STF Blessing Preparation Workshop August 7 - 9, 2013

Ashley and Susan Crosthwaite had the honour of teaching 30 STF graduates their Blessing Preparation Workshop from the 7th to the 9th 2013 held in Schmitten, Germany. It was deeply uplifting to walk into the atmosphere of this years STF group; to feel their sincerity and their enthusiasm in their singing, their sharing and their serving of one another.

18 of the STF’ers and one young lady who was introduced to the DP by the STF witnessing team in Manchester, who just came back from a service project called ‘From Heart to Heart’ pictured here in Latvia.

Ashley and Susan with Seija Kunzig who recently completed 10 years of IW work with STF

Rif and Natania Kobayashi assisted S. C. often throughout the past year and gave a wonderful testimony on the first evening. Nicole Thurner The Blessing Workshop was very valuable for me, especially because I could discover myself more deeply. My character, my weak-points, my strengths and in general which type of person I am. I could understand myself more through all these exercises we had during this time and I figured out which love- language I have, for example, which makes it more easy to give and receive love from and to others. Through the Lectures I could understand how important it is to be serious when it comes to a matching or blessing process, because you can really hurt someone’s feelings if you do not handle this situation properly. Also that my parents have a very important role in my matching and blessing, therefore my relationship to my parents is the most important in this case, because I need to trust them and I must have patience with everything. To believe that God will guide them and will know when I am ready for my partner is also a crucial period during the matching and blessing process. A blessing is for eternity therefore everyone should be very serious about it, with a responsible attitude and hopeful heart. Basically this Blessing Workshop helped me to learn something about all the external matter during the Process and especially to focus mainly on the internal part, which is more important especially to make the right choice for my future for my eternal life.

Romica Spiegl For me personally it was already my third blessing workshop but this one was different from the other two. I really appreciated the focus on character education and I’m glad that we could have a blessed 1st Gen couple as lecturers and a freshly blessed and married 2nd Gen couple as support. For me, their presence gave the whole time a special atmosphere. But even though we received a lot of information on various topics, I feel there is still so much to learn about the value of the blessing and what it really means to God. The workshop helped me to realise that I still need to understand on a deeper level and encouraged me to prepare myself more seriously.

Yuri Cordelino

My first impression is that it was really good I really liked it ‘cause I think they didn’t really give so much typical Father’s words about blessing, but they practiced it the most. Father always talks about “thinking about yourself and not about your spouse” or “being the best you can be for your spouse”, but it’s really difficult that someone feels this way during blessing workshop.

Francesca Cirelli This was the third time I attended a Blessing preparation WS, and it was a special one for sure, since I remember ending the previous two ones with a feeling of anxiety and worry toward the Blessing, not looking forward to it at all, but this time it was different. I’m really glad it came at the end of this year of STF, so that we could freely focus on it, without compromising our Witnessing or other. I was waiting so much for it throughout the year, but worrying to end up nervous once again.. instead its result was totally unexpected! And probably this past year with God contributed a lot. I had started preparing for it already in Latvia, where I used my spare time to study about the Four Realms of heart and their true practical meaning, and I questioned myself and others a lot about the true meaning of Purity.. and there I had one of the deepest experiences of the project when I finally saw how the Blessing is a Blessing to me too, not a curse in my life or a “noble sacrifice” for the sake of mankind.. I saw how the Blessing is God’s second chance for my heart to grow into maturity through the 4 realms, to go through a healing process for the scars of life, and how I can be the one helping God to take care of someone else’s Heart . This touched me so much. Of course it scares me to know that Blessing is given to us for the sake of mankind.. it’s like it the whole SW was there waiting for you to sacrifice.. but the Blessing WS (and Uncle Ashley’s testimony) showed me a new perspective on it and on the SW too. I like how, even though touching the same topic, the angle this time was so different. The two of them are very complementary: this one was more “horizontal”, and with this I mean underlining how a successful Blessing is the result of a deep relationship of Heart not only of us, as individuals, with our sources and subjects of Love (God, TP and our own parents), but with an other person too. And this is something to think about too, in order to check our preparation. Cause at the end, the only “good relationship with God” might not be enough.. And the stress was put on how we all are different people and that is all good! And how our character will play a big role in the dynamics of the relationship too, together with ancestors etc.. It was a lot about reality, about the Heart, the process of healing and how that is OUR commitment and mission in front of our God-given partner, how it’s not just two people deciding to support each other in working for the Providence.. but how the mission we willingly take on is toward each other first of all. And this how the two become finally a being God can live though, and manifest Himself through, as Tribal Messiah. Cause at the end Gods favorite battlefield is the Family. We take, before God, the responsibility to love God’s child with His Heart, to be the connection of that

person to Heavenly parent, to heal that person’s heart, to be the support God wants to be, to carry on the Providence God has in each one of our unique lives too. It felt so special to me. I feel honored of the Blessing now. As we are always reminded, the only way to find “the right candidate” is to make ourselves the prepared people for such a Blessed eternal commitment. And this was done in such a nice way by our two lecturers (I loved seeing a couple giving the Lectures, with their complementary view on things!!), especially by Auntie Susan (generally, giving guidance, as well as individually through some games to understand our God-given core personality and language of love), that I could really feel supported in my desire to make this commitment work. This time, instead of the pressure and the responsibility, I was left with the strong desire to question myself to understand where I am at in my growth of the Blessing, and to take ownership over it, to live the Blessing, to prepare for the Blessing, to make it work, to choose the Blessing.. not to just receive it because I’m a second gen and my parents went through it, letting me inherit Gods lineage. I was very happy to find many spare moments to pray and reflect, it made the Workshop much more personal, and to have newly Blessed couples around to ask questions to. I think this time I could understand the Blessing from a second generation’s viewpoint. Still I think the two views have to go together, to fully understand the internal and external meaning of the Choice. It was definitely one of the most precious experiences I had on STF, and I’m so grateful we could also receive the official certificate!

Lyée Moulinet This was my 2nd blessing workshop. Very different from the first one but nevertheless still very valuable. It was really helpful to understand myself better. It reminds me where I come from. I’m the result of history, the result of True Parents and my parents’ investment. I could get more deeply the importance of lineage. And also the test about your personality from Aunty Susan helped to break concepts about myself. Anyway, even though blessing seems so far away for me right now, it’s never too early to prepare yourself. And I found it nice to have the workshop at the end of stf, to reflect about myself, to see how much I grew and how much I still need to grow before the next step of my life . Thank You

Topics covered during the 3 days were: True Father’s words each morning for 90 minutes from the European Blessing Workshop booklet The History of Restoration The Change of Blood Lineage The Engrafting Process The Temperament that God gave You Testimonies about Parents’ Matching from Rif and Natania and Seija Kunzig Service as a way of Life for Blessed Families

Preparation for the Blessing The 5 Love Language True Parents’ Matching – Application process, preparation, qualifications and history since 2010 Parents’ Matching - Application process, preparation, qualifications The Way of a Blessed Couple

Thanks to S. C. for inviting us to come. ( pictured here at the STF Graduation held the next day ) The last session was a Panel Discussion in which the STF Director participated fully although he wasn’t able to be present in many of the sessions due to the pressures of organizing the STF Graduation. He gave many insightful and clear answers expressing his concern for the STFer’s to inherit a clear and deep understanding of the meaning and purpose of the Blessing.

(Ashley’s lecture notes are still visible on the white board)