Worldwide Activity Report - March 1996
FAR023 - GP
March 1996, by The Family, Zurich, Switzerland

         Every day, in over 60 countries across six continents, full-time Family volunteers work to bring hope, happiness and God's Love to others. Following are some highlights of their recent activities and experiences, as reported by Family missionaries.

Saved from suicide!
From Sunny, Greg and Mercy, Australia:
         If you don't believe that God loves and watches over each of us, perhaps you will after you read Peter's story. We met Peter for the first time as he was coming out of a pharmacy, and struck up a conversation. Minutes later, he made a startling pronouncement.
         "I don't know why I'm telling this to you perfect strangers," Peter said, "but I guess I have nothing to lose. I've just bought large amounts of several drugs which are lethal if taken together. When I get home, I plan to kill myself." He was dead serious!
         We were shocked, of course, and initially at a loss as to what to say, but we knew we couldn't let him walk away. We prayed silently for wisdom and for words that would reach and rescue this young man.
         "Why are you planning to do this?" we asked.
         Peter went on to explain that he had just lost his girlfriend and his job because of a serious drinking problem. Often it helps people who are distraught to talk about their problems, but as Peter went on, he just seemed to get more and more upset.
         "Well, Jesus loves you, Peter," we interjected. "He understands and He can sort out your problems if you will let Him."
         For a moment Peter looked stunned. Then he asked, "Really?"
         Then we offered to lead Peter in a simple prayer to receive Jesus as his Savior, and he bowed his head and prayed with us then and there. We talked for a few more minutes and then gave him one of our leaflets, titled "Somebody Loves You!"
         "Hey! This is exactly what just happened to me," he exclaimed after reading a few lines. Then he read parts of it back to us: "Somebody loves you and for that reason has just sent you this little message! Somebody loves you and really wants to make you happy! ... Just ask this wonderful Somebody to come into your heart, and He will wipe away your tears and cause your pains of loneliness, rejection, fear and confusion to cease."
         Then he added, "It's true! God did send you here to give me this message and He has taken away my confusion. Things don't seem so hopeless any more. Thank you so much for talking with me!"
         We have kept in close touch with Peter since that day, and he is a new man!

Giving underprivileged children a head start
From Timoteo and Pandita, Brazil:
         Teachers from our community are using The Family's home-schooling methods with pre-school children in a very poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Brasilia. Three days each week they teach reading, writing, music and character-building lessons to a group of 23 children. The children are making wonderful progress, and the classes are even beginning to have an impact on the whole community. As the parents and others see how much these young children are capable of when given a chance to learn in a positive and challenging environment, hope is born that they will rise above the poverty that their families have suffered for generations. The children are being given a head start, and the parents and community are finding new purpose and something they can be truly proud of.

Little things can mean so much!
From Jan and Eva, Russia:
         It all started with an unexpected phone call: "Hello, is this The Family? This is Robert, and I've got some milk that I want to donate to your work. Can you pick it up right away?" Robert manages a supermarket that caters to Moscow's foreign community and social elite.
         A short time later, with our little Russian car loaded with over 100 liters of fresh milk, we faced the challenge of how to distribute it. We regularly help the Red Cross soup kitchen with donated food, but it was already closed for the night, and we were concerned that the milk would not keep until the next morning. Yet we knew that God must have supplied this milk for a purpose! Then the idea came: Why not distribute the milk directly to the poor and needy where they live, on the street?
         It was a moving experience to seek out the poorest of Moscow's poor. We found them begging in the metro station, or asking for alms from tourists and passers-by in front of the main churches. From tiny children to octogenarians, all were eager to receive a liter or two of milk. The attention we showed them was equally appreciated--along with the Gospel literature, prayers and little song from our four-year-old daughter, Miracle.
         Many bystanders noticed what we were doing and stopped to watch and listen or offer a donation of their own. We were deeply touched to realize how something which took so little effort on our part could mean so much to these who had fallen on hard times.

Videos for children in Botswana
From Thaddeus, Esther and Abel, South Africa:
         We recently returned from our second good-will trip to Botswana, a landlocked republic with a population of about 1 million, which borders South Africa to the north. Concerned that we accomplish as much lasting good as possible in our short time there, we decided to concentrate on placing The Family's educational and character-building videos for children (the Treasure Attic series, the Kiddie Viddie series and the Fantastic Friends series) in schools and orphanages. We soon found, however, that even the schools in the capital city, Gaborone, couldn't afford the videos. So we set out to find sponsors in the local business community who would donate the videos to these institutions.
         Gaborone is a relatively small city (population about 135,000), but it is quite spread out -- and hot! Located on the southeast edge of the Kalahari Desert, the temperature reached 40 C (100 F) almost as soon as the sun came up! By the end of our first morning, we were exhausted and headed back to our hotel for a rest. We had presented our work to a number of people, but hadn't found any likely sponsors. The situation looked pretty bleak!
         Several hours later, as we passed through the hotel lobby, one of the receptionists handed us a sealed envelope addressed to "The Family."
         "A man left this for you a little while ago," she said. "He didn't leave his name, but said that it's for your sponsorship program."
         We never did find out who left that envelope, but the donation it contained made it possible for us to give full sets of our videos to five orphanages and primary schools.
         A local TV station also received a set, and the station manager was absolutely thrilled. "This is a godsend," he said. "I've been praying for good children's material, and this is it!"
         The managing director of the hotel we stayed at also received a set of videos for use at the hotel, and was so impressed with what we were doing for the children of Botswana that he didn't charge us for our rooms. He also offered to put us up again for free whenever we return. In all, we distributed over 100 videos during that trip, mostly to schools and needy children's institutions.

Love lights the faces of old and young
From John and Rose, Romania:
         We spent ten days on assignment in the East-European Republic of Moldova. Our small team included our three preteen girls, Vicky, Joy and Maria, who had prepared a show consisting of songs and dances. Their show climaxed in a simple theatrical performance which dramatized the search of a lonely girl, who, after trying many different things in search of lasting happiness, finds Jesus' Love to be the only source.
         When we arrived at a home for the elderly, an open forum meeting was in progress. We were very moved to hear these older people, many of whom were handicapped, discuss their pitiful living conditions. Some had only a quarter of a boiled egg for dinner. Compassion and personal attention also seemed in short supply.
         When the meeting came to a close, our girls took the stage. It was touching to see people's faces light up as they watched the songs and dances. From time to time someone in the audience would call out, "Multumesc!" or "Spaziba!" -- meaning, "Thank you!"
         "As long as there is love," we told them after the show, "you are not forgotten. God loves and cares for you, and He is watching over each of your lives!"
         Knowing that our visit would soon be over and the material items we offered could only go so far, we left them with the most lasting gift of all: Jesus, that through Him they may find true, everlasting peace and joy in their hearts, and the knowledge of a better world to come.
         In the course of our travels, we held ten other programs at various places: an exclusive primary school, special schools for the physically and mentally handicapped, a home for street children, an institute for the blind, and a children's hospital. Many times we felt overwhelmed by the response we received, as teachers, nurses and children thanked us repeatedly. And although we left them with donated toys and clothes, it seemed that the encouragement and caring was appreciated even more.
         A staff member at the mental health institute told us, "The children had such a wonderful time! Their faces are usually shadowed by darkness, but today there was light on their faces!"

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