

Another Japanese sister from the Netherlands, Mrs. Koetsier, joined the International Team for several days. She and I had worked together in Georgia, and she also knew Joy. Without hesitation, she said Brian and Joy would make a perfect match.

After that, I had to surrender. God’s whisper can be quit a bit more subtle than a “lightening bolt”, and I felt that hearing from these two sisters was His way of encouraging the match.

We communicated our agreement with Steven and Tomoko, and both the young people agreed. The next hurdle was their attending a Blessing.

At the end of April Brian enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He had talked about being a SEAL for three years. He will “ship out” at the end of August. I asked Jim Stephens if there would be a Blessing in Korea at the beginning of August around the time of the World Culture and Sports Festival. He said, “No, not this year.” Though there is a WCSF every summer, a Blessing is held every two years. The next one would not be until August 2009. The Navy encourages marriage, but getting time off for a specific date would be very difficult. So I was concerned about how Brian and Joy could make it to a Blessing.

The day after Brian enlisted, Rev. Jenkins sent out a notice that young people matched by their parents were given permission to attend the May 17th Blessing in Washington, D.C. Halleluiah. An answer to another prayer.

We quickly notified Steven, Tomoko, and they contacted Joy, who is on the European STF (Strategic Task Force – another missionary program of our church.) The STF leaders gave Joy a special dispensation to attend the Blessing in D.C. Unfortunately, both Steven and Angelika were unable to attend. Steven could not locate his passport, and Angelika was in Germany during that time. She was taking care of her 92 year old mother. Fortunately, I was at an earlier meeting in Washington, D.C. and could attend the Blessing.

On Friday, May 16th, Tomoko, Joy and Brian arrived at Dulles airport. That was the first time Brian and Joy met – the day before the Blessing. As parents, we are so proud of their faith in God, and their trust that Heavenly Father is working through their parents. They both feel that God brought them together as husband and wife, and they make such a lovely couple.

Dr. Chang Sik Yang and his wife officiated the Blessing. During this holy event, I felt strongly, “God is a living God, and He is dwelling among men.”

“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.”
Rev. 21:3

Amen, Amen, Amen.

Tom Cutts