STELLALANDER-VRYBURG: Tony and Phyllis Bartlett, the clergy pair of the Vryburg United Church, are moving to the Eastern Cape, after serving for 27 years in Vryburg, and districts which included Bray, Thlakgameng, Stella, Magogong to Warrenton and beyond.
Tony and Phyllis are sharing their greeting note with all who know them.
”We have experienced tremendous love from the people we have served. We have been through thick and thin with so many lovely people. Been through fire, floods and winds. You people have taught us a lot and you have all been a great blessing to us as a family. There has been times of sadness, sickness and suffering, and there has also been great times of joy, pleasure and happiness. We loved the times of tennis and golf fellowship. We have never eaten so well on the visits to the farmers and people in town, it is just amazing that we did not get plump. We cry tears of sadness as we leave, however we will also cry tears of laughter and joy as we remember the great memories we made with you. The wide open spaces of the Kalahari, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe, to mention but a few. The friendships and fellowship with the other dominees and pastors and churches has been great. It has been an honour and privledge to have known and served you for many years. I also give thanks to my dear wife, Phyllis for serving with me as a team. We thank the Lord our God for always being with us. We give Him glory and praise. With God all things are possible. Someone wrote a lovely letter to me and at the end she said, ‘I’m not saying goodbye or farewell, because as Christians we say ‘Till we meet again.’ In the love of Christ to you and your families.” The Vryburg United Church held their 26th Annual flower festival on 27, 28 and 29 September that was dedicated to Tony and Phyllis, with Tony delivering his last church service on Sunday, 29 September. Phyllis initiated the flower festival 26 years ago that has been blooming eversince.
