The Family / Children of God

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       ATTENTION PARENTS AND TEACHERS: Do you wonder what's the latest for your JETTs and OCs? Heaven's Library is in the process of putting out a six-part story called “Wolf's Clothing,” for ages 12 on up, which may be read to 9- to 11-year-olds as well with parents' discretion. You'll find it interesting as well! Take the time to follow this series that deals with many issues JETTs and OCs face. Keep abreast of the latest!

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[Thumbnail of spiritual navy seals poster from Xn]
       (Jesus:) My children will look at this picture as a powerful symbol of My new era. For does this girl not bear the wounds of the battles? Does it not prove that she has fought many fights against the Wicked One? She is a fighter and the youth of this generation need to be reminded that the Family is an army. (End of message from Jesus.)

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       Have you had something outstandingly hilarious happen to you? How about sharing the laugh with others? If you have a funny story of something that's happened to you, write it up and send it to the Grapevine.

The Book of the Activators
By Mark and team, India

Chapter 1 -- The Going Forth
       1: I, an apostle and servant of Christ, greet thee.
       2: This I write unto thee that thou may know how the Word of our Lord was preached unto the Gentiles that dwelt in the coast of Tamilnadu--the city of Madras, now called Chennai.
       3: On the 23rd of November, Mark the son of Steven of the house of Levi, Caleb the son of Mark, Juel also called Jewel, Jay of the lineage of Cephas, Luba from the land of Gog and Magog, and John the son of the tribe, left by train. (We had six hours ahead of us so each of us settled into our own levels of comfort in a 3rd class, non-AC compartment. The lower the class of the train the shorter the span of time between the local bands of roving talent: groups such as M & M and other such Indian sweets, salesmen, e.g., distributors of coppee, chai, spop corn and other non-standard English phrases, besides a host of other sounds and smells which to say the least do not make for a good sleep. So as each of us one by one gave up on the idea of thinking that sleep was possible, we started to read some Word, munch brownies, and sip some coffee.) Arriving at the seventh hour, after prayer and sustenance we straightway went out and preached Christ being activated by the Holy Spirit. And 5.000 souls were saved! Praise be to God! (Note the decimal point to correctly read this stat.)
       4: We abode in the house of a certain man, Simon the tanned (notice his companion) who with his wife Sunny, ministered unto us generously of their goods. For which we are most grateful.
       5: Upon the morrow our devotions was that of reading and studying the Activated magazines that we may know the doctrine therein, being ready always to give an answer to them that asketh of us.
       6: Committing to memory also the “Activated openers” delivered onto us by the vineyard (Grapevine) that not one opportunity should escape us to activate.
       7: The focus of this trip was that of establishing and strengthening the youth church. The Spirit led us to seek after them in places where they gathered within the city by day and by night on the sands and walkways of the beach.
       8: Being given so great a commission with but a short time to fulfill, the Spirit of the Lord commanded us to have a meeting of fellowship (as soon as possible) working with the disciples that dwelt already in the land.
       9: So on the third day at eventime, we gathered together in one accord, all those who received the Word with gladness; being saved and desiring to know more of the Scriptures.
       10: We sang songs and answered questions preaching the Word. The number of them who received Activated during the meeting was seven.

Chapter 2 -- The Parchment on the Wall
       1: While sitting in a tavern, I, John saw … posted upon the wall, parchments making known of a certain school of dance, heralding its virtues and contact number.
       2: Adhering to the voice of the Spirit we made contact; whereby we were referred to a young man named Salman.
       3: Salman received the Lord Jesus and Activated with gladness, sending us on our way with the names of three friends. The first two being students who when hearing the Gospel rejoiced, being activated also, taking in all that was spoken and taught.
       4: The other friend named Jasmine, had a son who was without learning (mentally challenged). She not only bought many of our books and Activated but spread the good news of the Word to her friends.
       5: While we were in communion with one of her friends, a woman searching for the truth who purchased many of our goods (books, CDs, Activated), a young man entered the house and desired of us to meet with him on the morrow, for he too hungered after righteousness and to know more of the Gospel.
       6: This young man after being activated joined the youth church; preaching faithfully to others being devout in word and deed.
       7: And yet another man whom we met by the leading of the parchment, gave a goodly sum to support the work. He likewise along with his household received the Word with great joy.

Chapter 3 -- The Promise Fulfilled
       1: As one who runs a race, runs that he might win, so was this mission like unto a race; committed to us by God with a starting place and a finishing line.
       2: Therefore were we desperate in prayer: beseeching daily the Words of our Lord for to show us the way, team by team, step by step; that in the end we might receive the gold medallion.
       3: And so it was that on the day following the Sabbath, our Lord provided a place for our assembly, the beginning of that which is to weekly come to pass. Joy was exceedingly great within our hearts as before our eyes were the promises fulfilled.
       4:The session that day was that we dwell in the latter days, beginning with the image of a king's dream, spoken of by Daniel in the Holy Book; drawn up and dramatized, making known the interpretation thereof.
       5: With songs and prayer so did we begin and make an end of our assembly together.
       6: The testimony lives on now as the stone is in motion with the apostles dwelling already in the land; keeping the faith, devoted to the daily increase of the Church.
       7: As for us, the race was now complete. Ten days of miracles, great effort, and desperation of heart yet counting it only as unto Christ. For of ourselves did we nothing, that Christ may be glorified.
       8: Upon the morrow, early before the cock did crow, we began our journey back, bidding our fellow brethren farewell. Praising God for the many victories, the souls won, of which were counted 69, also added unto us were 30 Activated subscriptions, 45 CDs, and much Word taught among the people.

TCD #26 -- I'LL BE THERE
       (singer/music/lyrics/producer)

1. I'll Be There
       Glo/Nathaniel/Nathaniel/Nathaniel
       Back-up vocals: Jonathan, Glo

2. Closer and Closer
       Elam/Elam/Elam/Juno

3. Take a Look at Your Life
       Esther Wild Wind/Esther Wild Wind, Andrew V./Esther Wild Wind/Andrew V.

4. Let Him Be Your Hero
       Glo/Glo/Glo/Nathaniel
       Back-up vocals: Glo, Nathaniel

5. You Are the Reason
       Kat/Esther Wild Wind, Michael E./Esther Wild Wind/Simon L.

6. Only Your Love
       Rachelle S./Elam, Pedro M./Elam/Emmanuel

7. Strangely Dim
       Emmanuel

8. Ever Since
       Celeste/Pedro/Prophecy, adapted by Pedro/Andrew V.

9. Why?
       Andrew V./Andrew V./Andrew V./Andrew V.
       Guitars: Andrew V.

10. Never Break My Heart
       Esther Wild Wind/Esther Wild Wind/Esther Wild Wind, Andrew V./Andrew V.

11. Never Gonna Let You Go
       Francesco

12. Thank You for Your Love
       Kat/Paulo/Prophecy, adapted by Paulo/Andrew V.
       Guitar: Andrew V.

13. Determined to Follow You
       Linda/Andrew V., Philip/Philip/Andrew V.

14. You Are Love
       Rachelle S./Michael E./Brian, Angelo, Michael E./Owen C.

Were you in the Australian persecution?
By Joanna, South Africa
       Hi! I'm Joanna, writing from South Africa. I was one of the kids in the Australian persecution. May 23, 2002 will be the 10th anniversary of our release from State custody! It was a pretty exhilarating event in my life and of everyone involved. I thought it would be interesting to hear from those who were involved.

Editor: We'd love to hear from those of you who were involved in the Australian persecution! Send in your thoughts no later than May 1st to gv@wsfamily.com.

*       How did this experience change your life?
*       Where are you now?
*       What are you doing for the Lord now?
*       If you had to do it over again, what would you do differently?
*       Any other thoughts, tips or lessons to share with the Family?

Witnessing news and tips from you!
Outreach enhanced by keys
By Anne and Dan, Quebec, Canada
       This month was the most fun, exciting, unifying, and diversified outreach we've had! The keys are real! One reason why our outreach was so fruitful is because we worked as a team with our Active members who gave priority to witnessing. Every Saturday afternoon we'd go to a busy street in downtown Montreal, with our Active members and children, and get out thousands of tracts and posters. People were actually waiting in line to get a poster! There's been a renewed hunger for the message after September 11th's events.
       We gave Activated books to our English-speaking provisioning contacts and some of their staff, encouraging them to subscribe to receive them monthly.
       Dan and Sam went on a two-week faith trip to Prince Edward Island, where they met and ministered to people, giving them Bible classes every night, while burning free in the day with our powerful tools. In two weeks they got out 400 tapes, lots of CDs, and some videos. One of our Active members, Luke, faithfully passed tracts out three times a week in the metro for the whole month, distributing a total of 4,000 tracts!
       Our mail ministry has been growing as a result of our outreach, with more people writing to ask for more tracts, sheep asking questions or people wanting to meet us. Our outreach has been tremendously enhanced through the power of the keys!

Videos still a big hit!
By Jeremiah and Mercy, Quebec, Canada
       This past month we decided to follow up on some people we'd met over the year. When we visited one man from Africa, he asked us to return the following week because he was very busy. He told us to bring everything we have for children. Before leaving we asked him if his children liked the material that they received previously. He raised his fingers to his lips and blew a kiss.
       Upon returning the following week we brought four Treasure Attics. He looked at them and asked us if the Bunny Bigword was on the videos. I assured him that Bunny was in each video, and he took all four videos, and told us if we have more to bring them next time. He commented that he wants his children to watch things that will teach them to obey and be good, and learn something too!
       He said: “I like my children to watch these videos rather than 'Road Runner.' It teaches them good things!”

Videos in the libraries
By Meeka Follower, Oregon, USA
       While going DTD Christmas caroling and selling CD cards in a neighborhood that we had been to the year before, we came to one home where the lady remembered us, and the Treasure Attics that she had taken. She said that her children love the series, and they get other titles from the nearby library. We have been getting the local libraries to purchase the series, and whenever we go to the library they cannot be found! They are a hit! We sent her our Activated catalog, and we are going to be following up on her.

Tools bring in the $$$
By Trust, Colorado, USA
       I was wondering how to go about my evening fundraising as I found myself on the opposite side of town from the restaurants I usually balloon in and it was already “prime time” and in rush hour traffic, I would be delayed for an hour or more. I shot up a prayer, and then jumped out at a light, and within an hour had $40 from getting out tools. It made me wonder why I was ballooning for only $25 an hour when I could be pushing our tools for much more!

Building a follow-up work
By Marie, Colorado, USA
       We go table-to-table with the balloons in the restaurants, so I started offering the Christmas card CDs with the balloons. It was great! We had an average of 50 CDs out every weekend in the month of December. At first I was a bit worried that this form of witness would not really be enough, but as I listened to Christmas Treasures, I realized just how full of the message this CD is. This was a blessing, as I often feel discouraged that I am not doing enough for the Lord at Christmas.
       One lady who took a Little Drummer Boy CD at a restaurant where I balloon, phoned the restaurant to tell them how great the CD is and would they please tell “the balloon lady” that she would like three more Little Drummer Boy CDs! In another restaurant I meet many Africans. I prayed with a man from Kenya last week. I realized that there is great potential for Activated meetings with these sweet people. Now people are realizing that I am at the restaurants every Saturday morning, and they all know I am a missionary, so it is a good place to meet potential Active members.

Give them a contact number
By Marianne Fighter, Texas, USA
       I decided to try getting out the Christmas CD cards at lights while postering. It went great! One thing that I learned quickly is that I needed to give people some way to contact me if they wanted more. Twenty minutes after I started, a couple came back and asked where I got these wonderful CDs. I told her that we produced them. She said they had been listening to them ever since they got it, and it was great. I was so frustrated because I had nothing to give them that had our address or phone number on it. So, I stopped right away and went and got my business cards and put one into each of the Christmas cards. This way when they open it, they'll have a contact number.

Give them what they want
By Sonnet, Manitoba, Canada
       I have found in the past few months that the best way to get out tools at daycare centers is to do what Dad said in “Witnessing” in the MOP--find out what people need and help them to get it. Rather than trying to “push” what I am selling, I ask questions to find out what the needs are at each daycare that I go to. I have also found it very helpful with the videos to have enough time to sit down and actually view a video with the staff who make the decision. Each time I have done this the daycare has purchased videos from me, and twice they purchased whole sets!

Cards for company mailing lists
By Gideon and Lamb, Norway
       This year's Christmas CD cards were a great hit and the best outreach tool I have used for some time. I especially liked the boxed set of six. It was easier to sell sets than anything else.
       Last year we decided to make appointments by phone with several of our main contacts and explain to them about the CD cards. We then asked if they would like to use them for their company's mailing list. We then offered to print a personal message with their company's name and logo. The final result was a short message with the company's name and logo, along with a small note saying they supported our local work, surrounded by a pretty color Christmas border. We then printed these labels out on our home computer and included the sticker with the cards. We got out several hundred cards this way. Each card also got in a good word about us to other companies.
       We explained this to other companies as we sold them shop to shop and got several more names of interested businesses for next year as well.

pray
       Healing key: Broken bodies are mended, afflictions are healed, diseases are cured, and health is restored speedily through the power of the keys.

Testimonies of Answered Prayer
       From Andrew (of Ruth), India: After being diagnosed as being diabetic with high sugar levels, with the power of the keys, I have been normal for the last two checkups.
       Mary Renewed, Thailand: Healed of a large fallopian tube cyst.
       Thai Rose, Thailand: Healed of hives.
       From Jewel, Taiwan: Aaron has recovered from his operation to remove all the lymph nodes in his neck. He recovered very fast, and the doctor was surprised and pleased. Several souls were won during his hospital stay and many received tracts. The results of the tests came in and only one lymph node was cancerous, so that is such good news. We are praying now about follow-up treatment. Thank you all for praying.

Asia
       Seth: Bleeding ulcer.
       Akemi: Fibroid tumor.
       Mikey (14, of Thai Bright): Autistic, mentally handicapped, diagnosed as having a brain cyst, and suffering an undiagnosed liver problem.
       Justin (1½, of Thai John and Joanna): Against further heart problems from Kawasaki disease.
       Abi: Diabetes.
       Angel Willing: Recurring cysts on face.
       Joyful: Heart palpitations and recurring stomach pains.
       Jim (of Lily): Serious asthma.
       Rahul Willing: Painful torn ligament in right knee.

Europe and Africa
       Paul (a.k.a. James): Jaundice due to failing liver, causing fatigue and pain in his stomach and legs. Doctors say he is beyond treatment, and is in serious condition.
       Noelle (7, of Steve and Ruth): Cysts on her neck and tongue.
       Mercy: High blood pressure.
       Rosy: Recovery from operation on right eye.
       Ruthie Love (26): Gallbladder disorders.
       Suzanne: High blood pressure.
       Liv (19): Infection in the stomach and digestive system.
       Giovanni: Hepatitis B and problems with nervous system.
       Emanuel (of Daniella): Recovery from operation to remove cyst on his thyroid. Hepatitis C.
       Nina (of Martin): Seriously injured in a car accident while traveling in Africa. Her arm was badly hurt and she may lose her hand. Pray also that this accident does not aggravate other afflictions Nina has suffered recently.

North America
       Vanessa (baby, of Steven and Amber): Currently in intensive care.
       Carisa (baby, of Zeb and Kristy): Spina bifida.
       Angel David (4½, of Lirio): Down's syndrome. Recently underwent heart surgery.
       Talitha (19): Ovarian cyst.
       Pat:Hepatitis C.
       Elena (baby, of Sam and Becky): Recovery from surgery on her liver.
       Heart (17): Migraine headaches.
       Darlene: Osteoporosis (thinning of the bones).
       Peter Trust: Eye infection.
       David Livingstone (13, of Ruth): Cerebral palsy. His leg has grown inwards, causing him to fall often. May undergo operation.
       Amada: Back problems.
       Ryan (of Jeremy and Sarah): Serious skin affliction called atopic dermatitis.

Pacific
       Praise (of Michael): Persistent mycoplasma (parasite that attacks white blood cells), urinary tract infection.
       Ruth: Hemorrhoids.
       Joanna: Frequent and debilitating migraines.
       Aaron: Metastasis melanoma.
       Chris (12, of Jeannie): Mild scoliosis.
       Mark (of Mary): Multiple sclerosis.

South America
       Claire: Spinal arthrosis.
       Angela: Problems with heart and thyroid gland.
       Kevin (14 months, of Danielle and Olivier): Will undergo minor surgery on his testicles.
       Heaven Love (has a prosthetic leg): Needs to lose weight because she's had a lot of difficulty walking and sometimes falls. Also has neck problems, which result in dizziness, neck and head pains.
       Sara (of John): High blood pressure, causing headaches.
       Ana Belen (19, of Idy): Cancerous moles.
       Ethan (2, of Ryan and Becca): Flu, with high fevers and vomiting recurring almost monthly.
       Ana Karina (YA): Crooked neck and back.
       Belen and Pawel (of Melanie): Hernias.
       Cristal (of David): Problem with uterus and lump in breast.
       Daniel Estevan (12, of David and Cristal): Growth problem.
       Suzy (of Juan): Lump in her thyroid.
       Elizabeth Fighter: Problems with her liver, kidneys, gallbladder. Low levels of hemoglobin.
       Virginia Smile: Serious problems with the ovaries, liver, kidneys and colon. For an accurate diagnosis.
       Agustin (of Ileana): Glaucoma.

post-its

Re: U.S. Border Crossings
By NACRO
       As you are probably aware, due to the terrorist attacks of September 11th, security officials in the U.S. and particularly immigrations officials at borders, are understandably much more cautious and tend to scrutinize non-Americans more carefully, and in some cases, even U.S. citizens. They are on the look out for unusual or suspicious looking individuals, people whose documents don't seem to be entirely in order or people trying to come into the country to reside illegally, etc.
       As the Lord stated in the prophecies following the September 11th tragedy: “This event will change the world. This one event will cause many things to be brought into place that have been foretold. … This will cause a tightening around the world, and it takes people another step toward in­tolerance of others, other ideas, and of anything out­side of the norm”(GN 961, “Attack on America”).
       With this in mind, and the Lord's indications that this incident would bring a general tightening (in this case, stricter travel restrictions) around the world, it behooves us to be very prayerful and in tune with the Lord when making border crossings in and out of the U.S., in order to avoid the inconvenience of more in-depth searches, questioning or even potentially lengthy delays that some have experienced.
       Due to these more stringent security procedures, we would suggest that you take some time before traveling to confirm your plans with the Lord, as well as praying and preparing to “give an answer to him that asketh of thee.” You should be prepared for any questioning, as well as a possible search of your belongings or person. You should also make sure that all your documents are in order, as well as proof of residency if you are residing in a nearby country, as well as any information that may be requested, such as what is your purpose of visiting the U.S., length of stay, where you will be staying, with whom, what is your relationship to those you will be residing with, what line of work you are involved in, and other such reference that may be required.
       If you are a non-American hoping to come to the U.S. to fundraise for the field, we would suggest that you confirm these plans with the Lord and your Home, bearing in mind the changes being enacted here.
       WLY and are praying that the Lord blesses and protects your going out and coming in during your travels this next year.

Our Mission in Vukovar
By Stephen and Esther, Croatia
       Vukovar is a city in eastern Croatia, on the Danube River, close to the Serbian border. During the civil war following Croatia's vote for independence from Yugoslavia in June 1991, the city was under Serbian siege for three months, falling to the Serbs in November 1991. Heavy tank fire and shelling by the Serbs created extensive damage, forcing the Croats to leave. The region was then resettled by Serbian refugees--estimated at more than 150,000--fleeing other parts of the former Yugoslavia. Prior to the war, Vukovar had been a prosperous town with a river cargo port and textile and agricultural industries.
       In December 1995 the warring sides of Bosnia and Herzegovina's civil war signed the Dayton Peace Agreement, which declared an end to the war. Vukovar was given back to the Croatian people in 1998 and the first Croats began to return to their homeland.

Our first visit
       On our first trip to Vukovar we had brought much needed humanitarian aid. We arrived with our clown outfits and guitars, hoping to go door to door and distribute the aid personally and witness to people. When we reached Vukovar, workers from Caritas (a charity organization under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Church) were waiting for us. They were very sweet and complied with our wishes and let us distribute the aid ourselves, and found us a place to stay with an elderly couple. These dear people didn't have much, but they helped in whichever way they could.
       Vukovar was in ruins. We made a tour of the city, arranged by the local priest, which included visiting historical sites and three mass graves. It's one thing to watch the horrors of war on the news, but to hear the stories firsthand of what these people went through brought chills down our spines. The Lord showed us that our ministry there was to be one-on-one witnessing--listening to each person one at a time, to bring comfort and hope to every person we would speak with.
       It's hard to explain in writing the feelings we experienced. A former commander held a party for us and invited the former Minister of Interior and his wife. Everybody had a very nationalistic spirit, so as foreigners, it wasn't that easy to be in the middle of these folks who all they talked about was the war and what they had experienced. The former minister made some negative comments directed at us, about humanitarian groups that don't have a clue about the people's needs. At one point we thought we were in the wrong place and nearly decided to leave, but before we did, Brisa sang “On the Wings of a Dove.” Music is magic, and even more there, as the spirit was so thick! While we sang it was as if all the hard feelings vanished, and the Lord's Spirit took control. We were able to explain why we had come, and that we do love them even though we could never fully understand the pain they have and all they've gone through. Brisa and Debbie then sang “There Is No Room in Heaven for Strangers” and “The Rose.”
       “Please forgive me,” the former minister said, apologizing in front of everybody, mostly soldiers. “We are barbarians compared to you. Thank you so much for coming here to show us so much love. You are invited to my house!” With these words, he folded his hands and apologized again. All 25 of them prayed to receive Jesus.

A fight for life
       We met one of our friends at a bus stop, as we were on the way to Split. He told us that he had just received a call where he learned that one of the commanders, one of his best friends, had committed suicide. This is not an unusual occurrence among these former soldiers, but this one was a shock. This man was someone everybody had looked up to.--The stronger one, the one that if anyone needed help, he was there to help. Life is very fragile among these people. We prayed and the Lord showed us to go to the funeral as a sign of our love. We drove 700 km from Split to Vukovar.
       That night we stayed with a friend, a former officer. It was 3 a.m. and we were at the back of his café, listening to him share his heart about the things he had done in his life. He was very low and condemned, and was searching for answers and peace. He couldn't accept that Jesus loved him when he had done such bad things in the war. Suddenly he took his loaded gun and put it under his chin. We were so desperate! All we could do was pray. We laid hands on him and prayed desperately out loud, begging this confused soul not to pull the trigger, to think about his family and children.
       At one point we thought, This is it, we've lost him! We were all crying as we prayed for him. And then the Lord did it! The man broke down weeping and gave us the gun. What a victory! The Lord and His Spirit intervened and won the victory! Now this man is building a ranch in memory of his friend who had committed suicide, and wants to help handicapped people. His wife is pregnant with their third child.
       During the funeral we were able to read quotes from Glimpses of Heaven book to our friends, which were very well received.

Our goal
       We knew the Lord had brought us to Vukovar for a special reason, yet we felt so small in comparison to the needs of these people. We didn't know where to start. One thing for sure is that they all needed Jesus and His love. We were praying about what could be done that would show these people that they are not forgotten, that God loves them. The Lord told us, “Build a playground for the children. … I will fulfill My promises of supply and will make a bridge among the people.”
       A playground? we thought. That's sounds great! But where to start? We had never built a playground before. We visited numerous playgrounds in the West, and counseled with many companies. The first one we visited wanted to sell us a playground for $75,000, and that was with a discount. We wondered at times if we were on the right track, but the Lord kept reminding us of His promises of supply and that according to our faith it would be done unto us. Boy, that was a challenge!
       That month the Lord provided playground equipment worth $20,000; all the electric and hand tools we needed, worth about $3,500; wood at an estimated $3,000; 30 bags of cement; 20 cubic meters of gravel; 4 cubic meters of sand for mixing the cement; 7.4 cubic meters of sand for the sand box; special paint to cure the wood worth for $400; all the bolts and screws, approximately $500. The city also gave us a piece of land, workers, and the necessary machines for the job.
       The Lord also supplied other needs that we had, as we had just moved to our new field. So along the way the Lord provided a washing machine, a freezer, a fridge, a dishwasher, a whole kitchen set, a winter garden (the area we are in gets very windy), a digital camera, a computer and monitor, a color printer, a scanner, and the next six months of our Home's budget,
       Did He keep His part of the bargain? Yes, He did! Now it was our part!

Together we do it better!
       Mark and Mercy from Vienna helped us transport the playground equipment. We based from David and Joanna's Home in Zagreb. Without them this project would not have been possible, or at least it would have been very difficult for us to accomplish what we did. Croatian Gabe (of Flower) came to help us. David (of Joanna) came for a week as well, which was a tremendous help. Besides our team, we had six to eight workers from the city helping us every day. And we worked from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. for one month straight! TTL we had all the necessary machines for the job.

People's reactions
       A dear older man, who had been watching us work, came one day and gave us a dove carved in wood that he had made. “Thank you so much for the beautiful things you do for us!” he said. “God bless you!”
       Day after day people would come just to talk, to pour out their hearts to us about all they'd gone through, and thank us for what we were doing. “This is what we needed. Our children didn't have a place to play! This is just not a playground, but a beautiful park!”
       The mayor told us, “You didn't come here to talk about it. You came and did it yourselves! Thank you so much. You are a sample to us!” He presented us with the clay dove, the symbol of Vukovar, and two beautiful ties (kravata, the tie was invented by Croats).
       We got plenty of helpers and volunteers! Children always surrounded us; kids were coming from everywhere trying to help. There were some that stayed with us from the beginning to the very end. As we were leaving, they were there waving goodbye. They would bring us flowers, chocolates, sweets, etc.
       Fruit remains in the souls saved and rekindled hope in people's hearts! The day we finished, we invited our co-workers to celebrate over pizza and beer. What a victory! We prayed with every person we took time with, about 70 in total. We also had three newspaper articles and a TV interview. We had time to do our follow-up and left hundreds of parents and children happy with a safe place to play. Please pray for the people of Vukovar, as the battle is not over.
       The playground consists of four sections in a 2,000-square-meter park area, with three towers 3.5m high connected by a 3m tunnel, a 3.2m hanging net, a chain bridge, and additional accessories such as a fireman pole, two slides and a 3m climbing ramp, a hill with a 9m slide and three tunnels, a three person swing set, and a climbing net. The smaller children's section has one small tower, three swings, a slide, a climbing ramp, a 5m sandbox with a wooden roof, a seesaw, and two carousels.

legal and media

Evangelical Counter-cult Conference
By Marc and Claire, USA
       Attending the Evangelical Counter-cult Conference was a very interesting experience. We found ourselves amongst the most orthodox of a very orthodox church denomination, the Evangelical Christians, heard their dialogue and discussion of theological issues and heresy, as well as heard the Family discussed in that context. We re-read part four of the “Conviction vs. Compromise” series in preparation for attending, and we can honestly say that we were so thankful for the Words of David, for the Family, and for all the unique, special treasures the Lord has given us! We are so thankful that we're not just another church in the spectrum of churches, but are called-out, different, and radical! As we mixed and mingled with this group of folks, you couldn't distinguish one from the other much, except for their many shibboleths and doctrines that separate them from each other. As a matter of fact, a sizeable portion of the counter-cult contingent was not even present, as they can't see eye to eye on theology with this group!
       Many of them are doubtless sincere in their beliefs, but are caught up within a structure that seriously limits how much they can accomplish for the Lord. They are so caught up in what was written in the Bible two thousand years ago, and theological hairsplitting that they just can't make room for God to be a living, changing, moving God today Who can continue to speak to His children, lead them down new paths, blow in winds of change and pour out His Spirit in abundance. Everything is so formalized and frozen into a certain mold, there just isn't the wonderful spirit of freedom and change that we so enjoy in the Family. Dr. James Chancellor (a professor at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and author of the book Life in The Family) gave a presentation on the Family, during which he pointed out how highly mobile the Family is, how changes are introduced and enacted quickly. It was difficult for others to believe. We're so thankful to belong to this zany, far-out and free “branch” of His children, TTL!
       We could also see how the compromises the church has made with the System have seriously affected their usefulness, as religion is so tied in with materialism, personal family goals, etc., which the Lord has so wonderfully freed us from.
       By the end of our time there, all we could say is, “Thank God for the Family!” Thank the Lord for calling us out, for Dad's constant prodding for us to leave the West and taking us to all kinds of exciting mission fields around the world where the harvest is ripe, reaching out to so many different people, and not limited by damnable, dogmatic interpretations of the Scriptures or the secularization that inevitably creeps into even the most on-fire churches. We could see how the Lord led Dad to take us all on an exodus early on in our history, so that we could move forward to conquer whole new worlds instead of just ending up an American movement like the rest of the Jesus Movement, most of which just ended right back in the System.
       It also behooves us to be proud of what makes us different, which is why people are interested in us. We could really see the “mad, sad or glad” effect on those at this conference, as they heard our doctrines and witnessed the fruit of changed lives and the work the Family has built during our 33 year history. During Dr. Chancellor's presentation, he pointed out how many of those who are now active in the Evangelical and Baptist churches were won to Jesus by a member of The Family! He shared his experience of hiring an assistant of his who had been led to the Lord by a Family member in the early 70s on a beach in Hawaii! It is unquestionable that our fruits per capita are way beyond even the most dedicated church missionary or theologian. So our presence presented a dilemma to the other attendees, trying to figure out how to categorize us, ha! Little did they know that we're not trying to fit in their mainstream at all. At one point Dr. Chancellor mentioned that Family members take the same Gospel of Jesus to the streets as the Evangelicals and Baptists do when leading souls to Christ. He then asked the question: “If Family members are leading souls to Christ using the same Bible and means as other witnessing Christians, should we hinder them in their ministry just because some of their beliefs don't jive with Evangelical theology?” There was a notable silence in the room as the attendees grappled with the question.
       This also applies to the angle of “System education” as covered in part five of the “Conviction vs. Compromise” series. We thought the point was interesting about how some feel inferior or intimidated due to their lack of higher education. Since we have acted as a liaison between the academic community and the Family for many years, we regularly interact with folks that have PhDs and an enormous amount of education and knowledge on many subjects, many having authored numerous books and are considered authorities in their respective fields.
       We haven't felt the least bit intimidated by this though we are respectful of their knowledge and wisdom in their area of expertise. We are “experts” in our own area of expertise, which is being missionaries of a non-traditional radical group, doing things that have never been done and reaching the world in a very unique way. People find us fascinating, as we're different and unique and we have a lot to offer through our wisdom of the spirit world, the Word, prophecy, communal living, child rearing, home schooling, and on and on it goes!
       It's interesting interacting with academics, as although they are very knowledgeable in their own field, most of them also understand that they are not experts of other fields, and are humble in admitting that, and not expecting it of themselves. We felt that this is a real lesson for us, as we cannot expect ourselves to be experts on the Bible and being missionaries, and at the same time experts in other secular areas of knowledge that don't apply to the career we have chosen, and people do not really expect this of us either. Of course, we do listen up and learn everything we can from them, as terms fly around from esotericism to epistemology to paradigms, etc. So we have picked up a bit to become one with these folks and to understand and at times assist them with their research. But it goes without saying that our area of expertise is serving the Lord and doing missionary work (which would have all kinds of titles in a Christian university such as Pastoral Counseling, Christian Counseling, Biblical and Theological Studies, Personal Evangelism, Ministry of Teaching, Ministry of Proclamation), and imparting and sharing the wonderful truths the Lord has entrusted us with.
       TTL, we are special and unique and have a lot to offer, which we need not compare to those who have chosen careers in academia or clergy/laymen of a church denomination.

just for fun
And what's your name?
By Ben (of Angela), Uganda
       I was hitchhiking one day to return home and soon got a lift. I started to witness to the driver, and as the conversation went on he said something that I didn't understand except for the word “America.” I thought he was asking me if that was where I was from, to which I replied, “No, I am not from America.”
       He then repeated the same thing he'd said before. Again I didn't understand anything other than the word “America.”
       “No, I am not from America,” I repeated my previous answer.
       When this happened one more time, I started to become a little aggravated. But then he told me, “I did not ask you where you were from, I just said that my name was America.”
       “You mean like the country?” I asked.
       “Exactly!” he replied.
       We talked some more, and then he introduced me to his son and daughter who were sitting with him in the car. “This is my daughter. Her name is Swiss.”
       “Pleased to meet you,” I said, eyes wide in shock.
       “And this is my son, Germany.”
       “You're joking, right?” I asked.
       He got a little offended. “No, I 'm serious!”
       “Nice to meet you all,” was my bemused response.
       After they prayed with me to receive Jesus and I was getting out of the car, he said, “You know, my wife is Canada, and my brother's name is Africa.”

A mission log
By Jeremy SGA, Uzbekistan

(Note: The following testimony is an adapted account of this Home's last road trip. While certain parts of it have been somewhat embellished, it is based on fact.)
       Imagine a world much like our own, whose inhabitants had existed there for countless generations. A society that had evolved with the passage of time and yet one thing had always remained the same, for the race of beings that inhabited this land of endless steppes, deserts, and mountains lacked one thing: freedom. Though to the uninformed observer it may have appeared that all was normal, they were in fact captive to a dark and sinister force, which held their minds and bodies tightly within its grasp, and vehemently resisted any attempt to put them in contact with the one thing that could set them free and put a permanent end to the dark forces that held them in servitude.
       It was into just such a world that the brave trio of Maria Moonchild, Stephan Starfighter and David Daringwarrior entered with the glorious intent of freeing more victims out of the cruel and sinister clutches of the most oppressive system known to the galaxy. Although they had considered enlisting the help of Buzz Lightyear for this undertaking, he was unfortunately already deployed in some other unreachable part of deep space. And besides, they had been assured before their departure that they would be accompanied by a more than adequate team of highly powerful alien beings. These beings, for the most part, remained invisible due to their highly sophisticated cloaking system, yet, within a nanosecond could unleash untold retribution on any life form, or machine for that matter, that would conspire to do this team harm (the details of which we will mercifully spare the reader).
       It is necessary to explain here that although David, the third member of this noble team, is a brave and fearless warrior for the cause, he had at the advent of their departure only resided on Planet Earth for six months of human time. Not including, of course, the nine or so months it took to process his human form. And as such, he was most gifted in the art of opening doors, getting to the front of lines, and winning hearts wherever he went. Although it was generally necessary to transport him in a specially devised human infant deployment system strapped to the maternal or paternal body, and to stop for regular tank-up sessions, he was nevertheless a most key member of this elite group of cosmic warriors.
       It was on one of the first days of their assignment on this alien landscape that Stephan Starfighter, the only fully matured male human member of this team, had temporarily left the small settlement they had chosen to reside for the time being, to search out needed supplies for the continuation of their mission. The brave and beautiful Maria Moonchild gently cared for and looked after David Daringwarrior. On this dark and stormy day, as she sat quietly conversing with headquarters on her communicator, from the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a shadow fall across the window. Without making a sound she slowly rose and stealthily moved towards the entrance, and waited behind a corner with bated breath for whatever it was that lurked outside to show itself. After approximately two minutes, she heard a sound. It sounded like the voice of a young woman. She cautiously peered around the corner to see the form of a girl standing in the dim light with a look of pain and deep searching in her lovely green eyes. Immediately, Maria invited her inside, before she was spotted by the dark patrols, or left to the ravages of the storm on her scantily clad body.
       Once inside, Maria found out that the young woman's name was Lera, and that she had long been searching for a way to break free from the forces that kept her and most of her people bound. She had hoped to find a love in her heart--a love that she knew must exist somewhere, but as of yet all her attempts to find it had ultimately ended in disappointment. Without hesitation, Maria took the young woman in her arms and explained the awesome secret of it all, and before long Lera was connected to the to the most powerful force in all the galaxies, the very power of love Itself from which not even death could separate her.
       Having just come into possession of the most wonderful gift anyone could ever possess, and having contact with the great Spirit of Love, Lera immediately decided that the only course of action for her now was to gain a deeper understanding of the tremendous reality she had just become acquainted with, and to assist her newfound friends in their attempts to free the rest of the enslaved inhabitants of her world.

* * *

       Light years away, back at their original base, a battle raged. It had been decided by the warriors who remained at the base that one more of their company would be sent to assist those who had gone on ahead. It was also necessary to renew the life-support system that sustained each of these soldiers, without which their fire power would quickly diminish, as would their built-in shield system, and they would soon be left to be helplessly eliminated at the hand of their enemy. The passage of this additional soldier was therefore deemed necessary for the completion of their task, as he could bring the latest re-fills for the life support systems.
       However, because this individual was of another species, it was necessary for him to present a certain lightly colored green stone, as a sign of goodwill toward the inhabitants of this cluster of planets who carefully guarded themselves from any menacing intruder who may have less than kind intentions toward their beautiful and well-developed peoples. Upon approach to any of these seven planets, the presentation of one of these stones was the only way for those of another species to enter peaceably. On this occasion the dark forces had effectively blocked the entrance to the only source for obtaining these rare and highly prized stones; a stronghold deep under the ground.
       When approaching this same stronghold, the warriors of light had at first been repelled by a horde of spirit warriors from the dark world who mocked and taunted them to try to break through their tightly held ranks. After returning to their base infuriated, they quickly enlisted the help of the unseen aliens, and charged their inter-dimensional plasma blasters. Once again the two human warriors approached the heavily guarded stronghold, this time from behind the crest of a rocky hill directly behind the enemy battlement.
       At the given signal there was suddenly a horrific scream from the enemy lines (also unseen). Within an amount of time no longer than a second of Earth time, the rows of hideous spirit creatures of which the enemy forces consisted, were thrown into a wild panic as one after another of them were torn limb from limb by the barely visible alien super beings who accomplished their work with a speed and relish that would curdle the blood of even the most hardened warrior of the netherworld. In the confusion, the two humans spared no time in charging the depths of the subterranean fortress, and obtaining their prize.

* * *

       By the time the fourth warrior had arrived on the surface of their temporary outpost, Starfighter, Moonchild, and Daringwarrior had already succeeded in locating a number of people who, like Lera, had also been searching for a way to break free from the oppression that held them in slavery. These people were now slowly learning through their contact with the Great Spirit, as well as with the light warriors who had helped introduce them into this wonderful new world of love and freedom.
       Maria and Stephan were also overjoyed to find two very loyal undercover agents of their realm, who were doing their best to slowly undermine the evil system that surrounded them. These undercover agents helped enable the trio to free as many people as they could, while at the same time surviving in the hostile environment. It was a truly happy and thankful reunion as the old friends wept tears of joy at seeing each other again and exchanged stories, as well as expressing blissful contentment over the new weapons, and system upgrades which were relayed by the fourth soldier.
       The team, now increased to four, had many an adventure in this strange and wonderful world, which were it not for its servitude to the dark powers that held sway over much of that section of the galaxy, could have been a literal paradise with its warm and lovable inhabitants, majestic mountains, and vast open fields that stretched for thousands of kilometers.
       Though all did not go easily for the four soldiers, the Great Spirit was always faithful to guide and teach them. He always had a way of gaining victory out of the jaws of defeat. It was on one occasion in particular that this point rang especially true.
       As the time allotted for the completion of their mission diminished, it became clear that all was not as they had hoped. Due to circumstances, they had as yet been unable to fulfill one of the two main objectives of their stay there. Namely, for two of them to infiltrate the northern region of this planet, and seek out certain long unvisited stations of resistance established by former warriors of light who had landed there in years past. There had been occasional communications between the warrior of light and the souls left to man these remote and scattered outposts. However, one could never be sure of the situation as interaction was sparse and irregular, and without a frequent flow of directions, supplies, and refills for the life support systems, it was possible for a great many things to go awry. Therefore, it was imperative that these outposts be brought the supplies and support that they desperately needed.
       Unfortunately, time was fast ticking away for the team of warriors to make their way to these outposts and return to their ship before the position of the planet changed and it was no longer possible with the fuel they had left to make it back home. To make matters worse, a huge asteroid belt was due to pass directly in the path they would have to fly, making the trek home extremely perilous. Their enemies, having learned of their intentions, set out to hinder them on their way to the North by attempting to sabotage their communication system and attacking them at every possible opportunity.
       Sizing up their options, they realized the reality of the situation. Either they would not make it to their comrades in the North, or they would have to fly back through the asteroid belt, coupled with the possibility of the distance changing between them and home base. After deliberating with headquarters it was finally decided. The risk would have to be taken.
       Miraculously, the two designated for the operation broke through enemy lines undetected, and thanks only to the care and guidance of headquarters, and the unfailing help of the unseen aliens, the team was able to locate all of the dear souls who were loyal to the cause in the northern regions, and delivered to them the much needed upgrades and supplies. After deliberately stretching their visit to the limit, they bid tearful goodbyes to their old friends, and many new ones, too, and promised to return as soon as possible. And of course, the Great Spirit would be with them and keep them safe until they met again.
       The flight back through the asteroid belt was not without incident, but true to its reputation, headquarters got them all back safely. Their ship glided silently into atmosphere of their home planet.
       “It was worth it all!” Stephan Starfighter said, as he held Maria Moonchild in his arms.

entertainment

Movies Rated for Senior Teens and Up

HART'S WAR (2002)
Colin Farrell, Bruce Willis
       A white racist American has been murdered in a POW camp, and a black officer is charged with the crime. Lt. Tommy Hart has been assigned to defend him in a court-martial.

       (Jesus:) This film shows that there are layers of understanding regarding situations--particularly in wartime. The movie examines issues relating to military law, respect, leadership, followership, obedience, wartime situations, and trust. There are lessons in this movie about standing up for what is right, and learning to choose your battles. Some people will find it depressing, but it has a moral message about the value of every individual.
       Hart's War will touch your hearts for the many men who are called upon to sacrifice themselves as the innocent pawns of war. The young soldier, who is this story's main character, endures many things, but grows and learns and matures as he faces each new challenge. For those who do not like war films, this may be one you would prefer to avoid. However, even though this is a war movie, it could be somewhat easier for most people to sit through than some other war movies, because the action doesn't take place on a battlefield with all the gore and fighting, but in a prisoner of war camp. It's not so much a story of killing and conquest, but of the pride and fears of man--regardless of the country for which they're fighting.
       In a war, soldiers must face a war within the actual war--the battle within. A battle in standing up for their beliefs, a battle to defend the underdog, a battle to survive, a battle to remain honest and to preserve some form of integrity. These are the unseen wars that many times can make or break the overall physical battle that is being fought, and this movie shows this well. Count your blessings that you are in My army, that you have My shepherds to lead you, and that I will be with you always, even unto the end of the world.

JOHN Q (2002)
Denzel Washington, James Woods, Anne Heche
       When a young boy suffers sudden heart failure, his parents rush him to the hospital to find they have insufficient insurance for a needed transplant. His father resorts to drastic measures in an attempt to get his son taken care of.

       (Jesus:) This is a heavy movie, and the producer meant to get a strong message across.--The message of rich vs. poor, the value of money in the world today, and how the have-nots are often at a great disadvantage. This movie pulls on the heartstrings because it shows the desperation and love of a mother and father toward their dying child, and the injustice of the way the System favors the rich over the poor.
       This movie will be a little traumatic for some parents, as it forces you to put yourself in the place of this family, and you ask yourself what you would have done if you were in the same situation. You, My children, have a great advantage when it comes to matters of life and death, because you have Me, you have prayer, you have the power of the keys, you have faith in healing, and trust that your little ones are in My hands. But still, it is a heart-wrenching scenario, and fairly true to life for some in the world.
       The underlying message is a good one, and though I would not lead My children to take matters into their own hands like this man does, it shows how the System leaves no recourse to those it shuns. This father had good intentions, a good motive, and he was doing all he did out of love for his son, even though it nearly drove him to the brink of insanity, and pushed him to do things he would have never otherwise considered. This happens to people in the System, when they realize that there are no other options, nowhere to turn, and that nobody really cares about them. Then they lash out and take matters into their own hands.
       When man is led to believe that he has to save himself, then he will go to any means necessary to do so, such as this desperate father in this movie. It is pitiful, and millions of people face these same situations every day. Look around you in the world now--the terrorists, the criminals, many of them are the victims of a system that turned people away from Me. Pray for them that they may find Me, for only My love will last and only My “system” is the perfect one.
       This movie is a good exposé of healthcare in the U.S., and as bad as that is, in many other countries the availability of medical assistance is far worse. There's a good business lesson in here, on not taking something for granted; to really read and study and ask questions when it comes to the fine print of insurance policies, contracts, credit card rules, etc.
       Though this is a traumatic movie in many ways, it is a good movie.

Movies Rated for Junior Teens and Up

TORTILLA SOUP (2001)
Hector Elizondo, Elizabeth Peña
       A master chef works to maintain the traditional values of his family as well as his Mexican kitchen, though he has a hard time with both.

       (Jesus:) For those who enjoy traditional Mexican food, this movie shows lots of interesting-looking dishes and their preparation. There are lighthearted moments and there are serious moments, and it's a look into a modern day Mexican household living in the U.S., and the dilemma the daughters face with their widowed father, who wants to preserve the traditional Mexican ways.
       The older sister is a sample of the old self-righteous church, not My new loving bride. This portrays a picture of the problems experienced in Latino families in the U.S. where the newly converted are self-righteous against the Catholic faith of the rest of their family. As you see with this girl, many times they can take the rigidity of their Catholic mothers into their new faith.
       The family this movie centers around is a bit dysfunctional, but in spite of the arguing between the sisters, the lack of communication and self-righteousness, it also shows their strong bond of love for one another, which pulled them through and above the problems that arose.
       Human frailties cannot conquer love, but instead, love always overcomes when it is present. That's the theme of this movie, the conquering power of love. Long live love!

Movies Rated for MCs and Up

MVP: MOST VALUABLE PRIMATE (2000)
Jamie Renee Smith, Kevin Zegers, Russell Ferrier
       Family-oriented comedy about a three-year-old chimpanzee who has been the subject of a long-term experiment by a researcher who has been teaching him to communicate through sign language.

       (Jesus:) This is a fun, sweet, innocent movie that could be enjoyed by the whole family. It doesn't have a lot of the bad attitudes that many children in movies today portray. The brother and sister are very sweet among themselves, and they love and help each other. It teaches some good things about handicaps and how to help people with them; how to be a friend and encouragement to someone who seems to be a bit different.

letters to the editor

Re: Activated subscriptions
By David (15), USA
       The GN “Heading Into 2002, Part 1!” was very convicting, especially the section about Activated goals and tool distribution. The day we read it the Lord convicted me through prophecy that I was not doing enough about the Activated vision and I needed to get more going. That day I was able to give out 20 Activated magazines and one on-the-spot subscription. I know the Lord is going to fill me with more faith to get out more and more Activated tools each day.

Re: Diwali CD
By Catherine, Brazil
       I am really enjoying the Diwali CD. I am in Brazil, but my former husband Richard and my son, Ben, who are living in Bangalore, came for a visit and brought us a copy of the CD. I didn't know too much about India until now, but this CD gave me a taste of the style of India. God bless all of you who worked on it!

happenings

Christmas mailings
       By the EMD, Europe: We sent out over 400 individual Christmas mailings to the FID [Family Information Desk] media contacts here in Europe. So far we've been receiving a pretty good response, actually the most we've ever had from a mass mailing.
       We also sent out a fairly “healthy” mailing to the former members here in EURCRO. The numbers of former members on our list has now grown to 177. Something encouraging is that those on our Winepress list (the ones who tithe or send donations and/or write us regularly) has been increasing monthly.
       In total, we sent over 700 individual Christmas mailings, a total of 3,149 pieces of lit sent, and an estimated mass witness of 1,500.

Former member Christmas fellowship
       By the EMD, Europe: The Lord led us to invite the former members who are on our Winepress list here in England for a Christmas fellowship. We had a cozy get-together in Birmingham (central England), and it was attended by about seven former members and their kids. Rose (of Peter), Tito, and Chloe from the EAD joined our team (which was Celeste, Simon, and Abi) and it was a sweet time of fellowship.
       We sang carols, read from the Christmas FSM, and also enjoyed a nice Christmas meal. We had our tools on display, so after the former members had taken what they were interested in, the expenses and income balanced out to where the event basically paid for itself. Those who came are still sending us notes, calling us, etc., about what a nice time they had. Afterwards we put together a small newsletter of the event with our pictures and sent that to them in a mailing. We've received a very good response to this newsletter, as people have been inspired to “see the faces” of those they're writing to.

WTC and Endtime witness
By Mick (of Trudy)*, China [*Aliases used]
       A friend of ours asked us many questions about the Endtime as a result of the WTC attacks. He lives half the year in China and half the year in the States. At one point in our discussion we were talking about prophets, and he said that we were like the prophets of old because we knew the Bible. He also said that China needs people like us to get the Endtime message to the people here.
       He told us that 30 years ago he talked with a famous pastor in Hong Kong, whom he had asked questions about creation. The H.K. pastor said that he believed that creation is just a made up story by some very intelligent men who God chose. This disturbed our friend's faith that a preacher could doubt God's Word and it had affected him all these years. He asked us what we thought, and we answered him from the Word about creation. He said that our account (the Bible's account) of Creation, Noah's flood, etc., really made sense.
       We believe that if he gets on fire he can lead thousands to the Lord here, as he already acknowledges the Lord when talking to people about things that happened in his life. If we can train him he will be a tremendous asset to the work in China, as he has a lot of drive and throws himself 100% into whatever project he is working on. Right after he prayed with us to receive the Lord, he started to sing songs to Jesus. He's done this a few times already whenever we have talked to him about the Lord and the Word.
       The evening he got saved with his wife, they ended up staying for five hours with us, until 1:00 in the morning, and all we did was talk about the Word and read it together while we answered the many questions he had. Another evening he came on his own and the same thing happened; he stayed for five hours again asking question after question regarding the Endtime and Creation. When we apologized for talking so much he said: “Please talk! Keep talking. I want to hear more. I've had these questions all my life and no one has been able to answer them until now!”
       When he met our YA son, who was visiting us at the time, the first thing he said was: “He looks like a priest! He has such gentle eyes.” For him, the only way to connect living for the Lord is being a priest or a missionary. At that time we hadn't even witnessed to him that much at all, but he still said this about our son, which shows he's in tune and he sees we are different.
       He doesn't go to church, though some time ago he used to attend a house church during his time in China. After we told him about the Endtime and showed him in the Word about it, he mentioned that he wants to get out of the States as soon as possible and that this is his plan for the near future. We pray that he does come back and help us to reach his people for the Lord. Meanwhile, we will be in touch with him via e-mail, training him by sending him Word to read. He is, we believe, a time bomb waiting to explode!

Those words pulled me through
       Rosita (SGA), USA: Richard is an African-American we met as we crossed a parking lot one day. He was broken and desperate; he'd been going through very difficult times being homeless and barely scraping by. We began talking about Jesus, and as he shared his questions we showed him the answers from the Bible. We told him about Jesus' unconditional love and His forgiveness and bond with the brokenhearted and the downcast. He was so hungry for everything we told him.
       The Lord checked me to give him Activated #1. Flipping through it I showed him my favorite part, the message entitled “To You - with Love” at the back of the magazine.
       “I have this!” he blurted out. “I have this same message from Jesus! Two years ago I found it on the floor. I read it and it was so encouraging to me that I have carried it in my wallet since then. Every time I've gone through hard times, it was these Words from Jesus that pulled me through and kept me going.”
       We prayed for him before leaving, whereupon he burst into tears. We hugged before parting ways. He said, “You know why I'm crying?--These are tears of joy!”

Travel the world in four hours
       Mark, Sydney, Australia: Yes, it took us only four hours to … witness to people from China, Korea, Philippines, Japan, Thailand, Kenya, Jamaica and Australia. This happened in two nights while out in Sydney. Some of them got Activated mags.
       On the first night a Thai girl got saved. On the following night a Chinese, Kenyan and Jamaican got saved. We also met some Aussie girls who said they were Christians and wanted extra tracts to give to some Muslims. They just wanted to do it to stir them, ha, typical Aussies. (Actually, we've found many Muslim young people to be very receptive.) Then add two Japanese girls who just got saved during a lunchtime witnessing trip.
       Australia is still a mission field for those called to be here!

Remembering the focus
       Steven Watchman (of Mary), Philippines: In light of the “Conviction vs. Compromise” series, I had to really seek the Lord on what He wanted me to do concerning the training I was giving to several basketball teams in the city. Even though it was a door the Lord had opened for us in the beginning, I still had to check with Him to see whether or not it was something that He wanted me to keep doing. This was a ministry that turned into a job, but the Lord gave me a swift kick to remind me what I'm in it for.
       I had slacked off on feeding the guys more Word. I had looked at how to feed them as a whole, instead of focusing on the hungry ones. So I started probing more and finding out what their problems were individually and offered them Activated for the answers. I will be giving Bible studies after practice; so far about ten players will be subscribing to Activated.
       It's only the tip of the iceberg in feeding them, because once they catch the fire, they will pass the torch on to others. There are a lot of labor leaders among them that can do a lot for the Lord. Since I started feeding them more, the gift that one player promised to give is taking form. We gave him a list of our proposals, and he offered to help with them all, including a vehicle.

Gift of prophecy getting around
       By Joan, Middle East: When Faith and Topaz walked into a kindergarten to discuss a program to be held there next week, the lady came up to them exclaiming how beautiful the “writing” was that someone from the Family had received for a boy who had a very serious accident.
       This came about as a result of a friend calling us and asking for prayer for one of her son's close friends who had had a bad fall two weeks earlier. As a Home we prayed and Melissa (12) received a beautiful prophecy for this boy. Sarah passed it on to the parents of this boy, and it seems this message of the Lord's Words has been magnified and broadcasted in many circles.
       This lady asked if we actually get paid for such services and messages. We explained that we don't receive direct payment for such things, but our work is supported solely by contributions and donations from interested individuals and companies. This lady was totally flipped out about these precious Words from the Lord.
       It was a direct confirmation and fruit of a message we received in prophecy regarding getting folks in the Home involved in hearing from the Lord for our friends and certain situations, including our children who obviously have a precious channel!

Fast and Feast 2002

Two special things
By Abi, Taiwan
       After the first Feast reading, and the question about what was cluttering my life, the Lord told me that the biggest clutter was “my own thoughts and ideas,” so it really hit me in the later GNs when the Lord asked us to take on His mind. Being an analyzing and intellectual type, this would be the last thing I'd want to forsake. I thought it would be too hard to give my mind over to the Lord all the time. I wondered how I was going to tell throughout the day what was me, and what was the Lord. Then the Lord told me He was giving me an angel to give me checks when I was thinking my own thoughts, and who would point the way to the Lord's thoughts every time I get off track. The Lord gave me a vision of her and told me her name so I could ask her to help me stay on the Lord's wavelength. It was very awesome, and I pray I can be faithful to accept this help.
       Another beautiful and very convicting experience was when we were reading “Heavenly Thought Power” (ML #3377, GN 974), and it said that one of the requisites to receiving this gift was to be able to tune out whatever's going on around us to enter into that “quiet place” with the Lord to hear from Him. This really struck me because at last year's Feast for the treasure hunt, that was the specific treasure the Lord gave me--to be able to shut out what's happening around me and commune with Him at anytime, anywhere.
       When I woke up the next morning, it seemed the Lord lifted a veil from my face and He showed me what to me was a revelation.--I hadn't really believed my “treasure gift” enough to use it during this past year. In a way this was doubting and not appreciating it, and I felt so sad, I cried and asked the Lord to forgive me. Then He gave me a beautiful vision and words of comfort and direction to encourage me about all His gifts He so generously pours on us:
       (Jesus:) Yes, dear, you did have a lack of faith. You were excited at the moment that the little treasure hunt and clues I gave led to the wonderful gift--the gift of being able to enter into My secret chambers at any moment, no matter what's going on around you.
       At first you were so thrilled, yet you tucked it away and forgot about it. You put it in your treasure chest to make you feel good--to know that it's there if you ever need it, but you never really used it. Now you see that this treasure is part of a greater treasure, a greater gift I'm giving you this year.
       The treasures are all the new weapons and New Wine I've given--loving Me, praising Me, walking the humble road, unity with others, prophecy, the keys, your personal gift of being able to come into My chambers at any time, and the new ones I will add as a result of this year's Feast. I know you feel very bad about not treasuring your treasures, but there was so many other things cluttering up your life, I had to take these away and show you them one by one so you'd see the need to come and remember your treasure chest.
       My dear, My love, My sweetheart, these treasures I give you are not for you only--they're not yours. You're only a steward of them. I expect you to use them to help and serve others.
       And so I say, marvel not nor doubt the great power I've given you through the keys. For all that I speak to you shall be fulfilled. I tell you, My dear, you have only begun to see what I can do through My children of David--to those who abandon all, even themselves, and believe. Pray for faith to believe, for when you believe with your whole heart, it shall be done. (End of prophecy excerpt.)

Changes through the fast
By Michael, USA
       The fast had a positive effect on the relationships of two of my children, ages 16 and 14. They'd often argue and bicker like two toddlers due to the familiarity between them. We talked to them about how the Selvegion would like to enter in through their continual petty arguing. The Lord used that to help them see their bickering in a different light and both of them have really made an effort to get the victory over this problem. So there is progress, TTL!
       We have been traveling like mad this last month, so the kids have been doing school as we travel. Between school, reading the Word out loud in the van or having praise time and prayer vigil, it has helped keep the bickering down tremendously as we travel. We try to break the prayer vigils up into three segments of 10 minutes each, and we try to get through our prayer list for our friends and contacts daily. The Lord spoke to us in prophecy that we weren't using our prayer vigils and the power of the keys enough in interceding for our friends. He chided us that one of the qualities listed in the GNs concerning the keys is that they have the power to work miracles. He told us that we could and should be seeing more miracles in the lives of our friends and with our follow-up, and that the reason we weren't is because we haven't been praying for them as we ought to.

Home schooling corner

“You can be proud of how you taught me…”
By John, Luba, and Rose, Turkey
       We recently received some inspiring responses from outside friends and family, showing the value of our Family education.
       We sent an essay written by Samara (YA) to John's brother, who has been a journalist for 20 years for a well-known American newspaper. Her essay was about her time in Kosovo. Here is his response:
       Wow! How old is Samara? She's got a lot to say, and it's crushing to read it: both because of admiration for her call, and for going on. From a writing and journalism point of view, I can probably offer her a lot of tips, but from an experiential viewpoint, man I've got nuthin'. This kid's seen more than me, and I would not be able to critique her content. Thanks for sharing it. Love, Mike
       We recently got a note from one of our sons who is in his first year of university: “I don't know whether I told you or not, but I got three As and a B last semester, a 3.8 something grade-point average. So you can be proud of how you taught me, because there aren't many people who get as high a grade-point average as I did.” Our son was home-schooled all his life, and the first time he attended a formal school was university, where he obtained a four-year $60,000 scholarship.

What can we do if school is “boring?”
By Ilja, Christina, and Rebecca, Russia
       One problem that we're facing with the kids' scholastics is that more often the older ones complain that it's boring for them to do so much workbook related studies. At the same time, it's hard to give them “fun” classes all the time as we simply don't have much time, and classes generally require a lot of preparation. On the other hand, I know that workbooks pretty much have the most essential scholastic info in them, and if the kids only learn what's in the books, they'll be pretty well educated (not that the workbooks are all that they need, but they cover the most important basics).
       When I prayed about this situation the Lord showed me that at least for now (while we're short of personnel) it's important to make sure the kids have something to look forward to either after school or as part of school. The Lord gave some ideas like inviting our sheep and their kids over to our Home more often to have fun activities together or planning extra outings--like going to the swimming pool (we have a free contact) in the middle of the week, or to the ice-skating rink, or to follow-up meetings in the afternoon, etc. It's a real challenge, though, as it requires extra planning and fitting it all into our extremely busy schedule. But we tried to do it this week, and the fruit was worth it! Everybody was done with their goals much earlier and was much more challenged to press in.

Improving school portfolios
By Esther, Heidi, and James, Philippines
       I am so thankful for the recent CC seminar. Until now all my kids' portfolios have just been envelopes of “facts and figures.” Seeing the inspiring presentations given by other moms on their beautiful PR style folders convicted me to make ours more presentable. I used it as a parent-time activity, asking the children to glean what they considered their best work from their previous workbooks. We then mounted each piece on colored paper, adding cutouts from the same workbooks. We also made a special folder of all their favorite excursions and special activities, adding photos, ticket stubs, and the kids' own testimonies. The kids enjoyed it so much that now their daily work is much neater, knowing that that some of it will receive merit in next year's “show and tell” section.

Homes working together to teach the kids
By Joy (of Matt), Brazil
       Another aspect of home schooling is that while we have very gifted people in the different scholastic areas, not every Home has a good or experienced teacher. But with the vision of having a little bit bigger Homes, not just single-family Homes--it all fits together so well! The Homes could try to have at least one official teacher, or plan the schedule in such a way that different ones in the Home can teach a different subject, but have it well coordinated and written down, with a little report from the teacher or the one who teaches the class.
       If a Home doesn't have a teacher for a certain age group, they could team up with another Home that might have that teacher; they can then help that Home in other areas, like provisioning, etc.
       We implemented a few different ideas here in São Paulo, which I believe are bearing tremendous fruit in the kids' lives. One was a united schooling effort. Ester (of Martin) and I have had a school day together once a week, for these past six months. During this time we gave special classes on history, Brazilian geography, Portuguese, math, etc., giving the kids classes in the subjects we each knew best.
       The kids really looked forward to this school day, and it also presented the opportunity for united get-outs. We would give a little test at the end of each period and ask them do to homework and research on different subjects. They loved it and really worked at it. This way we provided them with the challenge of teamwork and being able to show their schoolwork to somebody other than just mom.
       Perhaps we could encourage Homes in different cities to get together and do things like this--a science fair, an art display, etc. There are so many good ideas in Family pubs, but sometimes just doing it within a small Home can seem a little routine, but when we do it together with two or three Homes, it makes it so much more exciting for the kids.
       We also started some classes like art, music, and handyman in Jonathan VS's Home. Three teachers teach these different classes, then after dinner we have a Bible class for the JETTs and one for the OCs. During these Bible classes they are learning about witnessing, their personal walk with the Lord, the Endtime, and memory verses. All the parents are happy with these classes as it's bearing tremendous fruit in the kids' lives. It's so fulfilling and another proof that the Lord will bless us extra as we unite for the kids' sake.
       I believe with all my heart that the Family has the best to offer as far as personnel, materials, and vision. Like Dad said: “We are a genuine officers training school preparing a cadre for world leadership.” It's such an honor to be fighting in this army!

Rising above home-schooling obstacles
By David, Heaven, Katrina, Kengo, Leilani, Mandy, Marvy, and Michael, Japan
       Since receiving the “Conviction vs. Compromise” series pertaining to schooling and shepherding our young people, our Home has had several united meetings to pray and ask the Lord how to apply the Word to our Home situation. “Rome isn't built in a day,” but the Lord has shown us how to begin building it!
       Since we basically have the junior teens on down in public school, the Lord showed us to prepare to pull some of them out, as public school was already showing very little benefits of growth scholastically--not to mention zero in other areas. Our plan is to now home school our two junior teens, one JETT and one OC (all boys). During Aaron's trip to the States, we purchased Beka home-schooling books for those who need English schooling. We also have materials for teaching in Japanese for those who will keep that as their primary learning language.
       It's slowly piecing together and we will be focusing on the power and hearing from the Lord to know how to keep a good schedule. God bless our dear mommies, who have had communication with the public school, informing them of what we plan to do in advance. This way, we are not being “sudden drop outs” but are having communication with them and being sweet but firm in the need to now home school our children.

Out of school, still learning the language
By Claire, Francesco, and Olivier, Taiwan
       Our children were attending a public school to learn Chinese, but in light of the recent GN counsel, we decided to take them out of school. Actually, we were not fulfilling our part of the bargain in feeding them the Word to counteract the System influence. However, the Lord in His mercy has raised up a teacher who is quite sheepy and interested in helping us with our kids' education and also helping us to learn Chinese. A neat answer to prayer!

School program suggestions
By Gideon and Paloma, Mexico
       We got the Monte Sion course for Obed - 12, and I really like it. It's a complete curriculum with teacher's guides, answer keys, etc. It's a good beginner's home school kit. It's a study of John with grammar and other material thrown in just like the Bible curriculum from the Davidito book.

Alpha and Omega
By Gabe, Honey, Jessica, and Mikey, Japan
       We ordered Language and History CDs for 10th grade from Alpha-Omega. This is a good program where the teacher can monitor all the work that is being done, and can even add to the curriculum. The program automatically corrects answers and it is a fun learning experience.

Weaver curriculum
By Michael, Debbie, and Angela, Honduras
       After waiting several months, I now have my new schooling materials, PTL! Most of them I bought very inexpensively on-line and some of them were given to me for free by Christian women and a math publishing company, also run by Christians. I've had a little time to look over the materials and they look very nice. This is from The Weaver Curriculum, which is a unit study program.

ideas and tips

Selah trash
By Luke, Crystal, Abi, and Joy, Senegal
       Rather than collecting our selah trash in a plastic bag, we fill up a paper bag with everything that needs to be burned and set the bag on fire (in a fire-safe place). It saves a lot of time not having to stand there throwing the bits of papers into the fire.

Making the most of vespers
By Luke, Crystal, Abi, and Joy, Senegal
       For vespers, we have tried different Word-based games, usually using the latest GN, and it is becoming quite fun. We rotate the organizer by alphabetic order so every one gets a chance to prepare a different idea.
       A few examples: Each person is given a number. We then throw the die, and if it lands on your number, you are called up to read or act out a part of the GN.
       We once had inspiration for a few minutes, and everyone had to bring an “instrument” to play along with (wooden spoon on a pot, spoon on a few bottles filled at different levels, homemade shakers, etc.).
       We played some kids songs from the CDs for a few seconds and you had to guess which song it was, and then sing along for a short time.
       We also played “encouragement night” for vespers once, where you throw the die for who reads and the person who it lands chooses whom he or she wants to read encouraging words from Jesus to.

ponder
Admitting you're weak is proof that you are strong.

personals
       Jeremy (of Clare and Newheart) would like to get in contact with Dan and Faith (last known in Croatia, also in Nagoya). Please contact Jeremy at hugwenwh@hotmail.com or call 803 874-3356.
       Dear Miguel and Ruthie (Chilean) Voluntario: Somebody here in Argentina really wants to get in contact with you. It is an old friend, Guillermo, who met the Family in '75 through you. Could you send your e-mail to us? Our e-mail is: vamosche@yahoo.com. Thanks! ILY!--Gloria
       I need to get in touch with Ace (INDIA?), and Renae (going to China?). If anyone knows their e-mail or snail mail addresses, please write to Angie at: one_and_only_87@hotmail.com. Tx.
       Damaris is looking for her friends, Marie, Jessica, A. Joy, Abi, Maria, Tabita, Gabriela, Mana, and Ezra. Guys, please contact me at lagohome@lagosnet.com.br. I'm anxious to hear from you. Please don't delay.
       My name is Lydia (12). I'm looking for Philip (10) and Peter (of Sarah). Remember me? We lived in together in Poland for some time. Please write me at e-mail: goodnews4u@wp.pl
       Christopher in Montreal (of Louise Gosselin), please contact your dad when you find the time. E-mail: mcmeel@ureach.com

help wanted
       Dear brethren: “Blessed are the feet of those who preach the Gospel.” We are a small Home of nine members, living in a small town in Paraguay on the Brazilian border, where the two most outstanding income sources of this town are drug dealing and illicit trafficking.
       The Lord has performed many miracles and changed the lives and hearts of a lot of people during the seven years that we've been coming here for faith trips, meeting many precious souls. One-and-a-half-years ago, we opened this Home with a lot of expectations, but the sheep aren't growing, and instead they are staying relaxed and in conformity with their churches. On the other side, the economic situation is going through rough, critical times, to the point that we're not being able to reach our budget of US$500. LHU! &&& We were recently visited by our shepherds, and they suggested that we move to another mission field. In asking the Lord about this, we feel the call and have been invited to go to Mexico! The Lord showed us to share our situation and need with the whole Family. This is why we're asking each CM/FM Home if you could please help by donating just a small gift in order to help us raise the funds that we need to in order to heed this calling. [WS: Please note that $10 is the smallest amount that some areas' TeleTRFs will process.] If each Home helps with a few dollars, we will have a great part of our need covered. Please, don't think it's too little or insignificant! Little is plenty if God is in it! Thank you! Our e-mail: linkup7@terra.com.br or contact us through the SACRO ABM.
       --Juan and Perla, for the PY006, Home of Pedro Juan Caballero (Paraguay) and Ponta Pora (Brazil)

       My name is Bruni (Russian national) and I have a three-year-old son. The Lord showed me to go to Mexico and I have a Home waiting for me there. It's not possible to fundraise in Russia and training our national church before we close up the Home takes all my time. I'm still lacking about $700. If the Lord puts it on your heart to help with any amount, I'd be truly grateful! Your prayers are also very appreciated! Please send your donations through the ABM for Bruni (RU013). Thank you so much for taking your time to read this and pray about it!

GRAPES OF THANKFULNESS
       We want to take the opportunity to thank the Family once again for their efforts in helping to raise the money for Jasper's van. It is working so well and has literally opened new worlds for Jasper. He is trying to talk so much more and is so attentive and responsive to commands. Even the doctor has been impressed by how well he's doing and has asked me to document him on video. Of course, the Lord gets all the glory!
       --Love (of Jasper), USA

Dear Teams in Hungary!
       Without your help and loving care, our time in Budapest would have been quite difficult. It was very inspiring to meet all of you and see the way the Lord's working to prepare the Hungarian Family and that sheepy country for the exciting things He has in store in the near future.
       We wanted to especially thank you, Djani, Andrea and all members of the Orchard Home, for letting us stay with you and helping us with our many needs. Thank you so much for the fun times of witnessing, fellowship, and working together as a team! It made us feel really loved that you received us, GBYA!
       Thank you, Libby and Mike, for letting Sara come to the delivery of our little girl and thank you so much, Sara and Daniel, for your friendship, love, and care in every way! And to the Anchor Home, Light House, Tunde, Csaba, Pearl, Tim, Claire, Chris, Vicky, Jerom, Edit, Evi, Gloria, Mercy and many others, thank you for all your help and times of fellowship and witnessing!
       This kind of sample of loving care is what makes our wonderful Family the Family of love that we feel so privileged to be part of.
       --With LOVE and eternally grateful, I., A. and kids, China

shine on

TEAMWORK       Per Adult       Total
       
SOUL SHINERS FOR FEBRUARY 2002
       Faithy/Mark/Premika, India       531       3,719
       Salomon/Belen/Cristal, Mexico       400       4,000
       Claire/Crystal/Daniel/Steven/Steven, India       389       1,558
       Aaron/Angela, Brazil       339       3,050
       Hyderabad DeafReach, India       295       2,365
       Charity/Daniel/Happy, India       217       1,304
       David/Dawn/James, Thailand       167       1,005
       David, Costa Rica       150       300
       Clare/Kristina/Stephen/Yanek, Belorus       136       815
       Cephas/Melody/Heidi, Ivory Coast       130       650

POSTER SHINERS FOR FEBRUARY 2002
       Samuel/Clara, Spain       4,000       8,000
       Stephen/Salomon/Joy, Peru       1,600       8,000
       Maria/Michael, Japan       1,200       6,000
       Sharif/Elene/Rima, Nigeria       1,123       8,990
       Jenai, Taiwan       1,025       2,050
       Daniel/Dora/Maria, Kenya       1,001       6,006
       Claire/David/Maya/Tim, USA       810       4,050
       David/Jonathan/Michael, Portugal       800       4,000
       David/James/Pandita/Vicky, Japan       678       3,390
       Marianne/Shine/Timothy, USA       535       6,420

TAPE SHINERS FOR FEBRUARY 2002
       Ben/Meekness, Botswana       250       500
       Daniel, Mexico       157       314
       Pierre/Renee, Panama       150       300
       Abe/Mercy, Taiwan       107       214
       Maria/Mark, United Kingdom       100       200
       Matthew/Marie/Vicka/Sam, Romania       93.8       563
       Josue/Salome, Brazil       93.3       280
       Tim/Claire/Stefan/Joy, Switzerland       80       323
       Samuel/Clara, Spain       76       153
       Charity/John, USA       75       150

VIDEO SHINERS FOR FEBRUARY 2002
       Chris/Gabe/Ginny/Pablo/Rejoice/S., USA       69       762
       Ezequiel/Rejoice/Jonathan/Tabitha, Brazil       57       340
       CN607       36       110
       Maria/Mark, United Kingdom       34       68
       Jeho/Consuelo/Juan, Brazil       27       134
       Gideon/Heidi/Mary/Sam, Pakistan       25       150
       Andrew/Andrea/Angie, USA       23       93
       Douglas/Malika, South Africa       22       44
       Daniel/Rejoice/Spring, Indonesia       21       108

       Adam, Issue 15
       Page 1: More Romance Tips (page 2 again)
       Page 2: Hot Romance Tip #3
       Blowing gently into her ear will drive her into a frenzy of l'amour like nothing else can. However NEVER do so with a mouthful of dry crackers.
       Cover photo: SGA Tyrone of Titus-ina in Thailand just sort of standing there.

(End of File)