Dear STF Parents,

Our best wishes for a wonderful New Year of 2005!

STF members shared an inspiring workshop at Estes Park Colorado this God’s Day, with lectures by Rev. Phillip Schanker, testimonies, prayers outside in the snow by a bonfire, a challenge day outing, sports, a Parents’ Workshop, and many meetings to prepare for the new year.

Several main topics were discussed at length at the Parents Workshop: the transition from STF to College life, a report on captain training for STF members now in their second year – who have volunteered to stay for a 3^rd year as team captains for fundraising, future plans for Parents Workshops, a comprehensive vision for education of second generation and the Blessing and Blessing education. More details on each of these topics will be sent out through the parent liaisons.

One issue of special concern at this moment is the Blessing. STF training in itself is great preparation for the Blessing and a victorious Blessed family in that it addresses the heart of the matter, which is the necessity of a strong foundation of absolute faith in relationship with

Heavenly Father and True Parents, and a confidence in building God-centered relationships with others.

As a two-year program, STF is designed to facilitate 2nd generation in examining and solidifying their life of faith as they go through dramatic internal transformation. While on STF – they basically change their whole way of thinking during the first year as they face their relationship with God and True Parents (many for the first time on a serious level). In the second year, they go through a whole new level of transformation as they face the challenge of developing their relationships with others centered on God. The second year prepares them even more for a victorious Blessing and family life with the emphasis on witnessing and raising spiritual children.

As it turns out recent memos state that True Father will be doing these Special Blessings for the next 4 years for second generation who have never had a boyfriend or girlfriend and are ready to go a public course.  We have enclosed 2 of these memos for your information in case you have not seen them. This understanding in itself may relieve some of the concern that "this might be the last 2nd generation matching that True Father will do." It also allows more time to develop deeper roots in STF members’ emerging identity as God’s sons and daughters.

For the Second Generation Blessing that took place at East Garden on Dec. 26, 2004, 29 STF members participated. Since this is such a large number, and the Blessing has such a dramatic impact on all STF members, the STF staff and Parents Association Board members spent a day and a half in Colorado doing some research on the impact the matching and Blessing have had on STF members. They found how they have dealt with the challenges of faith involved and the emotional challenges of facing a new and confronting relationship with their spouse or fiancé.

Enclosed is a simple chart, which summarizes the results of our research for those who have been matched and/or Blessed up until Nov. of 2004 (not including the Dec. Blessing mentioned above.) STF members are just 18 to 20 years old in their 2 years. Due to their youth and their experiences of faith on STF, they are often full of inspiration and desire to go the distance without having developed deeper roots to meet the challenges and responsibilities of the Blessing. Many of 2nd generation on STF shared that they felt ready before being matched or Blessed, and then afterwards realized they weren’t and subsequently faced many internal struggles. We felt that it would be informative for all STF parents to take a look at this report and continue to prayerfully consider waiting for matching and blessing of your children until this important foundation of the 2-year goals of the STF training is complete.

In summary, the attached report shows that about 60% of those members who were matched and/or Blessed while on STF clearly had a difficult time remaining focused on their training. In fact, they were understandably quite distracted from their missions afterwards for at least some months.  Some of them never did regain a full focus and commitment to their STF training after their Blessing.

Taking responsibility for this situation the STF staff members have spent countless hours counseling these young newly matched and Blessed members. First the staff needs to help them digest what is going through their hearts and minds, before they can continue the development of their life of faith. The staff, of course, is absolutely committed to honoring and supporting these young people in their matchings and Blessings once they are arranged.

It has now been only a few weeks since the recent matching and Blessing by True Father. When Father spoke to the newly Blessed couples, he said that he could see that 80% of them were struggling with the person they were Blessed with. STF staff members interviewed each member upon their return to STF and found that most of them were either struggling to digest and accept their spouse, or struggling to keep their feet on the ground because they were already overwhelmed with romantic feelings. Such struggles are of course natural, and this explains again why - as stated in previous communications and in the STF handbook, the STF staff still encourages parents to wait until the end of the second year to match and Bless STF members.

Another issue of concern to parents, STF members and STF staff is that of when to start family. Enclosed are True Father’s words on this topic. Hyun Jin Nim has always expressed his concern that second generation be sure they are well prepared for this big step forward. As stated in the attached memo, True Father is certainly open to the idea that new couples plan carefully all aspects of their future life together.

We would like to emphasize that the comments in this letter are not stated in contradiction to Father’s direction, or as a policy statement. Rather, this letter is offered as a stimulus for careful thought and prayer as parents consider these important decisions with their sons and daughters during this very precious training time, which lasts only 2 or 3 years.

Please feel free to contact your parent liaison or any of the Parents Association Board Members if you would like to join in the lively on-going discussion of these matters. As we think deeply and pray hard, certainly God’s desire will become apparent for each person, and the best will be done for the sake of each family and also for the sake of the whole purpose – the spiritual progress of our second generation to take ownership of God’s providence.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Christine Froehlich
Parents’ Association National Advisory Board Chairperson

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