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Interview of the Month: Bethy, World Services

Friday, June 19th, 2009

I feel that this is a watershed moment in my young life. You see, I project that in ten – nah, make it five years – World Services will be open to the public. We’ll (gasp!) know where they live and that won’t be all. Dream the impossible dream with me and picture this:

Facebook

Karen Zerby is excited about the new GN I just finished. ILY Family! xoxoxo
(Steven Kelly likes this)

Twitter

KingPeter @JuanRS my flight lands in Rio in 2 min. r u sure sum1’s coming 2 pick me up? GBY!

Yup, that’s the bright and shiny future I envision. It’s gonna be awesome.

At that point it’ll be like “so you’re going to WS? Sweet, I hear Miami has some awesome national parks” (I don’t know why I chose Miami, it just came to me) and I’ll have to figure out what to do with all the time I devote to speculating where those WS’ites might live.

And when WS people come to visit for meetings and stuff, what will there be left to tease them about? And what will they have to be all cryptic and mysterious about? There won’t be any point to rifling through their bags looking for their passport to check the stamps, or immediately grabbing their wrist when they first walk in the door in the hopes that they didn’t change the time on their watch yet, or offering them beer after beer in the hopes of…..dang, this actually getting to be kind of a depressing prediction. It’s like all the fun will be gone. Oh well. Change isn’t always easy, is it?

Back on topic.

Until that day arrives, savor this moment with me. My cousin Bethy, daughter of co-administrative head of the oft-publicized NRM The Family International, (hah, this is such fun) longtime member of World Services and all around cool cat, has agreed to let me probe her mind and share these probings with you. I’m excited!

You’ll notice that this interview wasn’t posted in typical Interview of the Month format. Bethy and I cheated just a little bit and did the interview beforehand and now I’m posting it all in one shot. The reason is that naturally, this interview had to get checked over by other WS bunny rabbits to make sure that Bethy didn’t give away vital information as to her whereabouts. It’s a tricky process and a very slippery slope. See, if she slips and says something like “and sometimes when the weather is nice I like to go out for a walk” this would clearly imply that the weather is at least sometimes nice where she lives, which considerably narrows the field of where WS could be located. With that kind of information, it would just be a matter of time before someone connects the dots.

Well, I think I’ve said all the foolish preliminary things that I felt I needed to say to preface this interview.

Enjoy!

Oh, one more thing. At the bottom of this post there are PHOTOS of real live WS people. I should add here that to my overly inquisitive eye, they’re all looking pretty tan. What can we learn from this?

(more…)

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Interview of the Month: Gabe Iowa, Iowa

Tuesday, April 28th, 2009

(Update: He answered, he answered! I love it when people answer their interviews, it’s like Christmas. Thank you so much, Gabe, for your elegant, eloquent, informative answers. I really appreciate your time.)

I’ve been wanting to cover the subject of the Bible in one of my interviews. Happily for me, we have a very decent number of accessible authorities on the subject in The Family International. I was trying think of who would be a good one to interview and then I remembered Gabe Iowa (perhaps most commonly known as the Antichrist. He lent his face to the face of evil that so that by his sacrifice we might have ourselves an Endtime Music Video).

He lived close to our Home back in the early 2000’s for a couple of years and used to come over for weekly Bible studies to give classes. One time I was so convicted by one class he gave on the importance of studying the Bible that I determined in my 14 year old heart to read the entire Bible in one week. I think I gave up somewhere in the first half of Exodus.

But anyhoo, he left an impression on me and I believe he’ll brighten my blog with his words of wisdom. So I’m putting myself out there once again, taking that chance and believing in faith that as I take one step, the Lord will take two for me and inspire Gabe to answer.

Interview guidelines found here.

Because I haven’t met any first-generation member of The Family who doesn’t have a fascinating story in answer to this question – I must ask it first; How did you meet and join The Family International, and can you give a little (or big, or as much as you have time for) chronology of countries lived in, for how long, what you did in each one. etc?

Hi Jules,

First of all, let me say that I am certainly honored to have the opportunity to do an interview for your site.

I first met members of the Family International (hereafter just “the Family”) at a rented farm house in Iowa where my sister and friends were living in a loosely organized commune. I say loosely because in spirit, it was pretty close – and everyone there felt very much a part of that little community – however, some of those living there were bearing more than their share of the load.

This was probably due more to the inabilities of some of the folks living there – myself included. At the time, I had gone through a number of fairly traumatic experiences – having my first steady live-in girl friend, and breaking up, almost going crazy concerning the then unpopular war in Vietnam – and the cultural and social roller coaster ride that the entire nation and much of the world was experiencing. It was 1973.

I had just come back from the West Coast where I had been living and working in Los Angeles at a factory job – employment that had convinced me that there must be something more substantial to dedicate my life to.

I had quit my job there – and had hitchhiked up the West Coast looking for “something”.

It was about that time that I had gotten word that my brother had joined the Family in Chicago – and I had more or less decided that it was my mission to go and convince him otherwise – as I had not had very good experiences in the answers I had received from congregational groups when I asked them how I could live my life (I had already been reading the Bible a bit by this time). I was of the mind that the only way to find any real truth would be to separate ourselves and try to understand the Bible on our own.

On my way back to Iowa I stopped in a rustic village on the shores of the Pacific Ocean north of San Francisco called Casper by the Sea. While I was there I went to a movie playing in a nearby town – and without knowing what I was going to be seeing that night – I saw a film called “Brother Sun and Sister Moon” – the story of St. Francis of Assisi. I think that this was the first time in my life that I believed that I had truly found the answer to what my life was supposed to be about – and that was to become a beggar for Jesus.

Soon after arriving back in Iowa I began my slow transition of joining a Family home – and I first joined in Chicago in November of 1973.

I remained in the United States with the Family for 7 years, traveling from Chicago to a brief stay at the Kentucky Farm – then to San Antonio, Texas for about 10 months. From there I moved to Eugene, Oregon – then to Oakland, California and for a time in San Francisco – on to New Orleans and to the New York Border Base where I had my first stint as a “shepherd”. From there to Birmingham, Alabama – New Orleans, again. – Atlanta; Cherry Hill, New Jersey – then to Los Angeles, a trip up the coast to Washington – and then a trip all the way back to Georgia – up to Newark, New Jersey – back to New Orleans, again. – up to Bellingham, Washington where we (I was married by this time) boarded a flight to Manila, Philippines. The date of arrival was January 1, 1980.

I lived in Manila for 7 years where I helped deliver a lot of babies through teaching natural childbirth classes – caused a lot of trouble – and worked in our fledgling video productions making home video programs for our children and interviewing Family members at area meetings. In the Philippines I met my second wife – to whom I am still married.

We then moved to Bangkok, Thailand where we had a ministry on the ships to the sailors – a lot of whom were Filipino – and then, after a very interesting time in Russia in 1992 – to Japan where I was able to continue to work in video productions at a large international school and studios. During this time I was visiting Thailand for visa trips until I was able to bring the rest of my family to Japan. We left Japan in 1998 for Italy where we lived and worked for a couple of years.

In 2000 we returned to the US and we have lived in Texas, California, Oregon, Alabama, and Iowa – where we live now.

I have done a lot of video work over the years, a lot of Bible teaching, outreach with music and theatre, raised our 6 children – and been everything from the doorkeeper to what I am now – nobody.

At what point did you get interested in The Bible? I know lots of first-generation Family members and nearly all of’m know the memory book and set card, etc. but clearly at some point you transitioned from basic Bible knowledge to Bible Buff status. Was it something you were interested from the day you joined?

My interest in the Bible began when I was about 20 – before I joined the Family. I really didn’t know much about it before that – and although I had read a number of books in high school and in curiosity – I really didn’t read that much until after high school. During my first (and only) year in a university – I met a lot of people who did read – so I started reading more then – stuff like “The Lord of the Rings” – some C.S. Lewis – including “The Chronicles of Narnia” – and some Buddhist and Hindu stuff. The latter wasn’t clear at all to me – but I really liked C.S. Lewis.

About this time I was beginning to learn guitar too – and since I was an avid music fan – I had a lot of influence from the music of that time – particularly The Beatles, and a few bands you never heard of like Poco, The Soft Machine, and a local band called Rural who were really fun musicians.

My brother had gone into the US Army, and when he got out we moved to Los Angeles (where I worked in the factory) – and we started reading the Bible together there. However, the Bible was so deep that I really didn’t get much from it at first – but I did open it now and then and read.

It was when I visited a Family outreach center in Chicago that the Bible really came to life. I had gone there to find out if I wanted to join – and a brother sat with me to answer my questions about life, what were we here for, what it meant to have eternal life – etc. … and the way he did it was to open the Bible and show me verses. I was pretty amazed at how he answered all my questions from the Bible.

It was about this time that I was reading Family literature – and that made everything a lot clearer to me. The literature more or less digested the Bible for me – so that by the time I did join and started memorizing verses and chapters – I had a better grasp of what the Bible was saying and what it was all about.

I think I also benefited from some movies that brought the Bible to life for me – including “Godspell” which was a stage play really, and later “Jesus of Nazareth”.

I think my real interest in the Bible developed over a fairly long period of time to where I now feel that I have a much more mature attitude about it. I think it is the most important literature in the world – bar none. The Bible never fails to fascinate me in that the more I read it – the more it becomes. With most books if you had to read them over and over – you just couldn’t do it – because the content is limited to the story and perhaps some suspense, or drama, or character studies, or moral lessons – intrigue, whatever; but once you have read the book and know the ending – it can become boring to read it again. Not so with the Bible. I find deeper truths there with each passing year.

What faction of the Bible (eschatology, history, a particular Bible study etc.) interests you the most at this point?

I am very interested in how the Bible reveals what is coming in the future – and this has been a primary interest for me from day one.

I would have to say, though, that my greatest interest is in the Gospels. Here we have a mere 150 pages – a couple days reading for a scholar – and yet the truth and understanding contained in these pages surpasses and transcends all schools of thought throughout the world.

Additionally, the Bible or parts of it have not only been translated into a reported 2,454 languages – but it has also been received by people reading and speaking those languages as standing on its own in regards to the principles and truths set forth in its pages.

That to me is a pretty impressive record.

What’s more – the writers of the Gospels, (except John who would not boil in oil) – died for what they had written there. I can see dying for some ideas, or some people – but I cannot see why anyone would give their life for something they knew was untrue or fabricated – and certainly not in the manner that these writers died.

And more than that? – the people to whom they preached the stories of the Gospels likewise were willing to give their lives rather than recant. And not just the immediate converts – but this has held true down through the centuries in nations and cultures across the globe.

Although I am fascinated by the eschatology of the Bible – I believe that some of the simplest passages offer the greatest insights; and power, life, and light.


In The Family International, there’s major emphasis on things like prophecy, direct revelation and fresh word from the Lord. A biblical foundation is also emphasized as vital, but in actuality and from personal experience, solid Bible study and memorization can be very easy to miss for long periods of time. I think this is especially true for those of us who grew up in a post-Charter environment and (perhaps I can only speak for myself here) never really got in the habit of Bible study. Why is Bible study important, in your opinion?

I believe that Bible study is important for the same reason any study is important – and that is simply that until you spend a volume of time and effort on any pursuit – you most likely will not benefit much from it.

Bible study per se is just like an athlete conditioning himself for the race. But conditioning and running the race are two different things. The real athlete experiences exhilaration and responses in his mind and body that would be impossible unless he had passed the point of mere conditioning to the point of being able to compete.

I think the same is true of the Bible.

Unless you spend some time there – you will never pass the point of training, and truly run with the wind.

The other day I was giving a class on this to some folks who have been pastors – and we talked about how important it was to know the Bible – and particularly the Gospels, and I asked them the question, “Can you faithfully recount all the parables of Jesus?”

I am not sure that I could – but I do feel that each of those parables is worth knowing. How much of the Bible do I really know and understand? How much of the Bible can I share with others from my own realization and understanding of the truths that are there? Can I quote it – like a doctor can name all the bones in the human skeleton, or a geologist all the various rock formations or a zoologist his animal kingdom?

Unless you force yourself to study – you will never experience the wonder of suddenly connecting the dots so to speak. These few words have been the source and inspiration for countless songs, paintings, poetry, and philosophy, – whatever the field or persuasion; the Bible has been an influence on it, and in some cases, the greatest and most enduring influence.

It deserves a good read now and then.

What are you current favorite books and characters of the Bible (not counting Jesus) and why?

I really like the Gospels. I love certain passages of the New Testament – the writings of Peter are outstanding. When I first read the Bible and looked at the few pages of 1st and 2nd Peter – my immediate reaction was that he didn’t have much to say. I don’t think that I have begun to scratch the surface when it comes to Peter – he is really deep.

I love the book of Hebrews – because it shows so clearly how rules just don’t work (and I never liked rules). The book of Hebrews really humbles me too – because you can see the great work of God through Jesus Christ there – and the High Priest that is never beyond our petitions and our need for Him.

My favorite characters I would have to call the “Whisperers” – which would also include the events where the spirit world was opened up and the connection was made to men. This includes all the passages where angels appeared.

I am a firm believer in the reality of the spirit world – both good and bad spirits – and I have had a lot of personal experiences along these lines – so I am grateful that the Bible is very clear on the spiritual man, the spiritual world around us – and our sojourn here in preparation for our indescribable life when we pass on to the “other side”.

I don’t know if this question will make sense or not, but here goes: It’s likely that I just haven’t read enough of the Old Testament to know what I’m talking about, but what is the relevance of huge amount of information on the laws and codes of the Jews in the Torah? It seems to me like there’s a couple general big messages of the OT; God created the Universe, man sinned and separated himself from God, God chose a people to carry the lineage from which Jesus would come, and prophets prophesied of Jesus.

Christianity seems to rest primarily on the person of Jesus and his resurrection. If this is the foundation of Christianity, why is there included in The Bible SO much detailed background information on Jewish law? I glance through the Torah and it seems to me like it could have easily been a lot more condensed. I know all those rules about clean and unclean stuff is part of Judaism, but for Christianity, why is it important that all those laws and detailed descriptions of when one should be considered unclean until the evening, etc. are included in the Bible?

Well, here goes – so pray for me on this one. Before I comment, I will confess that I am not a very apt student of the OT – except for those portions that deal with the spirit world and the revelation of the establishment of the Kingdom of Christ on Earth.

I view the Old Testament as a record of failure – not of God failing, but in mankind failing in every way to redeem himself by himself.

Even though God gave the law in detail – and in the Law was righteousness – it all failed because none of us could keep it. I think that unless God allowed mankind to sort of grind it out – year after year, century after century, millennium after millennium of failure – until God finally quit speaking to them for over 300 years – that even when Christ came, there would have been some who would have stood up and said, “Hey God, you just didn’t give us a chance to prove ourselves!”

Even now, under the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ – some are still trying to please God by dutiful law keeping. It doesn’t work!

And there is something else there in the OT that is very precious, and that is the beauty of the redeemed and repentant – like the Psalms, or parts of Isaiah – where in the midst of destruction and defeat – the human spirit cries out to God for salvation.

I guess this is why I spend a lot of my time with the Gospels – the good news that grace and truth are come unto us.

In your (I’m imagining) 30 plus years of sharing your faith, what are some of the most common objections to Christianity you’ve encountered and what are your answers?

I think the most common objection to Christianity is that the individual is already full of something else – usually themselves.

This can be manifest in a lot of different ways – but I think it is often just as Jesus said, “He hath filled the hungry with good things, but the rich hath he sent empty away.”

One thing that I have learned and been taught, and that I believe to be true – is that it is impossible for people to refute or deny your personal testimony. When you can look them in the eye and say, “This is my experience and this is what happened to me, or is presently taking place in my life.”

When someone asks me how I know Jesus is in my heart I can tell them, “Because I was here when He moved in.”

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Ruthie answered

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

I got smart and figured out how to use the Google tracker thingie to see how many people have me on their Google reader. It’s 10 people. To those 10, I would say first of all; thank you for believing in me as a blogger, and second, go read Ruthie’s interview. She answered and it’s swell.

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Interview of the month: Ruthie, Memphis

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

(LNF: Sweetness and goodness. Now I get to say that I had Veronica Love featured on my blog before she became the Great American Voice For Sports In The 21st Century and I’ll sell this interview to Time magazine for a pretty penny.

Oh, and Ruthie. I picked this pic because it looks the most like you, in my opinion — good-lookin’, brainy, and a twinge of cheesy. A lot of other pics didn’t cover all those bases to my satisfaction but if you’d rather another one up there, just let me know.)

Hooray, my favorite type of post to make. I started this a week ago but it’s been a crazy week so here it is now.

I don’t know whether its Ruthie or Veronica Love now, but I like Ruthie because well, you just look more like a Ruthie. Ruthie used to live in what is now my Home and about a year and a half ago (wasn’t it?) took a big hop, leap and a jump over to Memphis to study journalism. Not the easiest of steps for someone from The Family to take and I give her very large (Venti size) kuddos for going through with it.

I interview people that I want to learn from, and I have a lot to learn from Ruthie. So here’s hoping that she’ll stumble across el blog and teach me something and have some fun doing it. Interview guidelines found here.

Also, I feel that I may have gotten some terminology wrong or presented some of the questions in a way that doesn’t quite make sense. For instance, do you do “homework” in college or do you call it something else? Stupid question, I know, but I’m too tired to Google the answer and Kenji’s not on chat to ask. If I did, I welcome any of my readers to chuckle knowingly and gently guide me to the right terminology. Thank you for understanding.


What made you decide your particular school? How hard or easy was it to get in?

(Ruthie) Upon moving to Memphis I decided to apply to schools around Memphis and the mid south to stay near my relatives. Just in case I got scared and wanted to run home I could within a relatively short time frame. The school I’m in, Christian Brothers University, was actually not on my list of possibilities. Originally I had my heart set on Mississippi State and my mind prepared to settle with the University of Memphis, and the backup plan of community college if both of those failed, but God had other plans.

My aunt suggested CBU to me a few times, but I had ignored her suggestions because I thought of it as a rich snooty private college that would be really hard to get into. However, over the Christmas holidays I got a job offer to work at their bookstore, which I took because I needed a job. While I was working one day I met the food service manager of the school and we started talking. He asked me about myself and I told him how I had recently moved to Memphis and was looking into schools. He told me to look no further because I was coming to Christan Brothers. I then told him about my money situation and he said no problem. The next day one of the admissions officers came over to the bookstore with an application and a welcoming gift, as well as an admissions fee waiver.

A month after handing in my application I got my acceptance letter, as well as my letters from Mississippi State and Memphis. Then the Financial Aid packages came in the mail and Mississippi State became and no go as well as Memphis, both weren’t giving me the money I needed. CBU came through with almost a free ride so my decision was basically made for me on a money aspect, and after working there for a bit at the bookstore and going on a campus tour it became appearant that it was the school for me. It wasn’t snobby like I had first thought, or all that rich, and because it was a private school, the school was less populated and the classes were smaller and more personal, which made the home school to college transition easier.

Why journalism?

Well I’m actually majoring in English with a concentration in Literature and a Minor in History because CBU doesn’t offer a Journalism major. Reason being, I am really really bad at math, and every other major requires way more math classes than just my 1 measly required class, and I’m barely passing it as it is right now. As well as I’ve always liked writing as well as History. At first I was going back and forth between switching my major and minor around but you can do more and look better if you have a degree in English than History even though you do about the same amount of work in each.

What’s your long term plan and how many years ahead is it? Where do you want to be in 10 years?

Well I have 3 more years as an undergrad student, and if things go as planned I hope to land a job for a newspaper or print related company after graduation, most desirably a job in sports media. If that doesn’t happen I’m considering joining the Peace Corps for a year or two and then going to Grad School to get my Masters in Journalism, then give the reporter thing another try. But you never know, getting married could pop up somewhere in between and throw off the plan a little. However, in 10 years I hope to be working for ESPN. heh.

How was the transition from the Family lifestyle into secular society? Easier or harder than you thought? Any major surprises or things you weren’t expecting?

I was actually a little surprised at how easy the transition from the Family into secular life was. I was warned about the dangers and told how hard life would be outside if I left, but I haven’t found it to be that way. Perhaps I was lucky or had God on my side, because I was able to find a decent job, get accepted into the school I wanted, and “get a life” pretty fast and without many problems. However, I did have some problems adjusting to the life style differences, finding my personal stance on faith and religion, which I am proud to say I still believe in God…lol, and fighting homesickness. Overall the transition wasn’t as bad or scary as I was led to believe.

What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of growing up in The Family as it relates to your life now?

One advantage is that having had lived in so many different situations and countries I’ve been able to adapt to many cultures and personalities, which is great because now I have a wide range of friends. Also having had been known as the quiet shy one most of my life, it’s funny to now be known as outgoing and sociable. The flip side to the coin is that because of all the moving I don’t really have a hometown or a place to say where I’m from. My accent is quiet messed up and I just say I’m from Baltimore, most people are familiar enough to know it’s a place but not enough to know exactly what it’s like. I’m also half black and am called whitey a lot because of that side that isn’t really seen much in The Family. lol. Another disadvantage is having to refrain from my Pop Family references, such as TYJ and peanut and raisins. They don’t really float to well and leave many people highly confused. But I have found a friend who knows Veggie Tales…it’s close enough. :)

What’s the best and worst thing about college life for you?

I would say the best thing about college life is probably that there’s so many people to befriend and always different things to do. Something is always going on around campus and there’s never really a dull moment. I haven’t had a Ground Hog day/week yet. The worse thing is definitely the cafeteria food. It’s pretty bad for a university.

What’s the homework aspect like? How much time is spent doing homework? Are you methodical or do you cram? How often do you have to write papers, say, in a given month? Do you enjoy it?

Homework, yes it’s called homework, is the majority of the college experience. Heh. Classes are only 50 minutes long 3 times a week, or 2 times a week and an hour 15 minutes long. So the teacher ends up assigning a lot of reading to do. There’s this supposed saying that for every hour in the class there’s 3 hours of homework to follow up with. I’m sure it’s supposed to be like that but I’m not that faithful. I usually give an hour or two to each class. Right now I have 3 classes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and two Tuesday and Thursday, so I alternate the homework. Like Sunday night I’ll do Monday’s, Monday night Tuesday’s, etc. I’m a cross between methodical and a crammer. If it’s a big project or paper I’ll do it a few days before it’s due, but not exactly when it’s assigned. Though recently I’ve had a few longer papers, around 5 pages, assigned Tuesday and due Thursday lately.

It’s hard to say how many papers I write a month, because some papers are written as in class essays, or part of tests, and others are assigned for homework. But I would estimate around 8-10, though some are shorter like a page or two.

I like writing, so it’s not hard to do, though it’s hard to please some teachers. Each teacher grades differently and I happened to pick one of the hardest graders in the English Department for one of my classes. I’ve learned my lesson and will try my hardest not to take her again.

Favorite and least favorite subjects?

Least favorite is definitely math. A friend me told that numbers form pictures which then tells the story, but I don’t see it. I only see numbers on a page. For me words tell stories and colors form pictures. I could never be an engineer.

I don’t have a favorite subject right now, but my favorite class was a Humanities course I took last semester. It was a small discussion based class on moral issues. It was loads of fun.

Has the financial crises been felt much on campus?

Yes, and no. Most of us are broke college students anyways, so if you walked around you wouldn’t notice much difference. But a letter was sent to our parents informing them that tuition is going up a couple hundred dollars next year because of the economic situation and more donation letters have been sent to my home lately.

And this final question from Chuck: “Ruthie, why do you eat cafeteria food when you KNOW it’s so bad for you?” Her words, not mine.

I eat cafeteria food because I have to. To live in the dorms we have to have a meal plan of at least 10 meals a week and if I’m paying for food no matter how bad it is I should eat it. Yes, I know it’s bad for me and I’ve been having stomach problems lately and I’m pretty sure it’s because of the food they cook, but again money is the issue. Waste not want not? lol. But I’ll try to do better. Next year I hope to get an apartment where I’ll have a fridge and stove to cook my own meals. Then I’ll be happy and healthy, instead of losing weight and having my insides deteriorate.

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Interview of the month: Grant, California

Saturday, February 7th, 2009

(LNF: Sweetness! Read and be educated, my friends. Thank you Grant, I really appreciate you taking time out of your very busy life to give these helpful answers. I’ve learned a lot — like how useful RSS seems to be, among other things. And just as a little HU for those of my friends who feel strongly one way or the other about Obama, Grant’s traveling at the moment so I don’t think he’s available to defend his position on Obama (or anything else) or engage in any kind of discourse. Just so you’re aware :) .

I’ve decided to interview Grant so as to find out how I can be more like him. I want to be more like Grant in the sense of being aware of the world and its many currents. Around the beginning of last year, for the first time in my young life I started to pay attention to the news and world events. Now I can’t figure out whether all this crazy stuff going on just started now, or if it’s always been going on and I just started paying attention. Either way….

From his many blogs and the very nature of his work, it’s clear to me Grant is up on this stuff and I’m determined to figure out how he does it so I can, as I mentioned, be more like him. You could look at this, Grant, like an opportunity to help light the way of a struggling and confused youngster on her path to world awareness. Or not. Whatever gets your to answer, really :) .

Interview guidelines found here.

What is your news gathering process? How much time does it take out of your day, what news channels/websites do you use most frequently, do you use RSS, do you watch the news on TV or is it mostly online, etc. Give me a “day in the life of Grant when he’s gathering the news”. Links are welcome too. How do you keep the whole thing from taking up too much time? Not that I have that problem…..at all :) .

(Grant:) I do a fair amount of reading every day that is directly related to my administrative role with FCF. In the morning usually I do briefly glance at CNN news headlines online but I try to discipline myself not to spend too much time doing so.

But as far as gathering potential blog material or inspiration, given the obvious time restraints, I don’t spend hours scouring the news or internet for this purpose. I have however signed up for news feeds or news summaries on the particular subjects that I am interested in, having searched out sources that present a more grassroots and/or truthful perspective than is typically covered in western media. And I can access these on my schedule, which I usually reserve for the evenings.

So as far as doing any blogging (or reading books, etc), I basically fit this into my evenings. Now that my kids are older, it’s easier to make time for such things, so usually when our youngest is down for the night, I dedicate some time to combing through these news feeds and blogging.

In other words, on a day-to-day basis, with the exception of a day off when I might do some extra reading or research on a given subject, I find myself too totally absorbed in my work everyday to focus too much on my blogs. Though admittedly tempting to get into “fun” things instead of “work” things, I usually successfully resist. My motivation in not allowing myself to get absorbed in my blogs during the day is kind of a carrot-and-stick approach: whereby if I stick to my work during the day (so as to not get too much behind on my work), I therefore reward myself with the luxury of relax-time puttering around on my blogs.

So despite the number of blogs and mini-sites I maintain, you might be surprised that I spend a relatively short amount of time actually blogging. Basically here’s what I do: When I do come across an article or subject that particularly interests me, after having glanced through compiled headlines and briefs, I selectively write off any “of interest” into a subdirectory. Most evenings, it’s then a case of me scrambling to find a topic and more-or-less impetuously choosing from this larder as my subject for the day. And as I explained earlier, my “research time” is cut down in that I target material from a couple of specific feeds, where I have already determined I’ll probably find some decent material or inspiration. Articles that not only report developments but which usually also reinforce and/or challenge my personal belief system.

I’m guessing that you’ve been interested in world events for longer than I’ve been alive. When did you first get an interest? Teen years? How did it start?

I grew up in a very apolitical environment, with no desire to know or understand anything about politics. It wasn’t until I became a Christian at 19 and determined to become a serious student of the Word, coupled with my engagement in missionary work in a variety of countries, that a desire to understand more about politics, the economy, and world religions emerged, and in fact continues to grow to this day. Obviously it didn’t hurt any that by the time I was 25 I had traveled extensively (30-some countries), and to date over-60 countries, interacting with an innumerable amount of people from these different countries, something I find fascinating.

So I would say that my travels enormously broadened both my perspective and my desire to learn. I think it was Mark Twain who once gave a tongue and cheek warning about the travel, stating that, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness!”

Many of these things I blog about (and/or have built a few simple, static websites) focus on subjects that I tend to incorporate within a Christian framework in discussions with others. Because of my interest in what was happening with the worldwide economy, in world politics, and international aid, etc. including having had some involvement with sad situations like the state of North Korean refugees, it was a natural extension to begin blogging on these subjects. (As a footnote on North Korea, the political conditions within North Korea are not all unlike the projected conditions of the future rule of the predicted AntiChrist.)

And with a slightly different application of the term “therapeutic”, I likewise found it therapeutic to unload online any feelings of frustration, sadness or other emotions caused by such things. To kind of “sound off” to any who will listen, allowing these injustices their due exposure, rather than just passively co-existing so to speak. Not that I’m saying that my blogging necessarily changes the sad state of world affairs, but I guess it does at least help me cope.

Yet another extension of coming in contact with so many people from different cultures and nations, I have felt a responsibility to know something about their countries, cultures, politics and economies, gained through first hand observations, asking questions and reading, etc.

Lastly, I feel that the more you understand the present, the better we can prepare for the future, and so coupled with a belief in the Lord and His protection and leading, it’s a wise investment to stay up to date on the signs of the times.

How are you training your kids in this regard? Have they taken an interest in world events or do you try to cultivate that in them?

My wife and I have always tried to cultivate our kids’ interest in the people of the rest of the world, emphasizing that life in North America is not the way the majority of the world lives; that it’s the exception, rather than the rule. Our kids have had the advantage that most have traveled extensively given their young years. Even though we live in the States because of my work, we try to make this happen. Because at the time our oldest two teens were in Australia and Mexico respectively, my wife was able to take a trip to India for 3 months with our younger two kids, during which time they made cross country train trips, and had many experiences where they really got in touch with the people, as well as missionaries throughout the country.

And besides our kids’ own personal experiences in other countries, we have always tried to mix in current events and economic developments and so forth into their Word studies and devotions. I would say the guys, more than the girls, have taken the bigger interest in world events.

How has this global financial crisis affected people’s attitude toward philanthropy, in your experience? Has anything changed? I’d imagine that during times like these, giving to philanthropic organizations would be the first thing cut from any individual’s or corporation’s budget….

Well, signs are emerging that a lot of charities are going to be hit financially simply through their donors being obligated to cut back to the basics. In fact, there are estimates that 100,000 non-profits could go belly up financially this year in the States alone! There are other indications that donations to international charities could drop by 15% as a result of the economic collapse, and obviously those billions of dollars less will translate into significant hardship for both the organizations and most sadly for their clients.

With all this in mind, we’ve been very pleased that 2008 has been FCF’s best year financially, allowing us to make significantly more social investments this past year than ever. As to what the future holds, by God’s grace I remain optimistic that this trend will continue for our organization despite the economic challenges that the world at large is facing. In stating this hope, I would very much appreciate your prayers that the Lord blesses our efforts in this respect.

Have you been surprised by anything (new legislation, appointees, etc.) that the Obama administration has done since his inauguration?

First of all, I am not too impressed with touted “political solutions” in general, regardless of their brand names or political promises. Having said that, I would have to express guarded optimism about Obama’s energy and drive, especially since things could have hardly gotten any worse compared to the past 8 years of Dubya!

Obama himself appears to be a sincere man, and as far as this new Administration, I give him credit in recalling some seasoned veterans from the Clinton Administration to take on the massively overwhelming job he has inherited. As far as any surprises with the Obama administration, it seems to me that it has gone to an extreme by bringing in SO many of the same culprits who a decade or more ago laid the groundwork for much of this mess! It’s hard to see how all this is synonymous with bringing about any real change, as promised.

Of course the fate of the States, and of nations in general, is not decided by governments, but it is in the dark corridors of financial power where the most important and far reaching decisions are made…. (Couldn’t resist shamelessly plugging a new CREDIT CRISIS web site that I have just begun working on! Check it out.)

Do you read books? Any good ones to recommend?

Yeah, I read books from time to time, again selectively, and usually during “down time” such as on flights, or a day off etc. Some books I’ve read recently that I have found interesting include “Three Cups of Tea” written by Greg Mortensen who is involved with grassroots humanitarian efforts in Pakistan and Afghanistan; “The Shack” by William P. Young, a delightful novel with a unique way of viewing our relationship with the Lord, the Holy Spirit and God; “Houses that Change the World” by Wolfgang Simson, an amazing insight into the house church movement that has swept China, Vietnam, India, etc., and which focuses on the radical essence of Christianity; “Mega Shift” by James Rutz, on the surge of dynamic grassroots Christianity worldwide; “Empire of Debt” by William Bonner and Addison Wiggin, insight into the history of empires, focusing on the present-day American empire. I also really enjoy personal Bible studies which I take on from time-to-time, recently did one on “Hell”!

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Interview of the month: Angie, Taiwan

Thursday, January 15th, 2009

(LNF: Hooray! God answers prayer and she answered! Thanks Angie, that was very cool. Now to find Maria and get her on a trampoline….)

A couple weeks ago I was in the dining room enjoying a fun wholesome activity of coloring the Start Early coloring book with Pooch on my kid day. Maria was making a freeday breakfast not more than twelve feet from me in the kitchen and seeing as how Maria always draws things out of me with her loving care and concern, I shared with her the thing that was weighing most heavily on my heart; I didn’t know who to interview next.

After expressing just the right balance of concern for me while at the same time encouraging me to use extreme praise in my difficult situation, Maria mentioned that she has this sister named Angie in Taiwan who lives in a tiny, tiny little Home and does major outreach and stuff and I was all “hey wow, that’s cool”. I support people living in tiny, tiny little Homes doing major outreach, that’s actually kinda what I’m hoping to do soon :) .

The long, incredibly awesome arms of our very own Activated Ministries have reached over to her little corner of the world (at least I think she was involved because I’m pretty sure that’s her photo near the bottom). Read about it here while we wait for the Lord to work and help her discover this interview and speak to her heart and give her the conviction that it’s the right thing to do. Interview guidelines found here. Note that they have been modified a bit and include the request for a photo which you are under no obligation to provide — it’s just that I read somewhere that including an image in your blog postings makes them more likely to get read — and if I’m being really honest, I’m all about getting my blog postings read.

What does your work in Taiwan consist of at present? What do you spend most of your time doing?
Well, presently our (my fiance Jay and I)work consists of Chinese studies in the morning and F.U. in the afternoon. The Chinese studies is pretty self-explanatory; hard work, memorizing, reviewing, etc. The F.U. is the amazing part! I know this will sound cliche but since the Offensive things have really taken on a whole new meaning and we’re only starting to grasp what the Lord meant when He said, “Think out of the box”!

ie: A couple months back we got an invitation to join ‘The Mens Business Christian Club’ meeting. Initially we were sort of begrudging the idea as we weren’t too familiar with the church Christians here in Taiwan and what would await us at such a gathering. After praying about it though the Lord told us to go ahead. He also gave us some specific things to prepare: a tailor-made 3 page flier of what the Family is, who we are, and what we do in Taiwan, with our name cards attached. He also mentioned that we shouldn’t approach anyone but that He would lead the people He wanted us to meet to us.

To make a long story short: we arrived, were showed to our table, chatted with a few ppl there, and that’s when our friend who invited us came around and brought people he wanted us to meet to our table. From the head of the biggest Christian TV channel to owners of 5 different, top ranking, businesses!!

We were amazed at how everything worked out that night just like the Lord told us it would. We were so thankful for the fliers we made as each one we met really took the time to study it. (Certainly was worth the extra work and translating).

Every one of the people we met that night have since subscribed to the Activated mag, helped with a large donation at least once, and has decided that they want to introduce us to more of their friends! It really is the day of FAITH, trying the new, and not being afraid to step out on the limb and saw it off!

What made you pick Taiwan as your mission field?
I don’t think it’s fair to say I picked Taiwan. Taiwan picked me! I rejoined here just over four years ago and since then the Lord has been leading every step…all of which have been to help me (us) start building a lasting work. It’s hard to explain but I really haven’t thought of moving anywhere else since coming back here because the Lord really has given us so many wonderful people to take care of that it would be awful to just turn our backs on them.

What is the challenge that you most often face in your day-to-day outreach?
Language & time! Although my Chinese is passable in order to get deep with the people here you really need to be fluent, there’s no way around it. And I don’t just mean being fluent in speaking, you have to be able to read the Word with them, and write emails/sms’s if you want to be making use of every chance you have. Pray for us–that’s one of our goals this year–to be fluent in speaking, reading, & writing. What can I say, there aren’t enough hours in a day to meet the need!

Best vacation you ever took and why?
Thailand for sure takes the cake. I just (October 12th, 2008) got engaged there! Can’t beat that…though I’m hoping the honeymoon will :-)

What’s the biggest/hardest thing you ever had to give up for the Lord?
My mind! It’s a constant struggle to keep the Heavenly vision but if I want to be a professional missionary and really bring the true understanding of who Jesus is and why He wants/needs to be a part of our lives then I myself have to believe that nothing in this world will satisfy me the way He does. I’ve fallen short many a time, luckily He’s always faithful to send a little special someone to me in my hour of need!

Are you a night owl or early bird?
I’m not entirely sure, though I think I tend toward the night owl type. Nowadays I’m able to hit the sack early and still want to sleep in, but if you keep me up past that ‘beat’ point I’ll stay up way too late…early.

Name the first one that comes to mind: What’s one memory or thought that always puts a smile on your face?
Maria, cuz she told me about this interview. What comes to mind is seeing her on a trampoline. You gotta see it someday, if you haven’t already.

Name two current favorite: Foods, songs, pieces of clothing you own, and ways to relax.
Food: Spaghetti and salad with a vinegarette dressing.
Songs: Footprints in the Sand and He’s Alive.
Clothes: Green V-neck sweater and jeans.
Relax: Reading a good novel and chatting (face to face) with a friend

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Interview of the month: Simon, Mexico

Sunday, November 2nd, 2008

(It was a long time in coming, but I think you’ll agree it was worth the wait. Thank you Simon, your answers are everything I’d hoped they’d be and more. I really appreciate you taking the time and sharing a few tidbits of your awesome life with us. You’re a cool guy.)

As part of my newly-devised “No Interview Left Behind” initiative, I’m resurrecting this perfectly good interview that went unanswered and the man who gets the crown, I have decided, is Simon Bunny Bigword. I determined in my heart that I would interview him a couple of weeks ago when I was listening to him read “The Year of Jubilee”; the vigor and verve in his voice was so, well, jubilant. It really made an impression on me.

I may be setting myself up for heartbreak again as he’s no doubt a busy guy and I must depend on the goodwill of others to relay this message to him (whoever you are, thank you) but I figured it was at least worth a shot. I changed a few little things around on these questions and added a bonus one at the end, yay. Interview guidelines found here.

What where you doing with your life when you met the Family and were you one of the “I knew in that moment that I was supposed to join” types or did it take longer?
The weeks leading up to my meeting the Family were incredible. I was in my first year of college and seriously looking for answers to life’s meaning. For some reason I accepted as an absolute, Shakespeare’s statement “the eyes are the window to the soul”. In my search, it never crossed my mind to give Jesus a try, as all I saw of churchianity completely turned me off. I figured the answers must lie in some mystical Eastern religion. The Hare Krishna people would come to the campus every Thursday and I bought one of their glossy mags. Trying to find answers in those pages, I came across an explanation of one of our future lives that we could attain to, where we would live on the Sun. It didn’t seem too inviting to me, and so I figured I would give it the Shakespeare acid test. Next Thursday, I would pose the Sun question to one of the Hare Krishna guys and then look in his eyes to see if he was telling me the truth—I was clearly expecting, as Shakespeare had said, to see into his soul. So, sure enough they were there chanting and dancing around with their shaved heads, some sort of clay goop on their foreheads and in those orange-pink robes. I went up to one of them and asked about this solar existence, and if it were literal, or what… I tried to look at him straight in the eyes. But the guy would not look at me. He looked to the left, or right, over my shoulder, or down or up—but he wouldn’t look at me. I kept moving my head around to try and catch his gaze, and I guess it was so obvious, that he had no choice. He finally had to bring his eyes squarely to mine. If you have every had the hair on the back of your neck rise up quickly, you will understand how I then felt. I clearly saw great darkness and fear. This poor frightened person was like he was looking out through prison bars—looking at the words he spoke as they came out of his mouth, and not believing a one of them—but he was trapped. It could not have been clearer or more dramatic. It scared me, and I knew I was finished looking into that option.

A couple of weeks later, for Spring quarter break, I was hitchhiking from Georgia to Florida to see my grandparents. I got a ride and the person began witnessing to me. He told me how he lived communally with other Christian missionaries and how God was supplying all their needs. I don’t know to this day if he was in the Family, but I greatly suspect he was as he told me that if I would just “sign my name on a blank sheet of paper” (a term the Family uses) and give it to Jesus, that He would take over my life and set me free. I listened and then suddenly was struck with the idea of giving him the Shakespeare test—ha! I shot up a silent pray that went like this: “God, if you are real, then make this guy look at me in the eyes when I ask this next question.” And I added, “And if he is telling me the truth about Jesus, then let me see that—or not.” We were driving down the expressway, and had he hadn’t taken his eyes off the road the whole time we had been talking, so this would indeed have to be a miracle. I formulated my question, and then said, “Is Jesus, the only way you can go to Heaven?” He turned right around, locked squarely onto my eyes, (the hair on my neck rose again—but this time with a thrill) and he said with such unshakable conviction and power, “Yes—He is!” He held his gaze for a moment, and then slowly turned back to see where he was going! He could never have known the awesome effect that that had on me. Instead of fear, I saw truth, light, conviction and assurance. I still didn’t know if Jesus was real, but I did know that he believed it with all his soul, whereas the Hare Krishna guy didn’t believe what he was telling me.

Things got pretty heavy during the next week in Florida. I ran into my best friend that I had only known in Korea (we both graduated from HS there—our parents both had Government jobs). While we were talking about old times out on the beach one night, a big heavyset cop named “Rocky Brown” came up behind us—I had acid in my pocket and he and his partner busted me. I was in jail for a week waiting for my trail—my grandfather who was a friend of the judge got me out on bail and the lawyer suggested I go back to the University and wait for the trail, as it would look good for the case. On the way back up—my friend decided to come with me, we both did more acid, and I had the worst trip ever. I remembered what the young guy who witnessed to me said about signing my name on a blank sheet of paper and giving Jesus control of my life. I wanted to do that, but was deathly afraid that He would then turn me into a Churchy person. Finally He got through to me and said, “Look, you’re going to be in My Hands one day anyway, so if I think it’s best to turn you into a church person, then just trust Me for that.” For me, that was the ultimate dying to myself. In my heart I grabbed that pen and signed my name and gave Jesus control of my life. Immediately the acid trip was gone, and I was so incredibly happy that tears started coming down my face. I felt like I could pick up a mountain and throw it—my mind was crystal clear and I immediately had a vision of exciting roads ahead that my life would now take.

We got back to the campus and I still didn’t know what to do with my life—I tried Campus Crusade, but it only took a half a meeting to know that was definitely not what I was looking for. I was happy to see though, that Jesus wasn’t turning me into a church person—ha! We were back at the University less than a week, when three guys from the Family came up and started witnessing to me and my friend. They thought he was the real sheep as he had long hair, whereas mine had gotten buzzed in jail. Anyway, we went to their coffee shop that night just off campus and it was like we had walked into another world. The spirit was so thick there, and everything seemed to just operate on a heavenly plane. I knew I had found what I had been looking for. So, to sum up my long answer to your short question—I knew pretty soon on that I wanted to join! It still took about a month, and that’s another whole story…later.

State your favorite and least favorite country that you’ve lived in and why.
I lived in Japan for 18 years. 6 of our 7 children were born there, so I feel connected there in many ways—although I don’t especially like living in big cities—I prefer to be out a little ways, and that’s not such an option in much of Japan—ha!. Africa was an amazing experience—Uganda and Tanzania. West Africa was scary. When in Nigeria for a filming project, I was often worried for my safety and especially that someone would steal my video camera—ha! I admire the guys that live in Nigeria, as I don’t know that I could—there are some incredible ministries going on there. Siberia was an experience unlike any other. The amenities that we take for granted in most other fields are often not available there—like drinking a glass of water that’s not piping hot from just having been boiled. I admire those who take all that field has to offer and come out smiling and inspired. I don’t know that I have a least favorite, as a lot depends on what you’re going through at the time. If you’re on the top of your game and making progress, in unity with others, etc., then the place doesn’t really matter—as long as you are in His Will. But even the “best” place won’t do much for you if the best things are lacking. This world is not my home and any place here is going to pale next to our next home! I’m very happy to be in Mexico now. It’s a wonderful field.

Name three of your heroes when you were a teenager and three of your heroes now.
Cat Stevens, The Moody Blues, the Hippies —the musicians because of their music that spoke to a searching youth. The Hippie movement because of the radical departure from what wasn’t working and placing greater importance of finding the bigger answers.

Dad has always been and still is a great hero of mine. I loved his radical faith. He said what we felt. Like a dynamic leader, he wasn’t perfect, but his words were liberating and so true. He saved my life with his words!

Other hero’s now. Well, I have always admired Paul of Mary. Working with him in the video ministry in Japan was a real pleasure and I felt he was authentic. No facade. Mama’s Peter is also another hero. From the few times I’ve met him, I felt he is down-to-earth and relatable. This is the same quality I admired in Timothy Concerned when I knew him years ago. I highly value “what-you-see-is-what-you-get” and people being honest. I want the real thing. I’m sure I would be flipped by Mama’s love and spirit, which I am through her writings, although I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting her.

Most memorable behind-the-scenes Treasure Attic moment?
I’m not the best singer, and we were doing this “What kind of Animal” number. It was a lot of hopping around for Jim, imitating the various animals and all, and then Bunny just needed to sing one simple line “the lean gazelle is shy and swift and she runs like the wind”, but every time it would get to me I would mess it up. Take 3! The music starts again, Jim hops around singing just great—goes through all the motions, Peppers jumps into the scene, pulls of his line wonderfully, and then it’s Bunny again, “the shy gazelle is lean and swift…” opps. Take 4…I just could not get it. After the 5thrd or 6th take, Chris was laughing so hard, but poor Jim was getting annoyed and he had to do all the jumping around—ha! Finally, I think they took that line away from me and gave it to Peepers!—good call.

There was a cake scene. Where we had a birthday cake or something, and we were all singing Happy Birthday, but on this particular take, for some reason, it had a bunch of lit candles on it and instead of singing the normal line, it was a surprise birthday cake and everyone was singing Happy Birthday to me—at first I was confused until I caught on—a real surprise—that was so sweet.

Chris was laying on his back under a specially made bed. His arm went through a hole and into Peepers who was sick in bed. GB Chris, he had to stay like that for a long time, as it wasn’t easy to set up. I saw an opportunity for a practical joke—LHM. I re-scripted his lines and got everyone to go along with it. We handed him his script under the bed and were ready to roll. This wasn’t strange, as at time there were script changes, and we flowed with it. Instead of his normal lines, our conversation now went something like this:

Bunny: “Peepers, I’m really ashamed of you for getting sick”

Jim: “Yes, Peepers you should follow Bunny’s example”

Peepers: “Oh, Bunny, you’re right. I should have listened. I’m such a dummy and never do anything right at all, I wish I was brilliant like you. I am a downright idiot and…” Chris finally began protesting. “Hey, that doesn’t sound so good” .. he then began laughing realizing he had a bogus script.
–Good natured folks and all of them were an honor and pleasure to work with.

If you could go back in time to before you had kids and give yourself one piece of parenting advice, what would it be?
Don’t be so hard on the first ones. I mellowed out with the others, but feel I was too demanding on the older ones—sorry Na.

Have you ever held a job that you were entirely unsuited for but did out of necessity or for the cause of Christ?
Yes, once I was asked to be a wet-nurse for some newborns. No, seriously, I was a kitchen deacon once on a farm where we had only a wood burning stove. Before every meal, I was told to get down on my face and cry out to the Lord—seriously. And I didn’t question that at all—I knew I needed to—ha! I’ll never forget in that home an interesting brother named Zopher Pilot. Zopher had his head in the clouds and often at devotions or letter reading, he would be commenting “deep”, “deep”. Like every few minutes. I was under condemnation because I wasn’t seeing things as “deeply” as he was. I felt I just wasn’t in tune and as spiritual as Zophar. But then one day, I got the victory. We were working out in the fields digging post holes. Ulhai, the shepherdess came out and announced that we would be having hot-dogs for dinner that night (this was before I had the kitchen deacon job). Zophar looked up from his work and said, oh, wow—“deep”! … Ahah!!!! A light went on and I suddenly realized that if he saw anything deep in hotdogs, that he was probably overusing the phrase I might not be so far behind him spiritually after all.

What trait has my friend, your son, Nathan – inherited from you that is most apparent to you?
I love Jesus and am certain of our rewards and greater blessings coming in Heaven. I see this same confidence and assurance in Na. I am very proud of Nathan and respect him for his faithfulness and pragmatic faith and assurance that we are doing the best thing with our lives that we possibly could be doing.

Finally, a question for Bunny Bigword; It’s been years now since you first hopped your way into our TV’s and hearts. Where have you been and what have you been up to?
BBW: I’m stuck up here in Simon’s closet. He hasn’t let me out for some time, and so this is an appeal to all who read this to rescue me!

Simon: Ha, ha—that’s very funny. You of course don’t believe that do you?

BBW: It’s true—heeeelp!

Simon: Come on now, I took you out of your bag a year ago—don’t you remember?!

BBW: Bunny abuse!!!!

Simon: Uh, oh, I better check the Charter on that one. In all seriousness though. Bunny’s last appearance was filming a commercial for television in Tanzania. With the Lord’s amazing set ups, we were able to book the show there for two years and at a good price, and to kick things off, we filmed Bunny in the TV station’s newsroom, reading the news. After a few news lines, Bunny says, “This just in—Treasure Attic is now on television in Tanzania!!!”

As we are just completing the construction of our new filming studio here at our home in Mexico, Bunny may be making future appearances—who knows?! We’ll have to see what projects the Lord brings along after we finish the couple on our plates.

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