Recently I was listening to a talk program on a local radio station. The main topic was about the damage done by the tornado which struck central Oklahoma like a savage monster on May 3rd. One man with a foreign accent called in with a question.

"Mr Mike, I want to ask you something. How do you think we can prevent this problem of tornadoes? If you don't have an answer, I do."

"Okay, my friend, what is your answer?"

"Americans need to build houses smaller and closer to the ground. There need to be big storm shelters underground for every neighborhood. That will save lives."

"The storm shelters might be a good idea, but with 314 miles per hour winds, I don't think any house will stand up against that kind of blasting. These tornadoes were so close to the ground that they uprooted grass. They twisted and broke off trees as if they were match sticks. With 5,000 plus houses being destroyed, several apartment buildings and at least two schools being hit hard, I think the number of 43 dead is phenomenal. Now you asked me `How to prevent these tornadoes from occurring?' and I really don't think your answer tells us how to prevent these storms."

"Oh, no human being can stop these tornadoes but we need to be better prepared for them when they come."

As I listened to the two men talking, I pondered the question: How can we prevent tornadoes? Does any human being have the power to stop tornadoes or to tell them where to go? American insurance companies label tornadoes, floods, earthquakes and hurricanes as "acts of God."

Our Lord God JEHOVAH has power in His voice to speak all things into existence. (Genesis 1.) He will send the rain when He pleases (Matthew 5:45) and He can calm the stormy winds with His voice. (Mark 4:41.) He is omnipotent, with the universe under His control. (Psalm 107.) If He had wanted to, He could have stopped those tornadoes from hitting central Oklahoma. Surely there were hundreds of prayers pleading with Him to hold back those strong, damaging winds. Why did He not prevent the storm? Was it an act of punishment? Did He not like those people?

God has been asked questions like these a multitude of times. Some four thousand years ago Job questioned the Lord when he was tried and tested. He wrote in Job 14:1-2: "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not." Surely Job had plenty of reason to doubt the Lord's wisdom in taking everything from him, including health. However, Job kept his integrity with the Lord and "in all this did not Job sin with his lips." (Job 2:3,10.) In the end he was blessed with a double abundance of what he previously owned.

Job`s faith in God brought him through the negative counsel and insults his three friends poured upon him. They told Job he must have sinned and greatly displeased God. Job admitted his weakness and insignificance, but He trusted in God stating: "I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee." (Job 42:2.) Unwavering faith in God's power and wisdom was a shelter to Job during his trial. He understood that he was a man born into troubles and the best way to survive them was to cling to the Lord.

Every human being inherited sin and troubles from Adam and Eve when they willingly disobeyed the Lord. (Genesis 3; Romans 5:12-21; I Corinthians 15:22-49.) In the beginning God made a paradise of peace and rest for man and woman. He did not bring problems to man-the man and woman chose the way of sorrow when they wanted to be wise like God and therefore ate of the fruit.

Though the plan of salvation makes a way for us to live at peace with God, it does not guarantee any person a carefree life of ease. Never give a sinner the false hope that "if you will just get saved, God will solve all your troubles." There is no scripture that will give this promise but there are many that assure the Christian:

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28.

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." I Corinthians 10:13.

"...For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Hebrews 13:5. Scriptures of promise give the Christian faith to trust the Lord no matter what happens.

FAITH AND TRUST IN GOD ARE SHELTERS AGAINST THE STORMS OF LIFE

David was a man highly esteemed of the Lord. (I Samuel 13:14.) As a shepherd boy he was anointed to be the king over Israel some day. Through several events in his life, David became a fugitive in his own country-the country he was supposed to reign over. All during the time that he fled from King Saul, David remembered that he had been anointed to reign over Israel, and he wrote, "Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just; for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins. My defense is of God, which saveth the upright in heart." (Psalm 7:9-10.) At least two times King Saul was at David's mercy, (I Samuel 23, 26) but David spared the Lord's anointed. He was respecting the office of the King, knowing that some day he would be in that office. He had a hope that brought him through the adversities of his life. Within his soul he knew that these storms of danger and fleeing would pass away and better days were ahead.

In the Evening Light Songs, #198 is "Hope." This song is packed with promises of hope, covering at least fourteen scriptures that assure us: "Hope has brought us thro' the dangers and temptations of the past, And we fear not those to come, By her blessings we'll go forward, while our mortal life shall last, Then we'll joyously go home."

Every problem, trial, sickness, sorrow, heartache, disappointment, persecution, etc. will pass away. If we do not reap the rewards of patience and hope here on earth, then we will be rewarded in our heavenly home. Our earthly life will always have storms, so it is best to accept them when they come, but we can have our anchor so steadfast in the hope of eternal life that we won't let go of faith and trust in God. (Hebrews 6:19.) We do have promises of serene peace and blissful joy in heaven and that is a Christian's final home.

HOPE IS A SHELTER THROUGH THE STORMS OF LIFE

The apostle Paul knew what suffering and trials were all about. In II Corinthians 11:24-28 he summarized his walk with the Lord: "Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Besides those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches."

Quite a long list of woes. Before he was a Christian, the apostle Paul probably enjoyed the best of that era. He was a Jewish Pharisee-wealthy enough to be counted a Roman citizen. (Acts 22:25; 23:6.) Yet he counted all his past but "dung that I may win Christ." (Philippians 3:8.) The apostle Paul had met Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus and he was never the same man. He learned to respect and love Jesus Christ so much that nothing could destroy his love.

Any one of his troubles could have shaken the apostle Paul from his hold on the Lord. He didn't think all these things had come his way because God was angry with him. Instead, he knew that "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." (Hebrews 12:6.) The apostle Paul took refuge in the love of His Father.

In Romans 8:35, he says, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." He continued to say that nothing would separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

THE LOVE OF GOD IS A SHELTER IN THE STORMS OF LIFE

Every person from babyhood onward will have storms to bombard his life. It isn't so important how hard the winds blow as it is who survives the storm, encouraged to press onward.

We humans will never understand the perplexities that entangle our lives with suspense and trauma. We weren't created to understand everything. We are made to have faith and trust in a loving God who has promised to reward us with eternal life.

CT-Dear brother in Christ: In the past years I have given out some of your literature to others. I really enjoy your literature and am blessed by it.

Bro. Salvatore DiDio gave me one of your tracts. The Lord blessed the reading of it and I was born again. Praise God! A brother and a sister came down and baptized me in Beardsly Park. Bro. Salvatore went to be with our Lord a few years ago in Louisiana. Maybe you met him.

Forty-four years have passed and by God's strength and courage I am still trying my best to serve Him. My wife, Harriet, has also been saved for many years.

Yours in Jesus Christ, -Bro. Tom Stoliker

LA-Dear ones: I am so thankful for all of God's gracious dealings and mercy to me. He has been so good to me and mine through the years. He has healed us of so many afflictions, some of them serious. He has been a very present help in working out problems of different kinds.

Now I need help so much. I have had shingles for six and a-half years, and I suffer extremely from them. I also have degenerative bone disease, and at this time I can hardly get up without terrific pain. I surely would appreciate being added to your prayer list.

I had an extremely bad spell with my back in November of last year. The Lord has helped me, and I am expecting help again. Sincerely, -Sis. Myrtle Savoie

FL-Bro. Wayne Murphey: I am thankful that God is blessing my ear. It is much better. I thank the saints for remembering me in prayer. I know Jesus never fails.

A sister in Christ, -Kathleen Williams

CA-Dear saints: Greetings in the name of our precious Saviour. I do love and praise Him more each day. He keeps on blessing me, both in soul and body. Right in the midst of heartaches, sorrows and burdens, He sustains me.

I have had quite a trial of affliction with eye spasms, but I thank the Lord for touching my eye. It is now much better. I desire your continued prayers.

The Lord has also blessed the saints here in Sacramento, CA. He showers us with His precious Word and anointing in our services. He has added souls as it has pleased Him. The Lord saved Bro. Pawnee Parrish's wife, Ruby, one of his daughters and three granddaughters. Pray that the Lord will keep them securely. -Sis. Rose Randle

IN-To whom it may concern: I want to thank you for everything you have sent for me and my family. I feel like you have been playing a big part in keeping my family together. Being in prison is hard for me and my family. With people like you out there to help, it makes it a little easier.

I am sending for more tracts. I am sending the tract list home to my brother. I send him the tracts you send me to distribute at church....

May God bless you, -Bro. James Holland

Serbia-Dear friends, brothers and sisters: Greetings in Christ's precious name. As the truce between Yugoslavia and the NATO forces has been achieved, and the final peace seems to be very near, I want to thank you for all your prayers, love and care. The Lord has protected all of us and we are now making plans for public evangelism in the days to come.

You know the consequences of this war. On Yugoslavia's side, 2000 civilians have been killed and about the same number or more, army soldiers-by NATO bombs. On the Albanian side, still nobody knows for sure. As the Albanian refugees are coming back, the Serbs are fleeing from Kosovo, though there are some signs that at least some of them are coming back. Is the peaceful coexistence of Serbs and Albanians in the province of Kosovo possible after this war? We'll have to wait to see. Only the Gospel of Christ is really able to change people's hearts and make them truly peaceful and meek. So evangelization of Kosovo is a task laid before the Christians of Serbia, Albania and other countries.

The whole of Serbia is devastated, some 500,000 people have lost their jobs due to the bombing of factories. The economic situation has already been very bad before this war, now it will certainly become much worse. The Western leaders say that no money for rebuilding the country will come from them, unless the political regime is changed, so we expect the hard years to come, especially the winter that is in front of us.

Yet, we Christians in Serbia can only say with John Wesley, "The best of all, God is with us! This life is hard, but the unperishing inheritance is stored for us in heaven. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"

Once again, thank you all. May God bless you and reward you for your labor of love. Sincerely, -Bro. Obrad Nikolic

Dear ones: As of today [June 8] my address is changed from Apt. #19 to: The Golden Rule Home, 38801 Hardesty Rd., Shawnee, OK 74801, phone (405) 214-0789. I am here in RCF permanently. The Lord woke me with this: "I'm so glad I learned to trust Thee, Jesus, Savior, Helper, Friend; and I know that Thou art with me, wilt be with me to the end. Jesus, Jesus, How I love Thee, How I've proved Thee o'er and o'er, Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus, Oh, for grace to trust Thee more." Leaving my lovely apartment has been surprisingly easy through the grace of God. Sorry, but there can be no more packets sent out as I'm not able to do the copying. I trust that those of the past have been a blessing to a few of you, at least. The "way to escape" as spoken of in I Corinthians 10:13 is more grace. May the Lord help us all to be faithful, also, to the end. I want to meet you all in heaven. I'll be praying for all and please pray for me. -Sis. Opal Kelly

AL-Faith Publishing House: We are all better and are still trusting in our dear Lord.

We have been praying for you and the work there.

We are thankful for your new building.

Remember us in your prayers. Christian love, -Sis. Betty Herron

MI-Dear Bro. Wayne and Sis. Mary: Greetings in the lovely name of Jesus. May God bless all the dear ones who are working in the Lord's work, and for the lost souls that need soul food. I pray for all of you and all the ones that need healing for their bodies. I know the Lord Jesus will heal us all. I love to read about the ones who get healed. It makes me feel happy for them, and it gives me more faith in Jesus and our heavenly Father.

Sis. Carmen Simpson is some better. The Lord has touched her. She was very sick. Bro. Norman Simpson needs a job, so pray that he will get one soon.

I thank all of you for your good prayers. They help very much.

My love and prayers, -Sis. Olive Getterson

LA-Dear saints: I thank the Lord for salvation, and for His many blessings to me and my family.

I owe the Lord a big "Thank You" for healing me again-my stomach gave me trouble for about four weeks. I faintly went up and was anointed and prayed for, and the Lord healed me.

The Lord brought to mind about the time when my children were little and they came and stood around my bed-when my hip was giving me trouble. They prayed and the Lord healed me.

"...With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." Mark 10:27.

In Christian love, -Sis. Patsy Doolittle

LA-Dear Bro. Wayne: Greetings to you and all the workers at the Lord's Print Shop, where the pure gospel is put out to a lost world. Oh, may many receive the truth it contains and be made a fit subject for heaven. Truly we are a blessed people to have the precious Word made so plain, teaching us how we should live, and have to live in order to be ready when our heavenly Father gives the summons for us to leave this world and stand before Him. He is a righteous Judge and will judge each of us in righteousness. It is so wonderful to know our heavenly Father is not partial nor a respecter of persons. That gives me great comfort.

God is so good to me and I have told Him many times I am not worthy of His great and many blessings. He has been so longsuffering and patient with me during my long life of almost 88 years. I just want to prove my love and appreciation by living as near to Him as I know how, and by bearing fruit in old age as His word tells us....

A sister in the interest of the gospel, -Alta Flynn

CA-Dear saints of God: I am thankful for salvation and God's wondrous love and mercy to me down through the years. I can truly say God's blessings have been many. God is worthy of our trust. I want to share some of them to encourage the saints.

In 1962 I had lower back pain which I had suffered with for awhile. I was anointed and prayed for, and the Lord healed this condition right away. Praise God.

In 1970 I went to see if I was expecting a child and the doctor said I was not, but that I had a growth in my stomach. I told him I was going home and trusting God for it. I was anointed and prayed for, and God healed me completely. Praise my God.

In 1972 I had a severe affliction with three inflamed places on my chest. I suffered much. I was anointed and prayed for and God completely healed me. To God be the glory and honor.

One time I was sick. Some of the saints said I had pneumonia. I was unable to do anything for myself and had much pain. Prayers were offered for me by the saints and the Lord healed me in just a few days.

In 1974 I had a growth on my right hand. I was anointed and prayed for and God healed it completely-real soon.

In 1980 I had had hay fever for a few years. I was anointed and prayed for, and the Lord completely healed it. I have had no problem with that since then.

In 1989 I was bothered with food allergy. I could not drink milk or eat anything that had milk in it. I was anointed and prayed for and the Lord God healed it completely. I can now drink milk and eat anything. Praise God. I could not eat bananas for years. The Lord healed that also.

In 1993 I had severe pain in my right foot and leg for a time. I was not able to get around without help. I was anointed and prayed for, and the Lord completely healed it.

In 1995 I was suffering with pain in my eyes. I was anointed and prayed for and God instantly healed my eyes.

To God be the glory for all of the healings of my body and for keeping me saved and encouraged.

I have an affliction now and I'm trusting my God for the healing. I desire the saints' prayers. -Sis. Wilma Parrish

KS-I had a dream, and in my dream I was unsaved. I was going somewhere even though I was under deep conviction for it. I knew it was wrong, but I went anyway. The Lord said, "Go ahead and go where you are going." When I got there the Lord spoke again and said, "It's all a mirage."

This is all I remember. I woke up and thought about what a mirage is. I looked it up in the dictionary and what stood out to me was the word "illusion." I looked "illusion" up and it said "false impression." I thought about my dream, how that I knew it was wrong, but was thinking in the back of my mind there might be something out there. I got there and it was a mirage, a false impression. There was nothing to it.

The thought came to me of a thirsty man in the desert, looking for water. He can see it, but when he gets to where it is he sees the truth. There is nothing.

In the world we live in, the devil has made many mirages, false things to look upon with hope, but he leaves us with nothing.

May the Lord keep our minds, hearts and ears tuned to His voice, so that when the false impersonator comes about, we can recognize his mirages.

Mark 13:22 says, "...To seduce, if it were possible, even the elect."

May we come closer and hold tighter to the everlasting God of truth.

Please pray for me, -Sis. Linda Stanley

The weary Christian was earnestly seeking help. He had exhausted his own resources, but realized there was help from his best Friend. The Christian had learned to trust this special Friend at an early age, and now he was expressing himself in such a manner that only a true friend would understand. Some of the Christian's expressions were groans and sighs, mingled with tears, as he tried to explain his dilemma. His friend remained silent for some time, but the Christian prostrated himself at His feet crying, "Please help me, I am desperate for Your help!"

This outburst so moved his friend that He began quoting a very comforting passage of scripture. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want...." He quoted it very slowly, and new depths of meaning began flooding the Christian's mind as he listened. His best Friend also reminded him that he had not only given His life's blood for him, but had been mocked, reviled and spit upon, and had even felt forsaken by His heavenly Father in the darkest time of His life as He had hung dying upon the cross. He then told the Christian that the trials of life were permitted to keep his soul "restored" so that he would be able to "dwell in the house of the Lord forever." He revealed that out of every trial there was a rich blessing designed to enrich and enhance the Christian's life-if he would keep his heart diligent toward God and free from any strife or bitterness.

The Christian then arose from his knees with a song on his lips. "What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry, Every thing to God in prayer! Oh, what peace we often forfeit, Oh, what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry, Everything to God in prayer."

We greet our readers through this July Faith and Victory, greatly encouraged in the work which God has given us to do. During the last couple of months we have been busy printing many books and tracts, convinced that the printed Word of God contains great power to touch those who read it with an open heart.

In order to accomplish the recent printing, we found it necessary to order 5000 pounds of paper. As a result, our general fund is depleted. Please pray with us that we can continue to publish and mail literature without interruption due to a lack of means. At this time, several congregations in foreign countries await shipments of literature which we will send them when we are able to purchase the postage.

Bro. Michael Smith, pastor of the Shawnee, OK, congregation, and his wife, Sis. René, have been praying about visiting the saints in Ghana, West Africa. A new church building has recently been completed there, and the people are enthusiastic about reaching out to souls in the surrounding area. Arrangements are working out for Bro. Michael and Sis. René to leave for Ghana on July 26 and return August 14. Please pray for their safety and God-speed during this trip.

All of those who live and travel in foreign mission fields deserve our earnest prayers. Let us pray for them often.

I wish to take this opportunity to share with you a letter I recently received from Bro. Damien Dibie of Rivers State, Nigeria, and ask that each one prayerfully consider the earnestness of what he has to say.

"Dear Bro. Wayne Murphey: I am writing with a deep somber feeling within me this evening. As I was looking through the pages of God's Gracious Dealings, I was enjoying the writings and pictures with Bro. Israel Darrick, who was visiting me. I saw a lot of admirable pictures. I also saw you at work and when you went to convey items to the post office in a delivery van. Then I saw our amiable Bro. Bob Sallee, which gave me this depression. I remembered him. I just remembered his labors and how he departed this life. I felt so bad. I wished he was allowed a little longer in this life. Yet, I thank God. He wanted him in heaven more than here.

"I remembered your comments in one of the Faith and Victory magazines about how the lives of the missionaries who have been visiting Africa have been shortened. This is a very serious issue. It will generate a great fear and might hinder subsequent visits to Africa. I have been praying about it. Is it not possible for the church over there to prayerfully pick from Africa, brethren that are spirit-filled and rooted in the teachings and doctrines of the Church-brethren who can defend the truth and are willing to work for the Lord? They could be better trained and stationed in the United States. Then use these brethren for the Lord's work and for African missionary tours. They will be able to stand African conditions and climates. This I feel will save the lives of our American brethren. I am afraid, and don't know how many brethren from there will want to risk their lives again.

"I am speaking from a human point of view. The Lord and the church over there has the final say.

"The alternative is if the brethren from there should come, there should be fasting and prayers offered in advance on their behalf before they leave. These prayers should continue on their behalf until they return. We should also be notified so that we could follow suit in the prayers.

"Accept my sympathy for the death of Bro. Bob Sallee, and extend the same to his family. I was glad that his daughter, Sis. Karen, who traveled with him to Malawi, escaped death through the Lord's power. We would have been in more melancholy if it had happened otherwise. The Lord spared us deep sorrow by saving her. I am grateful for His power.

"My love to all the saints and Print Shop workers."

Word has come to us of Bro. P. D. Mathunni and some of the congregations in India undergoing persecution. The saints have been told not to worship God, and possible signs of a wire tap were found on Bro. Mathunni's telephone. We are waiting for further information, at which time it will become known in a more specific way how to pray for their safety.

Lord willing, I plan to attend the Ensenada, Mexico, camp meeting which will be held Aug. 4-8. Other ministers from the states also plan to travel to this meeting, and we extend an invitation to all who can to join us.

This year the camp meeting will be held on a rented campground on the outskirts of Ensenada. It will be a time of special outreach both to those who have heard the gospel in the past and those who are yet unacquainted with how God can deliver from sin. We are leaning heavily upon the Holy Spirit to melt the hearts of all in attendance.

For more information on the meeting arrangements contact Bro. James and Sis. Charlotte Huskey. Dial 011-52-61-77-5228 if you are calling from the states. You do not need to dial "1" in front of the number.

As is our usual custom, we will not print an August edition of the Faith and Victory. However, orders for literature will be filled, and other office business will be conducted throughout the month.

From Mexico...

Greetings from Ensenada. We arrived Friday evening [June 18] after a stopover in Los Angeles to get Judy's passport. We are staying at Bro. James Huskey's place for the time being. They were gracious to let us stay here. Yesterday (Saturday) we got in touch with the owner of the house we will rent, and to look around. They are going to do minor repairs and paint, and we hope to get the keys by Tuesday. God willing, Bro. Reuel Gibson will be down with the trailer containing our belongings on Wednesday.

We send our best wishes to the Church and all the saints of God. We are hoping to get into the work here soon. Pray that we will have opportunities to share the gospel in a meaningful way.

By the way, pray for a Ukranian fellow, Victor, whom I was privileged to witness to in the passport office Friday. I gave him a couple of tracts and urged him to read the Bible and find out the truth about how one gets to heaven. -Bro. Joe FineFrom Nigeria...

March 8, 1999-Dear Bro. Wayne Murphey: Greetings in the soul-saving name of the Lord Jesus, the consolation of Israel. He arose a victor over sin and Satan. His resurrection secured for us eternal life. Praise Him forever!

I received your letter dated February 2, 1999, with thanks immensely. The flood relief funds therein enclosed were received intact to the praise of our God. The Lord will abundantly bless the cooperating saints who have become touched in the spirit to pity our plight and started to donate forthwith to free us from torture, even death by starvation.

We have lost two saints by heart failure, one at Ubah congregation and the other here in Kwale, believed caused through much concern for what to eat. We are now hopeful of rising above this thought-provoking situation through the sympathizing saints of the Church of God in the U.S.A. There was an exceeding great joy in the midst of flood victims on receipt of this initial remittance.

We pray the Lord for continual attention or cooperation of His saints in the U.S.A. all through the entire period of this unexpected great hardship. We thank God for Zion, a divine community.

Yours in Him, -Bro. Titus U. E. Enu

From the Philippines...

May 18, 1999-Dear Bro. and Sis. Murphey: Good day greetings to every one of you in the precious name of our Lord, Jesus Christ....

The roof of the tabernacle is now completed. It was finished a few days after you left.

I am sending you pictures of the Vacation Bible School conducted by the young people. The people in the villages were so happy and thankful for having Vacation Bible Schools in their places. Their children have learned much about God and His Word. The people expressed their desire for the teachers, or some preachers, to come back and teach not only the children, but also the young people and older ones. They said they are interested to hear the Word of God. Our preachers are now going to some places where Vacation Bible Schools were held....

Your brother in Christ, -Bro. Matias S. Tangunan and family

From India...

June 11, 1999-Dear Bro. Wayne Murphey, and dear saints in America and other parts of the world: Greetings to you all again in the marvelous name of Jesus Christ. Monsoon rains have already started here, and now it is raining day and night. Heavy rains have resulted in floods and calamities in different parts of our state.

I believe God has blessed in the camp meeting at Guthrie this year. May God bless the other camp meetings also.

I visited our congregation at Kothamangalam last week, and was glad to see the growth there. At Kalayapuram two young people were baptized and another two were baptized at Vilayanthur.

My wife is better now from an attack of fever, but she is weak in body.

Enclosed is a picture of the new vehicle we purchased. May God bless and reward each donor to the fund with which we bought it.

Yours in Him, -Bro. John Varghese