Dear Friends,

Did you know that there are only five communist nations remaining in the world? (At one time there were more than twenty-five.) They are China, Vietnam, Laos, North Korea and Cuba. I'm happy to say that Heaven's Family is working in all five.

China and Vietnam, although still politically communist, have embraced capitalistic economic policies and are enjoying economic booms. The proud leaders of Cuba and North Korea, however, continue to cling to a dying system that is sure to collapse. It is only a matter of time.

Why does communism always fail? The communist slogan, "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need" might sound good in theory, even charitable. In practice, however, government-mandated charity ultimately impoverishes every citizen. The reason is because communism destroys people's initiative. The average person asks, "Why should I work harder if it doesn't benefit me?" and "Why should I work harder if it only benefits those people who are lazy?"