Worldwide Activity Report -- April 1997
FAR041 - GP

Copyright 1997 by The Family

         "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to everyone, everywhere," Jesus told His followers. Every day, in nearly 80 countries, Family missionaries share Jesus' message of hope and love with many thousands. Following are some highlights of their recent activities and experiences, as reported by the Family members involved.

Where the Gospel is dangerous
From Peter and Lily, Thailand
         When we go witnessing at a nearby port, we never know who we will meet.
         As we boarded one ship recently, we encountered a very gruff captain. He nevertheless agreed to give us a few minutes of his time, and led us to his cabin. As we told him about our work, he became more friendly and open.
         "We are from North Korea," he explained in perfect English. "You say you are messengers of love and peace, but this literature you have shown me is extremely dangerous for us. In my country we are not allowed to read anything that is not issued by the government, or to speak or think anything other than what the government tells us to." This was the beginning of a very deep two-hour conversation with one of the most desperate men we had ever met.
         He told us much about his country -- about the many people who are starving as the famine there enters its second year, and about how things could change for the better if only the government didn't consider every new idea a challenge to its authority.
         "Why don't more people defect?" we asked.
         "Even the most selfish man has a heart," he replied. "If someone were to do that, his parents, his brothers and sisters, his wife and children would all be put in jail. What keeps me going is hope that some day soon things will change in my country. If I didn't have that hope, I couldn't live!"
         Because he had traveled the world as a seaman, he already knew a little about Jesus. We assured him that God loves him and his people, and wants them to be happy and free. At one point he referred to the maxim usually attributed to Marx or Lenin: "From each according to his ability, unto each according to his need."
         "Did you know that is from the Bible?" we asked. We showed him the passage about Early Church economics in the Book of Acts, chapter 4, about how the early disciples shared their possessions and goods, and he was dumbfounded!
         After that, he kept looking at Peter's Bible, saying, "So this is a Bible!" He had obviously never seen one before, and was very impressed. Peter offered to give it to him, but the captain said, "No, I cannot enter my country with this. It's too dangerous! I would have to throw it away before we return home."
         "Then do that," we encouraged him. "Just read it all you can before you have to dispose of it. Then it will be in your heart." Then the captain prayed with us to receive Jesus.
         Our hearts were deeply touched for this man and his people. Today they are suffering so much, but tomorrow -- who knows? Please pray with us that the Lord will change things in North Korea, as He did in the former Soviet Bloc, so we and other missionaries will be able to reach its people with the message of His love and salvation.

Oversight? -- Or opportunity?
From Pablo, Colombia
         One Saturday I was pulled over by the traffic police for a routine check. To my chagrin, I had carelessly let some of my paperwork expire. I was taken directly to jail. Since it was Saturday afternoon, nothing could be done until Monday. What a way to spend my weekend, I thought. The Lord, however, had other ideas. He was about to make good use of my mistake.
         I shared a cell with four men who were all in jail for more serious crimes. The youngest, a 27-year-old, was charged with homicide. He was the first to pray with me to receive the Lord. Upon seeing this, the three others offered me some of their food and a bed (there weren't enough beds to go around), and I witnessed to them too.
         On Monday I was taken before a judge, fined and released. Before leaving, I promised my cellmates that I would visit them soon, and asked for authorization to do so.
         The next Sunday I went back to jail, this time under happier circumstances. The tracts and small gifts I took them -- sugar, tea and bread -- were met with heartfelt thanks. The four men I had shared a cell with then helped pass out tracts to the other inmates and visitors.
         My wife and I continue to minister to the men in this jail. Some are now reading through the Family's faith-building series of Daily Food booklets, and they continue to witness to the other inmates.
         God works in mysterious ways, and sometimes He even uses our mistakes -- like my failure to renew my car papers -- to help accomplish His purposes. We are very thankful for this new ministry, and so are the men we're helping!

"Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases" (Psalm 103:3).
From Karenina, Brazil
         We had known Daniella for years, but hadn't seen her for quite some time. Material pursuits had crowded the Lord out of her life.
         Then a few months ago we heard that she had cancer in five parts of her body. This was a big shock for her and her family, and I took the opportunity to tell her about the Lord's power to heal. I also gave her a copy of The Hem of His Garment, Virginia Brandt Berg's account of her own miraculous healing.
         When I visited her just a few days later, she was radiant. She had read the book twice, and her husband was also reading it. She had decided to take a stand of faith, and was very thankful for the Lord's love and mercy in taking her back.
         A couple of weeks later when I went to visit her, she told me the wonderful news: Her latest round of tests showed that the cancer had completely disappeared from her body!

Miracle phone number
From Spring, Italy
         One morning the number 6455 popped into my mind as I was waking up. I kept thinking about that number throughout the day, and had the strange impression that it was a telephone number of someone the Lord wanted me to talk to. I tried dialing it, but it was too short. "If this is indeed a phone number You want me to call," I told the Lord, "then You'll have to give me the missing digits."
         The next morning I woke up with the number 42 running through my mind. I dialed the combined number, and guess what? An 87-year-old man answered. His wife had died two days earlier -- the day before I awoke to the first four digits of his phone number. He was feeling very low, but after I told him how I got his phone number and explained all about Heaven, He prayed with me over the phone to receive Jesus.

Botswana outreach
From Peter and Joy, South Africa
         We recently returned from a two-month trip to neighboring Botswana, which has a population of just over 1 million people. During our stay we distributed Family-produced Gospel tapes and literature in both English and Setswana, the local language.
         We conducted programs in 16 schools, prisons, hospitals and churches, and led over 900 people to the Lord!

"He who seeks finds" (Matthew 7:8).
From Job, Ruth and James, Ukraine
                  A few months ago we were guest speakers at a conference entitled "Spirituality at the End of the 20th Century," which was held at the Sevastopol University. After our speech one of the professors, a cybernetic-biologist who also spoke at the gathering, asked to talk with us privately.
         He explained that he had been conducting experiments on the physiological and psychological effects of religious experiences, including New Age, Hindu and Buddhist meditation, and Christianity. He said that through his research he had "discovered that Christianity is the right religion," but needed someone to teach him about it.
         We didn't know what to make of this -- or him. We had seen him being quite rude to some other people whom he considered to be phonies or false "experts," and of course we were leery of becoming subjects in another of his experiments. However, we decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, and arranged to meet him later. After two more meetings we were convinced that he was sincerely seeking, and promised to help him all we could.
         He later received a new academic position in Kiev, where we live, and we are continuing to see him. At one recent three-hour meeting we explained more about our beliefs, shared some of our personal experiences, gave him lots of Family literature and prayed with him to receive Jesus. It was so touching to see this highly educated man humble himself to pray with us.
         Afterward he said, "I even feel different physically! It is as though a burden has been lifted from my shoulders. When I met you in Sevastopol, I thought that something important would come of it, and this is it! I was always looking for someone to lead me on the right path, and now ... I can't thank you enough!"

         The Family is a non-profit, volunteer organization. Each of the activities you have just read about was made possible through donations from businesses, associations and concerned 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:

Web: http://www.thefamily.org/family
E-mail: family@thefamily.org


Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family