This is an article from the July 1980 issue: China

Where do we stand

Where do we stand

We are clearly into Orbit:

  1. Over $1 million worth of key workers are now on loan to us: 140 people from 40 different mission agencies. Imagine! In just 36 months. We seek to "place for adoption" 10,000 Hidden People groups with responsible mission agencies, East or West, by 1985.
  2. Over 1,000 pastors  and about one a day  are enquiring about this project, asking how we can help them add new vision to their congregations. We're offering our Year of Vision program, hoping to touch 10,000 congregations by 1985.
  3. Over 1,000 students have taken our unique, credit bearing, mind blowing introduction to the world wide Christian movement as it really is. (About a third are already heading into missions). We are working now in four locations expecting to touch 10,000 students per year by 1985, working on 60 secular campuses.
  4. I wish you could see our new computer center  90 megabytes of storage. Or meet our new people   ten in the last two months. Or, or, or.

But we are not out of the woods!

  1. Problem One During the first three months last year we received 1,000 gifts; this year, 80% more  1,800. But our small one time gift stream is not yet quite fast enough to meet the payment schedule on the main campus. Word of mouth is sure but slow but getting faster!
  2. Problem Two Even more crucial right now  on July 15th we need desperately to pay the $300,000 down payment on the second half of the campus complex   an essential area equal in size to what we now have. We have discussed this above.

However, We can already see the light at the end of the tunnel:

  1. 1. In regard to the first problem, we must understand it not merely as a problem but as an exciting opportunity  to spread the vision further. We you cannot give away anything as valuable as our faith our vision We believe it will glorify the Lord to sweep America with Hidden People vision. Thus, our key verse is: "Seek ye first the spreading of Hidden People vision and all those necessary $15.95 gifts will be added unto you." (compare Matt. 6:33)

    So, Hidden Peoples Sundays, Year of Vision programs in local churches, ordinary people lending around copies of our Jericho book, Christian organizations asking for their people to pass on this modest challenge by means of "Grapevine" letters  all this can readily accelerate the process. We just have to work harder, and believe that God will continue to help. Your own faithful concern is greatly appreciated.
     
  2. Now, in regard to the second problem  the $300,000 down payment for the "Second Half of the Campus," due July 15th:

By the time you get this we will likely have a good deal more toward that $300,000 down payment. We may be agonizingly close. If you feel drawn to help us, feel free to call us collect (213) 7911324, or (213) 794 7155, or (213) 682 2047. Please understand that all gifts larger than $15. 95 or any that comes directly from a church is considered by us as "an advance" against the steadily swelling stream of small gifts, which (as above) is our basic policy.

God has led many people to help us in our times of crises by giving far more than a $15.95 gift. We have been very grateful for gifts of $1,000 or more from farmers, missionaries, students, and brides to be! God knows how very much we need large gifts right now. But we are different from the usual organization in that all such gifts we expect to either repay or reassign to frontier mission projects once we receive the millionth $15.95 gift.

Furthermore church congregations willing to advance us, say $10,000 can restore those funds to their own budget by following any one or more of 5 plans we can show them whereby a handful of people in their church can extend new vision to 667 people. (preferably outside their congregation).

The neatest idea of all is, we think, the "advance" system. It can rescue us in these early stages and simultaneously establish a concrete goal for an individual or a congregation in a campaign to spread new vision of the world's Hidden Peoples.

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