Proclaim to the World the GOOD NEWS OF THE WORLD TOMORROW
Box 111, Pasadena, Calif. 91109
Publishing: The PLAIN TRUTH a Magazine of UNDERSTANDING
New York, November 4, 1960
Dear Friend:
I have just completed my first trip AROUND THE WORLD! I have thrilling and important news for you. I have come up to the offices of our New York advertising agency to type this letter to you, during a stop-over of a few hours between planes. I must fly on across the Atlantic ocean again tonight, arriving at London airport tomorrow morning at 7:00. Mrs. Armstrong is there, and I expect her to meet me at the airport.
Our New York advertising agency is responsible for opening up time for The WORLD TOMORROW on overseas radio stations outside the United States, around the world. Constantly more and more powerful stations are opening their doors for broadcasting The WORLD TOMORROW message on five continents around the world.
I have had to be in England most of the time since June, preparing for the opening of the second AMBASSADOR COLLEGE. The founding and starting of a new college is a gigantic task. It seems a thousand and one things have to be thought of, planned, provided, put into operation. The new college did open on schedule October 14.
Developments on the other side of the world, in Australia, made necessary a hurriedly planned flight to Sydney, Australia. The president of our New York advertising agency flew to London, where I joined him, and together we flew on to Sydney, and then on around the world—all in something like 2« days' actual flying time!
I never had an opportunity to travel around the world before. Probably you never have, either. So, while I am actually still on this fast world-girding flight, almost at the speed of sound, I feel you will be interested in hearing a few things about this LONG journey taken in such SHORT time. It's truly almost unbelievable. Actually, we did, on one occasion, "arrive before we started."
About 45 years ago I heard two comedians bragging about how fast they could run. One said he could run 100 yards as fast as he could clap his hands twice. The first clap, he said, was when he started, and the second one when he finished. The other man said: "Is that the fastest you can run? Man, you are SLOW! When I run a 100-yard dash I arrive before I start." Of course the audience had a big laugh. But I never dreamed I would someday "arrive before I started."
I was very much surprised, recently, to learn that only a very small percentage of all people have ever flown in an airplane. I used to say that I would never fly unless I absolutely had to, in God's work—and then I would trust God to protect me. The time finally came when, 19 years ago, I had to fly from Seattle to Portland. I had broadcast the program on Sunday morning from the studios of a Seattle station, and had to be in the studios of the Portland station for the broadcast a very few hours later. The only way I could get there on time was to fly.
Half way along that first flight of mine, the captain came through the cabin, speaking very quietly in the ear of each passenger the tremendous news he had just heard over the plane's radio that the Japanese were bombing Pearl Harbor—the United States was at WAR! That, of course was Sunday, December 7, 1941. You can understand why I shall never forget my first flight in the air!
I think I have told you in former letters how 19 years is a complete time-cycle. Days, months, and years, as God counts time, are measured by the movements of the earth, moon, and sun, in relation to each other. The earth, moon, and sun come into the same relation to one another only every 19 years. The preaching of Christ's Gospel to the world by the Apostles covered exactly two 19-year cycles. The first 19 years was confined to Palestine and Asia Minor. The second 19 it expanded into Europe. I think I have mentioned before how Jesus began teaching His disciples in the autumn of 27 A.D., and I was converted and started being taught the true Gospel from the written Word (Jesus was the spoken Word of God) in the autumn of 1927—exactly 100 time cycles later. The Apostles were ordained and started on their ministry of Christ's Gospel in the spring of 31 A.D., and precisely 100 time cycles later, late spring or early summer 1931, I was ordained and started full time preaching Christ's Gospel. Christ OPENED THE DOOR of radio and the printing press early January, 1934. And 19 years later, early January, 1953, He opened the door for the broadcast to leap over to Europe!
Perhaps these are only remarkable coincidences with no significance, but I couldn't help thinking of these 19-year dates when, for the first time, I SAW Pearl Harbor, flying over it in a jet plane, exactly 19 years after my first plane ride when I first heard of the BOMBING of Pearl Harbor! Whether it means anything or not, it was interesting to me, and I thought it might be to You.
We had left Sydney, Australia, at 6:00 p.m. Sunday evening, and arrived over Pearl Harbor at 7:00—in the MORNING—arriving before we started! Of course you understand the explanation: we had crossed the international date line. But, after this exact time cycle, it was AGAIN on SUNDAY MORNING, 19 years later, just as it was Sunday morning, 19 years before, when Pearl Harbor was being bombed.
We have flown this entire 'round the world trip in giant 707 jets. These are the largest and fastest passenger planes so far. They are both longer, and wider and roomier inside, than previous "prop" planes. The four great jet engines have tremendously powerful thrust. At the take-off on the runway you feel the far greater acceleration, as you feel shoved against the back of your seat. Very rapidly the plane gains speed until it is rolling on its tires at about 175 miles per hour along the runway. At about this speed it lifts off the runway. it is quite a sensation to look out the window and see the ground whipping past at so great speed, still on the ground. Of course these big jets require longer runways. As soon as they lift off the ground, these jets turn to a steep upward climb, constantly gaining speed. You now feel a second sensation, of a great surge of power forcing you up at almost a 45 degree angle, seeing the ground rapidly dropping below you—houses, buildings, automobiles and streets rapidly becoming smaller and smaller. In one minute you are higher than the Empire State building in New York. Soon the powerful engines lessen their terrific thrust, and the plane levels off to a less steep climb, now appearing to cruise on effortlessly, and almost silently and without vibration.
I have had to do a great deal of flying these past 19 years. These big 707 jets have been in service only about two years, and already I have lost track of the number of times I have flown on them. But this was my first trip around the world—and the first time I have ever taken time or space to tell you about it.
I did not look forward to this trip with any eagerness. Mrs. Armstrong does not like to fly, and of course could not come along on a trip of this great length and short time, anyway. My entire trip around the world, with six days in Australia, three in Pasadena, and one in Texas, is less than two weeks. I put off this trip as long as I could.
A year ago, when it became necessary to open offices in Australia, I sent my son, Garner Ted Armstrong, instead of going myself. With him went Mr. Gerald Waterhouse, to manage our offices there, and Mr. Frank Longuskie to handle the Australian mailing list. We were just then starting EVERY NIGHT broadcasting on 14 stations in Australia. The large volume of mail made it necessary to open offices in Sydney. But this time my own attention was required, and I could delay going no longer.
We flew straight through from London to Sydney—almost half way around the world—on the same plane. There were 45-minute fuel stops made at Rome, at Cairo, Egypt—flying over the very path of the great Exodus under Moses, and close to Mount Sinai—then Karachi in West Pakistan on the west border of India. We stopped again at Calcutta after crossing India, then southwest to Bangkok, on down to Singapore, then clear down to Darwin, Australia, then across that continent and landing at Sydney about 7:00 a.am. in rain and a gust of wind. Our office staff there now numbers ten, seven of whom have been sent over from Ambassador College. All seven of them were at the airport to welcome us. On the way south from Singapore we had crossed the equator.
It seemed strange to know that, although our summer was over and winter was approaching, their winter was over in Sydney and summer was approaching. Also the sun seemed to rise in the west and set in the east. it seemed that way because, actually, it rises there in the east but circles around in the NORTH all day (instead of in the south as we see it up here) because they are in the southern hemisphere.
I was really surprised to see that Sydney is a great city of over TWO MILLION population. Melbourne is just about two million. Australia is a vast continent, almost as large as the United States in area.
During the six days in Sydney, arrangements were made to gradually add 39 additional stations, with DAILY broadcasting. This will mean we shall cover thoroughly the areas in which about 98% of all the people of that continent live.
It seemed very strange on Sunday night as we left Australia to realize we were starting to cross the vast Pacific Ocean. From London we had travelled east and southeast—always, so it seemed— travelling farther and farther AWAY from the Pacific. I had left the Pacific Ocean when I last had left Pasadena, and had steadily travelled farther away from it all the way to London. And from there I was still going on east—and now, all of a sudden, I realized I was 'way WEST of Pasadena, instead of east. It really seemed very strange. I had been going constantly farther EAST of Pasadena, and now here I was WEST of it! Well, I was now really SURE that the earth is ROUND!
During my brief three days at Headquarters in Pasadena, I approved going on our second station in CANADA. Since my last semi-annual letter, The WORLD TOMORROW has gone on the air in the FRENCH language. We already have been on the air around the world not only in English, but also in Spanish, German, and Russian. And now also in French, starting in French-speaking Montreal. We are going on Radio Luxembourg to reach all France in that language as soon as that station can clear time for us.
Plans now are being laid to thoroughly cover JAPAN, on several stations, in their own Japanese language. This will have to be a big undertaking. Our advertising agent feels that both he and I ought to spend at least a month there making preparations. We must first try to bring into God's truth a Japanese man with a good voice and, if possible, radio broadcasting experience, to translate the Messages and speak them over the air. But God will supply the man for this job, impossible though it may seem.
One reason I wanted to write this letter before leaving New York this evening is to tell you about our NEWEST booklet, "WHO will rule space?"
Edward Teller, the "father of the H-bomb," says our greatest national danger is Russia's real secret weapon. Russia is working feverishly to control OUTER SPACE—just as Britain once ruled the seas! This is a mad race for survival!
WHAT that secret weapon is, and how it is used will be revealed in this striking NEW booklet, "WHO will rule space?" This booklet has never been offered before, nor announced over the radio —BE SURE you don't miss it!
Also, a new booklet now going to press: "The SEVEN LAWS OF SUCCESS." I have spoken somewhat about these seven rules of success on the air—but never very much about any except the first two, and it has never before been published. WHY are so many people NOT successful in life? I have known scores of successful business men—millionaires—and also scores of others who were not wealthy but still had made a success. THEY HAVE ALL FOLLOWED DEFINITE LAWS. Yet most people do not know about them. Most people do not apply a single one of them. What a shame! God intended everyone to be successful. Everyone CAN be—but ONLY if these laws are known, and applied! THIS IS THE VERY FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT of these booklets. They have never yet even been announced over the air. I just wanted you to know about these booklets FIRST!
Of course there is NO PRICE. We do not sell the precious TRUTH. It has been paid for and is FREE to YOU. A number have become co-workers with me, who gladly GIVE, so we never have to beg for money over the air—never sell anything—we just GIVE the Gospel and the TRUTH.
Now I must hasten back out to the International Airport, and board one more big 707 jet, on the last leg of this 'round the world journey, to be with my wife and continue supervision, for a while, of the new Ambassador College in England. We had planned to accept only 21 students this first year, but we finally accepted 33 very fine students. On our campus in Pasadena everyone says it is the happiest spot on earth. But at our new college in Britain everyone says it is ALSO the happiest spot on earth. There is a WAY to be happy. God has shown us that way. Our students live that way. They are supremely happy—filled with the JOY of interesting, abundant living. You'll learn a lot about those very principles and rules in this new booklet. I especially want you to have it. I am having our office enclose a self-addressed return envelope for your request.
I do appreciate, from the heart down deep, your interest, and the privilege of serving and helping you in any way I can.