Brave Pioneers

Dad
May 14, 2003

—MO February 1973 DO No.209

P.O. Box 31, London WC2E 7LX, England or GPO Box 3141, Juan, Puerto Rico 00936

REQUIREMENTS NECESSARY IN CHOOSING A PIONEER FOR A NEW FIELD!

Dear Brave Pioneers!

Greetings in Jesus' precious name!

1. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COURAGE IN VOLUNTEERING FOR A NEW AND NEEDY FIELD IN THE LORD'S VINEYARD OF WORLDWIDE WITNESSING! We're grateful the Lord has been leading you in that direction. We trust your faith has been proven in former projects and in trusting God for the finances to back up your burden for your filed. All of these should have certainly encouraged your faith for even more—"And greater things shall ye do"! (John 14:12)

2. WE HOPE THAT YOU HAVE PROVEN YOUR ABILITY AS A PIONEER, WITH THE VISION‚ FAITH, INITIATIVE AND COURAGE THAT IT TAKES‚ by recently pioneering in other test areas under difficult and primitive conditions, which are certainly good preparation for pioneering in any new field! MOST OF ALL, YOU MUST HAVE PROVEN YOUR LOVE FOR THE LOST AND CONCERN FOR THE SHEEP AS A GOOD SHEPHERD should—all of which are prime requisites for a true pioneer! YOU SHOULD HAVE ALSO SHOWN TALENT FOR TEACHING AND OTHER LEADERSHIP TASKS, all of which are essential prerequisites for our consideration of a new missionary candidate for any new field.

3. Therefore we've been discussing your burden and plans for your new field, and feel that IF YOU HAVE THE FAITH AND THE BURDEN, AND THAT YOU FEEL YOU ARE THE ONES FOR THE JOB, that NOW COULD BE THE HOUR, if you have proven yourselves thus far‚ so we want to encourage you to do. as the Lord leads you, and that there is no time like the present! God has been leading us in that direction for many months now, but we've just been waiting for Him to pick the right team, and it looks like He is now shaping things up so you can go.

4. WE TRUST YOUR PREVIOUS TASK HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED AND SOMEONE ELSE CAN CARRY ON FROM THERE. THE TRUE PIONEER IS ONLY HAPPY PIONEERING, and is never satisfied to stay on when he's got things established and running so someone else can take his place. I ought to know, because I myself have always been a pioneer, so as soon as you can take this Revolution over and run it yourselves‚ I'll be happy to depart in peace to pioneer other fields, maybe other worlds or Heavenly spheres of the Spirit!

5. SO IF YOU HAVE THE MONEY AND YOUR VISAS AND ROUNDTRIP TICKETS AND KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO LAND AND FEEL YOU HAVE THE FAITH AND STILL WANT TO GO, THE TIME AND TEAM ARE UP TO YOU! As the leaders of a team pioneering, sort of scout out the land and locate a base to start with, as you could be the ones the Lord has chosen for only this initial reconnoitering, at least for a start. We hope you have an open door in which to land and friends to help you to begin with. From there, you can spy out the land and see what else the Lord may open up and the directions He leads. He sometimes uses almost anything or anyone or any place to help you get started and lead you on from there.

IMPORTANT TIPS ON PIONEERING

6. So we trust the Lord has opened such a door, at least the first one. But DON'T LET YOURSELF GET INTO TOO GREAT BONDAGE OR OBLIGATION TO ANYONE SO MUCH THAT YOU'RE NOT FREE TO WORK AS THE LORD LEADS, at least part of the time, and be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers in such a way that you're really bound and cannot operate in the Spirit. For God's sake‚ follow God! If there's anything a pioneer needs, it's to be led by the Lord, as we trust you are! (IICor.6:14)

7. WE BELIEVE, THEREFORE, THIS INITIAL TRIP SHOULD BE CONSIDERED EXPLORATORY‚ and that you should therefore travel light with as small a team as necessary, as you may want to see what the field needs first, and return or send later for the men and materials you will need for a full-scale invasion. So we suggest that you may want to go immediately with only two or three, travel light and explore. We always believe in letting the leader choose his own team, time and place according to his own faith.

8. IT'S ADVISABLE NOT TO CARRY TOO MUCH MONEY OR LUGGAGE WITH YOU! AND TRY TO STICK TOGETHER! If you have a surplus‚ I would advise you to keep the bulk of your funds in our bank account, and only take as much with you as you'll need for each trip or for as long as you plan to stay. You can send back for more later if you need it or have it transferred later to your account wherever you are and we can figure some way to get it there to you. There are often restrictions on how much you can take out of a country, so you may have to exchange your funds before leaving, but if they don't allow that either, we may have to exchange your funds for you from one of our external accounts in exchange for as much as you think you'll need. I'm sure the Lord will help you work it out some way.

9. WE'D FEEL BETTER IF YOU'D ALSO GET YOUR RESERVATIONS AND GET YOUR TICKETS FIRST AND TAKE THEM DOWN TO THE LOCAL EMBASSY AND OBTAIN YOUR VISAS BEFORE LEAVING if possible, so you can be assured of your length of stay. Also, do you need any shots for the trip? If so, you know they're usually required by law‚ so you must comply. You may have to have cholera and smallpox shots both to go to your field, and its not a bad precaution as long as the law requires it.

10. ALSO, A COPY OF FODOR'S TRAVELLERS GUIDE OR FROMMERS or others might be very helpful in finding your way around. You can get them at many bookstores. And by all means CARRY YOUR TRAVELLING FUNDS MOSTLY IN TRAVELLERS CHEQUES, American Express or whichever you can take out of the country—not cash! Don't forget to PRAY OVER EVERY BITE YOU EAT AND EVERY SWALLOW YOU DRINK, AND TRY TO AVOID ANY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS while there.

11. THE TRAINS ARE USUALLY CHEAP FOR LONG DISTANCE TRAVEL, and around a town it's often fairly cheap to grab a native cab and a whole lot safer than driving yourself. Always remember, THE LORD'S SERVANT IS WORTH MORE THAN HIS MONEY: Don't be pennywise and flesh-foolish! You are too valuable leadership to risk just to save a few pennies! TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH, GET PLENTY OF REST AND EAT WELL, SO YOU'LL HAVE PLENTY OF STRENGTH for God's service.—And pray without ceasing!

12. FOLLOW GOD! HE'LL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU, AND HE ALWAYS KNOWS BEST. Stay close to him, and, if you do need help‚ holler!—But please try to USE THE MAILS AND NOT THE PHONE unless it's a life and death emergency. Please keep in touch and REPORT REGULARLY AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK. As soon as you have an address‚ we'll try to keep you posted too, and will certainly be praying for you continually! We love you! May God bless and keep you and make you a blessing! MAKE YOUR OWN DECISIONS ON THE FIELD, AS YOU'LL KNOW IT BETTER THAN WE WILL, unless it's some major project which affects us or you'll need help on.

WHAT TO BRING ON A PIONEER TEAM!

13. DON'T FORGET TO TAKE A SIMPLE CAMERA to record your journey and the interesting things the Lord's going to do, particularly the people you're going to meet. Close-ups of faces are always best. (Read "Pictures"). I'd recommend a pocket Instamatic (Kodak), you can get them for about 10 Pounds. Be sure you have a good little tape recorder too‚ and the right kind of clothing for the climate, and personal necessities that may be scarce there, such as certain toiletries, cassettes, a small transistor radio for BBC news which you can get in English all over the world, a small travel alarm clock for keeping appointments, a couple of pocket flashlights and several spare batteries for each of these, etc.—and of course, your sleeping bags!—But please don't sleep in dangerous places. Housing is cheaper than your life, so please use it! Boil your drinking water if necessary, and cook everything thoroughly, or pray with lots of faith! Even a couple of umbrellas could be useful! Watch your pockets and your passports! A small travel typewriter could be very useful for reports and correspondence. We love you. Have fun! God bless and keep you! Stay close to Him!—Love, MO

WHAT MO LETTERS TO READ ON PIONEERING!

14. P.S. THE FOLLOWING LETTERS ARE SOME WHICH WILL BE HELPFUL IN PIONEERING‚ and especially, of course, a BIBLE! "Quality or Quantity?", "Pastors III" (14/2/71), "Letters I", "New Colonies"‚ "New Teams", "Let My People Go" and "Have Faith, will Travel!"—And remember: HANG ONTO YOUR PASSPORT!—SLEEP ON IT, if necessary! It's almost your most valuable possession, as you can't go anywhere without it! IF LOST OR STOLEN, REPORT IT IMMEDIATELY TO THE NEAREST EMBASSY of your country of which you are a citizen, and apply for a temporary one until they can get you a new one. Don't try to travel without it, or you may be jailed, or even deported!—NEVER OVERSTAY YOUR VISA. Always apply for an extension or leave the country and return with a new one.

MO'S PIONEER SONG!

15. P.P.S. FOR SOME REASON OR OTHER I GOT THIS CRAZY LITTLE SONG we used to sing when thinking about your leaving:

HE WAS WILLING TO GO IN HIS STOCKING FEET,

Tho' he'd keep getting thinner

and the less he'd eat!

But he was brave as he was thin‚

The war broke out, he got right in!

Good-bye Ma, Good-bye Pa!

Good-bye loved ones with your ole' Hee-Haw!

I may not know what it's all about,

But you bet‚ my gosh, I'll soon find out!

I'll bring you some natives and a colony or two,

And that's about all one fellow can do!

---From your old Crazy Crusader