Letter to Mr. Tkach from (AND – Dervaes’ Daughter)
Copyright © Jules Dervaes
June 12, 1995
Dear Mr. Tkach,
I am a twenty-year-old girl and am writing to you on hearing that you were ill.
You may not know who I am but my father is Jules Dervaes, who was disfellowshipped in 1986 for asking some questions about the attitude of the Church.
We have now been disfellowshipped for about ten years. During that period of time we had no real contact with any of the church members. We still keep the Sabbath and all the Holy Days but for all those years we have kept them by ourselves.
I used to feel resentful towards the Church for doing this to our family but my father always told us that everything that happens is for God’s purpose. So when we heard that you were ill my father thought that we should write to you.
Even though at first we couldn’t see what good this disfellowship was for us, we have learned that God’s will is not always our will. God has a purpose for everything. As a result of the disfellowshipping, my father has taught us to try to live the way God wants us to live. We have also learned that buildings aren’t the only things that count in our life—it’s our relationship with our family, father, and God that count.
I still feel sad for the friends we left behind and I hope that one day we will meet them again.
God has worked with people in the past who have had illnesses—like Hezekiah. I believe that God wants someone to head His Church until the end-time; and after Mr. Armstrong died you took over and maybe God is trying to work with you through this illness to follow His way.
We will be praying for you.
In Christian love,
AND