Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, I greet you with the words from Philippians 2:1-4: “If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”

In a few words, on behalf of the brethren in Calgary, I want to thank all of you who participated in this Conference and made it a blessing for all of us. I thank the Canadian Field for their prayers and support, and especially to Brother Fletcher and Sister Veronica for coming all the way from the east to the west and being part of such a wonderful and blessed Conference. Praise the Lord!

The theme of our Conference was “Let Your Light Shine” based on the Bible verse found in the Gospel of Matthew 5:16 where the Lord Jesus said: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” The message was divided into three sections. The first part, Let Your Light Shine in the Family, was the topic of the Divine Service conducted by Brother Fletcher where he mentioned about life being short and we have to think about it in a way that will inspire and motivate us to have our families prepared for our encounter with Jesus Christ at His 2nd coming. Character is important in order to meet Jesus in peace. The Ten Commandments are to be kept with God’s help and each one of us should uplift Jesus in our family. Parents have responsibilities before their children and children before their parents; all we do is to be done with patience, trusting the Lord in all circumstances of life and revealing the love of God in our homes. Love and harmony in the family will bring glory to God in Heaven.

The second part was presented by myself, and I talked about the importance of letting our light shine in the Church. The Church was instituted by Jesus Himself and He gave His life for it. The Spirit of Prophecy speaks about it as something very precious and unique in God’s eyes. Unity and harmony must exist among brothers and sisters when we come together for worship and also when we are working for the Lord, advancing the Gospel into all the world. Fellowship in unity and love is possible only through the help of the Holy Spirit. We an read of the 120 people in the upper room where the Holy Spirit  descended upon them during the early rain. This outpouring of the Holy Spirit made it possible for the disciples to add to the church 3000 in one day, 5000 on another day, and then as they went from place to place preaching the Gospel with power, they planted churches everywhere they went. I mentioned that this will be possible only when we come together in one accord, esteeming others better than ourselves.

Brother Jessie Abragan spoke about “Let Your Light Shine in the World” in closing the Sabbath. The message was about our relationship with the world; it should be based on the Bible standards. It is very important that our faith in Christ is shown to be the difference between people in the world and God’s people in these last days. Looking unto Jesus changes us because Jesus is the light of the world. That light which Jesus imparts to His followers makes us lights as well when we go and mingle with people in the world. At the place we work, at school and everywhere we are, Jesus Christ should be present in our lives. People will always look at us and what they see is what we live by. That is why it is important to be consecrated to the Lord, to study His word and have a prayerful life.

Brother Fletcher also conducted a child dedication; the child’s name is Gabriel, and is only four years old. Sister Rechelle, his mother, was baptized last year (2018) at the Conference in Calgary. I had the privilege of baptizing her, along with two sisters—Sister Aila Mae and Sister Evelyn Abragan.

The Conference was a blessing for all of us, and we had more than ten visitors that came and spent this blessed time together with us, listening to the messages we had prepared for this event. The following day we enjoyed two Health Seminar presentations, by sister Alina Anca and Brother Jessie Abragan. They shared some principles of how to live a more abundant and healthy life by adhering to a healthy diet.

May God continue to bless the Canadian Field.

Your brother in Christ,

Brother Nicholas Anca