July 15, 2003
FSM 402—June 2003
Action FSM #21
The Missionary Calling
By Dawn (of Barry), China
Lee, the boyfriend of one of our closest sheep, is an intellectual, and is becoming known as a writer in some advanced and radical circles. He's always been very sweet and supportive of Steffi—his girlfriend—being our friend and wanting to serve the Lord, yet it took quite a while for him to get saved, and that only happened when the Lord let him get very sick with pneumonia, and he had to be in the hospital for two months.
After he prayed to receive the Lord he started to grow spiritually, but even then quite slowly. Steffi kept praying for him and feeding him and being a good sample of being loving and prayerful, and faithfully witnessing away to everyone she could. He just watched and learned and absorbed it by osmosis.
Now after one year we can see such a big change in him; he's a different man. He has faith in the Lord and the Bible and respects and uses prayer a lot in his life. He's started to witness to some of his friends and relatives, and comes over to our fellowships.
He's learning to yield himself to the Lord and let Him change his mindset and way of looking at things. Now every day when he gets up, which is very early as he's a newspaper editor, he takes some time with the Lord and pours out his heart to Him in prayer and then leaves for work. He's asked his girlfriend to type his prayers, as he believes in paper power, and wants to keep his prayers. Steffi loves to do this job, as it's a reward to watch her prayers being fulfilled before her very eyes. Each prayer reveals the Lord's wonderful power to answer our "calls" and change hearts.
Lee has prayed for the Lord to use his writing talent for His glory and to lift up love and good. He's prayed for the Lord to cleanse him from pride and the darkness and selfishness of the worldly circle of artists whom he used to hang out with.
This has all been the Lord's hand and work and not anything of ourselves, as until very recently we hadn't had much contact with Lee. We just prayed and Steffi kept praying too.
He came to see us one day as Steffi was out witnessing to her ex-husband who prayed to be saved with her a couple of months ago. Lee had a very humble, sweet attitude about her seeing her ex-husband, and told me he was happy that she could spend some time visiting him, as he needed it and is a very simple, humble man. This is a very unusual way for a Chinese man to be, as by tradition they can be very proud and macho.
During his visit Lee was telling me how he can't relate to most of his old friends, because they're so proud and all they want is success in the world at any cost. I shared with him some verses about "love not the world," and "if ye were of the world," and others and he kept saying, "This is so true, this is just what I feel!" Then he went on to tell me that sometimes he struggles in trying to understand God and figure Him out in his mind, but afterwards realizes that he's being foolish, because how could he figure out God in his own little mind. I told him the story of St. Augustine watching the little boy trying to put the ocean in the hole ("Faith and Trust," GT2), and he loved the parallel. He went home very happy and inspired and Steffi told us that he really liked his time here.
Steffi has been taking off with her witnessing and always finding opportunities to witness to her colleagues, classmates, or family. When she was going to visit her family during National Day, our girls prayed that her family would see a change in her and that the Lord would use that as an opening for witnessing. Sure enough, that's exactly what happened, and both her father and older brother saw the change the Lord had brought about in her life, and her sample of love and patience won their hearts. They listened and received the witness and the Lord.
Also her sister, who had been living in our city for the last year and a half, had gotten saved with her over a year before, and both of them had been witnessing to her husband for a while with no results. However, at the same time, her sister called us up and said, "My husband is ready to receive Jesus. Please come and pray with him!"
Now Steffi's whole family has received the Lord. It's a testimony to God's power as she's the youngest in her family, which in China usually makes it more difficult for the other members to listen.
By Cristy E. (19), Thailand
We've known Noi for a little over two years. During those two years the Lord has brought her to a breaking point, to where she has a vacuum for the Bible. She used to be a manager of Bon Café, and a successful one at that. She made huge profits for the company. She seemed like she had it all—a good-paying and well-respected job, being young with a career ahead of her, smart, and she spoke good English. Her Swiss boss was so pleased with her that he was planning to buy her a new car.
Every time we were in town, we'd stop by to see how Noi was doing, talk to her, and explain our activities and daily events with her. She's been coming over to our house as well, and we would include her in our outings, dinners, and barbeque parties. We adopted her as part of our family, since all her family lived up north and she was practically on her own. With time she became like an older sister to me, and the closest Thai friend that we had. Sometimes she would fill in as a driver. She stayed with us when we were sick with German measles, making sure we had everything we needed. If I had questions concerning the Thai youth perspective on things or the Thai culture, I could always rely on her for an informative answer.
We would feed Noi a Reflections or passage from the Mountain Streams, but there was never a great vacuum. Due to her work as a manager, she comes in contact with a lot of foreigners and had to learn to adapt to the foreign ways, so because of that she was very accepting and open-minded towards our Christian beliefs, yet never implementing any as her own.
Over the course of our friendship I shared with her about the responsibilities we have as Family members, the code of conduct we have to uphold, the importance of a good sample, and the love each individual has for God, and the idealism that made them join the Family. She could relate to it, since a company has certain rules it has to abide by as well. As time passed she had the opportunity to meet many other Family members who stopped by for a couple of nights, and she said that she was attracted to how everybody was so loving with one another, as if we were all close relatives. Another thing she mentioned was how one of the teen girls waied (Thai greeting) to her and asked her how she was doing in Thai. Even though she isn't a conservative Thai, but a new generation, she could still feel the sincerity of the teen girl. It all added up to create receptivity toward the Family and the Word.
Then from one day to the next her life changed drastically. She lost her job, had a huge debt to pay, had her heart broken twice, and discovered who her true friends were and weren't. We were there for her during this crisis, reassuring her that we were praying for her and would try to help in any way we could. Starting to see the futility of materialism and working for money, she started to ask deeper questions about how she could live like we do. My dad has been giving her Bible studies about the basic teachings of Jesus, and she is quite turned on about it. It makes me so happy to see how the Lord intervenes in people's lives, using their breakings for good in the long run.
Treating Noi like a member of our family also made it easy for her to accept our different way of living. We included her in the different activities, our inspirations, communion, Christmas parties, and Christmas caroling. I would share with her witnessing experiences I had and how praying with someone was the highlight of my day. We showed her the new Comic Trax that came out, and after she read them we asked her what she thought.
It all happened so gradually, with little baby steps here and there, but eventually our way of living became second nature to her. I think this can be a key to winning others. They might not always show deep interest in our "foreign" religion, but don't give up on them. Take them where they're at and see how they can be part of you. When they get a chance to know you better and see your honesty and openness, and the love you have for them as an individual, then the rest will follow.
By Eman, Indonesia
Mrs. Maiyama, our Japanese friend, is growing fast. She has a notebook in which every day she faithfully writes the messages our wonderful Lover gives her. She recently went to Japan for a checkup on her eyes, where the doctor told her that her glaucoma was in its final stage, and she could become blind at any time.
She was broken-hearted at first, and fearful about leaving her house. When she prayed, she received that Jesus wanted her to learn to come to Him and have intimate fellowship with Him. She recently told me, "I might become blind, but now I see. Jesus has opened my spiritual eyes. Thank you so much for all the words you share with me." Of course, we always remind her that everything comes from Jesus.
Mrs. Maiyama faithfully memorizes, understanding the importance of the Word, especially when it comes to facing spiritual battles. She enjoys reading the From Jesus with Love book.
By Patrick and Renee, China
The Lord is bringing many sheep to our fold, even some who we haven't seen for a while. They are coming back to hear the wonderful working Words again. One of our friends who we haven't seen for a few months prayed, "Lord, forgive me for not reading Your Word. I've missed it so much!" Another friend, who is a busy man, after our last meeting with him, told his wife, "If I am going to be a Christian, I want to be a real Christian, and do something for God!" It has been very exciting to see these people coming back and being so hungry for the Word again.
We invited a couple of young teachers we had met at our Teachers Training Seminar some time back to come to our house. They are very enthusiastic, idealistic teachers, and we were able to get to know them better, as well as talk more deeply and witness to them. They received Jesus and now attend our weekly Bible studies faithfully, and are very hungry and eager to learn more about the Lord and the Word.
A friend of our older daughters also invited them to come to her family's home in the country. It was very beautiful, scenic, and interesting for them. Their friend commented that her whole family was impressed by how well they adapted to such a different life, and how happy and content they seem in their lives. Our girls were able to explain to them the secret of their happiness—Jesus! Their friend received the Lord and she is interested in learning more about Him.
By Carolina (SGA, of David), Brazil
One of our sheep has recently decided that he wants a change in his life. We've been ministering to him for the last six to seven years, and he's always liked the Word we gave him and read it, but didn't want to do more than that. However, now he's started having Word classes and has said that he wants to change from his lethargic ways (his own words) and start putting the Lord first in his life, so he can serve Him and help others. He's already made some steps in that direction, which is a big miracle.
I believe the Activated mags he's been receiving for these last two years have played a major part in this change. We've also been using the power of the keys more in prayers for our sheep, and we've seen the benefits!
By Precious, Japan
Last month we were asked to receive a prophecy by the ambassador of an African country. He was asking the Lord whether or not to run for elected office as a candidate in his province in his home country. For a few years many people had been asking him to run, but he wasn't sure what the Lord's will was. We were able to visit his home and meet him. He repeatedly told us that the prophecy was very encouraging, and that it gave lots of details that gave him needed insight into this new leading in his life. He and his wife are God-fearing and have a lot of faith to take the needed time to hear from the Lord before doing something.
We showed them Keys to Happier Living, and they were so inspired by it that they ordered eight more books for themselves, their children, and close friends! He also subscribed to one more year of Activated!
By Vessel, Mexico
Yolanda owns a pizza restaurant. About a month ago, her son fell into a diabetic coma, which was the first time they knew he was diabetic. In the past he'd been a drinker and had had very poor eating habits, as well as not wanting anything to do with the Lord. She had asked us to pray for him, that he would have a change of heart. We shared with her how sometimes the Lord has to do something a little drastic in the lives of those of us who are "hard nuts to crack," to help us turn towards Him and recognize that we need His help.
Well, it seems that this is what the Lord had in mind with her son, as after he came out of the coma, he began to make big changes in his life. From his hospital bed he wanted to ask forgiveness of all the people that he felt he had offended by his uncaring behavior. He is going to work on controlling his sugar problem by having a better diet, and has promised his mom that he will be very strict with himself.
Yolanda also told us that she had an upcoming appointment with a psychologist, to see if he could help her with her constant feeling of fear. We took time to talk with her, and throughout our conversation we talked about how as Christians, we should put our faith in the Lord, how united prayer helps us to overcome our problems, and how anointing with oil will heal us of not only physical sickness, but also our spiritual weaknesses. We showed her Obstacles Are for Overcoming and Keys to Happier Living, both of which she bought on the spot. She began reading different sections from them, turned to me and said, "You know, after our conversation this afternoon, I'm going to cancel that psychologist appointment. I'd like you to come this week and pray for me."
We encouraged her that she was going in the right direction, and that the Lord could take away whatever fear she had. As she was looking over the different sections in Keys for Happier Living, such as "Nervousness and Worry," she came across the verse, "Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm." Her eyes widened and she said, "Look at this verse! That's just what I was about to do! Thank the Lord that He sent you here today to help me!"
By Carolina (SGA, of David), Brazil
Regina, a sheep that I invited to our retreat in the south of Brazil, is a churchgoing Christian who I met while I was being treated in the hospital a year ago. We were in the same room, and she was in a very serious and complicated situation, going into a coma every day. I read the Word to her all throughout the day and prayed for her, and we prayed together often too. We saw the Lord do lots of miracles for her.
Her life has changed in so many ways since her illness. The Lord wanted her to return to her first Love and start serving Him more, and she has, in many ways. But she'd often compare the Family to her church, saying that they preach the same things as we do, also have retreats, etc. She felt something was different about us, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She did notice that we do more active service for the Lord than anyone she'd ever met. Still, her pride kept her from admitting that we have more than what her church offers.
When she went to the retreat, she would compare our music and message with that of her church. I didn't know what to do, but the Lord said that as she saw the sample and I prayed for Him to speak to her, she would see the difference in spirit and believe it, as she is quite sensitive to the Lord's Spirit.
I kept praying that the Lord would make the spirit of David and the freedom and love in the Family show how different we are in the "doing" and "going" than the churches are, as that's what she had been searching for and wanted to know if it existed. The Lord told me to have patience and wait for His Spirit to work, and that she wouldn't be able to resist the Spirit and the truth. The Lord even tricked me into letting her attend the more advanced meetings, even though I had thought she should be attending the beginner classes, as she didn't know a whole lot about the Family. However, it proved to be what she needed. She needed to be challenged and to hear the meat of the Word. As the classes progressed, I saw that that was exactly what moved her and spoke to her the most, as she was already a Christian and knew the basics.
As the retreat was coming to an end I found her crying. "What's wrong with the churches?" she asked me. "What do you think they should change in? What do you think should be their focus and main message?"
She broke down and told me that actually the Family is very different from her church, that we hug and kiss tons more, and everyone always has a smile on their faces. She noticed that people weren't walking around all sober or comparing their clothing, but instead it seemed that everyone had so many friends, and it's so easy to make friends in the Family. She said that we follow the Bible to the full; we don't just preach it and do a little here and a little there. The Lord knew what she needed and He won her by the Spirit that was in great abundance there.
By Rose, Italy
Recently we've been having people visiting us quite frequently, either for counsel or to have dinner together. We've been trying to make room to share the Word every single time someone comes over, even when they only come to relax and unwind, and we feel the Lord is blessing it.
Though each one has different needs and/or problems, and often they come unexpectedly, our marvelous Counselor is faithfully showing us how to fit the Word in and present it in a way that is tasty so that they want to keep coming for more! He gave me a little vision of how our Home is like a little restaurant with the Lord as our chef. Since He knows perfectly what everyone needs, He has the right menu for each one and all we have to do is ask Him, even on the spot, and He'll hand us the food they need, prepared in the most suitable way.
[BOX:]
Every dish you make from the good, wholesome ingredients of My Word can turn out great and be a huge success as long as you follow what I, the Master Chef, show you. I'm a cook who's always trying new things, always inventing new recipes, and always has some new and appetizing dish for you to prepare and serve. I'm the author of 1,001 Ways to Cook Devotions, now available at a spirit bookstand near you! And by the time you've tried all those, I'll already have the sequel out—Another 1,001 Ways to Cook Devotions! There's no end to the ideas that I will give you, if you'll just take the time to ask Me.
—Jesus, ML #3437:25
[END OF BOX.]
By Phillip and Carrie, China
After returning from a follow-up trip, we've witnessed a Word hunger phenomenon among our sheep in this city. It's like spiritual floodgates have opened and people have an increased vacuum for the Word. This month alone we have led 15 souls to the Lord without even trying. Almost every day we have someone over for a Bible class, sometimes even twice a day. Friends bring others over, or invite us to witness to their families or friends.
One of our friends has been trying to witness to her sister, a Communist Party member, for a long time without much success. When she heard that we were back from our trip she immediately wanted to bring her sister over so that we could witness to her. She was so thankful when her sister received the Lord, and now both of them come over for weekly Bible studies. On her last visit she told us that her sister had commented that we are so different from other Christians, and she is so thankful that we could teach them the true Word from the Bible.
An owner of a language school, whom Phillip has been witnessing to, has caught the vision to witness to others, including the parents and kids who come to his school. He asked us to witness to his staff and get them all saved, and invited us over for lunch specifically for this purpose. (Everyone got saved!) We also gave him one of the Word Curriculum books and he's not only reading it himself, but also reading the book to his staff during meetings. He said that it's what everyone needs. He's so turned on to the Word and witnessing that at every opportunity he'll either bring his friends over or has us over at his place to witness.
By Paul and Joy, UK
Our long-time live-out (who is deaf), John, has become FM and has done his first report! It's an answer to his prayers, as he's wanted to join the Family for many years and the Lord's worked it out for him to do so.
John's wife, Vathani, who is an Active member, has been working at the same place for many years. She's often asked to be promoted to the administration office, but they've kept her as an assistant, saying she can't do the job because she's deaf. Other people who worked there a much shorter time than her have been quickly promoted. She didn't see how being deaf could affect her work for the job she wanted. Then some of the newer people at work started malicious gossip about her. She couldn't hear it, but she knew they were talking about her, and it made her feel miserable. She used to enjoy her work, but not anymore.
So she and John prayed about it and felt she should look for a new job. We've been teaching them about the importance of receiving personal instruction from the Lord themselves. Being deaf, it's more difficult for them because they can't record words on a dictaphone, so Joy's shown them how to write down prophecies from the Lord. Then Vathani received an encouraging message from Jesus. He said that she would get the job she wanted!
After being turned down by a few places because she is deaf, she was invited to a job interview. Later that week she received a letter saying she didn't get the job. She looked at the letter and said, "Jesus, this letter can't be true. You promised I would get the job. I rebuke the Devil and claim Your promises and the power of the keys!" She continued fighting in prayer in the spirit, and two days later she received another letter saying she had the job and to please start in two weeks! The job is administration—the same type of work that she had been refused before! She reminded Joy to not forget to send this testimony to the Family so all could praise the Lord for giving and keeping His Word!
By Filly, China
Jenny was the first person we'd met in a city we'd previously lived in. We had been ministering to her for almost two years when, just before we left that city, she announced to me that she had become a believer. I was thrilled! We moved to another city, but she would call me occasionally, and I would make trips back there to stay with her and also to follow up on a few other sheep.
Jenny's always admired our conviction to give our lives to Jesus and to forsake all to come to China, as she really wants to leave China and go to the West. We would always give her the Word and witness to her. Even though she said she believed, though, she would be so busy working that she would say she didn't have time to read the Word. Still, she liked to hear it when I would witness and talk with her.
Last month, Jenny and her two girls came to visit, and stayed with us for six days. During her visit she was very touched by our children's sample of praying at all times, such as when we eat or go out together. One day she witnessed the Lord's miracle power when she had to buy a plane ticket back to her city. It was almost impossible, but after prayer the tickets came through. She was so thrilled to see the Lord's hand in it. After seeing a sample of how much we depended on prayer, she gathered my children and her children to pray for me when I had a headache one day. I didn't know about it until about two hours later. When I got up to go to her room she said, "You must be healed because we prayed for you." She is starting to see the light. Before she left she told me that she is going to start reading the Word!
A couple of weeks ago Jenny called me and asked me to open a bank account so she could deposit $250. "Just to start with," she said. She said that she's a Christian, so now we're sisters and she ought to help me more. What an answer to prayer!
Sometimes we feel like giving up on some people because they don't make significant changes or progress. But love never fails, and if you're faithful you'll not be weary in well doing, for in due season you shall reap if you faint not.
By Lianne, China
"God is wonderful! He is very merciful!" exclaimed San after reading the Activated mag. "He still loves me no matter how bad I have been. He always loves me. He is not angry with me. This mag is so good! I realize that my spiritual life is not so good. I haven't made progress recently. After reading I am very happy. I need to learn from God. He is so loving."
Ling, our outside witnesser, passes on the mag to others. She said her friends can see that she's changed. It's so good for her to see the result of witnessing in lives changed, and that the Word really works.
"It works! It works!" cried Ling excitedly to the others at our fellowship. "Prophecy really works!" She then went on to tell how at work she was trying to figure out how to do something, but was having no success. She stopped to pray and hear from the Lord, and then wrote down the instructions the Lord gave her one by one. She applied them, and the result was that her work was so easy, without any effort or headache. It was such a faith-building testimony for our other sheep, since we're promoting the gift of prophecy and encouraging them to try to get something from the Lord daily.
By Prem Fighter, India
The recent tensions in the Indian subcontinent have created an incredible vacuum for the Endtime message. Recently, we sent an e-mail to one of our long-time friends, asking him if we could come and give him a Daniel 2 class at his office. He passed our e-mail around to all the people in his company, letting them know that if anyone was interested in attending this class, they could. To his complete surprise, every single person in his company showed up for the Bible study. Our friend later said, "I didn't think anyone would come, but they all showed up!"
We put together a PowerPoint presentation that we used during the class, and for one hour everyone attending the class sat riveted, taking in all this incredible information about the future, and by the time it ended, they were asking, "When can you come and give the next class?"
Encouraged by the success of this Corporate Endtime Seminar, we have started taking our Endtime classes around to our different friends, many of whom are top executives, and we are thrilled to see the fruit these seminars are bearing. Truly, this is a time to give people the meaty Endtime message. Never before have we seen such high levels of receptivity!
By Paloma, Colombia
Farshad was one of our dearest friends. The owner of an international Persian rug business, young, single, handsome, rich, he spoke five languages and traveled more than half the time visiting his businesses in Europe, Peru, Ecuador, etc., and buying rugs from his family's century-old contacts in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other countries. He knows people all over the world.
He was a member of Khomeini's army until he saw the cruelty of it all, and escaped from Iran. Over 30 of his friends were executed. He stopped believing in God or religion and decided that life must be lived intensely, and that one must help others, but not on a religious basis. He didn't want to discuss Jesus, at least at first. Recently, he was more sensitive in spirit, perhaps because he was reading the Activated mags.
A few days ago, I dreamed I was with Farshad in a cave with many tunnels. I was telling him that only Jesus could get him out of there, to which he answered, "But you know I have trouble believing."
So I said, "I'm going to ask Jesus to give me a message for you, and He's going to tell you about the labyrinth you are in, and when you hear the word labyrinth, you will know it's Jesus speaking because only He can know that's where you are."
The truth is, Farshad was trapped by the "business of this world." Despite the freedom he enjoyed, we all knew that he had not yet found true love or satisfaction, so I took this as a message from the Lord to do more to reach him.
As soon as I woke up, I called his office. The secretary slowly told me that our dear friend and supporter had died in a plane at an aircraft fair. Mysteriously it fell, and both he and his friend died immediately.
We all prayed for his soul to be liberated from that cave, and suddenly the sun came out on that cloudy day. There was peace. However, I felt his presence all the time. I would awake at night and have this spooky feeling that he was there, until finally I received these words in my mind: "Go and tell my sister that where I am now, there are flowers." I saw him in a field with all kinds of flowers. As soon as I got this message, his presence vanished. Perhaps this world was already too small for him, and the Lord saw how much he could travel and learn on a heavenly magic carpet on the other side.
We set out to deliver this message and found his brother-in-law, sitting behind Farshad's desk looking very sad. I told him about my dream of the cave and how we prayed for Farshad's liberation. He asked if he was happy there, so I told him of the flowers. This big, robust, imposing man hung his head and cried a flood of tears. I then remembered that on one visit with his sister, she told me that in her country, Iran, there aren't flowers like in Colombia; the Iranians have to work very hard to make their desert into a garden, when here they just grow everywhere. Farshad wanted his family to know there are flowers on the other side.
Farshad was a formidable sheep, handsome and rich. He was the man who had everything, yet, down deep, there was a void there to be filled, and for some reason he felt he could express himself freely with me. I shied away from this, not being sensitive to the Lord's pleas to reach him before it was too late. It was humbling to sit in his business office and talk. He declared himself to be an agnostic, and I didn't want him to receive Jesus unless it was really from his heart. Elegant women came in to buy rugs and flirt with him, so I would think to myself, They must think I'm here to do the same. I put up my shield by presenting him to my husband, who sort of took over his feeding, but never got as deep as he acted very differently with another man.
I learned that we can't stop letting the Lord use us to love from the heart, because of our pride or what people will think. I backed out with Farshad. The last time I saw him in this life, he was so vulnerable and ready for anything, but I was afraid of yielding to feelings that urged me to fight for someone's soul. I learned a big lesson of not letting my pride get in the way. I pray I will be able to make up for what was lost in the next world, and that my prayers for him now can help him find his place with Jesus.
By Joanna Newheart, Greece
Rebecca is a Christian friend of mine. I've begun explaining to her our sexual beliefs and practices and the Law of Love via mail, and she's been taking it all in. The Lord told me in the beginning to go slow with her according to the vacuum she'd create, to follow His lead in her life and answer the questions she has. So for the past year, I've been doing that, answering her questions as thoroughly as I could. So far it seems to be bearing good fruit, as she always mentions how much she appreciates my letters and counsel.
Recently, besides the regular personal letters, occasional FARs, and music CDs I send her, I started sending her more solid follow-up material, such as an edited version of the DFO version of the menopause prophecies (which she just flipped over!), and printed out sections from the Basic MOP, and healing excerpts, since she'd just been through a big operation.
She's also been fighting a lot of personal battles with fear and worry, feeling muddled and confused and that she can't hear from the Lord anymore. So the Lord showed me to start picking up the pace a bit by sending her more appropriate DFO pubs so she can start feeding more directly from the Words of David herself without me having to pre-digest everything for her first via my personal letters. It's getting exciting!
By Hannah, Love, Mark, and Tim, Taiwan
The club members who've known us for the longest time attended a four-day retreat at a beach resort area of Taiwan. It was quite a success, as the Spirit fell on them like never before and helped deepen their walk with the Lord. The high point was a beautiful Loving Jesus time together, where after several Loving Jesus songs, everyone took turns saying something spontaneous to Jesus as their Husband. This was a first for most of them, and as they took turns talking to their best Friend in the soft light, the Spirit touched everyone's hearts and the tears began to fall.
For the remainder of the retreat, they were melted together in His love. Everyone began helping each other in little ways and thinking more of their brothers and sisters. The witnessing, too, was like a chain reaction; the Spirit lit up lives along the way.
Three of the club members have regular Bible classes in our Home. So a few days later, to give them a follow-up class to the Loving Jesus experience that they'd had at the retreat, we read portions of "Thy Maker Is Thy Husband" (a DFO pub of Bible verses and MO quotes about loving Jesus as His bride). After some moving songs, we each chose a praise kiss to read out loud. They had never seen or heard anything like that, and they were so thrilled to be able to put into words their intimate love for our Lord. Even though they don't know English very well and the praise kisses were in English, they didn't want to forget those beautiful words to Jesus, and each of them immediately copied out both the front and back of the praise kiss that they held. To them it was an honor and privilege to be able to express those things to the Lord.
We closed with Mama's prayer at the end of the DFO pub, and it was another memorable time for them, learning how a bride speaks and acts towards her loving Husband. It began to hit them how real a relationship Jesus wants with each of them every day.
Later that evening we remembered that it was Chinese Lover's Day, the local equivalent of Valentine's Day, and we thought that was significant for these sweet new brides who are learning to draw closer to their Lover of all lovers.
By Abigail (of Jonathan), India
We had been planning a retreat for our close friends whom we've known for some time, as we felt that a concentrated time would help pull them in closer to the Lord, His Word, and the Family.
I asked about the possibility of holding a retreat for some of our older friends at one of the Homes. When we called our friends, only one Sikh couple confirmed that they could come. The husband of the other couple was in Mumbai and his wife was attending to a sick 92-year-old aunt in Chennai. She really wanted to come but was battling about her aunt. The third lady, who is a doctor, was swaying back and forth and communicating with her husband about the retreat. (Her husband claims to be an atheist, but received the Lord with me and then asked for the prayer to be written down for him, ha!)
The day was approaching and we had only two adults and their two children confirmed. I felt that the Enemy was fighting it tooth and nail, and I had to have desperate vigils myself. I was so thankful for precious Jesus honoring my faith, as in the end all the people came, a total of six.
The topics covered during the two days were "Ask Me Everything," the Endtime video, and the spirits that fight against us. It was very inspiring to see their hunger for the truth. As they put it, "We were searching for the truth and you showed us the way." This crowd was very interactive during the meeting and it was good to see how the Lord engineered a way to address topics that were on their mind.
One of the topics that came up was "idols and other religions." We did our best to explain this, but the Lord used one of our old-time COL attendees who used to be a Hindu but is now a professing Christian to talk more about this subject. After the discussion our Parsi friend said that she took time to hear from the Lord about the idols in her house, and got that when she moves into her house she should forsake them all.
They also got to partake of the Family sample, which impressed them a lot. The attendees were on the dish schedule, organized prayer and praise, etc., and put their whole heart into it. They also did an impromptu skit in appreciation of the hosting team.
Though it was a battle to begin with, the Lord and the keys won the complete victory. On our last meeting these dear ones committed to meeting every Thursday from 5:30-7:30 pm for a class as well as coming to the Sunday COL, so they can be a strength to the other newcomers. The following morning each one of the attendees called me to thank us for the beautiful time they had.
Following are a few reactions from the retreat:
This retreat was like recharging my battery and putting new life into me. The topics covered in the classes were exactly what I needed.
The place chosen for the retreat was a heavenly, beautiful, peaceful, loving home away from home, where I felt I could relax and live happily without any inhibitions, phone calls, no friends to gossip with or about. I must say that the Family there excelled in their hospitality, warmth, and affection. It was a beautiful time of getting delivered and committing ourselves to serve the Lord more. It was like purging ourselves, unburdening our weaknesses on the Lord's broad shoulders and coming out with His strength—rejuvenated!
I wasn't sure what to expect, especially after knowing my husband was not too keen on me taking this trip with my kids. But it was good to hear straight from Jesus on what to do. Getting His go-ahead boosted my faith and gave me the peace that passes all understanding. I was in for the surprise of my life when I arrived. The place was heavenly with beautiful souls. I had such a relaxing and fulfilling time there. The cloud that had been hanging over me cleared and I feel great. I have come back with a contented smile on my face. My kids have totally changed. They are so prayerful and thankful. They have realized the value of obedience. Life with all its ups and downs is looking beautiful and promising. I have no words to express my gratitude to you all. I am especially thankful to the Lord for choosing me.
By Joanna, Japan
I met Keiko eight years ago. She received the Lord and at times she was exceptionally receptive and favorable toward the Family. However, it has always been a fight to keep her in the Word and teach her about having a close connection with Jesus. It usually takes difficult times for her to open up to the Lord, and over the past few years the Lord has allowed many things to happen in her life, which He's used to draw her closer. Often when the difficulty was over she'd go back to doing things in her own strength and trying to work out everything in her mind.
When we held the first official Active members' meeting in our area, the Lord impressed on me to invite Keiko; I was not sure why, but she was on my mind every day. As she lives some distance away, I had a hard time visiting her, so I asked another Family sister to try and get her to come. Keiko hardly ever travels further than her local area, but the day of the meeting she said she'd attend.
After the meeting and the class on the "Conviction versus Compromise" series, she left stunned. After she got home she wrote me and asked, "Joanna, do you use the keys?" Here is part of another recent letter to me:
Hi Joanna!
After that meeting I've been able to see Etoile, Mike, Maria, and Stephen many times. I don't know how to thank you! I was blind when it came to Jesus, and I was so foolish and childish. You have been there and showed me the way to live and to pray for me without any force. Thank you, Joanna. Now that I've gotten to know about the power of the keys at the meeting my life is totally changed. I feel so happy and at ease. I thank God that He is there [to ask about] any matter and any problem. I am a newborn baby.
I want to know more about my Father, my Brother, and my Friend, Jesus. I've started to read the Treasures. Maria made me a special key ring of key quotes. Every word comes to my mind so straight, and it sure works. Even though you are far from me, I always remember you and I know you too. It makes me really happy. Thank you, Joanna. Thank You, Jesus. Take care. I miss you.
Love, Keiko
I had given her a Treasures so long ago, but the Enemy would always make her procrastinate, and prevent her from getting fed from the Word. When I went to visit her after she wrote me the above e-mail, her spirit was so different. It was the first time I had ever seen her with real peace; in fact, complete peace has always been her greatest desire. Even though she's been faced recently with a few negative situations, she's at peace, and was so positive.
In her bathroom she had a beautiful prayer written to Jesus, and you could see that she had gotten intimate with the Lord. I was so happy. After all the years of feeding her, praying for her, it was just amazing to finally see it all click. She continually talked about how she had been using the keys and how they work. The meetings freed her from the things that were fighting her getting in the Word and yielding to the Lord, and the power of the keys helped her make these changes.
By Dust, Romania
I am not the most spiritually attuned channel. Sometimes I receive things very clearly and other times I don't get anything at all. So I hope this testimony will be an encouragement for others who are still honing their gift of prophecy. Recently, I was on an extended road trip in another country. One morning I had an appointment to see a businessman friend, Louis, who I had not seen or spoken with for a year. Louis had received Jesus a few years ago, in answer to our prayers. He has no local fellowship, so the only feeding he gets is what we send him in the mail. Our rare personal visits are very important for his spiritual growth.
Before going to meet Louis, I asked the Lord for counsel about the visit. Jesus told me, "He needs to be reassured of My love for him. He does not feel worthy of My love and is haunted by his past mistakes. Your message to him should be of My unconditional love and forgiveness. Show him the story of the woman who washed My feet with her tears." I didn't remember exactly where that story was in the Gospels, so I looked it up.
After we had spoken for a little while, Louis told me that he had been having a lot of trouble praying. "I just don't feel worthy of Jesus' love," he said. "When I want to pray, bad thoughts come to me. I have done so many bad things. ..." I was so thankful for the insightful words the Lord had given me about this, and amazed to hear Louis repeat them almost verbatim! We looked at the aforementioned story, and it was a key for Louis. We studied a number of other passages as well, which built on and amplified the theme of Jesus' wonderful, unconditional love. But if I hadn't gotten that specific instruction from the Lord before the visit, I probably would not have tried to find that particular story in the Gospel of Luke and might have missed the key to victory for our friend.
By Robin, Uganda
When praying for our dear brethren in northern Uganda and Eastern Congo, out of the blue the Lord spoke to me, saying, "The good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep." I told my co-workers of this burden the Lord was suddenly laying on my heart, and over the next few days, Josh and I sought the Lord about it.
Several of the buses going up that direction had been shot at, and in one case, 22 people were killed. Trucks had been shelled, and the frequency with which the rebels hit the transport had been increasing. We just couldn't deny, though, that if we're in the center of the Lord's will, there's no safer place to be.
The road we traveled has to be seen to be believed! We saw at least 12 semi-trailer trucks turned over on their sides due to the huge holes in the road. It had been raining and the roads were slushy clay, with steep embankments that had to be climbed at times to pass trucks that had been stuck for hours or even days. We saw a couple of totally shelled trucks, burned right on the road.
At one point we stopped and hopped out of the bus because there was a long line of trucks stopped ahead of us. Two trucks had become bogged down in mud, making it impossible for any of the buses or other trucks to pass. We didn't relish staying the night in territory where rebels frequently raid and ambush vehicles, so together we claimed the power of the keys and set forth to see what we (the Lord!) could do. As it happened, there was a big crowd of guys sitting and standing around watching. Life is a spectator sport in these parts of the world!
Josh spied a shovel and started to go to work digging the back axle free from the main truck that was blocking the way. I gathered several stacks of bamboo to push in front of the wheels so that they'd have traction instead of spinning in the mud. At the same time, they doubled the steel cable they were using to pull the truck out. People were cheering Josh's efforts of digging (we being the only whites out of hundreds of people), and after only half an hour or so, the truck was free! We were so very grateful for that answer to prayer!
When we arrived in Paidha, we were happily met by the wonderful team there. Each morning Amina (Jakisa's wife), would go down to the fresh water spring at the bottom of the creek, and carry a 20-liter container back up the hill on her head (several times) to ensure that everyone had water for bathing. They always make enough food so that whoever pops by is welcomed and made to feel a part of the family.
The Lord really knew what He was doing when He chose Jakisa. He's an extremely gifted man linguistically. He did running translations in Congolese, Swahili, French, English, Tanzanian Swahili, Alur, and Lingala, and he didn't skip a beat!
We had classes every morning and afternoon for a couple of hours each, although they'd often want to go overtime. We wanted to spend time shepherding as well, taking one-on-one time with different ones, as they have been such troopers.
Kudu—a man who had seen atrocities no human should ever have to witness—felt so bad that he'd come to safety when there were still many loved ones in the midst of danger. He cried his heart out the first night when asking for prayer. From that point on, though, he was so eager in every class to grasp every Word the Lord had for him. He didn't miss a point as he wrote it all down (in French), ready to pass on everything he was learning to his flock when he returned to Congo.
By the end of our time there, Kudu said he was so very grateful that the Lord had brought him to Uganda in order to partake of the classes, as it answered so many questions and strengthened his faith a great deal. He had such a light in his eyes and renewed joy. Several others who had lost loved ones or didn't know if they were dead or alive testified in similar ways. They are determined, as soon as the road opens up and it's safe enough to go back into Congo, to go to feed and care for any and all they find. In the meantime, they are studying the Word, and they flipped out when they heard the news that someone donated a set of Get Activated books for each of them.
It was amazing to see Margaret, who didn't speak much English at all when the first team went a year ago, now speaking English comfortably, due to the daily devotions they've had from the Treasures and other English pubs!
We had three pastors who walked 15km across the border in Congo to our classes, and would then walk the distance back that same day, for several days in a row. They didn't want to miss the Word! How's that for hungry sheep? They all took detailed notes (in whichever language they best used out of the five that were flowing throughout each class), so they could turn around and teach the same classes to all they are responsible for or will meet in the future.
This experience was a life-changer for me. I've been with many wonderful, hungry sheep over the years, in many countries, but the depth of understanding and hunger these dear ones had was quite profound. I can't wait to go back again!
By Philip (of Maria), Japan
Marisa has been faithfully attending our weekly Bible class for almost nine months, and has also brought two more people along with her. One of them is her boyfriend, who only attended the class three times. The other person is her close friend whom she grew up with. She attended every week for about four to five months and then she got busy with other things, so she stopped coming. However, Marisa has stood strong all this time, learning and growing.
Recently, I was asking the Lord to give us some ideas to challenge her in order for her to grow more in Him. The Lord showed me to go out and to take Richard (7) and Stella (5) with me. He told us to do some tracting downtown where we haven't gone for quite sometime, because He wanted to send someone there who He wanted us to meet.
When we got there it was windy and cold, and within minutes it started sprinkling. We didn't want to miss the mark, but at the same time I couldn't keep the kids out in that cold weather. So the three of us prayed and asked the Lord to please send us the sheep now, as the next person would be the last person we'd talk to before heading home. Right after the prayer we saw a young man passing by, so Richard quickly gave him a tract. Bingo! It was him. He received Jesus with Richard right there on the spot and helped us with a donation. He had many questions about life, religions, and gods. He showed interest in Jesus and the Bible, so we talked together for the next one and half hours. He lives two hours away by car, and he only comes to our town once every three or four months. He gave us his address and wants to know more about Christianity and would like to visit us next time he comes to our town.
I told Marisa all about how the Lord led us to meet him and asked her if she wanted to start feeding him through the mail. She was excited about it and very willing to do so. It was the answer to our prayers. In order for her to start feeding this sheep, she has to take regular Word time and feed herself more often even when she is alone, and counsel and work together with us more than before. She is learning to pray for each sheep that she has been entrusted to care for, learning to hear from the Lord and have more faith that He can use her in many ways to help others in need. She took the responsibility seriously, and we had good prayer together for the Lord's anointing upon her.
By Maria, Colombia
The phone rang. I answered it and heard the characteristic sound of a long-distance call.
"Hello, Maria! I'm Gonzalo calling from Sweden! Do you remember me?"
It took a few seconds for me to recall his name and voice. Yes! I did remember Gonzalo! About a year ago I had made an unexpected trip to Spain to visit my dad who was very ill and had undergone emergency surgery. Because my relatives had to book my trip on very short notice, the only airline with seats available for me to travel on was Lufthansa. That meant I had to go all the way to Germany from Colombia and then fly down to Madrid. I traveled with one of my daughters, Irene (18), as we wanted to use the trip as a witnessing opportunity. We were packed with tracts and Conéctate magazines.
Our trip to Spain and the time we spent with our relatives and friends went quite well. But on the trip back to our Home in Colombia we found ourselves flying through a blizzard, and our plane had to wait before landing at Frankfurt Airport for our mid-trip stopover. Then, lo and behold, when we had at last landed, we found out that our plane to Colombia had already left! There were numerous delayed flights due to the bad weather and hundreds of people in our same predicament.
Irene and I took some time to pray and hear from the Lord, as it looked like a golden opportunity to witness and redeem the time. Our next flight was then confirmed for the next day, so we had about 24 hours to stay there.
We started to walk around and witness, especially to the many Latins who were feeling lost, not knowing how to communicate in English, much less German. One distinguished-looking man, who had been watching us as we helped the ones who needed translators, approached us and started to talk to us. This was Gonzalo. He was Colombian, but had lived most of his life in Europe working for a company there. We started to witness to him, prayed with him to receive Jesus, and ended up sharing a lot of things with him as he went on the same flight with us to Colombia the next day. We exchanged addresses and promised to keep in touch.
Even though he travels a lot he has been faithful to drop us a few lines here and there, always asking us to pray for him. We've been ministering to him by e-mail as he is hardly ever in one place. He regularly visits the Family Web site as well.
This time Gonzalo was calling to tell me that since he met us in the airport he has been witnessing a lot, telling people about Jesus and making copies of all the messages I've been sending him. In one business meeting he came across a woman who started to share her heart with him. He tried to help her by talking to her about the spiritual realm, but it seemed that she was quite skeptical. So he was calling me to ask for help in witnessing to her and also because she happened to live in the same city that we do, so he wanted us to follow up on her.
He told her, "I'm quite new in the way of following Jesus and His example, so I'm not really the one to help you out in this very delicate personal matter you've told me about. But I'm going to introduce you to some people who are going to give you the water that will really quench your thirst for truth and love." God bless dear Gonzalo as he keeps sowing little seeds of love and kindness around the world.
By Phillip and Carrie, China
This month has been a phenomenal month for souls, nothing of our own doing at all. Most of them were won by one of our faithful sheep, Arthur, who comes over for Bible studies once a week.
Initially, he didn't realize how important it was to pray with people to receive the Lord as soon as possible. We shared the story of the Great Chicago fire ("Mark 16:15," para.158, GT 2). From then on he went on the attack, and he made it a point to pray with as many people as he could, especially when he had to travel out of town for his work. Most of the time he would never meet the same people again, so now whenever he is away he witnesses up a storm. He photocopies the tracts we give him and distributes as many as he can. On his last trip, he was away for only five days and led 16 souls to the Lord. Now, whenever he goes away he makes sure he has loads of tracts with him.
By Vessel, Mexico
Our prayer meeting on Thursday evenings came about because a friend, Rosario, who is totally sold on the Activated materials, asked me to meet her at a restaurant so she could introduce me to one of her Christian friends, Mely. We hit it off well, and towards the end of the evening Rosario asked what I thought about having a prayer meeting with them once a week in the evenings. I agreed, and we decided on having the meeting at Mely's house, which is centrally located. The first meeting, only Mely and her daughter were there, besides a couple of us from the Home. We read "The Operator" from Mountain Streams.
The next meeting we were unable to attend, but there were eight people present! The last meeting we had, we expected even more people to come, some of which Rosario said would need to be witnessed to about salvation! Well, it turned out that only four people attended, all of whom have been Christians for seven years or more. So we changed the topic of our class. We'd originally planned to study about prayer, but instead we read the first chapter from Hearing from Heaven, about how they could personally hear from the Lord. We also read from Conéctate #11, on the 10 steps to receiving prophecies, and then we presented them with the challenge of hearing from the Lord right there. A couple of them were still a little unsure about it, but we reassured them that even receiving a simple verse was a way to hear from the Lord, and if they didn't have the faith to give it out loud, then they could just share it afterwards. Everyone participated except for one older man, and they all seemed to be happy with their participation, however small, and were inspired to keep practicing during the week.
At the end of our prophecy session, when one of the women was giving some verses she'd received, I had a vision of a Roman-style building, with four pillars in the front. When I asked the Lord what this meant, each of the pillars turned into one of the people present for the prayer meeting. He told me: "Each of these people present is going to be a pillar in My work here. You are helping to build this work by pouring into and training each of them to be the leaders of My work that I need them to be." Wow! He also told me to not share this with them just yet, but to keep giving them more Word so that they would have the faith to believe it. The exception to this is Rosario, who the Lord said is a labor leader already, and after a year of classes with her, He said she would be inspired to hear this, and it would encourage her to get more involved with the work.
We are encouraged about this approach to feeding our sheep, as it's been difficult to get them to commit to a three-month course, such as the 12 Foundation Stones. Giving classes in their businesses and homes seems to be working better for them, as most are business people who have little time for outside activities. But if we go to their business or home when it's convenient for them, we are able to feed them, and those they invite.
By Paul Obey, Nigeria
Walter and Yvonne, a Swiss couple whom we met six years ago, called us up and asked if they could spend a two-week vacation with us here in Nigeria in our Home. After praying, the Lord showed us that we should invite them. We'd seen them right before leaving for Africa, and have been in contact with them through the mail, and also visited them on a few trips to Europe. They've been a blessing through the years, have given us one of their cars, and Yvonne had worked it out for her church to give a donation of close to US$2,000 the last time we visited Switzerland.
We never got very deep with them concerning our origins, but during their vacation visit with us in Nigeria, I spent one evening talking with them about the Family and giving them a complete picture of our history, from beginning to end. We explained about the heavy meat of the Word, about persecution, about various things we have been accused of, etc., and they took it amazingly well.
Having had a chance to see us operate as a family (we even teamed up with them to do provisioning), they were totally overwhelmed in general. I spent quite a bit of personal time with Walter, who is a social worker and has training in psychiatry as well, and he was extremely receptive. He definitely has a personal relationship with Jesus, and we encouraged him to use his talents to draw more people to the Lord. During all our discussions, he learned to see things with the eyes of the spirit, and he was very thankful for it. Even though there was hardly anything worth seeing here as far as tourism goes, they mentioned that the most important thing had been the time they were able to spend with us, and that it had brought a change for the better for them. We had inspirations, devotions, and lots more with them, all in French as they don't speak English. They gave us a good donation upon leaving and invited us to stay with them if we ever visit Europe with our whole family (nine of us).
Knowing that our friends know all about us and still like us no matter what is such a wonderful feeling. It lifts the relationship up to a much higher level when you are able to share the strong meat of the Word; it makes you different and set apart and they start looking at you with awe and wonder, as they see the spirit of David in full force. Through our open approach, we are able to feed them much more deeply now, and they are opening up much more to us as well.
By Daniel, Indonesia
Over the past few months we have gone over the Family origins with four of our close friends, and it has been very exciting and quite a challenge. In each case we had to jump into the deep end by faith and take the plunge. As a Home, we talked and prayed about each one and were all in agreement that this was the next step, but it still took going on the attack to step out by faith and do it. We had to claim the land as far as the opportunity and the timing, because it just wasn't happening on its own. We were very encouraged with the response in each case, as it didn't seem to be that big of a deal with any of them.
We felt it best to use the Statement "Our Origins" in Indonesian to make sure everything was clear, and give a good explanation of our history. We also filled them in on our past persecution in this country, as all of them had heard about us. We found that putting all our cards on the table about this made it much easier for them to understand why we don't tell this to everyone.
Once we took this step, we were then able to get into a much deeper feeding and start introducing our more radical doctrines. After being more open with these sheep in this respect the Enemy was noticeably more on the attack, and they were getting hit with many battles and difficulties in their personal lives. This has thrust us into a more active role as their shepherds and prayer warriors because of the battle to get these more grounded in the Word to help strengthen their faith and understanding.
The Lord told us the first step, as a Home, was to pray and seek Him about who we should concentrate on first, and then take one person at a time. This way we could all be praying for the person and those ministering to them, even having prayer vigil during the appointment. We had specific prophecies to stand on, and we would have regular prayer for our sheep that the Lord would continue to work in their lives so that they could make progress. Then we had to claim some personal time to talk to them. This in itself was a battle because something always seemed to come up. Then there is the follow-up and continuing to stay in contact to answer any questions and help walk them through any difficulties.
The ones we targeted first with the meat were friends we had known for a while and who had become fairly close to us. This made it easier because they had seen the fruit in our lives, and we had a personal connection with them. This eliminated a lot of questions and defused any fear of the unknown.
By Francesca (of Elia), Central Asia
We recently moved to a new location and wanted to get back into having classes for our Active members, while still maintaining a good level of security. This is not so easy since we live in a very small apartment, with neighbors constantly watching who comes and goes. The Lord arranged things in such a way that we were able to meet some of our sheep almost every day.
We'd prepared classes on subjects like witnessing and communion with God, but when our sheep came, they wanted to know about our views on sex and relationships, marriage, and children. This led us to being more open about who we are, as well as explaining more about our radical beliefs and the things that make us different from mainstream Christianity. It was liberating to be able to talk more freely with them, and also made our sheep feel more comfortable about asking questions on subjects that are rather taboo for other Christians.
By Dawn, China
Our closest sheep, Steffi, was introduced to the "bigger picture" of the Family and us and more on the Law of Love and even FFing. She loved it all and was so thankful to be trusted to be a part in a more intimate way.
She had a Christmas party in her home for her family, her ex-husband, and some other sheep she's been witnessing to, and she asked us to help her with it. It went so well and two of her sheep got saved. Her ex was so full of questions, and everyone was in a big circle to hear the answers. It was so rewarding to us to see what an effect our witnessing to her is having on this wider circle of influence that we ourselves could never really reach, as they don't speak any English.
By Faithy, Brazil
I'm a little nobody teacher who hardly gets involved with outreach, as I spend most of my time taking care of my little flock at home. However, someone casually suggested that I go along to give a flannelgraph for a Daniel 2 class. I've taught that class many times to kids, so it's one I know well. "These are business people," some said. "They're expecting something a little more ... up to their level!"
Well, I set out with the support of another childcare-minded witness, and told them I had the faith for the class, but everyone would have to brace themselves for the results. What were the results, you may ask. For starters, you should've seen the face of one of our 70-year-old friends when he heard we were coming to give him a cool history class on fulfilled Bible prophecies through a visual aid called flannelgraphs. His face lit up and he immediately said: "I can't benefit from this awesome class all by myself. You have to keep it for next time when I can gather more people to also participate!"
After that initial boost, and a few surprised souls back at home, we decided to keep it up. We then took the flannelgraph class to another one of our kings, who is a recent convert, and is interested in knowing more about the Bible. I set off again, with my Bible knowledge for kids to be the personal Bible teacher to this influential businessman. I armed myself with an Activity Book, Heavenly Helpers, Junior Lifelines, and other books. The first class we covered with him was about the two main divisions of the Bible, how many books there are in the Bible, how the Old Testament and New Testament books are divided, etc. His next class I just couldn't pass up: Daniel 2! I used my flannelgraph set, of course, and he flipped out over it, and even bragged about it to his friends.
As Dad said, "If you can teach kids, you can teach anybody!" So even if you may not normally be seen as a potential outreacher because your job is that of teaching kids, don't give up! Go for it! We've got the tools and the simplicity!—Even flannelgraphs for grown-ups!
By Dove Newman, India
We made a trip to Nagerkoil, a town at the tip of India, and it was very inspiring as the Lord led us step by step. The Lord led us to take our two little ones, Kevin (3) and Nirmal (2). Though we had to slow down for the sake of our little witnesses, we were able to spend time following up and more deeply feeding our friends in this place. We stayed with some long-time friends, Joseph and Mary, and took a lot of time being a sample to them, helping on the home front, decorating the place for the holiday, and showing them lots of love.
It was a fruitful time as our little shiner witnesses sang to people, recited their poems, and most of all showed a lot of love to everybody they met. Joseph was also so touched as he noticed a difference in our outreach. He commented how when we had stayed with him on our previous road trips, we used to rush out the door in the morning and only come back late in the night and then try to fellowship with him. But this time we spent a lot more time with him and his wife and went out for just a few hours during the day. The Lord blessed our time out and made it very inspiring for us and our little witnesses.
By Becky, India
Initially our Home was of the mindset of the children being somewhat of a handicap to our witnessing, as we needed to push so much on getting our outreach teams going with Activated and tool distribution to raise our support. It was not made any easier when we were confronted by the danger and dirt that naturally make our field here a less child-friendly witnessing environment. Instead, our children and the childcare personnel tended to be kept more at home, do their school, etc. At times the children even became quite bored and frustrated and unhappy with this role, and as time went on unfortunately the children and their needs seemed to take a back seat to just about all other more urgent needs and "pushes."
Finally at the beginning of Diwali, the four-day Festival of Lights here in India, the children and I prayed desperately together to ask the Lord how He wanted us to use this four-day break from school to do projects or some kind of witnessing. When we looked at what He'd given us all unitedly, He was directing us to make an effort to meet and introduce ourselves to our neighbors and then follow the Lord step by step in each person's case and see what He would do to bring good fruit.
So that day we set out after confirming it was okay with the rest of the Home. As we went, the kids would pray again to see which neighbors we should visit. The Lord did not fail them, and looking back over the past six months since this initial little step of faith together, we can only glorify the Lord when we see so much good fruit borne from this.
Firstly, He led us to several families that got saved, one of which is now activated and has regular weekly classes with us. Their older teenage son and daughter are also very potential and attend the weekly citywide youth meeting. Another young and extended family is asking for more follow-up and loves our tools for their young daughter.
Even more exciting is that through one house of three young Palestinian students who we had met and who live across the road, the Lord has been opening up a new and exciting ministry of working with people from the Middle East. We've been meeting many more of their friends, and this had led us to even more young and hungry folks we have been talking to. We've become close friends with many of them, have started having weekly classes and other activities together, reading Motivated and Activated with them, and taking time to pray with them. It's been very exciting!
All of this started with getting our kids more involved in our outreach, and we've continued to include them in our witnessing, and they've become an integral part of our work. In fact, many of our friends comment how close they feel to the Family and all our children, as they miss their own families so much.
In another little instruction time of listening to the Lord and asking Him what to do next with our friends, the kids got the story of Great-grandmother and the 2,000 Chinese converts. Through this the Lord was telling us to learn Arabic to be able to communicate better with our friends. Since then some of us have been learning Arabic, and this really touches hearts to see how much of an effort we are making to reach them. From this the Lord has shown us to learn to sing Arabic songs along with our English and Hindi ones, and the children are going for this as a next step. Already the Lord has opened a door for them to sing their Arabic and other songs for a college in the near future.
The inspiration of being an integral part in helping to reach the sheep has been a huge inspiration boost to the children and also to the rest of us adults. The children have gotten so involved with these precious people and are getting really close to them. Our sheep meet the kids alongside us, and the kids are able to talk in depth and explain about their lives to our sheep.
Our children pray desperately and claim the keys for each one of our sheep. They get involved with praying for the specific details of their lives, praying with us about what we should read with the sheep that day. This has been thrilling on-the-job training for the children in learning how to personal witness and intercede in prayer.
It's been a time of learning for all of us, as this is quite a different culture and we haven't known what to say, so each and every step we have had to pray and ask the Lord about it and what to do. Since the kids are also very involved, it's helping them to grow by leaps and bounds in learning how to use the new weapons in their own lives, how to apply the Word we read, and how to really pray and intercede for people. The list of spiritual benefits from involving the children in witnessing and follow-up goes on and on!
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