Testimony
“I’m writing to thank you deeply for The Great Controversy which I just received,” wrote Beatrix. “Thank you so much also for including the two Last Generation magazines. I cannot start to tell you how grateful I am for this material. The book is wonderful, simply wonderful reading!”
After the volunteer literature distribution project last March, we received many requests for copies of The Great Controversy. But Beatrix just recently requested hers and began reading her copy right away.
“…Would be at all possible for you to mail The Great Controversy to my daughter-in-law and son. They would really appreciate it…” she added.
Hardly had Beatrix begun reading her copy and she began to share the truth with her son and his wife. Later she wrote in another email: “My daughter-in-law received her book yesterday. Thank you so much for sending it. She was impressed and said it looked so interesting. In fact, after reading it herself, she will give it to her father.” So, the message of the book will spread again to another soul in yet another home, thanks to Beatrix’s daughter-in-law.
“I had heard about The Great Controversy before,” she continued, “but had never read it. I’m delighted with [it] because it’s so beautiful and has so many interesting illustrations. Also, a friend gave me the Luther pamphlet and I absolutely loved it.”
Friends, you never know where literature that you leave will end up. There are spiritually hungry people everywhere and one can easily lead to another. The Holy Spirit knows how to do that. We just need to get the literature in their hands.
Highwood Spirit
“I came for a new start,” said Helen during a farewell ceremony at the end her stay at Highwood Health Retreat. “I feel like I am equipped now.” Then she added, “I’m not an SDA, but I felt that I already had many of the same life values as you, and that I fit in well…” She thanked the staff for their songs and prayers.
Then Laura started to cry after saying just a few words. “It is tears of joy!” she said with a smile. “I have found new friends.” In fact, the friendship and camaraderie among our guests was so strong, they even called themselves, “the family.”
“As soon as I came into this place, I felt relief” said Karen, another guest. “Iris,” she said, as she turned to our nurse, “That first day you told us that we are at the right place at the right time. I truly believed you! I found new strength to press forward.”
Highwood Health Retreat is a place of relief for burdened souls. It opens hearts by God’s grace, and bonds people together so close that God can lead them to His salvation.
During December, January and part of February, Highwood will be closed for renovations. We are installing a dishwashing area in the kitchen and expanding the dining area, installing bathrooms in seven of our guest rooms, and redesigning the office/entry area. We can still use skilled volunteers between now and May (some renovations will continue after we reopen February 23). Please make the special work of Highwood a matter of prayer.
Amaroo Water Gardens
By the time you read this, Amaroo Water Gardens in South Australia will have transferred to Keep the Faith Ministry. When our team and I first arrived at Amaroo after the transfer, we knelt in prayer and dedicated Amaroo to God and asked Him to bless it with His presence right from the beginning. We have to navigate some approvals with the local county (council), which can be very challenging. We need God’s hand on Amaroo. So far, the council seems favorable. But you never know what can happen in the months-long process. We are praying that the officials will view our submission positively. We need your prayers for this too.
I was deeply impressed by the handsome trees, abundant flowers and flocks of beautiful birds at Amaroo. Plentiful water lilies overspread the lake, while all manner of parrots, finches, wrens, swallows, ibis, water hens, and even the rare yellow tailed black cockatoo, make Amaroo their home. It is stunningly beautiful and so very peaceful! As I sat and listened to the multitudes of birds and waterfowl that make Amaroo come alive with sound and movement, it gave me confidence that God’s Spirit will impress our future guests with His love.
But now the work begins. We are planning an open house day for SDAs January 11, 2015. In the meantime, we have to get it cleaned up and organized for lots of visitors. There is a lot of interest in Amaroo and it is growing every day. We are praying that there will be many volunteers who will be willing to help prepare Amaroo for guests.
Please go to our website, if you haven’t already, and read the updated story of God’s providences in bringing us to Amaroo. You will see pictures and you can pray for this new ministry as you look at them.
Your support for Amaroo Water Gardens Health Retreat really means a lot. I want to thank each of you for your special gift to support the purchase of Amaroo Water Gardens in November. We aren’t there yet, but the response has been very good. Your continued help is sorely needed. We have a lot of work to do with significant start-up expenses. Your gifts right now make a huge difference.
Trans Fats can cause Memory Loss
Partially hydrogenated oil, the type of oil that has trans fats, was used for decades in packaged foods to increase their shelf life have now been shown to damage memory. In a study conducted by the American Health Association of 690 young and middle-aged men, those who reported eating the most trans fat remembered 11 fewer words out of 104 than those who ate the least.
“Trans fats increase the shelf life of the food but reduce the shelf life of the person,” said Dr. Beatrice Golomb, a professor at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. “They’re a metabolic poison and that’s not a good thing to be putting into your body,” she said. “They don’t provide anything the body needs.”
Trans fats have also shown a link with obesity, aggression, heart disease and diabetes.
The study also adds to the growing body of evidence that what we eat affects how we think, said Dr. Patrick T. O’Gara, president of the American College of Cardiology. “The supply of nutrients in blood to the brain can actually affect its function.”
While the cause and effect has not been proven, the effect makes sense. “These artificial fats penetrate every cell in the body and can disrupt basic cell functions,” said Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Trans fats have been drastically cut since 2006 when manufacturers were required to list trans fats on labels. Most baked goods and margarines, for instance, have been reformulated and now do not carry them. The effect has been a reduction in heart disease and diabetes in areas where they are banned, in particular. But government regulations permit any product with less than half a gram of trans fat to be labeled as trans fat-free. So, there are still products that have them.
The best way to reverse the effect of trans fats is to live as healthy as possible. Foods prepared in a simple manner from fresh ingredients are the most healthful, especially fresh fruits and vegetables. Prepackaged crackers, biscuits, cookies, and other high fat, commercial foods, etc., should be avoided for the most part.
“Grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables constitute the diet chosen for us by our Creator. These foods, prepared in as simple and natural a manner as possible, are the most healthful and nourishing. They impart a strength, a power of endurance, and a vigor of intellect that are not afforded by a more complex and stimulating diet.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, page 81
Nature Knows Best!
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