July 15, 2003
FSM 351 CM/FM
07/00
Copyright © 2000 by The Family
Editor's note: We are happy to present you with another mag in the ongoing series of witnessing tips and ideas, compiled from comments and suggestions on your TRFs and articles that you've sent in for publication. In this mag we are adding to many of the topics already covered in Volumes I and II of this series, as since that time we have received many more very good contributions from you.
We hope you will find within these pages many new ideas that you may not have tried before—as well as some fresh approaches to avenues you're already familiar with. If you have found a new method, tip or idea for getting out the message, please write it up and send it in so we can publish it in a future FSM. God bless you!
From Gideon and Mary, Pakistan:
Some time ago, the Lord spoke to us about organizing an educational seminar for the general public. Over the years we have occasionally been involved in seminars that others have organized, but had never really organized one ourselves. Pakistan has a very low literacy rate and parents are very concerned with their children's education, wanting them to have a head start so they can get into good schools.
Many people here are fascinated that our young children can read so well, so we chose a topic that we felt would be of interest to them: Teach Your Baby and Preschool Child to Read! We printed up a poster that we hung in hotels and centrally located shops. We also sent a leaflet explaining our seminar and workshop to all our friends, as well as to schools in the area. We charged the equivalent of US $25 per person for the half-day seminar/workshop, and made a special ticket, which we arranged to sell via a popular supermarket here.
A local hotel graciously gave us the use of a conference room, with tea and snacks at no charge. We were also able to hang a Pizza Hut banner up at the seminar, for which they gave us a donation of 5,000 Rs. ($125). We were a bit late with the banner requests to companies or we probably could have gotten more support through this method, as it is a very popular avenue of sponsoring events here.
The material that we used for the contents of the seminar was mainly taken from Glenn Doman's book, Teach Your Baby to Read, and from the GAP video and CCHB article on the same subject. The video was a real help with the material prep, and we also showed a clip from it during the seminar. We made color transparencies to use with an overhead projector for each topic that we discussed. Our four-year-old made a personal appearance early in the seminar to read out loud at random from books that the audience chose. It was a real hit, and the proof of the pudding.
We ended the seminar with a one-hour workshop, where all the attendees made their own flash cards.—We provided the cardstock and markers, etc. Each attendee also received a folder with printed materials. This included the material we had discussed, as well as some Reflections on children. Each person also received a free Coloring the World tape. We set up a table with our video display, where we sold videos after the seminar.
A total of 42 people attended the seminar, about half parents and half teachers. It went extremely well, and everyone was very receptive and enthusiastic. They all asked when we were going to organize the next seminar.—Each was so eager for more input!
We had a sign-in book where all the attendees could give their contact addresses, enabling us to later follow up on them. When we are ready to do the next seminar (which we are planning on the subject of Teaching Encyclopedic Knowledge), they all said to please let them know, as they want to come. So there is a ready-made audience already!
As a fundraiser, it was a real blessing. Approximately 30% of the income from the tickets sold went to cover expenses (photocopying, tickets, adverts, sound system rental, overhead transparencies, materials, etc.), so the profit was then about 70%. We also gained income from the banner, and from the tools that were sold at our display.
It took quite a bit of time to put this together and make it good, especially the materials for the overheads and to include in the booklets, etc. (It took about a week, with two people working fulltime.) But the beauty of it is that now we have a ready-made seminar that we can repeat with hardly any preparation necessary next time. Already we have people calling and asking us to please repeat it, and we think that this is something that we can do many times, as it is such a need. And when the word gets around about it, we think that we will get even more of a response.
If anyone is interested, we would be happy to share the files of the materials that we prepared. You can e-mail us at the following address: Eduserve@khi.compol.com
From Praise, India:
Character education is becoming a big thing in Indian schools, and the government's Ministry of Education has been stressing the need for more moral education in schools. To respond to this need, we put together a three-hour seminar for high school students called The True Leader. We got it sponsored by Coca Cola, and took it around to 12 of the top schools in our city—a total of nearly 3000 students. Their response was fantastic!
This seminar basically talks about the attributes of a good leader, such as being willing to help others at all times, working well with others, being generous with praise, having a clear vision, etc.—all material from the Letters and our Family pubs. Of course, what made this seminar different from System seminars was the presentation! Our show troupe sang and choreographed a number of songs like Walk a Mile, Honesty Pays, As a Team, and revised versions of Coming of Age and The Search. We also did a lot of funny but meaningful skits on many of the above-mentioned themes, and did games and exercises with the students pertaining to the topics being discussed.
These seminars have been a key in opening doors and getting out our tools at these schools. Many of the school principals who would hardly give us the time of day prior to these seminars suddenly started taking video and audio tapes, and basically everything we have to offer, when we returned to their schools after the seminars. They also invited us back to do seminars for their teachers and the students who didn't get to attend. PTL!
We were able to get a lot of addresses of some very precious and sheepy students, and have quite a substantial mailing list now. These seminars have also given a real boost to our youth ministry!
From Felipe, Victoria and Caleb, Colombia:
At the beginning of last year we began to develop a program for the Colombian Penitentiary Institute. The objective was to have seminars for the guards and security personnel who were involved with the inmates. But since some policy changes occurred, it wasn't approved. What they did approve was to give seminars to inmates in a main jail in Bogota.
We assisted more than 15 inmates who wanted help in overcoming addictions, and we've been going weekly to help them face the root of their problems—lack of love, low self-esteem, resentment, hate, violence, etc. Many have grown very close to the Lord, the only One Who can deliver them. Now we're having Bible studies, and some have manifested a desire to serve the Lord and witness.
The Lord blessed our voluntary dedication, as this month the Institute called us to confirm that our project of training prison staff had been approved. We started by going to a conference at a luxurious hotel in a city three hours from Bogota, where 35 people from the different security areas of Colombian prisons attended. An army major participated as well, and we were paid $1600 for the three days we were there, plus all our expenses. TTL!
Even though everything seemed wonderful and they treated us like doctors, giving us each a suite to stay in and the best food, the Lord showed us that it was going to be a fight in the spirit, and it was. At the beginning the major gave a military-type introduction, creating a very formal spirit which was difficult to break through, as most of the attendees came all upset about injustices they'd seen at their work places. This situation just brought out their anger at the problems, since their director was there. I didn't know what to do as things began to get out of control, and people were taking what we were saying to back their point of view.
Finally I told them that for their own good, they should listen to the principles and truths that we had to share, which could help them in their own lives, and the lives of those they work with. The whole spirit of the place changed, which was something only the Lord could have done, and from then on everything flowed smoothly.
On the afternoon of the second day, we did what we call relaxing exercises, where they breathed slowly and deeply while listening to soft music. I then read them some Daily Might pages, and prophecies on humility and pride (though not explaining them as prophecies). Then all took a minute to tell who they were. Some would say they were guards or officers, but I would then ask again, Who are you? Then they would show such tenderness and would open up and talk about their real, inner self—how they were shy or afraid or needed God. It was beautiful! We then sang You Can Become God's Child, and told them about Jesus. They all then prayed to receive Him in their hearts. It was a wonderful victory!
The next day we had an analysis on the Who Am I class. They watched themselves on video (we had filmed them as they spoke the day before) and we counseled them. At the end we all hugged each other. Then they gave goodbye speeches, thanking us for our work. One of them commented, I don't know where you got those themes, but they have the basis to change our lives.
It made us so thankful for all we have—the Spirit, the Word and Letters that are the source of what we gave in the seminar. We have open doors at all the jails now to follow up on the prisoners and staff.
Some helpful tips for seminars:
1. Be well prepared, and know your subjects. Start giving free seminars for practice.
2. Do games and dynamics that will illustrate the subjects you are addressing.
3. You can pass out pamphlets with pictures, etc., that reinforce the subjects.
4. Include lots of audience participation.
5. Charge according to what the institute can pay, not below. Our message and our time are very valuable.
6. Make friends and follow up on them, to draw them closer to the Word.
7. Pray without ceasing.
From Gideon, Pakistan:
Some time ago we met a young Muslim businessman, who prayed with us to receive Jesus. Since then we have had many meaningful follow-up visits with him, and he is also helping our work. Some months ago he phoned and explained to me that he is the director of a large business administration college here in the city that is affiliated with a sister university in the USA. He asked me if I would be available to give a lecture series to the 100 or so students (ages 18-27) on the theme Effective Leadership. He said that he was so impressed with the things we had shared with him and the material that we had given him to read, and how much his own life had changed as a result, that he would like us to have the opportunity to influence his students as well.
He said that I could have free rein to conduct the course, and the students would gain credit for their Human Resource Development requirements. He also agreed to pay us for each lecture, as a contribution to our work. Each lecture needed to be two hours long, and we would do two lectures a month for a total of four months.
I had never done anything like this before, and felt totally incapable. My first reaction was, No way! I can't. I'm not qualified. I'm too busy. I'm too... But we knew we needed to pray and see how the Lord looked at it, and He sure clarified things for us through the following verses that we received: Lift up your eyes and look on the fields, as they are white already to harvest.... I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. I will open doors that no man can close.... Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature!
So now I'm a real professor of love, ha! I have been listed on the school syllabus as a visiting professor and lecturer! We have already done four lectures, which were received very well. They were full of the Word, MLs and lessons, though slightly rephrased so as not to come across too religious.
We used clips from our videos to illustrate lessons about teamwork and communication. We explained that a good leader needs to have an awareness of what is happening in the world, to develop one of the most important of all leadership skills: compassion—and then we showed them Countdown to Armageddon! This was a hit, and a real shocker to most of these young people who are somewhat deceived with the idea that in the West everything is so wonderful and glorious. The students (all Muslims) very eagerly receive the things we are sharing with them, often staying after class to ask more personal questions, and this has the potential to reach many young people who we most probably could never have reached otherwise.
Some of the class material is taken from Family pubs, and other material was gleaned by skimming through different management books. Studying through the management books helped us to be able to put into relatable terminology a great deal of what we already practice and live in the Family, but just weren't aware that there were management terms and practices for. In this way, we can speak in terms that are recognizable for these students (and/or businessmen, as we have used the same material in various seminars we have given to the business community), yet integrate Family principles that are in the Letters.
We will be photocopying a folder of material to give to each student that will contain an outline of the course—various Reflections, quote sheets, quotes from Mountain Streams, etc.—30-40 pages for each student to keep and study through. Our friend the director is very impressed with the class, and the students and teachers say it is the most interesting one offered in the school.
We have had such a good response to this course, and it is a fantastic way to witness and reach these young intellectuals. We are considering approaching other educational institutions in the city, to see if they may be interested in something similar. It took hours of reading, researching, and typing to compile everything into a workable form, but having done the groundwork to create and develop the course, it could now serve as a tool to be used again in similar seminars, classes, etc.
The course we designed includes the following topics and many more:
What is a leader?
Communication skills
Management by wandering around
Principle-centered leadership
Ethical leadership in a non-ethical world
Efficient management or effective leadership—what's the difference?
Motivation
How to correct and critique
NWOs: Do you have some? What are they and what to do about them!
Decision-making, delegating and team work
Compassion: the leadership key
Organizational effectiveness and time management
From the Delhi Service Home:
Our seminar team of four teens and four adults was invited by two top schools to conduct a series of leadership training seminars for their students, and seminars on motivation for the teachers. We were thrilled with the opportunity! Besides being a substantial source of support, school seminars are golden opportunities for youth witnessing.
A typical seminar is two-and-a-half to three hours long, and consists of a number of lively songs performed by our teen singing group, humorous skits on the themes we cover, as well as group games and exercises. The seminar material is taken from the Letters, Christian Digests, Good Thots, Treasures, and our many wonderful Family pubs, which contain such a wealth of invaluable counsel. The topics we cover are leadership, success with people, teamworking, time management, overcoming difficulties, etc. More and more schools here are realizing the need for imparting values to their students, and are getting quite turned on to our fun approach to teaching values, TTL!
We hired a van for a week to transport us and our equipment, but no sooner had we hit the road than we started feeling a real battle in the spirit. A number of things started going wrong—one of our teen singers fell sick, our van started giving us problems—and we quickly realized the need to stay united and desperate in prayer. One of us got a prophecy that there were some real victories ahead and that was why the Enemy was fighting us in the spirit.
Upon arriving at the first school on our itinerary, we found the students very sweet and helpful. We did two seminars at this school, for the 9th through 12th graders, on the subject of true leadership. The response from the students was tremendous! Our teens sang songs like Reach for the Sky, The Chained Eagle, Walk a Mile, As a Team, and Hang On to All the Good Things. During one session, the students actually started dancing to these numbers! The school's principal and vice principal were amazed.—Never before had they seen the students respond so enthusiastically to a seminar!
Right at that point, in came a press reporter and photographer. The school principal, who is quite an influential man in the city, had invited the local press to come and cover this event.—Interestingly enough, it turned out to be the local branch of a national newspaper which has done a number of negative articles about the Family in the past. After the seminar, the reporter started interviewing the students for their reactions to the seminar, and they gave rave reviews of the seminar. The reporter then asked us for an interview, which went very well, TTL. We were still quite desperate, as this reporter could have still gone back to her office and looked up old computer files on the Family and then done a bad article on us. After committing the situation to the Lord in prayer, we went to witness to some of the students who had just attended the seminar.
The next morning, the newspaper carried a terrific, totally positive article about the seminar entitled, The Difference Seminars. In fact, it seems that the reporter liked the seminars so much that a couple of days later the same newspaper carried another feature-length article about us, entitled, The Family Shares Secrets of Success, complete with a photograph of the students dancing to our songs. PTL!
The second program we did was at one of the best Catholic schools in the city. The principal introduced us to one of the teachers at the school, Mrs. S., who was responsible to take care of us while we were there. Mrs. S. turned out to be a really sweet, precious sheep. Imagine our surprise when we found out that she was the wife of the resident editor of the same newspaper that had just done the two articles on us! Well, the newspaper ended up doing a third positive article on us after we had finished doing seminars and programs for this school!
We also did two teachers' seminars at that school, on the subject of motivation, which the teachers really appreciated. In fact, they asked us to come back and do seminars every month! We also did an hour-long program for the junior school students on social graces, in which we sang songs like Where Would We Be Without Love, Helpful Habits, Let's Try to Be Loving, and Be a Friend. We also acted out King Freddy's Banquet (from Treasure Attic). One of the teens dressed up as Bobo the Clown and was a hit with the kids!
The hardest part about the whole trip was saying goodbye to the sheep. Dear Mrs. S. was almost in tears as we were leaving, and begged us to keep in touch with her, which of course we will. Suffice it to say, we have quite an exciting mail follow-up ministry, not to mention some precious friends and potential disciples!
From Ruth, Mexico:
When our little family first arrived to pioneer this city, we rented a house by faith and asked the Lord to show us what ministry to get involved in, and how we could support ourselves on this field. We felt led to try to approach schools with our tools. While we were getting started I read the article in the How to Get Things Done: How to Sell Anything to Anybody, and found it had some really good tips in it.
When we started our school-tooling ministry, we kept track of each school as if it was a client. We also kept an agenda, noting down each school that told us to call back or visit even in six months or a year's time, and we followed up on them accordingly. It has been amazing to see how well that works, and how you can build a work that way. We have met many precious teachers and school directors, some of whom have openly shared their hearts with us. Probably about 80% of the schools we have gone to in this city have bought our materials. There is no competition from the System, because no one has positive materials like ours, which are fun and exciting, present values, and teach English and Spanish at the same time.
Many of the teachers are also interested in our motivational tapes for themselves, or even for high school classes. It is amazing how one thing leads to another! Although being a small Home with many kids to teach we don't have much time for fundraising, the funds always come in just when we need them.
But the most exciting part is the testimonies we hear from the schools, how thrilled the children are with the materials and how happy the teachers are to use them. It's exciting to think that this material will be used year after year in these schools, bearing fruit in thousands of lives. We have been well received by all types—priests, nuns, atheists, Catholic schools, motivational schools, kindergartens, public and private grade schools—are all using our materials. One school with 7000 students bought two full collections! Some of the most exclusive schools in the city are begging for more.
From Paul, Philippines:
Recently the Lord led us to approach kindergartens and other schools for young children with our tools. We did some of the groundwork by phone, setting up appointments with the principal or the director of the school. Then, on an agreed-upon day, we visit them with our tools. We bring along a sampling or five or six of the videos, and our whole selection of tapes.
We've been trying this approach for the last six months, and though it's been a bit slower than going out every day with the tools, the Lord has blessed it. More than 90% of the schools we've approached have purchased the whole set of 21 children's videos and 12 tapes. Some schools had previously gotten some of our material, and we tell them that we now have an updated version of the Kiddie Viddies (containing mostly the same songs), and a set of 13 Treasure Attic videos.
On average we've been distributing 30-40 videos each month, and about the same amount of audio tapes. Usually we receive cash payment, but sometimes we give some of the smaller schools the option to pay in a couple of installments, which they appreciate.
At this time our Home is composed of only four adults, one JETT and nine very young children. One of our adult women is pregnant and the other just gave birth, so we're quite limited as to how much outreach we can do. Making phone appointments and then going to meet these people has freed us to better tune in to our children, while at the same time having good outreach. PTL!
Also, while we set our first meeting with people where we explain our work and introduce the tools for a morning, we usually try to set up other follow-up appointments in the afternoons. This way we can bring some of our younger children along when it's not school hours, and when it's not so hot to travel.
From Thaddeus, Sara and Lenny, Iceland:
We've found it very fruitful to go to libraries and offer them sets of our CDs for a special price. From our range of 10 titles, we offer them five for the price of four. Apparently, people these days are coming to libraries asking for something spiritually deeper than what they currently have to offer. So when we come along, explaining our work and the type of CDs we have, all the librarians take them.
The five for the price of four technique also works well with managing directors of a number of companies, and has been a Godsend to our financial needs.
From John and Mary, Taiwan:
We approached the hospitals, restaurants, hotels and department stores where we will be doing shows, and asked if we can set up a booth for selling tools during the show. So far the response has been good. We also usually ask restaurants or hotels to supply meals for us, if our performance is close to a mealtime. They have been very helpful in this area too; since they have to feed their employees anyway, another 10 or 15 people doesn't make much difference to them.
From Arthur, of Leilani, Australia:
My father [not a member] has been working at various construction sites around town. As he remains in the area for a while, he has time to meet the locals and interact with the neighborhood children who play in the area. Recently my father has been taking sets of Kiddie Viddies and Treasure Attics to set up a small lending library for the local kids. They borrow and then return the tapes to him, and can also purchase the videos if they so desire. This presents an ideal opportunity to sell the cassettes, and/or follow up on the families who are borrowing them.
From Jonathan, Sara, Tim, Joan, Ruthie and Elisa, Ukraine:
Up until recently, when going office to office we had been offering people the videos for them personally, in order to help our work. However, now we've started presenting them to the businessmen from the angle of sponsoring a set (or part of a set) of videos to donate to an orphanage or street kids' home.
We have been using this approach in our provisioning as well, and it really works. A businessman donated 150 kg of flour, for us and for the street kids' home. Besides providing our needs, it provides the businessmen with the opportunity to help their community rather than just some foreigners, which can be a bit awkward and hard for some people to understand in a poor country like this. And it has also helped our CTP efforts! (Editor's note: Dear Family, please make sure that when such funds or goods are given specifically towards a certain need, that they are then used scrupulously for that purpose! It's a very important part of our sample of truthfulness and honesty as missionaries and Family members. If you plan to use part of the provisioning for your own Home—which is a legitimate need—be sure that the person you are provisioning from is aware of this.)
From Suzana, Mariana and Clara, Brazil:
I gave some samples of the Christmas CD/card to some of our live-outs to offer to their acquaintances, and one of them has already sold 200 to his boss! PTL!
From Esther and Mercy YA, India:
When asking the Lord for counsel about our outreach and ways to get out more tools, He showed us to ask for referrals from people that seemed sweet and who bought tools. So we asked the Lord to lead us while talking to people as to whether we should ask them, and according as He led we would do so. The Lord really blessed it! Through the people who have been helping the work in some way and who have given us referrals, we have still more people to contact, and it will probably just go on more from here. It has been very inspiring to meet such precious people, whom we may not have met otherwise.
From Zac, Jemima and Sam, Finland:
The power of prayer has been a real key in getting out the tools. On a couple of occasions it was difficult to get the people interested in taking the CDs, and we were getting a bit weary and discouraged. Then we phoned home and asked for united prayer. Within the next half-hour, almost everybody we approached would say yes! Such answers to prayer are a fulfillment of His Word that anything wonderful can happen in that little margin of time when you do not give up but keep on believing and keep on praying!
From Peter, USA:
In tape distribution I've found it helpful to use the Family brochure, as it highlights the Family singers that sing on the song tapes, which gives more credibility to the quality of the music.
I've also found in presenting the tapes that it's helpful not to be too serious. Joke with them a little bit, and show an interest in them, so they can feel relaxed as you explain about your product.
From Libby, of Abe, and Stevie, of Ruthie, Pakistan:
In our monthly outreach meeting, the Lord showed us we should work on getting our rent covered by monthly pledges, and also to approach some of the international companies, asking for larger donations.
We have been learning as we go. For the monthly pledges we wrote a letter detailing our CTP projects, with some multiple choices for sponsorship at the end—i.e., 5,000 rupees per month will sponsor one CTP project (we have four ongoing ones right now); 2,000 rupees will sponsor our transport to these institutions, etc. We listed about five different options for potential donors to choose from. It was a simple, clear letter, easy reading and not too long, printed on our letterhead.
Then we presented this need to friends and contacts who have helped us sporadically in the past. We read the letter with them whilst we were there, and discussed it together. So far we have had a very good response, and have gained some new pledgers. It's a very tangible, relatable appeal for our contacts, and the Lord is really doing it!
We try to send our friends who are helping us regularly in some way either a feeding monthly letter or a newsletter with photos, and we also try to visit them once a month to show photos of the previous month's activities. This helps to build a good relationship of trust between us.
We then wrote another letter detailing our annual expenses, and have been presenting this to the bigger international companies, all of whom have a budget for charities. This is a longer-term project which hasn't paid off yet, but there are one or two good possibilities in the works. One company has said they will recommend us to their head office for an annual grant.
Having a good current appeal has been a big help, and when we visit offices we've found it good to have this appeal presented in a letter (similar to the one described above which we wrote for monthly pledgers). We then talk about our present appeal with the people we meet, also reading the letter with them rather than just leaving it with them to read on their own time. This has been quite successful, and we have found that the more specific we are in amounts and what it will be used for, the better. When we have tried to raise funds just for our general project, the response is not so enthusiastic. But when we specify one need or part of our project, it really helps people to give.
We still have a ways to go with our fundraising and have not yet made it to a stable budget, but this method is helping and along the way we are gathering a number of new pledgers.
From Andrew, of Miracle, Bosnia:
When the article about our work came out in the recent FCF newsletter, I asked FCF to send a stack of newsletters to my mom in the States. She gave one to a distant cousin, and he immediately gave her $100 to give to us. He then came up with the idea of having an article printed in his local newspaper about our work here in Bosnia with the Kosovo refugees! He really took the initiative, and the article is coming out this Sunday. He has included quotes from our newsletters, the FCF newsletter, and his own text, as well as our e-mail address and all the FCF information for those who would like to send us gifts. We pray the Lord will use this in a big way to support our work.
From Gideon and Lamb, Norway:
We have prepared a projected outline of our work and projects for the upcoming year, as well as our expected budget, along the lines of our goals and upcoming projects. We then made appointments to present this outline to the marketing and/or finance directors of several of the major companies we have had contact with over the years, and who have been receiving our newsletters and follow-up materials. We then asked them to consider sponsoring us when they draw up their company's budgets for the next year.
So far, the response has been very encouraging. Most have invited us back to make a personal presentation at the time when they plan their budget. We will be using a Power Point presentation (a program available with the Microsoft Office 97/98/2000 software), as well as some printed handouts. Larger businesses can relate to this type of presentation because they use it all the time. It does take some planning and is not something you can rush into, but in places where you have been doing follow-up with larger companies and have a more established work, it can prove to be a possible means of raising support.
From Steven, Claire, Gerson and Keiko, Russia:
We have been using our puppet show to fundraise in schools here. During the Christmas season we did our show twice a week in various schools, and during the rest of the year we do it often as well. A friend books our show for us.
The way it works is each child pays 5 rubles (or any given amount), which is then divided between the person who did the booking and the performers. Sometimes the director or teachers of the school also require 10% of the full amount for the use of the hall. Sometimes we'd only get 15 kids; sometimes we'd get as many as 150. So it's quite possible to raise money this way.
To do the bookings, our friend would approach a school and present himself as from our Puppet Theater. His biggest appeal was that the show included two foreigners and was partly in English. When we actually did the show, most of it was in Russian with just a couple songs in English. The English thing just opened the door for us, and most of the time the teachers really liked it when we did something in English.
Another way we use the puppet show is in our tool distribution. When offering a set of videos to a school or institution, we tell them that if they purchase the whole set, they'll get a free show.
We've also been offering our show to large toyshops. Our local toyshop hosts parties for children often, so we explained to them about our show and left them our phone number. Also sometimes you can leave an advertisement poster of your show that the shop can post, so that parents can see it and ask the shop about it. You'll have to arrange some kind of deal with the shop so that they'll benefit as well from your performance. This not only works in toyshops but also in restaurants, hotels, factories, companies, etc. You can also offer the videos and tapes as gifts or surprises.
From Lydia M., Indonesia:
While out witnessing it's always helpful to have on hand a list of projects that need sponsoring. On the road recently, we had been talking about asking somebody to sponsor the tickets for our trip, which was quite a bit as we were seven people. The next day on outreach we met someone who was willing to be a sponsor. We first presented the CTP program that we would be doing, but then we remembered our need for tickets. So we also mentioned that, and like the Lord said, Ask and ye shall receive! The man said that yes, he would sponsor our tickets, as well as the CTP program. TTL!
Going back to see people who sponsor any CTPs, bringing pictures of the programs, is really effective and inspires them to do more, because it proves that you can be trusted with their funds. It also helps to ask them to encourage their friends to participate in the next program.
From Jose, Glory and Clara, Brazil:
We've been on a campaign to increase our Home's income and, together with our live-out members, we have been claiming miracles from the Lord. First, we gave everyone the vision for tithing. Now nearly everyone who comes to our Bible classes tithes, and what we bring in from follow-up comprises about 80% of our total income.
After that we started giving classes on the Lord's power and how He blesses His children, specifically how He is able to supply abundantly. We ended the month with a great victory. It was one of our best months in every way, and all through the tithes. One of our friends asked the Lord for help during one of our classes, and wound up earning 10 times what he usually did that month. New people started to tithe, and another friend gave a tithe five times bigger than normal.
The Lord showed us that even though He always supplied, we had gotten satisfied with just paying our bills, so now we have changed our attitude as a Home: we're praying for abundance! This month we want to open up a new work and we're claiming a 40% increase in our income. Our goal is that all the members of the Home will be able to work either directly or indirectly with follow-up, opening up new ways to do it, new Bible classes, and especially to set up a place away from our Home for classes that we can offer the general public. The Lord showed us to try to catch and ride the big wave of the mighty harvest and give out the Word freely, and that He would not only pay the bills but supply abundantly.
From Paul and Ollie, Kenya:
At an exhibition for the street children shelter homes, we hosted a workshop for representatives from 60 centers about the need for the centers to network together. We started with a Bible study on unity, then talked about the benefits of networking, roadblocks to networking, and what holds a network together. All the material was taken from Family pubs.
When we had finished, we asked if there were any questions. For a moment no one said anything and we thought, Oh well, at least we tried! Then one brave person asked a question, and the snowball started rolling! What proceeded was a very lively and at times impassioned debate by the attendees, in which they concluded that they should be working together and that it was to their shame that they were not.
Before the meeting we had put together some notes on networking, along with some lit and a form to fill out for those wishing to join a network, all of which we had left on each person's chair. Twenty-seven people filled out the form on the spot, while another five have sent theirs in by mail. This will be by far the biggest network of child-help groups in Kenya!
Since the workshop, we have sent out a letter requesting an official confirmation from the administration of the centers that responded. This is because some of those that filled out the forms were either social workers or teachers, and we are not sure if they could represent their centers in an official capacity by committing the center to a network. Once we have received all the confirmations, we will organize a meeting to go over who will be the directors, what they will expect from each other, and draw up any guidelines and a code of conduct—for example, no stealing other centers' contacts, etc.
We feel that the success we've had so far with the idea of networking could be that in the original prophecies the Family received while praying about Africa, the Lord said He would like us to concentrate our CTP on ministering to the people already working on humanitarian projects—rather than, for example, opening an orphanage of our own. The network is a wonderful opportunity for us to minister to and feed these people.
From Mary, Pakistan:
We live in a very exciting and challenging Muslim field, and over the years the Lord has brought many precious friends across our path, who have grown and gotten closer to us. Recently we have seen the need and also their eagerness to get involved in our CTP projects.
In one case, our YAs and teens wanted to help paint and refinish one of the institutions, a small school for deaf children, which we had helped in the past. The principal was so thankful to see us again, and thrilled that we had come to offer our help. She asked us if we could help her get 20 school benches and desks, as well as art supplies and schoolbooks for the kids. When we mentioned this project and the school's need to our friends, several of them jumped at the idea. One friend supplied all the paint; one sent his carpenter to make all the benches; another supplied all the art materials; one friend will help us in painting and the list goes on. It's exciting to see the Lord supplying abundantly, and so quickly too!
We have also been doing phone provisioning for the needs of the institutions we work with, and the Lord has abundantly supplied 150 sheets, 500 pairs of shoes, art and school supplies and more. Praise the Lord!
From Daniel Victory and Sammy, Romania:
We were praying as a Home about how to improve our CTP project. Our Home has no musicians, clowns or puppets, but we do have the willingness and responsibility to do something for these needy people. So the Lord showed us to provision some paint and offer our services to paint the playground of one of the institutions. It was a victory, and the staff was very happy and thankful. TTL!
From Nat, Esther, Jennifer and Chloe, South Africa:
When we did our annual fundraiser for one of the children's homes at a large nearby shopping center, it went very well. On these citywide fundraising days for specified charities, quite a few volunteer groups also help to raise funds. But so far, on every one of the six fundraising days in the past year-and-a-half, we've been on the top of the list, raising more funds on that day than any other group!
We've seen that it really pays to go the extra step to put our all into our CTPs, as it's been an excellent testimony and has borne a lot of fruit. One thing that we have found greatly increases donations is when we dress up in costumes. Aside from the fact that being in costumes draws more attention to us, it's also a morale booster, making it a lot more fun for us who do the canning.
We have a local playhouse (theater) that lets us use costumes for these types of fundraisers. So far, the costumes we've used have ranged from pirates to Roman soldiers, ancient Greeks to 18th-century ladies and gentlemen, bumblebees to fairies, clowns, genies and Arabian belly dancers!
From Hosanna, MaryAnn, Andrew, Timothy and Beth, India:
We've begun a new CTP project at a school for deaf children: getting each child's educational needs sponsored. This project is just in the beginning stages, but already the response has been great. People are happy to come forward and help. We made a little data page for each one of the children, including their backgrounds, their hobbies, their strengths and weaknesses, etc. From this, people can choose a child to sponsor.
Another project started when we did a show for a children's ward in a government hospital. In talking with the staff, we found there was a great need among the poor mothers who come there to have their babies. Many leave the hospital without even a blanket to wrap their baby in! So with the help of one of our friends, we have put up a sign in an apartment complex, asking people to donate used sheets, blankets, baby clothes and toys, etc. Then we will make little packages to give to the mothers when they leave the hospital, so that they will at least have something for their newborns.
From Joanna Sunshine, for the Indonesian Service Home:
Since Dad's first letter on Consider the Poor came out, we've been regularly visiting various institutions and orphanages. But when the economic crisis hit here, we became even busier, as the ranks of the needy swelled. It was recently announced that 100,000,000 out of the 213,000,000 or so people in this country are classified as living in poverty!
Many of our friends were moved to contribute towards our CTPs, to where we've now distributed nearly 200 tons of rice, along with other basic needs, to the poor and needy of our city and the surrounding area. We constantly receive goods to distribute, as well as funds to purchase supplies to help the poor. Besides being a good example to those we minister to, it is also a big blessing to our work since the donors let us use a portion of the goods to cover our needs, too. Thus, we have hardly had to pay for basic goods such as rice, shampoo, laundry soap, clothing, shoes, out of our regular Home budget, etc. Other companies donate yogurt, cheese, oil, tissue paper, disposable diapers, confectionery items, etc.
When distributing the food staples, we normally ask for the assistance of a prominent person in the village, who acts as a neighborhood representative. The person gives us a list of needy people, who then receive a coupon that can be exchanged for food packages that we've prepared.
Aside from this, though, we often have more goods to give away, so we plan some type of draw. For example, a few months back we distributed food staples for 150 people. Each family got rice, sugar and oil, but we also prepared other parcels of shoes, toys, clothes, bags and household supplies, which were then given out as prizes, because there wasn't enough for everyone to have one of each item.
It's been our desire to share the Lord's message whenever we do a CTP program, along with being a sample of His love. However, being in a rather sensitive country, we have to be careful that we do not appear as though we are proselytizing. When we visit Christian institutions or orphanages, we always make a point to leave publications and audiovisual material. For the non-Christian places, we decided to put together appropriate material from the Good Thots on Triumph and Trials, Parents and Children, etc., and include them in the packages.
For our program, the young people usually perform a mixture of traditional dances and Family songs, followed by a meaningful skit in Indonesian, such as The Rock in the Road, A Man, a Boy and a Donkey, The Camel's Nose, The Traveler and the Robbers (from Family Fun—on the importance of prayer), etc. The young people then mingle with the audience for some personal witnessing. (They have been receiving letters from receptive orphans, asking for more posters, etc., creating a good mail ministry as well.)
We've been regularly helping a nearby Muslim school for handicapped children, and the owner/director is quite close to us. She has been a widow for some years now, and her youngest son is mentally retarded. She frequently unburdens her heart to us, especially regarding the school situation and teachers, as some of whom have a what's in it for me attitude. Over the last few years the Lord has used different situations to open doors for us to share our wealth of spiritual riches with her about prayer, prophecy, how the Lord looks upon our hearts and not our mistakes, and giving to God, as she sees the bountiful provisioning the Lord blesses us with.
Many students cannot afford to pay the school fee, so the school is not doing well financially. We've been encouraging the director to tap into a number of sources, and have been assisting her correspondence to the foreign community since her English is not strong. The teachers and students have started making more handcrafts—bags, cushion covers, embroidery, etc.—and they have now begun exporting these goods to other countries, which has helped their financial situation.
Through one of our contacts, the Lord supplied a large amount of dress shoes and women's business suits, and He inspired us to give these to the teachers at the school, using these material blessings as bait to give them His message. Based on this inspiration, we prepared packages for each of the teachers and staff, then held a teachers' meeting. One of our nationals led the meeting, sharing with the teachers how we appreciate them for taking care of these children, and that we are aware of the strenuous job it is. We told them that we were touched by their dedication, and at the same time emphasized the importance of sharing the load, so that all the responsibilities are not only for the director to shoulder.
We gave them each a copy of a Parents and Children compilation we made, taken from the Indonesian Good Thots 1, and also shared various teaching tips from FC and CLE publications. We also distributed donated clothing, milk, shampoo, shoes, stationery, soap, etc., for the teachers' and students' use. At the end of the meeting, all of the teachers expressed their thankfulness for our appreciation of them, and for remembering them. TYJ for His wonderful provision and inspiration!
From Victor, Love, Noah, Davin, Paul, Peter and Kendra, USA:
The best advertisement for a clown is when people see you. They can see pretty quickly that we are different from other clowns, because of the interest we show in the kids individually, so different from many System clowns.
We keep a stack of business cards on our table whenever we blow up balloons. People take the cards, and then can call us when their child is going to have his next birthday, to book our show for the party. In the past three years we've passed out over 15,000 business cards like that! We now have children's parties scheduled almost every weekend, which is lots of fun and helps boost our income.
From James Willing, Russia:
While ballooning one day, I suddenly felt the Lord urging me to go to a certain place and offer the balloons. When I did, I found it was a wedding ceremony, and the best man bought a bunch of the balloons for a very good donation. Hallelujah! It all happened in about five minutes. So now I try to hear from the Lord as much as possible, and He leads me on through prophecy. The Lord promised to supply all our needs, and He will never fail us! PTL!
From Manolo, Slovenia:
When we first started ballooning we were quite desperate, as we didn't know exactly what to do. We went to the Lord before we did anything or went anywhere. It was going very well and the Lord blessed it, but after a couple of times we sort of got confident and took it for granted that things would go well. We decided we would stay in a certain town, since it had gone real well the evening before.
So the next evening we got ready and headed to the spot we had been before, not even remembering to pray before starting. But after not even an hour of ballooning (which wasn't going all that great either), the police came and asked to see our documents. We had forgotten our documents in the vehicle, and on our way to the vehicle the police started questioning us about what we did, if were registered, etc. They checked our documents, and asked us to leave.
Well, it was a disappointment and had quite an impact on us, as we had been hoping to use the evening for fundraising. After praying about the situation and asking the Lord why He had allowed this to happen, He encouraged us to be more in tune next time, listening to His voice and counsel. So we learned a good lesson on checking with the Lord for every move and step we make. Since then we have been very on guard, praying about every detail, and as a result, our ballooning has gone very well!
From Philip, Hannah and Maria, India:
For a long time our Home had wanted to get involved in some clowning, but we didn't have the know-how. Here in India we can't really do clowning in malls, as people do in the West, but we thought we could do it at carnivals, parties, weddings, etc., and use it as a fundraiser.
So we started out at Christmas time, doing it a bit for CTPs and then a little at friends' parties. It was a hit! Then some young people who had done it a lot in the West joined our Home. So we launched out and did a party for a friend, and the response was very good. Recently we fully organized a party for a big family here, and even helped with decorating, etc. It was a tremendous hit!
We are still in the developing stages, but we thought we would share with you a little of how we do it here, in case you are thinking about the same thing. For now we have three clowns, who do a little show that we change according to the occasion. We also have hand- and face-painting, some games, and the grand finale is making the animal-shaped balloons. We ask brethren to bring balloons when they come from the West, as they are of better quality, and then we charge people per balloon.
We also charge people according to how many clowns we use, the amount of time and preparation needed (our labor), whether we also do face-painting, games, etc. Of course, we let people know that we are a voluntary organization and are very open to what people can afford, and we also do it for free sometimes (for CTPs, etc). We printed a flyer and card that our friends help us distribute, so we are hoping that it will pick up and be an even bigger help to our Home's income.
From Christian and Heidi, USA:
We have been putting the tapes on our table while we're doing ballooning and face-painting, and they sell themselves! We also play them on our tape recorder.
From Amos, Faithy and Mia, Philippines:
We are seeing the importance of going to visit people right after they get saved—especially if they are young, to meet their parents and witness to them further.
From Gabriel, Mercy, Michael and Katrina, Philippines:
When Melody (of Gabe and Mercy) was eight, people would say she was so cute when she'd ask them if they wanted to get saved. To this she would reply, I'm not joking! And then she would proceed to give them her punch line: Are you sure you are going to Heaven? This sentence has become a favorite soul-winning tool in our Home. It helps break the ice, even for us adults when witnessing, as it summarizes in a childlike manner our message and gives us an avenue to witness without having to debate about religion first. God bless you with more soul-winning!
From Joseph and Maggie, Japan:
A new soul-winning opener line Maggie has been using is, Would you like the Prince of love, Jesus, to come and protect and care for you? We have found that people are receptive to this approach, especially young people, and it is easier to get them saved.
A couple of weeks ago we laid out a tract so that when folded it becomes a booklet about the size of a name card. Many people like these tracts because they can slip them right into their pockets. They're also a nice size for us, as they are easy to keep in our pockets when going out—and easy and quick to grab and pass on when needed.
From Mark and Faithy, India:
Our Home has pioneered a new outreach ministry over the last months, and it has been going very well. The gynecologist who helped deliver our last few children was very touched to see how well our mummies do when they have had their babies, and how they are so calm and on top of the whole delivery. When she opened her own very nice hospital, she asked Faithy (mother of 9) to give classes on natural childbirth and Lamaze exercises to first-time mothers. After praying about it, Faithy agreed to do it for her. We compiled a course of 10 classes, including class sheets, etc. We got almost all of our material from the CCHB and different FED mailings.
The classes are being very well received, and the mothers have been so thankful! We have met some precious people through this exciting ministry. Since the classes are mainly one-on-one, most of the women get saved somewhere along their course. TTL!
For the last years, Faithy has been involved more at Home, in teaching and training the kids, so this ministry has helped her to come more onto the outreach front. Having had nine natural births herself, she has a wealth of experience to share with these first-time mums, who have a lot of fears, etc. TYJ!
We are now following up on these people, as Faithy has gotten very close to them through this very personal form of witnessing. Financially, this has proved to be a blessing as well. We feel this is a ministry that many of our Family mums could be involved in, in their own cities and situations. TTL for the Family and for all the good training and counsel we have been blessed with!
From Peter and Anna, England:
The village where we live hasn't had a Sunday school for 30 years, and recently the local Anglican pastor asked me to take on the job. This woman has become a very close friend, and believes God sent me to the village to help their youth. I have also been asked to chair the community center committee, as they see I have a heart for the kids.
With the Lord's help I've been able to witness to and win many of the teens. They come around to the house all the time for Word studies and fellowship. Thank the Lord for this ready-made ministry!
From Joanna and Gabriella, Thailand:
The Lord has been opening many doors for us through the department of primary education. A few of the teachers we do CTPs for put in a good word for us, and now it's rolling. We get a lot of phone calls asking us to do English-teaching programs and hold English camps (3-6 days long). It's been exciting to see the Lord's hand working!
Our young people have really put their hearts into organizing the camps, the games and the teaching. They are such a blessing, and really inspired! We've been able to witness on the side in our private conversations with the students and teachers, though the actual teaching at the camp is more general. However, we do use a lot of Family songs and methods.
From David and Ruthie, Taiwan:
I've been working for the YWCA of my city for over a year now. They've been very sweet and supportive of my missionary work. Recently, they opened up another opportunity for me to witness to their members: a Movies with Meaning English club, where a group will watch a movie and have an hour of discussion time afterwards. I host the meeting, and try to get the members to speak English as much as possible.
I took the job with the stipulation that I have complete control over which movies are watched. The Lord told me to do that after we heard from Him in prophecy. I pick movies that offer good witnessing opportunities, using the movie listings on the Members Only Family Web site, and checking out the content blurb and prophecy that come along with most of them. Then, using the prophecy for the movie we're going to watch, or getting my own, I create a handout for the class, summarizing the movie and bringing out the more positive points or spiritual messages. I'll also add a suitable Bible reference or two, for people to look up. The reactions so far have been good. Many had never realized that a movie could have lessons they could actually apply to their own lives.
This type of thing might be good as a fundraising tool as well. You could host your own little club right in your Home. People enjoy fellowshipping with others this way, because they're very lonely most of the time.
From Paul, Dorcas and Jun, Japan:
We started a kids' club! In the first one, we taught a class on balloon sculpturing, along with other fun activities for mothers and children. The club is held at the city hall. Around 25 mothers came with their children to attend our first event. Five of them became kids' club members, and we send them information on future events and a fun monthly newsletter. This seems like a good way to find potential sheep!
From J., V. and G., China:
One need that is becoming more apparent to us being here in China is to fill the information gap on parenting. Although the one-child policy, for the most part, has restricted the size of families, many young couples (most shunning communism and favoring western materialism) face parental responsibility amidst pressures to succeed and become wealthy.
We have been befriended by a young mother who is endeavoring to home school her five-year-old and keep a job at the same time. She asked if we would take her child for 2½ hours every afternoon, in return for a small fee. We took it to the Lord for His confirmation, and are now taking her daughter into our afternoon activities.
From Lynn, Japan:
Recently the Lord gave me a burden to try out attending some business seminars as a witnessing avenue, as I see a lot of people in the business world struggling due to the bad times Japan is currently experiencing. At a local library, I happened to pick up a book about redeeming time, written by Mr. Y., an official who works for a government agency and hosts seminars throughout Japan. The Lord led me to attend one of his seminars.
I introduced myself as a Christian volunteer worker, and briefly explained what I do—voluntary counseling services, translating, helping other workers to go abroad, etc. At the party after the seminar I met Mr. K., who invited me to another monthly seminar hosted by his insurance company. I soon collected many name cards and got to talk to many people whom I would have never met otherwise—office workers, business people, lawyers, journalists, writers, etc. Many people commend me for what I do, and many write me or send me e-mail afterward, even before I get around to writing them.
I learned it's important not to forget to have name cards. They are a real help in reaching the Japanese. Hearing people's comments expressing admiration for what I do, and their sincere respect of my work, all made me realize how much we in the Family have. We can talk about the economy, genetic engineering, world currents, the future, relations with people, parenting—you name it!—because we have a vast knowledge from the Letters and our other pubs. Most importantly, we have Jesus Who loves us no matter what, and brings us through any trying times.
Both Mr. Y. and Mr. K. let me attend their seminars for free. God bless them! Mr. Y. saw my appeal letter for the Taiwan disaster, and let me distribute copies at one of the seminars. He asked me to be a speaker in one of his smaller seminars in the future. After the seminar, I received an e-mail from one of the attendees, saying she was very impressed with what I do and very interested to know about Christianity!
The other day, the first soul from this seminar ministry was won, and he is now coming to our Home's Bible classes. PTL!
From JD, China:
I'm getting quite a few opportunities to witness to my class of 15 students during the 27½ hours that I spend with them each week. Part of each day is spent either listening to the Voice of America radio news, or watching CNN news on TV. This brings up lots of opportunities to fill them in on background information like the differences between Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox; between Christians, Muslims and Jews; the Biblical and historical background of the present conflict between the Jews and Palestinians; how Shem, Ham and Japheth fit into some of the present worldwide racial and ethnic conflicts, etc. We frequently use articles from the END or Reflections in our discussion periods.
We also usually watch a video together each week. Recently I chose to show The Ten Commandments, which I used to explain the need for them to understand the setting of this film, which so affected the religion and culture of the West, in order to better understand their language. They all agreed and this allowed me to tell them the story of what happened before the Ten Commandments. In order to better help them understand the film, I also gave them a handout of Sample Biblical Literature, which included the Ten Commandments, the 23rd Psalm, the Beatitudes, and the Love Chapter (1 Cor.13) printed in King James English along with a modern translation.
Of course, this can't be done in every English class throughout China. I've found that the groups of students I've taught in China are usually quite different. Some are very letter-of-the-law and want to stick to the text and grammar; some have their own ideas of what they want to study; but others are quite open and interested in anything the foreign teacher wants to share with them. This group is quite open. One student asked me after watching The Ten Commandments why I didn't show them something about Jesus since He is more important!
Over Christmastime, the Home put on a Christmas show for the class. I gave them each a copy of the Christmas story from the Luke and Matthew (in modern English), and they were able to watch the Jesus video—part in English and part in Chinese. (This video also has a salvation prayer at the end.)
Also, since my classroom is an audio/visual room, each student has a computer at their desk. Several have asked for a Bible program, which they have copied onto to their hard disk along with their English encyclopedias and dictionaries. So now if I need a Bible verse read during class, my students can read it for me. TYJ!
From A. and J., China:
A close friend and sheep, V., has been coming over regularly to improve her already proficient English. Rather than have normal English classes, we wanted to offer fun, in-depth Word feedings that revolve around the many questions V. has about life, relations with others, marriage, etc. It's been very feeding for V. and us to tap in to the wealth of counsel in the Word that is available on just about any subject—so much so that she always comes back with more questions to feed her sheepy curiosity and hunger. God bless V., as she now openly confides in us the deeper things she faces in her life that she is unable to talk about even with her own husband and immediate family.
From Joseph, Iris, John and Francesco, Brazil:
Through several years of teaching English privately and at various schools, we have discovered that by being straightforward with people about our work as missionaries, and being faithful to pray and witness as much as possible, we have been able to reach many important people, executives etc.—who would have been hard to reach through other means. We've found that always keeping the Lord and the witness in first place is the key. As a result, support hasn't been the only fruit of our teaching, but we have cultivated friends, contacts, legal aid, etc. Thank You Jesus!
From Hepsi, of Jonatas, Brazil:
We had a burden to start a luncheon for businessmen, to be able to witness to them, and had thought of using some friends' restaurant for this. Then three weeks ago, out of the blue, they offered us the use of a room in their restaurant, saying that they really would like us to hold meetings there to witness! So with the help of our king, whom the Lord showed we should include in this project, we had our first luncheon last Thursday.
The meeting portion is just a half-hour long. It starts at 12:30, we present the Family, our vision for the luncheon, and one of our sheep gives a testimony. Then we introduce salvation (not necessarily getting them to pray right then, but just explaining God's plan of salvation), have a short reading (the length of a Daily Might), a prayer for the week, and announcements.
At 1 PM everybody is free to eat—or, if they are busy, to leave. Fourteen people attended last week, and we agreed that each person will pray and make an effort to bring one guest every week. Please pray with us for this new and exciting project, as the potential is great! It's similar to the Full Gospel Businessmen luncheons, but open to both men and women.
From Ivan, India:
Perseverance really pays! In our provisioning, we often meet people who are willing to help us with their products at cost price. We have ministered to a few of these contacts over the years and then, after time, the Lord told us to ask them to donate something 100% free. And a few of them came through, TTL!
I'm especially reminded, when I try to make new contacts, that it takes time for them to come forward and help. Some are just not spontaneous, and that can sometimes hinder us from having the faith to cultivate them. But even if the first encounter with a potential new donor may be a bit rough, it could become fruitful in the long run. If they see the sample of love and conviction, they may eventually open up and change.
From Priscila, of Francesco, Moldova:
I have a little tip that applies to boy-girl road teams in conservative countries or towns. While on faith trips, when it comes to provisioning hotels we sometimes ask for one room with two beds—either because we do not want to ask them for too much, or because we want to be together, in order to pray and hear from the Lord, and to counsel and fellowship together.
But what has happened a few times is that the owner agrees, but then when he asks for our names to register us in their books and sees that we have different last names (in other words, we are not married to each other), they are taken aback and do not know what to make of it. In one instance, they had agreed at first to help with a room for our whole stay in that town, but when they realized that we were not married but still wanted to stay in the same room, they told us we could only stay for one night. They hear lots of weird things about sects and different Christian groups, and this gives them a little open door to believe it.
I've found that even if we ask for a separate room each, in the end they still might only give one, or an apartment with two rooms at the most; but when it's something that they offer, they don't seem to mind, just as long as it doesn't come from us.
It's a different story when the hotel owner or manager is already a contact, but for a first-time meeting we could offend people by this, as our team did a few times. Many times we just don't want to ask for too much, or we are afraid that we will be turned down if we do, but if they want to help and they can only give less, they will let us know.
From Philip Follower, Italy:
I am getting in the habit of hearing from the Lord in prophecy before beginning my outreach, asking Him to show me exactly where to go. A few days ago He told me to go back and visit an older lady who had given me a generous donation for some posters the day before. He told me to give her a tape for her personally, rather than for her daughter. The follow-up visit turned out to be super inspiring! She was so happy that God hadn't forgotten her, and she gave me an even bigger donation at my second visit! It pays to follow the Lord.
From Pat, Spain:
One thing I saw again this month is that it's worth it to make the effort to search out new witnessing pastures, and look for hungry sheep. Due to circumstances and for convenience, we had been witnessing in nearby fields, which we have been faithful with for some years. Although we met precious sheep it was more like gleaning, and the witnessing wasn't as fruitful as it had been previously.
Then we determined to lose sight of land again and launch out looking for fresh fields, and the Lord right away started blowing our minds with the spiritual vacuum of some of these sheep. It is a super blessing to be able to carry the waters of David to the hungry!
From Ivan, USA:
Witnessing and tooling at truck stops has been a real blessing for me, and I know other brothers do them too. We should call it TTT (truck to truck)! Many are believers, and many help us. I go with tapes, CDs, video and tracts, and I always offer to pray for them. Many pray with me, and I have been trying to make sure they have the Holy Ghost, too. One caution is to try not to be seen by the management, because it's not a preferred activity, so to speak.
From John, Hope, Peter and Faith, USA:
A lesson we learned is not to bring young children to witness at a truck stop late at night. One time a truck driver complained, so the police came and the witnessing team got bumped. The policeman was friendly, but was concerned for the child's safety. Truck stop witnessing has otherwise been very fruitful, as it's really a lot of personal witnessing along with getting out the posters and tapes. We've gotten names and address and do some follow-up through the mail on interested and hungry sheep. (Editor's note: Thank you, dear ones, for sharing this lesson. Dear Family, please take heed!)
From Michael Healingheart, Japan:
For the past couple years I have been going night witnessing (which I call it instead of night singing, or club-to-club), but making it more of a follow-up ministry than a quick fundraiser or tool distribution method. The potential is still there to get out tools, especially CDs and audio tapes, but I am getting out these tools to people who really want and appreciate them, rather than to people who might just let it sit on their shelf, and who are not even interested enough to open the tape and listen to it once.
Most of the customers in the places where I sing take posters or tracts, along with my personal testimony tract and one of our local booklets. I sometimes put the tracts (especially the one-pagers) inside the small, clear plastic veneer envelopes which are made for postcards, which we got a bunch of provisioned. The tracts are the same size as the postcards, so they fit nicely and make the tract look more presentable in the nice shiny cellophane case.
When singing, I usually only go to established contacts, although sometimes on slow nights I do venture out and try to establish new ones. This has been a good way to meet people and witness, even if I don't get to sing anywhere. The owners of the places are often sheepy, and some of them have gotten saved and I am feeding them with regular Word. They also have introduced different people to me who they think would be helpful to our work in some way. We have met city officials who have invited us to do shows (for which we also got paid). Usually they also want us to talk and give comments, so we use that to witness.
I sing a mixture of 1950s and 1960s meaningful-type love songs and dance songs, about which I usually give a little introduction or a comment afterwards, similar to Dad's comments on the My Old Favorites tapes. I am also working on a tract in which I took direct quotes from Dad with his comments about Elvis Presley and Christian singers. Also in my repertoire are traditional country Gospel songs, movie theme songs, and Family songs in Japanese—not the DTD tape songs, but the meatier songs that made the Revolution, which pave the way for more witnessing.
So even though I do sing System songs, I am selective, and if there is a request for a song I don't want to sing, then I don't, and I tell them why. They respect it, and usually request a different song. I found that singing certain songs the people are familiar with, or a song that brings back memories for them, touches their hearts and causes them to be more open to what I am saying when I witness to them. Singing a song that they request helps them to feel happy and then more receptive to listen to me when I witness or sing them a Family song. I have been trying to put more message in my presentation, and get out tapes or CDs to the more receptive people. I have also continued following up on the contacts I have had to leave behind, and I send them things through the mail or e-mail.
When I do shows, they are 30-40 minutes long, usually at hotels for a couple of hundred people, so it is difficult to personally witness to everyone. But if I do get to sit down with the crowd afterwards, I pick out someone I had noticed looked sheepy or was sucking in the spirit while I was singing. I try to meet and talk with them and get their address.
While up on stage, I usually introduce the songs and give a comment about the original artist. This is all prepared ahead of time to make sure I can get in a good witness. A lot of the artists have passed away, so I can use excerpts from the Who Said They're Dead messages, and I can get in a lot of witnessing there on stage. Where there's a will, there's a way!
At each show I usually meet people who introduce me to others, or who I make a contact with for the future. This has been a blessing financially too. At Christmas parties I am able to witness a lot more since people are requesting all kinds of Christmas songs, and are very open to the Christmas message.
So in these ways, the music ministry has been a blessing financially, in getting out the message, and winning souls and friends.
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