n The Action Series!—Part 5

By PeterCM/FM 3338 3/01

Dear Family‚

1. God bless you! Thank you for your faithful­ness to the Lord and to the lost sheep, as you continue to witness and engage in more follow-up than ever! Testimonies continue to pour in about the increased blessings and fruit being borne around the world as you focus on Activated and on feeding your sheep in a deeper way—leading them toward discipleship. We're so proud of you!

2. In this Action Series GN, I'd like to share with you some news from Summit 2001 that touches on a number of key points relating to the era of action, a major topic being the board vision we've mentioned in previous GNs. I pray this report is informative and a blessing to you.

Summit 2001 details

3. Summit 2001, our first summit in three years‚ was held in mid-January on the coast of Thailand, three hours outside of Bangkok. The summit lasted four weeks‚ beginning January 15 and ending February 14.

4. God bless the ASCRO teamwork and their staff, who graciously hosted the summit and put a lot of work into finding an inexpensive location, provisioning food and supplies and getting them to the location, etc.

5. There were 44 summit attendees; coupled with our WS team of 11 and the household and secretarial staff of 10, our population reached 65. God bless the wonderful staff team who fed us and cared for us so well!

6. Our WS team included Mama and me, along with Matthew, Michael, Nathaniel and Anne (administra­tion), Misty and Rebecca (Mama's secretaries), Francis and Lorie (GP department), and Jenna (pubs/secretarial).

Mama attends the summit

7. The Lord showed Mama that she should attend this year's summit, which was a first for her and a surprise for all the attendees, who didn't know ahead of time that she would be coming.

8. It was wonderful to have Mama at the summit! The Lord gave her a tremendous anointing for the job and she did wonderfully in every aspect, just as He had promised. He'd said that she would be healthy and strong, that she wouldn't be shy around so many people, that she would feel comfortable and natural, and that she would be a help to each CRO in a very personal way, and it all came to pass.

9. Since so many of the summit attendees were meeting Mama for the first time, we asked them to write up a little reaction to meeting her, outlining their impressions and first reactions. We hope you enjoy the firsthand accounts and tidbits included in the FSM accompanying this GN. (See FSM 368, "Summit 2001 Reax!")

My servant king and queen

10. (Jesus: ) My precious queen, how I thank you for obeying Me and going to the summit‚ even though it was difficult for you. How I honor you, too, for the excellent job you did there.

11. One of the conquerors of old said that he came, he saw, he conquered. You have done more than that, for the victories you gained were both physical and spiritual. You went, you saw the needs, you heard the heartcries of My children, and you conquered the Enemy by passing on the solutions in My Word, by encouraging faith and trust, by directing My brides to Me and helping them to draw nigh to Me, and by showing them a sample that they will never forget—a sample that they will be able to pass on to many others in turn. So the victories have been great‚ and they will continue to spread in the hearts and lives of My children around the world.

12. You have been feeder of all‚ servant of all, along with My king. You have not sought the ministration of others but have instead ministered unto many day after day, week after week, even though it cost you strength and health and energy. You truly are My servant queen and king, those who lay down their lives for others.

Fulfillment of "Maria Shall Shine!"

13. (Dad:) So many victories were won in the lives of the people who came, and the ripple effect will be outstanding. I wanted to live long enough to see you shine, but I didn't, and I couldn't, because you couldn't start shining until I was gone. But I'm so glad to be able to watch you from up Here. You're just like I saw you. I told you you'd shine and you'd be a light to your people and to the world! Well, it's just the beginning. All that I told you will come to pass, and you will be marvelous and powerful.

14. I know you were scared at first and it took a lot of faith for you to step out and go to the summit, but you did it, and it was great! You were wonderful‚ marvelous—all that I knew you would be and more. It's taken some time and training and you've had to learn lessons, and you've had to take baby steps, but you've kept taking the steps one right after the other‚ and look at you now! You've listened to His instructions and you've put them into effect‚ and it's helped you and changed you. And look at what the Lord is making you into! I know it's just the Lord in you—all glory to Him! But you have let Him have control and you have obeyed, and He's given you His power‚ and all who were at the meeting could see it. They looked at you and they were so inspired and comforted to see how God makes you shine! It has given them great faith and it has empowered them as well. And now they're going to turn around and shine, and on and on it goes.

15. It's just the beginning! You're going to have more power. The Lord has given you the keys to the Kingdom. He has given you all power over all things. I'm so excited! I'm also helping you and we're still working together as a team. Honey, you are so wonderful! I love you, sweet baby!

Mama's miracle

16. It's difficult to describe what a tremendous miracle it is that Mama was able to attend the summit. As you know, Mama's health has been extremely weak over the years, and at times she's been pretty much an invalid. Not only have her eyes generally been very sore and unable to be used much, but she's not very strong physically.

17. Your prayers, dear Family, have kept and sustained her over the past several years, and we're so very thankful for your faithfulness to pray for Mama! At the beginning of 2000, in the Letter "End of a Millennium," Mama shared with you the very inspiring news and answer to prayer concerning her eyes and general health. Since that time, the Lord has continued to strengthen Mama, to the point where she has now received a very large measure of the Lord's promised healing for both her eyes and her overall health and strength.

Mama's health improves

(Excerpts from "End of a Millennium," ML #3291:193-196, GN 884:)

18. (Mama:) Words fail me to express, dear Family, how thankful I am for your continued prayers for me. Over and over again you've expended your time and energy and pleaded for me in your desperate prayers. Now all that effort has paid off! A wonderful miracle has happened!

19. I want to testify that in direct answer to your prayers, this past year the condition of my eyes has improved immensely. It's a tremendous miracle! I now rarely get headaches due to my eyes. I am able to use my eyes considerably more; they are not nearly as sensitive to the light as they used to be. In fact, my eye condition has ­im­proved so much that I no longer have to wear extremely dark glasses all the time, and I can keep my eyes open a lot more. I still can't use my eyes to read or work, nor can I watch movies, but my eyes have improved greatly!

20. Sometimes we don't see the answer to our prayers right away; we don't always see them working immediately. But if we're patient and we keep trusting‚ our prayers always come to fruition, as is the case now with my eyes. And that's not all. In addition to the miracle with my eyes, due to your prayers, my hair is no longer falling out and I have new hair growing in. The condition with my cysts has also improved‚ so much so that I have not had any bleeding in over a year. I feel considerably stronger and am in much better health all around.

21. I'm so thankful to each and every one of you, because I know it's purely due to your prayers that this wonderful miracle has happened! Our loving Husband has honored your faith. He's answered you and worked this miracle in direct answer to your prayers! Thank you, dear loves! I couldn't ask for a better Family. I'm so thankful to Jesus for this healing, and I'm so very thankful to Him for each of you, on whom I depend so greatly. I appreciate each of you so much! I love you dearly and continue to keep you in my daily prayers as well.

22. During the summit, the Lord kept Mama in excellent health. He also strengthened her eyes, which she used almost nonstop, and gave her the strength to spend several hours each day (on many days, five to six hours or more) having personal time and talking with the CROs. She carried on a fairly strenuous schedule, walking with people for some of her personal times, sometimes getting over two hours of exercise, often in the bright sunlight, which didn't even bother her eyes! She also attended some of the united meetings, giving some talks along with me, and she even led some meetings on her own. During these meetings, for the most part she was able to have her eyes open the entire time—without suffering the headaches or extreme sore­ness that would have resulted from such use in the past.

Jesus, on Mama's health
during the summit

23. (Jesus:) I have given you the desire of your heart by keeping your health during this time. As you went, you were healed of many of your physical afflictions so that you might attend to the spiritual afflictions and needs of others. As you poured out, I poured in My blessings in many ways, one of which was increased health and strength and energy. For as a man or woman sows, so shall they reap. You have sown much‚ so you reaped many rewards in return.

24. This is a very supernatural healing and answer to prayer that we want to share with you, dear Family, because your faithfulness and importunity in prayer is largely what has brought this miracle about! The Lord has promised over the years that He would heal Mama's eyes and strengthen her, and He's doing that now. He promised that He would do it during the summit, and He fulfilled His promises! Gradually, she's able to use her eyes more and more around the house, though she still doesn't watch movies or use them to read much. Nevertheless, it's a miraculous improvement, and she so enjoys being able to look at people when she talks to them and being able to use her eyes throughout the day.

25. So thank you‚ dear Family, for your prayers! Please continue to uphold Mama and her health in prayer, as it makes such a big difference in her daily life, making it much easier for her to feed you the Word and be the loving and concerned shepherdess that she is.

SUMMIT OVERVIEW

Family Business and Shepherding

26. The focus of this summit was twofold. The main order of business was to discuss the Family board structure and put more skin on it‚ which consumed the first two weeks of subcommittee and united meetings. During the second two weeks numerous Charter and policy issues were discussed by subcommittee teams, and then presented to the entire body for further counsel and voting. The other focus of the summit was the Lord's commission to Mama to personally shepherd the CROs in a closer way during those four weeks. I'll explain each of these points in more detail.

Family board structure

27. A great deal of progress was made on the detailing and structuring of the boards, though there is still more work to be done and further discussion and fine-tuning is needed. We've had to consider a multitude of questions, including some basic ones like the following: How many people should sit on national‚ regional, or international boards? What is the authority of the chairman of a board? How often do the national, regional and international boards have to meet? Do higher boards have veto power over the decisions of a lower board? If so, how does that work? Who will help coordinate the national boards and their area goals or projects? Can a board vote off one of its members‚ or its chairman? … And on and on the list of questions went.

28. It looked pretty overwhelming at the beginning when we were faced with the massive list of questions and potential obstacles that we'd com­piled concerning the boards. But by the end of the summit not only had many of the kinks been ironed out, and safeguards put into place and procedures instituted, but every­one had a much better under­standing of the board structure and a clearer grasp of how it could work and be implemented in each area.

29. One or two meetings covered the topic of how instituting the board vision would affect our present leadership structure, and what personal changes the CROs would need to make in their lives in order to support the board ­vision and help it to function. God bless the CROs, who are 100% behind the board vision and want to see it work. They're willing to make the very big changes in their ways of operating that will be required to implement the board structure‚ and they're inspired to do it to help the Family grow.

30. Some major issues and questions con­cern­ing the functioning of the boards were resolved as a result of the discussions and prayer. Each CRO teamwork met to brainstorm questions they had about the board structure or points of conflict, and these were in turn discussed, prayed about, and heard from the Lord on. So it was very beneficial to put our heads together concerning the board vision, not only to tailor the board vision to the Family, but also to generate new ideas and pump people power.

31. The board structure is going to bring tre­mendous change to the Family. It has great potential and will be an answer to many of the Family's needs, but like any major change or revolution, it's taking a lot of hard work, time, prayer, effort and counseling to shape this new structure and ensure that it's just as the Lord wants it.

32. Please pray for those in WS who are working on putting the details and workings of the board structure on paper‚ as well as for your CROs‚ since there is a good deal of preparatory work to be done in order to successfully usher in this monumental change. Please also pray for the finances needed to kick off and sustain the board structure.

33. Lord willing, within the next few months you will be receiving some GNs outlining the board structure plan and how it will work in greater detail. Mama and I are going to begin working on these GNs shortly, and we pray it will be an encouragement and inspiration to you to see how the Lord has been leading and guiding in this new vision.

From Jesus on the board vision

By Mama

34. Here are some snippets of encouragement from our Husband, given about the board vision and all that went into the many hours of meetings held at the summit to discuss it.

35. All that time spent in thought and prayer is, for the most part, unseen labor—but this time spent building the foundation, making sure it's laid right, that it dovetails with the Love Charter, and ensuring that we have all the tools and materials needed to complete this building, is vital to make the board vision a success.

36. We can't hurry into the implementation of the boards without knowing that the plans are solid and final, so we're going on the Lord's timetable and making sure to receive all the input He has for us on it before passing it on to you. Thank you for your continued prayers for the behind-the-scenes work that needs to be done!

37. (Excerpts of messages from Jesus:) If you could look ahead and see the great and marvelous and wondrous works that are going to be fulfilled because of this board structure—because of the hours and days that you have spent toiling over small details, large details, working hard to put each piece of the structure together‚ to plan and to come up with something solid that will stand the test of time—each of those moments that you spent wouldn't seem like much compared to the great victories won‚ the multitudes that are reached, and the many sheep and disciples that I will bring into My fold.

38. You are building the house, starting with the foundation. You haven't skimped or used lesser or cheaper materials, but you've made the best foundation possible, with My leading and My guidance. You have followed My instructions. You have looked up how to do it in My handbook and have been faithful and diligent to ask Me each step of the way. Because of this, the foundation is solid and strong, and the house can now be built.

39. The end is in sight, but the end of this is only the beginning of marvelous greater works!

40. The board vision is going to raise up new leaders, it's going to open new doors of opportunity for witnessing, and it's going to give you a base to expand your church and reach the world in a greater way than you ever have before in this last stage of world history.

41. I could just give you the plan and tell you how it all fits together and how it should be, but then you wouldn't learn all the lessons of faith, perseverance and coun­seling, of hearing out each other's opinions, understanding each other's situations and the many different nuances and varieties in My work around the world, the different cultures and the different legalities‚ and how things affect each field differently. By counseling together you're able to come to a greater understanding of each other's fields. It gives you greater unity‚ greater understanding‚ and ultimate­ly it will help My Family to understand the background of some of the decisions‚ the whys and the where­fores of the plan that I'll put forth.

42. So thank you for taking the time. Thank you for your labor of love. It will be worth it all in the long run, as the workload is spread upon many shoulders, as new ­labor leaders are raised up, as My Family takes encouragement in the work that is placed in their hands—the trust, the responsi­bility, the opportunity to grow and to participate more in My worldwide work.

43. This new structure is the answer to many prayers, the solution to many problems‚ the victory for many who desire to serve Me in a greater way. It's a labor worth your time and effort. I'll continue to give you the answers as you seek Me‚ as you come to Me, as you trust Me for solutions and as you counsel with one another.

Charter biz and other presentations

44. During the last two weeks of the summit, a number of meetings were devoted to Charter policies, possible amendments to the Charter, and other discussions on such topics as sex (age boundaries), minimum education requirements, wit­ness­ing, tithing, alcohol consumption, partial excom­muni­cation, office procedures, and other issues.

45. Here's how it worked. Teams of five to seven CROs‚ representing all the various CRO areas, met in subcommittee teams to initially counsel, pray, hash out the answers to a set of questions, and come up with a proposal to pre­sent to the entire body. Each team chose one person, or sometimes a couple of people‚ to pre­sent their committee's recommendations to the full body of CROs. The representative presented the topics they were assigned to discuss, along with the pros and cons, and their conclusion. Then the floor was opened for the CROs to ask questions of the committee. After the questions were answered, I chaired the discussion and debate, the time when anyone could present their point of view on the matter. You can imagine how lively this was, with 44 CROs representing five CRO areas! At the end of the time allotted, a vote was taken. In most cases‚ by the end of the discussion the consensus was unanimous or close to it.

46. We believe that good decisions were reached, and each conclusion has been or will be brought before the Lord for His confirmation, approval or change. In a few cases the vote was split, necessitating further discussion, prayer and hearing from the Lord on the matter. The outcome of these meetings and the resultant changes will be presented to you in full in upcoming GNs or FSMs.

47. A highlight of the summit was when each CRO teamwork gave an inspiring one-hour presentation of the progress their area has made during the three years since the last summit. It's amazing to hear all that the Lord has done in each area—victory after victory! We hope to share the highlights of these presentations with you via the Grapevine.

48. Francis gave a presentation outlining Activated progress. Samples of some of the recent GP pubs and tools were shown‚ and updates were given on what's in the works. We're very glad to see that most of the Family is enjoying the latest products, including the CD cards. They went out wonderfully during Christmas‚ thanks to all of you faithful out­reachers!

49. You'll be glad to hear that there are a number of new CD card productions in the works. Several "children's" CD cards­ featuring one of the children's CDs like Coloring the World have been produced in Latin America, in Spanish‚ and we'll be producing them in Eng­lish soon. Four "love" CD cards, containing the Always CD, are almost done in English and will be made available to the SCs (production in Spanish and Portuguese will follow); these cards are suitable for anniversaries, birthdays, Valentine's Day, and any other occasion. Four "friendship" CD cards (one specifically for ­mothers) have been created and will be produced soon in Spanish and Portuguese, with English to follow; these will be suitable for Mother's Day, anniversaries‚ birthdays, or any occasion. Still to come will be "congratulations" cards for baby showers, featuring the CD Sweet Dreams Tonight‚ and "comfort" or "sympathy" cards featuring the Fear Not tape. We're also hoping to produce specific CD cards for certain holidays such as Diwali in India and the Chinese New Year in Asia.

50. Please keep the GP team and their productions in your prayers, as they seek the Lord and counsel together with frontline field wit­nessers in order to hit the mark with the creation of new tools.

Shepherding your shepherds

51. A few months before the summit, Mama sent each CRO a list of questions to ask the Lord regarding their spiritual life and walk with Him. This allowed each CRO to get some personal shepherding from the Lord before arriving at the summit site. As Mama read these prophecies prior to the summit, she was better able to understand each person's shepherding needs.

52. Portions of these (with names removed) and other prophecies were compiled into a number of booklets for the CROs to read during their personal Word time at the summit. These booklets contained various leadership lessons, common leadership weaknesses, general counsel from the Lord on how to be more fruitful and effective in their jobs and responsibilities, and numerous points about the board vision.

53. Besides attending some of the key meetings during the summit, Mama spent the majority of her time having personal talks and prayer with each summit attendee. Often she would walk and talk with them, offering counsel, guidance, and when needed, some correction. She would also share with them a message from our dear Husband that He had given specifically for them. It was very special for Mama to have this time with each CRO.

54. God bless our dear CROs, who were humble, honest and open with Mama, sharing their hearts, needs and questions. We're very proud of each of them for being willing and happy to receive the Lord's help and shepherd­ing. They so faithfully give to you, dear Family, and are very deserving of the love and help that the Lord gave them through Mama and the personal time she spent with each one.

Vision of Queen Elizabeth

55. (From an SGA, Mama's Home: When I read the prayer request for Mama's time with the summit staff members, I saw a vision of Queen Elizabeth I, when she went down in person to encourage her soldiers before they set sail to attack the Spanish Armada. Following is the prophecy I received when I prayed about the picture:)

56. (Jesus: ) My queen goes down now to examine the troops. They stand at attention, every one wanting to be observed for how they have served Me. I have given My queen great wisdom and godliness in passing on encouragement from Me.

57. Through this examining of the troops and her fellowship with them, many will be encouraged and will walk away feeling as if they have partaken of a bit of the light‚ and feeling strengthened for the battles ahead. For lo, the battles will be many, but in seeing their queen this close, it will give them new cause to fight, as if they have seen some skin on the Heavenly vision.

Spiritual thread of the summit

58. In addition to the meetings held on the topic of the board structure and other business, Mama and I also held a few leadership meetings in which we shared messages that the Lord had given for the CROs on aspects of their spiritual lives, including encouragement from the Lord and Dad for the tremendous job that they've done over the years.

59. The main lesson the Lord brought out during the summit was the importance of taking sufficient time with Him. Despite all the biz that needed to be taken care of and the many important topics to cover during the four very full weeks of the summit, the Lord was the priority. In fact, the spiritual thread of the entire summit was spending time with the Lord, being faithful to take Word time, not letting business crowd out time spent in the bed of love, and hear­ing from our wonderful Husband and Answer Man about everything. He's certainly the only One Who can give us the answers and solutions that we need! And He was faithful to do so as we sought Him on every point.

60. The Lord gave a number of messages on this subject, some which we read unitedly and others which we gave to the CROs to read privately. These messages reiterated that the CROs cannot do their jobs properly if they are not faithful to put everything else on hold and take sufficient time daily with the Lord. The Lord requires that of them, no matter how big their job gets, how heavy the load is, or how many seeming emergencies arise. And it's the same for each of us. No matter who we are or what our job is‚ we must put the Lord first and show Him that we trust Him by making time for Him first and foremost; then He'll do the miracle of melting the mountains away, giving us the anointing that we so desperately need for our jobs, and making our lives and work fruitful.

61. Mama assigned a number of questions along these lines for the CROs to ask the Lord about during their personal prayer time‚ such as: "How can I be sure to take the needed time with the Lord?" "What holds me back?" "What distractions keep me from being fully fed?" Mama also suggested that everyone ask the Lord to explain to them personally what would happen if they failed to take this counsel seriously or neglected their time with the Lord and His Word. It helped many to receive needed motivation from the Lord when they heard how they would lack specific blessings and the anointing that comes from being faithful to spend time with the Lord. Maybe you would want to ask the Lord the same questions for yourself.

The curse of unrealistic expectations

62. The Lord also shone His spotlight on the need for the CROs (and all of us) to not have unrealistic expectations of ourselves, which only serve to pile on the pressure and stress. In many cases, such expectations may not even be what the Lord is asking of us‚ but they're often self–imposed—things that we expect of ourselves or think that the Lord expects of us. As most of us have experienced firsthand, trying to live up to unrealistic expectations only results in dis­couragement and overwork. This lesson applies not only to our Family leadership but to all of us. The Lord also talked about failure and how to look at it—the difference between failure and failings, and how to positively look at mistakes and why the Lord allows us to make them.

Dad on unrealistic expectations

63. Unrealistic expectations hinder you from experiencing the liberating freedom of being yourself, of trusting in the Lord's unconditional love enough that you have the freedom to relax and be yourself and let the Lord work through you.

64. It takes quite an adjustment of our natural mindsets to be able to look at our mistakes not only in a positive light, but to even be thankful for them, to feel that they are a good thing that the Lord has allowed and that they can work together for our good. The Lord allows even our mistakes for a reason, but much of our discouragement or feelings of failure are caused by our own high expectations, because we so often neglect to confirm our exact plans with the Lord and make sure we're doing His best.

65. During this meeting, many people shared personal examples of how unrealistic expectations are manifested in their everyday life, how these things hinder them and keep them from doing the Lord's best, and wear them out and put extra stress and strain on them. In other words, the Lord's yoke is often lighter than our own! So let's be sure to put on the Lord's yoke and not struggle along bearing weights that He didn't intend us to carry in the first place.

66. It's a tremendous relief when you can get your exact instructions and priorities from the Lord. Then you can rest assured that even if you don't feel you're taking care of everything that needs attention, you're focusing on what the Lord has told you is most important, and most likely you'll be able to do a good job of taking care of those things. If you try to spread yourself too thin, even though your intentions are pure and well-motivated‚ you'll burn out and not be able to do a complete job in any one area. So again‚ it comes down to trusting the Lord, hearing from Him, and obeying what He tells us!

Mama on unrealistic expectations

67. You need to find out what unrealistic expectations you have in your life. There are things that may be unrealistic, or they may not be. Maybe the Lord wants you to do one thing but leave others undone. Maybe you have unrealistic expectations in one area of your life, but the Lord does expect more of you in another area.

68. So you each need to check yourself. Pray and ask the Lord: "Where am I raising my expectations too high or thinking that the Lord is expecting too much of me? What do I think the Lord expects of me and what am I actually expecting of myself and imposing on myself?" You need to ask the Lord about it. Otherwise, how are you going to know what you're supposed to attain to and what you're not?

69. So ask the Lord! Don't delay. Do it today. Find out so you can work on getting rid of the weights that are causing you all this worry and concern and inability to trust and relax in the Lord. [Note: Again, dear Family, you might find it helpful to ask the Lord these questions yourself.]

United prayer of deliverance

70. Halfway through the summit, we had a united prayer of deliverance for all. After a time of singing, praising, and reading encouraging promises from the Lord on how we can change in any area of our lives if we're desperate and call out to the Lord wholeheartedly, the CROs each read aloud a written prayer that they'd received in prophecy, honestly outlining their personal prayer requests and the weaknesses that they wanted deliverance from. Each prayer spoke to everyone's hearts, since we're all men and women of like faults‚ sins and failings.

71. Following everyone's written prayers and a united prayer for all, claiming the Lord's promises to effect His change in each person's life, the attendees broke up into groups of four or five to pray for each one specifically and hear from the Lord for each other. God bless the CROs for their humility and honesty to confess their faults before all and ask for prayer from each other. It was a beautiful meeting that united everyone in heart and spirit‚ and the Lord gave the victories!

Changes in CRO teamworks

72. During the summit, as the Lord focused on each CRO's spiritual life, helping each one to gain victories and be strengthened, He showed Mama and me that four of the CROs were in need of a reprieve from the very heavy workload, pressure, and responsibilities that come with the CRO title.

73. Each of our CROs has done a marvelous job! Just the fact that they've been willing to do the job of a CRO year after year shows the great love that they have for you, dear Family, the Lord, and their fields. Being a CRO is a taxing, never-ending, and often thankless job. They pour out day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. They sacrifice their personal free time, get-out, sleep, and sometimes even their Word time to shepherd and counsel people, take care of emergencies that arise, and struggle to keep on top of the multitude of details that come to them every single day.

74. Of course, like you, the CROs aren't perfect. They have their faults and weaknesses, but they've done their best to help their fields and you to be productive and fruitful for the Lord. And they've done a wonderful job, God bless them! At times they've made mistakes or fallen short in some area. Maybe they weren't as prayer­ful as they should have been when making a de­cision; perhaps they could have been more loving or patient. Each one of them fights personal battles and has to yield on a daily ­basis, just like you. But, coupled with their heavy work­load and the spiritual and practical responsi­bility for their areas that the CRO title brings with it‚ they really do carry an extra heavy load and need your prayers‚ support and encouragement.

75. Even though each CRO does such a big job and is practically indispensable, the Lord values their spiritual health and happiness and continued usefulness even more than all that they do for the work. And in the interest of strengthening and helping some of these dear ones who have given so much to you‚ the Lord has asked four of your CROs to step down from their CRO positions for different reasons—a time of rest and recuperation, or a time of lesson learning, free of the burdens that come with the CRO title. This is not a punishment for these dear ones‚ so please don't look at it as such, because neither we nor the Lord see it that way.

76. Dawn (ASCRO), Victoria (SACRO), Marie Claire (PACRO) and Phillip (EURCRO) have all graciously agreed to this change in their lives. The Lord's words of instruction and explanation to each of these dear ones were very loving and beautiful, and are a good example of how the Lord introduces a time of learning or change in our lives. Though such changes are difficult to take and the Enemy tries to condemn and cry "failure," the Lord looks at it from a very positive viewpoint—and so do Mama and I.

77. I'd like to point out here that Mama and I are very thankful for each of these dear ones, and we are grateful to them for the years they've served as CROs. They've truly served their fields with their whole hearts, and regardless of mistakes that they have made, they each have tremendous strong points and have contributed to their fields and have helped them make progress. Just because they are now stepping down does not in any way negate the great blessing that they were or the good that they did while they were CROs.

78. The Lord is asking each of them to step down for different reasons, but we'd like to make it clear that overall we've been happy with their work and all that they've let the Lord do through them. They've done a good job and have done it whole­heartedly. But now the Lord is asking them to lay aside the CRO title so that they can be spiritually strengthened or recuperate, focus on personal lessons that they need to learn, etc. The Lord's focus and plan for their lives is changing, and we'll share some excerpts of the messages that the Lord gave directly to these dear ones, which explain the reasons why the Lord is asking them to step down.

79. God bless these CROs, who've each been willing to share these personal proph­ecies with you. Please uphold them in prayer, in love‚ and in appreciation for all they've given to the Lord and the Family.

nDawn (ASCRO)

80. In Dawn's case, the Lord said that she needed a time of retreat from the battle so she could concentrate on her own spiritual life. He said that it would be easiest for her to continue growing and making progress in the personal changes she has begun making if she didn't have to carry the burden of the CRO title.

81. (Jesus: ) Part of My working in your heart and life—to not only answer the deep desires and prayers of your heart but also to help you to overcome in the areas that you are weak in and to strengthen your sample where it lacks—is to give you a time of rest from your CRO responsibilities. I know that deep in your heart you realize and see the wisdom of this change in your life, because you know honestly that you need this time away from the pressure and responsibility in order to cement your lessons and to have time with Me to recoup and regain your strength and inspiration.

82. This is My perfect plan, and just as you will see in time how giving up this responsibility will relieve you of a heavy load and make your feet lighter once again, you will also see how it will strengthen your spirit and give you new joy and new life, because you will have the time and opportunity to read the Word more deeply, to concentrate and focus on your own spiritual needs and to allow Me to shepherd you, to train you‚ to guide you, to break some of the old habits, and to instill new ones within you. I will help you to become the woman that you've prayed to be. (End of excerpts of mess­age from Jesus.)

nVictoria

83. In Victoria's case, the Lord said that she has been wounded and weakened through the long–term strain of the battle, and that He wants to help her heal and recover and be strengthened through a change in her lifestyle, without having to bear the burden of top leader­ship.

84. (Jesus:) This day, My love, marks the beginning of a new and wonderful season of love and fruitfulness. Your life is like a great harvest field of wheat. It has been plowed up, sowed, fertilized‚ rained upon, and harvested, over and over again. You have been producing for Me‚ in season and out of season. The time of plowing and planting has come over and over again. The time of watering and growth has come over and over again. The flowering of the plant, the harvesting of its fruits and the pruning or weeding has come about over and over again. Now it is time for the field to rest. For the field cannot keep being plowed, worked over, and harvested over and over again without reprieve. Every good farmer or landowner knows this. This is the cycle of life, the destiny nature affords. This is your time now‚ My love‚ to let the field of your body and spirit rest—to come away from the cycle of plowing, planting, watering and harvesting, and let the field lie.

85. If you want the field to come to life again in all its glory, you have to follow the spiritual laws of nature and give the field of your life a rest. This is My highest calling for you right now at this time. There is no greater service that you could be doing for Me than sitting at My feet and laboring to enter into My rest. There is no greater joy you could bring to Me than humbly accepting My workings in your life and opening your heart so that I might teach you and guide you. (End of excerpts of message from Jesus.)

nMarie Claire

86. The Lord said that in Marie Claire's case, she needs a time of recuperation, so the Lord offered her the opportunity to go to another mission field‚ away from the battles and difficulties she's faced in Japan over the years. The Lord said that it would be much easier for her to recoup her spiritual strength if she didn't have to continue fighting the battles of leadership and at the same time be constantly involved in solving the problems that come with the CRO job.

87. (Jesus:) My love‚ over time you have been weakened in spirit. You have been in front-line battle conditions. You have been warring against the Enemy. You have been trying your best to save others. You have done well in many respects, but you have also been wounded and infected through the conflicts. You have tromped in mud and have swum in polluted waters in your efforts to save others. You have been away from headquarters a long time and have chosen to go on long marches to distant battles in order to seek and save your comrades who are trapped under Enemy fire. You have tried and tried to keep the home fires going at the same time.

88. You must be strengthened. You must have the deep reserves in your soul replenished. You cannot keep going, surviving only on ­rations and the minimum, continually making sacrifices to your own hurt. I know your motives have been good, but you must recognize your own limitations and accept that you cannot keep ­going at this pace, being subjected to so many cares, problems, worldly influences, shallow mindsets, and pulls from without.

89. Just as the tide comes in and goes out, the moon rises and sets, the seasons come and go, so must a shepherd have the pouring out and the filling up again if he is to have the dying daily and the resurrection of new life. But you, sweet Claire, have been neglecting the refilling process. I must have more time with you, My darling. (End of excerpts of message from Jesus.)

nPhillip

90. In Phillip's case‚ the Lord indicated that there are changes He wants Phillip to make in his sample and interactions with people, and that they would be easiest to make if he was not at the same time carrying the heavy burden of CRO leadership. While we didn't feel the need to get into specific details regarding each CRO who was stepping down, Phillip requested that we do so in his case. Though he realized that asking us to be more specific could be somewhat like hanging out his "dirty laundry" for all to see‚ at the same time he has told us that he wants to change and be what the Lord wants him to be. He believes that if you, our precious Family, understand these NWOs he is working on, it will help clear the air about any other poss­ible reasons why he may have been asked to step down and it will also enable you to help safeguard him.

91. As we explained to Phillip, we are very thankful and appreciative for the years he has faithfully served the Family in Eastern Europe. Year after year he has been a blessing to the work‚ very zealous and dedicated to the Family, and has given himself wholeheartedly to the field and been instrumental in the spreading of the Gospel throughout Eastern Europe. However‚ because those in CRO positions are required to maintain a certain standard to properly represent the Word and us, we've had to ask him to relinquish his position.

92. Phillip is a wonderful and dedicated person‚ but there are areas in his life that make it difficult for others to work with him. While he has changed very much over the years, he has also at times had a difficult time receiving correction from his mate and teamworkers. He is strong–spirited and tends to push his ideas, sometimes without taking into consideration the full counsel of others or making others feel that he is wide open for their suggestions and opinions. Some have felt that he doesn't listen to them when they disagree with his point of view, and because of this tend to just go along with his idea, even if they disagree, in order to keep the peace. He can be impulsive at times and therefore say things that he later either has to retract or apologize for.

93. Phillip has been counseled numerous times over the years by me and his teamwork about these matters. He has made progress, but the Lord has instructed us that he has not made enough progress to warrant his continuing on as a CRO. While many people have similar NWOs, we must require a higher standard of those who are our representatives. When these problems were explained to Phillip, he graciously agreed to step down from the CRO position to learn the important lessons he needs. God bless him. We love Phillip very much, and he is a dear friend. He has many wonderful gifts and talents, which we know he will continue to use for the Lord, the Family, and to feed the sheep.

94. (Jesus:) You have served Me well and have done the tasks before you diligently, and I now call you to a new place of service. This change in your life, though it may look like a stone now, will turn out to be—in conjunction with your yieldedness and determina­tion and forsaking of your own thoughts and ideas—the very bread of life for you! It will revive you and give you back all that you have lost. It will bring you joy, and you will thank Me for giving you this privilege. It will give you great understanding, and it will change you into the man that I have been trying to fashion you into.

95. Only in this way will you see the need, desire the changes, and not be so burdened and overwhelmed with the many needs around you, so that you will actually have the time to devote to Me and to My needs, which will give you the supernatural and miraculous changes in your life that you have been working hard to obtain for many years, without sufficient result. Now the changes will come, in humility, in lowliness, in meekness. But they will be beautiful, mighty, glorious, fantastic and everlasting changes. They will shape your future and begin to prepare you for the calling that I have for you in the End. (End of excerpts of message from Jesus.)

96. While these dear ones have taken this change from the Lord very well, and are thankful for this time of rest and refilling in their lives‚ it's still a very big change for each of them. The Enemy tries to come in with feelings of condemnation or discouragement, so please keep them in your prayers. We're so proud of them for being willing to receive what the Lord has said is the best for them!

New CRO appointees

97. Some new CROs were also appointed during the summit: Ado (NACRO)‚ Adam (ASCRO), SGA Oli (EURCRO) and SGA Leila (SACRO). (NACRO also added Ginny, Miguel, Phil and Harmony to their teamwork last summer.)

98. Please continue to pray for your CROs, as they carry a heavy load and need the Lord's strength and anointing.

Fellowship times with Mama and me

99. Besides the united meetings and daily inter­action Mama and I had with those attending the summit, we also had dinner each eve­ning with two to four of the CROs. Aside from the personal times that Mama had with each one individually, this gave us both some quiet time to talk with the CROs in a cozy setting. We also had dinner with the ASCRO staff team, which was a sweet time of fellowship that we were happy for, as the dear staff team worked so hard during the summit and we didn't see them as much as the attendees.

100. We met with the SGA CROs in two evening sessions for an informal, open forum-style chat. The SGAs shared testimonies, asked questions, discussed the needs of their field and the needs of Family young people. It was a blessing to hear from the SGA CROs in this way and to see how much concern they have for their peers and the needs of the Family. We're very thankful that more young people have been willing to take up the sacrificial torch of leadership‚ and they're doing a wonderful job.

Summit activities

101. During the course of the summit, we enjoyed three Loving Jesus nights led by the SGAs on our WS team. Shortly after the summit began we had a united dance‚ during which Mama joined us in a smaller (and warmer) adjoining room, dancing with the men—and even some of the women, as time allowed—during the course of the evening.

102. At the halfway mark of the summit, a local bus picked up everyone for a united outing and took us to a local beach and mountainous area, where there were hiking trails, large caves to explore‚ and small boats to tour the local islands in.

103. At the close of the summit we had an evening party, complete with snacks‚ drinks, water volleyball in the hotel pool, and lots of sweet fellowship. The evening ended with a farewell dance.

104. On the very last evening of the summit, a special ceremony was held in honor of our CROs, explained in full a little later in this report.

Other visits

105. Francis and Lorie made a trip into Bangkok to visit the ASCRO office and meet with Caleb (Sam), Greg, and James (our faithful printing team). They were able to meet with the printer (who prints all our Family books, both CM and GP), see the setup, discuss future projects‚ etc. This was a blessing and will hopefully help future printing and production work to go more smoothly.

106. Mama and I also visited the ASCRO office after the summit was over. Upon our arrival we had a tour of the Home, which made it possible to meet and spend some time with every­one. We saw the office, the translators, the NPC, and the children and teachers. After a delicious spaghetti dinner‚ the children donned their traditional Thai costumes and performed the show they do for their CTPs and contacts. It was beautiful! Following that, Mama and I gave a talk to the Home about the summit and the board vision. It was a terrific visit, and Mama and I enjoyed everyone's fellowship. The office team is a wonderful bunch, and we were so thankful to meet each of our precious Family members there. We have a Family to be proud of!

Closing ceremony

107. The Lord had showed us beforehand to prepare a special ceremony of appreciation for our dear CROs, to be held on the last eve­ning of the summit.

108. Our wonderful staff team helped to prepare a room for the event, with soft lighting for a warm atmosphere. A stage of sorts was set up at one end of the room, with two chairs for Mama and me. We were both dressed nicely, and Mama looked beautiful and very queenly in her attire, complete with a delicate tiara (actually a simple but pretty plastic hair ornament) on her head.

109. The whole ceremony was a surprise to the CROs‚ who had only been told that it was an "evening meeting." There were definite looks of surprise as they entered the room and were escorted to their seats. Once everyone was seated, Mama and I came into the room.

110. First we asked the staff to stand for a round of applause for their hard work and tireless labors of love during the summit, and then the same for the WS support team.

111. To open the ceremony, Mama prayed a beautiful written prayer that she repeated while listening to it on her dictaphone. We played our national anthem, "The Song of Victory‚" and then played a brand-new song ("Your Battle Wounds Glow"), whose words and lyrics were received in prophecy by members of our Home for this ceremony and recorded by Jerry and the JAS, while everyone joined arms. It was very moving. (Note: Check out this song on the MO site!)

112. Then several messages of encouragement were read for the CROs. There was a poem to the CROs from Jesus, then messages from Dad, the Holy Spirit, and Henry V. Then I read a beautiful message from Jesus, titled "The Royal Commendation," explaining how the Lord wants to honor the CROs for their faithfulness, dedication, commitment and sacrifices, and that they would receive a token of this honor at the queen's hand. With this ceremony the Lord also promised to give each CRO a special new anointing.

What is the CROs' new anointing?

113. (Jesus:) This new anointing is part of what you need in the era of action. Each of you has made commitments during this time at the summit. Each of you has made changes. Each of you has yielded in new ways. I highly bless and honor you for those steps you have taken. I not only commend you, but I also actively reward you. This new anointing is part of your reward.

114. You will receive a new spirit helper who will be there to assist you in the changes you have committed to making. They will help you as you make the switch to working within the boards. Each one is specially equipped to help you in the ways that you have pleaded with Me to change you. They will help to give you the anointing for the things that you have previously thought impossible. Come now‚ and receive this new anointing.

Your Battle Wounds Glow

Verse 1

Greater love has no man

Than you, My friends.

You lay down your lives

For My little lambs;

You count each one your own.

You've warmed My heart, loves‚

You've caught My eye

And I love you so,

Oh, can you see the tears of thanks

Stream from My eyes?

Chorus 1

And your battle wounds glow.

Once in Heaven, all Earth will know

That you're My dears

Who fought on despite your fears.

And I will wipe away each tear you've cried.

My brides I cherish so,

Your love to Me is priceless,

Your love I love to know.

Verse 2

My loves‚ you lead and pave the way

The weight you bear‚ I know.

You guide others to My side.

Your hands bleed as you pluck the rose.

You've given all your heart to Me,

My law you live each day.

Thanks for your love

And your faithfulness

And all you give each day,

I promise to repay.

Repeat chorus 1

Bridge

You've borne My yoke with yieldedness,

Your scars declare your faithfulness.

You do it all for Me.

Approach Me now,

Receive the new

Anointing that I have for you,

Then rise up‚ for greater works you'll do!

Repeat chorus 1

Chorus 2

How your battle wounds glow.

Once in Heaven‚ all Earth will know

That you're My dears

Who fought on despite your fears.

And I will wipe away each tear you've cried.

My brides I cherish so,

Your love to Me is priceless,

My need for you is endless,

The joy we share is boundless,

Your love I love to know.

115. Mama then spoke the following words of appreciation: "Dear CROs, along with our Loving Husband, we, your king and queen and mates, salute you. Because you have committed your all to Jesus and to this Family‚ He gives His all to you forever. Our words are insufficient to express our deep love for you, our thankfulness, and our gratitude for your loyal and faithful service. We pray that as you accept this medal of honor as a token of our love‚ it will remind you of how much you mean to us, of our love and appreciation, and of the lasting rewards that await you in Heaven."

116. One by one, while "Your Battle Wounds Glow" was playing in the background, each CRO came up to the front of the room to receive the beautiful medallion that had been designed especially for the occasion—the Family symbol, with the three-sword insignia of the musket­eers. On the back of each medallion is inscribed "All for One, One for all!" Mama placed the purple ribbon and the attached medallion around each one's neck, then kissed their hand. I then gave each one a hug, while handing them a silver chain for their medallion.

What's the significance of the medallion?

117. (Jesus:) This medal bears the symbol of My Family, which you have laid down your life for time and time again. I have set this symbol on a shield, for this is to be your coat of arms. The meaning of this coat of arms is as follows:

118. It is set on a shield, which represents the shield of faith that you carry for Me, the shield that you, My CROs, so gallantly bear in day-to-day combat with the evil forces that seek to discredit My truth. The shield bears the Family symbol, that which is representative of your faith and what you stand for.

119. At the base is the Bible, representative of all My Word, both old and new, your rock–solid founda­tion, that which your faith is built upon. The book lies open—signifying the ultimate goal that you so sacrificially lead My Family to attain—that of preaching My Word, of giving out My mess­age to the lost and hungry world. This book‚ along with My living Word of prophecy, is your anchor, your foundation, your comfort in trouble, the light that reveals to you the way ahead.

120. The heart represents both My message of love, which you faithfully defend and live to bring to others, as well as My Own heart of love for you, for I am your Lover of all lovers, your faithful Husband, and your closest and most intimate Friend.

121. The harp and the lovely melodies it produces represents your lives filled with songs of praise and thanks­giving to Me. Likewise, it signifies the unity and harmony you strive to uphold as you serve Me side by side on the field of battle.

122. The harp shaped as a yoke signifies that you have chosen to be yoked together with your king and queen, with all the Heavenly host who assist you, with one another and with your brethren, in loving service to Me as My disciples. The yoke also reminds you that in addition to proclaiming My message of love and helping others to do the same, you must also warn the world of what is to come, of the Antichrist and his yoke of bondage.

123. The centerpiece of this symbol is the strong and powerful sword of My Spirit, representative of the spiritual warfare‚ which you engage in daily. This powerful sword is your constant companion, at your side or in your hand at all times‚ as you stand guard defending My flocks from the Devourer.

124. This symbol includes two additional swords—those of a musket­eer. These likewise symbolize the vows of a musketeer that you valiantly live by, your oath of allegiance, your commitment to excellence, and the pledge of unity on which you firmly stand. As the three swords unite, they ignite the burst of light—symbolic of the tremendous power I put in your hands.

125. The cross‚ formed in the center of the heart‚ symbolizes My Own sacrifice and great love for you, in that My Own heart was pierced through that you might live.

126. The crown, set in the glowing light of My power, is representative of the lasting rewards that await you for eternity—a crown that will never fade away.

127. The inscription on the medal states our eternal vow to one another. May this vow continue to reverberate through­out the lands until we reach our goal.

"All for One, One for all!"

128. The new CROs appointed during the summit had their appointment sealed with the receiving of this medallion. The CROs who had been asked to step down from their position during the summit, along with Dust, who was a non-CRO attendee, also received a medal and commenda­tion from the Lord for their years of honorable service.

129. After the closing prayer, three or four people received beautiful messages of confirma­tion and promise. Then everyone joined in a final love feast to hug and bid farewell before we all departed for the various corners of the Earth—ready for new challenges ahead!