—Busk away!—Jesus did it!—By Father DavidDFO10574/3/81

(—Dad's Comments on Zach & Lamb's Video!)

1. THAT WAS A PRETTY NEAT TRICK TO DO, I MUST SAY! He was alone in the car, & he didn't have a cameraman, he just had the tripod & the camera sitting beside him! Those were terrific shots! I mean for just a tripod!—With him trying to operate the camera & drive the car at the same time‚ that was terrific! Well‚ he certainly did well for that, boy oh boy!

2. IF SHOWS YOU WHAT YOU CAN DO, EVEN IF YOU HAVEN'T GOT SOMEBODY WITH YOU, you set the camera there on a tripod. That was terrific! Does is it show him at all sitting there driving? (Peter: No.) Then he must have had it right on the front seat, huh? (Peter: Well, it's a big van & there's room right between the two seats for the tripod.) Ohhhhh, boy, oh boy! How terrific! That's terrific! (To Techi who's sitting with Daddy:) You're having a hard time getting attention tonight‚ aren't you? Too much competition! Lamb's holding the mike in her strumming hand while she plays guitar, wow, that's a trick too!

3. (REGARDING THE KID'S HEART SKIT:) THEY SHOULD HAVE SOMETHING IN THE HEART, like a picture of Jesus, not just empty. They should have had a picture or something, like a picture of Jesus with the children‚ a big picture that the audience could see, then be sure to pass the hat, & collect addresses too!

4. A FASTER WAY WOULD BE IF SHE'D PASS OUT CARDS & GO AROUND & PICK THEM UP AFTERWARDS. Even if they didn't want to stay & turn them in right then, they might turn them in later, & she could have her name & address on the cards. There's nothing new about that, we used to have contact cards while we were working for the Soul Clinic. Even the beggars use them. Don't you remember that deaf & dumb girl that came around in that large cafeteria?

5. SHE WENT AROUND VERY FAST JUST PASSING OUT CARDS SMILING TO EVERYBODY FIRST, covered the whole place in nothing flat! Then she came around with her little can. The little card told about what she was doing & she was deaf & dumb & this was doing & she was for some charity or something. So then you had a chance to read it & think about it‚ & by the time she got back with her can you had your money out & were ready go give it, & it saved a lot of time.

6. AND ALSO IN CASE SHE WAS DOING IT WITHOUT PERMISSION of the management, it was very fast, because she was moving so fast around with the cards! And then she just came around picking up the money—zoom zoom zoom! Frankly, she didn't look deaf or dumb to me, & she looked very Gypsy! (Maria: And she had these two huge bouncer guys with her!) Looked very Gypsy & very tough! They looked like the Mafia! They were sitting at one of the tables while she went around & collected the money.

7. THE POINT IS, LAMB COULD HAVE SOME LITTLE MESSAGE ON THE CARD & HER NAME & ADDRESS in case somebody wanted to write them later. But for those who wanted to turn something in right away she could have a place on the other side to fill in their name & address‚ like a little pledge card that she could go around & pick up afterward.

8. SHE COULD HAVE THE CHILDREN PASS THEM OUT WHILE THE SHOW WAS GOING ON & then have them go around & collect them afterwards in their hats or something for the gifts. We always got addresses in our street meetings or door-to-door. It's very important to get names & addresses—& if you can't get their it's very important to give them yours, & then maybe later the Lord will touch their hearts & they'll write, especially if there's a little appeal on the card & later on they're ashamed they didn't give anything.

9. THAT'S SUCH A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE THE MUSIC WITH MEANING TAPE ON WHILE YOU'RE COLLECTING THE NAMES & ADDRESSES or have'm sign a list like that! That is really something! He needs to get them to do cards! Lamb's beautiful, she's so sweet. You could have the kids dancing while you have the MWM music on. It would be made so much easier if you had cards to give out to everyone, or even slips of paper.

10. THE CHILDREN ALL LOOK SO CUTE IN THEIR MATCHING OUTFITS. The little one is so cute, she just steals the show! Those places you get into through the Golden Hearts Club, that's wonderful! It's been a key to get into all those places. That's good for you‚ Zach, to ask the teacher to write the recommendation with the official school stationary. That was real good. You're a real promoter!

11. SEEING YOUR LITTLE HEART SKITS WITH THE CHILDREN REMINDS ME OF THE GOOD OLD DAYS when my children were small & we were doing much the same thing, but we had to do without the benefit of the guitar. And my first children didn't really do skits, they sang & quoted Scripture mostly. But these skits are a wonderful new addition to our repertoire. 170 children praying & even the nuns! That was really really beautiful to see you all praying with them. Oh, your little one steals the show! She reminds us of Techi!

12. THAT'S A REALLY GOOD IDEA. I HOPE YOU REMEMBER TO HAVE YOUR NAME & ADDRESS ON THE LITTLE PICTURES & some little message that you gave out to the small children even if you have to take a rubber stamp & stamp it on yourselves. I used to take things like that & I had a little rubber stamp that I could make myself & everytime we had a new address I'd have a little message & rubber stamp it on the back.

13. THERE ARE A LOT OF TRICKS TO THE TRADE‚ but the main thing is, it's not only your current witness, that momentary current witnesses, but it's to get name & addresses or give your name & address. That's the easiest thing to do is give them your name & address in case they're interested enough to write in. But try to get theirs, & that way you can compile quite a mailing list. We'd keep writing to them every month‚ send them a little prayer letter, & if we never heard a thing after maybe six months, then we'd just drop'm. But we got a lot of people out of'm, a lot of people interested & helpers from just gathering names & addresses & then writing to them.

14. NOW WHAT YOU NEED IS A BROCHURE TOO. You need a little brochure with a picture, explaining the work‚ name & address, something the people can keep, plus a little card in there for them to write down their name & address & give it back right then if they can. If not, they can send it later. It says‚ "Enclosed is a gift from So–&-so," & they can either hand it back right away or send it back later.

15. THERE'S NOTHING NEW ABOUT THOSE THINGS, IT'S JUST STANDARD PERFORMANCE. This sort of thing is just new to our kids. It's not new to the old pros. But they need to learn these things. I've talked & talked in lots of older Letters especially about contact cards & we've recently emphasised the pledge cards but I can see where in the street type or public type of meeting they certainly need them there, really need them, just a little one-page brochure & card.

16. WE USED TO TAKE ONE PAGE OF TYPING PAPER & WE COULD PUT A LOT OF PICTURES & TYPING ON BOTH SIDES. You can make it yourselves, just have some printer run it off on the litho & then you can hand it out wherever you are with name & address & appeal & the card there for their name & address & how much they can give or something.

17. AND OF COURSE ALL THE BETTER, ENCLOSE A LITTLE SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPE WITH THE CARD. You'd be amazed how many people are willing to help if you furnish a self-addressed envelope! It's like passing the offering basket in front of them, & how much are you going to get if you have no offering basket? You really need that sort of thing. Maybe you can work on one.

18. YOU'VE SEEN LOTS OF OUR OWN SAMPLES OF THE OLD GOLDIES IN THE MAGAZINE, & we used to not only send these things to the names & addresses we already had through the mail, but we passed them out on the street wherever we were ministering, along with a contact card which they could fill in & give back to us, & they'd keep the brochure which has our name & address on it.

19. (MARIA: ZACH SAYS THAT HAVING SLIDES HAS BEEN SUCH AN ASSET TO THEIR WORK & going into schools & public meetings‚ etc.) Your kids are terrific, Zach & Lamb! The idea of showing your still pictures during this video was very very good. Boy oh boy, it sounds so much like our old days on the road with our little kids!

20. HISTORY'S REPEATING ITSELF‚ just like the way we used to be & do with our little family, just making friends one by one. You not only minister‚ but they minister unto you too, building up friends & supports. I mean, we lived for years like that!

21. HOW WE EVER GOT INTO THIS HIPPIE BUSINESS WAS AN ABSOLUTE MIRACLE OF GOD because we saw no hopes for them whatsoever. I mean, we were regular red-neck Texans‚ anti-Communist, anti-hippie, the kind that thought they ought to be lined up against they ought to be lined up against the wall & gotten rid of or something!—Can you imagine? The Lord really had to change our hearts. Well honestly‚ it was because of all the magazine and newspaper reports, we hated the hippies just like the System hates the hippies. I don't think we'd ever met an honest-to–goodness hippie. We never knew what one was, we'd never met one, you know? It was strictly on hearsay & gossip & propaganda from the System.

22. SO WHEN WE GOT OUT TO CALIFORNIA WE BEGAN TO MEET THESE SWEET KIDS, really precious, & yet they claimed to be hippies & they looked like hippies & on drugs & everything else. It was my mother really, God bless her, that first got a real burden & love for them & just begged us to come. She said, "These kids are precious, they just need Jesus, that's all! They're so hungry!" And we got out there & that was for sure! So what all you hippies needed was the Lord!—Just what you were looking for! PTL!

23. SO THAT WAS A TOTAL CHANGE IN OUR MINISTRY. Up to that time the ways I can remember doing it is how it had been, you know, ministering a lot to people on the street & older people in churches & things like that. I guess the Lord did that, in a way, although our ministry was also to youth a good deal, the youth of the churches & youth on the street, but we had to have support somehow, so the Lord won us friends this way & won a lot of souls too. I mean, even a lot of those old church people weren't even saved! They had to get saved. So PTL!

24. THE MONASTERY THAT THE LORD GAVE YOU TO PARK AT IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL PLACE‚ just like a park. What a miracle, because you were faithful to follow the open doors where He led. Lamb, we hope you're getting enough rest. You looked tired but always beautiful! That's a hard ministry, I'll tell you, it's very hard work! You need to get lots of rest & good food.

25. YOU SHOULDN'T PUSH IT TOO HARD & TRY TO SQUEEZE TOO MUCH IN because it's really hard on you. We used to say a two–hour program like that, like you put on, is like eight hour hard labour. You're just as tired after that as you are after working all day. So when you try to pack in several of those in one day you've done a lot of work, probably too much. So you shouldn't overdo.—Take it a little easier.

26. YOU KNOW, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS STRIKE OUT, HIT THE STREETS & FIND ONE PERSON THE LORD SENDS, usually one person that the Lord sends like an angel to be your program advance man, & then they start phoning everyone they know to get you bookings in churches, homes, & schools, etc. It just never fails. The Lord never fails! I mean, we had the most ... ahh‚ it's too long a story! I wish Mother Eve would write it!

27. WE HAD SUCH FASCINATING THINGS HAPPEN! I think I told you about how the Lord told us to go into one town we'd never been in before, Albany, New York. We didn't know anybody‚ nothing, we were out of work for a few days‚ we didn't have any place to go, no place to park, nothing! The Lord said to go into this town & watch for a man carrying a pitcher of water, & he was to be the man who would help us.—Who ever heard of such a thing!

28. SO WE PARKED IN FRONT OF THIS LITTLE CHURCH. We came down the street & we saw this little church that turned out to be an Italian Pentecostal church, of all things! Of course, we didn't know Italian & we weren't exactly Pentecostal either, but it so happened there was a nice big place to park right in front of the church & we thought, "Well, churches are nice places, you can let the kids out on the lawn to play & then sometimes the door's open & they can use the toilet," etc.

29. WE'D BEEN SITTING THERE FOR ABOUT AN HOUR & PRETTY SOON HERE COMES THE GARDENER, & it turned out he was the janitor, nothing more than the janitor, & he was carrying this big water can, watering the flowers. And pretty soon my mother said, "Look! A man with a pitcher!" You know we were expecting to see a guy carrying one of those old Bible pitchers! But after all, how many men carry pitchers? Well, we were ready to see anything! But it just dawned on us, you know, one of those watering cans with the long spout?—It's a pitcher!

30. SO RIGHT AWAY I THINK JOSH WENT OVER THERE & STARTED TALKING TO HIM because I think he said he knew a little Italian because he lived in New York. And this dear old man was so sweet! Then we had the children come out & sing for him & everything. He said, "I must tell my preacher about you! I know he'll want to have you in our church here." And sure enough, he contacted the preacher.

31. THE PREACHER CAME OUT & HEARD THE KIDS SING & INVITED US IMMEDIATELY. He said, "I'm right now in the midst of a nightly revival meeting! I want them to sing for me every night!" And so there we were‚ right to work right away! And right away the dear old janitor invited some of us to stay at his house. We were crowded, we had Josh & I don't know how many other people living in the Camper with us. So Josh & some of the other folks stayed in the house while we stayed in the Camper in their driveway, & he fed them & gave us food & they helped us every night.

32. AT SERVICE THEY WOULD TAKE A LITTLE OFFERING that was of course for the preacher & the church. He said, "Now if any of you would like to help the family, you just put it in their hands as you go out tonight." And so we'd all stand by the door—I didn't, but the rest of the kids did—& of course you know those people, they just couldn't resist the kids, they'd give them each one half-a–dollar‚ a dollar or something, you know, sometimes five or ten!

33. WE NEVER KNEW HOW LONG WE WERE GOING TO STAY because he never bargained for any length of time or anything, but every night at the end of the service he said, "How many of you would like to see the little family back again tomorrow night?" And every body would raise their hand & say, "Amen!" Ha!—And we'd come back the next night & the next night! Imagine! The whole service was in Italian! We couldn't speak a word of Italian & hardly any of them could speak English. But the kids would get up & sing away & they just loved it! Ha!

34. SO PTL! IT'S AMAZING WHAT THE LORD CAN DO THROUGH ONE SIMPLE CONTACT—just a gardener watering the plants around the church! But it shows you the leading of the Lord. The Lord had said, "Look for a man with a pitcher! " Ha! Can you imagine? I mean, talk about miracles! The leading of the Lord. PTL! (Continues watching video.)

35. IT'S SO MUCH LIKE IT USED TO BE! So many of those dear Catholic sisters are really dedicated. They really want to serve the Lord, & they're so happy to see a little family like yours serving the Lord. The sisters are precious & the sister's testimony was beautiful!

36. MY OH MY, MY FATHER WOULD HAVE NEVER DREAMED THAT LITTLE SONG, "THANK YOU JESUS FOR THIS FOOD," WAS GOING TO GO SO FAR! Just think, he just made that up for our little family to sing at the table, & now it's gone 'round the World! TYJ! Isn't that sweet? PTL! So much like all the little experiences we had in our family. You're all going through the same things now, thank the Lord! Now I know why the Lord let us do it, to teach us to teach you!

PTL! TYL! Hallelujah!

37. THE CATHOLICS ARE SOME OF THE MOST WONDERFUL PEOPLE TO DEAL WITH. They know it all! All they need to take is that one more step of faith! I mean, they know it, they believe it, they're trying hard! All you need to do is teach them, "You just receive Jesus, that's all." I mean, they're really the easiest people in the World to lead to the Lord & they're so ready & receptive & responsive!

38. I JUST LOVE TO WORK WITH CATHOLICS! I mean, let's take a look at the Family: Most of you were either Catholics or Jews! That's a fact! You were Catholics or Jews! I mean honestly‚ we have amazingly few Protestants in the Family, which speaks pretty well for the Catholics & Jews both‚ & that they were really hungry & receptive, especially their children! They're

39. WONDERFUL PEOPLE, SINCERE, THEY JUST NEED TO BE TAUGHT FAITH, SIMPLE FAITH! PTL! Like Nicodemus. I mean, it's just so simple they miss it. And it's not their fault, it's their leaders that have made things complicated, pitiful! We are missionaries to the Catholic church, or at least to the Catholics. I wouldn't say the Church was too receptive, but the people are very receptive. Thank you Lord!

40. THANK GOD AT LEAST YOU‚ LAMB‚ MUST HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN A CATHOLIC & YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO AT MASS & you know their customs & the way the Catholics do things. It's wonderful that you can go & participate & show that you're not antagonistic & that you're in sympathy with their religion. Some Protestants are so foolish about the Catholics. Thank God we're little bit of everything. When your popularity wanes & they start the persecution, then you can go!

41. SOME PEOPLE SAY, "OH, WELL ALL THOSE STATS, 200 AT ONE, 300 AT ANOTHER, WHO KNOWS IF THEY GOT SAVED, BLAH BLAH BLAH!" You know good & well those little children, if they understand at all what you're talking about when you say "Do you want Jesus in your heart?" & they raise their hands, you mean to tell me Jesus doesn't come into their hearts? Of course He does! I mean‚ they're saved on the spot!

42. I BELIEVE THOSE STATS! I believe it's possible! My Lord, the early disciples won 3,000 the first day, 5,000 a few days later, how do you think they won'm? Do you think they got'm all down at the altar kneeling down & praying for two or three hours or something? They probably did the same thing!: "How many want to receive Jesus?" So the whole crowd raised their hands & there you have 5,000 new souls! I believe in it! Amen! TG! I really believe we're going to meet those people in the Kingdom! TYL! TYJ! Amen! Keep it up!

43. OHHHHHH, THAT LITTLE CAMPER IS SO CUTE! Oh, that really is cute! Hallelujah! Well, now there's an idea! Instead of our dollhouses‚ look what they did! Ha, ha! Maybe they got the idea from the dollhouse. PTL! That is cute. Well, PTL! Boy oh boy, these clever handymen‚ they can really do anything, TG! Isn't that clever? If you haven't got the right toys, just make'm. Hallelujah!

44. (LAMBS DANCE BEGINS: ) PTL! AMEN! HALLELUJAH! He's got a diffusion lens too, huh? (Rich: Were those figures bottles?) It could be, yes. Oh was that it! Breaking our bottles! Ha! Well‚ you can't break mine! Hallelujah! It's too new! Oh, she can really dance! They just never make'm last long enough. Oh, that's beautiful! Dear little Lamb! Oh‚ that's beautiful, PTL—Real Spirit-filled ballet!

45. NOW THAT'S REAL DANCING! Of course it takes a little training to know how to dance like that. You just need a little bit more light on that shot, Zach. GBH! Hallelujah, isn't that pretty! She's dancing for the Lord!—And for her king! Ummm, wow! God bless her! Isn't that sweet? (Whistles!) Love those pretty hose you wear, Lamb. We especially like what's in'm! Oh, that was beautiful, God bless you! Your dance just didn't last long enough, that's all. Gorgeous, gorgeous legs!

46. SHE'S OBVIOUSLY GOT A BODY THAT CAN DO THE JOB TO PRODUCE ALL THOSE BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN! Amen? (Family: Amen!) Four gorgeous children. So we know you're sexy! Hallelujah! That's the ultimate sex—children! PTL? The ultimate fulfilment is those beautiful children you have! TYJ! Hallelujah!

47. AND GOD BLESS YOU, DEAR ZACH, FOR SOWING THEM. PTL! You had a little part in it! Ha! Nobody's laughing or saying "amen" or anything, what's the matter with you guys? They like to hear you too! Amen? (Family: Amen!!) That's our little local family here saying amen, GBY! We've bee sitting here watching your beautiful video together, PTL! You make a beautiful pair‚ a beautiful family, beautiful team for the Lord! TYJ! Hallelujah!

48. THOSE WITH PRETTY TOPS SHOULD DANCE TOPLESS & those with pretty bottoms should dance bottomless!—And those with pretty both should dance with nothing but a veil! That's terrific, that last solo by Zach. Next time you've got to sing the song all the way through. (Zach was singing‚ not dancing!—Ha!)

49. WELL, PTL! GBY! I HOPE THESE BUSKING HINTS WILL HELP ALL OF YOU!—Now that you know what busking is! Unless you had a British dictionary, you mighta been mystified. But it's just what you & your kids are doin': "Wandering acting or musical performances; street theatre."

50. I GUESS THE AMERICANS DON'T HAVE BUSKING IN THEIR DICTIONARIES BECAUSE THEY'RE TOO PROUD TO BUSK!—It sounds & looks too much like begging to them!—But all the rest of the World is not ashamed to busk & have lots of it almost everywhere you go!

51. SO BUSKING IS LIKE BEGGING? I wouldn't say that! A beggar gives nothing in return! You're getting paid for a performance, & if you really deliver a good one, they'll pay good! PTL! TTL!

We did it for years! That's how our Family got started!—And you're giving'm the Gospel & Salvation for free to boot! They're getting more than their money's worth!

52. JUST `CAUSE YOU PASS THE HAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S BEGGING!—The preachers do that too!—They just do their busking on stage in a stained-glass-windowed theater to a captive audience!—And do they beg for money! Wow! I've heard'm preach half-an-hour on the offering, & only ten minutes on the offering, & only ten minutes on the Gospel!—And not much of that!

53. SO DON'T YOU BUSKERS BE AFRAID TO BUSK YOUR HEARTS OUT & ASK FOR YOUR PAY ON THE SPOT!—And the little kids make such good ushers to take the collection!—And hats are always handy offering bags! Stick it under their noses & demand your wages! They'll be ashamed not to pay for such a good performance!

54. "THE LABOURER IS WORTHY OF HIS HIRE!" "Muzzle not the ox that treadeth out the corn!" "They that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel!" (Lk.10:7; 1Tim.5:18; 1Co.9:14.) Take that collection! You deserve it! It's your corn for your corn!—Ha! GBY!

55. SO BUSK AWAY FOR ALL YOU'RE WORTH!—And you're worth a lot! The most for the best!—The Gospel of Salvation!—It's priceless! They couldn't pay you enough! It's free‚ but it costs money to pipe it to'm! So collect your fees for your services!—The other preachers do!—Why not you?

56. GBY!—AND HE WILL IF YOU'LL DO IT FROM YOUR HEART WITH ALL YOUR HEARTS! Hallelujah! HAPPY BUSKING!—It's far better than husking with the hustlers!—Amen? GBY! WLY! Busk away for Jesus!—You'll be glad forever that you did!—Amen?

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family