From Mr. Guy Ames: Philippine Office Manager Rod Matthews completed a tour of scattered members in the northern Pacific in late August. We have been striving to maintain closer contact and better serve those in Guam, Yap, Saipan and in Japan. Mr. Matthews conducted a Bible study on Guam for the two members there and completed arrangements for their attendance at Philippine sites for the Feast of Tabernacles.
In Yap, southwest of Guam, where we have one member and only eight "Plain Truth" subscribers, a newsstand was established in a local business establishment. Mr. John Yugummang, the member there, had made arrangements with the manager of a general supermarket to set up a counter top stand. The first issue made available was the introductory copy of "The Plain Truth." Subsequent issues will be shipped directly from Pasadena as a result of Yap being a part of the United States postal system, which still operates throughout the region of the Caroline Islands, although the area is in the process of obtaining independence under the name of the Federated States of Micronesia.
After a brief visit with the only member in Saipan, a Filipino who will soon be returning to the Philippines, Mr. Matthews went to Japan to spend time with our only two members there and to respond to some visit requests. The visit was highlighted by the reinstatement of a former (Japanese) member who had survived some severe family pressures, among other things, and wanted to come back to the Church. Since she speaks no English, extended counseling had to be conducted via an interpreter. A visit with a prospective member was also made in the city of Kobe, but another visit requestor failed to make contact on this trip. The slowly increasing interest in Japan is exciting, and the visit was most successful considering the isolation of the members there (and the 50% increase in membership on this occasion). This completed the two planned trips to the region for the year and highlighted the need to regularly maintain the contact via this means.
During the break from the Ministerial Education Program in the Philippines, several "Plain Truth" subscriber lectures were conducted in the Visayas region on a trial basis. The results were very pleasing. Lectures were conducted in the cities of Tagbilaran, Dumaguete and Cebu by Mr. Reynaldo Taniajur a on two consecutive afternoons, covering prophecy and how it related to those attending.
In Tagbilaran, 168 subscribers attended, 16% of those invited, while in Dumaguete, 924 subscribers received invitation letters and 8% or 74 attended. In Cebu City, the second largest city in the Philippines, lectures were conducted on September 7 and 8 and 151 new people attended, 11% of the list. The results are pleasing and reflect the interest of many new subscribers who have been added in the last couple of years. The quality of those attending was good and many asked discerning Bible questions and requested further Church contact.
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