The Family in Action!--#7 DFO
Sydney Teens Go to Jail!--To Witness!
From Michelle, Isaiah, and Sydney Teens, Australia
Copyrighted January, 1995 by Family Services, Zurich, Switzerland
This magazine may be reproduced in full or in part for friends of The Family
Family children and teens in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia, were held in youth facilities for seven days, after being taken from their parents and Homes in pre-dawn police raids in May of 1992. The case in Sydney, New South Wales (NSW) against the Sydney Family was dropped after a mediated settlement was reached. Protracted investigations by the police and social services turned up no evidence of wrongdoing on the part of The Family. Later it was revealed in the NSW state parliament that the raids had been conducted illegally. The Melbourne case was also mediated.
In a separate case Family teens had to testify in court for days on end. In fact, Virginia (12), speaking in defense of The Family in Melbourne and of her mother, Lamb, set an Australian record for the longest time that a minor had been on the witness stand. That case also ended victoriously for The Family.
Rather than being daunted in their Christian service by these traumatic experiences, these young people have been strengthened by them. Among their many witnessing activities since then, some of the teens involved in these two cases followed through on a desire to visit some of the juvenile offenders in Australian jails and detention centres to help them to come to know the Lord.
"These thirty kids are here for serious crimes," the staff of the remand home* told us as they helped us set up for our first teen show. "Though all are under 18 years of age, some are in for armed robbery, rape, or attempted murder." We expected some pretty tough cases, and they were, but the Lord's Spirit took over that place and we soon saw Jesus do the miracle we'd prayed for! (*remand home: British/Australian term for detention centre for juvenile criminals)
We were 15 in all--five adults and ten teens. Teens Heidi and Tim were the co-MCs, and they and the other teens put on a dynamic one-hour show which caught and held the boys' attention--more so, we were told, than any other show they've ever had there. Usually the boys heckle and carry on during performances, and they did a little of this during the first song or two, but then they settled down and tuned in. When our teens came to the end of their prepared set, the response was so positive that they sang two more songs, accompanied only by guitars, "This Little Light of Mine" and "Jesus the Light". This last one was a big hit!
The impression we got from watching these teen boys' reactions was that they expected one of the two types of entertainment they'd always had before: worldly rock bands with heavy metal music, or Christian groups with church music. They'd never seen anything like our show! We're Christians, yet our music is upbeat and the performers sing and dance with boldness, conviction and the joy of the Lord. No one was stuck on themselves or trying to be "cool" or stars, but came right down to the boys' level. The show had quite an impact on them. Afterwards even the boys who didn't openly pray with us were reflective.
While the show was still in progress, it became apparent that the remand institution was also having a visit from somebody important, seemingly a high-ranking government official. He and the man in charge of the home watched a couple of songs and we got a chance to talk briefly. He was very cordial and obviously happy to find something so bright and positive taking place for the kids there.
Almost all these kids come from families where the parents are either criminals, take drugs, or have neglected their children, so they all got off to a bad start in life. Each had their own sad tale to tell of crimes and abuse. One of the boys told our girls that he'd never in his life met nice girls like them. All the girls he knew cursed, drank, and took drugs, he said. For some, jail is the only home they have, and the boys' home staff are about the only family these kids have, so almost as soon as they're released, they commit new crimes to get back in. Some are as young as 12 or 13!--It was both eye-opening and heartbreaking to see how lonely some of these kids are and how much they have missed out on in their young lives.
When we asked one boy if he liked visitors, his first reply was, "Yes, I like having visitors. But that's okay, you don't have to come." But then he admitted, "Actually, I don't get any visitors," and finally: "I'd really like to have you visit me!" The more he thought about it, the more the idea appealed to him--an idea he'd never dared entertain before, it seems.
Lots of the boys said they feel like hopeless sinners and so guilty--and of course some of them have done some very bad things. But we just shared the simple truth of Romans 3:23, that "all have sinned," and whether a person is in jail or not, everyone is a sinner. This seemed particularly encouraging to them and helped them not to feel so horribly condemned.
The fact that our teens had spent seven days in Ormond (one of the centres the teens were put in following the raids on our Family in Australia) helped our teens relate to these boys and vice versa. Most of the boys have also been there at one time or another. Twelve of them received the Lord! Following are a few highlights from the teens themselves:
Tim (of Lamb, see second paragraph, page one): "I had expected this visit to be a real fight in the spirit, with all these rough, tough teen boys sneering and laughing at us. But I was able to talk to a few of the boys before our performance and got to know them. When we sang, they listened and seemed very receptive, especially for what the world considers hardened criminals. Afterwards, while we were witnessing to them individually, a lot of them got saved!
"One boy said he believes in Jesus but that he is too bad to go to Heaven. I showed him a few verses, like John 3:16, and though Salvation by grace was hard for him to believe, he was inspired by it all and I was amazed to see how much his spirit changed. He became very sweet!"
Heidi: "A 17 year old whom I talked to had been taken away from his parents when he was four and been in foster homes and institutions ever since. All his life, he has just kept getting into trouble. His father is also in jail. It seemed like a lot of the boys had one or both of their parents in jail, so that's the example they've grown up with. When we asked them what they plan to do with their lives when they get out, they said they don't want to mess up their lives any more than they already have, but that it's really hard because they've never known anything else; they've never been given an alternative. We encouraged them that if they read and follow the Bible, the Lord will take care of them."
Rachel: "When we told them that we had been jailed at Ormond, they asked why. A lot of them had been sent there too, and all with good reason. So when we shared that we were only `guilty' of being sincere, active Christians and how the System really fights our little group, they were quite impressed and sympathetic."
Joanna: "Several commented that we must have practised the show for a long time, so we explained, `Actually, we only had one day to rehearse, but we have lots of fun doing it and really get into it. That's why it came out well.' That was a witness in itself because they said they've had other people put on shows that they have practised for years, but they were so boring. It's the Lord's Spirit, of course, that makes the difference!
"Some of them will be getting out soon and are interested in contacting us. Others will be there for a long time and want us to write to them, so we collected lots of addresses."
Virginia (of Lamb, see second paragraph, page one): "One fellow told us we should be counsellors because we are so understanding!--And that was after we'd only talked to him for a few minutes. A little love and personal attention go a long way!"
Meanwhile, we adults got to know some of the staff, who are very sweet. We got the impression that most really care about these boys and have remarkably positive, full-of-faith attitudes about them, God bless them! At the same time, they're all pretty big and hefty, who look like they can be tough with these boys when they need to be.
Abner talked with a Fijian warder who is a born-again Christian. He was favourably impressed with the whole show and commented about the deep meaning of the songs. Later, when he saw one of the girls was witnessing to a teenage boy over in a corner, this warder went over to listen and keep an eye on the boy. Our girl gave this inmate quite a deep witness and prayed with him to receive Jesus, and this man was amazed! He told us all about it as we were leaving, saying, "I'll tell you what, I'm very impressed with your teenagers! That was an incredible witness!"
Michelle was also able to talk with a no-nonsense middle-aged Irish warden to whom she gave some "Somebody Loves You!" tracts. This warden was excited about giving these out and is also eager to visit our Family Home.
The staff all knew that we were The Family and were incredulous when they realized that the teens on stage were some of the supposedly "abused" kids that had been taken to Ormond. Every day, these folks see teens who've actually been abused, so they could tell in an instant that our teens haven't been. We didn't have to say a word.
The Irish warden, who had followed our case with great interest, told us, "It's impossible to believe that any social worker with any experience at all could have taken one look at your kids and not known they haven't been abused in any way." Seeing the reaction of the staff at this institution to our kids was very encouraging. Our kids haven't been abused, they've been privileged!--And having passed through the fire of persecution, they're shining so brightly! God bless them!
The administration encouraged us to come back, and was eager to put us in touch with the directors of other institutions so we can perform and minister there as well. When we phoned them back the next day, they said they hadn't stopped talking about us yet!
The Answer!
From a Teen Home, South America
"Hey, that's my life story!" a number of the more tough-looking boys commented after our "Freddie" skit, which depicts a typical disillusioned, troubled teen getting into drugs, being abused by an alcoholic father and then being used and dumped by his girl friends and peers. Everything and everyone Freddie turns to for help leads him further down until he finds the only way up and out--Jesus! It was our first visit to this youth penitentiary, and the teen inmates there were captivated by the skit which ends with the song "You Can Become God's Child" and a whole-souled rendition of "I've Been Born Again".
These were the most desperate boys our Teen Home had ever performed for. All were incarcerated for violent crimes, including murder and assault, but when we talked to them, they turned into sweet, meek lambs. Most of them are just 15 or 16 years old. One after another they told us that they got into trouble because they had become bitter and frustrated growing up in an atmosphere of constant mistreatment, neglect or abandonment by their parents.
The staff was just as moved as the boys were. "No one has ever brought Jesus to these boys or delivered such a message to them!" One worker broke into tears as she continued: "I've looked everywhere for the answer to our country's social problems, even Communism, but to no avail! You have the answer! It's Jesus!"
All of the boys prayed with us to receive the Lord, as did their wardens and counsellors--50 people in all--and the boys begged us to come back. "It gets very lonely, being in a cell all day," they said, "and nobody ever visits. You guys really care and that makes us feel like Somebody Up There cares!" We thank the Lord for opening the doors to such an inspiring, challenging and needed ministry where every bit of love and Word we share is treasured and really makes a difference!
Diamonds in the Rough!
From a Reform School Ministry, South America
The official who runs a reform home for teenage delinquents turned out to be a fireball with lots of drive and a sweet personality. We explained that we are missionaries and have a desire to reach these teens--not necessarily to bring them to any church, but just to give them Jesus. She seemed to understand us right away and prayed with us to receive the Lord, God bless her!
There are about 100 boys in her home, most of them because their parents beat or abandoned them, or because their parents have problems with alcohol abuse. Some were arrested for various crimes but sent to her home, lest they go further astray through contact with more hardened criminals in jail. The youngest are nine years old and the oldest twenty-one, but most are between the ages of twelve and fifteen.
A few days after our initial contact, we returned with our teen singing group. Some of the boys teased us as we set up our equipment. "Hallelujah! Hallelujah!", they mocked, off-key. But when the teens cut loose with a revved-up version of "Keep Up the Fight!" and a few other songs from our cassette "How to Win", they saw we were not what they expected!
As we witnessed to them personally after the show, some were very receptive. One little fellow wanted to get right down on his knees to receive the Lord and then said, "I want to give my life to Jesus, how can I do it?" Others hung around outside, trying to be "cool". They couldn't resist the Spirit, though, and really wanted to hear what was going on. Little by little, they moved in closer, until they were hanging in the windows of the room where our show was held.
When Susanna invited one boy to come in, he said, "I'm dangerous. I'm property of Satan. I have an inverted cross."
"No, you're not really Satan's property," she said. "You're just trying to be cool." He came in but put up quite a bit of resistance when one of the teens witnessed to him. Then in the course of their conversation, it came out that our teen and this boy have the same last name. There is an expression here, "dos gallos", which means "we're buddies" or "we're the same". That turned his key and he finally received the Lord. Like so many of the other boys, he's a diamond in the rough--a sweet boy with lots of potential, hiding behind a tough front. Forty of them got saved on that first visit.
Our next visit, a few days later, was for the celebration of a national holiday, and we did two shows. The contact we had established with a few on the first visit paid off: Those who already knew and loved us created some positive peer pressure to encourage their friends who were meeting us for the first time.
We did more personal witnessing, got to know them all better, passed out more Posters, and prayed with many who hadn't gotten saved on our first visit. They really loved the Posters and some immediately began building their own personal collections.
One boy said that over the weekend, he met someone who didn't like our Posters. "Well, all I know is that I never believed in God before," the boy answered him, "but since meeting these people and reading this, I do!" Thank the Lord for leading us to these boys!
PRAYER REQUEST: For follow-up of the boys and social workers met at these institutions; for the Lord to continue to open new doors and lead us to new friends; and for lasting good fruit to result from our prison and juvenile home ministries worldwide.
Chosen for the Blessing!
From Faithy, Eastern Europe
On a one-day trip to a nearby village, we distributed Posters for about an hour in the rain! We were just going about our work, trusting the Lord to take care of us, when a dear woman approached us and begged us to step into her restaurant to dry out and buy something warm to eat and drink. Fascinated by our Message and literature, she began to tell all her clients what a wonderful work we are doing here, raving about our beautiful Posters. God bless her!
Then the most amazing thing happened. In the keenly listening crowd was an old man who looked like a bum. He stepped forward and told the lady that he wanted to pay for our lunch. He was the least likely of all the guests to be in the position to help us, but, contrary to our natural expectations, the Lord chose him for the blessing. "And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward" (Matthew 10:42).
Victims of Hotel Collapse Find New Hope and Courage!
From The Family in Thailand
In the northeastern Thailand town of Korat, over one hundred people were killed and scores of others were injured--many critically--when a seven-story hotel collapsed in the middle of the night. Many of the wounded were trapped under the rubble for as long as three days, waiting for rescuers to dig them out. Alone, one brave woman, herself severely maimed, gave birth to a premature but healthy baby. Immediately after hearing about the plight of so many injured and dying, The Family sent a team of four veteran missionaries and two young adults to help with the relief efforts.
At the main hospital where most of the injured were being treated, our team was able to comfort the wounded, the dying, and the bereaved. Going from ward to ward and bed to bed, they sang to, counselled and prayed with person after person. Never in all their years of missionary work, these Family members later declared, had their words of comfort and assurance been so desperately needed or so appreciated--as much by distraught relatives and exhausted hospital staff, as by the patients themselves.
Some of the most seriously hurt, including those whose arms or legs had been amputated in order to free them from the wreckage, were soon transferred to a hospital in Bangkok where members of The Family have ministered regularly for many months.
"Are you The Family?" a group of anxious relatives asked us upon our arrival. "We heard about you and knew that you would come!" It moved our dear team to tears as they realized how much the Lord has used their previous visits to convey His Love to these precious people who now expect it of us.
Among the many patients they were able to talk and pray with that day were three of the five most gravely injured. Our team later returned to meet the other two, who had been undergoing operations at the time of our first visit. The Family missionaries have developed close friendships with many of the patients as they continue to help them through their physical, emotional and spiritual healing process.
Surprise Visit!--Spellbound Visitor!
From a Teen Combo, Latin America
The Lord miraculously answered another of our prayers! We had been praying for an open door to reach the military of this country, as often when we see them in news clips, they look quite broken and desperate. They've all been under tremendous strain these past months, due to an unprecedented wave of terrorism. But instead of us having to go to them, the Lord brought them right to our door!
It all started when we received a call from our landlord, saying that he would like to pay us a visit. We decided to have our preteens do their show for him, as it had been a while since we'd been able to minister to him. They got all dressed in their costumes and we got the sound system set up, etc. When the landlord arrived, we were surprised to see that he had brought with him one of the very men we had been hoping to meet, a famous general, along with his wife! Our landlord wanted to give them a tour of the place and show them how we have adapted it to the needs of our large missionary Combo School, as this couple is searching for a property which they can turn into an orphanage.
We could see that this general was impressed from the moment he walked in the door, and when the landlord wasn't listening he exclaimed, "You people have done miracles with this place! It was a disaster before, but now it looks like a little bit of Heaven!"--So we knew he'd seen the property before. We have a large banner hanging in our eating area which reads, "Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace!" When he saw this he commented, "It looks like we have the same goal!"
After a tour, they came into the meeting room, where the preteens presented their show. It seemed that each song moved this man more than the one before. He and his wife both had tears in their eyes! Afterwards, 13-year-old Heidi asked them if they would like to receive Jesus into their hearts so that they could have eternal life and they both wholeheartedly exclaimed, "Yes!" After praying, they went to each performer and gave them a big hug, thanking them for the beautiful show! We also gave them a copy of our Scripture music tape, "Fear Not!", explaining that this was the message we were trying to share with the people in view of the internal strife in the country.
They asked us what we did during the time when the local terrorist activities were at their worst, and whether we had been afraid. We told them that after the large bomb had gone off in the centre of town, once we determined it was safe, we had gone right down into the area where it had happened while the clean-up was going on, to try to share a message of comfort with the people whose homes were destroyed. They said, "This is exactly what we need right now! You people are incredible!"
They left saying that they would like to arrange for the preteens to do a large show for those they work with. As they walked out, the general could hardly talk; it seemed that he and his wife were very moved by the Spirit and the example our life offers! Praise the Lord!
PRAYER REQUEST: For this dear couple to be drawn closer to the Lord and The Family.
We Help More than We Know!
From The Family in Mexico
We needed a dining room table for our new house. Answering a newspaper ad, we talked with a man who was offering a table for US $500. We were able to witness to him on the phone, and then pray for him, after which he exclaimed: "You know, my leg had been hurting quite a bit, but as soon as you started praying for me, it started feeling better! Thank you! Why don't you just go ahead and come and pick up the dining room set!" God bless him. He gave us the table free out of gratitude for our prayers.
On another occasion, while witnessing in a residential neighbourhood, we met a man who told us the following amazing story: "You know, five years ago, I was a drunk--until one day, while I was under the influence of alcohol, a member of your group prayed with me to ask Jesus into my heart. That day I didn't think much of it or feel any different, but the next morning, I felt a glow, like a light within me! As a result, I haven't touched a drop of alcohol in five years, and I am now a preacher myself!" What wonderful news! In some cases we won't know the effects of our witness until we get to Heaven, but it's encouraging when we see the results right now.
"As Many as Touched Him Were Made Perfectly Whole!"--Matthew 14:36.
From Anne, 18, Southeast Asia
Several months ago, our singing group performed at a rehabilitation centre where young and old alike face the rest of their lives in wheel chairs or on crutches, no longer being able to use one or more limbs, or having lost them altogether. They come to the centre to learn how to live with their handicaps and to strengthen their remaining muscles.
The beautiful singing of our children cast a ray of hope into the lives of these poor, despondent people, some only 13 or 14 years old. After the programme, we prayed with many of them to receive Jesus, and some patients also asked for prayer for their healing.
As we were talking to a group of invalids, one of the nurses beckoned to us. "I have someone you just have to sing for. Please come with me!" she said, as she led us down the corridor to a room where an elderly woman lay. "This is Aree," said the nurse. "She has been bedridden for nine years. She is in constant pain and can't even sit up. Please sing for her," the nurse continued, "the same beautiful songs that you sang for the other patients. Aree wanted so badly to come watch you, but was unable to because of her condition."
As the children sang at her beside, it brought tears to her eyes. "This is the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me!" Aree whispered.
The nurse then told Aree, "They have told us about the power of prayer. They can pray for you to be healed!"
"Yes! Yes! Please pray for me!" pleaded Aree. We laid our hands on her and claimed God's healing, after which she also prayed to receive Jesus into her heart. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she smiled and whispered, "Thank you! Thank you so much! I will never forget you!"
Three months later, we returned to the same rehabilitation centre. As we were led to the lounge where we were to sing, we saw many of the same patients we had seen on our first visit, only now they were all radiant, looking brighter and healthier. But the biggest surprise came from a beaming face in the back, which we barely recognized. Could it be Aree?--Yes! She was sitting up and had come to watch us sing!
We rushed over to her and she broke out into a broad smile as she excitedly told us the news. "I'm completely healed, except for part of my left leg!--The pain in my body is completely gone. I suffered for nine years, but now Jesus healed me! It's a miracle! Thank you so much!" We felt goose bumps all over as we beheld the miracle that had taken place.
The performance that followed was perhaps the liveliest and most Spirit-filled we have ever given! We just couldn't stop praising the Lord!
School Inspector Respects Family Education!
From Claire, Sweden
In connection with having our home schooling evaluated, a school inspector was sent to look into the education of our children. The inspector, an elderly man, visits about two or three schools a week and has lifelong experience in teaching, educational matters, and the strengths and weaknesses of public schools.
We felt the Lord leading us beforehand to make this visit a wonderful opportunity to share our exceptional Family training and education. We wanted to show the inspector that we have found the answers to the problems many public schools are facing today.
First we explained to him that we felt we couldn't be measured and judged on the same basis as the public schools, because although we teach the same basic knowledge, our schooling is based on the Bible. We explained that our home schooling is international, English being our first language, and although we travel a lot, we start teaching our children at a very young age, sometimes as early as one year. We went on to say that we are constantly looking for ways to improve our educational methods, and that we emphasize the spiritual and moral training of our children above all.
We showed him how our home schooling programme was organized, with report cards emphasising social development, work habits and spiritual growth. We explained how life skills and practical application are such a big part of our schooling, and went over the vocational training of our teens, the "side-by-side" vision of them teaching and taking on responsibility with the adults, learning to teamwork and overcome the generation gap, etc.
He was very impressed and interested, to say the least! He confirmed that we seem to have found the answers to problems the public schools are struggling with. One outstanding comment he made was in reference to what we shared about giving our children a Christian base to their education. He said that it is a good thing that we are teaching our Christian beliefs to our children, as he sees public schooling as quite weakened by being so "objective" and not having opinions on different issues.
He described how when he had been a high school teacher, the kids often came to him asking, "What do you think, teacher?" He was not supposed to give his opinion to influence them, and it made him sad, seeing how desperate the kids were for role models.
He also very much agreed with us concerning the importance of practical application of knowledge, saying that the kids in schools today may know all about the chemical structure of laundry soap and the commercials and brand names, but they don't know how to use that knowledge to wash their own clothes!
When visiting our various school groups, he talked to the children and commented on their having real interest in and enthusiasm about their work, interacting very well with one another. He was also impressed that while the teacher stepped out of the classroom to talk to him, the kids quietly continued their work.
When he saw our first graders writing long sentences with neat handwriting, he said he had never seen such a thing before. He was very happy to see that our older children had drama, nature excursions, etc., on their weekly planner and was very impressed to see our fifth to eighth graders working in a room together on group or individual projects. Some of them were doing scholastics on the computer, others were working on a group project, and still others were doing drill work at their own pace.
We also emphasized that we put a lot of time into the care and attention of each individual child. We help them through their difficulties, being supportive and giving them the guidance they need in order for them to be happy and secure and progress in their life and work.
He felt we were so on top of the situation with our schooling that he suggested that instead of our kids being tested by the public school board, we could just give them our own tests. He requested we also have them write an essay and then hand the results in to the educational authorities.
At the end of his visit, he remarked that his visit had given him new ideas and thoughts that he felt would be valuable to take back to the public schools. We invited him to come back and bring anyone who would have an interest in our way of schooling and training kids, which he said he would very much like to do.
Public School Board Favourable and Helpful
From Chris, Tabitha and Gideon, Europe
When the school year started again, the local school board representative in charge of overseeing our home schooling came to visit, just as she has each year. She looks at our planned school schedule and curriculum for the year, and writes down the names of the students and the grades they are in. This year we asked her about the possibility of getting some basic school supplies for our students from the local school.
Her visit went very well, as usual, and a few days later she phoned to tell us that there were some boxes of school supplies for us at the school office! Then she said, "I noticed that according to the kind of paper you asked for (A4 size, lined, margin and with holes for ring binder), you would need some ring binders too. So we got you some!" God bless her! We received brand new ring binders, lots of lined and checked paper, pencils and erasers too--enough to last us through the school year. On top of that, she told us that the school board had decided to let us shop for school needs up to a certain amount and give the bill to them.
The Lord also used this lady to help us with local language classes. Any children living here have to learn the local language, even if their parents are foreigners, and this strict requirement has been difficult for us to fulfil. We had thought of having a teacher from the local school come to teach our children a few times a week, but we hadn't mentioned this to the school official. However, in a letter to us after her visit, she mentioned she had talked with a few language teachers about us, and she asked us if we were interested in one of them coming to teach the local language to our children. After bringing this before the Home and praying about it, we all felt led to go ahead.
The language teacher visited beforehand to show us his books and teaching plan, and we had a good chance to get to know him. We asked him how he had felt about coming here after all that had been in the media lately about us. He leaned back, smiled and said, "Oh, I don't believe all that is written in the papers and I think I have a lot of the villagers here behind me on that one." Thank the Lord!
He is an older man and has taught students of all ages for many years. After he finished his first class, we asked him how he felt it went. With a big smile he said, "This was the most enjoyable experience I have ever had. The students were so attentive and good. They really wanted to learn!" He was very happy and inspired. He is faithfully coming every week and we have two of our own local language-speaking teachers taking turns sitting in on his classes. They are getting good input, which enables them to turn around and teach the rest of our children.
Praise the Lord!--Who has caused our light to shine brightly and win the favour of these officials.
"A Family Education Is the Best!"
From Nick (15), U.S.:
Dear Family,
God bless you! I love you! I am writing this testimony in hopes that it will encourage other teens, like myself, who have received all or most of their education in the Family. After recent experiences, I can honestly say that a Family education is the best!
I was born into The Family in 1978. Like many others in The Family, my parents moved around a lot, and we found ourselves in many new and different situations every year. The one thing that we always had in every situation, though, was the Word and all the materials for learning supplied by The Family.
The Word played an important role in the course of our schooling, and my mom placed the greatest emphasis on strong reading skills so that we would be able to feed ourselves from the Word. Like most Family kids, my sister and I were reading well at the ages of four and five. Therefore, from the Word and using only The Family publications and schooling materials, I received all the education I needed to prepare me for what lay ahead.
I think it's very important to mention that of the 10 years of schooling required by some countries' educational standards, my sister and I have only attended a total of two years of secular school. Even at that, those two years are very broadly scattered over a ten-year period. We spent a month or two in kindergarten, a couple of months in first grade, a month or two in third grade, and a few months in fifth grade, and so forth. Due to our family's travels as missionaries, we would drop in to a local school system for a short time and then drop right back out when we needed to move on. But each time we were temporarily placed in secular school, we were always way ahead of the other kids, academically and socially.
In 1990 my parents became TRF Supporters*, and we began living on our own rather than in a full-time Family Home. While this did not necessarily change our day to day living, it was still a time of adjustment for us. After years of home schooling, it was decided that we would try out going to the local public high school. (Since then, the Lord has opened the door for my sister and me to serve the Lord in a full-time Family Home again! Thank You Jesus!)
In September of 1992, my parents enrolled my older sister and me in a high school in California. When we first started school there, they gave us a hard time because we had no school records from secular schools. They didn't quite know how to handle our "files"! Ha! The high school counsellor who helped us schedule our classes was "very concerned" that since we had been home-schooled our whole lives, we wouldn't be able to adapt "socially". He also wondered if we were capable of coping with schoolwork at the high school level, since in his eyes we had no "formal education". Throughout the whole school year they continued to hassle us about the fact we had been home schooled. At one point they even threatened that we wouldn't be able to officially graduate because of the lack of necessary credits from attending public schools.
The Lord got a real victory out of this whole situation, though, and proved that what they were saying about our previous education was untrue. This was the first time we had attended a full year of secular school, and in the end we came out with straight A's--a grade point average of 4.0--which in the States are the highest marks you can get. Every semester there was an honour roll and students had to have good "attitudes and behaviour" as well as good grades to be placed on it. My sister and I were consistently on the honour roll. There is also a ranking for all the students in each class at the end of the year, and I ranked number one out of all my freshman class (9th grade, usually age 14) of 467 kids. Overall, it was a great testimony and a real victory! Thank You Jesus! (See the testimony of Nick's sister, Joy, below.)
I would like to encourage any teen or young adult in The Family that our Godly education is the best you can get. The schools of the World have nothing more to offer than to prove that point! It was also a testimony to our relatives that all those "disturbing moves" (referring to our mobile missionary lifestyle) didn't stop us from receiving a good education, which enabled us to excel and exceed the normal educational standards!
So thank You Jesus! The Lord's way is truly the best way! God bless you! I love you!
Love, Nick
A Testimony to Family Training!
Experiences of a TRF Supporter Teen.--From Joy (17), U.S.
My family first became TRF Supporters (TSers), over four years ago. I was 12 and a half at the time, and I needed direction in my life. Now that we weren't full-time missionaries, I started looking towards more worldly standards to guide my life.
The first year or so was humdrum. During this time I attended a junior high school for a little while and it was pretty easy. I became quite self-confident, and began to think I could get along without the Lord.
A little later our family moved to the mountains, and during this time I rebelled in my heart against the Lord and His Word. I figured since I wasn't a full-time missionary, I didn't need the Word. Boy, I was never so mistaken in all my life! I was showered with negative, depressing thoughts; I felt discouraged and terrible. Finally I cried out to the Lord and asked Him to forgive me. I truly learned that you can't carry on without the Lord and His Word.
A year later we moved again and I attended the local public high school. Once again, I had it pretty easy. My parents let me do what I wanted within reason. I had friends, I had good grades, but I always knew something was missing. I would come home from school drained of every ounce of life and inspiration I had, which there wasn't much of to begin with. God bless my parents--I'm so thankful for them. They held on to me and encouraged me, and without them I wouldn't have made it.
The friends I had were vacuous, shallow and selfish. They didn't love me, they didn't have any of God's Love--just their own selfish ideas of what they could get from me. I got sucked into it all, though. After graduating early, I went to college for a month. I was still looking for something to fill my life with, but I was looking in the wrong places.
College was even worse than high school. I can't emphasize enough the emptiness I felt. You don't realize the fulfilment and love you have in The Family until you go without it. In college so many people were lonely and lost, filling their heads with nonsense and their hearts with nothing. They were so sad and oppressed they couldn't even smile. I would have ended up just like them if it weren't for the Lord's Love. I was drowning and I didn't even know it, until Jesus came and rescued me.
The Lord then did a miracle, although I didn't realize it at the time. Our family happened to move again and that took me away from that hopeless situation. The Lord began to show me that I had been living for myself and that I should forget myself and just start doing my best where I was, helping my family and serving the Lord that way. So that's what I did. I forsook all the meaningless nonsense I had been living for before, and I was much happier. Thank the Lord!--He never fails!
One thing I learned was how blessed we are with all The Family training. I was home-schooled by my parents with Family materials, and that training especially helped me in public school. I was a straight-A student. Everyone in the school office knew my name because I was "the girl with no written record" of public school education! My brothers also got very good grades and their teachers thought they were the sweetest, most well-behaved children they had ever taught.
Through this experience we learned that when it comes to training and educating our children, our Family is definitely doing it right! God bless my mom and dad for teaching and training me so well. It made my school work so much easier and it made it possible for me to graduate early and get the equivalent of a high school diploma.
It was a real testimony to home-schooling and Family training for a girl of 16 to be graduating early and going on to college. I could have continued with college, but I had a desire to serve the Lord as a full-time missionary. Both my brother and I are now serving the Lord again full-time. Praise the Lord!
I'm very thankful for how everything has worked together for good in my life, just as it says in Romans 8:28. I have learned a lot about staying close to Jesus and I definitely learned where it's at! Thank the Lord for The Family! There really isn't any other thrill or fulfilment like serving Jesus! God bless you!
Much love, Joy
Family Young People Score High on GED!
"General Educational Development" Exam Provides Proof of Good Family Schooling
From Christine Phoenix (19), Europe
On a visit to my TRF Supporter parents in the States recently, I found that my relatives wondered whether I was getting a proper education in The Family. They questioned whether my present education would be sufficient to get into college or get a decent job, if I were to choose someday to leave The Family.
To be honest, I had also wondered at times if Family education was below average scholastically. I knew that our practical training was superior, but I was hesitant about being tested academically.
My mom suggested I take a GED test. (This is the General Educational Development test, a high school equivalency test that is used all over the States by people who weren't able to finish high school or were home schooled.) At first I was totally opposed to the idea. Then one day a TRF Supporter teen showed me a math book for use in preparation for the GED test. I took a look at this book and discovered that I knew enough to pass! The math test was the one I had feared the most, since I was almost certain I wasn't up to par in that area. Seeing the book gave me the faith to go for it.
I checked out some books from the library for a quick review. I prayed desperately, and then went to take the tests.
To my pleasant surprise, I scored way above the average high school graduate! I even got a letter from a firm that looks for scholarship candidates, guaranteeing that they could get me a scholarship to the college of my choice. Praise the Lord!
I would like to emphasize that my education has been no different or better than the average Family teen or young adult. I have no doubt that if any other Family teen were to be tested, they would do just as well, if not better, than I did! Even though our education is quite informal and untraditional and may have at times been somewhat inconsistent due to our travels and missionary work, I'm fully convinced that we're getting a great education!
From Tim (young adult), U.S.
Dawn, Spring and I (all young adults) took the GED test and passed with flying colours! All in all, the tests were quite easy.
Those giving the test were amazed at our scores. When I turned in my first test, which was on Science, the professor checked it, and when he saw that I hadn't gotten any wrong, he was quite surprised. He said, "What on earth are you doing down here? What did they kick you out of high school for, trying to blow up the chemistry lab?" Ha! I explained that I had grown up overseas and my parents were missionaries. Then the test-givers all nodded, smiled at each other and said, "Aha! Another home schooler!"
They said that in all the people they test, they rarely see scores over 60, but every now and then, some kid who was home-schooled will come down and really burn up the turf with the scores. They all seemed to greatly respect home schooling.
Dawn, Spring and I finished most of the tests well before the deadlines, and easily averaged in the 90% range, with almost 100% on language and arts, writing skills, etc. The only test that was a little difficult was the Math test, as it had a lot of Algebra, Geometry and other math in it, and they didn't give much time to finish it. I got 85% on that one, Spring about the same, whereas Dawn didn't even do the Algebra section, and still passed.
The GED test is apparently designed to help people who haven't finished high school to get a diploma. In order to pass, you have to get just above average. None of us had really studied that much. We had gone over the American History and Math sections a bit the day before. I would say that if you were hoping to get a high score, a couple of days of studying the GED book would help.
The majority of the tests were not so much a matter of what you knew, but what you could comprehend. For example, they give you a paragraph or article from a book, then ask you five or more questions about it. So even if it is about something you have never heard of, all you have to do is read it over and learn as you go.
This experience really impressed on all of us the value of the education we get in The Family. The tests didn't even take into account the many other things we have learned, like foreign languages or practical skills. Our multi cultural experiences give us depth we wouldn't be able to have even with years of study outside The Family.
Half of the score on the language/writing test is on an essay that you turn in, and is later graded and sent back to you. All three of us, though, had scored high marks on the other half, so no matter what the score was on the essay, we already had enough points to pass! Thank God for Family Education! We did so well on the other sections that the professor told us at the end of all the tests: "You could have written out the alphabet for your essay and still gotten a passing grade." (We had all three put a lot of time and effort into our essays, but found to our surprise it didn't even matter what grade we made on the essay, as we had scored so high on the rest.) The essay subject we all got was "Older workers vs. younger workers: How should society compromise between keeping the older, experienced workers, still making way for the new, younger workers?" Ha! Very applicable to our present Young Adult/Adult situations and what we are all now learning and experiencing in The Family.
It was a little sad to see the other people who were taking the test, though--all the pregnant teenage mommies, kids who had been kicked out of school, immigrants, etc. A lot of them seemed like they had been through a lot, and some were pretty messed up. Most of them were down there just trying to get a diploma so they could go get some basic menial job, or join the military. We got to talk with some of them and tell them about the Lord, and that was very inspiring, thank the Lord.
Love, Timothy
(Editor's note: We are very encouraged by the good results our young people got in these GED tests. What a testimony to the Lord's education! However, these tests do not measure all that we learn in The Family, nor do these testimonies mean that we intend to gauge the success of our education by the same standards as those in secular schools. As Mama recently commented:
("We are not trying to compete with secular education, because our educational standard has to be based upon religious principles and religious teachings, which is our priority--to train our young people for a life of service to the Lord and others based on His Word. As far as our methods, our young people can say proudly, `We've been schooled differently--in a much more creative, individualistic, challenging way. We did not go through the public school system, but we feel we have gained much more, been more highly motivated and creatively fulfilled than public schoolers, through the much more well-rounded "preparation for life" programme that we have in the Family.' Although our young people's GED test scores were encouraging, in many ways I think the greater testimony is to have beautiful, bright, exceptional, well-mannered, caring, compassionate, creative young people who have not gone through secular educational channels.
("However, if it means that much to some of you to take a GED test or one like it, and the Lord works it out for you to be able to, I don't see any reason why you can't go ahead with it. It's an individual matter to pray about, to decide whether the Lord is leading you in that direction or not. In some areas it might be very easy and quick to arrange to take such tests, while in others the tests might be much more difficult and might require a great deal of study as well as money, time and long distances to travel to take them. If you feel the Lord is leading you to take a test like this, please counsel with your parents and Shepherds, who can see if they are available in your area and what taking them would require in the way of time, study and finances.")
In the Floods of Great Waters!
More Disaster Relief by Family Young People
From The Family in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.:
As we approached the swollen Flint River, which had overrun its banks and flooded many cities here in Georgia, we were overtaken by an awful stench. Volunteering our help to the flood-ravaged town of Newton, we had rented a 26-foot (8-metre) truck, loaded it with donated goods such as food, household supplies, and house paint, and set out to see if we could help. When the floods had struck, the situation in other cities and towns had been highly publicised. However we heard that although it had been severely affected, the town of Newton hadn't received federal or state disaster relief aid. Its population is largely comprised of poor blacks and whites, many of whom are on welfare.
Their plight was obvious. When we arrived, the town was still under water. We learned that the terrible smell was sewage from treatment plants servicing towns upstream which had been completely under water during the worst flooding. Flood waters had also washed coffins from the graves of cemeteries along the river. At that time, the Flint was still raging and overflowing its banks. The National Guard and local authorities repeated rattlesnake warnings throughout the day. Rattlers and other deadly snakes, like every other living creature, were seeking higher ground. We stopped and prayed together, not only for the Lord's protection against the snakes, but also against contracting disease from the polluted water.
Newton's elementary school had been converted into a relief shelter. We arrived there just moments after Bernie, a 55-year-old chef, came to set up the kitchen. Thus we were able to help organize the shelter from scratch, just like we had a year earlier when our team helped run the shelters in Homestead, Florida, after Hurricane Andrew.
Carol, a woman in her mid-50s who belongs to a Christian group called "Signs and Wonders", was in charge of organising the shelter. She has had nearly 14 years of disaster relief experience.
Both Carol and Bernie spoke of their disillusionment with the largest relief organizations, which are usually at odds with one another when it comes to disaster relief efforts. Bernie also told us that he has "documented proof" that one such organization sets up and runs relief kitchens in towns hit by natural disasters, but later presents the local city hall with a bill for every meal they served while in operation. They were both equally disillusioned with most churches which volunteer their services for disaster relief, as this nearly always leads to squabbles among themselves over who is in charge.
Being in that frame of mind and supposing that we were like the other groups she had tried to work with, Carol did her best to get rid of us. Undaunted, we just kept smiling and talking until finally she took us into one of the school's corridors to show us what had already been done. Along one wall were stacks of goods, separated according to kind.
"This is all that we've been able to organize so far," she explained. "It was done by three volunteers who could only stay one day. By the way, how long are you planning to stay?" she asked.
"A week or two, or maybe more, depending on the need and how it goes," we answered. With that, her attitude completely changed! She was so thankful to have volunteers she could depend on for more than a day or two.
"We don't mind doing whatever needed to be done," we explained, "but the main reason we have come is to try to encourage the people and help them find the Lord's Love and comfort in their time of need." Carol said that was the reason the Lord had her there too.
"I'm putting these folks out there on food organization and distribution," she told Bernie. "And I want them to sing for everyone. These Family volunteers are not kitchen help, and I don't want them in the kitchen unless there is an emergency! They're too needed out with the people."
This centre not only provided food and supplies for flood victims, but also fed the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) workers and National Guard troops who were called in to help restore order.
The next morning a woman who was filling in for Carol put The Family team to work. A few hours later she asked teen Chris, "How are you guys holding up? Are you able to handle it?"
"No problem," Chris replied. "Everything is under control."
"Well, I don't have it under control," was her response. "I'm going home!" And with that she left, putting our teens--Chris, Heaven and Sharon--in charge of receiving, organising and distributing all goods to those who came to the shelter. A few hours later a couple of other women came in to take the first lady's place, but they were completely disoriented at first and leaned heavily on our teens' counsel and help. As time went on, our team became the backbone of the organization of the relief work.
One day a man approached our team and asked, "Are you The Family?" When they confirmed that they were, he replied, "Good! Can I talk with you?" He took them aside and explained that he had heard about the good work they had been doing. "I want to help you," he said, handing them $150. Later, when he had to leave the area for a couple of days, he gave them his bank account number and told them to withdraw as much as they needed for their expenses while he was away. Another man, the owner of a gas station, heard they were commuting every day from a nearby town and offered to donate all the gas they needed for as long as they were in Newton. Praise the Lord!
During their stay at the shelter, the teens sang for and witnessed the message of God's Love to all the people who went there for assistance, as well as for the National Guardsmen and the other volunteer workers. At one point a FEMA official told our teens, "We can't make it without The Family's help. If you should have to leave, we'll be in serious trouble. Nearly all of the others are just `day volunteers'. They show up when they feel like it and only stay as long as it pleases them. You're the ones running this place now!"
We know it pleases the Lord when we use our Family training and experience to help out those in such dire need. We felt He wanted to show His Love to these folks, through us. As the Bible says: "I am poor and needy, yet the Lord thinketh upon me" (Psalms 40:17).
Flood Relief in Italy!
From young adults Victoria and Daniel, teen Sabah, and Michael (November, 1994):
Heavy rains in northern Italy caused major flooding when the Po River burst over its banks. Our Home sent a four-man team of teens and young adults to offer our help. We first went to the main city in the area, Alba, one of the towns worst hit by the floods. Many there were disappointed with the lack of government help. "If it weren't for the volunteer groups, things would be a complete mess," one man said.
Upon arriving, we signed up to help with the volunteer groups and were assigned a job for the day. They gave the hard work of shovelling mud to the boys, and sent the girls to the office of a construction business to help clean it up.
The mud and water had risen to about three metres high, and in this particular office it had destroyed all the computers and their data. So our job was to carefully wash out scrolls of paper (their only remaining records) and hang them up to dry. At first we thought the job wasn't what we would have wished for in the way of being able to share the Lord's comfort and encouragement. But it turned out that in the course of this work we were able to meet very sweet people, who the Lord obviously had sent us to so that we could bring His Words to them. They were also impressed by our willingness to help even in tasks such as these, and the example we set in our desire to help others.
As we witnessed to the owners of the business and a young architect who had designed the office, they were quite impressed and said they very much respected the fact that we were missionaries at such a young age. During the second day we helped in this office, the mother of the family business showed our literature to her daughter and said, "Look, these guys are real missionaries!" We showed her the special prayer on the Poster, and she promised to pray it with her family. She told us that if we ever come back to the area, or if we need anything, they would be happy to help us.
We stayed for three nights with a well-to-do young couple, and before we left, the wife prayed with us to receive Jesus, God bless her.
On the third day two of us went to help clean at a hardware store, where the people also appreciated our help very much. After talking and praying with them, one said, "I just want to let you know--I really admire you for what you are doing. You have touched my heart. It's not often that you find dedicated young people like you. Keep up the good work!"
It seemed like everywhere we went, and in all the different projects we were involved in, people commented on the fact that we are missionaries, and that at such young ages we have dedicated our lives to Jesus and helping others.
We began going to the surrounding towns as well, and it became clear that the greatest need was for spiritual help more than anything else. We went house to house offering our help, and that way we were able to share the Lord's Love and comfort with many different families, and reach out to people from varied walks of life. For example, one afternoon we went from cleaning crates and crates of muddy wine bottles in a wine factory, to shovelling mud out of an elderly lady's basement!
We were struck by how people were so very attached to their material things, to the point that the loss of them was devastating. Not having the Lord, all they have to hold onto are their possessions, which were all being destroyed. One man actually died of a heart attack as a rescue team was rowing him away from his flooded house. It reminded us that we have the Lord as our Anchor and He keeps us steady no matter how the winds of adversity blow. We're so glad a lot more have Him now, as we were able to lead many of these people to Jesus
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family