the grapevine
(Issue #52; October 15, 1998.)
kidbits
the littlest ones
Charlotte Chantel, 1st child, born to YA Gabi and SGA David on July 14th.--Croatia
Martin Dominic, 4th child, born to Gina and Matthew on July 16th.--UK
Nikita, 1st child, born to Russian Snezhana on July 20th.--Russia.
Carrie Lauren, 1st child, born to YAs Nicole and Abner on July 26th.--UK
Heloise Melissa Charlene, 11th child, born to Heidi and Samuel, on August 13th.--France
Daniel Ariel, 4th child, born to Spanish Jenny and Polish Jan on September 17th.--Czech Republic
tidbits
new laborers - August 1998
Maria (23, Russian) joined in Russia.
Susana joined in Tokyo, Japan.
Sergio, (37, Chilean) joined in Chile.
getting together
Andre (19, Ukrainian) and Christina (19) got engaged on the 17th of September in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine.
think deep
How precious a question is! An alert mind that asks is the first step to answers, discoveries, solutions.
backtracking
German lit
To download German lit the address is: http://members.xoom.com/German_ppc. In Grapevine #43, this address was printed without the underscore towards the end of the address.
world news
Bolivia - Francisco and David (15) were interviewed on national TV when they went to Aiquile to help the victims of the earthquake.--Francisco and Kitty
Thailand - The Center for Mentally Handicapped Children of South Thailand invited us to help them organize their "Special Olympics Sport Day." We were supposed to help find sponsors for five meals with live entertainment, water, snacks, sports outfits and raffle prizes, plus sell tickets. It looked like a real formidable task, but despite the economic downturn, every single person, hotel, or company we asked for help agreed to give towards the Special Olympics!--Anna Singapore
Japan - We were interviewed about "American Children," and our report was broadcast on Fuji TV nationwide. The segment was only 12 minutes, but had a good message.--Nehemiah and Sunshine
India - When our Home got together and prayed, the Lord gave us the idea to organize a Deaf EXPO featuring deaf entrepreneurs and schools. Thus we organized the International Deaf Week from September 21-27.
Our close friend, queen and supporter, Christine, helped us organize this unique event. Throughout the week we held seminars on self-employment, AIDS awareness, legal awareness on the Disabilities Act, and other topics. We held a press conference one day before the event and all the newspapers covered the EXPO daily by doing feature stories on our deaf work which goes by the name of "Deaf Reach." The EXPO was in the news every day. State TV also covered the inaugural opening. Union and state ministers came for the event.
On the final day we invited the Minister for Youth Affairs and gave awards to older, veteran members of the deaf community. The Chairman of the Rehabilitation council of India was also a guest of honor. The rehabilitation Council of India is the apex body under the government which certifies bona fide NGOs. He was so impressed with our work that he made a public announcement that he was nominating me, Willing, for the Experts Committee of the Council. This is quite an honor, as only highly qualified professionals and NGOs of repute are on this National committee. He has asked me to develop a nation wide sign language training program and implement it. The RCI (Rehabilitation Council of India) will fund the project.
This was also a wonderful time where all the Homes in the city worked together, some provisioning the stalls for the EXPO and others working on fundraising. God bless Elkanah and Faith, Simon and Sarah, and all the others who worked so hard to make this possible!--Willing and the Flying Fingers Home
brotherhood
Croatia
(From Andrew, Miracle and Oasis Home:) The Lord blessed us with so many visitors this summer--teams who came down to our part of the beautiful Croatian coast for their SWIFTs! At one Sunday fellowship in our campground we had nearly 50 brethren from six different Homes in Poland, Czech Rep, Hungary, and Croatia! GB Dave and Heidi, Rosemarie and Jenny's team who were always so much fun and a big inspiration to us!
Croatia
(From Angela, Chris, Sara, Daniela and Christia:) On July 4-5 we held a fellowship in Italy, attended by around 80 FM/CM and live-outs. It went very well! We've also started taking some junior teens from Italy to Croatia on a rotational basis, to give them a taste of this mission field. Wish we could do more of that, as there's a great demand and need!
legal and media
Home Schooling in France
(From the EURCRO Media Desk:) Apparently a new law has been passed regarding home schooling, crafted in counsel with the ADFI. The law involves stricter exams at the end of the year, which will not just test the children who were home schooled on curriculum subjects, but also on "civil values." It seems that part of the curriculum for home schooled children will be reading some sort of book by the anti-cult movement that "exposes" cult mentality.
It seems there is also a body of people in France who are pushing to make it illegal to give what's called a "second education." In other words, when a child goes home from school, their parents will not be allowed to re-interpret what they've been taught, such as telling their child that the class they had in school on evolution was unfactual, and so on. It is difficult to see how they could carry out some kind of ban on this "second education," considering that even many parents who have nothing to do with a NRM have opinions of their own about what their children are taught in school. Nonetheless, the home schooling situation in France seems to be getting more difficult all the time. So please pray for our Family there!
Web Site News
Spanish Family Web Site, August 1998
(www.lafamilia.org)
1. August Web Stats Report
205 MB downloaded, about 7 MB per day.
1204 people visited the site, about 39 people per day.
2. Work done in August
Added new FARs
Added "Living Waters" 1-4
Added 6 "Word Basics" sections
Added 3 "Mountain Streams"
Added text download buttons to "Lit Trunk" section
3. Work in Progress
Adding pictures to "Our Founder" section
Adding MO Letter condos to "Our Founder" section
Redoing sound clips for CD section
Adding Feedback form
Adding "The Future Foretold"
notices
Applying for clearance to a Mid-eastern or Muslim country?
(From WS:) If you would like to move to one of the countries of the Mideast (including Turkey and the North African countries), or to other predominantly Muslim countries such as Pakistan, Malaysia or Indonesia, or to Thailand, we'd like to ask that an evaluation from your shepherds be sent to ASCRO along with your clearance request.
Although the requirement for sending evaluations with clearance requests has been dropped (Charter amendment 32), and although the above-mentioned Asian and Mid-eastern countries are not all officially "sensitive countries," due to the somewhat delicate nature of the work in these countries, as well as the volatile political situations in some cases, it's helpful for the ASCRO shepherds to know a bit about those desiring to work on these fields. (Those applying for clearance to Burma and Vietnam, which are officially sensitive countries, would also need to send an evaluation along with their clearance; evaluations are required for all sensitive countries.)
If your evaluation is included along with your clearance form, then the standard clearance procedure still applies: if you do not hear back from the ASCRO office within 30 days from the date they send acknowledgement of receipt of your clearance request, you are free to move to the country you requested clearance to, if a Home on that field has voted you in to their Home, or if you plan to open your own Home.
Interested in FRIENDS?
Brazil
(From Micah, for FRIENDS:) We have had a number of requests from the Family for copies of the Follow On CD via e-mail, but unfortunately we recently had a computer crash which took with it all of our e-mail files and left us at zero on all of our addresses. Could we ask folks who have been waiting for their CD to contact us again via e-mail with their snail mail address so that we can get these CDs off to them right away? Thanks!
Spanish HomeARC glitches?
SPALIM
(From SPALIM team:) If you have a copy of the Spanish HomeARC, you may have encountered problems when trying to install it on a computer which already has the English HomeARC 98 installed (or vice-versa). We're sorry for the trouble and hassle it may have caused you, but we're happy to announce that we have a solution. For those of you having this problem, please send a message to SPALIM via your ABM and we'll answer back as quickly as possible with the needed instructions so that both HomeARCs will function well together. Or send us an e-mail at: spanlim@ibm.net.
I'm wondering...
FTT songbooks
Q: Is there any plan to publish some more FTT songbooks? We would really love to play more of those in our Home inspirations.--Luke, Mary, Jesse, Japan
A: No, but song words and chords for all of the FTTs that have come out so far are included on the Family Members Only Web site, and in the Ultimate Family Songbook CD which is about to go out. As new FTTs come out, the words and chords will be added to the Web.
Song lyrics
Q: If we've written or received via prophecy the words to a song, but not the tune, would it still be worth sending it in, or would it be useless? If we should send them in, which e-mail address should we send it to?--C.D., Tropics
A: Yes, by all means, send the words in! Of course, it's most helpful if you're able to get accompanying music as well, or ask someone in your Home or area to do so. But if you're unable to, then go ahead and send the lyrics to the WS pubs e-mail address. Thanks!
FPC Productions
Q: We had been hoping that the Baby Verses and Feed My Lambs pages would be included on the HomeARC Image CD. Since they weren't, we have been scanning them ourselves, and my daughter and her friend are planning to make a pre-colored collection of them on CD, which could then be printed out on a color printer by anyone for their personal use.
I think this would be a terrific idea for all our coloring-type pubs, for example, the games, flannelgraphs, etc. I know the reason I don't have my copy of the new BINGO game in use is because I need to take hours of my time to color it, which I never seem to find. I know there is a need and use for these pages in black and white coloring book-style, but it would be really nice to have an in-color version available on CD as well, now that we have the technology to do it.--Lynn, USA
A: As Peter explained in the GN entitled, "1998 Midyear News and Progress," there is now an FPC (FED Production Center) set up which will DV, make available to the Family these various childcare materials, colored and in a ready-to-use format. The first projects that they have begun working on are the Baby Quotes, Feed My Lambs, and Praising U in color. These have also been slightly modified to make them suitable for GP distribution. Please keep the FPC team in your prayers, so that they can get fully operational as quickly as possible.
babymania
The Balanced Diet Balance
Q: I'd like to ask for some counsel about certain foods we are serving to the babies and children, especially the younger ones. In the Family we have such a variety of people and cultures represented, and many different ways of food preparation. I'm a bit concerned about giving fatty or spicy foods (or without a proper amount of veggies, etc.) to the children. As far as I know it's not very healthy even for the adults to eat such foods in great amounts; much more so for children.--Or not having enough raw veggies with all the vitamins, but instead boiling them till there's little or nothing in them. There are great cooks in the Family who can create pieces of art for our meals, but they may not realize the needs of the children. In the CCHB there is some counsel about it, but it's mostly concerning children under one year or so. What about children older than that?
--Crystal (formerly Sara, of Gabe), Poland
A: (Jaz:) A very good question! There is an excellent section on nutrition in the CCHB III, pgs.638-651. It's based on The Growing Child by Dr. Bundesen--it's old, but full of simple, down-to-earth counsel, and has been edited and updated with tips and lessons from Dad. See also Chapter 81 of The Dito Book, newly revised and updated by FC!
I've also done a little research, and here are some excerpts from interesting articles on the subject of childhood nutrition and balanced diets! Remember, since children form eating habits when young, it's important to start off right, so be sure to pray and ask the Lord how to best help your child.
* * *
To make sure your child receives needed nutrients, plan meals around the five major food groups: the bread, cereal, rice and pasta group; fruits; vegetables; meat and fish; and dairy products.
In general, children (ages two to five) need about the same number of servings in each food group as adults do, but their recommended serving sizes are approximately one-third the amount. When your child is younger than two, her nutritional requirements and the amount of food she needs are somewhat different. All children under two, for example, have a need for fat, which should not be limited in their diets. The most important thing you can do for your "under two" is serve a wide variety of foods from each of the five food groups.
For all young children, snacks should play an important role in fulfilling nutritional needs. Toddlers tend to have small appetites and may not be able to consume a full serving at one time. Also, large portions are often overwhelming, so start out with small portions. Your child can always ask for seconds.
Five dietitians gave the following tips to ease the transition from infant feeding to the wider world of toddler nutrition. They've come up with some practical--and creative--advice.
Fruits and Vegetables
To get the vitamins and minerals they need, children should eat about three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruits every day. A toddler's daily servings of vegetables and fruits should include at least one vitamin C source (citrus fruits, strawberries, and melon) and one vitamin A source (deep green and yellow fruits and vegetables, such as peaches, carrots, spinach, broccoli, and squash).
Children like the variety of bright colors and textures that fruits and vegetables offer, so it'll probably be easier than you might think to get your child to eat them. One of the experts suggests these steps to make them even more enticing:
* Take your toddler shopping and let him select one new fruit or vegetable on each trip.
* Add fruits and vegetables (one at a time) to foods you already make. For example, add kiwi slices to yogurt or broccoli to spaghetti sauce.
* Involve your child in preparing vegetables. Even a very young child can wash carrots.
* Cut up a variety of vegetables (with or without help) and serve them raw or slightly steamed with a dip such as salad dressing.
Meat and Fish
A toddler's daily protein requirements can be met with meat, fish and meat alternatives, such as beans, eggs and peanut butter. (Some references suggest that a toddler's daily protein requirement is about 3.5 ounces, though others suggest slightly more or less.)
When serving meat to your toddler, make sure it's been cooked thoroughly. Cut the meat into pieces that are small enough for him to manage, and not large enough to choke on. When you serve fish, be especially careful to pick through the entire portion and remove any bones.
Yvonne Bronner, R.D., a nutritionist, says a great way to get your toddler to eat meat (and some vegetables, too) is to include him in the preparation of a Chinese stir-fry (under close supervision, of course). Cut up an assortment of colorful vegetables--red, green and yellow peppers, broccoli, carrots--and slice up some chicken or beef. Let your child pick out the bits he wants for his dinner, drop them into the pan, and voila! (Note: Eggs, beans and nuts are also excellent sources of protein and are classed in this food group.)
Dairy Products
Toddlers need at least three servings of dairy foods per day. Dairy foods--such as milk, yogurt and cheese--are an important source of protein and calcium, a vital nutrient for young children because it helps build strong bones.
Children should consume 800 milligrams of calcium every day. Milk and yogurt are particularly rich in calcium, and relying on them can help your child meet the daily calcium requirement. Three servings of milk or yogurt add up to two cups per day. A cup of milk contains 300 milligrams of calcium and a cup of yogurt contains 340 milligrams.
Cheese will add to the daily calcium count, but the amount of calcium in a serving of cheese varies from 175 to 300 milligrams, depending on the type. An ounce of American cheese, for example, has 175 milligrams and an ounce of cheddar has 200 milligrams. Many processed cheeses are convenient, but they're loaded with fat (and contain nowhere near the food value of natural cheese), so try not to serve them too often.
In addition to the approximately 600 milligrams of calcium that's found in three servings of dairy foods, your child will get some calcium from other foods in his diet, including dark green leafy vegetables, bread products (which are usually calcium enriched), and even orange juice.
Most children like milk, but some may reject yogurt because it has a slightly sour taste, says nutritionist Laraine Ludlow, who teaches a course for parents called "Nutrition and Your Child" at Westchester Community College in Valhalla, N.Y. To help your child cultivate a taste for yogurt, she recommends introducing it early on, at about the same time as milk. Ludlow also suggests dressing up yogurt and other dairy foods in these toddler-friendly ways:
* Mix yogurt with granola and top with fruit for a healthy "sundae."
* Whip up a nutritious shake by mixing a cup of yogurt and fruit in a blender.
* Make a light cream sauce using yogurt, add some cheese, then toss with pasta.
* Substitute milk for water when baking such foods as pancakes and cupcakes.
* Try adding a few drops of food coloring to the milk for variety, or offering it in a fun or interesting cup.
* Add flavorings to the milk, such as a dash of carob powder or even a bit of honey, or blend it up with bananas or other fruit to make a milkshake.
Breads, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta
Toddlers need several (4 to 6) servings from this food group every day. They should consume a variety of breads, cereal, rice, and pasta so they receive enough fiber and carbohydrates, which provide energy. Toddlers need--and expend--tremendous amounts of energy. Rice or barley cereal is often the first solid introduced to a baby's diet. Also, bits of bread, especially chewy bread and crackers, often soothe teething babies.
Most toddlers can handle a small sandwich, and this is a good way to serve them bread, says Corinne Montandon, Ph.D., R.D., a nutritionist with Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. She recommends that you make sandwiches with nutritious whole-grain breads. Try making a sandwich, then cut it into small triangles and arrange the shapes, pointing some toward the top of the plate and some toward the bottom. Don't forget to try other kinds of bread, too, such as bagels or pita bread.
Montandon had these suggestions to help you add toddler appeal to some foods in this group:
* Mix a surprise into hot cereals, such as raisins, dried apricots or apple bits (all cut into very small pieces to prevent choking). Keep a variety of these surprises on hand and let your toddler choose the surprise for the day.
* Combine pasta with other things you want your toddler to eat: meat, cheeses, and vegetables. Macaroni and cheese and spaghetti and meat sauce are popular with toddlers.
* Smear graham crackers with peanut butter.
* Make mini grilled cheese sandwiches (cut a regular sandwich into quarters) or mini pizzas composed of English muffins, a little sauce, and grated cheese.
* Offer a bedtime snack of cereal and milk. Many toddlers love this snack at the end of the day.
The right stuff for toddlers is similar to the right stuff for everyone. You'll just have to help get it down.
(Excerpts from Baby Talk magazine article, "The Right Stuff.")
pioneering
--from Thaddeus and Sarah, Iceland
Fact box:
Iceland, an island republic, in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Population: 260,000.
The average annual temperature in Reykjavik is about 5 C, but temperatures vary greatly further north.
Main industries include fishing and livestock. The language spoken is Icelandic.
To the Survivors on the Edge
To reach them, we'd have to drive over 600 kms with pot-holed tracks, patches of tarmac and gravel being the only road. Although it was only early September, the first snows were falling on the mountains.
When everyone else seems to be moving south, to the fruitful lands of Africa and Asia, why would anyone want to go the other direction--to the wintry lands of the north, on the verge of the Arctic Circle? Yet this is where the Lord led!
The first part was easy--a good tarmac road leading north from the capital. High winds drove rain showers across our path, shaking the car, heavily-laden with enough tools and supplies to last the next month. Four hours into the trip, we came to our parting with the main road. At the junction sat a shop which combined as a restaurant, caf, petrol station and information center. The owner joked with us as we witnessed to him before he took two CDs, several posters and a small pile of tracts to give to visitors and customers.
From here, as we climbed into the mountains, the road turned into a dirt track. Spectacular scenery became commonplace, as did incredibly beautiful waterfalls. Tall poles every 30 meters or so marked the edge of the road--a reminder of how deep the snow would be in a matter of weeks. This was our last chance to reach these people until next May before the road became impassable for all but large, four-wheel-drive vehicles with huge tires.
Four more hours of tortuous driving brought us finally down the steep side of a fjord (a long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between steep slopes) to a small fishing village. Looking at the map, we thought we were over two-thirds through our trip, only to find a road sign telling us we were less than halfway there! This small community would be tonight's stopping place!
Entering the village, we prayed for the Lord's supply of a place to sleep. At the first guest house the owner greeted us and without a second thought, led us to a simple but comfortable room which he said we could have for free for as long as we stayed! "While we were yet speaking, He heard!"
During our entire stay in this village, only two people refused the tools! We went door-to-door, getting out CDs and posters, ministering and witnessing and winning souls. Two teachers, who house and take care of the children from outlying farms during the week, humbly prayed along with the children to receive the Lord, telling us how much they wanted to do something for Him, but felt the churches or any of the other Christian groups were not the place for them. They looked to us with such hope! The [Lutheran] priest of this lonely outpost turned out to be a sweet woman, who also received us warmly. Hungrily going from CD to CD, she found it hard to decide which she wanted--she wanted them all! She prayed for us and our work and we for hers. We could have stayed longer here, but felt the Lord calling us to leave. We were quickly to see His wisdom!
Leaving the village, driving became more difficult. We had hoped to catch a ferry, thus avoiding the high climbs and descents over the mountains and round the fjords and so headed in the direction we thought we would be able to catch it. The rain had turned to snow on the mountains. We felt we were driving on top of the world! Lakes dotted the mountain plateau, with streams plunging over steep precipices in dramatic waterfalls as we wound our way down to the foot of the next fjords. We had been told about the ferry, but had no idea where it left from. As we rounded the tip of one fjord, we saw it, and the insignificant dock from which it left. However, we were two minutes too late--we would have to take the road!
The Lord laid on a treat for us with scenes that gave us a peek into the beauties of Heaven. Then we finally rounded a headland and saw our next destination on the far side of the next fjord--a multi-colored sprinkling of color, clinging to the base of the steep mountains!
The Silent Killer of Savk
Visiting this peaceful fishing village was one of the main reasons for our trip. A few years ago, in the quiet of an early winter's morning and without warning, a devastating avalanche ripped through the community, completely wiping out a number of houses, killing families and forever changing the lives of the people. Many of the men were out fishing at the time and lost their families in the tragedy.
As word of the disaster reached the world, offers of help poured in, but despite all the counselors, none could offer them the hope and the pictures of the future and of Heaven that we have! The first house we stopped at to ask for a place to stay turned out to be the home of some of the community's leaders. They invited us to stay in their old house--which had been right in the path of the avalanche before the snows had split in two, leaving this house and a few others untouched by its devastation! On either side of these houses, all that remained of those it had hit was the cracked foundation and a few broken walls--a community destroyed in a few seconds!
The town had been quickly re-built a few hundred meters from the site of the avalanche in a safer location, leaving the houses remaining from the first village, and the empty spaces that were former homes, as a memorial. The houses still standing are used as summer houses for visitors, but no-one is allowed to live there from October until the following May. Those who lost their children have moved away to other towns and villages, rather than face the constant reminder of their loss.
Communities such as this are used to tragedies--the loss of a fishing boat in a winter storm in the Arctic seas or of climbers killed on the mountains--but this was the first time the loss had been of the women and children at home! "Safe" is a relative term when surviving on the edge of civilization, and it was less than a year later when, following an unusually early snowfall, a second village was devastated by another avalanche.
Flateyri, in a neighboring fjord had, like Suavk, no record of disasters and its houses had been carefully placed out of the path of possible avalanches. Following the Savk loss, further precautions had been taken, with some villagers moving to new houses. However, it was these very houses that were destroyed as, early one October morning, the avalanche slid sideways across the mountain face and carved a swathe through these supposedly "safe" houses.
The nation has a network of emergency relief teams, with the best equipment and training, but the sight that faced these big Viking men brought many to tears and left scars inside that have yet to be healed. All the country's leadership and adults in the capital gathered with the children, floating candles on the lake in remembrance of those who lost their lives. The country as a whole changed direction, returning to a more spiritual and united lifestyle. For here, in this tiny country halfway between Moscow and Washington, life is considered very precious. Each person is needed and valued. This is why the Lord led us in the opposite direction to most of His missionaries, to show His Love and concern for every creature, including Iceland--the Land of Fire and Ice!
Surviving the Avalanche
We met one lady who told us her personal account of the tragedy: It was 6:30 am. Being winter, it was still pitch dark outside in this village on the north-western tip of the country. It would remain dark until just before noon at this time of year. The winds were howling and snow continued to fall. Not unusual--it happened each year.
Suddenly, she awoke. It was very cold, very windy, and very dark. With the shock that comes from being woken from a sound sleep, it took a few moments to realise that she was totally exposed to the fury of the storm, and that the walls of her house were gone! Sitting up in bed, she also realised she was surrounded by deep snow!
Quickly she struggled out of bed and forced open the wardrobe which was half-buried in the snow. Feeling through the clothes, she found the warm, one-piece overall that most people wore in such bad weather. After struggling into her suit and a couple of pairs of thick socks--her boots were nowhere to be seen--she struggled through the waist-high snows to pound on her neighbour's door.
Still in a state of shock, she talked excitedly with him, telling him how fortunate he was that his house was still standing while hers had been swept away. It was several minutes before they realised that her house was not the only one to have disappeared, and that many of their friends and loved ones would not be laughing and smiling with them again in this life. It would be days before some of their bodies would even be found. Her house was the first of two rows of houses to be totally destroyed.
Today, she thanks the Lord for the love that He's given her and for life--and that, one day, she will meet those she lost that night once again, in the beauty of His Heavenly Kingdom. In her new house, she received Jesus with Sarah, leaving the empty broken shell of her old house as a memorial to a former life.
what's up?
"Check Me Out"
USA
(From Patrick:) I've been using the tract "Check Me Out!" a lot for distribution, and I've found that people really like it. I usually give it with a small introduction to arouse their curiosity, like telling them that to read this they've got to be bilingual as it is in rap. They usually laugh and then take a look at it. Sometimes kids start "rapping" to the words of the tract or read it out loud. They think that it's really cool. One time, two kids in hippie clothes stood right there reading the tracts while I kept distributing. Then they came to me and said, "Hey man, this is really cool! It doesn't talk about religion or doctrine or sin and things like that, it just talks about love!"
Nighttime march
Korea
(From Tim and Mercy:) This was a big month for having our photos in four different newspapers (circulation: half a million)! The papers covered a unique nighttime rigorous march in rural conditions (organized by our British friend) that involved a scenario of Red Cross volunteers with mock injuries that we needed to keep warm, move to a makeshift shelter and "dress" their wounds, and prepare them for transport to a more permanent healthcare location. The march began at 11 p.m. and proceeded briskly for three hours until we came upon the "casualties" at 2 a.m. The first aid exercise lasted one hour, then everyone built fires and ate army K-rations and kept as warm as possible. At 5 a.m. we broke camp and marched for over an hour to the nearest train station and caught the first train into the nation's capital.
Although the Family was not specifically mentioned in one article, the author did mention that missionaries took an active part in this exercise. The second daily had a prominent photo of all the marchers, including Mercy, Rachel, Johnny and Tim, which was a big encouragement to all!! The International Federation of Red Cross newspaper for the Asia Pacific area also featured a beautiful color picture of last autumn's Goodwill March for famine relief for North Korea. In the photo, Mercy, Japanese YA Claire, Johnny and Tim are visible.
The key: Battlefront
ASCRO
(From Abigail, of Jonathan:) I took Jewel and Alysa, who are both almost 14, to give a class to the students at a boarding school. They both took the time to pray and came up with the theme, songs, Word, etc.
When we arrived we found that the Lord had different plans as the students from the hostel had left for their respective homes for the holidays, so two nuns asked the girls to give the class to them instead, which they did. The nuns asked them questions like why they were in the Family and would they like to do something different? How do they know Jesus is real? How do they convince people about Jesus and His love, etc?
Since they were the ones questioned, I just stood back and let them answer. I was so proud with the answers they gave. They were power-packed and the nuns were very impressed. The girls were inspired too and are now looking forward to giving the students a class this week. It was beautiful to see our dear JETTs shine for Jesus.
Road trip log
India
(From Tim [18] and David, of Crystal:) Upon arrival in Kerel (city in South India) we met a very sweet man who owns a seaside resort. He offered to put us up during our whole stay here! Shortly after that we met two men who helped us with our dinner for the night.
Day 1: Today was our first day out, and we got to visit many of the schools in this area and offer them our videos, which they accepted readily.
Day 2: This was a fun day, as we went to see the wood factories that are situated here, and again our videos and audio cassettes were received by all!
Day 3: We went to a nearby orphanage today. The kids were so sweet and we had a chance to pray with all 62 kids! In the three days that we've been here, we've distributed 22 tapes, 16 videos and 5 CDs, as well as winning 65 souls! On our way out of the city we stopped at a house where there was a bird cage. Since it was my son's birthday, the man kindly agreed to my request for a couple of birds and immediately handed me four of the happy creatures. Wow!
He keeps telling us
India
(From the Madras Deaf Home:) Since we opened the Home, obtaining our rent money has been a miracle every month, but this month's miracle was extra special. It was Saturday and our rent was due on Sunday, and we only had half of it in hand.
Saturday is always a very busy day for us, but this particular Saturday was extra busy. Deaf Stephen joins the city provisioning team every Saturday to go to the veggie market, Deaf Andrew leads the Deaf Catacombers' witnessing outreach, we give devotions and a Word class to some close Family friends and their children, and Simon does JJT and handyman work in the Home. This Saturday, though, Simon's family was visiting from out of town, so he was picking them up at the railway station. There was only one person available to do outreach, but then we remembered that our dear friend and queen had requested to go out witnessing with us this Saturday. We prayed and told the Lord that He would have to take care of our rent, and that we were just going to take this dear lady out witnessing to feed the sheep, and that's what we did.
As we were out, the Lord reminded us of a sweet man that a sister had met a long time earlier. By a miracle, we managed to get his home phone number and then located his house, which turned out to be grand and luxurious. We had a very pleasant time with this man and his wife, renewing our acquaintance and fellowshipping with them. We had no intention of asking him for any help, but out of the blue he said, "I really respect what you're doing, and I'd like very much to help you. Do you think you could meet me in my office on Monday morning?" Wow, what a surprise! TYJ! When we met this man in his office, he gave a nice gift, which covered the missing half of our rent! TTL!
Over and over in prophecy the Lord keeps telling us to just love Him and love His sheep, and He'll take care of the supply, and He does so faithfully! PTL!
Second SWIFT trip
India
(From the City of Joy Home:) We received our first Swift team from Japan in April 1997. This team was Stephen, Maria, David Lamb (SGA) and three teens and two JETTs. They spent nearly 20 days with us and we took them on the road, did musical programs and CTPs together, and won over 1000 souls and got out an equal number of posters, as well as a lot of hands-on personal witnessing. This caused a revolution in the lives of the JETTs and teens. Three of the teens stayed in India for six months in various other Homes. Having had a big change in their lives in witnessing on the field and winning lots of souls (as the Indian people are so receptive), this has helped other teens and JETTs in Japan get a burden for the Indian field.
Recently we coordinated another SWIFT trip from Japan which lasted 28 days. The team that came from Japan was Stephen, Maria, and Japanese Dust, along with Faithy (15), Cheer (13), Angel (12), Jono (14). During this trip, all four of us, that is Abel and Marie Claire and Feliz (20) and Isabelle (18) were able to take them on the road to a nearby state where the Lord had provided a hotel for a free stay and meals. We did several music programs at schools leading over 1,100 souls to Jesus and over 700 posters given out. We also sang for the railway station slum children's school where we gave out bath towels, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo and soap to help them in their hygiene push and standard. We also donated 178 sponsored audios to various needy organizations.
After returning to Calcutta, we took them all to the home for the elderly we visit regularly, where we sing hymns and devotional songs, give them a listening ear, pray for them individually, as well as donate clothes to them. At our regular CTP for slum children, we held an art contest, providing all of the art supplies and later having our teens and JETTs judge the best three pictures. Besides giving the top three prizes of a pencil box, crayons, a zipper case and something to eat, all the kids received newly provisioned clothes. The whole trip was very fruitful and adventurous with lots of witnessing and fun.
find-a-friend
Beth (a.k.a. Erica) would like to contact Crystal (of Ike?) and Amber (of Gallio). E-mail: torteam@coah1.telmex.net.mx.
Leila (of Sammy and Belen), please contact Marianne (of Ben and Hannah). E-mail: torteam@coah1.telmex.net.mx.
Josh, Pricilla and Faithy, please contact Beth asap! E-mail: rosein@giasbga.vsnl.net.in. Add: X.T. Daniels, 310 Raheja Arcade, Koramangala, Bangalore 560095.
Angela (of Cephas and Charity), Melissa M. (of Patrick and Christina), Tuchi and Talitha (of Jeremy and Fiona), please contact Christina (of Shem and Joy). Flor and Promise (of James and Trust) would like to contact Maria (of David and Esperanza). E-mail: <kiwipi@philonline.com.ph>. Add: P.O. Box 0177, Las Pinas City 1740, Philippines.
Precious (of Steven and Lily, France), please contact Michella (of Steven and Christina). E-mail: Johnpaul@shisas.com. Add: P.O. Box 3727, Bloemfontein-9300, South Africa.
Andrew J. would like to get in touch with Marie, Brazilian-Canadian (18, Taurus. Met you in Moscow, summer of '97). E-mail: Andrewj@postmaster.co.uk.
Nina (of Sara and Nehemiah) would like to contact Gabe (of Juan and Ana). E-mail: PuppetTeam@aol.com.
Hope, please contact Natacha (of Paul). I saw you last in Czech. Cherish (of Steven and Peace), Abner and Joy, and Katya contact Cristy (of Jonathan and Sara). Add: P.O. Box 647, 7571 Eikenfontein, South Africa.
Suzanna (Dutch) from Brazil would like to get in contact ASAP with Willing and Mary (formerly Michael and Dance) in Belgium. Add: Elisabeth, Caixa Postal 649, 60.001-970 Fortaleza, Brasil. E-mail: jperdomo@secrel.com.br.
Isaac and Ruth in Burma, Joy (previously Spring, Australian, who lived with you in Jakarta 17 years ago) needs to contact you. Add: c/o Miss Cheng, GPO Box 826, Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C.
David and Miracle (Scandinavia), Timothy Adams is looking for you concerning the Bible from your uncle. E-mail: tim@eridan1.kiev.ua.
Andreas and Kitty would like to contact Phil and Shiloh. Last heard of in the States. E-mail: jamie@cervia.com.
Rejoice (Nepali) would like to contact Gabriel and Mary (Spanish), Tim and Esther (Italian), John and Love (Italian), Job (American) and Seek (Mexican), Jonathan and Mary, and Philip and Mary. E-mail: rosein@giasbga.vsnl.net.in.
Andrew (formerly Abraham from Kerela, India) would like to contact Miracle (FM, USA), Lance and Davida, Mary Lamb (Greece), Byron and Psalm (Australian), Lamb (of Daniel). Add: X.T. Daniels, 310 Raheja Arcade, Koramangala, Bangalore - 560 095 India. e-mail: rosein@giasbga.vsnl.net.in.
URGENT! Victor H., please contact Pete now! (lived with you in Switzerland) E-mail: juan.carol@camnet.cm. Add: Juan Carol B.P. 8370 Yaound, Cameroon. Tel: (237) 21 66 19.
ask-a-midwife
--by Rose Midwife, USA
Q: In reading a childcare class in CCHB 1, I noticed that iron supplements might be needed in order to help the new mommy manufacture enough healthy blood for the increased amount needed for pregnancy. There is also a section regarding varicose veins and how it helps to wear support stockings, put your legs up, etc. We've read in Adelle Davids' books that iron destroys vitamin E and that vitamin E is very needed during pregnancy and that it also helps to prevent varicose veins. Could you please clarify this issue?--Jonathan and Sarah, Japan
A: To Jonathan and Sarah, if you are the ones I know, consider yourselves hugged and kissed--and if you're not, well a hug and kiss to you anyway!
I'll answer your question first about the iron. If the mother is anemic (anemia can only be determined with a blood test), she needs iron supplements. However if the mother is not anemic she should not need to take iron supplements. A normal pregnant mother who is not anemic should receive enough iron from her food if she is eating properly.
With a mother that is anemic, I like to ask her to eat iron-rich foods daily. This of course varies country to country, but every country has something readily available that is rich in iron. Iron-rich foods include many things such as: egg yolk (must be runny, as a hard cooked egg yolk has had the iron converted into a non absorbable compound in the cooking), liver, raisins, grape juice, wheat germ, seaweed, many types of fish, dark green leafy vegetables, and many other sources.
If the mother does need iron supplements I ask her to take "Flordiax" or something similar. "Flordiax" is a herbal iron and not a vitamin supplement. The herbal iron is a natural food and therefore will not kill the Vitamin E. However, you are right about synthetic iron supplements destroying Vitamin E. It is also hard for the mother's body to absorb, and while her blood test will show she is no longer anemic, she may still be but the iron supplement is covering or masking the anemia, as well as causing the mother to be constipated.
If you do need to take iron supplements (and you can't find herbal iron), then you should take the iron supplements 12 hours apart from your Vitamin E. You could take the iron with your breakfast and then take the Vitamin E before going to bed. Taking your iron with something that contains Vitamin C, like orange juice, helps your body absorb the iron better.
Concerning your question about varicose veins, everything you mentioned is true. However, when putting on your support stockings you need to do this before getting out of bed in the mornings, before putting your feet over the side of the bed and onto the floor.
movie ratings
Movies Rated for Senior Teens and Up
RETURN TO PARADISE (1998)
Vince Vaughn, Joaquin Phoenix, Anne Heche
Intense, somewhat traumatic drama about two young men who face a moral dilemma after a drug-smuggling partner is sentenced to death in Malaysia. Many interesting points for discussion.
Movies Rated for Junior teens and Up
SMILE LIKE YOURS, A (1997)
Greg Kinnear, Lauren Holly, Joan Cusack
Comedy about a young couple and their antics as they try to conceive a baby. Sweet and funny, with a positive message.
Movies Rated for JETTs and Up
IF THE SHOE FITS (1993)
Jennifer Grey, Rob Lowe
Modern-day Cinderella-type story. A fashion designer down on his luck is searching for a "new look" and a young aspiring designer is trying to market her creations. Sweet story with lessons of love.
Non-Recommended Movies
JULIAN PO [a.k.a. "THE TEARS OF JULIAN PO"] (Christian Slater, Robin Tunney; 1997)
movie reviews
Return To Paradise
(Dad speaking:) This film is a good taste of the reality that exists in some places in the far East. It is a traumatic story of life without the heavenly protection and wisdom the Lord gives us. The young men in this story were simply looking to have a good time, but soon found themselves in a world of trouble because they went about things in the way most people of the world do--giving little or no thought for the consequences of their actions and behavior.
But we have nothing to fear working in these Eastern fields because we aren't doing anything wrong, we're actually doing a whole lot of good; just be prayerful and use wisdom. This is the sad-but-true story of so many in the world today. Maybe it'll break your heart and move you to reach out to the poor folks who find themselves in similar situations. (End of message from Dad.)
grapes of thankfulness
God bless Martin, Nina, Sebastian, Esther, Michael and team who left temporarily for the USA to visit relatives. They left us their car to use, their mobile phone, video machine and a guitar, and are sharing their P.O. Box with us! It's so nice to have brethren willing to share everything they've got. God bless them!
--Juan and Letizia, Italy
TTL for the meeting we had in Verona. I am so thankful and happy that Angela (of Steven) from the Rijeka Home organized it. It was beautiful to feel included, as they invited all of us adults to meet together, counsel, pray, praise and decide on what to do in our area.
--Tommy, Italy
It's better late than never! I was impressed and so thankful with the ABM home in Moscow at how they helped the teams going to different parts of the former USSR with those HUGE amount of tools.--Boxes and boxes! Transporting them and helping pass through the guards controlling everybody's luggage until you have everything inside of the train, like you did for us going to Uzbekistan. We could never reach those people with the Word without you! Thank you!
--Maria, USSR
God bless Lucas and Jessica who have opened their Home so many times to help teams passing through!--Sometimes even at very short notice! We really appreciate you and need you! You're great in our eyes!
--from thankful brethren
attention, singers!
--Whether you will be, would be, or just wanna-be, have a read
(From John Listen:) Maybe you do Home inspirations; maybe you even record in a studio sometimes. Or perhaps you'll get drafted into a show group during the next Christmas push. Wherever you sing, chances are you want to--and can--sing better.
Thank God, we're not wasting years of our lives withering away in college music courses. We're out here having fun and using our music to help people right now! Still, for something that the Family uses so much--both in bringing love to others and, often, bringing in the "bread and butter"--we spend relatively little time on improving our singing. So, it's been on my heart to share a few short vocal reminders:
1. Breathe properly and deeply. Do some breathing exercises before you begin to sing to get your diaphragm muscle toned up.
2. Warm up your voice before a performance. Don't strain by singing too high or low or loud at the beginning.
3. Sing from your stomach. Your abdomen and diaphragm should have a sort of tension, not your throat.
4. Support your notes. Sing to the very end of a note; don't weaken or chicken-out at the end. This happens often, and it's a sure giveaway of an amateur.
5. Go for a warm, round, chesty tone, not the strangled-throat effect.
6. Depending on what language (or style) you're singing in, try to have pure vowel sounds. That means opening your mouth wider sometimes.
7. Practice good pitch. Many of us have a consistent tendency toward either sharpness or flatness. Within a limited range, that's fine. But beyond that, sharpness makes people feel ill-at-ease, and flatness can convey fatigue or lack of conviction. In harmony singing, correct pitch is numero-uno in getting a good blend. Maybe you have a friend who can help you to know what your tendency is. If you know you're usually a "sharp-person" or a "flat-person," then work on going the other direction. Also, practice jumping from one note to another and landing there right on pitch, not wavering.
8. Vibrato is a real sign of maturity and generally sounds more beautiful. Go for it. (It also minimizes the influences of sharpness and flatness.)
9. Enunciate! In a recent studio session, the vocals were sounding pretty lifeless. Then we asked the singers to really pronounce every syllable clearly, as if the audience was hard of hearing. It was amazing how the sound came alive! It takes energy to say or sing words clearly, and that energy comes across as conviction and sincerity.
10. Final technical tip, for the pros: Be dynamic. Move, change. If you're on a mike, back up and belt it out, then get up close and sing breathy. Don't let that sound just sit there like a bump on a log--or a dead note on a staff. Crescendo, add vibrato, fade away (on purpose, not through lack of stomach support!).
By the way, I'm all for the fun and value of practicing runs and scales at home. But I'd suggest that on stage you forget about "impressing" people and stick with what you're pretty sure you can do well. If you obviously and unsuccessfully try to imitate So-and-So, then that's how you'll get "rated." ("Oh, she sings like So-and-So." "Yeah, not bad, maybe in a few years she'll be good") But if you just be you and smile and shine and sing your heart out to people, no one can criticize you, because you're unique! ("I don't know why, but I was so moved by that singer!" "Yeah, me too. Let's go try to meet her")
Also, don't be shy! You can have all the above techniques down pat, but shyness can physically cause you to lose your breath, not hold out your notes, go off key and all the rest. Some people don't battle shyness, but for me, a public performance is more like Michael Douglas' question to his fellow lion-hunter in "Ghosts in the Darkness"--"Can you control your fear?" Ha! Dad said it all: Shyness is usually pride and pride is usually fear--fear of failure or of what people will think. So I usually have a private pep-talk like, "Lord, I love You, and I know You love me. I love those people, and I know You love them. So why should I worry? Just please help me to be a channel of Your love."
My daughter (Sylvia) sent me a tape of songs years ago and asked if I had any advice on her singing. I complimented her on her strong points, and then mentioned that I suspected she was "holding back a bit, not completely letting go and singing without reservation." (The next time I heard her was on her early FTT songs, and it sounded like she really took that advice to heart, GBH!) I think what grabs us in a performance by any singer, musician, actor, dancer--Family or System--is when they are totally into it, 100%, no holds barred. You can sense when a singer is "holding back." Whereas, a good dose of conviction and wholeheartedness can cover a multitude of your technical sins. So for your sake and theirs, it'd sure be worth asking the Lord for His love and a heart for the sheep--to think about Him and others more than yourself. When God's with you, you can play the role and enjoy and even revel in that time on stage, being a channel of His Spirit!
young people who are on board speak out!
Refuse the trips
I really like the call of the newest Letters, "Dump the Dirty Language," "Eat Right," "You are What You Watch," etc. There is certain strength in having clear cut policies. Sometimes I feel we SGAs are too wishy-washy and easily swayed by the younger generation into allowing a degree of worldliness to enter in and so make us look "permissive."
The Family began with folks who wanted only to serve Jesus, not look cool or doll up in order to be attractive to the opposite sex. If they dressed like bikers it was because they had some guts to go out and WITNESS to some. It's time we got strong on this and refuse some of these trips, chains hanging from pockets, weird style haircuts and whatnot on the Chinese mission field. Surely the things we stand for, we need to be strong on!
--SGA, Taiwan
Foul language
When I first saw the GN "Dump the Dirty Language!" my first thought was, "Wow! Now we're getting another huge correction from the WS people. They're trying to find something to pick on us for so they decided to try to get us on foul language which they probably know nothing about.
I guess I thought that all you guys are so good that you wouldn't have the slightest idea about using foul language since you undoubtedly never use it. I also noticed that whenever the VSs come to visit, all of a sudden we all become such good people and I hardly ever hear any foul language at all. I know I'm guilty of that because when the shepherds come I suddenly try to be really good. I guess it's because we want to make a good impression with the shepherds. Nobody says, "Okay guys, the shepherds are coming so everyone be good," but it's like an unspoken rule that everyone follows pretty well.
I put off reading the GN for the longest time, partially because I knew that if I read it I'd get really convicted. Here in our house we basically use foul language every single minute of the day. It's like our second language. It's so common that we even use it when our neighborhood friends are around and we don't care anything about it. Sometimes I even catch myself calling some of the guys we play with at the park moron, a*******, d******* or some other profanity. Sometimes we even sort of play a game to see who can call each other the worst names. I know it's a really bad sample for our neighbors since they know that we're supposed to be missionaries.
After I finally read the GN I realized that the things it said were so right on and they were the absolute truth of what is happening in our Homes these days. My little brothers and sisters call each other all sorts of bad things when they're upset at each other. Sometimes it's really shocking and I wonder where they get it from--but they're just copying us!
As a matter of fact I was actually sort of glad that foul language was banned by Grandpa in his prophecy. I think that mag was very needed and I pray that I'll make the commitment in my life to watch my language.
--Celena (15), Philippines
My Lover
I loved the idea of talking with the Lord throughout the day, and not having to wait for a designated time to have a "chat" with Him. When praying about how to work this the Lord gave me an idea to put my watch on an hourly alarm, and when it beeps, I take a moment to say "hi" to my Lover! It has been thrilling as I can really feel Him there when I talk. I often just say some praise kisses that I've memorized or sing a song or offer a prayer of thanks. But I have found that it helps me to stay more in tune and aware of the Lord and His love throughout the day.
--Vico (18, of Ho and Marianne), Turkey
Stand up for Jesus!
--from Peter, Taiwan
Time magazine is doing an online poll to find out who is the "Person of the Century." We all know it's Jesus so why don't we "stand up for Jesus" and cast a vote too? Go to: http://cgi.pathfinder.com/time/time100/poc/century.html. Your vote needs to be typed in as "Jesus Christ," not "JESUS CHRIST." (Without the quotation marks, of course.)
mama's mailbox
Dear Mama and Peter,
I want to write my feelings about a subject close to my heart. In one sense, the adults have an advantage over the young people in that they have experienced the System and know that its attractions are empty. It's easier for us to overlook the Family's shortcomings because the Family is so much better by comparison. So though we aren't perfect, we know we are a heaven of a lot better than the System.
Our young people have many advantages from being in the Family.--A Christian heritage, the Words of David, clean children of cleansed parents. It's a lot to have behind you!
However, in some circumstances or at some time in their life, Family young people may have a disadvantage to overcome of not perceiving the System to be as bad as it really is. This is far outweighed by the many advantages, but to a young person, it may not seem that way. They see the weaknesses of the Family, but are not fully aware of the System's faults firsthand. This can be a crucial time for them and they need a lot of prayer and help. It's also a time when adults can feel like giving up on their teens. It's often a period of arguments, frustration and heartache. But having come so far, it's not a time we should give up on them. In fact, it's a time when good adult interaction can really help. It may be the hardest time, but probably the most fruitful.
I've traveled a bit recently and saw in some instances an attitude where some adults have sort of given up on our teens to some extent. Maybe they have really tried but felt it was just too much. That's not altogether un-understandable. It's certainly very sacrificial to keep holding onto our young people for the Lord, and having faith in them is very commendable. What does seem to happen sometimes is in exasperation and maybe desperation, adults may say, "Here are the rules, like them or leave!" Well, there is nothing wrong with Family rules. However, if we just throw all the rules at the young people because we are feeling fed up, we fail to show the faith in them that we should and that can pull them through. They are at an age when showing faith in them does them the most good. Instead, what happens is the adults just get a sort of "well it's up to them" sort of attitude. Which of course it is, but having gone through so much (both adults and young people), to take this indifferent approach is so sad.
I know that we as adults can't be perfect and hit every mark, but this one is really worth trying for. Our youth are the hope of our future!
--an adult man, PACRO
moving missionaries
--tips on how to do it
Pakistan
(From Libby, of Abe:) It's such a blessing to finally arrive here in Pakistan. Whew! It's been a long road, but TYJ we've finally made it!
We set off nearly a year ago, after getting the burden for this field from reading the "Call of India" GN. We thought it would take us about two months to get all our paperwork together and get ready to go. Ha! That was a little nave of us, as things ended up taking much longer. We had to go to England to get some legal work taken care of and used that as an opportunity to visit relatives. We didn't have any place to stay when we set off, but the Lord told us that He would take care of us and put the ground under our feet as we took the steps of faith. I must admit it got quite scary for us from time to time, but the Lord has never failed to supply and give us places to stay, and supplied all our needs.
England was a lot tougher than we had anticipated in regards to outreach and fund raising. Because we were on our own it was quite a struggle physically with Abe out on the road a lot of the time and me back home with the kids. We got a bit tired and run down and consequently battled one affliction after another. It sure made us appreciate all the blessings that go along with living and sharing the load together.
One thing I was a bit worried about was all the diseases we would encounter coming to a third world country, but TTL we have been much healthier here than during our time in the West.
We wanted to encourage other large families (we had our sixth child while working on getting to the field) that it can be done. Even though it wasn't always plain sailing and really tested our faith, the Lord never let us down. He supplied for us and gave us guidance and encouragement, and never failed to supply a place to stay and people to help us.
If we had to do it all over again or offer any suggestions to others in a similar position, we would certainly have taken more time to pray and plan and to spend as little time in the West as possible, as our time there was quite a drain physically, spiritually and financially. Had we done a bit more research into how long our paperwork would take, we would have seen that our two-month departure date wasn't realistic and could have planned accordingly, possibly enabling us to stay on our previous field, with just one of us going and getting the paperwork started. Nevertheless, we're here, all glory to the Lord. He never fails!
gaining givers
As a family of seven, in order to raise enough funds to go to the mission field of our choice, we had to open a Home. It was quite rough in the beginning as we were not used to carrying all the load on our own. One month Andrew even had to go out and raise extra funds to reach the minimum tithe.
After that we sat down and asked the Lord to supply US $870 for the next month so that we would have enough to pay the tithe. We promised that if He would do so, we would send a gift to missionaries on other fields.
Sure enough, when next reporting time came we had all of our tithe. There wasn't anything left for us to save, but we kept our promise and sent a gift off. The next time we made a deal with the Lord that we would send $100 to other missionaries from every extra $500 above our bills. Sure enough, the next month we were able to send $200 to Nepal and China. TYJ!
--Andrew and Katrina, Brazil
This month the Lord showed us to invite to our Home a family who had a debt of $1,200. The Lord promised to supply and assured us that the Home would not suffer by taking on the debt. Sure enough, one week after they arrived, the Lord miraculously supplied a donation of $1000 toward their debt! It made us want to keep on hearing from the Lord and putting His leadings into practice!
--Francisco, Vida and Simon, Paraguay
Though we were quite penniless when we started our Home, we were excited about the idea of giving as much as we could to others in the Family. We decided to begin by giving 15%. We saw the Lord bless that decision to give, and although we had no Home support and almost no pledgers, we never worried about money; it was always there when we needed it. After two months, we started giving 16%, and two months later we increased it to 17%, and it's been very exciting to see the Lord bless and supply.
In the first month, we "touched" our seed corn money in an emergency, but really repented of it, as we struggled and struggled to get above water again. But the Lord is so very sweet, and as soon as we understood our mistake and repented, He quickly restored the deficit!
--Simon and Sunny, India
Recently, we took in a large national family of nine! Our Home has never "rolled in the dough," and we usually just make it month by month. So we were excited about the Lord's promises in prophecy that IF we enlarged our tents, THEN He will abundantly supply, and that this family will be just what we needed to compliment our outreach.
Sure enough, as soon as they came, the Lord started pouring in the blessings and finances through all kinds of unexpected sources! A seaman we've been ministering to (with whom we'd lost contact) put 1,000 Singapore dollars into our bank account!
Lots of ships came in at the local port, resulting in lots of tools out, increased income and provisions. Our new CTPs resulted in new supporters, and we got a new hotel contact with effortless ease, providing us with lots of needed items. We were able to do more outreach, send road teams to places we hadn't visited for a while due to lack of time and personnel, and our children's witnessing teams won lots of souls. Our friends are now getting good follow-up and feeding via our nationals. New market contacts offered to help us with more vegetables.
When we wanted to build a new room to accommodate the increase in population, all the needed construction materials fell into our lap within two days of "seeking." A friend supplied half the funds for the tires we badly needed for our pick-up. Suddenly, we had the funds, materials, and open doors for some long-delayed Home improvement projects, and personal needs. It's so exciting to cut loose, and follow the new moves of the spirit, and ride the resulting wave of His blessings. We're so thankful that He gave us the faith to enlarge our tents.
--Praise, Andrew and Esther, Thailand
Our income drastically increased this month as we gave more and more to missionaries around the world. Sometimes when Homes would split up we would give to both the Homes, the one that we had been supporting and the pioneer Home, instead of just choosing one to continue supporting. The Lord seemed to particularly bless this kind of giving by increasing our income as well as other blessings manifold.
--Abel and Angel, Japan
your views on issues
Would you consider us?
Romania
(From a national:) Just a little heartcry from the EE nationals that have heard about teams from cities close-by bringing provisioning from the West to their Homes, or the foreigners coming with some stuff from the West for a SWIFT. Could you consider us who live here as your "CTP" projects once in awhile, by sharing some things with us who don't have any access to the goods of the West?
Let's face it. Sometimes we have the same needs of shoes, clothes, toys for our little ones as some of the orphanages and needy System families here do. There are times when the provisioned items are designated for certain institutions, but in other cases it is up to the team that brings them. We think it would be a loving thing towards others around to check if there are brethren in poor fields that need some items before you give them away to CTP.
Train Up a child
Ukraine
(From Mary, of Jonathan:) Most of our YAs probably remember how strict we were when you were little about white sugar, candy, soda pop, and junk food! We just didn't eat it and that was that! I can remember my then three-and-a-half year-old adamantly refusing candy from a neighbor kid. She KNEW that it was not good for her and why! When the little neighbor girl just refused to give up and eventually asked why she didn't want it, my little girl replied, "Because I don't want to have teeth like you!" (Thankfully, the local child did not understand English, but she did indeed have terrible teeth due to constantly eating candy.)
Sad to say, our daughter eventually left the Lord's service. During her first few months out of the Family she junked out on garbage food, but a year later when I visited her, the only food in her fridge was fruit, vegetables and some meat. She didn't eat any sweets (except for an occasional ice-cream), she drank juice, and snacked on vegetables and fruit. I thought, well, this is her latest trip. However this summer, a few years since she left the Family, she visited us for a week. She sweetly reminded me that it was better not to let the kids drink fizzy drinks (which I occasionally do as it was very hot). She said that she understood that it cost more to eat healthily, but it really was worth it for the kids' sake.
She is "free" to eat whatever she wants, yet she chooses to eat healthily. I was very convicted and saw the good fruit of her earlier training, because we taught her by example, reasoning and conviction. I know that I have personally slacked off in my personal conviction and have not been as faithful as I should be in this area, and because of my own lack of conviction I have not been so strict with my younger children. Now I question myself: Do I hold the same convictions in spiritual matters too that I did when my older ones were younger? (And this is actually a spiritual matter because it is one of obedience.)
What encourages me about my daughter is that if she has such conviction about the health habits that were ingrained in her as a child, how much more will the Word that was instilled in her yet come to the fore when she gets her fill of the System? I have been often discouraged about her leaving, as she had so much conviction and was such a good witness while growing up. I've sometimes had a negative attitude that maybe I was too dogmatic with her and should be easier on my other children, so I have used this excuse to compromise, but her little "preachment" gave me a lot of hope!
Text Box: If you have reared them right, they'll not go astray, or at least not for long. "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it."--Prov.22:5. Sometimes they depart for a little, while they're still young, but they'll always sooner or later come back to the Lord in the way they know is right if you've trained them up right" (ML #728:32,33).
Radical relating
USA
(From Christina:) I am so thankful for the New Wine and the Letters dealing with the different weaknesses and worldly attitudes that have crept in. It really comforts me to see the new Word on this, and to know that we are not some kind of "old bottle dingbats" that are in the middle ages somewhere, but that there are absolutes in the Family too--that some things are wrong and that we don't need to "become one" so much with the sheep that they can no longer tell the difference.
We have two new disciples here who are 20 years old, and we are FGAs. We don't feel any kind of generation gap with them at all. They don't like ungodly violent videos, or System music. They love to get out and witness and do all the kinds of things that we love to do serving the Lord. One of them is a returnee who had a few years of the System, and the other is a fresh new babe that he witnessed to. One of the SGAs commented of them, "They would have fit right in about 20 years ago." Now we have lots of young sheep coming over and it has been an encouragement to us that we don't need to like "action movies," hanging out at malls, piercing our eyebrows or getting a tattoo in order to relate to the youth. We just give them the radical Word of David and the sheep love it!
support-a-missionary
We are moving to Bosnia! It has been our burden to open a full-time Home inside Bosnia and TTL, we recently got clearance to do so. We do need help as it is not easy to raise funds inside this war-torn country which is still only getting back on its feet. There's lots to do in Sarajevo and it's a very fruitful field! Please send gifts to: Sarajevo team c/o SV001 EURCRO.
We are Andrew and Rejoice, a national couple with three children. We desperately need monthly support to help our service for the Lord. Please help! E-mail: rosein@giasbga.vsnl.net.in. Add: c/o X.T. Daniels, 310 Raheja Arcade, Koramangala, Bangalore 560 095 India.
Wings of Prayer--Special Release #2
(singer/music/lyrics/producer)
side a:
1. Think About Heaven - Simon B./Simon/Simon, (Bible)/Byron (5:19)
2. My Voice - Micah/Jeremy, Micah, Eman (3:30)
3. Who Is Like unto Thee? - Sylvia/Martin/Martin (4:12)
4. As Long as I Live - Christie/Mike P./Mike P. (4:37)
5. Bless the Lord - Joyful/Mike P./Mike P. (4:48)
6. Remembered Thy Name - Byron/Windy/Byron (4:02)
7. Endureth Forever - Ben G., Nat/Francis X. Edwards/Nat S. (3:50)
side b:
8. Hear Me - Micah/Micah/Emmanuel (3:16)
9. On Thee Do I Wait - Niki/Mike P./Andrew V. (2:20)
10. Face to Shine - Ben G./Ben G./Nat S., Ben G. (3:50)
11. Have Mercy - Joan/Bathrabbim/Paulo (5:06)
12. Lead Me - Katrina/Zeb/Eman (3:39)
13. Seek You Early - John L./Mike P./John L. (3:37)
14. The Night Shall Be Light - Angelique/Paulo/John L. (3:28)
15. Be Gracious - Paulo/Windy/Paulo (3:44)
kiddie column
Favorite activity: Word time!
We're all flipped out to receive the books for the children. Now the children's favorite activity is to get in the Word! It's so fantastic to hear one of the seven-year-olds say, "Mommy, I just read this beautiful Letter called 'Diamonds of Dust,' should we read it again together?" The revolution continues!
--Ruth Fighter, India
Learning guitar playing
One indirect fruit of taking daily time to praise the Lord in song has been that some of our children have learned to play the guitar through this. The Lord supplied three small guitars for them. Sometimes we have four guitars going (not to forget drums and cymbals), and our "Praise Time" songbook is getting worn out!
--Benjamin, Jonathan, Mary, Ukraine
Three-year-old wisdom
Since the New Wine about using prophecy more has come out, from time to time I've been listening to the Lord with my three-year-old son, often before going to sleep, or to get direction and leading for the day. Not long ago on a more difficult day when I was particularly tired he asked, "Mommy, should we listen to the Lord and see what He says?" That was an encouragement to me that the Word never returns void, and that what we sow we shall also reap!
--Ruthie (of James), Ukraine
Act out stories
An idea for the Heaven's Library and other kids' stories is to dress up according to the theme of the story, for example with "The Rustlers" story, everyone can dress up as cowboys and the person reading the story can read it with a "real American cowboy accent." That brings the story to life. You can also include studies of the history of cowboys, include some geography, terrain, maps, etc. It's nice to get as much mileage as possible from what we read.
--Cephas and Sapphire, Holland
The math catch
As a mom and teacher, I've noticed over the years that the teens and JETTs who are good in math are the ones who learned the addition and multiplication tables early on and who know them very well. There seems to be a mental block in older children when they get into more advanced math such as algebra, if they do not know their times tables well. So it is worth it to drill them at an early age, starting with the addition tables at four and steadily learning and reviewing, so that by the age of eight or nine they also know their times tables very well and can add, subtract, multiply and divide mentally with ease.
--Mercy, Lithuania
Tailored stories
In the "Raise 'em Right" book it says that you can help children with different weaknesses by telling them a story that relates to them. After reading that, the Lord showed me that I could pray for a spirit story geared to my children's age about their weaknesses, and then back it up with a fun devotions on the subject from the Kiddy Cat Book. My children really like it as they can understand it as it's straight from Heaven for them.
--Comfy (of Jo), Gambia
ideas and tips
Draw your praise
Fun idea for kiddos: Do a quick drawing of something you're thankful for, then praise the Lord for it. You can also color the drawings, exchange them and praise again. After doing this for a few praise times you'll have a nice little collection of illustrated items to praise/pray for that you can put in a photo album.
--Clay and Victory, China
witnessing nudges
Angels watching!
Josh was out distributing tracts when he passed a man with a good deal for a cellular phone, so he stopped and listened to what he had to say. It was possibly a better deal than what we were already getting.
As he was listening another stranger approached him and pointed at the tracts that he had rolled up in his hand and said, "Hey, what are those?"
Josh answered, "Oh, here. Do you want one?"
"Yes," the stranger answered, "Aren't you supposed to be passing those out?" And as he walked away he called out one more time, "That's what the Devil does ... he tries to DISTRACT you!"
Josh got right back to his distribution!
--Patrick, Christina, Peace, and Nyna, USA
Get out books!
We've been doing a lot more DTD and STS recently. We've found it very easy to get out the Treasures books for $7 each. One man even gave us $40 for one! There are a few people that are not interested in tapes and CDs, so this book gives them another option to purchase, and we've found that people respond well to it. They are used to spending $10 or more for a book so they feel it's a pretty good deal.
--Marie, James, and Ester, USA
thanking
--for your spirit story contributions
Sheryl (19, Romania), Simon Sunshine (Brazil), Rejoice (Thailand), Crystal (India), John Michael (10, Africa), Tender (Hilltop Home, Japan), Thaddeus English, Barnabus Nobody (Taiwan), and Timothy (18, China).
funny things do happen
--from Byron and Mercy, Lithuania
From August 27, 1998 until July 24, 1999, each of our nine children will represent a different group of our second generation: Angie (SGA), Coral (YA), Marianne (ST), Ian (JT), Mich (JETT), Elena (OC), Isabelle (MC), Gabriel (YC) and Chris (toddler). To top it off, little Kaylena (of Angie, SGA) represents our third generation. This is a "once in our family-lifetime" and will never occur again as our dear kids will graduate to SGAs for the rest of their lives.
our bold kids
--Sarah and Samuel, India
Last month my two sisters came for a visit from Holland. This was their first time in India, as well as their first time visiting a Family Home. They had a very nice time and were pleasantly surprised how "normal" our children are. We have a very talkative five-year-old who likes to make friends with everyone. One day she was in the auto-rickshaw with my sister and after having been unusually quiet for a long time, she looked up to her and asked: "Do you believe in Jesus?"
My sister answered yes.
Amanda then proceeded, full of conviction: "Jesus didn't smoke!" There was a silence, then she added, "He didn't eat gum either."
That was my daughter's small sermon. Ha! She said what we could not really have said. But it didn't stop there. Two weeks after they returned to Holland, my sister wrote saying: "Thank you so, so much for the beautiful holiday. It was the most beautiful holiday I have had in my life. And by the way, here is some good news for Amanda: My husband and I have decided to stop smoking!"
How blessed it is to be a single mom!
--from Susanna (Dutch), Brazil
I know that lots has been written about the drawbacks of being a single mom, but lately the Lord's been showing me so many reasons to feel really privileged to be a single mom, and so I want to share them with you! So here I go counting my blessings!
I can say that I am very close to my children--a lot closer than others I know who have a mom and dad, as Jesus has been drawing us closer to each other and Him through our moves, decisions, tribulations, etc.
I live the life of faith very intensively with my children, and often have desperate prayer with them about upcoming decisions.--Things that normally a mommy and daddy would be inclined to pray about together, and therefore often inadvertently leave the children out of the process.
On my W&R I spend lots of extra time reading, praying, praising, etc., being that I have more time alone. Sometimes W&R is like a big spirit trip, out of which I come completely renewed!
Since I'm single and don't have a husband anymore to lean on, my witnessing has improved by leaps and bounds, and the Lord has given me lots of crazy faith--anything's possible! And I very much love to go out and get involved with the needy ones out there.
Since I've had to depend so much more on Jesus because of my situation, I have learned to love Him so very much that I can cry--only thankfulness, just to have Jesus!
There are some things I miss, like hugs and kisses and belonging--but then, marriage is much more than just those things. And when I start longing and longing, I resist it, because looking at the doughnut rather than the hole is destructive to happiness! Love you all lots!
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Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family