Greetings!
You surely have heard of team work, haven't you? Well, here is a sample of it. Before leaving (no, not for his "heavenly" Montana but for the Living Youth Camp in Michigan) Mr. Carl McNair began this report but didn't have time to finish it. In his message to me, he said, "Add what you think appropriate and send it out for me".
However, before adding what I think "appropriate", here is his report:
Greetings everyone:
Summer heat and drought continues in parts of the US. Wildfires continue one in Colorado and now one in "heavenly" Montana—at Canyon Ferry, near Helena. Man continues to struggle against nature and against his fellow man. Like the refrain of the song which was popular in the sixties, "when will they ever learn?"
Mr. Meredith has been working hard at writing this week. Next month there is a Council of Elders meeting August 14 through 17, and the beginning of the new TV season, so he has much work to do in preparation for the new season.
My wife and I leave for Milwaukee tomorrow. From Milwaukee, we continue on to Michigan to visit the Living Youth Camp. We will return to San Diego August 7. So, Mr. Apartian will update you next week and possibly the week following.
REPORT FROM THE CARIBBEAN AREA
by Jonathan McNairThe Caribbean work continues to grow slowly. While the brethren in the Caribbean have problems unique to their area, they also are experiencing problems similar to the rest of the world:
Jamaica: From Mr. Hugh Wilson, Elder:
"We carried out a feast registration last Sabbath and 30 adults and 8 children registered. Five persons needed assistance and this can be met from the local excess second tithe account. we estimate about 30 persons will be coming from overseas.
Further to my last e-mail, we are also considering purchasing Quick-Books accounting software package to do the financial statements."Trinidad: From Mr. Ramsumair Sookram, Host:
"Now to something that happened this week. Last Thursday I left home at about 4.40 a.m. for the airport to take a flight to Tobago. I was on my way to finalize feast-housing arrangements. I was walking to the main road to get a taxi. Suddenly a car pulled up from behind me, and a young man got out and pointed a gun in my face, cursing and threatening to shoot me. He took my wallet and bag with all the feast documents I had. Apparently there were more men in the car. The whole episode must have taken a minute or less. The fellow appeared to be half crazed, and I am sure he would have shot me if I had shown any sign of hesitation.
The car just sped away after the incident, leaving me very shaken. I am sure, however, that God had protected me, since there have been two murders and other shootings, and rapes in my area over the last few weeks. Two days before a teacher who lived just a few houses away was hijacked in his car and then murdered.
I lost some money, I. D., driver's permit, plane ticket, calculator, a carrying bag, and other items. Ii will need to get to Tobago next week but I definitely will not be using public transport to/from the airport.
I have learned some lessons. We have to be very careful and avoid risks, things are not getting better, and we, as God's people are not immune from dangerous situations."
Carl McNair
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And now, here is my brief, "appropriate" additions to Mr. McNair's report:
From Mr. Owino, in Kenya:
The Feast is planned to be held at Mombassa's north coast, on Bamburi Beach. It is a beautiful beach resort with both Chalet and apartment accommodation facilities. On the issue of my civil marriage, it has been fixed for Tuesday, August 1, 2000 at 11:00 a.m. at the Registrar of Marriages Offices.
From Jonathan McNair :
We are thrilled to be able to go on our new TV station in Guyana, Channel Nine, once a week.
From Bruce Tyler, Australia:
We've been very busy here. It's like the end of the Australian Tax year (30/June/00). The government just introduced a GST (VAT) and our costs on everything increased 10% overnight. I visited 11 new people last week here in Brisbane. I already invited one to services. Another three will be with us shortly.
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Finally, here is a tip from Mr. Tom Turner that may prove to be useful to you:
"Whenever you are counseling with an individual on a matter that a civil court might later construe as 'non-spiritual', ask your counselee during the counseling session if he or she has sought you out in your professional capacity as a spiritual advisor. If they respond in the affirmative, as will most often be the case, then you will be in a position to inform a court at a later date of this important information should you be called to testify about the conversation. It is almost certain that any civil court will consider such a conversation to be privileged".
Thanks again to all of you for your faithfulness and hard work.
Dibar Apartian