02 Jan2015
Three New Appointments for FFWPU-USA and WFWP-USA
As we begin the New Year, it is our pleasure to announce that True Mother has given guidance for new appointments to leadership positions in our Family Federation for World Peace and Unification in America and in Women’s Federation for World Peace USA.
New Vice Presidents of FFWPU USA
New Vice President of WFWP USA
Dr. Ki Hoon Kim
Continental Chairman FFWPU USA
Michael Balcomb
President, HSAUWC USA
Pastor Miilhan Stephens
Miilhan Stephens is 27 years old. He graduated cum laude from the University of Maryland in College Park with a bachelor’s degree in Food Science.
He was blessed with Sayaka from Osaka, Japan on January 31, 2009. He and his lovely wife are like best friends and are both easy to talk to. They recently welcomed their baby daughter Ayumi to the family and couldn’t be happier.
Miilhan is a bright spirited visionary who discovered the heart of God at an early age. He is known for being an idealist, but always works things from a practical perspective. Cheerfully sharing his faith and listening to others throughout his life, he decided to step up his service to God by pastoring the community he so loves, thus he has been the pastor of the New Hope Family Church for the past two years, after teaching Sunday School to middle school aged kids for many years. He remains committed to serving God and True Parents.
Personal Statement
Dear Blessed Families,
It is an honor and absolute joy for me to serve God and True Parents in this new role appointed to me. I can’t wait to start working more closely with the people I love and for something I truly believe in.
I have to first thank the blessed families in District 1. If it weren’t for their trust and support for me, I would not have found my deep inner calling to be a pastor and go all out for God. I also want to thank Jesus who I felt has always been with me throughout my life, guiding me and training me to reach my dreams.
In reflection of this past year, it certainly has been one never to be forgotten. Some significant events that come to mind are the God’s Hope for America Tour, the Blessed Culture Sports Festival, True Father’s Second Seonghwa Anniversary and the Christmas celebration with True Mother to name a few. I feel that our enthusiastic support for each of these were a valuable offering to God and unquestionably brought great joy to His heart.
Thinking ahead, I’m excited to jump start this new year with our True Mother. I’m reminded how blessed we are to have her leadership at this pinnacle time. I’m learning that she not only has vision but she’s sharp and doesn’t hesitate to challenge us to carry out our responsibility. As we know America has been rapidly declining, and I believe our true recovery and success starts with the love and guidance from God and True Parents. Let’s make a new resolve to stay tuned into the heart of True Mother this year as we pray and carry out our individual callings.
I sincerely thank you all for your undying faith and support for God and True Parents.
God bless you and your family,
Pastor Miilhan Stephens
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Rev. Mari Curry
Mari Curry is 28 years old. She graduated from Willamette University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and holds a Master of Theology from Cheongshim Theological Seminary in Korea. Mari is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Ministry from the Unification Theological Seminary.
After a 2 year engagement, Mari was blessed with Richard Curry on December 29, 2005 in Cheong Pyeong. 9 years and 2 wonderful children later, William (3) and Lianna (2), they are devoted teammates and partners in life, love, mission, and work.
From a young age Mari was highly involved in local church activities in Miami, Florida. After her matching and Blessing to Richard, they found a love and a passion of serving the church together as a couple. In the past, they were camp counselors, youth pastors in Oregon and GOP staff leaders in Korea. Today, they continue to pursue God’s calling together as a team as matching advisers, as members of the Energize Couples marriage retreat development team, and finally and most importantly as co-pastors. Mari and Richard have been serving the community that Mari was raised in, as the co-pastors of the Family Church of South Florida (Miami) since 2012. They are truly inspired with the mission that True Mother has given to the 2nd Generation and they seek to fulfill it the best they can.
Personal Statement
Dearest Brothers and Sisters,
It is with gratitude to our Heavenly Parent, True Parents and to the strong foundation that all of you have built, that I humbly commit to serve our Heavenly Parent in this new role appointed by our True Parents.
I am at a loss of words to say. I never expected this type of mission, but my whole life’s focus has been to answer God’s call, so I am so grateful and excited for this opportunity to serve our American community and to be a part of the growth of True Parent’s legacy. Though I have much to learn, please know that I will do my best to serve, love and let God work.
My heart is overflowing with hope, joy, inspiration and love. I am so inspired to fulfill my new responsibility well. Part of it has been because of the wonderful hearts and the incredible sacrifice of our members past and present. Another part is the amazing growth I have seen in our communities both locally and nationally, and through initiatives like DP Life, God’s Hope for America Holy Ground pilgrimage, True Father’s Seonghwa Anniversary celebration, and the recent founding of the Cranes Club that brought together young Unificationist professionals from all over the world.
But more than all that, because of the amazing heart of our True Mother, I am driven and committed to do more and to be more, not to be stagnant water but to be life giving water, as True Mother has called us to do. During the Cranes Club and Christmas with True Parents I was so humbled by True Mother’s heart and love for us that I was moved to tears more than once. Being there at the conference, I could see first-hand the amount of love and effort True Mother put into each of her speeches and meetings. Three days in a row she put her heart into educating us and leading us by example. And still with that heart only a mother can have, she gave still more by singing to us to close the Christmas celebration. Our True Mother’s heart is so beautiful and so encompassing. Her leadership so forgiving, strong and yet empowering. True Mother’s hope for us, her encouragement of us and her desire for us to go beyond being comfortable to serve others is an inspiration for us all to work together and become life giving water as we build God’s Kingdom.
It is our responsibility to love and bring back all of God’s children. Together I know we can make this happen. I look forward to what this year will bring and what we will accomplish together as one family under God.
Thank you for all of your investment, sacrifice and love for our Heavenly Parent and True Parents.
God Bless you and much love always,
Pastor Mari Curry
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Mrs. Katarina Connery
Katarina Connery is 29 years old. She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Political Economy and Diplomacy from the University of Bridgeport, and a master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Pittsburgh.
She is blessed with Michael Connery, who is a medical student with PhD in physiology, and is soon starting his hospital residency.
Katarina is a committed Unificationist, and committed to supporting True Mother’s vision and leadership. She has been a Sunday School teacher in her community church in Bridgeport, CT, and later joined STF and served as a field educator. Katarina also attended Sun Moon University for one year, and Kyung Gi University for one semester on a US State Department Critical Language Scholarship.
She has been working for the World Affairs Council in Richmond, Virginia, in the area of membership and program development. This organization is part of a network of eighty five councils in the US that focus on international affairs, as well as provide educational resources to teachers and students.
Personal Statement
I would like to express my gratitude to True Parents and our Heavenly Parent for entrusting me with this tremendous responsibility. While attending the Cranes Club Conference in Las Vegas with my husband, we had the opportunity meet personally with True Mother. Standing there in front of her, I felt an incredible sense that I was unworthy and wondered what I could offer. Simultaneously—remembering the tears she shed during her Christmas address—I wanted to offer everything and I felt determined to use my skills, in whatever capacity, for the sake of God and the world. A line in one of our holy songs reads: “The Lord had called and I will go.” I feel with this appointment, that God has called me and I will strive to the best of my abilities to go.
I believe my life experiences and education have all been for the sake of a higher purpose and I am grateful to be inheriting such a wonderful foundation laid by WFWP’s leaders and members. I hope I can give my 100% investment to this amazing organization which our Heavenly Parent, True Parents and so many brothers and sisters have been investing in for many years.
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Achille Mouanda
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Félicitation! La jeunesse l’espoir de demain. Que Notre Parent Céleste, les Vrais Parents et tous les Saints qui ont marqué l’histoire de la providence de Dieu puissent vous accompagnés dans votre nouvelle mission. Unis, nous pouvons. Aju!
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Jorge
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God Bless you Rev. Mari Curry!
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Kashi Nath Khanal
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Congratulations to all of them. the God’s providence in USA will be unfolded with their Leadership and localization of vision 2020 .
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Norma Battiss
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Congratulations to you all!
Wishing you Abundant Blessings and wisdom in your new missions!
Peace, Love and Healing be with you all in 2015 and beyond!
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Boniface EDAH
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That its great new for the God’s providence .Congratulation and welcome.
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James Edgerly
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Congratulations to HSA. This is inspiring news and will be quite a meaningful development for our young adults. I look forward to sharing this news at our next Sunday Service in Boston.
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Georges
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Congratulations to all of you! Please, feel free to contact Josefa and me if you ever need our help! Aju!
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JENELYN
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I am happy and proud of them, they are younger so they are the good future leader, they are intellectual and spiritually equip to embrace this leadership
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CBF.CAMPAGNE
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Wishing the best to 2nd gen.community responsability with 1st .gen .experience support :)
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Migliore Gennaro
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Mrs. Katarina Connery , Rev. Mari Curry , Pastor Miilhan Stephens to all of you …..May HP be with you and your mission .
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Jan & Muriel de Goeij
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Congratulations to the newly appointed young leaders! We trust that True Mother made the right decision in choosing them. May our Heavenly Parents and True Parents guide you on your new journey! You will be great!
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roberto turconi
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We first generation are so blessed to have such wonderful and shining young people to inherit and continue the work for God and True Parents ! they will accomplished many amazing victories ! Dear Miilhan and Sayaka I will miss you very much every Sunday ! All the best whishes to all of you !!!
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Denneze
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Congratulations! Its exciting to see the fresh faces of leadership! May God lead through you, bless and guide you!
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Dawn Bacchus-Horan
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Congratulations to our new youth leaders who have proven to be exemplars in their spiritual and academic achievements. I am so very humbled by Mother’s foresight and divine wisdom. I believe we should ALL follow Mother’s example and train our youths to develop spiritual, academic and physical accomplishments to establish Cheong Il Guk.
Train our youths to be humble, and lead all of humanity to receive the ultimate goal of being connected to True Parents lineage and lead with HEART and competence. This is the quality of world leaders we need in all fields of endeavor for our future towards world peace, and for them to build on the foundation already established by those who went before them.
Mother we LOVE your guidance!
Aju’
Dawn and Family.
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loyola
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great its about time for young people to take the lead vision 2020 yap
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Gloria Laurent
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Congratulations to all of you.may the words of True Parents be your guide in this this new responsibility.The movement needs like you
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Julian Gray
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Heartwarming to see such great qualities in the next generation of leadership. God bless them for taking on these crucial missions.
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Bob Exler
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This is excellent, uplifting news and a great new development for our movement.
God Bless them all.
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jhon & Marina Acevedo
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Congratulations and welcome!
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David Kasbow
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Its great to see these young people standing to take leadership of the movement. God bless and guide them in all they do.
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