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"TO EUROPE WITH LOVE"--MO       September, 1971       NO.101--LTA

Copyrighted September, 1971 by The Children of God
P.O. Box 31, London WC2E 7LX, England or GPO Box 3141, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936

Dear Ho, Faith, and All the European Teams:

THE IMPORTANCE OF NAMES AND SURNAMES

       1. We are thrilled to pieces with your logs, and literally jump for joy and scream with excitement as we read them together. GOD IS CERTAINLY WITH YOU AND DOING A MIGHTY WORK FOR HIS GLORY AND THE SAKE OF HIS LITTLE ONES, and all those little lost sheep over there! Hallelujah! You're getting so many new disciples, it's beginning to be a little difficult to keep up with who's who, so as you mention their names in your logs, PLEASE CONTINUE TO TRY TO IDENTIFY THEM, SO WE'LL REMEMBER WHO THEY ARE, AND CAN APPRECIATE THE NEWS ABOUT THEM EVEN MORE. We feel like we know them already. Do like they did in the New Testament--Simon the Zealot, John the Beloved, etc. You could say Mike the Missionary, and Sue, his wife. We can't yet place Jeff, but you could say, Sara of Dublin, Magdalene, the penniless; Solomon, the Liberian, French Joseph and German Lucas; Jane, the College Girl; Joy, the Fourteen-Year-Old; Pat, the Lost and Found; and the Motorcyclist, whose name you didn't give us; etc. I think we ought to even start doing that on this side, too, because we're getting everybody so mixed up we can't remember who's who, especially the hundreds that we've never even met, and only read about. I THINK IT WOULD REALLY BE GOOD IF WE'D START GIVING SURNAMES LIKE THIS, SO WE'D REMEMBER WHO THEY ARE BY WHERE THEY'RE FROM, OR WHAT THEY'RE LIKE, or what they are, or the condition of their joining the Team!-Etc.
       2. IN FACT, THAT'S HOW MOST CHRISTIAN SURNAMES ORIGINATED--LIKE PETER THE HERMIT, and John the Carpenter, and Michael the Miller, Joseph the Smith--all eventually became more formalised and finally just became Peter Hermit, John Carpenter, Michael Miller and Joseph Smith, etc.--ONLY LET'S DON'T FORMALISE AND LET'S BE PRAYERFUL that we don't have any Ivan the Terribles, Attila the Hun, Bloody Mary, Mustafa the Butcher. But rather we could have some Paul the Apostles, Peter the Fishermans, John the Beloved, Matthew the Tax Collectors, Gaius the Good and Kermit the Kind, etc. Hallelujah? AMEN. You can just keep calling me MO the Meek. And then of course there's Maria the Scribe, Mother Eve, Aaron the Prophet, Martha the Water-Bearer, Rachel the Queen, etc. We could also include Shiph of Abner. Then there's Ho the Apostle and his Queen Esther, and Father Abraham with his Queen Rebecca, Josh the General, and Faith his Star, Jeth, the Manager, and Deb, the Boss; King Saul, Willie the Witch, and so on, down the line. Don't you think this would be a good idea? We're like the Early Church in every other respect! Why not in our names? IT WOULD SURE HELP US I.D. EACH OTHER EASIER, AND RECOGNISE WHO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BETTER, now there are beginning to be so many of us, even a number with the same first name. In fact, this is how the terms Christian, or given name, originated, because all Christians were given new names, and then the surname was the last name, which identified which Peter, James, or John, or Paul, or Mary they were talking about.
       3. WE'RE ALREADY IN THE SAME BOAT AS THEY WERE WITH THE PROBLEMS OF IDENTIFYING NAMES, so we might as well do what they did, by adding these surnames. We could even boil them down to the short forms for the sake of brevity, if necessary, such as Sarah Dublin, Jane College, Joy Fourteen, Mike Missionary, Magdalene Penniless, etc. I notice we're already doing this with some people, like Dutch Benjamin, Big and Little Josh, First and Second Timothy, Little David, David Zebulun, Moriah First Bus, Jobab Second Bus, etc. Some of them might even sound like real names to the Systemites, and others would at least be good for a laugh. SO WHAT'S IN A NAME?--A WHOLE LOT! PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS NAMED IN THE BIBLE ACCORDING TO THEIR CHARACTER, CIRCUMSTANCES OF BIRTH, PLACE OF ORIGIN, NATURE OF THEIR WORK, NAME OF THEIR FATHER (you could use name of their spiritual father, such as the son of Zebedee, or the Brother of so and so). We've already got Matthew Canada, Little Bear and Mary Bear, Gabriel the Trumpeter, Black Simon, Corny the Cop, Salome the Wet-Nurse, Bezaleel the Mechanic, David the Nail (and for the many of you who have inquired as to who David Nail is, he's Jael's Nail, of course). Haven't you read your Bible?--Nahum's too, as a result of his nailing Jael!
       4. WELL, WE DIDN'T INTEND TO GET INTO A DISCOURSE ON NAILS--I MEAN, NAMES, BUT IT TRULY IS BECOMING AN INCREASING PROBLEM WITH OUR GROWING NUMBERS and the limited number of Bible names available. We even had to name one poor baby girl Impatience--Imp, for short, after her dear Father's favourite trait! He's doing a tremendous job, however, now in Colorado, after learning a great deal of patience while waiting a year to get there, Praise the Lord! So please consider this prayerfully, will you, and have mercy on us who read your logs, but don't know your people like you do! Thanks a lot! Choose.

PIONEER TEAMS AND HOUSING

       5. I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT YOU FOLKS IN EUROPE MAKE UP A LIST OF YOUR ADDRESSES AND PHONE NUMBERS, AND MAYBE A LITTLE DESCRIPTION OF EACH PLACE, FOR THE BENEFIT OF YOUR OWN TEAM MEMBERS AS WELL AS OTHERS WHO MIGHT WANT TO FIND YOU. We note with dismay that even some of your own team members go from one country to another without knowing where they're going or where you're living or how to find you. This is very poor communication and could result in some rather sad situations and embarrassment, to say the least. This would also facilitate communication as well, by phone and by mail. Every team member over there should have a list of all our addresses in Europe in cases of emergency, but they should only be shared with team members or reliable disciples as well as us personally--Yours Truly. We don't even know where to write the Dutch Team--And we have something very important to send them, such as little a money toward their expenses! Sounds like you could sure use it now to rent some place to live! We're a little leery of the sound of some of those places where you folks have been staying--in parks, squares, deserted houses, and demon possessed ones. SOUNDS TO US LIKE WE CERTAINLY NEED A PLACE OF OUR OWN THERE, PARTICULARLY FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR POOR NEW DISCIPLES, WHO, AS BABES, NEED A LITTLE EXTRA TENDER LOVING CARE--and you can't give it to them very well, sleeping in the park! Doing this occasionally in an emergency I can understand, but doing this as a regular thing, with no place else to live but the park, is a little bit hard on both team members and new babes! Jesus said he had nowhere to lay his head--in other words, no place to call his own--and Paul said he had no certain dwelling place, but I notice that the Lord usually seemed to provide homes and friends who took them in. In fact, in the Great Commission He said that when you go to a town, to inquire in it who is worthy and dwell there, and go not from house to house. IN OTHER WORDS, THE FIRST PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO TAKE YOU IN ARE USUALLY THE ONES THE LORD WANTS TO BLESS WITH YOUR PRESENCE THROUGHOUT YOUR STAY, OR AT LEAST UNTIL YOU FIND A PLACE OF YOUR OWN, or until your family grows so that they can no longer hold you, and the Lord provides something bigger, and He will provide, if you need it, and it certainly sounds like you need it!
       6. ONE REASON THE LORD SAID NOT TO GO FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE we learned by experience years ago in evangelistic work. THE POOR AND THE HUMBLE WOULD USUALLY BE THE FIRST TO INVITE YOU IN--the ones that really love the Lord--and sacrifice to do it, for they are worthy. But later, as you become well-known and popular, the rich and the influential, who didn't want to have anything to do with you at first until they could be sure you were going to be a success, will invite you as a guest of honour to their palatial mansions for their own glory, for they are not worthy--And if you move then from the poor and humble abode of the faithful to the rich and proud palace of the unfaithful, you will hurt the little folks who first took you in, and give honour to those who don't deserve it. This was something I taught the early classes of our witnesses, but may have gotten lost in the shuffle of Leadership Training--but it needs to be considered. Matthew 10.
       7. THE ENGLAND TEAM HAD THE BENEFIT OF AT LEAST A PLACE TO LAND, WHICH WE HAD PREPARED FOR THEM, AND SOME MONEY TO LAND WITH, plus a tremendous push of TV publicity, which opened many other hearts and doors, and God is providing wonderfully for them. Apparently the Dutch Team were not quite as well prepared, supplied, or publicised, and have therefore been kicked around from pillar to post, living up to Christ's and Paul's statements almost too faithfully. I BELIEVE GOD WILL GIVE YOU WHAT YOU HAVE FAITH FOR, AND YOU SHOULD HAVE FAITH FOR WHAT YOU NEED--and you now need an Upper Room or a House of Mary and Martha or a Bethesda for both you and your new disciples where you will be free to live as the Lord leads, without the constant hindrance of hardship and enemies. We can expect some of this, but not beyond what we're able to bear. You'd be better off to even rent one of those houseboats or barges on the canal, and perhaps He has already supplied. YOU CANNOT ALWAYS NECESSARILY EXPECT GOD TO DO THE SAME THING THE SAME WAY IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE--SO THIS TIME YOU MAY HAVE TO RENT SOMETHING, at least until the Lord provides something better, which He may already have done by this time! Maybe you'll have to send your babes to London until you get a place. Please let us know where to send kids to you. We were thrilled to hear about the Gypsies, all your wonderful witnessing experiences, new disciples, Mama's good care, etc. God bless you!

LEADERS AND HEALTH--TAKING CARE OF THEM

       8. I can always remember something my Mother would say when my Father was trying to pinch the pennies. "THE LORD'S SERVANT IS WORTH MORE THAN THE MONEY."--AND I'VE OFTEN FOUND THAT THIS IS CERTAINLY TRUE, WHILE I, TOO, WAS NEARLY KILLING MYSELF TRYING TO SAVE A LITTLE MONEY, DESTROYING MY HEALTH, AND IMPAIRING MY EFFECTIVENESS!--And I'm certainly upset to hear of the way some of you have been mistreating your bodies and endangering your lives, just to save a few guilders!
       9. THIS IS PARTICULARLY TRUE OF FAITH, WHO IS ONE OF OUR MOST VALUABLE LEADERS, whose worth to the Lord's work cannot possibly be estimated in dollars and cents, and whose life and ministry, health and safety, are worth preserving for His use at any cost.--And I don't want to hear of her sleeping in any more abandoned houses, or getting stepped on in the doorways of hostels, arriving alone at train stations and not knowing where to go! I can understand these things happening upon rare occasion and emergency, but they sound like they're getting to be a steady diet over there, and I don't think it's worth the price you may have to pay for it in the long run--which might be a great deal more than a few guilders spent for a decent place for the Lord's servants to rest their weary bodies!
       10. IT REMINDS ME OF THE GUY I ONCE KNEW--A POOR YOUNG EVANGELIST--WHO ASKED THE LORD FOR A CAR: "Just any old rattletrap, Lord"--And that's exactly what he got! THE LORD WILL TAKE YOU EXACTLY AT YOUR WORD AND YOUR FAITH! If you have to sleep in the park in order to witness to the kids, that's one thing--and if you have to do it once in a while to show that you're willing to do it in order to witness, that's another thing! BUT FOR YOU TO BE ABUSING YOUR BODIES AND NEGLECTING YOUR HEALTH AND SAFETY JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T GOT THE FAITH OR ARE TOO TIGHT TO SPEND a few guilders for a safer, healthier place to crash, and literally risk the lives of God's valuable servants unnecessarily, then you have nobody but yourself to blame!
       11. I DON'T WANT TO HEAR OF FAITH TRAVELLING AROUND ALONE IN EUROPE ANYMORE, WITHOUT AN ESCORT OR A BODYGUARD OR SOMEBODY TO TAKE CARE OF HER. I don't care if it does cost double fare! She's worth a Heaven of a lot more than that--and I want you to take good care of her, as well as yourselves! We need every one of you--and we didn't send the bunch of you over there to kill yourselves off unnecessarily, just because of the desire to save a few pennies for a room, or at least a spot in a hostel! In fact, we're ordering right now one of you, whoever's available and capable and acceptable, to immediately make it your fulltime job to take care of Faith alone. She needs a keeper, deserves it, and is worth it! So get with it--that is, with her--no matter what her objections are! Amen? Do we need her? Is she worth it? Then take care of her! God bless you!--And money is no excuse! I gave her plenty when she left, and there's more where that came from--the Lord! SO YOU GUYS DO YOUR UTMOST TO SAVE HER TIME, STRENGTH, AND TALENT FOR THE LORD! PROTECT YOUR LEADERSHIP--UNLESS YOU WANT TO HAVE TO DO THE JOB WITHOUT THEM! LET EVERYTHING BE DONE IN DECENCY AND IN ORDER, AND BE TEMPERATE IN ALL THINGS, AND ABUSE NOT THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY GHOST! PLEASE TAKE BETTER CARE OF YOURSELVES AND YOUR LEADERSHIP!
       12. IN FACT, KNOWING FAITH AS I DO, IT MIGHT TAKE TWO PEOPLE TO TAKE CARE OF HER, perhaps a couple--a strong-armed bodyguard, preferably male, and a gentle, attentive thoughtful, loving, maid-in-waiting, to watch over her and her needs, make her eat, sleep, and not overdo. What with drinking ale in a Dutch club, and sleeping three in a bag, Faith seems to be getting pretty revolutionary, so the sexual issue should be no problem. You know what I mean--people worrying about your sharing the same room together or something. Maria says I should make that clearer: If you can share the same sleeping bag, you certainly should be able to share the same room or anything else! Now, is that clear? Well, whatever you do, just take good care of Faith! I'm holding you responsible for her.
       13. By the time you've found yourself a place there in Holland, you might pray about proceeding to Denmark, where we have two excellent contacts, the head of Denmark's largest mental hospital, and the chief warden of Denmark's largest prison, both of whom were greatly interested in our work, as we discussed it with them personally in Cyprus--both of whom invited us to please come to Denmark, and both of whom are very influential men there, whom I'm sure would receive you well. Faith has the addresses--but WHATEVER YOU DO, FIND PLACES TO GET INDOORS BEFORE WINTER! Love you--MO.

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family