Worldwide Activity Report -- March 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.

         [Picture caption] Sowing the Word. For the past 30 years, Family members around the world have distributed an average of 417,000 pages of Gospel literature every day. Nearly every piece has included a salvation message and prayer. (See Matthew 13:3-8,18-23.) Here a young Family member reaches out to a woman in Albania.

Prison ministry progress
From Gabriel, South Africa
         We have a ministry in the juvenile section of the Johannesburg prison, where more than 700 young people are detained.
         For four and a half hours each Sunday, we work with a group of about 50 inmates. We sing songs, read the Bible, share spiritual lessons, and offer personal counseling. To keep it lively, we sometimes have some of the inmates act out the stories we tell.
         Those who attend our meetings are so full of questions and open to our counsel that we never seem to have enough time with them. After hearing numerous pleas from them for more time with us, we have started to visit a second day each week.
         We also organized a family day at the prison, and the Lord provided food and entertainment for 800 people. It was a beautiful day which they all treasured and will long remember. Jail life is hard, of course, but the inmates are learning that God loves them; they can see it in the trouble we go to in organizing these activities, and they are very appreciative.
         The prison staff is solidly behind us, as they can see the good results of our labors with the young people. The head of the prison is so sold on our program that he wants to implement it in other prisons around the country. He is especially impressed by the Family teenagers and young adults that are involved.
         This ministry is a big investment of our time, but we believe it will help these young people not only to make positive changes in their own lives, but to grow into leaders that the Lord can use to help reach others, both in and out of prison.
         And it's already starting to happen! A few weeks ago we challenged our class to pray for one other inmate. They chose to pray for the most notorious prisoner, formerly the leader of a 300-member gang, who had been in solitary confinement for many months. A week later, Stephen and I went to visit that inmate, and he prayed to receive the Lord!

Power over death
From Jesse, USA
         We were recently invited to sing and speak at a campground church gathering, and to camp there with them for several days afterwards. In the middle of one night I was awakened by an inexplicable force that seemed to reach under me and sit me up in bed. Startled, I looked around and outside my trailer, but couldn't see anything unusual.
         Suddenly a car pulled up and a man started yelling for help. His wife was dying, he said. I quickly dressed and rushed outside to see what I could do to help. By the time I got to their car, the man's wife had already died from a severe asthma attack. No pulse, no heartbeat. I lifted her from the seat of the car and lowered her onto a blanket, which my wife, Katrina, had brought out and placed on the ground. Several other church members had arrived on the scene by then.
         Katrina prayed out loud while I gave the woman mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and someone else phoned for emergency medical help. The bystanders joined Katrina in prayer.
         Slowly, the woman's heartbeat and pulse returned. The Lord had brought her back to life! An ambulance arrived and took her to a hospital, where she recovered fully. Jesus has power, even over death!

Lost in Russia, found by Jesus
From Gerson, Russia
         Straw and mud huts and simple houses are replaced by 12-story apartment buildings; dense tropical foliage by sparse, leafless trees; a year-round warm climate by below-freezing, moody temperatures; amiable smiles by suspicious glances. These and many more are the contrasts which African students experience when they come to Russia. Studying in Russian universities, they hope to return home as a doctor, an engineer, or a lawyer. Their first year is spent studying the language and taking preliminary tests. Understandably, many feel lost and alienated.
         While visiting a city in southwestern Russia, we met a group of four Africans from Cameroon. They spoke English, and were glad to meet people with whom they could communicate easily. After talking for 15 minutes, we made an appointment to see each other again at their dorm.
         A week later David and I arrived at the fourth floor of a student complex. Those we had already met were the first to greet us. Soon the small room was filled with 35 eager faces. One of them, named Prince, had everyone introduce themselves by name and nationality. The students were from Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Angola and Cameroon. Matias, Jackson, Brad and Hugh were the most common names.
         Then we explained our work and basic beliefs. Most of the students came from religious backgrounds, so words like "Christians," "Jesus" and "Bible" brought big smiles from them. At the end of our meeting, one of the Jacksons asked for a class on eschatology (the Endtime). "Do you know anything of this matter?" another chimed in. We promised that in our next meeting we would talk about this intriguing subject.
         Our eschatology class was a big hit. New understanding opened to them, and its wonder was evident on their faces. One problem was that few had Bibles. All the verses we pointed them to would be lost if they had no way to review them. A friend from a local church offered a solution in the form of four boxes of English/Russian Bibles that had been sitting in the church basement for three years. Big smiles again filled the room as we handed these gifts to our now exuberant friends.
         Each of our next meetings consisted of songs accompanied by a guitar, and a Bible class. Cross references and Bible notes provided "homework" for the week. Their questions and comments during our six or seven meetings were endless. "We will study many books and read many papers," one said, "but what you have talked to us about is most important."

God waits with open arms
From Josu Montas, Bolivia
         One afternoon, as I arrived in a remote town here, I met a tall American who took me for another "gringo" and struck up a conversation. I explained that I was a missionary, and began witnessing to him about the Lord.
         "It can't be!" he said. "I'm running from God, and I find you here in the boonies!"--And he walked away.
         Later I came upon him again. Now he was drunk and his spirit broken. Somebody had stolen the little money he had. This time I was able to witness to him more deeply. He explained that he had been a soldier in the Vietnam War and had been through a broken marriage, then had become a Methodist minister. He had since strayed so far from the Lord that he thought God must be very angry at him.
         I assured him that God wasn't some kind of a cruel tyrant, following him around with a big stick, waiting to clobber him, but He's a loving God who never gives up on us, no matter how far we've strayed. He never rejects us or withdraws His love. The only reason He follows us around is that He's hoping we'll turn around and meet Him with open arms!
         Finally this man accepted God's love and mercy and forgiveness, and was freed from the feelings of guilt and remorse that had driven him to that point. Then he provided the bottom line himself, quoting from the passage in the Bible where Jesus rescued the adulterous woman who was about to be stoned--"Go and sin no more" (John 8:11). When we parted, he was sober, happy, and full of hope.

Three words
From Santiago and Sherry, Norway
         Eighteen years ago, shortly before leaving for Colombia as Family missionaries, we met a teenage girl in a restaurant. Santiago only knew a few words of Norwegian at the time, but he wrote "Jesus loves you" in Norwegian on a napkin and gave it to the girl.
         We have since returned to Norway, and recently met the girl again. She is now married, and she and her husband have started a little Christian fellowship. That briefest of messages on the napkin helped her make the decision to receive Jesus as her Savior, she said, and her life has never been the same!

The best of life
From Jim, Lily and Gideon, Turkey
         The director of the orphanage where we have been teaching and holding group activities for over a year presented us with a beautiful plaque of appreciation. Another man who is closely involved with the orphanage gave a little speech: "We must thank and praise God for sending people like you, The Family, to our country and to our orphanage! We are blessed to have you, and I am honored to be your friend!"
         That speech really touched our hearts and reminded us that our every effort to help out and make others happy means so much to them. That is truly the best and happiest part of life, when we know we have helped bring the Lord's love and cheer into needy lives.
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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, including any of those mentioned in this issue, please contact us at one of the addresses below:



Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family