Good News Regarding Families Around the World

July 2005

Dear Friends:

By the time this reaches your mailbox, the Independence Day celebrations of 2005 will be a fond memory. Whether your family’s traditions include parades and picnics or barbeques and fireworks, I hope you enjoyed the opportunity to honor those patriots and statesmen who called on God’s wisdom to establish these United States. Two-hundred-and-twenty-nine years later, we still call on Him — and He still answers. As the "dog days of summer" unfold and our pursuits take us to the mountains or the seashore or anywhere in between, please don’t forget about our brave sons and daughters in the military who work tirelessly both here and abroad to preserve this miraculous harbor of freedom we call America.

It’s only been a short time since I sent you what we call our "Focus Action" letter regarding the ongoing battle to confirm President Bush’s judicial nominees. You also received our analysis regarding the scarcity of quality family entertainment. I hope you had a chance to read these letters; but if the heaviness of the topics has gotten you down, please hang in there — because it’s now time for some good news! Let’s lighten it up a bit. One can’t concentrate repeatedly on that which is upsetting and depressing. We turn our attention now to the positive and uplifting activities of our ministry. There is much to be encouraged about, especially regarding our international outreach.

The first item of good news pertains to a subject that is actually quite serious. I’m talking about the specter of human cloning, which is currently the subject of much debate around the world. Those of us on the pro-life end of the spectrum recognize the incredible danger inherent in "playing God" and tampering with the gift of life by scientific means. This type of "science" raises the horrifying possibility of human experimentation, and also opens the door to the conception of babies for the sole purpose of harvesting their body parts. In the United Kingdom, the law already permits such activity. State statutes in New Jersey and California allow it as well. Unbelievably, there is support for human cloning in both houses of the United States Congress. It comes not only from such "culture-of-death" senators as Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, but also from some Republicans, including Orrin Hatch and Arlen Specter.

So, what’s the good news? Well, it can be found on many fronts. Let’s start with a recent development in the United Nations — believe it or not. Since 2002, we have been working diligently at the U.N. with a number of other pro-life groups and foreign governments to build international support for a total ban on cloning. Two separate efforts to accomplish that were proposed in 2002. The first, a watered-down, partial ban on human cloning, was sponsored by Germany and France. A separate, total cloning ban was put forth by Spain, the United States and the Philippines. However, neither resolution gained enough support to pass at the time.

Undeterred by this setback, our Costa Rican office worked with the Costa Rican government to build greater support for a cloning ban at the United Nations through the fall of 2004 and into early 2005. I am delighted to report that the end result of these negotiations was that the U.N. 6th Committee passed the resolution supporting a ban on human cloning by a 71-35 vote! In March, the U.N. General Assembly approved the resolution by an even healthier margin. The resolution specifically calls on nations to "prohibit any attempts to create human life through cloning processes and any research intended to achieve that aim." The irony is that the U.N., which is extremely liberal on social issues, supported this ban on cloning overwhelmingly, while our United States Senate cannot bring itself to oppose this dangerous experimentation. And California, with the enthusiastic backing of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, has allocated $3 billion to embryonic stem cell research that could, and almost certainly will, lead to cloning.

The victory in the United Nations was exciting news for all of us who care about the sanctity of human life! In fact, it’s not an exaggeration to suggest that the resolution represents the most pro-life statement made by the U.N. in decades — and this in spite of the fact that a number of nations, particularly those in Western Europe, have almost completely abandoned the pro-life perspective. To get 84 nations to endorse a document that specifically and unequivocally upholds the sanctity of human life with respect to cloning is nothing short of miraculous. It is the greatest victory on a moral or social issue at the U.N. in recent memory, and yet it barely made the news here in the United States. I hope you’ll join us in praying that the resolution will motivate other nations, including the United States (!), to draft laws to prohibit all forms of human cloning and to restrict research that destroys embryos. And while you’re at it, please pray for our staff members, as well as those from other pro-family groups, who represent our cause at the U.N. It can be a daunting challenge to stand up for righteous principles in what is often a hostile environment; but as the cloning ban demonstrates, our presence there can — and does — make a difference.

On another international front, you may have heard our broadcasts in December and January that focused on the terrible tsunami disaster in southeast Asia. We announced then that Focus on the Family had decided to raise $1 million for humanitarian relief, if possible. In so doing, we felt a considerable degree of uncertainty because, obviously, that money was not in our budget. Nevertheless, we made our friends aware of the overwhelming needs in that part of the world, and I’m pleased to report that you responded in a dramatic and powerful manner. As of this writing, we have received and distributed more than $2 million for the tsunami relief effort! We are grateful to God for you, our friends, and for your generosity, which has allowed us to provide medical care, grief support and counseling services.

In reaching out to the tsunami victims in southeast Asia, we have been encouraged anew at the way the Lord has enabled us to address the needs of the family on a truly global scale. Our International division was officially launched in 1992; and since that time it has grown to include 15 associate offices in countries as far distant as New Zealand and Singapore, and areas of both southern and eastern Africa. In addition, we have forged relationships with 60 different partner organizations worldwide. Our programs are available in 168 countries utilizing over 4,500 media facilities, and have been translated into 26 different languages. You should hear "me" speaking Japanese, Zulu, Chinese and Hindi! More than 220 million people around the world hear one of our programs every week!

With these thoughts in mind, I asked Glenn Williams, one of Focus on the Family’s group vice presidents, to "take the microphone" for the remainder of this letter and share an update on some of the other doors the Lord is opening for us outside of the United States.

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Greetings, everyone. You might not be used to seeing my name in Focus mailings, but it is time we got acquainted. I currently serve as a group vice president, having come to Colorado Springs from Australia nearly two years ago to oversee the international effort of Focus on the Family. Not only has it been a time of transition for my wife and me and our three young children, it has also been a time of witnessing firsthand how vital the institution of the family is around the world. What is more, there are some significant challenges facing families in other countries that are difficult for those of us in the United States to understand.

From teaching the No Apologies™ curriculum (which highlights the importance of abstinence before marriage and fidelity afterward) in schools, to conducting programs in the workplace that focus on the importance of finding a better balance between work and family, the opportunities before us are tremendous. Focus on the Family has already reached more than one million students in other countries with the No Apologies message. And if you’re a Malaysian customer lining up to pay for groceries at the local supermarket or getting the kids some KFC for lunch on a weekend, don’t be surprised if you hear Dr. Dobson, on the public address system, sharing a practical tip on parenting or marriage. One woman told our staff that she enjoyed these tips so much that she now visits the supermarket three times a week! I can see the headline now: "Husband Blames Family Ministry for Tripling Food Bill"!

These anecdotes are not isolated incidents. Indeed, doors have opened for Focus on the Family all around the world, as illustrated by a recent trip I took to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. At the invitation of Ethiopia’s president, Girma Woldegiorgis, I met with government officials to discuss ways Focus on the Family might help to reduce the country’s HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.

Sadly, there are 2.1 million orphans in this African country, more than half of whom lost their parents to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It is difficult to comprehend. These children watched their parents die from a horrible disease and have lost their primary source of stability, love and security. They are forced to fend for themselves, with no shelter, little food and no education. In some cases, four- and five-year-old children wander the streets caring for their younger siblings. That might sound a bit melodramatic, but it is an absolute reality for many of these orphans in Ethiopia.

At the meeting within the Presidential Palace, I was able to share with President Girma the details surrounding our program of abstinence-based education. His response was enthusiastic, offering support by facilitating introductions to the relevant government officials and the Patriarch (i.e., the head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church). Our subsequent meetings were productive and enlightening. One official offered a particularly convicting response when he pleaded with me by politely admonishing, "If you are going to come and help us, don’t come one day and leave the next. If you want to come, stay with us and get the job done!" (This is precisely the same approach our International division has taken in the tsunami zone and around the world for 15 years.)

I’m delighted to report that our dialogue wasn’t simply an exchange of cordial platitudes and vague promises. Toward the end of our discussion, the Patriarch made the extraordinary commitment that he would open the way for us to partner with 40,000 churches and 500,000 clergy. Later in the week, a similar invitation was extended to us by The Ethiopian Evangelical Alliance, representing tens of thousands of additional churches in the country. Wow! Isn’t it amazing how God can work when we are willing to focus our lives and our ministries on the places where He is already at work?

Speaking of places where God is already at work, here are just a few other areas around the world where He has provided opportunities for Focus to advance the Gospel:

• Africa: We are working closely with Focus on the Family Southern Africa to expand efforts into other African nations, including Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria. This vision for Greater Africa recently took a step closer to reality when some of you joined us and Focus Southern Africa to facilitate the acquisition of 37 acres of land, previously home to the All Africa Bible College. This campus, renamed "iThemba" (the Zulu word for ‘hope’), includes eight houses and a number of other buildings, including a 500-seat auditorium and an 80-student dormitory. Plans for the property include: relocation of the Focus Southern Africa headquarters; development of a regional training center for marriage and family education; and establishment of sustainable cluster foster care homes to model the ‘biblical’ family and to ease the pain and suffering inflicted on children by the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

• India: In December 2004, our TV commentary segments began airing in both Hindi and English on ZTV (the number one cable channel in that nation with a potential audience of 341 million). The commentaries also air in seven additional languages on the top regional channels across the country.

• Colombia: Focus on the Family’s ministry partner in that country recently informed us that a notorious Colombian para-military leader and 1,600 rebels under his command laid down their arms before Christmas, at which time they were given a Bible and a Spanish-language translation of Dr. Dobson’s book When God Doesn’t Make Sense.

There is so much more I could share with you, but perhaps you can begin to get a feel for this exciting work. Suffice it to say that God is moving! Our efforts have been preceded by much prayer and underwritten by the support of those who see a large world out there with tremendous needs. We believe Jesus has called us to play a significant role in lending our hands to the effort. Yet, we cannot do this alone. We’re grateful for your partnership as we anticipate what He has in store!

Glenn Williams
Group Vice President

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Glenn’s optimism is shared by all of us here at Focus. It is an awesome privilege and responsibility to be able to extend the hope of Christ to those who are hurting, whether they are tsunami victims on the shores of the Indian Ocean, AIDS orphans on the streets of Addis Ababa or frustrated, burned-out parents right here in the United States. We’re humbled to think that God has given us opportunities to be the vessels by which His love and comfort are extended to them.

Please remember the ministry of Focus on the Family in prayer as we come to mind, won’t you? Also, mid-summer is a very "thin" time financially, and we could certainly use a little extra help now. Anything you are able to contribute, from a few dollars to considerably more, would be appreciated. As always, however, please don’t give to Focus at the expense of your local church. That must be primary.

Jim Daly and the rest of our leadership team are enthusiastic about our international outreach. At the same time, we’re aware that the needs of families both here and abroad are acute, and that we must have the Lord’s wisdom and provision if we are to meet those needs effectively. Your prayers and support mean so much as we move forward in this endeavor.

Blessings to each one of you,

James C. Dobson, Ph.D.
Founder and Chairman