Dear Brethren and Friends, My wife and I recently completed a three-and-a-half week trip to Australasia. When we last visited our congregations in that area, five years ago, I told them I would "try" to come back to see them within three or four years. However, because of many other pressing needs, it took us five years to make it back.
But I can report to you that our brethren in New Zealand, Australia and the Philippines are in truly great shape. They welcomed us very warmly, and are obviously a very happy and dedicated group of people. This is due in no small part to the excellent job Mr. Bruce Tyler has been doing as Regional Director in that area. He has, as one of the ministers pointed out to me, "given the entire area a feeling of stability by his long, patient and loyal service."
So I want to publicly thank Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Tyler for their long, dedicated and loyal service in overseeing the Work of Christ in the entire area of Australasia! Again, thank you, very much!
Our trip began with a five-hour flight to Los Angeles, where we stayed overnight. Then, Sheryl and I left on a 13-hour flight all the way to Auckland, New Zealand, where we were warmly welcomed at 4:45 a.m. by Mr. and Mrs. Kinnear Penman! Mr. Penman is Director of the Work in New Zealand. Much of our stay there was centered around Lake Taupo—a beautiful resort region in the very center of the north island where we have held the Feast of Tabernacles a number of times. For the weekly Sabbath before Passover, brethren came from all over New Zealand—including the South Island—and we had 71 warm and loving brethren in attendance.
Then we went back to Auckland for the Passover, and next morning flew to Melbourne, Australia, for the Night To Be Much Observed and the First Day of Unleavened Bread. Even though our plane was late and we were behind schedule for the meal, the brethren gave us a rousing "cheer" as we entered the dining room, where we had a very warm and loving time fellowshipping with them. The next day, 72 were in attendance for the First Day of Unleavened Bread. The warmth and dedication of the brethren was obvious—a tribute to the service of Mr. Tyler, and also of Mr. Michael Gill, their local pastor.
The next day, we flew to Sydney, Australia, for a mid-week Bible Study. Again, everyone was very warm and appreciative—though only 25 were able to make it there in the middle of the week. The next morning we flew to Adelaide—the city that is now Headquarters for our Australian Work. We arrived on time, and were met by Mr. Tyler and Mr. Gill, who drove us to our hotel for a brief rest. Then we went to see the newly renovated office building.
We were very pleased with what they have been able to do with an older building, now converted to the Headquarters office for the Australian Work. It reminded me of the early offices in Pasadena, where Mr. Armstrong had purchased the "Fowler Estate" just off South Orange Road, converting the primary residence into a classroom building, and the former garage into the office building. As the Work grew, the former stable/garage was upgraded year by year as the Headquarters office. Finally, in 1969, the beautiful Hall of Administration was completed, where Mr. Armstrong and the leading ministers had their executive offices.
So, as in the past, we are "starting small" in Australia, but under the fine direction of Mr. Tyler and others, the Work will grow! The next day, Friday, we held a Board meeting for the Australian Work, which bridged into a ministerial meeting for ministers throughout Australasia. It was very helpful for me to become better acquainted with Mr. Rajan Moses from Kuala Lumpur, and a very dedicated younger man, Arius Nusantara, from Indonesia—whom we ordained as an elder. These men often must travel quite some distance at times out into the "bush"—as the Aussies call it—sometimes virtually taking their lives into their hands in very dangerous situations.
Brethren, after reviewing with Messrs. Tyler, Penman and Moses the various trips they have taken into the jungles in that area, I came to realize how utterly spoiled we are, at times, in the United States and other parts of the western world. Many of our brethren in that part of the world literally "live on the edge"—and some of the ministers are truly putting their lives at risk, from time to time, in order to serve these people in Malaysia, New Guinea, Borneo, the Philippines and elsewhere!
Let us be thankful for the blessings and the peace we are still able to enjoy here in America, Canada and Britain! That Sabbath, April 7, I preached to 54 brethren at the Australasian Regional Headquarters congregation in Adelaide— one of the smaller cities and newer congregations. They were obviously very "turned on" to the Work of Christ. That evening we had an enjoyable dinner and extended visit with Mr. and Mrs. Tyler, Mr. and Mrs. Gill and Mrs. MacLeod—the widow of our dedicated elder from Perth. Mrs. MacLeod came quite a distance to join us for this occasion, and we appreciate her example of steadfastness and loyalty.
The next morning, Sunday, we had to wake up at 3:30 a.m. and head for the airport in order to fly through Sydney and head on to Manila, in the Philippines, in order to arrive there before the final Holy Day of Unleavened Bread. At the Sydney airport, we were joined by Mr. and Mrs. Dayrell Tanner. The Tanners are watching over the Sydney congregation and have also been assigned to serve God's people in the Philippines for Mr. Tyler. I have found them to be very dedicated and capable. Even after we left the Philippines, in fact, they were going to stay an additional two weeks and go into the outlying areas of the Philippines—some very potentially dangerous areas—to meet the brethren in the various cities where we conduct services.
In Manila, on the Sabbath, we had 172 brethren in attendance! They were extremely enthusiastic, warm and loving. It was a real inspiration to hear them singing together so lovingly and expressing their appreciation that we were willing to come back all that way to see them again after an absence of five years.
The next morning, we headed for China! While planning the trip to the Philippines, I had noted on the map that China appeared to be only a two-and-a-half or three-hour flight from Manila. Since I have for years wanted the Work to somehow get into China, I thought it would be worth the time and the effort on my part—even at the end of this strenuous trip—to visit that part of the world and get a "feel" for the people of China. Remember brethren, more than one-third of the world's entire population lives in either China or India! These fellow human beings must be reached with the message of the soon-coming Kingdom of God (see Mark 16:15). So it is vital that we start making plans as to how we can best reach this one-third of all humanity.
However—after being assured it would be okay—I foolishly ate a salad at the Shanghai Hilton and became extremely ill for a couple of days. Nevertheless, after a rest of one day, I was able to get up and take a tour to see some of the sites in Shanghai. Truly, the main "bird" of Shanghai is the "crane." That is, building cranes are all over Shanghai and Beijing as the Chinese are furiously upgrading their cities and building their industries in an almost frenzied manner in an effort to catch up with the rest of the world. The Chinese people are very industrious and, on the surface, reasonably happy. But the poor air quality and the polluted water were obvious in the Chinese cities we visited. Especially in Beijing, the government is trying to put its "best face forward" in preparation for the 2008 Olympics. We found Beijing to be more pleasant than Shanghai, however, because there was a little less air pollution and somewhat less crowded conditions.
Many publications have suggested that the 21st century will be "China's century." Even though the Chinese are fiercely moving forward, and their progress in developing their industries is obvious, these publications are dead wrong for two reasons. First, the inspired word of God describes specifically how a coming European Union will be the dominant force in this world—obviously within the next several years. Therefore, brethren, I would like to focus your mind on this matter so you can more intelligently "watch" world events along this line as they unfold before your very eyes. In the coming years, you will perhaps even see a revolt of the peasants in the outlying Chinese cities, who have lagged far behind the standard of living afforded those who have moved to Beijing and Shanghai. Plus, the tremendous pollution of the water, air and foodstuffs may bring about massive disease epidemics and other problems for the Chinese.
In addition, distracting wars and other events may— as God chooses to guide it—greatly undermine the material progress now being made by the Chinese. Meanwhile, you will soon see the European Union evolve into an absolutely powerful and dynamic force in the world— ultimately to become the "Beast" as revealed in Revelation 17 in your own Bible!
So the 21st century will not be the "Chinese century!" Rather it will appear to become the European century for a few years, until the magnificent return of Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords. From then on, the 21st century will be, indeed, "Christ's century!" And all of us who are able to understand the "Big Picture" of world events from God's point of view should be preparing to help straighten out the appalling degree of suffering, starvation and misconduct we find on this earth today in virtually every nation.
After seeing these various nations and seeing "God's hand" in world affairs, I am impressed more than ever to pray fervently, "Thy Kingdom come!"
