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March 21, 1951
Dear Friend and Co-Worker:
The office staff is really after me today, and insisting
I drop everything else to acknowledge and THANK YOU, for the
offering (or tithe) again received. Much as I wanted to write you,
I've had so many things to do it seems I didn't get to it.
I thank you doubly---for, now that they have pressured me
into setting other things aside to write you this "THANK YOU"
letter, it gives me opportunity to just talk to you a moment and
tell you a little about things here. You'll realize how very MUCH
your own generosity has helped in the work when you receive the
letter I'm forced to send to all co-workers again, telling them of
another financial crisis in this work. It is so serious that
---but I won't dwell on that troubled-appearing picture further in
this letter, but rather commit this great need to God, and tell you
about the more happy side of the picture.
Today our students, with a crew of experts directing the
operation, are winding up the planting of a beautiful camellia
garden in one section of the college campus. These trees are
BEAUTIFUL. The owner of a nursery and camellia business, forced to
retire from business, is donating to the college camellia trees
appraised at $100,000. The market is such that there is no sale
for these trees now. Otherwise, of course, they would not be given
to us. Perhaps in future years we may be able to sell some of
them. It's almost unbelievable---but then, nearly everything about
this work of God and this college He started thru us is
providential. We have only had time to move thirty-four of these
beautiful trees, finishing up today. The weather is turning warm,
and the rest of the trees cannot be moved until about November.
These trees are between ten and twenty five years old. We have
planted a lovely hedge of camellia trees along a 150-foot strip of
frontage which up to now was not secluded from the street. Other
trees are being placed approximately ten feet apart from this hedge
up over a knoll, completely secluding the beautiful campus grounds
from the street. These are really fine varieties, producing rare
and beautiful flowers of various colors.
Of course we probably never will be able to move more
than half of these hundreds of trees onto the campus. Some are too
large and costly to move, but this gift of rare and beautiful
camellia trees is adding much to our magnificently beautiful
campus. And it is truly almost unbelievable that these things
always come to us in such a way as to take nothing from the gospel
work.
Warm spring days are here in Pasadena. Soon our first
graduation will arrive. Two men students, and one girl are now
ready for full time work---the men in ministerial and evangelistic
work, and assisting me with the writing, and the girl in the
college library and in our business office. Indeed, one of our
senior students is already out in the work full time. As you will
see by the new magazine, "THE GOOD NEWS," going to press today, the
Ambassador College Graduate School of Theology continues the work
of men students in such a way that they are actually engaged
practically full time in the work, while still engaged in the
graduate work. They cannot be ordained until they have completed
the full 27 months' graduate work after completing the four years
of college. By that time they will be fully mature, trained, and
experienced, possessing the equivalent of a doctor's degree. But
it is a wonderful encouragement to me that two of these fine young
men are prepared already for virtually full-time work. It will
begin to ease the load I have to carry, and at the same time
greatly expand the scope and effectiveness of the work. And these
are not ordinary young men. Their lives prove they have been truly
called of God to His service. They are fully converted, filled
with God's Spirit. They have understanding and wisdom---they
under-stand the Bible---they have FAITH---and they are already well
experienced and capable. They are sincere, diligent, hard workers.
Yes, God surely blesses His work with GOOD THINGS, both
spiritual and material. And one of the most important of the GOOD
THINGS is you, yourself, as one of our loyal and faithful
co-workers. I do thank God for you as a co-worker with me in His
great work, and ask His richest blessing for you.
Sincerely, in Jesus' name,
Herbert W. Armstrong
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