HomeARC ML 2412
SCHOOLS--Will They Work? 1/88 DO 2412
1. All right. This is the basic problem. The Family in Japan are so poor they can't even afford a School! They're not making enough to hardly pay their own expenses! They're barely making enough. Barely! What the Family in Japan contributes to WS is supposed to be their contribution, not to themselves alone but to the rest of the World as well, to help evangelise the whole World, to share with others, as certainly a rich nation like that ought to be able to! But as it is you there are having a tough time paying even your own expenses of your NO office & your Publication Units, your Service Center & all the rest!
2. Most of everything that comes in in Japan has to go right straight back to Japan & pay for your own NRO, your LIM, your NPCs, your Missionary Aid & widows, etc. You don't even have enough left over to finance your own School! You don't have enough left over to even pay the rent or the utilities & whatnot, which are taken care of by other people, or a lot of them. You haven't even got enough left over just to pay for the food & the expenses of your own children living in your own School! Think of that!
3. Rich Japan! The Family in Japan should be rich because you're living in the richest country on the face of the Earth, but you can't even afford a little School for your kids! You're not making enough to afford that School! You can't afford it! If you take out all the rest of your expenses from what you contribute to WS & everything that you absorb & what you have to have, it doesn't even leave enough to pay the budget of that School! It leaves it $10,000 short of meeting that School's monthly budget!
4. So you ought to know me by this time! I don't believe in going in debt, I don't believe in borrowing money, & I don't believe in going into projects that can't pay for themselves! What are we going to do, rob Peter to pay Paul? What other country are we going to take it away from to pay for a School in Japan? What other Family in what other country has got so much money they can afford to support a School in Japan?--And why should they? That's what they're going to ask us: "Why should we support a School in Japan? What's it doing for us? Fine, oh, it's helping to evangelise Japan! Well, how about sending us some money? We'd like to have some help to evangelise our country!" (Maria: Well then, you have to think, what is it doing?) Exactly, what is it doing? (Maria: Educating 80 children that could be educated somewhere else!) All right.
5. How much witnessing is that School doing? They've gone around to a few old people's homes & hospitals & a poor school that's so poor itself it's going to have to close up next year, a little local public school! That's fine. But they were even hindered at some of those places at first from even giving them the Gospel or asking for decisions. They weren't even witnessing for awhile, much less saving souls! They can do a lot better than that if they go back to the field, at least they can witness--that is, if they've got anybody that can speak Japanese--& get a few decisions & save souls!
6. As far as witnessing is concerned & possible soul salvations & fruitfulness, that School could be a lost cause! Could it possibly be fruitful enough to make it profitable enough to want to support it? Who wants to support a thing that's not producing results? What are their stats going to be on their witnessing, on their decisions, salvations, even literature? What are their stats going to be? It might not even be as good as the average Home!
7. So why should we pay that much money on that place? Well, I'll tell you, there's only one reason besides the little bit of witnessing they could do locally & the little bit of PR & the few friends they could make there--which are a lot poorer than city people--& country people who are very sceptical & very reserved & very conservative & where it's sometimes harder than anywhere else. Although they're good people, generous people, kind people, wonderful people, they love us, they think we're wonderful, they praise, they applaud & everything else--how much have they given? Well, there have been a few who have given a few vegetables & a few things like that, God bless them, of what little they had.
8. There's only one excuse we could possibly have for keeping that School! We don't really need it to educate our children. [DELETED] Our kids have been in the Family nearly 20 years, some of them, including teenagers, growing up in the Family & have gotten a good education in the Family. They read well, they know Bible, they know history & they know how to witness, they know how to win souls, what else do they need to know?
9. "Well, Dad, you said this was a great new idea, a new way to operate in case we couldn't go out & couldn't be on the streets, we could use this School as a witness. We could come up above ground now & above board & be an open operation, & thereby be able to continue witnessing & continue operating with official protection & influential protection, etc., as a legitimate open ministry!" Well, that's fine--if we can afford it!
10. There's only one thing that could possibly make that School viable economically, profitable & self-supporting, & that is what the TV ministers & Gospel preachers with big churches & businesses, etc., call an appeal project. The girls are going to the clubs getting the men saved, & the next step is what are they going to ask them to contribute to?--Their salary?--The School!
11. Technically we hope that their Hosts are going to come through with some kind of [EDITED: "means to"] [DELETED] get them work visas if nothing else, so they don't have to keep leaving the country, if they can't do anything else, & it should provide some income. They're working there & they have to pay the other hostesses & bunny girls & whatnot, why not us? Our girls are doing the most important work they're having done in that Club, besides all that feeding people & trying to so-called make people happy & amuse people & entertain people! Why shouldn't the worker, the labourer, be worthy of his hire?
12. What are our people in Japan for? Supposedly "the Love of Christ constraineth us!"--2Cor.5:14. You're there because you love souls & you want to see them saved & go to Heaven! Are you reaching them? After all the years you've been there we can only count about 200 adult disciples, & a lot of those were won at the beginning with the Catacomb Ministry. But where are all the kings & supporters you should have won?
13. So there's another possible usefulness of that School, especially when they need that much money to operate, & that would be if the girls & the people who are reaching the top could use it as an appeal & something for those people to give to. This is something they can understand: A School, children, something for them to give to! That's about the only good that might be sufficient to make it economically worthwhile to keep it going. Because if it can't operate any cheaper than that, we're going to have to forget it!
14. Now if you'll just do a little simple addition & subtraction like I have, over half the total WS income from Japan has to go back into Japan, which only leaves less than half for any other purpose, some of which is supposed to go to help WS, Pubs Creations, Administration & other needier fields & whatnot. But that leaves less than half out of what Japan gives for others.
15. Of what Japan gives, they themselves gobble up most of it, which only leaves less than half over for anything else! Even if WS never took a Yen from Japan & put everything else that's left into their School, since the School is in Japan & supposed to be a Japanese Ministry & for the sake of the Family & the Japanese & as an appeal project to try to raise funds, we've only got a few Yen left to finance it from what Japan gives! And that's as high as I am willing to go for that School!--To give the rest to the School!
16. I am willing to sacrifice & give up all the money that we need from Japan & could use from Japan, & give all of the Japanese income back to Japan! The full 10% that goes to WS, I am willing to give it all to Japan & not take a penny out of Japan, & give the balance to that School to keep it operating for at least awhile until we see if it accomplishes anything, & what it accomplishes, if anything, particularly as an appeal project, something to offer those men to give to, something to act as an appeal to raise funds. But in the meantime we don't have the funds, we can't afford it. I don't believe in operating anything beyond our income or beyond its income, & that's all the income that Japan is now giving!
17. If we let Japan keep all of the WS income, every penny, & give the balance of it to that School, we've got very little left to give it! In other words, that's all we've got, that's all there is, there isn't any more coming out of Japan, & I think we'd be pretty generous in contributing everything, all of our Japanese income to Japan, with WS not taking any, nothing for administration, nothing for Creations & Publications & all the rest of that, nothing for any other poor fields, nothing!
18. Let Japan gobble up the whole thing, their entire 10%, & let'm use it up there! Considering what comes out of Japan, if we put it all back into Japan, considering all the rest of their expenses there's little left for that School, & that's all they're going to get! And if they can't operate on that, we'll close it, period! That's my decision & I believe it's the Lord's. Then it would at least be indigenous!--Self-supporting!
19. If Japan can't even pay for itself, forget it! We're offering the School a budget of $5,000 less than were their actual expenses last month, so they are simply going to have to trim the fat & cut down & live within their budget, their income, period! That's all they're going to get! Sorry about that. It's not Damaris' fault, I'm not blaming it on her.
20. I believe that School can cut down on a lot of items that are pretty blown-up & exaggerated, & live within it. (Peter: If they even provision their milk they'll save a thousand Dollars!) I'm sure they can by cutting down on things & maybe even cutting down on personnel & maybe even students if they have to, but I think that they won't even have to do that if they'll cut down on some of these items. I think they can cut down $5000 on some of these items.
THE SCHOOL APPEAL!
21. All right, I'm just saying this: That if the School's going to cost us any more than that, we can't afford it! I'm willing to rock along & go along with it as long as it's within our income, God willing, & as long as it's going to serve a purpose. Not only be a witness but be a School, be an example, be a project for the kings there to contribute to, their buildings & whatnot & some of their funds, & be an appeal project to present to those businessmen & those rich men that the girls are contacting, then it's worth it!--If it can earn it!
22. What else are they going to ask those men for? What for? For what? "Do you want me to pay your salary? Want me to put you up in an apartment?" How much can they contribute to the girls? They've got to feel like they're contributing to some kind of a worthwhile philanthropy! And there's nothing that appeals more than kids & schools & that sort of thing! Schools & colleges receive some of the greatest endowments of millions, in fact billions of Dollars in the U.S. alone!
23. It was my Mother's job in the Charles Crittendon Home Organisation to go around & raise money to build those Homes. And because of the appeal of trying to save & rescue those poor little lost wayward girls in trouble, she was able to raise millions of Dollars to build scores of those Homes all over the U.S.! Because she had a project appeal!
24. (Maria: What kind of an appeal can they have for the Japanese?) "We're establishing an International School for underprivileged children!" They can tell them the story we've heard about the schools there. The International Schools in Japan are collapsing for lack of students because they can't afford to pay what it costs for them! They can't get enough students who can afford to pay to come to their schools, so they're having to pull out! We're operating a School with volunteer labourers, we're not paying any salaries. We're operating a School with donated property & volunteer labour at the cheapest possible cost of any International School in that whole country!
25. I dare them to find an international boarding school in Japan where they can room & board a student for $150 a month, $5 a day--room & board & schooling! What do you want to bet ours will be the cheapest international boarding school in Japan! They can tell them, "You couldn't possibly contribute to a cheaper school, to help these poor underprivileged international foreign children to be able to go to school in Japan!" Otherwise, most System children can't even afford to go to an international school in Japan! Their parents have jobs, they're diplomats, they're technicians, they're this, that & the other, teachers & whatnot, but they can't even afford to send their own kids to an international school because it costs so much money in Japan!
26. Tell'm, "We're furnishing an International School for foreign underprivileged children, as well as Japanese, at a cheap rate that can't be beat, something where your contribution will go further & educate more children & you actually get more for your money than any other school you can possibly contribute to!"
27. I certainly think they've got every right to claim they're underprivileged children, children of missionaries! I mean, why not come out & say they're children of missionaries? Say, "They're children of missionaries, & the poor missionaries can't afford to send their kids to any other school." So why not? The other international schools are even closing! Even foreign diplomats & technicians & businessmen can't afford to send their kids to an international school in Japan because it costs too much money!
28. We know, we've heard, they're closing! Someone said that nearly half of them have closed because they can't afford Japan's high costs! The schools can't afford to operate because they can't get enough students to meet the bills, because the students can't afford to pay the high prices!
29. You can say, "We're giving them not only just six hours of education a day, classes & schooling, we're giving them 24-hour-a-day supervision & room & board & training, how could you beat that?--For the cheapest possible cost you can possibly think of! $150 a month per person!--Only $5 a day! Including all costs for both room & board & training for both students & staff! It covers everything, you can't beat it!"
30. Now there's an appeal I don't think you can beat! And I think the girls ought to be flat-out with it, honest about it & just speak it out! Just say, "Well, we're trying to train all of these poor underprivileged missionary children who can't afford to go to any other International School. They don't know enough Japanese to go to Japanese schools & they're sort of looked down on in Japanese schools anyhow, so we're taking in these poor underprivileged missionary children in this school. It's an International School for missionaries' children or any others that need it. We're even taking in Japanese with no discrimination!" PTL!
31. Well, that is the only condition under which I think that School can fill some kind of need. Not only just to take care of our own children, but also give the girls something to ask for.--The girls & our Hosts & whoever. And then we may be able to pay the bills without taking every single penny coming in from Japan--if they'll go to work & start raising money!
32. That is the only excuse we've got, really, of having a School, besides supporting a lot of our people who need help, staff & kids, & take care of them & house them & feed them & train them & so on, & take 150 people off the hands of the Japanese field to support & act as an appeal project, the subject of appeal for those who are dealing with people who can meet that appeal, who are well able to give, & give plenty!
33. (Maria: Would they still be appealing for the building of a new school?) Forget that, forget the new building! They've got the School already in operation, they've got the people there, & they need housing, food, clothing, they need fuel to keep them warm! They're there, & if they want to go see them, they can go look at them! Forget the new school building!
34. When they begin giving enough to build a new building & house another 150 students & staff, well all right, fine! We'll be happy to have it, if they can give it! But until they start paying for this one, we're not going to go into another one! (Maria: If they get real generous & give beyond the needs of the School, they could be giving to the children's poor parents, the missionaries out on the field!) Yes, that's for sure! They may start asking questions about, "Well, what missionary organisation, what denomination?" We can just say, "Well, many different kinds of denominations & people & whatnot. We don't discriminate.--We're non-denominational!" Maybe we'll think up the other answers later.
ALTERNATIVE--IF THE SCHOOL DOESN'T WORK!
35. Now I'll tell you the alternative: If that School can't pay for itself, I don't think we need it! If it doesn't succeed in making a good appeal for contributions from people who have the money & can afford to give it, if it doesn't succeed in being a good appeal & it doesn't appeal & they don't get results from their appeals, then I don't think we really need it!
36. But that makes the School quite a bargain at only about $150 per month per person!--Only one-fourth the cost of supporting'm in an individual Home!--So as far as Family support is concerned, the School really is a bargain! That much would only support 1-1/2 Homes in Japan, or only about 25 in one Home!--Whereas in the School it supports six times as many!--And could be a bigger witness at one-fourth the cost!
37. What kind of an education are we going to give them there? What kind of education did this whole Work start with? What kind of education is needed! Let's face it, this work is the child of the Soul Clinic, & I am sold on Fred's kind of education. He figured you don't need school, college, university, nothing, all you need to know is about God's Word in order to get out & witness & win souls & be a missionary, & 3-6 months education is enough to become a witness & a soul-winner! That's the education we're concerned about. If we can use the School for that, OK!--If not, forget it!
38. Where are our kids going to learn the most about witnessing & soul-winning?--Cooped up in a school building tearing each other's hair, or out in the field doing it? That's the clinical method. The clinical method is to learn by doing. So let's get'm out! Let's keep'm witnessing!--And if our Hosts don't like it, let's go!
39. (Maria: I think what the School's actually doing, more than educating those children, is training the adults who are there, in how to raise them & to run a Home.) I agree, that's wonderful! But can we afford it? Unless it's going to pay for itself, I don't see how we can afford it. So unless they can cut their expenses down to what we can afford & learn how to operate on that, we can't afford it! Well, you just let them know, I'm sorry, but we can't afford it unless they can do it on that! GBT!
40. So this is the final bottom line: If they cannot operate that School on that much, we will close it! (Maria: Or the one alternative is raise support?) That's an alternative, if we can't operate it on that much then perhaps we can on whatever the girls can raise, but that's all we can afford to contribute, unless they can get some other contributors. If they need that much then let them raise the rest--they'll have to, we can't afford it!
41. I just don't believe in operating beyond our income, & that's all the Japanese income there is! I think that's enough for us to sacrifice, is to give up all the Japanese WS income & give every Yen from Japan to support that School, & I'm not even sure it's worth that! They're going to have to prove it!
42. As the preachers used to say, it's going to have to be a real money-raiser to make it worthwhile!--To help not only support the School, but their parents & their missionaries & help support the whole Japanese field, that's what it ought to do! That's the whole idea! [DELETED] [EDITED: "I"]t's an appeal project! And if it cannot appeal to people enough to raise enough money to not only pay for the School but to help their parents & the missionaries & the entire Japanese field to help evangelise Japan, then let's close it & let'm all go home, period! (Maria:--Or put all those leaders out on the field training the people out there.) (Peter: And reaching the top!)
43. That's my ultimatum, period! Sorry. And if that ministry in the Clubs is not going to reach enough men to win their hearts, or if nothing else, their pocketbooks, to raise enough money to make it worthwhile--not just to pay for it, but to help pay for the Japanese field & evangelising Japan, not just the School--then it's not worth it either! It's not worth the trouble unless it's going to pay!
44. You say, "Dad, now you're thinking about money, just nothing but money!" I have to think about money! We wouldn't be where we're at & we wouldn't have a Worldwide ministry that we have with 12-14,000 missionaries operating around the World, we just wouldn't have it if we didn't think about money & count the cost & figure if we can afford it or whether certain ministries pay for themselves or not!
45. So is the effort of evangelising Japan going to pay for itself, are the Japanese going to pay for it or not? If they don't appreciate it enough to pay for it, if the Family can't interest enough Japanese in that country to pay the little pittance that it costs for the entire Japanese ministry of evangelisation, then our Family there might as well move out! Then they have rejected us, they're not receptive, they're unprofitable, they're unfruitful, & we might as well save our money & our personnel & go to some other field! But the shape that field is in right now it can't afford even as many people as it's got!
46. We want to try to revive that field, to try to really make that field fruitful & pay off, & for God's sake, at least pay for itself! Possibly the School could help. Possibly using the School as a tool, the girls could help. But if it turns out that it doesn't make it & it doesn't do it, then at least we tried. We tried to give the Japanese the Gospel, we tried to get them to pay for it. But if they don't want to do either one, they don't want the Gospel & they don't want to pay for it & they don't want to go to Heaven, then let'm go to Hell!--And let's get our people outta there! That's my conclusion. Is that a sufficient finale?
47. Most rich people don't want to give unless they can make sure their gift is tax-exempt. Why should they pay taxes on a gift they're giving to somebody else? That's not income, it's outgo! So nearly all your rich people, especially in the U.S., have got to have some kind of a tax-exempt organisation to contribute to so they can get tax credit for their gifts. Then they're willing to give millions to get out of the upper tax brackets, just to reduce their income enough so they don't have to pay higher taxes on their income!
48. So, PTL! Hallelujah! TYL! Amen. TYL! Either it's worthwhile through being fruitful itself & paying for itself, or being a tool to use to raise money for itself & its parents & missionaries & the Japanese field, an excuse for an appeal project that will appeal to those rich people to give to it & give for this worthy cause, or it's not worth it! We could better put our money somewhere else! We could better give it to get out there & pioneer some other field. Amen?--Where they could be more fruitful. Unless that School is going to be a tool--the School a tool, or we're a fool!
PRAYER!
49. Amen, Lord, we have presented the facts & sat down & counted the cost, & now we're going to see if it's possible for us to raise those costs & whether it's going to be worthwhile, whether it's going to be fruitful enough to be profitable, worth paying for it & making it pay, so that it can be a tool for Thy use, Lord, to raise money for Thy Work & to help Japan evangelise itself, or we can't afford it, & we're better off to scatter those families out in the field. Even if we take the same money & help support them, we'll be better off & accomplish more.--Unless this project can produce sufficient results to make it worthwhile!
50. It's not the fault of the staff, Lord, it's not their leader's fault, it's certainly not the kids' fault, they're doing the best they can with a tremendous job, a terrific project, a heavy responsibility, a real taxing burden, Lord! That is a very hard job! It's not their fault, they're doing the best they can, Lord. But we are going to have to figure some way to make it pay & make it profitable & fruitful to make it possible, or we're going to have to invest the time & the talent, personnel & the funds somewhere else where it'll be more fruitful & be a greater witness & win more souls, in Jesus' name! Amen! PTL!--Amen?--GBY! I love you all!--Thanks for trying!
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family
