The Family in Action--#12 DFO
Paths of Progress
Family Young People Speak about Their Decisions on Education!
February 1996, The Family, Zurich, Switzerland
Contents:
In and Out of the Family by Joan Clair (22), Japan
1
No Regrets! by Joy (19), U.S.A.
3
Want My Life to Count! by Joanna (20), England
4
Committed to a Cause I Deeply Believe In by Gabe (22), Japan
5
Working in a Law Firm! by Teresa (18), Japan
7
Why I Have Chosen the Family over Higher Education by Zack (22), Brazil
8
The Best Place to Reach My Goals! by Jewel (20),U.S.A.
9
Higher Education: Do We Really Need It? by Francis Fisherman (25), Russia
9
Comments on Religion from founders of the American secular educational system and other humanists
10
A Professor's Assessment by Anne (20), Thailand
14
The Option Is Open by Anaik (19), Japan
15
My "Real-life" Education by Kristy (22), Brazil
15
How I Made My Choice by Abner (20), Thailand
17
Making Someone's Life Better by Reina (16), U.S.A.
19
Young people have grown up in Family Homes with a variety of opportunities for, and types of, education. Some have attended secular schools; others have been home schooled in both their home country and on the mission field. In this issue of "The Family in Action" some Family young people explain their decisions about their education, and relate experiences both in and out of the Family.
These contributions and more were written in response to questions about their views and experience in regards to higher education. We regret that we can't print them all, due to a limit on the length of this publication, so we chose those which are most representative. Thanks to all the Family young people who put their convictions on paper to inspire others! God bless you as you continue to give your all to help change the world!
In and Out of the Family
By Joan Clair (22), Japan
I am a second-generation member of the Family. While my mother also remains a member of the Family, my father left our membership about 12 years ago. Having lived with both of them, both inside and outside of the Family, I would like to make a few comparisons.
My education started very early in the Family. My mom was a very enthusiastic and dedicated teacher, and taught me to read and write when I was just three years old! I received a solid foundation in basic scholastic subjects while still pre-school age, so that when I first attended a public school at the age of six, I was advanced to the next grade after only a few months. I was well above average for my age scholastically, despite the fact that due to our missionary travels (we were then living in France), I was also having to fulfill these scholastic requirements in an entirely new, foreign language.
I attended public school in France until I was nine, then returned to home schooling, using recognized Christian correspondence course material, as well as the variety of educational materials which the Family had produced by this time. However, the major part of my days was not devoted to studying from books. Much of the time I learned about new places and languages as we traveled; I learned about relating to different types of people as we witnessed our faith to them; I learned about performing and speaking confidently in public as we took part in various show groups, sang and performed on television, etc. Having begun with a strong foundation in basic academic skills, my education expanded to include a well-rounded variety of learning experiences -- and lots of fun, too!
I think the best thing about my educational upbringing in the Family is that I never learned to dislike school. To me, learning was not synonymous with sitting still for a very long while, poring over tedious schoolbooks. Learning has been an exciting adventure -- the challenge of discovering something new. I learned how to teach myself at an early age, and this way, I have been able to continue studying subjects that I felt a need for and was interested in, no matter where I was or what I was doing.
When I was 13, my father (who had left the Family by this time) became concerned about the quality of what seemed to him to be a rather un-traditional and informal education. He felt I should attend public school in order to ensure that I was being adequately schooled. So at this time, I went to live with my dad and his new family in England, outside of the Family. I attended a public school in a small village in the southeast of England, which was my first time to be enrolled in an English-speaking public school.
I had no previous school records with me, and for this reason at the beginning of the school year I was placed in the lowest divisions of the classes. However, by the end of the school year, I had risen to the highest levels in every major subject.
Towards the end of the school year, though, I started feeling restless. It wasn't that I didn't have everything that would seem to indicate a perfectly good and normal life. The school I attended was a very good Christian school, with no violence or drugs. The neighborhood I lived in was quiet and peaceful, surrounded by beautiful English countryside. I had friends, a loving family, plenty of hobbies and pastimes, and just about anything I could want. But when I thought about living that way for the rest of my life, somehow I just couldn't see myself there.
At the end of the school year, my dad offered me the choice of continuing to live with him or returning to live with my mom in the Family. After taking a while to think through all the options, I decided to return to the Family. That was when I was 14, and now, eight years later, I can honestly say that I have never once regretted that decision. I truly believe that what I have gained through my life in the Family -- educationally, emotionally and spiritually -- is far more than I could ever have obtained living what is considered a more "normal" life.
Educationally, we are given the very best opportunities in the Family. Of course, every person is different, and not all choose to excel in the same areas. But I have an opportunity to learn in detail about anything that I am interested in. The "MO Letters," written by our founder, David Berg, offer a tremendous wealth of instruction. Besides the spiritual concepts addressed in many Letters, there are also countless Letters covering very practical and even scholastic subjects, such as general science, world history, economics, relations with people, leadership skills, developing your learning skills, health and hygiene, home care, and much more.
Emotionally, growing up in the Family has been a wonderful experience for me. Because of our communal lifestyle, there is a strong bond of love between individuals which helped to balance out the emotional extremes of adolescence. Knowing that there were a lot of "somebodies" close by who truly cared for me and accepted me just the way I was, was wonderfully reassuring!
Spiritually, of course, I feel I've been given the greatest gift of all: a chance to do something worthwhile with my life. I don't think I could be satisfied with a life of living and working simply for my own benefit. As a member of the Family, each thing I do every day, whether directly or indirectly, is all towards the ultimate goal of spreading God's Message of Love. No matter what my specific ministry, in my heart I am first and foremost a missionary and a messenger of God's Love to those who need Him. That is the meaning of my life in the Family.
As a credit to the training I have received in the Family, I'd like to explain a little about the work that I do. -- And I'd like to make it clear that these skills were not developed through public school study, but all through my personal experiences and learning within the Family, and through the individual training I received from other Family members who themselves are experts in these fields.
At 22 years of age, I am an executive secretary, script-writer and co-producer of our children's video series, as well as being actively involved in the production of several other video programs. I've had a few years' experience also in writing, editing and proofreading. I'm often called on to research and advise concerning legal questions, particularly involving copyright and trademark laws, of which I have a working knowledge. I also have a basic knowledge of computer skills. Although I wouldn't consider myself a technician, I can trouble-shoot many computer problems, as well as install programs and keep things running. Due to my travels and missionary experiences, in addition to English I can also speak fluent French and Italian, and basic Japanese and Spanish.
But aside from all these practical skills, in the Family I have learned something much greater and deeper. That is the knowledge that Jesus loves and cares for each of us in a very personal and special way. This is the most important thing in my life, and this is the Message that, through all my areas of work, I am striving to spread to the whole world.
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William Lyon Phelps (1865-1943) of Yale University, called by some the most beloved professor of his day: I thoroughly believe in university education for both men and women, but I believe a knowledge of the Bible without a college course is more valuable than a college course without the Bible.
Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), 26th president of the United States: A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.
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No Regrets!
By Joy (19), U.S.A.
As you probably know, there have been teens who have left the Family to strike out on their own and pursue other interests. Some excel in their pursuits and are quite successful in the eyes of the world. I was one of those teens. However, I found that the most desirable life in the worldly System cannot offer the love, peace of mind and worthwhile challenges that abound in the Family. In fact, I've found that it doesn't measure up in any way!
I left the Family when I was sixteen and jumped right into public high school. I hadn't had classroom schooling in a long while, so I was afraid that I wouldn't make the grade. Three months later, I was at the top of my class in English, history, music, social studies, geography, biology, foreign languages and creative writing. This obviously demonstrates the good fruit of Family training, as we learn so much through our study of the Word and our various ministries.
The next year, I became interested in student government (a group of students elected to decide about minor issues of the school, like dances and fundraising). I wanted to be well-known and popular, which the Bible calls "having the praise of man." But being given a high position in this group truly opened my eyes to how selfish and self-centered the teens I knew really were. Student government was made up of the cream of the crop, those who were very popular with both the students and teachers, but there was very little love or loyalty between us. For example, "best friends" would frequently talk behind each others backs and use each other to "get ahead socially."
I spent my time out of school going to the "in" parties, shopping, talking on the phone, etc. -- all the things you see the teens in movies do to make themselves happy. When it came time for me to graduate, I was offered scholarships and invited to different colleges. My grandparents had collected a $50,000 college fund for me. It would have been so easy to "have it all" -- a car, a nice house, a respectable job. It was all arranged.
I remember very clearly standing on stage during my graduation, looking into people's faces and knowing in my heart without a doubt that I was wasting my time. Suddenly all my expectations and aspirations looked so cheap and shallow. The Lord was able to show me how He viewed this whole situation, and my heart broke, as I realized how badly I had failed Jesus. I was desperate to get back in His will, to follow the plan He had for me.
The Lord did it! There had been a time when I would have "freaked out" at the thought of leaving it all behind, forsaking my friends and "successful" future, but it was wonderful to be back in the Lord's service. Now I don't regret my decision at all. I'm so thankful to be in this Family! Even a small job in the Lord's service is more thrilling and rewarding than being tops in the worldly System! I'm thankful to Jesus for the Family!
I Want My Life to Count!
By Joanna (Celeste, 20), England
Hi! Recently while living in England, my home country, I signed up for a temporary job for approximately two months. I easily passed the standard secretarial and computer knowledge examination in order to qualify. From this experience, I can see that the main qualities needed to obtain and keep a job are experience, adaptability, and the ability to get along well with others -- all of which are provided by Family training!
During this two-month period, I worked for Japan Victor Electronics, in the Marketing and Customer Liaison Departments, and left with an excellent report. In fact, numerous times I was offered a permanent position in their company.
If I wanted to be a secretary, office manager, administrative assistant, or hold some similar job, I feel that it would not be difficult for me to do so with the training I presently have. If I ever wanted to enroll in a training course or attend college, this also would not be difficult. But the crux of the matter is the basic question of what I want to do with my life. My personal decision is to continue in the Family and use my secretarial and creative talents here. I want my life to count. I want what I do to be of some worth to others, and I believe the Family is reaching out and that here is where I can most help the world around me.
Not only that -- I don't see myself as having "left" school, but I am continuing to learn as I work. Everything I do is a learning experience! In the Family, we have special courses to enhance our performance, or we obtain books for further study on subjects we are interested in. We have a fair amount of reference material available, not onlyFamily-produced, but from other sources as well. There is a lot that I still want to learn about computers, for example, and I hope to advance my skills as I go.
At this company, some of my co-workers, and one public relations assistant in particular, belonged to one of the more radical Christian youth groups in London. When she and others heard about my life as a missionary in foreign fields, they admired and almost envied me for it. Through them, I got to know a group of Christians who go to church or group meetings once or twice a week, and then work the rest of the time at their job. I realized that while some Christians are happy doing this, others are missionary Christians whose purpose and motive for everything they do is to bring the Gospel to others. Both have their place, but when comparing the two, I decided that I wanted to be a missionary Christian.
Some people have suggested that I am in the Family because that is where I was brought up and because I never knew anything else, but that's not a good enough reason for me. I feel called by the Lord, and I know in my heart that this is the life that the Lord wants me to live. Besides that, I can't picture myself working in one place or company for 5, 10 or 15 years, as many of those that I worked with briefly at Japan Victor Electronics have done. I need to do something that I can put my whole heart into and which I can know is helping others in some way.
Those that I worked with in this company couldn't understand how I wanted to go to Japan to work as a volunteer with no salary. It was almost beyond them, but at the same time they admired and respected my decision because they knew that this isn't an easy thing to do. I can see why it could be hard to understand why a young person would want to go off to a foreign country with no set means of support, or future plan for material benefits, but I'm not in it for the money. I'm not in the Family because it's a lucrative place to work, but because I believe in and am living for eternal rewards.
I also have the feeling that this world is not going to last much longer. I'm convinced that the way the world is going, Jesus is going to come back soon. That takes a lot of faith to believe, I know! Down through the ages many Christian groups claimed that the end of the world was near, but never in history have so many Biblical signs of the Endtime come to pass as in recent years. Many of the prophecies in the Bible have been fulfilled already, so why shouldn't the remaining ones come to pass also?
Amazingly, it's not only the Bible that predicts that the end of the world is coming, but modern-day prophets, seers and scientists have also done so. So perhaps you can see why I've chosen not to spend more time on extra education when it's not a practical help for the job that I want to do -- that of preaching the Gospel to every creature.
Committed to a Cause I Deeply Believe In
By Gabe (22), Japan
Far from holding back its young people, the Family encourages education, individuality, and new ideas. I expect and want the best possible education I can get; however, my religious belief is central to decisions I make about my life. Regardless of any ambitions or aspirations, my foremost desire is to serve God the best I possibly can. I'm sure that any person who has strong convictions, religious or otherwise, can respect my commitment to a cause which I deeply believe in.
It is easy to see that there is tremendous potential in Family young people. They can think for themselves; they are innovative, intelligent; and to add to this, they have a lot of experience working with people -- meeting them, helping them, and often sacrificing personal comforts and desires for the benefit of others. Someone outside the Family could think that all this talent is being wasted.
Let me explain. We view the world as it is today, and we see the urgent need for change. Where political ideologies have not helped, and where revolutions have simply replaced the old system with a new one, we can offer something to the broken in spirit that will not fail them. It is without regard for race or religion that we offer our faith and love to the people that we meet. This is our life's calling, and the Gospel that we preach is a simple one, geared to the needs of every man.
I appreciate the need for the advancement of learning. I also respect those who have dedicated their lives to medicine, science, and education. We also respect young members of the Family who wish to attend college or university outside of the Family. Our lack of enthusiasm for university studies does not imply that the Family does not place a high priority on education. In fact, our children receive a high quality alternative education which emphasizes individual learning speed. A high percentage of Family children learn to read proficiently by the age of five. School records are kept, and children and teens tend to learn easily with a practical application of traditional topics.
But the principal educational need of Family members in their senior high school and college years is a vocational education, which we receive in a variety of fields. For example, for three years I have studied (and am continuing to study) computer-related vocations: programming, database management, desktop publishing and computer graphics design. I have learned these in application to Family needs, and while I wouldn't consider myself a computer expert, I am confident that I will learn more as it becomes necessary. I am not an isolated example. Many of my peers are accomplished personnel and business managers, educators, writers, etc.
But first and foremost in our lives is a desire to help others and preach our faith to them. And if it's not our faith that they want and need, then we are still here to show our compassion and love to a world that desperately needs it. If some of us are more advanced scholastically, then that will serve to benefit the work we do. But in my opinion it wouldn't matter if people want to forsake scholastic advancement for the good of others, and as a result are high school drop-outs. The primary and most important quality for our work is our love for others.
Some people have criticized Mother Theresa because her Missionaries of Charity have not had the medical training to treat the plethora of diseases and medical emergencies they face daily. But who else will the despised leper from the gutter in Calcutta turn to for compassion and essential physical care? And who else can claim success similar to this great woman who has made great physical sacrifices and assisted millions of the most rejected people on the face of the Earth? Mother Theresa and her Missionaries of Charity have the credentials required for the job they do: love and dedication. Asincapable as I am to share the high calling of showing the Lord's Love to others, I too want to offer to others an example of love and dedication.
The world needs spiritual and moral leadership, and the Family has much to offer. But with that comes a firm conviction that what we believe in and practice is right. We are non-conformists from the top down. Once you reach the higher levels of education, it is impossible to separate what you are studying from what you believe: you must have faith in modern political thought if you are to follow its teachings. Geology and life sciences have become inseparable from evolutionary theories, which require as much faith to accept as does my religion. Yet the proponents of those hypotheses often ridicule religion as faith and not fact-based. Humanistic ethics pervade almost every branch of education today, requiring belief in its tenets. Our beliefs and goals substantially conflict with the ethics system as taught by most educational institutes. This makes it inappropriate to consider these institutions a path to greater service in the Family.
My personal opinion is that we'll see from the Family a crop of young people capable of providing the world with needed leadership. At this point I believe a secular education will do little in the way of enlarging these potential capabilities.
Working in a Law Firm!
By Teresa (18), Japan
Born in the Family, I lived for a number of years as a missionary in Brazil with my parents, also for a couple of years in the United States. I have never attended public school, but all the education I have received has been from my parents and others in the Family.
Recently I took a secular job for the first time in my life, in order to raise funds to go to another mission field. For one month I worked as a secretary in a law firm. My work included researching past employment histories, residential histories and medical histories. After typing in all the information needed, I would then call the plaintiffs to ask them more questions, and answer any questions they would have about the progress of their suit.
When I began this job, I wondered if I would be able to keep up with the others there who were much older than me and very experienced and educated in their fields. However, the entire time I worked at this law firm, I never once felt inferior because of my education. To the contrary, it made me all the more thankful to have received my education in the Family.
A quality which helped me to fit in quickly and also enhanced my work was my ability to relate easily to people from many different backgrounds. This skill comes from having grown up traveling to so many countries, learning foreign languages, and meeting totally different types of people in each new place.
I was also surprised and encouraged to see how all the organizational skills that I've learned from living in our Family communities really came in handy while working at the office. I was even able to help organize a few simple but effective ways of helping to speed up their procedures.
I'd like to stress that I'm just a normal Family teen and am not exceptionally gifted or more outstanding than any of my Family peers in these areas. All the credit goes to the Lord and those in the Family who have devoted their time and love to helping and teaching me.
At one point during my time at this office, I remember having a tight deadline and not knowing if I'd make it. We had a certain number of interrogatories to produce each week, and instead of the four secretaries who normally worked full-time on the job, there was only me and another new secretary whom I was training. But we made it to the goal on time, to the surprise of all at the office. Praise God!
There have been times while growing up that I've compared my education to that of others outside of the Family, and wondered if I'd survive working outside one of our communities. I wondered if I'd be looked down on or what people's reactions would be when they found out that I've been in a missionary family and home-schooled all my life. At first, those I worked with at the law office did wonder about me, and they asked me some questions about what my education had been like. But by the end of my time there, they all thanked me for the good job I had done, saying they couldn't have done it without me and how they were going to miss me and didn't want me to leave. So it was a good experience, although I personally enjoy being a missionary much more.
My relatives outside the Family were also very impressed when they heard that I got this job. My aunt is a legal secretary, and when she heard what I did and the salary I received for it, she was shocked and amazed, as she knows that I've had no schooling outside the Family.
This experience taught me a lot and I'm now convinced that our Family education really does work. I'm very thankful that I was brought up and educated in the Family.
Why I Have Chosen the Family over Higher Education
By Zack (22), Brazil
I have been asked on several occasions, "Wouldn't you like to get a college education?" Contrary to the belief of some, I am not a brainwashed cultist who cannot make up his own mind! I am a free moral agent, capable of making my own choices regarding the occupation I want to pursue. The public has been led to believe, by members of certain anti-cult organizations, that young people in all new religious movements (NRMs) have been stripped of their ability to make decisions. Generalizations of this sort should never be made.
As a twenty-two year old who was born and raised in the Family, I would like to make clear that I am doing what I am doing because I enjoy it. -- And I made a personal decision to serve the Lord, not because I was told to, but because I felt the calling to do something unique with my life. The offer to go to college has been given to me, but I turned it down in favor of the exciting life I am now leading.
"Great!" you may say. "I'm glad you are having a good time. But what about your education?" Well, what is education? Education, according to the dictionary, is the act of acquiring general knowledge. Judging from this definition, I consider myself well educated. How many kids have the opportunity to not only visit ten countries, but live in them? By comparison, I have read countless articles talking about the low quality of public education in the USA. (See excerpts quoted below.)
In my twenty-two years, I have carried out missionary activities in ten countries, learning three languages in the process. I have also received vocational training in music and computer science, as well as a host of other practical skills.
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that this is where I want to be. I am not here because I have nowhere else to go, but because I love Jesus and owe a great deal to Him and the Family.
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"Only slightly more than half the Americans tested could identify England on a map of Europe, and one in seven or 14 per cent failed to identify the United States on a world map" (World News Digest ).
"The National Assessment of Education Progress survey of more than 9 million elementary and secondary students reports the academic skills of students at the 4th grade levels. The report shows that students' performance is `low and not improving'" (The New York Times Service).
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The Best Place to Reach My Goals!
By Jewel (20), U.S.A.
I'm writing this because I'd like to explain a little bit about my life so far in the Family. I honestly believe in my heart that we are doing more per person than any other organization on Earth to help mankind -- from laying down our lives in war-torn Bosnia, to sharing love, joy and encouragement with as many people as we possibly can during Christmas.
I haven't received a lot of higher education in the Family (although I could if I wanted to). However, I count the life I lead and all that it entails to be far more fulfilling than other pursuits, such as going to university.
A while back I had the opportunity to help open and run a Family center for youth in Austin, Texas. There were only 10 of us, and every day we would go to the University of Texas and just talk to the kids there. Sometimes we'd talk about our lifestyle, our travels; sometimes they'd be interested in Bible prophecy and we'd give them a class from the Bible books of Daniel and Revelation. Some would profess to be atheists, and yet a couple of hours later walk away with Jesus in their hearts and our phone number in their notebook. They would call us faithfully every night from then on!
That was actually the first time I realized how much we have to give. Some of the students we met there had been going to university for six years and were still searching for answers and some meaning to their lives. I saw that we could give this to them.
That experience also helped me see how much I have to live for in the Family. I know I couldn't live without a real vision or goal, and I believe the Family is the best place for me to reach my personal goals. If I didn't feel like this, I wouldn't be here!
Higher Education: Do We Really Need It?
By Francis Fisherman (25), Russia
I have been in the Family since age three, when my parents joined the Children of God in California in 1972. After leaving the U.S. when I was five, my family and I lived in Europe for the next eight years, mostly in England and France. At age nine, my parents enrolled me in the best French private school in the region, run by a Catholic order but employing secular teachers. The school agreed to provide me with free tuition, since being missionaries we could not afford their expensive fee.
Although I had never attended formal school prior to age nine, after taking entrance exams I was placed in sixth grade, two years ahead of most everyone else my age. School was, of course, taught in French, and being the only English-speaker in the school and just then learning French made it difficult at first. But as I grew up in the Family, the Lord had given me many opportunities throughout my childhood to adapt to new situations, learn languages, etc., so I was able to quickly adjust to school in a foreign language. I soon became one of the top students in the school, and by ninth grade I could write in French better than many of the French students. As I was finishing 9th grade at age 13, my family made the decision to move to South America.
I never attended school outside the Family again, although my interest in learning did not decrease. I learned a lot from my parents, other Family adults, reference books, experience and, of course, the Lord through His Word and prayer. At age 14 I decided to move away from my parents (with their permission), as I was invited to the Family's Spanish audio production center. It was there that I received my first on-the-job clinical training in administration and clerical work, which has since become my main vocation.
My 15th year I spent criss-crossing Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay as part of a two- to three-man team working on follow-up of our Spanish "Music with Meaning" radio show in those countries. The Lord used my being "on the road" full-time to give me much experience in communicating with and relating to people of different backgrounds and social standings. Our main goal, of course, was to bring them the message of God and His Love and Salvation through Jesus Christ.
I feel privileged that working in small teams such as these contributed to my growing up into a young adult who could teamwork, interact and share responsibility on an equal level with other Family adults who are much older than I.
During the three years I spent in South America I became fluent enough in Spanish to act as an interpreter, and had much experience giving running translations from English to Spanish or vice versa. After returning to Europe and working as a missionary in Eastern Europe (at age 16), I also learned Russian.
Thanks to the missionary opportunities of service the Lord provided in the Family, I was able to travel extensively through a number of European countries. For several years I was quite involved with other Family members in the production of our literature in various East European languages, which gave me the opportunity to expand my computer skills. As a result I learned word processing and desktop publishing, as well as doing some computer programming.
I moved to Moscow for two years, where at age 22 I had the responsibility of the production of the Family's literature in Russian. This was a huge task and taught me a lot! It meant setting up a production department and structure; determining work procedures and priorities; selecting, training and overseeing the translators and those doing the word processing (non-Family as well as Family members); coordinating the desktop publishing and final-copy stages; handling the business and financial arrangements with the various printshops we contracted (that's why I had to learn Russian fast -- it was "communicate or bust!"); and handling orders from the Homes around the country and making sure they were well stocked with the variety of literature and books they needed for their ministry.
After starting from scratch with no translation/production department or trained personnel, by the end of two years production was going full-steam, with four 400-page books behind us and numerous other publications, totaling tens of millions of pages printed. I must give credit to the Lord for His help, as well as to the good practical training and work ethic I had gained growing up in the Family from those experienced in such matters, and to the other Family members who became involved as this ministry grew.
More recently, I have been working with a team involved in countering some of the recent media smear campaigns against the Family, and court cases involving Family members resulting from government raids on some of our communities. This has taught me the writing and other skills necessary for dealing with the media, courts, and lawyers.
Besides being involved in business and administration, our day-to-day life of witnessing and sharing the message of God's Love with others has helped me learn communication skills and how to relate to people better, to understand and help them in a meaningful way.
My purpose for this chronology of the things I have learned and done in the Family is to answer a question which some have: "In the long run, won't the older teens and young adults who have been raised and schooled in the Family all their lives find themselves at a disadvantage compared to their peers in society, or deprived of the opportunity to excel if they don't pursue a higher education?"
The question is no doubt posed with good intentions by some, as it is currently assumed in today's society that to get ahead in life, a higher (university) education is necessary. I strongly disagree, and offer my personal experience in support of my point.
For starters, it is obvious when studying the lives of the great men in history -- many of whom were self-schooled or did not have a higher education -- that there are many other qualities and skills which in importance far surpass the head-knowledge that four years of university might provide. Some of these are diligence, the ability to relate and effectively interact and communicate with other people, integrity, and plain common sense obtained through experience in the "university of life."
When I first left secular school after nearly finishing ninth grade, my education was very important to me, and I was worried that by the time I was an older teen or young adult, I would certainly be behind other kids my age. But as I grew older, I realized that just the opposite was true. I saw that being in the Family provided me with many more opportunities of learning and experience in a much wider range of vital subjects than I ever could have acquired had I stayed behind a desk for three more years of high school and four years of college.
This realization was further compounded when I was 20, when my grandmother (whom I had not seen since I was 13) along with two of her well-to-do friends came from the US and spent a week with me touring southern France and Switzerland. One of my grandmother's friends is an investment banker who handles large sums of money for mutual funds. She was so impressed with all that I had learned while in the Family, she repeatedly remarked that I was far ahead of any college graduate she knew, and that she'd offer me a job any day. Our other traveling companion, who had just retired from his job as a manager of a large luxury hotel in Beverly Hills, made similar comments.
So to those who suggest, even with the best of intentions, that we young people who have grown up in the Family should go to university or college, I ask this: What does higher education have to offer me that I haven't already got in the Family? It's not that I haven't given the matter serious consideration, nor do I feel that there are any restraints being placed on me in the Family that prevent me from pursuing a higher education should I choose to do so, but it seems a logical conclusion that spending four or more years of my life attending a university that is unlikely to provide me with much more than what I have, is a very poor use of my time and energy.
Before joining the Family, my father studied at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis and later worked as a computer systems analyst for a large corporation. I remember he said that in actual real-life application, he used little of what he had learned in university.
So although I have no plans to pursue a secular profession, even if I were to do so at some point, I am fully prepared for a number of professions and have full confidence that I could find a well-paying job in the field of my choice. So what's the point of higher education? -- To provide me with a piece of paper that simply confirms I am "well-educated"? I'm sorry, but two or four or more years of my life for a piece of paper is a sorry trade, and in my opinion, poor reasoning indeed. Besides, if I or others needed reassurance of my intelligence or capabilities, wouldn't it be more time-efficient to just take an IQ test or SAT or other similar test?
Beyond this, there is a much more important reason why I did not choose to attend college or pursue a higher education. All my life my parents have taught me about God's Love for me and for mankind, and I have grown to love Him with all my heart. And this love that I have for Jesus and others is what today motivates me to follow His instructions as spelled out in the Bible. Jesus commanded His disciples, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). And the prophet Isaiah said, "The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord" (Isaiah 61:1,2).
This is my calling and my profession in life. I think it's the greatest calling that anyone could have, and the one that will do the most good to mankind! I do not stand by this decision because I feel I have no other recourse, options or opportunities in the secular world, but because, as the Apostle Paul himself wrote, "The Love of Christ constraineth me!" (2 Corinthians 5:14).
The training and experience I have received and continue to receive as a result of my missionary work in the Family is thoroughly preparing me for the job I want to do and my calling in life. I don't think a university could provide me with better training in people handling, group management skills, communication, productive work habits and ethics, efficiency, not to mention dedication and enthusiasm -- vital ingredients to success in any field.
Naturally, if I were to become a doctor or lawyer I would have to go through medical or law school. Neither do my present skills and training prepare me for the field of molecular biology or nuclear physics -- but those are not fields I want to work in! After all, aren't there enough lawyers and doctors and scientists in the world today? In Russia, highly qualified scientists are peddling consumer goods to stay alive, while in Japan, according to the latest statistics, 30% of college graduates don't have job offers. So it's pretty obvious to me that the world has no great deficit of the kind of skilled workers the halls of higher education churn out.
There are lots of people who are caring for the personal and material needs and wants of others, which is important and which we do as well. But so few are caring for their souls. How many are giving their lives to bring others Salvation, hope, encouragement, and peace of mind through God's Love -- something that from my personal experience in two dozen countries on three continents, is sorely lacking in the world today.
How could getting a higher education help me do more for others and more closely follow the sample of Jesus and His disciples? The logical conclusion I come to is that it's not the most effective use of my time and energy, when I've got lots of better and more important things to spend them on. Higher education prepares you for what you're going to be doing with your life. -- I'm already doing something very worthwhile with my life.
I very much enjoy learning, and I am still learning a lot through my missionary work, resource material, and instruction from people who are very talented and even experts in their respective fields. But to my point of view, higher education is a long and meaningless detour from the path of my life -- a life of service to God, sharing with others the gift that I have received: Jesus and His Love and care for each one of us. If someone can convince me that higher education would greatly further my goal of serving Jesus and improving men's hearts and lives, I just might reconsider it. But until then, I don't have time for delays, because I've barely got time to do everything I can in order to help make this world a better place!
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Comments on Religion from founders of the American secular educational system and other humanists
"(Our) great object was to get rid of Christianity, and to convert our churches into halls of science. The plan was not to make open attacks on religion ... but to establish a system of state schools, from which all religion was to be excluded ... and to which all parents were to be compelled by law to send their children. For this purpose, a secret society was formed and the whole country was to be organized."
--Orestes Brownson (1803-1876)
"What the church has been for medieval man, the public school must become for democratic and rational man. God would be replaced by the concept of the public good."
--Horace Mann (1796-1858)
"There is no God and there is no soul. Hence, there is no need for the props of traditional religion. With dogma and creed excluded, then immutable truth is also dead and buried. There is no room for fixed, natural law or moral absolutes."
--John Dewey (1859-1952), the "Father of Progressive Education;" co-author of the first Humanist Manifesto and honorary NEA president.
"Education is thus a most powerful ally of humanism, and every American school is a school of humanism. What can a theistic Sunday School's meeting for an hour once a week and teaching only a fraction of the children do to stem the tide of the five-day program of humanistic teaching?"
--Charles F. Potter, Humanism: A New Religion (1930)
"I think that the most important factor moving us toward a secular society has been the educational factor. Our schools may not teach Johnny to read properly, but the fact that Johnny is in school until he is sixteen tends to lead toward the elimination of religious superstition."
--Paul Blanshard, "Three Cheers for Our Secular State," The Humanist, March/April 1976
"We must ask how we can kill the God of Christianity. We need only to insure that our schools teach only secular knowledge. If we could achieve this, God would indeed be shortly due for a funeral service."
--G. Richard Bozarth, "On Keeping God Alive," American Atheist, November 1977
"I am convinced that the battle for humankind's future must be waged and won in the public school classroom by teachers who correctly perceive their role as proselytizers of a new faith: a religion of humanity. These teachers must embody the same selfless dedication as the most rabid fundamentalist preachers, for they will be ministers of another sort, utilizing a classroom instead of a pulpit to convey humanist values in whatever subject they teach, regardless of educational level--preschool, day care or a large state university. The classroom must and will become an arena of conflict between the old and the new--the rotting corpse of Christianity ... and the new faith of humanism."
--John J. Dunphy, "A New Religion for a New Age," The Humanist, January/February 1983
"Every child in America entering school at the age of five is mentally ill, because he comes to school with certain allegiances toward our founding fathers, toward our elected officials, toward his parents, toward a belief in a supernatural Being, toward the sovereignty of this nation as a separate entity. It is up to you teachers to make all these sick children well by creating the international children of the future."
--Harvard Professor of Education and Psychiatry, 1984
Another point of view:
"Today our state supported `public' schools are humanistic schools. Actually, they are religious institutions teaching, with public funds, an alien faith. The public schools are an establishment of religion: the religion of humanism. ... No Christian children should be required to attend a public school."
--Rousas J. Rushdoony, "The World's Second Oldest Religion," 1981
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A Professor's Assessment
By Anne (20), Thailand
Ministering to academics and professors recently has given me real conviction about our Family education. I've always enjoyed learning, but at times I have wondered if my schooling was inferior, thinking that for sure it didn't match up to a college education.
Recently I was talking with a college professor who had seen us perform at a party and was interested in the Family. He was very enthusiastic, and since I was a Family young person, he immediately started asking me question after question about my education. He wasn't malicious, but just very curious. I told him that I had been home schooled most of my life. I explained that because of home schooling I could speak and read two languages at five years old, and eventually graduated from high school at 16. I have traveled to 20 countries and speak five languages.
He was shocked and said, "Yes, but you're exceptional!" I assured him that I was no exception and that many of the young people in the Family have the same opportunities, because of the way we live.
He had gotten his MBA and Ph.D. in the U.S. and said, "Well, don't you want to get an MBA?" I told him that I didn't see the need for it, because I was receiving a very good education for what I wanted to do right here within the Family. I explained how I had been working with computers for the past five years and just went on to explain all the Family training I'd received: industrial cooking, childcare and teaching, singing and performing, languages, public relations. I also know sign language, from working in our outreach to deaf people. These are skills I often take for granted because I use them every day. I go into the kitchen and cook a meal for 150 people, and it doesn't seem like such a huge or wonderful thing. I work in the office, or I teach pre-schoolers, etc. These are things many Family young people do, but I don't think we realize how much specialized training goes into learning these skills elsewhere.
He said over and over, "You've got so much potential. Don't you want to do something with it?"
I told him, "I am doing something with it!" I explained my vocation as a volunteer missionary is what I want to do with my life and that's why I have received the education I have. Finally he caught on to what I was saying. I guess it was difficult for him to see that I wasn't just planning to live for myself, which is what most young people elsewhere are thinking about when they finish their education. It was amazing to him!
He said, "You're learning the real values of life! You're learning how to live, and how to do things, not just studying from a textbook. I think that's the best way!"
Hearing that statement from a professor and someone who is highly educated and sees so many very smart and intellectual students, I was very encouraged. It reinforced my conviction that what we all have in our Family education is definitely the best!
The Option Is Open
By Anaik (19), Japan
I'm the third in a family of nine children ranging in age from 3 to 22. My parents are American, though I was born and raised for the most part of my life in Australia, except for three years in the mid-'80s when our family lived in India as missionaries. I attended parochial schools in Australia till the age of 12 and took a Christian correspondence course in India for three years for grades 3-5. I never went to public high school.
I am presently going into my second year at an internationally-known Family community in Japan (the Heavenly City School), where I work as a secretary. One of the main purposes of this Family community is to produce and distribute audio-visual tools for our missionaries worldwide, to assist their efforts to preach the Gospel. Two of my brothers, 22 and 18 years old, also live here in Japan and both are computer technicians/operators.
Being someone who enjoys studying and learning and having read a lot, at one stage I felt it could be quite beneficial to attend university. However, I've also read a lot over the years and seen many articles and statistics on the general failings of traditional schooling methods, as well as a lot in favor of home schooling, but rather than bring up all I've heard and read, I would like to simply state my personal convictions on the subject.
I believe we are living in the Endtime spoken of by prophets in the Bible, therefore I've decided that I don't have the time to attend 3-4 years of university. To me, life is a learning process that could never be compared to just a few years of "higher education."
So far I have not felt any great lack in the education I have received (and am continuing to receive) in the Family. This is what I've chosen to do with my life because of the service I want to be to others. Should I ever feel the skills I have gained in the Family are substantially insufficient, or that I could better live my life and serve others by further specialized study, and believed that was God's will, I have the option under the Family's Charter of Responsibilities and Rights.
What's most important to me is that I am learning principles of faith and spiritual realities, such as the power of prayer, connecting with and hearing from a living God, learning to let Him direct my life each day, the depths of Truth in His Word, and developing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Each of these are not only very real and exciting to me, but crucial to the life of service I have chosen to lead. University could never provide these things, much less training in how to share Jesus' Love with others, which is one of my main goals in life.
My "Real-life" Education
By Kristy (22), Brazil
There have been allegations that the Family fails to provide adequate education for the children of members, and that young adults who have been raised in the Family are not prepared for the roles they must play in the "real world." Being a young adult member of the Family, I consider myself in a position to address this accusation -- one that is being promoted without much thought given to those of us who are walking and working proof of how wrong it is.
I recently read a report about a high school which concluded that giving final exams to seniors was moot because by the time final exams took place, most of the students had already been accepted to one college or another. In this high school, the final exams and the study it takes to prepare for them were replaced with a new class termed "Real Life 101." This was an accredited college prep course that now teaches students to get along in and adapt to real life! In most schools, they've had all the book-learning but no practical experience to prepare them for life.
Although for this high school it was a revolutionary step and a newsworthy innovation, in the Family that's been one of our strong points all along, that our youth learn real-life skills. We learn how to organize people, how to get along with people, how to interact with others, how to handle our emotions, how to demonstrate patience in situations where our emotions tell us to fight and hate. We learn to manage the much more important spiritual aspects of our lives and hearts and those of others' lives as well. We are experts in personnel management and relations, in how to love, understand and help people. These, I believe, are some of the most important qualities of life.
There are many people in the world that have degrees in "head knowledge," yet can't cope in the real world of modern society. What the Family has produced is children who are mature spiritually and know how to live healthy, happy, productive lives. A big problem in secular high schools today is that too many students only know how to fight or kill in order to solve their problems, and take drugs or drink in order to feel happy.
The story I'm about to tell begins 22 years ago outside of Dallas, Texas. Some of my earliest memories are my feelings of accomplishment in watching my tiny hand form letters (I knew how to write by the age of four); the satisfaction of being able to read books from my parents' library at the age of six; learning to knit and crochet at the age of six; and teaching myself Gregg shorthand from a book at the age of ten.
Today, I have had training and experience as a secretary, editor, graphic artist, author, researcher, personal counselor, administrator, nutritionist, cook, hairdresser, seamstress, teacher, wife and mother, and I was born and raised in the Family.
Above and beyond all that, I am a missionary, a profession and calling I am proud of. I have traveled through four continents and 17 countries, living for varying periods of time in 14 of them, and have learned to adapt to a myriad of cultures and social and ethnic differences. I have at the least a basic understanding of eleven languages, having studied five of them: Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Russian, and Japanese.
As is par for the course in missionary work, I have learned to relate to people of many races, backgrounds, religions and creeds. I have worked amongst people of diverse faiths, incorporating drama, performing, and public speaking techniques in addressing audiences with the message of the Good News that our mission brings to mankind.
For four years I have been working with our junior high school teens, serving as a counselor to them regarding problems with personal relations, school, and spiritual matters. With so many children in the Family, as we mature, we learn the art of teaching, helping and counseling those younger than we are as they face the many problems and changes that come with adolescence.
For over a year I had the complete oversight of an industrial-sized kitchen, serving three meals a day to nearly 100 people. Through apprenticeship and hands-on training, I learned many valuable skills such as dietetics; how to prepare balanced meals for all age groups; how to plan daily, weekly, and seasonal menus; how to store and rotate foodstuffs; how to operate numerous types of industrial kitchen equipment; how to organize a complete staff of kitchen personnel; as well as the ever-important facets of proper hygiene in large-scale meal preparation, etc.
In addition to this, I've spent a bit of time in various aspects of office management and leadership training, having the opportunity to run an office with a staff of secretaries. Besides learning office skills such as operating various types of computers and other equipment, along with typing, transcribing, taking shorthand dictation, handling computer layout and graphics, etc., probably one of the most useful techniques I have learned has been the actual management of personnel. I've found that learning technical skills is somewhat easy and usually can be learned by applying oneself to the job or task at hand. But how to manage a staff, organize, oversee and delegate responsibilities, provide a good working environment that satisfies the needs of all involved, as well as manage relations amongst personnel -- these things aren't learned in formal school but take practical training and real-life experience to master.
For the past three years, I have been working with a team of writers, editors and researchers. We are producing publications for the education of Family children. I handle the telecommunications and a large portion of the data processing for our branch. I'm also part of the leadership team involved with overseeing the business and administrative matters of our community.
I still very much enjoy studying and reading, and I have many personal hobbies and special interests. Even now I continue with my education through various sources such as teach-yourself books and computer courses.
Although my training has been quite well-rounded, I have specialized in the secretarial aspect. I take shorthand, type up to 150 words per minute, and have a lot of experience in working with computers and various word processing and computer programs. I'm interested in just about anything I can teach myself!
Whatever your response to my decision to devote my life and skills to a small and in many cases misunderstood religious organization, or however much your personal religious beliefs differ from mine, you would have to admit that I am far from underprivileged, uneducated, or incapable of coping with the pressures of modern society. I feel confident in declaring myself to be a well-adjusted member of society, with far more experiences behind me, and therefore more opportunities ahead of me, than today's average 22-year-old.
How I Made My Choice
By Abner (20), Thailand
I personally love learning, I love reading, I love studying. Keeping up scholastically has never been very difficult for me, as overall I have always liked school and the challenge of learning new things, especially with the exciting and fun teachers that I have had in the Family. But there was a time when I was seriously considering leaving the Family in order to further my education.
As happens with most young people, there came a time when I started thinking seriously about my life. Things were not so simple any more, and I began to wonder what would become of me, how I was going to support myself and how I was going to fit in with society in general. I was about 14 years old at the time.
I was born in Paris, France, and traveled to over 28 countries of Europe, Asia, and North and South America by age 14, which had been a tremendous educational experience for me. I was home-schooled by Family teachers after age 11, after having attended outside schools in France and in the United States.
I am not ashamed to say that in the course of my self-examination at age 14, I did have doubts about my place in the Family. I seriously questioned what the future had in store for me. I felt that perhaps my education would not be adequate if the Family had to disband at some time and I would be out in society at large, trying to fend for myself. This was a real fear for me at that age.
My mother, who had left the Family by this time, had established herself, gotten a job, and wanted me to come and live with her and continue my education. My grandparents on my father's side are quite well-off financially, and they asked me to live with them and continue my education. (My father's parents still extend this invitation to this day.) This time was crucial for me, as I seriously considered leaving, even if only for some time, to get a more complete and well-recognized education than what I felt I was receiving in the Family at that time.
To be honest, looking at it from the perspective of the world's standards, what modern society advocates or even what the general public considers to be common sense, the best thing to do would have been to pursue these opportunities for higher education. But the Bible says, "My ways are not your ways, neither are My thoughts your thoughts, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8,9). The Bible also tells us, "The wisdom of man is foolishness to God" (1 Corinthians 3:19). Facing my decision, I saw what it really comes down to is faith -- faith to believe what the Lord is telling me through His Word.
This was not a group decision. This had to be my own personal conviction; no one else could make this stand for me. I guess what it really came down to was whether or not I believed what the Bible said. If I did, then it is quite clear to see that time was short and the most important thing I could do was spend all my energies and everything that I had to give in telling others about Jesus and warning this last generation of not only what is ahead, but of what is happening even now as predicted in the Bible.
I came to the realization that there are many, many people who are willing to receive an education, get a job and then sit at someone's computer terminal punching buttons, just to earn a living and have enough money to pay for the rent, utilities, food and then a little left over to put aside for their children's education or to party on weekends. But there are very few people who are willing to give their lives for Jesus and sacrifice their all to reach others with the message of His Love and Salvation. When I was 14 I decided that I wanted to be one of those few.
I can't say that I have not thought about going back on that commitment since then; I have at times. But I think that I can truly say that commitment brings peace. I have felt happy, I have felt fulfilled and I feel that I am doing what the Lord wants me to do.
What I have written above is one side of what I feel. I have many friends in the Family who feel the same -- young people my age who have had similar experiences. But there is another side of this point on education which I would like to bring out here: When we made our commitments to be missionaries and to serve the Lord in the Family, that didn't mean that we suddenly became dummies compared to our counterparts, or that we are unsocialized, unskilled young people. Quite the contrary, most of my friends are well read, are very skilled, and on the whole, are very well educated. I personally feel that I also have been very well educated. I don't think that a person's education can be measured by the sum of the knowledge or information which he possesses, but rather by his ability to learn new things, to teach himself, and by his versatility and ability to apply what he knows.
When I was home schooled I followed a steady curriculum. During my teen years I also had the opportunity to learn about ministries that I was most interested in and receive practical training in various vocational fields. I began my training as a teacher when I was about 15, and since then I have had the opportunity to study quite extensively in this field. I have since had experience teaching students from second grade through junior high. I know how to plan and follow curriculums, plan tests, administer tests and rate children's academic progress on many different grade levels, etc. I have been on a team helping to oversee our Family educational program in several countries and many different Homes.
I am also a skilled computer operator and have worked for two years full-time in this field. I have a good working knowledge of many widely used commercial software packages. I can write my own basic programs if need be. I can service computers and assemble my own. I have also read and done a lot in the field of drama and theater.
If there is a field that I am interested in, I personally feel that I have the self-study skills to teach myself. In addition, there are many adults in the Family who are well-educated and skilled. In my former Home I was trying to brush up on calculus in my spare time. In that Home it so happened that there was an adult who had been a nuclear physicist who was able to help me learn more about this. Another one of my adult friends had been an editor for many years and was able to help me with my writing skills. I am including this point to bring out that there are opportunities in the Family to learn in many varying fields if the individual is interested.
Some of my friends are less interested in scholastic pursuits, so they have done less academic study, but they are very skilled in other areas. I really like literature and poetry, so I have read quite a bit and am familiar with quite a few authors. Others of my friends aren't, but they may be very skilled in carpentry and electrical work, or they may be skilled as musicians -- things that I am not strong in. Others may not be drawn to technical training, but they get along well with people and are very good people handlers; people listen to them and this makes it possible for them to be effective in witnessing.
I would say that on the whole, young people in the Family who are interested in advancing their education in different fields, even specialized fields, are given this opportunity. But a lot depends on the person, how much he or she wants further training or instruction, and this is an individual matter. -- And the Lord doesn't value one person over another because he or she is more interested than others in academic learning. The Lord looks at all of us the same, and loves each individual for his or her own unique gifts and personality. In the Bible, the Apostle Paul says, "I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your hearts should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:3). So we may find that those who are content with just loving the Lord and others may in many cases be closer to Jesus than people who are intellectually inclined, because they have strong faith.
In closing, I want to add a quotation which I have always liked on the subject of education.
"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education." -- Mark Twain
Making Someone's Life Better
By Reina (16), U.S.A.
Mine is the personal testimony of a fulfilled and happy young person in the Family. My parents have been missionaries in the Caribbean for over 17 years. I was born in Puerto Rico and spent much of my childhood traveling with my parents and my sisters as missionaries to and from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, taking supplies and ministering to the people of both places. We were five girls, so singing and dancing were definitely our favorite means of outreach as children. Ever since I can remember, witnessing and spreading Jesus' Love has been our main goal and priority.
Many people have asked me about my schooling, considering I have traveled so extensively. Even though outreach, witnessing, singing and dancing were always a major part of our lives, it has not been to the neglect of our studies. As a matter of fact, most of us were reading fluently at the age of three or four. Traveling was never a burden for us kids, but instead an exciting adventure, incorporated into our education as a great source of firsthand information in social skills, culture, geography and a lot more.
Of course, growing up as a child of missionaries and then continuing missionary work as a career and full-time job are two different things entirely. There comes a time in every teenager's life that he or she has to make a commitment personally to do what they want to do. My last two years in a Family Home in Florida have solidified my decision to serve the Lord. Aside from my regular studies, we have a continual youth outreach, and in all my travels I haven't seen another youth outreach that I'd rather be with.
The wonderful thing about the Family is that there are so many different aspects and ways to help. I like secretarial work, and I think I am getting better training in that than most kids my age.
In my education, I in no way feel inferior to most kids my age. In fact, in my present youth outreach in the States, when witnessing and talking with other youth, I have stopped asking them to read out loud from the literature we share, to avoid frequent embarrassment on their part.
I also feel quite badly about how teenagers are so generalized to the extent that when there are some who do decide at an early age to make something of their lives and dedicate themselves to helping people, it is looked upon as different or strange. "Maybe they are brainwashed," some people say. My question is, why don't people consider that we young people in the Family could have made these decisions ourselves?
One thing I've seen so much of in the States is kids studying for the sake of studying and sometimes spending four to six years on something they don't use later on. I've always liked the analogy of an electrician who takes his son out on the job with him from the time the boy is young. His father teaches him everything he knows, and when the son is older, he's asked if he would like to go to technical college to learn to be an electrician. His reply is "What for? I already know everything I need to know!"
I think this could be said for many of us young people in the Family. Once we've decided we want to be missionaries, we've received such wonderful training that a college degree is not going to make a whole lot of difference. What difference will a degree make in knowing how to reach people's hearts with the Gospel?
Being able to be a part of changing someone's life for the better is not only nice, but it is too fulfilling for me to ever want to stop. Unlike the majority of young people I talk to weekly who can't get along with their parents, hate school, don't have any true friends, and don't even know if they have a purpose in life, each night I can go to bed and honestly say I helped to better someone's life. The other youth I have interacted with haven't been outwardly troubled teens or known problem cases, but quite the contrary, with kids who looked like they had everything going for them on the surface but inside were miserable. It's so rewarding to know that I have led them to a best Friend in Jesus that they can always count on.
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family