Despite the difficult times and the hardships and the sorrows, we can thank God for his deliverance and for helping us to meet this Christmas and to celebrate the joy of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son - Hon. Ralph T. O'Neal. Photo: VINO/File

Despite the difficult times and the hardships and the sorrows, we can thank God for his deliverance and for helping us to meet this Christmas and to celebrate the joy of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son.

I know that many of you have had hardships, have had difficulties, have lost relatives. Some of you cannot get out of your homes, but you can still praise the Lord for all his goodness, his kindness, his mercy and his grace.

Although things have been difficult especially on the economic side, it was Robert Schuller who said, “Tough times never last but tough people do” and when you look back as to how conditions were in the years 1950 to 1960 and see what has happened, since then we have a lot to thank God for.

And we should use this season to praise and thank him for his goodness and his loving kindness because there are many suffering throughout the world today.

Thank God for the peace we enjoy and that we are able to serve God. 

In other places people have difficulties in finding food, finding schooling, and finding medical services, but here in the BVI we can look around us and be thankful.

We thank God that the new hospital has been handed over to Government and action is being taken to have it fitted out and we will soon have the use of that facility.

So I would say to my people again a Merry Christmas to all and do not over do the action and we hope that 2014 will come in peacefully and we will enjoy the season.

Thank you very much and may the Lord be with us all.

Thank You!