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JUNE 24, 1952
GREETINGS, Friends and Co-Workers:
This month we published an issue of the PLAIN TRUTH. So
I send you The GOOD NEWS in the form of a GOOD NEWS LETTER for
June.
Things are moving so fast both in prophesied world
events, and in the progress of God's great work, it's hard to
know what to say first.
Once again I am enroute to east Texas, this time with
Mrs. Armstrong by automobile. ** Two baptizing teams left Pasadena
today on an nation-wide summer tours. Hundreds await baptism.
Another graduation has passed at Ambassador College. The
Commencement exercises were held in the beautiful Garden Theatre
in the magnificent lower grounds on the campus. Three more
students graduated Raymond Clifford Cole, Roderick Carl Meredith,
and our son Richard David Armstrong. Mr. Herman Louie Hoeh
(pronounced like "Hay") who graduated a year ago, received the
degree of Master of Arts in Theology. He and our son Richard
(Dick) sailed today from Quebec abroad the Liner Franconia for
England and Europe, where they will spend the summer making plans
to open the Gospel work full blast in Europe and Great Britain, and
reporting to you direct from Europe by tape recording what they
learn there about events fulfilling prophecy.
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Cole left for Eugene, Oregon, where
Mr. Cole will act as pastor of the Church of God until the end of
January 1953. Mr. Marion McNair, a senior who will graduate next
January, with Mrs. McNair, has gone to Portland, Oregon, where he
will be pastor of the church until September 1st. At that time
Mr. Roderick Meredith, now on a baptizing tour, will become pastor
of the Portland church, allowing Mr. and Mrs. McNair to return to
college. Travelling with Rod Meredith this summer is Burk McNair,
brother of Marion and Raymond, who will be a junior in Ambassador
College next fall. Raymond McNair heads the other baptizing team,
accompanied by Owen Smith, a junior in the college.
FEAST OF TABERNACLES SITE: Decision has been finally
made on the location of this great fall Festival this coming
October. We had wanted to find a suitable site near Pasadena.
This has proved impossible until we can purchase land and build our
own Festival grounds. With the east Texas project under way, and
assuming vastly increased importance, we cannot undertake the
project of building our own Festival facilities in Southern
California for at least another two years. There are vital reasons
why this great fall festival must continue to be held on the West
Coast. It must be held at the place GOD CHOOSES. We have had to
wait until we were SURE of the place chosen by the Eternal. There
is no longer any doubt. I can announce the PLACE for the Festival
of Tabernacles definitely.
It will be held at beautiful Seigler Springs, in central
California. It is much larger than Belknap Hot Springs in Oregon,
where we have gone the past seven years. It is also much nicer,
and offers many facilities we never had at Belknap. Seigler
Springs is about 475 miles north of Pasadena, in a beautiful
mountainous region south of Clear Lake. It will offer
accommodations for up to 400 people. Kitchen and dining room
facilities are larger and better than Belknap. There is a large
assembly hall, a semi-outdoor recreation pavilion for table tennis
and other recreations; a large outdoor swimming pool, and an indoor
swimming pool, and a children's wading pool. It has one of the
finest tennis courts in the nation, and a fine badminton court.
There is horse-back riding, and, if those attending desire, the hot
mineral baths in very modern facilities. There is a hotel and many
cottages of various sizes, some of them very nice. Some of the
rooms and cottages are very plain, for those who wish to pay less.
Mrs. Armstrong and I visited the Springs recently, and we are sure
all who come will be more than enthusiastic. It is a PERFECT
place, until we outgrow it as we did Belknap Springs. There is no
place as suitable, that we have been able to find, nearer Pasadena.
It will take care of us, apparently, until we can build our own
grounds and facilities closer to Pasadena. BEGIN NOW to make
definite plans to COME. Are you saving that second tithe? God has
provided the plan whereby you can be ABLE to come. You are going
to be more than enthusiastic over this beautiful mountainous
resort. We will have the place EXCLUSIVELY, all to ourselves, shut
off from the world for eight wonderful, joyful days. It will be a
time such as you have never experienced before. Write me for full
information.
I regret to announce to those who attended at Belknap
Springs, that Mr. Bigalow, owner of Belknap Springs, died a couple
weeks ago of cancer. He said he had never met people like us
before, and seeing how we lived, and how happy we were, completely
changed his life during his last months.
Now about the East Texas project. This is turning out to
be a much more important development than we realized. Since the
first letter sent out about it, several families have written that
they are planning to move to Gladewater, or to Longview, or near
this place we plan to develop.
I had mentioned in that letter the intention to establish
an elementary school of our own there, beginning September 1953.
So many of God's people have been plagued by persecution, and their
children have suffered abuse and discrimination from other children
or from teachers because they do not observe Christmas, New Years,
Easter, or take part in Valentine or Halloween exercises, and
because they are kept out of school during GOD'S festivals.
I think more than a dozen families have expressed the
intention of moving to this locality to put their children in this
new school of our own, just as a result of that one letter I wrote
out Co-Workers. This assures enough to organize a local church---
God's own church---at this place. Also we are now graduating
enough qualified, competent, God-called students at the college to
be able to supply a permanent pastor for a church at this place,
beginning by the Fall of next year. I feel sure now that there
will be a minimum of twenty or thirty families---perhaps many more
---who will move there.
This makes the project of far greater importance than
when we looked upon it, at first, as merely a place for an annual
conclave every Spring at the Passover time and Festival of
Unleavened Bread. On my second trip to Gladewater about a month
ago I did not close the deal for the two strips of property
adjoining the property which Buck Hammer offers to donate. First
one owner raised the price $2,000.00 over his original agreement,
and then the second owner even after accepting a check, demanded
$2,100.00 more. Meanwhile I learned there are several places in
this part of the State which are ideally suited to our purpose, and
decided to wait until we could thoroughly investigate other
possible sites. I do not feel we should let people literally hold
us up, because we are God's people---and I did not feel like
throwing away an additional $4,000.00 of God's money, after both
owners had made an agreement at a fair price. We are now on our
way again, with our own car, to look at all possible other sites.
We will remain in or near Gladewater long enough to complete the
transaction. And I am informed by the Hammers that these people
are rather sick of the deal they tried to get away with, and now
wish they had closed the deal as they originally agreed---so, it
is possible we may yet purchase these properties---but only at the
originally agreed-price.
I feel that the response on SPECIAL contributions for the
purchase of these properties was very fine, considering I had only
sent out the one letter about it. That is, it started off
splendidly, the first three weeks. But since it has dropped to a
tiny trickle, and we have a third or fourth of what we shall need.
I was especially pleased that our Co-workers from all over the
United States, even up and down the Pacific Coast who will
probably never go to Gladewater or benefit personally from it, put
in special contributions for this purpose. Most of this came in
small amounts, which showed how much it counts up when a large
number of people get back of a thing, even with small offerings.
Of course several sent in $100.00 or more but I believe only one
as much as $200.00---.
To date, about $4,000.00 has come in for this project.
WE MUST RAISE THE REST OF IT WITHIN 60 DAYS. Surely there are at
least two or three among all our Co-workers who can put
contributions of $1,000.00 or more into this great project. Right
now is when it's needed---for CASH MONEY TALKS---and if I have the
cash money on hand to deal with, I can manage a far better deal
than when I have to ask for time and terms, which puts me on the
defensive and allows others to start trying to take advantage. I
may still be in this section, making final decision on the site and
closing the deal, by the time this letter reaches you. If you are
one who can put a large amount into this project as an added and
special contribution, PLEASE SEND A TELEGRAM TO THE OFFICE IN
PASADENA TELLING WHAT YOU ARE SENDING, and they will forward your
telegram to me. Don't wire the money---let it follow by airmail.
However, the regular work must not suffer because of this
special project. Don't put any money into it you would have put
into the Gospel Work. Be sure that whatever you send for this
project is an extra, special, additional contribution, over and
above your tithe and regular offerings. But the need is URGENT,
and IMMEDIATE! I must raise several thousand dollars more within
60 days. I shall proceed on faith, and if and when I find the
right deal and know it is the place God has chosen, I shall close
it, and rely on God in faith to move enough of our Co-Workers to
meet the balance in time. If you can't send a large sum send what
you can---whether only a dollar or two, or thirty, forty, or a
hundred. Every bit counts. I do THANK everyone of you, who have
contributed so far, from the bottom of my heart, and I know that
you co-workers will see that the full amount is sent in, within 60
days.
I verily believe that NOTHING ON EARTH is growing as
dynamically and rapidly as GOD'S GREAT WORK, today! But it does
take money EVERY SINGLE DAY! It will take money to keep these
two baptizing teams going this summer. THIS SUMMER WE ARE REAPING
BY FAR THE LARGEST HARVEST OF SOULS FOR GOD'S KINGDOM of any year
so far! That's the thing that counts MOST! How wonderful it is!
It's difficult to keep the precious work alive through the summers.
Radio reception is not good. Not nearly as many hear the broad-
cast, and fewer send in money. Yet we are under HEAVY EXPENSES
this summer. KEEP GOD'S GREAT WORK ALIVE AND GOING! Try to send
in tithes and offerings more frequently and larger offerings if
possible. You are having a very important part AND RESPONSIBILITY
in the greatest work on earth.
God bless you I know you'll do your very best, and
remain faithful to the end. THANK YOU for all you've done for the
work before. And try to keep a SPECIAL contribution coming in
EVERY MONTH for this big Texas project!
Most sincerely, in Jesus' name,
Herbert W. Armstrong
SPECIAL NOTICE: "The WORLD TOMORROW" program
is on the air SUNDAY'S ONLY until September 1st.
Off the air week-nights. Tune in EVERY SUNDAY,
same time as before, until September 1st.
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