FAMILY UPDATE NEWS #36 -- April 1996
DO
"I [Mama] am so proud of each of you, every one. Why? Because you are the servants of the living God! You have given your lives to serve Jesus, you've forsaken all to live for Him, you love Him, you witness His Truth, you live His Word" (ML #3017:342, GN 654).
April 1996, The Family, 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.)
PACIFIC AND AUSTRALIA
THE LORD PUNCHES THROUGH IN PUBLIC PERFORMANCE
From Mark and Mary, Taiwan:
Our teens were invited to perform at a street dance for about 2,000 young people. They felt a bit nervous, and when we arrived we found television cameras, people taking photos, and the stage all set up with lights, special effects, etc.! All we could do was pray desperately and go ahead by faith. After all the performances, people said that our little show, which we'd only had a few days to rehearse, was the best of all! Praise the Lord!
We passed out about 1,000 posters, but felt that there must be a way to get in even more of a witness. So Anna and Pat asked if they could say a few words to the audience. They were given the mike, and led the crowd in a Salvation prayer in Chinese, which was repeated by at least 1,000 people! Praise God!
GOD WILL SUPPLY!
From Titus, Gioia and Sonia, Taiwan:
Matthew and teen Maria were getting ready to go on a three-week road trip to China. The Lord had supplied funds for their plane tickets, but three days before they were to leave they still didn't have funds for their food, lodging and transport expenses during the trip. It was a bit like the story Grandmother told of Etta needing the funds to go to missionary school: We knew the Lord wanted them to go, so we continued to prepare, all the while praying desperately that He would supply.
Two days before the trip, a Christian friend of ours came over and said the Lord had shown him that we needed some money for this visit to China. Then he proceeded to give us exactly the amount we had prayed for, plus our tithe on those funds! God bless this precious man! -- And thank God for His eternal faithfulness to supply when we put Him to the test!
FAMILY DANCE NIGHT A HIT WITH FRIENDS!
From Isaac, Anna and Rachel, Tahiti:
We held a little party with 30 of our friends that we've been witnessing to -- a barbecue and dance night. After we ate, the musicians started playing some Tahitian songs and a few people were dancing. We then decided to put on a Family tape, and we weren't sure what our friends' reactions would be, thinking that they might not like our style of music.
But when they heard our music, they all jumped up and started dancing. They loved it, and were more enthusiastic to dance to our music than to theirs! It was an inspiring time of fellowship!
Later that week, we kept hearing from them what a wonderful and unforgettable party it was. One said, "When I entered your garden, I felt something very peaceful. It feels so good to be there!" Praise the Lord!
FRONT-PAGE SPACE FOR POEM ABOUT JESUS
From Nathan, Stacie and John, Japan:
The local City Office requested the words of a poem about Jesus that one of our JETTs had memorized and recited at a recent party which was attended by a local official. They are planning to use this poem as a front-page feature for our local community magazine, which is sent out to all the local residents!
CHILD'S LIFE CHANGED THROUGH TREASURE ATTIC
From Priscilla, Taiwan:
A family in our neighborhood, who'd previously lived in the US, began giving us a monthly donation and asked if their daughter, Grace, could come to our Home several times a week to practice her English. Grace has a three-year-old brother, Jonathan, who is very active and rowdy. Last month, I started lending them the Treasure Attic videos. On a later visit to their home, the mother bought all 12 Kiddie Viddie and Treasure Attic videos that we have available!
Grace later told me that little Jonathan no longer watches any TV or video except our Family programs, which he watches over and over. If he is naughty, his mom threatens to suspend his video-viewing time, and his behavior is immediately transformed! For a child with a history of throwing fits and being very stubborn and demanding, his parents consider this a real miracle! Seeing the change in Jonathan has also drawn his parents closer to the Lord, and they have started to read the Living Waters.
NORTH AMERICA
LETTERS FROM FORMER FAMILY MEMBERS
From the Sizzlers Home, USA:
We are continuing to receive precious reactions from former members, whom we have been sending mailings to, including some recent GP and DFO pubs. Some are wanting to visit and many write us regularly. It is becoming a very inspiring ministry! Thank You Jesus! Here are a few inspiring excerpts from recent letters:
From Jeremiah Mountain: "I was really blessed by the Family in my earlier years. I really took a liking to witnessing. This is one of the strong points of the Family, sharing that hope for a dying world! ... [He mentions the different ways he still witnesses faithfully.] So you see, I owe a big thank-you to Jesus and the Family for helping me to share His message with those that hunger for the Truth."
From Bart, Hawaii: "I cherish and have fond memories of my time in the Family, and appreciate those special days. ... I love hearing from you and getting spiritual guidance, which I sorely need to be able to live amid the insanity of the majority of the people I live and work with."
From Suzanne and Simon, Canada: "It is such a thrill to renew contact with our brothers and sisters, and most important, re-plugging ourselves into the Word. Lord help us, we have been very, very far from the true life. ... We are praying that you will keep sending us pubs, and you can be sure that we will become supporters of your work. We do not know any other Christians that have given their lives to the Lord like the Family has, nor any that do as much work as you do. God bless you! We sure love you and need your encouragement during these dark hours."
SAME POSTER, NEW PLACE
From Gem, Canada:
Returning from a visit to Florida, I boarded a taxi-van to the airport. The only other passenger in the van turned out to be quite sheepy, and we had a deep conversation about the Lord and life in general. During our talk, I gave him the poster "Why Worry?" A look of surprise spread across his face, and he shook his head in disbelief.
He then related how he had received that very poster in a parking lot in California, and here he was in a small Florida town getting it again! He said he normally doesn't stop when people offer him literature, but in that case something compelled him to, and he had had a long chat with the girl who was passing them out. I asked if he had read the poster, and he said, "No." -- And immediately he began to read the one I'd just given him!
I told him God must really want him to have that message, and he commented how meeting this way was just the type of approach that he needed. He loved the poster and the way it was presented. Praise the Lord!
SHIP-TO-SHIP WITNESSING
From Eric, Ester and Ruth, USA:
We've started a ministry witnessing on the ships which dock all along the river. On the very first day we met sailors who had met the Family in many different parts of the world. One sailor had bought some of our tapes in Australia. He told us that his favorite was "On Love We'll Sail," but that his tape player had destroyed it; he was super inspired to get another copy. On the next ship we met a Filipino sailor whose friend had joined the Family in Thailand, and who had almost joined himself.
We made packs of DFs for these men, as they have so much time on their hands when they are at sea. One of the cooks wanted us to leave lit for him to give to all of the men on the ship, so we left him a bunch of copies of "Who Is Jesus?" and "In Search of Truth." We're really excited about the potential of this ministry, and inspired to see the fruits of the Family's witness around the world.
SOUTH AMERICA
DEAF PERFORMANCE OPENS DOORS
From Jos, David and Faith, Brazil:
We had an opportunity to perform for 1,500 people at the residence of the mayor of our city, during a local ceremony to pass out hearing aids to deaf children. We did a clown show in sign language, then our OCs sang for the authorities and the parents of the children. The mayor, who attended the performance, came and personally congratulated us afterwards. We gave him some material explaining our work. We also distributed information packets to some of the other officials and their advisors. We are now following up on them to see how we can work together in social projects.
TESTIFYING OF FAMILY MUSIC USED IN CHILDBIRTH OPENS DOORS FOR FURTHER WITNESSING
From Jos, Clara and Joanna, Peru:
Clara and Tito, a doctor in the Family, were invited to participate in a talk about using music as therapy during childbirth. The seminar was attended by psychologists, gynecologists and obstetricians. Tito shared his experiences as a missionary doctor, and how he has used our music during deliveries done in the Family. Clara then gave her personal testimony of the positive effect our music had on her deliveries. Many were impressed with the number of children Clara has, and were respectful of her faith. We also had a display stand of our videos and tapes, so people could have the "sample" as well as the "sermon!" We've now been invited to an international conference, which will be attended by more than 300 people, including many doctors.
YOU CAN'T OUTGIVE GOD!
From Glory, Jeremias and Tiago, Brazil:
Since our Home began making an effort to send surplus items to other Family Homes (as well as giving some to the poor), the windows of Heaven have opened and we are having a hard time receiving all that is being miraculously and abundantly poured out! Through our provisioning contacts we've received enough supplies of canned food, beans, rice, flour, coffee, shoes, toys, cleaning supplies and toiletries to be able to send over 400 boxes, as well as 100 50-kilo bags of different grains, to other Family Homes in the country. The transporting of all of this was provisioned as well! Thank the Lord!
MIRACULOUS DONATION IN ANSWER TO PRAYER
From Mateo, Brunilda and Precious, Chile:
We had prayed desperately for finances, as fund-raising is not easy for a small team with 15 children! One of our friends gives us his tithe every four months, and since he had tithed two months ago we were not expecting a donation from him for a while. But when we recently saw him, to our surprise he handed me a check for $1500, saying that the Lord had showed him that we needed this amount of money. He was very encouraged when we confirmed that indeed it was the exact amount that we needed, almost right down to the penny! Praise the Lord!
OUR GOD IS STILL A GOD OF MIRACLES!
From Esther, Joan and David, Peru:
After reading about George Mueller's life in devotions, we were praying for more faith to expect the kind of miracles that were so common for him. That very morning when we opened the front door, there was an envelope on the ground with "The Family" written on it. Inside we found $50, with no other name or information. It was a true faith-builder and answer to prayer!
ASIA
THE POWER OF SPECIFIC PRAYER
From Maria Magdalene, Thailand:
While doing some phone provisioning for our Christmas celebration, I called an ice-cream parlor to see if they could help. The man was quite rude, and said that the owner wasn't there and we'd have to call again. That night I felt burdened to pray for this man, that he would find the true meaning of Christmas and the joy of giving by helping others.
The next evening, a team went out to sing for some of our friends. As they sang in an Italian restaurant, a man walked in and started listening to the songs. When he found out who they were, he told them that someone from our group had called him the day before about giving ice-cream. He apologized that he couldn't help, as he wasn't the boss. Then he gave a good donation and said, "You can use this for ice-cream, if you like!"
I was inspired to hear how quickly the Lord answered my prayers for that man! It caused me to stop and ponder how many more people could be changed like this if we only took a little time to stop and pray for them!
COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT BECOMES WITNESSING OPPORTUNITY
From Paula (16), Nepal:
Our neighbor, a former UN volunteer and now the president of a women's volunteer club, invited us to participate in a zoo-cleaning project on Volunteer Day. We wholeheartedly agreed, and four of us teens and JETTs set off for the first day. Lots of other volunteers came too, but a few hours later we found ourselves to be the only ones left, as the others had all gone home. At the end of the long day we were thanked over and over again by the organizers of the project, who asked us to return the next day as well.
The following day they were overjoyed to see us return, and said they couldn't do it without us. Lots of different people were there that day, from college students and businessmen to some U.S. marines and even the U.S. ambassador. So as we cleaned and painted we were able to meet a lot of sweet people and talk with them about our work.
When the zoo keeper found out that we were the Family, he exclaimed, "Oh, were you the ones scraping the walls yesterday?" -- And he invited the whole Home for an outing to the zoo, which is normally quite expensive. Praise the Lord! What a fun activity for the kids!
MUSLIMS RECEIVING THE MESSAGE
From Gideon, Mary, Heidi and Lily, India Area:
A businessman whom we have been following up on for some time has suddenly begun to respond to the Word we have been sending him, and it has changed his life. When we visited him, he couldn't stop talking about the Reflections article, "The Cobbler and His Guest," which we sent in our Christmas mailing. He exclaimed, "I may be a Muslim, but I believe in Jesus! And I know that story is true!"
It's been interesting to hear people's comments when we give them Reflections and Mountain Streams, and tell them the latter are written by our founder, David Berg. Many of our friends have said that they believe Dad is a true man of God. One friend said, while talking about Dad's message, "He really must have been hearing from God. God has His messenger around for every age!"
FROM DRUGS TO SALVATION
From Andrew, Ruth and Phoebe, India:
While out witnessing recently, one of our brothers was approached by a man who wanted to sell drugs to him. When the man heard that we were missionaries, however, he said that he wanted to receive Jesus! He insisted on saying the prayer two times, to make sure that he'd really "gotten it." This man was moved to tears to know that people as young as us were serving the Lord, when he had been busy selling drugs to the youth on the beaches.
"SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST!"
From Joanna (13), Pakistan:
During get-out on New Year's day, we noticed that a number of very fancy cars were driving up to the house of some Finnish neighbors of ours who work in the UN. When we found out that it was a birthday and New Year's party, we prayed for the Lord's leading, and decided to stop by and see if the Lord would open the door for us to perform. When we asked if we could sing, the host first said no, but his friend persuaded him to consent. So he agreed that we could perform after the other shows.
They were concerned that we might be too "religious," but when we arrived with the rest of the kids, all dressed in our costumes with colorful bells and hats, and started rocking out to "Get Up and Put On a Happy Smile," the audience was thrilled! One of them called out to the host, "You didn't tell us that you kept the best till last!" We were able to make many friends who would like to book shows in the future, and the lady of the house thanked us over and over for our performance.
JUST A FEW MINUTES BROUGHT ETERNAL RESULTS
From Sharon YA, Thailand:
As my partner and I boarded the bus to our witnessing destination and were getting ready to pay our fare, the conductor just waved her hand, as if we weren't meant to pay. I thought that perhaps she didn't understand, and leaned over to tell her where we were going.
She said, "Friends don't need to pay. Don't you remember me?" She went on to tell how six months ago I had talked and prayed with her, and left her with a "Somebody Loves You" tract with my address. Shortly thereafter, she returned to her hometown to help with rice harvesting, and while she was gone she lost my address. She had been thinking about me and hoping to see me again, and just then we got on the bus!
It's amazing how far a little love can go! Six months ago I had only spent a few minutes with her and said a short prayer, but it meant so much to her! I was convicted to be continually on the lookout for opportunities to tell people about Jesus!
DEAF DANCE TROUPE PERFORMS AT A FESTIVAL
From Mark and Willing, India:
Our deaf catacombers' show troupe was invited to perform at the Young Architects Festival '96. The performance was very well received, and many people came up to us after the show to find out more about the Family. We met the managing director of an international company, who came to us right after the show and said, "This made my day!" We also made many other friends whom we have been able to follow up on.
SHARING A GLIMPSE OF HEAVEN
From Faith, India:
The Lord is doing miracles in our ministering to cancer patients. It's wonderful to see His Word and Love reaching these grief-stricken people who need Him so much. We were asked if our Heaven posters could be put up in the children's ward, so that the children, many of whom are terminally ill, could see them and know that they were going to that beautiful Place. The poster of Jesus with the little children all around was the favorite.
THE POWER OF THE WORD
From Cephas and Sapphire, India:
While on a follow-up appointment with a relatively new friend, he began professing his own religious opinions and interrogating us on ours! After a while, we found ourselves at a loss for words.
Then he asked us, "What is love?" The Lord led us to reply by showing him GP Daily Might, page 6, "Love Is..." When he read it, he exclaimed, "For the first time in my life, I found the true meaning of love!" He then requested his own copy of the Daily Might. Praise the Lord! -- The Word succeeded where we couldn't!
EUROPE
MINISTERING TO WAR VETERANS
From James, Christina, Adam and Angelica, Russia:
A friend of ours, Mr. R., invited us to join him when he visited a veterans' hospital, to help him spread the Word to these desperate men. This was an answer to prayer, as we had wanted to go minister there, but tight security had made it impossible. We were able to talk and pray with quite a few men and pass out many posters. Praise the Lord!
Mr. R. was so eager to help us spread the Word! At one point while we were telling several veterans about Jesus, he joined in and said, "Yes, you need to listen to them. You really need Jesus in your lives, as He is the only One Who can help you through this war." He also encouraged the men to pray with us, and led the way with his sample of joining right in with the prayer. God bless him!
BRINGING JOY AND JESUS TO SICK CHILDREN
From Virginia, Russia:
We did a show in a hospital for children with blood diseases, ranging in age from 5 to 16. It was a heart-breaking experience, as we were not emotionally prepared to see these children come in to see the show pushing their intravenous drip stands in front of them! One boy was brought in by his mother on a bed with wheels because he had a spinal puncture and could not walk. We were touched to tears and determined not to fail them.
We really tried to give the performance our best shot, and in spite of our imperfection and lack of practice, the Lord punched through. We had prepared some action songs, and the kids as well as the mothers participated with all their hearts! When we asked them if they had their feet ready to do actions for the next song, even the bedridden boy raised his feet to show that he was ready.
The staff and the mothers, who were the few adults there, were precious and broken. As we began to introduce the idea of receiving Jesus, one of the mothers quickly answered, "He wants to live in our hearts!" All 30 prayed to receive Jesus. Hallelujah!
WINTER MIRACLES AND WITNESSING STORMS!
From Michael and Joanna (TS), Ukraine:
This winter's witnessing season was very fruitful, and by the Lord's grace and mercy we all stayed healthy in spite of temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius, with snow and ice everywhere!
Once when we were on our way to the TV station to do our show, we had to put an electric heater under the car to warm the engine so that it would start. Once the engine started, the vehicle still refused to move, and we realized that the wheels were frozen to the ground! After desperate prayer the car suddenly broke loose! On the way home we again broke down in the middle of nowhere, because the diesel fuel in the car had frozen. At first we were all tempted to feel afraid at the thought of all 19 of us being stranded, including six small children. Once again we got desperate in prayer, and before long the Lord sent a truck by, who pulled us all the way home. Thank You Jesus!
We are so thrilled at all the doors the Lord has been opening up for us. During the Christmas season we performed shows nearly every other day. We did various shows for the soldiers and patients at an army hospital. We sang for the mayor of a city, and for the Red Cross. On the days when there were no shows booked, witnessing teams went out and distributed thousands of pieces of lit and won many souls! During the month of December we prayed with over 4,000 precious souls to receive Jesus into their hearts! Praise God!
FAMILY ATTENDS SWISS NRM CONFERENCE
From Gideon and Tim, Switzerland:
Gideon, Tim and Joan were able to represent the Family at a conference organized by Infosekta, a group who consider themselves an information source on sects, but in actuality are more on the anti-cult side. About 100 people attended, and we were able to get out a good witness on religious freedom and the positive effects of NRMs, speaking against brainwashing, etc. We also presented packages of our lit to interested people and will now try to arrange follow-up visits with different ones that we met while there.
STATS ANALYSIS FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY 1996
--By WS Staff
In February, the Family distributed the equivalent of 10.5 million pages of lit, which is under our average for the past year of 11.7 million pages a month, but still quite good. This came to 1,925 pages per DO adult (16 and over) and 1,715 per TS adult. That figure included 396,226 posters (87/DO adult and 23/TS adult), 28,914 tapes (5.4/DO adult and 4.5/TS adult), and 10,399 videos (2.5/DO adult). Distribution of Living Waters surged extraordinarily high, up to 61,894. Over 50,000 went out in Russia alone! Praise the Lord! This is about four times the average amount of Living Waters we normally distribute.
We also personally witnessed to over half a million people (530,471), averaging 93 per DO adult and 98 per TS adult, and won 75,570 of them to the Lord. In other words, about one out of every seven people personally witnessed to got saved -- a pretty good ratio!
Thirty more babies were born, and our monthly average of babies for the last year is also 30, or about one a day! We had 11 betrothals, which is higher than our monthly average of 8. Forty-five new disciples (not counting births) joined the DO ranks, 29 of whom were TSers returning to DO status.
Our outside membership is composed of 495 live-out members, 182 catacombers, 6,701 DF/follow-up members, 426 outside witnessers, 4,847 active supporters, 4,520 mail ministry members, and 90 GP members, for a grand total outside membership of 17,261.
On the 328 Home Self-Evaluation Checklist stats which came in this month, there was an overall 94% yes rate on the 180 questions. Forty-two questions had 100% yes answers, and another 25 had 99%!
MOVIE RATINGS
(Editor's note: The following movies have been previewed by members of WS and CRO offices around the world. While these movies have generally been deemed "watchable," WS is not endorsing the full content of every one. The suggested age ratings are also subject to the faith and final decision of you, parents, teachers and shepherds. Please be prayerful and Spirit-led in choosing what you and your children watch, considering that people often react differently to the same movie, and what may be one person's meat may be another's poison. We hope these reviews are a blessing and help to you. WLY!)
Movies for Senior Teens and Up
BRAVEHEART (1995)
Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau
Well-made Hollywood epic production chronicling 13th century Scotland's fight for independence from Britain. Good lessons on conviction, the qualities of a pioneer, not giving up, and being willing to give your all for a cause you believe in. Beware of extremely graphic violent scenes throughout the movie. (Editor's note: You may want to have two showings of this movie -- one for those who want to watch it in its entirety, and another for those who want an "edited" version, where the violent and gruesome portions can be fast-forwarded by someone who has seen the whole thing.)
DON JUAN DE MARCO (1995)
Marlon Brando, Johnny Depp
Fanciful tale of a young man who believes himself to actually be Don Juan, the world's greatest lover. Good discussion points on the "Don Quixote" parallels, seeing things through the eyes of faith and being able to "be all things" in the spirit world. It would be good to also bring out the dangers of daydreaming or living in a make-believe world!
NINE MONTHS (1995)
Hugh Grant, Julianne Moore, Robin Williams
Comedy about a carefree young executive who is faced with some drastic decisions about his lifestyle when he discovers that his fianc is pregnant. Caution about the unrealistic and chaotic childbirth scene.
SCARLET LETTER, THE (1995)
Demi Moore, Gary Oldman, Robert Duvall
Movie based on the famous novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne, but does not follow the book closely. Love story with good lessons on the Law of Love, dedication, conviction, and bucking the System. Exposes the hypocrisy of mainstream churchianity.
Movies for Junior Teens and Up
MILK MONEY (1994)
Melanie Griffith, Ed Harris
Comedy/love story about three 12-year-old boys who pool their funds and go to the big city in hopes of getting a look at a naked woman. A point for discussion would be the non-glamorous reality of the prostitute lifestyle.
WALK IN THE CLOUDS, A (1995)
Keanu Reeves, Altana Sanches-Gijon, Anthony Quinn
Drama/love story set at the close of WWII. A young veteran meets an unwed pregnant woman, and agrees to pose as her husband for one night to help her save face with her aristocratic family. Good lessons on not being too proud to show love, the bad results of anger, and victory through defeat. Younger audiences will need a lot of explanation.
Movies for JETTs and Up
MORNING GLORY (1993)
Christopher Reeve, Deborah Raffin
Heart-warming character study about a down-and-out, ex-con drifter who goes to work for a widowed single mother on a run-down farm. Good lessons on the changing power of love.
Movies for OCs and Up
ONE FOOT IN HEAVEN (1941)
Fredric March, Beulah Bondi
Entertaining story of a preacher and his wife facing various problems in the clash between church life and 20th century America.
Movies for MCs and Up
ABRAHAM (1994)
Richard Harris, Barbara Hershey
Movie portraying the life of Abraham. There are a few deviations from the Bible story, but realistic and well-portrayed. Some points may need fast-forwarding or discussion with children, such as the Sodomites, the childbirth scenes, and the strained relations between Sarah and Hagar.
BABE (1995)
James Cromwell
Heart-warming movie about a piglet who aspires to become a sheep-dog. Fun for all ages, but younger children may need explanation of some parts.
Movies for YCs and Up
BIG RED (1962)
Walter Pidgeon
Disney story of a boy who goes to work for a dog-trainer and becomes attached to an Irish setter.
Movies for All
JOSEPH (1995)
Paul Mercurio, Ben Kingsley, Martin Landau
Well-made dramatization of the Old Testament story of Joseph and his brothers. Follows the Bible quite accurately. Please preview before showing to young children, as certain parts will need explanations or fast-forwarding.
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Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family