Weekly Update

Greetings everyone:

My wife and I had a wonderful visit to Albuquerque, New Mexico last Sabbath. It was good to visit Mr. and Mrs. Glen Gilchrist, although due to flu in the family we were unable to stay with them in their home. Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Roach very graciously waited up for our late arrival, providing us with a comfortable room. After Sabbath service in Albuquerque, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Aguirre hosted a lovely potluck dinner for all the brethren, in such a warm and friendly manner. We felt right at home!

CHURCH ADMINISTRATION:

Some of you may be unaware that the Church has a special service for the sight and hearing impaired, and for shut-ins.

Selected sermons, Tomorrow's World, Living Church News magazines and all the booklets are available on audio tape. Transcripts of sermons and telecasts are produced for the deaf. If anyone in your area needs any of these materials, send us their name and address. Be sure to let us know the nature and duration of the person's disability.

We provide this service to help those who genuinely need it, but we request that those who do not qualify as handicapped use the library copies provided to each Church.

FESTIVAL SITES FOR 2001

I am repeating last week's announcement concerning Feast sites for the United States for 2001. The United States sites are: Florence, Oregon; Jackson, Wyoming; Tucson, Arizona; Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri; Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; Panama City, Florida.

The two locations being finalized are Glenrose, Texas and Ocean City, Maryland. Contracts are now in process for these two sites.

Canadian sites will again be at Cranbrook, B.C; Saint Sauveur, Quebec; and Prince Edwards Island.

There will also be a site in France, and a new site in the Republic of Ireland.

Mr. Kinnear Penman, New Zealand:

"You will recall after the feast writing a letter to the village council of Orap who had ordered our members to leave. I am delighted to let you know that your letter has wrought favour for us. The members have been accorded permission to stay. One lady said that a village elder had said the council was 'very impressed' that an overseas church headquarters would write thus on behalf of their members. And it was the first time ever they had received a letter from overseas!"

Mr. Penman continued to explain that another problem has developed in another protestant village. A "chief took umbrage at me being in the village and ordered me to leave." "… I took the whispered advice I was offered and did not respond; the scene got nasty and I thought it wise not to stand upon the Constitution which gave me the right to be there. The chief also refused to allow the only truck owner for miles to carry Jerry and me away! So, we walked for a couple of hours that night until we came to a friend who let us sleep in their hut. Then, the next morning another three hours brought us to a truck, which we were able to charter. This village of Benenaveth is of the Big Nambas tribe who in 1969 had the last publicly known cannibal feast in Vanuatu. Incidentally, we now have a nice little group in Benenaveth and the next village of Tenmaru." Mr. Penman then requested a letter to be written by Mr. Apartian to the chief concerning this and another matter.

Mr. Mario Hernandez, Mexico (from San Diego):

Last week we reported on Mr. Hernandez' very successful public lectures in Mexico City. Mr. Hernandez is visiting Mexico City twice per month now in order to build the Church and visit new respondents to the broadcast who are requesting counsel and baptism. Also, Mr. Hernandez will soon be moving into his brand new office which will be much more convenient as it is near the TV Studio, where he does most of his recording work.

Mr. Jonathan McNair, Caribbean (from Baton Rouge, LA):

Mr. McNair reported that the TV program in Jamaica is producing consistent responses by telephone and by letters.

Mr. Rod McNair, Philippines (from Sacramento):

Mr. McNair is en route home from Manila, Philippines as I write. He reported that both Mr. Gorgonio de Guia and Mr. Tex Benitez have obtained visas permitting them to attend the ministerial conference next month. He also wrote: "We had a wonderful picnic last Sunday, with most of the Metro-Manila brethren, at the Quezon City Memorial Circle. We had good weather except for a few hard showers, which actually cooled things off a bit! A potluck was followed by a sing-along and fellowshipping. We even held a Board meeting [required by law annually] and a Leadership meeting under one of the tiny pavilions—in the rain!"

CONCLUSION:

I hope that you have had a good week. Day by day and week by week, our lives are a living witness to our faith and true indicator of our innermost belief. Jesus said, " A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45).

Our happiness and sense of well being is a reflection of what we are inside ourselves, not of the physical things we posses. "If happiness truly consisted in physical ease and freedom from care, then the happiest individual would not be either a man or a woman; it would be, I think, an American cow," wrote William Lyon Phelps.

I hope that you have a great Sabbath and weekend.

Carl E. McNair