Of the 84 people registered for the Feast, some were enjoying their first Feast and some their 50^th! The venue was the Gary Holland Centre, a well-appointed auditorium with a very welcoming staff who look forward to our presence each year.

Festival elder Paul Vaughan was joined by visiting elder Peter Eddington for the first half of the Feast, and Ken Thompson for the last half. The Eddingtons and Thomsons traveled between the Rockingham and Penang Feast sites to serve brethren in both areas. Five other speakers also provided messages. Topics included the Spirit of God working with the spirit in man, the Oneness of God, faith in action, worshipping God in Spirit and truth and being ever thankful for the invitation God has extended to us.

Further highlights were the webcast from Florida, a video presentation of the U.S. work from Peter Eddington and a video update on preaching the work in Australia using new technologies.

“Special music is sometimes hard to follow as music is emotive,” Mr. Thompson expressed, and the quality and variety of special music reflected the intense preparation of individual and combined vocal, instrumental and choral offerings throughout the eight days.

A balance between spiritual and physical aspects of the Feast allowed the traditional meet and greet activity after services on the first Holy Day to provide great opportunities for getting to know one another while enjoying abundant finger foods and drinks. Another tradition, the Family Games Night, was enjoyed immensely. An additional element for the Games Night this year was the “photo-guess” segment. Early childhood photos of those attending the Feast were provided, and “chocolate rewards” were presented to those who correctly identified which photo belonged to which person attending the Feast.

Another activity was a leisurely canal cruise and luncheon, and a highlight was a close encounter with dolphins which surfed the bow of the boat all the way back to the harbor. Young and young-at-heart enjoyed Mega Fast Go-Carts at a local raceway, and the following day a Barefoot Bowls activity at a lawn bowling club with snacks provided was fun for young and old trying to hit the “kitty.”

The Last Great Day lunch was served in the main hall followed by the last service and the final hymn, “God Be With You.” Some of the feedback regarding this Feast focused on the fact that it was fun, warm and full of love, with a family-friendly and hospitable atmosphere.

Leone Schreuders