HomeARC ML 0157
"THANKS AND COMMENTS"--MO March 23, 1972 NO.157--LTA
Copyrighted March, 1972 by The Children of God
P.O. Box 31, London WC2E 7LX, England or GPO Box 3141, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936
1. Precious Children: Greetings in Jesus' Dear Name! You have sent us so many good things we could hardly thank you enough for them all: Beautiful poems, enchanting songs, inspiring prophecies, thrilling tapes, cute cards, fascinating photos, sketches and drawings, excellent tracts, interesting articles, good reports, and lovely letters and notes, etc. It's just impossible to name them all, as we have received hundreds from the thousands of you. Thank you especially for all your little love letters and notes, kisses, hugs, and expressions of endearment. I love you, too! So here are some kisses and hugs for you: XXXXXXX! OOOOOOO! I wish I could deliver them in person, but maybe you can at least enjoy them in spirit! I'll see you in your dreams!
2. WE'D LIKE TO SAY THIS SPECIAL WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT for those who have sent us some unusually good tapes: Watchman, Saul and Endureth, Kidron and Boaz, Joel and Carmel, Esther and Ho, Faith and Ben, Rose and Amasa, Medad and Abiezar and the Vietnam Team, Corny Copp's good video of his TV show, Mical and Aquilla, and all the good band tapes--Singin' Sam and the LA Band, Jeremy and the Children of God, Naaman and the Gypsy Band, Atlanta Band, TSC Band, Atlanta Family Band, etc. Special thanks to you girls who have sent me little love song tapes, like Sia's beautiful "Wild Wind", Martha's sweet songs, Vashti's heart songs, Tabitha's love songs, and others, some who didn't even give your names. Please when you make us a tape, ID it by telling us who you are, where you are, and when you made it. Your lovely songs made me fall in love with you, too!
TIPS ON MAKING TAPES
3. THANK YOU, BARAK AND GROUP, FOR YOUR STARLIGHT TAPE and you Gypsies for your beautiful colour sketch which came with your Caravan tape, and which we've recommended for the "Truth" paper, along with several others. Thank you Samson, for your thoughtful tapes, both short and sweet, which always helps. Sorry we never seem to get around to answering you before your problems are already solved by the Lord. The same is true of yours, Jeremy, but I have tried to send you answers through others, hoping these personal messages by personal messengers via phone, etc., would get there sooner, and I hope they did! I nearly blew it when they sent all your wives away, and got you back together as soon as I could! Thanks to some of you also for some special music tapes, such as Handel's "Messiah" from Atlanta, and the good music included on some of your tapes, along with testimonies from San Francisco, Colorado, Atlanta, Kentucky, Victoria, and others. Forgive us if we fail to name any of you, we have received so many. We still have a whole drawer full that we're still working on! WE LOVE YOUR TAPES, BUT THEY TAKE TIME TO LISTEN TO, so you may not hear from some of them until next year. THE TEN AND FIFTEEN MINUTE ONES WE LISTEN TO IMMEDIATELY, BUT THE LENGTHIER ONES WE RESERVE FOR LATER WHEN WE HAVE MORE TIME, WHICH IS SOMETIMES QUITE A BIT LATER. SO IF YOU WANT US TO LISTEN TO IT RIGHT AWAY, MAKE IT SHORT, AND NOTE HOW SHORT IT IS ON THE LABEL IN BOLD LETTERS, SO WE'LL KNOW YOURS WON'T TAKE LONG, AND WE'LL LISTEN TO IT RIGHT AWAY. TEN OR FIFTEEN MINUTES IS A GOOD LENGTH TO LISTEN TO DURING MEALS, AND A HALF AN HOUR AT THE MOST, EXCEPT UNDER THE MOST UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES FOR THE MOST SPECIAL EVENTS! Some of you have done very well on abbreviating your tapes, particularly Watchman, Samson, NY Ben, etc. God bless you. If you want your tapes heard right away, that's the way to do it! Praise the Lord!
SUGGESTIONS ON BANDS AND MUSICIANS
4. SOME OF YOUR TAPES WERE SO GOOD and so good for all, like your band tapes, we have sent to Dallas for duping for all Colonies. We want to congratulate you bands on the excellent work you have done, even though some of you have had to break up in order to spread out your talent to help more Colonies. We hope that each of you who've been scattered like seed, will grow into new bands wherever you've been planted, where more music is needed. God bless you!
5. WE DO HOPE, HOWEVER, THAT SOME OF YOU GOOD BANDS WILL NOT BE BROKEN UP, after all your good work of finally getting it together, as I hate to see the best combos destroyed when you could have such a ministry, like "Jeremy and The Children of God" (formerly LA Band), Aminadab's "Gypsies", etc. WE NEED AT LEAST A FEW GOOD WHOLE BANDS FOR SPECIAL MINISTRIES TO LARGE GROUPS, RECORDING, etc. Which means that we hope that you, Ho and Faith, will try to keep Jeremy and his Children together and use them for main events such as TV, public meetings, festivals, large gatherings, radio, recordings, publicity, etc. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF MUSIC TO SOOTHE THE SAVAGE BEAST!
6. HOWEVER, WE DO KNOW THAT SOME OF YOU COLONIES NEED INSPIRATIONALISTS to lead your music, singing, and dancing, so we trust you will continue to pray that the Lord will raise them up amongst your brethren or win them away from the world. THIS IS A REAL NEED, AN ABSOLUTE NECESSITY, AND MUST BE MET, AS OUR MUSIC IS THE MIRACLE WHICH ATTRACTS SO MANY TO OUR MESSAGE ABOUT THE MAN. SO DON'T NEGLECT YOUR MUSIC. Some have even asked the Lord to help them to learn to sing and play who never had before, and God has given them the gift for His Ministry. It is indeed a miraculous gift for the healing of many souls and bringing life to many lives and peace to many minds and hearts. What a ministry is music!
7. LET'S PARTICULARLY HOPE THAT WE NEVER HAVE HAPPEN AGAIN WHAT WE HAVE HEARD OF SOME FOOLISH LEADERS WHO DELIBERATELY TRY TO DESTROY BANDS OR TAKE AWAY MUSICIANS' INSTRUMENTS BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THEY NEEDED HUMBLING or their talent was lifting them up in pride! Sometimes I'm tempted to suspect that this has been pure jealousy on the part of leaders who were not so gifted and coveted the attention being given these musicians. May God forgive them! THE GIFTS AND CALLING OF GOD ARE WITHOUT REPENTANCE, MEANING GOD DOESN'T CHANGE HIS MIND WHEN HE PASSES OUT THE TALENTS, AND HE KNOWS WHO TO GIVE THEM TO. So don't try to take them away by force. Only God can take it away if you don't use it for His glory. Of course, you must not let it become your idol, or worship anything more than the Lord, but don't neglect it either, and don't let anyone try to take it away from you. One of our best musicians, composer of some of our best songs, and one of our most faithful brothers went back when a foolish leader who didn't understand his valuable ministry, took away his guitar! What a sad loss for such shortsightedness! SOME OF YOU LEADERS MUST REMEMBER THAT MUSICIANS HAVE TO PRACTICE, AND BANDS HAVE TO REHEARSE, JUST LIKE YOU HAVE TO MEMORISE AND STUDY AND WORK AT VARIOUS OTHER SKILLS IN ORDER TO PERFECT THEM. So please don't begrudge these musicians a little extra time for learning and practicing their art. For our best bands and musicians, this might even be considered their work period, because this is their work and their ministry. They are also working .during inspiration, while you're enjoying it because this is their work. And please remember they also need a few breaks! I, too, was a musician and singer, Boys, and earned my fulltime living at it for twelve years, so I know your problems, burdens, joys and sorrows, feast and famine,--and I'm with you! GBY!
8. I'M VERY SORRY, JEREMY AND BARAK, that someone gave you the wrong impression that I didn't like your band, because that is absolutely false! You sound like terrific music to me and the kind the kids would really go for, and you surely have reached a state of polish and near perfection which a band must have to really hit the top today, particularly for recording. I only said that I was surprised to learn that Sam had left the band, and was wondering why, since I thought his strong vocals were a real asset to you in getting your message across. However, I understand he has his own band now and is doing great, so now maybe we'll have two good ones instead of one, JUST BE SURE TO GET THOSE VOCALS ACROSS LOUD AND CLEAR AND WITH REAL FEELING, WHICH TAKES A BROKEN HEART OF MOVING EMOTION AND AN INSPIRED COMPASSION FOR YOUR AUDIENCE, WITH LOVE!--PLUS TALENT, ONLY THESE CAN GET RESULTS AND NOT JUST ENTERTAIN! God bless you!
9. THANKS TO SO MANY OF YOU FOR THE GOOD PHOTOS OF YOURSELVES and the fascinating information and notes on the backs. It's really the first time I've had a chance to get acquainted with many of you leaders in particular, and some of the top leaders have been amazed at the talent we're discovering amongst you, just by means of these pictures. And of course some of you girls know me so well and what a kick I would get out of those cute little cheesecakey pinups you sent, including particularly Martha, Shiphrah, Tabitha, Rebecca, Charran, Mical, Rachel, Jerusha, Mara, Lydia, and others, especially you beautiful young madonnas nursing your babies! Some of you really seem to know what I like, and I could use a whole lot more, since so far I've only covered the Pacific Ocean with you on the map above my bed, and I still have the Atlantic, Indian, Caribbean, Mediterranean, Arctic and Antarctic Oceans to go! So keep 'em comin'! You're my praymates of the month--and I'm yours forever!
10. THANK YOU ALSO FOR SOME VERY SPECIAL LITTLE GIFTS THAT YOU SENT, such as that very thoughtful Christmas box from Burlington, and the world's smallest Bible on a 2x2 microfilm from Matthew Canada, that beautiful ornate cane from a really talented woodcarver, whose name they forgot to give me, an Alpine winter hat from Jeth, a nice warm sweater from Deb, some warm woolen socks from Martha, the lovely plaque from Detroit, the interesting picture album from New York, the unique scroll from Zaccheus (which I think would be ideal gifts for ThankCOG parents and other outside friends!--Roll'em! ), and the particularly ornate and illustrative picture and illustrated cards which we've received from Amsterdam, Atlanta, Seattle, Spokane, Isha, North Uxbridge, the BBB's Elijah's Mobile High, Tabitha, etc. Thank you so much for your time, trouble, and thoughtfulness!
11. WE WERE ALSO ESPECIALLY INSPIRED BY NEW, REVISED, AND INTERESTINGLY ILLUSTRATED TRACTS from Cinci, Belte, Sir Robert, Samson, Pittsburgh, and others, which we've passed on to Dallas, recommending some for printing for use by all; or I would suggest you print them up for your own use, by all means!--And don't forget to put your address on them if used locally, at least your phone and box numbers, or at the very least, COGIC's Dallas address, Box 119, so those who receive them will know where to find you when they need you. Also we think Ho's New Nation News Magazine is a tremendous idea; and even little Puerto Rico has set an example to the whole world of what one little Colony can do in mimeoing its own intriguing little magazine, complete with illustrated cover, cartoons, photos, articles, testimonies, etc. in two languages! If dear little Puerto Rico can do it, why not You!--Viva la Mexico and others! Go to it!
12. DAVID H., I CERTAINLY THINK YOUR PROPHECY WAS OF THE LORD, its form unusual and attractive, and your idea of nailing it to pulpits certainly unique, but definitely dangerous. So I suggest as a good alternative that you do as we did when we first asked the Lord how we could get out the Warning Tract to all the churches, and He immediately showed me a picture of Martin Luther nailing his "95 Theses" to the church door! So having gotten this brilliant idea from the Lord, we promptly began to do so as we toured the country, placing one on every church door we passed, or could find--only we used a thumbtack instead of nails, we figured they wouldn't appreciate those big holes in their pretty doors that the nails would make and might call the law on us for defacing church property, or a better word might be "unmasking", in the case of your particular tract! Go to it, God bless you, as the Lord leads, and subject to the approval of your leaders. Just be cautious and use wisdom, as yours is really a hot one!
NEED FOR SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS
13. WE ALSO NEED SPECIAL TRACTS DESIGNED FOR CHILDREN, BLACKS, HIPPIES, SYSTEMITES, SECRETARIES, PROSTITUTES, NEW YORK ETC., ETC. How about ones for expectant mothers, homos, hardhats, students, musicians, and others also, Seams to me God loves everybody! SEND US YOUR SUGGESTIONS AND LAYOUTS! Love'em!
TIPS ON VIDEOS
14. WE DON'T WANT TO FORGET TO GIVE SPECIAL THANKS TO THOSE OF YOU WHO MADE US THOSE THRILLING VIDEO TAPES, also, such as Dallas, Colorado, San Francisco, London, Amsterdam, New York, The Fearsome Foursome, Cinci, and others, both past and present, JD, you did a very good narrative on the new school tape, ONLY, LIKE MOST COMMENTATORS, YOU SHOULD HAVE ID'D IT WITH SOME SHOTS OF YOURSELF, ALONG WITH YOUR PERSONAL COMMENTS--and we certainly think the Lord should answer dear Ariel's prayer for new teeth! God bless you!
15. SPEAKING OF TAPES, some audios that deserve special mention are Faith's recent tapes from Germany and Ireland, Esther's tape on London and the repercussions of the English blackout and preparations for such emergencies, which we'll discuss later. Rose's exciting tape from the Mid East, and so on.
16. SOME ESPECIALLY GOOD AND FAVOURABLE NEWSPAPER ARTICLES showing a genuine effort toward excellent public relations have been received from many of you lately, including London, Amsterdam, Essen, Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, Koehler, Glasgow, Dublin, Olympus, Elkanah, and others. God bless you!--Also: Ottawa, Cincy, Oklahoma City, etc.,--just in! Keep up the good work!
17. SOME VERY SWEET POEMS HAVE ALSO BEEN RECEIVED from Parable End, Kedar, and others of you, Forgive us for not remembering all your names. Here's one from us which we gave all the leaders recently, and which we now dedicate to the BBB's and all of you, especially little Tabitha for her sweet letters. We fell in love at first sight three years ago, and she still loves me and writes me frequently and is one of the few of you who've ever seen me and still hasn't forgotten me. We got this in our freezing cold unheated room in Israel winter before last while snuggled together in bed trying to keep warm:
Two little bugs in a rug,
Giving each other a hug!
A brother, a sister, so warm and so snug!
Two little bugs in a rug!
TRY IT SOMETIME AS A LAST RESORT WHEN YOU GET TOO COLD! IN FACT, IT'S PLEASANT TO RESORT TO EVEN BEFORE THAT, EVEN WHEN YOU'RE NOT COLD! Amen? And while on that subject, we might add to Apphia and others: Yes, we get your hugs and kisses every night! Hallelujah! Aren't dreams wonderful?
18. MAYBE THIS'D BE A GOOD PLACE TO CONGRATULATE ALL YOU NEWLYWEDS, newborns, and new mothers and fathers! You're certainly doing your best to obey the Lord's first Commandment in Genesis 1, to be fruitful and multiply! God bless you! Especially thanks for all the new girl babies! WE'VE BEEN PRAYING FOR MORE GIRLS, AND YOU AND THE LORD ARE CERTAINLY DOING YOUR BEST TO GIVE THEM TO US! OF COURSE, WE NEED SOME OLDER ONES, TOO, SO GO GET'EM, BOYS! IT'S WORLD WIDE GIRL WEEK, Sadie Hawkins in reverse, as Jeth suggested in his recent letter! Thanks also, Girls, for the faithful accounts of your experiences in labour and giving birth! They're really thrilling! I think they're really thrilling! I think they're exciting enough to be in the paper every month, at least in the New Nation News, so let's have more.
19. SOME OF YOUR LETTERS DESERVE SPECIAL MENTION, such as particularly sweet little love letters from girls like Petra, Becky, Shiphrah, Martha, Rachel, Eve, Charran, Helah, Michal, Tehan, Comfort, and many others including those little love notes on the backs of you pictures, and especially one from a little girl who of all things, like the Lord, is Love! I love you too!
POLICY ON MARRIAGES
20. AND FOR THOSE OF YOU, LIKE CANDACE AND OTHERS, WHO HAVE WRITTEN ME ABOUT MARRIAGE, MY ANSWER IS AS USUAL, OF COURSE!--IF;
1) YOU'RE REALLY IN LOVE.
2) THE LORD AND YOUR LEADERS APPROVE.
3) YOU'VE SURVIVED A TRIAL PERIOD OF LIVING AND WORKING TOGETHER FOR AT LEAST A MONTH, AS WE'VE SUGGESTED!
Amen?
SECRETARIES--RECRUITMENT, MINISTRY, AND NEED
21. JOEL, WE'VE ENJOYED YOUR GOOD "TRUTH" NEWSPAPER ARTICLES and your letters on various issues, including your latest revelations on Bible prophecy, and I'm eagerly awaiting you reaction to he "70-Years Prophecy" and how you would interpret it. ALSO THINK YOUR IDEA OF THE SPECIAL MINISTRY TO SECRETARIES SOUNDS GREAT!--I MEAN A SPECIAL EFFORTS BY SPECIAL TEAMS WITH SPECIAL LITERATURE DESIGNED FOR THEM TO WIN THEM TO THE LORD!--NOT ONLY BECAUSE WE LOVE THEM, BUT AS YOU AND ALL OF USE HAVE RECOGNISED, GOOD SECRETARIES AND PROBABLY THE MOST NEEDED, IMPORTANT, AND VALUABLE PERSONNEL IN THE REVOLUTION, ASIDE FROM Shepherds and Supervisors of Colonies, and some of them are doing a good job of that, too. None of us leaders would be getting anywhere without a good secretary!
22. GOOD SECRETARIES ARE ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL TO THE REVOLUTION!--AND THEY'RE JUST ABOUT THE FIRST THING A COLONY NEEDS! A Colony may be able to get along without a house or a car, or even a shepherd for a while, as some have, but it ABSOLUTELY CANNOT DO WITHOUT A SECRETARY TO CARRY ON THE LORD'S VITAL BUSINESS OF COMMUNICATIONS, KEEPING RECORDS, AND HANDLING ALL THE DETAILS NECESSARY TO KEEP THE COLONY GOING. She is often also the bookkeeper, Assistant Shepherd, provisioner, girls' overseer, kitchen supervisor, inspirationalist, teacher, and witnessing director! Of course, you gotta have provisioners too!--God bless 'em!
23. SO IF YOU WOULD-BE LEADERS WANT TO GET ANYWHERE AND ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING FOR THE LORD, YOU'D BETTER MARRY A GOOD SECRETARY, OR FIND ONE! In fact, Women's Lib has nothing on us!--We have women running a lot of our Colonies, where the men are just necessary figureheads, but the girls are the powers behind the thrones. I know this is true in our little Colony! I'm just a big, bluff blow, but it's my little Maria who really does all the work, and with the Lord's help makes me what I am, if anything. SHE MAKES ME DO MY WORK, TELLS ME THE WORK I'M SUPPOSED TO BE DOING AND WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO DO NEXT, ORGANISES IT, TYPES IT, CORRECTS IT, ADVISES AND COUNSELS ON IT, MAILS IT, FILES IT, AND TAKES CARE OF IT. All I have to do is get it from the Lord, and she takes care of it from there on. The Lord and me produce the original, but it's little Maria who does all the hard work of processing it and making the finished product available for your consumption! Praise the Lord! SO A GOOD INSPIRED SECRETARY CAN MAKE A GREAT MAN OUT OF ALMOST ANYBODY, INCLUDING ME, AS I WAS NOBODY UNTIL MARIA CAME ALONG AND ENCOURAGED MY FAITH AND MADE ME BELIEVE AND MADE ME PRODUCE AND MADE ME STICK TO IT, WITH THE LORD'S HELP--AND SHE'S STILL AT IT! Because I'm naturally rather slow and lazy, procrastinating and dreamy, and if it weren't for her and the Lord gives me the dreams and the visions and the messages, but it's Maria that makes me put them into action in these in these Letters to keep you inspired and fed, encouraged and led. In fact, if it were not for her, you might not get them at all, as she's the one who has to take them down when I'm totally in the Spirit, Praise the Lord!
24. SO I'M ALL FOR RECRUITING MORE SECRETARIES, AS THEY ARE LITERALLY THE EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, THE RIGHT ARMS OF YOUR LEADERS! The leaders speak the word, but it's the secretaries that have to see that it's carried out. So leadership is no stranger to them, and in its absence, they are frequently well able to carry on a Colony without it! And if it weren't for the fact that some of you advisors have such good secretaries for wives, you probably wouldn't be able to run a Colony at all!--and neither would I!--not even the Revolution! It's the leader who speaks the word, but it's you secretaries who administer it, so you are truly administrators in the finest sense of the word, so you are all-important to keeping the Revolution rolling! You are a vital part of the fulfillment of God's prophecy of us in Psalm 68: "The Lord gave the Word: Great was the company of those that published it! " You secretaries and your typewriters are some of God's most important instruments in publishing the Word, and all the words that are necessary for carrying on His Work! God bless you!
ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE CHASTISED
25. THANKS ALSO TO NY BEN, JAPHETH, JOAB, SIR ROBERT, SAMSON, WATCHMAN, JETH, TABITHA, AND OTHERS, FOR LETTERS OF APOLOGY FOR MISTAKES MADE IN THE PAST. Apologies accepted and mistakes forgiven!--And if you have truly learned your lessons and been humbled and broken by the Lord through it, He will usually use your humiliating experience, as He says, to make of you a better vessel in the Potter's Hands, even better fit for the Master's use! When Grandmother once asked the world-famous evangelist, Paul Rader, why God never seemed to be able to get enough good leaders for His use, he wisely replied: "They can't seem to be broken fast enough, and God can only use truly broken men and women! " UNLESS YOU HAVE BEEN BROKEN, HUMBLED, HUMILIATED, AND COME TO THE END OF YOURSELF AND HAVE NOTHING LEFT BUT GOD, GOD WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO USE YOU AS GREATLY AS HE WOULD LIKE!
26. BUT AS WITH KING DAVID, THOUGH HIS WAS A GREAT SIN, HIS WAS ALSO A GREAT REPENTANCE, A GREAT HUMBLING AND BREAKING; therefore, there was also a great forgiveness for him, and a final exaltation even far above his former glory! So you who have truly learned your lesson and have come through these refining fires of bitter mistakes and God's consequent judgements in burning out the dross, should come forth as gold, even better leaders than you were before! You are still a part of the family, and we love you more than ever, and believe God is going to use you mightily more than ever before, as He is already beginning to do with some of you! Hallelujah! Amen? So we're expecting even greater things of you than ever before, as some are already proving to be true! God bless you! MAY I RECOMMEND TO YOU A PASSAGE WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN A GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT TO ME WHEN BEING CHASTENED BY THE LORD IN HIS LOVING DISCIPLINE, AND HIS SPIRIT AS OFTEN SPOKEN IT TO MY HEART WHEN HE HAS SO OFTEN HAD TO DEAL WITH ME, SOMETIMES A LITTLE STERNLY AND ROUGHLY, FOR MY MANY MISTAKES: HEBREWS 12, ESPECIALLY THE 5TH, 6TH, AND 13TH VERSES: "My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him, for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth....let it rather be healed. "I SUGGEST THAT YOU WHO ARE PRONE TO STUMBLE MEMORISE THIS PASSAGE, particularly the 1st through the 15th verses, and it will be a great encouragement to you and to others who have some similar problems. May the birds with the broken pinions, having learned their lessons from the snares of the Enemy, now learn to fly even higher than before! We hope so. But if your breaking process is not yet complete, don't leave school before the bell rings. It took Jacob 21 years in the school of Laban before he was broken and liberated and ready for leadership. We hope it doesn't take you that long, because we need you now. MARIA ALSO SUGGESTS THAT YOU WHO HAVE HAD THESE PROBLEMS READ AGAIN "DID GOD MAKE A MISTAKE? " FOR YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT, GOD BLESS YOU! WE LOVE YOU AND ARE EXPECTING GOD'S BEST OF YOU! Please don't disappoint us again! There's so little time left! We need you!
NEED TO HAVE MORE CONVENTIONS AND FIRMLY ESTABLISHED BASES
27. SOME OF YOU YOUNGER LEADERS HAVE BEEN DOING A TREMENDOUS JOB and using amazing wisdom in your responsibilities! Congratulations to Corny Black and his leaders of the California District for THE WISDOM OF THEIR CONVENTION AT PISMO BEACH IN WHICH THEIR FOLLOWERS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO FELLOWSHIP AND WITNESS WHILE THEIR LEADERS FELLOWSHIPPED AND SHARED PROBLEMS AND PLANS AND SOLUTIONS. WE THINK THIS IS A GREAT IDEA, AND WE'D LIKE TO SEE MORE OF IT WHERE POSSIBLE AND CONVENIENT, IN OTHER DISTRICTS. MORE FELLOWSHIP AND BETTER COMMUNICATION OFTEN ACT AS SOLUTIONS IN THEMSELVES AND CERTAINLY BRING BETTER COORDINATION OF ANY COOPERATIVE EFFORT OF THE WHOLE BODY! Some of you Regional Supervisors are doing beautifully: Megiddo writes excellent letters to his Colonies to encourage them; Belte writes excellent reports on his faithful supervision; Caleb is doing fantastically in his public relations in a very difficult territory. The team of Shem and Cephas have done a wonderful job of trouble-shooting in their Region by personal visits to Colonies having difficulties and needing special counsel; and NY Ben did a remarkable job of pioneering a difficult area, which took great faith, and he succeeded victoriously, in spite of a few mistakes. Little Watchman has even done well in pioneering and in supervising another difficult District. And even little Eve and the Fearsome Foursome have shown valiant faith, courage, vision, and initiative with Ebed, Matthew Canada and Samson in pioneering Eastern Canada.--Also, Abraham, in supervising a totally new and foreign situation in Scandinavia, but we don't hear from him very often. Even Dutch Ben was doing a great job supervising the Low countries, when we were still hearing from him, until he disappeared into Berlin--although he has an excellent secretary for a wife! We haven't heard much from you lately, Miriam! We always enjoyed your reports! Let's hear more, please. Maybe it's because you Europeans are SO BUSY PIONEERING, YOU DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME TO WRITE, BUT IF WE DON'T HEAR FROM YOU, WE CAN'T HELP YOU VERY MUCH, EITHER. This includes Ho and Faith, who have done a monumental job over there, truly laying down their lives for the brethren! But as I have warned them in a recent personal letter. DON'T SPREAD YOURSELVES OUT SO THIN IN EUROPE THAT YOU RISK LOSING SOME OF THE GROUND YOU'VE ALREADY GAINED. THESE NEW PIONEER COLONIES WITH NEW YOUNG LEADERSHIP ARE PARTICULARLY IN NEED OF CLOSE SUPERVISION AND LOTS OF HELP AND ENCOURAGEMENT! DON'T DESERT THEM BY GETTING SO WRAPPED UP IN OTHER PROJECTS, SUCH AS MORE PIONEERING, PRINTING, ETC. THAT YOU NEGLECT THEM! North America has had its problems, but most of them have been licked now by the excellent work of closer supervision of more Supervisors to help them get it together. They even have a few District Supervisors now, such as Watchman and Aquilla, and others, and there may be more, but Watchman and Aquilla are the only ones we hear from. And all of this in spite of the tremendous recent decentralisation and expansion and the tripling of the number of Colonies!
COOPERATE WITH ThankCOG
28. SOME OF THE SUCCESS OF THIS REORGANISATION CAN BE CREDITED TO SOME OF THE OLDER LEADERS, TOO, WHO HAVE LEARNED SOME LESSONS, COME THROUGH THE FIRE AS PURE GOLD, and are now doing better than ever, in spite of past mistakes, such as Jeth and Deb, and others, who have helped totally renovate and reorganise our Central Office in Dallas on a more efficient and productive basis, in spite of almost insurmountable obstacles in the midst of a difficult moving situation, a massive expansion, and a reshuffling of leadership going on all at the same time! The fact that they and the Dallas office survived these changes can also be credited to many of their helpers, with special mention for Rachel, Shiphrah, Martha, Corny Copp, Love, Elizabeth, Shalome, Brother Paul, Shiloh, JD, Shua, some excellent provisioners, and so many others we haven't space to name them all. And THIS INCLUDES THE TERRIFIC JOB OF PUBLIC RELATIONS THAT OUR PARENTS' NEW THANKCOG OFFICE IS DOING UNDER MRS. GOODE, MRS. INGERSOLL, and their good secretary, Terah! God bless them! There has been a distinct change in the tide of good publicity since these have gone to work on it. And FreeCOG seems to be falling into disrepute as a result, now being almost ridiculed by some of the news media for its hysterical attitude and preposterous charges, which are being counteracted and swept away by our dear and vigilant ThankCOG, God bless you! EACH OF YOU CAN HAVE A PART IN THIS BY GIVING THANKCOG YOUR FULL COOPERATION ITS TREMENDOUSLY SUCCESSFUL EFFORTS IN IMPROVING OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR PARENTS! DON'T KNOCK IT!--USE IT!
29. OTHERS WHO DESERVE COMMENDATION for their excellent work on improving our public relations are almost too numerous to name, but we must mention our dear brother Cornelius Copernicus (Corny Copp, to you), both for his diligent efforts, successful accomplishments, and faithful reports. He has also had a lot of good new ideas for improvements and for training our security personnel! God bless you, Corny! Keep up the good work! Able and Rahel are still around, but a new baby seems to be a fulltime job! And Javan is still trying to get the radios rolling! We're sorry we haven't room for you who say you'd like to work with us personally--but you are if you're in the revolution!
COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON CHILDCARE
30. AND TO THOSE WONDERFUL GIRLS--AND BOYS, WHO CARE SO BEAUTIFULLY FOR THE LITTLE CHILDREN, we give our deep and heartfelt thanks for the marvellous job you have done and are still doing! We want to mention especially the fascinating and miraculous faith trip made by Gypsy, Labana, Shosh and Shera with the BBB's!--3000 miles of miles of miracles! God bless you for surviving that monumental task victoriously! It certainly must have inspired your faith to see how God keeps and provides, and even gives lots of fun to His children! Thanks also to little Joy and some of the other little ones for the beautifully illustrated and uniquely descriptive book--a truly original edition--all about their trip and the exciting places they visited. That was surely a spiritual and educational experience they'll never forget!
31. WE ALSO WANT TO COMMEND ELIJAH AND TAMAR AND THEIR MOBILE HIGH for the good job they're doing with their rolling school. Joy's little illustrated log of the BBB's journey might be a good idea for your bunch. I think it's even good enough to print so all the Colonies can see good work you folks are doing who care for our children. It might inspire more of you mothers and fathers to take an interest in this extremely important ministry of the care and training of our children!
32. EVEN SOME OF YOU PROSPECTIVE MOTHERS AND FATHERS COULD BE A GREAT BLESSING TO THE CHILDREN, like Adonikum and Cana and others who really love them and have a genuine fulltime ministry along this line. Thanks also to those of you who, like Charran and Rachel the Publican, and others, have written us of your great concern for our little kids and babies, and we're working on those problems as fast as we can. Deb and Rachel and Leah are working on lessons on natural childbirth and child care which will soon be out, God willing!
33. MEANWHILE, I WOULD HEARTILY RECOMMEND DR.HERMAN BUNDESON'S BOOK ON PRENATAL CARE, CHILDBIRTH, CHILD CARE AND TRAINING, ON WHICH WE REARED OUR ORIGINAL FOUR, ALONG WITH THE BIBLE. EACH COLONY WITH ANY CHILDREN AT ALL SHOULD HAVE A COPY. IT'S A BIG THICK BOOK AND TELLS YOU JUST ABOUT ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ON THE SUBJECT. He's a world-famous expert on mostly the old-fashioned and natural means of childbirth and training and he helped us do a good job on ours, along with the Lord. But for God's sake, don't use Dr. Benjamin Spock's book, which nearly destroyed the present generation with his most popular and devilish doctrines of modern child psychology which has helped produce a generation of demons with his generally permissive attitude of advocating that you let the little devils do as they please or you might injure their personalities! Result: A whole generation of little savages--your mothers and fathers! No wonder the world's in such a mess!
34. WE WANT TO EXTEND OUR SYMPATHIES TO THE COLONY WHO JUST LOST A MEMBER THROUGH MARTYRDOM. He was a dear, weak little brother who'd had many problems and backslidden many times, but was being given another chance by the Lord, when the Lord decided to take him while he was ready to go and victorious and not in defeat, but rather honouring him with the greatest death any can die--laying down his life for his brethren while witnessing!
WITNESSING IN DANGEROUS AREAS
35. HOWEVER, WE DO WANT TO WARN YOU ABOUT THE DANGERS OF WITNESSING IN RACIAL AREAS AND AMONGST PEOPLES WHERE THERE IS VERY STRONG ANIMOSITY AND BITTERNESS AND RESENTMENT BETWEEN THE RACES, WHICH CAN PRODUCE VIOLENCE, AS YOU HAVE SEEN BY THIS, AT THE SLIGHTEST PROVOCATION, ESPECIALLY IF FUELLED BY A LITTLE LIQUOR AND A FEELING THAT YOU'RE INVADING THEIR TERRITORY AS UNWELCOME AND UNWANTED ENEMIES, NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY OR SING. UNDER SUCH CONDITIONS, THERE'S ALWAYS THE DANGER OF A SMALL BUT VICIOUSLY VIOLENT AND EMBITTERED ELEMENT ON EITHER SIDE PRECIPITATING A TRAGEDY. But you handled it well, Kenaz, God Bless you!
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family}
