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GV supplement #53/GV 148

grapes of thankfulness

       We (an anonymous Home) would like to thank ____ and ____ (names removed for security reasons) for doing that special thing you did (and you know what you did). We know you know who you are and who we are and so we'd like to let you know you're greatly appreciated.
       --From one of those other countries

       No seriously, we (it's really irrelevant who we are) would like everyone to know how thankful we are for James and Sapphireand their three boys. (Now they deserve recognition and a round of applause.) Even though they were short handed themselves, still they invested lots of time spread over many weeks in helping us to literally build our house with sanding and painting the walls and ceilings, amongst other jobs that building a house entails (including sweeping the sawdust for the millionth time that day). And when we'd get down with how long everything was taking, they always had an encouraging word with a smile attached. Thanks guys, you'll never know how much it means to us to have you here with us. We love you!
       --Your neighbors from across town

       Imagine yourself answering the phone one day and finding yourself in the following conversation: "Hello, you don't know me. I got your number from the ABM and I'm just visiting the States from Turkey, and I need some help. Could you consider…?" And then I go on to explain that I'm with my son's girlfriend, a former member, who has just been discharged from the hospital with a fractured neck and other injuries from a car accident. "We don't know anyone around here and she needs somewhere to rest and recover. We're just in a hotel here, and I'm 1,000 miles away from anyone I know and her parents are in Italy. Would you consider letting her stay with you for a few weeks? Umm, I've only known her myself for a few days, but she seems to be a good girl."
       Thank you so much, Tim and Joy, for taking us into your Home under circumstances that would test anyone's faith! Dear Joy gave up her own bedroom and bathroom so that my son's girlfriend could have a comfortable place to rest. It was a 10-hour drive for us to get from our location to Tim and Joy's, so we arrived late in the night. Joy stayed up with us that first night until 3 or 4 am helping to care for this girl, who was in a lot of pain from the long trip. Thanks also to Linda, who was passing through the next day and helped a lot with her nursing talents and great sense of humor! Rosey (teen) and the kids also made us feel so welcome. Thank you so much, Joy, for your unselfish love and care! I had to leave two days later, and Joy and family cared for my son's girlfriend for the next month, until she was well enough to move on to a new situation. Thank you for your faith and for being such a true sample of the Lord's love, for being what our Family is about!
       I'd like to thank all of the folks who helped me during this time, Peter ABM, Cassie at 1-800, FCF, and Victor in NY.
       --Love, Rose, Turkey

       We would like to commend our sweet daughter Isabelle (11) for her generous support to missionaries in various parts of the world. Within the past 12 months, she has given away 90% of all the money she has received as pocket money, birthday or Christmas gifts to help others. "She that sows bountifully shall reap bountifully." God bless you, Izzy! We're proud of you!
       --Love, Mom and Dad (Byron and Mercy), Europe

       Thank you so much to the dear one(s) who work on the Reflections. I really enjoy them and so do my kids. As each new mailing arrives, the Reflections are one of the first thing they ask for. We read them unitedly and learn so many good lessons from them. GBY, whoever you are! I love you!
       --Mercy, Europe

       From all our hearts we want to thank dear Oliver (in Ireland) and Juancho (in Spain) for all your help towards our trip. We couldn't have made it here without you both! We love you and again thank you so much! Stay in touch. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
       --Arthur and Celeste, Middle East

       This is to let everybody know about some of the best hospitality I have ever experienced: The Home is in Pretoria, South Africa, and the hosts' names are Gareth and Caroline together with their kids: Claire, Christopher, Andrew, Sarah and little Benji.
       They took us in, gave us our own room, and let us use one of their cars, as if it were our own. We ate their food (good food, too!), were free to come and go at will. They even endured me sending my e-mails from their own bedroom. On top of that, our plans kept changing often and our departure date was delayed a few times. Yet all this time, all we heard from them was, "The Lord knows. Everything will be all right. We're happy to have you longer," etc.
       I have been received well by many people, but this was ROYAL TREATMENT!
       One time as I was passing by their room I heard Caroline on the phone provisioning, "…we also help missionaries passing through. …" I felt like going in, taking the phone and saying, "Hey, man, we are those missionaries and they have given us great treatment! You'd better catch that blessing while you can, as I'm sure these people look grand in the Lord's eyes!"
       Dear Gareth, Caroline, Claire, Christopher, Andrew, Sarah, and little Benji, thank you and God bless all of you guys!
       --Tommy and Martin, Lusaka, Zambia

       I want everyone to know about P. and C. (Marco and Mary, CN628), and what wonderful missionaries you are! I haven't lived with you for years, but I want you to know how much I admire you and how you've faithfully gone from mission field to mission field (Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, and now China) with your ever-increasing family of soon-to-be eight kids who are under the senior teen age bracket! I'm sure it's not always easy being on a field like China, and the sacrifices entailed, but please know that you're in my prayers. I'm claiming the keys for your strength, encouragement, supply and everything else that you may need!
       --Anonymous

The quality and depth as well as the originality of recently published Reflections is first class. We actually get better reactions from a broader section of the public to the "Family composed editions," amazingly enough. People are continually requesting more. (Editor's note: Thanks to all of you who send in your original Reflections contributions!)


--Gideon, India



       Dear Simon Peter, God bless you! We just downloaded the CvsC and Feast 2001 Letters you have read from the Members Only site. Thank you so-o-o much. They are great! And so feeding! Are you able to do more? We really need them. We are copying them to CDs so we can use them in the car and in our CD player around the house. Everyone wants copies. Thank you again.
       --Love and prayers, the El Paso Home, USA

       We'd like to send a big juicy grape to dear Steve and Ruth, and their four kids, Rachel, Amber, Noelle, and Sara. Thank you for taking us in from Ethiopia on such short notice, and then opening your Home and letting us stay with you for a whole year to fundraise and get back to Africa! We had a sweet and meaningful time living and working with you, and we sure miss you now that we're here in Tanzania.
       Thanks for putting up with us and our little rascals, for being so helpful when we had our third baby, and for sharing your already small Home and one bathroom with us, ha!
       Thanks also for your generosity, for preferring us and our needs and being a good sample of Acts 2:44-45. You greatly encouraged our faith in the Word and the Family by your sacrificial sample. Thanks for all the encouragement and camaraderie, and for understanding our battles and heartbreaks and helping to get us back up on our feet again. We pray for you and will always be grateful!
       --Sending lots of love your way, Mike, Sylvie and kids, Tanzania

       There is one faithful sweet soul in the North of Germany. His name is John (of Sara) and he's been a literal angel to us in doing the bookkeeping and many more paperwork related things of our registered charity. He keeps plodding along, putting up with us and the people writing to our e-mail address, answering, phoning, communicating with us while we are in Africa, doing all the computer work, layout, Web site, and many more menial tasks. Many times he fixes our laptop or helps us set it up, etc. All this besides the million other things he does in caring for their nine kids living with them.
       While he does all this there is another angel in disguise right next to him--his wife Sara--taking care of their "billion" kids and Home and giving him the time to do all these things for us. What would we do without both of them? We seriously don't know and can't do the subject justice by this little grape of thankfulness. No words could express how much all your help means to us sweetest John, Sara and family. You are tops in our books! Love you so much and keep you in our prayers
       --Ever thankful, John and Kaylee, Cameroon

       We'd like to thank all those who responded overwhelmingly to our ad in the Grapevine when we were beginning our pioneer Home in the ME. The donations that have come in have made it possible for us to make continual progress in getting set up and forging ahead in a country where we can't provision as of yet and have to shoulder all our expenses. We expected we would get a few donations here and there, but we have been flabbergasted at how generous our precious Family has been. Below we would like to thank by name all those who have been such a big help to us in getting started with donations and other kinds of help. Some have given more than once. God bless you all! We love you so much and couldn't do it without you. Some of you we only know by Home number. Please write us care of our Home in the ME so we can attach at least a name to your kind gifts.
       Much thanks to: IA860; IA17; Marianne, Mark, Ruth, and Home; John, Luba, Rose, and the Seaview Home; Faithy, Mark, and Home; Jenny, Josiah, Joy, and Home; Clare, John, Lily, Peter, and the Treasure Chest Home; Piper in Thailand; Micah, Praise, Charity, and the Korat Home; Adam, Mary, Rose, and the Thai SC; Andre, Crystal, Lily, and the Beirut Home--donation and shared equipment and provisions; Simon, Vicky, and Home; CA9614; Mike, Faith, and Home; Jan, Maria, Paul, and Home; IT1190--Liberty Beetroot; the Omega Home for lots of encouragement and equipment; Paradise Home for much support and assistance; the ME LP for lots and lots of help. WE LOVE YOU ALL!
       --Phil, Maria, Matthew, Magda, and Home, Mideast

I want to thank everyone who took the time to write me back and send me notes and P&P for my 30th anniversary in the Family. It was overwhelming and so, so encouraging. It made me feel so loved and count my blessings.
       I have not "lost" anything, nor was "anything taken away from me" for I have "gained Christ" and "our marriage" will last forever and ever--t'was why I joined the Family in the first place anyway! Ha! I was so in love with Jesus but I must confess that I have had real battles when reading these wonderful testimonies of lasting relationships in the pubs and have had to ask for prayer against jealousy a few times and to be able to read them even, especially when about people I know.
       So when my "anniversary" came along, the Lord told me to send a little note to as many people as possible and thus get His vows and feel His unfailing care and love more than ever! So I did. It did feel a little "funny" and a bit "daring and humbling" and I battled afterwards after sending the request as I didn't want to draw so much attention to me and be assuming people would have time for that. But boy, did it go a long, long way and I still re-read my personal "From Jesus With Love" often. Thank you again and again to my many friends in the Lord have made my anniversary so special.
       Also a big thank you to my dear home team who had prepared a real surprise treat as my anniversary was on the very same day I came back from a board meeting and had been away for over two weeks. I didn't think they would have remembered! Friends came over and we all had champagne and fun fellowship. Some FGAs were visiting the Home too and wrote in a homemade beautiful card! It was all His engineering, all His plan, and all this and Heaven too from My unfailing Friend and Lover! You should try it too when your "anniversary" comes along!
       --I love you, Abi in Senegal

       To all our dear brothers and sisters at the TC, Bangkok: Thank you so much for taking us in when we went on a visa trip and for letting us raise funds while staying at your place. We really appreciate your help! You made us feel welcome. May God bless you and make your Home very fruitful.
       --Love, Sam and Marie, SEA

       A special thanks to all those who prayed for me during my battle with shingles! The Lord and the keys did a wonderful and complete healing and I am so thankful for all of the love and concern that everyone showed in their fervent prayers!
       A huge thanks to my sweet husband, Sam, for taking the kids, sleeping with them, and being a wonderful daddy during the time that I've had to be isolated.--And to dear Joy! Where would we be without her? She took baby Cherise cheerfully day in and day out while I was sick, slept with her, weaned her, loved and cared for her without a single complaint. She has been like a second mommy to her, laying down her life, her free time, and everything else to help care for her during this difficult time of adjustment. Thank you soooo much!
       Thanks also to everyone in the Home for your prayers, help with the kids and the work, special snacks, love, and care! I really love you and am thankful for such wonderful mates!
       --Lots of love, Ariane (ASCRO Office)

       I want to thank every one who so generously helped me with donations to go to China. I'm leaving later than I had planned, but the only reason I can leave now is because of all of you folks who helped me. Your donations came just when I needed them most. I was really touched that you helped me even though you're all missionaries and have your battles to fight for the Lord as well. I really feel undeserving of your love.
       Thanks to: Gabby and Arthur; Ezra, Mary, and Niki; Jan, Maria, and Paul; Maria and Sara; PHO5 Pinewoods Home; IA17; Phoenix, Australia; Bernie, Chelie, Tommy; my mom and Andrew; Fel and Joe; Joseph, Michael, Peace, and Praise.
       I love you all so much and send big hugs and kisses to you all.
       --Luv, Victoria

       We would like to say a BIG, BIG thank you to Matt, Rose, and family and Dust, Carmen, and family for all the help they have been to us. We have been in China for over five years and they have, week after week, month after month, year after year, been faithfully handling our GP snail mail and e-mail in the U.S. and Canada. Whether it has been getting out our newsletters or informing us of a timely legal matter, they have always come through. We know our words can never show our true appreciation, but we do hope in some way it gives you each some of the recognition you so deserve.
       --CN617


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