By MariaMaria #479CM/FM 32321/99

Dear Family,

1. God bless you! I hope you've taken time to study the recent GNs entitled "Reaching Africa the Right Way!" (ML #3217, GN 824-825). I'm sure the counsel in those GNs was a tremendous blessing to those of you on the African continent, and I pray that it helped those of you on other fields who the Lord is calling to this pioneer land to heed His call!

2. Peter and I have spent quite a bit of time in prayer and counsel about the African work. The Lord has impressed upon us the need to help guide this blossoming work in the right direction, as well as to be involved in the literature production and the many other details, in close communication with the CROs who are overseeing the African work.

3. We recently had dear Lisa, from the EURCRO teamwork, visit our Home for a month. One of the reasons for her visit was so that we could have some time to personally discuss and receive more input concerning the African work, which she has been very involved with. Lisa has spent a fair bit of time traveling in Africa in recent months‚ and she is now moving to Africa to set up a CRO base there, from which she'll be able to more personally oversee and shepherd this important work.

4. When Lisa came, she brought with her a number of questions to ask the Lord about the work in Africa. When different ones in our Home prayed and asked the Lord these various questions, the Lord gave‚ as always, wonderful answers and specific counsel. Praise the Lord!

5. I had originally planned to share these mess­ages from the Lord and counsel with the Family in Africa via a local pub. However, in praying more about it, the Lord showed Peter and I to publish these mess­ages for the entire Family. Although they are geared to specific situations and conditions in Africa, some of which might not apply to your particular field, the lessons are nevertheless good for all.

6. There are two other important reasons the Lord wants each of you to benefit from this counsel. Number one, so that you can pray for and uphold our brethren in Africa‚ and be their effectual prayer warriors. Number two, what the Lord is doing in Africa, and the promises He's giving, will increase your faith and be a testimony to all.

7. Another benefit to printing these messages—on a variety of topics relating to the African work—is that because the Lord is calling more laborers to the African continent, it's very important that those of you who are preparing to go have as much information and knowledge about the situation as poss­ible. There is a lot to learn about Africa‚ and even our "old-timers" there are still encountering new situ­ations and are continually learning more about the mentality of the African people and the differences in the various countries throughout the continent.

8. As I brought out in the previous two GNs on the African work ("Reaching Africa the Right Way!")‚ there are some dangers and illnesses unique to Africa. It's good to be prepared for this as well‚ so that you can count the cost before landing in what could be con­sidered a very foreign field. You have to make certain in your heart that you really do have the faith and God-given courage to launch out into the land of Africa, or else your ministry and testimony there will be hindered by your lack of faith or even by fear.

9. The Lord is continuing to bless and anoint our Family in Africa, and they are doing a wonderful job of reaching the lost and needy there—but there's still so much more to be done! If the Lord is calling you to be a missionary there, please take it seriously. Heed His call! And all of you in other fields should feel moved and stirred in the spirit to pray for those who are giving their lives in this dark, spiritually starving and often dangerous con­tinent. Your prayers can and will do mighty things!

African Spirit Helpers

At Your Disposal!

10. Along with the various messages the Lord gave in answer to our questions about the African work, He also sent a number of spirit helpers to introduce themselves and give their testimonies. Throughout this Letter I'd like to share them with you, for two reasons. First of all, they're very inspiring and interesting mess­ages. Second, and most important, it's vital that you understand how much help you have at your disposal. These spirit helpers—countless numbers of them—are just waiting, begging, in fact, to be called down to assist you. And they're not just any spirit helpers either—they're departed Africans or people who have lived in Africa their whole lives. They know the African people‚ their mentality, the hardships they've gone through, and how to reach them, encourage and inspire them. They can be a vital part of your team, providing you with insight, knowledge, wisdom, direction, as well as safeguards and protection.

11. The Lord wants us all to more fully util­ize the many spirit helpers available to us. It doesn't take much more than a little quiet prayer and effort to pull down a spirit helper, and to have them speak to you and help lead and guide you. But if you don't ask for one, or find out who's helping you, or have some measure of communication with them‚ then both you and they are unable to interact and benefit each other as much as is otherwise possible.

12. You'll see in the messages below that the spirit helpers repeatedly bring out their desire to help us reach their people and countries, and that they're more than willing to guide us and teach us, but we have to ask. It's easy! Please step out by faith and try it!

Spirit Helper Monty's Testimony!

13. (Monty speaking:) Yes, I am here wanting to help you! I have waited a long time to come back to my people in the lands that I so love. I was delivered from Satan's grip in the land of South Africa a long time ago. The missionaries came and set me free through my Lover Jesus and gave me new life—life which I now want to spread to everyone.

14. I gave up my old beliefs and put on a new robe of light with my Savior's help, and assisted the dear people of my land. I even traveled to other lands in Africa to spread the Words of dear Jesus.

15. You ask me for help and wisdom. Well‚ the greatest gift you can have and experience is the love of Jesus. These people are so in the dark. They have so little and have not had many true Christians to show them the way. Ask for the gift of love when you decide to be a missionary for Africa. You have to have true love—love for our dear Savior, and also for each and every person that you meet.

16. You might not understand how you can love some of the people you will meet, as they will carry dark spirits and even reject the mess­age. Some will persecute you and give you a hard time. But don't let that stop you. The sheep and precious souls that He will put in your way will be worth it all. Even some of the ones that seem to reject you will one day come through and remember your sample of love and the Lord's Words, and turn around.

17. I went through many difficult situations and lost my life in persecution, but those sacrifices are small in comparison to the fruit that has been reaped. Unconditional love is really the key. Even the people that persecuted me and didn't want to forsake their evil ways of worship while I was with them have now found our true Lover and Lord and are now rejoicing with me.

18. So my word of advice is don't give up! Keep loving even though you might encounter battles. If you could just see all the souls that are waiting for you now! I can see them calling for help. They're waiting for you and the mess­age of our Lord and David and Maria. These Words will set them free. They will encounter a new life that in turn will set others on fire, and so will we set Africa on fire for the Lord!

19. I have many friends with me Here who are so thrilled and can hardly wait to carry out their missions. All you have to do is call for help‚ and dear Jesus calls our names and we go to work. Oh, it's a wonderful work—a work of true love! All the angels in Heaven are rejoicing for each soul saved, and your rewards will be great!

20. So don't hesitate to call for us! You'll need us! We're doing all we can to make your work as easy as possible. The Lord is wonderful and He has great things in store for Africa, and the time is now! So let's go! Are you with us? (End of message from spirit helper.)

Tananik, the Female Warrior!

21. (Vision:) I see the continent of Africa like a huge map. It's very large, and the border is distinct, with all these wide–open blank spaces within it. I see it like a map, on a piece of paper‚ the shape of the continent and all—but it's strange. It's like a virtual map! I see the map, but within the map is movement—like it's alive and real; it's not just a map on paper.

22. I see children's faces, villages, tribesmen, modern cities‚ some place that looks like a town square‚ but not just in a small village. It seems to be a huge area where people gather to hear someone speak, a place that could hold thousands and thousands of people. It's a huge gathering place, like where someone is going to come out and speak and address the people—a head of state or someone, I'm not sure.

23. The scenes keep changing and this is just one of many. I see vast grasslands. It keeps switching from scene to scene, flashing all these pictures within the map, like a giant collage of pictures.

24. I see many faces—people in traditional dress, people in modern clothing in the cities. I see little children, some sick and starving. I see all ages of people—babies, older children, teens, adults, many, many faces, all looking. Some are reaching out with their hands; others reaching out with only their eyes. Most have a deep, longing look in their eyes. I see great ­rivers flowing through the lands.

25. (Tananik, spirit helper speaking:) I show you the great land of Africa and her many peoples. You see her people? They are waiting‚ waiting, waiting‚ waiting, longing to hear the Words of David and the Words of Maria—longing to delve into the treasure vaults of the house of David, to partake of these great riches that Jesus so abundantly lavishes on you today. Can you see how they long, how they yearn, how they grasp and reach out, how they thirst for the Words of life that you hold in your hands?

26. I have come to you, dear children of David, to tell you that you must not fear. You must not look at this great land of many obstacles and think that the task is too big. Yes, this task is too big, too hard for human hands—yet you do not need to fear. You must not let this dissuade you. This is why I have come. I have been summoned, along with many others‚ to aid you, to fight at your side and help you win this great battle. This is why Jesus sends you many helpers. Many, many, many helpers have come to your side to help win Africa, because‚ yes, the task is too big for your weak and trembling hands, but it is not too big for our strong arms.

27. The cries of Queen Maria and King Peter and their children have reached our ears, and many are gathered to answer this call. We come from far corners to fill the need. Our King Jesus is gathering His forces, and even now our troops stand strong, willing, alert, on guard, ready to forge ahead, to march in and posses the land in the Name of Jesus and David.

28. My name is Tananik, and I am a great woman warrior of the Nile, strong and powerful‚ mighty, beautiful and black. It is not my own strength and power that makes me strong, but I have been created to be a vessel of the power and strength of Jesus—and this is the energy which empowers me. I am a creation of Jesus, created to be a vessel of His great strength and power.

29. I have always lived in the spirit world, yet I have been on many assignments throughout the history of the world to help those in need on Earth. I have gone many places and fought many battles on behalf of my Lord and King.

30. When the great Doctor Livingstone was discouraged and in despair‚ I came to him, deep in the heart of Africa‚ and I delivered to him com­fort, vision‚ and strength. Many missionaries who have walked this great land, who have peeked into her dark corners—when they called out to Jesus for help, He sent me to their aid. I come and help to fight in spirit. I wage war in the spirit and intervene in the spirit world where the real fighting goes on. I fight bravely and cour­ageously, for I know no fear!

31. My strength comes from my deep connection with Jesus, for I am firmly attached to Him. I am firmly connected to King Jesus, and this connection aids me in helping to answer your prayers. Now I take on this, the greatest assignment in all my being, for I come to aid you, the children of David, in these Last Days. I have been commissioned to fight by your side in this great battle for Africa.

32. I will be with you continually, day and night. I never tire. I never sleep. I am always on guard, alert, awake, and ready. All you must do is call on me and I will answer. I will help you to have strength and wisdom. I will whisper in your ear and warn you of the danger zones. When you don't know which way to turn, I will tell you to go right, go left, or to wait. I will help to open many great doors before you, and I will signal you when it is the indicated time to walk through these doors.

33. I will help you to scout out the land when you enter into new territory, and I will work in the spirit world to touch the hearts of rulers, great chiefs, men and women of influence on your behalf. You must not fear this great land so diverse in peoples and languages, for I have understanding of the tribes. I know their customs. I am able to see into their hearts and to know their needs. I have great understanding of the areas, the cultures, the hearts and souls. I have great understanding and discern­ment. If you call on me, I will give you wisdom and help you to feel the heart of the African people.

34. It brings me great joy to fight at your side. Jesus has highly favored me in the Heavens in allowing me this great honor to join with the forces of David. I pledge to you now, the children of David, my love, my loyalty, and my support. Here I stand, tall, erect and ready, Tananik, at your service. (End of message from spirit helper.)

Be a Bright Light in the Darkness!

35. (Spirit helper speaking:) Africa is beautiful, but it is also very dark. I should know‚ as I am from Africa. I was brought up in a small town. Life was difficult and hard. I had to start work early every day and work long hours, and yet we had very little. We were poor and life was difficult.

36. This is how I thought life would always remain—difficult and hard‚ with no real joy or happiness. But then things changed! I met some people who seemed to be happy and to enjoy life, and I found this fascinating. They were black, fellow countrymen, but they seemed to have a light about them. Even their life seemed to be lighter and not so heavy and so difficult, constantly carrying around a heavy burden. They seemed to enjoy their life and were smiling and friendly. Through these people I came to know my Savior, Jesus. He also lightened my darkness and took away my heavy load.

37. My advice to you is to be that light, and it will shine brightly in the darkness. I know my people will be attracted to this light, because their life is so full of darkness and so full of hardships. Many do not realize that there is another life, a better life, so if you let the light of God shine in you‚ they will be attracted and they will come to this light. Then you can show them how the Lord's yoke is easy. It's not heavy; it's not a burden. This is what they want to hear, for their lives are heavy and they carry a heavy burden. Show them that there is Someone that they can give this burden to. Tell them that He will carry that heavy load, and He will give them light to replace their darkness and joy to replace their sorrows.

38. My life was a simple life and I'm thankful that I was able to meet these Christians, and through them I was able to come to know Jesus. But these Christians that I met did not show me or teach me that I should tell others‚ that I should be a witness to others. Now I'm sorry that I didn't use my life to tell others about our dear Jesus and about His love and His light. So now I want to make up for that! I want to help others to be a better witness, to help their light to shine brighter so that more of my fellow countrymen can come to the light.

39. I am not alone in this, for there are many, many more like me who became Christians in their lifetime, but did not spend their life in telling others and reaching others with the love and light of Jesus. Now I, along with these many, many other spirit helpers, want to help the Family to reach my people. We are here at your disposal. We are here to help your light shine brighter.

40. So don't feel overwhelmed by the huge job and how many people there are who need to hear about our Lord, but be encouraged to know that there are many, many spirit helpers who are by your side, who are ready and willing and anxious to help you to reach this great continent. So have faith and go in faith, and avail yourselves of the many spirit helpers who are around you and who are even now helping you.

41. Also be encouraged to know that even though there is much darkness‚ this only causes your light, the Lord's light in you, to shine even brighter. (End of message from spirit helper)

How to View the Suffering

And Cruelty in Africa

42. (Mama: ) As many of those who have moved to Africa have testified, and as you may be able to imagine from seeing the desperate plight of many African countries on the news, there is a great deal of suffering in Africa. It's hard to face this day in and day out‚ especially when you're coming from a country or situation in which you weren't faced with the poverty, cruelty or the lack of many basic necessities which surrounds you. As most of you probably know from your CTP ministries and the many natural disasters which our Family members have helped with, it's heart-wrenching to be face to face with such situations. However, this suffer­ing is amplified in Africa, where it's not a matter of an unusual earthquake or flood devastating one area of a state or country, causing widespread damage, loss of housing and poverty. This poverty and suffering in Africa is common, the norm rather than the exception.

43. If you're going to be a missionary in Africa and effectively minister, both spiritually and physically, to those who are afflicted and in such dire need, it's imperative that you are able to look at the situation in the right light. You've got to see things as the Lord sees them in order to pass on the hope‚ love and inspiration that these people desperately need. If not‚ you'll be pulled down with them into their darkness and depression.

44. One FGA woman who recently moved to Africa shared the following on this topic:

45. When I think of what is ahead, the main thing I get hit with is that I won't be able to cope with or handle all the suffering and cruelty that I might see. It's simply unavoid­able in Africa. Already I have seen dead bodies by the roadside; an armed robber just having been shot by the police with a crowd of onlookers gathering around; lines of crying babies in an orphanage with not enough arms to cuddle them and feed them, and such an enormous lack of basic supplies for these suffering poor, and more. Though I did have the grace at the time I witnessed these incidents, it naturally affected me. But I worry that at one point it will just be too much. (End of comment from FGA woman.)

46. (Mama:) It's only natural that in seeing such suffering—especially as you get closer to the African people and the Lord breaks your heart for them—that you'll wonder why they are subjected to such suffering. They've hardly had a chance to hear the Gospel‚ and when they do‚ many receive it with joy and gladness. It seems in many cases that the African people are suffering at the hands of rich world powers and greedy nations who have stripped their lands and misused their people. So why do they have to pay the price for it? Does the Lord have a plan in this? And how can our Family members there keep a positive outlook toward the situation?

47. We brought the above questions before the Lord, and He gave wonderful answers—answers of peace, hope and comfort that you can cling to and share with those you minister to. The Lord knows each of His children there, and He's going to give each of them a chance to receive Him. And their present suffering, too‚ Jesus assures us, is part of His plan and is only for a short while longer.

48. (Jesus speaking: ) It will only be for a little time, and soon the suffering of the poor and innocent will come to an end. It will only last a little while longer. I know My children‚ My sheep, and I will care for My Own.

49. Although this time of suffering of My little ones is painful for you to see, it's necess­ary in order to bring about My perfect will in the days to come. Their much suffering in this world will bring them great reward in Heaven.

50. I will not leave them comfortless, but I will come to them—and I am coming to them through you. I use the pain you feel, the sadness‚ the tears, even the anger and frustration that you feel, to bless My children through your prayers, through your being touched with their infirmities.

51. So fear not the heartbreak, the tears, for I will not allow it to overcome you. I have need of you—each one of My precious missionaries in Africa—and I will give you grace in time of need. When you are moved by the pain and suffering of those in such desperate need—the orphans, the little babies, the broken bodies and spirits—know that these are part of your good works, part of the sacrifices of your spirit that come before My throne. I bless those for whom you are moved. It's not in vain; I use even your tears for this dark continent to bless them in the spirit.

52. There is such a great need‚ more than you can possibly fill in your own strength, but I will give you more strength and more grace so that I can use you mightily. I know your frame, I know your weakness, I know your needs, and I will anoint you and supply that which you need to carry on. The suffering will not overwhelm you as you stay close to Me, for I am your strong tower; I will shield and protect your heart as you cast all your cares on Me. I hold your heart in My hands and I will protect and keep that which is precious to Me. I will care for you tenderly and watch over you as you go and minister to the needy. As you go I will anoint you and give you new strength.

53. Soon I will wipe away all the tears and relieve all the suffering of My little lambs. I hear their bleats for help‚ and I will come and save them from their pain. I am a faithful Shepherd and I will come and seek the one lost sheep and bring it safely home. I will tenderly care for My Own, but before that time is a little suffering.

54. You will shine brightly in the days to come and many will see your faith and love for Me as a strong force in the dark days. I'm preparing you now with a little suffering for the days ahead when there will be great confusion, but when I will also give My servants great anointing to lead My sheep to safety.

55. Trust Me, for I am with you and will strengthen you. Your weakness is My strength, and I will work in you and use you mightily. (End of message from Jesus.)

56. (Jesus speaking:) "Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen."

57. This is how I want you to look at the suffering and cruelty and misery around you in this land—looking past these things and beyond to the world of the unseen.

58. For this affliction—this weight of your surroundings and the weight of sin and poverty and darkness you must bear and carry for Me—is part of your cross. But I wish for you to carry it with courage, with faith, with an insight that few others possess. This affliction is one that not only breaks your heart for these lost ones and causes the flow of compassion upon your spirit‚ but it ministers to your spirit and their spirits in ways yet unseen, only to be fully revealed in the life to come.

59. I will be your strength, as you continue to come to Me and look unto Me. For My grace will sustain you, and will be sufficient for you. Though I will cause your eyes to see, yet you will behold these things through My eyes so that you will glory in this affliction. Then will My power rest upon you and cause you to be the bearers of hope, of that which is unseen through the eyes of mortal man.

60. You have offered up the sacrifice of a broken heart‚ in which I am well pleased; thus will I sustain you and carry your heart. But you must not be moved by this affliction I cause you to bear for Me. I told you that in the world you would suffer tribulation, and this is your tribulation—to behold, and yet to see not as the world sees or as man sees.

61. My Spirit moves over all things, and My eyes behold them that dwell within the shadows, those who lie upon the bed of languishing, those who cry out in the night. My heart and ears and eyes are not closed to these‚ but it is given unto them to endure this time, this suffering. Even greater will be the weight of glory it will work in their hearts and spirits‚ not only in this life‚ but in the one to come.

62. I require the cross of this affliction to be carried upon the shoulders and hearts of those who enter Africa to give unto these who lie low. But I wish for you to carry this affliction‚ this cross, with courage and peace, with joy, and with a hope that causes you and these to look unto Me and beyond to the light of tomorrow. In Me you shall have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation, but I wish for you to be of good cheer and courage, for I have overcome all these things.

63. Therefore fix your hearts and eyes on Me and be My ministers of hope to this world. Hope is that golden orb that lifts you above the physical and sets you in the realm of the unseen, that which you as yet possess not, except in your hearts and in your faith.

64. I will bring the mighty low, and the haughty down from their high places. There will come a time of great distress for the world. But you are My beacons, My carriers of hope. This will increasingly become your ministry and that of all My children the world over—that of being the gift of hope to those who lie in darkness, to those who lie in the pool of distress, the waters of suffering and sorrow.

65. Then shall you bring and usher many into My Kingdom and into My arms, where I shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying; neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things will be passed away. (End of message from Jesus.)

66. (Mama: ) Thank the Lord for His beauti­ful promises that the suffering will end! In the meantime‚ He's expecting us to be His carriers of hope to the lost and needy.

67. Those of you who live in a country with conditions similar to those the Lord is referring to above, or who have a CTP ministry to very needy people, need to be sure to take time with the Lord regularly in order to unburden your heart and cast your cares on the Lord. It's not our job to bear the weights ourselves but to roll them over on the Lord, while giving the needy His hope and the promise of a better life to come.

Pray for Literature Productions

For Africa!

68. We've sought the Lord a number of times concerning how to most effectively reach Africa with the message. Each time we've brought this question before the Lord, He's emphasized the need for specialized literature and GP publications for Africa. The Lord has told us that this is going to be the primary way in which we can distribute hope and the Lord's love through­out Africa.

69. There simply aren't enough of us to go around, so we're going to have to once again "let the Letters be the leaders," as Dad used to say. The Lord has promised to give tracts, ­posters, and various other tools for the African people in prophecy—messages that will touch their heart, open their eyes, and give them hope for living.

70. The next two messages give some details on what the Lord wants to say to the African people, His great desire to give them His message, and how a key in reaching the heart of Africa lies in publications.

71. (Jesus speaking: ) Oh yes, I want to give the message! I want to call them Home! I want to tell them what is waiting for them if they will only believe and receive! I want to tell them that what they give to Me and others now will be rewarded an hundredfold, and that what seems like their nothing can be something beautiful up Here if given in love.

72. I already have My African children and messengers lined up Here to describe to their brothers and sisters on Earth the pictures of Heaven in terms they can relate to, so they will know and understand that Heaven is for them also. Heaven is a place where they will feel at home and at ease, with familiar surroundings.

73. How to present this visually is a challenge, as the continent of Africa is so diversified and vast! For one‚ feeling at home would be in a peaceful, picturesque jungle scene with birds singing and the river laughing and playing around the rocks. For another it would be the clean and vast skyline of the savanna with a gentle breeze and electrifying sunset!

74. I become all things to all men. I am pleased with the diversity of My creation and want to teach My children the same. But I take each one where they're at. I want to help them feel comfortable and accepted and loved unconditionally first, and then I will take them to find excitement and joy in exploring the un­familiar and different, and learn about the vastness and many-splendored love of God, their best Friend and Savior.

75. So how can you do that? If you tease, mystify and tantalize them with words—word pictures, descriptions, and relatable human interest stories—we can lead them on‚ and I will put the pictures in their minds to match their dream of Heaven. I will give them a glimpse of how it will be, even beyond their wildest dreams. I will adapt the pictures in their hearts and minds to send the exact message I have for each individual to set their heart aflame. I will plant that seed of desire and longing for their Creator, and then present them with My salvation.

76. It will be so beautiful, so real! These tools will win many to Me. They will help clear away the rubble of preconceived ideas and false doctrines, and leave the pure truth to shine that God is love, and that man is created in His ­image, to be respected and honored and loved as My creation!

77. Please pray for the channels. Uphold their arms in prayer as they seek Me earnestly for My Words and My messengers' words! There will be a war in the Heavenlies, a battle over the souls of men, as the Enemy will try to usurp My place in their hearts. But through your prayers and your tears, the Heavenly forces will be released and the battle will be won. So pray! (End of message from Jesus)

78. (Spirit helper speaking‚ Field Marshal Montgomery:) The entrance of the Lord's Words give light, it giveth understanding unto the people. It chases away the darkness and brings light to the eyes. The more pubs‚ the more Word, the more literature you can get out in the various languages, the more light you will bring. To do this, you must set up a strong ­publications center, for a key in reaching the heart of Africa lies in publications. First in the languages most widely spoken by their former colonial rulers, such as French, English, Portuguese and ­Arabic, and then in the most spoken African languages.

79. Literature is the key, and follow-up! Follow up on the influential, your kings, and the powerful. Feed them the Word and bring them along so that they can help you and be part of your push to get the literature out. The more who read, the more will be won, using tracts and posters and pictures and word pictures. The word pictures and the pictures will draw and win many. (End of message from spirit helper)

Bernard Law Montgomery (1887-1976) was a British Army officer who during World War II commanded the British victories over German forces in North Africa (1942) and the Allied advance through Normandy (1944). His victories made him the idol of Great Britain.

80. (Mama: ) Please do pray for the channels who will be receiving these messages, and all those who will be working on the various publications and literature for distribution in Africa. It's a big job, and as the Lord explained, your prayers will play an important role in defeating the Enemy's attacks on this project. There will be a war fought in the spirit world over the hearts of the African people and their receiving the Lord's message, so please do your part and pray!

Francois, Saved by a Tract!

81. (Francois, spirit helper speaking:) Hello there. Thank you for inviting us to come speak to you. I'd love to help you reach my people in Africa.

82. I noticed you were drinking water out of your bottle. That's something that would have been a great blessing where I grew up—to have clean water right beside you that you could drink when you were thirsty, and even such a nice plastic bottle. When I was young, I lived in a village, not in a big city‚ and we had to walk a long way to get water from the river. Well, we men didn't walk there. The women walked there, and then they brought it back in containers and had to filter it.

83. Electricity was a marvel for me when I saw it‚ as well as the battery-operated radios which some of the villagers had. To think that you could hear what was going on in other places through these little boxes!

84. Life in the countryside was difficult. There were floods sometimes and droughts other times. There were mosquitoes and disease. Sometimes there was war as well, and different groups of soldiers passed through my village—sometimes one side, then the other.

85. When I got older, I decided I wanted to go live in the city, because I thought life was much easier there. There was water and electricity and other conveniences, and other ­vill­­agers had come back saying how wonderful life in the city was. I was young and inexperienced and didn't ask why they had come back. I just wanted to go myself. So when I was a little older‚ I did.

86. It was not what I had expected at all, and not nearly as nice as I had imagined. I stayed with some relatives in the city, but they had lots of other relatives as well as lots of children‚ and the house was crowded and dirty, in a rundown part of the city. You probably think it's funny that I would talk about it being dirty and rundown, coming from the country. But we didn't live a dirty life in my village. We didn't have much‚ but we kept clean, or tried to, when there was water. Our huts weren't elaborate, but we kept them nice. But it was much harder in the city.

87. I got work as a vendor. It was very hard‚ because I had to spend a lot of money on my goods and I didn't make much money every day, hardly enough to eat on. People weren't always very nice, and sometimes gangs came along and took what little money I had. I had to learn a dif­ferent language, because we had many languages in my country. I didn't speak it very well, so sometimes people would laugh and make fun of me.

88. There was electricity and many other marvels in the city, but I didn't get to see or experience such wonders very much. That was for the rich, and whenever I went near the rich part of town, the police would hassle me. They would threaten to arrest me, and I would have to pay them a bribe so they would let me go.

89. I wasn't very happy with the way things were‚ but there wasn't much I could do to change them. If we protested‚ the police and the army would crack down on us, and we would lose what little we had. Times were hard.

90. One day while I was out walking the streets selling my goods, a man gave me a tract. He handed me this little piece of paper with a smile as he passed by. He seemed nice, and people didn't give me things very often; they usually took things from me. So I took the tract home and my relatives helped me figure it out, and I read the message. I got saved, and some of my relatives did too, and it felt wonderful.

91. Oh, dear Family members, you must remember what it's like to get saved as you work in Africa. You must remember what it was like for you, how much joy you felt, for that will help you give out the message to many others! It is such a freedom to know that your sins are forgiven, that Jesus died to set you free, and that you can go to Heaven to be with Jesus forever after you die, as I did.

92. Not long after that, I died in a fire which swept through the part of town that I lived in. We didn't have much electricity in our part of town, so we used candles and lanterns and had wood fires to cook our food, and sometimes the fires got out of control. So the Lord took me Home to be with Him‚ and I am so happy—and even happier that He let me share my story with you.

93. He let me come because I was newly saved, and the burden on my heart to tell my tes­timony was great. I want all my people to know what joy and freedom there is in Jesus‚ and I want to help you children of David to tell them.

94. When you go out, you will meet many people like I was. We are simple people, and life is difficult for us and hope is often hard to come by. So when you smile at us, unlike many other white people, and you give us the Words of life you have‚ it is so wonderful! We see that you care for us. You don't just pass by us in fancy cars‚ but you actually stop to talk to us.

95. Please don't pass us by. There are many like me on many streets in Africa, and we barely manage to survive every day. Life is hard in the country and even harder in the city, and we need your message of Heaven. We would gladly go There if you give us your message, which is so simple and clear.

96. When you have your message in pictures like you do your posters, that's even better‚ because we have so little beauty in our lives. We can look at the pictures and see what Heaven is like and imagine ourselves there.

97. Please give us your lit! When we are saved, we can give out your lit too, so that everyone can know Jesus and our countries can truly change. You must help Africa to change and be saved. My people need you so much, and there are many of us up Here who would like to help you. All you have to do is ask us‚ and we can connect with you like this. Isn't this nice?

98. Thank you very much for opening up to me and hearing from me, and I thank our wonderful Jesus for letting me speak to you. (End of message from spirit helper.)

Check with the Lord

Before Making a Move!

99. (Mama:) One question we brought before the Lord was about what country Lisa and her team should base out of. This decision wasn't simply a matter of what country was most centrally located or had convenient facilities, reliable electricity, good phone lines, simple visa renewals, etc., since at any given instance the African countries can become unstable, with riots or even war breaking out. Even in countries that are presently fairly peaceful, things can turn nasty within a very short time.

100. Lisa and her teamwork had come before the Lord a few times for His leading and direction with this question, and the Lord had been leading them toward one particular country. As her departure grew nearer, we again asked the Lord for a confirmation of her plans, and He gave the following message, which is a key to all teams in Africa—and anywhere‚ for that matter—wanting to stay in His highest will and in the center of His protection.

101. (Jesus speaking: ) I love you and delight in your desperation to be located in the right place, in the center of My highest will. It is important that you seek Me for each of these details, especially concerning such a great move, where your security, work, fruitfulness, and even your life will be at stake. Because you have come to Me and asked My counsel, I will give you My blessing.

102. I have led you and guided you, as you have come to Me each step of the way, and I will continue to do so. In every decision, in every rental, in every purchase‚ as long as you come to Me and ask for My approval, I will instruct you and show you how much time and ma­terials you should invest in that situation. Then you can rest assured that you are in keeping with My overall, greater plan. I have a perfect plan, and as long as you check in with Me at every opportunity, I will keep you in the center of My will.

103. In your diligence to check with Me and hear My voice in prophecy at every turn you will be saved from the multitude of dangers and evils that surround you, even in this, the best situation that I have provided for you at this time. Therefore stay close to Me, and instruct My Family and children to do the same. Let not the sheep and fold of the African field neglect hearing from Me‚ or else they will find themselves caught in the snare of the fowler. It is imperative that I be part of each Home's teamwork in full, living, and active measure. I cannot be an honorary member only, but I must be consulted with at every turn, and I must have the final say. (End of message from Jesus.)

104. (Mama:) That's a good illustration of just how much the Lord wants to be involved in your every decision—not only as a member of the Home's teamwork, but as the One Who has the final say! This type of close communication and checking in with the Lord before making any move or decision is what He's been trying to teach us all over the past few years, but as you'll see as you read on, it's imperative for our folks in Africa to put it into practice. Remember, there's nothing too small to ask the Lord about!

Robberies, Close Calls,

Life-threatening Encounters

—And How to Avoid Them!

105. Our Family members in Africa have had some pretty close brushes with danger and even death, but thank the Lord, He has kept each one safe. While some have suffered the loss of their goods or material possessions, He's kept their lives and service for Him intact.

106. Throughout the years, Dad was always faithful to teach and give us practical tips on how to avoid trouble—break-ins, pickpockets‚ being followed, etc. Thankfully, we as a Family have not suffered too many problems along these lines. However, as our Family members in Africa have found out, theft is very common due to the severe poverty and desperation of the people, and as "rich white people," our folks are prime targets.

107. At the same time we can be sure that the Enemy is furious with our move into ­Africa, and the great loss that he's going to suffer by our reaching and winning that land to the Lord. You can just imagine how intently he must be trying to cause us trouble and hinder our work in any way possible. So although you could say that the African countries are more dangerous overall, or that there is more natural likelihood of theft, etc., at the same time it's also a spiritual battle, and one that we have to be prepared for and on guard against.

108. Unfortunately‚ a number of our Family Homes in Africa have been robbed or ­broken into at some point. A number of Family members on road trips have been harassed or have lost money, goods, or their legal papers to pickpockets. Yet others have been caught in the midst of more serious conflicts or hold-ups, during which people lost their lives, though thankfully, our folks were safe.

109. It's not pleasant to talk about these incidents, but it's important because there is a very important lesson for all of us. Our dear Family in Africa need to realize what the conditions of the battlefield are, and those who are praying about moving to Africa need to count the cost and be aware of the level of prayerfulness and desperation that the field requires.

110. I'm going to share with you excerpts of some reports which outline some of the problems and dangerous situations the Family in Africa has encountered. Some of these are pretty hair-raising‚ and the reason I'm including them is to help you understand that this is a serious situation. It's not just another "be careful, be prayerful, be safe" talk.

111. For years Dad was faithful to warn us about the need for security, safety‚ desperate prayer, being careful, alert, following the secur­ity guidelines, not inviting thieves into your home by projecting a lax or careless, easy-to-steal-from or untogether appearance to passers­by, etc. Maybe you feel that that sort of thing doesn't happen much anyway‚ so what's all the hype about? Well‚ you'll see now that this sort of thing does happen. When you go over the top and attack the Enemy, he hits back.

112. It's important to be aware of the Devil's devices, so that you can effectively combat them. There are common mistakes that leave the door wide open for the Enemy, which I want to bring out through these examples. It's a learning tool, which hopefully we'll all benefit from. These stories aren't meant to strike fear into anyone's heart. That's not the purpose and shouldn't be the result. The Lord is more than able to keep us safe, and He does. But He's allowed these incidents to come up in order to show us that our folks in Africa, due to their circumstances, need to be more mindful of their security and safety, more prayerful, and use more common sense in their everyday business.

113. It's good for those of you who are considering going to Africa to be aware of the general condition of the continent. Africa tends to be a bit more on the wild and woolly side‚ and things don't operate like they do in the efficient, organized, calm First World city that you might live in. It's an entirely different ball game. But that doesn't mean that if you go to Africa you're doomed to being robbed, or that your life will be threatened. There is definitely more potential for such happenings in Africa, but nevertheless, the Lord can override all of that and keep and protect you and your Home under the shadow of His wings if you ask Him, stay close to Him‚ and are doing just what He wants you to do.

114. In some cases, the incidents below were definite attacks of the Enemy. In others, the Family members involved weren't aware of the potential danger or the need for exhibiting more caution, thus they were taken advantage of. Sad to say, in others our folks just weren't being prayerful or on guard, and the Enemy was able to deal them a blow. There are a variety of lessons involved in each case, so please pray that the Lord will help you to get the lessons that He's trying to impress on you, rather than seeing them as exciting or hair-raising tales that happened to someone else.

115. Also, please remember that there was a victory in each of these seeming defeats. It's often human nature to let the dangerous con­ditions, circumstances‚ events and details of a story crowd out the great miracles of protection that the Lord has done. In each case mentioned below, the Lord did tremendous miracles in getting our folks through these things alive and pretty much untouched as far as physical attacks. So don't let the victory be crowded out or put aside.

Incidents and Lessons Learned

116. (Lisa‚ CRO:) Here are a few examples of dangerous situations that our Family members in Africa have encountered‚ and some of the lessons they've learned.

117. On several occasions waist pouches and bags containing valuables or legal papers have been snatched‚ either on the street or from a motorcycle passing by as our folks were waiting to cross the street. Lesson: Either hold on to your bag or pouch tightly at all times or carry these items on your body somehow.

118. One Home was robbed in spite of having a night guard at their gate. They had heard that a neighboring house had recently been robbed and that the man resisted, and he was consequently shot. In our Home's case, the guard was beaten and tied up. It all happened so quickly that the family just gathered all the kids in a hurry and locked themselves in a room, desperately praying that they would be left alone. Unfortunately in the rush, they overlooked bringing the briefcase that contained their valuables and passports. The robbers just picked up the briefcase and various suitcases of clothes and other household items and left with their haul.

119. This Home shared the following when writing us about what happened: "Spiritually we learned to be more on guard and hear from the Lord daily. We also got 'Stand in the Gap.' Physically we are taking precautions as well; the landlady is putting bars on the windows and we are praying about getting two dogs. This all happened after a very inspiring day of witnessing. But we learned that it is not just enough to do the Lord's work; we have to stay constantly desperate and in tune as well. Lord help us!"

120. One evening two of our young girls were returning home after spending the evening with a dear friend who helps their Home a lot. The Lord had put on their hearts that now was the time to lead him to the Lord, but the opportunities seemed to be slipping by. This man is very influential and therefore travels with a ­police escort. This is what happened next in their own words:

121. We went around a blind corner and the road was barricaded by piles of tires. So he put on the brakes and nine or ten men jumped out of hiding. He started reversing a little, but they surrounded the car and smashed in the side window where we were sitting. Glass was raining over us. They only had machetes, so he backed out off the road and then the police escort came in and took care of the armed robbers.

122. The miraculous thing is that in our city there are hardly any robbers that don't carry guns. They are usually very organized and they have guns—M16s—and very rarely do people come out of a situation like this alive. By a miracle they only had machetes, so we weren't seriously hurt and everything was okay. Through this incident‚ our friend got saved. He and we realized that life is so short and can end any minute.

123. In another case some brethren had just gone to change some money. The brother wisely put the money in a small money pouch that he carried under his arm, underneath his shirt. They went to a nearby bus stop to get a ride to another part of town. A bus stopped and they were motioned to jump in‚ as the bus was going where our brethren were headed. As they got on the bus they noticed that there were only men on board. These men soon approached them and exposed their intent to rob our Family members. They instantly started witnessing to them and explained that they were missionaries and didn't have much, but their bags and pockets were still searched. When the robbers didn't find much of value, they declared that there must have been a mix-up and told the brethren to get off the bus. They never found the brother's money pouch. It showed that the robbers had been tipped off by someone in the exchange bureau and that they had this well-organized method of cleaning out unsuspecting victims, posing as a regular bus full of male passengers.

124. One beautiful Sunday a family with several young children went to the beach. Another team had gone there the day before and found a new, more remote spot that this family wanted to try out. Suddenly they were approached by a man with a machete who ordered them to turn over everything they had—wedding rings, earrings, watches, Swiss army knife, etc. They were all praying desperately as the man was very nervous and jumpy, and in a spirit where he could have easily done something irrational if provoked or scared. But the Lord kept His loving hand over them. Mommy, daddy and kids prayed and drew many lessons from the experience, and Jesus put His peace over their hearts and minds, so none were fearful, but good lessons were learned. They said:

125. I guess many of the lessons were obvious ones about not going to secluded and dangerous situations‚ especially with only a couple of adults and children, as well as being a whole lot more prayerful. We did pray‚ but we weren't careful as well as prayerful. And although we prayed for our little outing, we didn't pray about it and ask the Lord. It sure helped us realize that you can't be off guard at any moment. You can't just think, "Oh, we're just going to the beach," so you drop your guard and get too into all the fun.

126. Something that I personally have learned from experiences like these is to be so thankful for every moment we have. It really gets you evaluating what you are doing, that if you're going to be here in Africa enduring malaria, armed robberies and all these things, that you're really doing all you can for the Lord to win souls and invest in the things that are really worth it!

127. In another case two brethren were hitchhiking from one city to another‚ taking some computers with them. The Lord supplied a ride with a precious man that they witnessed to along the way. As they passed through a mountainous, jungle area during part of the trip‚ they rounded a bend and found themselves facing several masked men with semi-automatic guns and other weapons. They were stopping the approaching cars and there was already a considerable lineup ahead. All were ordered out of the cars and lined up face down in a ditch. There they stayed for more than two hours while the robbers systematically went through everything in the cars. Gunshots were heard, and sadly, several people were shot when trying to resist and put up a fuss. Since this noise could have alerted help, the robbers finished off as quickly as they could and disappeared. The brethren's computers were not stolen but were badly messed up‚ having been thrown on the ground and stepped on by the robbers.

128. It was a humbling and disheartening experience for these dear ones, but as they took the stand to stick with the work and the field the Lord had chosen for them, He poured out His blessings mightily over the following weeks‚ providing for them a new house, new ­computers, wonderful open doors and fruit in the work. The darkest hour was before the beautiful new dawn!

129. Through this and similar experiences, al­though not as dramatic, this team has learned that often before a great new move or big blessings there are such physical or spiritual battles or tests. In these situations the biggest lesson they have learned is to stop right away and ask the Lord what's up, what the lessons are, and to receive His counsel and encouragement in prophecy right on the spot. This helps them in overcoming any attacks of fear or battles with discouragement that can follow these incidents, and also gives them needed instructions on what to do next.

130. (From Estevao, 17:) I arrived in ­Africa, Cape Town‚ with my brother David (16), and stayed there a couple of days. Then I took the bus to the city of my destination, East London. When I arrived there, by a mistake of the driver (or perhaps on purpose) we were dropped off down­town at the beachfront.

131. Since it was January 1, there was a lot of confusion in the streets, with thousands of people celebrating, getting drunk, etc. The brethren of the Home couldn't find us because they were looking for us in another part of town, and besides, that part of town was off-limits to cars.

132. While my brother went to try to call the Home, I stayed by the suitcases. Two black boys approached me with empty hands and asked me for money. I told them I didn't have any (and it was true because I had just given all to my brother for the phone), but they kept insisting and bothering me. Then one of them suggested that I should give them my watch. I again said no.

133. They kept pestering me‚ and I was praying desperately that my brother would come back quick, and that's when one of them took a knife from his pocket. The other one picked up a bottle of beer, and they said, "Now give us your watch!" So I sadly gave one my watch and the other one hit me on the forehead with the bottle. My glasses fell on the ground but they didn't break, TTL.

134. Thank God I didn't get hurt, nor did they take our suitcases. There were lots of other black people who saw this, but nobody came to my rescue. In the meantime my brother returned (he hadn't gotten through because the phones were all out of order), and a white guy took us to another part of the city where we met the Family and arrived safely home.

135. That was our first day in this city, and right away I realized that it was no joke being in Africa. I learned to be more prayerful and careful in what I do and where I go. (End of report from Estevao.)

136. (From Lily, Kenya:) The Lord has miraculously protected us during our three and a half years in Africa—through riots, looting, droughts, floods and political in­stability, etc. Not a hair of our head has been harmed!

137. One incident did happen to Franz and I that was quite an ordeal. One hot and sticky Friday afternoon, we were on our way to an outreach spot. We were kind of sleepy due to the high temperatures and the time of day. We had to pass through a rough part of town, and because we were hot, the window on the driver's side was half rolled down. Our outreach bag was sitting on the back seat with 14 videos‚ $100 and an original of Franz's drivers license, plus our precious PR book.

138. We stopped at the next red light, and out of the blue a guy came along and started banging on my window like a ­maniac. It seemed like he would break it. Of course Franz's reaction was to lean over and try to get the guy off the window. We were both absorbed with his craziness, when suddenly I got a check to turn the other direction, just a fraction of a second too late. What I saw was our back door open‚ and a second guy who was just taking off with our outreach bag. He had stuck his hand through the rolled-down window and unlocked the back door.

139. We were sitting there in shock. Franz started honking the horn, but to no avail; nobody cared enough to do anything on this busy and crowded road. Of course these guys had hoped that at least one of us would run after the thief, so they could steal the car too. We stayed put and watched our bag vanish. Later we found out that this tactic is much used here, where someone gets your attention on one side while on the other side another person steals something from you.

140. Lesson number one, we learned: We weren't on guard enough and were too taken by the heat. We should have kept our windows up, so nobody could reach into the window, especially when driving through dangerous parts of town or stopping at traffic lights. From now on, even though we're hot, we'd rather keep our window rolled up nearly to the top and only leave a small part open for air.

141. Lesson number two: Never carry any valuables in your bag. Have them on your body. We rarely carry originals of passports, only when absolutely necessary. Instead of an original drivers license, some of us carry a laminated copy, which so far has been acceptable, especially when you explain that your license has already been stolen once. It's best to keep your bag out of sight behind the seat instead of so obviously on the back seat.

142. Lesson number three: When some­one does something crazy on your left side, automatically look to your right. Most of all, pray without ceasing! (End of report from Lily.)

The African War Zone!

143. (Mama:) Can you imagine what Dad would say if he heard these reports? Well, he did hear them, and he certainly had some counsel to give. His talk mostly focuses on the situations that could have been avoided through more prayer, hearing from the Lord, or by using more common sense.

144. When he refers to the "unbelievable things some folks want to do in Africa," he's talking about a number of reports we've received about people who want to move to Africa, but who‚ without much information‚ knowledge or counsel‚ have wanted to head into some pretty dangerous territory.

145. It's not that their hearts were wrong or that their intentions were not good; they wanted to be missionaries and taste some of the African excitement! But if you don't know the country and the people, what might seem to you to be a fun witnessing trip along the coast in a boat, or a several–hour ride from a certain location to another on a witnessing trip, could turn out to be a matter of life or death!

146. Some have had their eyes more on the "excitement, thrills and safari-type of adventure" that is also part of Africa, but have not had the wisdom or extreme prayerfulness needed to go along with it, resulting in close calls or potential setbacks to the work. So it's essential for new teams to be open to the counsel of those who have been in Africa for some time, and to the suggestions of your shepherds.

147. So here's a hot talk from Dad on the subject!

148. (Dad speaking:) It's just unbelievable some of the things folks want to do in Africa! I'm not talking about the great and mighty exploits of God that some are performing either! I'm talking about some downright foolishness and lack of common sense! Folks‚ are you praying or what? We can't have soldiers running off into the heat and forefront of the battle without their guns loaded, or leaving their helmets behind, and most of all, not knowing what territory they're headed into! It's just not the way to win a war or claim a country—it's the way to lose lives!

149. I'm going to give you a little talking-to about some of the basics that I've been ­telling you for years and years! Here I am to tell you again‚ because it seems that some of you have forgotten some of your basic army training!

150. I know that Africa is a thrilling field. It's a pioneer's paradise. But believe me, it's also a war zone! And I'm not only referring to the spiritual war, beloved; I'm talking about the physical war that almost every single one of these African countries is currently involved in. And that's just the tip of the iceberg!

151. There are so many dangers and hazards in countries like this, which if you're not aware of and on guard against, the Enemy can use to get the better of you and snuff out your usefulness. I don't want to see that happen, folks. You all need to wise up to some of the Enemy's attacks, as well as to some of the ­hazards of the field and its dangerous conditions.

152. Let's talk for a minute about practical safety and prayerfulness. Many of these African countries you're living in have serious problems with crime, assault, violence, and other such things, not to mention sickness and disease, etc. Let's look for just a minute at robbery and other physical attacks. A great majority of our Homes in Africa have suffered some loss of goods‚ whether they've lost things to pickpockets and thieves, suffered a break–in, and even more serious attacks, like being held at gunpoint, their very lives threatened, and more!

153. Why is this happening? I've always tried to teach you that when serious things happen, you need to stop and have a talk with the Lord and each other and find out what's going on. Where are things going amiss? Is the ­Enemy attacking because you're right on track and hitting him where it hurts? Or is it because you're out of line somewhere, being foolish or un­prayer­ful, or because you've missed heeding the Lord's checks and are operating in your own carnal wisdom and strength?

154. It's time now to sit down and check your hearts and see how you measure up. Even if your Home hasn't had any problems, this talk is still for you, because you may yet—especially if you don't take this message to heart.

155. I can shed a little light on the situ­ation from my vantage point, and I'll tell you that although the Enemy is fighting you, he's not the one causing all the trouble! Oh my! Then who is? Well, it's your greatest enemy of all—yourselves! You're letting down your guard in many cases, and allowing the Enemy free rein to walk in and badger and attack you through the common hazards and dangers of your fields.

156. In many cases, you're just not being street­wise. You're not heeding the warnings that you've been given by veterans of the field, or you veterans of the field are not taking your plans to the Lord regularly enough for His counsel. If something's going to go amiss‚ He'll tell you about it—if you give Him a chance to speak.

157. There have been countless times when folks who have done this have gotten answers that have saved their lives! They may not know it, but those 10 or 15 minutes they took out of their busy day to hear from the Lord about where they should go that day, in the long run saved them hours, weeks‚ months, or even their lives! So don't belittle the power of prophecy. In ­Africa, you simply can't survive without it!

158. I know that you try to be aware of the dangers and you try to be careful‚ but most of you haven't been in a situation like this before. The rest of the world is just very different‚ so it's hard to adjust and to be able to take into account all of the things that could go wrong. It's hard to understand or to be able to judge the mentality of these people that you know so little about. They're desperate. They're needy. They're struggling for their lives in many cases. And you, being the white, rich-looking folks that you appear to be to them, are prime targets and fair game. That puts you at a disadvantage and them at the advantage, and sad to say‚ they've sometimes been able to take advantage of you.

159. I'm not saying that every time you've been swindled or gypped that it's been your fault, or a lack of prayerfulness or closeness to the Lord. These sorts of things are part of the sacrifice and price that you pay in order to be on this field. Each field has its hazards and dangers‚ and this is Africa's. You face illness, crime, theft, and generally, increased danger. But there is certainly a difference between facing troubles and tribulations and suffering an occasional loss of your goods for the Gospel's sake and for Christ's sake while you're faithfully doing your job, as opposed to carelessly inviting such things to happen through your own lack of prayer­ful­ness or desire for adventure!

160. Folks, you are too needed and there are too few of you to risk losing any of you through your own foolishness! I'm not upset with you, I'm just concerned for your lives and survival. Some of you need a little shakeup in order to get you more firmly in the habit of praying constantly and hearing from the Lord and checking in with Him about all your plans. Amen? That's the goal of this talk. It certainly isn't to strike fear in your heart or to tell you that your lives are in danger every day—that's not the case.

161. You're the Lord's children and He's protecting you. But the Lord expects you to give Him a little cooperation. And on this field that is so known for its instability and chaos, you have to give the Lord a little more cooperation than you would have to in a more stable, secure field where these things don't pose such a problem.

162. The Lord expects you to realize and see that these things are potential problems. In order to preserve your loved ones and your work and ministry for Him, it's your responsibility to be doubly prayerful, careful, and determined to hear from Him and make sure that you're headed on the right track, every single day.

163. Of course He can protect you! Of course He can provide for you! Of course He can do miracles and keep you from any harm or danger! He and your angels are working overtime to do so, so it's only fair that you be a bit more aware, cooperative, and give them your appreciation by not putting yourself in harm's way or by doing dumb things!

164. The Lord has given you choice‚ and He doesn't keep you from every evil, as you know. A lot of it depends on you. He's begged you to ask Him for His counsel, but He's not going to force it on you. You're going to have to ask Him. If you ask and give Him just a minute of your time‚ He'll show you, because He's happy and willing to. But if you make your own de­cisions and pursue your own course of direction, well then, He can do what He can to protect you, but you might face some of the natural con­sequences for your decisions. If you end up in a bad part of town or you choose to lean to your own understanding and are swindled or robbed, then you've hindered His helping you as much as He wants to, because you weren't very open and receptive to His counsel or leading. If you'd asked, He would have warned you or at least directed you in another route.

165. You have to have faith to believe that the Lord has a reason for telling you things. If it seems like you're going to lose a great opportunity by obeying Him, well, you may be losing what appears to you to be a great opportunity, but at the same time, you may be saving your little hide! So get your priorities straight‚ amen?

166. The Lord and your spirit helpers do what they can to protect you all the time, but they're also trying to teach you to avail yourself more of their help by avoiding trouble from the start. And in a continent like Africa, that's a wise thing to take heed to‚ because there is so much potential trouble if you're not under the shadow of the Lord's wings. It requires both the miraculous and divine intervention of the Lord and your angels‚ as well as your own prayerfulness and God–given wisdom. God expects you to help Him out a bit! Give Him some co­operation!

167. You're supposed to be shining lights in this dark and desperate land. But in order to fulfill the calling that God has given you, you need to learn the ropes and keep yourself out of trouble. He doesn't want you to be bogged down with the dangers and the diseases, although you may encounter some in the line of fire. If so, praise the Lord and thank Him that He protected and kept you as much as He did. Some losses you have to endure for the Lord's sake cheerfully, but there are others, beloved, that weren't meant to happen, and it's those that I'm trying to correct and get through to you about.

168. Not every single robbery or dangerous situation the Family in Africa has encountered has been part of the Lord's plan or part of the sacrifice of being a missionary there. Many of them have happened simply because folks weren't prayerful enough. They weren't taking things seriously. They didn't really believe that things could be as dangerous as other folks told them they were. They thought they were in control and could handle whatever situation they'd face. But they found out that they couldn't, and in many cases, they didn't even know it had happened. There was no time to act and they suffered the loss of their possessions, or their lives were threatened.

169. Thank the Lord we haven't lost any of our folks because of their foolishness. Thank God that He has kept and protected as only He can. But please, let's give Him some help and cooperation so that we can spend more time getting the job done. As you folks know who have had your house broken into and all your goods whisked away from under your nose, it's a loss. It takes time to replace all your belongings, especially in such poor countries. And it was a hard blow having all the money and legal papers stolen, wasn't it? Well‚ the Lord always pro­vides, but it could have been avoided through prayer and seeking the Lord.

170. Ask Him about your security regularly. Are you taking the right steps and necessary precautions? Are you being wise when you go out? Are you being careful and prayerful as you walk down the street, keeping your antenna pointed up toward Heaven? Are you taking care to make your property as burglar-proof as possible?

171. You've always got to be tuned in to your Heavenly Protection Source—the Lord! If you are, then you have nothing to worry about. If you're alert and tuned in and have your antenna pointed up so that you're receiving His signals, checks and warnings‚ then you're going to be okay. You don't have to fear or be worried, because the Lord is more than able to take care of His children. So don't let the Enemy come in and afflict you with fear or with worry. Yes, you're at war, but you're on the winning side! Praise the Lord!

172. I'm so proud of each of you who have given your lives as missionaries on the African field. You really are stacking up great rewards, and the souls and lives you're changing are going to be testimonies forever of your sacrifice and love in Heaven! They are stars that will shine brilliantly in your crown, because you had to give up so much to reach them. You had to come down to their level. You had to do as Jesus did and become one with them. You had to get ­special training and be extra desperate and cling more tightly to the Lord in order to reach them. There are great rewards in store for you, folks.

173. So don't get discouraged or defeated! Don't let the Enemy get you thinking about running out before you've even begun your great work in earnest! The best is yet to come! The harvest is not yet reaped! So hang in there and take this message to heart so that you can be safe and protected, and better able to reach these nations, without giving the Enemy any room to get in and afflict you with troubles and calam­ities. Amen? I love you! Your Dad. (End of mess­age from Dad.)

A Robber's Own Story!

174. (Chimbebwe, spirit helper speaking:) I am Chimbebwe. I am here to help the people of Africa. I am here to help the Family to reach Africa. I will help you when you are in trouble, because I am assigned to help the children of David who tell my people about Jesus.

175. The children of David need my help because you don't know my people well. I am one who helps you when you find yourself face to face with a bad man. I can show you what to do if you pray and ask.

176. The people of Africa are poor, and some people will rob you because that's the only way they can get food. Chimbebwe will help you. I will protect you. I will tell you what to do so that you will be safe.

177. I understand the bad men because I was a robber one time. I broke the window in a house and jumped inside to grab whatever I could find. The man of the house, a white man, came into the room and stood there. I could see that he was afraid because I had a knife, and I was afraid that he would jump on me. But instead he said, "Jesus, You have sent this man into my house, now help me to help him." He told me that I could take anything I wanted and that he would give me food too.

178. I took his camera, his money, his watch. He just stood there and didn't try to stop me. He looked around and said, "Is there anything else you want? I will give you some bread and water."

179. He handed me a picture of a man and said‚ "This is the One Who protects my house‚ and that is why you will not hurt me. His name is Jesus. I want to give Him to you, my friend, so that He can protect you and so that you won't have to rob people. It is too dangerous to rob people. When you need food, come to my house and I will feed you."

180. I put the picture inside my shirt and kept it, and when I was hungry I would look at the picture and go to the white man's house. He would feed me and talk to me about Jesus. I wept because Jesus loved me, and the white man loved Jesus so much that he risked his life to come to Africa.

181. Remember if you meet a robber, you must pray and ask for help. You must let the robber hear you pray and say the name of Jesus. Pray, speak in tongues, speak in prophecy, and the powers of Heaven will come to help you.

182. I am a chief protector of the children of David in Africa. I work together with Jesus and your guardian angels and other spirit helpers to oversee your security. I watch out for you and will keep you. (End of message from spirit helper.)

Study the Pubs!

183. (Mama:) Wasn't that message incredible? Praise the Lord for all His wonderful Words, and the spirit helpers He's providing us with. Later‚ Dad had some further counsel to give on the same topic, when we were praying about how to help our Family in Africa to avoid such situations:

184. (Dad speaking:) How do I feel about these types of problems coming up—rob­beries, thefts‚ loss of property and important documents and papers? Well, as I've said before, if you allow the Enemy to attack you in this way, either by a lack of carefulness or prayerfulness, you're almost as guilty as the one the Enemy used to attack you!

185. You who know the Lord and are supposed to know about the spiritual warfare that's going on, as well as the times in which you live, should be aware. You're supposed to be sober and vigilant‚ and remember that you and your possessions are not your own; they were bought with a price. They belong to the Lord and His service.

186. What I've said before—everything that's already been written and pubbed for the benefit of the Family—is all that should have to be said as far as I'm concerned. It's all there. The warnings are there; the tips and good counsel are there. We've written on the subject of safety and security from just about every angle there is. So if people let down their guard and allow the Enemy to singe them in this way in spite of all the warnings, then all I can say is, I hope it's enough to teach them a good lesson. And not only should the lesson be for them personally, but for all who hear about it.

187. This subject is so serious in Africa that you'd do well to emphasize these warnings in a big way. It's a dangerous place, just like anywhere there are a lot of poor. And things are only going to get worse in the future. When they see you foreigners come in‚ they certainly won't think twice about taking whatever they can easily get from you, and not even consider it stealing. They'll just look on it as taking from the "haves" (that's you) and giving to the "have-nots" (that's them).

188. So I would suggest that you put together a list of Letters on the subject for the Homes to read. It doesn't have to be the whole Letter, but the main quotes and excerpts that will be relevant and helpful along those lines.

189. I'd say that each Home should have a security monitor, someone or a couple of some­ones whose job it is to make sure that not one day or night goes by without having desperate prayer, claiming the Lord's promises for protection for each person and team that's out, as well as for those who remain at home.

190. You might also want to send out a list of all the tricks that anyone has heard about that thieves use. They can be pretty ingen­ious at finding ways of distracting you and relieving you of your belongings. It would help to draw up a list and make sure that every newcomer who arrives in Africa sits down and goes over that list and has desperate prayer, asking the Lord for a spirit of sobriety concerning their safety and the safety of their things, and especially of the Lord's money and your important ­documents.

191. The Enemy is just waiting to see who he can catch off guard. As I've said time and time again, don't you be his next meal! Stay under the shadow of the Lord's protection by praying without ceasing, and also by watching and remaining vigilant. Those petty thieves can tell who the easy targets are. They're just waiting for some gringo or greenhorn tourist to come along who is stupid enough to fall into their trap. And they figure if you're stupid enough to let them, then it serves you right whatever happens to you!

192. So have our folks there study the Word that's been written on the subject; have secur­ity monitors whose job is to constantly remind the Home members to be in prayer and follow security guide­lines; go over the different ways that the Enemy can attack; and pray without ceasing!

193. Young people especially can be a little flippant at times. They've not had the blessing of years of experience, and they might tend to think that nothing like that could happen to them. So they especially should take this warning seriously and realize that it not only can happen but will happen if they're not careful, prayerful, and obedient.

194. May God help and protect each one of His missionaries, His elite forces, His Gideon's band, as they do their part to stay on guard, watching and praying each step of the way! (End of message from Dad)

195. (Mama:) Thank you‚ Dad, for that excellent counsel! While these situations may be more common to Africa, there are many other countries where Family members have had similar encounters, though perhaps to a lesser degree. It would be wise for all of you to take these lessons to heart and apply Dad's counsel to your own Home.

196. At the end of this Letter you'll find a list of Letters and references on this topic which your Home might want to study together. If you don't already have a security monitor, you should probably appoint one. Remember, whether or not you live in a "safe country," the Enemy is always looking for a way to get in, so please do your part to stay within the Lord's protection!

[continued in GN 834]