FAMILY UPDATE NEWS #27 -- December, 1994 DO
"Keep the faith, children! Never stop loving Him and others, and lead as many as you can into His wonderful, glorious Love! ... That's one privilege you still have on Earth which we do not have Up Here yet, and that is the wonderful, glorious, thrilling experience of witnessing the Love of Jesus to others and winning their hearts to Christ for their salvation to Heaven!" (ML# 2946:116,117).
(c) January 1995, Home Services, Zurich, Switzerland.
(Required reading for JETTs and up. Selected portions may be shared with children younger than JETTs at the discretion of their parents, teachers or Shepherds.)
NOTICES
Excerpts from the Worldwide Family Stats Analysis for the month of October, 1994
By WS Staff
(Note: All stats totals and per-adult averages include both DO and TS Family.)
Souls won: The worldwide Family won 76,970 souls--13,000 more than last month (a 20% increase). This was well above our usual monthly average of 55,000 souls per month. What wonderful news! Dad must just be thrilled--along with all the Angels of Heaven--each time he sees his Family bring another soul into the Kingdom! The worldwide Family averaged 15 souls per adult in October, up from 13 the month before. (TRFers averaged 14 and TSers 18.) Thank the Lord for such a soul-winning Family!
Personal witnessing passed the one-half million mark this month at 510,100! That's an average of 101 per adult (93 per TRF adult and 121 per TS adult)!
Our ratio of personal witness to souls won was about seven to one, meaning that one out of every seven people we witnessed to received the Lord. Praise the Lord!
1995 Family Birthday Feast
By WS Staff
As has been the case for the last few years, Mama would like to ask that February 15th through February 18th be a special time of Word, prayer and Family fellowship. Please try not to plan appointments or witnessing excursions on those days. However, this year's Family Birthday will not be a fast, but a feast! We have so much to rejoice about and be thankful for at this year's Family Birthday celebration. We have had a tremendously fruitful year and the Lord has marvelously protected us and caused us to prosper. Also this will be our first Family Birthday celebration which dear Dad will be watching and enjoying with us from the Heavenlies! The Lord has done great things for us, whereof we are glad! More details will be coming later, but we at least wanted to let you know about the Family Birthday feast so you can anticipate this wonderful event with great expectation. Praise the Lord! God bless you!
Using the name "David Brandt Berg" in our GP pubs
By WS Staff
As you know, ever since the beginning of the Family, we have avoided using Dad's legal name in any Family pubs. The main reason for this was obvious: to protect Dad's security. Among ourselves in the Family, we prefer to use the more affectionate term of "Dad", or "Grandpa", while in prophecy the Lord has usually called him "thy Father David" or "My Servant David", etc. For the GP, in the early days the name "Moses David" was adopted and used in the MO Letters. In Tenerife, many of his local friends called him "Don David", which developed into "Father David". This is a name the Family and many of our friends grew to know him by, although until the Mountain Streams were published, even the name Father David was not used in many of our GP pubs such as the Posters, DFs, etc.
In working on a new series of follow-up booklets, which you will be soon receiving, D.V., we felt the Lord wanted us to give Dad credit for any articles in these booklets that were taken from or based on the Letters. The question of what name to use for Dad in this series, and all our GP pubs, was brought up, and a good amount of prayer and discussion was put into this important matter. With Dad's Homegoing eliminating the security factor that prevented us from used Dad's legal name before, that name was now "in the running", as well as of course Father David, or Moses David.
There seemed to be a number of valid pros and cons to using any one of these names, so after some discussion, Mama suggested that a group of people at one of our WS Units bring the matter before the Lord and seek an answer directly from Him, rather than trying to come to a conclusion ourselves. They did, and what He said was very inspiring and interesting, even somewhat unexpected! Here are excerpts of the prophecies received:
For I would that My Prophet be credited with the Words that I have spoken through him. For before he lived behind a glass darkly, but now he is face to face with the world. They have seen his face and I have caused his name to be blazoned abroad. They have heard of the evil that his enemies have spread about his name, and now I wish them to hear the good and the things that he did speak, so that those who spoke evil of him, who spoke evil of this dignitary, would be brought low; that it may be known that no man spake as this man did. Therefore bottle not up his Words, nor his name, that his light might shine before all men and that they may see his good Words and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.
* * *
For I have given unto David a name for your sake, the name of "father", for indeed he is your father. But unto them which understand not, have I given another name, that they may understand and relate. But he is your father and this is the name that I have given for you as a term of endearment, as a term of respect, for you and for your friends and for those that love and follow after David. But unto them which are of this world do I speak in the ways that are of this world, that they may understand, that they may relate.
* * *
Have I not said in prophecy for many millenniums that I shall raise up one Shepherd, and there shall be one Shepherd of one fold, even My servant David? All that is in his life is of great importance to Me: his lineage, his generations, for these have been accounted unto Me and laid out in order, in My preparation of his life. These are of importance to Me, and I would have My fold of My sheep to know this man, this David, who is the one David, who is of this lineage of this household which I have raised up. For he is not just another father, another priest, but he is the one David of the End.
* * *
Behold, this is My Servant David, whom I have called down out of the ages. This is My Prophet David, the man who spoke My Word upon Earth, the man who is My mouth. And this is thy Father David, who is a father unto a new nation. And this is My Moses David, who is a Prophet unto the Children of God. This is David whom I named while still in the womb, and yea, before the womb. For Moses David was for the Children of God and Father David was for the Family of Love, but David Brandt Berg is he whom I have called down from the lineage of the ages, and he it is who hath been numbered from the beginning, ever the Earth was. This name shall be shouted from the rooftops and it shall become a glorious name, and a shining name. Though the Enemy hath tried to trample it under foot, yet My Word will rise up and proclaim it to the nations. And it shall be a name of glory and a name of shining resilience.
* * *
They [the world] need a handle, they need someone whose name they can refer to, who they can be comfortable referring to. For they know him not yet as a father as you do, and they need to be able to say, These are the writings of David Berg. They need to be able to be comfortable, to understand, to be tolerant, to be accepting. Therefore you must lay aside what is beloved to you and what you cling to as a precious memory, in favor of what will make his writings more acceptable to those who are without. For this is for the greater good. But ye still have him as your father, which he will always be, which he doth rejoice to be, even now.
(End of prophecies.)
So as you can see, the Lord made it quite clear that He wants us to use Dad's legal name--the name which the world can easily relate to and understand, and which they now know him by since it was so widely publicized at his Homegoing. The world has heard a lot of slander about "David Berg", so now they'll get a chance to see what he wrote and who he really is, praise the Lord! Within the Family we still prefer to use the name "Dad" or "Grandpa", or "Father David" with friends, etc., and these are wonderful names. But as the Lord said in these prophecies, these are the names He's given primarily for our use. To most outsiders, the title "Father" indicates a Catholic priest, which is both an incorrect assumption about Dad, as well as offensive to some Protestants. As the prophecies brought out, Dad is not just another father or priest, but the Prophet of the End that God sent to found and lead our Family, and to deliver our special message to the world. Also, his last name and family lineage are important because the Lord had been preparing Dad for generations before he was born! (See ML #1719:114; 960:56-57; 389:28, etc.)
For these reasons, we will now for the most part be using "David Brandt Berg", or in some cases "David Berg", when crediting Dad with articles in our GP pubs. We hope you like this change! God bless and keep you preaching the Words of David!
Coming soon: "A Eulogy to David Brandt Berg, by his daughter, Faith Berg"
By WS Staff
If you have not yet received the Family Activity Report special issue, "A Eulogy to David Brandt Berg, by his daughter, Faith Berg", you will shortly. We are sure that you will find this tribute to Dad very inspiring. We also feel that this FAR could be very useful in helping our friends, contacts and relatives, etc., to better understand Dad's major goals and accomplishments. It even includes some short anecdotes about a few of his many special traits and loving ways which touched all of our lives. Praise the Lord!
Coming from Dad's flesh daughter, this testimonial is likely to bear a lot of weight with those who read it. As you know, Deb's lies about Dad have received considerable worldwide coverage, not only through her "dirty book", but also through many public statements and media interviews--including comments made to a major international wire service upon the announcement of Dad's Homegoing. Therefore, it's wonderful to have this very positive statement from Dad's loyal daughter, Paula (Faithy), to help counter Deb's lies! For this reason we would like to encourage the distribution of this FAR.
Since certain aspects and details of Paula's eulogy are "firsts" for a Family GP publication, we anticipate that you may have some questions as to which of your friends and contacts you should give it. We hope the following explanations will help answer those questions:
The American Heritage Dictionary defines "eulogy" as "a laudatory speech or written tribute, especially one praising someone who has died; high praise or commendation." Dad of course never wanted any personal credit or praise for the way the Lord used him. For that reason we have never published anything quite like this eulogy. But now that Dad is gone, it is an appropriate time to be outspoken in our praise of Dad for what he has done for us and the world. God bless Paula for seizing this golden opportunity to give Dad his due! Let's do likewise.
Also bear in mind that to most people, the announcement of someone's death is very sobering. Regardless of their religion or culture, nearly everyone has been taught to be respectful of the deceased, and even tolerant of their religious convictions.--And if those beliefs were as centrally important to the individual as Dad's faith was to him, it is perfectly understandable that those beliefs provide the main theme for eulogies written to them. In her tribute, Paula makes several statements which would normally be considered strictly Christian-orientated. However, in this situation you will probably find that most people will recognize Dad as a Godly person, and respect him for his deep faith, even if their faith differs from his. Again, this may be a golden opportunity to say certain things at a time when most people will be especially receptive and sympathetic.
However, we understand that this FAR is not appropriate for every situation or individual. We are not advocating that you distribute it wholesale, but hope that this explanation has helped you to understand how it can be a blessing to your friends, contacts and relatives, etc. God bless you. We love you!
Testimonies Requested by Mama!
By WS Staff
Dear JETTs, Teens and YAs,
God bless you! Thank you so much for the beautiful contributions you make to your magazine, "The Hope of the Future!" Mama asked us to publish a special request for articles about some topics she is particularly interested in.
Have you ever had the following experience? Perhaps you have at one time or another been dissatisfied and felt that the answer would be to move to another Home. However, when you moved, you found that your problems followed you and that it wasn't the fault of the first Home after all! Of course, sometimes one situation can be more difficult than another one, and a change can sometimes help. However, if you found that a move did not relieve the problems you were having, and the Lord required you to make certain changes in yourself, instead of in your location, Mama would like to hear your testimony! Please write about this experience, and send it in. Although we are not able to publish everything that you send us due to limited space and time, Mama asked us to tell you that she always appreciates each testimony that you write; they are a great encouragement.
She would also like to hear about your life-changing experiences, milestone lessons, major changes or big victories that caused a real turnaround in your life. Sapphire shared a beautiful testimony like this in Hope 56, An Overnight Change!--Doubts and Defeat Overcome by Yieldedness and the Word!--However, you dont have to be limited to writing about that type of experience.
If theres been any kind of big change in your life at some time, Mama would like you to write about it. As she explains: Your testimonies about major turning points dont have to be as dramatic as Sapphires, but you can write about any important change in your life, even some very quiet ones that nobody really knew took place, but were just between you and the Lord. Maybe there was some point at which you got very desperate and committed yourself fully to wanting a certain change in your life. Maybe you told the Lord you were willing to do whatever you had to do, youd pay any cost, if He would just bring about that change; youd do as much as you could do, and you would depend on Him to do the rest.
Maybe it was a slow, gradual change and people didn't even realize it had happened until some months later, but then they could look back and see that that you had changed--and you could see it also! Perhaps it was changing from a whiny complaining spirit to a praiseful thankful heart.--A major change, but not necessarily a dramatic one where people could see the sparks flying and witness a metamorphosis taking place before their eyes.--Not one accompanied by a lot of fanfare or bugles blowing or drums beating, but a very important change nevertheless.
I think more changes in our lives come about in that quiet way with a commitment to the Lord, a promise to Him, and a contract with Him, than any other way. In fact, most of our changes have to happen this way, even Sapphire's. But because there was such an immediate desperate need for her to change, and her behavior was being highlighted as quite negative, when she did commit herself to a change, it seemed very dramatic. And of course testimonies like hers are very good. But the other kind are just as important, where the immediate situation wasn't so crucial, although it could have become crucial down the line if the person hadnt changed.
There are all kinds of very major changes that teens can have: going from very immature folks into mature ones; turning from a desire for the System into wholehearted commitment to the Family; forsaking foolishness; going from being concerned in only learning a behind-the-scenes ministry like studio or office work to having a heart for souls and becoming a soul-winner; getting over some fear that has plagued them all their life; getting the victory over comparisons and competition (a very major one); going from carnal-mindedness into being a lover of the Word and the Letters, and becoming dependent upon them and hungering for them daily, etc. There are all kinds of changes that young people have, and adults too--most of them taking place very quietly, but nevertheless just as major.
Were looking forward to these turning point testimonies you can share with us! Although we can't print them all, we'll print all we can! We love you and are so thankful for you, and especially for your inspiring sample of conviction, dedication and fight!
Much love, Your Hope Editors
COMMENTS AND REACTIONS
Reaction to "Why We 'Preached Sex' in the Press Release Announcing Dad's Homegoing!" (ML# 2957)
From Jondy (Hosea)
(Editor's note: In response to a letter from Jondy--excerpts of which appear below--Mama sent him the following reply:)
God bless you, Jondy.--And you too, Ruthie. I love you both. Thank you, Jondy, for your sweet letter explaining how well it went sharing the news of Dad's Homegoing with Mother Eve and also for your response to my explanation about the last paragraph of the press release, which appeared in FUN 26. You said in your letter that you didn't mind being used as a good--or bad--example. I don't think you were a bad example in this case. It was just that you had a legitimate question, and there's nothing wrong with asking questions. In fact, I think it shows a very good attitude, first of all, asking the question, then after receiving the answer, being yielded to it and accepting the explanation in the Spirit. Love, Mama
* * *
(Below are the excerpts of the note from Jondy which Mama was referring to above:)
Dearest Mama,
I love you! Thank you for your kind and gentle reply to my letter to you. My love, devotion, and loyalty to you is increased knowing that it is the Lord Who is leading and guiding you. I know that you are carrying on with Dad's heart in all things as he would want you to. It is truly wonderful that without a doubt we can carry on, with the Lord keeping His Work growing and on track. The Lord is using you to prove this now, as He has already done for years.
I was very encouraged that you wanted to use my reaction in the FUN, though I hadn't envisioned it being used for this. I feel honored. Thank you so much for so sweetly asking me. In the future, please feel free to use anything from me that you feel can be a blessing to others, whether as a good example or as a dandy bad one. I don't mind being used as either one if it helps others, though I pray that I can live up to being a good example most of the time.
In the case of my comment about the press release, I qualify more as a dandy bad example, yet I'm so thankful that you corrected me so sweetly and patiently and know that your answer will be a blessing to all as it certainly was to me. I agree with all the points of explanation brought out in your letter--100% and without reservation! The explanations that you gave are truly from the Lord and Dad, without question. I'm so happy that you took the time to spell it out so clearly and patiently. The key points that you brought out are so valid and straight from Dad's heart, which is a continuing example of God's ways versus Man's ways (Isa.55:6-8).
I know that very often--and maybe more often than not--I see things in the natural and not the spiritual, and this is an area that I pray the Lord will help me to grow in, with the help of others.
Thank you so much for your prayers and patience. I love you!--Jondy.
WANT ADS
Mate Wanted:
My name is Praise (Laura). I am French, but have lived in the East for the past 13 years. I am a 46-year-old Gemini, but in the spirit I still feel like a teen. If you are younger, I hope my age won't discourage you from responding to this ad. My youngest daughter is 11, and has been praying for a daddy for some time. If you are a single daddy, I could help you and love your children as my own. If you don't have children, but you have a burden for them, we could make a good team to help care for the children in our Home, as I am a teacher. I also need love and companionship. If you feel led to write, please do so! We need you!
My address: Praise, c/o Segawa, P.O. Box 276, Nihonbashi, Tokyo, Japan.
Lots of love in Jesus and David, Praise
_________
NORTH AMERICA
* HOUSTON CELEBRATION OF DAD'S GRADUATION! From Ben, USA: We had a beautiful victory celebration at Bear Creek Park, with quite a host! Mother Eve, Steven David and Adria's family and co-workers, Paula (Faithy) and Peter from Japan, Jondy and Ruthie, the Houston DO and TS Family, and even some former members. So we were about 80 in all, not counting the Heavenly host, as we certainly felt Dad and Aaron and Abrahim's presence.
We had a "rock 'em, sock 'em" inspiration and Gypsy dancing, followed by some heart-stirring songs about Dad and Heaven. Jondy (our MC) told tales of camping at Bear Creek Park 25 years ago, and Steven and Adria chimed in with beautiful testimonies of how the Family trained them to be and to do everything they are doing today. Jondy read something he had written for the occasion, as well as Paula's "A Eulogy to David Brandt Berg".
Brother Thomas sang a song and declared his love for David, Maria and the Family. "I'm proud to be numbered with the Family," he said, "`the despised and rejected of men,' just as Jesus was."
Everyone was practically flying by day's end; it was certainly a once-in-a-lifetime event!
* CHRISTMAS PERFORMANCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE! From Ahlai, USA: For the third Christmas in a row, we were invited to sing Christmas carols at the White House. However, shortly before our scheduled engagement, we were asked if we would be willing to change assignments; instead of performing during one of the candlelight tours for the general public, we were asked to do three shows for closed audiences of Presidential personnel and appointees only--all high-level positions including the President's personal staff (located in all the floors and departments of the White House), presidential appointees and ambassadors.
We witnessed to our guide, and he loved the show. Later he introduced us to a number of people from various departments. A woman who had helped arrange for us to perform came through when the Show Troupe was rocking out with an upbeat version of "Go Tell It on the Mountain!" She thought they were great! "Is it all right if they cut loose?" I asked.
"Oh, by all means, cut loose!" she answered. So we were able to push back the bleachers before breaking into "Feliz Navidad" and all our Christmas dance numbers--much to the surprise and applause of everyone that passed by! Later this woman passed by again and told us that her office had received four calls saying, "The group in the front is tremendous!" That was us!
After our three 40-minute sets, we were invited to the plush East Room for a few final songs. There we were able to spread out a bit more. Jon went on the piano, and it was beautiful! As the tours were closing down, we sang to a few final staffers and the Secret Service men, several of whom remembered us from last year. All the while, the lovely official sign clearly identified us as the Family to all who passed by.
* CHRISTMAS CONCERT AT HYATT HOTEL ATTRACTS FRIENDS, CONTACTS, AND HOTEL GUESTS! From Ahlai, USA: Three weeks before our Christmas Concert for friends and contacts, we sent out 400 invitations and posted Show Troupe advertisement posters in the hotel where the concert was to be held. At the last minute, we "threw open the floodgates" and also invited the guests staying at the hotel, which included delegates to a two-day Department of Labor conference and a national interior design convention. We "litnessed" in the packed lobby and bar, using specially-designed flyers, inviting people to the show.
The show brought a warm, family atmosphere to the large but still cozy meeting room. We had a two-level stage and podium, with a Christmas banner backdrop and Christmas tree. We posted previously-made photo displays of our Work, including the activities of the two Homes taking part in the concert, and other Family Consider the Poor projects.
The Show Troupe performed their spectacular Christmas numbers and did a costume change into tuxedos and gowns for their grand finale. They had quite an impact!--But, as always, the younger kids from the School Home stole the show with their tremendous kiddy show! (Editors note: The Washington, D.C. Show Troupe has a contact with a bridal shop, who loans them formal wear for some of their shows.)
At one point, we presented an appeal to our friends for their continued support. We asked for pledges, advertised our tools and presented our new promo video "Family Show Troupe Live!" In our annual tradition, we awarded certificates to our longtime friends and contacts. They all made very touching remarks about the Family afterwards. Five of our contacts brought their whole families, and their kids loved the show. In addition, dozens of hotel guests came in and out, to see what all the hubbub was about.
We wanted to video this show, and the Lord miraculously provided professional equipment, including two cameras and the entire staff of a small broadcasting company to help us film! (When we met the company's owner last year going DTD, he said he would help whenever we needed it, so we took him up on his offer.) Both the owner and his staff were very impressed with not only the knowledge but the "hands on" expertise that YA Noah displayed in working with the video equipment.--Another good testimony to the wonderful training that our Family young people receive. As a result, not only will we be able to use this equipment for recording further shows, but we have also been offered the use of their editing studios to "fine tune" what we film. Praise the Lord!
* FAMILY PERFORMS AT CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP BANQUET! From Ahlai, USA: We performed for a full house at the Indonesian Christian Fellowship Church Banquet.
We arrived early in order to attend their Christmas church service, and all of our young people were very attentive, following along with Bibles and learning to sing the traditional Christmas hymns in Indonesian. That was really fun and touched our hosts' hearts, paving the way for them to receive our performance.
We weren't quite sure what to expect in this situation, so the Show Troupe wore conservative costumes and planned a more subdued show. After a few carols and traditional numbers, however, our friend who arranged the show insisted that we include our dances. The crowd loved it, especially the young people, of whom there were many. These Indonesians were very precious, and they brought us right into their large family atmosphere. After our 30-minute show, we were invited to their banquet.
The Indonesian ambassador to the U.S. and his wife arrived just in time to see our show. We met him afterwards, and he praised our kids for their show.
* UNIVERSITY CLASS RATES FAMILY AS "COOL"! By Jason (23), USA: On the invitation of Dr. David Bromley, expert on NRMs and professor of sociology at the University of Virginia, a team of YAs addressed his sociology class. We opened the session by singing a couple of songs. That really helped to break the ice. Then we gave a brief presentation on the Family's origins and history, and fielded the students' questions.
As with other university classes we have spoken at before, this was actually a very exciting time of witnessing to a group of new bottles; it's a challenging new ministry in itself! We had a lot of fun socking it to them with the truth about growing up in the Family, and we got many good responses from the students.
Later, Professor Bromley commended our YA team for their presentation. He also said that the Moonies had done a presentation the day before ours, and when he asked his class to rate the two groups, they rated the Moonies "weird," and the Family "cool"!
(Editor's note: By rating these YAs [and hence the whole Family] "cool", the university students were saying that our young people had won their admiration and approval. It's important to note, however, that they didn't do so by conforming to the shallow, worldly, rebellious, attention-seeking behavior that we usually associate with acting "cool".--They did it by being full of fire, conviction and purpose; by being themselves and standing up for the Lord and our Family ways, just like they always do! God bless them!)
* RELIGIOUS HISTORIAN VISITS HOME! From Nick and Claire, USA: After a session at an AAR (American Academy of Religion) conference which we were attending, Dr. Chancellor, a religious historian came to dinner. The children's groups each performed for him, and he toured the Home. At one point along the tour he stopped and asked the teen and YA girls some questions in a sweet but frank manner: What were their impressions of their parents' or other members' FFing? How had the fact that the Family once practiced FFing affected their lives? He also asked them about their schooling, life in the Family, their commitment to become missionaries, etc.
Dr. Chancellor commented later: "Boy, the kids in the Family are something else! Those girls are just incredible!" When we asked him to be more specific, he said, "They're not confused, not at all!"
"Well, are you?" we asked jokingly.
"Yes, I am," he said, "but those girls are not. They know what they believe and where they're going. They're not the least bit confused!" He was obviously very impressed with the teens.
We saw him several times again during the rest of the conference, and he introduced us to a number of his friends, saying, "These are some very good friends of mine from the Family." Thank the Lord for leading us to such a precious man. We're sure the Lord has a special place for him! Praise the Lord!
EUROPE
* "OUR GOD TURNED THE CURSE INTO A BLESSING!" (Neh.13:2). From Gideon and Rachel, England: It would probably surprise a lot of people, especially our enemies, to learn that despite all of the recent media coverage here in the BI, most of which was slanderous, we have not received a single negative letter or phone call, nor has INFORM!* We have received many letters and phone-calls from members of the general public, friends, supporters, people who have met the Family over the years (or the Children of God in the '70s), and people that we have never met or heard from before.--And all have been supportive. Thanks to these latest attacks by our detractors, multitudes have received a witness who may never have heard otherwise, and lots of people are growing closer to the Family! (*INFORM is an agency which provides information about NRMs. It is partially sponsored by the British government.)
* TEENS PERFORM FOR CHRISTIAN BUSINESSMEN! From the Family in Belgium: The teen singing group performed at a Full Gospel Businessmen meeting which was attended by about a hundred people, including twenty teenagers. Willing also gave his testimony. The promoters and those attending were quite turned on by our teens, particularly one man who is a former high-ranking Belgian diplomat.
* POWER and PROTECTION FROM THE WORD! From teen Crystal (TS), Spain: The other day, my dad and I met some teens who have AIDS. They were quite broken and sheepy and prayed with us to receive Jesus. Before reading the Letter "God Is No Respector of Persons", I was quite scared of being around people with AIDS, but now I have faith that as long as I am in God's Will and cautious, I can witness to anyone and He can protect me from anything, even AIDS!
* FAMILY SHOW ON UKRAINIAN TV! From Michael (Joseph English), Germany: Our show, based on the teen show "New Worlds to Discover", has been a wonderful success, and we were televised on Ukrainian television.
* FAMILY PARTICIPATES IN CHRISTIAN MUSIC FESTIVAL! From Nadia, Russia: One of our dear friends invited us to sing at a Christian festival (he was one of the main organizers), and even though we were not one of the "respected" denominations, he still fought for us to have a place. The whole idea of this festival was to unite Christians together in praising the Lord, despite individual differences. He said, "If you don't sing, this whole festival will be in vain."
The Lord raised up "something out of nothing," when five young Family members, including two nationals, all from different Homes, got together a few weeks before the festival to practice. What the Lord has said about us being leaders of other Christians came true in this situation, as the festival was very disorganized, and we had to step in and organize everything and help things go smoothly. Russian Nadia MCed the entire two-day program.
Just outside the hall, we had a stand with our tools. Mountain Streams became a hot item, and after the first day, people came back asking for other titles or more copies for their friends.
After the festival, our friend was reprimanded by local government officials, the media and the Orthodox Church for inviting us. He lost his job and is now going through a very difficult time. Through it all, however, his faith in the Lord and the Family have grown even stronger. He says that this situation has taught him to depend on the Lord more, and to apply the Word to his life. "The Word is my only refuge," he told us. He also appreciates the fellowship of the Family even more because we are the only ones who encourage him, pray with him, and comfort him through the Word. Please keep him in your prayers!
* HUNGARIAN TV DOCUMENTARY! From Ruby: A 70-minute documentary on the Family, produced by a cable television network, was aired in Hungary at three different times to an estimated audience of three quarters of a million people! The program featured interviews with Dorcas, John D., Jonathan and Esther about the Family's work in Croatia, and included inspiring clips of a Family Home in Hungary--mainly of the children. It was a very positive show and a powerful witness!
* TS FAMILY NEWS FROM ENGLAND! From Andrew: Our monthly counsel meetings with our TS brethren are a source of inspiration and spiritual strength for them, and also give the TSers an opportunity to share their own lessons and victories. Some of our TSers are real good samples of operating according to their own faith, rather than leaning too heavily on others, as is sometimes the tendency in larger DO Homes.
ASIA
* OUR TAPES HAVE TRANSFORMING POWER! From Pearl and Lily, Thailand: On one of his visits to our Home, our dear friend, Mr. P., looked at our Video display in the living room and asked if we have audio tapes as well. He ended up taking one each of the 35 Tapes we had in stock. He called after a couple of weeks, and he was so inspired! He said he had listened to them all, and likes every one of them. He is even memorizing quotes from them. He also now happily exclaims that he has God in his heart! In the past, it had been hard to determine if he was very hungry for the Word, so this was a real breakthrough! This was a powerful reminder to us of how wonderfully the Lord can use our Tapes to bring people closer to Him, as He did with this precious man.
* NEW "SECRETARY MINISTRY" BEARS GOOD FRUIT! From Thai Josh and YA Josh, Thailand: We recently began a new ministry, which we've dubbed the "Secretary Ministry". When we go into a new office, instead of asking to speak with the owner or manager first as we normally do, we ask to speak with his secretary. These secretaries are often very protective of their bosses' time, but they are touched when we ask for them personally and nearly always see us right away. We talk to them on a personal level, and present our Work and tools. They usually take some tools and some receive the Lord! Executive secretaries are also a good source of referrals. We take note of those who are especially sheepy and really like our work, so we'll be sure to follow-up on them and feed them. (Editor's note: And once you win the executive's secretary, she will probably be happy to help you make an appointment to meet her boss. Win him also, and you'll have two friends in the same office that you can follow up on at the same time!)
* IT PAYS TO PRAY!--AND OBEY! From Josiah and teen Dominic, Pakistan: We were out on business and planned to make the post office our last stop. When we finished our other business, the Lord gave us a strong check not to go to the mail. At first it was a struggle to obey, as we were following a plan we'd already prayed about and the post office was nearby. Finally we decided to just go home and leave the mail for another time. That afternoon we found out that the post office we were headed for had been robbed at gunpoint! In addition to robbing the post office of its money, the thieves stole people's personal items. Boy, were we thankful that we had listened to and obeyed the Lord's check!
AFRICA
* SOUTH AFRICA PIONEER REPORT! From the South Africa team: We now have a nice four-bedroom house in a beautiful location. The outreach has been going well. We have been following up on a lot of our friends and sheep from when we were here before, and those we have managed to contact have all been very happy that we are back.
General impressions of the new South Africa: Politically, Mandela seems to be taking a moderate line and has the backing of most of the Whites and Blacks in the country. There is a general spirit of wanting to make it work, and it is quite peaceful. Religiously, it has changed from an officially Christian government to a secular socialist government. Some of the bills before parliament are aimed at curbing Christian influence in the country, such as repealing compulsory religious instruction in the schools, and tighter governmental control of Christian churches. Economically, things are still running. There is a recession in some sectors, and the anticipated boom hasn't happened. Nevertheless, we aren't having a problem raising local support for our small team.
We are very encouraged by the reception we have received so far. The people are more broken and hungry than they were as recently as one year ago. The mainstream Christians here are definitely sweeter and more tolerant of smaller Christian groups such as us. People also seem more aware that it is the Endtime and are very often quite in tune with what is going on in the world.
There is a big movement towards smaller independent churches, home churches and inter-denominational groups. We see definite opportunities of working closer with certain of the Christian groups. Even the Evangelical Christians we've met seem to have accepted us as the genuine, born-again missionaries and fellow-laborers that we are.
AUSTRALIA
* CHILDLIKE FAITH FROM A CHILD'S WITNESS! From Tim, Lamb and Tania, Australia: While going DTD, four-year-old Sharon met a man who recognized us. When Sharon asked him if he was going to Heaven, he emphatically replied "Yes!" We asked if he was a Christian and he didn't seem sure, but he knew he had Jesus in his heart and was going to Heaven. "Don't you remember?" he asked Sharon. "You sang to me and prayed with me a year ago!"
SOUTH AMERICA
* FAX FOOD! From John, Ester, Juan and Joao, Brazil: We send short Word-based faxes to many of our contacts and friends, and we have received many favorable reactions. Some say that the faxes "make their day" or that they contained counsel which was exactly what they needed at the hour they arrived.
The secretary of one friend we send faxes to regularly called us to let us know that her boss has encouraged her to read our messages for her own inspiration and encouragement. She now eagerly awaits their arrival, and has asked us to send more material for her personally.
* A VOICE BEHIND US! From Lucas, Sara and Lily, Brazil: While a faith trip, we had no appointments or set plan, but prayed desperately before leaving the hotel. The Lord gave us the verse, "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, 'This is the way, walk ye in it,' when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left" (Isa.30:21).
When we arrived at the first intersection, we asked each other, "Which way shall we go? Shall we go to the right or to the left?"
Just then a little beggar girl passed us. "To the Bank of Brazil," she said, and continued running. We immediately recalled the verse that the Lord had given us, but felt that it would be too much of a coincidence. Instead, we decided to go the opposite direction to visit a doctor who was on our follow-up list. He was interested, but asked us to visit his wife, who works in the Bank of Brazil. So we went to the Bank.--Ha! The Lord finally got through to us. The Lord did a miracle at the bank: We sold our first 14 Videos in 15 minutes, and got out a total of 25 Videos that day!
* MANY REACHED AT INTERNATIONAL FAIR! From Maria, Bolivia: During a recent international fair which was held here, our teens and JETTs performed several times on the open stage. They gave out Posters and prayed with many people after the shows, and at other times young people came to the Family's stand asking to meet our kids. Our young people also witnessed to all the young personnel of the Red Cross delegation and an anti-abortion group, and led many of them to the Lord. The anti-abortion group loved the song "Mother Let Me Live", and bought several copies of the SOS Video. Family members also gave Videos and packets of other Family materials to the presidents of Bolivia, Peru and Paraguay when they visited the fair.
* "LITTLE IS MUCH IF GOD IS IN IT!" From Maria Rosa (TS), Peru: Even though I was alone with my three children for the first time, the Lord helped us to distribute the box of Posters which a Home gave us. In the process, 2,370 souls were saved through personal witnessing! Three-year-old Christopher prayed with most of them.
* SMALL HOMES HAVE IT! From Jonathan, Pandita, Juan and Claudia, Chile: This month convinced us that smaller, more intimate Homes are also more productive and efficient. When we were left with only 20 people due to the recent persecution, we thought that we wouldn't be able to do everything that we needed to do and get out witnessing. To the contrary, we were able to get more teams out, including a record five teams one day. Trimming down resulted in good fruit for our Home!
TESTIMONIES, TIPS AND LESSONS ON SUPPLY!
* BACK TO THE BASICS! From Phoebe, England: Lately, I've found the most fruitful ministry to raise funds and meet potential supporters has been good old postering!
I have been longing to witness more and have spiritual babies to care for and nurture in the Lord, instead of doing so much PR work, which so far in my case hasn't borne the fruit that we expected. We have to find avenues for meeting people and ministering to them, and I believe more and more that simple litnessing is a terrific way we are going to find and build kings. We will never be System enough for the System. I believe He just want us to witness and find His sheep.
I recently reread the story of George Mueller and realized that lately I've been tempted to stray away from one of our basic principles lately--living by faith! This is one of our founding principles, and proof to the world that God is alive and that He works; He has supported the Family for over 25 years! It is such a testimony to His glory!
In my fund-raising ministry I have spent much time in the System, hearing their flatlander views constantly. Eventually, I was tempted to resort to System jobs or their other fleshly means, but I got that to do so would be "disobeying the Heavenly vision." Our way of raising support through our witnessing is one of our Heavenly callings: it proves to the world that it is possible in this day and age to still follow God by faith, with no guarantee other than His Word. Again, this is a very basic principle that I should probably never have questioned, but maybe the Lord allowed these recent temptations to fortify my own convictions. It was very strengthening to realize these basic principles for myself! Thank the Lord!
* DAD GOES TO BAT FOR US! From Jonathan Fighter, Pakistan: Our Home had its best month of Video distribution in many, many months. What an answer to prayer! Since hearing about Dad's graduation, we feel that he is going to bat for us in the spirit and helping us, since he is personally interested in the Muslim ministry and of course has been very concerned about the whole Family's finances.
* A NEW APPEAL PROJECT: A FAMILY FAMILY CENTER! From Seek, USA: Our new house is becoming an appeal project and a whole new ministry in itself. I recently read in "Kings" (ML# 212), where Dad says we need to make our supporters part of our projects, and that is proving very true. Our new house is very large, well laid out and is in an ideal area. It even has a pool. At one time the house and property were very nice, but now they both need a lot of work. We plan to use it to follow up on local businessmen and their families--the neglected "poor in spirit". It will be a Family Family Center--a place where people can come for counseling and seminars, especially families who need counsel and help with their children.
Since the house needed a lot of work, our first plan was to not let our friends and contacts see it until we got it fixed up. But as we started telling them about the house and what we plan to use it for, our friends and contacts all got excited. Some said they would like to help with the painting or repairs, and others offered building materials or furnishings. One provisioning contact belongs to a Christian men's club which helps with community projects, and he offered to get the others to help us fix up the house. One of his friends is a building contractor.
As we started inviting people to come and help, they started to get more excited about our work and we found that the house itself is a wonderful appeal project. Not only is the house getting fixed up, but people from the community feel a part of it, that it's their work as well. People who help with the project tell their friends about us and refer us to others. Praise the Lord!
* "APPEAL SHEETS" BOOST FINANCES! From Andy, Paul, Faithy, Peter and Sarah, Australia: This month we had a breakthrough in our finances, and our new method of appealing played a major part. It's all quite simple: In their outreach bag, each of our witnessers carries a clipboard with various "appeal sheets". Each appeal sheet has the Family logo at the top and a short paragraph explaining a certain project our Home is involved in, or a specific need we have. The rest of the page is divided into three columns: name, signature and amount (of money each person donates). We use the appeal sheets together with a presentation album which explains our Work. We also give Posters, Tapes or Videos to each donor, depending on their need and the size of their gift. This approach helps them feel that they are giving to a specific need that they are personally interested in, rather than just buying something. We've found this to be a very effective and fruitful way of presenting our needs as we witness, and it can be done anywhere--factory-to-factory, shop-to-shop, office-to-office or door-to-door.
(Editor's note: Be sure to also get donors' addresses for follow up. You may want to add a column to your appeal sheets for this purpose.)
* "IF WE GIVE, THE LORD WILL GIVE!" From Miguel, Gracia and Margie, Uruguay: Last month two brothers of a member of our Home stayed with us for a few days. We organized the Home around caring for them and helping them to get to know our Work. They saw our home schooling, had Word time, heard testimonies, met some of our friends, went witnessing with us, and everyone in the Home showed them a lot of love and appreciation. It was quite a bit of work, as we had to adjust our schedules around our guests, but the Lord blessed our efforts. They came much closer to the Family, and a few days after they left we received a sweet letter from them and a $3000 donation towards our Work. Like Dad said in "A Dream about Finances", if we give, the Lord will give!
* CITY SPONSORS FAMILY COFFEE SHOP! From Peter and Mary Joyful, Scandinavia: We approached the vice-mayor of our city, explained the work of the local Family, and asked if the municipality would be interested in helping to sponsor the small coffee shop that we have been running for the past year. He arranged a check for $7,500 from the city, and asked us to submit a budget for the coming year. Praise the Lord!
* OUR CONTACTS AND SPONSORS NEED OUR TOOLS THEMSELVES! From Josef, Thailand: Since reading Dad's "Dream about Finances" I have felt a renewed vision to promote our Videos and Tapes more to our provisioning contacts. They and their children need our tools, and this is a great way to help them. So when we visited a contact who has helped us twice now with large quantities of first aid supplies for our CTP programs, we offered him a Kiddie Viddie as a gift of appreciation. We also introduced him to our sponsorship program, and to our surprise he bought 30 Videos to give to his customers, just like that! Praise the Lord!
* LET THE LORD AND HIS WORD DO THE WORK! From Hannah Sunshine, India: This past month we worked on our pledge program. Mr. P. used to pledge a good amount to our Work but had stopped some time ago. After the Prayer Day for finances, we felt led to go and see him and to challenge him to start giving his monthly pledge again. It turned out that he was considering giving his support to someone else, as he felt that they needed it more than we did. Just like Mama said, some people don't think that we need their help because we are an international organization. We needed to be quite frank with him, and explained our financial situation just as it is. The fact was, we needed his help even more than before. We also gave him our "Statement of Support".
As we finished our conversation, I suggested that he pray and ask the Lord about it, and assured him that the Lord would show him what was best. That evening we prayed for him, that the Lord would indeed show him clearly what he should to do. When I called him the next day, he gave us his answer in the form of a Bible verse, Isaiah 32:8, which says, "The liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand." We looked up "liberal" in the dictionary, and it means "generous, abundant, unprejudiced and freely giving." The Lord had shown him that he needed to pledge again! I was very encouraged, not only because he decided to pledge again, but because he had heard from the Lord. It just made me so thankful for the counsel in the Letters that helps us to teach our friends to pin their faith on the Word and to learn to hear from God. Thank You Jesus!
PRAYER REQUESTS
CRITICAL AND LIFE-AND-DEATH SITUATIONS: (For 14 years and up.)
1. Trust, South America: For complete healing for Trust, who is suffering from a brain disease which has resulted in the loss of her faculties and bodily functions, rendering her unable to walk or communicate. For her mate, James, and their children, that the Lord will continue to give them special grace, comfort, encouragement and strength to handle this very trying situation. That the Lord will provide a better situation for Trust where she can be properly cared for, and for James' wisdom in making any decisions regarding Trust's care.
2. Peter, (3, of Dust and Maria, TS), Europe: Leukemia.
3. Please continue to pray for those listed in the "Critical and Life-and-Death" section of Prayer List 22 (Angie, baby Jonathan, Renee, Faith, Liz Grey, Thai Abe, Heidi, Phoebe and Peter), and their healing from these serious afflictions.
EUROPE:
4. Against a wave of negative publicity in Belgium and Germany. For the anointing of our media teams there, and that our rebuttals will be printed and result in a good witness. That our dialogue with detractors will bear good fruit. Also, that an anti-NRM law that is pending before the Belgian congress will not be passed.
5. Continued protection of our Family in Poland as an investigation into the Family there continues, with the Department of Education issuing a notice to all high schools forbidding any contact with the Family. That the Lord will bring a great victory out of this battle, vindicate our Family, protect our Homes from any legal problems, and allow them to continue their fruitful ministry in that country. For strength and wisdom for our Polish media team, and for our outside friends who are standing up for us.
6. For the safety of our Home in Croatia, as tension and fighting is escalating amid fears that Croatia will soon enter the war again against the Serbs. For our Family's protection from any harm or life-threatening situations.
7. For our friend in Moscow who received persecution for inviting us to the music festival; that the Lord will reward him according to His promise in Gen.12:3.
* * *
Wrestling prayer can wonders do,
Bring relief in deepest straits;
Prayer can force a passage through
Iron bars and brazen gates. (MOP 13:135.)
[end]
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family