LETTERS IV!
DO 55
3/71
MAKE ROOM FOR NEW DISCIPLES!
1. DON'T EVER TELL ME WE HAVEN'T GOT ROOM FOR SOMEBODY--THAT MAKES ME FURIOUS! You sound like the innkeeper that turned poor pregnant Mary away from his door on a cold December night, atop some of the highest mountains in Israel!--And it's cold in Bethlehem in December, often with snow on the ground! I wonder what that innkeeper's reward's gonna be? If you have to stick'm in the stable, do it! Use it!--Help'm make it! "Him that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out!"--Jn.6:37.
2. JESUS NEVER TURNED ANYBODY AWAY! HE ALWAYS GAVE'M A CHOICE & A CHANCE, if they really wanted to. They didn't always make it, but at least they couldn't blame Him! What about us? Do we want their blood on our hands, by refusing to make room for them?
3. YOU SHOW GOD YOU'RE WILLING TO TAKE'M IN, if you have to hang'm from the rafters, & God will make room; He'll give us more room! And don't tell me you haven't got enough to feed'm or you're living a lie, preaching that God never fails to feed His Own & not willing to live it! Don't tell me there's no room in the inn, or what are these few loaves & fishes amongst so many?
4. YOU JUST GIVE THEM & GOD A CHANCE & HE'LL SHOW YOU WHAT HE CAN DO! Our God is a God of miracles & He'll pour out such a blessing, there won't be room enough to hold it! He's about to do this with DISCIPLES & now He's gonna give us so much room we won't be able to fill it! Just watch & see! Prove Him!--Mal.3:10. I believe God's about to open the windows of Heaven on us! Are you ready for the deluge? Have faith in God! Jesus never fails!--Why should we fail them?--Amen?
SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN!
5. FOR THE SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN WHO CANNOT COME, YOU SHOULD HAVE A SPECIAL LETTER OF ENCOURAGEMENT, inspiration, salvation & telling them what they can do for Jesus, until they can come. Tell'm not to give up & to keep after their parents to let them come, who, for their importunity, may finally give in. We should either have a special series of correspondence for these, or ask some of our kids to volunteer to correspond with them, just like our brothers & sisters in prison. It's the same thing! It's not their fault; let's not fail them.
OF AGE, OUT OF SCHOOL KIDS!
6. THESE ARE OUR MEAT, OUR SPECIALTY, THE TEENAGER, the young twenties, the footloose & fancy-free, seeking the Truth. I'm reminded again of that verse on the Statue of Liberty: "Give me your downtrodden masses, longing to breathe free air!" Let's open our gates wide to all those who ask to come--at least give'm a chance.
7. WHAT YOU WANT MOST OF ALL IS ENOUGH INFORMATION TO KNOW IF THEY REALLY MEAN BUSINESS & EXACTLY WHAT THEIR SITUATION IS SPIRITUALLY, as well as their obligations. They may have to go & sell all they have first, so they can come give it to the poor--our poor. Or they may have debts that they've gotta pay off or their creditors or the law are gonna come lookin' for them!--Or maybe they're just tryin' to get away from husband or wife or even the kids!
8. A LOT DEPENDS ON THEIR MOTIVES. IF THEY WANNA DO IT FOR JESUS, WE'LL TAKE ALMOST ANYBODY, OR SHOULD TRY. But if they're just coming to try to get away from something or to take a vacation, then we've got to test them to see.
OPPORTUNITIES TO MINISTER: HOW TO HOLD MEETINGS!
9. ACCEPT, THANK & TELL THEM YOU'RE SENDING A TEAM as soon as possible to their church, club, coffeehouse, youth centre, etc.!--And do it! As for the one-time speaking engagements at schools, clubs, churches, etc., send out a team from our nearest base or outpost to take care of it. ASK THEM HOW MANY THEY'D LIKE TO PROVIDE EXPENSES FOR (a nice delicate way to let them know it costs something & they'll have to at least pay your expenses), including overnight lodging, if it's that far away. You're worth it & they can afford it & they know it; don't hesitate to tell'm or THEY'RE not worth it!
10. THESE SYSTEM GROUPS REQUIRE YOUR BEST-DRESSED, CLEANEST CUT, MOST DIPLOMATIC TEAMS, with not too many longhairs or radicals for samples, & your best musicians, with your clearest, most effective & not-too-radical songs. Remember, variety is the spice of life, so let everybody testify, while one MC runs the show, calls each one up as he feels led, introduces them by their first name & gives them some word of introduction that would be hard for them to say about themselves, such as something complimentary about what they are now compared to what they used to be; but don't give their testimony for'm! Let each one introduce his own song, with which your programme should be well-salted, with songs between every one or two testimonies, depending on the length of the testimony.
11. A WISE MC WILL KNOW WHEN & HOW LONG & WILL CUT IT SHORT IF IT STARTS DRAGGING. TRY TO KEEP THINGS MOVING FAST! DON'T DRAG IT OUT, let somebody hog all the time, get boring or run overtime. These system groups are slaves to the clock, so you have to try to tailor your programme to the time you're given or they're apt to cut you short right in the middle of something; & don't go cursing them publicly for it or your name will be mud & nobody else will invite you, where you're really needed; because THIS CAN BE GOOD PUBLIC RELATIONS WITH THE OLDER GENERATION, ALLAY THEIR FEARS & ENCOURAGE THEM TO LET THEIR KIDS COME, because they've all got problem cases themselves: Their own children, relatives or friends.
12. THESE KIND OF MEETINGS OR PROGRAMMES ALSO MAKE FOR GOOD PUBLIC RELATIONS with the authorities, officials, influential people & those in power, which you need to get as many on your side as possible to defend you against the rest. These Systemites are seldom ever gonna forsake all & join us, but they may forsake a little of their funds, goods or property to help you & to keep from having to forsake all. They might even be willing to let you have their children in self-defense, if you make a good impression.
13. PUT YOUR BEST FOOT OR FRONT FORWARD! Use your best cover, while surfacing. If you'd been living in Nazi Germany under Hitler, you wouldn't have gone down the street screaming that you were a Jew! Become all things to all men in order that you might win some. The Apostle Paul knew this & had to do a lot of it & survived all but the last one, when he went a little too far in compromising with the temple. You don't have to participate in their whoredom, just 'cause you're invited to speak: You're not joining, you're just visiting!--1Cor.9:19-22.
14. ALWAYS GIVE YOUR TEAM A STIFF TALK BEFOREHAND ON WHAT TO SAY & WHAT NOT TO SAY in front of their firing squad or some of these Systemites may get a little trigger-happy & wanna throw you out before you're finished, or to say the least, cut you off before you're done. Better to get across something, than nothing at all, & try to keep them on your side. Be a clever & subtle propagandist; even make'm laugh! Don't go screaming "Revolution" & damning them to their faces; you won't get away with it. You'll just lose friends & antagonise people, in which case you might as well not have gone at all: It was worse than a waste of time--you even made more enemies. If you can't keep your big mouth shut about some things that should only be spoken in secret to the true disciples (as Jesus did), then don't go at all--you'll be more of a menace than a blessing!
15. TAKE A TIP FROM JESUS & FROM THE APOSTLE PAUL: They often disguised the deeper & more dangerous truths of their message in stories & parables & double-talk which only the initiated would understand; because as Jesus said, when His Disciples asked Him why He spoke in parables publicly, He privately advised them, "Because unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but unto them (the hypocritical Pharisees) it is not given."--Luk.8:10. As I used to tell my audience at the World's Fair when lecturing on the famous film "The Parable": "If you don't understand it, forget it; it's not for you. Those for whom it was intended, will understand!"--And they did. Some went out in a rage; others came forward weeping, but the vast majority just looked blank! Some people won't even know what you're talking about!
16. REMEMBER, BOTH YOUR FRIENDS & ENEMIES WILL ALWAYS BE IN THE MINORITY. The vast majority is always the indifferent, the lukewarm, who couldn't care less & consider you a waste of time! Don't worry about them!--And AVOID THE SHARKS, LOOK FOR THE FISH!--And carry plenty of bait with you: Good lookers, good literature & a happy face! FAN OUT AFTERWARD & DRAW THE NET! Amen? Everybody tackle somebody, but don't knock'm down. LOOK FOR THE LIKELY PROSPECT, THE INTERESTED FISH WILL USUALLY COME UP TO YOU AFTERWARD & nibble timidly at the bait! Hook'm--but not too roughly--wisely, gently & lovingly, as the Lord leads. ALWAYS HAVE PRAYER WITH THEM IF THE OCCASION WARRANTS, IF THEY GET THAT INTERESTED, whether they wanna come or only wanna help!
17. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF PRAYER! I wouldn't always advise a public prayer at the end, unless it's a church, unless you've got the boldness & anointing & direct revelation of God in such an unlikely situation as Hosea did on one TV show.--But look at the results it got! "Whatever He saith unto you, do it!"--Jn.2:5.--And you'll always get results, PTL! PLAY IT BY EAR; LISTEN TO HIS VOICE! He knows BEST! You'll usually be the last one out, as long as there's anybody left to witness to, but don't make the janitor mad or he may demand overtime or influence them against you. If he blinks the lights, prowls around nearby or flatly suggests you get out, get out & take your fish with you to the steps or sidewalk outside or home with you in the car, if advisable. Finish the job if you can.
BOOKING YOUR MEETINGS & PLANNING ITINERARIES!
18. I BELIEVE WE SHOULD SEIZE EVERY OPPORTUNITY & ENTER EVERY OPEN DOOR, AS THE LORD LEADS--& I believe you can fill many of these engagements that are offered if you GET YOURSELF A GOOD MAP, FIGURE OUT WHERE YOU ARE, WHERE THEY ARE & HOW YOU COULD FIT THEM IN. If there are two or three or more of them in the same direction or area, but at quite a distance, so that it might take a week to fill them, considering the travel time, etc., try to book them consecutively as close together as possible, so you can knock them off in as short a time as possible. This is what is known in show business as AN ITINERARY OF ONE-STOP STANDS, & unless they're within an easy day's travelling distance from your base, they've got to be booked in series, so you can go from one to another on your way. Try to figure them out in a sort of circle if you can, so you can circle back home if possible, at the end of the week or two on the road.
19. TO BOOK THEM, SORT OUT ALL OF YOUR INVITATIONS ACCORDING TO AREAS, figure out a possible itinerary for one of the areas or routes & approximately the time it would take you to get there, fill the booking & get to the next one, etc. DON'T CROWD YOURSELF TOO MUCH, AS YOU MAY GET OTHER INVITATIONS IN THE AREAS out of some of these engagements & you'll want to use'm all if you can, even if you have to split the team to do it. Some of our present leaders are products of this very type of ministry. I'm telling you all this so you'll know what the situation is, so you'll know how to write these booking letters, which is your next step.
20. WHEN YOU'VE GUESSED & PRAYED & FIGURED APPROXIMATELY WHAT DAY OR WITHIN WHAT WEEK YOU CAN BE AT A CERTAIN POINT, WRITE YOUR LETTER TO THAT PARTICULAR PROSPECT & try to give him a choice of a few approximate dates or times when you can be there. Sometimes you may even have to split your team two or three ways temporarily to fill two or three bookings in the same area, which are too close together or at identical times. TRY TO GIVE YOURSELF A LITTLE TIME IN BETWEEN TO CATCH YOUR BREATH & if possible, to get a good night's rest & to eat for strength & so you don't have to drive like mad through some strange city & kill yourself trying to get from one to another. At least try not to book more than one engagement in the morning, afternoon or evening, unless you can split the team, & even then, only in the same city, if possible, because you have to leave yourself time for your best & most important work, which is individual witnessing & drawing the net afterward. Study Paul's missionary journeys on a good Bible map, for an example on itineraries!
21. WHEN ALL YOUR ANSWERS ARE BACK ON WHAT DATES ARE CONVENIENT FOR THAT CLUB, CHURCH OR SCHOOL, SHOOT THEM BACK A LETTER IMMEDIATELY, CONFIRMING THE DATES that fit your itinerary & keep a very careful record of all this, including names, addresses, phone numbers, dates, times & places so there'll be no mix-up or disappointments! Your team secretary should keep very accurate records of all this, have all this information in her portable file--one of those tiny 3-by-5 little box card files would do, or even written out on a sheet of paper, & everybody in the team should have a copy, so there'll be no mistakes & nobody will get lost without the name, address & phone number of where you're going, as well as the time & place of your booking. This eliminates getting lost from each other in a strange city far from home & part of the team missing some important engagements. If worse comes to worst & you can't find each other any other way, call home base person-to-person for the other party & ask them if they know where you can contact them; or leave your name, number & location with home base so they can contact you when the other party of your team phones in to find out where you are. Don't count on "follow me," then jump in your car & dash off across town expecting them not to lose you. Lead your sheep, but make sure they're following! But in case they can't, make sure they've got a copy of your itinerary!
TAKING OVER COFFEEHOUSES, CLUBS & CENTRES!
22. THE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO MINISTER, WHICH ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT, SUCH AS COFFEEHOUSES, REHABILITATION CENTRES, ETC., WHERE THEY WANT A TEMPORARY OR FULLTIME TEAM to help out on a fulltime basis & show them how to run it or help them run it or take it over, may or may not be able to be worked into one of these itineraries. Such invitations will probably require a special team designed for that purpose, who can remain on the scene for a while, as long as they can put up with you, until the damage is done. They may quit & move out & let you have it, or they may quit, let you have it & throw YOU out instead! In either case, you've got to plan on spending a little time there & hope for the best, that they'll turn the whole place over to you sooner or later. BUT DON'T JUST MOVE IN & ACT LIKE YOU'RE TAKING OVER RIGHT OFF THE BAT, UNLESS THEY ASK YOU TO! GOD WILL LEAD!
23. SUCH SITUATIONS REQUIRE A GREAT DEAL OF LOVE, FAITH, PATIENCE, TACT, HUMILITY & WISDOM & the DIRECT LEADING OF THE LORD! Let the Lord do it; don't you push it too hard! If it's for us, God will give it. You won't have to force it! Let God do it! THE BEST ABILITY IS AVAILABILITY. Just be there, so He can drop it in your lap when the time is ripe, as He has several places where we started out merely helping & wound up running it. REMEMBER THE CAMEL'S NOSE, THE FOOT IN THE DOOR, TWO STEPS FORWARD-ONE STEP BACKWARD; two more steps forward--half a step backward, until you wind up way out in front. Remember the tortoise: Easy does it, slow but sure; squeeze don't jerk! Amen? Man's extremity is God's opportunity & God gets His greatest victories out of seeming defeats! Expect a miracle! :
24. THIS IS HOW WE GOT STARTED, IN ANSWER TO A LITTLE OLD LADY'S PRAYERS, DEAR LITTLE 83-YEAR-OLD GRANDMOTHER, who loved kids & hippies & was trying to help them & who wrote us & said THERE'S A CLUB HERE THAT'S TRYING TO DO IT, but they don't know how to run it or reach'm or witness! Please come over and help us--and we did & WOUND UP RUNNING THE CLUB OURSELVES & that's where some of you got started! These are real opportunities, if you're willing to begin humbly & not be too pushy. God will lead & show you the way & open the doors, but don't try to batter it down!
25. "THE HEART OF THE KING IS IN HIS HAND & HE TURNETH IT WHITHERSOEVER HE LISTETH," & "promotion cometh not from the East or from the West, but from Above!"--Pro.21:1; Psa.75:6,7. Let God do it! Just be there, ready, willing, able & available, when it happens! PTL? Then you'll know it's the Lord & not you & He'll get all the glory!
TIPS ON WRITING--LOGS & NEWS STORIES!
26. SOME OF YOU JUST DON'T SEEM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT'S IMPORTANT & WHAT'S NOT IMPORTANT & your story is a real drag!--A monotonous, detailed record of almost every insignificant move you make! I'm sorry, but we KNOW you probably get up in the morning & eat every day & have prayer & devotions & wash the dishes & go to the store--& I'm sure surprised you don't tell us how many times you go to the bathroom! After all, this is important to your health & our genuine concern for you, but it's not really newsworthy for the rest of the brethren. They also have to go to the bathroom & probably know you must have to, too! So let's take that for granted. LET'S MOVE ON TO SOMETHING UNUSUAL, THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN EVERY DAY, EVEN A LITTLE OUT OF THE ORDINARY--SOMETHING NEW & DIFFERENT! That's what NEWS is! The headlines in this morning's paper are not "The President brushed his teeth this morning." But what did he do today that he didn't do yesterday?
27. WHAT HAVE YOU ACCOMPLISHED TODAY THAT YOU WON'T HAVE TO DO AGAIN TOMORROW, some real progress, some real news, an answer to prayer, a new blessing, a new lesson learned, testimony of a new disciple, a new place of witnessing, a new team, a new visitor, a new event, a new baby, a new marriage, even a new problem, new personnel, new donations, new contacts, new revelations, new prophecies, new plans, new ANYTHING!
28. THAT'S WHAT THE WORD "NEWS" MEANS--SOMETHING NEW & INTERESTING--something out of the ordinary from your regular routine! And they "spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing"! I hope you don't have to spend all of your time at it, like the Athenians did in Acts 17, but it turned out to be an excellent opportunity for Paul to get out his important message in their local newspapers--Mars Hill! But if "this babbler" hadn't had anything NEW to say they probably would have been bored to tears or not even listened in the first place, but "the people seek a NEW thing"! Try making it NEWS!
29. SOME OF YOU NEW WRITERS NEED TO TAKE SOME TIPS: A LOT IS IN THE WAY YOU WRITE, how excited you are about it. If YOU'RE not emotional, nobody else is gonna be! If it didn't thrill YOU, your drab account of it isn't gonna thrill anybody else, either. Some of you can make a new disciple sound like a truly fascinating person, real, live, warm & human, with problems just like you & me, but prospects like us too--not just another statistic; another day, another disciple! Don't write your fact like it was fiction; make it exciting! Truth is stranger & stronger than fiction & should be even more thrilling! Make it sound that way!
30. BUT SOME OF YOU TAKE THE MOST EARTHSHAKING EVENTS & BOIL'M DOWN TO A COUPLE OF CRACKS IN THE WALL & completely ignore all the things we're eager to hear! After all, didn't we know you had an earthquake? Didn't we read it in the paper? Can't we guess what probably happened? Why should you bother to tell us about it? Aren't we psychic? Don't we know everything that's going on? I'm sorry, but I'm not God, not omnipresent & omniscient. For God's sake, make it more interesting, especially your articles for the FSM!
31. TRY TO ASK GOD TO HELP YOU KNOW WHAT'S IMPORTANT, what we wanna know, what we need to know, & what will interest others as well. Don't go on forever with much ado about nothing, like some of us do! You HAVE to listen to me, but THEY don't have to read your paper! If it's not absolutely fascinating, they'll throw it away!
32. BUT FOR OUTSIDERS IT HAD BETTER BE REAL INTERESTING, EXCITING BIG NEWS! And if they like it, I'm sure you'll like it--the insiders--so everybody'll be happy! Maybe you ought to keep that in mind when you're WRITING! Would YOU like to read it, when you've got so much else to do! Is it so interesting YOU couldn't stand to lay it down till you finished it--or is it just a chore you're tryin' to get rid of, just a daily drudgery, a necessary evil that you're compelled to perpetrate! If so, that's exactly what it'll sound like! If it's a bore to you, it will be to us, too--but if you're excited about it, we will be, too!
33. CUT IT SHORT! DON'T RAMBLE ON! Remember, "the longer the spoke, the greater the tire"! Some of you seem to think a story is like a turkey--just something to be stuffed with scraps to make it look bigger & go further! Maybe you oughta try writing one of those 60-word 10-second commercials that play for a thousand dollars a throw & see how much you could pack in it to get your money's worth! The headlines, titles, picture & subtitles should really tell the whole story in brief condensed form--& the article gives the details, if you have time or interest enough to read them!
ACCEPTING INVITATIONS TO WORK IN YOUTH CENTRES & CLUBS!
34. HERE'S A FOOTNOTE ON THE SUGGESTIONS TO HELP AT YOUTH COFFEE HOUSES, REHABILITATION CENTRES, ETC.: Be sure you let them know what you expect in return for your help. You can do this in the form of a question, by asking what size team they would have HOUSING for & if they can furnish the FOOD & EXPENSES. If it sounds like someone who can afford your travelling expenses to get there as well, ask if they can advance your travelling expenses, such as the cost of the gas to get there. The labourer is worthy of his hire, & muzzle not the ox that treadeth out the corn. The least you should expect with any of these invitations is your expenses. You're not asking for a salary or a profit, just your needs, which is what God has promised!
35. IF THEY SOUND LIKE SOME LITTLE OUTFIT OR INDIVIDUAL WHO THEMSELVES ARE LIVING BY FAITH & TRUSTING GOD FOR THEIR NEEDS & not sponsored by some big church or organisation, then tell'm you're willing to trust God for your needs also, if they haven't got it. This is only fair. And the less you have to ask for, the less you're obligated to do it their way, the more freedom you'll have to do as God leads! We started out at our first such club by taking care of our own personal expenses, such as food & housing. Then as we became more active & more involved & God blessed more, instead of asking for more, we offered more by offering to help the sponsoring organisation on the utilities. Finally we even offered to pay the rent & we took the whole thing over. The camel was inside & the Arabs moved out & the tent was ours & we couldn't have been happier; no sweat!
36. BECAUSE YOUR BIGGEST PROBLEMS ARE NEVER FINANCIAL, BUT PEOPLE, particularly trying to work with other people, not of your own groups--but this is often the way to worm your way in, if you're smart. Get'm so dependent upon you, they can't do without you, so obligated to you, that they owe you more than you do THEM--& pretty soon, maybe they'd just as soon you'd run the whole show & relieve them of the responsibility, you're doing such a good job; & after all, isn't that what they wanted in the first place-just to get the job done?--And if you could do it better than they, why not let you?--So they can be relieved!--Unless they've got too much at stake, too much invested & don't wanna donate it to you for the Lord's Work, which they should do! But if they won't, offer them a little donation for it: Maybe they really need it. Don't be stingy!--God's got plenty! PTL!
DONORS!
37. YOU NEED A STOCK PARAGRAPH FOR DONORS WHO ENCLOSE GIFTS WITH THEIR LETTERS, a paragraph of appreciation & thanks for their investment in your ministry in the Lord's Work, stating, of course, that you are also enclosing a receipt for their gift. You might even mention some special need that their gift helped to cover, which will encourage them to know the Lord is using them & led them to give it! And be sure to add a news paragraph, changed frequently, about your fruitful activities, so they'll know you're worth the investment, which is paying Heavenly dividends in souls saved forever, the only thing we can take with us from this Earth, Eternal Dividends--the joy of sharing the Kingdom forever with others whom they have helped to win! What greater rewards can anyone have for their services?--All this & Heaven too! That's all I want, although I've had a Heaven of a good time gettin' this far, receiving an hundred-fold in this life, & in the World to come, Life Eternal!
38. THIS INCLUDES THANK-YOU'S AND RECEIPTS FOR VALUE RECEIVED OF DONATIONS OF GOODS, equipment, materials, food, services, properties, etc.! Don't forget them! Amen? If you show folks you appreciate their help, they'll be encouraged to give again! PTL!
PEN PALS & CATACOMB DISCIPLES!
39. FOR THE KIDS WHO WRITE IN, THAT CAN'T COME, YOU COULD HAVE A STOCK PARAGRAPH TO ASK IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A PEN PAL, one of our young folks to correspond with. THIS CAN BE A REAL MINISTRY IN ITSELF, ANOTHER MINISTRY OF THE MAIL. But put it in the form of a question so they'll have to write in again specifically requesting same, so you'll know they really want it. YOU COULD ASK IF THEY PREFER A GIRL OR A BOY TO WRITE TO & WHAT AGE GROUP, NATIONALITY, INTERESTS, ETC. When they have written back requesting same, ask for volunteers from their age group with the qualifications selected, to write to them regularly. THIS COULD DEVELOP INTO A REAL WITNESSING PROGRAMME & hang on to them for the Lord until they're able to come.
40. THIS WAY YOU CAN MAKE SURE THEY'RE GETTING WHAT THEY NEED, LIKE A CORRESPONDENCE COURSE, simple, brief & with the safest points & literature & lessons to give outsiders. If you'd like to have somebody work up a basic series of these, containing memory work suggestions, sets, our basic doctrines, even tests, you could encourage them, as well as keep them interested. You could even offer special prizes, such as a week or a month at camp during the Summer time free of charge, if their folks will furnish the transportation, like sending them to a SUMMER CAMP. What have they got to lose?--Nothing but their child! And some of'm would be glad for them to get lost for at least a few weeks, as long as they think it's not permanent, during the Summer, when school's out & they don't know what to do with'm. It only takes a few days of teenagers hanging around the house or getting into trouble when school's out to convince'm, & maybe the parents will remember your offer to take'm off their hands for a while.
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family