FAMILY UPDATE NEWS #30 -- May 1995
DO
"Do you see the tremendous things that God is promising ... if we meet His conditions? It's the answer to all of our prayers, the fulfillment of all of our dreams, it's the miracle that God has to do in an impossible situation. We're God's special Endtime army, each member of whom He has hand-picked. He's waiting to breathe His life into us--His anointing--but He's waiting for us to take the steps to show we're ready for the battle. He's waiting for us to step out by faith" (ML# 2956:132).
May 1995, World Services, Zurich, Switzerland.
(For JETTs and up. Selected portions may be shared with children younger than JETTs at the discretion of their parents, teachers or shepherds.)
NOTICES
"KEEP ON BELIEVING" NOW DO/TS!
By WS Staff
The audio cassette "Keep On Believing" has been re-classified from DO to DO/TS. The cassette labels of all future copies will reflect this new classification, but you may wish correct your present copies by adding "/TS" to the "DO" classification on the labels. God bless and keep you believing and trusting in Him!
AN ALTERNATIVE HOME SCHOOLING PROGRAM TO CONSIDER --Christian Light Education (CLE).
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. In "`Teaching the Children' Dream", Dad brought up the need for workbooks and teaching materials for our children:
"I thought of all the things they'd need, such as more literature, and more working materials, like workbooks and teaching materials. The most important thing they needed to have were workbooks and teaching materials for them to work on. (Mama: Were you thinking about scholastics or Word?) Both!--All kinds of teaching and education, workbooks and whatever else they have to have....We can buy workbooks for the standard subjects that are already made, we don't have time to make them and we've got to do it right now! We've got to spend whatever it takes to get materials for them to work with" (ML #2845:4,5, GN545).
In light of these comments by Dad, and considering that the Love Charter will probably result in smaller, more indigenous Homes, often putting the responsibility for education more in the hands of busy parents, it seems that it would be helpful to have a self-teaching tool available for those who do not have the time or the experience and training to teach their children through the Family Home Schooling Program, or who would like to supplement the Family program with additional drill work and study material.
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 our parents and teachers have been successfully using the Family Home Schooling Program and the Teacher's Planner, and have found good supplementary materials to go along with it. Others have been using a different scholastic curriculum (such as Beka or a local language course). In either case, 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! (Please see The Word Curriculum, Kidz 79DO, Hope 54 and FSM 258.)
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 an order form 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 US $100 (without the discount). The Answer Keys for one year for all five subjects are an additional US $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!
NORTH AMERICA
EASTER AT THE WHITE HOUSE WITH "THE FAMILY SINGERS"!
From Ahlai and Jason, USA: We had to get up at 5:30 a.m. on Easter Monday to make the White House security check-in. When we arrived at the south gate, there was already a very long line of parents, kids and baby carriages. Over 45,000 people were expected for the annual Easter Egg Roll, the most public event on the White House calendar. Beautiful programs were being distributed everywhere, and "The Family Singers" were billed right up there with the other performers, all of whom were worldly celebrities. As we piled out of our unmarked van, a bystander exclaimed, "Oh, look! It's the Family Singers!" We've become more widely known around Washington than we thought!
The south lawn was swamped with national media crews when the President and Mrs. Clinton opened the festivities with short speeches at 9:45. Then the crowd dispersed into all kinds of organized activities. Bands played, giant stuffed animals (with people inside) mixed with the crowd, and sponsors of the event gave away Easter goodies and samples of their food products.
As the time for our performance drew near, the sky turned cloudy. We prayed desperately that we wouldn't get rained out, but at 1:10--just five minutes before we were supposed to go on--it started to drizzle. The Lord knew what He was doing, however, as this was enough to cause the big-name acts that were scheduled to perform on the other two stages to cancel or delay their shows. A huge crowd of kids and parents flocked to our stage. "Little Creatures" was our first number. Sharon, Crystal and the girls had made bug costumes like those in the Treasure Attic show. After the song, we invited the kids to come up on the stage to "shake, shake, shake" with the bugs. Proud parents took videos and snapped pictures of their children's once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform live at the White House!--Ha! The light rain stopped completely before that first song ended, and it stayed dry for the rest of our show. We had center stage and the entire crowd for nearly the duration of our show.
Our dear performers put on their best show yet, and they got the best response too! During the show, they explained that they are young missionaries from the Family, and a little about our international and local work. The message got out to thousands! Afterwards, one of the organizers who booked us for this performance solely on recommendations from others said, "You are all beautiful and so appealing! I heard you were good, but I didn't think you were this good! This show is tremendous!"
While we were taking some group pictures, a sweet man came up and asked if he could take some pictures for us with his camera. He turned out to be John Valenti, the official White House photographer. He said that he had taken dozens of pictures of our girls performing during the show because they were "the most tremendous thing he had seen all day!"
Two of the stage hands, both 17 years old, were totally enthralled with our witness and show. They were already saved and both are potential disciples.
WITNESSING AFTER THE OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING!
From Elkanah, USA: Immediately after the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City, we put together a four-page tract from the Treasures article "Thoughts of Comfort," which we titled "Comfort for Oklahoma City." We provisioned an initial printing of over 4,000 of these tracts, then set out for the bomb site with a team of ten, ranging from YCs to YAs and adults. Many people in Oklahoma are sincere Christians, and this message was very well received and greatly appreciated. Many people asked for extra copies to give to others, and at one point we had a difficult time passing them out fast enough.
We had been distributing for less than an hour when a reporter from the Associated Press wire service received a tract from eight-year-old Angelina, and then proceeded to take various photos of her witnessing. The reporter then did an interview with Tamar, Angelina's mom. Shortly after this, the local affiliate of NBC did an interview with Elkanah.
The evening of the first day we were invited to witness and eat at the City Church, where a lot of the rescue workers were being fed. While there, one of the overseers of the church asked us to pray for him and for his church, as he felt they should be following our example of feeding the people spiritually. As we were leaving, two old women stopped us and said, "May the Lord bless you in all you are doing!" Then one of them added, "Do you know why this has happened? Because this country has turned its back on God."
The teens were terrific in passing out the tracts and witnessing to people, and over the next two weeks they were a wonderful testimony as they worked with the Red Cross in support of the rescue and relief effort. It soon became apparent that due to the training our teens have received in the Family, they stood head-and-shoulders above the other volunteers on the site, nearly all of whom were adults. I know our teens are sometimes tempted to feel inferior to their System peers for one reason or another, but when the chips were down at the disaster center, there was no question as to who had the superior training. Due to the way our teens worked--unitedly, willing, and with a large degree of self-sacrifice--in one morning alone we received five phone calls from various departments of the relief work.--Everyone was scrambling to try and get our kids to work on their teams.
Fourteen-year old Ruthie later said, "It was neat to see how we were so needed. A lot of the things we were doing were the same things we do in a Home, like washing dishes, meal prep and serving, etc., and it was funny how some of the people we were working with didn't know some of the simplest things. Not that they were dumb or anything; a lot of them were quite well educated, but they had no experience in simple things that we do all the time in the Family, like changing dishwater often, for example, or things requiring basic organizational skills. It reminded me of the verse about Peter and John: When people saw our sample and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men they marveled and they took knowledge of us that we had been with Jesus." (See Acts 4:13.)
(Editor's note: For more exciting details on the Oklahoma teens' volunteer work, don't miss the May Family Activity Report!)
PIONEER TV MINISTRY!
From Jay and Rose, USA: Our one-hour local TV program, "When the Impossible Becomes Possible," aired its first two shows. We are on live Monday afternoons, and then the program is re-aired on Saturdays at 1:30 p.m. Our Home produces the show, our teens direct and do the camera work, and our JETT does the graphics. It is a tremendous opportunity to witness and get trained in TV ministries. Praise the Lord!
We are also working with other Christians who are producing local programs of their own. They come over weekly for a prayer meeting, specifically for all of our TV programs. Our teens and JETT are directing and doing the camera work for their programs as well.
RICHIE HAVENS RECEIVES WITNESS!
From Naarah Black, USA: Our singing team performed at a popular club one night where folk singer Richie Havens was the main attraction. After his show we met him and talked about our work and his; he now works with inner-city youth. I had witnessed to him once before, at a pop festival in London 23 years ago, and he still remembered parts of that conversation! He was very sweet and warm, and took pictures with us. We gave him a package of lit, exchanged addresses, and will continue communicating. Please pray for him.
UNBORN BABY "ROCKS OUT" TO FAMILY TAPE!
From Emanuel and Ruth, Mexico: We met a woman who bought the tape "Magic of Love" six years ago, when she was pregnant. She said she was fascinated by the tape because every time she played it, her baby jumped around in her womb! She bought three more tapes.
YAs PRESENT THE FAMILY TO SEMINARY CLASS!
From Marc, USA: Dr. James Chancellor, a religious historian and Baptist seminary professor whom we have known for a couple of years, invited us to speak at his alternative religions class. Our team consisted of five YAs and myself. In preparation for our visit, Dr. Chancellor had spent several classes telling his students about his experiences with the Family.
Only 12 students are registered for this class, but 30 came to hear us. Dr. Chancellor began the class with a brief introduction, which I expanded on, and then the YAs took over. They introduced themselves, sang several songs, and gave brief testimonies about the countries they've lived in and the ministries they've been involved with, etc. Next, the students asked questions regarding the YAs' home schooling, mission field experiences, etc. Soon the discussion turned to the Law of Love. There was a bit of theological hair-splitting by some of the students, but the YAs gave sound, clear explanations. Several students later said that they understood our stance was possible from a Biblical perspective.
The class went 15 minutes over, to which Dr. Chancellor quipped, "When I teach, students start shuffling their papers and wanting to leave 10 minutes before class is over. When you're here, everybody wants to stay longer and hear more!"--Ha! Four or five students approached the YAs after class with more questions. Several offered their addresses and asked for more material on the Family. One fellow shook my hand heartily and said, "I'm not a student in this class. I only came because my girlfriend wanted me to. However, after listening to all that you had to say, I think this is really far out!"
MEXICO CITY HOMES WITNESS AT INTERNATIONAL FAIR!
From Juan, Ben, Ruth and Vessel, Mexico: When we first met the coordinator of an international exposition of educational materials, she became quite excited about the idea of having a children's group perform on the final day.--And that gave us an idea: We would provide the singing children in exchange for a booth at the exposition where we could display our videos and tapes.
We formed a committee with representatives from each of the Mexico City Homes and began praying about how to go about it. One Home provided the singing group, made decorations and provisioned needs for our stand. Other Homes helped with personnel to man the booth and whatever else was needed. We had just two days to decorate our stand, but it came out very nice--sweet and simple, in contrast with the slick, expensive ones other participants put up. Many people--including some from other stands--commented on the simplicity and warmth of our place. Our tools and witness were very well received.
Like the other participants, we were not able to sell our tools during the fair, only take orders, so we had a system of collecting addresses and business cards of interested parties, which included many teachers and administrators from schools all over the country. Our "company" was also listed and our materials explained in a booklet which was distributed to everyone who attended the expo. Consequently, we have received calls from people who didn't even see our booth, but who read about our materials in this booklet.
The children's performance was just terrific! They sang in six languages, and made quite an impression! The British director of the expo was very impressed with our materials and with the children, as was the head of the company which organized the fair.
SOUP KITCHEN SAMPLE!
From James, Abigail, David and Rejoice, USA: Our Home was asked to help operate a soup kitchen for battered women and the homeless, low-income and no-income folks in our city. The soup kitchen was organized by 22 other churches in our city, and they run it on a rotational basis. When our turn came, six teens and three adults prepared and served a full course meal to about 100 people. The priest who helps run the operation is more excited about us manning the kitchen than any other church, because he knows that we are the most evangelistic of them all.
Some of the people who came to the soup kitchen had heard the usual lies about the Family, but their misconceptions were quickly dispelled by the teens' sample. Taking the time to manage this soup kitchen on what is normally one of our busiest outreach days of the week may seem like a sacrifice, but the Lord told us before we accepted the invitation that this would be a testimony to His sheep--the churched and unchurched alike--and that He will repay whatever we "spend" to be that witness. Praise the Lord!
PRISON MINISTRY BEARS FRUIT!
From Michael Firstlove (TS), USA: The Lord has helped me win a precious disciple through my prison ministry. Until his recent release, Ray and I were only able to converse over the phone for a limited time each week, separated by a bullet-proof partition. He was being held on child abuse charges, but after we prayed for him the charges were proven to be false, the case was dropped, and Ray was set free! The Lord also supplied him with a place to stay and a job. At our first meeting after his release, Ray wept as he expressed his thanks for the Word that was ministered to him while in prison. He said it turned his life around completely, and that he had decided to dedicate his life to serving the Lord. He is now getting Daniel classes, goes witnessing with me, and is being introduced to more Family members.
Another potential disciple from the prison ministry was also released recently. He is now in a drug rehabilitation center, has requested further Bible studies and sincerely wants to dedicate his life to Jesus.
The Lord also gave me an opportunity to participate in a service and Bible study at the women's prison. I shared testimonies and sang three songs. Nearly all of the women were so moved in the spirit that they cried. When we asked who would like to dedicate or rededicate their lives to Christ, nearly all came forward asking for prayer.
UPDATE ON "STAND UP FOR JESUS" TV SHOW
From Christie, USA: The station which airs the Houston teens' "Stand Up for Jesus" show is now on cable, which means it reaches many more people! Stations in two other states are also interested in broadcasting the weekly show. Praise the Lord!
EUROPE
WATERED BY THE WORD, FRIENDS LEARN TO GIVE TO GOD'S WORK!
From Gloria and Christine, Hungary: Our Home needed a new vehicle, so we prayed and Gloria began asking different car dealers if they would be able to donate a car. The first ten companies all said that would be impossible. Then we followed up on a very sweet couple who deal in cars and car parts. We've known them for two years, during which time they have helped us with car parts each time we had a need. Most of our contact with them has been by phone, but recently we have been meeting with them regularly for Word and fellowship. This past year, in spite of many financial difficulties that arose after they expanded their business, they continued to help us. They credit the Lord and the Family's prayers for getting them through their hard times, but we have felt that the Lord could bless them even more if they would tithe.
When we went to present this to them, the Lord had already worked in their hearts. They brought up the subject before we could, and declared that they had decided to tithe monthly. They gave their first tithe on the spot. Before we left we asked if they had any suggestions as to who else we could approach about the car we needed. They said they would look around to see what they could do. By the time we returned home from the appointment, they had already left a message on our answering machine. They had prayed about it and decided to give us a brand new car! Praise the Lord! He never fails!
This couple are the fruit of the Word, as they've been so busy that it's been difficult for us to meet with them much. We've mostly fed them through the mail. They've really grown through reading the Word, though, and love the Family. God bless them!
"IN A VISION, IN A DREAM OF THE NIGHT...!"
From Peter Thankful (TS), England: When I showed the poster "Watch Out for 666" to three teenage girls, one of them exclaimed, "I've seen this poster in a dream!" She was really excited! It's amazing what the Lord will do to show His sheep that He is real and that we are living in the Endtime! (See Job 33:15,16.)
A MIRACLE OF THE LORD'S PROTECTION!
From Tim Spanish, England: Every Friday morning I get up early to go to the market to visit our fruit and vegetable contacts. As usual, one Thursday night I set my ever-faithful alarm clock to 5:30 a.m. and went to bed early. The next morning I jumped out of bed at 6:30! My alarm hadn't gone off! This had never happened before. I checked the setting, but everything was fine. Why hadn't it gone off?
My partner and I got dressed and left in a hurry, hoping to catch some of our contacts before they packed up and went home. It was an unusually cold morning, and as we approached the main road into town, we saw a lot of police cars. We were waved down, and as we stopped we saw a large stretch of thick ice covering the road. All around us were smashed-up cars that had driven over it and gone spinning onto the side of the road or had crashed into one another. Wow! That's why my alarm clock hadn't gone off. Had we been there an hour earlier, we most likely would have been involved in one of those accidents! Praise the Lord for His protection!
CONFIRMATION OF "FIND FERTILE FIELDS!"
From Micah, Belgium: After reading the "Find Fertile Fields" GN (GN 620), I was reminded of the way the media has been treating us here in Belgium and Holland. Ever since the time of the persecution in Argentina, Australia and France, every newspaper, big and small, has really slammed us. Only two papers in all of Belgium printed our rebuttals. Some reporters acted sheepy when they approached us, and since we wanted to get our side out, we granted them interviews. But when their articles came out, they were nothing but slander.
Just recently, one reporter wrote a positive article about us and put it on his wire service. If all the subscribing papers had carried his article, it would have had a total circulation of about 1.6 million. Instead, only two papers ran the article, and they changed the headline and added sexual overtones to make it sound more scandalous. Overall, the papers have really turned public opinion against us.
(Editor's note: This is fairly typical of recent press coverage of the Family in Europe. Although there have been some positive articles, on the whole there have been many more negative ones.)
PACIFIC AND AUSTRALIA
JEREMY WITNESSES TO AND PERFORMS WITH FLEETWOOD MAC!
Several years ago when Mick Fleetwood, leader of Jeremy's old band, Fleetwood Mac, met some Family members in the US, he told them, "I'd give anything to play with Jeremy one more time, live on stage!"
In early April, Jeremy and Quiti were en route home from India, where they had taken part in a series of benefit concerts for India's National Association for the Blind (see FUN #29). They stopped in Japan in order to film some songs for the Endtime music video, and it so happened that Fleetwood Mac was performing in Tokyo the last night that Jeremy and Quiti were in Japan. Jeremy, Solomon Costa Rica, Quiti, Francis (Solomon Touchstone), and Japanese Suzi met and witnessed to Mick Fleetwood and other band members for four or five hours before and after their concerts. Mick invited them all to the show, and when the audience called for an encore, the band called Jeremy up on the stage. For the first time since he joined the Family 24 years ago, Jeremy played two songs with his former band, which brought the house down!
SURPRISE SUPPLY!
From Joan, Freya and Chris, Japan: This month the Lord supplied our Home with enough excellent quality children and adult's clothing that we will be able to share it with nearly every Home in the country! The most surprising part of it all is that the Lord provided it through a friend who is in the demolition business. When he arrived at a new job site, 100 large boxes of clothing were waiting to be disposed of, which he gave to us! The Lord is not limited to providing our clothing needs through clothing companies; He can use anyone! Hallelujah!
HOSPITAL VOLUNTEER MINISTRY
From Rejoice, Australia: For the past couple of months, I have worked as a volunteer at a hospital which is only a five-minute walk from our outreach apartment. I volunteer for a six-hour shift, once every two weeks. It's turning out to be an even better witnessing opportunity than I expected. It is the job of volunteers to visit patients in their rooms or wards to ask if there's anything we can do to help them, and this often leads to deeper conversations.
PIONEERS OFF TO A GOOD START!
From JP, Australia: It was very inspiring to visit Sunny and Christie's Home, which has only been open for about a month and a half. The Lord has provided wonderfully for them in their pioneer situation. They want to try any open door the Lord leads them to, and are making some interesting contacts in the community. They're especially burdened to show the community that the Family is not a "cult" or some two-headed monster, but that we are normal people with normal concerns, etc. On one occasion, Sunny responded to an appeal for volunteers to help raise funds for the Red Cross. He attended a meeting for volunteers, signed up as a representative of the Family, and was eventually asked to be a coordinator for their local area. On the fund-raising day, Sunny's little team accomplished so much that the local Red Cross chairman was very impressed and asked if he could call on the Family to help with future projects. Although this activity was not fruitful in terms of literature distributed and people won to the Lord, it was a good sample to their community and will no doubt help their future witnessing to be more readily received.
ASIA
DEAF MINISTRY UPDATE
From Timo (20), Isaac (17, deaf), Peace (18) and Daniella (18), Thailand: We recently visited schools for the deaf in several up-country [provincial] cities. We have a well-established work with the deaf in Bangkok and have visited schools for the deaf in neighboring cities, but this was our first time to travel to the north of Thailand for the express purpose of reaching the deaf. God bless the local Home which helped provision our accommodations and meals for our three-day stay there.
At one deaf school, the teachers basically let us "take the ball and run with it!" We divided the children into two groups: The program for the younger ones included Kiddie Viddies and Treasure Attics, skits and songs. With the older children we also did skits and showed Fantastic Friends and other videos we had brought for them. Both programs had running translations in sign language. We also spent quite a bit of time just "talking" (signing), encouraging and personal witnessing to these dear deaf children. It was very exciting!
At the deaf school in another city, in addtition to our usual witness, we taught the children how to make popcorn (which we took along). Then we had a fun video with popcorn. They loved it! That visit was like several activity days at home rolled into one, except this was not one of the relatively small children's groups we were used to.--We had 370 students all at once! Wow!
We also witnessed at a factory which is owned by a deaf man. He employs mostly deaf workers, which gives them an opportunity the deaf in this country rarely get, especially up country. The owner, who comes from one of the city's most influential families, was very inspired and thankful for what we were doing for the deaf.
PIONEERS RECEIVE HOLY GHOST POWER!
From James, Charity and team, Thailand: We set out to pioneer a small Home, and the Lord supplied a furnished house for a monthly rent of only $300, and no deposit! The landlord agreed to paint the outside of the house (we provisioned the paint), refinish the wooden floors (a friend bought the materials for us), as well as fix all the screens in the house.
During our first month, in addition to undertaking those home improvement projects, we received 51 visitors, did four "consider the poor" programs (which involved putting together a new children's singing team, learning songs and skits, etc.), got out 105 videos, 140 tapes and 2000 posters, and won 570 souls! Now that had to be a miracle! Praise the Lord!
We also have three very potential kings who are already helping us, and two sweet sheep that we are following up on. Both were drug addicts, but have stopped taking drugs since meeting us and receiving the Lord. Praise the Lord! With a team of just 17, it's only Holy Ghost power!
TEACHING SALVATION AND LESSONS OF FAITH
From Micah, Charity, Celeste and Sarah, Thailand: In the course of arranging sponsorship of our videos for poor schools, the Lord used us to help supply their material needs as well. At one school, we delivered four sponsored videos. The assistant headmistress received the Lord, and asked us for a copy of the salvation prayer so she could pray it with her 220 students.
Upon hearing that we had provisioned paint and helped to paint another poor school in the area, she asked if the Lord could use us do the same for her school. We suggested that she present her needs in a request letter and then pray it through. She was very excited and said she would pray daily for the paint with all of the children until they received the answer! A week later we received a request letter asking for 150 gallons of paint, worth over $1,000. The Lord honored her faith; as we set out to provision it, He raised up a businesswoman to fill this need. Praise the Lord!
LAST-MINUTE MIRACLE!
From Stephen, Lily N., Lily R., Josiah and Sam, Pakistan: Forty-eight hours before our "open home"--and after the invitations had already been sent out--our regular contact informed us that due to extreme circumstances beyond his control, he would not be able to cater for the open house. Then, through a miraculous series of events, a friend of a friend of ours heard of our desperate situation, and though he had never met us personally, decided to arrange and pay for all the refreshments, rugs, stage, sound equipment, lighting, seating, fairy lights, etc., that we needed to transform our garden into a beautiful setting for the open house. Truly a miracle from beginning to end!
SPECIFIC PRAYER GETS QUICK RESULTS!
From Tim, Michael, Cheerful, John, Thailand: One evening we prayed specifically for two things: good food provisions, and a specific amount of money for our children's needs. The next day we felt led to go the port to witness on the ships that dock here. We met a very precious Greek captain who was eager to help. He gave a donation for a set of five videos, plus another generous donation that he said was specifically "for the children." This amount was just what we needed and had prayed for!
When we asked if he could help with any provisions, he said, "Sure!" We showed him our shopping bag, which could actually hold quite a bit, and he said, "What can you put in that"? He then took us to the store room and explained that the company was selling the ship, so we could have as much as we wanted or could carry. That turned out to be 120 kilos of cheese, 20 kilos of butter, 50 liters of cooking oil, 30 liters of olive oil, and quite a few kilos of meat, including two whole lambs. Praise the Lord! What an answer to prayer!
SOUTH AMERICA
NEW TITHER TESTIFIES OF GOD'S BLESSINGS!
From John, Ester and Joao, Brazil: We've begun weekly Bible studies for neighbors and friends of our new tither, Paulo. At one of the first classes, he gave an exciting testimony of how the Lord has blessed him since he started tithing. He owns the franchise for 20 of the 40 branches of a major English language school in our city. Another couple owns the other 20. Paulo testified that since he started tithing, the total number of students enrolled at his branches has doubled. Someone said, "Well, it's probably just because the economy has improved here." So Paulo checked with the owners of the other 20 branches, and they told him that their business has gone up 40%. Meanwhile, Paulo's has gone up 100%!--Clearly the Lord's blessing! Also, over one year ago Paulo's car was stolen. Shortly after he started to tithe, the police found and returned the car in better condition than when it was stolen; the robbers had just put on a new set of tires!
DREAM SAVES A LIFE!
From John, Ester and Joao, Brazil: Eduardo, a friend who pays our Home's rent, had an amazing dream about a man he was about to fire. In his dream, the man's wife came to Eduardo, crying and accusing him of killing her husband. "You didn't even notice he was gaining weight, drinking too much coffee, smoking too much, and suffering from a lot of nervous tension," she said. Eduardo decided not to fire this man, but instead had a talk with him and advised him to visit a doctor. Amazingly, the man was diagnosed as having high blood pressure and a serious heart problem that he had known nothing about. The doctor said these problems were discovered just in time in order to start corrective treatment. Eduardo was thrilled at how the Lord spoke to him in the dream to help save this man's life. Had Eduardo fired him, the trauma could have provoked a fatal heart attack.
COMPUTER SOFTWARE WITH A MESSAGE!
From E. and B. (TS), Argentina: We're giving the Word to others by way of computer programming jobs that we do. We install various programs in such a way that a different quote from the MOP comes up on the screen after the operator finishes using each program. People really like it, as it's an "extra" not found in standard software. They say, "This does me good! After a day of work, it revives me!"
GUARDIAN ANGEL SIGHTED!
From Tim, Chile: One Saturday evening the bishop of a poor evangelical church invited us to sing for their anniversary celebration. We were three adults, two YAs, one teen and three JETTs. We didn't really have a show together, so we just got on fire singing Family inspirational songs, Scripture songs, etc. The bishop was behind us all the time, clapping away and "amening" every song and the comments we made in between. There were about 200 people there, and they all got very inspired! We distributed "Final Signs of the End" posters to all the adults, and "What Everybody Needs Is Love" to the children. The bishop and pastor also prayed for us several times, and took up a love offering for our work. God bless them! After the service, an unassuming man came out of the crowd and told me that while we were singing, he saw my guardian angel right next to me. At first the angel was small, but full of light. As we sang, he grew taller and taller until he covered me with his light! Praise the Lord!
HE SENT HIS WORD AND HEALED THEM!
From John, Sara and Angel, Brazil: Davi and James (teen) came home one day with this amazing testimony: On their way to visit a certain school with the videos, they lost their way and ended up at the door of a different school from the one they had intended to visit. They stopped there anyway, and talked to the lady who owns the school. Framed on the wall of her office was one of our quote posters, quite faded and stained. "This is very special to me," she told Davi and James when they asked her about it. "In April 1982, my son was in a military hospital dying from injuries he received in a motorcycle accident. One week after the accident we had given up all hope that he would live. Some doctors and nurses, my husband and I were standing around his bed, watching him pass away, when two men entered the little anteroom. They gave something to one of the nurses and left. When I asked the nurse what they wanted, she told me that two foreigners had left a message for me, which was the poster. I read the poster immediately, and from that moment on my son began to recuperate. He remained in a coma for about six months, but during that time this poster's message was a great encouragement and comfort to me."
Davi asked her again when she received the poster, and again she said that it was in April of 1982. "How is that possible?" Davi asked. "These posters were not printed until 1987--five years later!"
"I don't know how it is possible," the lady answered him. "All I know is that my son was given up for dead, but when we received this poster he came back to life."
REACTIONS, COMMENTS AND PERSONAL WORDS
MORE ON BACK TO THE BASICS!
From Phoebe, Europe
Although our team originally came together to pioneer new fund-raising methods, we no longer think of ourselves as fund-raisers, but missionaries. It's wonderful! I don't want to think in terms of money anymore, I just want to bring people to Jesus. I am not worried about the financial results anymore; that will follow in the Lord's time and the Lord's way. It is such a relief! I am expecting miracles, and I am curious to find out what the Lord is going to do, but I know that whatever happens, it is His business and He knows what He is doing. I have a real peace about the support side of witnessing now. If we put His kingdom first--the souls of those He leads us to--He will supply.
Again, it is a such basic lesson! I'm experiencing a joy I haven't had in a very long while, and I am having a great time! I'm also meeting all kinds of very interesting people, leading many to the Lord, and I feel so fulfilled! In the process, the Lord is leading us to top people to follow up on, praise the Lord!--A lawyer, a diplomat, business people, etc. I just received a letter from an Arab friend; he gave a large donation and asked to hear from us more often. The owner of our house got saved, and is completely turned on about the Family.
Eliza, my YA partner, and I have decided to try to lead all of our friends to the Lord, regardless of their religious upbrining.
WANT ADS
MATE/DADDY WANTED:
Hi! My name is Maggie, I'm a 30-year-old Taiwanese national. I have been in the Family for 11 years. My main talents and ministries are childcare, outreach and provisioning. I have two beautiful sons, a six-year-old and a five-month old. My older son has been praying for a daddy, and I have been praying for a mate with whom we can work. Our present Home has mostly nationals. If you feel called to Taiwan to work with us, please write us via the PACRO office.
MATE/DADDY WANTED:
God bless you! My name is Jeannie and I'm a 43-year-old Virgo/Libra. I am American and have been in the Family for 24 years. My main ministries are secretarial work, teaching and outreach. I have three sweet children--a daughter 11, and two sons, ages five and seven--who would like to have a special loving daddy. We are living in a new national Home in Taiwan. If you feel the Lord may be calling you to come East and you would like to join us in helping to reach these precious people, we'd love to hear from you! Please write via the PACRO office.
PRAYER REQUESTS
CRITICAL AND LIFE-AND-DEATH SITUATIONS:
1. Heidi, Australia (PL 24:40): Heidi's condition has become more critical, as recent symptoms indicate that the cancer has now spread to her lungs. Please continue to pray for her miraculous healing, encouragement, faith and trust.
NORTH AMERICA:
2. For the Oklahoma City team's follow-up of those they witnessed to in the aftermath of the bombing.
3. That a vicious media smear campaign in Canada will miraculously turn in our favor and result in a good witness. That the Lord will give great wisdom to our Homes, media spokespeople and lawyers in knowing how to handle any contact with the media and government officials. That He will expose and halt the efforts of Stephen Kent (an academic), Priebe and other detractors, who are bent on destroying the local Homes' work.
EUROPE:
4.. For the protection of our Family in Croatia amid escalating fighting with the Serbs and the recent shelling of the Croatian capital, Zagreb. That the Lord will make His will clear to the Family there as to whether they should evacuate, and if so, for a safe evacuation.
5. For the protection of the Family Home in Armenia, where thugs sent by the Orthodox church recently broke into the Home and physically beat the brethren, threatening to kill them if they did not stop their ministry and leave the country. That the Lord will make it clear whether or not we should continue to try to minister in that country and that He will expose and judge those behind this persecution.
6. Debbie (17, of Jude and Eden): For a speedy, complete recovery from an emergency operation to remove a tumor from her neck which could have led to partial paralysis. The tumor was benign, and the operation was a success, thank the Lord!
ASIA:
7. For the Lord's leading regarding a border base/"staging Home" for teams en route to pioneer several South East Asian countries.
* * *
The Savior can strengthen the weary,
His grace is sufficient for all;
He knows every step of the pathway,
And listens to hear when we call.
The Savior can solve every problem,
The tangles of life can undo;
There is nothing too hard for Jesus,
There is nothing that He can't do!
(Good Thots, "Trials and Triumphs": 312.)
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family