The Words of the Stephens Family

News About Parents Meeting For Matching (Japan)

Jim Stephens
June 6, 2006

Dear Brothers and sisters,

We have just been contacted by Mr. Sakurai, who is the leader of the Second Gen. Department in Japan.

They will have a parents meeting June 17-18 in Japan for parents to find out about matching candidates. At that time they want to introduce any US candidates as well.

They are asking us if there are any families in America that would be interested in having their BC matching candidate picture and profile be part of the information at the parents meeting.

Already the Japanese church has connections with Korean Second Generation candidates. They connect through the Japanese Sisters (Living in Korea) Association who are blessed with Korean brothers. Those wives become "Sponsors" for families who want help to connect for an international matching.

It is a great idea if we can try to set up something similar between families in America and Japan for our BCs.

This is how it works between Korea and Japan:

1) Korean family submits the candidate's information to the Japanese office and includes the name of the "Sponsor" who is a Japanese sister living in Korea. The Sponsor knows the candidate and agrees to be a contact person for the Japanese Second Gen. Dept. Each Second Gen. candidate must have attended the Blessing workshop within 2 years or plan to attend one in June 2006.

2) A Japanese family who is interested in the candidate and wants to contact the parents in Korea will first contact the Sponsor. The Sponsor needs to be in the same local church as the family of the matching candidate in Korea.

3) Japanese families who are interested in a matching candidate from Korea then register with the Japanese Sister Association in Korea in order to be able to connect to Korean families. They have until June 24 to register. Then the Association will contact any Korean families after June 25 who got interest from the pictures at the parents meeting.

4) The family in Korea must then confirm that they are still interested to be contacted by a Japanese family in Japan. If yes, then the Sponsor will contact the family in Japan and tell them about the family in Korea.

5) If both families still want to connect and go forward with each other, then the Sponsor sister will help both families to make a connection.

6) If many Japanese families want to contact the same Korean family, then the Korean family can choose one or more. Then the other Japanese families will be notified about this result.

7) If a match is made successfully, then the matching is reported to HQ after they have confirmed the matching with all persons involved.

How will it work between America and Japan?

At the moment, we are just thinking about how to organize this. Anyone can volunteer to help us or send your good ideas. Contact Hiromi Stephens.

Contact Hiromi right away (only 10 days to go) if you have a BC and you want his/her information and picture at the parents meeting in Japan.

Right now, both Hiromi Stephens and Mrs. Yasuko Takahashi (Matching Support Ministry) can be the contact persons in America for Japanese families. But we are thinking that other Japanese members in the US can help also. As long as the parents are able to choose a Sponsor to help them that they can trust, this can work successfully.

Your local BFD Representatives might also be helpful in finding Japanese members to be Sponsors.

The upcoming Parents Meeting in Japan will be their 10th meeting like this. They will be using a public facility in the middle of Honsyu Island. They provide the lecturer, testimonies, opportunities to know other families, and exchanging of information.

They display photos and introduction forms about candidates and their parents. Each Second Gen. candidate must have attended the Blessing workshop within 2 years or plan to attend one in June 2006.

Mrs. Takahashi already has some candidate's information to send to Japan by e-mail. Also she will be in Japan at the time of the meeting but she won't be able to attend. You can contact her about this.

Let us know as soon as possible if you are interested in this matching opportunity.

God bless,

Jim

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