The Family / Children of God

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Dear Friends,
       I want to thank you for everything you have done for me and my friends. These last several years I have been, very gently, guided by your invisible hand to our Heavenly Father. Because of you I have finally found the real me and the reason why I am here. Thank you for understanding my problems!

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       Hi! We are Gustavia (25) and Jules (35), a sister and brother living near Paris. After looking at your site we are interested to have contact with you. Maybe could we help you from France? We would like to know you more.
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Dear Family,
       My name is Michel. I am 26 years old and I just happened to come across your website. I was looking for some answers about why God takes famil y members. I recently lost the last of my family due to a car accident. I am utterly alone now. I have no family now. I guess I just can't understand why God works in the way He does. I must admit, I know little to nothing about God. I was raised without the church or any type of spirituality. It's been very hard to ignore the question of God now that I have suffered so much. Is He punishing me? I don't want to feel this fear anymore-like God is angry with me. I just don't know what to think any more. I feel lost and I have no one to talk to since my mother passed on. PLEASE write me back! I can't just sit here alone in my apartment forever being afraid of God.

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       How can I get prints of your awesome color posters? I would really love to have them for use as evangelism tools. Please write me back soon!!

MO site feedback

       Thanks for the site! We love it and all those who work so hard to put it together and keep it updated!

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       We're in a pioneer Home and often quite lone ly, but thanks to the MO site we feel closer to our bigger Family. It is a constant source of inspiration.

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       This new, updated MO site is fantastic! I access it almost daily, to check for news, read past or new testimonies, check for new pubs or download audio/artwork/photo files. I wanted to congratulate you on your terrific job.

new e-mail address: EURCRO Media Desk

       The EURCRO Media Desk has a new e-mail account!-If you're using PGP or CPY you can reach us at: eurmed@thefamilyeur ope.org
       Please remember to include your PGP or CPY key as well, and we'll be glad to exchange keys with you. However, if you are not using either of the two encryption programs, please use the info@thefamilyeurope.org e-mail address. Thank you!

post-its

Please pray for WS finances

Dear Family,
       We love you and appreciate you all so much! It's so wonderful to hear of the many miracles the Lord performs through you and the multitudes that are being reached with the Gospel.
       God bless all of you for so faithfully and willingly giving your tithes and offerings each and every month. We believe you are the most faithful group of Christians in the world in honoring the Lord and giving 10% of all that He gives to you. And we also believe it is one of the reasons He blesses our work for Him in so many ways! PTL!
       WS has been taking on more and more expenses over the past few years due to the Family's growth and diversification. The Lord has been blessing these new endeavors by the Family to reach out to those in need in new ways. The Activated desks and the printing and shipping of Activated materials, as well as new GP tools, have been a major expense for WS, as well as continuing to supply each Home with the multitude of GNs and other regular Family pubs. WS also continues to give one half of all that it receives to support a multitude of mission projects on the field.
       We have worked hard to keep from cutting budgets over the past years, but we have now reached expen ditures that are requiring us to ask all WS recipients to cut back 10% on their monthly budgets for the second month in a row now. We are reluctant to make these cuts and have even dipped into WS reserves to keep the budgets at 100%, but we are now unable to sustain that level of giving. We've had to ask all recipients to tighten their belts and look for ways to cut their expenses. Please pray for them as they operate on tighter budgets and depend on these funds to fulfill their obligations to y ou. Thank you.
       We know that you all tithe faithfully and give as much as you can in the way of special gifts to WS and others, but can we ask you also to fervently pray with us for the Lord to increase the Family's income through witnessing, inheritances, and other windfalls so that the tithe to WS will increase and you will be able to give more in the way of special gifts to WS to help offset the increased expenses we've incurred?
       Thank you for being the most dedicated and wonderful Family in the world. We are so proud to be part of you and able to service you from behind the scenes. Keep going for God and spreading His love to the hearts of many around the globe.

       Love in our wonderful Jesus,
       Your WS team

China web site online
By Sol, China Web team

Dear Family,
       I am happy to announce that The Family website in Chinese is online and waiting to be accessed. Actually, this is rather late as it has been up for close to a year now. You can access it at http://www.thefam ily-chinese.org. Remember this website is using the traditional Chinese (BIG5) character set, so you will have trouble viewing the site if you have not downloaded traditional Chinese language support for your web browser.
       If you have any Chinese relatives/friends that you would like to give the Word in their own language, feel free to give them the website address.
       The content is much the same as the Family's international GP site, along with locally produced pubs and testimonies. If you hav e any questions please contact me at sol01@attglobal.net. God bless!

e-mail query

To: rifey@chel.surnet.nu
Art@wsfamily.com received a file from you named “art25.12.00ws.doc.rar” on January 11th, 2001. However, we are unable to open this file, and haven't been able to contact you. Please resend your file as soon as possible, closing it in the new WSpubs PGP key. Thank you!

Reflections for Easter
By Chloe, for the Reflections team

       For Easter, the Lord gave us the idea of presenting the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus in a basic form with lots of illustrations on four Reflections pages, entitled “Easter and Jesus.” The idea is that this simple summary can be used with people who don't have a Christian background, for explaining what Easter is all about and what Jesus did for us then. Children may also enjoy these pages, and if you would like to print a color version, they are available in color on our Members Only website!
       For those from Christian backgroun ds but who may be skeptical or wondering about the resurrection, there are two Easter pages entitled “Case for the Resurrection.” In addition, the Lord asked us to do a follow-up to the Valentine's love pages, so we put together two more pages on love to help people see how they can reach out and do something for others, with His help. You should soon be receiving these eight pages via your NPC, or you can find them on the MO site to download.
       Thanks for your prayers which make Reflections-and all our pubs-possible.

ads

Quotes on Prayer, Passion, and Witnessing
       “If you are strangers to prayer you are strangers to power.”-Billy Sunday
       “God loves with a great love the man whose heart is bursting with a passion for the IMPOSSIBLE.”-William Booth
       “Live near to God, and so all things will appear to you little in comparison with eternal realities.”-Robert Murray M'Cheyne
       “The Christian on his knees sees more than the philosopher on tiptoes.”-D. L. Moody
       “No one is a firmer believer in the power of prayer than the Devil; not that he practices it, but he suffers from it.”-Guy H. King
       “A man who is intimate with God will never be intimidated by men.”-Leonard Ravenhill
       Check out the complete collection of quotes, now posted on the MO site!

       They saw an African man tying his shoe on an obscure street corner in the middle of bustling Istanbul, a city boasting well over 8 million people. Find out how the imposing man with three tribal scars on each cheek tracked d own Samantha and her friend a week later, and what he wanted from them in … “Ladies' Room and an Activated Mag,” in Free Zine #53.

backtracking

       [Text inside thought bubble of “thekeytohappiness.jpg.”]

       My creator wasn't credited for this picture of me in Blade 16, so I just wanna say: Thanks Kitty!

[Note outside thought bubble]
       Thank you, Kitty, for that great Blade picture, and please forgive us for forgetting to include an art credit. Love, your Blade editor

       You also might b e wondering who did the little “Where's My Life Going” series of pix in Blade 16 … thanks, Evye, for praying that down, and for all the energy you devote to overseeing the production of Blade art. Love, your Blade editor

happenings

New Lukthoong Albums Launched
By Silas, Thailand
       The press conference to launch Christy's lukthoong album Christy Der Ka Der was held at the National Theater on February 20th, 2001. Jonas also sang several songs, co-launching his second album, Rong Ooo Laeng Wau (which basically means “sing and speak,” in the four regional dialects).

“What were you doing for those three days?”
By Beth (SGA, VS), India
       Reading the Letters “Nothing Is Impossible” and “Rise Above” gave me the chills. I think we could all feel something special in the spirit as we claimed the increased gift of faith.
       My carnal and “normal” way of thinking is quite down to earth and logical. It's hard for me to have great faith many times, but I can honestly say that since the Fe ast, as I have tried in little ways to step out and exercise my faith, the Lord has come through every time.
       I really pleaded with the Lord for a sign to encourage my faith that something special had indeed happened, and then I basically left it up to Him and didn't think about it again until a few days after the Feast. I went to give a friend a class and as I walked in the door of her house she exclaimed, “Something about you has really changed! There's this glow and light about you! What wer e you all doing for those three days?” Well, I was convinced, even though I still looked the same to me and probably to most people around me, it was a wonderful opportunity to share with her about the messages the Lord had given us for this year.
       In fact, we have been sharing excerpts of the Feast Letters by word of mouth with some of our close friends, and it has moved them and challenged them, and they feel so entrusted to know what we were reading and partaking of during our Feast days. Th ey are most definitely principles that our sheep can also learn from as well!

The Lord's Spirit through Lukthoong
By Silas, Thailand
       About a month back, some reporters from Swedish TV Channel 4 traveled upcountry with Jonas and the singing team one on their tours. They were conducting some interviews with the locals there, and when they asked someone why the Thai people loved Jonas so much, this person replied, “Because his soul is pure and his heart is clean.” One of the VSs told us that one of their friends who came to the press conference said, “You know, I saw the movie Ben-Hur and when I saw Jonas and the dancers performing, I saw that same spirit in them that I saw in the movie.”-This was only from seeing the singing team either on stage or on TV.
       The Lord has told us many times that even though we can't sing about Him on stage or proclaim His message very directly, His Spirit bears witness even through something like lukthoong music. People can tell that there is somethi ng different about us-they can feel the Lord's Spirit and light and love coming through. This was a very encouraging manifestation, especially to Jonas and Christy and the dancers, of what the Lord has told us about this ministry and boosted our faith and desire to do all we can to win the lost to Him, TYJ!

Family songs filmed for nationwide broadcast
By Silas, Thailand
       The director of an important local television channel came over to the Home for dinner at Christmas. (He is a longtime fr iend of the Family). Jonas, Christy and Angelina were able to sing a few Family songs for him, like “Peace,” “Yod Kao,” and “Reach for the Sky.” He especially like the song “Yod Kao,” a witnessing song about climbing mountains (overcoming obstacles) written in Thai by Michael Piano. He right away offered for the singing team to come to record these songs for broadcasting. So just a few days ago, they filmed the singing team performing “Turn Around,” “Peace,” “Reach for the Sky,” and several othe r Family songs. The filming took the better part of the day and the director, our friend, was there for pretty much the whole time, overseeing and directing the film and production crew. Please pray that the Lord will use these songs as a witness to this country. They're some of the more meaningful songs that the Family has produced in Thai and could have a tremendous positive impact on the work here.

CLE and CVC ordering from TEAM Foundation
By Phil, at TEAM Foundation

Dear Family,
       Gre etings and God bless you! There have been some changes with the CLE ordering that we'd like to share with you, but before we do, here's a thought for all you faithful and persevering teachers, caregivers and parents that we hope will encourage you: “Whatever you teach a child, through your words or through your actions, lives on forever in his or her heart” (Mottos: Nov. 15th).
       An explanation was recently published in the Grapevine about how the Family CLE desk and TEAM Foundation have merged, so that now you can order your CLE curriculum and materials from TEAM, as well as order any of the other educational products that TEAM has. We hope ordering your CLE materials via TEAM will be easier and faster for you, so that your educational needs are met even better than before! For your reference, our Grapevine article came out in Grapevine 101, Dec. 1, 2000.

Changes:
       1) To date the Family has been receiving a 20% discount on all CLE Light Units and Answer Keys, and a 10% discount on all Teachers Materials and Supplementary Items. You can now receive this discount for your orders throughout the entire year!
       Over the past few years WS has been supporting the CLE desk and the cost for processing your orders, which involves a myriad of details and constant communications (phone calls, letters, e-mails, etc.), both with CLE and Family Homes all over the world. WS's help has been instrumental in keeping this rolling without snags and problems. Thank the Lord!
       We were recentl y informed that the CLE Desk is going to have to support itself, since the WS gift the CLE Desk has been receiving will be tapered off over the next couple months, due to reduced WS income. This means we have had to start figuring out ways to raise the extra funds needed to support the CLE Desk's expenses so that we can continue processing your orders. We need to keep this special arrangement of having the orders go through the Family CLE Desk in order for you to qualify for the above-mentioned discounts. So as of April 1, 2001, we will need to add a 3% service charge to every order for CLE materials in order to help offset the costs of running the Family CLE Desk.
       This service charge will only help cover the cost of processing your orders and administration, and would in effect only reduce your CLE discount to 17%, rather than the 20% you get now. In other words, if you place an order for Light Units and Answer Keys of $200, your cost with a 17% discount will be: $200 - $34 = $166, instead of $160; a difference of $6 from when you were receiving the 20% discount. Once this goes into effect (April 1, 2001), we will begin adding the 3% to each CLE order. This “little bit” will go a long, long way. Thanks so much!

       2) We recently heard from the CLE office that a number of folks who are using the CLE Full Program have written to CLE asking about using certain CVC courses as electives towards a CLE High School diploma. We are presently in the process of working with CLE to g et more of these courses recognized by their office, so that those on the CLE Full Program can use a number of CVC electives for credit towards a CLE High School diploma. We appreciate your prayers for the speedy completion of this approval process!
       At present, CLE has recognized some CVC courses, however they have not yet approved every course. Because of this, we would like to ask all those who are planning to communicate with the CLE office about getting credit for a particular CVC course, to please first contact us at the Family CLE Desk, rather than sending your request directly to the CLE office. This will save both you and us the extra work and time communicating with the CLE office to work out your approvals, and allows us to help you directly with up-to-date answers to your CLE questions. Thank you for your help with this. As you can imagine, this will also avoid confusion for the CLE company.

       3) The above-mentioned CLE gift was also used to cover all the different CVC s ervices you have been receiving at no extra cost. Some of these services include: paying for postage costs for all materials like diploma requests, student card requests, etc.; providing a phone, e-mail and P.O. box for all communications and reference; the CVC Desk also provides a place where your questions and requests for counsel are answered.
       With the CLE gift (which has been helping the CVC desk as well) now being wound down, we would like to ask if each person could help with a $5 servic e fee for your CVC requests. This means that when you request diplomas, student cards, etc., we'd like to ask that you also include a $5 gift to cover the cost of processing and postage. To make this easy for those of you who live overseas, you could send in $5 cash (packaged securely), or $10 with your TRF ($10 is the minimum gift that can be sent via TRF). However, for those living in the USA or Canada, you could send this via normal mail including a money order or personal check made payable to “TEAM Foundation.” (Anyone overseas with a US bank account can do the same, by sending a personal check.) Thanks so much!

       4) We want to announce a change in the CLE e-mail address. As some of you may have noticed, we have been experiencing some difficulties with the present CLE e-mail address, and so have now changed it. Both present “excel.com” and the “aol.com” e-mail addresses for CLE will be closed by the end of April. The new e-mail address for the CLE, effective immediately for all CLE orders and any CLE questions, is cle@cvcollege.com.

       The CVC e-mail address remains the same, at cvc@cvcollege.com. TEAM Foundation's e-mail address also remains the same, at mail@teamfoundation.com.

       If you want or need to call either CLE or CVC, our phone number in the US at TEAM Foundation is (972) 953-0757. Our snail mail address for all correspondence with CLE, CVC or TEAM is:

Teaching, Education and More
P.O. Box 165119
Irving, TX 75016
USA

       Thanks so much for your under standing and cooperation with all this. We are striving to make our services as big a blessing to each and as low cost as possible. Thanks again for your help!

Lost in Cyberspace ...
By WS
       That's what your e-mails will be if you send them to homemail@ibm.net. As of March 1st the box was completely terminated. Finito! Omega. No more.
       Amazingly, although we shared the news months ago of homemail@ibm.net being discontinued, we continued to receive a fair amount of e-mail at that box in the beginning of 2001. This might be because that address is lodged “securely” in your e-mail address or contacts book. You can dislodge it by going into your address book and deleting it. Don't forget to replace it with the new wsfamily.com e-mail addresses.
       Did you ALSO know that ALL WS residents (well, except the babies) now have their very own personal e-mail addresses? If you wanna write a friend and be sure your e-mail reaches that person, find out what it is from him or her! To do so, simpl y write wsmail@wsfamily.com with a note addressed to that person!
       We “all” look forward to hearing from you some more.

Introducing ComicTraX
By Kayla, WS

       We'd like to present the FIRST of a series of ComicTraX-comic-illustrated tracts designed ESPECIALLY for Generations X and Y to give to Generations X and Y (as well as to other lost and receptive souls who can take it!). The first title is “What Some People Get High On” and is illustrated by Lenny Komico (a.k.a. David Komic).
       You wi ll receive one copy in your Home mailing. You can photocopy this and/or you can log on to the MO site and download a PDF of the tract, and print it from scratch. (Think BIG-provision the printing of thousands if you have the urge!)
       You can look forward to future tracts on a number of diverse subjects. Every tract isn't meant to go to every audience (and you might prefer to pass out some ComicTraX and not others!) so stay tuned to HQ about it!
       We'd also love your feedback! Love it? Hate it? G ot beaten up because of it? Got any Gen-X topics you'd like to see a new tract on? Send all comments to pubs@wsfamily.com, addressed to Kayla. Thanks!

       “If we have ceased to be soul-winning disciple-makers and lovers of the lost desiring to save them and train them to serve God and others, then we have lost our reason for living.”-Dad (ML #328B:80a)

       For the full tract, see the MO site or the accompanying copy.

[included with portion of this tract]

Charter Q&A

       Q: A member of our Home is on Partial Excommunication and part of the stipulations are no Internet. We allowed this member the answering of their Web based e-mail account, but when this member started to spend hours looking for e-card sites on the Web we asked them to not get into that. This member then discovered the Family chat and also got into some other chats and we are wondering if that is permissible or not to spend long night hours with that.

       A: The Love Charter states in PROCEDURES FOR EXCOMMUNICATING FAMILY MEMBERS, page 223, that a Family member on Partial Excommunication:

       g) Must forego surfing the Internet, as well as the playing of computer games.

       Members may access the Internet for business or school purposes only and with the approval and oversight of the Home's officers. (End of Charter clause.)

       A CM member on Partial Excommunication desiring to access his or her online e-mail, search the Web for e-cards, or chat on or accessing Internet sites, even the MO site, would be subject to the Home teamwork's approval. It would only be permissible if the teamwork felt that these activities fell under “business or school,” which the Charter permits.
       The goal and reason for this rule is so that members on Partial Excommunication would be able to spend time in the Word and spiritual strengthening, rather than having the temptation of spending long hours accessing the Internet and taking away from that extra time with the Lord that they need at this point in their lives.
       In general, it would be fine for a Family member on Partial Excommunication to check and answer their e-mail, or access the MO site, but this should be done with the approval and oversight of the Home teamwork in order to insure that the member on Partial Excommunication is not spending an excessive amount of time online and thereby defeating the purpose for which this Charter clause was intended.

prayer list

Asia

       Peace in the Middle East, and protection of the Family there.
       Timmy (2, of Paul and Joy): Partial hearing loss.
       Carina (of Mark): Complications in pregnancy, including a leaking water bag.
       David Joy: Chronic hemorrhoids and back nasal drip.
       Vinay (1, of Ho and Marianne): Bronchial cough.
       Claire (of Steven): Severe, recurring stomach pains.
       Daniel Praymore: Back pain, swollen right knee, fungus on hand, numbness in fingers and arm especially while sleeping and driving, and nodules under skin on various parts of the body.
       Abi: Painful arthritis in hand s and fingers.
       Ezra: Asthma and hiatus hernia.
       Daniel ET: High blood pressure.
       Peter (of Kristia): Unknown pressure on his spinal nerve which triggers pain all through his legs, making it difficult to sit and sometimes even move.
       Thai Promise: Re-occurring cysts, pain, and numbness in shoulder and arms.

Europe and Africa

       Simon (of Julia): Back and stomach pains and lumps growing under the skin.
       Julia (of Simon): Recovery from caesarian. Back and head pains.
       Robin (5 months, of Simon and Julia): Recovery after serious case of pneumonia. RS virus caught while in hospital.

South America

       Joanna (PG, of Adino): Tumor and hemorrhaging, necessitating operation. Recovery from operation and protection of the baby.
       Heaven Love: Thanks for your prayers for Pablo (4), who fell from a slide and fractured his skull near his ear, causing internal bleeding and making the risk of infection and even meningitis very real. Please keep praying for him, that the fracture will con tinue closing and that he will not fall again for at least the next two weeks, which are very crucial.
       Anna (of James): Temporary amnesia, fatigue, nausea and negative side affects from having taken a strong drug prescribed by doctors.
       Juan Amado (60, of Estrella): A mass of tissue in his kidney that could be benign.
       Pacience (of Josué), Madalena Atalaia and Joana (of Santiago): Painful varicose veins.
       Emerset (of Simon and Praise): Fractured arm while playing soccer.
       Flor (of Richard) : Effects of menopause, lump in groin and pain in her spine and bones.
       Phoebe (16, of Daniel and Maria): Painful cyst on left wrist, which may necessitate an operation.
       Rejoice (of Jonathan): Amoebic dysentery.
       Sammy (of Jonathan and Rejoice): Boils.
       Amor (of Jean): Cysts in various parts of body, which could be malignant.
       Nicolas (2, of Esteban and Sara): Only has 25% vision in his right eye and needs an operation.
       Abigail (of Simon): Thyroid problems.
       Gabriel (4, of Juliana): Tum or in his back that is growing.
       Ester (Argentina): For her liver to function properly and for the Lord to show her if there's anything that she can do to help it.

Testimonies of Answered Prayer

Ammi, John, Markus, and Sharon, Thailand:
       Since the prayer request for Mikey (autistic, of Thai Bright) was first published the Lord has healed him completely of the seizures he had been experiencing, caused by the brain tumor he has. Prior to this, he had been suffering sometimes as many as 30 seizures in one day, so it's a tremendous miracle! Thank the Lord! And thank you, our precious Family, for your prayers! Please continue to pray that the tumor will dissolve and that he will not suffer any affects from the medication he is presently taking. Thank you so much!

Sweetie, Taiwan:
       Thank you very much for your prayers! They worked! I am feeling much better and I think I'm well on the road to recovery now. The last nine days I've been feeling a lot stronger and I've been keeping a pretty normal schedule. Most of the symptoms I had before have either disappeared or diminished greatly! Thank you Jesus!

feature: how to conduct a benefit show

A Valentine's Day Benefit Show for Special Children
By Gideon, for the Karachi Home, Pakistan
       On Valentine's Day, February 14th, 2001, we hosted and organized a musical benefit show for over 1,500 handicapped and orphan children. The theme of the show was “What Everybody Needs Is Love!” Children who were mentally/physically han dicapped, deaf, orphans, or from very poor areas attended from more than 14 different institutions and schools from all parts of metropolitan Karachi. Most of them had never had the opportunity to enjoy such an event before.
       The main musical group was our own Heartbeat! show troupe, which includes all the children, JETTs and teens in our Home, as well as an adult. They did a 90-minute show which included Family songs, local language hits, and a fun and lively clown show. Mary SGA (Gracia), who is visiting for a while, was instrumental in helping to work with the JETTs and teens to create a powerful clown show. We also invited famous local popular guest artists, who each contributed about fifteen minutes of song and music.

Pointers on How to Make Your CTP Show a Smashing Success
       The Lord gave us the idea for the Valentine's Day Benefit Show in prophecy when we prayed about new ideas for a quality CTP to start off the new year. Our main goals were to have a good quality function, make the children happy, and to at least raise the funds needed to cover the cost of the show. But the Lord used it to bring in funding above and beyond our limited thoughts, as well as to gain us exceptionally good publicity and media coverage.
       This was the first time we'd attempted to do a program of this magnitude, and we learned many good tips and lessons in doing so. From that experience, we see that in our field this type of activity has the potential to reach and touch many lives. It ca n also be a very good fundraiser, as well as create credibility and good PR. We hope the below points are a help to others who want to try something similar in their field.

       Venue: The show was held at the French Cultural Center, the director of which graciously gave us the use of their prestigious and spacious grounds at no cost. When praying about where to hold our function a number of places came to mind, but we were concerned with having a very nice standard and comfortable arrangements, rather than just something “convenient.” Thus we aimed for one of the top places. The director was someone who was a good friend, and whom we recently had over to our Home for dinner, and he was excited to be able to be a part. He was impressed with how well things went, and the good results, and has offered to help us in the future.

       Head Banner/Stage Backdrop: We had a local company paint a large banner which we hung over the top of the center stage. This was a small expense, but very impor tant as it would appear in every photo ultimately shown in the newspapers. It read: Love in Action presents: Special Valentine's Day Benefit Show … “What Everybody Needs Is Love!”
       Heidi made a very large hand-sewn cloth backdrop (large silver letters on a black shiny cloth) that Heartbeat! uses whenever doing a stage show. It is well done and definitely distinctive and adds a touch of class to improve the overall presentation.

       Funding via Banners/Sponsorship: We drafted a one-page cover le tter on letterhead which we put together with a brochure and newsletter of our work. We explained the need for sponsorship, and offered companies the opportunity to be part of this event by placing a banner of their company at our show. For a banner in the front we asked for $200. For a banner along the side we asked for $100. We got four front and eight side banners in all. The potential was much greater, as we only sent requests to a few companies. Had we sent more we probably would have recei ved more response. We targeted large companies-multinationals, oil, pharmaceutical, banks, etc. They all have advertising budgets which they use for things like this, and it was relatively easy. In return, they needed to receive a few photos of the event which showed their banner displayed. It was important to keep in mind to display the banners neatly and in a well-organized way, as it is their “face” to the public.

       Snacks: We were able to provide all the snacks for free-nearly $1,000 worth in all. We felt this was important for the children so they could have an enjoyable time. These included bottled soft drinks, potato chips, and packaged ice cream in cones. We arranged for a bottled water company to set up their display and provide free drinking water for all.

       Tenting/Carpets: At first we felt led to forego a tent as it was quite expensive, but we realized that the sun would make things very uncomfortable for these kids. So we went ahead by faith and arranged for it. It was not possible to provision, and ended up costing about $300. But it made things so much nicer and more pleasant for all the attendees, and the Lord encouraged us as one of our friends and supporters gave us a designated gift that covered the entire cost of the tenting and sound/light system!

       Sound and Lights: In our area this has to be rented, and the better the system, the more costly. We were scrambling just one day before the show to come up with a good quality system, and the Lord provid ed-this time via one of the guest artists who offered to have his personal sound people come and do the show, as well as the stage lighting, etc. It wasn't for free, but they gave a good discount, and offered to do our sound in the future for other shows. They had very good quality equipment, much better than we had been used to working with, and it made a real difference in the quality of the show.

       Press Release: Up to this point in our 15 years here we had avoided publicity, choosing a mor e “inside, out of sight” approach. Many times in the past we had been approached for interviews/articles, etc., which we declined. But when we prayed about it, the Lord told us that now was a new era and that we should let our light so shine; that it would be beneficial to us in getting out our message. So, we went all the way and prepared a press release which we sent out to all the major newspapers via the head of the French Cultural Center (sending it via his office gave it a great deal more credibility, as any function held there gets coverage).
       This was a one-page, easy-to-read overview of our work and the coming program, making sure to include the journalistic keys of who, what, why, when, where, and how. This proved very effective in that when the articles were written about the show and its organizers, they simply used the material that we had already provided. This insured accuracy and a good favorable representation of our work, rather than the ill-written or confusing type of articles that can often appear.

       Tools to Schools: Part of our goal was to supply the schools and institutions with our fantastic educational materials. We made special request letters to some of our friends for this particular need, and people gave generously. We made a package tied with a bright ribbon for each attending school. At the end of the program, we called a representative up on stage from each school and the clowns and emcee gave each one their gift, with a verbal acknowledgem ent to the audience of appreciation for their hard work and efforts in improving the lives of the children in their care.

       Guest Artists: Our Heartbeat! show troupe was more than able to provide the total entertainment for the program, and especially to deliver the inspiration and positive spirit necessary to uplift the audience. (Their show consists of both English and Urdu lively numbers, as well as funny clowns). At the same time, we felt it would be a treat for the children as well as add some variety to the show, if we invited some “famous” local musical artists to join in with us. Two readily agreed to do it voluntarily, and not only did the kids enjoy it, but the artists were super inspired to be part of this event. Likewise it added credibility to the program in that known, reputable artists were associating themselves with this charitable event. We mentioned their names and participation in our sponsorship request letter as well.

       Volunteers: Having the assistance of the 12 or so young volunteers who came to help us made a real difference. We often meet people who want to help us in our work in some way, and often it's not easy to come up with something for them to do. This event provided such an opportunity, and they all responded eagerly. For the program, we provided each one with a badge which read, “Love In Action Volunteer. My name is…” Afterwards we gave them personal recognition by making a certificate for each one as well as giving each a pack of photos and lit.

       Video/Photography: We were able to provision a professional cameraman to video the entire program from start to finish. Likewise, we provisioned a professional photographer who shot four rolls of film for us. This not only gave us a superior end result to what we usually come up with, but more importantly, freed our limited personnel to attend to other things. It was important to instruct them both in what to shoot and what to look for, as they often don't have that “spiritual eye” in their filming. It was particularly important that we got good quality shots of each banner, so that they could then be sent in with the thank you letter, as this was a requirement for receiving the funds.

       Studio: Heartbeat! is not a professional show group, nevertheless, we find ourselves doing programs in all sorts of places, from five star hotels to large schools to private functions. We do all these shows using BMTs. We found we needed to make vocal/music tracks in a studio with our o wn voices. In this way we could sing over or along with these tracks and it added greater depth and richness to our vocals. There were times when one of the main singers had a cold or could not sing, and having these tracks was a help. We were able to provision the use of a studio and mixer along with the needed technicians to do all this work for us. It was a fun, learning experience for the children.

       Follow Up: In the week following the program we made sure to collect all the newspaper art icles. We then made a package which we sent out to everyone that had anything to do with assisting us in this program. It contained a thank you letter, a photocopy of all the news articles, selected color photos of the event, PR brochure/NL, and some appropriate Reflection-style feeding material.

One Month in Mama and Peter's Home
Diary of a Female SGA

WEEK FOUR

Day Twenty-two. Thursday.

       Oops, I missed this day too, sorry! Now you know why I never kept a diary. I'm doing well to fi ll in as much as I have.

Day Twenty-three. Friday.

       It's prayer morning again. After praise time we break up into small teams of three to pray for our local and worldwide prayer requests. I'm with two other girls, one SGA and one FGA, and after we pray for the Family we each share personal requests regarding our health and respective relationships.
       Afterward I have just a little time for PNP (prayer and prophecy) before it's my half-hour slot with little Colette, from 11 to 11:30. I sear ch the yard and all the empty places in the house (not many) and can't find her or Jenna, who's with Colette on the shift before me. Once I'm on the second floor I look into the courtyard and see them, right outside my room. Colette calls up, “These flowers are for you,” holding two little white flowers. Then after a pause she says, “Come down and be with me!”
       This is the first time I'm actually spending time with her since I came here. She leads me eagerly to the back yard, a part where it's a bit overgrown (which is why I hadn't spied them when I looked into the backyard) with just a pathway through, to show me her special “baby house” which consists of a little plastic dolly surrounded by picked flowers and pebbles. She relishes catching beetles, and laughs excitedly when I put four of them together, and they run around and climb all over each other. Then she has to go pee, but of course, she doesn't want to leave her fun “baby house.” I tell her she can go pee in “the cute little bathroom in my room.” That convinces her to leave her beloved playtime for a few minutes. Once there she decides she wants to draw-perfect for me, as I have a chance to make my bed and tidy up. All too quickly the time passes and it's time for Colette to be with Rebecca. I go back to my desk to finish my PNP assignments.

Day Twenty-four. Saturday.

       The FGAs go out for a special BBQ (this outing for the FGAs, and last week's outing for the SGAs, is Mama and Peter's idea, and a special litt le blessing of fellowship and relaxation). The house is abuzz all morning with FGAs walking around getting things ready. At around 1 pm they all drive out. Mama and Peter will be joining them too. The house is very quiet, with more than half the Home gone (a couple of the young people are away on short trips as well.)

Day Twenty-five. Sunday.

       Our Home Shepherd sent around a note that Mama called and said they're doing fine, and to send their love to us all.

Day Twenty-six. Monday.

       1:28 PM. I'm wrapping up some typing before lunch. The Home Shepherd walks by and asks me if I'm happy here and like it, and if I don't miss my boyfriend too much. He also asks me if I have an idea when I'll be able to return to my Home, work-wise (I'm here temporarily for work purposes). I said I wasn't sure about when I'll be returning home, but that I really like it here.

       8:10 PM. We all just sat down for dinner when someone announced that Mama just called with the news that Peter is havi ng bad chest pains, worse than he's had in a long while. We all pray desperately right then before our dinner documentary.

       8:45. Mama calls again and says that the chest pains haven't let up any, and asks everyone to sign up for prayer vigil, ten minutes each. I sign up for 10:10 PM. Mama also has a short prophecy sent around, with promises from the Lord that the “affliction is not unto death” and will help to get us, His children, praying for Peter and for other timely prayer requests.

       10:30 PM. A trip is going to the place Mama and Peter are staying for a few days, so that someone can help out while Peter's heart is hurting.

Day Twenty-seven. Tuesday.

       We received little updates throughout the whole day, that Peter hasn't had any more heart pains.

       8:20 PM. At dinner (which I made-a chicken-noodle dish) more details of Peter's condition were given. He was able to sleep in until 10:30 in the morning, which was really good. He's been taking it easy all day. His heart i s very tired from the pains the night before, and his skin feels tingly in places, but he's not having any more pains.

Day Twenty-eight. Wednesday.

       4:20 PM. Rebecca, who is assigned to answer the phone in the house right now, sends a note around to everyone about Peter's condition:

       Mama said that Peter is doing very well! He's still tired, but he's resting, and he's doing better. The Lord said that he should take a week of complete rest before getting into anything strenuous, and then he can start exercising little by little. They really, really thank everyone for their prayers, and ask us to please keep praying! xx


       And thus, dear reader, ends my four-week diary. It's only a tiny glimpse-time and space would fail to tell of all the “honey” that was made during those four weeks, in the busy bee-hive that is Mama and Peter's Home. And I can't convey all the smiles, friendly hello's, prayers that were prayed for you, pleasant dinner chit-chat, and laughter that was exchan ged-each person could paint a different picture of that one month from his or her own perspective, no doubt. But I do hope you enjoyed the few bits of trivia that I was able to share. I love you!

letters to the editor

Re: Acknowledge it, please!
By David Newheart, Germany
       A lot of folks that have [posted] a want ad, for example, for personnel on the field, do not even bother to answer responses to these ads, which I find is a lack of love. It only takes a couple of seconds to write an e -mail answer so the interested party at least knows what's going on, even if the reply is negative.

Re: “My thoughts on this Thanksgiving” (GV #101)
By Promise (19, of James and Trust), China
Dear Heidi,
       I was so touched by what you wrote in appreciation of your dad on Thanksgiving. I cried tears of thankfulness for the Lord's great love in giving us the greatest parents that we have. When I first read about your dad and Joseph being put in bonds, I prayed not only for them but also for y ou. I tried to imagine how I would feel if my dad were taken from us kids, not knowing whether he'd come back to us or not. I really admire you all for staying positive and not quitting through this situation, most of all, your sample of trusting your dad's care and safety in God's hands.
       I too have a dad who I'm very close to and who's been there in every way for me and my other six brothers and sisters through thick and thin. Nine years ago my mom got sick with a brain disease which left her an invalid. She is unable to think or talk. Since that day, Dad single-handedly raised all seven of us kids, ranging from three months to ten years old, in the best way he knew how.
       My dad's a simple guy with a great heart, who loves the Lord so much and will follow Him no matter what. It's been nine years since mom's illness, and during that whole time until now, never once did I hear him doubt the Lord's love and care for us. He doesn't have all the greatest gifts and talents that most kids would want in a “perfect” dad, but his love and trust in the Lord are values I'll always treasure and what make him my “perfect” dad. He has left me a sample to follow and now, at the age of 19, I'm here in the field of China serving the Lord, and I feel very fulfilled doing so.
       What you said convicted me to take the time to love and appreciate all the adults and parents I'm blessed to have around me. It's the least we can do to let them know how much they're appreciated-plus grabbing the opp ortunity to do so while they're still here.
       I'm so glad your dad is now back with you all and I pray this year is your best yet together. GBY!

Re: Mama's voice on the MO site
By Rosita (18), USA
       Thank you, Mama, for allowing your voice to be posted. It was very inspiring to hear you speak. Maybe you don't think you sound very professional, but the love, humility, and sweetness in you rang out. I hope we hear more of you in the future.

Special Vine video offer!
By your Vine team, Thai land

P.O. Box 520
Samsen Nai
Bangkok
10400 Thailand

       You can now reach us quickly through this e-mail address: thevine@mail-me.com

Don't miss this special offer!
-READ ON!

       Thanks to all you dear folks out there in video land who have sent in your videotapes. We're currently putting together Vine #004. If you haven't yet mailed off that tape to us, then please do so quickly. We, along with the rest of your Family, are eagerly waiting to see it and hear it and be part of your life . Send it in today!

       Special offer: For those who send in tapes during the next two months, we'll airmail you a free personal copy of The Vine wherever you are.
       Cut out and send this coupon with your tape for a free copy of The Vine. Note: Please send your snail mail address:

Name: __________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________________________
City: ______________________________ Country:_________________ Home #:___ ____

       This offer is only valid until April 30th, 2001* (*Date of posting your tape.)

Keep that camera rolling!

legal and media

       AUSTRALIA - Amos, Faith and Peace: A local weekly free newspaper, The Southern Star, published a front-page photo of Peace and titled the edition “Heroes On Call-The Vincent family (Emman and Peace) aids poverty-stricken families in Madagascar.” The edition was the first of the new year and honored volunteers in keeping with the Year of the Volunteer. An app eal was put for clothes for a container and shipping money. For weeks afterward we were receiving calls. People were happy to be able to give to a genuine need. (Circulation 50,000.)

now that's funny

The Tourists
       Two tourists were driving through Wisconsin. As they were approaching Oconomowoc, they started arguing about the pronunciation of the town's name. They argued back and forth until they stopped for lunch.
       As they stood at the counter, one tourist asked the blonde employee; “Bef ore we order, could you please settle an argument for us? Would you please pronounce where we are ... very slowly?
       The blonde girl leaned over the counter and said, “Burrrrrr, gerrrrrr, Kiiiing.”

Only One Kiss
       Walking up to a department store's fabric counter, a pretty girl asked, “I want to buy this material for a new dress. How much does it cost?”
       “Only one kiss per yard, “ replied the smirking male clerk.
       “That's fine,” replied the girl. “I'll take ten yards.”
       With expectation an d anticipation written all over his face, the clerk hurriedly measured out and wrapped the cloth, then held it out teasingly.
       The girl snapped up the package and pointed to a little old man standing beside her.
       “Grandpa will pay the bill,” she smiled.

help wanted

       We're Sean and Emmy (SGAs), living in the pioneer fields of the Middle East in a behind-the-scenes type situation. We're expecting a baby in about 3½ months. Due to the circumstances we are unable to do a whole lot of fund ra ising or provisioning and being that baby needs here are quite expensive and it's our first child, we wanted to send out a plea for help. Thank you sooooooooooooooooooo much! WLY! (Gifts can be sent to Sean and Emmy SGAs in the Middle East, c/o ASCRO, via your TRFs.)

       One and only pioneer family with four small kids in an exotic Muslim country in North Africa (see ML #3321), would really appreciate any and all contributions towards the start of what our precious Jesus promises will be an exci ting work! If you'd like to have a part in helping us reach out to the many who have never heard the good news of salvation, then please write us through the African ABM to: Michael, Rose and kiddies.

       Dear ones! We are a Home in Russia that for now consists of Ilija and Christina (formerly Piper and Stacy, Russian nationals), our six children and Rebecca, also a national disciple. This summer the Lord told us to go on the road and visit summer camps for teenagers where we will be leading Chr istian seminars and teaching a computer literacy course. We have a mobile computer classroom equipped with four laptops, provided by our friends, and a fun Word curriculum in Russian with many skits, songs, round table discussions, etc. We have already lined up a few summer camps and are negotiating with many more.
       Since our team, including six children, is going to be on the road a lot and most of the camps we're planning to visit are very poor, they often can't provide a place for us to stay , or we need to pay for it. Thus we are in need of a camper or trailer! The Lord has miraculously supplied $1,000 (it's a lot of money here!) since we've started praying for a trailer and now we need to raise $2,000 more. Could you help us? We'll appreciate any help-big or small-and so will the many teens at the summer camps. We'd be happy to inform you regularly about the fruit of this ministry by sending you our newsletters, as by helping us and praying for us you'll be a big part of our proje ct! TYSM! You can contact us via Russian ABM, RU038.

entertainment

Movies Rated for Senior Teens and Up

BOUNCE (2000)
Ben Affleck, Gwyneth Paltrow
       An advertising executive struggles over the effects of a fatal plane crash, and finds that his desire to make things right for the survivors is hard to fulfill.

VERTICAL LIMIT (2000)
Chris O'Donnell, Bill Paxton, Robin Tunney
       A team of climbers attempt to climb K2, and three are trapped in a crevass near the summit. Six volunteers th en embark on a possibly suicidal rescue mission.

Movies Rated for JETTs and Up

THE WEDDING PLANNER (2001)
Jennifer Lopez, Matthew McConaughey, Bridget Wilson
       A career woman who is great at what she does and can turn any wedding into the perfect romantic event, begins to fall for the groom in one of the weddings she's planning.

THE ROAD TO EL DORADO (2000)
Animated, voices of Kenneth Branagh and Kevin Kline
       Set in the age of exploration of the new world, approximately the 1500s, tw o con men pals embark, somewhat accidentally, on a journey to discover the secret legendary city of El Dorado in Mexico.

Movies Rated for MCs and Up

DINOSAUR (2000)
Animated
       A group of dinosaurs trying to find food and water meet with many adventures along the way. Portrays some positive values for young viewers: compassion, cooperation, perseverance, tolerance and forgiveness. There are several violent and frightening scenes that involve ferocious creatures. Parents, please use discret ion. (Note to parents: There isn't much evolutionary doctrine put forth, but some incorrectly portrayed events may need explanation.)

Non-Recommended Movies

THE WATCHER (Keanu Reeves, James Spader; 2000)
       (Jesus:) This is one of those psycho-thrillers portraying evil, perversion, and fear. Lots of very unpleasant sights and concepts.

THE GIFT (Cate Blanchett, Giovanni Ribisi; Keanu Reeves; 2000)
       (Jesus:) This movie starts off with an interesting premise, but turns out to be basically horror. There is nothing in this movie that would benefit My Family; neither is it something that will be uplifting or edifying to your spirits. Therefore I ask that you shun it.

reviews

Bounce
       (Dad:) You all are so blessed in the Family to have the love of the Lord and the Family to help see you through life's crises. This is a sweet story of how two people cope with their grief. It's a touching love story. I like these types of movies where there is some depth and even some personal s acrifice involved. Of course, you wonderful folks in the Family look at death in a whole different light. You have faith and nothing to feel guilty about because you know that your loved ones who die are in a better place and not far from you-only a whisper away. But it's interesting to see how some people in the world deal with those difficult emotions.

Vertical Limit
       (Dad:) This is one of those action thrillers that definitely gets your adrenalin going. People that climb mountains do it f or various reasons, but they're all pioneers and adventurers in their own right and it's pretty exciting to watch them. You have all sorts of characters in this movie, from heroic to villainous, courageous to cowardly, cautious to foolish, caring to extremely selfish. They find themselves in bad situations and have to make some difficult decisions, some of which are right and some of which aren't. It's an interesting and thought-provoking look into the different types of personalities and the th ings they do under pressure.

The Wedding Planner
       (Jesus:) This is a sweet movie about love found in an unusual circumstance. It's fairly predictable, but if you're in the mood for a romantic movie, you'll enjoy it. It shows the rewards of love, kindness, respect, and preferring the happiness of others to your own.

The Road to El Dorado
       (Jesus:) This is basically a fun adventure tale, and typical cartoon fare-witty lines, funny scenes, lots of running, escaping, etc. It does have some t hings in it that are definitely not suitable for young children, including the strange gods and monsters, as well as the main characters deceiving the natives. It's a rather odd situation the “heroes” find themselves in, and they're not exactly prime examples of moral characters. But they were sweet at heart, and the movie provides some fun entertainment for those wise enough to choose the good and eschew the evil.

Dinosaur
       (Jesus:) It's an interesting movie with a good message on the impor tance of working together, young and old, and how it could be the secret of your survival. Of course, it is a movie that portrays some evolution and has violence in certain scenes. Though the characters are talking dinosaurs and of course unrealistic, it is nevertheless used as a means to attract the attention of the young public and bring out an important lesson of the two generations working together, learning to respect each other, and what happens when pride comes in the way. Take the time t o discuss the movie with your younger ones, and you will find ample subjects of discussion and interesting points to bring out.

Jesus on … Action Through Prayer, Part 2 (GN 930)

       (Jesus:) These are Words of life for My children-they are health and healing for those who are sick, protection and safekeeping for those who are in dangerous situations, supply for those who lack and are in need, and strength and stamina for those who are fainting in their minds or in their flesh. These Words are all these things, for they encourage the Family to pray for those who are in need, and remind them to pray for their own situations. And prayer is powerful! It moves My heart and shapes My will; therefore I move My hands and change things. Never does it go without effect. It is a powerful spiritual force you wield when you use the weapon of prayer!
       Yes, the cover is what many Christians would call risqué and sexy, and certainly not what they would consider very “Christian.” It is unconvention al. But so are you, My Family, and so are the Words that I give you. You are an unconventional Family with an unconventional message, and it is fitting that it is often illustrated by unconventional artwork. As long as it portrays My message correctly and is within the bounds of what is legal, then it is acceptable.
       Though it may be unorthodox and although some of the Family may even wonder why your artwork must be so sexy, it is a reminder to them and the world that they are not conventional Christians. Heaven, as your Father David truly said, is a sexy place, full of sexy people!
       So this artwork is acceptable, and it portrays the message beautifully. Thank you for checking with Me on these matters, and for helping to publish My Words of life.

personals

       Esther Claire SGA is looking for her long lost friend/sis: Crystal SGA (a.k.a. Shangrila/Anna/Christina). Last I heard you left the US with hubby and baby for an unknown destination (2 me that is!). If you read this, please write me through the China Desk-Pacro! ILY and hope 2 hear from U soon, girl!

       Hey, Daw 'n Danni, congratulations! When were you gonna tell me about it?!? Write me via China Desk.-Nad

       Yushi, somehow I lost your address. Write me via China Desk.-Nad

       Any of the old guard from Germany/Switzerland (72-75) still kicking? I'd love to hear from you! I'm especially looking for Zur and Zelzah, Isaak from Berlin, Sammy Samaritan, Galilee Giggles, Swiss Vessel, Saron from Basel, German Jona, Leb baeus, Zif and Zimran, Swiss Ezra and Clare, Yanina, Barak and Debora, Cana and Kezia, Uria from Hof, Jeduthun Knight, Candace Tree, Bavarian Isaak, Tim the Purdue man, Aaron from Bielefeld, Erastus, Lambflock, the Pfeiffer brothers, Elisha and Sheriah Flute, German Korinth, Abner and Keliah, Christine R. from Hanover, and anybody else who remembers me, please drop me a line! My name was Bildad de la Mancha. Before that it was Jesurun. Love, Peter NewCreature, e-mail: wpsm@hotmail.com.

       Maggi e (of Davide and Joan) is looking for her long lost friend, Monica (of Barney and Claire). Love U! Write me at: hopp@libero.it.

       Attn: Almond (Grace S., British, last heard in India)! Your son Mike is looking for you. Have not heard from you in too long! Important that you get in touch with me asap at e-mail: fallenangel253@hotmail.com. &&&Heidi (Salome), Frank (Chelyabinsk) wants to get in touch with you. Please contact me through the ABM in RU007.

       Claire (of Eman) from France is trying to find a YA called Andrew (Drew). We were in the same Home for vacations in Germany and went skiing together in Auntie Lily's Home. I would like to contact him. Thanks in advance! E-mail: Emanclair@aol.com .

       Sharon Starlight, write Melody (of Piper) at: deejay@plug-in.com.br.

       Steven Watchman and Mary PI are looking for Gareth in South Africa. Can you please write us at: swm707@csi.com.ph or to this address: Dan Rose, P.O. Box 36221, Agora Village East Complex, 1900 Cainta, Rizal, Philippines. There's something important that we need to ask you. Please write ASAP.

       Spring (who's supposed to be in Taiwan), I sent you a message when I heard about the earthquake but the message didn't get through. I sent another one not long ago and it didn't work either. Did you get your e-mail? Love, Zac.

       Steven Lee in Taiwan: Been trying to get your e-mail from others for a while. Write me at hoppercatherine@hotmail.com.

       Pandi and Judah, please get in touch with Peter (the father of Victor) at: peterlovebug@hotmail.com. A.L. Roach, P.O. Box 7655, Corpus Christi, TX. 78467. Also Ivan (Pandi's ex.)

       Melody, I've lost your e-mail and home address again. So sorry! Please write here: hmf105@yahoo.com!-Kassia

former members-seeking contact

       John-Paul (former member) would like to contact Thibault (of John and Meekness) and Jenai's older son. If anyone has their contact information, could they send it to JonPall@visir.is? Thanks so much!

open forum

Catch 'Em Doing Something Nice
-a “good vibes” forum for all ages
By Kayla, for the Grapevine team

       We all know it's easy to see the button off poor, Mutt's infamous vest.-Ever moreso when “Mutt” takes on the shape of a person of the “other” generation. But the fact is, there are hundreds of people all over the world getting along with guys and gals in the “other” generation. If you're one of those people, you might not think it's such a special thing. Think again! It's not only sp ecial, but it's something worth writing about.
       So let's hear it from you-a little anecdote about how that person from the other generation and you have kept up a friendship or working relationship (and just in case you were wondering, “dish partners” counts as a working relationship, heh).
       Don't skimp on details. Share how you've had fun together doing a workout, caring for children, performing for schools, serving food in soup lines, or partying the night away. Make us laugh with stories of the funny things members of the other generation have said to brighten your day.
       Don't be shy! Catch 'em doing something nice.-Then write us about it.
       To get the ball rolling [“computer checking hard drive for appropriate memories”], here's a little anecdote of something that happened to me not too long ago:

       Room changes are almost a traditional part of Family life, so it didn't surprise me when I heard the words “room changes” once again. No problem. I love to take the opportunity to t hrow away the “maybe I'll use this someday” forsake-all collectibles that have been stacking up in the back of my closet. So my new room doesn't have a great view (a tall wooden fence greets my gaze-it's a nice brown), but hey, I'm getting lots of natural light through that window (a must) and I just love the color of the carpet (a nice silvery gray, compared to the rust color of my last room).
       So I set up, and in the process of the fun little decisions of which corner of the room I should set my four items of furniture in (desk/bed/chair/mirror), I discover that I'm short of a lamp (my last room didn't need it). Along with that I think of a few other little items I could use to brighten my new pad, so I send around a brief note on computer to my fellow WS-ites.
       Well, “Ask and you receive.” Six people responded that they had the spare items or had helpful clues of where I could find them. WS-ites can get up to thirty new work notes on their computer in a single day, so when a perso n both reads and responds to your note (trivial to them, important to you) the same day, well, you can count yourself blessed.
       The point of my story is that four of those helpful people were of the “other” generation. It's just one of the times that I (mostly capable and independent GenXer) have found myself in a moment of need and thanked God for that mysterious, helpful and often under-appreciated species know as FGAs. This is just one of the most recent times I “caught 'em doing something n ice”-but I'll have to save all the other stories for some other time. Cheerio!

Christmas 2000 stats
       Compiled from stats taken from the December 2000 TRFs.

       They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. (Daniel 12:3)

Souls Won
       261,000 souls were saved in our Christmas witnessing; that's the 6th highest in number of souls saved in our Family's history! To date the Family has won nearly 25 mill ion souls, that's the equivalent of one out of every 240 people on Earth!

New Disciples
       17 new laborers joined the CM/FM ranks in December, Praise the Lord!

Personal Witness
       In Christmas 2000 the Family personally witnessed to 1.2 million people. One out of every five of those personally witnessed to also got saved! To date the Family has personally witnessed 246 million times!

CDs/Tapes
       The Family distributed 213,000 CDs/tapes this Christmas. That's the highest ever in our Family 's history and over twice as many as were distributed last Christmas! Most of these were CD cards, which are a hit all over the world!

Literature
       Literature distributed (tracts, books, etc.) totaled 2.2 million pieces. To date the Family has distributed a little over 1 billion pieces of lit!

Posters
       There were 465,000 posters distributed in December of 2000. That averages out to 75 posters distributed per adult for the whole Family. In Cambodia every adult distributed 4,333 posters!

Videos
       8,300 videos were distributed in December.

Population/Homes
       We currently have 12,055 CM/FM members, 6,210 adults and 5,845 children. We live in 1,423 Homes worldwide and preach the Gospel in 102 countries. The Lord has done great things for us!

       It's wonderful, absolutely marvelous, that you can be busy doing something that's really going to count forever! Believe me, when you get up Here and you see the awesome reality of what your earthly works accomplished, you'll be astound ed!-Dad. (ML #3312:5)

       [Elite Bruce, Seal Training comic included]

Copyright © 2001 by The Family

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