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A Meeting Engineered in Heaven
About this same time, some Family members in California were on a witnessing road trip with their children. While staying at a campground, they met a professional fund-raiser named Pat, who was on holiday. Pat had been in Australia when the persecution hit there, and was well-acquainted with the sensational charges made against the Family. Seeing this chance encounter (or so he thought!) as an opportunity to determine if the Family was as evil as the media had portrayed us, Pat casually but systematically "interviewed" each of the Family children while he horsed around with them in the pool. To his amazement, he found them to be not just 'normal', but chock full of personality, fun, love, and a delight to be with!-This convinced him that the accusations against the Family were without merit. He also realized that Family members had a lot to offer society, and felt that he could help us do a better job of reaching the world by helping to raise funds which could be used to help missionaries.
Those who had first met Pat soon introduced him to some of us from the GPU. At each of our meetings, Pat raved about the kids he met at the campground. They were what convinced him to offer his help. 'A little child shall lead them!' (Isa.11:6). PTL!

The Threshold of a New Direction
After understanding our needs better, Pat's counsel was that we should set up a non-profit organization (charity or foundation), as opposed to a regular profit-making business, which was what we had been considering up to this point. It's important to understand that when the term 'non-profit organization' is used, it does not mean that such a legal entity cannot generate a financial profit from any business it may conduct or donations it receives. It definitely can! The main difference between a 'non-profit' and a regular business organization is that the profits produced by a non-profit organization cannot go into any individuals' pockets, but must be strictly accounted for and used to further the organization's publicly stated mission, which must be in the public interest. In brief, its income must be spent entirely on charitable purposes. This is why governments are willing to give such organizations a tax break-because non-profit organizations offer a service to the community and are a benefit to the community.
The more that Pat explained about nonprofit organizations, the clearer it became that our type of work made us eligible to qualify for tax exempt status, and such an approach would allow us to accomplish most of our major goals. By forming a registered non-profit organization, we could also engage in fund-raising on a larger scale than before, and thus be able to assist individual projects and organizations which minister the Lord's love and answers to this needy world. Plus, we could fulfill our objectives of publishing and mass marketing, while at the same time helping the needy in many spheres.
While those of us involved in setting up the non-profit organization would never have considered such a high-profile venture in the past, the Lord indicated clearly through prophecy that this was part of the 'new day,' and the time was right to take this bold step!

Confirmation and Encouragement from the Lord!
Later, we prayed and asked the Lord for His further guidance and confirmation on whether to proceed in the direction of a nonprofit organization:
(Jesus speaking:) I have raised this one [Pat] up, and I have engineered all that has passed before in meeting with him, in his contacts, in his life. I have engineered everything to this point.
I will bring all these things to pass that I have promised. This foundation, this work, will be the vehicle to begin. This point in time is the time to begin this trip down the road of My will. Be not fearful, but believing-believing in Me, believing that I will do all the things that I have said. Move forward boldly and with faith. You have yielded unto Me and you have done those things that I have shown you and now I say to you, do this thing. Do it wisely, do it prayerfully, but do it, for the time is at hand.
Be not afraid of the intricacies involved. Be not afraid of the details that shall follow. Be not afraid of the web that you will begin to weave, for all these things are in My hand. I have purposed them, and the intents of such are for your good and for the good of the work and for the good of the kingdom. I will weave this thing and I will use this one whom I have raised up to help you in the design and the weaving. I shall inspire him just as I will inspire you. (End of message from Jesus.)
(Dad speaking:) I'm really proud of you for your faith-your faith to tackle new things, your faith to follow God and your faith to move beyond many things that I didn't have faith for. It's not so much that I didn't have faith for it, it just wasn't God's time. But now it is, and I'm really happy that you do have faith to move forward, to take bold new steps.
I'm glad you're not bound by the past. You have the past there as an anchor, and you have all that I have taught you as a guidepost, but I'm glad to see that you're willing to let go in some ways and not let the guideposts be hitching posts. You go forward using my words and using the cautions and the wisdom that are contained therein, but you're willing to apply them to today and do what you have to do to follow the Lord.
So don't be afraid to take the steps you're taking. They are bold steps but they're within the Lord's will, and He's leading and we're leading. Keep listening, because as you listen we'll speak, and when we speak we'll tell you what's right and what's wrong, what to do and what you shouldn't do. And if you follow you'll be successful.
Don't worry about this man because I've checked him out. His motives are OK, and we Here have worked on him. We've worked in his life, and he is the one for now. You'll learn a lot of things from this man and it'll be a benefit, so don't worry. Just move forward and watch what happens, and then you'll know that you were doing the right thing. (End of message from Dad.)
Having received this encouragement from the Lord and Dad, several of us, working together with Pat, began the tedious, time consuming effort of working on the paperwork needed to set up a non-profit, tax-exempt Foundation. Every aspect of this new operation involved a myriad of legal and business details and considerations, most of which we were quite unfamiliar with! We spent months working on all of the details, including writing a "Mission Statement", which outlines the purpose and goals of the Foundation. This paperwork took almost three months to complete, at which time it was sent in to the IRS for approval. After incorporating in January 1997, in March the Foundation was approved by the IRS as a separate and independent tax-exempt, non-profit legal entity named "Family Care Foundation" (FCF). The decision-making body of the Family Care Foundation is its Board of Directors, of which Gary is president.

Family Care Foundation-How It Operates, Its Mission, Goals, and Operations
(From Larry, FCF executive director:) To explain what we're all about, in technical terms: Family Care Foundation is an independent, non-profit, 501(c)(3), human service agency and missionary support organization, whose activities consist of funding and conducting programs and projects across a broad spectrum of countries, needs, program areas, and organizations. FCF is legally incorporated in the State of California as a California Public Benefit Corporation, and has received tax exempt status from the IRS. This means that contributions to Family Care Foundation are tax deductible for the (American) donor, and that Family Care Foundation and all of the charitable projects conducted under the umbrella of FCF are exempt from a variety of U.S. Federal and State taxes.
Following is the Mission Statement of the Family Care Foundation. (See page 10.)

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Family Care Foundation

The Family Care Foundation is a private, non-profit, Christian-based, human service agency dedicated to serving the poor and needy, and strengthening communities, families and children.

Mission Statement
The mission of the Family Care Foundation is to implement a two-fold plan for the betterment of the community. This requires enhancing the quality of life for all members of the community, especially those who are poor, suffering, or are otherwise disadvantaged. It also calls for investing in today's children-the leaders of tomorrow-through knowledge and character-building education and guidance for them, their parents and their communities.

We provide counseling, guidance and humanitarian support to meet the emotional, spiritual and physical needs of people, as well as to empower individuals, parents and communities to create a stable, peaceful, secure environment in which children and families can flourish.

Our mission gives witness to our Christian beliefs and message of love and hope. We believe in:

* The love of God that calls us to serve
* Service to all in need regardless of race, religion or national origin
* The work of Christian missions worldwide, in their effort to provide Christian opportunities and education
* Excellence in service