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After much figuring with architects and contractors, we
finally signed up on an original estimate of $10,000 for this
emergency job of reconstruction. By the time work had started the
estimate had climbed to $13,000. I had about half that much on
hand or promised by that time. On sheer faith, KNOWING this was of
God, I started the work. The bills were payable weekly. Each week
the contractor would ask for an advance of $1,000 or $700, or
$1,500, toward the following week in addition to the current week's
bill. Each week I was able to meet these requests, until we came
down to the final week before college started. That week, in order
to have the building ready on time, and while I was forced to be
away, in Oregon, the work was pushed with a great deal of over-
time,---and, as always, unforeseen extras had to be added on, and
a final week's bill estimated to run about $3,000, skyrocketed up
to $12,000,---so that the entire cost to date is $26,000, or two
and half times the original estimated cost!
I arrived back in Pasadena from Oregon, with college
having actually started two days before in my absence, to be
presented this overwhelming bill, instead of an amount around
$3,000 as the contractor had estimated the week before. It was as
if the sun, moon, and stars had all come crashing down on my
shoulders! I had the estimated $3,000, and paid that on account,
leaving a balance of $9,000.
But THE COLLEGE WAS STARTED! Nothing, now, can prevent
that! Ambassador is a going, living, institution! At first the
contractor was unwilling to wait, even twenty four hours, for the
balance of this reconstrucional cost. But, though it is working a
most severe hardship on his business, has agreed to hold off a week
or so until I can rush this letter to you co-workers, acquaint you
with the facts, and manage somehow to raise the money now due. Of
course all his bills are in the meantime being carefully checked
and re-checked by our auditors.
Also, meantime, there has been no way to prevent getting
behind with our large radio audience. Remember we use the most
powerful stations in the hemisphere almost every night and every
morning. They carry the true Gospel Message to a cumulative
audience of FIVE MILLION PRECIOUS SOULS EVERY WEEK! By almost
unbelievable economics, EVERY DOLLAR you place in our hands carries
the true Message of Jesus Christ out to TWO THOUSAND PRECIOUS
SOULS! That is AMAZING efficiency and economy in method! But five
million is a lot of people, and the total cost of this work is
great, so that it is costing thousands of dollars a month. Now,
unless we catch up on payments to these radio stations immediately
we are threatened with being put off the air! We cannot, MUST not,
and WILL not fail! But this present emergency of this work is such
that it is going to take the VERY UTMOST effort of every single
co-worker to meet this tremendous test.
But let's look, for a moment, to the BRIGHTER SIDE of the
picture.
"All things work together for GOOD, to them that love
God." So says the Scripture, the Word of God. But COULD these