Dear brethren and co-workers with Christ,

This Work of the living God continues to move forward, and we not only thank our Creator, but we also thank all of you. Your prayers and generous support make it possible to take the Truth of God to the whole world in a way that was never possible even 40 years ago.

These days, we carefully manage the circulation of Tomorrow’s World magazine due to the high cost of printing and postage, but we currently send print copies to more than 345,000 subscribers around the world in English, French, Spanish, and Afrikaans. In addition, by the time you receive this letter, our English-language YouTube channel should have 825,000 subscribers. These are not views, but people who have subscribed by taking the time to say they want to see more of our content. And our Spanish-language YouTube channel has 450,529 subscribers.

Last month, I mentioned that I would update you on the work we do serving the Spanish-speaking world. Before telling you about a couple of genuine miracles, let me explain a little about the scope of what you are helping us to do. The Spanish and Portuguese-speaking language part of this Work encompasses many countries in Central and South America, Spain, and Portugal, as well as in the United States and Canada. The Living Church of God has 35 Spanish-speaking congregations in twelve countries. Once a month, Evangelist Mario Hernández meets here in Charlotte, North Carolina, with our bilingual members and gives an online service in Spanish for members worldwide.

We have baptized members in seven additional Spanish-language countries, where our members are so scattered that we are not yet able to establish a congregation. We currently serve them by way of online Sabbath services as well as a weekly online Bible Study. We do not yet have congregations in Spain or Portugal, but we have a growing number of baptized members in both countries and they are able to meet together on the annual biblical festivals, providing cohesion and great encouragement.

Most of our congregations are small, and our ministers are spread thin, requiring significant travel to serve our faithful brethren. The Work in the Spanish and Portuguese-language countries is led by Evangelist Mario Hernández with the help of three full-time pastors. Mr. Cristian Orrego serves eight congregations in Mexico and three in Guatemala. His current goal is to do as the Apostle Paul instructed Titus, to “set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you” (Titus 1:5). One principal challenge faced by brethren in Mexico City and Guatemala City is the inadequate transportation infrastructure. It is not uncommon for members to spend up to three hours traveling each way to attend Sabbath services.

Longtime minister Mr. George Schaubeck serves the four congregations in Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Panama, as well as serving members in Cuba. And Mr. Armando Orrego, the brother of Cristian, serves six congregations in Colombia, three in Peru, one in Chile, and two in Argentina.

We are thankful for the six elders who are scattered across Central and South America, who have proven faithful and meet the qualifications of Scripture found in Titus 1 and 1 Timothy 3. It should also be noted that we do not take volunteers for the ministry, as the example found in both the Old Testament and the New Testament is that of leaders being appointed based on specific criteria. As Paul told Titus, “appoint elders” (Titus 1:5).

My wife and I were privileged to visit and meet many of our members in Central and South America over the last few years. Because of State Department cautions at the time, I did not take Carol with me to El Salvador, but after being there a few days I regretted not doing so. The country’s president Nayib Bukele has thrown so many troublemakers into prison that we probably have more gang members from El Salvador in the United States than in that country! It is a lovely country with warm and friendly people.

Since 2020, both of us have been able to travel to Mexico City, Colombia, Guatemala, Chile, and Argentina, even visiting Río Grande, Argentina, in what is called Tierra del Fuego near the tip of South America. It is also known as “the ends of the earth,” and is one of those few places on earth, outside of zoos, that have penguins. We thoroughly enjoyed an Argentinian style barbecue with the 20 members and families who are there. We have found the same zeal and dedication to the truths of Scripture—embracing original Christianity—in all of our travels. Our members in the Spanish-speaking world are warm and affectionate.

Here is a report from Mr. Hernández that I want to share with you.

"One challenge found in Central and South America has been the spread of progressive ideology, promoted by left-leaning governments and supported by international organizations such as the United Nations and UNESCO. These ideas present significant challenges for Church families seeking to teach God’s way of life to their children. Daycare centers, schools, and universities often expose children and young adults to gender ideology and concepts such as state-authorized gender transition without parental consent. In many cases, educational systems are heavily influenced by Marxist and socialist philosophies.

"Many progressive governments maintain large segments of their populations in economic dependency through government subsidies. This approach discourages individual initiative, hinders economic prosperity, and contributes to the deterioration of infrastructure. Cuba provides a particularly striking example of the long-term consequences of such policies."

Two countries where we have members, but no congregations, are Cuba and Venezuela—both Marxist countries and both suffering under difficult economic circumstances. Our work in Canada is able to provide some assistance to members in Cuba. As for Venezuela, all our members there survived the massively destructive twin earthquakes last month. One member did have significant damage to her home, but she reported that it was still habitable.

Before closing, I want to pass along to you two reports from Mr. Hernández of genuine miracles that have occurred among our brethren.

"One of our brethren in Costa Rica suffered for years from a chronic platelet deficiency. He regularly required blood and platelet transfusions, but several months ago his body ceased responding to treatment. His physicians declared his condition terminal and informed him that he had only a few days to live.

"Believing death was imminent, he requested a final anointing. God intervened and miraculously healed him. When he later returned to the specialist who had treated him, the physician was astonished and stated, 'This is a miracle from God.'"

The Living Church of God practices anointing for the sick, and when a minister is not close enough at the time to personally anoint and lay hands on the sick person, we follow the example of the Apostle Paul, who would anoint cloths and send them to the sick person. It should be noted that we do not have public meetings where infirmed individuals are brought up on a stage in a spectacle show. Instead, we pray and anoint in private. This was done in the case Mr. Hernández reports below. When we do send anointed cloths, we instruct individuals to burn or appropriately dispose of them afterword rather than risk turning the cloth into an idol.

"A faithful member of our Mexico City congregation has attended services for ten years despite enduring significant hardship due to her husband’s strong opposition to the Church. Last year, her husband became seriously ill. Influenced by his wife’s steadfast example and convictions, he began listening to our sermons online. Eventually, he requested an anointed cloth, hoping for relief from the severe pain caused by a kidney stone.

"His wife knelt beside him, prayed, and applied the anointed cloth. Later, when she burned the cloth according to instructions, she discovered a small stone among the ashes. Her husband’s pain was gone, and he had been miraculously healed. Today, he attends services regularly and is convinced that this is where God’s Work is being carried out."

This was the first time in my 55 years in the ministry that I’ve heard of such an unusual case, but the sources from which this comes are very credible. While we know God heals today, most healings are not so unusual. However, no matter where we are on earth or what language we speak, God hears the prayers of His faithful servants. This is not to say that He heals every time we request His healing in this life. He knows what is best for us in the long run (see 2 Corinthians 12:7–10). But whether our healing comes in this life or with new bodies that God gives us at Christ’s return (2 Corinthians 5:1–4), we are grateful!

Thank you, dear brethren and co-workers, for your faithful support.

Sincerely, in Christ’s service,

Gerald E. Weston