The European Second Generation Department's Blessed Children Carrying on the Vision of our True Parents

c:::;::=he European Second Genera- sake of others, and then finding blessed couples and Blessing re- tion Department (ESGD) for- an individual calling from God lated areas (Second Generation mally started in 1997 to to contribute their creativity for Blessing Department) provide activities on a Euro- improving the world. • Training and mission programs pean level and also to support the 4. Understanding the identity of for high school graduates development of activities for blessed blessed children as descendants (DONE and DONE mission children in respective nations. Even of True Parents’ lineage. programs) earlier, there were European activi- • Support for national youth lead- ties prepared and run by elder sec- The main leaders have always ers and national workshops and ond gen who pioneered the been blessed children, working to- activities-consulting and con- international cooperation. The for- gether with the first generation tributing through our connec- mation of ESGD was a result of based on common values and a tions. teamwork and the vision of several shared vision. At the moment there • Providing pastoral care through key pioneers amongst the elder sec- are ten staff members (including the our personal networks and as ond generation and supportive par- Second Generation Blessing Depart- follow up to our activities. ents. Since then, the ESGD has ment), representing different ages, developed various activities focused genders, nations, and fields of edu- Please visit www.esgd.org to find on internal education. The vision cation. ESGD works based on shared out more and to learn about upcom- and goal has been to guide blessed leadership and teamwork. The main ing events and activities. You can children in understanding and in- activities are: also see pictures from the activities heriting True Parents’ vision and • European workshops and activ- on the ESGD Facebook page. lifestyle through: ities for high school students 1. Developing a personal relation- (European HARP) The ESGD staff. Patrick Hanna, ship with God and True Parents • European workshops and net- Yebuny Hanna, Grace Cho, Sean 2. Preparing to receive the Bless- work for the 18+ age group Greaves, Joyce Koetsier, Geros ing from our True Parents and (SAWS18+) Kunkel, Orlande Schenk, Nathalie living a ‘Blessing lifestyle’ • European education for Bless- Waldmann, Julius Alexy, Martin 3. Practicing a life of living for the ing preparation, support for Alexy

Introducing ESGD staff

Patrick Hanna UK. His main mission areas are sup- me genuine care and good spiritual porting the Blessing Department, the education, particularly my parents Patrick Hanna is 27 years old and DONE programme and pastoral and those elder brothers and sisters lives in the UK. He has an English care for HARP and 18+ brothers and who invested in me. With their guid- father and a Korean mother and is sisters. ance, I could come to understand the fourth of six children. He was my spiritual identity in God and blessed with Yebuny in 2009. He Personal statement: True Parents - so I want to help oth- holds a BA degree in English Lan- I feel the value and the need to sup- ers in that important process. I see guage and Literature from Kings port blessed children on their way to the value in the international net- College, London. He has worked the Blessing, and in discovering and work, and the culture that we can es- full-time for ESGD since 2011, previ- creating value as a blessed couple. I tablish working together to support ously working with 2nd gen in the am indebted to all those who offered blessed families for the future.

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Yebuny Hanna want to share the enthusiasm for areas of responsibility are the DONE living a genuinely principled life, programme, education for SAWS Yebuny Hanna is 26 years old and and the incredible value that comes 18+ network and the Blessing de- lives in the UK She was blessed to from it. I want to support others to partment. Patrick in 2009 and has an English have the confidence in themselves father and a German mother. She and their destiny to be happy. So I Personal statement: holds a BA degree in Education and decided to give one year full-time to I owe many of my best life decisions Religion from the University of work with ESGD, particularly to to the guidance and love I received Cambridge, and is currently com- support the DONE programme. from elder brothers and sisters and pleting her MA in Leadership. From With my academic and professional the relationship I was supported to a young age, she has always been in- experience, as well as five years of develop with God and True Parents. volved with local youth, community living a blessed life, I believe I can I have experienced the challenges and education programmes, which offer some new approaches to edu- and joys of an intercultural blessing led her to develop a passion for edu- cation and some different perspec- and naturally feel I want to support cation. She then became a qualified tives. others in their relationships, espe- High-School teacher and throughout cially those in a similar situation. Al- her studies and teaching, has been though making the decision to work volunteering regularly with ESGD with full time programmes is never activities, together with Patrick. Grace Cho easy, I feel blessed to have this op- After teaching in a high-school for 3 portunity to work with such a capa- years, she decided to take this year Grace Cho is 30 years old and is ble, creative and supportive team, to work full-time with ESGD. Her from the UK. Her father is Por- and am excited to work with them main areas of responsibility are the tuguese and her mother is to develop projects, which can offer DONE programme, education for Malaysian; she is the eldest of four something of value back to our com- the SAWS 18+ network and pastoral children. She is happily blessed to munities. care. Hyun Seung, from Korea and they are currently living in Berlin. She Personal statement: holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and I am inspired about the power of an MA in Education and Leadership Sean Greaves education and hold the belief that from the University of Warwick. good education can change lives. I After qualifying as a high school sci- Sean Greaves is 26 years old and is can clearly see the benefit that I ence teacher with the Teach First from London. His father is from gained from the spiritual education programme in the UK, she worked Guyana and his mother is from Ja- I received on my own Church-re- as a teacher and tutor in Korea and maica; he is the eldest of three chil- lated gap year programme; the les- then Australia. Over the past several dren. He is happily blessed to Jessica sons were invaluable and impacted years she has also taken time out to Stewart from New York and they are me to make better choices where support full time 2nd generation currently living together in London. God could be more present in my programmes in Europe. She recently He has a Degree in Animation. life. From experiencing the transfor- decided to commit to a year of full Throughout his teenage years and mative nature of such education, I time work with ESGD. Her main higher education, he has partici-

The ESGD Staff (left to right): Patrick Hanna, Sean Greaves, Julius Alexy, Joyce Koetsier, Martin Alexy, Or- lande Schenk

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pated in, and helped organise, activi- generation. Through working in ties and education for 2nd genera- this field I have come across a lot of tion. He then joined ESGD in 2013 views and ideas. I believe in order :. and since finishing his degree, has to appreciate, further develop and committed to a year of full-time bring out the full potential of True work with the team. His main mis- Father’s gift of the Blessing and sion areas are HARP education, sup- blessed children as descendants porting the DONE programme and of God’s lineage, we should the Blessing department. deeply reflect about how we view blessed children. We need to clearly Personal statement: educate ourselves and others to be I realise now, looking back on my aware of their unique value, and life, that there was never any guar- support and strengthen them in antee that I could have such a won- their difficult task of keeping and derful spouse and great friends developing a pure love lifestyle that whom I care for dearly. I could eas- will allow God to continue His ily have been led away from God work of recreating His lineage in all and True Parents and made deci- of us. For this Blessed families need sions I know I would come to re- PatrickandYebunl Hanna, thefruitofaoss- a healthy confidence in the value of gret. I needed an environment in ,,fUltural, bi-natio I maniage their lineage to God. A parent al- which I could find peace and come ways loves without evaluating, al- to understand my identity as a ways sees potential and believes child of God. I feel I have grown to love and truth from elder brothers in their child and can thereby give be stronger, more confident and and sisters, aunties and uncles. With value, the deep sense of belonging, conscientious in my faith thanks to a heart of paying it forward, I want as well as confidence, pride and a everything that was invested into to help other BCs see the value of secure identity. We need to be me and I know that everybody being part of God’s Lineage too, to- proud of and confident in the Bless- needs this. I owe so much to the gether getting closer to understand- ing and convey this to our blessed great atmosphere and education I ing the Heart of God and True children. have experienced, facilitated by Parents. Our working culture in people who care. Being a part of a ESGD has offered me the necessary team with this as its focus, is a pre- insight, skills and the courage to take cious opportunity and it has been a more responsibility. Orlande Schenk pleasure so far. Orlande Schenk is 34 years old and is from Austria. She was blessed to Geros Kunkel Arthur from the Netherlands in Joyce Koetsier 2004. They have now two young Geros Kunkel is 38 years old and is boys and a three-month old daugh- Joyce Koetsier comes from the from Germany. He was blessed to ter. Orlande has a Degree in Photog- Netherlands and is 24 years old. Her Astrid from the Netherlands in 1997 raphy, Graphic and Web design. She father is Dutch and her mother is and they have four children. He worked for ESGD for two years until Japanese, and Joyce is the third of holds MA degree in comparative Re- 2005 and then joined the team again four children. She is happily blessed ligious studies and Political Science. in 2008. Now she works part-time with her German-English husband, He has worked in ESGD since 2000; mainly supporting the Blessing de- Benjamin Baron, since 2012. She is he has established and run the Sec- partment. currently finishing her BA Degree in ond Generation Blessing Depart- Korean Studies at the University of ment and later also European Personal statement: Leiden. After several years of being Blessed Family Department. In the I have worked with 2nd generation involved with 2nd generation care in past he developed the YSI pro- for more than fifteen years. During Holland, she works part-time for gramme, the European Youth De- this time I realized more and more ESGD since March, 2013. Her main partment and he has been one of the the deep heart of God for his chil- areas of mission are supporting main educators. Now he works part- dren and that True Father’s legacy is HARP educators and HARP pro- time in ESGD besides his job in a that God’s lineage continues. I really grammes in Europe as well as sup- business company and his main mis- hope that I can share some of these porting the Blessing department. sion area is Blessing department. realizations with my younger broth- ers and sisters and that I can be a Personal Statement: Personal statement: support and help for them when In my family as well as in my com- An important concern in our move- they are on their way to getting munity, I grew up as one of the ment has always been how to raise, matched and blessed. I enjoy work- younger siblings, receiving so much educate, and relate to our Second ing with young people a lot.

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The ESGD staffin action at the Blessing Ceremony (left to right): Geros Kunkel, Sean Greaves, Jessica Stewart, Martin Alexy, Grace Cho

Nathalie Waldmann ing and blessing-related questions. work upon; it is wonderful to experi- ence that it is possible. Nathalie Waldmann is turning 30 years and comes from Austria. In 2005 she was blessed to Hyunuk Julius Alexy Park from Korea and joined her Martin Alexy husband after completing her MA Julius Alexy is 45 years old and is in Education from the University of from Slovakia. He is married to Gor- Martin Alexy is 38 years old and Vienna and University of Music dana; they received the Blessing in lives in Slovakia. He holds a doctor- and Performing Arts Vienna in 1995 and have two children. He ate in finance from the University of 2011. They have a one-year-old graduated with an MA degree in Art Economics in Bratislava. He was daughter, Yunah Victoria. Apart History from the University of blessed with Miriam in 1997 and from teaching at an International Comenius, Bratislava in 1992. He has they have three children. As well as School in Seoul, she has been com- been working in education since working as a lecturer at his Univer- mitted to be a liaison between the 1994. Since 2001 he has been in- sity, he has worked part-time for European and Korean Blessed Fam- volved in 2nd generation education ESGD since 2008. His main mission ily Department. Both Nathalie and (ETF, STF, SET, YSI), and since 2008, areas are HARP education, the Bless- her husband have been an active he has worked with ESGD. His main ing department and ESGD finance. part in the Korean-Western couple’s areas of work are the DONE pro- network in Korea. gramme, SAWS 18+ network, pas- Personal statement: toral care and education. I am glad I can contribute to the edu- Personal statement: cation of blessed children. Being a I am grateful to stay connected to Personal statement: 1st gen, I consider it a key point in the ESGD despite living in a differ- I firmly believe that good education order to keep the legacy of True Par- ent continent at the moment. Hav- can change one’s life as well as im- ents alive, so that the potential of ing spent some years in Korea and pact the world to become a better those from God’s lineage will grow studied its language and culture, I place. In my best possible way I in each person. I hope I can keep have come to understand that a ma- want to contribute to what True Par- supporting the capacity building of jority of initial blessing difficulties ents have initiated, God’s lineage ESGD so that the scope of activities between European and Korean cou- and the World of Love. Seeing their can further develop. Having some ples are due to language barriers potential I want to support 2nd gen- practice and expertise in finance and and cultural misunderstandings. eration to become real bridge-mak- in management I try to provide Believing in the vision and beauty ers to that new and beautiful world those skills for ESGD to keep good of intercultural marriage, I am de- and to pass on the legacy of True system of decision-making and gov- termined to share insights, realisa- Parents to the next generations. ernance. I am happy to see the gen- tions and best practices from my Friendship, honesty, integrity, a cul- eration of young people in their own blessing with younger broth- ture of mutual trust and respect, mid-twenties are taking the lead and ers and sisters in a similar situation good teamwork and shared leader- that I can support them in our team- and try to be a mediator in match- ship are the core values we base our work. ‘fl

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