On Thursday, October 3, Mr. Meredith hosted a luncheon with some of the headquarters staff. All ministers and staff gave encouraging reports on the Feast sites they attended.
WEB UPDATE:
Last week, the official Church Web sites received their first documented contact from the former Soviet republic of Georgia. This brings to 158 the number of countries known to have visited Living Church of God Web sites.
Lafayette & Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Most of you in the USA were aware that a hurricane with the potential to do great destruction approached the Louisiana coast this week. The following report from Jonathan McNair, the Pastor of Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Alexandria, LA, reveals God's intervention on behalf of His people!
October 3, 2002
"Just wanted to let you know that everything is fine here. Nobody that I'm aware of has been hurt, or had any major damage to their homes. The storm reached level 4 hurricane strength winds before it made landfall, with sustained wind speeds just under 150 mph, which would have bumped it up to level 5 (Catastrophic).
"Before it made landfall, the expected track curled from north-northwest to a more northerly track, which put Baton Rouge directly in its path. As it made landfall, however, the winds drastically dropped off. A Baton Rouge meteorologist made the statement on the TV news that this development would be the subject of Ph.D. papers for years to come—as they have no way of explaining the way the storm suddenly began to disintegrate. The storm track finally went almost directly through Lafayette, LA, that is west of Baton Rouge.
"Many trees went down and electrical power was interrupted in Lafayette, as well as 75 miles or so in either direction. In Lafayette, sustained wind speed was clocked at 80 mph with gusts in the 90s. The winds continued throughout mid-day, winding down in the evening. Everyone in the Church is fine, but it sure has given us a sense of the damage that could easily have been done had it continued to be a level 4 hurricane."
Report from Australia—Mr. Bruce Tyler
The following letter from Arius Nusantara, edited for clarity, expresses his deep appreciation for the benefits he received through his visit to keep the Feast in Malaysia.
Dear Mr. Tyler,
I want to thank you for the precious opportunity you gave me to attend the Feast of Tabernacles in Langkawi Island, Malaysia. As a matter of fact, this visit was very important for me as well as for the growth of the brethren in Indonesia. Mr. Moses taught me about many things that I have to learn and see. As a result, now I know how to conduct the Feast, Sabbath services and make Feast programs. Also I brought home helpful resources including booklets, articles and magazines. I am sure they will play an important role here in Indonesia in the future since the brethren may understand hundreds of precious lessons written by Mr. Armstrong and other respected ministers over the years from Worldwide Church of God, Global Church of God and finally Living Church of God. Apart from the resources on CDs and book form, I also had an opportunity to interview and hear golden experiences concerning Sabbath keeping and God's blessings among the Malaysian brethren.
I do not find words to express my feelings to such letters. I receive requests weekly from persons who profess to be ministers of Christ, asking for our support of their "work in the gospel." I read each one carefully, but rarely do we find one who is obedient and willing to serve God. When God is working with someone, and when they respond obediently and humbly to His will, it is a great joy to us. But, the only way we can really know the fruits in a person's life is by a personal visit by an experienced minister.
I appreciate the work of the ministry around the world. I especially appreciate the work our ministers are doing in the international areas. Their visits and their work is not a holiday experience! None of the international ministers spend time on the glamorous beach resorts.
Please remember the entire ministry in your daily prayers. Without God's divine protection and guidance our efforts would be futile. But we are engaged in the very Work of God, to reach those whose hearts are fixed on God and His Kingdom.
I will close with the following beautiful saying that Mr. Apartian passed on to me (in French):
"La PERFECTION, ce n'est pas de faire quelque chose de grand ET de beau, mais de faire ce que l'on fait avec GRANDEUR et BEAUTE."
My translation into "American" English is:
"Perfection is not just to do something great and beautiful, but to do what one does with distinction and beauty."
Have a GREAT Sabbath, and please travel safely and keep well.
Carl E. McNair