A Visit to Tobago
The love and enthusiasm for the Truth is apparent.
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During the first week of May, my wife Amy and I were blessed to visit the beautiful island of Tobago. While we were there, we visited the Mt. Grace Ecclesia. I called ahead earlier in the week only to hear that Bro. Collin Campbell had fallen asleep rather suddenly, so it was a sad time for the ecclesia.
Bro. Collin was the Recording Brother and a hardworking, faithful worker in the ecclesia with a large family of children and grandchildren, most of whom also attend the Mt. Grace Ecclesia. He was loved dearly and will be sorely missed. He was laid to rest Friday morning before we arrived at the ecclesia the following Sunday.
I had chosen an exhortation that focused on our vision of the Kingdom, looking at the work of the Lord and the first disciples at his first coming, bringing the Kingdom of God to the masses in Judea–healing the sick and preaching the gospel. I think it’s likely we’ll be doing similar work at his second coming during the Kingdom age.
We received a warm welcome from the brothers and sisters, and despite the loss of Bro. Collin, the memorial service resounded with hymns of praise and beautiful prayers from humble and contrite brethren and sisters. The ecclesia has lost some young people who have not returned since the Covid pandemic.
One or two dialed in via Zoom, so the ecclesia was not yet back to the pre-pandemic normal. The pandemic hit Tobago sometime after it hit the USA, and it’s similarly taking them a little longer to normalize, but love and enthusiasm for the Truth is apparent.
After the memorial service, Bro. Clement Williams asked me to say a few words. I was not sure what he meant at first, but with further enquiry I learned he wanted to hear about the brotherhood in the Pacific Northwest. I gave the ecclesia an impromptu overview of how the Truth has grown in the area since the Seattle ecclesia began in 1959, the same year the Mt Grace ecclesia started. They seemed to enjoy it.
Amy and I look forward to the possibility of future visits to the brethren and sisters in Tobago, God willing, and pray that the Father continue to bless them until the Lord comes.
Tony Ball,
Monroe Ecclesia, WA