From (Tom Schroeder) in February 12, 2000.
Hello again,
Well, it's time for me to gently touch these keys and write another letter. I have wanted to get a letter off to the list all week, but there is so much to write about and I couldn't narrow it down. At 4:00 am this morning, my Shadow woke me up to let me know that it was time to go on our 2 hour walk and by the time I got home again, I knew what I was going to write about.
I am going to put another worker's letter on the list and it's an exciting letter.
This worker IS loaded with excitement.
Now, I just got this letter a week ago today and it could be that some of you may have already seen it.
The letter has black copy machine smudges on it, so I am sure the writer has made dozens or maybe even hundreds of copies to send out as he would want everybody he knew to know about his excitement.
I'm sure he will be even more excited if he finds out that his letter went to over 200 more people all over the world on this list and it didn't cost him a dime for postage.
Now, that is REALLY something.
I wonder if I should worry about or lose any sleep for putting this letter on the list? "SOMEBODY” just said, “EVERYBODY,” remember that “NOBODY” can publish other people's writings before you get their permission to so.”
Now, I get a lot of writings, letters, publications books, etc., and I can copy them as long as it does not carry an attachment:
(All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission.)
Well, that just brought a memory back to me of when I was 20 years old. A worker asked me if I would like to go out into the work.
I said, “No.”
Well, he said that if I didn't become a worker, that I would always be a “NOBODY” the rest of my life.
I asked him, “What if I did?”
“Well,” he said, “If you become a worker, you will always be a "SOMEBODY.”
Well, putting this worker's letter on the list makes me a part of the “EVERYBODY” group. You know that the workers “cult system” can really be a drag on a normal person's brain as I have just gone from the “NOBODY” group right into the “EVERYBODY” group.
I can hardly keep up!
I know five workers that have gone on this Far East conventions tour as visiting workers in the last 20 years and when they come back, some have rented a hall for a Sunday afternoon, so a LOT of the friends can gather. I have attended two of them and the worker will talk about his trip for an hour and show a LOT of pictures.
Lillian Tenniswood told about there not being a whole lot of room for visiting workers at the grounds in the Philippines so they would go into the city and stay in hotels. Well, she said the hotels are so plush that it was hard for her to get used to that because workers are supposed to have it so rough.
Some years ago, my son-in-law went to New Zealand and Australia for a vacation. It was convention time and the visiting workers were flying in. Soon, a driver was appointed to go to the airport to pick up a visiting worker and my son-in-law was asked to go with him.
The visiting worker arrived on time and was off to the luggage area. They picked up 2 suitcases and on the road, they were visiting nicely for three hours back to the convention farm.
They arrived and the worker asked, “Where is the third suitcase?”
They said, “We only picked up two!”
“Oh,” the worker said, “that suitcase that is left at the airport, is full of money!!!”
So back to the airport they went.
Now, just think of all the “WORLDLY” people that walked past that suitcase full of money. They must have had honest hearts, as the suitcase was still there when they returned.
Now, THAT visiting worker would be able to tell a VERY exciting story for days!!!
Here is the worker letter:
December 28, 1999
Dear friends, workers,
Our special meetings are just over. We had good days in western TN. The East, TN special mtgs. Will be in the spring. We had good traveling conditions.
Ruth Topinka and Ruth Hughes came to help us. Of course, Robert Synan and John Lambotte were like visitors, too, since they came to be on the TN staff a short while ago - - last fall.
We heard from Psalms 87. His foundation is in the holy mountains. Mtns are settled, unmovable. His doctrine is sure, unchanging, not of man. The Lord loves the gates (entrance into His Kingdom) more than all the dwellings of Jacob. The Lord loves His standard more than his people and He won't change the 'way' to suit us. However, He does love and care for His own.
The psalmist mentions some important (important in that day) nations & cities, which had great leaders of their day. However, Many of those nations & cities and all the people of that day are gone. What is important tot he Lord? I think the answer can be - - people born again, born into his kingdom - - in any age. Perhaps this refers to the Lamb's book of life. Our names can be in that book now and forever.
Let me write about my excitement.
It is planned for me to go to the far East for conventions.
I am to be traveling with Alice Christopher,
who labors in NC. We leave March 6.
Special meetings will be in progress in Hawaii in March
and they want some of us to stop there for a few days.
Won't that be a great start?
Otherwise, the other places will be their annual conventions.
We are to spend about 7 days in Hawaii (in the Honolulu area) - - then on to Guam and Saipan. (two small islands) for their convention. After a few days there, we head for the Philippines for about a month - - hot weather there - - no suit coats, they say, and no neckties - - great. Next convention will be in Taiwan for about 21 days there, and then onto Korea to finish up, spending about 16 days there. We are to depart from Korea, May 30. We leave Seoul, 10:30 am, May 30 and we get to Chicago about 9:30 am on May 30. We get there before we start. Can you figure that one out? We gain a day on the way back, we lose a day going. The dateline is 2 or 3 thousand miles beyond Hawaii.
This finds Rob Eberhardt and me in the Knoxville area. We had 2 to renew their covenant just before our special meetings. We have several contacts here. A new address came to us, just before our special meetings. We are enthused about the good interest.
I have my passport, ticket is in the mail. I need to get 2 or 3 visas. I got one shot, and I need to take another one or two besides getting some pills to take to prevent malaria fever.
Best Wishes, Robert Johnson
Visitors going to the Far East for the year 2000 conventions:
Mike Thorsteinson.........Washington State
Gary Packard................Australia
Don Shenton.................Alberta Canada
Robert Johanson............Tennessee
Trevor Loechel................Peru, South America
Norman Phaal................South Africa
Evelyn Gerlund...............California
Doreen Olstad................Alberta, Canada
Alice Christopher............North Carolina
Betty Newbatt................Ontario (East) Canada
Eliz (Betty) Hannah.........New Zealand
A visiting worker spoke at convention here several years ago, about HIS time in the Philippines. It was at the start of convention on Wednesday night.
He said they went out one day to visit a professing farmer and the farmer took them out to the barn to show them how well he had his water buffalo trained.
He took the yoke off the wall and stepped up to the water buffalo and the buffalo would put its head down to the ground so the farmer could put the yoke on real easy. Then, he said the buffalo was willing to carry that yoke on its neck all day, pulling the plow, working for its master.
He said, “Now, if we could be more like that water buffalo.”
I said to myself, “Why didn't you wait until Sunday afternoon with your buffalo story, because now, in the next 4 days during testimony time, all we are going to hear about is the buffalo-yoke story?”
Yes, that's exactly how it was - -
“I am SO glad for what we heard about the Philippines water buffalo and I want to put my head down for the yoke” - -
“Yes, I too, want to be like that buffalo and pull the plow deep” - -
“I'm SO glad for what the worker spoke about the water buffalo and I can't wait to get home and head for the fields.”
Now, I was waiting for someone to say they wanted to be like more like the male buffalo or more like the female buffalo, but it didn't happen.
All for now,
Thomas Schroeder
