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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, DECEMBER 4, 1981
PAGE 6
Australian Minister Grateful for Prayers
My family and I would like to thank the ministry and the Church for the
prayers, love, encouragement and concern that were expressed to us
during our son Jonathan's severe illness.
Jonathan came down with a severe headache on October second.
I
anointed him on Thursday night and again on Friday afternoon.
At
first Fiona thought it was tetanus. I examined him closely and by this
time he couldn't speak.
All of Friday night he was in pain and re
mained in bed. Early Saturday morning I found him out of bed on the
floor. It soon became obvious that he was paralysed down almost all of
his right side. After calling Mr. Morton to come over to anoint him,
the pain in his head left and after we both anointed him he was able to
sit up in bed. At this point he was in good spirits, though still
paralysed. Before Mr. Morton left that morning he was able to slur out
a few words.
In order to determine what was wrong with him we took him to the Chil
dren's Hospital.
A pediatrician diagnosed the symptoms as being
caused by a lesion on the lower part of the brain where it meets the
spinal cord, although he wasn't sure. He said it could be a tumor, a
blood clot, or a burst blood vessel. Jonathan was given a "Cat-Scan"
(a special device that can externally photograph the brain sections).
The scan revealed no abnormalities. The doctors were somewhat amazed
at this because it didn't match the symptoms which implied a lesion or
thrombosis. Both Fiona and I knew that the cause had been taken away
by God.
On Friday night I wheeled Jonathan out of the hospital in a wheelc
hair. On the following Tuesday he was able to walk with assistance
into services for the Holy Day of the Feast of Tabernacles.
Today
Jonathan is able to walk reasonably well and his right side is
gradually coming back to normal.
Once again we wish to thank the ministers and brethren for their
prayers. We knew that Jonathan's life was, and is, in God's hands.
John and Fiona Larkin
Comments From Monthly Church Reports
DES MOINES, IA--ROBERT CLONINGER: At least 50 members from the area
attended Mr. Armstrong's visit to Minneapolis. It was a very impor
tant sermon, and his comments to the ministers afterward were very
sobering for us all. I believe it was good for the area elders to see
that Mr. Armstrong was strong, healthy, and in charge.
MINNEAPOLIS (NORTH) , MN--LEONARD SCHREIBER:
Desire for spiritual
growth unusually high. Mr. Armstrong's visit and warning message had
a great impact, and Mr. Dean Blackwell's message on Atonement and the
Feast of Tabernacles following his visit served to emphasize the def
inite need to make some real changes. Sermons at the Dells were out
standing and the film about the Work was a highlight in setting the
theme for the Feast.