In 1979, I received a grant for the year to study in Japan on a Japan Foundation Professional Fellowship.
On the morning I was leaving Texas I was given a hand written letter from Rea on The People’s Church stationery with the letterhead:
The People’s Church
800 South Standard
Phone ST7 – 1034
San Juan, Texas 78589
I found this letter today – August 4, 2007 – when I was cleaning off three years of my desk clutter in the house in Bloomington, Illinois.
This is the letter…
To dear Joe:
After years of struggle and failure this philosophy has been revealed and seems to be working:
Jesus taught God created a world for our benefit and that he was a fulltime partner. The thoughts we think are molding our destiny
for good or evil. The whole of our experiences in life are but an outer expression of inner thought – Life is the reaping of a harvest we ourselves have sown. Scripture urges man to submit himself to the guidance and direction of Spirit (within given to all men) in
every area of his life in order that he can live in positive assurance of his highest good. God can do for man only what he can do through man’s will. It often takes sorrow to cause man to be still, to be meek and to listen. There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hand, you seek problems because
you need their gifts.
What a comfort each morning before arising to cast all our burdens upon Jehova and know in our heart that he will sustain us, guide us, and give us wisdom to handle our life through the day – Marie
Entry – August 4, 2007
