Aaron's Story
From Aaron:
Dear Family, I don't know where to begin to tell you how thankful I am to have finally gotten in touch again. In my initial communication I mentioned that my last contact was almost twenty years ago in Atlanta, Ga. In fact it was just prior to the birth of my youngest son, Seth. He's now 18 years old and on his own. My first wife and I, along with our firstborn, Gabriel, were living in a Family home in northern Atlanta back in 1979. I first became aware of the Family's existence back in the early seventies. I was just a lost and lonely soul traveling around the southern US using my thumb for transportation. I was in W. Palm Beach Fla. when I met a brother who had been with the Children of God. at T.S.C. in Texas.
He gave me a copy of the Mo Letter "The Green Door" and it blew my mind because about a year earlier I had experienced something uncannily similar to the spirit-trip described in "The Green Door" and I couldn't deny the truth of the words I was reading. That one Mo Letter was all it took to hook me and afterward I couldn't get enough of Mo & his letters. It was still some time before I was saved even though I believed in God, the Father.
My thirst for more "new wine" soon compelled me to seek out some Family members in a home in Miami. I visited them and they gladly provided me with some more letters for myself and a small supply for distribution. The Lord had really begun to work on me and in a matter of a month or two I found myself in a situation in Ft. Lauderdale in which some of my so-called friends attempted to discourage my interest in the Mo Letters and the Family. I don't think I could ever forget the night that I had what must have been what is meant by the term epiphany. I realized by sudden revelation that there was one thing lacking in my life without which I could not live. You see, I already believed whole-heartedly in the existence of God the Father, but I didn't have Jesus. This realization came to me all at once like a flash of light while I was walking the streets in Ft. Lauderdale.
I immediately felt the need to fall to my knees on the spot and ask the Lord to come into my heart and forgive me for my sins. I resolved not to budge until I knew my prayer was answered and the Lord rewarded me for that determination. I felt what I can only describe as a hand reaching out and touching my head, as if to say "Your prayer has been heard and answered, rise and go forth". As I continued from that spot I was immediately caught by surprise as some lawn sprinklers along the sidewalk were activated and my reaction was to allow the water to spray me as I walked through it. I remember hearing the sound of the water trickling down the storm drain and feeling as if all my sins were flowing down that drain also. A great weight had been lifted from me and for the first time in life I felt truly alive and free.
As I journeyed on I happened across a bridge over a small waterway. I could just barely hear the stream beneath the bridge as it flowed on its way and while halting on the bridge I was delighted to discover the still, small voice that I knew could only be the voice of the Lord as He said to my heart that I should become as that stream below the bridge and should continually seek the sea just as that stream constantly sought the sea. I should seek to empty myself into the sea and thereby become one with the sea. I understood right away the symbolism and that the sea represented God.
I could go on & on describing the events of that night and the things I saw & heard but I only intended to give the testimony of how I came to be saved though there was no one but the Lord to instruct me or lead me to pray and ask forgiveness and ask the Lord to come in and fill the void in my heart meant only for Him.
I came from a so-called "Christian" family and was compelled to attend "church” every Sunday. Once I even walked down the aisle as was the tradition in the Baptist Church in which I was raised. Then I was baptized in front of the congregation and it was my understanding that I had fulfilled the conditions necessary for salvation. It wasn't until I really did meet Jesus that I realized what a danger those churchy traditions posed for a multitude of lost souls. So many seem so sincere and perhaps some do really get saved during those ceremonies but one thing I am confident of is that I didn't need a church to get saved and I don't need one to keep me saved. But I would dearly love the fellowship of some like-minded Children of God.
I believe it was the next day that I returned to visit the Miami colony and would you believe I was barefooted because I had discarded my shoes the night before and didn't have another pair. I didn't care though and upon arriving to visit I was provided with another pair by the brethren. I remember the brother that witnessed to me on that visit. His name was Samson and he had a wife named Sia. I stayed only for a short time but I came away so refreshed and strengthened by Samson's counsel and the wisdom he shared with me. I think it was at this time that I began to learn how to recognize the presence or anointing of the Holy Spirit. It may have come up before but that day I saw the Spirit in action as Samson lovingly ministered to me and addressed specific issues that were pertinent to my life but without him knowing how on target his words were for me. He also told me about the baptism of the Holy Spirit and led me to pray to be filled with it so I could be a better witness of the Word.
I left Miami with a new supply of Lit and I hit the road for quite some time just traveling alone and witnessing all along the way. When I ran out of lit I'd stop in for refills at the nearest colony I could. Thinking back now there were actually only three homes I ever visited before becoming a full time disciple myself. The first was, as I mentioned, in Miami then there was Atlanta and the only other one I visited was the one in New York, on Staten Island.
Atlanta being the city in which I spent the most time between road trips, naturally visited the Family there most often. Now not that it was something I dwelt on or pushed for but I wondered at times what I would have to do to join the others and quit traveling everywhere alone all the time. Apparently my plight had been overlooked by the other brethren until one afternoon as I was visiting and the colony shepherd's wife came out and said to me and whoever else was present on the porch with me, "Why do you just come by to visit and stock up on Mo Letters all the time? Why don't you just forsake all and join us full time"? Well, I had no problem with that and I believe it was then and there that I joined. As far as forsaking all, how much can a vagabond, such as I, have to forsake? All I remember giving up was my pair of ragged old blue jeans with patches all over them. To the best of my recollection that was in the latter part of 1974.
In those days we spent most of our waking hours out on the street litnessing. The number of individual Mo Letters that had been published was just over 300 I believe. We were passing out some of the latest releases like Look of Love, Lovelight & Sex Works.
I never lost faith that Mo was anointed by the Lord or that the Family was an ordained body of believers sent by God as witnesses of God's truth. To me Mo will always be Dad and I regret that I only recently learned of his death in the early nineties.
I can't say at this time what my intentions are except that I hope to keep in touch and be able to receive news from the Family on a regular basis. I haven't forgotten that the world is in for some troublous times even though the timetable we once endorsed has proved to be unreliable. The "writing on the wall" still remains and I hold fast the warnings I was once given and still share with others. So long for now GBY!
