For as long as Beacon Lights has been published, the process of producing your address on the issue has been a tedious and time consuming job. I do not know the details about early methods, but for as long as the subscription list has been maintained on a computer database, the addresses have been printed on sheets of label paper and then manually each label is removed and stuck on the back of your issue. I recall one evening when all who were able on the Beacon Lights staff were called upon to help with this work while looking for new volunteers to take over the work. It was an eye opening experience for me, and has given me a great appreciation for Mr. and Mrs. Leep who have volunteered to do this work for the past 10 years or so.

Volunteers for this job did not always stick with it for a long time, and it is understandable. It is tedious work and sometimes there may be a delay in getting the printed issues or labels, or time conflicts come up. Postal changes and new ways to organize for bulk mailing also contribute to frustrations. Perhaps the longevity of Mr. & Mrs. Leep’s help has been their ability to organize a fun gathering of some of their friends each month to help with the work.

This has been a work of coordination between saints of a variety of church congregations. Bill and Fran Leep live in Holland, Michigan. Each month they looked for a package of printed labels mailed by my wife from Wisconsin, and lately Iowa. They picked up boxes of Beacon Lights from Jim Huizinga in Jenison, Michigan. Having gathered with their friends to label and sort them, they delivered them to the Jenison post office for mailing.

This past July, your Beacon Lights came with its address printed directly on the magazine thanks to staff and equipment at the RFPA. Although it has taken some time to coordinate the information on the subscription database with the way RFPA needs it, much of the tedious work is now done by a computer printer that prints the addresses right on the back page. We trust that your subscription will continue to arrive faithfully in your mailbox, but if you have any problems, please give Jeanine a call at 712 439-1897 or email subscriptions@beaconlights.org. We would be happy to address any problems you are having.

As we move on with a new way of mailing, we want to thank Bill and Fran Leep for their faithful service. We commend them for their efficiency and appreciate their diligence. We give thanks to God for providing such to put in the thousands of hours of volunteer work over all the years ofBeacon Lights publication.