Greetings everyone:
Some people start their reports with jokes. That's fine with me, but I prefer facts - like: Why do Americans say something and mean something else? For instance, why in the world do we call it Labor Day when most of us are "officially" expected to take off that particular day? Something for Professor Higgins to think about!
In the meantime, of course, God's Work moves on. Dr. Meredith inaugurated the new Headquarters television studio Wednesday, by taping two Tomorrow's World programs that will air November 5 and 12. However, technical problems prevented Mr. Ames from completing his taping, which has been rescheduled for Thursday, September 7. Mr. Ames said, "We are thankful for the time and cost that we are saving by having our own facility in operation, which is far more cost-effective than the in-house production facility that we were using prior to November 1998."
This week we received from the printer another batch of Dr. Winnail's "The Real God" booklet. Before the Feast we also plan to reprint Dr. Meredith's "Should you be baptized?" booklet and two more old Global booklets - Dr. Meredith's "Your Ultimate Destiny" and Mr. Ogwyn's "Beast of Revelation."
The Editorial Department further reports that it has started production on the November/December Tomorrow's World magazine. Articles will be about the upcoming presidential election, the year-ending holidays, conquering space, watching world events and the story behind how our modern world has been shaped. This issue will be mailed to subscribers in mid October during the Feast of Tabernacles.
Members should be receiving the pre-Feast Living Church News by mid September. This issue was to have featured a new ministerial listing center section, but due to some formatting problems, it will be delayed until the post-Feast issue.
Lesson 9 of the Bible Study Course is expected to go to the printer next week. Preliminary edits have been made to Lessons 10, 11 and 12. Mr. John Ogwyn hopes to complete the editing of Lessons 13 and 14 in the near future.
Do you know where the Solomon Islands are? You should, because we have a little flock over there. Here are excerpts from a letter written to Mr. Kinnear Penman by one of our members, "I've been on leave because of of the tension on Guadalcanal […] Things have improved somewhat but still far from normalcy. My school has been closed indefinitely because of the tension and I'll be finishing off from Telekom by next month […] Our house in the bush is the only one left in the village. Every other houses (more than 20) were burnt down by Malatia Eagle […] We are very thankful to our Heavenly Father for saving our house and for your prayers. Please continue to pray for us and of course God's Work in Solomon Islands."
According to Mr. Jonathan McNair, four responses were received from our two programs in Guyana, and some former PT subscribers have contacted him for counseling.
Mr. Ray Clore, who will be in Paris for at least two years because of his employment, has already been a great help to our French brethren. He is regularly in contact with me and seems to be happy to be in the French capital. (I ask you, who wouldn't be?)
THE FEAST:
The individual Fall HDO envelopes were sent today. The HDO packets and video sermons will be sent on Tuesday.
HOUSING RESERVATION (please announce in services)
Mr. Gary Ullerick, our Festival coordinator in Alaska, informs us that the room reservations at the hotel we are using in Alaska are only about one half of what we contracted for. We may have eventually have enough people register to stay at that hotel but it will probably be at the last moment. Since other Feast sites may encounter similar problems, we suggest that you make the following announcement: "It would greatly facilitate the planning at various festival sites if those planning to stay at hotels where we have housing contracts would make their reservations as soon as possible. At some sites we may release the reserved blocks of rooms before the Feast begins in order not to have to pay for unreserved rooms."
Well, that will be all for today. I had better sign off with my usual greeting and say, "Have a wonderful Sabbath y'all!"
Dibar Apartian