BVI News

Premier O'Neal

I greet my people and all those visitors and friends who are with us in the British Virgin Islands and all those who are listening in the region and worldwide and I extend to one and all the best wishes for this year 2011. I pray for God’s protection and for peace and harmony among families and nations.

Today as we begin the New Year, many are wondering what will become of us. We know that during the last year and especially the last month, many have left us and gone to the Great Beyond and even Thursday night as I was preparing this broadcast the phone rang and the news was that another British Virgin Islander had passed away quite suddenly and I extend my sincere and deep condolences to all those who suffered the loss of dear relatives and friends. I commend them to the Great God who will take care of them and in time heal the wounds.

I extend again greetings and congratulations to all students who have completed their years of study and have entered the world of work and to encourage those in school to continue pressing on until victory is won.

We have passed through a very difficult year and while there are some indications which show that some of the difficulties are over, we cannot let down our guard. We have got to be careful and cautious and press on with one of our themes that is, “value for money” and to make sure that what project desires priority, it will be given. We must also make sure that our plans do include those for the long-term and those that will prepare us for the changes that are around us all the time.

In all this we must always maintain our confidence. Now what is confidence? First of all confidence is trust that our Higher Power will not let us down. Confidence is the knowledge that however tough life gets we have funds and resources for dealing with it. Confidence is believing in ourselves as children of great people of value. Confidence is the willingness to give what we have with the faith that our gifts are needed and acceptable.

When we have confidence in our Higher Power and in ourselves, we are willing to try even though we may fail. If we fail, we are willing to try again. Since our will and our lives are turned over to God, we have confidence that everything eventually works for our good.

And so my dear people, have the confidence that what your Government is always doing is for the common good although there are those who will try to show you that is not so, but you do like the pilgrim in the book Pilgrim’s Progress, he stuck his fingers in his ears and ran fast to get out of their way because he realised that they just wanted to delay him on his journey to something better.

To one and all, I wish you on behalf of the British Virgin Islands Government, my wife and family a New Year filled with God’s richest blessings and that the community will continue to improve and all of us will work in harmony, love and unity to continue to keep this side of Paradise, Nature’s Little Secrets.

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