Hello everyone,
We have a little over one week left before the Feast of Pentecost is here! Never a dull moment in God's Church. Several will be going out from HQ for the Pentecost weekend. Mr. Dibar Apartian will be in Martinique and Mr. and Mrs. Richard Ames will be in Oklahoma City. Mr. and Mrs. Meredith will be traveling out to visit congregations in the field as well. So enjoy the treat of having these long-time servants of God visiting in your areas from time to time. It is a treat for them as well.
CHURCH ADMINISTRATION
A Thank You From The McNair Family
Mr. Jonathan McNair writes: The last five months have been a trying time for our family, particularly for my mother. As my father's health deteriorated, and the pain increased, she suffered along with him. I know that there are many of our brethren around the world who are facing the same type of trial.
But as we look back on the past months, and particularly the time shortly before and after my father's death, one thing that helped to ease the suffering was the love and concern from so many people. The cards, letters, phone calls and e-mails just kept coming from people around the world. I know that they buoyed my father's spirits. And I know that the love and concern that so many have shown has continued to be a source of great encouragement for my mother.
It's hard not to wonder why God allowed my father's human life to end. But at the same time, I can't help but wonder if part of the reason is to galvanize us and bond us together as a Church. Perhaps this is part of the reason why God has allowed so many others to suffer with severe health problems—to really teach us to exercise the love and concern for each other that Christ said identified His Church.
Again, on behalf of my mother, and all of our family, we give a heartfelt thank you to everyone for their concern, prayers, and love.
Burma (Myanmar) Update
Mr. Bruce Tyler writes: I just received the following from Mehm Pho Saw in Thailand: "I have got letters from Mrs. Saw Lay Beh and Saw Khing Maung Gyi of Sakhan Gyi this morning. They are very pleased and thank all of us for our small presents of medicines, clothes and few dietary food which we have sent via Saw Law Eh (Saw Khing Maung Gyi's son in law) in late April.
I thank God for given us mailing contact with Sakhan Gyi. They are very thirsty for communication with brethren from outside of their country. They can be able to contact me by telephone for the future although they are not healthy enough as it takes about two hours by boat from to Myaung Mya Telecommunication Office."
Trip To South America
Mr. Mario Hernandez writes: On Thursday, April 1, I arrived in Bogota, Colombia. The next day, April 2, I arrived in Medellin. The average attendance for the Sabbath and the First Day of Unleavened Bread was 56. It was a joyous gathering of all the Living Church of God groups in Colombia and Venezuela. They all came to Medellin, known as the Mountain Capital, to celebrate the Feast of the Lord. On Tuesday, April 6, First Day of Unleavened Bread, I had the joy and privilege to ordain Mr. Armando Orrego a local elder. The brethren were thrilled, it was a very moving occasion.
On Tuesday, April 6, I flew all night from Colombia to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Forty people attended the public lecture. Some of them traveled over two hours in order to attend. People stayed for two and a half hours and did not seem to want to leave.
The next day, Thursday, April 8, I traveled from Buenos Aires to Bahia Blanca and on Friday evening we had our first public lecture in a city with a population of 350,000. Twenty-three new people, 90% of those that were invited, attended the public lecture.
I spent the weekly Sabbath of the Feast of Unleavened Bread with our brethren in Bahia Blanca. On Sunday, April 11, I departed and headed towards Santiago de Chile in order to spend there the last day of Unleavened Bread. The group in Santiago that used to be four people a few years ago has grown to 27.
Canada Update
Mr. Gerald Weston writes: The west is hot these days. The last two months have seen a large number of visitors in Calgary, Grande Prairie, and Edmonton with 9 in March and 10 in April. Vancouver had 10 first time visitors in April and set a record high attendance with 38 on April 24. We do not anticipate all will continue with us, but some likely will. April set a record high weekly average in Canada with 464.
Feast of Tabernacles 2004—Please Read This Announcement at Sabbath Services
There are just 18 and one half weeks until the opening night service for the 2004 Feast of Tabernacles! Time is flying by in the Festival Office and we need everyone's help to finish planning for the Feast.
Member households around the country are receiving their copy of the Festival Planner 2004 in the mail. Please read carefully the instructions/descriptions of the Feast site you would like to attend before sending in the very important Pre-Registration / Transfer Request / Volunteer Service Form included in the mailing. A postpaid envelope is enclosed to help everyone speed the form back to Charlotte.
If you plan to attend the Feast with family or friends from another part of the country, please make your arrangements with them now, so you can coordinate the sending in of any transfer requests. The policy is one-in-one-out regarding transfer approvals, so please send in your form as soon as you can. This way we will send the transfer approvals early enough for you to make all your travel and housing arrangements.
At this time we do not expect any problems in approving transfer requests to overseas sites. However, the Festival Office must have a transfer request form before official approval is granted. So, all those who wish to attend an overseas site, please get your form in quickly.
Transferring or not, we need the Pre-Registration Form from everyone to help us plan for the number of people who wish to attend each site. Thank you for your help.
A SPECIAL NOTE FROM MR. RODERICK C. MEREDITH (To Be Read During This Sabbath Services)
Dear Brethren,
I normally don't write for The World Ahead "Update" but feel impelled to do so at this particular time. First, I want all of you brethren to know that there will be no co-worker letter at the end of May. It, as usual, is being replaced by the semi-annual and, this year, we also got out the special member letter regarding the church-wide fast. I do ask you to pray fervently that God will bless the response to the semi-annual letter—add many more co-workers and donors and inspire people to write for the booklet and to understand the vital part of divine healing as part of the true Christian life. Also I hope all of you brethren can continue to fast, study and pray more than ever and ask God to build within you the genuine faith we need as a Church so that the "accompanying signs" Jesus mentioned will be with us as we preach the gospel in these last days.
Secondly, I sincerely feel I should share with you the fact that our offerings during Unleavened Bread were below normal on both Holy Days! The first offering was lower than normal. But the second offering during Unleavened Bread was actually negative compared to the same offering a year earlier!
What's wrong?
If our hearts are in the Work—as they should be—I ask that all of you will join me in praying that God will move His people to give generously on the coming Pentecost offering. As the summer "vacation season" approaches, we certainly needed this influx of funds to keep on growing and serving and to accomplish what I know God wants us to. I do not ask anyone to give beyond his means. But I do hope and pray that all of us who can will show the zeal we should for giving generously to the Work of the living Christ at this time—Roderick C. Meredith
Have a wonderful Sabbath!
Charles E. Bryce