SCHOOLS--WILL THEY WORK?         DO 2412          1/88

         1. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS THE BASIC PROBLEM. THE FAMILY IN JAPAN ARE SO POOR THEY CAN'T EVEN AFFORD A SCHOOL! They're not making enough to hardly pay their OWN expenses! They're BARELY making enough. BARELY! What the Family in Japan contributes to WS is supposed to be their CONTRIBUTION, not to THEMSELVES ALONE but to the REST of the World as well, to help evangelise the WHOLE World, to share with others, as certainly a rich nation like that ought to be ABLE to! But as it IS you there are having a tough time paying even your OWN expenses of your NO office & your Publication Units, your Service Center & all the rest!
         2. MOST OF EVERYTHING THAT COMES IN IN JAPAN HAS TO GO RIGHT STRAIGHT BACK TO JAPAN & pay for your own NRO, your LIM, your NPCs, your Missionary Aid & widows etc. You don't even have enough left over to finance your own School! You haven't even got enough left over just to pay for the FOOD & the expenses of your own children living in your own School! Think of that!
         3. RICH JAPAN! The Family in Japan should be RICH because you're living in the richest country on the face of the Earth, but you can't even afford a little School for your kids! You're not making enough to AFFORD that School! You can't afford it! If you take out all the rest of your expenses from what you contribute to WS & everything that YOU absorb & what YOU have to have, it doesn't even leave enough to pay the budget of that School!
         4. SO YOU OUGHT TO KNOW ME BY THIS TIME! I don't believe in going in debt, I don't believe in borrowing money, & I don't believe in going into projects that can't PAY for themselves! What are we going to do, ROB PETER to PAY PAUL? What OTHER COUNTRY are we going to TAKE IT AWAY FROM to pay for a School in JAPAN? What other Family in what OTHER COUNTRY has got so much money they can afford to support a School in JAPAN?--And why SHOULD they? That's what they're going to ask us: "Why should WE support a School in JAPAN? What's it doing for US? Fine, oh, it's helping to evangelise Japan! Well, how about sending US some money? We'd like to have some help to evangelise OUR country!" (Maria: WELL then, you have to think, what IS it doing?) Exactly, what IS it doing? (Maria: Educating 80 children that COULD be educated somewhere ELSE!) All right.
         5. THERE'S ONLY ONE EXCUSE WE COULD POSSIBLY HAVE FOR KEEPING THAT SCHOOL! We don't really need it to educate our children, that's an excuse. Our kids have been in the Family nearly 20 years, some of them, including teenagers, growing up in the Family & have gotten a GOOD education in the Family. They READ well, they know BIBLE, they know HISTORY & they know how to WITNESS, they know how to win SOULS, what ELSE do they need to know?
         6. "WELL, DAD, YOU SAID THIS WAS A GREAT NEW IDEA, a new way to operate in case we couldn't go OUT & couldn't be on the STREETS, we could use this SCHOOL as a witness. We could come up above ground now & above board & be an OPEN operation, & thereby be able to CONTINUE witnessing & continue operating with official protection & influential protection etc., as a legitimate open ministry!" Well, that's fine--if we can AFFORD it!
         7. THERE'S ONLY ONE THING THAT COULD POSSIBLY MAKE THAT SCHOOL VIABLE economically, profitable & self-supporting, & that is what the TV ministers & Gospel preachers with big churches & businesses etc. call an APPEAL project. The girls are going to the clubs getting the men SAVED, & the NEXT step is what are they going to ask them to CONTRIBUTE to?--Their salary?--The SCHOOL!
         8. SO THERE'S ANOTHER POSSIBLE USEFULNESS OF THAT SCHOOL, especially when they need that much money to operate, & that would be if the girls & the people who ARE reaching the TOP could use it as an APPEAL & something for those people to GIVE to. This is something they can understand: A SCHOOL, CHILDREN, something for them to GIVE to! That's about the only good that might be sufficient to make it economically worthwhile to keep it going.
         9. I AM WILLING TO SACRIFICE & GIVE UP ALL THE MONEY THAT WE NEED FROM JAPAN & could use from Japan, & give ALL of the Japanese income BACK to Japan! The full 10% that goes to WS, I am willing to give it ALL to Japan & not take a PENNY out of Japan, & give the balance to that SCHOOL to keep it operating for at least awhile until we SEE if it accomplishes ANYTHING, & WHAT it accomplishes, if anything, particularly as an APPEAL project, something to offer those men to give to, something to act as an APPEAL to RAISE FUNDS.
         10. LET JAPAN GOBBLE UP THE WHOLE THING, THEIR ENTIRE 10%, & LET'M USE IT UP THERE! Considering what comes OUT of Japan, if we put it ALL back INTO Japan, considering all the REST of their expenses there's little left for that SCHOOL, & that's all they're going to GET! And if they can't operate on THAT, we'll CLOSE it, period! That's my decision & I believe it's the Lord's. Then it would at least be INDIGENOUS!--SELF-SUPPORTING!

THE SCHOOL APPEAL!

         11. ALL RIGHT, I'M JUST SAYING THIS: THAT IF THE SCHOOL'S GOING TO COST US ANY MORE THAN THAT, WE CAN'T AFFORD IT! I'm willing to rock along & go along with it as long as it's WITHIN our income, God willing, & as long as it's going to serve a PURPOSE. Not only be a WITNESS but be a SCHOOL, be an EXAMPLE, be a PROJECT for the kings there to contribute to, their BUILDINGS & whatnot & some of their FUNDS, & be an APPEAL project to present to those BUSINESSMEN & those RICH men that the girls are contacting, THEN it's worth it!--If it can EARN it!
         12. WHAT ELSE ARE THEY GOING TO ASK THOSE MEN FOR? What FOR? For WHAT? "Do you want me to pay your SALARY? Want me to put you up in an APARTMENT?" How much can they contribute to the GIRLS? They've got to feel like they're contributing to SOME kind of a worthwhile philanthropy! And there's nothing that appeals more than KIDS & SCHOOLS & that sort of thing! Schools & colleges receive some of the greatest endowments of MILLIONS, in fact BILLIONS of Dollars in the U.S. alone!
         13. (MARIA: WHAT KIND OF AN APPEAL CAN THEY HAVE FOR THE JAPANESE?) "We're establishing an International School for underprivileged children!" They can tell them the story we've heard about the schools there. The International Schools in Japan are collapsing for lack of students because they can't afford to pay what it costs for them! They can't get enough students who can afford to pay to come to their schools, so they're having to pull out! We're operating a School with VOLUNTEER labourers, we're not paying any SALARIES. We're operating a School with DONATED property & VOLUNTEER labour at the cheapest possible cost of any International School in that whole country!
         14. I DARE THEM TO FIND AN INTERNATIONAL BOARDING SCHOOL IN JAPAN where they can room & board a student for $150 A MONTH, $5 A DAY--room & board & schooling! What do you want to bet ours will be THE CHEAPEST INTERNATIONAL BOARDING SCHOOL IN JAPAN! They can tell them, "You couldn't possibly contribute to a cheaper school, to help these poor underprivileged international foreign children to be able to go to school in Japan!"
         15. TELL'M, "WE'RE FURNISHING AN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL FOR FOREIGN UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN, as well as Japanese, at a cheap rate that can't be beat, something where your contribution will go further & educate more children & you actually get more for your money than any other school you can possibly contribute to!"
         16. I CERTAINLY THINK THEY'VE GOT EVERY RIGHT TO CLAIM THEY'RE UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN, CHILDREN OF MISSIONARIES! I mean, why not come out & SAY they're children of missionaries? Say, "They're children of missionaries, & the poor missionaries can't afford to send their kids to any other school." So why not?
         17. YOU CAN SAY, "WE'RE GIVING THEM NOT ONLY JUST SIX HOURS OF EDUCATION A DAY, classes & schooling, we're giving them 24-HOUR-A-DAY SUPERVISION & ROOM & BOARD & TRAINING, how could you beat THAT?--For the cheapest possible cost you can possibly think of! $150 A MONTH per person!-Only $5 A DAY! Including all costs for both room & board & training for both STUDENTS & STAFF! It covers EVERYTHING, you can't beat it!"
         18. NOW THERE'S AN APPEAL I DON'T THINK YOU CAN BEAT! And I think the girls ought to be flat-out with it, honest about it & just speak it out! Just say, "Well, we're trying to train all of these poor underprivileged missionary children who can't afford to go to any other International School. They don't know enough Japanese to go to Japanese schools & they're sort of looked down on in Japanese schools anyhow, so we're taking in these poor underprivileged missionary children in THIS school. It's an International School for missionaries' children or any others that need it. We're even taking in Japanese with no discrimination!"
         19. WELL, THAT IS THE ONLY CONDITION UNDER WHICH I THINK THAT SCHOOL CAN FILL SOME KIND OF NEED. Not only just to take care of our own CHILDREN, but also give the GIRLS something to ASK for. And then we may be able to pay the bills without taking every single penny coming in from Japan--if they'll go to work & start RAISING money!
         20. THAT IS THE ONLY EXCUSE WE'VE GOT, REALLY, OF HAVING A SCHOOL, besides supporting a lot of our people who need help, staff & kids, & take care of them & house them & feed them & train them & so on, & take 150 people off the hands of the Japanese field to support & act as an APPEAL PROJECT, the subject of appeal for those who are dealing with people who can MEET that appeal, who are well able to GIVE, & give PLENTY! (Maria: If they get REAL generous & give BEYOND the needs of the School, they could be giving to the children's POOR PARENTS, the missionaries out on the field!) Yes, that's for sure! They may start asking questions about, "Well, WHAT missionary organisation, WHAT denomination?" We can just say, "Well, MANY different kinds of denominations & people & whatnot. We don't discriminate.-We're NON-DENOMINATIONAL!" Maybe we'll think up the OTHER answers LATER.

ALTERNATIVE--IF THE SCHOOL DOESN'T WORK!

         21. NOW I'LL TELL YOU THE ALTERNATIVE: IF THAT SCHOOL CAN'T PAY FOR ITSELF, I DON'T THINK WE NEED IT! If it doesn't succeed in making a good APPEAL for contributions from people who have the money & can afford to give it, if it doesn't succeed in being a good appeal & it doesn't appeal & they don't get results from their appeals, then I don't think we really need it!
         22. WHAT KIND OF AN EDUCATION ARE WE GOING TO GIVE THEM THERE? What kind of education did this whole Work start with? What kind of education is NEEDED! Let's face it, this work is the child of the Soul Clinic, & I am sold on Fred's kind of education. He figured you don't need school, college, university, nothing, all you need to know is about GOD'S WORD in order to get out & WITNESS & win SOULS & be a MISSIONARY, & 3 TO 6 MONTHS OF EDUCATION is enough to become a witness & a soul-winner! THAT'S the education WE'RE concerned about. If we can use the School for THAT, OK!--If NOT, FORGET it!
         23. (MARIA: I THINK WHAT THE SCHOOL'S ACTUALLY DOING, MORE THAN EDUCATING THOSE CHILDREN, IS TRAINING THE ADULTS who are there, in how to RAISE them & to run a HOME.) I agree, that's wonderful! But can we AFFORD it? Unless it's going to PAY for itself, I don't see how we can afford it.
         24. AS THE PREACHERS USED TO SAY, IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE A REAL MONEY-RAISER TO MAKE IT WORTHWHILE!--To help not only support the SCHOOL, but their PARENTS & their MISSIONARIES & help support the whole Japanese FIELD, that's what it ought to do! That's the whole idea! It's a come-on, it's an excuse, it's a front, it's an APPEAL PROJECT! And if it cannot appeal to people enough to raise enough money to not only pay for the SCHOOL but to help their PARENTS & the MISSIONARIES & the entire Japanese FIELD to help evangelise JAPAN, then let's close it & let'm all go home, period! (Maria:--Or put all those leaders out on the FIELD training the people out THERE.) (Peter: And reaching the TOP!)
         25. YOU SAY, "DAD, NOW YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT MONEY, JUST NOTHING BUT MONEY!" I HAVE to think about money! We wouldn't BE where we're AT & we wouldn't have a WORLDWIDE MINISTRY that we have with 12 to 14,000 missionaries operating around the World, we just wouldn't HAVE it if we didn't think about MONEY & count the COST & figure if we can AFFORD it or whether certain ministries PAY for themselves or not!
         26. SO IS THE EFFORT OF EVANGELISING JAPAN GOING TO PAY FOR ITSELF, are the Japanese going to PAY for it or NOT? If they don't appreciate it enough to PAY for it, if the Family can't interest enough Japanese in that country to pay the little pittance that it costs for the entire Japanese ministry of evangelisation, then our Family there might as well move out! Then they have REJECTED us, they're NOT receptive, they're unprofitable, they're unfruitful, & we might as well save our money & our personnel & go to some OTHER field!
         27. WE WANT TO TRY TO REVIVE THAT FIELD, to try to really make that field FRUITFUL & PAY OFF, & for God's sake, at least PAY for ITSELF! Possibly the SCHOOL could help. Possibly using the SCHOOL as a TOOL, the GIRLS could help. But if it turns out that it doesn't MAKE it & it doesn't DO it, then at least we TRIED. We TRIED to give the Japanese the Gospel, we TRIED to get them to pay for it. But if they don't want to do either one, they don't want the Gospel & they don't want to pay for it & they don't want to go to Heaven, then let'm go to Hell!--And let's get our people outta there! That's my conclusion.
         28. SO, PTL! HALLELUJAH! TYL! AMEN. TYL! Either it's worthwhile through being FRUITFUL itself & PAYING for itself, or being a TOOL to use to RAISE money for itself & its parents & missionaries & the Japanese field, an excuse for an APPEAL PROJECT that will appeal to those rich people to GIVE to it & GIVE for this WORTHY CAUSE, or it's not worth it! We could better put our money somewhere else! We could better give it to get out there & pioneer some OTHER field. Amen?--Where they could be more FRUITFUL. Unless that School is going to be a tool--the SCHOOL a TOOL, or we're a FOOL!

PRAYER!

         29. AMEN, LORD, WE HAVE PRESENTED THE FACTS & SAT DOWN & COUNTED THE COST, & now we're going to see if it's possible for us to raise those costs & whether it's going to be worthwhile, whether it's going to be fruitful enough to be profitable, worth paying for it & making it pay, so that it can be a tool for Thy use, Lord, to raise money for Thy Work & to help Japan evangelise itself, or we can't afford it, & we're better off to scatter those families out in the field. Even if we take the same money & help support them, we'll be better off & accomplish more.--UNLESS this project can produce sufficient RESULTS to make it worthwhile!
         30. IT'S NOT THE FAULT OF THE STAFF, Lord, it's not their leader's fault, it's certainly not the KIDS' fault, they're doing the best they can with a tremendous job, a terrific project, a heavy responsibility, a real taxing burden, Lord! That is a very hard job! It's not THEIR fault, they're doing the best they can, Lord. But we are going to have to figure some way to make it PAY & make it PROFITABLE & FRUITFUL to make it POSSIBLE, or we're going to have to invest the time & the talent, personnel & the funds somewhere ELSE where it'll be more fruitful & be a greater witness & win more souls, in Jesus' name! Amen! PTL!--Amen?--GBY! I love you ALL!--Thanks for TRYING!

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