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| Festival of Tabernacles 2009 Reports Estonia (from Viktor Kubik, United Church of God) From October 2 to 10, 2009, 90 people from Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Sweden, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada and the United States came together to observe the Festival. We started on the island of Saaremaa, at a Spa hotel. This was particularly enjoyable for our 20 young people who enjoyed all the various pools. 
From Latvia we had 20 come from a church that now keeps the Sabbath and Holy Days/Festivals. Their pastor Robert Schultz spoke to us about how they came to understand some of the fundamental beliefs of the United Church of God through the Internet. The 2006 Israel Lebanon war led them to find the booklet Middle East in Prophecy. That led to the Good News and the United Church of God.
Our Festival Theme this year was "Christ-Centered Servant Leadership in the World Tomorrow." Sermons touched on the rebuilding of the earth and the rehabilitation of society that will take place in the beginning of the Millennium. We were blessed to have elders Johnnie Lambert, Randy Schreiber, Phil Sandilands, Roland Clark and others who provided a good variety and depth in speaking.
A highlight event was an evening gathering where some of our brethren told their stories. Klogay and Margaret Doh, Karen refugees from Thailand, who have been resettled to Finland, told about their life in refugee camps and their new life in Finland. Margaret's sister in North Carolina was featured in the festival video as one of the refugees resettled in the United States. Other stories were told by Mandy Heathcote, formerly from Zimbabwe and now in New Zealand, Artur Aleksandrov, Russian Estonian living in Tallinn, Rainer and Margit Barth formerly from East Germany, Vello Saar, UCG member in Cincinnati, who was born on Saaremaa.
For the second half of the festival we travelled to the 1000 year-old city of Tartu. Click here for more pictures and short videos of the festival in Estonia. Chiang Mai, Thailand (from Leon Sexton, Legacy Institute) Click here for text and pictures. Jerusalem (from Don Esposito, Congregation of Yhwh) We had an extremely terrific festival in Jerusalem and I can honestly say that it was one of my best festivals ever in 27 years of celebrating Yahweh’s Holy Days. I don’t think we ever had so many people who were with us all saying the same positive things. It was especially special for all the first-timers to the land who were with us, and they expressed their extreme gratitude for the wonderful time that we all shared together. We also had the largest amount of brethren worldwide who were celebrating with us via the internet. Besides the extreme joy of simply being in Israel and seeing and experiencing so many things, we are also blessed to be able to rent a whole complex to ourselves in the Old City of Jerusalem, where we all can eat together and fellowship and experience the joy of Yahweh’s feasts as a family, the way He intended it. The pilgrimage we took was also one of the best we ever experienced. The brethren were extremely co-operative and the spirit was one that was filled with joy. We were able to do so much, from riding camels to sleeping in a Bedouin tent and traveling all throughout the land from the southern desert to the Northern border of Syria and Lebanon. I personally invite all of you to truly consider spending a festival with us in the future and see for yourself the wonderful things that Yahweh has in store for those who love Him and keep His commandments. It will change your life and you will never read the bible the same again after actually experiencing seeing our promised land and visually broadening your bible perspective. Tamil Nadu (Southern India) (from Michael R. Hubert hubertmr@gmail.com) I am highly delighted to send this report, which was possible as a miracle. Actually I was so much sad if this feast could happen at all, no resources. However, God never lets things go in vain. There were good and generous hearts who sent some support to move this forward. We had a wonderful feast for all the eight days, with lots of joy in heart, enough food to spare, and love to share more abundantly. There were about 267 brethren including children from different locations, such as Chennai [Madras], Vellore areas, Tiruvallur areas, Kanchipuram areas etc. Let me tell you, the harvest is plentiful and resources are almost nil. Yet the commitment to feed the flock and evangelize is the clear mandate. We had hymns and services in tamil. The brethren made some small contributions on both high days. It was minimal in financial standards, but precious to God. We hired a small mini van for travel to go to many places. Some of the notable sermons on these trips were the parable of tares, where you would see in the photographs of women from the paddy field removing the fake corn plants away, which was so coincidental to the village situation preaching. You would see cows leading the master (lady in the cow photos), which shows MR. HWA's emphasis from Isaiah 41. The ox knows his master but Israel has forgotten its God. We offered saris to the elderly and weak, and you would see some of the houses have been washed away in the monsoon. We gave some toys and gifts to a small school which was close to our feast place. Yes, lots of things to be done. Please pray for the support. Thanks.
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Friends in Need In September we left for equatorial Africa. It's not a glorious place, no safaris there, not a land of plenty, not a place for vacations, not known for its beautiful buildings or resorts, not a place of comfort. Why do we want to go there? It's a place where the history and culture are dark. A history of slave trading and a culture of war and bloodshed, and chieftain homes built of mud mixed with blood. Ruins of slave holding pens are still there. Benin is still a center for voodoo and animism, animal and snake worship, witchcraft, so why do we want to go? When I use the word "we", I don't mean just my wife and I, but rather the inclusive concept of we, as a part of the body of Christ, doing a part of what the body of Christ should be doing. A new song by Casting Crowns includes the lyrics,
"If we are the body, why aren't his arms reaching, why aren't his hands healing, why aren't his words teaching, why aren't his feet going? Why is his love not showing them that there is a way?" We, as part of his body, reach out to the needy, to those who live in spiritual darkness or in spiritually dark places. As we reach out, in various ways, with his word and his way, we often hold back from reaching out to third world countries, where it is the darkest and where the needs are the greatest and where our dollar can go the farthest. Why? It's a question that includes how can we best help, what can we provide that would help the most? How would our literature and our preaching help those who speak other languages? For example, we visited a congregation of about 150 persons, and 17 languages were represented. That begs the question, who. Who could speak to them in their language, who would also be converted, who would be dedicated, who would do follow up ministry, who would feed the flock, who would be zealous, who would be trained to lead, and most of all, who would be trustworthy? These questions and more form barriers to an outreach. They are barriers to the body of Christ in its outreach to the most needy places and peoples. They are barriers to bearing much fruit on the vine, as our Father desires, fruit for the lowly, weak and base of nations and tongues,among the poorest of the world. The matter of how do we help and whom do we trust weighed heavy on my mind for over ten years. We all need to be involved in outreach, including to these places. We need to be doers of good works, as many scriptures admonish. We must know who and how! There are thousands of great stories and holy sounding pleas coming from dark places where the needy are, but many are clever scams. I read of congregations who supported a mission in Africa for a year, and then visited them only to find gross fraud. Matthew 24:12 tells the result; "and because of iniquity (wickedness), the love of many shall wax cold." Most of us are both careful and fearful of giving because of fraud, yet for our love to grow cold and for us to hold back from good works to the poor makes us unfruitful on his vine. Why Benin? Because the Lord has made the way there easier for us. • Other languages? Yes, Michael Porter speaks several tribal languages plus French and English • Converted? Yes, Michael grew up Muslim and converted to Christianity. He learned English in London, and returned to Africa to serve his people and to teach them Christianity. He and his wife Stella have labored for 30 years in this work • Able, Committed, Dedicated, Zealous,? Yes! • The Sabbath? Over ten years ago, Michael was a student in a Bible class, and pressed on the Sabbath question, studied it further, and so both his family and the flock he was feeding keep the Sabbath • Feast? About nine years ago, Michael found a place to use a computer and sent out requests for information on how modern Christians keep the feasts of the Lord. Mama Margaret Forster, in Bermuda, answered his quest and sent him info. and literature. She also sent help for the brethren there to keep the feast of the Lord. A few years later, she sponsored a Church of God radio broadcast, "Born To Win", in Benin, Africa. The last email I received from her this year included news of her retirement and recent move back to her homeland, England • Who is trustworthy; one of the biggest hurdles? In 2007, I wrote Michael to tell him that my wife and I would be going to Niger, Africa, with a group on a mission trip. Michael came twelve hours, via bus, to meet us in Niger to work with me, drilling water wells and setting hand pumps in villages there. Michael and I worked together every day, we ate together, sang together, prayed together, talked together, and studied together. His heart is true, his zeal is strong, his knowledge is secure. He is a dedicated and loyal laborer in that area for the Lord. He has raised up 8 congregations, including 7 outlying villages. He does outreaches to the poor in Benin, Togo and even in Niger. He plays Born To Win on the radio in Benin every Wednesday and Sabbath. Also, he and one of his associates do a follow up on the radio in both English and French. If they have any funds, in response to requests, they mail out literature and Bibles.
These are hurdles and bridges that would take us years to cross. God has laid a marvellous groundwork for us in Benin. He has shined a great light in a very dark place. His work in Benin is bearing good fruit, but our poor brethren there are still in need of our help. They need literature, Bibles in English and French, funds for transportation to Feasts of the Lord, mosquito nets for malaria protection, especially for children. They need clothing, pens, pencils, writing materials, feminine hygiene items, and many more things. Why do we go there? • Because they are our brothers and sisters in Christ in need. • Because there are others who stumble in darkness and need light. They need to taste good fruit from the vine so that they can exclaim, "The Lord tastes good", and therefore seek him. • Because we as the body, are commissioned to go and reach and teach and love • Because we are admonished to do good works and to continue a pattern of good works. • Because, as individual Christians and as part of the body of Christ, we need them to reach out to as much as they need us. They need Christ in us to supply their needs and; as James 2:14-16 admonishes us, that we need to do more than say kind words. "I will pray for you brother" is not enough for the needy, if we don't supply those things needful • Bearing the fruits of love toward God and toward fellow man (the two greatest commandments) involves action and sacrifice, lest we become unfruitful and our love grow cold • We go to bring to congregations, names and faces of both those in need and those who are trustworthy, faithful, dedicated laborers doing God's work there.
Finally, we go to help facilitate outreach with trust, to point to who is in real need, to show who is trustworthy, by bringing back trustworthy proof through reports and photos to enable a continual flow of love from the body of Christ, so that His living water which flows into our innermost beings can also flow out to others. It's part of his plan. In Christ's service, Brian Davis P.S. We are going by our own means to bring back this information. in order that 100% that is given will go directly to Benin, Africa. We will be giving a report on our trip as soon as we return during the Feast of Tabernacles in Squaw Valley. Follow up reports and photos will be at a later date. Brian Davis pastors a CGOM-associated congregation in Enid, Oklahoma. USA.
Leon Sexton of the Legacy Institute writes :
"Gloria [Sexton]’s father, Mr. Werner Jebens, lost his battle with prostate cancer on the 25th of May, at the age of 83. He was a wonderful husband, father, father-in-law, and a true gentleman. He served God’s Church as a deacon and translator for the German department for many years, and at the end of his life was still serving by helping edit the monthly Legacy Letter. He was an incredible editor, whose command of the English language always amazed me, since he was originally from Germany. We will all miss him dearly."
LifeNets Zimbabwe Water Project "You Gave Me Something to Drink"
Theresa Chichaya is a widow who lives in a small town in Zimbabwe and owns a
5-acre piece of land on which she grows corn, vegetables and fruits. More importantly, she houses 52 adults and children who make up several low-income families who sought accommodation on her land. Some are "lucky" enough to have jobs at nearby farms, but cannot afford food, even with their monthly wages. Water is an essential ingredient in the daily survival of these individuals, and Mrs. Chichaya has always had a well on her land to supplement this need. Running water had been available in abundance in the neighborhood before the economic downturn in Zimbabwe but, under the tough economic circumstances of the last few years, it became an even more scarce necessity on this land. Frequent power outages rendered the dream of running water just that, a dream. The well they could turn to had become harder to reach manually with bucket pulleys, since the water was far too deep because of previous droughts.
An electric pump powerful enough to draw the water from the well was very sorely needed, but was impossible for Mrs. Chichaya and these ordinary folks to afford, when all they were trying to do was feed their families at least once or twice a day at most.
Lifenets learnt of this need and provided not only an electric pump for the well, but also a reservoir tank to store water for the many dark days of power outages when the pump would not be functioning. These folks were thirsty, and LifeNets gave them something to drink. At least 53 people's lives have been improved. That means a lot to me because Mrs. Chichaya is my mother.
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