Worldwide Activity Report -- September 1996
FAR029 -- GP
September 1996, by The Family, Zurich, Switzerland

         Every day, in nearly 70 countries spanning the globe, 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 the Family members involved.

Where love guides, love provides
From Stephanie, age 15, Kazakhstan:
         How many wonderful things can be accomplished through the love and concern of one individual! When a friend of ours gave an unusually large donation to help our work with the needy, we knew that it would touch many lives.
         When we told the staff at one orphanage about our sponsor's donation, they jumped for joy! They had just completed a long list of needed clothing items for the 180 children in their care, but they didn't have the slightest idea where they would get the money to pay for them. Because of the country's failing economy, this orphanage has not received any government help for the past two years. In addition to helping them buy most of the children's clothing needs, we were also able to present the orphanage with a VCR and a set of Family-produced audio tapes and videos for children, provided by the same sponsor. Earlier that day eight more children were brought to the orphanage. They had been found in the city graveyard, sick and half-frozen, with no parents and nowhere to go.
         Our next stop was at the "Baby House," where most of the 110 babies cared for either suffer from Down's syndrome, or are mentally retarded. For many months now, on our regular visits, we have prayed with them for the Lord to supply needs which the little government help they receive cannot cover. Due to a lack of equipment, many of the babies had to lie in playpens all day. We were very happy to be able to provide them with ten new strollers, four walkers and two baby swings. It was wonderful to see some of their prayers being answered.
         "This is further proof of God's love for the children," staff members said.
         A children's hospital where we performed last Christmas also asked us for help. They were in dire need of microscopes and other medical equipment, without which they could not do proper analyses. We were happy to be able to help them purchase some microscopes.

Family youth assist at citywide job fair
From Stefan, Phoebe, Sam and Esther, USA:
         Forty-six Family members -- many of them teenagers -- assisted the police, fire department and other local government agencies in conducting a job fair to help find work for Miami's unemployed.
         For three months prior to the event, two young Family members, Nathan and Sam, attended weekly planning meetings. Many of the ideas that they presented were used in the Miami program, and some were published in a Job Fair Handbook being sent to 300 US cities planning similar programs.
         During the one-day fair, over 3,500 people were interviewed for jobs. Family volunteers set up the covered-stadium venue with 500 sets of tables and chairs, greeted people at the door, issued tickets, gave directions, provided information and instructions, arranged seating, served food, helped fill out rsums, conducted job interviews, recorded statistics, and served as interpreters for job applicants who spoke Spanish, French, Portuguese, Creole and sign language. Then they took down the 500 sets of tables and chairs and helped clean up the stadium.
         At the end of the day, the organizers couldn't have spoken more highly of the Family young people who helped. One official said they were unequaled in their ability to relate to people, and in their organizational skills.

A special day for children
From Linda and Josu, Mexico:
         The "Day of the Child" is widely celebrated here, and this year we took the opportunity to hold a special event for children from low-income families. Hundreds of children and their parents attended -- nearly 1,000 people in all.
         In addition to a free meal for everyone, we gave each child a bag of toys, fruit and clothing, all of which were provided by local sponsors and friends of The Family. Our children and teenagers then performed a musical show, passed out lots of Gospel literature, and prayed with hundreds of people to accept Jesus into their hearts.
         "'Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them,' Jesus said, 'for of such is the Kingdom of God.' And He took them up in His arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them" (Mark 10:14,16).

Help for the homeless
From Joy, Japan:
         Who would ever think that Osaka, one of Japan's most prosperous cities and busiest seaports, would have thousands of men living on its streets -- three hundred of whom die each year from exposure, alcoholism, malnutrition and other remediable causes? Sadly, homelessness in Japan is a social ill that is generally ignored.
         Before my co-workers and I got involved in helping the homeless of Osaka, I shared the common misperception that most of these men choose to live on the street. That is not the case at all! Nearly all are "day laborers," meaning they work temporary jobs and, unlike most Japanese, have no job security and do not qualify for employee benefits. Many have worked in industries worst affected by Japan's current economic slump, such as shipbuilding and steel. While in their prime, the older ones were unable to save for their futures because they had families to support, which often included parents and grandparents, as well as children. Other out-of-work day laborers are of Korean descent; because of prejudice and limited education, that was the only work they could get.
         Once day laborers reach the age of 55, it's almost impossible for them to find work. They are too weak and worn to do the work of a younger man, but don't qualify for government benefits until they are 65. We direct most of our help to this age group, and to those too old or too sick to work.
         These men are hungry and destitute, but their greatest pain is inside. They learn to cope with their deplorable living conditions, but the humiliation of knowing that the rest of society looks down upon them is the part that is the most painful to bear. As we make our rounds, delivering boxes of rice and tempura (fried vegetables and seafood), we also offer the men words of encouragement and a listening ear. A little love goes a long way!

Motivation for tomorrow's leaders
From Paul, Ruth and Prem, India:
         Our teen singing group, "The Heartstrings," did a program on the themes of friendship and peer pressure at one of Delhi's most renowned schools. The program began with lively, upbeat music, which got an instant, enthusiastic response from the young audience. This was followed by a short drama which contrasted the good effects of positive peer pressure against the destructive effects of negative peer pressure. The students, teachers and principal were, in a word, bowled over. The school's administrators invited us back to do more programs for the students and to hold seminars for their teachers.

"Lost children" get a new start
From Juan, Paul and Olivia, Kenya:
         Twelve-year-old Carlos ran away from home to live on the streets of Nairobi. There he learned to peddle drugs and steal. He drifted from city to city, and was arrested several times.
         Ten-year-old Lionel, like many other street children, comes from a broken home. His father is involved in the illegal liquor trade, and his mother lives with another man, who is an alcoholic. He fled abuse at home, only to be sexually abused by older boys while living on the street.
         When we came to Kenya as full-time volunteers eight months ago, we had no idea that Carlos and Lionel and hundreds of other kids like them would have such an impact on our lives, or that we would become so involved in trying to help change theirs. Much of our time and energy is now spent assisting orphanages and mission houses for Kenya's seemingly countless street children, mainly in Nairobi and Mombasa.
         Through donations from concerned businesses and individuals, we help some of these centers with their most pressing material needs -- food, clothing, bedding and school supplies. At two of the centers, we also teach music classes, Sunday school, and practical life skills. Most importantly, we offer the children love, friendship, encouragement and motivation to succeed in life.
         We also try to help some of the older ones become self-sufficient without returning to the streets or crime. Recent examples include: paying the rental deposit on a new home (mud hut) for two boys whose last house burned down; buying a scale for boys who support themselves by collecting and selling newspapers (unless they are able to weigh the papers beforehand, they are often cheated by the paper dealers); helping a young man return to his home city to find work; providing pre-natal counseling to an unwed teenage mother-to-be; visiting boys jailed for loitering; arranging for a pharmacist and doctor to donate their goods and services to treat a young man who was seriously burned in an accident.
         It's impossible for us to meet all of the needs of these "lost children," of course, for they are so many and we are so few. Still, when we see their lives, attitudes and expectations change, we know that our work is not in vain. Please pray with us for these children who are needy in every way.

         The Family is a non-profit, volunteer organization. Each of the activities you have just read about were made possible through donations from concerned businesses, associations and individuals. If you would like more information about The Family, or if you would like to help sponsor Family volunteers or projects, please contact us at one of the addresses below:

For more information:
         Visit The Family at our Internet Web site: http://www.thefamily.org/family
         E-mail: family@thefamily.org


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