The Family in Action--#13 DFO
Rising Star Leave All to Follow Jesus!

September 1996 by The Family, Zurich, Switzerland

This Issue

Rising Star Leaves All to Follow Jesus!  1
One Day While Out Witnessing     5
         A Muslim Finds the Prince of Peace!      5
         Miracles for a Speech-impaired Child!    6
         A Mother of Many Children Honored!       6
         Lets Hear What He Has to Say!    6
Changing the World with the Kiddie Viddie And Treasure Attic Videos!     7
Reaching Out in Many Ways!       10
         At an English Camp!      10
         Fruit that Remains From a Ministry at a Drug Rehab Center!       10
         You Guys Are Far Out!    11
         The Peepers People Are Here!     11
         Making a Room for God to Work!   11
Are Children in the Family Normal?       12
Deep in the Interior of Brazil   13
         Reaching Untouched Harvest Fields!       13
         Into the Amazon Jungle!  13
Gods Blessings on His Children   14
The Answers Are All in the Word!         15
Salvation through the Daily Might!       15
Truly the Waters Will Not Overflow Me!   15

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Rising Star Leaves All to Follow Jesus!
"They that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the STARS forever and ever" (Daniel 12:3b).
By Rafael, South America

My Youth
         For as long as I can remember, I always had a thirst for adventure and to see the world, so when I was 15 years old, I decided to drop out of boarding school. Because of the poverty of my family and the physical abuse I suffered from my stepfather, I had been raised in an orphanage. I became a rebel against the strict system imposed by life at the orphanage, and was on the blacklist regularly. By the age of nine I had transferred to a boarding school, and this sharpened my resentment over the differences in society -- mirrored in the microcosm of my school -- between poor people like me and those who paid their tuition and were children of the illustrious members of society. Aside from making me a rebel, it also inspired a desire in me to somehow later in life be a helper of some kind to the world's needy and oppressed.
         At 14 I asked the headmaster of the school if I could be a priest, but he said it wasn't possible or acceptable in his religious order because I didn't have a legal name, having been born out of wedlock. He added that maybe I could serve the Lord some other way. So at 15 I went to Barcelona and then traveled the coastal areas of Spain. I worked a lot of different jobs, but was always fired for misconduct. Rather than causing me to change my bad behavior, however, this made me even more rebellious.
         At one point I got very sick with pneumonia, and felt so miserable that I didn't even want to live any more. I began to harm myself with drugs and to visit prostitutes regularly. When I was 18 I joined the army as a paratrooper, and did 37 jumps in my two years of service. I ended up very tired of all the discipline on one side and all the vices on the other. But even though I was very rebellious, deep inside I would have melted had I received just a little bit of love.
         After my time in the army, I continued to desire to do great things. First I thought that perhaps I could become famous as a football (soccer) player, since at that time a close friend of mine had become a well-known football player in Europe. The truth is that a fair dose of envy was what was driving me to want to be like him.

Achieving Fame!
         After traveling throughout Europe, I once again settled down in Barcelona. At 22 I began to work for a publishing house, and as a model. Aiming to be big and famous in the movie world, I also began to work with a theatrical group. This led to work in a famous photo-story magazine by Corin Tellado (a soap-opera-style comic book done with photographs rather than artwork). At first I played little parts, but very soon I became one of the main actors for this magazine that was sold all over Spain. The first time my picture appeared on the cover in the newsstands, I almost couldn't believe it. My dream was coming to pass! I began to seek roles in the theater, commercials, and movies.
         Around this time the lady who owned the building where we filmed these photo-stories told me, "You're very special to God!" I thought a lot about her statement, and began to look for spiritual truth, dabbling in the occult, parapsychology and other oddball things.
         One day downtown I ran into an acquaintance from the photo series, who was also a movie director. After talking with him for several hours, he told me about a movie he was planning. "I would like you to take the leading role in my next film," he said. This was like a dream come true for me. After a few visits with him, going over the script and doing a screen test, I was hired. I remember the day I signed the contract. I was just about floating on air. I could hardly believe it! I had the lead role in a feature-length Spanish movie. I was succeeding!
         Soon there I was on the Costa Brava, with a big production team, filming the first scene. Everywhere we went to film, people would flock to see the leading actors in action. After a few days of filming, a famous director came by the studio and we made arrangements for a future film. It was all happening just as I had always hoped.

"Movies or Me!"
         It wasn't long, though, before it became apparent to me how rotten things were in the movie world. The homosexuality and perversion that were such an integral part of that scene shocked me, and every day that passed found me more and more disillusioned. Inside I felt the turbulence of mixed emotions, and an increasing inclination to find a better quality of life than what I saw around me.
         Before filming had begun, on the way to the filming location, I had run into a young fellow who gave me a pamphlet entitled "UFOs!" He was from the Family. I had already met other members of the Family through the years, and I enjoyed talking with them and reading their literature. I had also been reading a book on near-death experiences called Life after Life, and as I read it, I was coming to realize that it wasn't so important that I be famous. According to the stories in that book, what really mattered in life was that you loved others.
         As the days passed, I stopped studying my script and began to concentrate on this book. When the time came for filming, I often had to improvise, since I couldn't remember my lines. I had lost most of my interest in filming anyway, as I was becoming more and more impressed by what I read in that book.
         On the seventh day of filming we were doing a take at sunrise. During a recording sequence, I felt a sensation or a voice from God telling me: "Movies or Me!" It's quite difficult to explain what I felt at that particular moment. I really don't have words to describe the sensation. The truth is, I don't know what happened to me, but what I do know is that I couldn't continue with the filming that day.
         I took time off, since it was a weekend, but by the time I went back there on Monday I knew what I had to do. I quit.

The Spiritual Struggle
         It's easy to talk about now, but actually it was a very difficult decision. Materially, I had everything that I had longed for, plus I was on the threshold of fame. But now I was sure this was not the path for me, but rather I had to follow God.
         After making that decision (and causing no small stir amongst the movie's production team), I was taken to a psychologist and later admitted to a rehabilitation clinic for emotional trauma. Upon leaving the clinic, my girlfriend and I went on vacation to a nearby country, where, to my surprise, there in the Spanish magazines were advertisements for the movie I had been filming. The only difference was that another actor had taken my place. The ads were quite a shock for me, and made me wonder if I had made the right decision or not. I spent some nights in struggle and desperation. At times I was sorry that I had made the decision. No one else could understand how I could have let such opportunities slip by, and to be honest, I could not understand it very well myself at that time.

         Getting to Know the Savior
         After a few months of emotional turmoil and medical treatment, when I returned to my city, I had a life-saving encounter: I met some people who led me to Jesus. I prayed with them and I also explained what I was going through. They gave me a New Testament, which I kept with me day and night.
         Some time later, I was walking down the streets of Barcelona when a young man came up to me who greeted me by name. "Hello there! You're Rafael?"
         "Yes," I answered.
         "I know you because I worked in the publishing house, picking up photographs to be printed. Every time pictures of you would come, I would pray for you."
         I couldn't believe it. He left me a phone number and address, but for months I didn't contact him. After a while, though, I got to a point of such desperation that I finally decided to look for him. That young man was a Family member and that is how I got back in touch with the Family.
         Soon I began to fall in love with the life of service to God and fellow man that I saw in the Family. I left my old life behind and got going for Jesus, following His Word, which says, "Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Mark 8:34). Several new possibilities arose for me to do TV commercials, but by then I had already decided to follow Jesus. Praise the Lord!

The Greatest Joy and Love
         I have been serving the Lord for 17 years now, and I thank Him that He had me leave that world of illusion and disappointment. Many of those I worked with and who were my companions had unhappy lives after that. Some committed suicide. Fame is fleeting and earthly triumph is transitory. If you want to get to the top, you have to pay a very high price. You have to compromise your convictions and in many cases you even have to sell your body.
         Serving the Lord I have experienced the greatest joy and love that I have ever had in my life. I have also gone through persecution and imprisonment for my faith, but even at these times I have known that my life is dedicated to something worthwhile. Jesus is what makes it so! "Only one life, twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last."

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One Day While Out Witnessing

A Muslim Finds the Prince of Peace!
From Mary, Pakistan
         A Muslim friend we were visiting told us how he had no peace in his heart. When he had asked his religious leaders to give him "the code" to happiness, they told him to read the Koran. He did so, but he said he still was not at peace!
         He asked us, "Do you have 'the code' to my peace and happiness?"
         We were able to share with him that Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and even the Koran says that He is "Isah Roh Allah" (Jesus, the Spirit of God). We told him that Jesus could give him happiness and peace, and most important of all, a place in His Heavenly Kingdom.
         We then asked, "Do you want to pray?"
         He answered, "Of course I do!" He thanked us several times afterwards, so thankful that we had given him the answer to his desperate prayer.

Miracles for a Speech-impaired Child!
From Martina, Russia
         While distributing Family videos, I met a lady whose four-year-old daughter didn't talk. The girl could hear and understand, but for some reason wasn't talking, or even making sounds. About a week later, we came across the woman again, and she said, "Praise God that you are here! We have been looking for you every day!"
         She said that after watching the "Fun on the Farm" Treasure Attic in Russian, her daughter started to imitate sounds from one of the songs. The woman had sent her little girl to a special three-month course in an attempt to teach her to talk, but with no results. Yet only a few days after watching our videos, she began making her first sounds!

A Mother of Many Children Honored!
-- And the Videos Get Out!
From Andy, Becky, and Joan, Russia
         One of our friends who received the Lord with us has a regular time slot during the Rotary Club meetings to present new ideas. At a recent meeting, she invited Becky to present the Kiddie Viddies. The chief of police for the city was there and several other influential men, and they all toasted to Becky as soon as they heard that she had eight children. A very outspoken member enthusiastically asked to buy two videos towards the end of her speech, and did so on the spot! Others said they'd take some too. The club president suggested we set up a booth at an upcoming meeting. Praise the Lord!

"Let's Hear What He Has to Say!"
From Philip, of Hannah, India
         Our family has permission from a five-star hotel in the area to swim in their nice pool each week. On one occasion, we noticed a group of men from the north of England. They were a construction crew -- huge fellows with tattoos all over their bodies. Some had their heads shaved and some had long hair. They were quite loud and rowdy around the pool, making fun of everybody that came in and generally making the atmosphere uncomfortable for everyone.
         While we were swimming, I said to our teen son, "These guys need Jesus!" So we proceeded to the end of the pool and witnessed to them. We witnessed to them for over an hour, after which all eight of them very humbly bowed their heads and said a prayer to ask Jesus into their hearts. At one point one of the rowdiest fellows was talking real loud about what he believed in. One of the others said to him, "Just shut up, bloke! We're always listening to what you have to say! Let's hear what this man has to say!"
         After the prayer the same loud one said to me, "That was a really good prayer. I was expecting hellfire and brimstone, but you talked a lot about love. That's what all of us fellows here need, is a lot of love."

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Changing the World with the Kiddie Viddie and Treasure Attic Videos!
A Widespread Sponsorship Program Brings KVs and TAs to School Curriculums

From a Home in Thailand
         Here in Thailand, there has been an increased emphasis on education over the past years, and the demand for educational materials for the hundreds of primary and secondary schools in each province is great. Upon hearing how receptive the schools in our area had been to the Kiddie Viddies, Mama gave us the vision of getting Kiddie Viddies to every school in Thailand! So, at the beginning of 1995, we set a goal of getting sets of the Kiddie Viddies and Treasure Attic videos to as many schools as possible -- starting with our province!
         This meant that we would need to get sponsorships for these videos, as most public schools in Thailand are very poor and unable to purchase educational materials such as these. (Editor's note: In these sponsorship programs, funds are donated by concerned individuals or organizations in order to pay for videos as gifts to schools or other institutions.)
         We had already met many teachers and officials from the provincial education departments who were enthusiastic about our videos, so they helped with recommendation letters, which proved to be a tremendous asset in asking for sponsorships from both businesses and individuals. A prominent government official in our province also wrote a letter for us, extolling the high quality and educational value of the Kiddie Viddies. With these recommendation letters, along with various thank-you letters from schools who had already been the grateful recipients of the videos, we were able to get sponsorships for an average of 50-60 videos per month during 1995.
         Once we began to get sets of videos sponsored, we were faced with the question of how to effectively distribute them to the 160 primary schools in our province. Our local Primary Education Office came to the rescue with an exciting plan

Educational Video Seminars!
         The officials from the Education Department suggested we hold an educational video seminar for representatives from 10-15 primary schools at a time, so that we could personally hand over the videos to these teachers and explain how to use them. These officials helped organize the seminars for us, and also offered us the use of their meeting rooms at the office of the Primary Education Department. Our close friend there sent letters of invitation to the various schools, and she personally made sure that representatives were able to come on the appointed day.
         We sent some of our experienced teachers to conduct the seminars, along with a few of our children to demonstrate how to effectively use the videos, draw out any lessons, and discuss them with the students. A Thai national went along to help translate, and a few members of our singing team participated as well, to liven up the program with some songs. Inviting the teachers to come up and dance to one of the songs would generally break the ice and gain their participation!
         The Kiddie Viddie and Treasure Attic supplementary curriculum that we developed here in both Thai and English proved to be a real hit with the teachers. This curriculum includes activity pages, games and coloring books, and it explains how to use and get the most out of each video.
         Last year we were able to provide full sets of videos to a total of 78 schools through seven of these educational video seminars in our province. We also traveled to several other provinces where we held similar seminars at the provincial Primary Education Departments. On each occasion, the directors of these local Primary Education Offices we visited were overjoyed to receive the videos, and very eager to help us organize programs to distribute them to all of their schools. Some provinces have as many as 300 primary schools in their area, so it is a long-term project, which we are very excited about.

Video Follow-up Program
         The Primary Education Office in our province was quite concerned that the schools would actually use these videos. They are therefore requiring the schools to utilize them for special activities and as part of their official curriculum. They helped to organize a follow-up program, and invited us to visit various districts within the province to hold regular meetings with the teachers to assess the progress of the video program in their schools.
         They also asked us to introduce new ideas and teaching techniques to the teachers, so in addition to going over the curriculum, each time we cover an additional subject, such as communication between teachers and students, the need for praise and encouragement, etc. It's also a time for answering any questions the teachers may have, and we try to find solutions together to the problems some of the teachers face.
         During one of these follow-up programs, we found out that some teachers would love to use our videos, but their school is so poor that they don't even have a TV or video machine. These schools have presented us with a request letter, and we are now trying to find people who will sponsor video machines and TVs for them.
         In another instance, a teacher commented that they have a lot of material to cover already, and it was difficult for them to find the time to make the flashcards and teaching aids suggested in the curriculum. So we are organizing workshops to help them make the different flash cards for the video classes. The more we discuss and try to find solutions to their problems, the more the teachers get inspired about using our videos.
         This past month alone we were able to conduct three of these follow-up programs, which were much appreciated and well attended. The tremendous miracle in all of this is how open and receptive all the teachers have been to our videos, and how eager they are for any new teaching tools and techniques. At the end of each seminar the local school representatives are asked to give their reactions, which are often heartfelt and profound. Our close friend in the Department of Education compiled many of these beautiful reactions from the teachers into a book, which she presented to the Director of the Primary Education Office in our area.

The Kiddie Viddie and Treasure Attic Supplementary Curriculum
         We first became aware of the need for a curriculum to aid teachers in their use of the Kiddie Viddie and Treasure Attic videos when a headmistress of a kindergarten in our area bought a set of videos for her school. She loved the videos, but when her teachers said they didn't know how to use them, she literally begged us for some materials and information for the teachers on how to present these videos to the children.
         A few of our teachers and young adults got together and came up with a curriculum with that particular school in mind. It was a simple one-week outline per video, which listed different activities for each day of the week. For example, on day one the children would watch the video straight through. On day two they'd only watch a few selected songs, and the teacher would bring out different principles taught by the songs, and they then would do a related activity, and so on.
         As time went on, we added to the curriculum by relating some of our songs to current events. For example, recently there were a number of fires in shopping malls and supermarkets in our city. So we used the song "Be a Survivor" from the Fantastic Friends video to teach a fire safety lesson. We cut out pictures of fires, firemen and fire engines from newspapers and magazines, and mounted them on flash-cards. We also enlarged "Dad's Fire Safety Tips" and mounted them on cardstock. We listed the main points to bring out on this topic, such as how important it is for children to protect themselves against fire, how they should look for the floor plans of shopping malls and hotels and locate the fire escapes, how to conduct themselves in case of fire, and how to put out a fire.
         We are presently working on categorizing all the songs on the Kiddie Viddies and Treasure Attics, which will help the teachers find the appropriate songs for different themes more easily. We are also updating the curriculum to include the new videos that have come out recently, as these teaching tools are in great demand.
         It has been very encouraging to hear how the teachers are getting accustomed to using the videos and they all remark how the "happy smiling faces" on our videos have such a good effect on the children in their classroom. What a way to change the world, one school at a time!

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Reaching Out in Many Ways!

At an English Camp!
From Faith, Thailand
         We recently held an English camp for 200 students from a very prestigious girls' school here in Bangkok. The program came about after we had performed with our singing troupe at a local Rotary Club program and then met the husband of the director of the school. The director was very interested in us doing some motivational concerts at her school and wanted us to teach her students through song and drama about having compassion and a social conscience towards the underprivileged, as her particular students come from very well-to-do families and have everything they need.
         For those first concerts they helped with a generous donation, and we were also able to sell our tapes to the students. They also arranged for the students to take photos with our singing team and gave the proceeds of these photos to us as well.
         After the first concerts at the school, the English teachers were very excited about us helping them with an English camp, as it was the holiday season and they thought the students would be very eager to come. Sure enough, within a couple of days the program was fully booked for 200 students to attend the camp. They charged the students a fee for the three days and all the proceeds were given to the Family. (The director of the school has a real vision to help support our work and is always trying to think of different ways to do so.)
         For the camp program we led them in different games and activities and also covered various class sheets and meaningful stories from our pubs. We led them in united activities such as teaching them a song, square dancing and watching videos like Treasure Attic and Fantastic Friends. We had 17 Family members involved in this: six adults and 11 young people (14-20 years old). It took a lot of teamwork and was very challenging and rewarding for all of us. A number of the teachers from the school participated and helped us out, and they all commented on how they were impressed by our enthusiasm.
         By the third day we'd all gotten close to our students and it was a little bit sad that it would soon all be over. We had a closing ceremony where students were able to perform the songs and dances that we had taught them. During the ceremony, representatives from each class gave speeches about what the English camp had meant to them. The speeches were heart-touching and they expressed that it was a beautiful time of learning English, also a time of friendship and learning to work together. Many of the students brought little presents for their teachers.
         The headmistress of this school is already planning another English camp in about five months. Our Family teachers are also very inspired to be involved in this. Thank You Jesus for such a wonderful opportunity to show Your Love and enthusiasm and a true spirit of unity and teamwork to these teachers and students. Praise the Lord!

Fruit that Remains -- From a Ministry at a Drug Rehab Center!
From Peter and Tender, Philippines
         After a year and a half of sowing the seeds of the Word through Bible classes, personal witnessing and prayer, we are now starting to see some beautiful fruit from our ministry at the drug rehabilitation center. Thank You Jesus!
         George, one of our faithful students, has successfully completed the program and has now left the center. He comes over to our Home, and once brought along a friend who is also interested in our work of reaching out to others with the Love of Jesus.
         During our last visit to the center, one 20-year-old fellow asked many questions about Heaven. In our previous visits to the center we had given this boy an Endtime poster. He had cut out the picture that was on that poster of Jesus riding on a white horse and glued it to his notebook. He showed it to me and said, "I've seen this before and I want to know what it means!" He explained that when he was young he had had a dream or a vision of Jesus riding on a white horse, coming down from Heaven. He is so interested in the Word and in Heaven!

"You Guys Are Far Out!"
From Ivan, 19, USA
         This month we did a program for a juvenile drug rehabilitation center. Teens from both Homes in the area worked to put together our show, which included three songs and the "Doctor Chainbuster" skit, showing a funny "operation" where all the problems are removed from a poor patient's heart.
         After the show, we spent about an hour and a half witnessing one-on-one -- answering questions, praying with people and just being friends with some who didn't believe in God. One "cool" guy said, "Usually when church groups come, they just preach at us, but you guys are far out! I hope you come back."
         The director commented, "I have never seen our kids interact so well with any other group. Normally after groups come the kids are begging to go back to their rooms, but look at these guys communicate! This is great!"

"The Peepers People Are Here!"
From Andrew, Faith, Maggie and Tina, Thailand
         While traveling through a province adjoining Bangkok, we stopped by a rice mill where the woman who owned the mill had taken some Treasure Attic videos for her two little boys some months ago. When we came in, the two young boys ran to get their mother, calling out to her, "The Peepers people are here!" The mother said they had watched the videos a lot, and when we pulled out some new ones, the children persuaded her to get three more, which almost completed her set. She said next time we come she'll get the last one and any new ones that may have come out, as they're a wonderful influence on her kids. The kids immediately put one of the videos on and were enthralled! We sent her a coloring book from our Treasure Attic supplementary curriculum, which we're sure her ever-active little boys can really use! It's inspiring to see how our videos influence these children's lives! And how cute to also be known as the "Peepers People!"

Making a Room for God to Work!
From Adam Peacemaker, Russia
         While praying about what more we could do at the medical clinic where we minister regularly, the Lord showed us to ask for permission to set up a room that could be a retreat for the children and parents. We had the vision that they could come for playtime, listen to our music and watch our videos and even possibly have Bible and Word studies. So with the directors' blessing and encouragement, we have started to renovate one of the rooms for this purpose.
         We have already provisioned the furniture and new linoleum for the floor, and will work on provisioning a video player and TV. We started repainting the room a few days ago and hope to have it all set up very soon. The amazing thing is that the director herself had a dream about this some time ago. When we told her about our idea of setting up a room for the children and parents, she suddenly remembered her dream and got very excited about it. Praise the Lord!
         Another thing that is exciting about this is that as we have been working on this room, some of the parents have come to help us clean up, and we've developed a close bond with some of them. Praise the Lord! Almost everybody there, including the staff, is excited about this room and are looking forward to seeing it finished. Just about everyone pops by daily to see the progress made, and sometimes to give a helping hand. Some of the children in the clinic are also getting involved, which helps them forget their illness. We are also excited about this, as we see it as a possibility of establishing a lasting work among these precious parents and relatives. Some have already asked us to come to their villages and share "the Good News" with their friends and relatives there. Praise the Lord!
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Are Children in the Family Normal?

(The following article originally appeared in the magazine, Psychology Today, November/December 1995, entitled "Kids in 'cults': No cause for alarm.")

         They live in communal homes where they are saturated with apocalyptic religious teachings. Their exposure to mainstream culture is minimal, and they're schooled entirely at home. Can kids in "The Family" -- a religious group that many folks would call a cult -- turn out psychologically normal?

         Absolutely, says Oakland Universitys Lawrence Lilliston, Ph.D., who studied 52 Family kids in the U.S. and England. His conclusion: While the youngsters clearly subscribe to the groups ideology, they are well-socialized, relaxed, non-aggressive, show no evidence of mental disorders, and average well above the norm on IQ tests. In short, they would be the envy of many mainstream
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Deep in the Interior of Brazil
Reaching Untouched Harvest Fields!

From Jos H., Brazil
         The state of Piau, half the size of Spain, is one of the poorest and most backward in Brazil. It is located near the equator, and when a brother and I visited there, it was suffocatingly hot both day and night. The towns we visited are very poor, with unpaved streets full of garbage, no drainage system, and sewage running down the streets where dogs, pigs and chickens live. The hotels and guest rooms we stayed in were so poor that they didn't even have beds, just hooks where you hang your hammock for the night.
         Although the physical aspect of things is not so rosy, by contrast the people are the most tender, loving and receptive you can imagine. We visited the mayors of the towns to offer them our videos, as well as visiting schools and churches. We distributed hundreds of tracts and posters for free in each city, talked and prayed with lots of people every day, and won many souls.
         When we go out on faith trips, we usually go to the mayors, judges, doctors, lawyers, etc., first. Usually they buy some videos and tapes, which allows us to distribute posters and tracts liberally to the poor for free.
         On this trip we visited one city that was very pretty, called Amarantes, on the banks of the Parnaiba River which borders with the state of Maranho. This city was built when Brazil was a Portuguese colony. Sugar cane and cotton were grown here, and sent down to the mouth of the river on barges. Since the Portuguese had a lot of slaves on their plantations most of the people here are Blacks or descendants of Indians. These are simple people who live in very poor conditions, but who are incredibly receptive to love and to the Words of David.
         We crossed the river in a canoe made out of a tree trunk and powered by an outboard motor, to visit the city of So Francisco in the neighboring state. There is no bridge or other way to go to this city, and it was very exciting to bring the Words of David where no one had taken them before. We witnessed and prayed with the mayor of this town, left him some videos and distributed many posters and tracts on that side of the river.
         Whenever we go on visits to the states in the interior of Brazil, we also visit the area churches. There are a lot of little churches, mostly Protestant, and the pastors are very thankful for the encouragement and the publications we give them. On this trip we met pastors from the Assemblies of God, as well as Lutherans and Baptists. They are all very dedicated to the Lord, serving Him in very difficult places! They receive us with joy and we feel very happy to be able to minister encouragement and share the Word with them.

Into the Amazon Jungle!
From Josue Benjamin, Brazil
         "The Lord confirmed the Word with signs following" (Mark 16:20).
         We decided to visit some isolated cities near the mouth of the Amazon. Some of these places are hard to get to, and boats only go there on certain days of the week.
         The Lord showed us to go north to a city that is 24 hours away by boat. By a miracle we got on the boat, which was supposed to have taken a different route, but which the Lord miraculously made to detour to pick us up. If we had missed this boat, our plans would have needed to change radically -- the next one was six days later! The Lord helped us and blessed our witnessing, and hundreds received the message and our tools. We witnessed in the mayor's office and in a church, and got out 21 videos and 20 tapes in three days, and many people prayed to receive Jesus! We found out that the Family had last been there three years before!
         On our way up the Amazon River to the next city, we were delighted with the marvelous view of water buffalo, seagulls, wooden houses, children paddling canoes, and lots and lots of water and trees. It was a wonderful trip, as we rested in our hammocks, reading the Word and enjoying God's beautiful creation. We also witnessed for quite a while to the boat captain and his daughters, and distributed lots of posters and tracts.
         In a school at our destination, a director and four teachers loved our videos. After buying some, they led us to others who were also interested. It was a wonderful two weeks of witnessing! We got out a total of 41 videos, 51 tapes, 114 posters, 300 "Somebody Loves You!" tracts and so, so many prayed to receive Jesus. Praise the Lord!

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The Amazing Amazon

         The Amazon River is a meandering system of channels for much of its course through the South American rain forest. The river drains a vast region that nearly spans the continent, from its source in the Andes mountains to its mouth on the Atlantic Ocean. The river and its tributaries help support a rain forest ecology that contains more species of flora and fauna than any other ecosystem.
         Despite centuries of effort to overcome the dominance of nature, people have made little impact on the Amazon and most of its vast drainage basin. No bridge spans the river. Except near its mouth, the Amazon watershed constitutes one of the most thinly populated regions in the world. Much of the territory drained by the river system has never been thoroughly explored. One may fly for hours over the tropical forests that cover much of the rivers flood plain and see no sign of human settlement.

--- Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia
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God's Blessings on His Children
From Mark Free, India
         On my last visit to Madras, a couple of months back, my mum told me that one of my grand-uncles wanted me to come and pray for him. I was very surprised to hear that, as this grand-uncle is a very devout Hindu who quotes the Hindu scriptures every morning. I am the only Christian in my family, and all my family know that I do missionary work.
         I found out that my grand-uncle would have to undergo an operation, and that the doctors did not have much hope that he would survive the operation. So I went to the hospital and witnessed deeply to him. I shared different verses on healing and prayed for him, and he received Jesus! On that last visit to Madras my uncle had said, "Thank you for praying for my father [my grand uncle]. He is alive today because of your prayers!" Never before had this uncle been favorable towards my work for the Lord.
         So when my grand-uncle heard I was in town again, he wanted me to come by and see him. We did so, with all of our seven kids. My relatives were so warm and treated us very special, thanking us many times for our prayers to Jesus for this uncle. While there, we prayed once again with him for his total healing and recovery. My aunt said, "That was the most important thing and the main reason for your visit." God bless them!

The Answers Are All in the Word!
From Michael, Rose Newlove, Paul and Susanna Praymore, Canada
         One of our close friends, a single mother, begged us for more Daily Food (DF) booklets saying she really needs them! She told us that her friend told her of a dream he'd had, and how she'd remembered something she'd read in a DF that was exactly the answer for her friend's dream! She was raving about how many answers to her questions and other people's questions she can get from the DFs!

Salvation through the Daily Might!
From Andrew, Faith, Maggie and Tina, Thailand
         When our live-out member came over one night, she shared how a friend of hers had run away from home after having had a falling out with his parents, and was now living in her apartment. She asked for prayer for him, as she felt he needed to get saved. So we prayed together and claimed this dear young man's heart for the Lord.
         A few days later, our sweet live-out member called us and told us this amazing story: The very night that we'd prayed for this young man, he'd opened a drawer in her apartment and found a Daily Might book. He'd started reading it and got so turned on that he read the whole book. Upon finding the index in the back of the book, he then re-read all the pages under the topic of "Salvation," after which he prayed and asked the Lord to save him. He later told our live-out what had happened. He shared how his life had been totally changed since reading this book and praying the Salvation prayer, and said that he knew he was truly saved! What a marvelous answer to prayer! -- And a great testimony to the power of the Word! Thank You Jesus!

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Truly the Waters Will Not Overflow Me!
An Exciting Mail Response from Beyond the Urals!

From Daniel and Meekness, Russia
         Towards the end of our "Beyond the Urals" faith trip (please see "Witnessing Adventures" Hope Mag #68), the Lord told us that it would be important to write to the people we had ministered to, as they would need encouragement and literature to strengthen their faith. Here is a letter received from one of them, truly an amazing testimony of God's protection.

From a Pastor at Nikolaevsk-na-Amur
         Peace be unto you! May God bless you! Thanks unto the Lord Who gave us an opportunity to meet you. My daughter and I often remember the three of you.
         I played the tapes you gave me in one village 300 kilometers to the north and many from there were asking where they could get the same tapes. Can you write me and tell me where I can get more tapes?
         The Lord did a miracle for me shortly after I met you! On the morning of the 11th I opened my Bible to Isaiah 43:1-2, which says, "Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee."
         In the central hospital later that day, we were to hold services for the sick people. I prayed and asked the Lord what I should talk about, and He showed me to preach on those verses.
         Then the next evening, I needed to go to a ship on the Amur River as the engines needed to be tested. (I work as an inspecting engineer, besides being a pastor.) We agreed that at 9 p.m., I would come to this ship by another boat. The ship that needed to be checked is 45 meters long with four meters of the hull below the surface of the water.         Before leaving, I finished all the work I had to do at home and was listening to the tapes you gave me. There was a poem I really like, so I wrote it down to memorize it during the inspection that evening, as I usually have a lot of spare time. I prayed, dressed warmly and left home.
         I arrived at the pier and we took a boat to look for the ship on the river. It was now about 10 p.m. and very dark. Later I was in the captain's quarters of the small boat, and when I looked out the door I immediately saw the large ship we were looking for heading straight at us on an unavoidable collision course! The only thought I had time to think was, "Thy will be done, Lord!"
         We collided and I was immediately thrown out of the boat. The Lord surely guided me, as deep down in the water I swam close to the side of our boat, and I could hear the great propellers of the large ship pass near me.
         When I rose to the surface, I called out to the Lord. I didn't have any strength, and I couldn't breathe well, but I knew He was helping me! I looked around. It was very dark and there was no one around. I was right in the middle of the Amur River. (Editor's note: The Amur is one of the great rivers of the world, forming the border between Russia and China for 1,600 km., or 1,000 miles.)
         I thought, "What next, Lord?"
         I got an answer: Call for hel. I couldn't get enough air and didn't have much of my voice left, but I started to yell as loud as I could for help, still wondering, "Who can hear me?" To find a man on the water in the dark is like looking for a needle in a haystack ... but if the Lord said to do it, then my job was just to obey.
         I later found out that after the ship struck our boat, it veered to the right and got stuck on a sand bar. My cries were heard and I was brought to the ship! Everybody looked at me with wide eyes, as they did not expect to see any survivors. I had no wounds, not even a cold.
         One man said, "You're alive! I would have died from a heart attack if I was in your place."
         I answered, "Right! I would have died myself if it hadn't been for the Lord leading me and not allowing the 'river to overflow me'."
         Praise God for His miracles!


Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family