Weekly Update

August 23rd, 2001

Greetings everyone:

We are now in the final phase of "dog days" as some call mid-summer here in the USA. I presume that expression has come down to us from the American Indians through our pioneer forefathers. I have heard the expression all of my life, but I never asked my parents for a full explanation of what it means and its source.

Mr. Meredith and Mr. Ames spent the day taping new programs for next season's telecast. I expect it has gone well, though it is always a challenge to renew after an extended "lay-off."

My wife left me again. She is in Minnesota caring for our grandchildren while their parents take a few days off. Can you imagine parents needing time away from such wonderful children as my grandchildren? Wimps!

BUSINESS OFFICE

Notice To Ministers — August 2, 2001

Mr. Jerry Ruddlesden – Business Office

The purpose of this memo is to ask your assistance in locating suitable applicants for a position here at Headquarters. Lisa Parman, who has been working as our Buyer for one and one half years, will be moving sometime after the Feast. Lisa has been an excellent addition to our team here at Headquarters and we are sorry to see her and her husband move. It is our hope to find someone who has good communication skills and a positive attitude. A brief job description follows.

Any recommendations or resumes can be sent to Human Resources in care of Suzanne Pyle. The fax number is 858-673-0310. Thank you for your help.

Buyer

Compiles information and records to prepare purchase orders for various Church departments including the Fleet Program. Obtains quotes, generates and processes requisitions, and maintains related records. Verifies bills from suppliers with bids and purchase orders for payment processing. Relies on skill acquired through considerable training and experience. Position requires initiative. This position reports to Assistant Controller. Must be computer literate, with a strong background in Microsoft Word, Excel and Lotus Spreadsheets, Peachtree and QuickBooks Accounting and Access Data Base. Requires a minimum of high school diploma with 4 years experience in an office environment.

INTERNATIONAL

News From Southern Africa

More than 60,000 postal articles, of which some included up to five booklets and/or reprint articles, were sent out during the past year in South Africa. These mailings have been continuing in spite of postal costs that increased at an average of 60% per year for the last four years. All of the work of translating and mailing is done from Mr. & Mrs. Syd Hull's home in Johannesburg.

Mr. Hull held a successful lecture in Cape Town earlier this year. He plans to hold a Tomorrow's World Lecture in Pretoria in September, and in George during the Feast of Tabernacles for all our readers in those areas.

Please pray for peace and safety for our brethren in South Africa.

FESTIVAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Arklow, Ireland

Transportation from Dublin airport to the Feast site in Arklow: Rental cars are best obtained at the Dublin airport. Public transport from the airport to the center of Dublin is frequent and inexpensive. The tourist information booth at the airport can provide helpful information. City bus (#747) goes to the city center. Blue Air Coach buses leave from the front door of the airport terminal for Connelly Railroad station (which is directly across the street from the bus station every 15 minutes (cost is 4 pounds one way for the 30-minute ride). Trains stopping at Arklow (final destination is Rosslare) leave several times a day (about 9 am, 1 pm, and about 5:30 pm) from Connelly station. Train fair is 14.50 pounds roundtrip for the 2-hour ride. The train trip is a scenic ride along the coast and through inland valleys. Eireann buses stopping at Arklow leave the Dublin bus station about every 2 hours.

Accommodations in Dublin: Hotels in downtown Dublin can be expensive. A number of reasonable Bed & Breakfast facilities are located within walking distance of the Skylon Hotel. The hotel about 15 minutes north from the city center and is on the main bus route from the airport to Dublin. The bus driver will stop at the hotel if you ask. Excursions from the Skylon Hotel to the city center can be made on local buses that stop directly across from the hotel. The Comfort Inn in downtown Dublin also has more reasonable prices (check the Comfort Inn website).

For more specific information contact: Douglas Winnail at [email protected] or 011-353-41-987-3386. (Ireland is 8 hours ahead of San Diego time and 5 hours ahead of NY)

Lake of the Ozarks

Volunteers are needed at Lake of the Ozarks festival site.  If you would like to serve as an usher, help direct the parking of cars, or contribute special music  during services, please let us know.  Also, if you have experience leading a choir and would like to attend Lake of the Ozarks and help in this capacity, please contact Gerald Weston at 816 228-2035 or by e-mail at:  [email protected].  If you are unable to reach Mr. Weston, please contact James Wells at 816 358-9606.

Tucson, AZ

Would those interested in serving in the choir or with special music in Tucson, please contact Mr.David Polosky at 602-788-1496 or by Email at [email protected]

CONCLUSION

Having Internet exposure, I quite frequently I receive an appeal such as the following received today:

"Having gone through your profile, I am convinced and pleased to contact you for some assistance and business relationship. I am a widow, who live in Nigeria [...] my late husband was a […] hardworking businessman who died unfortunately in an auto crash."

The thing continues on informing me that if I will send certain banking information they will convey to my account so many millions of dollars, etc. While some of the stories are quite innovative and even entertaining, I consider these things very closely related to the Arizona Diamondback Rattlesnake!

Would you believe that some folks have actually responded to such solicitations?

The result is quite predictable—the solicitor empties the sucker's bank account, and sometimes manages to "steal the identity" of the victim, putting him or her into debt for thousands of dollars.

While it is impossible to filter out all of the garbage that floods our e-mail box, it is incomprehensible that we would get caught in such a scam. The real appeal is the vision of millions of dollars one could receive for doing nothing.

I will be leaving next Wednesday with my son Rod for Manila, then I will go on to Southeast Asia to visit Mr. Bruce Tyler and Mr. Rajan Moses in Kuala Lumpur, Mr. Thomas Tiel Hoe in Myanmar and brethren in Thailand before returning to the USA. I look forward to visiting brethren in these places before the Feast of Tabernacles. If all goes well I should be home the day before the Feast of Trumpets.

Mr. Apartian and Debbie Lincoln-Strange will handle your needs while I am gone. Dorothy will be in Montana most of the time, so she will not be in the office to help you. However, you may phone her in Montana if you wish to get a message to me. Please pray for safe travel for our ministers in the Philippines as they journey to Manila for a conference. Our ministers all around the world are constantly traveling by air and by surface transportation, and you know the dangers in much travel, even though our mode of travel is much improved over the foot and the donkey used in the days of the Apostles.

Have a great Sabbath and travel safely.

Carl E. McNair

P.S.
My apology to those of you in International areas. For some reason my computer is not functioning properly when I attach a file as in yesterday's message.