Chris Breland is a two-year STF alumnus, currently attending school at Drexel University in Philadelphia, and majoring in mechanical engineering. He was blessed in December of 2004 at East Garden at Father's matching.

The time has come for every current STF member to make a crucial decision: Should I stay, or should I go? Soon it will be necessary to decide whether to call it quits, or stay on for a 2nd or even 3rd year. It’s an issue that can be a burden not only for the one making the decision, but also for those around that are giving you some advice on the subject. Being in the same situation some years back, I know it’s not easy to decide whether to continue a life on the frontline or to face the real world that lies outside. But it’s a very important choice, and should be taken to with some specific thoughts in mind.

Here are some things you should think about, especially if you’re thinking about telling your son or daughter to come back home: You can’t judge future performance with past experience.

It’s true with a lot of things in life, and it is true here: Just because you’ve had a hard time doing the fundraising mission, doesn’t mean it’s going to be even harder should you stay on for witnessing. Also, don’t think that if you leave STF it will be the end to all your struggles. So many times, I’ve heard of people wanting to leave STF because it’s simply too hard and they can’t do it any longer. Well, I know it’s hard to say this if you’re a parent, but many of the struggles you face on the front line are similar to the ones you’ll face when you’re back home. It might not be the best solution to run away from your struggles.

If there’s any hope at all of gaining something more concrete and life-affirming during the 2nd year, I would go for it. After all, even if you learn nothing at all in another year of frontline work (which is not possible), at least you can know that you didn’t give up too soon. But you shouldn’t assume things the other way, either. Just because you’ve had a phenomenal year in fundraising, doesn’t mean all that success is going to shift straight over to the world of witnessing. I know a lot of people who really struggled with their new mission, and not because they were external or fake during fundraising. Witnessing simply presents you with a whole new set of challenges, and it’s hard for some people to adjust to it because they are confident that all their previous fundraising strategies will work.

Everyone is taken back to zero, and the ones who adapt are able to make the most of the new challenges that witnessing can present. If you’re thinking about staying another year, remember that.

I know for many of you, it’s a hard decision when thinking about what college will be waiting for you should you decide to stay on. Especially for those of you with discounted tuitions and scholarships waiting for you, it can be almost impossible for you to stay longer than you have. But let me give you a piece of advice: If a college really wanted you to go there, why would they throw it all away because you’re doing work for God and your church? Surely, an academic admissions advisor would review your situation and give you an extension if he or she saw that you were doing something that was helping to benefit your character.

I doubt any institution would give you an ultimatum on when you had to start attending their school. If they did, I wouldn’t feel right about being pressured into going to school there, even if it were a credible institution. There are lots of other places that will probably give you an education that’s just as good, but with more flexibility.

As a case in point, I’d like to share my own experience with this dilemma. When I was finishing up my first year of STF, I had a ticket into Cornell University. It was a dream-come-true, one of my top picks for colleges and an Ivy-League school that made my whole family proud.

However, I was only allowed a year of deferment in order to attend there in the fall of 2003. At that time I was just finishing my first year of STF, and I was truly convinced that a second year was the way to go for me. So I decided to stay on. Cornell decided to hold on to my name, but they said there was nothing that could be done about the application and I would have to go through the whole process again next year.

That was a sacrifice I was willing to make. During the course of my second year, I came across a very nice school that seemed right up my alley in terms of the career path I had settled for in my life. It was nestled in Philadelphia, and had all the history and respect that I could ask for of any educational institute.

I decided to apply there, and they accepted me with no gimmicks, and offered me an incredible scholarship deal that outweighed anything I could have gotten at Cornell! God surely does open doors, and if you’re willing to do His work, He will be sure that you are settled in a place that will suit you best.

Go on with your life as you feel called to do so by God.

Nothing I can say can emphasize this point enough: If you don’t consult God enough, any decision you make will be the wrong one. Regardless of what parents or friends or central figures may say, God has a plan for you and you need to find out what that is… yourself. Once you feel sure about the decision you are going to make, don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.

In your life of faith, there will be many decisions to make, and they will all be more challenging than the one presented to you now. So if you can learn to stick to your choice and live with the consequences, you’ll be the better person for it.

Please, I’m asking you, don’t stay another year if your only reason is to "go with the flow". It’s not going to turn out good for you, and you don’t want to feel like you’ve wasted a whole year of your life because it was the popular thing to do. Really pray. Ask God what is the answer. And if you are earnest and sincere, He will be more than happy to help you through your choice.

Thanks for reading and good luck with the next chapter of your lives!!!