FAMILY UPDATE NEWS # 17 -- APRIL, 1994. DO
"This is the fulfilment of all generations to prepare the way of the Lord & make His paths straight for His coming" (DM1:300).
April, 1994, Home Services, Zurich, Switzerland.
(Required reading for JETTs on up. Selected portions may be shared with children younger than JETTs at the discretion of their teachers, parents or Shepherds.)
Letter from Mama to Children Who Have Been in Institutions
Introductory note: Quite a number of our dear children have spent some time in institutions because of the persecution against the Family in Barcelona, Australia, France, & Argentina. Here is a note of encouragement from Mama Maria for all our children who have suffered for Jesus & our Family in this way. Please read this letter to all children (age 7 & over) to whom it applies. You may also read it to younger children at the discretion of the teacher, parent, or Shepherd.
Dear Children,
My heart goes out to you, & as you know, Grandpa & I have prayed desperately for you. We are so thankful that the Lord has brought you home again to your families.
Now that you've been in the battle, the Lord is going to reward you because you've suffered for His sake! But because of the battle, you have some battle wounds like every soldier gets who really fights! What are some of your wounds? Some of you are having nightmares, some of you aren't getting along so well with your brothers & sisters, some of you are fearful & clinging to your parents, you're being rowdy, & you're having to learn again how to communicate lovingly with others & trust your Shepherds & teachers. These are some of the results of the experience you went through. These are your battle wounds. But what do you do with wounds? Do you do nothing about them & wait & see if they get better? No, you tend them, you clean & bandage them, & you take good care of them.--And in time they heal! Wounds are something that every soldier gets, but they heal. Jesus promised, "I will restore health unto thee, & I will heal thee of thy wounds."--Jer.30:17.
You don't have to be fearful. You don't have to worry. Because if a situation like that happens again, you know that the Lord will see you through!--And you'll receive double reward! It's not something to fear or worry about. From your own experience as well as from the Word, you know that Jesus will take care of you. You can look back & remember that the Lord delivered you safely, just as He's told you He always will.--And He was with you in all your troubles, just as He promised: "Lo, I am with you alway."--Mat.28:20b. The Lord has promised that you're His children, & you're going to be His witnesses to the End! No matter what you're doing or where you are, He is with you. You've always got Him, & you're going to be accomplishing His purpose! Hallelujah!
God bless you for being wonderful soldiers & shining examples for Jesus! Soldiers in men's armies who are wounded in battle get special medals. When soldiers in the Lord's Army are wounded, they get eternal Heavenly rewards which are much better. "If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him!"--2Tim.2:12. "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne...."--Rev.3:21. Hallelujah!
Keep looking to the Lord & the Word, & we know the Lord will pull you through--shining more brightly than ever! We love you!
Love,
Mama Maria
Comments on the Dietary Standard in our Homes
By WS Staff
We received the following report from the Shepherds in one Area, concerning the Victory in Babylon series:
"We have all been very inspired to read the Victory in Babylon series & have received many very favourable comments from the Family to this. PTL! On the other side of the coin, we want to share with you the following comment we received this month from one Home:"
Comment from a Home on Victory in Babylon Part 5:
"The kids really love these pubs & can't wait to read them & re-read them every time! However, it would seem that the part about the breakfast food is not quite in line with the kids' actual experience in our Home, & possibly in other Homes. We eat sausages & sausage meat quite often, since it is provisioned. The Home here has lots of marmalade & jelly, which we eat 2 or 3 times a week, & just yesterday we picked up 300 cans of soft drinks. Also, I know some Homes pick up limited amounts of cakes & sweet things from their bakery contacts. So although the ideal in the Homes is to eat healthy, & on the whole we do, to show the kids having trials about eating things that we eat regularly must be confusing for our kids." (End of Home's comment.)
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Following is an excerpt of a message which a WS Staff member sent to Mama about the above report. Mama agreed with the points this person made, & asked us to put this comment in a FUN. We hope this helps to answer any questions you may have had regarding what was said in the VIB & the way things may be in your Home.
Excerpt of message to Mama:
"This note is concerning the report about the confusion possibly caused by the food standard put forth in the Victory in Babylon story. As a reminder to you about what food standard is referred to, this VIB chapter mentions an OC boy having a trial about eating the food presented to them in the institution.
"For breakfast, the children were given pork sausages, frosted flakes with white sugar, white bread & jam. When he requests more healthful food, he is told to `eat what the other children eat or go hungry.' He then reluctantly eats the food, praying, `Oh, Jesus, please bless & sanctify this unclean food, as You said to eat what's set before us giving thanks!'
"The spirit helpers then comfort Tommy, & help him not to feel condemned about eating the pork sausage. They discuss how the children need to realise that `the Lord definitely does work in different ways at different times & in different situations!'
"Later at snack time, the children are offered Coca-Colas & chocolate bars. They are told they can have white bread & jam instead, which the children choose as the lesser of two evils, knowing how bad Coca-Cola & chocolate can be for their teeth.
"The comment from the Home on this food standard reminded me of an experience we had in one Home. The provisioners started provisioning some goodies, such as cheesecake, to give those on free day a little treat, which was a blessing. However, it started to grow, & pretty soon they were provisioning carbonated drinks, cookies, puddings & sweetened yogurt, etc., etc. This again wasn't bad in itself, but we started getting so used to these foods, that many began eating them regularly throughout the week. When praying & discussing about why we seemed to be getting so many sicknesses in the Home at the time, we thought of these sugary foods that we were eating so much of. These were easy things to provision, & we quoted `eat what's set before you giving thanks.' We found, instead of taking the easier way of accepting lower quality, & even harmful type of food, we needed to exercise our faith muscles more, & pray & go on the attack in this area, knowing that the Lord wanted to provide better, more healthful foods if we just asked.
"I wonder if this could be the case in the Home that sent in this comment, & possibly other Homes as well. Perhaps it is good that Victory in Babylon brings this question of the nutritional standard up to those reading it, because maybe it will help everyone to stop & evaluate how they are doing regarding their nutritional standard, & then raise the standard, if need be, in their Homes. It reminds me of a point I remember reading in a Letter (See "Preparing the Teachers of Tomorrow," ML #1720.) about how the kids, when reading Life with Grandpa, could remind the adults of what the standard should be, & hopefully that would convict them to raise it." (End of message to Mama.)
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If you feel that the dietary standard in your Home is not what it ought to be, we suggest that you discuss this topic in a Home Council meeting, with all adults, YAs & teens present. Read some good Word on the subject, such as "Food or Poison," & get down to specifics on what you should change. Then perhaps you can elect a committee to put "landing gear" on your ideas. They could begin by studying up on the subject in Family pubs, which are full of examples & tips on eating right & finding healthful substitutes for System "treats." (For example, Activity Book 3 has lots of healthful recipes. Perhaps you can make your own jam from stewed fruit, or provision whole wheat flour & other healthful ingredients, then have a System bakery bake natural whole-grain bread, etc.)
Once you've agreed on what needs to change & why, you might want to have another meeting with your JETTs & other children to share the conclusions of your Home Council meeting. Explain what needs to change & why. The adults may need to apologise for letting the standard slip, but once the children see that the adults & teens in the Home are behind the changes, the kids will undoubtedly be wholehearted supporters as well. In fact, you may be surprised to hear them rattle off all sorts of references in the pubs on this topic! Your children can also be challenged to help pray in better provisions &/or more finances so that your Home can eat well.
Claim His promises! "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. They that seek the Lord shall not want [lack] any good thing. Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loadeth us with benefits. I will abundantly bless her provision." (Phi.4:19; Mat.6:33; Psa.34:10; Psa.68:19; Psa.132:15.) There is no end to His promises, nor anything too good for His obedient children! Praise the Lord!
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W.S. STATS UPDATE
* PERSECUTION: CATALYST TO REACH THE WORLD. January '94 was our 21st consecutive month (ever since the Australian raids in May of '92!) in which we had a total witness of over 50 million!
* WE'RE STILL GOING STRONG! The Family is still a tight-knit unit, with fulltime missionaries operating in 41 countries, made up of 75 nationalities. We have gone into nearly every nation & principality of the World. (Those we haven't been to are mostly in Africa.) We also presently have TSers, DF Members & Mail Ministry Members representing 34 other nationalities in 16 additional countries.
"Go ye into all the World, & preach the Gospel to every creature" has certainly been our rallying cry & motivating vision, & we're not finished yet, thanks to the Lord, His Word, supply, protection & guidance, & ever-present help! God bless Dad for igniting us with the fire-power of the Holy Spirit!
EUROPE
* UPDATE ON PEARL'S CASE: Thank you very much for your prayers for the British Court case. So far it has been running for 11 weeks. The other side's witnesses were on the stand first & they tried to do all they could to make the Family sound perverted, evil & dangerous. Some of these witnesses were Mene, Watchman, Miriam Padilla & other backsliders. The lawyers from the other side are presenting everything about the Family as sinister & perverse, using gross misinterpretations, innuendoes & outright lies to try to persuade the judge to rule that Sammy, Pearl's son, should not be allowed to grow up in the Family.
After five weeks of their testimony, our side began to put witnesses on the stand, mostly fulltime Family members, but also some TSers, friendly ex-members & outside experts. Our witnesses have been able to refute the testimonies of the backsliders, while at the same time showing the judge that the Family is nothing like the other side's lawyers have tried to portray us to be. Our witnesses have been able to witness, give their personal testimonies, tell about their lives as missionaries, show their newsletters & photo albums etc., all of which should help the judge get a true picture of what we're really like.
The judge has heard more about the Family, both good & bad, than almost any other outsider has, & he is hoping to make a judgment sometime towards the end of May or possibly sometime in June. Please pray that our witnesses will continue to answer questions about the Family wisely & with real conviction. Also that the judge will understand that, although we're not perfect & we have made our share of mistakes, Sammy, & for that matter all of our children, should be allowed to be in the Family. It will take a miracle for him to give such a ruling, because in doing so he will be risking his reputation, as such a judgment could be seen as an endorsement of the Family.
If he rules that the Family is not a safe environment for Sammy to grow up in, he is in essence saying that no child should be allowed to grow up in the Family, which could result in the social services in Britain raiding the Homes & seizing the children. Our enemies around the World would use such a ruling as "proof" that the Family is unsafe for children & would undoubtedly try to prod the authorities in other countries to take similar action against us.
As you can see, this is a very crucial case which could affect us all around the World, so we need to pray desperately for the judge, asking the Lord to help him to rule in our favour.
Please pray for our new QC who is presently preparing our final submissions (final legal arguments as to why the court should rule in our favour). Also, please pray for extra strength for our lawyers & legal team, as well as for our expert witnesses who will testify in mid-April, whose testimonies will be crucial to the case.
Finally, please pray earnestly that the Lord will continue to supply the funds needed to see this case through to the end. The addition of a QC to our legal team, & bringing in expert witnesses to testify on the Family's behalf will be quite costly. Meanwhile, our funds are nearly depleted. In answer to everyone's prayers, the Lord has supplied thus far, but funding is once again an urgent, desperate need. We need another miracle!
* AIX UPDATE: The minors judge in Aix-en-Provence concluded that, without a doubt, the children taken in the raid on the local Home have not been sexually abused, nor do they suffer from physical or medical neglect, nor is their security or morality in danger. He also ruled that they do not need to attend System school. His judgement does, however, require the children to engage in socialisation activities (horseback riding & swimming) for another year. Also, he noted that the education authorities contend that the children are behind scholastically (in spite of the fact that no scholastics tests were administered!). So although this verdict cleared those involved of the more serious allegations, it wasn't a vindication on all points. The judge based his decision to continue the socialisation program on the assessment of two of the psychologists involved. A third psychologist involved did not reach the same conclusion. The Family will be appealing the judge's decision.
* LETTER TO THE EDITOR PRINTED IN ENGLAND'S GUARDIAN. Following is the transcript of a letter that a Family Member wrote to The Guardian, one of the most widely read & respected newspapers in Great Britan. It was written in response to an article about the Waco tragedy, but provided an excellent opportunity to publicise our own message.
Dear Sir:
I was very interested to read about the aftermath of the Waco tragedy ("Lost in America", Guardian Weekend, January 15). It made a refreshing change to the usual stereotyped "cult bashing" indulged in by the majority of the media.
I am a member of The Family (formerly the Children of God), which has been much vilified by the popular press. Over the last three years, over 700 children of our membership have been forcibly removed at gunpoint from their parents in countries as diverse as France, Spain, Australia, & most recently Argentina. The parents have been accused of child sexual abuse, kidnapping, slave trading, etc., & the children themselves subjected to degrading & humiliating examinations. Without exception, in every single case, no evidence has been found! All the parents & children have been released, to the accompaniment of a deafening silence from the press.
The article's account of the total lack of involvement by the British authorities [in the Waco standoff] mirrors the most recent case in Argentina, when over 80 U.S. citizens were held captive by the Argentinean authorities, the largest group of American citizens incarcerated outside the U.S., without a peep from the usually vociferous State Department. One can only hope that the real truth will emerge during this much publicized trial. But on past form, barring a miracle, one tends to doubt it.
Gideon Scott
The Family, London
SOUTH AMERICA
* ARGENTINA UPDATE: Our Argentine lawyers continue to press for our children to be free to leave the country.
A judge instructed the police to return all personal documents belonging to Family Members involved in the case there.
The psychological tests for the first 40 children came out very positive. Each of the forensic doctors' reports state that there are absolutely no signs of psychological abuse.
Another significant legal victory was won. When the prosecutor disputed the Appeals Court judges' authority in their decision to allow the children who had been in custody to leave the country with their parents, the Lord raised up a man whom we didn't even know was involved in our case. The Official Solicitor* presented a document disagreeing with the prosecutor's assertions. He stated that he felt the Appeals Court judges do have jurisdiction & authority to make decisions that concern the children's physical, psychological & moral well-being. (*Official Solicitor = a government attorney appointed to see that the best interest of minors involved in court cases are taken into account)
* LAWYER MAKING PROGRESS: One of our lawyers in Argentina, who was a confirmed atheist when he took on our case, says that he is starting to believe that there is a God. He now reads the Word almost daily.
* OFFICIAL VISITS HOME: Last October, amidst the international clamour surrounding the Argentina persecution, the Family in another Latin American country invited a high-ranking official to visit one of their Homes. In early March he phoned & asked if the invitation was still open.
He & his entourage toured the Home, & the children & teens performed for them. He was impressed with their simple yet Spirit-filled program, & by our teens' fire. A Family couple & their YA daughter who were imprisoned in Argentina gave firsthand testimonies about the persecution. He & his friend & all seven of their bodyguards received the Lord during their four-hour visit.
ASIA
* OFFICIAL IMPRESSED WITH YAs. Family Members performed at a civic function where an important official presented the Family with a plaque in appreciation of their "Consider the Poor" ministry. He later told the man who had invited the Family that he was "very impressed" that our YAs speak the local language so fluently & understand the culture so well.
NORTH AMERICA
* "MY WORD SHALL NOT RETURN UNTO ME VOID!" In March of '93, Mama suggested that a U.S. Home send one of our lawyers (who also happens to represent some of the Branch Davidian survivors) a fax every few days containing a little Word, in order to encourage, feed & strengthen him. They did so, & after several weeks they called him to ask his reaction to the faxes. "I read 'em, & keep 'em, so keep 'em comin'!" he said.
Some time later when they dropped some reading material off at his office, he exclaimed, "I'm so glad to see you! You're a ray of sunshine in my life!"
* WITNESSING AT THE BRANCH DAVIDIAN TRIAL & AFTERMATH. From the Family in Texas: "During the last day of the Branch Davidian trial, we went to the courthouse & passed out PENs.
"The next day we received a call from a man who had received a PEN from one of the Branch Davidian survivors. This man told us he joined the COG for a short time in the early '70s, but later lost contact with us! He is ever grateful for the Family's influence on his life, as we got him off drugs & turned on to Jesus!
"After the Davidians were acquitted of the most serious charges, we were invited to a celebration where we sang & distributed PENs & Posters to nearly everyone."
* SHEEP FINDS THE FAMILY--THROUGH C.A.N.! When the Los Angeles Home returned a call that was left on the 800-number answering machine, the man on the other end had a very interesting story to tell. After months of unsuccessfully trying to get in touch with us, he called CAN. They offered to send him a 50-page packet of negative information about the Family, but he insisted that he just wanted to get in touch, so they gave him our answering service number.
He had gotten saved with his girlfriend, who had been a long-time Family Member but left several years ago. She & their unborn baby were both killed recently in a traffic accident. He is very sincere, has already read lots of our pubs & is eager to visit a Family Home.
* SOCIOLOGIST GOES PROVISIONING. A prominent sociologist who has been studying the Family for over a year went provisioning with one of our Homes! He proposed this "field trip" in order to investigate firsthand why people donate to us, & how we minister to our contacts.
On the appointed day, he arrived at the local Home bright & early (7:15 a.m.). He had coffee & a short devotions with everybody, then set out with the provisioning team of one adult & one YA. While travelling between pickups he asked lots of questions related to all aspects of provisioning, from establishing new contacts by phone to provisioning medical assistance. The team introduced him to each of their contacts, & explained his research project. The contacts were very impressed. Throughout the day he was a cheerful & enthusiastic "hands on" helper, loading the different boxes, barrels, bags, etc., & seemed to be having a lot of fun. God bless him!
The Lord rewarded both him & the Home with an especially fruitful day. One man, a Polish Orthodox Jew who owns a slaughter house, donated over 500 pounds (230 kg.) of fresh lamb! Then he sat our sociologist down & explained that he helps the Family because we are such good people. The president of the local produce commission, who is one of the Home's fruit contacts, was just as enthusiastic. Several other contacts were also very outspoken about their support of the Family.
The sociologist took notes constantly, & mentioned several times how he was impressed not only with how much people give, but also by the tremendous variety of donated items, to the point that nearly all of our needs are supplied through donations. This really is a miracle, as we've only been in this city for a few months.
The team arrived Home at 6:00 p.m. with the van absolutely full. They unloaded with the help of all the JETTs & teens, then went out again to do the milk pickup. We expected our sociologist friend to drop out at this point, but he asked if he could go along. After returning again at about 8:30 p.m., loaded with milk, juice & cheese, he had dinner at the Home & left at 9:30 p.m.--After a typical 14-hour Family day!--Ha!
He commented that he was particularly impressed with our follow-up program, thank-you letters, & the time & personal interest we devote to each contact.
* UNIVERSITY STUDENTS HEAR THE WORD. The Family was recently invited to speak at a university course entitled "Sociology of Sects." They began by explaining our beliefs, lifestyle, & history. Our FFing era generated lots of questions, which led to a lively explanation & discussion of the "Law of Love." Other main topics included home-schooling & persecution. One of the YAs also described a typical day in the Family, which the students found very interesting. Quite a few of them now want to visit us, go out witnessing & learn more about how we live.
* TS TEENS WANT TO REJOIN. (From a YA who is helping to shepherd a number of TS teens & YAs:) We had five teens/YAs come to our recent meeting, four of whom we feel can now become DO. The other one told us that he didn't feel he was ready to rejoin yet, & we agree.
P. has been asking to rejoin for five years. At our meeting, he was very desperate to get back in the Family, very hungry for the Word, & redeemed every spare minute. He's very sweet. He was quite mature & open with everyone.
K. was also quite mature, & seemed very happy to have another chance. The verses & leadings we got from the Lord seemed to confirm that he should be allowed to rejoin. At the same time, they included several warnings about bitternesses from the past. We also felt that he needed some frank counsel to help him with his NWOs. When we talked with him about these things, it went very well. He read some Word on those topics & had prayer.
Although L. & her brother M. have been out of the Family for four years, they fit in very well. She is a hard worker & hungry for the Word. She was very appreciative of the chance to visit & the possibility of joining fulltime. She has tried a lot in the System, including college, but didn't fit in.
M. is quiet, but not shy. He's a very sweet brother, mature, faithful & a hard worker. Although he is still only 15, he will be joining full time in a few months, with his parents' blessing.
* GOD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS! After several months of very severe cold & one snow storm after another, Homes in the Northeast & Midwest U.S. found it increasingly difficult to carry on their normal outreach & experienced financial difficulties. (PL 17:110) Here is one Home's novel solution:
"In mid-February another large snowstorm hit our area & the city in which we live virtually shut down. As we looked out the window following another 8" (20 cm.) snowfall, we wondered what we were going to do for outreach that day--and for the rest of the week for that matter!
"After counselling & praying, several of us YA boys decided to offer to shovel our neighbours' driveways. We took snow shovels, an ice scraper, & a witnessing bag complete with photo album, Posters, Tapes & Videos. This turned out to be a wonderful way to meet & minister to our neighbours, & to introduce them to our work. (Also good Get-Out!)
"We've had two more big snows since then, so we have now met many people who were thankful for our offer to shovel their walks & driveways in exchange for donations towards our work. Elderly folks are especially appreciative, so we dubbed this ministry "Consider the Elderly." We have shovelled about 60 driveways so far, & received a little over $2000 in donations. Now every time it snows, the phone rings with more requests for us to shovel folks out of their snowbound homes.
"Precious souls have been won, & this ministry is yielding more friends & finances than our normal shop-to-shop witnessing. It's also provided a wonderful opportunity to expand our mailing list & cultivate new friends & supporters, as we've been sending our monthly newsletter to everyone who expresses interest in our work."
* SOCIAL SCIENTISTS STUDY FAMILY IN MEXICO. Family representatives were recently able to spend a day sharing our beliefs with a panel of 12 social scientists.
They also set up a display of pictures & Family tools at the entrance of the conference room. A giant-screen TV presented Family Videos.
The Family gave a one-hour presentation, & the 12-member audience took notes attentively. During the question & answer session which followed, the panellists asked many sincere questions, & were intrigued with the many facets of our movement.
* LORD TURNS THE HEART OF EDITOR. After a religious magazine in Mexico printed a very negative article about the Family, representatives visited the editor. At first he seemed unreceptive, but his attitude changed after hearing of the release of our Family in Argentina. In the end, he printed our rebuttal to the article.
He would also like to visit a Home, together with several reporters & photographers to interview us for a possible feature article on the Family. Three points he is especially interested in are: our lifestyle, our beliefs & their basis in Scripture, & our contact with the "outside world."
* MEXICAN JOURNALIST BLASTS ACMs. A well-known weekly magazine published a powerful statement against the anti-"cult" movement. In the article, the journalist uses the Family as an example of groups under attack by ACMs, & quotes Family pubs.
HOMEGOING ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. The 13-year-old son of a TSer drowned in a boating accident in England. Please pray that P. & her other children will be able to draw comfort & courage from the Lord & His Word during this time of trial.
2. Benji, 2-year-old son of Mateo & Belen in Bolivia, went to be with the Lord on Wednesday, March 9th, following complications from the measles.
Dear Mateo & Belen & family,
Please know that our hearts & prayers go out to you at this trying time. Although it's difficult to be separated from our loved ones in this way, we can be comforted knowing that Benji is safe in the arms of Jesus.
HE CARES
Oh, wonderful story of deathless love,
Each child is dear to that Heart above.
He fights for me when I cannot fight,
He comforts me in the gloom of night,
He lifts the burden, for He is strong,
He stills the sigh and awakes the song;
The sorrow that bows me down He bears,
And loves and comforts, because He cares.
Let all who are sad take heart again;
We are not alone in our hours of pain;
Our Father stoops from His throne above
To soothe and quiet us with His Love.
With much love & prayers,
Your Family who cares!
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(Please remember that the following "Answered Prayer" & "Prayer Requests" sections contain only the latest victories & urgent situations which have been reported to us. For more complete listings of recent answers to the Family's prayers & current prayer requests, please refer to the latest worldwide Prayer List from WS.)
ANSWERED PRAYER
1. Peter is feeling much better:
Dear Family,
Thank you for praying for my back & leg & for my health in general. The Lord has answered miraculously by healing me from the excruciating pain in my back & leg as well as restoring my overall health. I'm so thankful for your prayers which have brought about this wonderful miracle in my life.
Love,
Peter
2. David (of Paul & Ruth) in South America, who suffers from cerebral palsy (PL 14:190), walked unaided for the first time in his life, for a short distance on his 5th birthday, Feb.17th! Please continue to pray that his walking will improve, & that his bones will straighten out into their proper place.
3. Colombia accident victims. Juan Andres is recuperating miraculously well, & it appears that he will not suffer any permanent damage from either the accident, or the meningitis which he contracted as a result of his hospitalization for head injuries. What a miracle! He will, however, need to follow a therapy program for a few months. Teen Miriam recently began hearing out of the ear that was injured. Her hearing is not completely restored, however, so please keep praying. Gerson is up & around with the rest of the teens. Thank you so much, dear Family, for your prayers!
4. Newborn Leilani (of YAs Cherish & Miguel) suffers from hypothyroidism (a problem with her thyroid gland). The latest tests, taken after the local Family prayed for her, revealed that her condition has improved. Thank the Lord!
PRAYER REQUESTS
DAD & MAMA:
1. For the health, safety & security of Dad, Mama, & their staff.
WORLDWIDE:
2. For our adults to catch the vision for our youth, & become more involved in their training.
3. For all our academic friends, lawyers & other friends who are being a tremendous help to us.
COURT CASES:
4. Pearl's case:
>> That our Family witnesses will continue to answer questions about the Family wisely & with real conviction.
>>That the judge will be satisfied that Sammy should be allowed to remain with his mommy in the Family.
>>For our new QC, other lawyers & legal team.
>> For our expert witnesses, whose testimonies will be crucial to the case.
>>For ample funds to pay for the best possible legal representation & the expenses of expert witnesses.
5. Melbourne case: For our lawyers & Family Members. (The court is still dealing with preliminary matters.)
6. French court case: That the judge investigating the criminal case will close the case altogether.
7. Barcelona case: For the appeal to be rejected, which the prosecutor has filed with the Supreme Court in Madrid; for our lawyers' wisdom in countering this appeal.
8. For a complete end to the Argentina court proceedings, so that our remaining members will be free to leave the country.
9. Libel suit against Baamonde & those who falsified the original psychological test results: that the charges made by our lawyers will stick, & that the court will award damages to the Family.
10. For the Argentine lawyers, doctors & other professionals who are helping us during the ongoing legal proceedings: for their strength & wisdom, that they won't become weary in well-doing, & for the Lord to reward them openly.
SOUTH AMERICA:
11. For our Argentine media team, & for more openings to proclaim the Truth.
12. For complete recovery of those injured in the Colombia traffic accident.
13. For an official investigation in one country to come to a speedy conclusion, & that it will result in better understanding between the government & our Family there.
14. For Sara (of Josias), who learned that she is pregnant (with #12) while already taking strong medication for tooth infections. The doctor also discovered a cyst the size of an egg on her ovary. Please pray that the strong medication won't harm the fetus & that the Lord will heal her teeth, remove the cyst on her ovary and have His perfect Will with the baby & her pregnancy.
EUROPE:
15. For the social services investigation of the Family in one European country to come to a close; that it will result in yet another vindication of the Family, & win new friends & supporters.
ASIA:
16. For Thai Abe, who has a brain tumour which has caused seizures. That the Lord will heal & deliver Abe from this tumour, strengthen his faith, encourage him, & lead Abe in his decision regarding possible surgery.
(eon)
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family