Greetings brethren! I hope each of you had a wonderful Feast. My family and I certainly enjoyed spending the Feast with our brethren in the Philippines. Visiting three different sites during the Feast can be tiring, but our efforts were well rewarded with the opportunity of meeting all the brethren in the Philippines who were able to attend the Feast. This year we had a record number attending in the Philippines and very good numbers in Sri Lanka and Singapore as well. All the comments I have heard regarding the Feast have been very positive and I would like to thank you for your part in helping to make the Feast a positive experience for all.

God is continuing to bless His work in Asia for which we are most thankful. The statistics in terms of GN subscribers, numbers attending services, and income are very positive and we greatly appreciate the growth. But numbers cannot fully depict our individual spiritual growth. How are we doing in this area of the work of God?

This year I hope that each of us will continue to ask God to bless the work in areas that we can measure; an increase in the number of GN subscribers, more people attending services and being baptized and an increase in income. But I also hope that we will regularly pray for spiritual growth and maturity. The apostle Peter concluded his second letter to the church by appealing to the members to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…” It is my wish that each of us experience this type of growth in the upcoming year.

In addition to praying for growth, let’s use the tools that God has given unto us which will enable us to grow in grace and knowledge. Those tools are Bible study, prayer, meditation and fasting. We must employ these tools on a regular basis as we ask God to grant us spiritual growth.

Last year I purchased a house, and in order to be able to afford it I had to purchase one that required significant renovations. One bathroom needed major work for it to be functional. I dreaded the task for months. When I finally picked up the tools and started to work, the progress was painfully slow and I made many mistakes. I was not familiar with most of the renovation work so it was a matter of trial and error. I had to learn to use the tools and research the type of material I would need. Then I had to learn how to work with the material. In one instance I used the wrong type of grout for the ceramic tiles and discovered the mistake after completing the job. It has taken me months to do a job that a professional craftsman could have completed within a few hours.

If we are regularly using the tools that God has given us, we will be able to confront and overcome many of the trials that we regularly face. We can operate like a professional rather than an amateur and God will be well pleased with our spiritual growth.

I look forward to seeing many of you in the upcoming months!