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GV supplement #52/GV 145

grapes of thankfulness

       This is something that we should have done years ago, because in our Home there are two wonderful people whose names ought to be in lights.--Although I'm sure they already are in Heaven and for the Lord and for us they are too. Not even a thousand words could rightly express our gratitude and love and all that we owe to these two wonderful adults, parents, shepherds, co-workers, and friends. They've been all this and more to each one of us. They've been the sample that we look up to and hope to follow with the Lord's help.
       They've put up living for many years now with a bunch of crazy, sometimes very difficult and temperamental young people, yet they somehow have managed to have had such admirable patience and love and understanding despite it all. They've never given up on us even when we were at the lowest, darkest moments of our lives. To the contrary, they've done their best to help, counsel, support, and fight with us through good and bad. I think it's been their faith in us that has kept many of us here today, still serving the Lord and wanting to continue to do so with all our hearts. Even when we thought we were past hope, the Lord's love and theirs was what pulled us through time and time again. They've tried their best to make our lives of service to the Lord wonderful, happy lives, full of adventure, fun, exciting, thrilling moments.
       To make things short--because if we'd start to say the things we love and admire in them we'd never end--we want you to know that serving the Lord with you has been one of the greatest things in life. We're grateful and proud to have shared our lives beside you and with you, and to be fighting the Devil and winning victories in the Lord's name and with the power of the keys with you. We want the whole world to know how wonderful, dedicated, loving, caring, on-fire and cool Andy and Maria are.
       I'm sure the world and many lives, including ours, wouldn't be the same without you. You bear so many weights, make so many sacrifices of love, give so much, love so much, and still maintain your happiness and wild, revolutionary, youthful spirit. You're a wonderful sample of what true disciples should be like because we've always seen you yield time and again to the Lord even when His will went against your own. What a sample!! We love you both so much and want to say that we'll be forever grateful to you for SO, SO MUCH that you've given us. We're sure the Lord will proudly say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servants."
       Keep going for the Lord! Keep on being the wonderful sample you are to all of us of love, humility, yieldedness and dedication! The Lord and we all are so proud to be in this together with you. You're just simply fantastic … where would be do without you?
       --Written by Sara and Irene on the behalf of other grateful young people whose lives you've touched, Colombia

       To my dearest friends Philip and Meekness,
       I would like to tell you how very thankful I am for you! I count it a privilege to have had the chance to live with you for three years--it was a wonderful time! Thank you for receiving me with open arms into the circle of your little family and making me feel at home and a part of you. I was so happy with you and will never forget my time in Namibia. I learned so much--having in you a beautiful sample of good parents, a sweet couple, and on fire witnesses. You and your sweet kiddies brought so much into my life, and this special time of living with you will leave an imprint in my heart forever.
       You are loving, caring, understanding, on fire, and fun to be with. I could always count on you! You helped me so much in my preparations to go to the new mission field, really backing me up in everything. Without you I wouldn't be here yet. THANK YOU! Such friends like you are truly great treasures and you will always be my soul mates. I'm thanking dear Jesus for you and I'm keeping you in my prayers!
       --I love you, Magda
       
       I'd like to say a special THANK YOU to some people, and to one person in particular, who took me in when I had nowhere else to go. I was pregnant with your son's child. You took me in to your Home and treated me as a daughter. You cared for me even after your son left, and you were a friend to me in my despair. You comforted me! I'm forever in your debt! Dear Clara (formerly known as Dove), I LOVE YOU! Thanks for being there for me! You'll always be in my heart! I'm sorry for being such a pain!
       And to David, your son, you've been more than a brother to me. I owe you big time. Thanks for your friendship and words of wisdom! And to my parents and brothers who held me up in their prayers, I'm still here--all thanks to you guys! You are the best family in the world! Love you!
       --Nina Servant, Portugal

       This grape goes to my wonderful and amazing husband: Jonathan. Baby, I love you tons, and I'm so thankful for all the love and wonderful things that you've brought into my life. The Lord has blessed me tremendously with your company and love. Thank you for these years that we've spent together.
       Thank you for being a wonderful daddy and fantastic husband. Thank you for always being there for me, and for at least trying to understand me. Thank you for your prayers, for your love, and for the happiness that comes along with loving you! You are amazing in every sense of the word! I LOVE YOU!!!
       --Lots of love, Tabitha, Brazil

       Who would I have become without my friends? Where would I be now if you hadn't have helped me? For over a year now you've been fighting by my side, helping me to stay in the Family. You gave me your hearts, your help, support, prayers, encouragement, and understanding. Your presence gave me strength to carry on and to believe that the Lord will crush the obstacles that I have encountered on my way. Thanks to your prayers and His power of the keys I'm still here! I will never be able to express how thankful I am for you and how precious each of you is to me. Thank you for your love and friendship, for letting His love and wisdom shine through you! I want to thank you: Heart, Samuel, Love and Abe, Rose Marie, Daisy, Joy, Eva and Yan, Tina and Yanek, Lydia and Tommy, Gabe and Crystal, and Eve Love.
       Thank you, Dawn, for your patience, love, and understanding!
       And last, but not least, I want to thank you Sarah, Thad, Samuel, Clara, and Daniel for lovingly inviting me into your Home, for giving me a chance to start a new life! Each of you is a living blessing for me and being part of your Home makes me proud to be part of such a wonderful Family!
       --Eternity, Iceland

       We want to thank dear Jude (of Eden) for coming to visit us. We were very happy to have you in our Home! Thank you so much for the video you showed us. It was really special to us. We love you and keep you in our prayers!
       --With love, Julia and Simon, Poland

       I want to thank my dear husband, Simon, for all his help and time. Sweetheart, you are my blessing, inspiration, and you are the greatest lover and friend in the world. Thank you so much for all the years we've spent together. Happy 10th anniversary. LOVE!
       --Julia, Poland

       From the bottom of our hearts we want to thank ALL the Homes and brethren who so lovingly and considerately have sent us donations to make our move to another mission field possible. We'd like to acknowledge every one, but we don't have a complete list of all your Home numbers and names, and don't want to leave anyone out who deserves to be thanked. We want you to know that each of you was the Lord's answer and a manifestation of His love for us. We pray that we will return the favor by doing our best to be a blessing in our new field. You'll share in the credit for each soul that we win and each person that we reach, because without your help we wouldn't have made it. God bless you all, and once again thank you so much!
       --Juan and Perla, Paraguay
       
       We want to send a big THANK YOU to dear Agnes, for taking the time to make this gorgeous keys promises screen saver. Not only is it beautiful in every way, but it is both a great incentive to memorize, as well as a fantastic way to review! Thank you so much also for your beautiful art which helps bring the Word to life for our kids. Every child in our Home has been touched by your love and your tender care at some time in their lives, in different locations, and I believe there are many more around the world who carry fond memories of their time with you. I personally met some in many places who continue to cherish you in their hearts. Actually, the word "fond" does not begin to convey the way kids talk about you. Thank you for continuing to bring the Word to them through your art. We thank Jesus for you!
       --Love, your friends young, old (and older) in a South African Service Home

       We would like to add a big bunch of grapes to our wonderful Family singers, especially those who sang on the new CD Break Away. Vas, Gavin, Julie Greeneyes, David W., Emmanuel, Godfrey, TJ, and Elam, you guys are the best. I admire you for being so committed and faithful to receive these wonderful songs from Heaven and send them to us. We owe you one, as well as all the other singers in our wonderful Family. Your music is so inspiring.
       Also another grape to someone very special in our life--Crystal, our mom! She has been a mom to seven kids for twenty years as well as a loving wife to our dad. She stuck to her job faithfully, although we were not the easiest kids to take care of. She is now pioneering in South Africa and is doing a wonderful job there, 110% sold out to the Lord. WLY, Mom. You are the very best mother anyone could have.
       Another very big bunch for the JETT and junior teen Board--David, Petra, Paloma, Jonathan, and Vida. They organized a cool JETT Camp which was a real blast! Thanks, David and Petra, for your wonderful, on-fire classes on witnessing and the new weapons, Paloma, the one mainly in charge, always going around making sure everything was tip-top--just to name a few. We also want to thank all the staff, namely: Dan, Sylvia, Michelle, Chris, Femi, Chloe, Naomi, Shannon and Shane, and Meekness (VS). They all were there to help whenever the need arose, as well as just be there when we needed someone to talk to. Thank you all, we love you so much.
       --Joy (14) and Celeste (12) (of Gideon and Crystal), Ireland

       I never saw you face to face,
       But I saw your smile nearly every day.
       You never saw the tears I cried,
       But you prayed that God would wipe them away.
       I never held your hand in mine,
       But you squeezed it as only a friend can do.
       I never felt your comforting hug,
       But you held me close in prayers, I knew.
       I cannot express in simple rhyme,
       My thanks although I'll try to do.
       I know the Lord will reward your care,
       To Nyx, my friend, I love you!
       --Meeya (Maria), England xxx

       I would like to give a big applause for all to hear to the brethren in Colombia. I admire them with all of my heart. I want to specifically name a couple of people that I carry in my heart and these are: Andy, Maria, Irene, Sara, Isabel, Cristina, and the kids, Miguel and Mark, and everyone that is part of that Home. I want to tell you thank you for persisting in that city. I also want to tell the girls that they are a true sample of love. They go to the market alone, and even though they're "girls" they carry all the vegetables. They minister to very important people and they are still able to ride in a bus that they provision every day, and with that very nice and humble smile they ask the driver to see if he can give them a ride. The bus drivers don't always say yes, but there are always more opportunities and disguised blessings. There are days that are very tough, there are others that are very inspiring, but the nicest thing is that they persist, and for that I want to give them a big hand. I also want to give a big hurrah for when they go out witnessing to the stoplights and they do it practically by faith. I really admire when they start singing with all their hearts, in order to stay inspired and not get discouraged. The truth is … the craziness of heart is what makes them such special girls!
       Now I want to say something to Andy and Maria. Thank the Lord for the sacrificial love that they have for the sheep. They have forsaken a lot for the sheep, and one of those things has been their own family. I'm not going to mention everything because I would never finish, but I just want to say that it shows very great love and that not everyone has that. Medellin would not be the same without you guys there!
       In other parts of the world there are also a lot of people that really love you, and I'm one of them. I'm never going to forget the time that I spent with you guys. I love you so much, my precious Family in Medellin!
       --Laura (20) Brazil

       Special dedicated thanks to MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE, Celeste, for her love, understanding, and care. For her support and motherly love. Honey, thank you for always being there!
       --Love, your husband, Arthur, Spain (soon Middle East)

       We would like to say a huge THANK YOU to a very talented and wonderful person. This is for Richard (15), in New Delhi, India. Richard helped us so much with a big project which we'd been trying to get together. He was so helpful, and told us every little thing that we needed to know about computers. What a boy! He answered all our questions and helped make our Activated computer project possible. He was so on the ball. Never once did he complain about how slow we were moving with this project (as none of us know anything about computers!). All our communications with him were done over the Internet.
       Thank you so much, Richard. You were the right person to help us out. This wouldn't be possible without you. We love you so much!
       P.S.: Jodie still giggles shyly every time we mention your name!
       --Chris, Sam, and Jodie, India

       We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to our dear brethren who made our move to China possible. Gabe, Marie and Home in the Philippines; Andrew, Crystal, Micah and Mary in Taiwan; and the brethren at the RH and the many others who helped us along the way. Thanks also to dear Samaria in Japan for her faithful support over the years.
       --Peter and Cassie, China

       Dear Chell, "Oh how we love you, oh yes we do. Oh how we love you, your love is true. … Oh Chell, we love you!" One million kisses and thanks to you, sweet Chell, for your endless love and giving to us all. "Greater love has no teen than this that she lay down her life for her brethren." XXX We love your: art classes, inspirations, yummy cookies and cooking, fun school and science classes, devotions, flannelgraphs, puppet shows, dance nights, fun ideas, love for souls, funny jokes, tight squeezes (from Bobby) … but most of all we love you and your sweet personality.
       --Love, Trusty, Bobby (6), Holly (4), Joeli (3), and Cherry (2), Thailand

       We would like to send some huge grapes of thankfulness to some dear loved ones who gave us a helping hand while we were fighting to get to our new mission field. And those wonderful people are:
       *       Bride Home (Romania): You all are real missionaries and on the top of God's list! Thank you for all your prayers, love, concern, gifts, getting prophecies for us, letting us stay with you whenever there was a need, sharing your provisioning with us, driving us to the airport, helping Chris with his paperwork, and even helping us with a gift. Your support and help was really an encouragement. We wouldn't have made it without you! We miss you and love you all so much!
       *       Rufus and Dulce's Home (Romania): For taking Chris into your Home for while he needed a temporary Home.
       *       Frank and Sara, Aaron and Angie's Home (L.A.): Thank you for taking me (Liz and little Eman) into your Home while I was waiting to see what the outcome would be for getting Chris's visa for Mexico. Your encouragement and willingness to help made a world of difference!
       *       Daniel and Ema (Romania): Thank you for helping us to fundraise, letting us stay with you, and being so generous and kind to us. You are wonderful!
       *       Aaron (India): Thank you for sacrificing and giving us your "widow's mite." We love you (and miss you!!!)!
       *       Paula (Hungary): Thank you for the gift and most of all thank you for being a great friend! We miss you!
       *       MM Home (Hungary): Thank you for responding to the need and giving us a gift. "Great is your reward in Heaven."
       *       Eva and the LAMB Home (L.A.): Thank you for your gift towards Chris's visa even though you don't know us so well. That really touched our hearts!
       --Chris and Liz, Mexico

       We'd like to say a big thank you to Emmanuel, Sherry, and team for lending us João to help take care of our house and kids while we were away. We love you. João, God bless you for all your labors of love.
       --Cielo, Brazil



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