Worldwide Activity Report -- January 1998
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Copyright 1998 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.

Small world, big God
From Michael, Australia
         As I was about to pass an elderly gentleman on the street, I felt a sudden urge from the Lord to speak with him.
         "Hello," I said as our eyes met. "I'm Michael."
         "Hi, Michael. I'm Joe. Pleased to meet you," the man replied in a strong Italian accent.
         After a little small talk, I explained that I am a missionary and the streets of our city are my mission field.
         "It's amazing how many people need help with one problem or another these days," I said.
         He nodded. Something was really worrying him, he said. He had developed a heart problem from years of heavy smoking and had had an operation, after which his doctors had given him five years to live. That was 17 years ago.
         "My heart's been playing up since this morning," Joe went on to say. "I think this might be it."
         I offered him some encouragement from the Bible, and he thanked me profusely. Then Joe asked how I'd ended up in a wheelchair.
         "I broke my neck in a diving accident," I explained. "Australia Day, 1985, at the local river."
         Joe stared at me in disbelief. "What hospital did they take you to?" he asked.
         He distinctly remembered sitting outside the casualty ward at the same hospital that day, when a young man was rushed past him on a trolley. He had asked the hospital staff what had happened, and their brief account of a diving accident fit my own. He had felt so bad for the man on the trolley, he said, and had wondered how such a horrible thing could have happened to such a young person with so much to live for. What he meant, of course, was how could God have let something so horrible happen.
         "At the time it did seem to me and everyone else like the worst thing that ever could have happened to me," I said, "but out of it came so much good. And the best thing was that it was the beginning of a real and deep relationship with Jesus. Whatever God does, He does in love."
         Joe wasn't religious or anything, he said, but he did believe in Jesus.
         I then asked him if he would like to ask Jesus into his heart. He said that he would, and sincerely prayed with me to receive Jesus and His free gift of everlasting life. Good things are still coming out of my accident.

"I will come to you!"
From Chris, Suzana and Josh, Chile
         "Jesus and His infinite love are only a whispered prayer away," we continually remind young cancer victims and their parents in the course of our volunteer work at a children's hospital. Jesus promised, "I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you" (John 14:18). He always keeps that promise, as He did wonderfully for 12-year-old Dayma.
         We had became good friends with Dayma and her family before Dayma passed on to Heaven, following a long and courageous fight, so a few days after her passing we invited her parents and brother to our home for dinner. At that time we gave them a copy of a prophecy we had received from the Lord for them. They nearly cried with happiness as they read Jesus' reassurances that Dayma is now happy and healthy with Him in Heaven.
         Then they told us about Dayma's last few days. Although she was very sick with pneumonia as well as advanced cancer, she never seemed to really suffer. For three days she listened to the Family-produced Fear Not tape, a collection of comforting Bible verses in song. Dayma also had several dreams in which the Lord encouraged her and her family.
         In one dream, Dayma had fallen into a dark, deep pit and couldn't get out. Then Jesus came and pulled her out and, holding her in His loving embrace, told her, "Cast your burdens on Me. I will carry them." Dayma later told her parents that as she heard those words she felt a heavy burden being lifted from her. Then, in the dream, Jesus set her down beside Him and took her hand. As they walked on together, Dayma was dancing and floating on air, filled with joy and happiness.
         A few days later, Dayma's mother told her that if she wanted to go home to Heaven, not to feel bad or worry about her family; they were also in the Lord's hands. At that moment Dayma put on a big, beautiful smile and passed on peacefully.
         Then Dayma's parents had a surprise for us. Dayma had written a beautiful song in appreciation of our support during her ordeal.

Prayer's healing power
From David, Brazil
         Dbora, one of our closest friends, was in tears when she phoned us. "Please pray for my grandpa," she said. "He's going into surgery in one hour to have his leg amputated."
         I prayed with Dbora over the phone, reassured her of the Lord's love and power to heal, and told her that I'd come to see her at her office, which was nearly two hours away.
         As I arrived, I could hear her crying out, "Yes! Thank You, Jesus!" When I walked into her office, she was laughing and crying at the same time, and jumping up and down. She had just talked with her aunt, who told her that as the doctors started to operate, they found they didn't need to amputate after all. Instead, they removed one large vein and unclogged another. Dbora's grandfather is now expected to recover fully, despite his advanced age. The surgeon said the operation was "a great success and a great miracle!"

Chain reaction
From Vicky, Italy
         A few weeks ago I phoned Paolo, a 23-year-old who I met two years ago. He had prayed with me to receive Jesus the first time we talked, and we've written each other ever since. In his latest letter he had said that he was fed up with the life he was leading and wanted to invest it in something more worthwhile. Over the phone, we arranged to meet. That was the beginning of a chain reaction that led us to many others who were also searching for something more.
         Paolo comes from a broken family, and he wanted to introduce us to his sister and mother. His sister was just 14 and already had a serious drinking problem. His mother had been very depressed ever since separating from her husband. With them was a friend of Paolo's, a girl who had been searching for the truth in various Eastern religions. All three hung onto every word and song we shared, and all three received Jesus as their Savior.
         Several hours later, two more of Paolo's friends came over--the husband of the girl we had been talking to and another girl. The girl had had a difficult life and was bitter against God, but after a private conversation in which she unburdened her heart, she reached out for the Lifesaver--Jesus.
         The next night they all drove to our place, 80 km away, and we talked from 8:00 p.m. till 4:30 a.m. They just couldn't get enough of the Word, they said, and would much rather be reading that with us than going to a disco or doing the usual things they do to have fun.
         Two days later they were back, this time with two more friends--a boy covered with tattoos, and a girl with rings in her nose and eyebrows. Both turned out to be very different from our first impressions of them, and both were eager to read the Bible with us.
         Since then they have all been getting together regularly to pray and read the Bible, and, as often as they can, they visit us. The change in each of them made such an impression on their families that they also wanted to meet us. One boy's parents had both been very depressed just the day before they received Jesus with us. Now they are sparking with light and happiness, and telling all their friends about their new life in Jesus.
         All we did was answer the bleat of one little lost sheep, and look what the Lord did! We just need to say yes to Him wherever we are, and He will lead us to those who are searching for Him!

Great riches
From Steven and Christina, Sweden
         One day while praying about where to go witnessing, the Lord told us we should go to a nearby town, and that there we would find "great riches." As we often do, we went from shop to shop in that town, introducing people to our work and our videos for children, but we had an unusually uneventful day--until we went into a certain shop.
         "No, I don't need anything, and I can't help you," the elderly woman behind the counter barked at us before we hardly had time to introduce ourselves. We turned to leave. "You probably think I'm just a cranky old lady," she added.
         "Absolutely not!" we answered. "We're sure you have your troubles, but you seem like a needy soul and God loves you."
         At that, she invited us to sit down and began pouring out her problems to us. Her husband had passed away recently, and she had no children or other relatives. She was very lonely and depressed. As we told her of God's love and showed her passages from the Bible, she took our hands in hers and told us, "Oh, the words you speak are so beautiful!"
         "Jesus loves you as if you were the only one," we continued. "In Him you can have an everlasting Friend who will never leave your side."
         Then she humbly prayed with us to receive Jesus as her Savior and be filled with the Holy Spirit, who Jesus referred to as the Comforter. Afterwards she begged us to stay a little longer and talk more, so we did.
         That day hadn't gone the way we had expected it to, but it had clearly gone His way. What does He consider "great riches"?--One lonely soul who has found Him at last!
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         The Family is a nonprofit, 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:



Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family