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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT; OCTOBER 21, 1983
brought in a response of 2,000. There was no pre-paid response card with
the September advertisement. The next advertisement will appear in the
November issue.
Arrangements have been completed to print the February, 1984 anniversary
issue of The PLAIN TRUTH in Cape Town.
There is great expectancy and
excitement for the issue among the members.
The drought conditions are severe. In some areas water supplies have dried
up and water is being transported by road. Heavy fines have been imposed on
water wasters. In Durban water has been rationed for some time, allowing
400 litres per day per household. Those who exceed the limit are fined, and
if the fine is not paid, drip washers are put in or the electricity is cut
off.
From Bonn, West Germany On the 8th of September, brethren from all over the
German-speaking area gathered in five locations to celebrate the Feast of
Trumpets. With a 7.6% increase in attendance this year, we also experi
enced a tremendous 99.5% increase in the holy day offering. An even greater
increase occurred on the Day of Atonement, September 17, when the holy day
offering rose 135.3% over last yearl Attendance was also very high (41.8%
over 1982), partly due to the many foreign guests who arrived early for the
Feast of Tabernacles.
The Feast in Brno, Czechoslovakia got off to an early start for those who
signed up for the deluxe sightseeing bus tour to Brno. Around 92 feastgoers
left on Monday, September 19 for the three-day tour which took them through
Munich (West Germany), Salzburg and Vienna (Austria), and then finally on
to Brno. The return trip included sightseeing in Prague (Czechoslovakia),
Schonsee (West Germany), and then on to Nuremberg for Sabbath services.
Highlights which occurred during the Feast were the video of Mr. Arm
strong Is holy day message: a special dinner in the Hunting Lodge of the Com
munist Party: and the warm and outgoing atmosphere at this year's Feast in
Brno. Said Festival Elder Winfried Fritz, "Despite the language barriers
and the fact that people came from seven different nations, we were all one
family.
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Unity and accord also characterized this year I s Feast in Bonndorf, West
Germany, where 14 different nations were represented!
An Ambassador
College sponsored concert on Sunday, September 25 was one of the main high
lights this year, featuring the Bodensee Symphony Orchestra with guest
soloists Roger Bryant (tenor) and Ruth Walter (piano) from Big Sandy,
Texas. The concert took place in the Bonndorf Feast hall and was performed
for Church members and the general public, an event Bonndorf had not exper
ienced before. A special activity for our foreign guests was an afternoon
bus trip to Zurich, the financial capital of Switzerland. They were given a
city tour, plus the opportunity to shop on the renowned Bahnhofstrasse,
followed by a typical Swiss meal in a restaurant overlooking Zurich. Mr.
Tom Lapacka, the festival elder, commented that the Feast was just the
right tonic to boost the members and make us look all the more forward to
the coming World Tomorrow.
Overall attendance for both Feast sites
increased 18%, and the first and last holy day offerings increased 33.8%.
Preparations were also underway this month for the largest advertising
campaign in the history of the German office.
Two million flyers were
shipped to some 15 different newspapers and magazines in Austria, West