Letter to the Brethren: March 21, 2024

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:

Greetings from Grover Beach, California.

We remain out of our offices and are into cramped aisles in the warehouse as our ceilings are in the process of being replaced because of water damage related to the tornado that hit last month. Because of the construction, the church telephone line (which is analog and unreachable from where we now are) is still not functional and probably may not be for another week or two. However, email still works. Sorry for any difficulties this may cause some of you.

On other matters, we have continued to search for an appropriate the location for the Feast of Tabernacles for the USA this year. We have a tentative agreement now in Galveston, Texas and plan to announce more details once we receive a contract and the deal is finalized.

In terms of proclamation and preparing for the short work of Romans 9:28, we received another 20 translations of our English booklet titled The Gospel of the Kingdom of God this week. The work of reaching the world with a witness of the good news of the Kingdom of God (Matthew 24:14) continues.

We also ordered hundreds of The Bible Hymnal as well as other books/booklets to send to Africa, which we hope will arrive in the late Spring. While we do print literature in Africa, for some items it is less expensive to print in the USA and then ship in a slow container to get there, and that is something we have been working to arrange.

Monarch Butterflies and a Richard Close Related Sermon

According to Google Maps, the Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove  is about 1.3 miles away from our office in Grover Beach. It is free to visit, though sometimes parking can be tricky (which is also free).

Myself,  wife Joyce, and son David tend to visit it about once or twice a year when the monarch butterflies are there. For Central California, that tends to be between late November and early February.

While David has no real interest in the butterflies, one of the paths in the small Monarch Butterfly Grove leads to the beach, so we almost always walk over to the beach after seeing the butterflies.

One thing that has always stood out as interesting about the monarch butterflies is that they end up congregating on the same trees year after year. One of the reasons that is interesting is that the actual butterflies on the trees have never been in the area before. Nor have their parents nor grandparents.

Other people, including the late Richard Close, have been fascinated by many aspects of monarch butterflies, including their life cycle. Richard Close was a long time member of the Church of God. He was ordained a deacon in 1989. He lived in Towanda, Pennsylvania. He came with the Continuing Church of God in 2015. He died in 2022.

Richard Close speaking at the Feast of Tabernacles in New Brunswick

Recently, Dawn Parr sent me a written transcript of a message that Richard Close gave many years back as a possible sermon. Anyway after reading it, I edited it, added more scriptures, as well as some additional information and comments, so that is now the recommended sermon for the week. Here is a link to the related sermon: Christian Growth: Consider the Monarch. You are likely to find out several interesting aspects of monarch butterflies, as well as hopefully consider some lessons about Christian growth.

Congo and the Rwanda

Moise Nshimiyimana of Rwanda sent the following photo from the Congo and sent a report from Rwanda:

Dear Pastor Dr Bob , Greetings from Rwanda and Congo.

Dear Pastor, the brothers and sisters from Congo are very grateful for the help you gave them about food because it helped them a lot in the terrible war situation they are in . Attached is a photo while they praise God for it.

Also in Rwanda we are very grateful because you help us to find what we need  in work of God, especially to gather together for the Passover we are waiting.

All will help in the development of the ministry of God.

Sincerely,

Moïse.

We are glad that we could provide some aid to our brethren in the Congo and Rwanda (cf. Galatians 6:10).

Tomato Plants in Mozambique

Pastor Radson Mulozowa sent the following photo along with a couple of brief statements:

Tomato farming in Mozambique

The fruits of your funds

Thus some of the aid we sent for food for Mozambique was used to buy tomato plants which are being grown there by brethren, which will provide more food than simply direct food (some of which was also provided).

Suggested Sabbath Day Services