the grapevine
(Issue #37; February 15, 1998.)
kidbits
teeny treasures …
* Shawn Richard, 3rd child, born to Joanie and Tommy.--Brazil
* Monica Cristina, 9th child, born to Lissi and Cristian on October 23rd.--Chile
* Michelle Renee, born to Elena and Ben on October 27th.--Mexico
* Samuel, 3rd child, born to Sara Fighter on November 28th.--Brazil
* Eric, 6th child, born to Rute and Joao on December 23rd.--Brazil
* Everest Mart, 1st child, born to Keiko and Gerson on January 21st
.--Russia
tidbits
new laborers - December 1997
* Atlanta (17, Brazilian) joined in Brazil.
* Emanuelle Fe (Brazilian) joined in Brazil (with five kids).
* Angela Maria (14, Brazilian) joined in Brazil.
* Victor Daniel (18, Portuguese) joined in Brazil.
* Joel and Phoebe (Brazilian) joined in Brazil.
* Job and Magdalena (Chilean) joined in Chile (with four kids).
* Elimelech and Maria Clara (Venezuelan) joined in Venezuela (with six kids).
* Gelu Be Positive (21, Romanian) j
oined in Romania.
world highlights
* Russia - While postering on the Orthodox Christmas Day (January 7th), we met the mayor of Kiev and some other officials. Esther was witnessing to a policeman not far from the stage, so when the mayor passed by, the police let her through the security line in order to meet him. She was able to give all the officials tracts and posters, and a Christmas greeting from the Family, as well as answer some questions about our CTP projects.--Job and Esther
*
India - Our Teen/JETT performing team was invited to spice up a seminar conducted by one of the leading hospitals here. The main guest was Dr. Christian Bernard, who pioneered heart transplants. This program went very well, and we were able to witness to him and the many other doctors who had flocked to hear him speak.--Dove, Victor and Joy
* USA - Barnabus, who has been treated in New York for Hansen's Disease (Leprosy), was invited to a special convention held at the UN. He was able to witne
ss to some top people, as well as be one of only 15 people to receive a gold medal for having helped fight against the discrimination that people with these kinds of diseases receive.--John and Sara
Heart to Heart publicity
India
(From Steven, Joan, Cephas and Anne:) Each show has been sold out and elicited wonderful responses! Our outdoor program in Bombay was meant to seat 2,500 people, though there were at least 3,000 people on hand, as the place was packed!--There was only standing roo
m practically everywhere you looked. For the most part the audience consisted of the young from the upper and middle classes, though there were a number of older people from the media, as well as sponsors.
The overall program could not have gone any better! It was such an answer to everyone's prayers! The finale of Vande Mataram (a popular Hindi song) was so powerful that it again received a standing ovation from all 3,000 people.
We filmed this program, and we believe this is going to be a
terrific video/TV program. We were able to employ the best on-line editor in the country (so we hear), who was flipped with Jeremy's playing. The top sound engineer in the business volunteered to do the audio recording for free.
One point of interest was that Dennis Quaid, the actor, who Jeremy and everyone had met about 10 days ago, ended up coming for Jeremy's concert as well. After an initial chance meeting with him he had called Jeremy, and later Jeremy had passed on some prophecies he had
gotten for him (as Dennis Quaid had come to India in search of truth, via some Hindu guru); but we had assumed that he had since left the city. Miraculously on the day of the concert a vanload of the singing team happened to drive up next to him at a traffic light and we were able to reestablish contact. The probability of something like this happening is so infinitesimal that it couldn't have been anything but the Lord.
In any event, someone called him and invited him to the concert, and ama
zingly he showed up, watching Jeremy's entire set, mostly from backstage. Jeremy and a number of others were able to talk and witness to him afterwards, so it was quite inspiring. He gave Jeremy his number to contact him in the US.
On January 29th, Jeremy did an interview with Channel V, one of MTV's main competitors. They filmed a half-hour program called "Rewind." He also gave a mini "slide guitar lesson" on camera, which was lots of fun. Star TV interviewed Jeremy and YA Christy, and then f
ilmed the first show on the 24th, which they'll air on February 1st. Jeremy also gave an interview to India Today, the Indian version of Time magazine, which will appear in next week's Asia edition.
Here are excerpts from some of the newspaper articles that have come out during the past two weeks.
Sliding All Over
Bombay Times (the main Bombay newspaper) - "It's a bit scary, seeing your face being splashed all over town," said slide guitarist, Jeremy Spencer, when asked how he felt about
being in Mumbai. The ex-Fleetwood Mac guitarist, who was only recently inducted in the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame, is in town to perform three concerts for the National Association For The Blind.
We attended the first one held at the St. Andrew's auditorium last Friday. The first half of the show was comprised of Broadway-style song 'n' dance sequences by the Heart To Heart group, in flashy outfits that would have inspired our Bollywoodwallas. (Note: Bollywood is India's version of Hollywood.)
The second half of the show was what made our day. The reticent guitarist's six-string weapon did all the talking while the rather noisy crowd didn't allow him enough breathing time between numbers. It's the kind of show that leaves behind good memories.
Spencer Regaled Fans at Live Show
The Afternoon (a newsy paper, which carries the latest happenings in Bombay) - If you haven't heard the legendary slide guitarist and former Fleetwood Mac band member, Jeremy Spencer, January 30 and Febru
ary 1 is your last chance to catch him in action, live at Nehru Center and Rang Bhavan respectively.
If anyone can get an electric guitar to weep, talk, thrill, enchant and pump up the adrenal, Jeremy is definitely one of them. The guru of blues, who is to be inducted in the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" this year, enthralled the packed St. Andrews Auditorium on January 24, with a repertoire of classic rock-n-roll and blues numbers and some of his own compositions.
Jeremy, who took center sta
ge after a tight hour-long act by his 25-member international troupe, had the audience instantly swinging and clapping to the rock-n-roll beat in their seats.
His blues composition "Talk to Me" had the audience crying for an encore as he worked out a conversation on the telephone between a lover and his girl-friend. Jeremy spoke and the girlfriend's reaction was played out on the guitar, and the meaning was loud and clear to understand.
All in all the show by Heart to Heart was packed with p
ulsating music and dances; but the night clearly belonged to the small white man who sang all the way.
think deep
If you judge people, you have no time to love them.--Mother Teresa
brotherhood
Japan
(From Stephen, VS:) The CRO/VS team in Japan held a two-day nationals meeting at the end of January. It was the first nationals meeting in many years and the biggest ever. About 90 Japanese nationals attended! We had classes on: the Japanese way vs. the way the Lord leads the Family; inter
actions with Live-outs; interactions with our young people; bitterness, etc. It was an inspiring time, and everybody went home with a renewed vision.
In the House
(Listed in order of Singer/Music/Lyrics/Producer)
side a
1. In da Howse (3:30)
Phil, Emmanuel, RAD/Emmanuel/Emmanuel
2. World of Uncertainties (4:48)
Nat S.
3. Always Here For You (4:44)
Jeff/David Lamb/Francesco
4. Part of My Plan (4:43)
Danny P.
5. Behind the Scenes (5:28)
Daniel Lights/John Listen
/John Listen
6. You, My Precious Gift (5:42)
Jeff/Makoto/Francesco
side b
7. Love Your Way Outta Here (5:19)
Hopie/Martin, Tokyo Studio Home/Martin/Tokyo Studio Home
8. We Can't Recant (3:46)
Niki, Angelique/Andrew V./Andrew V., Joan Clair/Andrew V.
9. Leave the Flowers (4:00)
Julia/Eman/George Macdonald, Eman/RAD
10. Soul Song (2:38)
Katrina L./Sunny, Andrew V./Sunny/Andrew V.
11. Livin' and Lovin' (4:03)
Hopie/David Lamb/Francesco
12. The Way That You
Touch Me (3:38)
Cryssy/Joanna/Joanna/Francesco
13. You're In Heaven (4:38)
Katrina L./Katrina L./Andrew V.
1997 December media witness!
--via TV, radio and newspaper
>> Hungary - We were able to get our new Hungarian Christmas CD on the air. One of the biggest commercial radio stations broadcast our songs through the Christmas season.--Ben, Joy, Tim and Mimi
ZTV continues to broadcast clips of Treasure Attics and Kiddie Viddies on a bi-weekly basis (audience: 600,000) in parts
of Budapest and Hungary.--EURCRO Office
>> Moldova - On CNN International, we saw a clip at the end of each news program with our Heart to Heart singing troupe in Bethlehem this year. We heard the song "Christmas Praises in the Air" and saw Rachel close up. It was 15-20 seconds long, and you could clearly see the Family spirit shining through. It was definitely a testimony! This clip was broadcast many times a day at the end of each World News program, together with other Christmas clips and
the Mass in Bethlehem.--Daniel Jeremiah
Two newspapers (circulation: 250,000) also published sweet and positive articles about the natural birth of our baby.--Tim, Davida and Ruby
>> Czech Republic - The Family was shown on NOVA TV's "Good Morning Show," aired nationally (audience: between two and three million). They were also shown on local TV as a "special interest" spot.--EURCRO Office
>> Spain - Articles written by the Family (containing Word and photos from the Family's international
color brochure) are continuing to be printed in the Spanish Sunday newspaper "YA" (circulation: 50,000).
>> Croatia - The Family appeared on a local radio station in Bosnia on December 19th, reaching an audience of 5,000.
>> Russia - A local cable TV station (reaching 1 million people) broadcast a two- or three-minute clip with positive coverage of our Christmas show for 200 psychologically impaired children.
>> Slovenia - Gamba POP TV (audience: 10,000) aired a clip of our Christmas show
at an international fair. One of the young men gave an interview which came across very well.
Radio Kiseljak (Croatian territory in Bosnia) also broadcast a clip of our Christmas show to an audience of 5,000.
>> Ukraine - On January 5th, we did a 20-minute interview with Radio Ukraine International about our local work, the real meaning of Christmas, the salvation message, and a bit about the Endtime. The program was broadcast twice on this station, reaching people all over Europe, Pakistan
, Afghanistan, CIS, North America and Africa.--Job and Esther
>> USA - DC 101, one of DC's top rock stations, played one of our songs off the Dropped Out CD! It goes to show that Family music is right up to, if not surpassing, System standards, and it's getting better every day!--Mike (17)
on the net
New Japanese Family Web site [http://family.gr.jp]
Japan
(From Stephen, VS:) We now have the Japanese Family Web site up and running! The contents of this site are as follows:
a) The Fa
mily (International Family Brochure)
b) Our Activities in Japan (Japan Family Activity Brochure)
c) Activity Reports
d) Reading Corner (Lit Trunk), including Mountain Streams, tracts and Christmas to Remember booklet
On the Media front …
media activity
Tenerife
(From EURCRO:) In early January, the Spanish police arrested two groups of people belonging to the Isis Holistic Center. They were accused of planning to commit mass suicide. (The group was released after testifying before
a judge in Tenerife, but their leader is still in custody.) This started a nationwide anti-cult media campaign in Spain, and an even larger media storm in the Canary Islands.
The Family Home in Tenerife was visited by the children's welfare department, and the Home members later paid a visit to the director of the department. She was concerned about the children's schooling, but when Esteban (from the Tenerife Home) explained that the children are in an official Spanish correspondence course a
nd told her about their outside activities and classes, she seemed to feel that there would be no further problems. Also, the police commissioner started an investigation because he received two reports that the Family was back in Tenerife. However, he told Esteban that he wasn't really concerned about the Family, as we're not considered a destructive cult.
On February 5th, Esteban took part in a live radio program broadcast all over Spain on Cadena Ser, one of the main Spanish radio networks.
The outcome was very positive! The subject of the program was "Sects in Tenerife." Besides Esteban, the speakers were the police commissioner of information in Tenerife; Pepe Rodríguez (a well-known "expert" on cults, he was the reporter who wrote Interviu´s article against us back in 1977); a pastor from the 7th Day Adventists; and a disgruntled former 7th Day Adventist. Eloy Rodriguez (the psychologist who is considered the main "expert" on sects in Tenerife) was supposed to participate on th
e program but backed out, apparently because he found out that Esteban would be there and didn't want to face him!
Esteban gave a clear testimony about the Family, bringing out that our innocence had been confirmed by the Spanish high courts. The police commissioner said that his department is doing an investigation on the Family in Tenerife, as they had the impression that the children weren't schooled, but they now know that their schooling situation is okay as the kids are enrolled in a cor
respondence course. Pepe Rodriguez gave an amazingly positive explanation on the Family to the point that he was practically defending us. The change in Rodriguez´s attitude is a real miracle, as he was quite vocal a few years ago in his accusations against us.
(From Miguel and Esteban:) We got in touch with Ricardo, a reporter from the Diario de Avisos, a local newspaper that is the second most important on the island. Ricardo is one of the first reporters that interviewed Dad here years ago.
He was super happy to hear from us and he wants to visit our Home.
tightening up
Kazakhstan
(From Abi, for EURCRO Media Desk:) We received a message from Peter (in Kazakhstan) explaining that they just found out that a law was passed in September 1997 stating that, "Missionary work by foreigners without registration is prohibited." In order to obtain registration (which is at the Registration Office's discretion), a foreigner must give a written statement about their faith, a POA from the
ir religious group, and a copy of the group's registration in its original country.
So far this decree was only circulated in the government and not published. We do not know how it will be implemented. The Homes have not received any calls from the police, but they are praying about changing their mode of operation. They also mentioned that in some places they are not allowed to poster.
The Kazakh government set up a new intelligence agency two months ago "to combat terrorism, religious ext
remism and organized crime." We believe the extremism they're referring to is Islamic fundamentalism, which they're afraid could spread across the border from neighboring Afghanistan. We haven't seen any signs that this agency is related to the new law against missionary activity, but it does seem another indication of the heightened tensions in the country.
cute kids
* Rosie (4) was singing the song "Religious Persecution." Very seriously and with lots of enthusiasm, instead of "evidence,
who needs evidence?" she sang, "Elephants! Who needs Elephants!"--courtesy of ASCRO
* Emman (3) saw JETT Faithie on the computer one night when Mommy came in and told her to give the computer a break. Upon hearing this, Emman questioned, "Why? Is the computer getting tired?"--courtesy of Aura, Faithie and Flor, Philippines
* Emman (3) went to the barber one day to get a haircut. Upon coming home, his Mommy asked him, "What happened to all your little curls?" Sadly he answered, "The barber cu
t them off." Then with a ray of hope in his eyes he continued, "but if I find them, I can glue them back on!"--courtesy of Aura, Faithie and Flor, Philippines
pioneering
Archangelsk Revisited
Russia
(From Reina [19], Russia:) Archangelsk is a port city in Russia just north of the Arctic Circle, with half a million people. I had only been in Russia for four months when we made this trip, which was my first "boonieland" experience. Our 35-hour train ride was in what they call a platzkart,
which is a bunch of rooms divided by two walls. Each room has six beds kind of stacked in every possible available space. The temperature outside was below zero, but the full train felt like a sauna! So the heat forced me to get out of bed and find things to do in other cooler wagons.
In the train restaurant I met some sweet Azerbaijanis. After going to great lengths with pictures, motions and a Russian dictionary, I was able to answer their curious questions about what we were doing in Russi
a and why we were going to Archangelsk. They were touched by what we were doing and that a foreigner had taken time to "explain her life," as they put it. They gave us a couple of good meals, and we were able to spend several hours talking with them and hearing about their lives. It was a blast and made the heat not so bad after all.
We arrived in Archangelsk at 5:00 a.m. and stepped out of the sauna train into ice-and-blizzard-land! St. Petersburg was already heading towards summer--but not h
ere!
As we waited in the train station, Russian Yan pointed to a large digital clock-type setup above my head. "Do you know what that is?" he asked.
In my sleepy state, I didn't give it a second thought. "I have no idea," I replied.
"That's the amount of radiation in the air here! But don't worry," he continued. "It's a normal amount right now."
"What?!" was my reaction. "What is a normal amount of radiation?"
Interrupting my thoughts on radiation came a Russian greeting of "Welcome to
Archangelsk!" It was delivered by smiling G., a 20-year-old catacomber. There are six other catacombers there, as well as others coming in that direction. They all love the Lord deeply and want to do something for Him!
We had brought two boxes of lit, Daily Mights, Treasures, Russian MLs, Bibles, posters, videos, etc. I wish you could have seen their faces as they started digging through the boxes--like kids that had just found incredible treasures! It was so convicting to see the hunger for
the Words in their eyes and hearts.
Our first mission was to find a place to stay, as the laws in Russia are getting much tighter in concerns to foreigners, and many of our previous hotel contacts had gotten in a bit of trouble the last time, or were just not able to risk it this time. All of our dear sheep had very small apartments with barely enough room for them and their families.
Then Yan remembered a sweet old babushka (grandmother) he had met on a previous trip. She had no phone, so w
e decided to go by faith and look her up. We walked in the door to not only see her sweet welcoming face, but to hear our Fear Not tape (which seemed to be almost worn out from use) playing in the background. She was so happy to see us and, though very poor, treated us royally.
Our meetings with our catacombers, which we had as regularly as possible, went really well. They all ate up every word. We tried to show them the importance of regular witnessing, etc. Before we left, we still had quite
a bit of lit that we didn't want to take back with us, so we asked them if they would try to give it out or at least store it, if nothing else, till we came back.
V. (20) exclaimed almost in disgust at our lack of faith in them, "Do you think after classes like that we're just going to store it for you? We have to get it all out before you come back!"
We met a group of Armenians who were thrilled that we took the time to talk with them. They were hungry for the witness and wanted to do some
thing for us: a picnic! It's probably hard for you to imagine a picnic outdoors in the forest in sub-zero weather with snow all around, but it was great! We had a barbecue which was wonderful, as we had been on a tea-and-cookies diet most of the time.
By the end of our trip we were hooked on the people and witnessing there, and almost didn't want to leave! People we had met only the day before came to say goodbye to us at the train station. We were quite the proud travelers, seeing that we had
by far the biggest farewell group. Each had come with gifts and food for our trip. We had a big Holy Ghost sample-type prayer together, and a tearful yet happy and thankful goodbye and praise time for the miles of miracles the Lord had done our whole way through.
If you would like to adopt these catacombers and this base in Archangelsk and receive CTP pics, please see the support a missionary section on page nine of this Grapevine.
babymania
--by Jaz
Tots on Pots
We've started to g
et some responses in from you experts on the great patience-developing subject of potty training. So here goes!--And please keep ´em coming!
Lessons learned when potty training my two eldest: Richard (now 3) and Amanda (now 2)
(From Esther [SGA, of Tom], Ukraine:) Firstly, I would like to say that every child is unique, and it is up to the parents and caretakers to tune into the child and discover what turns his or her key. Here are a few things that I've found helpful.
-- From the time a
child is born, he should not get used to sitting in a wet diaper for long periods. Changing diapers frequently also helps to avoid the common red bottoms and rashes.
-- If you change diapers frequently, rather than letting the baby do several pees in his or her diaper, you will get an idea of how often he goes. Then when you start potty training, you will already have a clue as to how often you need to put him on.
-- Babies and small children usually need to use the potty immediately upon w
aking up and after meals.
-- Try to make potty time a fun time for the baby by doing flashcards or reading books with him while he or she is on. If you have the space, try to make a special place for the potty where there are bright, fun pictures on the walls on baby's level, and maybe some toys or books.
-- If the baby hasn't gone pee for a little while, and you know that she or he should go soon, sometimes giving him a small sip of water will make him go.--Hearing the sound of running wate
r (even pouring from cup to cup) also works.
-- Praise the baby when he or she does something in the potty, but only show light disapproval of mistakes. Always make sure that you praise more than scold.
-- Make sure that the potty is comfortable.
-- Don't make baby sit for too long on the potty; it will only frustrate both of you, and make them more likely to not want to sit on it next time.
-- If you're potty training in the winter or if the baby is under a year and still pees quite fre
quently, I found it to be a good idea to continue to use diapers if your house is cold (in case of accidents).
I started potty training both of my oldest at around six months (after they had learned to sit well), and I am really thankful that I did because they were both completely potty trained by age two-and-a-half, and now rarely, if ever, have accidents. My baby, at six months, is also doing quite well now. He's even trying to say the word "potty."
About night training: I have found th
at it helps to wait on night training till the child is over a year old, because then they are able to hold their pee for longer, and thus are less likely to do more than one pee in a night. When you do start, wake them once in the middle of the night to put them on the potty. (You can experiment with the timing and find out when they are more likely to go. I found mine went pee about four to five hours after they went to sleep.)
(Editor's note: Waking a child at night is not always necessary.
Many children will wake on their own to go potty, once they have started using the potty during the day. It's up to the parents to be sensitive to the reason they woke up, if it perhaps is to go potty, and not to necessarily just "shush" them back to sleep. A one-year-old we know of woke at night the first night after she started using the potty in the day. She was put on the potty, and after she went, was put back in bed and went to sleep-then rarely even wet her diaper in the night after that
! So, it depends on the child. But if waking your little one, especially a baby, out of a sound sleep does not appeal to you, then you can try playing it by ear and see how they do.)
Of course, put them on the potty right before they go to bed and immediately after they wake. If you use this method consistently, your child will eventually start to wake up when he or she needs to go potty at night.
Potty training is plain hard work, but the rewards are great. So don't get discouraged and quit
if yours sometimes make mistakes; there will be bad days. The important thing is to be consistent, and to pray for your baby or toddler. The worst thing to do is to give up once you've started, because that may make them think that it's not important to stay dry, and it may be more difficult the next time around.
Even if kids have been doing really well with their parents or regular helpers, if they are with a new teacher or helper, they may have accidents just because they don't feel comfort
able asking the new person to put them on the potty. Also, times of change or moving upset their regular routine and may make them have more accidents or seem to "backslide" a bit. It's important during times like that to be understanding with them and even put them on the potty more often. The same goes for times when the child may be going through it emotionally, such as after the birth of a new baby in the family or if his parents are away, etc. Happy potty training!
In the pubs there is
some good counsel on the subject:
"Bedwetting" (ML #1219)
"Potty Prep" FC154 (CCHB1, pg.361)
"Toilet Training Baby" (CCHB1, pg.363)
"Love Never Fails" (Techi's Life Story ch.28, pg.173)
Other potty training tips:
France (From Lily [of Peter]:) My 20-month-old girl had big battles sitting on the potty. When praying about how to help her get the victory over this, the Lord showed me to put on a Kiddie Viddie (to which she is addicted) while she's on the potty. Now she has the victor
y.
Russia (From Daniel, Sarah, Milah and Rueben:) Nicky, our younger boy, has gotten potty trained. Usually when we don't put a diaper on, he wakes up dry, but the funny thing is that when the diaper is on, he's wet. I guess it's something like an acrobat having a safety net for the dangerous tricks--when you don't have it, you're more careful!
Zineland (From Jaz:) I had the hardest time getting Kimberly to keep her hands out of the potty when she was sitting on it. Then I found somethin
g that works well: When she's wearing a longer dress or overalls, her clothes can be pulled over the front of the potty. This covers up the access-hole and eliminates the problem! Wrapping a towel or something over her legs has the same effect.
find-a-friend
* Matthew and Marie (ex-Andre and Irene) would like to hear from teams going to India. E-mail: chip03@glasnet.ru. Add: PO Box 14, 115407 Moscow, Russia.
* Mercy (Venezuelan) and family, Becky and Melody would like to contact you. Ad
d: CX. P 799, cep 85851-970, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil. E-mail: wfh@fnn.net.
* Melody wants to contact Isabella (Pandita Merillet) and Estela (Helene). Add: CX. P 799, cep 85851-970, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil. E-mail: wfh@fnn.net.
* Crystal, please contact your daughter Maria (important!). E-mail: cchristi@pcnet.pcnet.ro.
* Abner (Dutch) and Lily (French), please contact Ruth Meekness in Puerto Rico. E- mail: may96and@aol-com. Add: PO Box 81 - Mayaguez 00681, Puerto Rico.
* German David and Braz
ilian Joan (Caroline), please urgently contact Blossom Home (MV002) in Moldova regarding important financial matter. E-mail: dima@blossom.moldova.su (works sometimes!) PO box you know!
* Elisa (Italian, formerly Jemima) would like to contact Titus and Gioia. Last seen in Chile. E-mail: family@players.donetsk.ua. Add: PO Box 3593 340000 Donetsk, Ukraine
* Shane would like to contact Pitzi, Jasmine (in Krasnodar), David Dane and Phoebe. ASAP! E-mail: org@helpinghands.a.se.
former members se
eking contact
--sent in by 1-800 team, USA
* Eric is looking for a Scandinavian couple he knew in Lucknow (from '82 to '86). Two or three years later I met the same guy in Jakarta, and a few months later in Singapore. I would like to get in contact with this couple. (I'm sorry that I don't remember their names, but they must be between 40 and 48 years old by now.) I am living in Malaysia, and I am German. E-mail: kerich@pc.jaring.my.
* Hi! Elah Village here in Australia. Anyone know me? If
so, say Hi. E-mail: elah@babe.net.au.
* Tamara Joy Tripp is looking for her dad, William Bradford Tripp (Jacob). My mom's name is Diane Beers now, because she married Kenneth Beers (Cornelius at the time). We left around 1979 or 1980. If you have any information that could help me, please contact me as I have been looking for a long time. Add: 3949 Los Feliz Blvd., #507, Los Angeles, CA 90027. Tel: (213) 666-5422.
* I'm looking for the Icelander, Ásgeir Valgarðsson (Emmanuel). His family (fa
ther) in Iceland wants to know where he is. If you know his address or know where he is, please reply to e-mail: diddi@islandia.is.
mama's mailbox
Dearest Mama and Peter,
Thank you so, so, so much for all the treasures you have passed on to the Family. The recent missives "Midlife Victories" and "Believing Prophecy" gave me such a push in the spirit to finally write you, though at times I feel not worthy to be called one of David's children. It's such a priceless privilege to be one, and
to be a receptor of such treasure.
I'm nearly 50, and am feeling the midlife symptoms at times. Thanks so much for such good counsel and advice. My wife is 45. This will be so helpful in giving me the understanding and patience I lack at times. We've been married for more than 20 years, and I know these Words will help us at this checkpoint time of our lives. One thing that is helping us is praying and getting things from the Lord together on our Word and rest days, and recording them in a bo
ok that we review from time to time.--Another fruit of getting desperate to hear from our great Lover!
--J., Latin America
Dear Mama Maria,
I'm the shy type. I'm not very outgoing, but I love kids. It's my dream to be a childcare worker. I'm also very sensitive. I'm a Virgo, so a lot of things can easily disturb me, and I haven't been exposed to the System. I'm not that cool either, and sometimes I don't understand why it's so cool to be cool.
When the Letter "Help Is On Its Way" came o
ut, it was very encouraging to know that you understand what problems us JETTs go through. In my Home it's not too bad. I have a nice home and loving parents, all thanks to the Family and you and Grandpa. It's so nice to know someone cares enough to write us a whole Letter.
--female (12), Asia
Dear Mama,
Reading "Sweet Rest in His Arms" touched my heart and made me cry. Thank you for publishing this FSM (#310). I am sure it will encourage many mothers, as it did me.
Every woman's body r
eacts differently when they get pregnant--some can work and eat normally and never throw up; others are sick all the time and can hardly keep any food down. I am usually very sick for the first four months. I also fight heavy spiritual battles, such as discouragement, doubting the Lord's will as to why I am pregnant again when my last one isn't even walking, fear of the future, etc. One time a brother even asked my husband, "Why is your wife still so sick? Is there something wrong with her spiri
tually?"
Sad to say, like Mary Mom, I missed so many precious moments and opportunities to grow in the Spirit, to use those months to get close to the Lord, to grow in grace and trust, and to thank the Lord for rewarding me with another child.
I am ever so thankful for the prophecy you asked someone to get for me when I was pregnant with number seven, and I am glad I didn't have my tubes tied.--Because now I am pregnant with twins, numbers eight and nine! Such an honor! See what I would have
missed if I hadn't obeyed the Lord and "gone for the gold!" I love you and pray for you often.
--an adult woman, Asia
notices
SPALIM's e-mail address
SACRO
We'd like to announce just one more Internet address to add to your long and growing list. To contact the Spanish LIM, send your e-mail to: spanlim@ibm.net (please notice the "n" in "spanlim"). In case you're wondering what in the world you might want their address for, consider the following:
1) You may have questions that ha
ve to do with the Spanish HomeARC.
2) You may wish to point out a spelling, grammar or other mistake found in a Spanish pub, including these in the Spanish HomeARC.
3) You may need to send us Letters that you have typed for the next version of the Spanish HomeARC.
4) You may need to send us your translations.
5) You may want to send us spirit stories that you have received in Spanish.
6) You may want to send us photos and testimonies of your work so we can include them in the Spanish W
eb page (free publicity for your local work).
7) You may have comments and suggestions concerning the Spanish pubs.
8) You may want to send us some love and encouragement!
9) There may be other things you'd like to bring to our attention.
We hope this e-mail address will facilitate our communications with all you Spanish-speakers out there. We'd like to ask that, as much as possible, you try to close all your messages to us with the SPALIM public key (spalim.pub), which was sent out with
the Spanish HomeARC installation diskettes. If your dilemma is that you don't have a copy of the Spanish HomeARC, but need the SPALIM public key, just send us an e-mail asking for it, and we'll be sure to send you the key.
From time to time we get requests for copies of the Statements, FARs, Power and Protection and other Spanish pubs. We'd like to ask that you first look for these pubs in the Spanish HomeARC, which is already out. That will save us a lot of time. If what you're looking for i
sn't there, then we'll gladly send you what you are asking for (providing we have it, of course). On the other hand, we won't go through the extra trouble of sending you something that was already included in the Spanish HomeARC. If what you need, then, is the Spanish HomeARC, send us 10 dollars (through your CRO office) and you will receive it in a jiffy. Happy reading!
movie ratings
Movies Rated for Senior Teens and Up
GOOD WILL HUNTING (1997)
Matt Damon, Robin Williams
Will Huntin
g is a tough, street-wise guy who works as a janitor at MIT. He is also a genius with a photographic memory. Facing prison on assault charges, his only hope of freedom is to be put under the tutelage of an award-winning math professor who has discovered his amazing talents, and also to go into therapy. Lessons on love, trust, honesty and living up to one's potential. Beware of some distasteful language throughout.
Movies Rated for Junior Teens and Up
SHINE (1996)
Geoffrey Rush, Lynn Redgr
ave
Drama/biography of David Helfgott, an Australian pianist who was a child prodigy and suffered a mental breakdown due to the pressures of his career. To the surprise of many, he later picked up his career, though still suffering greatly from mental disorders. Emotionally intense in parts, but an inspiring portrayal of someone who has heroically overcome great personal obstacles.
Movies Rated for MCs and Up
BUDDY (1997)
Rene Russo, Alan Cumming
Movie based on events in the life of 1
920s socialite Gertrude Lintz, who takes in and raises a baby gorilla. Fun animal movie with some interesting points for discussion. Some scenes of the gorilla's misbehavior and temper, in the later part of the movie, may be a bit tense for sensitive children.
Non-Recommended Movies
SWAN PRINCESS 2, THE: ESCAPE FROM CASTLE MOUNTAIN (Animated; 1997)
movie reviews
Swan Princess 2
(Jesus speaking:) This film extols and sings the praises of the evil one, the one who would snatch you a
way. Why would you want to be polluted by it? Why would you want your children to be influenced by this strong pull of the System and evil enchantments? Let your mind be washed in My Word if you see this, for it is a blatant attack of evil on good. It destroys morals and values that are otherwise built up. With the flood of Satan in the world today, you need to be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves.
Make it easy for yourself to be healthy by eschewing the Enemy's poison in sugar-coat
ed pills. Avoid it! If you drink it in accidentally or if you have done so of your own will, cleanse your heart and your mind so that it is rid of poison. Discuss the tools Satan uses in this film, that you may be rid of his influence on you through it. Be cleansed by the washing of My Words.
Discover Africa
--excerpts of logs from Aaron and Joshua (YA)'s logs, Lagos Home.
Right before Christmas, we made an exploratory trip into five West African countries--the first of more trips to hel
p scout out and eventually open up Africa's many fertile fields, Lord willing. We hope that in this log we will help you to see the possibility of Africa as a fertile mission field. Come take a trip with us into the wilderness!
We started our journey in Lagos, Nigeria. Please keep in mind that on our trip we had about $10 to spend (not counting show money). Every step had to be a miracle, especially lodging, food and transport, since we only had airline tickets to our first destination (Ivory
Coast) and we were planning to travel up to 8,000 miles round trip.
Ivory Coast, or Cote d'Ivoire
[Capital: Abidjan. Population: 12.5 million. Official language: French. Rainy season: May-October. Money US$1=CFA 560.]
Landing in Ivory Coast is a shock to your system if you're coming from any other African country. It's so organized and clean by African standards. You know you're in Africa, but Africa at its best. It reminded us of a small urban French town; you can buy everything in Ivo
ry Coast that you could in the West, from French cheese to foreign clothes, shoes, electronics, etc. They have a garbage system that works like it does in Europe, something which is still non-existent here in Nigeria and many other African countries. There is hardly any crime at all. Ivory Coast has many other cities accessible by road and domestic air. Seventy-five percent of the roads are fantastic. The ports are very organized, so the shipping in of goods and vehicles seems easy and safe.
A
bidjan is a ripe and ready fertile field, totally untouched--a virgin field. Every type of witnessing went super during the week we were there, and the people were very hungry for the Word. When we provisioned hotels, meals, airline tickets, etc., everyone was so sweet. We found all businessmen we witnessed to spoke English. French helps, but for the folks who don't know it, they'll do fine and learn as they go. Having one person on the team who can speak some French is okay to start.
The Lord
led us to the director general of a large group of hotels throughout Africa, who bases in Abidjan. He not only made sure we had a place to stay within the hotel group, but he wrote out a letter of referral saying that the group officially supports our work here in Africa and that all their hotel chains should host us.
The posters went out well here, and we were able to lead people to the Lord everywhere. Most Ivorians are Catholic. They are very traditionally religious, but are relaxed about
it. Everyone we met respected prayer and was interested in our message.
Cost of Living: Housing is about $600 a month for a three- or four-bedroom house with a small garden. You must have three or four months rent to put down. Taxis are very cheap; $5 takes you from one end of the city to the other. The bus system works and is cheap, clean and efficient. Food prices are lower than what you would pay in Western Europe.
Visas: Coming into the country was a relaxed and easy affair. For Amer
ican and EEC members, it's very easy to come and go. We were not able to find out anything about long-term visas, but the impression we got was that they would not be too difficult to work out once you're here.
Note from Josh: Beware!--Ivorian girls are dangerously beautiful!
Liberia
[Capital: Monrovia. Population: 3 million. Official language: English; spoken by 1/5th of the people. Rainy season: June and July, October and November.]
Our next destination was Liberia. We were able t
o provision tickets to Monrovia on one of the local airlines. As we were flying the one-hour and 10-minute flight to Monrovia, we were a bit scared of our destination. In the days leading up to our trip to Liberia we talked to Liberians and others with firsthand experiences of the war in Monrovia, and the Liberians themselves are leery about returning there yet. They fear it could blow up again at any time, so they commended us for our courage, ha!
Liberia has been in a civil war for the last
eight years. When the war seemed like it was finally over, it exploded all over again last April 6th--a day that all remember. Restarting the war brought much chaos and killing again. Most expatriates were airlifted out of the country, and the Liberians fled whichever way they could. We heard a lot of horrific tales, but basically the war ended in total savagery and ruthless killing.
Josh and I took time to pray on the plane, and the Lord told us that Liberia was a pearl of great price: Even t
hough a pearl is difficult to find and get to, once the clam is opened, it's worth all the trouble. We found Monrovia to be fairly safe day and night; the West African peacekeepers are there right now, so there's peace at present. As for the future, we have to pray that the Man Upstairs takes care of that.
Landing in Liberia: The International Airport in Monrovia was destroyed during the war, so all airplanes coming into Liberia now land on a very small runway, originally meant for small pro
peller planes. It's like landing a jet on a dime.
Immigration was in an open-air hangar. Miraculously, we had met a team of four Americans that had connections waiting for them, and they helped us to easily pass through immigrations, which otherwise could have been difficult. Then we jumped into a taxi towards town.
As we drove, we saw the state of Monrovia; it was totally ravaged, with almost every building gutted or destroyed during the war. The people were living in anything they could co
ver themselves with. Now, everywhere people are trying to put their lives back together. Although most buildings and homes were damaged or destroyed and people in general are in incredibly difficult situations, there's still that "African happiness" that fills the air everywhere you look--a look of hope that all will be okay.
Open Doors: Immediately the Lord swung open doors in front of us. We were able to get to see the Minister of Health, who opened his heart to us. He shared stories of ho
w Jesus kept him through the difficult times of the war. He sent his attaché to escort us in a four-wheel drive Jeep to county hospitals, and we were able to survey and check out the possibilities of our team of doctors in Nigeria and us doing free medical projects in some of Liberia's main hospitals. The hospitals are completely barren--no equipment.
In and around Monrovia, there are over 10,000 orphans. With homes for only about half of them, the rest are left to find themselves a place to s
leep; then the orphanages feed them and give them some schooling in the day.
The orphan children range from little babies to 14-year-olds. The Liberian people in charge of the orphanages were very determined people who are doing their best with what they have, but sad to say, they have no help. The NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and United Nations are doing nothing but looking at the situation and driving around in their new Toyota Land Cruisers. There is so much bureaucracy, and the ai
d systems are too sluggish to get anything done.
Witnessing: On average, 30 souls a day were getting saved! The Lord opened doors to play our Family's music tapes and CDs on two radio stations (listening audience: 500,000). One station gave us an hour interview, which we used to give a salvation and Endtime class, as well as to explain our goals and aspirations in Liberia. That was followed by them playing "War No More," which was to become a hit and their favorite song. All Liberians are lo
oking for that healing touch that only Jesus can bring--and we've got the music!
The Lord led us to 35 young students who got saved and flipped over witnessing and Endtime classes. They took thousands of posters to distribute across Monrovia. These young people are starving to get out our posters. We found the young people so ripe and ready for wholehearted discipleship. Since all of them know how fast life can be over, they want to put so much into making a difference with their lives.
Pr
ovisioning: A few members of the expatriate community own hotels in town, which miraculously were not destroyed. We provisioned our stay in these hotels. We had already spent $5 (of our $10) on the taxi ride to town. Don't worry, though, the Lord did not fail in taking good care of us. While these hotels cater to United Nations members and other NGOs at $220 a night, the Lord fed and housed us for free during our entire stay in Liberia. We met the owner of an airline who flipped over our work an
d gave us free tickets on to Guinea (Conakry).
Little Ladies of the Street: War produces many different types of situations for normal people. When you have such poverty after a war, people try to make money in whatever way they can. In Monrovia, the war led many of its young girls into prostitution. Mothers many times push their daughters into it, to bring more money into the house.
One night, we provisioned dinner at a bar and restaurant. After we ate our dinner, a whole stream of young
girls (aged 13-23) came into the bar. Two of the girls came up to us, trying to hit on us. After talking with them a few minutes, they both got saved, then returned to their group. Soon groups of girls who were standing off in the corners of the room began sending girls over to us asking if we would come over to each group and talk to them about Jesus. So, one after the other, each girl would bow her head and pray with us. In all, 17 of the girls prayed with us that night.
Other important of
ficials:
We met two high government officials who got so turned on by what we were doing that they arranged to have all visa charges (exit visas and extensions) and our airport tax waived. They gave us a diplomatic car and driver for the last few days we were in town. When we left, we were given the red carpet treatment, driven straight onto the runway, given a special escort through immigrations, and seated in the diplomatic lounge until the plane left!
A Family Home in Liberia? Liberia i
s a very special country that needs special Family members--ones with broken hearts to help rebuild a war-torn country. Every government post is looking for the kind of help the Family can offer in rebuilding and restructuring their country. It seemed to us that now is the best time to go there. The brethren that go there now will be accepted as part of Liberia's rebuilding process--a perfect chance for the right Family members to bring forth fruit that will remain. Liberia is a missionary's par
adise! There is so much to do!
Right now it might be a difficult place for families with children. But if things continue as they are, a family with children could in the near future find Liberia a wonderful place to reach the lost.
Living in Liberia: A Home in Liberia would need a support base, as fundraising in this country would be difficult at present. A three- or four-bedroom house would cost about $600 a month, or less if you witness to the owner. Most goods are imported, so you can
double the price you'd pay in the States. A generator is a must, as electricity is only on part of the time. Teams could also fundraise in Ivory Coast, or even base out of Ivory Coast until they are able to move their whole operation to Monrovia. Another plus is that English is the main language.
Liberian Opportunity!
--from the Nigerian team
The Liberian people are very needy, and the Lord has opened a door for us to help them. We explained to the different associations and project lead
ers that we met that we live completely by faith. We told them that we believed the Lord would be supplying for them because of their desperate prayers. That is why we are turning to you, our Family Homes around the world, to help make a difference in Africa.--Not only to help supply these needs, but to teach these Liberian leaders what faith in God can do. We have set up all the necessary arrangements to receive containers sent by ship to Monrovia, Liberia. Here is a detailed listing of their n
eeds:
Orphanage needs:
- clothing and shoes of all sizes (ages 1-14)
- School notebooks (unlimited amounts)
- 200 gallons of paint (outdoor/indoor)
- 50 gallons of enamel paint
- industrial cooking utensils (pots, pans, plates, cups, etc.)
- roofing tin; outside light fixtures
- generators of all sizes
- 200 sheets of plywood
Hospital needs:
- two ambulances
- 115KV generators
- 75 matrices (for each hospital)
- portable surgery tents
- wheelchairs, stretchers
-
microscopes for labs
- incubators, delivery kits
- bed sheets
- scales
- surgical equipment
- blood pressure testers
- all types of medicines
If you would like to play a role, please go ahead and provision the shipping of a container to Liberia. Do not wait till you have the supplies. Once you have the shipping and container, the supplies will come! Some Homes might want to join together with other Homes in the area to fill one container. We appeal to Homes across the world to d
o what you can to help these people. To those Homes that get involved with this project, we will send you an official thank-you from the Liberian government, as well as pictures of these goods being delivered and used for your donors and contacts. Our e-mail is: FCWA@infoweb.abs.net.
(Editor's note: To be continued! See the next Grapevine for accounts of three more West African countries as well as further general information about the field of Africa.)
support-a-missionary
* Blossom
Home in Moldova (all EE nationals) needs cash to preach the Gospel! Send it to MV002 today! Also Pentium computer and baby diapers, or donations to get them! WLY! E-mail: dima@blossom.moldova.su.
* "White Dove over Sarajevo" needs your help! Pioneer team of eight: CTP shows, sheep, souls, aid. Monthly newsletter guaranteed! Contact us via ABM, OASIS (Operation Assist Sheep In Sarajevo), Home # CT005.
* Help reach Bosnia! Basing out of Sarajevo, we do CTPs, Bible classes with our catacombers,
three of whom have joined and more are waiting. E-mail: mike.raymon@siol.net. Gifts to: SV001.
* Want to adopt catacombers and our base in Archangelsk? We'll send CTP pics! Add: Archangelsk Team, 108-22 Queens Blvd #186, Foresthills, NY 11375 USA
I'm wondering ...
Q: In issue #31 of the Grapevine, you have an article about the new Love Lines service. Can FMers also send in ads for this?--A potential Love Lines subscriber, Single-ville
A: Yes, the Love Lines service is available to all
Family members. Be sure to check, though, when responding to someone's Love Lines ad, whether they are CM or FM, if they fail to mention it, to ensure that you and your prospective partner or companion are eligible for more intimate involvement.
Note: Please be sure to note your status (CM/FM) when you send in your Love Lines ad. Thank you!
ask-a-midwife
--by Rose Midwife
Q: I've heard some mothers say that the "sixth pregnancy" equals problems. Is that true?
A: Not true. With the fi
fth pregnancy there's normally some kind of a pattern change, but it isn't necessarily bad. If your babies have all delivered late, they might now start coming on time or early, or if you've always started labor with contractions, your water might break first. If you've had very long labors, they might now get shorter. If for some reason you don't get a pattern change with the fifth birth, then you probably will with the sixth one.
I've always wondered if you also get a pattern change with the
10th pregnancy. Do any of our moms of 10 or more remember?
Q: After you have a miscarriage, what is normal? My periods weirded out for months, and I had a lot more pain and cramping. Is that normal? Is there anything special that you need to do to recover afterwards? Also, is it true that you need to wait for a certain amount of time before you have intercourse, in order to give your body time to build up its strength before you get pregnant again?
A: This is a big topic, as miscarriages
do so many different things, depending on how far along the mother was, her age and general health.
In a miscarriage the cervix still dilates, as it does during a birth. For a miscarriage you don't have to open as far as you do with a birth, but your body must still recover. Some miscarriages are quite painless and easy on the moms, while others are as hard as a full-term birth and the mother needs as much recovery time as after a birth. It doesn't seem to matter how far along the mother was a
s to whether the miscarriage is easy or difficult; it just depends on what the Lord chooses, and the mother's body and general health at the time. The mother might have a hard miscarriage one time and an easy one later.
It can be normal to have weird periods for a while after a miscarriage; then again, they could go right back to normal the following month. Many times in the Family our mothers miscarry and then get pregnant shortly thereafter, so you should eat very well after a miscarriage in
case the Lord is sending you another baby right away.
Yes, it's good to give your body time to recover before having intercourse after a miscarriage. You should always wait until all bleeding and cramping have stopped. If you get a fever after a miscarriage, you should get checked by a professional to be sure everything has come out.
Q: Is it true that pregnant mothers shouldn't eat food cooked in a microwave, and shouldn't stand in front of them?--Or is that an old wives' tale?
A: Moms
can eat food cooked in a microwave. I do ask mothers not to stand in front of or around the microwave. I do this because the only common factor research has found while studying children under two years of age who develop leukemia is microwaves in the home. There's no solid proof that microwaves do any harm; it's just the one thing the families of these children have in common. But the way I look at it is, why take a chance you don't need to take? Most importantly, trust the Lord and look to Hi
m! He never fails!
what's up?
He does supply!
China
(From Andy and Joy:) We had been asking the Lord whether or not it was His will to visit my family in Australia, as I haven't seen most of my relatives for over 18 years. After the Lord confirmed it was His will and showed us what to major on during our visit, we were praying with our children and asking for the Lord's supply.
Our youngest started to pray: "… and Jesus, please supply the airplane tickets." No sooner had he finished h
is prayer when the phone rang. It was my mother, calling to say they wanted to pay the airfare for our visit. Wow! The children were flipped out at how fast the Lord answered their prayer!
There is a certain area in China to which we have wanted so badly to make a road trip, but have been unable to do so due to its geographical location. Traveling there by land was simply too dangerous, especially with the children, and by air it was too costly. We asked the Lord about it and He said, "Go ye."
So we made the decision to put the Lord on the spot to supply the finances we needed, and He did! That month we received the best support ever and were able to cover the extra expenses of this road trip and other monthly expenses. Where God guides, He always provides!
Kiddie care
Taiwan
(From David and Ruthie:) The Lord has been opening different witnessing doors that we weren't expecting at all. I've got one English teaching job in the mornings at a kindergarten, which the Lord confirmed
us having in prophecy.
We've also opened our Home to children from around our neighborhood whose parents want them to learn Bible stories and mingle with English-speaking children. They pay us to take their kids for three hours, once a week. We do cooking or art activities with them, as well as slide shows, flannelgraphs, etc. Once word gets around, there's no lack of parents wanting these types of activities for their little ones. When we get to know the parents better and they understand ou
r work, we offer them the opportunity to purchase our videos. The children get saved and are fed the Word along with ours.
Problems with officials
Nigeria
(From Paul, Maria, Simon and Joan:) When Paul and Joan went on follow-up to a company in an industrial area, they were stopped by some immigration officers who asked to check their passports. When Joan produced hers, they realized that she was married to a Nigerian and they didn't give her any trouble. Then they proceeded to check Paul's
visa.
When they couldn't find any fault in his and his family's visas, they cooked up a story that the visa Paul and his family had was fake and that they would have to arrest him and put him in prison. Since we were not sure whether what they were saying was true or false, we were a bit shaken up and didn't know what to do. While the whole ordeal was going on, we prayed and asked the Lord to give us wisdom. When they found out that they could not get anything (a bribe) from us they finally l
et us go.
Memphis--great confusion
Mideast
(From Victor:) I was given a jolt of reality awhile back when I dropped by our computer contact for some advice. He was talking with another customer about the new global communications system to be launched next year that would make Windows obsolete, and would give Internet 10 times more usage in banking, shopping, etc. I asked him out of curiosity what was it named, and the answer sent chills down my spine: MEMPHIS! (Editor's note: Memphis is th
e code name for the new Windows 98 operating software, which is supposed to have internet capabilities built in.)
A different Christmas
Colombia
(From Ricky:) "We want a different Christmas!" was the teens' request, including my own. We told the adults we wanted something different than the usual BMT shows that we usually did, because we wanted a change. Some of us already had ideas about making a band, so we thought to try to make our Christmas shows live.
There were some second thought
s about it, but we decided to give it a try. Sure there were struggles and all, but we did it--and it was fun. We were able to do 15 Christmas songs totally live--drums, bass, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, flute, keyboard, and we were even able to throw some maracas in there--and it actually didn't take us that long! We performed nearly 60 shows and actually broke our own record by doing 17 shows in one day. It was really inspiring! We came out on TV three times, and won 1,150 souls this Chr
istmas! Our theme song was "The Prayer of Saint Francis," as in this country they are fighting to have peace.
Fruit of fax ministry
Namibia
(From Philip and Meekness:) This past year we sent 2,000 pages of Word-based inspirational faxes to 45 friends, kings, sheep and supporters! The response has been overwhelming!
We desperately needed a reliable car in order to make a long faith trip. Three days before our planned departure, one of our fax friends called us and said, "How would you lik
e to pick up your new vehicle?!" He had bought a van for us!
This man is fruit of the fax ministry, and his initiative to give arose from the fax he received the day before, titled "Blessings of Giving!" Try it, you'll like it--and they will too!
Hospital blitz
Tahiti
(From David and Katya:) We had a fruitful four-hour witnessing blitz in which we won 234 souls! Our team of three arrived at the hospital, and prayed before entering. We received Acts 1:8. We entered the hospital like conqu
erors and witnessed to everybody on our way--visitors, sick people, nurses, cleaning staff--everybody from the ground floor to the top floor. The people gladly received Jesus! Normally visitors are only allowed during certain hours, but when the time came for the visitors to leave, we felt that the Lord knows no hours so continued boldly--and no one said anything to us. Out of the 252 people we witnessed to, only 18 refused to pray with us on the spot--meaning that 93% did! A miracle!
Surfer
to surfer
Japan
(From Gabriel [JETT shepherd, HCS]:) On the coast near our school are some of the hottest surfing spots accessible from Tokyo and Yokohama. It was a case of "instant witnessing," as we were on our way to go shop to shop--AOD, as we call it (any open door). It was lunchtime and we were hungry, so Francis and I pulled over and got out our picnic lunch. Surfers' cars were parked along the road, and we thought we could watch them surf while we ate lunch. Well, before we could eat,
sheepy surfers and their friends were falling into our laps and the personal witnessing was so fun!
We found that many of the Japanese surfers speak English, as they've been to California (or would like to), and most have US or Australian surf gear, etc. Many of the surfers' girlfriends go along and sit on the beach for hours with binoculars, watching their boyfriends surf and getting bored. They turned out to be very sheepy and receptive, and quite a few souls were won. There's a real vacuum
for the Endtime lit, and we've been using our Bibles a lot to explain coming events. Also, we've been able to witness in English to surfers from Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil.
This week we witnessed at a large surfing championship. After praying with one surfer who was very receptive to the Endtime message, he looked at his watch and was startled. "I've gotta run," he said. "I'm in the finals right now!" We stuck around and watched him compete, and he turned out to be the big trophy winn
er of the whole tournament! Not only was he going home with two nice trophies, but also with Jesus in his heart! We got his phone number and address, and he promised to come visit our school. Pray for us as we ride this new WAVE to more fun witnessing adventures!
God's birdies
India
(From Jonathan and Marie Claire:) Marie Claire's aunt called to tell us that she had an envelope with $200 for us. The envelope was given to her by her neighbor, who had found it lying outside her doorstep! It
said, "For the Birdis" on the envelope! She thought it was money to feed the birds, ha! Later she remembered that our last name is Birdi, and gave the envelope to our aunt!
Africa meets Russia
Russia
(From Gerson:) Straw huts turned into 12-story apartment buildings. Thick foliage turned into sparse leafless trees. A year-round warm climate turned into below-freezing, moody temperatures. Amiable smiles turned into suspicious glances. These and many more are the changes which Africans exper
ience when they come to Russia.
During communist times racial equality was advocated, but with the fall of the old regime, ethnic prejudice has made skin color an issue. "We never go out in groups of less than four, and always with the sun. To go out by oneself, this is suicide." Many come to Russia to get a university education and then return to their home country as doctors, engineers or lawyers. Their first year is spent studying the language and taking preliminary tests.
We met a group
of four during the first week of our stay in town. They were glad to meet someone with whom they could communicate. The four came from Cameroon, where English is widely spoken. After talking for 15 minutes, an appointment was set to meet again at their dorm.
A week later David and Gerson arrived at the fourth floor of a student complex. Prince and the others we had met were the first to greet us. Soon the small room was filled with 35 eager faces. Prince had everyone introduce themselves by na
me and nationality. Students from Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Angola and Cameroon made up our audience. Names like Matias, Jackson, Brad and Hugh were common.
We told them who we are and where we came from. Most had religious backgrounds, so words like "Christians," "Jesus" and "Bible" brought big smiles. At the end of our meeting one of the Jacksons asked for a class on eschatology. "Do you know anything of this matter?" they wondered. Gladly we told them that in our next meeting we w
ould talk about this intriguing subject.
Our eschatology class was a hit. A new knowledge had been opened to them, and its discovery was evident on their faces. One problem was a lack of Bibles. All the verses we had just shared with them would be lost if they had no way to review them. Our church friend offered a solution by giving us four boxes of English/Russian Bibles that had been sitting in their church basement for three years. Big smiles were again produced as we handed them to our now
exuberant friends.
In our next three meetings, cross-references and Bible markings left them work to do during the week. A guitar and songs were the highlight of each class, making our group look more like a fan bench than a "religious union." The questions and comments from the six or seven gatherings we held with these students were endless. "We will study many books and read many papers, but what you have told us about is the most important."
Are you Family-born … or a national disciple
?
--and should it matter?
[Question in text box.]
Question up for discussion: Does there need to be an improvement in the way Family-born young people and national or new disciple young people relate? If so, what are some practical ways we can "bridge the gap" between the groups?
I believe there needs to be more unity between the young people that have joined the Family in recent years and the young people who've grown up in the Family. It's not that there are open hostilities or riv
al gangs, not even bickering or wrangling; it's the indifference to each other, the slight disregard, the disdain and coolness that make for disunity and tension.
Of course, there are the obvious obstacles, such as (in some cases) the language barrier, the background differences, the variance of culture, etc. Then there are the obstacles such as laziness to communicate, shallowness, natural tendencies to form cliques, difference of conversational topics, differences of goals, critical spirits,
etc.
The way I see it, it would make our world a better place if we learned to get along with the people we work with. It would help strengthen our Homes and make us all get united. It would help everyone to feel more loved and more included.
Everyone wants to broaden their horizons. What better way to increase your knowledge and scope than to converse with persons from another race and culture? You can get to see things from a totally different standpoint--someone else's! You also know the
Lord will bless you if you show love to others. The more deeds of love you show, the more He will bless you.
The first practical tip I can think of is TALK TO EACH OTHER! Get out of yourself and put forth an effort to talk to others. Bring others into your ring of fellowship, or join theirs. Show that you are interested in them and that you think they're important. You can't become good friends if you don't talk about things together.
--female (16), Orient
releasing the spirits!
Chile
(From Diego, Juan and Maria:) Like Mama suggested, we dedicated the morning meeting on our prayer day to "Releasing the Spirits." Together with our teens and JETTs, we prayed and then waited for the Lord or other spirits to speak to us. It was a big battle in the spirit to concentrate and receive things, but it was very exciting.
Someone received a prophecy from a woman named Rebecca, and at the same time a JETT and another adult saw a vision of this woman bending over to speak to the perso
n who was prophesying. According to their descriptions, it was the same woman.
Several others of us also heard birdies singing outside the window while we were praising the Lord, but their chirping was totally different than the normal sound they make. As soon as our praises died down, they stopped chirping.
When we asked for our house to be filled with spirit helpers, we received different visions: lights entering the room through the window, people all around us, and balloons filling the r
ooms. When we prayed to release the spirits, someone received a vision of a net in space which broke and sent millions of spirits falling down on South America.
We also received a prophecy from a military leader from the time of Wallace (Braveheart), and from a Baptist named Alberto. The most impressing thing about this experience was that when we began to describe what we saw or felt, we realized how all the prophecies went along with the visions that others had received, confirming that it w
as from the Lord. Dureing this prayer meeting releasing of all the good spirits to our aid, several of us were reminded of the song, "The windows of Heaven are open and blessings are falling tonight." PTL!
Slovakia
(From Mark and Marianne:) On the first of November we went witnessing, and on our way back home we saw many cars parked near a cemetery. We realized that it was "All Souls Day" when people go to the graves of deceased loved ones to pray and put flowers.
A little further down, w
e passed by a cemetery where no one was to be seen, so we decided to go there and pray. We found out it was a Jewish cemetery with about 1,000 graves. We walked all over the cemetery, praying, singing, quoting Scriptures and "preaching to the spirits in prison." In the beginning we felt quite a heavy spirit, but at the end of our round the spirit was much lighter. We got the witness that there was a great rejoicing in Heaven over the spirits set free. TYJ!
Mama on … voicing opinions, and aski
ng questions
--to the staff members, during a meeting
Sharing opinions: We appreciate your opinions on things very, very much. Just remember that often you might be the only one who brings up that particular point, so don't not say it because you assume someone else has or will. That's the way the Lord does it sometimes. He lays the burden on your heart, and if you don't do it, we might lose the benefit of the input. So He expects you to bring it up.
Don't say, "I'm sure somebody else has
told you this," or "I'm sure someone else will think of this." The Lord has given those thoughts to you, and He's also given you the responsibility of telling us--so please be sure you do.
Asking Questions: If you have a question, just ask. There's usually a good reason why we do things the way we do. If there isn't a good reason, then we need to talk about it so we don't do it anymore! We don't want to be like that woman who worked with Dad in City Hall and had filled out a certain form fo
r years and years, and didn't even know why they did it anymore. If we're doing something that's just a matter of routine, well, then we'd better stop taking up people's time with it.--So ask!
your views on issues
Counteracting the snares
England
(From Libby:) We are continuing to homeschool the kids, using the CLE course, as I (Libby) am on my own while Abe is fundraising. One of my sons has been going on road trips with Daddy and studying in the library after witnessing. I was surpris
ed to see that he actually accomplished a lot more while on the road than he does when he's at home. He'd found some neat computer study programs in one library, and started studying the history of the country in another.
I've noticed since being in the West that there is a super strong pull of the world on the kids. It's just not the same as being in the EE. I think TV is one of our main enemies. Even educational programs are loaded with System attitudes and ways of looking at things. The out
reach has also been tough for us here, and we were getting hit with some doubts and questions about supporting ourselves through witnessing (we're not claiming any welfare or government benefits, so we're completely in the Lord's hands). We read the section about "The Days of Testing Your Love" in the Letter "Instant Witnessing" (GN 747). This was a real help to the kids. It's giving us the faith to hang on, keep witnessing, and believe that the Lord will supply for us.
All that to say, I've s
een how the only antidote to the System stuff and the consequent battles it brings the kids is the Word, and feeding them the deeper, meaty things, in a way that they can understand. They've said that they really like it when we do that. It's just not enough to ask them to read a certain thing and then presume that they've gotten the point; they desperately need this kind of spoon-fed Word time to keep them from all the snares of the System here.
Privacy of mail
Moldova
(From Daniel Jeremi
ah:) Over the last year I have witnessed an increased number of cases where privacy of mail and communications has been disregarded by people in positions of authority in different Homes. There doesn't seem to be much of a problem along the lines of postal mail, since it's usually sealed. However, teamworkers or people who know enough about computers seem to take lightly the right for someone to have privacy in the e-mail correspondence they receive from others.
When teamworkers start acting o
n what they read in some other Home member's mail, interpreting prophecies that person received from their own point of view, or start giving corrections, or bringing such matters to Home council meetings, causing mass misunderstandings, that is too much! This clearly brings bad fruit in many people's lives. It's disgraceful that certain Home officers would consider themselves eligible to read private mail!
Honesty and decency
Russia
(From Daniel Arrow:) While growing up in the Family, one
thing that was repeated to us over and over was the importance of honesty. Dad's story of not wanting to lose his soul over a nickel would come to mind whenever the slightest half-truth or misleading came up. The subject of people buying something with the intent of using it and then returning it when done has already been brought up, but lately I've heard of things that go way beyond that.--Like getting a suitcase out of the trash, going on a flight and claiming that it got damaged, and reques
ting a new one. Or how about going to a store that is having a super sale and buying up a bunch of things, then taking them to another store and getting a refund for normal price. Let's set aside even just a decent Christian sample for now--what about a conscience? I think the icing on the cake, though, is when these people then go around and brag about it as if they were so smart. Anyone could do that; it's just that most people have some measure of self-respect and decency, not to mention a fe
ar of the Lord.
That four-letter word
Brazil
(From Jeremias and Madalena:) We happened to see an interesting interview with a linguist on TV the other day, and what he had to say about the use of the Portuguese word for "fuck" went right along with what Dad always said! He said that when someone says "Fuck you!" you ought to be happy and answer back, "OK, sure! I'll gladly fuck!"
The word had a very beautiful meaning in the beginning, but it has been distorted in modern times into being
a curse word. The original meaning was "deep union." Isn't that far-out?
Contradicting sample?
Canada
(From M. [FM]:) A lot of my questions about the CM Family were answered when I attended some Family meetings, watched videos, and talked to people. However, there is something I still have a hard time understanding. It's confusing to me, and to others, when in the Family videos it shows that white sugar is poison (Family Fun #6 and #7), but then at the Family fellowship, the shiner prizes
which the teens gave the kids were junk food. I don't want to be critical or self-righteous, it's just not a good sample. Is what we teach in the videos [and the Word] true or not?
Bordering frustration
Earth
(From a small border Home:) We wanted to talk about a touchy subject: when Family members come and stay in border Homes while doing their visa work.
We are a small Home, still pioneering, and we aren't too established. We love it when people come through, as it's always inspiring to
see new faces and have fellowship, but sometimes it turns into a not too pleasant situation. Let's say someone calls early in the morning and says:
"Here I am! How long is it gonna take you to pick me up?"
(yawn) "Who are you? Maybe you could take a bus."
"Oh, but we have a lot of luggage, plus five kids and two mommies."
"Okay, we'll pick you up. It'll take us half an hour to get there."
So these people come to our Home, take showers, eat the food (you weren't prepared for having eig
ht extra mouths to feed, so you have to stretch the food or make an emergency run to the nearest supermarket), start spreading their bags and luggage around the living room floor. (We're like, "Hope no visitors come!") Then they say, "Nice house. (Your living room does seem a little messy right now, but then again …) We're wondering if you'd keep the kids for us, as we have to do some shopping; hopefully we'll be back before nightfall. One more thing, Junior doesn't have any more diapers, so jus
t put him on the pot every half hour or so. You know, he's kind of had the runs lately. God bless you for everything! Bye!"
And we are like: "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" But then again, we want to be helpful. So four days pass and life in the Home is a little hectic, but we survive. By the time we chauffeur them to the bus station, we heave a great big sigh of relief and thank the Lord that it's all over.
That may sound mightily exaggerated, and it is! Now that we have your attention, please read on: We
know every situation is different. Many times single moms or dads with little kiddos come, or teens that don't have the first or last idea about visas. We help them and we do it from our hearts, but it costs us too. Sometimes we look at our electricity, water and food bill, and it seems we are a Home of 35 instead of our small community of 13!
We want to help you, and we know the Lord will bless us, but please, if you stay in a border Home, remember you are a guest and you should act like a w
ell-mannered one. Make sure you phone ahead of time. Be prepared to take a bus if need be. Talk to your kids about not touching everything in sight when they enter the Home. Ask where you can put your bags and luggage, etc. If you need something, ask sweetly. Don't be surprised if the Home goes on with its normal schedule. If you eat food, try to repay it with either a donation or by helping around the house. These things make a big difference on how your stay goes, and toward how happy we'll be
to receive you again when your next visa trip comes up.
Now we want to say something for those who have acted like real guests. One time a brother from a selah Home visited. All our teens were at a get-together for a few days, and we were very tight on personnel. Since he doesn't go out very often, he had planned to make the most of it and wanted to go witnessing and provision some personal needs. When he saw our needs, he instead put his plans aside and helped out with the kids. We were touc
hed to tears! Another time a visiting handyman volunteered to fix our fans, repair lights and plugs, clean the pool, etc.! There are a few more with similar tales, not counting the ones who sweetly give donations. We give a big cheer to those and know the Lord has a special blessing for them. Hip, hip, hurray!
ideas and tips
Carry medical records
Our midwife strongly suggested that everyone have copies of their medical records when traveling, as doctors (especially here in "libel suit" A
merica) tend to assume the worst and don't want to allow for your own account of former treatments (much less have any desire to trust the Lord about it!).
--Miami Home, USA
Welfare in the USA
The Welfare Department, as of January 1st, 1998, requires all people who receive cash aid to have their children enrolled in school and to be immunized.
--Stephen and Mary, USA
grapes of thankfulness
We have a YA girl in our Home named Sharon. When a single mom and six children arrived at t
he same time that the parents of three of our kids were gone for a month on the road, we didn't know what to do. We had 15 Christmas shows booked and I go out singing four or five nights a week and have six kids myself. We were in desperate need of someone to help with the kids.
Sharon was on her way to the States, yet we prayed and asked her if she would like to help over the Christmas month. She said yes. This month she's given her all, organized the kids' schoolroom, decorated, slept in the
room with the girls, had fun with them, and it's wonderful to see how happy and content the kids are. I really admire her (and other young people) who dare to step in, especially in a big Home, and give their all for the sake of the children!
Polish Matthew (23) has been rooming with the boys, and been like a father to them. Your labor of love has not gone unseen! So happy to have you in our Home!
Living in a big Home that we're obligated to keep open for almost another year, and living in
expensive Switzerland, requires a lot of everyone. Thanks to everyone who's been willing to forego personal desires, and has helped to shoulder the load. We couldn't do it without you!
--Joan (of Michael), Swiss Lakehouse
We would like to show our appreciation to Anna, a single mum living in our city. At Christmas (she was living alone at the time) not only was she a valuable part of our Christmas singing team, singing some of the songs, but she drove the rest of the girls around to pick m
aterial for their costumes, and sewed all the costumes (even working through the night to get them ready in time).
After all our shows, of all the Homes in our big city, Anna was the one who invited us and another small Home to share her one Christmas turkey with her. (Us being Michael and Pietro, two single dads, and Vicky, a single grandma.) God bless you, Anna! It's not the size of your Home that counts; it's the size of your heart!
--Michael, Pietro, Vicky, Taiwan
ws news
Family Ca
re
--by Evye and Sharon
New YA additions
New (YA) additions to our FC team are Evye (Ev-ee) and Rain. Evye came originally to help BAS … but you know how things go in the Family--poof!! She is now an FC secretary.--Well, it was the Lord's will. Then there's Rain, who like Evye, had just arrived from one of those exotic, far-out missionary zones. After just a short time of being here (short as in a couple of days), Rain was already helping out with some HTK artwork which was recently pubbed
. Both Evye and Rain have been on the mission field their entire lives.
We have also received good art contributions from other young artists--Sunshine and YA Mike. GBT! Any others desiring to help out with art, please contact us!
A "field" young person comments
Here's a little something on what it's like "behind the scenes in WS" from Evye (18):
I was expecting WS to be a place with a lot of super serious adults who had no clue of what life, other than work life, was all about. I can s
ay honestly, in my entire life, I have never lived in a Home with so many fun adults. No one here is super corny, nerdy, walking around with their head in the clouds, mumbling to themselves, or anything like that. Maybe some people are not up on all the latest "junk" System terminology or styles, but who needs or wants that for that matter? I was very surprised to see how unletter-of-the-lawish the adults here are.
When I first heard that I might be joining a unit, though I figured I'd be able
to live with the work, I didn't think that I'd enjoy the life. I thought agreeing to work "behind the scenes" meant that I'd have to suddenly be a thousand times more mature and real careful around everyone. But, uh uh, the folks here love fun and find every occasion they possibly can to celebrate something. So even though I've never been a super "desk person" in the past, I'm having a blast here!
We do a lot of deskwork here, etc., as we do have deadlines, but we have a good share of fun. We
have a movie night (or two) just like any other Home, dance nights, beer or wine (in accordance with Charter regulations, of course--this is WS after all--ha, ha!). But seriously, I was very impressed with how normal life here is. We have our ministry that we do every day, but what Family member doesn't? We all love our work, whatever that may be or entail, and we love Jesus.
When I thought of WS before, the picture that would come to my mind was of rooms full of all these people (computer ne
rds) sitting forever and ever, typing away at these super far out, fancy computers on these super fancy desks, so on and so forth. But, in actuality, here we just make do with what the Lord supplies. And by the way, most of us here are just average on computers. For example, I would have never considered myself a computer whiz, but hey, here I am doing secretary work.--And if I can, you could too!
Everyone here is your average plain Jane or Joe--I know I sure am--but I'd like to add that this
lot is a very happy bunch and a fun, united team, happily serving the Lord and the Family.
Moral of the story: I never thought I'd end up in WS, as I'm the average Family member. But hmmm, so is everyone else here. Everyone is seriously normal, and life here is just like it is anywhere else I've been in the Family, except that our ministry is a wee bit different. I have yet to see one nerd here, and I personally think WS is as cool and definitely as normal a place as any to serve the Lord. See
you here someday? You never know.
New Year Quote Night
The night after New Year's, each person in our Home, MCs on up, brought to our get-together one of their favorite quotes from the "New Wine" of the year past. After some Loving Jesus songs, each person read the quote that most spoke to them, left the biggest impression, and/or helped them through something in their life that year--their own personal "hot quote" from that year. Some people shared true-life stories of why and how their c
hosen quote was extra special to them.
Quotes were read on a variety of topics, and the evening was a real success. Everyone tried to stick to one or two minutes. Even the children sat still when things were read, and they were a huge contribution to the meeting because of the beautiful quotes and stories they had to share with us as well. When each person finished, they passed on a kiss to someone, signaling that person's turn.
To say the least, it was great way to review the year and all t
hat the Lord had done in our lives as well a special uniting time of fun feeding from the Word!
Christmas outreach
We had a tremendous Christmas outreach this year! Our kids group is a hit everywhere they go, whether busking, singing at the old folks home, or performing at five-star hotels. Here's our Christmas witnessing stats:
826 posters
177 tapes/CDs
6 videos
1,167 pieces of other lit
10,000 witnessed to
515 souls saved
Pretty good for a selah Home, huh?
Zeb and Krist
y
What would we do without our wonderful art-man Zeb Geppetto?! We are happy to share that he and his wife Kristy (faithful pubs worker and Home mother for many years) and seven kids have moved to a faithful field Home so that daddy Zeb can live with his older children. He will continue to be a major producer in keeping the New Wine flowing, and has several HTKs in the works that will be coming your way soon!
now that's funny!
Three magic words
A man was sitting at a bar enjoying an af
ter-work cocktail when an exceptionally gorgeous and sexy young woman entered. She was so striking that the man could not take his eyes away from her. The young woman noticed his overly attentive stare, and walked directly toward him.
Before he could offer his apologies for being so rude, the young woman said to him, "I'll do anything--absolutely anything for $100, on one condition."
Flabbergasted, the man asked what the condition was. The young woman replied, "You have to tell me what you w
ant me to do in just three words."
The man considered her proposition for a moment, withdrew his wallet from his pocket and slowly counted out five $20 bills, which he pressed into the young woman's hand. He looked into her eyes and slowly, meaningfully said, "Paint my house."
--courtesy of Joy, Taiwan
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don't miss …
"Lessons in Hearing from Heaven" (FSM 327) is coming your way soon! It's an inspiring new mag full of interes
ting experiences that Family members around the world have had in hearing from the other side, and some amazing answers received through prophecy! Also contains lots of good lessons and helpful tips on hearing from the Lord in prophecy. Read it as soon as you get it!
still to come:
--peanuts 'n' raisins
--new dayz
[End]
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family