A Spouse For Our Son - A Testimony

Richard Stumpf
December 2009

Richard is the District 10 Blessed Family Department Representative. He and his wife Hiroko were part of the western Blessed Family Department staff for the November 14, 2009 Blessing.

Following the International Joint Marriage Blessing Ceremony, held on the 14th of October, 2009, the Reverend Dr. Sun Myung Moon personally matched 190 couples from the 488 second generation candidates (from 28 countries around the world) of the Unification Church and blessed in marriage the 190 couples on the 14th of November, 2009 at Chung Pyung Lake in South Korea. One parent shares his experience

In August Neal, my wife Hiroko and I attended the Original Divine Principle workshop in Las Vegas to make a condition to find a spouse for Neal; I think this was the best preparation for Neal and it really helped him to connect more deeply with his faith. After attending this workshop I really felt he was ready to be matched.

I always thought Neal had a very strong spiritual fortune and should be matched by Father but Neal wanted us to do the matching in order to create a three-generation family where we could work closely with the family that he is matched to. Neal also was still not quite ready to completely trust in God and True Parents. Although we attended two matching convocations and had discussed matches with several parents we were not making much progress. I felt the spirit world wanted us to go in a different direction so I presented Father's matching and blessing opportunity to Neal and encouraged him to trust in God that Father could find the best match.

Neal asked what he should read to prepare for the matching and blessing. I recommended Fathers biography, As a Peace-Loving Global Citizen: Reverend Sun Myung Moon, so Neal read it on the plane and it helped him to become closer with Fathers heart and to absolutely trust Father during the matching procedure.

On Saturday afternoon, True Parents invited everyone to sit with them and Father spoke for a while. There were some reports and some of the Korean elders sang songs. When Father was not speaking he was constantly looking back and forth at the candidates. It looked like Father was already looking for matches. At one point Father said, "finally a butterfly has come," and then Father said he was ready to match up couples but would have dinner first and might return in three hours. I don't know if Father saw a sign or maybe there are special matching angels but I didn't see any butterflies in the room.

True Parents returned and lined up the candidates by age in rows facing each other with the older candidates in front. Father was walking around and moving his fingers as he pointed to the candidates. It looked a little like someone at an intersection directing traffic. After Father finished matching several rows of candidates he took a short break and then Father and Mother continued the matching process while sitting down.

Normally parents are not allowed in the room while Father is matching up couples so Hiroko and I stayed in the back and watched from a distance while our son participated in the matching procedure. When Neal was standing in front of True Parents he seemed very calm. Father looked down the line of sisters and then put Neal off to the side. I felt that Father was looking carefully for the right person. Several other brothers were matched up before Father selected a person for Neal. Reverend Phillip Schanker, director of the Blessed Family Department, was closer to Father and said that Father looked back at Neal about four or five times before pointing out anyone for him. I thought, even Father is having a hard time matching my son; we struggled to find a person for Neal for over a year so I'm glad we brought Neal to the expert matchmaker.

Neal was matched up with a Japanese sister named Eri Inaba; they are both twenty- one years old with Eri being six months older. This is the fourth time that Eri had applied for the matching process and she was very happy to receive Neal as her future spouse. Neal was pleasantly surprised and said that Eri has all of the qualities that he was looking for.

Father came to the Youth Training Center on Sunday afternoon and spoke to the matched couples. Father told the couples that if any had been fighting they should stand in front of Father and he would break the match; no one stood up. Father had all of the couples come on the stage to take group photos with True Parents. After that Father had each of the couples come up and stand before True Parents so he could check the matched couples closely.

Father spoke to the couples and gave them a clear purpose and responsibility. Father said that it is his hope that this group of 2nd generation Blessed Children become the model for future couples and that none of these couples should break-up. I believe that Father wants these couples to establish the original families that God desired in the Garden of Eden and to be the model for creating a heavenly family culture. Father also asked them to live publicly and to create three-generations of blessed families in their lineage starting with their parents. Father told the couples to start their families after a forty-day separation period and if they are still in school they should finish their education.

On True Children's Day Father mentioned that the first generation went through three levels of blessing but that this Blessing is given by God directly and is the Original Blessing before the fall of Adam and Eve. Father said that these Blessed Children are of God's direct lineage and that this age is the age of Gods direct dominion.

These couples are in a position to enter Gods direct dominion and as first generation if we can be united in supporting them then we will also share in this blessing. I believe that with our unity and support for these couples they can fulfill what Father has asked and together we can establish a heavenly family culture of three generations and we can secure God's lineage.