Worldwide Family Activity Report - December 1994
FAR008 - GP
December 1994 by The Family, Zurich, Switzerland
The Family
Making a Difference!
Every day, in over 50 countries and on five continents, full-time Family volunteers work to bring hope, happiness and God's love to others. Following are highlights of their many recent activities and experiences, as reported by Family missionaries themselves.
"Blessed is he who considers the poor" (Psalm 41:1).
From Andy & Maria, Bolivia
Here, as in a number of Latin American cities, orphaned or deserted nios de la calle (street children) roam our city in bands, scavenging, begging and stealing to survive. In one area of town especially, they gather by the scores to get "high" by inhaling a type of shoemakers' glue. From teenagers to children as young as four or five, they're slowly destroying their minds and bodies with those toxic fumes.
Last month we met a woman who owns a room on the main street where these children congregate. There she has tried to help them the best she could--mainly by helping to feed and clothe them. After hearing about The Family's other projects, she pleaded with us to help her rescue these children. We took our Family teens to see the situation firsthand, and their hearts went out to these poor kids. Our young people immediately offered to help, and have begun a broader program which they call Angelitos de la Calle (Little Angels of the Street).
The program has three short-term goals: to help these children physically and materially; to help them find lasting solutions to their drug-related problems; and to help each one to experience God's love and care for them personally. Their programs long-term goal is to help as many as possible to become happy, productive members of society and good role models--little "guardian angels"--who will help get other kids off the streets.
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A high-ranking Russian official whom Family members met abroad made the following comments about The Family's humanitarian aid efforts in the former Soviet Union:
"International relief agencies such as US AID or Americares donate substantial amounts of humanitarian aid, but in most cases only about 3% of donated items actually reach the Russian people they are designated for. The donor agencies concern themselves only with getting the items to Russia. From there, local government agencies take over and most of the goods are either misappropriated, stolen or intercepted by the Russian Mafia.
"It is clear that The Family not only sees the goods through to their destination, but you also provide the human touch. That is really the most valuable form of humanitarian aid; it is not food or clothing, but it is speaking with the people, encouraging them and showing them in a tangible way that someone cares."
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From Steve, Hope and Anne, U.S.A.
Our Home now has a project that we call "Food Hotline!" We have a toll-free telephone number (known in the U.S. as an 800 number). Local businesses donate food which we distribute to low-income families each week. We now help 17 families. Each week, we also give each family booklets of inspirational readings and Family posters. Several entire families have prayed with us to receive the Lord as their Savior.
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In her article published in the October 9 issue of the Hungarian weekly magazine Vasarnap, Mariann Gyemant interviewed Family member Judit, who had recently returned from the former Yugoslav republic of Croatia. Following are excerpts of that article, translated from Hungarian:
When Hungarians prepared for their holidays this year, they didn't even think of going to familiar places like the beautiful beaches that line the ink-blue Adriatic Sea, or the lake in Plitvice, or Dubrovnik or Mostar. There is war there. But not everybody avoids former Yugoslavia. Members of the international missionary organization, The Family, had a rendezvous there during the summer, and many are still there.
According to estimates, there are approximately 2 million refugees in former Yugoslavia. All they have is what they could take with them in their hands or on their backs. Although a lot of international groups are trying to help them, many of the refugees still don't have anything. Members of The Family have been approaching organizations, companies and individuals to gather items [for these refugees].--And to be sure that the things arrive at their destination, they personally take the goods which they receive to this war-weary country: Food, clothing, kitchen supplies and more.
Although there are branches of The Family all over the world, they are actually a very small missionary group. Still, according the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, they have more members in former Yugoslavia than any other independent volunteer organization.
In addition to The Family's ongoing relief efforts in Bosnia, Croatia and Slovenia, volunteers from The Family provide spiritual and material support for refugees from the Bosnian war at refugee camps in Hungary, Romania and Denmark.
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For several years, Family members in Thailand have been assisting the Karen people. This ethnic hill tribe, many of whom are Christians, live along the northwestern border between Thailand and Burma. Many of Thailand's Karens are refugees from Burma's military regime.
A Thai businessman who regularly helps sponsor Family projects donated over 650 warm jackets to The Family to distribute to the Karens. When other friends of The Family learned of this latest project, they donated many more boxes of warm clothes, school uniforms, school supplies, food, vitamins and baby needs, and sponsored 20 sets of The Family's children's Videos for the Karens' schools. They also gave two video players. Another friend rented a ten-wheel truck to haul the goods to the remote region, about 300 miles (500 kilometers) from Bangkok. Family members traveled to the region to distribute the goods personally. Local officials provided The Family with a pick-up truck to distribute the goods in several Karen villages. A group of Family young people also sang and performed for the villagers who gathered to receive the relief supplies. In his appreciation speech, one official called us "the people that go about helping others with love and understanding."
"A little child shall lead them!" (Isaiah 11:6)
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From Peter and Sarah, Australia
"And what do you plan to do when you grow up?" an elderly lady asked five-year-old Arthur during one of our regular visits to cheer and assist the residents of a nursing home.
"I'm going to stop all wars and bring peace on Earth," Arthur answered without hesitation.
"How do you plan to do that?" she asked.
"By telling people about Jesus!" he replied.
And Arthur is not wasting any time. That morning he led three people to receive Jesus as their Savior.
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From Nina and Angela, Italy
The other day we took our four little girls, ages four to six, on an outing to a lakeside park not far from our home. They greeted everyone cheerily and many hearts were touched by their sweet, loving spirits. It was wonderful to see the girls' concern for the people we met, including a little girl with a broken arm, and a blind man whose face beamed the whole time they talked with him. They asked simple, sincere questions to find out what people would like God's help with, and prayed with each one we talked to.
"Children are samples of the citizenry of Heaven!--Little angels dropped out of the sky!"--Father David.
Lives healed and changed
From Josh and Hope, Colorado, U.S.A.
Several months ago we met Ralph in a homeless shelter. He was separated from his wife and young children at the time. We prayed with him and challenged him with the principle that with God's love and his cooperation, all of his problems could be overcome. As we were leaving, he told us how much it meant to him to meet our children and hear them sing.
One month later we met him again, in a supermarket. "You won't believe what has happened!" he told us excitedly. "I'm back with my wife and kids again! After seeing you and your children perform and be so happy together, I was reminded of what a real family could be like. I knew I didn't fit in that picture the way I was, but I told God that if He would help me change, I'd go back and try again." We were very happy to hear this, and we told him that we would keep praying for him, which we did.
The next month, we bumped into Ralph again in another supermarket. This time he came running up to us and gave us each a warm hug. He had found a good job, he told us, and his wife was going to college. His life had completely turned around! He couldn't stop thanking us for what we had done for him, and we couldn't stop thanking the Lord for so wonderfully answering our prayers for Ralph and his family.
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From Martin, Eva and teens, Karachi, Pakistan: During a recent musical performance at a mental institution, right in the middle of one of our songs, one of the patients got up on stage, took the microphone and started talking to everyone. What he said made absolutely no sense, but when he finished, we and others applauded. After our program, we asked the director of the institution what effect he thought our songs had on his patients. "The young man who interrupted your program had never before spoken in his life!" the director said. What miracles our songs and a little bit of God's love can do!
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From James, Willing, Joy and Sharon, Bangkok, Thailand
Budhsiri was hospitalized, dying of leukemia, and paralyzed from the waist down, when a mutual friend asked us to visit her. (Her paralysis had resulted from the combination of medical treatments she had undergone.)
The day we went to see her happened to be her birthday, and her room was full of relatives and friends, all trying to cheer her. However, nothing they said or did could lift her out of her deep depression. One by one the others excused themselves, and we were left alone with Budhsiri. We told her all about Heaven and about Jesus' power to heal. She hung on to every word we spoke to her, and said she could hardly believe how simple it was for her to receive God's free gift of eternal life.
The next time we visited, she was much happier. "I have hope now," she said. Then she confided in us that she had had several dreams that she could walk again! By our next visit, some feeling had returned to her legs and she was able to move them slightly. We continued to encourage her faith by reading with her from the Bible and Family publications.
On our fourth visit with Budhsiri, she announced the good news that she would be going home in two weeks! We weren't sure what to think about this at first, but when we talked to her doctor he confirmed that all traces of leukemia in her blood had disappeared. The Lord had healed her!
When we asked Budhsiri if there was anything else she would like us to pray for, she said, "Please pray that I can get to know Jesus better. I want to love Jesus more.
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family