From Mr. Colin Adair: The direct mail campaign to French Canada has been very successful. We mailed approximately 100,000 packages to people in the Province of Quebec and received over an eight percent response. This is a much higher response than we received from English Canada.
Newspaper insert responses continue to arrive at the office. As of this writing we have tabulated over 39,208. Of these, 8,067 arrived on one day! The newspaper campaign will extend into January, when we wrap it up with our test package in Winnipeg. Final details of the TV ad to be used in combination with the newspaper insert have been worked out. Production will be done by our TV studio in Pasadena, reducing the cost of the ad considerably.
The ad will picture a young boy delivering a newspaper to the front porch of a home. As the paper lies there the wind will blow the pages open to the insert. There will be a background narrative drawing people's attention to the insert and the magazine it offers. We are certainly eager to see how this impacts the response pattern we normally see from Manitoba.
On the final day of the month, Mr. Bert Burbach, plant manager of Southam Murray, Mr. David Campbell, a member of the Toronto church, and I were in Ottawa for discussions with the Revenue Minister of the Conservative Government about the second class mail permit. The minister, while not being able to give a clear yes or no, took note of the case and said he would discuss it with officials at the post office. An interesting sidelight to the visit was to find out that the minister was familiar with the magazine and at one time had been a subscriber. Although not subscribing at present, he occasionally picks up a copy from one of our outlets located near the Parliament buildings.
While in Ottawa, I met with Mr. Keith Stoner, a lawyer and local church elder from the Sarnia church. During his business stay in Ottawa, Mr. Stoner contacted the Immigration Department and has received documentation which we hope will greatly facilitate bringing ministerial trainees to Canada.
Because of the Feast backlog, November turned out to be a record-setting month for income. A 53.7% increase was registered, bringing the year-to date increase to 13.6%.
Mail received for the month was up 10% over last year. Year-to-date figures show a 17% increase in incoming mail and ATS calls, and an 18.2% increase in outgoing mail.
From Mr. Robert Morton Mr. Armstrong's recent tour through a number of Asian countries was the centre of our attention this month. Mr. Armstrong visited Japan, China, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Thailand. From Thailand he flew again to Japan before returning home to Pasadena.
We were amazed and excited by the favour and great respect with which Mr. Armstrong was received wherever he went, and by the doors God opened in this most populous area of the world for the preaching of the Gospel of the coming Kingdom of God.
Excitement and anticipation is mounting as plans for our end-of-year SEP camp move into high gear. Work on the camp facilities at Lake Moogerah has continued throughout the year. Members and families from the local church areas have contributed voluntary labour in upgrading the grounds and gardens.
Beginning December 27, 224 campers from Australia and Asia will enjoy three weeks of challenge, education, activities, fun and fellowship. We anticipate that this 1984-85 SEP will be the most outstanding camp ever conducted for our young people in this country.
We are continually encouraged by the increasing number of people who write in for literature. A total of 22,022 letters were received this month — a 33.2% increase over November, 1983. Our year-to-date mail count is the highest ever on record — a 44.9% increase over the same period last year.
Our year-to-date outgoing mail count is also the highest ever on record. By the end of November over 800,000 separate envelopes containing the Church's publications had been mailed — a 22.2% increase over the same period last year. Our year-end projection shows that we will pass — for the first time ever in this area of the world — the one million mark for outgoing mail in any twelve-month period.
The increase in the number of people requesting contact with a representative of God's Church is very encouraging — up 26.2%. Income for November rose 10.5%, bringing the year-to-date increase to 15.4%.
responses from Asian countries to Mr. Armstrong's May, 1984 semi annual letter are now being received. So far 7,075 subscribers (20.5% of the mailing list) have requested the booklet Mr. Armstrong offered — WHERE IS THE TRUE CHURCH?
READER'S DIGEST ads in Australia and Asian countries throughout 1984 have been instrumental in bringing many thousands of new readers onto our PLAIN TRUTH mailing list. So far this year over 29,000 READER'S DIGEST ad responses have been received.
Comments From Monthly Church Reports
From the Caribbean
HAMILTON, BERMUDA — CECIL PULLEY: "The WORLD TOMORROW" program is back on the air now that the strike is over, and has been given a 5:00 p.m. time slot on Sundays. We were greatly encouraged by the response from the first telecast, which included our office telephone number at the end of the program. Fifteen calls were received from all parts of the island and a cross section of the population. We anticipate continued response with each telecast.
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — PAUL KRAUTMANN: All the brethren were enthused by the Feast and are more resolved to overcome. Prospective members, as well as the older children of members, are becoming more serious now as a result of the Feast.
From the United States
DAVENPORT, IA — STEVE NUTZMAN: The series of articles in The PLAIN TRUTH on child rearing is excellent and much needed by the families here. We look forward to each new issue. The brethren are concerned about Mr. Armstrong's health and are praying for him. The telecast is hard-hitting!
COLUMBIA, MO — RAND MILLICH: Dating and marriage are two areas that take up much counseling time. The article in the October/ November YOUTH 84 by Mr. Armstrong has helped lay a good foundation for the youth. Some are really having a struggle with the concept of not getting serious about marriage until at least after age 20. It is going to take continual education about the subject and parental support and encouragement.
CANTON, OH — JOHN FOSTER: Please thank Mr. Armstrong for the revision of the marriage ceremony. There have been positive comments from members and relatives over the content. I've used it now in four weddings, and each time the truth has been preached about how God looks upon marriage.
PIKEVILLE, KY — FELIX HEIMBERG: Through our local fund-raising program a member encountered a lady who had been following the Church's teachings for years and had been keeping the Sabbath, but had no idea there was a Church nearby. She has attended for a month now and appears headed for baptism. God certainly works in many ways.
CASPER, WY — DENNIS WHEATCROFT: We had an encouraging case of God's intervention and healing this month. A five-month-old baby was taken to the hospital and diagnosed as having spinal meningitis. Later, the doctors said that they had not expected him to survive the night. The baby was anointed and God intervened. After about three days, one of the doctors said, "Clinically, he shouldn't have recovered that fast." All the brethren had been praying for the baby, and so the incident was encouraging and inspiring for the entire church. The baby was released from the hospital a few days before Thanksgiving Day. Needless to say, the church, and especially the parents, had much to be thankful for.
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