FAMILY UPDATE NEWS # 14 February 3, 1994. DO
"Now is the hour come of which all the prophets have spoken! Thou art upon the threshold of the door of these things of which I have already told thee" (MOP 46-2:2).
(Required reading for JETTs on up.)
Sharing FUN News Items with Children -- by WS Staff
Many of the news items in the FUN are suitable for reading to children (OCs, MCs & in some cases YCs). Please refer to Junior FUN #2, "Passing Current Pubs on to the Kids," for counsel & ideas about sharing these exciting, timely items with the children. In past Junior FUNs, we have listed items from the FUN which are suitable to share with children. We hope to continue sending out the Junior FUN periodically, but in order not to duplicate effort, we will no longer be listing these FUN articles in the Junior FUN, but will instead assume that you are prayerfully sharing as much as possible from the regular FUN with the children--after dinner, during inspiration, during classtime, Word time or parent time. Perhaps this is something your Home can decide together--when & by whom the FUN items will be shared with the children. Many FUN news items that are shared with children will of course need to be simplified & reworded for them, depending on their age. Please be sure to keep it very upbeat & positive, especially for the younger ones.
Also, please keep in mind that although the children will be aware of many of these situations after the points from the FUN are shared with them, the adults & teens should still be very prayerful concerning what they speak about casually with each other in front of the children. A news item may have been shared very prayerfully with the children in class, but if they later overhear adults talking freely about it, but not necessarily with an attitude of faith, this could create misunderstandings or fear in the children. Let's be very prayerful what we talk about in front of the children, that we not "offend one of these little ones" (Mk.9:42).
God bless you as you update the children with the latest Family news!
Continued Partial Moratorium on Home Requirements -- by WS Staff
The Home Requirements are presently being re-evaluated. Until you hear otherwise, please feel free to continue the partial moratorium on the Home Requirements that was declared for the Christmas/New Year's holidays. Thanks! God bless you!
Tips for Reading Mama's Letter to Europe -- from WS Staff
(These tips are mainly for Home Teamworks, but may be read by all. This article does not need to be read unitedly.)
Recently one field Home read advance copies of the Mama's Letter to the Family in Europe, "Getting Back on Track for Jesus!" This was a pilot project, arranged by Mama, to see if we could garner some tips that would be helpful for our Homes worldwide when reading this Letter during the upcoming Birthday Fast.
Following are some of the practical tips that the Shepherds involved in that project shared. Please note that the following tips are not mandatory. These are just ideas & suggestions which may or may not be a help to you. You are not obligated to conduct your reading of these GNs exactly as this Home did. You can alter your schedule, reading procedure, etc., to suit your particular situation. But since reading these three GNs & having the related talk times, communion, etc., in only three days is a fairly monumental task, the following tips may help things run more smoothly. PTL!
Distribute only one part of the Letter at a time. Rather than distributing parts one, two & three of the Letter all at once, we distributed only the part which was to be read at each session, so that no one would peek ahead.
Security guidelines. We established some guidelines for the copies of these GNs so the JETTs & children in the Home would not read them, since it is specifically noted that the reading audience for this version of the Letter is teens & up only.
Schedule. Each morning we had a three-hour meeting from 9:15 to 12:15, with a 15-minute break at the halfway point. Then we had a two-hour afternoon meeting from 4:30 to 6:30 pm, with a seven-minute break midway.
Special prayer at the beginning of the meetings. We asked the Lord to prepare our hearts and minds to be fed, inspired and enlightened by the Letter. We made it a very special time of desperately asking the Lord to break our hearts & open our understanding to see the things He wanted us to see.
We referred to the Parable of the Sower & claimed Luke 8:15, which says: "But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest & good heart, having heard the Word, keep it & bring forth fruit with patience." We made it a special prayer request that the Seed of these GNs would not fall on stony ground. We also prayed against the "cares and riches and pleasures of this life," which choke out the Word, as Jesus outlined in this parable.
We desperately asked the Lord to give us hearing ears, seeing eyes and receiving hearts so that we could drink deeply of the waters that are contained in the "Getting Back on Track for Jesus!" GNs.
Prayer teams. We began each meeting with prayer, asking the Lord to prepare our hearts & to anoint the readers. Each opening prayer was led by a designated prayer team of four.
The prayer teams also prayed after the breaks & at the close of the meetings. The teams were arranged according to the alphabetical order of the participants' names. Our prayer teams changed each day, but you could change them after each meeting, if you live in a large Home.
Timing & readers: We had five readers who took turns reading one full GN page each. All the readers were good, expressive, deliberate readers, & they all sat together at the head of the meeting room.
It took about 6.5 minutes to read one full GN page, when the reader read slowly, clearly & expressively. At this rate we completed the reading of all three GNs in four meetings, except for these sections of Part Three: prayer requests, "New Beginnings", Open-Forum Discussion Topics & Prayer for Forgiveness. Thus, we read a total of 60 GN pages in four meetings over two days. This was reading at a consistent pace & included songs & prayer at each meeting & a minimum of commentary.
Hearing from the Lord. At the end of the fourth meeting, after having read the whole Letter, we had a very beautiful time of desperate prayer & prophecy. Then everyone had time to react to the Letter further, as well as to apologize & make things right with others & with the Lord, as needed.
Meeting No. 5--Open forum & apologies. We devoted meeting number five to prayer & discussion of the Letter, using portions of the Open-Forum Discussion Topics as the springboard to get the discussion going. Almost all of the teens & YAs made very heartfelt, touching apologies to the adults & to one another. The adults did the same. This pow-wow did not cover ways to "remedy or correct these problems in our personal situation," but it seems that these open & very loving apologies were a very important first step to "Getting Back on Track for Jesus!"
Prayer against discouragement & condemnation: Some people's reactions indicated that they were feeling condemned & discouraged about their failures. We began the open-forum discussion with a wee word of introduction on not getting condemned or discouraged, pointing to the beautiful paragraphs in Part One of Mama's Letter where she called getting condemned & discouraged "an unapproved activity" & "a no-no". (See ML#2890, paragraphs 37-42.) This seemed to relieve everyone of the burden of feeling overwhelmed or discouraged or condemned.
One of the older teens later wrote in her reaction: "I wanted to thank you for those few pointers about discouragement & condemnation. That was just what I was going through at that very moment. It's just amazing how the Word is the victory! It's nothing I could have done on my own. I felt like a big weight was lifted off me when praying against these things that hindered me, especially after getting to share with the Home the different lessons I learned during the meetings."
Meeting No. 6--Communion & prayer for forgiveness. The afternoon of the third day, we had our Communion & prayer for forgiveness. Before communion we prayed the 18 prayer requests listed in the GN. We prayed for two requests, then sang a song, then prayed for two more requests, etc. Thus the prayer requests were woven between 10 songs. During the actual Communion we read the Prayer for Forgiveness in unison. This worked very well & was quite moving, as was the entire Communion & prayer meeting. At the end of our Communion we read Mama's closing words in Part Three of her Letter, called "New Beginnings!" (GN 577, ML# 2892:169-171.) We had not read this together prior to our Communion, but had saved it to read it afterwards as the final encouraging conclusion.
(Editor's note: You may need to combine your open forum & communion & prayer, since instead of having six meetings, you will only have five meetings in which to complete the reading of Mama's Letter to Europe, because the first meeting of the Birthday Fast will be devoted to other major prayer requests. Another possibility would be to have three meetings on the third day of the Fast--morning, afternoon & evening--if you feel you need to have a break between the open forum discussion & your Communion. But if you do this, please try to keep the extra meeting fairly short, so as to not wear out the Saints!)
Celebration. We had a time of singing, dancing & praising the Lord that evening after Communion. Based on a testimony from the YA Seminar in Europe, two of our YA boys, two adult men & some teen girls provided live music.--The songs that made the Revolution. It was a wonderful time of inspiration, dancing & celebrating the victory the Lord had given us.
Song List: Here is a list of the songs that were sung at the beginning of each meeting in which we read "Getting Back on Track for Jesus!" Two YAs organised & led the singing, & they invited different teens & YAs to join them with their guitars to lead the songs at each meeting.
(Editor's note: By publishing the following list of songs, we are definitely not suggesting you have to sing these same songs. But this might give your inspirationalists some ideas as they choose & pray about the songs that will best fit your situation.)
1st meeting:
I Can't Even Walk
Take Me, Use Me
Mountain Man
2nd meeting:
Climb That Mountain
The Longer I Serve Him
Something Beautiful
3rd meeting:
Shepherd of Love
Somebody Prayed
With You
4th meeting:
Just Fall in Love with Jesus
How Long Has It Been
I Wonder Have I Done My Best for Jesus
5th meeting:
I Have Decided to Follow Jesus
Thou Shalt Love the Lord Thy God
My Hope Is Built
6th meeting, communion and prayer:
I Really Wanna Love Him
I Love the Lord
More Like Jesus
While Travelin' My Country
Soul Retriever
Whither Shall I Go
He Was There All the Time
It's Only Jesus
Take Me, Use Me
I Can't Even Walk
Closing each meeting with prayer & uplifting fighting songs. We closed each meeting not only with "full-of-faith, positive, uplifting prayer" as was recommended in Mama's Letter, but also with songs of the same nature. This seemed to help everyone to leave the meeting with an uplifted & inspired attitude.
Personal Time. At our meetings we saw how important it was for the Shepherds & the ones leading the meetings to be available for extra personal time with those who needed extra time to share their hearts, have their personal questions answered, etc. We walked & talked with as many as we could.
Schedule in advance. We found that it's important to schedule the prayer teams, inspirationalists, CC duties, etc., ahead of time, so that all of this is taken care of before the meetings begin & doesn't become a distraction later on. The more details that can be scheduled & otherwise worked out ahead of time, the more smoothly things go during the meetings.
Extra lighting. We added extra lighting in the meeting room, bringing in extra lamps to make the reading easier & to eliminate eye strain, which can cause tiredness & be a distraction.
Extra fans. Since we are in a relatively warm climate, we brought in extra fans to make sure the room was well ventilated.
Comfort during meetings. As much as possible, we used comfortable couches for seating for the meetings, as opposed to hard chairs.
Typist & transcriber. Perhaps the Homes can prepare ahead of time to have their best typist available to transcribe the prophecy tapes after the Birthday Fast. This can be done using a normal tape recorder, but we rented a transcriber for a short period of time for a very reasonable price.
(Editor's note: If you plan to transcribe the prophecies the Lord gives you during the Fast, then you'll want to have good recordings, therefore you'll need to have at least one reliable tape recorder handy during your prayer times. Please be sure to check the batteries to make sure they're strong. We recommend that you have extra batteries handy, as well as a back-up recorder, if possible. Also, in order to get the best quality recording possible, it's recommended to hold the microphone fairly close to the mouth of the person who is speaking. [Test your equipment beforehand to ascertain the best distance.] To do this, you can simply have someone--preferably a person who doesn't usually receive prophecies--quietly walk around during the prayer time, going from person to person as they speak. If a very large group is praying, you may need to have several people tip-toeing around with tape recorders.)
Some things which we would do differently if we had it to do over:
--Perhaps we could have discussed & pow-wowed the Letter more as we went along. But on the other hand, there does seem to be an advantage to leaving the discussion & pow-wow until after the three GNs are read. This gives everyone the complete picture before getting into discussion & pow-wows.
--The first night we experimented with having a special activity after the meetings. We sang & showed a recent outreach video, & shared testimonies. It was a very inspiring meeting, but it proved to be too much, especially for us adults who don't have as much energy as the teens & YAs! Plus, more importantly, everyone needed more time to react to & absorb what they had read at the meetings. So we discontinued having these extra evening activities after the first day.
(Editor's note: Since our Homes worldwide will be reading Mama's Letter during a time of prayer & fasting, we would definitely not recommend recreational-type activities in the evenings. It would be better to use any free time for rest, prayer, personal communication with one another, etc.)
--It's important that those who are leading the meetings take sufficient time ahead of time to thoroughly study the GNs & other material. Although we had set aside one full day before the meetings in which to study the three GNs, this was not enough time. Two days would have been sufficient.
We pray that these tips & comments will be a help to you as you plan your Home's meetings, activities & schedule for the 1994 Birthday Fast. We hope your time together during the three days of the Fast & the day of celebration that follows will be a wonderfully unifying, inspiring & edifying experience for all.
God bless & keep you all safe, healthy, happy & close to Jesus. We love you!
Love, Your WS staff
Reminder to Adults Supervising JETTs During Fast Activities -- by WS Staff
(The following article is directed to the adults who will be involved with the JETTs as they help plan & lead Fast activities. It may be read by all adults, YAs & teens, but we suggest that it not be read to JETTs.)
God bless you all as you prepare for the upcoming Fast. In FSM 251, which you will be receiving very soon, you will see that the JETTs are being given the big responsibility of being our Family prayer warriors and inspiring the children's prayer times. (See Mama's Letter, "Our JETT Prayer Warriors," FSM 251.) We pray that you adults who are going to be working with the JETTs during the Fast time will find this a very inspiring and blessed time, as you teamwork with our precious JETTs. If you perhaps are not accustomed to working with the JETTs, we're sure you will be pleasantly surprised at the new ideas and fresh bubbling enthusiasm they can bring to your childcare group. PTL!
Please keep in mind that trying too much to control the JETTs' Fast preparation and activities, or to think up ideas for them, could tend to squelch their inspiration. We suggest trying to let the JETTs operate in little teamworks as much as possible, making their own decisions, generated from the new material provided for them for the Fast.
The JETTs should be given the time to prepare what they need; and then, as is suggested in "Our JETT Prayer Warriors," they should discuss their plans with their adult supervisor. When they present their ideas, this is a wonderful opportunity to encourage their initiative by showing respect for their ideas and giving them as much leeway as possible to carry them out. Even if you think the JETTs' ideas are not as good as the ones that you could come up with, you should be careful not to express this.--Because this needs to be the JETTs' time, and their responsibility, and you should be very careful that you don't steal that joy away from them.
If the JETTs decide they really would like to do something, they should be allowed to do it, if it is not going to be hurtful or dangerous. They should be encouraged to be prayerful in their decisions, of course, but you should try to allow them to implement the ideas they come up with. This will make the difference in whether the JETTs will feel they've really been able to accomplish something and will enjoy it, or whether they will feel it's just a drag and a difficult job. We think you'll be inspired, and the JETTs will be fulfilled, excited and happy as you gently guide them in this task.
Following is a comment from a teacher who expressed how she would hand this responsibility over to the JETTs, which may give you some ideas on how to do it: "Before some of our JETTs take on this job, I'd want to sit down with them and give them all their materials and get them going. At that time I would explain to them how much the younger kids can handle for their age, how much they can take in one sitting, etc. I would sort of fill them in on what the children are able to do for their level or age group. Then I'd ask to see their plan afterwards, definitely not to dissect it or anything, but just to make sure it's a workable plan, right for the age, etc. I might make some little adjustments or suggestions if needed. I think the JETTs might appreciate that, too, and that it would give them more confidence, because three days is a long time and they'd probably appreciate the guidance." (End of comment from teacher.)
God bless you all, and help you, the JETTs and the children to have a happy, inspiring, fruitful Fast time!
Love, Your WS Family
ARGENTINA
* SOCIOLOGISTS OFFER CONGRATULATIONS. The Family reported that after the appeals court resolution became public, several of Argentina's most respected sociologists of religion called to congratulate them on their victory. Some of them had reservations about us during the heat of battle, but are now apologetic & would like to visit our Homes.
* MEDIA COVERAGE STATS: In a wonderful answer to the worldwide Family's prayers, the Argentine Family had a tremendous amount of favourable media coverage during the month of December.
Media Witness
Newspaper articles10521,000,000
Magazine articles 126,000,000
TV programs 7550,000,000
Radio shows 9015,000,000
Demonstrations 5 125,000
TOTAL92,125,000
The Argentine Family writes: "We felt this media coverage was a great victory, considering that it was about 90% favourable. Last September it was just the opposite! Considering how black things looked four months ago when this persecution started, this is truly a miracle in direct answer to the Family's prayers."
* COUNTERATTACK BY FAVOURABLE JOURNALIST. In the first part of January, a major national magazine, Humor, did two more favourable articles exposing the corruption, injustice, & human rights violations by Marquevich & his cohorts. The articles also criticised the Catholic Church for their part in this most recent attack against the Family in Argentina.
* FAITHFUL FRIENDS. The majority of the Family's contacts in Argentina remained faithful through the persecution. After the resolution was issued, even those who were shaken by our enemies' lies have started helping again. Most are now giving more than before, especially after the Homes' special appeal for help to get back on their feet.
* ADVERSARY HAS CHANGE OF HEART. One of the Family's most outspoken detractors in Argentina has decided to no longer attack religious groups--including us. This man, who used to speak against us on radio shows, made this decision after seeing what happened to our children. He & his group have also cut their ties with Silleta's FAPES organisation, one of CAN's Argentine counterparts.
* SOAP OPERA WITNESS: On Monday, January 17, an Argentine TV network aired a 90-minute dramatisation of the September 1st raids. Although the screenplay contained some inaccuracies & was sensational in nature, the portrayal of events was quite positive overall & ended on an optimistic note. The broadcast also reached other South American countries via satellite.
In the plot, the main accuser, a young girl named Abi, is a problem case who gets excommunicated for trying to seduce her Shepherd, in violation of the Family's sex rules. In retaliation, she goes to the authorities & falsely accuses the Family of all types of crimes. The raids follow. Our children are taken into custody, but are eventually released.
The show ended with an excerpt of a real life interview with Family spokeswoman Claire relating details not included or made clear in the drama. She explained that the appeals court disqualified the testimony of the former member portrayed in this film, & that during a 1989 investigation this same girl testified under oath that she had never been abused in the Family. Claire also told how our children were traumatized & still suffer from this experience. She then challenged the public to put a stop to religious intolerance, lest they & their children be the next victims.
The credits were preceded by a summary of the outcome of the case, which scrolled up the screen: the appeals court dismissed the charges & ordered the release of all Family Members; Marquevich was reprimanded for misconduct in his handling of the case; the Family's communities were ransacked while they were in prison & Members are now trying to replace the furniture, appliances & other furnishings which were stolen.
AUSTRALIA
* SYDNEY FAMILY SAFE DESPITE MAJOR FIRES. During the worst bushfires in Australian history, the Lord kept the Sydney Family safe from all harm & danger! Over 150 separate fires ravaged Sydney's outlying areas, killed at least four people, destroyed nearly 200 houses and burned 600,000 hectares (1.5 million acres) of bushland. His Angels turned back a major blaze when it came within 300 metres of one of our Homes!
EUROPE
* RUSSIAN "CONSIDER THE POOR" MINISTRIES & CHRISTMAS WITNESS: The Family is presently involved in organising the transportation & distribution of 600 tons of food aid & 44 tons of medical aid to Siberia. Each recipient of the aid will also receive free Gospel literature & Posters.
The Family is also ministering in a maximum security prison where some of the most dangerous criminals in Siberia are kept. At first the situation was intimidating, but after our team prayed for the Lord's help & took authority in the spirit, the inmates now treat them with the utmost respect & are very receptive.
Family Members, working together with other Christians, have also found sponsors for food shipments to another prison camp. At this camp there are over 2,000 prisoners sentenced to at least 15 years of hard labour. The conditions there are very difficult. Many of these prisoners have turned to the Lord & their lives have changed. We also send them literature for their Christian library, which was set up for the prisoners who've gotten saved.
When the Family in Siberia visited a nursing home for the elderly & handicapped, one of the patients told them, "The whole World has forgotten about us! Even our relatives have forgotten us! Thank you for coming!--For not failing us!"
The Moscow Family has been visiting a home for the abused children of drug addicts & alcoholics. Our children, teens & adults performed for them, & it touched their hearts tremendously. The director is impressed with the good influence we have on the children & has asked us to help teach these children to read & to help train their teachers. The Family also performed a special Christmas show for 60 children whose parents are in prisons. They were very thankful for the love, joy & songs, & all of the children prayed to receive Jesus.
Also in Moscow, the Family joined Evangelical, Orthodox, Catholic & Baptist churches in presenting a special Christmas concert at the House of Artists. About 450 people attended.
A travelling concert team also performed 15 free concerts for over 2,000 people in four Siberian cities. The shows were mostly at universities & technical schools, but also included a prison & military hospital.
* MORE RUSSIAN LABOUR LEADERS: Eighteen of the 20 potential disciples who completed a recent discipleship training seminar want to continue to receive training from the Family, & will begin working with our Homes across Russia. Many of their parents have expressed how thankful they are that their children can have this opportunity.
NORTH AMERICA
* REPORT ON THE LOS ANGELES EARTHQUAKE. From the L.A. Family's initial report: "At 4:31 a.m. this morning (January 17), an earthquake which measured 6.6 on the Richter scale shook Los Angeles. The quake was centred just 20 miles north of downtown. The power & phones went off instantly. The city is in complete chaos.
"Everyone in our Homes is fine. Even our Home that was the closest to the centre, just 10 miles away, suffered no damage at all! Some of our friends whose houses were damaged will be staying with us for a few days. We certainly felt the Lord's miraculous protection, being just a hair's-breadth from the disaster!"
By the end of the second day, various news agencies had reported the following: "Thousands of people reeling from the earthquake & its aftershocks camped out in yards, cars & shelters Tuesday, January 18th, struggling to get by with no power, no water and--in some cases--no place to live. The death toll rose to 46 [final count 61]. About 4,500 people were injured.
"[The quake] was felt as far away as San Diego, 125 miles south, & Las Vegas, 275 miles east. Hundreds of aftershocks followed. The lingering threat of more aftershocks has kept many people from returning to their homes. Giant chunks of the region's vital freeways lay smashed on the ground, foretelling months or even years of traffic snarls in a city that runs on its cars.... A normal 90-minute commute from the Antelope Valley to downtown Los Angeles can now take six hours.
"Telephone service was lost throughout the region & power disrupted as far away as Canada. Major water & gas lines were ruptured.
"Without power, many gas stations were closed & cash machines didn't work. A dusk-to-dawn curfew was in effect. Police officers & National Guardsmen in full combat gear patrolled overnight to prevent looting.
"The earthquake...wasn't the Big One...the dreaded 8.0 or stronger earthquake that scientists say could hit the region within the next 30 years. But the quake was believed to have done nothing to ease pressure on the dreaded San Andreas Fault. That's where the Big One would occur, possibly causing cataclysmic damage & widespread death & injury.
"Damage from [this] earthquake could reach $30 billion, making it one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history. Here are some other calamities & their cost:
1993 -- Midwest flooding, $12 billion.
1992 -- Hurricane Andrew, $30 billion.
1989 -- Hurricane Hugo, $5.9 billion (U.S. mainland).
1989 -- San Francisco Bay Area earthquake, $5.9 billion.
1906 -- San Francisco earthquake, $5.1 billion (1991 dollars).
1871 -- Chicago fire, $1.5 billion (1991 dollars)."
More earthquake testimonies, from a Family Member: "Before we went to bed the night before the quake, I felt strongly checked to pray especially for the Lord's protection from earthquakes, fires, water damage, & gas leaks.
"I awoke in the night & decided to get up, as I wasn't tired. I had a snack & read for an hour. I was so wide awake that I decided to do some paperwork. The night felt unusually still. There was an unfamiliar smell in the air. It was after 4:00 a.m. when the building started shaking. At first the earthquake was like other earthquakes that we've experienced--like a roller coaster ride, you ride it & then it stops. This time, however, I realized that it wasn't stopping, but just beginning. I dove under the table when it became impossible to stand up or walk. There was so much noise that it was hard to distinguish between the rumbling of the building, the earth shifting, & the falling debris.
"The electricity went out instantly. In the middle of one of the largest cities in the World, it was pitch black. TTL, I had also gotten a check the night before to make sure my flashlight was working properly. Was I ever thankful for that! Without it I couldn't see even one foot in front of myself.
"Almost immediately there was an extraordinary amount of dust in the air. The entire city was blanketed with a thick, dark, hazy cloud for hours & hours after the initial quake. We had to stand in doorways during the most serious aftershocks, & continued to pray & rebuke the Enemy. When the big quake hit, it felt as though the building was going to come down on top of us. We wondered if it was only our desperate prayers that stopped it & spared us & the city.
"It seemed as though we were living a Letter like `The Last American Nightmare' or `Death to the Cities'. There were immense fires. Gas mains broke & then ignited, shooting flames 75 feet into the air. The news reports sounded like they were coming from a war zone: huge sections of the freeways had just disappeared, buildings collapsed, floods, fires, fear & panic swept the city.
"The initial radio broadcasts sounded like a MO Letter script, & made us so thankful for the wonderful training Dad has given us. The first announcement we heard was to put on shoes immediately, as protection against broken glass--we already had. Next they announced that without electricity, gasoline pumps weren't working--we had a full tank & reserve cans. We were so much better prepared, both physically & spiritually, than almost anyone else.
"We also felt the Lord was right there with us, guiding & leading & telling us what to do in advance. This situation was far too big for us, so the Lord had to completely take over our thoughts & minds & guide our actions supernaturally.
"People are reacting differently to this earthquake than they did to the last strong one which struck the Los Angeles area about a year & a half ago. That one was centred further from the city & few people took it seriously. This time, people are shaken & broken. I think we'll have a big reaping here.
"Please continue to pray for us here in L.A. as we minister to the needy in the aftermath of this disaster."
* FURTHER INSIGHTS AND REACTIONS TO THE L.A. QUAKE: From the L.A. Family: "Seeing the devastation around us and the thousands of lives affected here, we can only marvel at the Lord's wonderful protection and care. Not one of our Homes has been adversely affected outside of the fact that the water is contaminated. That's something which everyone in our area is having to live with. The aftershocks continue on a daily basis--some as powerful as regular earthquakes--more buildings, sections of freeways and other structures continue to crumble. The lives of so many people have been changed in a very big way!
"Reaction of the children: The teachers report that the kids are doing very well, taking things in stride, & not reacting fearfully. During the aftershocks, a couple of them got big-eyed and seemed to be waiting to see what was going to happen. During and right after the big quake itself, the very youngest children cried when they got woken up. For the most part, however, they went back to sleep once they were assured someone was there with them.
"Home preparedness: By and large, we were not prepared as well as we could have been, LHUs! Fortunately we were not affected as much as other people who lost their homes or water and power. We had enough basic food supplies on hand for several days, but we didn't have sufficient stored water. If we had lost our water supply, we would be quite desperate right now. We could have stored more flashlights and batteries, as if we had suffered more damage or if the quake had lasted longer, we would have needed more than we had. Regular reviews of what to do in an earthquake would be beneficial, as some of us knew what to do and others didn't. Not all flee bags were packed. Overall, this was an excellent exercise in disaster preparation and we definitely need to review the various Letters on the topic!" (Editor's note: "Emergency Handbook," FSM 26, has very good advice on how to prepare for and survive earthquakes & other disasters.)
* BLESSINGS & CURSINGS (GEN.12:3): The heading for the last news item in FUN#13 was, "THE LORD RATTLES DEB & BILL'S CAGE." That certainly was prophetic, as their "cage" obviously got very seriously rattled in the quake! Simi Valley, where they live, was one of the areas hardest hit.
Meanwhile, the L.A. Family sent this testimony about one of their friends & her family, who also live in one of the areas where damage was extensive: "A. explained that her family woke up & their entire house was shaking. After praying together, they had such profound peace that they all went back to sleep. At one point A. heard someone say that all the special glassware in her cupboard was shattered, but when she looked in the cupboard the next morning, only one cup had moved out of place & nothing was broken! Her whole house was untouched! The homes of her relatives also escaped damage. Less than three weeks earlier, we'd had a New Year's candlelight service with her whole family, & their main prayer was for protection, that the Lord's Spirit & Angels would gather around each of their homes.--And the Lord answered wonderfully! PTL!
* CLAIRE'S MOTHER CONTINUES TO FIGHT. As soon as Mrs. Borowick (mother of Family Member Claire, who was imprisoned in Argentina) returned to Canada from Argentina, she complained to the local press council for not giving as much coverage to the good news of the Family's vindication as they did to the September raids.
* A CHRISTIAN ACTIVIST was met by the Family in North America. He is helping us to meet other key people who share our views on a number of important issues.
* IT'S A SMALL WORLD! While doing phone research on home schooling, the Family got a big surprise. The assistant to the director of one Christian home schooling association told them, "I was in the Family for 17 years." He was a TSer until just recently, & has a positive attitude about his time in the Family. He was very sweet & happy to provide the Family with some very helpful information, GBH!
ANSWERED PRAYER:
1. Argentina: Maria Clara's operation on her feet was successful. (FUN#12:12) Thank you for your prayers! Two-year-old Maria Clara is back home enjoying Daddy, Mommy & the Family's company & loving care. The $8,000 hospital bill was paid by the institution where Maria Clara & her mother were detained.--Another Rom.8:28!
2. Japan: YA Cherish of Miguel (FUN 12:17) had a healthy 4.4 kilo (9.5 lbs.) baby on January 29th! Cherish carried the baby nine days past her due date! The Lord miraculously stopped Cherish's labour when it began five weeks early, & caused the baby to more than double in weight before it was born. PTL!
PRAYER REQUESTS:
CRITICAL OR LIFE-&-DEATH SITUATIONS: (This may be read to JETTs.)
1. Juan Andres, Patricia, Jonathan & Gerson, all four teens, & Gentleness in Colombia. All five suffered head & other injuries in a traffic accident while returning from a road trip. (They had hitched a ride & were travelling in the enclosed back of a pickup truck.) Juan Andres has just regained consciousness after being in a coma for nearly one week. Patricia suffered a broken collar bone & broken cheekbone, & is still hospitalized. Jonathan has been released from the hospital, but his brain is still swollen: please pray that the swelling goes down & against any infection. Gerson suffered a slight fracture of the skull. Gentleness received a bad cut & a broken arm. Please also pray for the teens' parents who have all been under a great deal of stress since the accident.
Update 31/1/94: The Lord is doing miracles in answer to the Family's prayers! The hospital staff are amazed at the rapid progress everyone is making. Juan Andres is the only one still hospitalized. His left side remains paralysed, but the doctors say he should recuperate completely in time. Please pray earnestly that Juan Andres will regain complete use of his body & that everyone else will recover fully & speedily without any complications.
WORLDWIDE:
2. For the safety & security of Dad, Mama, & their staff.
3 Continued prayer for Peter's health.
4. Preparations for the Birthday Fast. From Mama: "Let's pray for the JETTs & the children during the Fast, that the Lord will make this a very special time & a blessing to all of them, & that the Fast will have great results for the Family in general. Also for the adults, that the reading of the special Fast Letters will make a change in their lives, & that everyone reading them will apply them to their own lives & get some real good victories."
5. That our young people will get turned on to the Word & have a desire to feed themselves, rather than having to be spoonfed. That they'll have the burden & initiative to look to the Word for the answers, inspiration, guidance & encouragement that they need on a daily basis.
COURT CASES:
6. The Melbourne case: that the convener (moderator) who has been appointed to direct the February 14th mediation attempt will push H&CS (formerly CSV) to agree to an out of court settlement.
7. Pearl's case: that Pearl & all members of her legal team will have the physical strength & spiritual stamina needed during long days in court, & that God will continue to give Pearl the grace & the boldness to be a witness for the Truth with full conviction. Mama recently prayed for Pearl: "Jesus, please bless & help & strengthen Pearl. It must be a very difficult time for her. We know that she may sometimes feel as though the victories of the entire Family are up to her. Show her that it is up to You, Lord, & the responsibility of each member of our Family & we're all in this together. Help her to cast her burdens upon You so that You can sustain her. Please comfort her heart & help her. Help us to show that we're concerned about her & her well-being & peace of mind, & that we are behind her & are praying for her. Give her the confidence & conviction to speak up boldly. Help her to have the faith & courage to withstand them. Make her bold & unafraid as she faces antagonism, & the demons of Hell themselves. Bless & help her, Jesus. Give her a sign that You're with her. Give her Thy peace & Thy rest in the midst of this storm, in Jesus' name."
8. For the witnesses who will be called to testify on Pearl's behalf. The Lord recently gave the following prophecy regarding these witnesses: "My witnesses are like My candles that shall be lit by your prayers. Your prayers are like the matches that light their candles. Ye must uphold them in prayer, for My witnesses will give light to the room. It is then that the judge and jury will see the truth. When they see the light, they will see the truth and know and understand. For My light is much stronger than the darkness of your enemies, and their darkness cannot comprehend it. In that time the darkness shall not stand against My light."
ARGENTINA:
9. Our lawyers, doctors & other professionals who are helping us during the on-going legal proceedings: for their strength & wisdom, that they won't become weary in well-doing, & for the Lord to reward them openly.
10. The wife of one of our lawyers (who is also the sister of another of our lawyers), who has Parkinson's disease: for a miraculous healing & end to her suffering; that the Lord will comfort her husband & brother during this trying time.
11. For the Argentine Supreme Court to reject the D.A.'s appeal of the appeals court ruling; for a clear vindication of the Family & speedy resolution of the case.
12. For those involved in the possible case with the provincial court.
13. For all those involved with the media, & for more openings to proclaim the Truth.
14. For those who were in prisons & institutions, particularly the parents & children who were separated during months of incarceration; that everyone will get the Word & rest they need in order to quickly overcome the trauma they experienced.
15. For those shepherding & caring for the children & adults who were incarcerated.
16. Supply; for their provisioning team.
17. For many more Family Members to be able to leave Argentina soon.
18. Against attacks by elements within the Catholic church in Argentina which are spreading to other S.A. countries; for the Lord's wisdom in knowing how to counter these attacks.
ELSEWHERE IN SOUTH AMERICA:
19. Susanna (Kidron of Stephen), who is still physically weak following a recent operation to remove a cancerous tumour: that the Lord will miraculously open the tube that leads from one of her kidneys to her bladder so that she will not need to undergo another major & very delicate operation.
20. Caty, 15, who developed a serious infection after her appendix ruptured, & underwent three emergency operations: that she will recover fully & speedily.
21. Cristina, 7 months pregnant with her first baby & has an unusually small cervix: for a safe delivery and healthy baby.
EUROPE:
22. For a Family Member who is involved in the British court case: he is under a lot of stress & has been experiencing an irregular heartbeat; that the Lord will give him "the peace that passeth all understanding" & "keep his heart & mind".
NORTH AMERICA:
23. The Family in L.A.: that the Lord will continue to protect them & make them a blessing to many others in their time of need.
24. The safety of the Family in Mexico. Following the military crackdown on the Zapatista (ethnic Indian population) insurrection in Southern Mexico, there have been a number of bomb blasts & continual bomb threats in & around Mexico City, which cause major disruptions.
25. For a dear Family friend who suffers from diabetes: that the Lord will keep him strong & healthy as a reward & blessing for being so honest & willing to stand up for the Truth.
26. For the Branch Davidians' trial in Texas. From Mama: "Let's continue to pray for the trial of the Branch Davidians. Just like a positive outcome in our cases will directly affect our Work for the good, & a negative outcome would affect us adversely, so the outcome of the Branch Davidian case will also affect us either for the good or the bad. And of course, we need to be praying for the sake of those poor people."
27. Continued prayer against Deb & Bill, Dupuy, Priebe, Ajemian, the Padillas & others who are attempting to muster forces against the Family.
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family