Maria #376DO 31152/97

—The Lord's Call to Help Our JETTs and Junior Teens!—By Maria

1. In Part 1 of this series I explained the challenge that we are presently facing with our JETTs and junior teens, and the Lord's answer on how best to meet this need. In the message the Lord gave, He challenged you SGAs/YAs to be a sample to the younger ones, spend time with them and take them under your wing as their friends and shepherds. In Part 2 we'll take a closer look at the different aspects of what the Lord had to say‚ as well as present some tips on how you can implement them individually and in your Home. Praise the Lord!

Enthusiasm for the Word

2. The Lord tells us‚ "Pour into them [the JETTs and junior teens] My Word, and I will not fail." The need to feed the JETTs and teens the Word is not a new revelation by any means, and I hope you're already faithfully doing it. But the Word will not bear much fruit unless you inspire in the younger ones a hunger for the Word by the sample of your own enthusiasm for it. Is reading the Word with your younger brothers and sisters a bore and a chore, or something that you have to do just because it's on the schedule? If so, that may be part of the reason you're not getting the kind of results you want. Try to find ways to make the Word come alive and be applicable to them personally in their everyday lives. Explain the difference various Letters have made in your life and how they've helped you. Show them all the neat things that they can find in the Word, and how it answers so many questions on so many topics—not just the "spiritual" ones, but on all kinds of fascinating subjects!

3. The Lord and Dad have often repeated how vital the Word is for us to be what the Lord wants us to be and to fulfill our calling for Him. But for you to inspire the OCs‚ JETTs and junior teens about the Word, you have to be inspired about it yourself! So if you aren't, cry out to the Lord and desperately ask Him to renew your hunger for the Word—if not for your sake‚ then at least for theirs! I'm sure that even if you don't really feel like it at first, as you start pouring the Word into the JETTs and teens, and try to make it fun, exciting and feeding for them, you'll experience the same yourself and get more turned on to the Word too! Like the Lord said in Part 1 of this series, "I will pour forth the victories‚ and as you pour out to these younger ones, your own victories will come into full bloom." Praise the Lord!

4. Following is part of a report from Mary Mom, written after hosting a JETT camp in Europe, where she outlines some of the problems resulting from a lack of inspiration in the Word, and shares some good pointers on ways to overcome these lacks:

5. (From Mary:) "It seems that using the CLE and other curriculums for home schooling, or sending the kids to school in some cases‚ would allow us more time to prepare Word classes for the JETTs. Sitting with the adults, just reading a GN 'straight up,' isn't always that feeding or fun, according to the kids. There needs to be some time taken to prepare the classes for the kids so they absorb the Word and get fed—and have fun during Word time. And once the kids get used to hearing prophecy and are over the hump of the lies of the Enemy, then the prophecies themselves are quite exciting, as Mama pointed out in the 'Problems and Solutions' series.

6. "At the camp, the kids were quite interested in some of these same topics [those listed under the Tips and Pointers section of "Problems and Solutions," part 4] and liked just reading a prophecy here and there that had those tremendous word pictures. There is so much to study and such a variety of material to include in a class.

7. "I had been giving classes to the JETTs in my Home, and I had some major flops because I just sat down with them and read the Word straight, like I would with adults. So I had to find what worked. When preparing classes for the camp, I added video clips from movies and our own material. I added lots of audio and visual aids, as well as skits, and everything changed. The kids liked involvement, and they liked being in the skits quite a bit, too. But this all takes preparation. It takes staying up at night and reading the GNs and adding things to the classes. During the classes‚ kids need to write things down, look up Scriptures in their Bibles‚ have photocopies of some of the material being read, have good markers, have a dictionary, have a white board for more variety in explanations, etc.

8. "I think we have to realize our kids need to be taught the Word. They don't absorb and understand it like they should when they just sit and read‚ especially by themselves. They probably should be able to, but during these past two years‚ because of their battles with prophecy and the many other battles we faced, as outlined in the 'Problems and Solutions' series, many kids got left behind as far as the Word is concerned. Their hunger is almost nil, their concentration span is short, and their understanding is gray. Also, there is so much Word that they can't piece things together, and it confuses them. Some of our meatier doctrines stick in their throats like toothpicks, so nothing else will go down. Some have drawn the wrong conclusions about subjects like 'Loving Jesus' or 'Praise Time,' since they only had these Letters (the junior teen or JETT versions) read to them once.

9. "Parents or the YAs and SGAs need to look at all the Word we have been given and plan well-rounded meals for the JETTs, helping them to absorb the main topics from the Word over these past couple of years. It takes time, but it is time well spent. It takes study on the teachers' part, too. But it is surely better than the kids giving you dirty looks during devotions and blaming their boredom on the Word. The Lord obviously sees the picture very clearly, and His emphasis on the Word (in the 'Problems and Solutions' GN series) is where it's at!

10. "Singing is very important, too. Many kids say they don't have inspirations in their Homes‚ and this is a major key to getting into the Spirit. At least it sure helps! The teens can carry the ball with inspirations, and they should. Kids don't seem to like adults doing the inspirations unless they are particularly out of themselves and not preaching a song at them. There are so many new songs coming out, but often the adults stick with the same old songs and that just isn't hitting the mark. The kids can learn to play the new ones and sing those for inspirations. Or the tapes can be played on a sound system. (The CVC is great in getting the teens involved in leading inspirations. They have to follow their course requirements! [See Music, CVC Manual‚ page 8. ART.3.]) Adults carrying their cups of coffee, yawning as they slowly walk into devotions, dragging the teens along, can be a major turn-off for the kids. They need much more action and activity than that. The adults expect the kids to pay attention to their style of getting fed, and it just doesn't work." (End of excerpt from Mary.)

It Must Be a United Effort!

11. While I've been mainly addressing you senior teens‚ YAs and SGAs, all of this applies very much to you adults, parents and teachers as well, of course. It's going to take a united effort on everyone's part, pulling together as a Home, to win the battle for our JETTs and teens. The Lord says, "All must join together and fight for your younger brothers and sisters, for in unity there is strength." Everyone's going to need to have the vision for it, and help in some way.

12. You parents, of course, must have the vision to teach and train your JETTs and make sure their needs are met, as you are ultimately responsible for their care. But the Lord is specifically calling you older teens and young adults, because you're the ones the younger ones will follow‚ and what you do—whether good or bad—is going to have the greatest impact on them.

13. The Lord says, "Either way, they will follow you. I give this into your hands, to decide upon which road you will lead them—down the road to selfishness and worldly ways, or up the road to power and victory and Heavenly heights." That's pretty heavy! Everything you do has an effect on these younger ones, because they look up to you and try to follow your sample. If you're close to the Lord, then in following you they'll be following Him! On the other hand, if you're following afar off, then you'll be leading them astray.

14. However, it will take a united approach, and you adults and YAs (and SGAs) are going to have to work together to make it happen. It's also going to take good communication between the parents of the JETTs and junior teens, and the YAs who are helping to shepherd and tune in to the younger ones. There may be times that the parents and YAs will have differing views on the care of the JETTs and teens and what is permissible or not, or the parents may not approve of something that the YAs would like to do with the younger ones, or the YAs may feel that the parents are being overly lenient or strict, etc. When these differences occur, it's imperative that both the parents and the YAs communicate and pray and agree together on these matters.

15. It can be very frustrating for the YAs to try to shepherd and care for the JETTs and junior teens if they feel that they don't have the support of the parents, or that the parents disapprove of the way they handle things. On the other hand, since the parents are the ones ultimately responsible for their children‚ it can be painfully discouraging for them if the YAs are not being the sample that they should be for their children.

16. So both the parents and the YAs need to communicate‚ and most of all, pray together and hear from the Lord together when questions come up regarding the care of the JETTs and junior teens. Disunity and open disagreement is a tool that the Enemy will try to use to defeat and undo all the good that you're trying to do in the lives of the younger ones, so don't let it in! If you are to succeed in giving your JETTs and teens the care they need, you'll have to do it together.

Take the Responsibility Now!

17. Don't just wait for the next JETT or teen camp, or for your VSs to come along, hoping that maybe they will salvage the situation. If your JETTs and teens need help—which they do—the Lord expects you to do something about it. The JETT and teen camps are doing a lot of good‚ and I hope we can keep having them, but what's going to have the most lasting effect is the sample and input the JETTs and teens get on a daily basis at home. The times of relying on institutionalized care, or on someone else to come around and take care of your JETTs for you while you concentrate on other things, are over. They are your responsibility—both you parents and you SGAs‚ YAs and senior teens in the Home—and if you don't do it, nobody will!

18. Of course, many of you who are in small Homes now may think back to the teen Homes of years past, with all the classes and activities, and wonder how you could possibly replicate something similar for your JETTs and teens! You just don't have the personnel to do it, and you have so many other things to take care of at the same time. Well, you don't have to have a teen Home setup to pour into your JETTs and teens. You don't have to have a special structured program to give them the love and attention and training they need. Just make them a part of whatever you're doing. Take time to feed them the Word. Take them out personal witnessing. Let them work alongside you in your responsibilities, teaching and training them at the same time that they're helping you. Show faith in them and give them responsibility.

19. And remember, loving shepherding also means discipline, and not letting the JETTs and teens get away with things that you and they know they shouldn't get away with! It will only lessen their respect for you when you don't enforce the rules that they know should be enforced‚ and put your foot down when their behavior is obviously out of line. On the other hand, you also need to have lots of love and tolerance, and allow for their differences and personal likes and dislikes‚ as long as it's not harmful or contrary to the Word. Don't try to make them be just like you or just like you were when you were their age. If you don't know whether to put your foot down or let things go in a particular situation, pray and hear the Lord's specific counsel in prophecy. In that way‚ He can sort out any problem areas that are a bit "gray," and give you the wisdom to know how to handle the situation in the right way.

20. The most important things to major on are the spiritual basics of love for the Lord, each other and the lost, hunger for the Word, witnessing, and inspiration in their life for the Lord. If you can get these sorted out, some of the other more outwardly manifested problems like System music, worldliness, disagreements over dress code, etc., will become much less significant, because they won't matter so much anymore. But if you only try to cure the symptoms of the problem rather than getting at the root of it—the lack of vision, inspiration‚ attention, challenge and love for the Word—then you're bound to get frustrated and have limited success.

21. And if you don't see the results right away, don't worry about it! You probably won't get instant results. Look back to when you were younger—did you change instantly, even with good shepherding and care? Sometimes, yes, but most of the time it was slow, gradual growth. So be patient and don't expect everything to happen in a day. Don't expect that just because you make the decision to spend time with the JETTs and teens, that within a couple of weeks or months they're going to be completely transformed into sold-out, well-behaved disciples who are no longer struggling with worldliness, doubts, discouragement and foolishness!

22. It's going to take time‚ and you're going to have to fight for the victory! The Enemy will be horrified that you are going on the attack to defeat him, and he's going to do all he can to stop you in your tracks‚ or at least slow you down any way he can. He's going to try to discourage you and get you to quit by telling you that it's too hard and that you're not seeing the results quickly enough. You'll be going over the top, and he's going to pull out his big guns and start shooting!

23. Yes, it will be a struggle, but the Lord has promised great victories as you obey His call and take up His challenge. He's promised that if you keep fighting‚ you will win! The Devil will keep coming back at you to try to get you to quit, but when he sees that you won't, he'll eventually give up and concede defeat. So keep going no matter what. Keep in mind the importance of your mission, and that the lives of these younger ones are in your hands and they depend on you. Keep that vision and it will help give you the determination to keep going and keep pouring out‚ even when things get tough.

Giving the JETTs and Teens Responsibility

24. I'd like to repeat a few important phrases from the prophecy in Part 1 where the Lord said: "Challenge them, keep them busy, inspire them and lead them in the way of pioneering. ... Lead these in the way of active missionary work. Give them change, challenge, action! Recognize them and let them know how important they are to the Family, to you, to Me, and to the world. Give them appreciation. Give them a place of service and responsibility." This reminded me of the Letter "Teenagers!—Where's It At?" (ML #1398, GN Book 4), where Dad lists some of the basic needs for teenagers—or anyone, for that matter—to be happy: love, change, satisfaction, recognition, appreciation, challenge, fulfillment, the need to be accepted, to feel they belong and are needed‚ the desire to serve and be helpful to others. (Actually‚ I'd recommend that you go back and reread that Letter, as Dad gives some excellent counsel on young teens and their needs.)

25. I'd suggest you take a few minutes to think about that list and see whether you're providing your JETTs and young teens with these basic needs. I know that you parents love them, and I'm sure you YAs and SGAs do, too, although you could probably do more to show it. We generally have a lot of change in our service for the Lord, at least as compared to the world, although some of the younger ones may feel like they don't get enough variety, particularly as they compare with their YA brothers and sisters who have more opportunity to travel to other fields, etc. But what about the other points? Most of them are somewhat related, and have to do with feeling that you're making a meaningful contribution, that you're doing something worthwhile and not just tagging along. The young teens want to feel like they're needed, that they're challenged with something helpful, and not just doing scholastics, hanging around, baby-sitting the younger ones (as opposed to teaching and training them) and doing JJT. Unfortunately, that seems to be all that many of them do.

26. Giving the JETTs and young teens responsibility is not always easy. It takes time, patience, and especially trust. But it's well worth the effort, and it's a must if you want to not only keep the JETTs occupied, but help them to feel like they're somehow making a difference and contributing to the goals of the Home. Have you ever had times when you felt that what you were doing was completely boring and that it wouldn't make any difference to anyone whether you did it or not? Or that it offered absolutely no challenge or inspiration? That's how these young folks sometimes feel‚ and getting them inspired about something can go a long way toward helping them be happy. It's not a complete solution in itself, but it's a pretty important part of the solution, because if they're fulfilled and challenged, they'll be a lot less likely to be looking for inspiration in material things, fads, movies, music, etc. They'll also feel a greater need for the Word in their lives in order to give them the answers and help they need for the projects they're doing.

27. During a prophecy session at the delegates meetings in the U.S. attended by Peter, the Lord said, "Everyone in the Family has a special place of service, a place where they can feel fulfilled, a calling. You have found this, but they [the JETTs and junior teens] have not. Help them to find these places where they feel fulfilled. For many are wandering about, going to and fro. They are bored and don't feel skilled in anything. They don't feel they are proficient in a ministry. They feel they have so much to learn, and wish that somebody would help them and work side by side with them and teach them. Many are scared of the future and don't know if they'll ever find their place of service. So encourage them‚ and bring them in with you." (End of prophecy.)

28. Following is a comment from a recent report from SGA Miguel (of Cherish), one of our VSs in North America, who expressed a similar thought after helping to host a JETT camp. What he shares is probably similar to what many of you older YAs and SGAs experienced in your JETT years:

29. (From Miguel:) "I feel like we are dealing with a totally new and different generation of JETTs than when I was a JETT. I've wanted to understand what the difference is between the JETTs of times past and the JETTs of this new day and age. The JETTs today seem to be more immature compared to us at that age, even in their understanding of Family principles, the spirit world, and our basic beliefs as a Family. Not that we were better than they are, but it seems to me that they have a much more System way of looking at things.

30. "I was thinking a little about why there's a difference between us, and a few things came to mind. Besides the need to train the JETTs in the Word more, like our parents did with us when we were that age, another point is that when we were JETTs‚ we were the oldest kids around, so we were always helping in the Home—running kitchens‚ teaching one of the childcare groups, etc. When I was 12 I was very involved in handyman work. That was my ministry. I thought I was going to do that for the rest of my life, and I wanted to be the best at it. Thank the Lord I was able to get some real good training in it from the adults‚ and I went on to be tops in my little field‚ helping build sets for the video ministry at the HCS. Others were the same, whether it was secretarial work or computer whizzes or cooks, or whatever you wanted to be. (Editor's note: Of course, besides giving your JETTs and junior teens good ministry training and responsibility, you need to make sure that they have enough time to keep up with their scholastics as well.)

31. "The fact of the matter is, we had to be responsible and take on responsibility because there was no one else to do it for us. The adults were too busy with other things, so we had to do it, and as a result we were counted on. We had to fulfill our part of the deal, so to speak; if we didn't, we got corrected for it. I think in general it just grew us up faster. (No glory to us. It was just that way because there was no one else.)

32. "Nowadays, if there are no adults to do a job‚ you try the SGAs. If there are no SGAs, you try the YAs, then the senior teens or the junior teens, and finally the JETTs. By that time, nothing ever filters down for them to really sink their teeth into‚ so they continue on in childhood much longer than we did." (End of comment from Miguel.)

33. (Mama:) As you start giving your JETTs and teens more responsibility, folks‚ please remember that doing so takes patience. If you give them responsibility and they goof it on the first or second or third try, you can't just give up or get frustrated and figure, "You see, they just can't be trusted because they're not responsible!" You can't wait until they've proven they're responsible and then give them responsibility; it's the responsibility that makes them responsible.

34. You also have to be willing to trust them that they can do the job, even if they make some mistakes at first. You shouldn't overreact at their mistakes. Ask the Lord to help you gently lead them and show them what they did wrong, and help them learn as they go.

35. Of course, you can't expect them to do the job right and handle their responsibility correctly unless you've trained them well and worked side by side with them long enough for them to know how to do the job. You have to trust them and give them responsibility, but you can't just throw it in their lap without any training or oversight from you. Giving a JETT the responsibility for the job without the proper knowledge to do the job will only frustrate them.

36. It's a fine balance‚ because you want to let them do it, but at the same time you have to first show them how to do it properly. Start off by doing it together, with them learning from you. Then let them do it under your supervision, and once you know they've got the hang of it, they can go at it on their own. That doesn't mean they'll know how to do it perfectly, and you shouldn't wait until they do a flawless job before you turn over the complete responsibility to them; that could take a while. But it's good if they know how to do it well enough so they at least have a little confidence that they can try it on their own and that if they don't make it, you'll be there to do damage control and help them to know what they did wrong and to correct it.

37. However, in your efforts to teach and train, be sure that you're not smothering the JETTs and doing everything for them. It's very frustrating for them if you tell them that it's their responsibility, but yet you're always doing it‚ and the responsibility is in name only. Then they feel like they're not really needed, since you might as well do it yourself. So let them know that you're just doing it with them long enough for them to get the hang of it‚ so that they can take over with only minimal oversight and involvement from you. But both they and you should be patient and take the time necessary for them to get the proper training for the job so that they can handle their responsibility well.

38. Actually, this principle applies not only to JETTs and teens, but to folks of any age. My teamworkers and I have to delegate responsibility to a lot of folks, and we just trust the Lord that He's going to give them the anointing they need. Of course, I or those with more experience do our best to try to teach and train them as they go, but they're the ones who are responsible to see the job through.

39. For example, when Katie‚ Jenna and Yvonna (YAs/SGAs) joined our Home last year, they had never done any pubs work before, nor had they worked in a pubs unit or CRO office before (although a couple of them had done secretarial work in different Homes). But when the Lord showed us that we needed to start a new pub to get the news to the Family quicker—the Grapevine—we needed someone to do the job. All our more experienced pubs folks were busy full-time with their projects, so we turned the project completely over to the three girls, and they've done a wonderful job, God bless them!

40. But it wouldn't have gotten done if we had waited until they had "proven" they could do the job before giving it to them. We had to trust that the Lord was going to anoint them, and that they would learn as they go—which they did. Of course‚ we didn't just throw them out on their own either. Peter was pretty involved with it at first, as the project was his "baby," and he counseled with the girls about the general content, format, procedures, etc. But now he's much less involved with the details and they pretty much take it on their own‚ although‚ of course, we still oversee them and give the final approval on the Grapevine. You've all benefited from the results, and it's given them a challenge and sense of fulfillment as well.

41. When Francis read this GN, he commented on the good sample and fruit of fully involving the JETTs and young teens, telling me about a Home that he and Amy and David visited during their tour of the Homes in Russia in the summer of '95. He wrote the following:

42. (From Francis: ) "One of the Homes we visited was in Kazakhstan. The Home had eight adults (including a number of young nationals), one 17-year-old boy, a 14-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy (who were sister and brother). It was very inspiring to see how the 14– and 11-year-old were so involved in just about every aspect of the Home and its ministries. Besides going out personal witnessing, they also took turns with some of the adults in giving classes to their regular group of sheep, who they met with daily that summer. When it was their turn to teach a class‚ they were responsible to pray about what to teach‚ prepare the material (i.e., Treasures article, etc.), and then give the class. They had help available if needed, but it was their class.

43. "They also helped organize the Home's 'consider the poor' ministries‚ and took part in Home meetings and decisions on outreach, road trips, etc., praying and getting prophecies along with the adults, God bless them! They seemed to be trusted and treated much like the adults in the Home, and as a result they were quite mature for their age‚ and some of the most challenged and happy young people we met on our trip. It was quite a contrast to another Home where the JETTs and young teens weren't given much responsibility and didn't participate in the Home's outreach and activities, and as a result they were bored and visibly discontent and unhappy." (End of comment from Francis.)

44. Here's another account of how giving responsibility to a "problem" JETT changed his life, and instead of causing problems for the Home, he became a valuable asset to their ministry! One of our young people who read an advance copy of this Letter commented:

45. "I used to live in a Service Home with a large number of young people, where I did office work. We had a couple of JETTs who were bright, witty and very energetic‚ but were often getting into trouble and didn't seem to have much of a burden to help out in the Home. When the idea was first brought up that one of the JETTs could join our office team, I was not at all inspired about the idea. I couldn't see how any of them could be much of a help and was worried they'd spend all their time playing computer games and fooling around 'on company time.'

46. "Well‚ I was wrong. When this JETT boy (then 13) did join the office team, he learned the ropes quick as lightning and became such an asset. Not only did he learn the basics of the programs he needed to use‚ but he got to know them from A to Z. He was given some responsibility. He wasn't called on only when we needed manpower to label and glue addresses on our mass mailing list, but he did a lot of the preparations: getting together the contents, computing and printing the addresses, etc. He taught some of the younger kids how to use the educational adventure CDs and games. And yes, we even played a few computer games together on our free days. It was a blast.

47. "Being able to cultivate his skills and put all that brain power into something useful helped him and us to be a lot happier, get the job done, and enjoy doing it together! Over time, he changed from a JETT who was foolish, didn't listen to others, didn't like to go out on outreach or help around the house, to someone who was happy to go out witnessing or take care of the kids, was dependable in his job, and fun to be around, talk to and work with!" (End of comment.)

48. There's a movie our Home saw recently that illustrates this point quite well, which you might want to watch, called Free Willy 2. In the movie, the main character's younger half brother comes to live with him for the first time. He is a real "problem case," but when shown some love, attention and made to feel included, he has a beautiful change. He tries to act tough on the outside, but is actually crying out for love on the inside. The older brother also has to learn to accommodate his younger sibling and take him under his wing. It requires some sacrifices on his part, but pays off big in the end in that, like the scripture says, he had "gained his brother" (Mat.18:15).

49. Here's another testimony, from a family pioneering China, about the good fruits that giving responsibility to their JETTs and even younger children has had in their kids' lives.

50. (From Matthew and Claire:) "With our teen girls away for three weeks at some teen meetings‚ and Claire in bed recovering from illness, a lot of the jobs involved in running the Home have shifted to our four younger kids during this particular time. They have really taken over, and we just are amazed at how well they are doing. Eman (12), who could hardly fry eggs before, has become our chief dinner cook. He has gotten out the cookbook and we've gone over recipes together. He's learned to make stir-fried meat and vegetables, sweet-and–sour dishes, cream soups‚ and all sorts of delicious things all on his own.

51. "Angela (10) has taken on a lot of lunches and done very well in learning to make salads and egg dishes, as well as taking on a lot of the laundry responsibilities. She runs the machine on her own (which is not automatic) and hangs the clothes out to dry. Sparrow (8) is folding and delivering laundry, taking her turn on the dishwashing schedule, and helping in the house clean-up. Angela has also taken on giving her 3-year-old brother school during this time.

52. "We are so proud of them for taking over at this time. We wouldn't have been able to do it without them. It wasn't the schooling we intended to have during this month, but the Lord knew that with Mom out of commission, our major subject this month should be 'Home Economics.' We're thrilled at the responsibility they are showing and what they are capable of. Eman also has been learning about music, practicing on the electronic organ our friends gave us last month. He can pick up songs by ear and is trying to learn as many Christmas songs as he can." (End of comment from Matthew and Claire.)

Fighting Boredom

53. In the following report from Mary Mom, she comments on the problem many of our Homes have with the JETTs being bored, which contributes to other behavioral problems. She also presents some different ideas on how to resolve this particular problem, which you could perhaps discuss as a Home as well. In her report she talks a lot about the parents or adults doing different activities with the younger teens. But while it is important for the adults to be involved, the Lord brought out in the prophecy included in Part 1 of this series that He is also calling you YAs and SGAs (and senior teens, too) to take on this responsibility to help your younger brothers and sisters. So please bear that in mind when reading this report from Mary, and don't just brush it off as being something that "the parents should take care of."

54. (From Mary:) "The kids I talked to said they mainly just do their scholastics, childcare and dishes, and that's about it. (Please bear in mind that I didn't get to talk to their parents, who weren't at the camp‚ so they might have another side of the story to tell.) Most have their weekend witnessing, and some Homes have singing or performing groups which keep the kids fulfilled, but for the most part the kids say they are pretty bored. The JETTs said they would like to do things with their parents, but because of the need to care for the little children, it means they either stay home or the family activities are geared to the very little ones. In the System, most kids this age are very active in sports, cheerleading, extra studies at school, music training, vocational extras‚ taking part-time jobs, probably walking all around their neighborhood, etc." (Mama: Of course, they also have a lot less supervision, which contributes to a host of other problems and ungodly influences!)

55. (Mary:) "In discussing this problem, some of the kids came up with ideas such as going personal witnessing with their parents at a hotel or restaurant; going on more excursions without the little kids; taking a course outside the Home (such as guitar or piano‚ a foreign language, dancing, mechanics‚ arts and crafts, typing, shorthand, public speaking, etc.); working on a long-term project with one of their parents; having talk time where the adults listen to the kids and implement what they say (within reason, of course); out-of-the-ordinary activities in the Home such as special meals or dancing; inviting neighbors over to the Home to play with and witness to; going with adults for walks around the neighborhood to get to know people; going on more road trips without little kids along‚ etc. They love their little brothers and sisters, but want to be away from them, too, which seems to say that the demands of the little ones are taking away from the time the older ones need right now.

56. "There is just so much to do with the little ones that the older ones' needs often get overlooked, although they are just as important. On the other hand, many kids were pretty resistant to helping with younger brothers and sisters, when the natural course of events is that they should help. The Lord made them older so that they can help their parents. But in order for the older ones to feel fulfilled‚ and not just like a handle to grab and use when needed around the house or with the young ones, they need special time, specialized input, lots of encouragement and even extra blessings for their sacrifices.

57. "I think it would be helpful if we adults looked at the needs of our JETTs and teens as a challenge and not something that discourages us, and plan goals for ourselves: for example, to read a certain amount of Letters and pubs on a particular subject during an allotted time period; to make it a priority to take special witnessing trips or excursions with just the older ones twice a month (or whatever); to write up specific prayer requests for the older kids in the Home that could be given to the prayer vigil teams. What helps me the most is to hear from the Lord in prophecy about individual teens and JETTs in my Home. The Lord always has the picture and He gives such specific instruction and guidance. Then if it is followed, it works!" (End of report from Mary.)

58. (Mama:) This is a real key—hearing from the Lord in prophecy about how He sees the young people in your Home. You can bring each young person before the Lord and ask Him what the key is to challenge them, to help them be happy in their service for Him. What do they need? What should your part be? What kind of positive action can you take to show them you love them and care about them? It's amazing how the Lord can give very specific insight into a person's personality and the way their needs differ from other people's needs.

59. The basic needs are still the same, of course, but each person is a unique individual who responds in different ways to different people and circumstances‚ and the Lord can show you how to make the best use of a person's abilities and talents‚ and what is the most effective way to interact with them. If they are having problems, He can show you the root of those problems and what you can do to help.

60. I have seen the Lord give messages about each child in a family, and an evaluation of each one's personality, and it has been absolutely fascinating! The Lord described each child and their personalities, their likes and dislikes, their different responses to certain things in their lives, the differing ways in which they could be motivated. Each child is so different and needs to be treated as the unique individual he or she is. What works with one child may not work at all with another, so the best thing to do is just ask the Lord.

61. Another point to remember is that if you treat young teens like children, they will act like children. But if you treat them like adults‚ they will act more like adults. Many of you parents probably experienced that with your first children‚ who are now SGAs. Perhaps because in the last few years we've put more emphasis on the scholastic needs of our JETTs and young teens—which was and still is needed—some Homes have started to look at the JETTs and young teens as kids who need to do their school work, have devotions, help with their house chores, and that's it. But that's not going to be enough to keep them happy. They need to feel a part of what the Lord is doing in your Home—a part of your witnessing, a part of your ministries, a part of your "consider the poor" activities, a part of your service for Him.

62. Make an effort to gear some of your outreach activities toward the younger teens and JETTs, doing something that they can actively participate in, and not just be an observing partner. One idea is that you could help the JETTs in your Home—or work together with them and the JETTs from other nearby Homes—to organize their own "consider the poor" ministry. If they're just tagging along with someone else's ministry that they don't have much say in, and are told by you adults or YAs/SGAs, "Now sing this song; now distribute this bag of food; now just be quiet and don't get into trouble," they're not going to feel very inspired about it.

63. But if it's their project—organized by them, prayed about by them‚ the footwork done by them, the witnessing done by them, even the phone calls done by them if they want to and can—then it's much more likely to be a challenge and something that they'll be excited and happy about doing! Of course‚ they'll need some help and supervision, but one of you YAs could guide them, help them when they get stuck and counsel them when they're about to make a mistake. But don't try to tell them what to do at each step. They'll be much happier about it if they feel trusted and like they personally are making a difference.

64. Following is a testimony of a Home that pioneered something along these lines, written by Katie. It shows that it can be done, and that it bears good fruit:

65. (Katie: ) "One of the Homes in the city I was in had a regular CTP ministry with a small children's home that took care of abused children. The thing that impressed me a lot about that particular situation was that it was the JETTs and teens who did this CTP pretty much on their own, with an adult or SGA driver.

66. "They spent time with the young kids at the institution (I think they were aged 5-15), and were able to pour into them one-on-one, sharing answers from the Word, and really witnessing and loving these kids. This was a very busy Home—they were the provisioning Home for the area, and were very short-staffed as far as adults go—but they were faithful with this ministry one afternoon a week, and it was the JETTs' and teens' responsibility to take care of it.

67. "Seeing the JETTs' and teens' faces when they had just come from there and would pass through our Home was inspiring. They would be glowing with excitement and fulfillment. They loved going‚ and would push to get there every week in order to be faithful to see these kids, who they considered 'their' little babies and sheep. They knew these poor kids were counting on them to come, and they made sure they had a little program ready with songs, some Word to share, etc., and did so faithfully.

68. "I remember thinking that it was probably doing our kids as much good as the dear ones they were ministering to—in that it gave them a witnessing opportunity that they looked forward to, and they felt the responsibility of pulling together on their own. It gave them an opportunity to pour out in a deep way to others." (End of comment from Katie.)

Outside Activities and Connecting with the JETTs

69. (Mama:) In addition to involving the JETTs more in your Home's witnessing, giving them responsibility, and helping them develop their own ministries, something that you can pray about and consider in some situations is having your JETTs participate in some sort of fun educational activities outside your Home. From what we've heard, in some Homes this has proven to be a good way to help the JETTs have fun‚ burn off some of that energy that they have, and learn something useful in the meantime.

70. However, if you do some outside activity with them, make sure that it is something that they can benefit from and that is going to be a help in their service for the Lord. Also, it shouldn't be something that's all–absorbing or that would take away from their time witnessing, which is the most important outside activity that your JETTs and teens should be involved in. But some things could be okay from time to time, like taking language or computer courses, or a basic mechanics or electronics class, music or dance lessons, etc. Even participating in some group sport activities with other kids or at a sports club might be okay if not overly competitive, as a means to have fun and get good exercise. These all cost money, but if it's the Lord's will for your situation, He'll either supply the funds or give you the faith to provision it‚ as some folks have done.

71. Of course‚ before enrolling your JETTs or junior teens in any such outside activity, it would be wise to pray and hear from the Lord to confirm that it's His specific will. Any of these, particularly any activities where your kids are heavily interacting with other kids their age, would also need to be followed up with some good shepherding, to counter any negative attitudes and influences or peer pressure from the other kids they're with during those times.

72. We've heard reports of some JETTs and teens spending most of their free time going to the movies, or just hanging out in malls. If that's the case, it's no wonder they've picked up a lot of worldliness and System influences! Hanging out in malls and frequent trips to movies is just about one of the worst things you could let them do for a "fun" activity, in terms of exposure to the System's negative input!

73. Your JETTs and young teens do sometimes need to get out for fun free-time activities other than their witnessing and outreach ministries, but please at least try to make it a meaningful experience that is going to benefit them in some way and not just be a waste of time, or worse yet, fill their heads and hearts with System input! You may think you don't have the time to try to arrange or provision something to do in their free time that they are interested in and which can also double as a witness, or that is at least edifying or educational and useful to their service for the Lord, so you just let them watch a movie or go to the mall. But in the long run you'll spend a lot more time trying to clean up the spiritual garbage the Enemy is throwing at them while they're out fooling around with little or no supervision.

74. Of course, maybe in some cases the JETTs and junior teens are just following the sample they see in you YAs and SGAs. Are you spending a lot of your free time going to the malls or movies, or doing other unedifying activities? The Lord is calling you to lead the way for your younger brothers and sisters. Which way are you leading them? Think about it.

75. On the subject of outside activities, it's also important that your JETTs and junior teens get plenty of vigorous exercise on a daily basis. They have a lot of energy, and if they don't have an opportunity to use some of it up by running around outside‚ or playing sports, they're going to get pent up and use that energy to cause mischief around the house. Some Homes have found that a number of their JETTs' behavioral problems were solved when they started taking them outside every day for some good vigorous exercise or sports activities. It's certainly much better than them spending a lot of time playing computer games or watching TV!

76. While working on this GN‚ we received the following in a report from Lisa, one of our European CROs, about the blessing that some sport activities can have in the JETTs' and junior teens' lives, particularly the boys. In printing this I'm not endorsing sports as an all-consuming activity or one which takes away from our work for the Lord‚ but if done in the right environment and with the proper shepherding, some regular sport activities might be just fine and a help. The main reason I'm including this testimony is because it's a very good example of parents spending time connecting with their junior teen on his level, starting with something that interested him, and using that as a springboard to teach lessons, as well as renew a healthy and loving relationship with him. God bless them! While this particular testimony is about parents, you YAs and SGAs can—and should—try to connect with the JETTs and junior teens in your Home in a similar way.

77. (From Lisa:) "In the past, this couple had many shepherding responsibilities, which included a lot of traveling. Their high–powered children lived in a Combo and were generally cared for by others. Right before the Charter, when the parents took over the care of their children, they were told that two of their children were 'problems.' Their 17-year-old daughter, like others her age, said that she sometimes wondered if Jesus was real or if prayer worked‚ and their 14-year-old son seemed to always be getting into trouble.

78. "The parents immediately took up the challenge of pouring all they could into their children. They spent hours with their daughter answering her questions, and reading and explaining the Word to her. She is now a happy girl with lots of conviction‚ testifying of the Lord's answers to prayer and sharing her witnessing testimonies.

79. "However, this couple was having a hard time getting through to their teen son, and they were desperate for a starting point. At the time, he had one foremost interest in life: football (soccer). His parents, like most Family adults, were very cautious about sports, and even tended to be more on the legalistic side. But at this point the Lord led the father to spend time with his son teaching him football, in an effort to 'connect' with him. They spent one or two hours daily on the soccer field, and in the context of football‚ the father was able to address many areas his son needed to work on‚ such as not getting along well with people, competitiveness, being a poor loser, lack of sticking and seeing a project through, etc. Their son started changing a lot. By the time we visited, he had become an outgoing‚ communicative and fun person to be around—a special young man.

80. "The father shared that although sports was a key in getting their son's interest‚ the main lesson for them as parents was to not be afraid to venture out and even use unconventional methods, if need be‚ in order to connect with and train their kids, with the ultimate goal of making their Family life and service for the Lord challenging, fun and fulfilling.

81. "I wonder if some folks have gone a bit overboard in wanting to protect their children from the pitfalls of sports (which is important), to the point that the kids are also missing other valuable lessons, as well as simple exercise and physical fitness. Since many sports are not available to them, they get into things such as excessive computer games and video/TV watching. In the end, these things can have a greater overall damaging effect on the kids than sports.

82. "To me, it seems much better if the kids do something creative where they can use up surplus energy, breathe fresh air, and on top of this‚ learn good lessons in relating to others, rather than staying cooped up in the house getting into mischief because of boredom. I wonder if we need to find the right balance and benefit from the advantages, instead of disregarding everything related to sports, lest we join the world in raising couch potatoes and asocial computer buffs." (End of comment from Lisa.)

Testimony of a Converted Junior Teen

83. In order to help emphasize and illustrate the positive effect that you YAs and SGAs can have on your younger brothers and sisters by taking them under your wing‚ pouring into them and giving them some time, attention and responsibility‚ I thought it might help to include a personal testimony of someone whose life was changed through that experience. I asked Francis to write up his story, which I'm including here. In his case it was an adult shepherd who helped him through, as when he was a JETT there weren't any YAs or SGAs! But the same principle applies.

84. (From Francis:) "When I was a JETT‚ I was what you would call a 'problem kid': rebellious, unruly, smart–alecky and downright destructive. I attended System school from age 9 to 13, and while it was a good private Catholic school and it benefited me in some ways, in other ways it was detrimental to my service for the Lord because it absorbed all my time, energy and thoughts. I was a good student and got totally sucked into education, and thought a lot more about going to college and becoming a lawyer or economist than I did about being a missionary.

85. "My dad and mom were good parents, God bless them, but they had so much to do with all the little ones (we're a large family), plus they didn't really know how to handle me because I was so rebellious. Looking back‚ perhaps they should have given me closer supervision and involved themselves more in my life, as I was given pretty much free rein to do what I wanted. But on the other hand‚ I made it hard for them to be good, so I certainly don't blame them.

86. "Because of a lack of the Word, shepherding and challenge (other than school), starting at age 11 I manifested a lot of teen problems, such as shoplifting, stealing money from my parents, smoking cigarettes (which I usually stole since I was too young to buy them), chronic lying, blatant disobedience and very vocal disrespect to my parents, fights with neighborhood kids‚ a violent temper with my younger sister and brothers (scars resulting), and worse. I did just about every bad thing that a JETT could do (except drugs, but that's because I went to a strict upper-class school where no one had any). I even hid the fact that my parents were missionaries, and began to doubt the existence of God and Jesus! What a mess! (I'm including all these details to show that if I could make it, anyone can.)

87. "When I was 13 we moved from France to South America‚ and things got a bit better since I was out of my 'Egypt.' But for the first year I didn't do much except hang around and cause trouble or go off on my own. I had little Word, no challenge, and no inspiration or desire to serve the Lord. I didn't want to be in the Family, and had I known where to go, I would have left for sure.

88. "When I was 14, I was invited to Musica Con Vida (Spanish MWM), along with a number of other teens. I was happy to get away from home. (You know how it is at that age.) At MCV I tried to be on my best behavior in order to make a good impression, but my 'good' was pretty poor; I had some serious behavioral problems, and nearly got sent away. I was bad, and I knew it.

89. "We JETTs and teens (there were about 10 of us), were incorporated into the Home and given responsibilities just like the adults. Although I'd never done office work before, Juan (who was the shepherd there, along with Faithy) gave me a chance to help out in the office. I learned to type, and gradually was given more responsibility until I was eventually doing final typing and helping with some Spanish pubs work. (Office work later ended up being my main ministry‚ and has been for the past 12 years.)

90. "What made such an impression on me was that Juan knew what a problem case I was, yet he showed faith in me. Maybe he did this with everyone, but I felt that he had taken a special interest in me personally, and wanted to see me make it. Most people would have given up on me (and I remember one of the shepherds telling me later that when I first joined the Home‚ no one had the faith that I was going to make it), but Juan seemed to know that buried somewhere inside of me there was a desire to do good. He and the other shepherds corrected me when I was bad, but they also tried to help me feel included and participate fully in the Home like an adult, making a meaningful contribution to the Home's activities.

91. "Juan made me feel like he had a special interest in seeing me succeed, and that sparked in me a desire to live up to what was expected of me and do my best to deliver the goods, both in my ministry and attitude. And as I did, I started to change. It wasn't overnight, but after being there for nine months I was a very different person. I had made a commitment to serve the Lord‚ and while I still had many NWOs, I was on the Lord's side‚ accomplishing something for Him and generally being a blessing in the Home.

92. "It was a complete miracle—no credit to me, that's for sure! The Lord did the miracle, probably in answer to my parents' and others' prayers. But had Juan and some other adults there not shown such a personal interest in me and taken me under their wing despite their busy schedules and many other more important things to take care of, I'm pretty sure I would not be here today. It's not even like Juan spent a lot of time with me, as he was a busy man with many other responsibilities, but I knew he had a personal interest, and he trusted me and made sure I was challenged and fulfilled in my life.

93. "At age 15 I moved to a field Home, and was blessed to be part of a three-man team that spent nearly all our time on the road personal witnessing and following up on radio members. (This was during the 'Reap Radio Revolution.') I shared equal responsibility with the two adult members of the team‚ and we counseled and prayed and made decisions together. It made me feel like I was a contributing Family member, and not just tagging along.

94. "That same year I also teamed up with Ready (Joseph Eastman)‚ a veteran Family witnesser, for a few months, and the two of us spent quite a bit of time on the road, traveling and witnessing together. His sample and love for the lost, and his faith‚ trust and interest in me, instilled in me a desire to give my life for the sheep, as well as to learn and study the Word so I could use it in my witnessing the way he did.

95. "Being able to witness full-time (we did restaurant singing and provisioning to support ourselves)‚ including winning some catacombers and disciples, gave me the vision for what the Family is all about. At MCV I'd had a miraculous change of heart from being a hard-to-handle problem case on my way out of the Family, to someone who had decided to dedicate his life to the Lord. However, I was just barely in, you might say, and had I gone from there to some dead Home where I was bored and unchallenged, with little personal witnessing, I probably would have eventually backslid.

96. "It was being given responsibility, and witnessing—seeing people's lives change when I talked to them on my own (not just watching an adult partner talk to them)—that gave me a firsthand understanding of why we even have a Family. Later, when living in Homes where I mostly had in–house ministries, I often looked back to that year on the road as my reference point that made what I was doing at home to help other people get out witnessing worthwhile. But if I hadn't had that solid foundation myself, I would have never kept the vision, and would have likely left the Family as an older teen.

97. "My initial change of heart while at MCV was a little bit like when the JETTs or teens go to a camp and decide to dedicate their lives to the Lord. That's wonderful‚ but if it isn't followed by some steady input from someone who personally takes them under their wing and makes them feel a part of their life, the initial commitment eventually fades. There has to be some ongoing firsthand experience of what it means to be a missionary‚ seeing the results that make life for the Lord more than just living in a Home with other people and calling ourselves 'The Family.'" (End of comment from Francis.)

98. (Mama:) Speaking of changed lives, I'd like to take the opportunity to commend those of you who are pouring your lives and hearts into the JETTs and junior teens, which from what we've heard is bearing very good results! I've heard reports of some of you YAs and SGAs who are trying to be a sample to the younger ones of dedicated, on-fire disciples, taking time with them‚ listening to them, and doing things with them. Some of you young VSs have been instrumental in holding a number of JETT camps that from all accounts seem to have made a real difference in the preteen and young teens' lives, and are doing personal follow-up in your visitation. I've also heard that after watching the Summit videos, some of you YAs and SGAs have seen the need to be a sample to and pour into your younger brothers and sisters. I know the Lord will bless you, as He has promised. I thank you, the Lord thanks you, and the JETTs and teens will one day thank you as well, and probably already are!

99. In the U.S., Ado and Kanah have taken up the challenge of traveling to various Homes and trying to help them with their JETTs. They've also organized a number of short mini-camps (6-12 attendees each) for the JETTs and junior teens in several parts of the U.S. The camps are being hosted by various Homes that have volunteered to take the JETTs in for 4-7 days, while certain Home members give seminars on their particular skills or otherwise participate in the camp by organizing outings, etc. For example, one TS Home is hosting a JETT camp and giving a seminar on computers. In another case, a friend of the Family with a horse farm is hosting a camp. While the fun activities or seminars are a drawing card for the JETTs, the main purpose of the camps is for Ado and Kanah and the other teachers to give the kids feeding Word classes, personal time, and take them out personal witnessing.

100. Ado and Kanah also planned a two-week witnessing faith trip to Mexico, and wrote the Homes in their area inviting their JETTs and junior teens to come along. They could only take 12 JETTs/teens, but got so many replies that they had to plan 3 consecutive faith trips, with still more JETTs on the waiting list! It goes to show that the JETTs and teens are eager for these types of opportunities which provide personal witnessing, living by faith (provisioning and fundraising as you go), pouring the Word into them, and personal shepherding and attention. Of course‚ these are just starters, and follow-up needs to be done by the parents and YAs/SGAs at home, but it can provide a big boost in the spirit for the JETTs and teens. Do you have the burden?

The "Good Kids" Need Attention Too!

101. In this series we've talked a lot about the kids who obviously need help and attention. But as was brought out in the prophecy in which the JETT girl speaks in Part 1 of this series‚ paragraphs 44-53, it's not just the "problem kids" that need extra time and attention, but all the young teens and JETTs! Actually, it's sometimes the "good kids" who are overlooked and not poured into, who then later develop worse problems or bitterness or resentment for being passed up for those who behave worse. It's important to give that love, time and attention to all, including those who don't seem to need it or even appear to want it all that much on the outside. As the Lord said in a prophecy received at a recent meeting where the needs of our JETTs and junior teens was discussed:

102. (Jesus speaking: ) These will be going through trials—simple trials, they may seem to you, but still big trials to them—of discontentment, of feeling inferior, of discouragement, of wondering if they are useful to Me, of wondering what they should do with their lives‚ of wondering how to love Me and what it means to truly serve Me.

103. Though they will not be battling with outward things so much, and though the worldliness may not seem very apparent in their lives, yet you must not use this as an excuse to relax and say, "Well, these do not have so many problems. These do not need our help so much." Though they are not battling outwardly, they are fighting inner battles. They have tears inside them that they need you to dry with the tender love that I have given you for them. (End of message from Jesus.)

104. (Mama: ) These young ones are like little buds that are starting to bloom. You can either tenderly care for them by giving them water, sunlight and attention‚ and thus help them to blossom into beautiful flowers, or you can let them wilt and wither because of your indifference and unwillingness to make some personal sacrifices to give them what they need. Or worse yet, you can step on them and crush them through your bad sample and negative attitudes toward the Word, witnessing, living for the Lord, etc. Which will you do?

105. Will you be the good shepherd, like Dad in the Letter "The Rose," who took the little rose and planted it in a pot and tenderly cared for it? (See ML #235.) These precious roses are being buffeted about by the Enemy, suffocated by the smoke from the materialistic influence of the System, and the Enemy is trying to choke them with the weeds of doubt‚ rebelliousness, discouragement and lethargy. While they may not readily admit it, on the inside they're crying out for help. Their flame of faith and inspiration is flickering low, but it has not gone out yet. There is still hope, and there is still life. Will you answer their cry and fan the flame?

106. Don't tell me that it's someone else's job. The Lord is calling you! You're the one who is there beside the young ones in your Home, and you're the one the Lord wants to use to turn on the light in their lives, to breathe the breath of God's Spirit into them. He wants to use you to point them in the right direction, and to show them by your own example. "The greatest guide is the one who shows the way!" (ML 75:18). The Lord will hold you accountable if you don't!

107. You're not only your "brother's keeper" and supposed to "bear each other's burdens" (Gen. 4:9; Gal. 6:2)‚ but the Lord has now made these younger ones your major job, and if you don't accept this responsibility, you will be failing both Him and them! As the Lord said in Part 1 of this series, "All are necessary … to fight for My young warriors. But you of the second generation hold the advantage…. For this reason I have ordained you, for your own youthful drive and zeal will ignite them!… This will I require at your hand. This is the responsibility that I place on your shoulders, for this is the coming of age."

108. Following is another beautiful message along these lines that the Lord gave when we were praying for a JETT girl who wrote a personal letter to me in which she shared about the different battles she was going through. In addition to giving a personal message for her‚ the Lord also gave a message for the adults and YAs in the Home, excerpts of which I'm including here:

109. (Jesus speaking:) Care for your flock. For this, My dear child‚ comes to the point of decision in her life, a crossing of the railroad tracks, another step toward My high calling, a ways further down the path of My will. Encourage My little ones. Encourage My sheep.

110. Let not these young ones be overlooked in your eyes, due to the many other responsibilities and pressing matters to attend to, and due to caring for those who are older and of greater stature and of more outward maturity. These young ones and this dear one must not be neglected nor overlooked. For in these formative years the best decisions are made, the most important ones.

111. Therefore look diligently to these young ones. For though their choices may not be outward or may not be manifested much, yet they are of much consequence and are very important. Therefore encourage and shepherd the young, for as they make their choices to draw closer to Me and to take a step in the right direction‚ they need your encouragement and your support. For this enables them to take the next step.

112. Therefore love this one and care for her tenderly, for she is precious in My sight, as each of My children is. She is as a tender and young flower. Therefore you must shield her and water her and place her gently in the sunlight, that she may grow strong and blossom unto Me.

113. Care for the sheep, for your lambs, for your young ones. For can you not see that I love them so? I love them as I love the ones that are of age and are of greater standing in the eyes of men. I love all equally and with such love. Therefore tend to your young ones, and neglect them not. Encourage, comfort, strengthen and support them‚ for they will one day strengthen, encourage and support you. (End of message from Jesus.)

114. (Mama:) Sometimes you can get so busy with the affairs of the Kingdom that you forget that these young ones are the Kingdom of God, too! We may have many other great accomplishments‚ but if we fail our own children because of our unwillingness to take the time to love and tenderly care for them, to give them the inspiration, the Word‚ the encouragement, the challenge in their lives that they need, then we will have fallen short of what the Lord has called us to do.

115. Not all of our children will become full-time missionaries and fighters for the Lord. Each still has his or her own freedom of choice, and once they're old enough, they have the option to follow a different path if they choose. After having done all we can for them, if some still choose to live for themselves or follow other goals in the System, we'll just have to trust the Lord for them‚ knowing that they're in His hands. But God forbid that they should go back because of any lack of obedience to His admonitions on our part! God forbid that they should fail because we didn't do enough to give them a challenge, to give them love, to feed them the Word, to be a listening ear when they had heartaches and battles, to show them a sample of being turned on to the Word and witnessing that made them want to do the same! It's like the verse, "It must needs be that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh!" (Mat. 18:7). Lord help it not to be you!

116. I believe that Peter and I are doing our part in giving the Word, and our Pubs teams are doing their part in trying to get out more feeding material for the kids and the teens. The CROs and VSs are doing their part in holding teen and JETT camps and doing as much visitation as they can, but the rest is up to you and your Home—particularly you older teens, YAs and SGAs, who the Lord is specifically calling for this task. The Lord‚ and Peter and I, are counting on you to do your best. And the teens and JETTs are counting on you, too! I know you won't let them down, just like someone didn't let you down when you were younger and needed help, too!

117. In closing, I'd like to share an important thought with you: I've talked a lot about being a sample to the younger ones, feeding them the Word, making witnessing and service for the Lord something fun and exciting, etc. But there's one more very important element, without which the others will not be nearly as effective—prayer. The Lord wants you to pray for these younger ones. Get desperate before Him‚ seeking His face daily for the JETTs or young teens in your Homes who are misbehaving‚ or who are battling, and even those who seem to be doing well. As the saying goes, prayer is not the least you can do, it's the most you can do!

118. The Lord can accomplish things through your prayers that could never otherwise be accomplished. Only the Lord can change people's hearts, and only His Spirit can give them true happiness and fulfillment—and this comes in great part as a result of your fervent prayers. So keep praying—and put feet to your prayers! The Lord will answer‚ and He will bring about the victory! Praise the Lord! God bless you!

Love, Mama

PS: More Practical Ideas and Tips

119. At the recent delegates meetings in the U.S. which Peter attended, he read the prophecy included in Part 1 of this series, paragraphs 74-132. After that, Peter opened the floor for a discussion of possible practical ways to help our JETTs and teens. I also asked the young people in our Home to draw on their experience in working with JETTs and when they were JETTs themselves, to brainstorm some pointers on what they would try to do if they were to take a JETT under their wing. I'm including all this here. It's by no means a complete list, nor is each point addressed in full, and some ideas may not be practical or advisable in your situation. I'm not going to comment or expound on each point, as each situation is different‚ and you'll have to get together in your Home and seek the Lord unitedly to see what He wants you to do and how you can best help the JETTs and teens in your Home.

120. At your city council you should also pray together and hear from the Lord and discuss ways to help inspire and strengthen the teens and JETTs in your city by organizing citywide projects or witnessing activities that would be a blessing and inspiration to them, as well as unifying for your Homes!

121. As I said, I'm not going to try to get into the details of exactly what to do, as that's for you to pray about and decide locally. My job is just to give you the Word and the general direction from the Lord, to give you the vision and instill in you the importance of obeying the counsel the Lord is giving. Your job is then to pray further about how to apply it to your personal situation, individually‚ as a Home, and as a city or area, and then put it into practice. I pray that these few tips are a help and a springboard to further ideas and practical solutions as you pray and discuss this subject together. God bless you!

122. On a Home or city level:

* Evaluate what can be done to give the JETTs challenge and responsibility, not just mundane, routine work.

* (For the U.S. and Europe:) Take the JETTs to the mission field.

* Within areas or cities‚ initiate an "Adopt a JETT" program. Different Homes help take care of or "adopt" a JETT from another Home for a certain period of time, like a "student exchange program." One Home could help another Home who, for whatever reasons, may not have as much ability to take care of their JETTs, by taking one or two of them on a rotational basis.

* Have a Home in the city or vicinity designated as a "teen/JETT Home." Even if the teens and JETTs don't live there‚ it could be a place where they could get together on weekends and do projects and excursions on a city or area-wide basis.

* Invite a few JETTs and teens to your Home, and turn it into a mini-teen Home‚ where the Home's outreach and activities revolve around them, with lots of personal witnessing. In the past, there have been problems with negative peer pressure in large groups of JETTs and teens, and it's difficult to shepherd a large group, but small groups of 4-6 may work well.

* Win new disciples. With new disciples in the Home, everyone has to pull up their socks and standard, which benefits the JETTs, too. And the JETTs can also be a part of teaching the new disciples!

* More follow-up after JETT/teen camps, so the lessons learned will be retained and continue to have an effect after the kids return home.

* Cities could vote in a city JETT/teen deacon who would be responsible for organizing JETT/teen activities on a citywide basis.

123. On an individual level, for YAs/SGAs:

* "Adopt" a JETT or junior teen in your Home as your buddy. You probably won't be able to be with them all the time, as you have other responsibilities, but this means looking after him or her, thinking about him or her throughout the day or when you're around them, and tuning in to their needs. (Are they getting fed from the Word? Do they need help with their scholastics? Do they have something challenging and fun to do?)

* If you don't have any JETTs in your Home, you could take a couple from other Homes under your wing, whether they live nearby or are far away, and keep in contact with them. Pray for them regularly and ask the Lord for some prophecies for them. Call or write to them, and when possible, try to visit them. Just knowing that they can call or write you if they ever need help or someone to pour out to could be a help.

* Become friends with your JETT or teen buddy. But don't come down to their level; bring them up to yours. Treat them as if they are older than they are‚ and they'll start acting older.

* Take your buddy out witnessing with you‚ and let them do the talking, or the provisioning, etc.

* If you're a childcare person, have your JETT or teen buddy teach some of the classes to the kids on a subject that they themselves are interested in. Discuss the subject with them and have them do the research and prepare the class on their own‚ with help from you if necessary.

* If at first you feel like having this younger "kid" with you all the time is cramping your style, don't give up! After a while you can get to be good friends and really enjoy doing things together. Once they see that you trust them and relate to them as a friend, they'll grow up amazingly fast.

* Make them the Home provisioner, with your help. They can research which companies to call for the items you need, keep track of what progress has been made, help write and type up and fax the request letters, accompany you on pick-ups and follow–up visits, and even make the phone calls if they're adept at it. They can organize the whole thing (with your supervision), and just avail themselves of your help to make the calls or carry out other tasks that they don't feel they can do.

* Train them to carry much or most of the responsibility for your Home's mail ministry or follow-up mail, including selecting appropriate lit, answering questions‚ writing thank-you letters, and praying for and hearing from the Lord for your sheep and supporters, as well as doing the pick-and–shovel work of stuffing and stamping envelopes, keeping records‚ etc.

* Let them help in office or organizational-type ministries: Helping as the Home secretary, taking notes at meetings, doing the daily schedule‚ helping keep the finance books, keeping stats, filling out the TRF, etc. There's also a lot of challenge in kitchen oversight when you include such things as shopping, budgeting and meal planning. And some boys may want to be involved in vehicle maintenance, building projects, etc.

* Help them develop a greater interest in the Word by having fun reading times with them. Read some of Dad's old Letters on a variety of interesting subjects‚ like Endtime prophecy, prophetic dreams and revelations, etc. Have special reading times with them at night before bed, while munching on a bowl of popcorn. These times will strengthen their interest in the Word and make them more receptive to what Dad and Mama have to say on more "spiritual" topics. Use the HomeARC to do studies on all that Dad had to say on topics that the JETT or teen is interested in.

* Study the Bible together on the Endtime, the fulfilled Messianic prophecies, or other Bible stories. Teach them how to give a Daniel 2 or Daniel 7 class. If you don't know it well enough to teach them, then you'd better study it, too! Study about the life of David in the Bible, or go through the Book of Proverbs and make a game of trying to come up with a practical, true-life example that describes each proverb you can.

* Have them help lead devotions sometimes; have them prepare a Word class to teach to the Home, with your help if necessary.

* Don't compare them with when you were a JETT. You don't like it when your parents tell you, "When I was your age...." The JETTs don't like it when you say the same thing to them.

* Cater to their interests, not yours. Don't try to pour them into the mold of what you were like at that age and what your interests were. Take time to listen to them and find out what they like and what their ideas and dreams are. Through listening you might find a key to inspiring them more.

* If a JETT or teen is interested in something you don't know anything about, learn it together! Maybe you're a carpenter, but your JETT buddy is more interested in mechanics. Don't try to force carpentry on him just because that's what interests you. Instead, have fun learning mechanics with him.

* Don't overreact when the JETTs come up with wild ideas or make some sweeping, bold statement. Sometimes they just want to test you to see what your reaction is going to be. Don't let the standard down, but take things in stride and discuss the subject with them as you would with a friend.

* Respect them when they sincerely give their opinion‚ just like you would one of your peers.

* Take time to talk and listen to them heart-to-heart, as you would with a friend. This will help them to be honest with you, and when they are, treat what they share with you with a lot of care and respect, and try to do what you can to help answer their questions by studying the Word together or hearing from the Lord together on those topics.

* Be a good sample of the Word, but don't try to be overly "spiritual," making a big lesson out of every little thing. It's good to draw lessons‚ but overdoing it will turn them off. Save it for when it's important and needed.

* Spend your free time with your JETT or teen buddy. Work on some hobby together that you both share an interest in, or read something interesting together. It will require some sacrifice on your part, but it can be fun, too!

* Be their "representative" in Home Council meetings, bringing their needs, ideas, problems and victories to the attention of the rest of the Home for consideration, prayer and counsel.

* Develop a good line of communication with the parents, if in the same Home. The parents are ultimately responsible for their JETT or teen, and should be actively involved in their care and upbringing. If you're going to be taking their JETT or teen under your wing, you'll need to develop a relationship of mutual trust and understanding with the parents so that the JETT will not get conflicting signals or one standard from the parents and another from you.

* Pray for them individually. Bring their battles and any obstacles that come up before the Lord in prayer every day. He can work miracles!

More Word from the Lord on Caring for Our JETTs and Teens!

124. Following are excerpts of prophecies received by the CROs and VSs (both adults and young people) in the U.S. when praying about the JETTs and teens in their area. While they were specifically asking the Lord about JETT camps, the answers the Lord gave apply to all of you and your care of the JETTs and young teens in your Home.

125. (Jesus speaking: ) Give, and it shall be given unto you! For your life is not your own. I have brought you personally to My Kingdom for such a time as this—a time to give of yourself. I have given you so much—years of training, years of Word, teachers, instruction, correction, help and guidance. Therefore, from you to whom I have given so much, I will require that you invest those same talents and the Word that I have given you in these others, your younger brothers and sisters, those that are crying out for help!

126. I'm calling out to you—their brothers, sisters‚ mothers‚ fathers, aunts and uncles—their Family! Give! Give freely of the love that I have given you! Don't hold back. Don't question. Don't reason. Don't try to understand the whys and wherefores, but just give out, as I gave to you. Give! Be My vessels, My conduits, My faucets. Be holy holes!

127. Be a moldable piece of clay in My hands, and I will make you a better vessel, a new vessel to give the waters of life to these dear ones who are crying out from the wilderness of their minds‚ lost and trapped in the brambles of the Enemy's System influences that seek to entangle them. They are unable to get themselves out, unable to find the answers and the way out of their wilderness. But I have given you the light to illuminate their path, so they can follow you out into the sunshine of My love.

128. Now is your hour! This is your day! Take up the white–hot sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and cut the Devil to the heart! It's time to fight! It's time to march! It's time to show them how to fight—how to wield the weapon of My Word! Wield the new weapons of prophecy and praise and loving Me. I wish to take them in My arms and love them, lead them and guide them, but you must be the samples.

129. Greater love has no man than this‚ that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatsoever I have commanded you. Go out to the highways and hedges and compel them [our JETTs] to come in! Get their addresses and phone numbers and phone them, write them, receive prophecies for them, encourage them.

130. Are you not your brother's keeper? Show them how to witness. Get out the Word, and they will be turned on if you are turned on. Give love‚ and you'll receive love. If you roll away the stone, the miracle of life will come forth. The seed has been planted in their hearts; they just need a little watering, a little strengthening, a little sunlight, and they shall grow and be strong and bear much fruit!

131. Are you willing? Are you willing to lay down your life, to give your all as a bottle that is poured forth, like Pandita Ramabai? I shall send down gifts from Heaven—spirit helpers—Brunheld, Joan of Arc, Martin Luther, and many more! Ask for spirit helpers, and they shall be there at your side to lead and guide you.

132. Do these things I say‚ that your reward may be great both in Heaven and on Earth. For you shall see the fulfillment of My Word in these young ones' lives, and the fulfillment of My promises of blessing and fulfillment in your lives! Thank you, My precious ones, for sacrificing your personal desires to serve one another in love. Truly your reward is great in Heaven! Truly you are close to My heart! Truly you are precious in My sight.

133. Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die‚ it bringeth forth much fruit! You are the seeds that I sow in the ground; they are the tree and the branches that will spring forth. If the seed were to just lay there and say, "I am not willing to be planted! I am not willing to die! I cannot bear it!"—what good would it do? Yet in dying to itself, and even being hid where it is unseen, where it seemingly is not doing anything, it brings forth much fruit. It multiplies itself greatly! So shall it be with you as you yield to Me and let Me use you in whatever capacity I choose to help My precious children.

134. Take the time to talk to each one, to pray with them and to pour as much into them as they will receive. Some will be more open than others, but you must give all of them a chance. You must probe and dig and make an effort to find out what they're going through and point them to My Word. Show them the answers. Show them that they are special to Me. Help them not to feel inferior. Help them to realize how great and mighty they are in My sight‚ and what great and mighty things I will do through them! Help them to realize how exciting it is to live in the Spirit!

135. If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto Me. Great is the task that I have set before you, but so small is your ability. Therefore you must have great faith in Me, that I am able to do it through you. You are but a chess piece in My hand! Yield to Me‚ that I may move you and place you close by the one who needs your help, close by that girl who feels so shy, close by that boy who acts proud because he doesn't understand. Let Me move you. Let Me use you. (End of messages from Jesus.)

136. (Vision:) I had a vision of the song "Jesus Loves the Little Children," which is on one of the Family Fun videos. I saw Jesus taking in JETTs and teens, and all of them were different, from different countries. It didn't matter who they were, but He was taking them in. They were all sitting down together at the table, and it was like He was saying, "I take them all! Some are DO, some are TS; some are easy to work with, some aren't; some seem difficult, some seem easy—but I take them all in! That's how I want you to take them all in, like I took you in without exception!"

137. (Mama:) Following is a prophecy received when those at the last Summit meeting prayed about the young people in the U.S. Here the Lord is specifically calling the YA boys, but it can apply to you girls as well!

138. (Jesus speaking:) I am sending out searchers to find My true-hearted, wholehearted, faithful and loyal princes and kings of Kingdom come‚ to heed My call, to respond to My pleading‚ to go and save My little ones.

139. Why do you run away from responsibility? Why are you afraid of growing up and becoming the men I would like you to be? Why are you running away to the land of ease, of rejoicing, of pleasure with your peers, when there is a big mission, a big calling ahead for you? Why are you afraid? Why are you trying to close your eyes to what I want to show you?

140. Listen to the whispers! See the vision! Hear the call of the big Lion King [Jesus] in your heart. Remember when you were a boy, and Papa Lion [Dad] spoke such wonderful words to your heart, to make you a courageous fighter and to call you for a Kingdom to come. Please do not ignore this voice. Let the vision and voice of this Papa Lion grow in your heart, to make you courageous and valiant to fight the battles, to save the little ones!

141. Please go with the women. They're doing all they can to fight for these young ones' lives, to save them‚ and to save the country from being overrun. Go in there and fight valiantly for the little ones—to free them, to give them a vision and a purpose in life, to raise up a new army to go to the mission field with you!

142. I call you‚ brave young men! I call you brave! You might feel like a coward, but I call you to be My brave men, to fight this war that only you can fight, to be the knights standing in the gap and saving the little ones, the brothers and sisters who are looking for a role model, who are looking for someone to take them out of the predicament they now find themselves in, to find a new life in Jesus. Please heed the call! (End of message from Jesus)

Channeling Their Energies

143. (Mama:) Following is an excerpt of a personal letter I received while this GN was in the works. It's from a first generation adult in Japan who worked a lot with teens in the past, and who now, together with his wife and family, is opening a small Home where teens can come for witnessing and inspiration, God bless him! You'll notice that he also brings out how the JETTs and teens need an older YA or SGA who they look up to and respect to help guide and channel them in the right direction.

144. (From Jonathan [of Rejoice]:) "What I've found with JETTs and teens is that they're very energetic. They've gotta have action, any kind of action. And if they don't have an adult there or somebody older than them who they respect, like a YA, who can channel their energies into the right kind of action‚ then they're going to make their own action. I would say that that's been the problem in a lot of cases where we had misbehaving younger teens. They would do a lot better when they had someone there with them most of the day who could channel their energies into doing something positive.

145. "What we're trying to do here is make the teens our ministry. In other words, our Home is geared to them, and whatever witnessing we do is with them and our own children. I think it would be helpful if our adults made the kids their ministry more. I know this sounds a bit idealistic, but there's gotta be some kind of solution. The teens need to feel they are part of what their Home is doing, and not just some kind of extras in the Home. Dad's teens were his ministry, and that's what started the Revolution.

146. "I have come across a lot of teens and JETTs who were tearing their house apart, offending all the adults and causing havoc, but when they came under closer shepherding and blended into a situation that was geared to them and where they were tuned into, with activities and responsibilities given to them from morning till night, they felt a lot more useful and they did a lot better. They didn't tear the house up, and they channeled their energies in the right direction. They came through their very difficult early teen years a lot better.

147. "I feel that there are a lot of teens in the Family who are not satisfied with the way things are going in the 'teen scene.' They see that their peers are uncommitted and undedicated. They see some of their peers getting into bad behavior like drinking‚ smoking and stealing‚ being out of unity with the adults and not into the Word, etc. They see a few different levels of dedication amongst their peers. But I feel that God has put in the hearts of the majority of our teens the conviction that their destiny is to be in the Family and to serve Him. I believe that the promises for them are not in vain, and they know that. Although they're in the midst of battles and trials and it's hard for them to commit themselves now, I feel that they know in their hearts what their destiny and calling in life is.

148. "I was like that when I was a teen‚ too. My older brother joined before I did, when he was 17. I was 14 at the time‚ and he gave me a Basic MO Book (the '144 Letters'). When I read that book, the set card and the other Letters he gave me, from that time on I knew what my destiny was—to join the Children of God. But because I was a young teen‚ I wasn't ready yet‚ even though he tried to get me to be a catacomber and come over to the Home and all that. I knew that that was the right thing to do. I knew what God was telling me to do with my life, but I just wasn't quite ready yet. So I went through 5 years of going to school‚ quitting school, getting a job, making money, getting into sports and a whole bunch of other things until I was 19. By that time I had really gone through a lot and was finally ready to make a decision and commit myself to the Lord.

149. "So I think I can understand how some teens are. They know what they should do, but they are in a transitional period in their lives. They don't have a lot of experience under their belt, they're not very desperate yet, and it's hard for them to make the break and really dedicate their lives to the Lord. But I think that there are many of them who want the 'real thing‚' and they don't want us adults to compromise on what we believe either." (End of comment from Jonathan.)

The Need to Rise to the Challenge!

150. (Mama:) To finish this GN off, I thought I'd include a reaction written by Toby, one of the SGAs who read an advance copy of this series. He shares some of his own experiences as a junior teen, as well as lessons he learned while a YA in relating to his younger brother.

151. (From Toby: ) "The prophecies from the JETTs were very heartbreaking. They reminded me of my younger brother, whom I feel I failed because I didn't go out of my way to help him as much as I could have. I got so involved in ministries that I don't feel I took enough time for him. We lived in different Homes‚ and I seldom visited him or spent as much time with him as I could or should have. I'm sure that if I'd seen it as being as important as it was, I could have done more, but I was just so into my ministries that I didn't take the time that I should have. Then recently I heard that he was contemplating leaving the Family because he felt bored, and it really affected me as I felt that I hadn't done enough for him. Lord help me! I was able to write him a letter and share my heart, and last I've heard he's doing well and has decided to stay. Praise the Lord!

152. "I can very much relate to what some of the JETTs are feeling, as expressed in the prophecies. I think a lot of their problems in some ways come from just not feeling very challenged or inspired, or feeling that there's not much of a future in the Family for them. When I was 14 I wanted to leave the Family‚ and it wasn't because I didn't love the Lord or because I had any great bitterness or bad feelings towards anyone. I just didn't see much future in the situation that I was in—just sitting in a house kind of supporting ourselves and kind of having schooling, etc. In our situation we weren't struggling financially—we had a nice Home, all supported by a king, with a car, swimming pool, computers, videos‚ etc.—but it was just very boring because I had no vision or goal. So I just wanted to go to secular school and study and make money in the future.

153. "In my heart I felt kind of selfish in wanting these things, but I just didn't see that the situation that I was in was really something worth fighting for all that much, as it was just boring. In my heart I really wanted to do something for the Lord, but I just didn't see how it could happen.

154. " Then, right at the point when I was going to leave the Family, I was invited to a Home where we had more Word‚ more witnessing‚ and ministry training; we had activities together, we had good schooling, constant change, and overall a real sense of purpose and unity, and since that day I was never fickle! And all of the changes that I had to make in my personal life, even though some of them were difficult, I wanted to make because I just wanted to be a part of that team and that Home. But I know if it weren't for the shepherds who made all that possible‚ I wouldn't be here today.

155. "When I was a JETT, and throughout my teen years, I used to look through the Book of Remembrance with envy at all of the things that our parents used to do, and all of the countries they were able to pioneer, the freakish things that they did, etc. I used to look through that book and think, 'Wow, man, this is just great! I wish we could live like that now.' And even though I realized that their life was full of sacrifices and forsakings, I thought it was well worth it because of the excitement in the Spirit which I saw on those pages. However‚ now most JETTs and junior teens come from big families, and it's not possible for the parents to take the kids out witnessing as much as they'd like to, or take them on road teams or organize fellowships or activities or things like that. But those are all things which we, their older brothers and sisters, should be doing. I know that it's a big job, but I do feel that it's very needed. Lord help us all to rise to the challenge!" (End of excerpt from Toby.) q

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family