Making a Difference During London 2012

London is ELECTRIC with Olympic activity. The mood is optimistic & supportive. The worries that we heard before the Opening Ceremony such as transportation chaos, bad weather and even terrorist attacks is all fading into the background as Team GB breaks records and glories in it's accomplishments.

Along with some friends, I wanted to use this time to try to "Make a Difference" in people's lives. We decided to get special T-shirts printed with the cover illustration of an inspirational poster. The picture shows a large heart with a globe in the middle and people from all countries holding hands around it. On the back we had printed the title: "What Everybody Needs is Love". You can download this inspiring illustration here. And an inspirational message to go with it here.

We also had short inspirational leaflets printed entitled: Play to Win. (download here).

We then ventured out to places in London with a large population of sports fans engaging with the visitors and passing out the leaflets.

So far it has been great fun and we have gotten a good reception. Often people would come up to us, requesting a leaflet.

I happened to meet  former Harlem Globetrotter Andre Bryant, who said he loved my T-shirt and wanted one like it! He took a leaflet and a few more for his friends.

We have our contact information on the leaflets so if anyone wants to find out more and get back in touch with us they can.

We are not done yet, so if you are out in London during the Olympics, maybe you will see us!

Here I am with former Globetrotter Andre Bryant.

Clothes for Children in Ghana

I had the opportunity to collect clothes and organize the distribution to needy families, individuals and organizations. Some of the clothes travelled all the way to Africa, where they were distributed to poor children at a school where several TFI members have an ongoing project. Here are some photos of them being given to the children at the school.

 A boy tries this shirt on for size.

These two children have new clothes to wear  home. 

 Susan (back row, centre) took the clothes to Africa from England where she distributed them to the children in  this needy school in Ghana.

Malaria Project--Nigeria

I couldn't resist sharing some of the news we received not too long ago from our son Steve in Nigeria. Maybe if you are thinking about volunteering there, this is an idea of what you might be in for:

First Week Long Malaria Project--Lots of Action.... 
OK, so on Ogogoro Island. We are pasting out malaria nets  and this Chief from another tribe comes into the church where we are doing the project and starts fighting with the chief of our Island ( the one we were on).
Crowds start to grow to watch & join in the fight.  Art and I, the only two white people out of 3000 people on the Island, started making back up plans, just in case things got out of hand. However, while we were  making plans, our boat pilot decides he will join in & off he was in the crowd. So much for our fast escape plan.
So 10 minutes of fist fights & the older chief falls flat on his black...out cold, with  blood running down his face. Some members of the tribe start getting water for him from the bole-hole and cooling him off. Even though he had a bloody head & was knocked-out cold, he got up & went after the other Ogogoro chief. The Islanders put him on a fly boat & that was the end....
The Ogogoro  Chief came to us later & was all happy, telling us everything is under control & that he is a World Class Killer Boxer.  Art and I weren't sure if we should run away or stay & stand our ground & continue giving out nets. In the end we went with staying as we couldn't find the boat pilot at that point in time.
Project ended around 3 pm 24th of May 2010 & we gave out 300 nets & tested around 200 people for Malaria. I think it was 120 positive & 80 negative. Bonus for the day was 240+ Islanders gave their gave lives to Christ including the Ogogoro  Chief.
25th of May 2010   We are going next door ( next Island to Ogogoro  Island) to give out 300 more nets....I guess we will see the defeated Chief.
Updated...Went to the  next Island & didn't see the defeated  Chief. Everything went great... To end the day...got a pig as a gift to fat up & eat later....

Food Distribution

David with Josh,  Aurora and children and some of the food and clothing we collected for them.

Every week we collect, organise and distribute food to other needy volunteers. We are happy to be able to help in this way as we know what a struggle daily living can be for some, especially these days. Here is David with Josh, Aurora and two of their three children. One of their children has special needs and it can get difficult for them at times. But we admire their fighting spirit and determination to keep on helping others with any spare time that they are able to find!

Recent Activities

With Christmas fast approaching, we have been spending a good amount of our time distributing Christmas and New Years books, CDs, Calendars, etc. We concentrate on meaningful items--not the commercialised concept of Christmas that so many adapt nowadays. Here are a few samples:

An inspirational Agenda for 2010 with beautiful photos at the beginning of every month and a quote on every page.

A "Child Friendly" Calendar, just for kids.

Christmas songs on  CD included with a card--perfect as a gift.

We also have been continuing  teaching Motivational classes every week as well as distribute food to other volunteers.

Family Day Picnic at Regents Park

On May 25th, as part of National Family Week, a new occasion that aims to promote and celebrate family life in the UK, Regents Park, London, hosted a hugh picnic. The picnic was also an attempt to set the Gunniess World Record for largest picnic in multiple venues.

About 25 Family Members, from various Centres around London attended, with their picnics and an extra added item. We brought along thousands of "What Everybody Needs is Love" posters to distribute to the families enjoying the awesome sunshine. The weather prediction had been for thundershowers and it was very overcast, with some light rain in the morning. But a lot of people must have been praying for good weather as the sun came out brilliantly and it couldn't have been better weather for a picnic in the park.

We distributed our Poster to everyone there and it was received with gladness. Even a TV camera crew liked it enough to film a spot with the poster.

It was a wonderful day out and we are happy to have been able to get out God's message of Love to so many people.

Kylie organized and coordinated the Family's efforts that day.Dawn was filmed by ITV for "London Tonight" news programme. The interviewer also took home a poster, which he really liked.

Here is the text from the back of the Poster:

NO MATTER WHAT COUNTRY YOU'RE FROM, what religion you believe in or what colour your skin is, your heart is the same as other people's hearts all around the World!—There is no difference! Our desire and need for love and peace and happiness is made by God, and the same in everyone the World over!

WHOEVER WE ARE AND WHEREVER WE ARE FROM, the simple answer to all of our problems is the same as it has always been for every age and every generation: LOVE!—True love, real love, God's Love!

WHAT EVERYBODY NEEDS IS LOVE! This is God's answer to all the problems of today as well as to all the problems of the past!—An answer which has always been so simple and childlike that many people find it hard to believe! But this is still God's solution, even in such a confused and complicated World as we live in today!

IT'S JUST THAT SIMPLE: If we love God, if we have His Love in our hearts, we will love and care for each other. We will then follow His rules of life, liberty and happiness, and all will be well and happy as we follow Him!

FOR IT IS MAN'S REJECTION OF GOD'S LOVE AND HIS LOVING LAWS THAT CAUSES MOST OF THE EVILS AND TROUBLES IN THE WORLD TODAY! If people would love God and each other, they would not be mean and selfish! The rich wouldn't rob the poor, those with plenty wouldn't let their neighbours suffer hunger, disease or overwork without helping them, and they certainly wouldn't fight cruel wars in which they kill and wound each other!

THIS IS WHY JESUS SAID THAT THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT IS TO LOVE!—To first of all love God, and then to love your neighbour as yourself! In fact, He said that these two simple laws fulfil all the laws of God! (Matthew 22:37-39) In other words, Love fulfils all the Law!—God's only Law is Love!

OF COURSE, A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY, "OH, I DON'T BELIEVE IN GOD!" But if you were to ask them if they believe in love, they'd probably reply, "Of course I believe in love!" Well, if they can believe in love, then they can believe in God!—Because the Bible says, "God is Love!" (1John 4:8) So real love, God's Love, is all the religion you need, because God is Love, and Love is God!

GOD IS NOT ONLY LOVE, BUT JESUS ALSO SAID THAT "GOD IS A SPIRIT!" (John 4:24)—He is the Great Spirit of Love that created you and me and this beautiful World and the entire Universe! He is so big and so great that He is far beyond our human understanding! But God loved us so much that He wanted us to somehow know and love Him, so to show us His Love and to help us to understand Himself, He sent His Own Son to Earth in the form of a man, Jesus Christ.

JESUS WAS LIKE A PICTURE OF GOD, to show us what God Himself is like.—And that picture is a picture of Love, because all Jesus did was talk about love and show love and live love. Then finally, in love, He gave His life for you and me, so that we could have God's Love, forgiveness and free Gift of Eternal Life if we would just receive Him into our hearts.

SO IF YOU FEEL THAT YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH LOVE, MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T YET FOUND GOD'S LOVE BY RECEIVING HIS SON JESUS!—There is a hollowness, an empty spot that He has placed in each of our hearts that only He can fill, and that nothing else will ever truly satisfy. So if you'd like Him to fill that spot in your life, all you have to do is open your heart to Him.

TO RECEIVE GOD'S LOVE IS SO SIMPLE that Jesus said you must become as a little child to enter His spiritual Kingdom of love and joy! He said, "Unless you humble yourself and become as a little child, you shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven!" (Matthew 18:3)

ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS CONFESS THAT YOU'RE NOT PERFECT, that you have made mistakes and that you need God's forgiveness. The Bible says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) In other words, we've all done wrong, so we all need to be forgiven, because without forgiveness of sin, we'd be separated from God's perfect Love.

BUT YOU CANNOT SAVE YOURSELF! The Bible tells us, "by grace (God's Love and mercy) we are saved through faith, and not of ourselves or our own good deeds. It is the free Gift of God!" (Ephesians 2:8,9) No matter what good things you do or how religious you try to be, it's impossible to save yourself!—It's a Gift of God! And the Gift God gave is JESUS!

"FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD (you and me), that He gave His Own Son (Jesus), that whoever believes in Him should never die (be separated from God's Love), but have Everlasting Life." (John 3:16) God loved you so much that He gave Jesus to die in your place, to take the punishment that you deserve for your sins.—And all you have to do is believe and receive Him!

JESUS PROMISED THAT IF YOU OPEN UP YOUR HEART, if you ask Him to come in, He will come in. He says, "Behold, I stand at the door (of your heart), and knock: If any man hear My voice, & open the door, I will come in to him." (Rev.3:20)

YOU CAN RECEIVE JESUS RIGHT NOW by praying this simple prayer: "Dear Jesus, please forgive me for all my sins. I believe You are the Son of God and that You died for me, and I now invite You into my heart. Jesus, please come in and help me to love others and tell them about You so they may find You too. In Jesus' name I ask, Amen."

IF YOU PRAYED AND MEANT THIS PRAYER, Jesus is now in your heart! And you have Love that you will never lose, that will never let you go, for you are His child forever!—"For he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life!" (John 3:36)

WE HOPE THESE WORDS OF LOVE HAVE HELPED YOU TO FIND THE LOVE YOU NEED TO MAKE YOU HAPPY!—And that others will find happiness through your love too! God bless you & make you a blessing with His Love!

Food for the Hungry

Our son Ian (19), with Dawn and some of the donated food items that we regularly collect to distribute to other missionaries and needy people.

Give, and it Shall Be Given to You!

Not too long ago, we received a large contribution of kitchen ware from Michael and Tara who have a shop. Besides filling a great need for these items in our own Centre, we also were able to distribute plates, cups and saucers, etc. to several Family International Volunteer Centres in the greater London area. We also distributed these items to other people and institutions who were very thankful for them. Here a just a few photos:

Jerry and Solange, an appreciative couple, who received sets of cups and saucers to be used at the flat share where they live with others.

Bishop Annie Njeri, of the Airport Church Revival Centre, with David and Dawn, receiving boxes of the kitchenware items, as well as about 25 chairs for young children. The Bishop told us that she was looking for a way for the church to be a positive influence in her local community and to integrate more with the neighbours. She got the idea to start a children’s play group and one of the first items on her need’s list was chairs. So when we offered to give her the chairs, she was very happy. She also told us that the church was in need of a proper tea and coffee service, and was very appreciative to receive the boxes which all will be put to good use.

Walter and Jenny, (left and second from right), who are our neighbours, happily receive 150 tea cups and saucers, which they delivered to the St. Michael and All Angles Church in Harrow Weald to be used for various Church functions. Also pictured are Paul (second from left) and Dawn (right).

CLOTHES FOR THE NEEDY

We distributed a large amount of ladies clothes to other Family Volunteers in the area, to Family Missionaries passing through London, as well as other needy people. Here are Joanna (left) who is a Family Volunteer in London. She often ships supplies to needy countries such as Romania and has a steady stream of Family Missionaries staying at her Centre for various periods of time as they pass through London. She is able to pass on clothes and supplies this way, for them to bring back to their field. Jenny, on the right, collected clothes to distribute to Somalian asylum seekers that she works with here in the UK. They were both very thankful to be able to pass on these clothes and those recieving them were also very thankful.