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• PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, AUGUST 6, 1986
PAGE 7
From Germany
The month of June started with a three-week language
program conducted in the Bonn Office meeting hall for the Ambassador
College summer-program students.
Twelve students received intensive
German-language instruction from Ambassador College German teacher Tom
Root, who flew to Germany with the students.
After the three-week
language program the students then had the opportunity to join the
Ambassador College European tour under the direction of Ambassador
College faculty member Richard Paige.
After this tour, nine of the
students went to their respective families for the family program and
the other students went to the Bonn Office to help out in various
departments.
Also at the beginning of the month, one of our members from East
Germany came to visit the Bonn Office for a few days.
This was the
first time he had ever been in the West. He had been given permission
to leave East Germany for 12 days to visit his uncle. Recently, travel
restrictions were lessened and East Germans are now permitted to travel
out of the country for golden wedding anniversaries, funerals and
special birthdays of second-degree relatives such as aunts and uncles.
Before then, East Germans could only visit first-degree relatives -
parents or children -- who live in the West.
This month Mr. Fritz had the opportunity to visit our three elderly
members in Yugoslavia, which is about six hours away by car from where
Mr. Fritz lives.
Besides an occasional visit, these members have no
services except when they travel to Austria for the Passover and to
Bonndorf for the Fall Festival.
In addition to this trip, Mr. Fritz
also went to Czechoslovakia to make final preparations for the 1986
Fall Festival in Brno.
An event occurred this month that illustrates the troubled times we are
living in. Someone entered our property and spray-painted graffiti on
the wall at the front entrance of the office. The graffiti was against
the Church. Your continued prayers are appreciated.
(Submitted by Frank Schnee, Regional Director)
From Australia
The newsstand program and the "World Tomorrow" telecast
continue to be our primary sources of new "Plain Truth" subscribers in
Australia. We are currently distributing on an average 140,000 copies
of the "Plain Truth" magazine each month through 750 outlets throughout
the country.
In addition, we have a small newsstand program in Sri Lanka and
another location.
The public interest in our newsstand outlets in
these two areas is exceptionally high.
If finances permitted, our
distribution of "Plain Truth" magazines on newsstands in Sri Lanka and
the other location could be rapidly expanded.
The "World Tomorrow" program is currently being aired over 13 stations
throughout Australia and on one station in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
We
continue to be delighted with the increasing interest being shown in
the telecast • .
During 1985 the number of calls received from Australian
viewers on our four WATS lines averaged 141 per program. During 1986