THE KNOCK ON THE DOOR!   DFO 1067         25/12/80

         1. THIS IS HAPPY CHRISTMAS MORN, & I'm about to tell Maria the strange vivid dream that I had this morning. Who do you think that was that knocked on our door at nine o'clock? First thing that came to me was that it was the farmer. The knock woke me out of a sound sleep, a real big heavy deliberate hand, almost authoritative. Whoever it was, he evidently went away. If that knock at nine o'clock was a dream, I will be surprised, because it woke me out of a sound sleep & I could swear this minute that I heard a knock. Then I fell asleep & this was the dream--because it was not the farmer!
         2. I HEARD THIS HEAVY KNOCK & QUITE A COMMOTION OUTSIDE! By this time we were up & dressed in the dream. I peered out the door first--which you should always do to see who's out there before you open it--& there was standing a very tall military army officer in uniform. I had the feeling they might be concerned about the location of our vehicles here, kind of scattered around the yard.
         3. I LIKE TO BE VERY CONGENIAL & VERY COOPERATIVE WITH THE AUTHORITIES, so I quickly put on my jacket & stepped out the door. When callers come to our door we usually open the door & step out & talk to them outside. People inside then can scurry around rapidly & get things put away in case they should merit being invited in or insist on coming in!
         4. HE SAID, "I'M SORRY, SIR, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CLEAR THINGS UP A BIT ABOUT HERE. You're near our military base & we have a very important military dignitary about to visit us & we want to make sure everything is shipshape & secure & we're going to have to move all your vehicles out of here right away!"
         5. SO I GOT IN MY CAR, HITCHED UP ONE OF THE TRAILERS & PULLED OUT THE DRIVEWAY & DOWN THE ROAD. They were quite friendly & quite polite but quite firm in their words & orders & activities & obviously meant business. The whole area seemed to be astir with military personnel & vehicles & obvious important preparations for this important visiting dignitary. They had nothing against us personally, they simply wanted us to clear out & get out of the way for the important events that were occurring. Usually when I have dreams like that they're pretty clear warnings or come true.
         6. IT MADE ME THINK SERIOUSLY & PRAY ABOUT ALWAYS BEING PREPARED FOR ANY EVENTUALITY & any heavy-handed knock at the door which could represent the authorities with some important message for you or warning or even investigation, questioning, search, etc. You had better always be prepared for it, everything always put away.
         7. YOU HAVE NOT BROKEN ANY LAWS & THEREFORE YOU SHOULD HAVE A CLEAR CONSCIENCE & BE UNAFRAID TO INVITE THEM IN, & be very kind to them & very hospitable & very cheerful. Immediately offer them a seat of course, first of all, & then ask them if they'd like to have a drink, coffee, tea or some other type of drink, or even just cold water. Then sit down with them or across from them smiling & happy with perhaps some of the other Family members & children playing in the area.
         8. IT'S VERY WISE TO HAVE AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE THERE AS WITNESSES, you & some other member of the Home, preferably a pretty girl, your wife. Answer their questions very honestly. Try to give them the honest truth & nothing but the truth, but no more of the truth than you have to give them. Show yourselves to be very cooperative, very open & honest. This may be just a warning, just an investigation to see what you are up to & why & how come, etc.
         9. WHATEVER HAPPENS, BE READY WITH YOUR HOSPITALITY & CHEERFULNESS & cooperation & answers to questions. Be sure that your answers are as honest as can be & everybody tells the same story. Peter tells us to "be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the faith that is in you." (1Pe.3:15) Hopefully having gone back & delivered their favourable report to the authorities, the decision will be made not to bother you any more & allow you to stay.
         10. AT THE FIRST HINT THAT THEY WANT YOU TO STOP YOUR LITNESSING OR GIVE YOU SUCH ORDERS, requests or even to leave the country, you had better cooperate & do so & try to please them & keep them happy. Whatever you do, try to protect the family at home & not involve them if you can. We should be suitcase missionaries or mobile ministers, always ready to move at a moment's notice. We always make sure that no member of our family ever leaves the house & goes shopping or for mail or anything without carrying sufficient funds in case we should have an emergency, & one of the safest things to carry, of course, is traveller's cheques.
         11. YOU NEED A CENTRAL COMMUNICATION POINT somewhere else, perhaps even in some other country, some phone number you know to call, of some other Home where you can contact each other again & find out what happened. The ones left behind in the Home should definitely have sufficient funds to care for themselves while you are absent, or even to leave the country if necessary. Everyone's papers, passports & visas should be in order, stamps in order & up-to-date. We always make someone who has some managerial ability & a little authority to frequently have at least a monthly passport check, check your stamps, make sure they are in order & you're not overdue for a visa trip.
         12. YOU SHOULD BE WELL & NEATLY DRESSED . In countries where there are restrictions against tourists passing out literature & asking for alms in public places, it would be wise to have mostly the nationals doing this type of public work, open litnessing & witnessing, if possible. I would advise your foreign personnel to stay a bit more at home, housekeeping, childcaring, business managing, etc.
         13. IF SOMEONE IS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY, make sure that he leaves all his pocket materials, if possible, & any important papers, diaries, moneys, chequebooks, anything but his essential ID that he has to take to the station with him & perhaps a little pocket money that he may need when released. It's always wise to have two people's names on the bank account in case something should happen to either one of them, normally it doesn't happen to both at the same time.
         14. IN THE CASE OF OUR MOBILE FAMILIES who have vans, campers, trucks & trailers, etc., it would be very wise to make sure you have at least two drivers in the Home. Sometimes it's good that you get a stamp when you leave the country. Sometimes it's good to get a stamp in your passport as you enter to prove what date you came in.
         15. IT'S VERY SIMPLE FOR AMERICANS ESPECIALLY TO GET A NEW PASSPORT AT YOUR LOCAL CONSULATE. Give your home address back in your home country as your permanent address, otherwise they don't consider you a tourist. Be sure that you always put down as your occupation "tourist" or "student" if you are one, or "businessman" if you are one. Be sure you don't give them the impression you intend to be gone from your home country forever. Be sure that your vehicle papers are also kept up-do-date in proper order & proper insurance, etc., so that doesn't cause you trouble.--And that every driver has a bona fide license, or at least a passable license, sometimes even an old expired license will do some places.
         16. BE SURE YOU KEEP YOURSELVES & YOUR VEHICLES VERY CLEAN & TIDY & NICE-LOOKING. Most countries are very hospitable to tourists & they like you to be there to spend money & keep their country green, but they don't like hippy-type bums who look like they are pan-handling, begging & going to be possibly a burden on them financially, either to jail as vagrants or deport at government expense!
         17. PLEASE LET'S TRY TO MAKE OURSELVES AS POPULAR WITH GOVERNMENTS AS POSSIBLE!--Not as unpopular as you can! Agree with'm, obey'm, keep their laws as best you can, don't make yourself a nuisance, dress well, be quiet, don't annoy your neighbours, keep a nice house & yard without too many vehicles, visitors or noise or late hours & wild parties or loud meetings!--"Do unto others!" (Mt.7:12)
         18. TRY NOT TO BEG ON THE STREETS WHEN IT'S NOT PERMITTED, & in poor cities give the lit free & get your support from home by mail, pledges, pleas, faithful correspondence with supporters, etc., or get a job if necessary & possible. Most cities won't even allow that without a work permit, including selling lit!--Don't sell it! Give it away!--Then hint for a donation if you can, if you're in a place where they can afford it & it's possible.
         19. --AND LET'S TRY TO LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN FOR OTHERS TO COME, & not have it slammed shut through some knock on yours for foolish violations of these simple rules!--Amen? But always be prepared for that knock if & whenever it may come!--Amen? GBAKY always ready! TYJ! ILY!


Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family