Steve and Jeri Tamayo are Head Teacher and Dorm Parents for the Western students in the program.

If I had the time I would write each and every Parent a personal note encouraging you for to allow your child to come to Korea and have this wonderful experience in the Fatherland of our faith. Instead I am using this wonderful technology which allows me to save time and yet express my sincerity to all of you at the same time. In this letter I hope to convey to you the value of this program.

Also, I would like to encourage you to find the speech Father gave to Blessed Children in 1986, the Unification News reprinted it in the March 1997 issue. In this speech Father states what his goals are for the program and the children who attend it. It 's very clear.

Until now parents have had the idea or impression that this is a one-year study in Korea program. But actually it is a very competitive program. Students compete for the highest grade in order to be able to continue their studies in Korea. From this year the top 13 students of each GOP class (the General Orientation Program) has the opportunity to be chosen to continue on into the prep. program for attending Middle School at Sun Hwa Junior High (known in America as, (The Little Angels School, founded by Father) It is one of the best schools in Korea and their is great competition among Koreans to be able to attend it. They even have a waiting list for their Elementary school. For the middle school a special and very difficult written test must be passed as well as an Art test (whatever the major might be, music, drawing, dancing etc.) Our students only qualifications are that they are in the top 10 of their GOP class and that their Korean grade is over 80% and that they set a good standard of a life of faith and action.

I believe it's important for you to understand that as soon as your children arrive they begin to learn and understand that this could actually be their first mission that they receive in life. And that mission is to study Korean in Korea for a long time. Until now, some parents (most parents) have been shocked and surprised when their child has called them and said, "Dad, Mom, I want to continue to study in Korea. I really feel like this is where Heavenly Father wants me to be, if I make the top 13 will you let me stay?" This will happen, guaranteed. I want to help you to avoid that shock when it comes, and I would hope that you read Father's speech together with your child and talk about the possibility of such a thing happening.

The lifestyle that is created here in our program is based on our church traditions handed to us by our Father. The following is an outline of one typical week day here in our dorm. 6:00 AM Morning Service (Hoon dok hae)

7:00 AM Breakfast

9:10 AM First class begins

3:20 PM School Finishes

3:30 to4:30 is special tutoring time.

4:30 to 6:00 is free time

6:00 PM Dinner

7:00 PM to 9:00 PM mandatory study time

9:00 PM Evening service. This time is used for Divine Principle study, internal guidance, birthday parties, song practice, and group meetings.

Groups consist of a leader (an elder student) and about 8-9 students. These groups are held for the elder student to give internal or practical guidance of dorm life or Principle life education based on his or her personal experiences or based on the internal guidance elder students receive from the Teachers. It is also a format students use to take turns giving Divine Principle lectures and honing their public speech abilities. Group meetings are held once a week and the students look forward to them. Also evening service may consist of group play outdoors especially in the Spring, Summer and Fall. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday The teachers give internal guidance, Divine Principle study, or Principle life education.

10:00 PM to 11:00 PM is free time, and bed preparation time.

All students must be in bed at 11:00 PM and all lights are out at that time. Students are allowed to stay up longer for study purposes, or as permission is granted.

It 's a pretty full schedule and of course Saturdays and Sundays have a slightly different schedule but this can give you a general idea of how time is spent here. By the way, students do go to school half days on Saturday. Of course all Holy days are celebrated and attended by everyone. As well as weekly and monthly pledge. We celebrate birthdays individually and also once a month the students have a birthday party day where they spend 3 hours playing games and celebrating all the students birthdays for that month. Often on Korean Holidays and especially Holy days we play traditional Korean games and or attend entertainment when True Parents are here.

Students have also discovered that when they have been able to create a good relationship with their teachers and the dorm parents their experience and time here is greatly enriched. So I would like to encourage you as their parents to guide them in this matter. This is a very important point for them to understand and it will help them to adapt quickly to their new lifestyle.

Steve and I try our best to be there for each student as they need us. This being our fifth year here we feel we have learned and grown a lot and of course hopefully we will continue to do so. Steve and I came to this program with a very strong desire to be here and to help raise our families blessed children. We take this mission very seriously. We have found that prayer and patience are important factors in our lives in order to develop the right heart and to create the correct atmosphere where your children can best begin to realize their great potential and their intrinsic value as blessed children. These are not just fancy words I'm sharing with you this truly is our heart and desire. Unfortunately we don't yet have the highest of standards but we pledge to you we will always try our best to be better every day, for your children's sake and for the sake of God's Kingdom.

This year we are welcoming a new support couple to our staff James and Katya Chisolm. James is from England, and Katya is from Germany. They have both worked on CARP in America for the past 7 years. They have had much experience in witnessing and workshop training. Both have been lecturers and workshop leaders. James will be helping Steve on the school side and Katya will be working dorm side. We are very happy to have them with us and look forward to the new year with a new sense of gusto.

Another very important part of our dorm life is that we have the blessing to also live, study and work with blessed children and teachers from Japan., they eat and attend school together. Although the their classes are held separately because of language differences, they're just across the hall from each other. We have pledge together, we attend our Sagam Sun Sang nim's (Dormitory Supervisor) speeches together. We celebrate Holy days, Holidays, and birthdays together. We study and play together.

Their is one very big difference between our western program and the Japanese program. That difference is, the Japanese who attend this program have no option to return home after one year. They come with the built in plan that they attend Middle School, High School and University in Korea. As is Father's original plan for this program. Personally I'm a bit jealous of the Japanese program, because since 1986 they have graduated at least up to 18 students into High School each year, and since 1989 have graduated that many into Universities every year. Thus far we have one western student who graduated into University this year, another one in twelfth grade and two presently in 11th grade High School. This year we had 4 ninth grade graduates who have stayed and attended Korean High School. When I think about the fact that Father began this program with western blessed children in mind, so that they could learn the Korean language, and eastern culture as well as Heavenly traditions so that they could become the world leaders this world needs, I feel sorry. But, then again I realize that people just don't know and haven't known what this program is really all about.

These past two years have been extra ordinary for us here at Sun Hwa dorm. One reason for this has been the Chungpyung providence. Last year we were able to attend three weekend workshops at Chungpyung. November, April and July. This year we attended in February April, and June. It truly helps to set the pace for our students to have a most remarkable and memorable year. Not to mention the Dorm parents too. We are of course planning to attend the Chungpyung workshop with each new class every year. In the past Dae Mo Nim has spoken directly to our students and they most assuredly reaped the benefits of a good cleansing and liberation. Of course the Chungpyung workshop is not a part of our school curriculum, so students had to receive special permission from their parents to attend and the workshop fee is an extra cost of $20.00 per workshop for our first year students.

One year here in Korea attending this program will be an amazing year for your child. One of great discoveries. About themselves, about Heavenly Father, about True Parents and about you. Most every child who comes here will begin to discover their value and purpose and most of all their personal relationship to Heaven. I am most sure that this would be the best year of your child's life and one he/she would always remember.

Please contact Tom and Carolynn Burkholder at these following phone numbers and addresses for more information about the Study in Korea program.

Tom and Carolynn Burkholder
1245 Jackson St.
Peekskill, NY 10566
Home phone # 914-734-7009
Fax # 914-734-1678
E-mail address KSSFGOP@aol.com

The numbers and addresses to the Dormitory in Korea follow,

Sun Hwa Dormitory
Suteak Dong 437-45
Kuri City, Kyonggi do
South Korea, 471-030
Phone # 82-346-65-3797
Fax # 82-346-65-3797
E-mail address: sjtam@shinbiro.com

 Download entire page and pages related to it in ZIP format
Table of Contents
Information
Tparents Home