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Send mail to Janet
Fookes
Hello, Janet Fookes here.....I am known as Faithful2 on IRC, usually on Undernet in the no-op channel, #Depressed? , but on other channels also, in both Undernet and Dalnet. I started IRC in Dec '95, taking over Murray's nick of Faithful while "telling him what to say to the atheists" one day. He now uses nick Faithful1.
It has become a most time-consuming occupation, which could be called addiction. However I have some balance between this and the rest of my life. Friends and family have come to accept, rather than resent, the time taken by it and we now have two phonelines to accommodate the net. Friends often offer to pray for those I have met online, because of the great need in the lives of people I mention.
Emailing also takes quite a lot of time, as I like to stay in touch with people.
I go onto channels that support depressed and/or suicidal people, or unusual channels of hurting people, or channels that promote atheism. I also like to frequent Christian channels, not only for fellowship, but also to meet people who are angry with Christians, often for good reason. (My current favourite Christian channel is #Scripture.)
People of all walks and beliefs I try to treat with equal sincere care and consideration. I have found that this, the example of Christ, along with the leading of The Holy Spirit, is acceptable to all. Within each person is a human spirit, which may or may not have been tainted by the ravages of life or the spiritual forces influencing it. It is a privilege to minister to all people, with love and acceptance of each individual. Above all, I have made some firm and dear friends on IRC who I would love to meet in RL. Some have visited me, and others I look forward to meeting.
I must confess my favourites are adolescents, not because they are easy to convert, for indeed they are not, but because they are so real. They are at the hardest time of their lives and most are greatly discouraged. Many have had a terrible childhood, the worst experience being unlovedness. My great love of children, and the things of childhood, causes my heart to be greatly wrenched for them. As a teacher and mother I have studied the needs of children and I am horrified at the neglect of many people in their childhood as this affects their entire life. Through many years of ministering to children, and observing experts counseling them, I have come to know the ability of Jesus to heal many of these hurts.
Many people don't know Christ and the peace and joy He wishes us all to have. Some people I can pray with openly, while others don't know thy are being prayed for. But The Love of Christ is available for all and there are great answers to prayer.
I am firstly a wife and mother. For over twenty years I have enjoyed the ministry of "Above Rubies" magazine. This is a Christian ministry devoted to encouraging women, especially those with families. It began in New Zealand with Nancy Campbell as editor, around 1977. Nancy and Colin Campbell shifted to Australia, and now live in USA, continuing "Above Rubies" in all three countries. It continues to be a free magazine, sponsored by donations.
I love to minister at Murray's side, as a one-flesh ministry, counselling and praying for people. God is faithful as He leads us by His Holy Spirit, not because of who we are, but because of Who He is. I also love to share with parents, encouraging them in raising their children as happy fulfilled people.
I am a trained primary school teacher and do some relief teaching (substitute) at times, fitting it around my other commitments.
On four days of the week I take a volunteer half hour bible lesson at
each of the four primary schools in Kawerau; about 70-100 children (8-11yr
olds) each time. This is a time when the school is officially closed as
we sing, pray and hear God's Word. The children seem to love this, and I
too am greatly blessed by these times. I also organise the bible teaching
for all other classes in Kawerau. The school boards approve these lessons
and the only pity is that there are not enough teachers to cover all classes.
We are free to teach anything from the bible, to help develop well-rounded
personalities, but are not to make the classroom an evangelical platform.
Therefore the gospel is able to be presented fairly but no call is made
to receive salvation. This is just fine, in my opinion, because salvation
must be a personal response to a call of God. Speaking to the children privately,
I sometimes realise that most of the children do respond to God. One of
my greatest joys is in teaching children how precious they are....worth everything,
and not because of what they can do, nor because of what they have.
People are God's special love, and children are little people.
On the fifth day of the week, I spend 3-4 hours at our local high school as the school chaplain. I have been in this voluntary position for 2 years and enjoy it greatly. Chaplaincy is a relatively new thing in NZ schools, and has grown from Bible in Schools, both of which are under the umbrella of The Churches Education Committee, a national body. Schools and chaplains are developing the role of chaplain together. The chaplain is there to support and care for anyone at the school, students, teachers, other staff, board members or parents….there are many ways in which the schools may wish to use the chaplain.
No other consuming passions at all. I like doing lots of different things but don't do them very often. I would like to be able to play the clarinet so I practise occasionally. A friend is teaching me to play ukelele also, and lent me her lovely old uke, which I also try to practise. I like to garden, and my garden is looking its best in many years just now. I like to draw and paint but all I have painted lately is a repair job on a big mural that was vandalized downtown (this is a continual job actually…I think I will have to add my signature to it. I like to read but don't often find time. I like to watch comedies on TV and DO find time if not IRCing. I love to sing, and am able to do that much of the time (multi-tasking:) I love the bush (native forest) and the beach, both of which are not far from here. I love animals, especially furry ones, and most especially dogs (especially if they stay away from my garden:)
I do enjoy some extramural study of areas of interest...5 years ago I did a paper on Adolescence and one on Human Development2, as well as taking classes in beginner's Maori language. This year (2000) I plan to do two papers on Counseling Theory. This is important for talking with people on IRC and also for chaplaincy.
How I changed from atheist to Christian.
I am well aware that some will be able to find "other explanations" for my experiences but please bear in mind that one possibility is the existence of a God Who is indeed knowable.
I was raised in an atheist family, for which I am generally very grateful. My father taught me to think, not to follow crowds, to be strong, believe in myself, and not believe any "supernatural rubbish".(We were even told to pretend to be Christian at times so that Christians would not try to convert us!) But of course I was never anywhere near a church, for any reason.
So, with that background, it was most disappointing when I came home with a Christian boyfriend! Why he stayed around, with those negative vibes, I don't know, but we fell in love pretty quickly. He had been taught that he should never marry a non-Christian, but not that he should refrain from dating one...this causes great difficulties for young people. We went steady over a year (many many many discussions!) and decided to part because of his conviction that he should only marry a Christian. I would never ask him to put convictions aside for my sake. He had thought I would convert but I did not, so we parted with great sadness. Several months later, I had started teaching in an another town and he began calling as he passed through town, so I asked him to stop because it was emotionally difficult. (I know this is awfully long-winded but I think its important to see I was not giving in when pressure was at it its highest) Well he finally told me that "God had told him it would be OK." Having made completely sure he was happy with that direction, as I wasn't planning on converting, we joyfully resumed our relationship which developed into marriage.
(I expected we could have told any subsequent children that Dad believed this & Mum believed that..stupid for poor kids). About another year or so later I started to go to a bible study occasionally to show interest in his interests & to meet his friends (& maybe to argue which I enjoyed if I could find a consenting Christian : ) We apparently had some rather heated arguments, which challenged all present, but I couldn't get away from the fact that they seemed so sure (and I believed Christians don't lie...well, I didn't think this type of Christian would disobey Jesus for anything). Also, at this time I began to see that things were happening in the church...supposed miracles and " tongues and interpretation". I gradually became agnostic and greatly desired to know the truth. I read some Christian books (I admit I didn't read atheistic books but I didn't need to...we had been "weaned" on that.......I don't think I have read anything on all the atheist web or faq sheets that I hadn't heard from Dad (except Dawkins' theory in "The Blind Watchmaker"...I guess that's why it has impressed me). So, eventually, I *had* to know and one day found myself asking God if He was real, as He possibly was there, and I told Him I repented of sin in my life, accepting the salvation He had won for me on the cross. (This was obviously in response to God-given faith, something that gave me assurance that God possibly was there). I didn't have any thunderbolts (then) but a peace came over me and an excitement I had not previously known began to " bubble" inside. I took a long time to "come out" as a Christian but I had to eventually admit, to myself and others, that I was a believer.
I began to read the bible...it made sense now. And I began to ask God for the in-filling of The Holy Spirit (as in Acts 2)..it didn't happen at water baptism,( as I expected ) but several months later, at a Christian conference. When I asked and was prayed for, nothing happened, but during the following day I found I could "rattle off" in a language I didn't know (I don't think I'd tried that before..do people usually? I don't know) So when back at the conference, I told the preacher about it after the meeting and hastened to add that it was "made up". He just smiled,asked me to sit down and pray in my made-up language, and he placed his hand lightly on my head. There was no eye contact or "hype" but he asked God to show me if it was real or not. Well! I was not expecting such an experience..it was like lightning through my body (I imagine..I haven't experienced lightning!) The experience lasted a few minutes..I know I would have fallen down if not seated, because I needed guiding home that night..and was speaking in tongues, on and off, throughout the night.
Until that time I had seen miracles at that conference (even a little old lady's back so straightened that her hem was now all crooked!)...and deliverances ("exorcisms").... but I now thought, "Wow it all IS true!" (such was my unbelief even when saved) So that sealed it for me (the bible talks of Holy Spirit sealing things for us). I really am spoiled, by God,for those desiring to show me another way. However I am, before God, willing to hear any arguments with an open mind and hope my "opponents" also have the same.
My life "in Christ", now 23 years later, is as fresh as at that time. That bubbling remains and there is sometimes a stronger feeling of The Holy Spirit.
Often, while my husband and I are praying for someone, in a similar way,
they will fall under the power of God as He works out things in their lives.
It is no jack-up...although I have heard that such things exist (horrors).
This, which I experienced, is becoming more & more predominant among
true believers, in all denominations, these days. So, you may now understand
why I am so sorry that God is "written off" by people who have tried to make
a commitment without the total filling of The Holy Spirit. Jesus said the
true worshippers will worship Him in spirit and in truth....and these people
are to be found in many places, in church denominations and without. Thank
you so much for your time. I ask God's blessing on you, in The Name of Jesus.
Send mail to Janet
Fookes
