TS FAMILY UPDATE NEWS #8 -- July 1995
TS
"We have such a wonder working work because of the wonderful work of the Word, which is Jesus! Thank You Lord! The Word is so wonderful and our people are so wonderful and they do such miracles with the Word -- Jesus! He is the Word. Thank You Jesus!" (ML# 2910:12).
July 1995, The Family, Zurich, Switzerland.
(For age 12 and up. Selected portions may be shared with children younger than 12 at the discretion of their parents, teachers or shepherds.)
SOUTH AMERICA
SUPREME COURT VICTORY IN ARGENTINA!
On the 29th of June, the Argentine Supreme Court rejected the appeal made by the federal prosecutor in our case! Six weeks earlier, the Argentine Attorney General had reviewed the Appeals Court ruling and recommended this course of action to the Supreme Court. Our case will now go to a provincial court, where Marquevich has no jurisdiction. Considering the Attorney General's and Supreme Court's decisions, our case is expected to be officially closed very soon! Meanwhile, impeachment proceedings against Marquevich continue to move forward.
Thank the Lord for His and Dad's help from Heaven! As Dad said nearly two years ago, when things looked darkest, "Just wait until you see the end!" (ML# 2889:40). The complete and final victory is yet to come, but it's just around the corner! Please keep praying and praising! "Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!" (Psa.107:8).
Family RECeives VIP TREATMENT at HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE!
From Spanish Maria: After prayer and counsel, we attended a recent international human rights conference held in Costa Rica. Most of the participants were members of parliament from various South American countries. We were not just the only representatives of a religious minority to attend this important conference, but we were given the same protocol as the government officials, seated with the VIPs with our own microphones, etc.
We had wonderful opportunities to meet and talk personally with dozens of delegates, and our Statement package caught everyone's interest. (Before passing out the Statement packages, the president of the Costa Rica congress had approved our cover letter and Statement for official distribution.) Here's how the Lord opened such a big door to make us a witness to all:
Prior to the conference, we had put together an introductory letter outlining our message and the Family Vindicated Statement. We had planned to give our envelopes to people as we met them, but once we were at the conference, we realized we would never reach everybody with that method. So after seeing the protocol officials passing out materials from other delegates, the Lord inspired us to try to do the same with our Statement packets. That meant, however, that we needed over 1,500 copies--far more than we had prepared or had funds to print. Matthew called some friends, and they helped with the printing.
We weren't sure that distributing our material so openly was the wisest thing to do, so we stopped to ask the Lord for a confirmation and He gave us a quote which was all about how the Lord blesses us when we boldly proclaim the truth and expose our enemies. We also received, "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things" (Rom.10:15). We interpreted this to mean that the Lord was telling us to not be fearful. We asked the Lord to make His will plain by either opening or closing the door with the protocol officials, and we asked others to pray for us and those we would be approaching. Our request was granted, and the protocol staff passed out our Statements along with the other official documents. The first day's topic was "Defense of Human Rights," so our material matched the theme perfectly! We received excellent reactions and were very well received by the other delegates! Praise the Lord!
As observers at this conference, we did not feel led to address the assembly. Rather, we let our Statements speak for us, then we met and talked with the delegates individually and arranged for other Family members to follow up on the representatives after they returned to their respective countries. The Lord did it! Thank You Jesus!
PERU FAMILY ATTENDS CONFERENCE ON NATURAL DISASTERS!
Four Family members joined international experts at a June conference on natural disasters, which was held in Huaraz, Peru, the site of a 1972 earthquake which claimed 20,000 lives. The Family was invited to take part by Civil Defense, a government-sponsored disaster relief organization. The team witnessed to a lot of the attendees from 50 countries, including representatives from the Red Cross, WHO (World Health Organization), and other such groups. They also sang at one of the meetings, explained the Family's participation in various relief efforts worldwide, and distributed copies of the Family Activity Reports about our work with the victims of the Kobe earthquake. YA Claire even had a chance to greet President Fujimori of Peru when he attended a conference-related activity, and she gave him a copy of the tape "Peace in the Midst of Storm."
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE FAMILY!
From Tommy, Brazil: We participated in the three-day UN-sponsored Day of the Family celebration. In addition to having our own booth where we displayed photos of our worldwide work, we did a one-hour presentation of our kiddy and teen shows on the theme of family unity. As soon as we began to play, the Lord brought people from every direction, until over 1,000 people had gathered. Children lined up in front of the kiddy show puppet stage and loved the show. Then the teens, Paulo and Nina, came on with a powerful half-hour of songs that moved many in the crowd to tears. The organizers said that our shows were the turning point of the day.
On opening day, our brightly decorated stand was visited by all the attending authorities, including the Secretary of Welfare and Family. He was even interviewed for TV while getting the tour of our stand, with our huge "A Familia" (The Family) logo in the background. "Let me get under your sign," he told us before the filming. "This will be good publicity for both of us!" The top coordinators of different social services agencies unanimously praised our work!
At the Argentina stand, there was a man who had worked right under Atilio Alvarez, the head of the Argentine Social Services in charge of the institutes where Family members were incarcerated during the '93 persecution. He was very surprised to discover how differently we are treated in Brazil! Not only were we given a stand and asked to make a one-hour presentation, but we were members of the organizing committee!
SHOW AT FAMOUS ORPHANAGE AND VISIT TO GOVERNOR'S PALACE!
From Tommy, Brazil: Our kiddy and teen show groups were invited to sing at a very well-known orphanage in our city. The nun in charge had already received a set of sponsored Kiddie Viddies, which she says the children absolutely love. We performed for the 500 children there and the 200 guests who came for visiting day. Many cried, and they all received Jesus into their hearts.
The next day, two of us went to the governor's palace, where he and his wife were launching a four-year social program for the poor. All the mayors and their wives from all over the state were in attendance, as well as representatives of 150 major companies who will be sponsoring the new program. To our surprise, at the end of the speeches, some of the children from the orphanage where we had performed the day before sang a song which deeply moved everyone. Afterwards we spoke briefly with the governor and his wife, and gave them a copy of our "consider the poor" (CTP) brochure. It was exciting to see the Lord once again lead us to people who can help us in our CTP ministry, as we really didn't know where to start in this huge city!
EUROPE
RUSSIA PIONEER PROGRESS!
From a team in Moscow: We made a road trip to Yaroslav, a city not far from Moscow which has so far received little of the Family's witness. Many people we witnessed to returned to ask for more posters for their relatives or neighbors. Others who hadn't received posters yet came to ask us for "a picture of Jesus."--They had seen other people reading "Final Signs of the End." A director from the local juvenile center asked for enough posters to give one to each of the delinquents. Some policemen stopped to talk, got saved and gladly received copies of the "Endtime News." Some evangelical Christians were inspired to see us street witnessing, and invited us to tea in their home. During this trip, we gave out 10,000 posters--most about the Endtime--and 60 souls got saved.
From Nat, St. Petersburg: After our last show at a juvenile prison here, the director was so impressed that she invited us to visit every week. We plan to go from cell block to cell block, counseling the inmates, all of whom are teens. We also spend one day each week working with the "street children." The other days we focus on disciple winning among the many university students, and following up on our contacts. Time is short!
UPDATE FROM FERTILE SLOVENIA!
From Enoch, Lily and Ruth, Slovenia: It has been very exciting to go on outreach trips into Croatia to get out the message. This time, we concentrated on street litnessing, but there is also much more to do in the refugee camps, as well as a real need in the universities and high schools. There's a tremendous vacuum for the posters and other lit, and the Message is very well received. Some people stop and read the whole poster right on the spot. Others come back to us with sincere questions. Many get saved! When we give posters to a group of young people, a minute later they are all back asking for copies of the ones their friends received. Mothers ask for posters for their children. Businessmen and workers ask for more copies for their employees and co-workers, relatives and friends. Two students read the Salvation verses in Croatian and prayed with us to get saved, then shouted, "Super!" and kissed the lit.
Hoping to reach people from southern Croatia and Bosnia which are most affected by the war, we witnessed at a station where buses to those areas leave from. One young soldier we met looked very hardened, but as we talked with him he really opened up. He was touched that we took the time to encourage him. He was headed for a town near the front lines, and took a stack of posters to distribute to his friends and others there.
During our second trip to Rijeka, the Lord led us to try different methods to get out the lit. For example, one morning instead of taking the bus, we decided to walk to Rijeka from the neighboring town where we were staying. We distributed lit to everyone we passed. Along the way we found three large former hotels that now house refugees from cities that were destroyed in the war. There we witnessed and distributed the posters and other literature to about 500 men, women and children. "I can see that God has sent you," a very sweet handicapped woman told us. "Before you came, I thought God had forgotten us. Four years ago when we first came, we got a lot of attention. Now no one visits us--no one, that is, until you came."
We also met one of the soldiers that we had sung for and witnessed to at the General Hospital in Zagreb last summer. He was so happy to see us again. He said another soldier had received a Croatian song tape, and he asked if he could have one also. We had forgotten to take tapes with us that day, so I asked for his address. Then the next day while in the post office, we turned around, saw this same young man and gave him his tape "special delivery!"
RELIEF TO SURVIVORS OF SAKHALIN EARTHQUAKE!
On May 28th, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake killed 2,000 of the 3,000 residents of Neftegorsk, a small oil-drilling town on Russia's Sakhalin Island. Four days later, the Family in Japan reported that they and Family members in Siberia had begun working together to take relief materials and comfort to the survivors. God bless them! (We'll report further details of the Family's relief effort when they come in, D.V.)
"MASS" WITNESS!
From Arnie, Stephen and Peace, Italy: We asked the local Catholic priest if Stephen could give his testimony and tell a bit about our work at a Sunday mass, and he agreed. About 500 people were present. After the mass, the priest announced that our children would be singing in the square outside the church. Nuns put the church collection baskets around our kids' singing group, and people gave generously to our work. We were also able to collect addresses and gave out the tools! Praise the Lord!
PRESENTATION AT CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY IN ROME
From John Simple, Italy: At a university professor's invitation, six of us spoke for two hours to a group of nearly one hundred students, priests and nuns at a Catholic university in Rome. The professor opened the session with his comments on an introductory letter which we distributed at a recent CESNUR (Center for the Study of New Religions) conference. For the rest of the first hour, we gave a brief history of the Family and a summary of our doctrines, followed by a short personal testimony from each of us. The second hour was a question-and-answer period. All the questions and the general response were very positive. There was a keen interest to know more about us, and everybody left with armloads of Statements and other lit.
GORBACHEV GETS LIT, TREASURE ATTIC, AND A KISS!
From Sharon and Aaron, Russia: When we heard that Mikhail Gorbachev was coming to our city, we went to try to meet him and give him a package of our lit and a Treasure Attic video for his grandchildren. At first the situation seemed impossible, as so many people had come to see him. At one point, a bodyguard grabbed our package and refused to pass it on to the ex-president of the former USSR. (He later gave it back to us.)
It would have been easy for us to get discouraged and quit, but after prayer we decided to try one more time. We went to the cloak room where Gorbachev and his associates had left their coats, and talked with KGB agents and one of Gorbachev's friends, a philosopher, who had come with him. When the meeting he was attending ended, Mr. Gorbachev came for his coat and we were right there to meet him! One of our girls got to talk with him for a little while, explained a bit about our work, took a picture with him and gave him a kiss on the cheek as they said good-bye. Mr. Gorbachev was very sweet and friendly, and promised to read our material and watch the Treasure Attic.
RADIO SHOW REACHES SOUTHERN POLAND!
In early June, a radio station in Wroclaw broadcast a very positive 50-minute interview with Family members Philip, Michael and Aaron. It happened that the host of the show had recently lost her only son, who was just 19 years old, after a very short sickness. Before our interview we were able to give her the Salvation message and comfort her about life in Heaven. She was very thankful and touched.
During the interview, the Family members shared their personal testimonies, explained the Family's CTP ministries and our everyday life of helping others. The interview was intertwined with songs like "Mother Let Me Live" and a few others in Polish. They also refuted some of the allegations which have been made about the Family in the Polish media.
"STEP OUT BY FAITH, AND GOD WILL MEET YOU!"
From Peter, Beth and Willing, Belgium: As we pioneered a new Home, we found the Lord doing mighty miracles for our encouragement. After house hunting for three weeks without success, the deadline for moving out of our mother Home was drawing close. We heard about one house that sounded promising, so we went to take a look and possibly present our offer. After explaining our work to the landlord, he immediately agreed to our terms, dropped half of the deposit and spread out the other half over the next four months in order to make it easy for us to move in. He even gave us the keys to the house on the spot. We didn't pay a cent or sign the contract until two weeks later--a week after we moved in!
We spent the first day setting up the Home, and went out DTD the next afternoon. The third door we knocked on was opened by a Christian lady who bought a video for her grandchildren. She invited us in, and explained that she and her husband had received the Lord five years earlier. Recently they had been praying for a way to do more witnessing, or to be able to help someone with that burden--and there we were! Hallelujah! They immediately offered to help us set up our Home and fix the car we were borrowing from our mother Home. God bless them! The next day they came over with a mechanic to fix the car, and while that was going on, the husband measured every window in the house. The next day the couple returned with curtains for the whole house. They also let us use their truck to pick up a freezer from another Home, and gave us toys, shoes and a tricycle for our toddler. Next, they brought over enough frozen food to feed us for a week. That was followed by two truckloads of furniture, including beds, mattresses, cupboards, Persian rugs, paintings, a lamp, a clock, a small marble table, a dinner set, and an oak dining table that is big enough for all ten of us to eat at. Praise the Lord!
We have been going to the little Christian fellowship they attend, which is held at a restaurant/sauna compound. After the fellowship, our kids swim in the indoor pool. This couple also recommended us to a local pastor who does a lot of youth work and may need our help.
SAMANTHA FOX RECEIVES WITNESS!
From Eman, Julia, Marek and Job, Russia: We met and witnessed to popular British singer and topless model Samantha Fox when she was a guest star at an international kick-boxing championship that was held here. We asked the Lord to make a way for us to meet her, and He did. Security was extremely tight and the guards were quite unhelpful, but as we contemplated what to do next, a man walked up and handed us some tickets! What a miraculous answer to prayer!
Once inside, we found our way to her dressing room and spent about 15 minutes with her. She was very sweet, and reminded us of the Letter "The Dancer" (ML# 323). She looked intently into our eyes as we talked, took in everything we said, and seemed very impressed by what we are doing. "Keep up your work and spread the Word," she told us. She also asked us to pray for her. We gave her a package of lit and a personal note. It really touched her heart when she realized that we hadn't come for autographs or photos, but only to encourage her. Praise the Lord!
NEW BOOK INCLUDES ARTICLE ON THE FAMILY!
There is a lengthy entry on the Family in the latest edition of Eileen Barker's book on NRMs, published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO) in England. HMSO publications are used by students and professionals as official reference and resource material. The article begins with classic quotes from Dad on the subjects of our relationship to the System and sex, and then gives a fair and factual summary of the Family's history and beliefs.
ASIA
CTP HAS UNEXPECTED PAYOFF!
From John YA, India: We live in a rural area where it is very difficult to get bottled gas. Often it's only available at black market prices, which are double the official rate. This posed a constant problem for us, so we decided to go to the top officer of the gas company in the nearest city to see if we could arrange for a regular supply of gas. After we explained our need, he asked me, "Haven't I met you somewhere before?" Although we hadn't met personally, he had seen me perform at a large hospital in that city, where we have a "consider the poor" ministry. He really liked our program, and said he would be happy to help us. Within 10 minutes he had arranged for us to have as much gas as we need as often as we need it, and for the normal price! Praise the Lord! We were so thrilled!
BUFFER TO THE RESCUE!
From Gideon, Sam, Mary, Heidi, India area: Rents in our city have more than doubled in the past year, so our landlord asked to increase our rent by 50%! From one point of view, this was actually quite reasonable, as even with that increase we would have been paying less than half of the market value. Our landlord wanted us to stay because we are good tenants, but explained that he was under pressure from his relatives to get more money from the property. Several embassies and multinational companies had already offered far more than we could pay. We realized that if he insisted on raising the rent this much, we would have to move to a smaller house.
Then at the last minute, the Lord inspired us with an idea. For the past 15 months we have been operating on a cash buffer, always managing (albeit sometimes very tightly) to stay one month ahead. We had also managed to begin building an extra cushion. From our savings, we offered our landlord five months advance rent, in addition to the six-month advance that is standard for contract renewals. This helped him by giving him a larger amount of cash at one time, and also made it possible for him to save face. He accepted our offer, and we agreed to a nominal raise in our rent. Praise the Lord!
NORTH AMERICA
KIDDIE VIDDIES SPEAK LOUDER THAN DETRACTORS' LIES!
From Michael, Rose, Peter and Pearl, Canada: When we followed up on four public libraries which bought our videos last month, we found out that none of the videos were still on the shelves. At first we thought they had been withdrawn due to the recent wave of negative publicity originating in our area, but when we phoned the libraries they told us that the videos are in such demand that they never get back on the shelves! The libraries also use the videos in a special program for pre-schoolers.
FAMILY PERFORMS AT CHILDREN'S DAY EVENT!
From Ben and Maria, Mexico: The PRI, Mexico's ruling political party which has been in power for the last 60 years, invited us to participate in the Children's Day activities which they organized for the families who work for PRI. The official program described us as follows: "The Family is a Christian group who have been assisting us since '93. They participate in humanitarian aid programs and perform seminars in our communities." After the teens and children performed beautifully, we were all called back on stage to receive a plaque, words of praise from the MC, and a thank-you letter from the PRI-president.
WITNESSING EXPLOSION AT FAIR IN AGUASCALIENTES!
From Steven and Katrina, Mexico: We went with a team of YAs and teens to witness at the large fair in Aguascalientes, Mexico. The organizers provided nice hotel rooms, meals and local transportation. Our show team performed three main shows. About 1,000 people attended each of the first two shows, which were held at the fair ground and at the site of the government's welfare project. About 9,000 people saw our last show, held at the People's Theater. The Lord also opened the doors for a TV station to film six songs which were then broadcast over a space of three or four hours on Children's Day, reaching several hundred thousand people. Throughout our 10-day stay, we made many precious new friends, got out quite a few tapes and won lots of souls. It was thrilling to see how well we were received!
FAMILY FEATURED ON CHILDREN'S TV SHOW!
From John and Ana (TS), Puerto Rico: We have been regulars on the local television show "Pequeos in Accion" ("Little Ones in Action") for several months now. At each taping session we record between 10 and 20 three- to five-minute segments which are later broadcast over and over. The children sang about a dozen Family songs. We dressed as clowns to sing songs like "It Must Be a Miracle" and "The Clown." We also clown around, teach magic tricks, etc. We are not able to make everything we do on the show a witness, but sometimes we can. The director is sheepy and likes our Christian message.
EAST COAST TS FELLOWSHIP
From Ahlai, USA: At the end of May we attended a big TS fellowship, which TSers in our area organized. About 75 people came, including TSers from as far away as Colorado and Florida. Some of us hadn't seen each other for as long as 20 years!
After a teen get-out and a nice dinner, the TSers presented their puppet show and the show troupe performed parts of their kiddie show, lots of teen numbers and inspirational songs. Everyone was melted together, and there were many tears as we watched the Lord heal and restore some folks that had felt distant for years. We stayed until midnight, sharing our hearts with one another. One TSer called it "a healing hearts meeting."
FRIENDS NEW AND OLD MEET!
From Ahlai, USA: One of our academic friends had an interesting experience while trying to "provision" the use of a church assembly hall for a conference to be held in Florida. When he explained to one Methodist minister that different communal organizations such as the Family--the former Children of God--would be attending and speaking, he went to great lengths to explain that we are in many respects traditional Christians. "Oh, of course, I know that," the pastor said, "I knew David Berg in a Christian community in Mendocino, California, many years ago. He's a wonderful man!" Unfortunately, our friend was not able to get the use of this or any other church in the area, because, as this pastor put it, "The church committees are run by stodgy old men, as David well knows!"--Ha!
DIRECTORY OF INTENTIONAL COMMUNITIES INCLUDES THE FAMILY!
From Joy Rose, USA: The Family is listed in the latest edition of the Directory of Intentional Communities, a publication of two communal living organizations (initial printing 9,000 copies). The two-paragraph article explains in brief our origins, basic beliefs, practices, goals and the Law of Love. It also gives the Los Angeles Family's address and phone number, as well as the toll-free 800 number. They have already received some calls in response to the listing. Due to a slight typographical error (which will be corrected in the next printing), the publishers will include a correction notice in the next issue of their quarterly magazine, giving the Family more free advertising.
PACIFIC
RESTAURANT SINGING REACHES MILLIONS!
From Giddel, Kumiko and Joan, Taiwan: A reporter from one of the main daily newspapers saw one of our children's singing groups out restaurant singing, and was so impressed he wanted to do a story. During the interview, Luke and Crystal explained all about our work, and the following Sunday a beautiful article came out in this popular Chinese daily which reaches all of Taiwan. Also, we received a touching personal letter and some good photos from this same reporter. He called us "fighters for the truth" and said he admires us for preaching the Gospel. Thank You Lord!
HONOR ROLL
(Editor's note: Regardless of whether they are home schooled or attend public schools, the TS Family's children continue to shine in their schooling! Following are a few recent testimonies of outstanding achievement, gleaned from your TRFs. God bless you all for doing so well!)
From David and Maria Clara, Italy: When we moved to Italy four-and-a-half years ago, we decided to home school our children, and I put my whole heart into it. In the beginning it was a little hard, especially since we had to learn Italian from scratch. I cried out to the Lord every day, asking Him to help my four children as they faithfully studied Italian school books. I also prayed that they would have good discipline, learn all their scholastic subjects, and have good Word time.--And with desperate prayer we made it! All glory to Jesus! We sure appreciate our years of excellent Family training, which prepared us for this "impossible" undertaking.
At the end of every school year, I take the children to be tested at the public school. As a result, our children got their school certificates with excellent grades. The teachers who tested them were really amazed at their high marks in all subjects, as well as their exceptionally high standard of behavior and level of maturity. This was a real inspiration and encouragement for us to keep going for the Lord!
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From Vessel and Rose, USA: Our oldest daughter, Leah, was nominated for "Student of the Month" at her high school! This was quite an honor, as it's a fairly large school with the most demanding curriculum in this state.
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From Paul and Clare Praymore, USA: Our daughter was selected for the National Honor Society.
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From Joseph and Angela, USA: We met with our 5th grader's teacher, and she said that he is getting some of the highest marks in his class and is outstanding in the area of citizenship. His class also voted him to receive the "Peacemaker Award" on Martin Luther King Day. Even though it's his first year in public school, he has made many friends and has earned the respect of his classmates. On different reports, he has been able to witness his faith, which his teacher also commented on. "You should be very proud of him," she said--and we are! We thank the Lord daily for keeping our son under His wing!
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From Zion and Grace, USA: Our kids (Angie, 7th grade; Annie, 6th grade; Ava, 5th grade; and Amie, 2nd grade) were collectively honored as Student of the Month.
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From Gamaliel and Comfort, Canada: One of Martin's high school teachers wrote us a note saying that he was one of her best students in the 23 years she has been teaching.
ANSWERED PRAYERS
Matthew, Europe: Healed of back problems. He recently wrote: "My back has never been so well in the last six years. For the last two years I had to go to a chiropractor about every three months, but now I haven't been there for over six months. Please thank the Family for their prayers--they have really helped!"
PRAYER REQUESTS
PACIFIC:
1. Donna (of Warren): Diagnosed as having precancerous cells in her cervix. That the cells will return to normal and not develop into any form of cancer.
NORTH AMERICA:
2. Recent traffic accident in Texas:
-- For the physical, spiritual, and emotional recovery of Family members in the hospital in Austin, Texas, who were badly hurt in this accident.
-- For the parents and other family members of the teens who went to be with the Lord in this accident.
-- For the husband and relatives of the woman who died in the other vehicle. That the Family will be able to comfort this poor man who lost his wife.
-- That there will not be any legal repercussions or legal suits against the Family as a result.
-- For the prayerfulness and diligence of all Family members with others in their care.
-- That both you young people, as well as you adults, will be awakened to how short time is, how the Devil is trying to destroy our usefulness, and how serious any unguarded moments are.
3. Pablo Translator: Continued healing from lung problem.
4. Children of Dust and Joy: Whooping cough.
5. Renata: That broken hand will heal properly.
6. Joy Pioneer: Failing kidney transplant. For healing without the need for dialysis.
7. Mark 16:15: Against possible skin cancer.
8. Amy (16): Upper respiratory infection.
SOUTH AMERICA:
9. Autistic daughter of Simon and Abigail: For good progress in her development. That she will respond well to her therapy and special care.
10. Gabriela (6, of Paulo and Luz), Tamara: Hearing difficulties.
11. Jemima (1, of Emanuel and Clara): Mouth sores; that her immune system will be strengthened.
EUROPE:
12. Caleb Steward: Swelling of ankles and left knee due to hepatitis.
13. David B.: Peptic ulcer and oversized liver.
14. Daniel (6, of Richard and Faith), Naomi (15, of Daniel and Mary), Safir (1, of Caleb and Rejoice): Ear infections.
15. Mary: Back problems; growth in womb.
16. Luca (12, of Abner and Delight): Recurring ingrown toenail.
17. Anna (8, of James and Lily): Anna has Down's syndrome and will begin going to a special school. That she will learn to talk and receive good training.
18. Paul (of Leah): Arthritis.
19. Sara (of Mark): High blood pressure after giving birth.
20. Rejoice (of Andrew): Ongoing health problems and constant exhaustion during pregnancy.
21. Andrew (of Joanna): Serious case of eczema.
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Something happens when we pray:
Powers of evil lose their sway,
Sin, disease, and fear give way;
Therefore, let us pray.
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NOTICES
WHO SAID IT?
By WS Staff
A recently published anecdote in Reflections is entitled "Who Made It?" It tells how Sir Isaac Newton made a model of the solar system. When a friend asked who had made it, "No one made it!" was Newton's reply. "It made itself!" Newton was trying to show his friend that God must surely have created the world. (See Reflections 26.) After this Reflections was published, someone pointed out that the same story and answer are attributed to Johannes Kepler in Good Thots, Volume 2, page 1092. So who really said it? Newton or Kepler?
The fact is, it's almost impossible to know. Good Thots was compiled from various books of anecdotes and poems, often collections of stories used by preachers, etc. Reflections pages are drawn from other books or anecdotes which have been sent to us since Good Thots was published. So who's to say which source was right? This question brought to mind a point from the "Adapting Anecdotes" section of the introduction to Good Thots:
"You may notice from time to time that certain anecdotes will be attributed to someone, or a specific incident will be said to have happened to them, whereas you may have heard that someone else before them was the one who coined the phrase, or to whom the incident actually happened. Well, this is understandable because it is often impossible to definitely trace some of these oft-repeated stories and well-used phrases back to their original sources. What was originally said by a statesman of the 1800s may end up being attributed to a modern politician. Countless instances could be cited of an anecdote said to have originated with several different people, but the important thing is that the moral and the point are there, even though we don't really know to whom they happened" (Good Thots, page 4).
Maybe Newton (who lived from 1642 to 1727) heard this witnessing testimony and decided to use the approach that had worked for Kepler (who lived from 1571 to 1630)! We can't know for sure. However, we can still enjoy this interesting anecdote and share it as a witness.--Whether the Newton or Kepler version, the moral of the story is what is important. God bless you! Happy witnessing! We love you!
"WHAT THE FAMILY HAS DONE FOR ME!"
By WS Staff
By now you have probably received the Family in Action mag entitled, "What the Family Has Done for Me!--Part One"--a collection of short thumbnail sketches of those who were dramatically helped by the Family. These Family in Action mags are designed not only to let our Family young people see the many miracles the Lord does for us, but your friends can also benefit from faith-building, inspiring material that helps them understand and appreciate the Family, and even refutes many of the lies from those who speak against us.
In follow-up, ministering to academics, and witnessing to media representatives, we've found that some people may not understand the spiritual fruit of our work. They see our happy lives, beautiful children, and Heavenly Homes, but may still wonder about the effects of our witness. Some may not grasp how by sharing the Lord's Love and His Word, by praying for and caring for people and helping them through their problems, Family members can really make a big difference in someone's life. So we'd like to encourage you to use this mag of short testimonies to help others quickly see some of the far-reaching effects of the Family's work and witness.
If you read the short testimonies of "What the Family Has Done for Me!" and feel that your life was also radically changed as a result of meeting the Family, please write your testimony and send it in! Use the same short power-packed format, and include details and descriptions which will paint the picture of all the Lord did in your life through the Family.
We have another issue of "What the Family Has Done for Me!" in the works which you should be receiving soon, D.V. We pray these Family in Action mags will be a blessing in your follow-up, to help people see all the life-changing miracles that the Lord does through you, our wonderful Family!
God bless you with fruitful witnessing! We love you!
NUMBERING CHANGE ON FAMILY IN ACTION MAGS
By WS Staff
We hope you enjoy the Family in Action mags. FIAs have covered a variety of topics: exciting witnessing testimonies; statements in support of our work by friends, kings, and relatives; answers to detractors' accusations; outstanding life histories of Family members, etc. As mentioned in the above notice, these mags are designed not only to encourage our young people, but also for use as a follow-up tool, to inspire our friends and help them get to know us better. They are numbered independently (Family in Action #1-10), and since they are a different series from Hope magazines, we are therefore changing the series abbreviation at the top of each Family in Action mag. Instead of "DFO Hope - Issue # such-and-such," it will now read "DFO - FIA such-and-such." We pray that these will be useful in giving friends, relatives and contacts a glimpse of some of the wonderful things the Lord has done through our Family.
AN ALTERNATIVE HOME SCHOOLING PROGRAM TO CONSIDER
By WS Staff
God bless you! This notice is concerning a home schooling program that some of you may wish to consider using for your children. Since the responsibility for the education of your children is in the hands of you busy parents, we would like to suggest a self-teaching tool which you may like to use as your school program, or as a supplement to what you are currently using.
We have been investigating a number of available courses and materials. In the material that has been studied over, one thing we have found is that no course is entirely suitable for the Family. Each one has its strong points, but no one course provides everything to everyone's liking.
The Super Workbooks, for example, served as a "stopgap" measure to help us get started on a standard educational program for the whole Family. They were relatively inexpensive, enabling almost every student to have their own. But as time has gone on, the weaknesses in using these workbooks have become apparent. Their math program is weak. They do not provide sufficient teaching material, so the students cannot work through them independently. The teachers need to spend considerable time preparing lessons, and blending the Super Workbooks together with other teaching materials. There are a number of pages that must be "purged" from the Super Workbooks so as not to give our children the wrong impressions or information. They fill the need of providing some drill material for the students, but we believe there is better material available.
Some people have found Beka to have good material and have been using it as a supplement for a number of years. Their math program is much stronger than Super Workbook. They have quite an extensive language arts program (however, the emphasis on this has created in some of our children an appetite for System novels). Beka places a stronger emphasis on scholastics than we generally consider necessary. When using Beka books, it is sometimes difficult to keep a good balance so that the emphasis on academic "excellence" doesn't override our Family, Word-based goals.
The ACE program is simpler, less expensive and is Christian-based; however, it has quite a churchy flavor throughout.
Some Family members have begun using a Christian correspondence course called Christian Liberty Academy. We are not familiar with these materials, but those using it testify, "The kids really enjoy the course and are making great progress with it."
In the rest of this notice, we will present you with another option which could possibly serve as an alternative or supplementary home education course for busy Family members. This course is called Christian Light Education, or CLE. It is a Christian, Bible-based scholastic program, revised by the Mennonites from a program by the Alpha Omega publishers. This course provides a basic scholastic program and, especially because of the revisions the Mennonites have made, it seems it can fit or be adapted quite well to our Family lifestyle. CLE provides a scholastics curriculum via workbooks, self-paced and self-taught. While this program may not provide all of our children's schooling needs, we are presenting it here for your prayer and consideration as a structured program which may allow our teachers and children more time for witnessing and Word training.
Many of you have been using a different scholastic curriculum (such as Beka or a local language course). In bringing the CLE program to your attention, we are not necessarily recommending that you change to this program. We are simply pointing out that CLE seems to be a possible and affordable option for those of you who may wish to use it. And if you decide to change to CLE, you may want to continue with some of the other supplementary scholastic materials you are already using if you have found they work well for you.
If you choose to use CLE, or one of the above-mentioned programs, or another program, please stay on guard about the effect the constant input from such a program may have on the children in the long run, and remember how important it is to provide them with plenty of good input from Family materials and the Word. No matter what program you use for your children's scholastics, our Family pubs and materials will provide the best Word foundation. Thank the Lord for the abundance of wonderful Word material we have available!
In choosing the direction you would like to go and what educational program you will use, we suggest you pray together as parents, teachers and as a Home. Prayerfully consider what will work best for you and your children and your situation. If the children are already using a local language curriculum, you may find you could use parts of the CLE program--or you may find it is not necessary. (Some CLE materials are available in Spanish, and they are working on producing them in German as well.) Teachers and parents may find it helpful to make a united Home decision on what schooling course to use, in order to simplify and to be able to share in the teaching of the children. Please keep in mind that not all children and teens have the same learning style; not everyone can learn from just using workbooks, and most will need other supplementary material and personal instruction as well.--And all students need individual training and variety!
Along with this mailing, you will find two brochures from Christian Light Education which explain the program in more detail, and an order form (a small color brochure entitled "Christian Light Education," and the 8-page "Home Study Options," as well as Test Order Form #1 for the diagnostic tests). Also, coming to you in the near future, Lord willing, will be an advisory giving you more detailed information about the CLE program, how to do the diagnostic tests to determine what level each student should begin, as well as some comments from Family members who have used the program.
Special Reduced Prices for the Family
Some Family representatives visited the CLE publishers to see if they would be willing to give a discount for Family members who want to use their materials. God bless the dear CLE folks, who agreed to do so, considering it part of their ministry to the Lord to help supply this school material. As a result of these negotiations, any Family members ordering the CLE materials would be eligible for a discount. The discount will vary from year to year, depending on the total number of orders from Family members. This year, 1995, the discount will be 15% off their basic scholastic curriculum materials (except during their high season, July 15-September 15) and a 10% discount all year round on all of their other materials. After this year, the discount will be determined by the number of Family orders made the previous year.
The 15% discount is on their basic curriculum, which includes workbooks (called Lightunits) and "Answer Keys" for grades 1 through 12 of their five basic subjects: Bible, language arts, math, social studies and science. Any of their other supplementary books or materials, textbooks, diagnostic tests, etc., will be 10% off. For Family members, there are also some discounts on shipping and handling.
The price for one year of Lightunits for all five subjects for one student is approximately $100 (without the discount). The Answer Keys for one year for all five subjects are an additional $100 (without the discount). (However, each student does not need their own set of Answer Keys; one set per Home or family is sufficient.) Neither do you need to order all five subjects, but can choose what you need. For example, you may choose to order only language arts and math Lightunits, and do Bible studies from Family materials, and use Family and other supplementary texts for science and social studies.
CLE has a high season, July 15 through September 15, when they are extremely busy. Therefore they are not able to give a full 15% discount on your purchases of their basic curriculum during that time. If you need to order during this high season you will still have a 10% discount on all materials but there will be no discount for shipping and handling at this time.
Since it is new for CLE to handle overseas customers, they have asked that we lend a hand in processing our Homes' orders. Our agreement with CLE is that our Family representative in the US will act as the distributor. The distributor will receive all Family orders straight from the Homes, check that the order forms were filled out properly and accurately with complete addresses, and that they contain the correct amount of funds in US dollars in money orders, cashier's check or bank drafts that equals the total of the order and shipping. The orders with the payment checks will then be sent to CLE, who will fill your orders, do all the packaging and then ship directly to you via surface mail.
(Security tip: In order to cut down on the number of names and GP addresses that are given out for these mailings, we suggest you consider deciding on one post office box or mail service address for those in your city or area to receive CLE mailings. By Homes ordering together and putting your separate order forms in one envelope using one shipping address, you will also save shipping expenses. To distinguish your order from another family or Home who are ordering with you, in the heading of the order form on the line asking for "PERSON PLACING ORDER", write in your family's Bible name or your Home's name. See upcoming advisory for more details.)
In order to benefit from the discount for the Family, please send your orders to the following address:
G.T.
15106A FREDERICK ROAD #274
ROCKVILLE,
MD 20850
USA
The soon-coming advisory will have more details on the program, and on ordering and shipping, but we hope this, along with the accompanying brochures, is enough information to get you started on considering whether you would like to use this program. God bless you and your children with fruitful, inspired school time!
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family