By Elisabeth Jayla S.

My name is Liz (Elisabeth) and I am 17 years old. The second eldest of nine children, I was born and raised in the Family, living first in Japan and later Taiwan.

I don’t think I need to reiterate the cruelty of what happened or refute the ridiculous rationale put forth by our detractors, because many others have already done so quite satisfactorily.

But I am sick of those who are trying to throw mud at our upbringing, to demean our chosen lifestyle, and to insult our intelligence by insinuating that we of the second generation remain in the group because we are bereft and ignorant of any other lifestyle.

That is baseless, and I have the experiences to prove it.

One month after moving to Taiwan, my siblings and I began attending Mandarin Chinese language classes in public school. We were in separate grades and separate classes of 30-40 other students. We participated in all exams and activities pertaining to the subject, and maintained the level required of any Chinese student. Although it was a first for the school authorities to allow foreigners to attend local school, they were quickly surprised at our adaptability and emotional maturity. Our teachers wanted to know how our parents had raised us so, and openly praised our social ability, diligence, and good study skills. I remember that my younger brother’s teacher, when interviewed by the media for a TV program featuring our family, said she had never seen such well-mannered, well-adjusted children.

After four years I decided to pursue further learning and continued studying for two more years. Through six years of attending public school, never once did I feel inferior to other students or find their lifestyle more desirable than mine. In fact, I’ve had an earful from more than one depressed and dissatisfied young person. To have parents who are entirely absorbed in their careers and give less thought to their families; to spend one’s formative years alternating between school, classes, the cinema, and the mall; to undergo tremendous pressure to excel, to the point of risking physical and emotional health—I found it so sadly common I felt grateful and privileged to have such a positive difference in our upbringing.

Academically, I earned eight awards for ranking among the top three in various Chinese language exams and maintained an A+ average. On our final examination I achieved the highest possible score and was awarded by the school authorities for “outstanding achievements while attending our school.”

And I’m sure many other Family youth could do as well or better, but the reason I am recounting all this is not to boast of my personal intelligence or abilities but to express my confidence in our education and upbringing, which I believe has sufficiently equipped me for life in or out of the Family.

If the Family (and our caretakers) exploit and abuse their children, why would the Ministry of Education recommend a Family educator (my mother) to host their annual seminar attended by superintendents, teachers, and directors of more than 100 municipal schools?

Why would a governmental educational radio show repeatedly invite her to share her Family-based principles and views on child raising with thousands of listeners?

In addition, our family has appeared in at least a dozen TV shows, radio programs, and newspaper articles. In each case, the media contacted us BECAUSE they were intrigued by our unique environment. They visited our home, personally spoke with our friends, neighbors, and city officials; gave us fair and positive coverage and made no inference to anything negative about our upbringing. To the contrary, our lifestyle was looked upon as innovative and admirable. With all this exposure, I should think any possible abuse would have been unearthed by now.

As for alternative lifestyles, I’ve met and interacted with people from all walks of life, including those of affluence, prestige, prominence, and position. I’ve personally known enough of them to find out it’s not where it’s at. If anyone were to ask me why I am in the Family, my answer would be that I am in the Family to make the best use of my life—spend it for something that outlasts it. The truth is, only the kingdom of Heaven is going to last, and the Family is dedicated to leading as many as possible into that Kingdom by helping them establish a personal relationship with Jesus.

Family life has its problems, like any other lot in life . No upbringing is difficulty-free, but it remains with each person to choose his outlook on his past, present, and future.

I could choose to negatively view my life in the Family. Maybe decide to cry “abused” because, as the second eldest of nine children, a lot is expected of me and I carry much work and responsibility. Or perhaps wail “deprived” about the fact that I have little leisure time and opportunity for Internet, fashion, shopping, yaddda yadda.

In doing so, however, I would also be choosing to disregard the fact that, due to our mission ventures and family environment, I am proficient in performing, public speaking, bilingual correspondence, business communications, and more. I’ve received all the spiritual knowledge and emotional support to help me become what I am today.

Beyond that, it’s all about choice. You choose who you will become.