Greetings from Charlotte,
The Feast of Pentecost went very well. Mr. and Mrs. Meredith traveled to Joplin, Missouri, for the Sabbath and a combined service on Pentecost attended by more than 170 brethren. Mr. and Mrs. Ames flew to Texas to meet with brethren in Dallas and for a combined service in Henderson. Mr. and Mrs. Apartian were in Montreal for Pentecost and a public lecture. I was able to visit congregations in Monroe and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It has been very encouraging to be able to visit with brethren during these trips and see the focus, dedication and enthusiasm of God's people for His truth and His Work. This coming weekend we will hold our third Regional Conference in Florida.
Church Administration
Visit to Montreal, Canada
My wife and I returned to Charlotte very encouraged after our visit to Montreal, Quebec, for the weekly Sabbath and the Feast of Pentecost. I conducted a public lecture in Montreal, with an attendance of 68, including 21 new people—most of whom had Church of God background. The atmosphere during the lecture was warm and friendly, kissing each other as French-Canadians customarily do—we felt like a family! Mr. and Mrs. Brochu from Quebec City, and Mr. and Mrs. Arseneault from Toronto, joined us in Montreal for this occasion. We plan to follow up on this lecture by holding a few public Bible studies in the following weeks, conducted by Mr. Jacques Secours. On the day of Pentecost, I gave both sermons and shared news about the Work and about activities at Headquarters. There were 43 in attendance, with one new person present. We all enjoyed a delicious French-style meal together between services. —Dibar Apartian
Pentecost in Haiti
Our bilingual deacon in Charlotte, Mr. Wilner Pierre, visited our congregation in Haiti for the weekly Sabbath and the day of Pentecost. To our delight, there were 22 present for services. Haiti, as you know, is one of the poorest countries on the face of the earth and our brethren are in dire need of our prayers. Mr. Pierre, a native Haitian, has been of much help to me in looking after our brethren in Haiti.—Dibar Apartian
Australasia Update
Mr. Bruce Tyler reports from Perth: We had a really positive weekly Sabbath and Pentecost and, from all the reports I've received, it was similar in all other areas in my region. This week I visited a number of the brethren, as well as some new people who are interested in following the truth… I am very grateful for Mr. Zig Svalbe and the help he is to me and the brethren in Sri Lanka. After his recent business trip to China for his employer, Mr. Svalbe took a "side trip" to Colombo and spent the Sabbath and Pentecost with the brethren. I know all the members were happy to have a minister there to help and guide them.
Report from Mr. Michael Gill: During the past three weeks I have traveled to Melbourne, Numurkah, Forbes and Canberra and had the opportunity to visit six "GOTOs." This resulted in four people in Melbourne being invited to attend services during my next visit on 9th June… Mr. Ames' program, "Will the Dead Live Again?," brought in a record response of 210 from the Channel 31 stations, with the prospect of a total 215 projected response over the week… Next Thursday evening I will be attending a meeting in the MCTC31 Melbourne office for an update on the Federal Government's move to the digital television environment… We need to pray about the move to digital television as the community stations are under threat if the Government gets the transfer wrong.
Whilst in Melbourne next week, I will also be discussing the possibility of daily broadcasting on MCTC31. We obtained a very good response last Friday on a "one-off" airing at 1:00 p.m. of Mr. Wallace Smith's "How Do You Spot a Counterfeit?" program.
From Thailand: Twelve brethren were arrested on their way home from Pentecost services last Sunday. They were placed in police custody for not possessing the correct work permits for the region. From prison, the brethren contacted deacon Mehm Pho Saw, who promptly showed up at the police station and spoke on their behalf. After paying a fine, the brethren were released at 11:00 p.m. that night. Happily, no further charges were made. Their driver (not a member) did not fare as well. His car was confiscated and the police have informed him that they are going to pursue legal action. Mehm Pho Saw said that he thanks God for His protection over the brethren. People from all nationalities are jailed every day in Thailand for not possessing the correct work permits. We must remember the Thai and Burmese brethren in our prayers.
Living 4 Tomorrow—Michigan 2007 (Repeat Announcement)
Living Church of God young adults are invited to attend the Living 4 Tomorrow program at the beautiful facilities of the Northwoods Christian Camp, Pickford, Michigan. The L4T program is open to singles between the ages of 18 and 30. We will also have a few cabins available for young married couples without children who would wish to attend. Attending this session of L4T as presenters will be Dr. Douglas Winnail and Dr. Scott Winnail. The arrival date is the evening of Tuesday, July 10. Departure date is Sunday morning, July 15. Applications and additional information are available on www.youth-web.org and on the LCG Singles website: www.lcgsingles.org. If you do not have web access, applications may be requested by calling Lambert Greer at 502-228-5917.
Feast of Tabernacles 2007
Festival Registration (Repeat Announcement)
Festival Registration (for USA and Canada) begins Sunday, June 3, at 12:00 noon (ET). At that time, please go online to your MyLCG account on www.cogl.org and register for the Feast. Even those (from the USA and Canada) who have made plans to attend international sites should register at that time, even if their transfers have been approved.
New activity information (and in some cases new pricing information) has been uploaded in the last few days for many of the sites. Be sure to check the site descriptions as you register, and come back often over the next few months for updates. You can get site information at www.cogl.org (your MyLCG account), by clicking on the link "Feast Site Information."
Talk with your Festival Advisor if you need printed site information, Registration forms, or Volunteer forms. He should be able to provide all you need for making your plans for the Feast. This year, we will not print a Festival Planner brochure. If you have any questions, please call the Festival Office at 704-844-1960, ext. 212, or send e-mail to [email protected].
International Feast Sites
Four Feast Sites in The Philippines
Baguio City (Northern Philippines)
Cooler temperatures will welcome Feastgoers to Baguio, in northern Luzon, for the Feast of Tabernacles this year. A six-hour bus or car ride from Manila will bring you to this summer mountain retreat. For many years, God's Church has held the Feast at the Baguio Teacher's Camp, where our members stay on site, near the meeting hall. Overseas visitors usually stay in one of the many nearby comfortable hotels, just a ten-minute taxi-ride away. With services in English, and a favorable exchange rate ($US1=55 Philippine pesoes), visitors from overseas can enjoy the Feast with some of the friendliest people you can meet. For more information, contact Mr. Dayrell Tanner at [email protected].
Tacloban City (Central Philippines)
This Feast site caters to our members from the Visayas, but overseas visitors are welcome, too! Accommodation is not expensive and there are interesting sites to visit, such as General Douglas McArthur's landing place at Leyte Gulf, where he fulfilled his promise, "I shall return!" Enjoy freshly cut coconuts and tropical fruits such as the durian, mango and papaya. Some say, "You haven't tasted pineapple till you have tried the Philippine variety!"
Travel to Leyte is via Manila, only one hour's flight northwest. Services are in English. For additional information, send e-mail to Mr. Dayrell Tanner at [email protected].
Don Carlos and Maranding (Southern Philippines)
The Festival sites in Don Carlos and Maranding cater to the majority of the Filipino brethren living on the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines. Don Carlos and Maranding are ideal for a younger person seeking to experience Philippine rural life with God's friendly, hospitable people. Modest hotel rooms with air conditioning are available at a low price (US$10 a night). Services in Maranding will be held in a mixture of English and Visayan. To reach Don Carlos and Maranding, one must fly from Manila to Cagayan de Oro, then travel by car. Before deciding to attend these sites, check your local embassy for any travel advisories, as caution is advised to westerners visiting this part of the country. For more information, contact Mr. Dayrell Tanner by e-mail at [email protected].
Davao City (Southern Philippines)
The Festival site in Davao City is also located on Mindanao. Feast services will be held at Hope Mountain Resort, located 10 km from downtown Davao City, two km to the nearest market, and 300 meters off the main road where there is transportation available 24 hrs a day. As the name suggests, the site is in a pretty mountainous area, with great views and welcoming breezes. There is a large covered area the size of a full basketball court that will be great for on-site activities. The place is well maintained and should be very nice during Feast time with all the grass at its greenest. We will have exclusive use of the facility throughout the Feast. The brethren can be accommodated there in dormitory-type rooms. We will be holding services at the Hope Mountain Resort, at a conference room on site. There is more upscale accommodation available in Davao City for those who may wish to stay off site and commute to Hope Mountain Resort daily. As with Don Carlos and Maranding, before deciding to attend Davao City for the Feast, check your local embassy for any travel advisories, as caution is advised to westerners visiting this part of the country. For more information, contact Mr. Dayrell Tanner by e-mail at [email protected].
Media
I am happy to announce that the Tomorrow's World telecast has been awarded the Silver Telly Award from the 28th Annual Telly Awards. This is the highest industry award that the Tomorrow's World program has ever received. In fact, according to the numbers from the Telly Awards, only around 7 percent of the 13,000 entries received are judged and awarded at the Silver level—which is the highest honor awarded by the Telly Awards. Congratulations to Dr. Meredith, Mr. Ames and the other telecast presenters on their Silver Telly win! While we're not doing the work for human awards, it's nice to have an independent professional panel of judges working in the television industry gauge our telecast, letting us know if we're moving in the right direction technically. God is guiding His Work through the tremendous leadership He has chosen.—Tom Baca, TV Production Manager
Comments
The Dynamics of Friendships: The Scriptures reveal that if we want to have friends we must learn to be friendly and that true friends are supportive during difficult times (Proverbs 17:17; 18:24). Friends are people with whom we can confide and share important thoughts and concerns (John 15:15). Real friends may not always agree with us, and sometimes they will tell us things about ourselves, our plans or actions that we need to hear, but may not want to hear (Proverbs 27:6, 17). The Bible cautions that we should choose our friends carefully because we are influenced by the company we keep (Proverbs 12:26). Abraham chose to be a friend of God by obeying His instructions to leave his former way of life (James 2:23; Genesis 12:14). Abraham understood that friendship with the world and its ways would alienate him from God (James 4:4). We need to remember that the friends we choose can have a powerful influence on our lives.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—May 31, 2007
The Euro Is Coming! The American dollar is slowly being replaced as the world's reserve currency. For now, the changeover to the Euro is occurring gradually, since nations with large dollar holdings do not want a sudden shift that would cause the dollar's value to plummet. Yet, as governments quietly adjust their reserve positions, a subtle weakening of the dollar is taking place. Central banks in Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan have quietly signaled their intention to reduce their dollar holdings (Dow Jones Newswire, February 5, 2006). China, which holds more than a trillion dollars, has already begun switching from dollars to euros (Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Letter, July 29, 2005). Oil suppliers increasingly demand euros, as Saddam Hussein first did in 2000 (though Iraq's current U.S.-supported government has returned to the dollar). Iran now accepts only euros for its petroleum, and Russia decided last June to do the same (Mosnews.com, June 8, 2006). Most of the world now hates U.S. foreign policy, yet the U.S. is dependent on foreign oil. America's enemies with large dollar holdings could bring the nation to its knees economically. The "almighty dollar" that so many have worshiped is losing its power. "As with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor. The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered, for the LORD has spoken this word" (Isaiah 24:2-3).
Dengue Fever Heading North! The deadly hemorrhagic dengue fever is becoming more common in Latin America—and now in Mexico, which has seen a 600 percent increase in reported cases as a result of warmer weather, migrating populations and lack of adequate mosquito abatement programs. The classic dengue is called "bone break fever" because of its severe flu-like effects, extreme pain in the joints, high fever, rashes and nausea. Hemorrhagic dengue is even worse, because it also causes internal and external bleeding that can result in death. According to a spokesman for the Mexican Social Security Institute, "It used to be seasonal, in the hottest, wettest months, and now in some regions we are seeing it practically all year." In Central and South American nations that depend on tourism, the threat of visitors contracting dengue fever is causing alarm. Earlier this year, the Canadian embassy in Mexico City issued a dengue alert, after five Canadian citizens were stricken in Puerto Vallarta (Associated Press, March 30, 2007). As immigrants and returning vacationers enter the United States and Canada, some will inevitably bring dengue fever with them. God warns that because of our national sins, "The LORD will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with severe burning fever…" (Deuteronomy 28:22).
"Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite!" This once-common catch-phrase is now rarely heard, since the bedbug was largely eradicated in the United States nearly 50 years ago. But the old saying may soon make a new comeback, as all 50 states are reporting recent outbreaks of the blood-sucking nocturnal creatures. In the last five years, pest control companies have reported a 71 percent increase in bedbug calls. Bedbugs have been found in airplanes, public seat cushions, college dormitories and even luxury hotels. Left untreated, a few bedbugs can create a colony of thousands within weeks. They lay eggs during the day, and then hide in beds, furniture, carpeting or clothing. At night, they suck blood, leaving itchy bumps on the skin and little blood spots on the sheets. Though they are not believed to pass diseases, they can rob you of sleep, and are very difficult to exterminate. Experts say bedbugs are making a comeback because of increased global travel and a shift toward less-toxic pest control. DDT was an effective tool for exterminating bedbugs, but has been banned in the U.S. since 1972 (San Francisco Chronicle, April 8, 2007). Information about preventing bedbug infestations at home or while you travel can be found online at bedbugger.com. As God continues to remove His protection from the British-descended peoples, retuning to the sanitation practices given in the book of Leviticus may help us find favor with our Creator.—Don Davis, Scott Winnail