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grapes of thankfulness #6

       We'd like to honor and recognize dear Sam and Samaria Red for all their parental love and care that they pour into the younger children. Sam in particular is a wonderful sample of the Lord's love and care for the little ones, and he is an inspiring testimony of being a new bottle, floating your faith and saying yes to Jesus in this new day and age.
       For most of his time in the Family, Sam (41) was mainly an outreacher, as well as handling business and PPC ministries and being a TWer. But about 1 ½ yrs. ago, there arose a desperate need in our Home for help in the nursery, and Sam volunteered to step in for a time to lend a hand. To make a long story short, he not only did a wonderful job, but ended up with such a burden for the job that after the “crisis” subsided he asked to stay on in that ministry. He made it his goal to watch through all the GAP videos and study the CC handbooks and learn how to do things the Family way. He had such enthusiasm and love that the babies and toddlers were the happiest we'd ever seen them, and it was such a peace to us to know that our little ones were getting poured into the way that they needed and deserved. As we're sure most of us can testify, if the nursery doesn't run smoothly, often the entire Home can run out of sync.
       Now, nearly two years later, Daddy Sam (as the toddlers call him) is still continuing in his Kid Power ministry, and he says that he feels very fulfilled and happy in all that he is doing, even though he is not “out on the front lines” as in the past. He likens it to winning new disciples, as the little ones are such young and fresh new bottles to pour into. He's got the entire nursery (which is also Sam and Samaria's bedroom) revamped, organized and decorated to be child-friendly. He faithfully does their reading flash cards, and encyclopedic facts cards with them daily, and then works on making new ones at night when the little ones are settled down. For the first time in years , we've finally got all the flannelgraph stories organized and sorted out due to Sam's diligence, and you should see him shine when he's got Zacchaeus climbing up his tree!! When he doesn't know what to do he very humbly and openly comes to counsel with the CC TWer and others, and has a lot of good insight and counsel to offer when it comes to raising our younger generation in the admonition of the Lord. He's a very good example of someone wholeheartedly putting their A-L-L into a ministry, and in return receiving the joy of the Lord!
       Samaria, for her part, is a faithful and diligent YC teacher, and really goes the extra mile to make sure that the children have their basic foundations laid, particularly in the Word and memory work, in addition to their basic academic skills.
       Sam and Samaria have one child, who has grown and left the nest, yet over their years in working together with us, they have adopted and loved our children as their own, and have been a wonderful testimony of s acrificial giving and love and humility. It's teamwork like this that has enabled our large family to remain for years on the mission field, and be part of a fruitful and exciting work. As Heidi is now getting ready at the end of May to give birth to our number 19, we wanted to take this little moment to publicly express our thanks and appreciation, as well as to share this testimony, which we pray will also be an encouragement to others.
--Love, Gideon and Heidi, Pakistan

       We'd like to expr ess our heartfelt thankfulness to Oli, Liz and family in Northern Ireland for their tremendous help in making it possible for our family of 11 to stay here in Hungary. Thank you for putting up our follow-up team for weeks at a time, for feeding us and taking care of us during our trips back there. We couldn't make it without your help. We truly do appreciate all your labors of love, especially knowing that even though you have a big family yourselves, you are still willing to squeeze us into you r small house. We love you!
--Andrew, Hannah and family, Hungary

       When I became a widow I felt apprehensive about being a single mother and having to “fend for myself.” Not that my Home wasn't a loving and caring Home, but I still felt apprehensive. But my fears proved to be totally unfounded.
       From day one in this year and a half since my mate went to be with the Lord, everyone, and I mean EVERYONE --from JETTs to the oldest adults--has done nothing but help. The teachers remained the same sacrificial people and everyone else too. The young people have been a huge help and blessing to me. At the time of Paulo's passing I had a toddler. Every night, for many months, the teens took turns spending time with him at parent time so that I could devote time to the other kids. And there's always someone to stay with the kids so that I can go to devotions, watch a video, have sufficient help at parent time and parent day, have GO, have WNR, etc., etc.
       These wonderful teens, YAs and SGAs even pushed me out of the house to go to a party once or twice, took the kids so I could have a Mothers' Day special dinner, etc, etc. Recently when some of my kids and I got sick (in fact nearly the whole Home got sick) the few remaining healthy people (a few adults and teens) took care of all of us day after day. What a blessing to live with such wonderful people! BRALIM, you're the best!
--Julia, (mother of 7)

       Muchissimas gracias to Ado, Kanah, Marielena, Angelo, Anita, and Phillip who had the crazy faith and sacrificial love to lay down their lives and sanity by taking our family of 10 and one on the way into their Home so we could complete our six months' transition to CM status and prepare to go to Mexico. They even set us up with a motor home (on loan) and campground membership so we could move into their mobile situation, all this while making trips to Russia, China and India and keeping their “Teens on Track” ministry going. It was a privilege for us to be a small part o f it all. They were God's love and mercy to us, always understanding and longsuffering through our many battles and NWOs, always taking time to explain, encourage, and teach us.
       A special thanks to Sharon and Abe who helped us nurse our newborn back to health, fix up our vehicle, and watch after Lamb and the children while dad was on a trip in Mexico--and to all the brethren here in the campground who have been so understanding, sweet and helpful. Thank You Jesus for letting us be a part of th e greatest Family in the whole universe!
--Steve, Lamb and kids, Mexico

       To John and Praise, Australia: This is to two very special people who have faithfully supported us month after month and year after year with their gifts and prayers. We love you very much and thank you so much for helping and encouraging us to keep going on for the Lord.
--Love, Andrew and Ruth, India

       A big thank you to James and Ruth in India for making it possible for me to go and visit my parents. Without your help I don't know when I would have been able to make this trip. What a wonderful Family we have! It was a big testimony to all my family and relatives that you helped me in this way. We love you so much.
--Ruth (of Andrew)

       Hi everyone! I would like to put someone's name in lights! It's my own precious Mom, JOAN!--Mother of 10 kids and she is really going for the gold. If you guys are wondering if she's stopped there, I would gladly inform you that number eleven is on the way! God bless her and my dad as they are and have always been working as a team through smooth and rough times! They were also missionaries in a far-out country such as India! They recently let their eldest go and follow her calling for which I will be eternally grateful! I could want no better parents! I love and respect them the most because I can always count on them. Whenever I've been in need of something, they help in whatever way possible. They are my best friends in life! Love you both!
--Meekness

       T o Francis and Joanna: We want to send our heart full of thanks to you for your help to our work here in Guatemala! Where else but in the Family? Such sweet and helpful brethren who make it possible for us to do the Lord's work. We have been receiving your help for a couple of months and want to send you 32 hugs and kisses (one from each of us!) We love you!
--Corazones

       For the 13 years I've been in the Family I've wanted to express my deep gratitude to my first shepherds--David and Paloma ( Spanish), for the faith that the Lord put in their hearts for my children and I to return to the Family. It was a tough fight in the spirit because my ex-husband was completely against it, to the point of my having to flee with my children and leave everything behind. If it wasn't for all their shepherding, spiritual support and faithfulness to show the Lord's love for me, me and my children (Raquel, 21 and Pedro, 19) who are also serving the Lord would not have made it! God bless them!
--Iris, Brazil

       I would like to commend Sally (Swiss ABM, now on her way to Africa) for her efficiency. I sent her a message asking if there was a Home in a certain city and when she replied soon after, she included their e-mail address and key as well as her own for direct communication in the future. I was pleasantly surprised as normally there's quite a lot of time spent going back and forth before you can get in direct communication with someone. Thanks, Sally, keep up the good work!
--Coral, L ithuania

       The Lord used just one couple to help us clear the huge debt of about $1,500, which has been there for quite some time and we have been struggling to raise this amount. It is incredible to see what wonders the united desperate prayers of dear Family can do. We sent out our special plea to all the Homes in India and even just their prayers have done wonders! HAL! TYJ! The Lord showed one couple in prophecy that He has brought the prayers of the Family before them and that He wanted t o use them to be the answer to all the prayers that had already come to Him. They in turn trusted the Lord and sent us the whole amount. TYJ!
--Simon and Sarah, India

       We would like the spotlight to shine on Paul and Claire in the States, Paul and Lily in Norway and Peter and Crystal, also in the States for their faithfulness and selflessness in continuing to help keep us going here in South Africa. We couldn't do it without you! We love and need you.
--Love, Thaddeus, Esther and team

       T TL for the brethren from Veracruz. They never come through here without bringing us something. They are also very sweet and loving. They brought us several suitcases of clothes. We love them very much.
--Job and Gabriel, Mexico

       We just returned from a five week visit to Thailand. It was wonderful! The impression we've taken back with us is how the Family has grown to be more loving and considerate towards one another and are going for the gold in trying to become more and more like our dear sweet Husband and Lover. We really thank you so much, dear Family in Thailand, for having taken such good care of us while visiting you all.
--Love, Ferrie and team

       The tapes (now CDs) with the music from all the different studios around the world have been such a big blessing and encouragement to me. I grew up in the Family and have always had Family music, but that doesn't mean I got tired of it! It goes to show that the Family is revoluting and revolutionary that we continue to get such beautiful songs that are in many cases contemporary with the modern beats! I love it! Family music beats any system music! Besides it feeds you! Lots of love and prayers for those of you who spend so much time and love and dedication on praying them down!
--Ruthie (23, of Santi), Brazil

       Near our Home lives a sweet brother who would have lots of reasons to be bitter and care less about being a help to the CM Family, as sad to say, he “suffered” a bit in the past from some brethren's lack of love and consideration. In spite of this he keeps hanging in and pulling along faithfully, loving the Lord and his brethren.
       When we arrived here some months ago we had to start from scratch, but he never hesitated to offer his help, share his provisioning, and simply be the best sample of a loving and unselfishly giving brother, many times going out of his way to do the unexpected. There is much to be said for people like you, dear ANDREW, and we pray that the Lord will honor you in a very s pecial way as you have been special to us. WE LOVE YOU! THANK YOU!
--Joanna (of Johannes) Philip and Home, Belgium

       We want to thank the DF home in Bombay, Faith and Jonathan in Australia, Abel and Marie Claire in Calcutta, for all your help, support and love. It was needed at the right time, and is greatly appreciated. We love you!
--Praise, JP and Joy, India

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