Like other great Christians who have gone on before us, I feel a strong call in my heart that I feel compelled to follow. And that is to share what I have found in God’s Word to mankind, the Bible, to be the truth. Unlike many people I have met who feel bound and imprisoned by the society that they live in, and by what the system would have them believe is good or bad, truth or lie, I have experienced freedom of spirit and a liberation through this truth! (“And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”)

I have made it my life’s mission to share this truth with all who are searching for it and want it. This I feel is my destiny and I would not be happy living a life that I feel is second-best. Rather I feel determined to do all I can and to give all I can, to strive for that high calling and fulfill my destiny. The Family helps me to do just that.

I am 25 years old and have lived in various countries in East and West Europe, the EE and presently in India. Having had the opportunity to live in so many different countries, with so many different cultures that generate their own unique thinking patterns, languages, racial differences as well as mixing with people from different levels of society has given me confidence, compassion and a deeper understanding and maturity to see and feel what people in life go through. This I feel has enhanced my personality and has made me more aware of others and their needs. It has made me more serious about life, and how I spend it. This does not mean that I do not enjoy life. I still have fun and enjoy all the experiences and excitement that comes with youth. I love listening to music, reading a good novel (when I get the time), going out with friends, participating in sports (soccer, basketball, volleyball, swimming) and just “letting my hair down” sometimes.

In the Family I have a lot of friends that have their own unique personality and thought pattern, and there’s no set standard or way a Family person should be or think. A lot of us are as different as night and day. This is what I think makes living in the Family fun and challenging. Personally, I believe the Family is the best place to live in as well as bring up a family, leave alone the religious side of it. You truly sense that people love you and care for you as an individual, and each one is looking out for the other, whether it be from their own personal family or not. What makes our Family homes different is that all the children are our children. I’m a young mother (25 years) of two kids (3yrs and 1 year) and the other parents with whom I live, all care for my two kids as if they were their own. They take them to the park and watch them carefully like they would their own, they teach and train them and are eager to give them the best training they possibly can, academically, mentally, physically, socially, as well as spiritually. And as far as talking about education, my three year old can read, write, quote you a poem or tell you in detail how we get the honey from the flower to our table. I could not wish for better, more loving and caring teachers than these. When they buy their children a special treat, toy, clothes, or anything, they automatically think of my kids too. They are not partial, nor do they have favorites, and they don’t just think about their own immediate family. If something comes up and I am unable to be with my kids, they jump in and fill my place, and my kids feel just as comfortable with them as with us, their parents. I can always count on them. This of course, does not mean that I am encouraged to abdicate my responsibilities as a parent. I am still ultimately responsible for my kids and in The Family we as parents young or old are continually being encouraged and even expected to grow and mature into the best parent that we can be. Good parenting is a God-given duty and an important part of Family life. In short, if you really care about your kids, and want to give them the best in every way, you won’t find a better place than The Family.

My children are not abused, nor are any of the Family children which I have met or lived with. In fact the opposite is true, Teachers, parents and caretakers go out of their way to understand each of the children they care for as well as pray for and about their special and unique needs and get solutions from God, His Word, and through counsel with others, and if needed research material give by experts in those specific fields.

I am proud to be in The Family and count myself privileged. I have gone to public school for 10 years of my life, but don’t see any advantage of how it has benefited me in preparing me for life, and living it with honor, conviction, honesty, and moral values. Before I joined the Family in full time service, I got a good look at society and where it is at. And all it has given me is a hatred for the way man chooses time and again, to go his selfish ways and lead a self-centered, me-first, what-can-I-get life. More and more I meet people to who choose hatred, bitterness, and revenge over love and forgiveness. It’s easier to go the negative way than to overcome your bad self and choose the positive way. But from personal experience I’ve found that the easier way is not always the right way.

Society emphasizes these negative traits through movies, music, books, the news, etc., and even portrays them as a sign of strength. But ask those who promote such things if they are strong enough to love? Are they strong enough to forgive? Do they have love strong enough to love those that do them wrong; to give of themselves even if it hurts? Are they strong enough to lay aside their pride and admit they were wrong? This I feel is true strength! It’s easy to blame others for our lack of love, and to even be hateful of people that had the guts to do the right thing when we didn’t, or to be jealous of others who had the will to succeed where we failed. I personally find the strength to overcome these human tendencies through fashioning my life to that of Jesus’ and trying to live the sample that He showed! He was the embodiment of love. His whole life was spent in selfless giving, and He gave to His death. I believe He also (being human) was tempted to take what seemed like the easier route, but He didn’t! In this I am encouraged, and find renewed strength – that if He could do it, so can I! (“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”)

Let our prayer be like that of St. Francis:

Usha Kaiser Maurer is second generation member of the Family International.