Herbert W Armstrong

Dear Mr. Rader,

For many months I have wanted to write you and never got around to it; now however, your daughter's baptism has made an opportune time. Congratulations to you and Carol. It must be a huge pleasure to have a daughter who is no longer only a lovely physical daughter, but now is also your spiritual sister in Jesus Christ. What a tremendous blessing! If it be. God's will in this age of His Work, may He still call your wife and other members of your family. Then they, too, can rejoice in like manner as you and Carol. My lovely married daughter is my only child and so far I have not been blessed in such a way as your and Carol's blessing. Some day Jane and I will be! Maybe even in this age? Who knows?

Though I hardly know you personally, I certainly have learned to highly respect you as a personal servant and advisor to God's Apostle, Mr. Herbert Armstrong. Thank you for-the loyalty you have shown him and God's Work through the years. It is not easy to be a personal friend and servant to another man when required to be in extremely close quarters for many hours a day for days on end. You must learn to "bite your tongue" at times. Add to this, becoming overly tired and worn out, you still must maintain a positive and pleasing attitude as you constantly are plagued by the continual whine of those ever persistent jet engines hour after hour — no let up! Traveling with a man who looks like other ordinary men — very human, can and does slip and stumble at times — yet, you must continually recognize, respect and treat him as the one God has called and chosen to be His Apostle. Yes, Mr. Rader, it takes a special man with special abilities, versatile, and with God's love and guidance to fulfill the position you are fulfilling.

Thank you that you have been and are still willing to yield to our God and fill such a needful, stress filled, yet rewarding position in this Work of the living God. Your fruits are showing l God has been "dunging your tree"! Always remember — dung always stirs up a stink — but it surely produces luscious aromatic fruit. Know what? I think God has marked your tree for periodic "dunging"'! So no matter how far and foul the odor reaches — grin and bear it! That luscious, colorful, highly aromatic fruit will in the long run far outdistance it!

We brethren in the Palo Alto Church love you and are praying for and learning to love you more each day. Please remember us. Will you?

In sincere Christian love, your brother,
Hal Baird