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decision on a newsstand, it would
only be considered cheap and of no
value. But 1wanted to make this the
MOST VALUABLE magazine Of aJI–
the most valuable and helpful to
those who read it.
Also 1 knew it must not be com–
mercialized for profit or prívate
gain. Therefore, although 1 had sold
countless pages of magazine adver–
tising in my career, 1 felt
The P/ain
Truth
must not be commercialized
by sell ing advertising.
1 had learned Jesus spoke truth
when he said,
"lt
is more blessed to
SWEDEN
(Continued from page 23)
come to a different conclusion.
Look at the rate of taxation. Look
at the regulation machinery which
affects individuals and fi rms. You
will probably fi nd that Sweden has
come quite a way in my opinion
down the socialist ic way.
You might also have seen that
we have right now a quite vivid
discussion in this count ry about a
proposal from the Social Demo–
crats to introduce funds with the
aim of changi ng the ownership
strategy from prívate persons over
to the trade unions. And even if
that doesn't exactly go aJong with
the socialist schoolbook, it is in
ORPHAN TRAIN
(Continued from page 32)
speaking family. All went well for a
few months, but tragedy struck
again. My aunt unexpectedly died
of pneumonia. My mother had
been struggling lo learn English,
yet progress was slow, and in her
new and difficult situation she had
no one to whom to t ur n for
advice.
S he decided to take me with her
to work, but her employer told her
she would have to make other
arrangements for me or f ind
employment elsewhere. Befare my
mother could do so, her employer
informed my mother she had found
a children's nursery for working
mothers where she could leave me
and be able to visit me on Sunday
afternoons. The fee was to be taken
out of her small wages. Heavy–
hearted, my mother made the trip
to the nursery with her employer. l
Aprll 1984
give than to receive." This world's
way of life is "GET"- and God's way
is "GIVE."
I
began to live the way of
"GIVE" in my own life. And 1 found
others saw the practicality of that
way too. When 1 started
The P/ain
Truth,
1found that sorne of the read–
ers wanted to follow the principie of
"GIVE" and sent in unsolicited con–
tributions to share with me in GIV–
ING
The Plain Truth.
1 had star ted broadcasting this
same TRUTH, and 1 offered a free
-subscription to
The Plain Truth.
But 1 did not request contributions
practica! terms the same thing. So
to summarize, Sweden in practice
is a collective socialistic country
even if we still have quite a share
of prívate ownership. ·
What speclal problems do you
anticípate for Sweden as we move
into the midst of the '80s and on
into the '90s?
1 am personaJly convinced that
Sweden wil l change paths because
this kind of welfare state is, as we
discussed earlier, slowly breaking
apart. On the social relations and
economic side, the quite huge
problems that Sweden is facing
right now are to a great extent
caused by this we l fare state
idea.
was not yet 2 years old at this
t ime.
More heartache was just around
the comer. My mother was kept so
busy that it was many weeks later
befare she had time to come for a
visit. When she arrived,
I
was gone!
Because the fees for my care had
not been paid, 1 had been sent toan
orphanage. They could n't (or
wouldn't) tell my mother where 1
was.
Heartbroken, my mother wrote a
cousin in Germany pleading with
hi m to come and help her find me.
He had lived in New York and
hopefully together they would be
able to fi nd me. My mother imme–
diately quit her job and found other
employment.
When her cousin arrived they
searched everywhere but to no
avai l. My mother stayed in Ameri–
ca, eventually to remarry and have
two sons, but never forgetting me,
hoping one day to see me again.
or financia! support over the air.
This operat ion has aJways been
one of "GIVE"- not of "GET." The
God whose TRUTH we give and share
with millions has blessed this Work
and it has grown remarkably. Today
The Plain Truth
is one of the lead–
ing mass-circulation magazines on
earth--circulation now passing
6Y2
million copies a month in seven lan–
guages.
lt
is supported by the tithes
and freewill cont ributions of those
who voluntarily, without solicitation,
have become co-workers with us in
this Work of "GIVE." o
We have taken away a lot of the
need for prívate initiative. You take
that away and the dynamics in the
economy will slowly go away. So in
my opinion, without doubt we will
change paths and try to develop the
welfare society instead to where we
ask people- individual people,
fami lies- to take part , not just be
the spectators of a process with
other groups.
This changing of strategy for the
entire society wi ll be the great
thing that will domínate Swedish
debate for 1O, 15 years. And if you
come back in 15 years you will
probably find a quite different
Sweden, a more personal Sweden
than we have today- with less sui–
cides. o
We Finally Meet
As soon as my cousin realized he'd
found me he went to see my reaJ
mother. He showed her our corre–
spondence.
lt
was a terrible shock,
but soon she was calm enough to
hear t he story. M y mother 's
prayers had been answered .
1 was now 33 years old and had
two sons of my own, ages 1O and 5.
My mother immediately invited us
to New York for a two-week visit.
Our meeting was joyous.
We returned to Nebraska with a
promise from my mother she would
come and meet my adoptive moth–
er. Over the remaining years of my
mother's life we kept in touch by
correspondence and visits. But to
me, my adoptive mother was,
understandably, my "real" mother,
for even though my real mother
loved me, it was my adoptive moth–
er who gave me the love and care
more than 80 years ago when 1
needed it most. o
43