A truck driver has been driving all night across the Arizona desert. As the sun starts to rise, he feels the need to stop and commune with nature. He pulls to the side of the road and walks out into the sagebrush. Standing there, looking around at the beauty of the early morn, he notices a lever (n.b. pronounced levver in the USA) sticking out of the ground. He walks over and then reaches out to grasp the lever. Just as he does, he hears a voice say, “Don't touch that lever.” Startled, he looks around. No one is to be seen. Thinking it was his imagination he again reaches for the lever. Again the voice yells, “I said don't touch that lever!” This time the driver senses the location of the voice and looks down under a sage brush. There he sees a small snake.

The astonished driver said, “Was that you that just spoke?” The snake said, “Yes. I have to keep people from touching that lever. If the lever is moved, it will be the end of the world.” The driver, still rather astonished, said, “What is your name? The snake said his name was Nate and that he had to stay and guard the lever to see that it wasn't moved. The driver said, “Look, I will get the TV networks to send out camera crews. That way you can inform the entire world about the danger of the lever.” Nate thought it over and decided it was a good idea. The driver, true to his word, got the TV camera crews out. They put on broadcasts in which Nate warned the entire world of the dangers of moving the lever. A few weeks later, another truck driver was going through the same area. He was following an oil tanker and the tanker sprang a leak. When the driver's truck hit the oil slick it went out of control and he found himself headed straight for the lever. He remembered seeing Nate on the TV telling about the lever and so he knew that if he hit it, he would cause the world to end. He tried with all his might to manoeuvre the truck. Finally, at the last moment, he was able to swerve, but he ran over Nate, the snake, and killed him flat.
The truck driver was heard to say “Well, better Nate than lever.”

It’s later than we had planned, but never mind, we have now moved into our new home, the FBC Centre. It would seem that no building project is immune from delays and ours is no exception but now we are moving in. It has taken many years of researching and planning and considerable cost, the biggest proportion freely given by the church congregation, but we believe we now have a wonderful facility that will be a benefit to the whole community, not just the church. We have really appreciated the way people, particularly those close to the site, have so graciously coped with the disruption over the past year. The church is relocating its activities to the Centre from the beginning of March and over the first few weeks we shall be getting organised and doing some training and the Library and Children’s Centre will be bringing in their specialist equipment and fittings. The coffee shop will soon begin with a simple menu and gradually extend its range. Other activities will build up over the first month or two and the ‘official’ opening celebration will be the weekend of 24/25 April. We hope that you will come and see what is on offer.

Every blessing
Graham Robinson