The Family in Action!--#2 DFO

The Day the Streets Exploded!
From the Guadalajara Home, Mexico

Copyrighted October, 1993 by Family Services, Zurich, Switzerland
This magazine may be reproduced in full or in part for friends of the Family.

         Guadalajara, Mexico's third largest city, sat on a time bomb. Day after day, improper disposal of waste products and leaking natural gas reserves filled the labyrinth of sewage pipes that lay under the city, forming an explosive mixture. And day after day, as the gas pressure mounted, the city carried on business as usual. Very few of its several million inhabitants were even aware of the growing threat.
         Then at 9:30 a.m., on the 22nd of April, 1992, the bomb went off! The initial blast triggered a chain reaction, and by the time that first series of explosions had ended, over five miles of city streets--and the buildings which only minutes earlier had lined both sides--lay in ruins. Thousands died.
         Teams from each of the Family's nearby Homes were already in town when the first explosion happened, busy with their daily witnessing and provisioning activities. Several teams were very close to the explosions, but the Lord miraculously protected them. He also kept all of our friends who were located all over town, some right in the demolished areas. "A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee!" (Psa.91:7) PTL!
         In many parts of town, all utilities--electricity, water and telephone--were cut off for days or weeks. In the areas worst hit, there were no roads, hindering relief efforts and making travel almost impossible. Other sections of town were completely blocked off due to the danger of further explosions.
         Smaller explosions continued over the following days, and rumours spread that the "big one" was yet to come. The remaining underground gas and waste deposits needed to be removed, but city officials were initially at a loss about how to deal with this threat. Fear and uncertainty gripped the devastated city, already mourning the loss of many.
         Over the next months, they pumped what became known as "the lake of gasoline" out of Guadalajara's sewers and into the rivers and above-ground ducts. Although this eased one danger, it created new ones. Gasoline pumped into the rivers contaminated them and evaporation of dangerous gases raised the lead content in the air to the highest level in the World, above even that of Mexico City. Six months later, they were still pumping out the lake of gasoline.
         We, the Guadalajara Family, are all very thankful--thankful first of all that the Lord protected and kept us from all danger and harm, and second that through this disaster He opened to us a "great and effectual door" (1 Corinthians 16:9), to enable us to reach, win, comfort and encourage the people of this city in their hour of great need. Following are the personal accounts of some of the Family Members who were in town when the disaster struck or who took part in our ministry to its victims:
         Josu7: Teen Chris and I were on our way to give a class to a friend when the first explosions went off. As we got off the bus, we saw people running and screaming through the streets in a state of panic, confusion and fear. No one seemed to understand what was happening or even what they were running from. The most we could gather from those we asked was that something had exploded. As we tried to work our way down the street, we were stopped by rescue squads that were evacuating the entire area. More explosions were expected. We started to run with the crowds leaving the area, praying desperately for the Lord's protection for ourselves and those around us. Seconds later, there were more explosions just behind us as we continued running ahead to safety. Thank the Lord for His protection!
         Several days passed before we were permitted to re-enter the zone. We went to visit our friend, located right at the site of the explosions, and found that the Lord had somehow protected him, his whole family, and his business--everything! A truly miraculous answer to prayer and a powerful testimony to the Lord's faithfulness to keep His children through anything!
         Jos: The morning of the explosions I was in town with another brother, following up on one of our friends and supporters. For no apparent reason, we had been held up at the Home and were a bit behind schedule. We later realised that it was the Lord's delay as we arrived in the area of the explosions just minutes after they had happened!
         Driving into the area, we began to notice lots of ambulances and police cars, and the traffic began to slow down. We supposed that one of the many factories in the vicinity had had some serious accident or fire. We turned on the radio to find out more, but they had not yet begun to broadcast details of the catastrophe. As we went a little further we saw people screaming and running in all directions and it became apparent that something much bigger than a factory accident had taken place. We began to pray desperately for the Lord's leading and protection!
         Soon the radio began to announce exaggerated reports that all of Guadalajara was exploding. In reality, it was limited to several areas but we were right in the middle of one of them at the time! As we drove by the factory which was to be our next stop, we found it completely deserted except for one guard. We stopped and tried to call our Home to warn them of what was happening and to ask for their prayers, but the phone lines were already down. We took some time to encourage that poor guard left behind as he was quite frightened, yet ordered not to leave his post. "God is in control and if you call upon Him and trust in Him," we assured this man, "He will protect you!"--And He did! As we made our way back to the Home, traffic was very slow and congested as everyone was fleeing that area. Danger was all around us, yet the Lord protected us and guided us safely home. PTL!
         Cid: When our Home first learned of the explosions, we got together for prayer and one of the first things we got desperate about was what part the Lord wanted us to play in all of this. Up to this point, our witnessing in the downtown areas of the city hadn't borne much fruit and most of the people seemed complacent and satisfied with life as it was. But as we prayed, the Lord spoke in prophecy, showing us that He wanted us to feed and help the people there. We gathered up as many of our "Rescue!" and "Peace in the Midst of the Storm!" Posters as we could carry and went to find the people who needed us most.
         It was really different from the other times we had tried to witness in these areas, as the people were really open and interested in our Message and they wanted to get saved. First we went to the businesses one block away on each side of the wreckage. People were still very fearful and some were continuing to move their things out. We met lots of people who had lost family members and we were able to encourage them and pray with them to receive Jesus. They were so thankful that someone cared enough to come there to comfort them and give them something to hang on to, and by the end of that first day we had won 65 souls.
         A few days later we visited one of the main shelters. One director said that we weren't allowed to give out any literature that had any form of spiritual advice or consolation to the refugees there, but we prayed for the Lord to open a door for us and He did. We approached the General in charge, who accepted a stack of Posters and promised to give them out to the people inside and post them on the walls to encourage these poor people made homeless in this ordeal! We also witnessed at the doorways and people swarmed out of the shelter to receive Posters and personal words of comfort. We won many souls there too! Hallelujah!
         Jordan: The morning of the explosions, I was out witnessing with sixteen-year-old Crystella and three of the older children from our Home. When we arrived at the business of one sweet friend, the surrounding area was in confusion as people were scrambling to evacuate. It was still just moments after the explosions and we didn't realise the magnitude of what was happening around us. We went ahead with our appointment, encouraging our friend with promises about the Lord's Love, care and protection. As we left the area, we realised that the main explosions had occurred just a few blocks away, explosions with the magnitude of thousands of kilos of TNT!
         Three days later, with guitar and Posters, Crystella and I returned to witness in the disaster area and were able to encourage a lot of people. As we walked the streets, talking to the people, we came across a group of very weary soldiers working as a rescue squad. They told us how they had been able to rescue many, but had also found many others who had been buried in the debris. Face to face with such horror, they were very broken and their minds were filled with questions about life and death. We sang for them and it changed the whole spirit of that place. Many more people began to gather around us. We passed out Posters and they all received Jesus into their hearts.
         This street, which was now a pile of rubble, was one we had walked many times before while witnessing and we had many friends and acquaintances there. That morning, people were just sort of wandering around like lost sheep. One girl started weeping almost the moment she met us. We were able to pray with her and comfort her, too. TYJ!
         Some folks whom we had previously witnessed to had been killed in the explosions. This brought the life-and-death realities of this event shockingly close to home, but we were comforted to know that all those who had received the Lord with us were now safely with Him.
         One nineteen-year-old boy who we met that day had broken his arm in the explosion. For months, different people had tried to witness to him but he wasn't interested. This day we sang him, "I See Sunshine" and he prayed to receive the Lord.
         Another friend, Jorge, told us how the Lord had used the birth of his new son to save his life. Returning from the hospital after his wife had given birth, he and his daughter were still half a block away when the street in front of his restaurant blew up! That street became a chasm 10 metres deep!
         It was quite an experience for us to see how most people are completely unprepared for such emergencies. In the face of danger or suffering and without the Lord, they are subject to fear, insecurity and confusion, and many just fall to pieces. But thank the Lord, He helped us to reach them in the middle of their affliction, and in His Love had even led us to reach many of them before this happened.
         Praise: We took some teens to visit one of the shelters set up for the people who had lost their homes or were awaiting clearance to go back into secured areas. As soon as we would ask one person if they would like to pray and receive Jesus, they would call their whole family together to pray. They were all so thankful that we had come to visit them. The Posters were a real comfort to them all. Everyone was affected by this disaster, but it seemed to make the biggest impression on the young people, most of whom began searching for answers as to why God had allowed such a thing to happen. TTL, our Posters have many answers and were a welcome gift of comfort and encouragement. TYJ!
         (Editor's note: God bless our brave Guadalajara team. Obviously the Lord had shown them through prayer and prophecy that going on such a dangerous mission was His Will for them, and they were in full faith in risking their lives to save others. However, this is extraordinary faith, so please be sure you also have really heard from the Lord and have the same faith and conviction that it is definitely His Will before venturing into such dangerous areas. God bless and protect you!)
         PRAYER REQUEST: For the Guadalajara Homes and their continued follow-up of friends met and won through their witnessing after the gas explosions, as well as the Family's witnessing in other disaster areas worldwide.

Family Education Praised by Education Department!
Family Teens Get High Marks from Government Agency!
         As you probably know, last year many Family children and teens in Australia were taken by police and social workers, held in detention for a week, and then released. In Melbourne, the court case is still pending. In Sydney, after several weeks in court, the Family and the DOCS (Department of Community Services) came to a "mediation agreement" in which the Family was seen to be vindicated, and the charges that had been laid against them were stayed. Praise the Lord!
         As part of this agreement, the Family agreed to have the children and teens participate in "socialisation activities" (paid for by the DOCS!) in which they went for various classes and activities outside their Homes. The Family also agreed to have the kids' schoolwork assessed by the Board of Studies (BOS) of the Education Department. When the Board of Studies visited the Sydney Teen Home they made a very favourable report, as you will see below.
         We hope this testimony encourages you, our younger set, about how much you are learning, as it shows how highly the System thinks of the education you are receiving in the Family! Some of you may feel like you're spending most of your time in a ministry, without very much scholastics time, and you may wonder if you're really learning anything. Some of you may even worry about how you would do if you ever were tested or your education was evaluated.
         When this did happen to the teens in Australia, they hadn't had much sit-down scholastics for quite a while, as everyone was very busy with the court case and all that was going on. However, when they got together to discuss what they had done that year scholastically, so that they would be able to "give an answer" to the inspectors, they realised that they actually had learned a lot just doing the normal things they did each day. The practical knowledge they had, how they were learning the things that are useful in everyday life, is what impressed the inspectors the most!

By Becky and Family teens and JETTs, Australia
         In December 1992, just as we were gearing up for our Christmas outreach and witnessing, the Board of Studies (BOS), an arm of the [state] Education Department, sent two of their main inspectors to interview our teens and JETTs (pre-teens) about their schoolwork. They were to assess the education of our young people, as required under the terms of the Mediation Agreement in the court case in Sydney.
         This happened despite the fact that seven months previously this same Board of Studies had visited and found our home schooling to be more than adequate, and had already granted an "Exemption from Attendance at a Public School" and permission to home school our young people for two years! This subsequent visit was then to be part of an ongoing programme to have the Board of Studies visit every six months to give a simple assessment of the young folks themselves and how they are doing with their schooling.
         In preparing for this visit, the biggest worry or fear that both the adults and the JETTs and teens had was that during the year up till this point, with the court case in full swing and so much to do, our schooling had been quite inconsistent. We just hadn't had the time or personnel or opportunities to keep up with the schooling. Many of the teens had needed to attend court or related functions, help on childcare, kitchen and handyman, etc., and as a consequence we had very little paperwork to show for their whole school year! On top of this one of our adversaries' (DOCS) major accusations was that our schooling for the children was inadequate.
         In praying and looking back over the previous year, however, we could not really see how things could have worked out for more schooling, given the circumstances. And as we were now gearing up for our Christmas outreach, there didn't really seem to be much we could do to try to cram and make up for all they had "missed". We felt that if we put the needs of the Christmas witnessing first, prepare as best as we could, and pray for the Lord's help, the Lord would not fail us in this visit. We also felt a conviction that we should simply honestly share with them that the raids and court case had very much affected our home schooling program, and we believed the Lord would bless this honesty.
         Indeed, the head inspector who was to visit, explained that they wanted to make this visit with the children as easy as possible, reassuring us that they did take into account all that had happened during the year. God bless them!
         To help us prepare for the visit, we contacted the head of a home schooling group here in Australia, who suggested we could write up a "Curriculum Vitae" or list of all that the children had learned in each subject, to make it clearer to the inspectors just how much we had done with the children and also to encourage our own faith! So in the week prior to the BOS visit, Tania, Gideon and I spent a couple of hours with the teens and JETTs on each of the main subjects to discuss what they had learned about in each subject, write this list up in point form and place this in the beginning of the subject section in their school folders.
         We simply looked at the BEST Table of Contents and talked about what we had learned in each of the topics and sub-topics listed there. It could also have been done with any of their main books such as the Childcare Handbooks or even any good school-type textbook we were using at the time.
         For example, under the major topic of "Language Arts", we listed the subtopic of "Reading". We made a list together of any books and articles they had read, and even the subjects they had read about in the MLs. Under "Writing", we were able to list their essays, also the letters they had written to the Prime Minister and Law Society, the Press Release they had written with their lawyers during the court case, even their OHRs in which they were able to learn to express their personal ideas and feelings about things, etc. Under "Speech", they had learned to speak with authorities and officials with real conviction, and communicate with people like the DOCS and police, etc. They had learned to talk with people from the media at court and on our Open Day, as well as with lawyers, etc.
         During the year we had read together a biography on the exciting life of John Newton who wrote "Amazing Grace" and this covered topics in "Social Studies" and "History", such as the growth of the slave trade, and also "Geography", as we studied the World maps of his journeys and the countries he visited, their climate, crops, cultures, etc. It also covered some topics in "Science" as we discussed how they used the stars to navigate, how ocean currents and the trade winds were found and used by ships, how crops from the New World were introduced to the Old World and vice versa, etc., etc.
         In talking about the various childcare groups the teens had been helping with, we were able to list the areas they were being educated in. For example, in the course of preparing PG snacks for the PG moms, helping on meal prep, and preparing baby food, etc., they learned about vitamins and minerals and what the human body needs for healthy growth.
         As we discussed each subject in this way, we soon found our lists mushrooming, and suddenly it helped change the whole outlook our teens had, as they began to see the vast wealth of things they had learned through the year, more than we could even write down! This then gave them much more faith and confidence to talk about their education positively with the inspectors.
         Another big advantage to our way of life is that because we take so much time to talk together and communicate using the "Open Forum Method" or pow-wows, and we spend so much time witnessing, the teens and JETTs are generally able to communicate with others very well. The inspectors commented very favourably on their maturity and strength in communications skills!
         The visit went very well and the JETTs and teens were very relieved! Later we were able to discuss what they had learned from the visit. Here are their comments:
Heidi, 15 yrs., of Aaron and Abi:
         In preparing for this BOS visit, while I personally didn't feel so nervous, I just didn't have very much paperwork to show for my schoolwork. Also I wasn't sure what kinds of questions they would be asking so I had to just take it by faith. When they came, they took us by groups of about five or six, and we sat down and they mainly asked us a bunch of questions.
         Those of us who were stronger in a particular area would speak up more about that area to explain what we liked about that certain subject. I personally like English and Social Studies and I really enjoy doing that, so I had a lot to say on those subjects. Then the people who like Maths and do it really well talked about that. It went very smoothly and they seemed to like the answers that we gave.
Joanna, 15 yrs., of Isaac and Becky:
         One thing that was quite exciting for me is that because we had been doing lots of childcare, I didn't have pages and pages of work to show them, which is something we thought we needed. But they didn't even want to look at our folders of work! They would ask us questions about Science, for example. We thought Science would be really hard, but actually we just told them simple things like, "If you mix this nappy cleaning solution with bleach in the laundry, it reacts badly and produces a gas that's dangerous to you," and we explained why it happened. We explained things like this that were simple, real-life practical things we do, not so much big theoretical things from our books, but things that we actually can use.
         Also with English and spelling, rather than sitting down to memorize long lists of words, we would learn ones that we used when we wrote up the shopping list or when we wrote a thank-you letter to a provisioning contact or sheep. We told them how we could apply the things we were learning to real life, and actually they were all really impressed by that. We all thought that they would think we were dumb because we couldn't write out all these mathematical sums and everything, but they were more impressed that we could do practical work. So that even with the little bit we thought we had learned, they said we had actually learned a lot because we could apply it practically. We could use the things we had learned in everyday situations.
         After the visit, I felt a lot more confident about our education. I saw that I'm still learning so much, and I can see how it's not just a lot of head knowledge, but more learning to apply knowledge to real-life situations. Some people who may be really "smart" can't look after themselves or keep tidy. Learning things about real life is more important.
Amie, 14 yrs., of Tony and Joy:
         When they came, I thought they would just be looking in our books and singling us out with questions, but it turned out to be a lot more easy-going. They would ask questions like "What have you done in Science?" They didn't look at our schoolwork pages at all! Before they came, we had some classes with Auntie Becky where we summed up the things we had done in our daily life and how they actually fit into each subject. Doing this together before the visit helped me to understand a lot more what I had learned, and then I had more to say about it during the visit.
         For example, the documentaries we have watched, and helping in the kitchen were all things we learned in "school". The visit has given me a lot more confidence in our Family education, because before I thought that I had to have a certain amount of school or sitting down in class each week, but now I feel like everything I do is learning!
Heidi, 15 yrs.:
         Before, we thought we never did much Science and that it was a weak area for us and we thought "Oh no! What are we going to say if they ask us about Science?" We had a few talks with Auntie Becky before the visit and she explained to us some things we do that are Science, things we never thought were. This opened our outlook to include even real simple things that you'd never think were Science and school, but they really are, because you're learning something from them.
         We saw how even in things like cleaning up the house and JJT, you're learning how to organise and work together with others to make decisions. In the visit, we told them some of these things that we do around the house and they were quite impressed with that.
Amie, 14 yrs.:
         Also, everyone had their little area that they are good at or that they liked, and we could just talk about the work we do in that little area. If we weren't good at another subject or we didn't like it, we were just honest with them and said, "Oh, I don't really like Maths," and then someone else who really liked that subject would talk about it. They explained that that was normal, because all people have subjects they don't like so much. They didn't get mad at us if we were weak in a subject or we didn't really like it.
         They pointed out how we were more advanced in something we really liked and were really interested in and they encouraged us to go ahead in that subject and learn all we could about it. They said we should still keep trying with our weaker subjects, but not to worry if we don't excel in everything!
Joanna, 15 yrs.:
         We saw how there is "school" in every little thing you do if you are looking for it. For example, if you read a book and as you go along you have to look up things like maps, and talk about the history behind the story, and even do some Maths about it, that's school. Even with the MO Letters we read we get so much schooling from them. For example in reading the "Bible for You" series I learned about the Sun and I read more about it later from an encyclopedia.
         So I saw that we get a lot of education from the Word, too, but I didn't see it until these outside people from the System came to ask me about it. I was telling them all about these subjects, and when they asked me where I'd gotten all my resources I told them from the Letters. It made me realise that we grow up with so much education just from the Word and the MLs.
         Also the things we learned about food and our eating habits--some kids in the System have to go to school to learn that kind of thing. But we have learned about them just from learning to have balanced meals in the Home, and we saw that even this can be a big part of Science.
Luke, 13 yrs., of Isaac and Becky:
         Along the lines of learning from the things we do each day around the house, if you are working in the kitchen, you can get a lot of training there. The adults in the Family who know how to do a lot of things quite well pass this on to you. If you want to have special training in woodwork or car maintenance, a lot of times you can get it here in the Home, you don't have to go out to the System to get it. We have resources in the Letters and the pubs we get sent, summaries of different books, etc. Grandpa teaches a lot in the Letters about lots of things he's learned in his life, and you can learn a lot about current affairs and understand what is happening in the World just from the Letters.
         I think now, after the BOS visit, that our Family education and home schooling is very good. We don't have to spend a lot of time on things to learn them, like some people in the World who have to spend years taking a certain course and a lot of it is just useless knowledge. We can get the basics of that subject that we need here. For example, if you want to learn about computers, we usually have people who know a lot about them who can teach you all you need to know without learning other useless things as well, like others have to do.
Katrina, 13 yrs., of Abner and Joy:
         They were also quite impressed with our logs and that they were all up to date and that we knew what we were doing. On our logs, we just write down all the school we do, and the topics, and even the little jobs that we do. That shows what we have been doing and they were quite impressed with this.
Heidi, 15 yrs.:
         Also they pointed out how impressed they were that we set goals for ourselves. For example, someone might say "I'm going to do this much in English this week, which means I'll break it down to do this amount each day. I'm going to cover this much Social Studies, this much in Maths, etc." Everyone was working at their own pace. So we showed them what each one of us was doing personally and they were really impressed at how we were taking so much initiative and we were motivated and knew how much we should accomplish in a day.       They seemed to be quite confident that we knew what we were doing and we had a lot of initiative and we were trying to reach certain goals, and they could see we weren't just being lazy or slacking off. Even if sometimes we don't have teachers, we can work from books ourselves if we have to.
         (Note from Becky: During the past year with the JETTs and teens, we have been getting them to keep their own daily logs of their schoolwork as an experiment to teach them how to keep their own records and be responsible for these and also to help teach them to set goals in their personal school work, etc. With the court case, so much going on, and our few adults being so busy, we were finding the teachers just couldn't always keep up with doing the teachers' curriculum logs consistently, so we taught the JETTs and teens to take on this responsibility more to keep their own logs, to help with this problem.--And the inspectors were more impressed with these logs the kids kept themselves, than with the logs the adults had done!
         (Also, partly out of necessity, we worked with the JETTs and teens by the project method--letting them choose the topic they wanted to study and then, with a little guidance and oversight, letting them research pubs and books on this subject. This method worked well for Language Arts, Social Studies, some Science, etc., not so well for Maths etc., that require more drill work and also not so well for the younger JETTs and OCs. We found that in order to do this we also had to teach the older JETTs and teens some skills in how to research topics, where to look, how to compile notes and write up their information, etc.)
Timmy, 14 yrs., of Aaron and Abi:
         I was worried about the visit of the BOS because I thought I didn't have that much work to show them and I'm quite far behind in my Maths. I just have real simple things in Maths I do. One inspector gave me a little verbal test on my Maths and she then just encouraged me to keep going and just keep trying, not to give up, and she was really sweet about it.
         When I mentioned to them I didn't really like Maths and wasn't really good at it, the man asked me if there were other things I was interested in. So I told him about the book we'd been studying in Language Arts about John Newton, who wrote "Amazing Grace" after being saved by the Lord from a life of slave trading. I showed him on the World map where he'd travelled, showed him the model I'd been making of houses in England during his lifetime, and all about how the slave trade started, etc., and he was quite impressed about all this.
         He wanted to see my school logs and since I'd been doing them on the computer on my disk he came over to the computer with me while I showed them to him. I showed him the "Formworks" programme because I use this to do my logs under and this was new to him. I also showed him an essay I'd written on my disk and it had a few misspelled words in it. He went over it and asked me which words they were that I'd misspelled, but I didn't know. So he showed me how to find out using the "Spellcheck" program. I learned how to use it and then he made me review the words I'd spelled wrong, using this to make sure I'd gotten them down.
         After the tests they had given us when we were in detention after the raids, I felt really bad about my schoolwork and thought I was really behind. But this inspector said that doesn't even really matter as long as I'm trying to learn what I can and attempting the work. So that encouraged me to just keep going with what I'm good at!
         After the visit I sort of felt relieved in some ways, as because I'm not really good at school I thought I was really going to "get it" from them. But it turned out that wasn't so and I really felt more at ease and like there was a burden off my shoulders. The most encouraging thing for me from the BOS visit was that they just encouraged me to keep trying, that it doesn't matter if you're not good at a subject, just to keep trying. I had thought they were going to tell me how bad I am and how bad my work is, but they just told me what I had done is good and I don't really need a whole lot of fancy stuff. They said that if I can't do a subject well, that's okay and just to seek the things I'm good at and really work at those!
Michael, 14 yrs., of Simon and Sarah:
         I've always known our Family schooling is better than the System and I've always been told that, but it turned out to even be better that I thought it would be!
Vincent, 13 yrs.:
         I really felt like this visit helped get back at the DOCs and their false charges that our education isn't good enough. It showed that we are doing well! Even with the people who didn't get really high scores on the other tests, given when we were in detention, it showed it didn't really matter and it wasn't fair because of the pressures we were under at the time. It was also encouraging that even though during the tests in detention we were all really nervous, most of us still scored well above the average for our ages.
         Final Comments from Becky: This visit was quite encouraging to us all in confirming how very superior our Family education and home schooling is, and how well the children are being trained and taught and how much they are learning.
         Another interesting little thing was that when they were asked where they had learned about something like Yugoslavia and the background to the civil war there, for example, a couple of the kids said they had read it in "The writings of Father David". The inspectors were actually quite respectful of Dad's writings, as they could see the excellent fruit in the kids and the very intelligent way they could understand and communicate about things they'd learned from them.

"The Students Should Be Congratulated!"
REPORT FROM THE BOARD OF STUDIES ON VISIT TO "THE FAMILY"
         Following are some excerpts of the report given to the Family from the BOS. The BOS reported on each separate group of students. The following comments are taken from their report on the teen groups:
         The assessment of the children took the form of group discussions, using groups of children of comparable ages. Group sizes ranged from four to six students. In this situation, no individual testing was done and assessment comments are based on the professional judgement and experience of the officers concerned.
         Both groups were able to confidently discuss their work in all subject areas. They seemed keen to participate and displayed an impressive depth and breadth of knowledge. One of the students did not willingly join in the discussion at first, and appeared not to understand the basic" subjects as well as the others. Later in the session, however, this student was able to demonstrate a skill on the computer. It may benefit him if his development in other subjects was directed towards this area where he can demonstrate achievement and success.
         The students should be congratulated on the way in which they presented themselves, and the way they were able to demonstrate the extent of the work which they had covered.
         The students have access to a swimming pool and spacious areas for physical activities. All appeared to have an appropriate level of knowledge and understanding of the requirements of a healthy lifestyle, and the program includes Biblical studies which are integrated with various Key Learning Areas as judged appropriate.
         Due attention is given to excursions of various types, which are subsequently recorded and commented on in the children's work folders.
         Supervision and follow-up of the bookwork and work samples of both groups are thorough.
         All the children appeared to be happy in their schooling situation, and willingly discussed their work with the visiting Board Inspectors.

"I'm Living My Education!"
A Young Adult Speaks Out on Her Vocation and Training in the Family
By Claire (20), South America
         I joined the Family with my parents when I was fourteen years old. I really didn't understand then what dedicating my life to Jesus was all about, but little by little, as I read the Word and applied it to my life, I grew to know Jesus in a more personal way. I went witnessing a lot, which thrilled me because I saw the Word and Jesus changing people's lives! Through witnessing, I grew to really love others and my heart broke for the people I met.
         At that time, when I was fourteen, I didn't have much responsibility, and because of that I would doubt that the Lord could use me. Washing dishes, taking care of children, and even going out witnessing every day didn't seem like such important tasks to me. Of course, at the time, I didn't realise that all the lessons I was learning through working with others in the Home and through witnessing would be used later on in my life.
         Shortly after, I was able to go to a teen Home where I continued to receive a lot of training, as well as learn countless lessons. Now, as I look back, I'm thankful for all the training that was poured into me. I've learned so much more in the Family than I learned in all my years of going to System school and the Lord has now given me such wonderful responsibility!
         As a JETT and teen Shepherdess, I've had to learn to hang on to the Lord most of all. When I was a teen, things were often handed to me on a silver platter. My time was scheduled for me and I pretty much knew what to do because I was following a schedule. Now that I don't have someone looking over my shoulder telling me what to do, I have to pray constantly for the Lord to show me His plan. One practical benefit of this is that I've learned a lot about organising, planning, and scheduling.
         Also, when I was younger, I used to leave important decisions to my overseers, because I felt that they were more spiritual than I was anyway, and I didn't want to make a mistake or have to take the blame for a wrong move (which was my pride, of course!). Now I often have to make important decisions concerning the JETTs and teens, and although I do work in teamwork and counsel, I'm compelled to seek the Lord desperately and give His answers.--Because I'm the one who is directly responsible!
         Since I'm the JETT Shepherdess and oversee everything that they are involved with, I also have to give instruction to the other adults in the Home. This can be awkward at times, and sometimes I'm afraid that the adults will be offended if I, a young adult half their age, point something out to them. But I'm learning to swallow my pride because it's all part of my job. The adults do make it easy for me and are a real encouragement, God bless them!
         I also have to be faithful to get my Word, prayer, and rest time--not because I have to fulfil a requirement, but because I need it to stay in touch with the Lord in order to be used more effectively by Him. So holding a responsibility like this is challenging! I'm learning what dedication in this Family really is (it's dedication to the Lord and others), and how it is so important to stay close to Jesus, especially when there are so many areas to oversee and so many things to do.
         I look at other young people my age in the World, many of whom don't know what to do with their lives, and don't even know why they are alive! Many of those kids will have to study in university for years before they find a vocation that probably won't satisfy them anyway. I compare myself to them and I feel privileged to be where I am and to be doing what I do in the Family. I'm living my education: I'm a teacher, Christian guidance counsellor, and student all rolled into one! It's fulfilling and exciting! As a young adult in the Family, I can proudly say that I've found my vocation. My life has purpose and I know why I'm alive--to help others find the same freedom, happiness, and love that I've found through Jesus!
         Love, Claire

"O Lord, Make Us Instruments of Thy Peace!"
From a Teen Witnessing Home, U.S.A.
         Our teen team was setting up for a performance at a "halfway house" for teenage delinquents, when dozens of boys went out of control, threatening to turn over cars and create a riot. One boy in particular, Victor, seemed bent on causing trouble, and he and his little group of friends were stirring up the others. Mr. Randolph, the supervisor of the boys' home, was in a state of near panic. "If there's trouble," he explained, "I'll have to call the sheriff and the boys will have to `go through the phase'"--meaning they would have to be restrained by force and sent back to juvenile hall. If that happened, the halfway house would be shut down!
         This was the third time we'd been to see these boys, ages 13-18, and both of our previous visits had been very fruitful. Now this! The trouble had all started when a disgruntled former staff member returned to voice his grievances and refused to leave the property. Victor and other boys had taken this troublemaker's side. Mr. Randolph issued the order for all of the boys to go to their rooms, where they were to be locked up until further notice, but the boys careened through the halls and yard defiantly, waving sticks and punching the air. To make matters worse, Mr. Randolph couldn't get ahold of his superintendent or off-duty staff members to enlist more help. Tensions mounted. "You'd better leave now," Mr. Randolph insisted, "because I can't guarantee your safety!"
         Our team gathered to pray for the Lord to stop this attack of the Devil, who was upset at our success with these boys. There were still a few that we hadn't been able to get through to and they were the ones stirring up this trouble. But many of the others had received Jesus with us and sincerely wanted to change. Was this to be the end of our ministry to these precious boys?
         We felt we'd be failing the Lord and these boys if we gave up without a fight. "Can we try to get all the boys together and sing to them to calm them down?" we asked Mr. Randolph. By this time he was desperate enough to accept our offer. "If you could manage to defuse this bomb, that would be tremendous! The future of the boys and the home is at stake!" he reminded us.
         The boys were all outside, still refusing to submit to the staff's demands that they move inside. But to everyone's surprise, our sweet girls just took each one by the hand and led them in like the little children they care for at home! We had planned a real rockin' musical programme, but under these circumstances we realised we would have to change our strategy. One after another, we sang every soft, sweet, slow song we could think of.
         By the end of the first hour, we had nearly all lost our voices and our lead musician's guitar wouldn't stay in tune. Then somebody was reminded of one of our old rap type jingles, and between us we managed to remember the words. (Boy:) "I'm the greatest, I'm the greatest, I'm the king of the ring and I can fight my way out of anything." (Girl:) "Hey, cool it, man, don't get uptight, cause fightin', brother, that just ain't right." (Boy:) "Hey, woman, you some kind of a fool? To pick a fight, well, that's real cool!" (Girl:) "Hey, listen man, love conquers all, and if you fight love you're bound to fall. So take it easy, man, don't push, don't shove, `cause the greatest force in the World is love!" The boys loved it. It was their music, yet the message was so clear and the scene so comical that it exposed their proud boasts and dispelled the pressure in an instant!
         Then, just when we thought everything was under control, word spread that the staff had called the police to remove the agitator. The boys began waving their sticks again and talking about busting the windows and tearing the place apart. We sang on and on until finally, when we could sing no more, Uncle Steven pulled a single chair onto centre stage and told his personal testimony, growing up nearby and going to Vietnam. When the last boys had finally calmed down, we did a funny, but meaningful "Doctor Chainbuster" skit and the boys just roared with laughter. The Lord made us "fools for Christ's sake" and for the sake of these boys.
         When the sheriff arrived, we knew this would be our next test. To keep the boys' attention, we began singing "Peace in the Midst of the Storm!" over and over again. Even as many of the boys moved outside and tempers nearly boiled over, we just kept singing. "There is love to be found when your whole World's tumbling down...." Then something very special happened. In one corner of the room some of the toughest looking boys closed their eyes and started singing the chorus with us. One by one, the other boys drifted back in and sat down. It was just beautiful how the Lord brought their spirits under control!
         Next, our teens began witnessing one-on-one to help the boys "talk it out" and the response was even more fantastic! The boys became very calm and relaxed and were interested in anything and everything our teens had to share--anecdotes, poems, Bible passages, quotes, testimonies--the works! The boys were practically mesmerised by our Message. What a victory!
         And it wasn't just the boys who were reached. One of the supervisors, Mr. Austin, a towering former basketball player, confided to one of our teens, "When Dr. Chainbuster started pulling all those things out of that dude's heart--job, money, reputation--that was me right there!" He went on to explain that he'd been saved for years, but had all but crowded Jesus out of his life. "You guys have really made me want to start reading my Bible again and get back to the Lord!"
         Mr. Randolph and the rest of the staff were so thankful. "You just don't know how much good you have done here today," He kept saying, "You've done much more than you realise." Another of the youth counsellors exclaimed, "We could not have given these boys what you gave them!"--Jesus!
         As we were leaving, all the boys and staff members walked us out to our van, hugging us and waving to us as we piled in. Mr. Randolph begged us to return the next week. One of the boys yelled over the hubbub, "Don't even think twice before coming back, just come!" Victor, the boy who had been the most spiteful when we arrived, pushed his way to the door of the van. "Move over!" he said. "Make some room for me because I'm coming with you!" and said his mock goodbyes to the staff. He was the last one to let go of the van as we pulled away. "We love you. God bless you!" he called after us. "Please, come back!"


Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family