No Turning Back - Adventist Review

August 12, 1999

World Edition

No Turning BackBurkina Faso: Tough Choices and a Growing Church

More Than WordsMy House, Christ’s Home“I’m Gonna Find Me a New Doctor”

No Turning BackBurkina Faso: Tough Choices and a Growing Church

More Than WordsMy House, Christ’s Home“I’m Gonna Find Me a New Doctor”

What Happened to Children’sCorner?I appreciate the Review so much becausethere is usually something for everymember of the family, even the children.But could you please tell me what hashappened to the Children’s Corner, byRosy Tetz? We are missing her insightfullessons. Will she be back soon?

— R h o d a W i l l s

B E R R I E N S P R I N G S , M I C H I G A N

Children’s Corner has been replacedby Tuesday’s Child, which gives not onlya story for the children but also ideas forusing the story in family worship.—Editors.

“Ellen White’s DisturbingDisclaimer of 1904”This was a truly great article (May 13World Edition). Since Ellen Whitelived so long ago, it is important tounderstand why she preferred to referto herself as the Lord’s messenger.Roger Coon clearly presented the his-torical context in such a way that itwas easy to understand why she wouldavoid calling herself a prophet. Articlessuch as this one greatly help all of usunderstand Adventist history better.

— B r e n t T h o m a s

C A L I S T O G A , C A L I F O R N I A

“A Very Young Church”I wanted to express my appreciationfor the article on Mongolia in the May13 issue. The format of an interviewusing e-mail was refreshing.

As an employee of AdventistFrontier Missions, Iwas very pleased tosee Brad andCathie [Jolly] men-tioned in such apositive way at thebeginning of thearticle. They cer-

tainly gave up a lot to build the strongfoundation that is there today. Thankyou for an article from the heart.

— V i c k i W i l e y

B E R R I E N S P R I N G S , M I C H I G A N

“Don’t Adventists Use theBible Anymore?”You can’t know what this article inthe Review (May 20 Cutting EdgeEdition) has meant to us. I am thank-ful this has been brought out to showthe need for Bible- and Christ-cen-tered sermons, and I am praying thatour pastors who are not preaching thismessage will answer the wake-up call.The church we belong to is exactlywhat is being described in the article.Just a few verses, and the rest you couldlabel as a “counseling session” on ourbehavior. Good points are brought out,

LETTERS

2 (1082) A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W , A U G U S T 1 2 , 1 9 9 9

but we could read these in a book.Two or three times a week we listen toa sermon—videos of Dwight Nelsonand other evangelists—to strengthenour walk with Christ, sermons we arenot getting at church.

I am writing to say we are at theend of time and we need to wake up toour need of Christ in our lives, and toreach out to others. Thank you somuch for this call to Bible study. Iappreciate the instructions on how tostudy the Bible.

— N a m e W i t h h e l d

“Global Vision EvangelismReaches Around the World”Steven Vistaunet’s report about theNorthwest Global Vision’s work (JuneNAD Edition) was so inspiring! I havewondered, however, if Duane McKey’shope that foreign mission servicewould result in “a dramatic growth in”home mission service has seen fulfill-ment in the North Pacific UnionConference. Vistaunet says that for-eign mission participants seldom arecontent to merely occupy pews whenthey return, but he doesn’t share spe-cific ways in which local mission ser-vice is flourishing.

I look forward to an upcoming arti-cle with pictures of volunteers usingPicture Rolls, giving Bible studies, andconducting medical exams in thoseparts of North America where theinfrastructure is falling apart, unem-ployment is rampant, facilities are inhorrible shape, and yet there are peo-ple eager for hope!

— J . P h i l i p W i l l i a m s

J E F F E R S O N , T E X A S

“Publish. . . or They Perish”(Cont.)A church that loves books has meanta lifetime of joyful discovery for me.Swift Arrow, Under the Blood Banner,and a dozen other Christian talesnourished a boyhood imagination andfaith. However, I may never have

known about an “ABC” if not for ourchurch’s unique personal delivery sys-tem. It was the faithful colporteur thatbrought The Bible Story and BibleReadings for the Home to our home thatpaved the spiritual highway for ourfamily to join God’s remnant church.God’s words to Isaiah remain fully inforce today, “So shall my word be thatgoeth forth out of my mouth: it shallnot return unto me void, but it shallaccomplish that which I please, and itshall prosper in the thing whereto Isent it” (Isa. 55:11).

— B r a d N e w t o n

S I M I VA L L E Y , C A L I F O R N I A

Injecting HopeI want to say to everyone on theReview team how much the AdventistReview means to me. At last I feel as ifI’m not the only Adventist who hasbeen yearning for a fresh approach toour faith and its expression. When Iread the Review, it is the nearest I canget to a fellowship group, to sharingnew ideas, sharing visions and newperspectives. Thanks to all of you forgoing out on a limb and making thesechanges.

Often when I read the Review thesedays, tears come to my eyes because inthe Review I find what I have so oftenyearned for in my church. Thank youfor injecting hope, taking risks, andbeing open and honest. It means somuch to me, and I hope I will have achance to put a little bit back into theReview, every now and then, when Ican write something.

— K a r e n H o l f o r d

E N G L A N D

COVER STORY

8 No Turning BackIn Burkina Faso progress towardreaching the unreached is impos-ing. But there’s more to be done—much more.B Y G L E N W I N T E R M E Y E R

ARTICLES

14 More Than WordsHow do you spread the good newswithout saying anything?B Y J E N N I F E R M A E B A R I Z O

23 Celebrating the Year of the FamilyKeeping the circle unbroken.B Y M A R Y H . T. W O N G

26 My House, Christ’s HomeLearning from the MasterB Y M A D E L I N E J O H N S T O N

28 “I’m Gonna Find Me a New Doctor”When all else fails, blame someone else.B Y L O R E N D I C K I N S O N

DEPARTMENTS

2 Letters

7 Give & Take

13 Faith Alive!

17 Tuesday’s Child

18 World News & Perspectives

22 Bible Questions Answered

29 Adventist World Radio

30 Bulletin Board

31 Reflections

EDITORIALS

5 Point Made

6 The Verdict Is Guilty

A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W , A U G U S T 1 2 , 1 9 9 9 (1083) 3

O N T H E C O V E R : B U R K I N A F A S O

M I S S I O N P R E S I D E N T G I L B E R T O

A R A U J O ( C E N T E R ) A N D H E A D E L D E R

W I E LT E A S S I S T A C H A R T E R M E M B E R I N

F I N G E R P R I N T I N G H E R “ S I G N AT U R E ” T O

T H E C H A R T E R M E M B E R S H I P O F

L O R O P E N I A D V E N T I S T C H U R C H .


“Behold, I come quickly . . .”

Our mission is to uplift Jesus Christ through stories ofHis matchless love, news of His present workings, helpfor knowing Him better, and hope in His soon return.

Publisher General Conference of Seventh-day AdventistsExecutive Publisher William G. JohnssonAssociate Publisher Charlotte McClure

Publishing Board: Phil Follett, vice-chair; Lowell Cooper;William G. Johnsson; Robert E. Lemon; A. C. McClure; Ardis D.Stenbakken, Donald R. Sahly; Ted N. C. Wilson; Robert Nixon,legal advisor

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Scriptures credited to ICB are quoted from theInternational Children’s Bible, New Century Version, copy-right © 1983, 1986, 1988 by Word Publishing, Dallas,Texas 75039. Used by permission. Scripture quotationsmarked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible,© The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968,1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Texts credited to NIV arefrom the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used bypermission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. Bible textscredited to RSV are from the Revised Standard Version ofthe Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, 1971, by the Divisionof Christian Education of the National Council of theChurches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission.

The Adventist Review (ISSN 0161-1119), published since1849, is the general paper of the Seventh-day AdventistChurch. It is published by the General Conference ofSeventh-day Adventists and is printed 40 times a year eachThursday except the first Thursday of each month by theReview and Herald® Publishing Association. Periodicalspostage paid at Hagerstown, MD 21740. Copyright © 1999,General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.Vol. 176, No. 32

BILL KNOTT

Ihad the Brazilian men’s volleyball team on the runthat night three years ago when my 5-year-old walkedinto the family room and ruined my chance at sportingimmortality.

“What are you watching?”he asked, unaware of the interna-tional drama that was unfolding onthe screen.

“The Olympics,” I said tersely. Igrimaced as a gigantic figure spikedthe ball off an American head.

“What are the ’lympics?” he con-tinued. Evan was unaware of thefact that males of the species can’t communicate in morethan three syllables while watching sporting events.

“Games,” I said.He studied me for a moment—long enough to discern that

I had pledged allegiance to the team in the dark-blue jerseys.“I’m for the yellow team,” he announced with a certain

impishness in his eye. This was a trick he had learned fromhis mother, who had long ago discovered that the best wayto protest my occasional Sunday afternoons watching tele-vised sports was to cheer for the team I opposed.

He now had at least half my attention. In between ferociousvolleys, I would educate my son on appropriate fan loyalty.

“Evan,” I said with studied patience, “the team in theblue shirts is from our country—the United States. Theteam in the yellow is from Brazil. You’re supposed to cheerfor the team from your own country.”

He studied me for a moment, trying to frame the questionthat was already written all over his face.

“Is that a rule?” he asked quietly.He had me pinned, as surely as if he had thrown me in

Greco-Roman wrestling. Actually, it felt more like a javelinto the regions of the heart.

“Well, it’s not exactly a rule,” I told him. “It’s just thatyou want to be proud of your country, blah-blah-blah, blah-blah-blah . . .”

Evan wandered off, quite unaware of the tremors he hadset off in my soul.

Oh, I’m a patriot for sure, the kind who still gets a lumpin his throat when I hear the strains of “The Star-SpangledBanner” as they raise Old Glory to the highest point. Butwhat prejudicial part of me was oh-so-quick to affirm the

virtue of a group of Americans I had never met, and equallyquick to assert the lesser value of a group of Brazilians I hadalso never met—Brazilians, who, by the way, were clearly the

superior volleyballers, at least onthat night?

How quickly I had succumbed tothe unwritten rules of sport:

1. You must always cheer for yourown.

2. Anything at all can be used toidentify one of your own.

I looked into a candid spiritual mir-ror and was dismayed at what I saw. I

have been used to thinking of myself as progressive, tolerant,inclusive, even open-minded. And perhaps, by the grace ofGod, I am some of those things on my better days. But lurkingjust beneath the surface was this bit of me I never want my sonto see—again.

Loyalties are wonderful. Convictions are fine things.Passion for a righteous cause can give our lives focus anddirection. But prejudice—the awarding of virtue withoutcause, the embracing of only what I know and can under-stand—pulls at the fabric of our relationships and the tapes-try of our Advent movement. It threatens to unravel whatis best in our lives for the sake of only red threads, or greenthreads, or brown, or black, or white.

Nineteen centuries ago Jesus asked a question that stillprobes our hearts: “If you love those who love you, whatcredit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who lovethem” (Luke 6:32, NIV).

His question challenges us today, in this denomination, torise above the worldview that we inherited and theprejudices we grew up with. In His name, andwith His love, we can begin to see those ofother races and other language backgroundsfor who they really are—children of a greaterGod than we have yet imagined. As we callHim Father, we may yet be moved tocall each other “brother,” “sister,”“friend,” and “fellow traveler.”

That will be a victory all can cele-brate. And on that day, God willing, Iwill be wearing yellow and holdingsome Brazilian hands.

Point MadeE D I T O R I A L

Prejudice pulls atthe tapestry of ourAdvent movement.


ROY ADAMS

Like puffs of fresh air, the newspaper headlinesrolled in on a humid July Thursday inWashington, announcing the verdict in a Floridacourtroom the previous day.1

In a historic development, a group of six ordi-nary citizens in the Sunshine State had just handed BigTobacco something unpleasant to chew on. “A Florida jury,”wrote the Washington Post, “yesterday ruled against thetobacco industry in the first class action lawsuit by sicksmokers to come to trial.” 2 The jury found “that cigarettemakers addicted and defrauded smokers and could be forcedto pay billions of dollars in damages.” In the exact words ofthe verdict, the industry had “engagedin extreme and outrageous conduct.”

In the minds of the jury as theydeliberated were some of the victimsthey’d seen in the courtroom: “MaryFarnan, who has been smoking since age11, has lung cancer that has spread toher brain. Frank Amodeo’s throat cancer forces him to eatthrough a hole in his stomach. Loren Lowery, a Vietnamveteran, has had part of his tongue cut out and his jawreplaced twice.” 3

The jury verdict was a warning shot across the bow of aheartless industry, a salvo that’s bound to make the stom-achs of its most confident corporate fat cats growl just a lit-tle. For if the verdict manages to create the impression inthe minds of millions of sick smokers that the industry isvulnerable, then the resulting flood of litigation could wellcripple the deadly business. And that is what we want.

Learning From HistoryAny euphoria we might have over these events, however,

needs to be tempered by the complexity and unpredictabil-ity of the American judicial system. Big tobacco, moreover,is no slouch when it comes to putting up a fight. And longafter public attention has shifted to other things, it’ll beright in there, wielding the power of its humongous stash ofblood money.

And history makes clear how ephemeral the public moodcan be. In her engaging new book on the American struggleover tobacco, Cassandra Tate listed the impressive coalitionarrayed against the foul weed near the end of the nineteenthcentury: The Anti-Cigarette League, the Non-Smokers

Protective League, the No-Tobacco League, the Anti-CigaretteSmoking League, physicians, educators, legislators, and civicand religious organizations.4 So successfully did these groupsinfluence public sentiment that by the second decade of ourcentury, “the sale of cigarettes was illegal in eight states, andanti-cigarette bills were pending in at least twenty-two otherstates.” 5 A New York judge in 1904 “ordered a woman to jail forthirty days for smoking in front of her children.”6

Then came World War I. That’s when the United Statesgovernment, joined by civic organizations and ordinary citi-zens, began supplying cigarettes to millions of soldiers “as agesture of support.” It was an ominous development that,

according to Tate, “helped transformwhat was once a manifestation of moralweakness into a jaunty emblem of free-dom and democracy.” “By wrapping ciga-rettes in the protective cloak of patri-otism, the war undercut the campaignagainst their use.” 7 The U.S. Congress

ordered the War Department to include cigarettes as anessential part of a soldier’s ration; and (if you can imagine it)“the War Industries Board encouraged domestic productionby designating cigarette manufacturing as an essential indus-try.” Most startling of all, “even some groups that had beenhostile toward cigarettes—including the YMCA and theSalvation Army—helped supply them to servicemen.” 8

Every reform movement rides on the public mood—afickle commodity indeed. And the gains we see today can allevaporate overnight if we lose our vigilance.

So why am I writing all this in the World Edition? Toalert Adventists around the world that with the increasingloss of customers in the U.S., these marketers of death areheaded to a locality near you. Take a page outof the America struggle, and press the battlewhere you are.

1 See any major U.S. newspaper for July 8, 1999.2 Washington Post, July 8, 1999, p. A1.3 Time, July 19, 1999, p. 34.4 Cassandra Tate, Cigarette Wars: The

Triumph of “the Little White Slaver” (New Yorkand Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999),chap. 2, especially p. 57.

5 Ibid., p. 65.6 Ibid., p. 5.7 Ibid., p. 65.8 Ibid., p. 66.

The Verdict Is GuiltyE D I T O R I A L

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GIVETAKE

&

CREATIVE READING CONTEST

Here they are—the photos inspired by a contest we began in April’s Cutting Edge Review. We wanted to know the most creative places our readers would take theReview, and we got some great responses. Thanks to all who participated—you’llreceive a free Review cap in the mail.

EXCHANGE

In this feature, Adventists share requestsfor correspondence.

I exchange letters with a friendBashar Shamoun, in Iraq. He comesfrom a Catholic background and hasattended the services at the four-mem-ber Adventist church in Mosul (wherehe lives) for more than a year. He’srequesting old Adventist Reviews, anyother church-related magazines,Christian music tapes—anything likethis in English or Arabic. Please sendto:

Imad AbidP.O. Box 334al-Fuhais, Amman 19152JordanI just want to praise the Lord, for

He reaches all of us wherever we are.—Victor Moreno, Panama City, Panama


WE NEED YOU

Send Give & Take submissions to . . .

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Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD

20904; Fax: 301-680-6638; E-mail:

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BABY, BABY: “Everyone reads the Reviewin our family,” write the Pineos from LacSeul, Ontario. But does everyone read itwhile sitting in a basket?

JUST PLANE FUN: Ivy Drieberg’s husband,Justin, caught her enjoying the Review on ajumbo jet headed for Australia. TheDriebergs, who usually live in Moreno Valley,California, often pack the Review when theygo on vacation.

EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL: David Brass’smom sent us this picture of him “reading”the Review as a little boy in 1951. Nowthat he’s all grown up (and a pastor, inci-dentally), we’re sure he does more thanjust pretend to read this magazine!

AND THE WINNER IS . . . Justin Woodsfound the most unique (and least comfort-able) place to read the Review—on arooftop in Umpqua, Oregon. Congratulations,Justin! We’ll send your $50 winner’s checkright away. You might want to spend it on acushion or two . . .

No Turning BackThoughts from West Africa’s front line

C O V E R S T O R Y


BY GLEN WINTERMEYER

BELIEVING IN MISSIONS IS ONE

thing. To really be a missionary requires

something very different. Throughout

my life my admiration for missionaries

has run deep. I remember going to

camp meetings as a small child, tethered to Mom by a small

leash to keep me in sight. There in those camp meetings I

was transfixed by the stories of Eric B. Hare, Josephine

Cunnington Edwards, Leo Halliwell, and others (frequently

their bag of tricks contained a huge snakeskin!). Couple this

with the godly influence of my mother, and it’s easy to see

why I have been drawn to missions.

As a child I surely idealized, even romanticized, the mis-sion life. It wasn’t until my wife, Karen, and I went as mis-sionaries ourselves that I really began to appreciate the forti-tude it takes to give up one’s country and culture and adaptto another—to be willingly vulnerable. Yet our service pales

in the face of what I see some of God’s devoted frontlinemissionaries doing today.

In recent years there has been a growing realizationamong missions-minded Seventh-day Adventists that largeparts of the world remain untouched by Christianity. In fact,approximately 1,700 people groups, each with 1 million peo-ple or more, have little or no opportunity to hear the goodnews of Jesus. That, my friends, is nearly 2 billion people who

WHAT’S A LITTLE MUD? Glen Wintermeyer (left) and Wielte pushedtheir shared moto through a murky river en route to an appointment.

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don’t even know His name! Let’s notrest on our good works, thinking thework is nearly done.

My appreciation for missionary workhas profoundly changed over the years.In my work for Adventist Frontier

Missions (AFM), I travelto some of the most iso-lated and unreached cor-ners of this planet—cor-ners where the gospel ofJesus has rarely beenpreached.

Burkina Faso in WestAfrica is one such place.A man named Phinyale,who had recently heard ofChristianity, invited AFMmissionary Kurt Unglauband me deep into the bushto his village ofSanmbitera. Little did Iimagine the requirementsto fulfill that invitation!The following entry frommy journal outlines thisexperience. It was anevent that put my adapt-ability to the test.

Kurt borrowed a couplemotos (motorcycles) to ride.

Our goal was a remote village some 10miles away. The narrow winding trail tookus through tall elephant grass and streamsof various sizes.

It is amazing how unimportant otherthings become when one is deep in the

bush, intent on carrying the gospel at anycost. Wielte, my passenger, guide, andinterpreter, trusted his life to my driving.I avoided the trail’s frequent water andmud holes and tried to keep our goodclothes clean.

A short way into the journey we cameto a big water hole. The trail disappearedinto it and came out on the other side. Ithought to myself, Kurt, what are yougetting me into? Off came my shoes andsocks and into the mud and water wewent, pushing our motos through theooze. So much for keeping clean.

Arriving at the other side, I washed myfeet, ready to put on my socks and shoes.As I stood there, wondering how to performthis stunt without getting dirty again, myfeet and legs suddenly felt like they werebeing pierced by darts of fire. Lookingdown, I saw hundreds of ants covering myfeet and legs. Instantly I took up dancingand rushed back into the mud and water.

But this crossing was only practice. Ashort way down the trail we came to asmall stream with steep muddy banks thatwere four to six feet high. As I slippeddown the bank with my moto, Kurt said,“Be on the lookout for crocodiles andsnakes.”

His advice was a little disconcerting,since I was beyond the point of no return.

HE DID IT FOR YOU! AFM missionary Kurt Unglaub empha-sizes the good news of Jesus’ love to eager villagers ofSanmbitera.


ACTIVE CHRISTIANS NOMINAL CHRISTIANS(Christians in Name Only)

NON-CHRISTIANS Within Reach

Active Christians (less than 10 percent of the world’s population) have been called to evangelize the unreached world.

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Down into the murky water we went,and then Kurt added, “Get my cameraand take some pictures.” Of course, theonly good photographic angle was inwater deep enough to fill my pockets!

The bush trail led us through severalsmall villages of three to five mud hutsarranged in a circular fashion. As wemade our noisy passage through onevillage courtyard, a little boy cried out,“Never before have I seen white mon-keys on motos!” After two or threemore water crossings and rides throughseveral more small villages, we arrivedat our destination—Sanmbitera.

Upon our arrival, Phinyale quicklyrushed to us and knelt in the dustyclay to thank us for coming to his vil-lage. That moment remains embla-zoned in my mind. His act filled mewith emotion and reverence.

In addition to his own friends andneighbors, Phinyale had also invitedpeople from nearby villages to comewitness this long-awaited event. Wielteled the group worship with some chantlikemusic. He sang a phrase, and the peoplerepeated it in unison, clapping to therhythm of the song. In this format peopleeasily learn songs and Bible texts withoutthe aid of books, which would do them nogood, since they neither read nor write.

Following Wielte’s songs, Kurt sharedGod’s love with them, beginning with theCreation story. He explained God’srules for all humankind and His desirefor all to worship Him. Kurt calledeveryone to repentance and obedience toGod. At the close, 41 villagers knelt in

a circle for prayer. What a touchingmoment!

Immediately following the prayer,Phinyale started feeding his chickens.As they gathered at his feet, he sud-denly reached down and grabbed a hen.He took it over to Kurt and gave it tohim as an expression of deep gratitude.Kurt, taken aback, just stood there. Ileaned over to him and whispered,“Take it. It’s his tithe.”

But how were we going to get thatchicken home over 10 miles of roughterrain? Not lacking for ingenuity, theygrabbed the chicken and lashed her legswith a vine. Then, pulling her legsapart a bit, they stuck the handlebar ofthe moto between her legs. That poorchicken got to ride upside down all theway back to Unglaub’s home. Surely, ifthere were any eggs, they were wellscrambled!

A couple compelling lessons cameto my mind from this experience.

First, the challenge of the bush isimmense. Literally hundreds of thesevillages dot western Burkina Faso.Most are accessible only on foot, bybike, or by motorcycle (for the fortu-nate few). Yet this is only one tiny,remote corner of Africa. I have visited

ALL TOGETHER NOW: Wielte leads song service inSanmbitera.

ATHEISTS Beyond Reach

MUSLIMS Beyond Reach HINDUSBeyond Reach

BUDDHISTS/TRIBALRELIGIONS

Beyond Reach

Key:One figure

equals500,000 peopleSource:

Caleb Project,1996


many other areas of the developingworld, all equally starved for the goodnews of Jesus.

I left the bush with the burningquestions “Who will go? How willthey learn of Him?” Recently I stoodon the edge of the Ganges River inVaranasi, the holiest of all Indiancities. John Baxter, our AFM mis-sionary there, turned to me andasked, “Glen, how will all these peo-ple ever be reached with the gospel?”Clearly, someone must be willing togo and tell.

I learned a second lesson from thisadventure. I wished to keep clean andunstained by that bush trail. Whilecleanliness is desirable, I find thatkeeping clean often gets in the way of

Sabbath in Loropeni

By Margaret Unglaub

I’m happy. It’s Sabbath in Loropeni, the day that I lovethe very best. It affords me blessed rest and insights intothe Lobi people whom we serve.

Still, I miss the Sabbath mornings we used to have inthe States. I miss going to a church where I can slip intomy padded pew, meditate to theorgan music, and gaze out thestained-glassed windows, thinkingmy own personal thoughts. I missthe comfortable, temperature-con-trolled environment that lulls mymind and body into a restful, medi-tative frame of mind. Most of all, Imiss the pleasure of being able tocommunicate and be understood.

What is Sabbath like here in ourvillage? Services, held in a smallchapel constructed of poles andelephant grass, begin at 9:00 a.m.Thir ty to 40 people attend regularly. Newcomers and chil-dren can easily swell the numbers to 60 or 70. The peoplelove to sing, either in Lobiri (the tribal language) or French.

Testimony time provides an opportunity for each person toshare something about his or her walk with the Lord. Theypraise the Lord and share even the smallest incidents in theirlives. Their simple faith is beautiful. They will share humorousexperiences, and then laugh and laugh. Sometimes the storiesthey share are sad. They’ll tell about their failures as well.

The group then divides, putting newcomers with moreexperienced attendees to spend some time memorizingScripture in Lobiri.

After a short break we sing a few more songs, gather thetithes and offerings, then enjoy a combination teaching/preach-ing presentation during which we use felts, pictures, objects, orstories to illustrate the concept being taught. We field lots ofquestions as we explain concepts that are totally foreign to theLorobi way of thinking. For example, the stories of Jacob,Joseph, David, and others that illustrate jealousy and revengeintrigue them greatly, as the “good guy” in the story often takes

a beating but then “wins” by having thebest attitude and faith in God.

Next the people mention prayerrequests that vary from healing forsick roosters to relief from oppres-sion by evil spirits. The most commonrequest is that they will have morefaith in Jesus. We then split intosmall groups for prayer.

In parting we end with everyone joy-fully raising their hands and saying,“Thangaba hanoussi hiewi bouo” (Godgive you a happy Sabbath).

Yes, the seats get hard, my backdoes hurt, and it does get hot and muggy. I have to concentratehard to understand the language, and my mind tends to wander.Yet I gain so much by joining into this Sabbath experience with“our” people. They inspire me! I learn from their simple faith howto be a more trusting Christian. Sabbath truly is the very best dayin Loropeni.

Kurt and Margaret Unglaub, with their three children, aremissionaries with Adventist Frontier Missions. They havebeen church planting among the Lobi people of BurkinaFaso, West Africa, since February 1993.

10/40 WindowTHE 10/40 WINDOW is the least evangelized part of our world. Its borders extendfrom latitude 10 to 40 degrees north, with margins extending from the westerncoast of West Africa to the Pacific Ocean.

A. Sixteen of the 19 poorest,least evangelized countries liewithin this window.

B. Ninety-nine percent of theleast evangelized, poorest peo-ple are here.

C. Eighty-four percent of thepeople with the lowest quality oflife live in this window.

D. Fewer than 10 percent ofall Christian missionaries workhere!

FRONTIER MISSIONARIES: Missionary family Kurt andMargaret Unglaub with their three children (from left),Sarah, Eric, and Amy.


ministry. Frequently the seekers are thesick, the oppressed, the poor, and theuntouchables. I’ll never forget the firstAIDS patient I met 10 years ago. Iadmit to the deep struggle within mebefore I could touch and care for thischild of God. What is my priority?Cleanliness or service?

Last, it is a great temptation for usto want to turn back when confrontedwith tough situations. I rememberstanding at the edge of that first bigmud hole and thinking, It really wouldbe nice to go back home. That senti-ment only got stronger as I was slidingdown into the snake- and crocodile-infested river. Turning back is not anoption for those who are carrying thegospel to hard-to-reach places. I thinkof Moses doing his job, and I think ofJesus. What would have happenedhad the King turned back? I deter-mined then, as I do now, to keep myfocus in a forward direction, keepingmy eyes on Jesus.

Across this world many, likePhinyale, are seeking something bet-ter. At the same time the Holy Spiritis preparing the adventurous hearts ofothers to go help these seekers findthe source of all things good. The

World MissionsDefinitionsPeople group—A significantly largegroup of individuals who perceivethemselves to be separate fromother groups by virtue of shared lan-guage, religion, ethnicity, residence,occupation, class or caste, or a com-bination of these. Most missionorganizations recognize about11,000 people groups in the world.Unreached people—A people groupwith fewer than 2 percent evangelical(active) Christians and fewer than 5percent Christian adherents—using“Christian” in the broadest sense.Least reached—The least evange-lized people in a country or geo-graphic region. There may or may notbe organizations working to shareChrist within these groups.Untargeted people groups—Un-reached people groups that do nothave a reported church planting teamon-site and no mission organizationhas committed itself to commencinga project there within the next two tothree years. Approximately 230 peo-ple groups are still untargeted.

CIRCLE OF PRAISE: Loropeni church members conduct prayer meeting in front of their ele-phant-grass-and-pole chapel.

compelling question is “If not you,who? And if not now, when?”

Glen Wintermeyer is personnel directorfor Adventist Frontier Missions, inBerrien Springs, Michigan.


CALVIN B. ROCK

What is the best way to relate to the seem-ingly irreversible trend of applaudingduring the divine worship service? Thisseems moreappropriate for a

setting where praise is given to theperformer, as in a concert hall.

Some say that there is no differ-ence between applause and ahearty “Amen.” I disagree, andthere are many in my congregationlike me. But what can we do?

Applause during divine worship is often justified by suchscriptures as Psalm 47:1. It seems, however, that for most itis not so much an act related to Scripture as a cultural phe-nomenon spawned by our telegenic age.

Cultural spontaneity does not make applause in churchwrong. Much of what we do in worship is culturally influ-enced, i.e., with respect to the necessity of kneeling duringprayer, removing one’s shoes while on the rostrum, andfemales covering their heads during worship.

But while culture does not make applause in worship wrong,neither, in my opinion, do the usual scriptural explanationsmake it right. David’s encouragement above applies less tomodern worship than to Israel’s subdued encounters at Sinaiand Habakkuk’s solemn injunction, “The Lord is in his holytemple: let all the earth keep silence before him” (Hab. 2:20).

The essential question is not How did ancient Israel orthe apostolic church or our Adventist pioneers worship, butrather What does worship mean for us today? Those who seeit as an audience with the high and unspeakably holy Godbefore whom seraphim bow (Isa. 6:1-3) will be minimallydemonstrative. Those who see worship primarily as a time ofrejoicing and fellowship will respond more overtly.

What can one who disagrees with clapping during wor-ship do? First, find, if you can, a congregation that suits yourpreference and settle there. Second, since there are “many”others concerned, encourage your pastor to have two ser-vices, one with each format. Third, if all else fails, try tounderstand that applause, formerly associated with secularevents, seems now “culturally sanctified” for sacred settingsas well. True, this is somewhat offensive to some of us, but Ifind the situation tolerable when thought of as but a fore-taste of our rejoicing when we reach our home in glory.

We don’t have crosses anymore. What can I do as apastor to make this imagery real for the people ofthe twenty-first century? Wouldn’t it be better to

replace it with something morecomprehendible for moderns?

While crucifixion is not a modernmode of execution, the death of thecondemned by any means can beused to make the point of Christ’sstellar sacrifice.

But the cross has its own specialstigma and impact that should not be

lost sight of. In Bible days the cross was the most dreaded anddegrading manner of execution—more feared than drowning,stoning, or decapitation. Understanding its loathsome repre-sentation to Romans, Greeks, and Jews (1 Cor. 1:18-25) deep-ens one’s appreciation for the depth of Christ’s humiliation.

Yes, the cross is still relevant. Properly presented, it saysthat God is love and Satan is vile, and that the kingdom ofgrace functions by principles that are very different fromthose of the kingdoms of this world. It also says that Christiandiscipleship necessarily involves suffering and self-denial inthat “the servant is not greater than his Lord” (John 15:20).

The Bible writers might have chosen some other objectconnected with Christ’s ministry as the primary symbol ofHis service. But none could rival the message and meaningof the innocent Lamb on the cruel cross.

Relax our emphasis? Never! We would do well to increaseour emphasis, ever exalting the cross as the clearest evidenceof Christ’s love and the centerpiece of all our doctrines.

I like the old words of the poet,“Let every mourner come and cling—To the cross,Let every Christian come and sing’Round the cross,Here let the preacher take his stand,And with the Bible in his hand,Proclaim the triumph of the Lamb and the cross!”

Calvin B. Rock is a general vice president of theGeneral Conference. He holds doctoral degrees inministry and Christian ethics.

Adapting to theCulture

F A I T H A L I V E !

Relax our emphasis?

Never!

More Than Words

In communicating the gospel, we cannot save with words alone.

D E V O T I O N A L


BY JENNIFER MAE BARIZO

ONE WORD, YAHWEH, NO MATTER how convincingly it may be said, can meannothing to a deaf man. Love, to a personwho has not known it, may have no signif-icance at all. And to those who have never

heard of it, salvation is just another three-syllable termthat rolls off the tongue like any other word, with no abil-ity to save at all.

I admit, words alone are not enough for me; they don’texplain things to me as well as a face, or a touch, or a sound.Do you remember the day you were baptized? I do, but to tellyou the truth, I don’t remember what the pastor said. Iremember the sound of his voice, like a river. And swivelingmy head to catch a glimpse of the crowd. My mother. Thosepeople who loved me, their presence like an offering of love.In that one instant I saw my life, my 10-year history, all thefaces I had known. They were to be etched in my mind, thelast sweet memory of my life before death, before my resur-rection in Christ.

I can almost relive the moment when my body was low-ered into that watery grave, that slow beautiful plummetinto God’s arms. My heart felt as if it were in my throat, andfor a split second I felt as if I were drowning; I swallowed agulp of that hallowed water and wished that I had pluggedmy nose. Once I was buried in those waters, I longed for air,I ached for His breath, to be bathed once again by light.And it happened. I opened my eyes.

I could breathe again.Do you remember when things were that easy? To me, as

a 10-year-old, salvation was as simple as lifting my hand upslowly when Jesus asked for my heart. I didn’t have anyquestions. I didn’t wonder Do I have the time? I didn’t ask“What will my friends think?” And I certainly didn’t say“This is too simple; it can’t be true.” I didn’t doubt at all. Igave my heart to Jesus in a school assembly, at the end of aWeek of Prayer, and the gospel was clearer then than it hasever been for me—Jesus’ asking me to come, and my whis-pering “Yes.”

Too Busy for ConnectionAs adults we live a different kind of life. We are inevitably

drawn toward chaos. We analyze everything. We complicatethe simple things of life, inundating ourselves with data allday long, making technology a little god. We find solace inwords, letting e-mail and voice mail take the place of con-tact, of touch.

It is ironic that we should become like this. We who havelived to watch technology allegedly simplify our lives. Wewho have the World Wide Web’s blanket of connectednessthrown over our offices and homes, a blanket we share withthe rest of the global community. We who are flanked bytechnology on every side, with cars and computers and cel-lular phones—possessions that not long ago only thewealthy had.

In the May 31 edition of Newsweek, Don Norman,author of The Invisible Computer, said that “informationgenerated and absorbed by appliances should be able tomove between devices with the firmness of handshakes


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and the ease of air kisses.” 1 Normanwas predicting the future, when com-puters would rule everything, from ourdishwashers to our fish tanks. Hewrote of computerized toilets thatwould monitor the family’s health bytaking chemical samples of bodilywastes. He spoke of refrigerators thatwould note the expiration date onmilk cartons and water sprinklersthat could be remote-controlledfrom the office.

The future looks like a placewhere we’ll all be sitting in reclin-ers drinking lemonade served to usby a computerized maid. Simple?No. Because as human beings, nomatter how much easier tech-nology makes living, we willalways find a way to make our-selves too busy for our own good.Too busy for human connection.

Hannah Arendt, the German-born American political philoso-pher, wrote: “Nothing that we useor hear or touch can be expressed inwords that equal what is given bythe senses.” 2 No matter what we say,no matter what promises we pledgeover the Internet, no matter howmany Adventist Review articles weread online, it will never rival thetangibility of the human spirit.

We are wealthy in words but hungryfor meaning. We are buried in somuch data that we have a hard timelocating the truth. And we may haveenough information at our fingertips tosave the world, but we are sorely shorton love.

Words Are Not EnoughIn communicating the gospel, we

cannot save with words alone.According to Albert Mehrabian,author of the book Silent Messages, feel-ings and attitudes are communicatedonly 7 percent with words. Thirty-eightpercent is communicated by our toneof voice, and 55 percent nonverbally.3

Jesus’ ministry demonstrated this. Hisministry was one characterized by con-tact, not just by a prayer or a sermon,but by movement and touch. Jesusreaching out to touch the leper’s skin.Jesus putting His hands on the eyes of

the blind. Jesus breaking the loaves.Jesus extending His hand to Peter onthe Sea of Galilee.

I have no doubt that if Jesus were onearth today, His cellular phone wouldbe ringing off the hook and His e-mailaddress book would be bursting. But Ialso know that it would not make Hima less personal or a less intimate God.

Even with the world in His hands, Hispower lies in His abounding love. Theaverage person today has the amount ofcomputing capability that only largecorporations had a decade ago. But aswith Christ, the power of people liesnot in the amount of data they haveacquired. It lies in their ability to love.

Ellen G. White wrote, “Christ’smethod alone will give true success inreaching the people.” She describedHis way of mingling with men andshowing sympathy for them. She wenton: “There is need of coming close tothe people by personal effort. If lesstime were given to sermonizing, andmore time were spent in personalministry, greater results would beseen.” 4

Gunter Grass, a German writerquoted in the Paris Herald Tribune,March 23, 1970, wrote: “I don’t knowabout God. . . . The only things I

know are what I see, hear, feel, andsmell.” 5

Be honest with yourself. There issomething divine in our God-givenability to savor life, our capacity toexperience God’s love. Admit it, weare blessed, not because of who weare, but because of what we have—simple pleasures such as prayer, the

scent of clover, the shape of a lovedone’s face, the morning’s sweetlight. That is why we have theobligation to share our joys and ourfaith with everyone we meet. Andnot just with words. “Because ourgospel came to you not simply withwords, but also with power, withthe Holy Spirit and with deep con-viction” (1 Thess. 1:5, NIV).

As we grow older, we sometimesbegin to forget the simplicity of thegospel. We presume that since ourvocabularies have expanded andsince our computers have beenupgraded we have more knowledgeabout the love of God. But the sadpart is that we often lose the feel-ing—that wonder we had for Jesusas children, that passion we had asyouths. And sometimes we regainit, because our Saviour never stopsreentering our lives. Without aword He knocks at our heart’s

doors, gesturing for us to come closer,then reaches out His hands to lead ushome. ■

1 Don Norman, The Invisible Computer, quot-ed in Newsweek, May 31, 1999.

2 Hannah Arendt, The New Yorker, Nov. 21,1977.

3 Albert Mehrabian, Silent Messages(Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1971).

4 Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, p.143.

5 Gunter Grass, Paris Herald Tribune, Mar.23, 1970.

Jennifer Mae Barizo is amusician and writer sharingher talents with theAdventist Review as asummer intern.

We are wealthy

on words,

but hungry

for meaning.

It was one of those incredibly busy Friday afternoons.Mom was in the kitchen making a casserole for a

Sabbath church potluck. The living room still had to bedusted. A load of clothes still had to be put in the dryer.And to top it all off, 4-year-old Jason was sitting in the mid-dle of the kitchen floor. Without trying to, Jason was block-ing all of Mom’s movements as she hurried from the stove tothe refrigerator to the sink.

Jason was trying to learn how to tie his shoelaces andwasn’t paying any attention to the hurry all around him.Finally, when Mom had just rescued a china dish after trip-ping over him, she stopped hurrying for a moment and drewa deep breath. In her sweetest voice she asked, “Jason, whydon’t you go play with your toys in your bedroom?”

“Can’t,” he said. “I put them away for Sabbath.”Mom sighed. Yes, she had told him

to put away the toys. “Well, why notgo out on the lawn and play? It’s abeautiful day.”

“Can’t,” Jason replied. “Thesprinkler’s going.”

By now Mom needed any goodidea, and she seized the first one thatcame to mind. “Why don’t you go—draw something at the table? Go drawMommy a picture.” She hurried to gethis crayons and a stack of paper.

Jason began drawing with eager-ness. Minutes passed, and Mom hur-ried through her baking without having to step around a little boy inthe middle of the floor.

Finally Mom realized that shehadn’t heard anything from Jason fora number of minutes. Trying tosound very casual, as mothers oftendo, she asked, “What are you draw-ing, Jason?”

Without looking up from his paper,Jason answered, “A picture of God.”

Mom thought for a minute, and

then continued. “Jason, why are you drawing a picture of God?”“ ’Cause I want to,” he said quickly.Another long pause from Mom. “But Jason, no one

knows what God looks like.”This time there was a long pause from Jason. Finally he

looked up from his crayons and said firmly, “They will whenI get through.”

Every time we have family worship or attend a worshipservice at church, we are helping to draw a picture of God.It may not be an actual picture made with crayons or pencilslike Jason’s. But worship helps us and the people around usunderstand what God is like. Worship means trying todescribe what God is like—how great He is and how kindHe is. Worship also means thanking Him for the way Heshows His love to us.

BILL KNOTT

Your Picture of God

Family TimeOn Tuesday (or whatever day you like), gather your family together for

worship.

☛ Beginning with the person with the most letters in their name,ask each person at your worship to share one word that they thinkdescribes what God is like. Write each word that describes God on a longthin strip of paper (about four inches long by one inch wide). With tape ora stapler, make one piece of paper into the first link of a chain. Then addeach new word as a link in the chain. Try to get at least 20 links in yourchain! Hang it where you will see it every time you have worship together.

☛ Look up Psalm 103:1-13 to find at least 15 wonderful reasons toworship God.

☛ Sing a special song about worshiping God. Try “Father, I AdoreYou,” or “I Love You, Lord.” Sing your song as your worship to God.

☛ Pray that tomorrow will bring you even more things to praise God for.

✃


The inaugural session of theChina Union Mission washeld under the motto“One Accord, OneMission,” on June 13-15,

1999, at the Kowloon Panda Hotel,Hong Kong. The Chinese UnionMission is the outcome of mergingwith the South China Island UnionMission, covering Taiwan, Hong Kong,and Macao, and the East AsiaAssociation including mainland Chinaand Mongolia. In the meantimeMongolia was separated from theChinese Union Mission and becamean attached mission field of theNorthern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD).

Global RepresentationMore than 100 church leaders

attended themeetings,including offi-cials from theGeneralConference,NorthernAsia-PacificDivision, thetwo foreignorganizations,and 13 specialguests.

Although there were many seats for thedelegates from mainland China, we didnot see any Chinese delegates. Therewere no representatives from govern-ment offices or religious bureaus.

One of the special guests wasGeneral Conference president JanPaulsen, who helped to make theChina Union Mission a reality. He wasthe chair of the General ConferenceSurvey Commission for the merger.Paulsen served as chair of East Asia

Association in 1995 and1996. In the opening cere-mony of the session, hesaid, “This is really a his-toric meeting. Our businessis spiritual. Salvation isalways a gift. God does notreject anyone who wants tobe saved. If God does notgive up saving people, whycan we give up because ofdifficulties of evangelism insome countries?”

Another special featureof the session was an invita-tion to former presidents ofthe Far Eastern Division andSouth China Island UnionMission (SCIUM), and chairs of the EastAsia Association (EAA). Not all thoseinvited could come, however, but OttisEdwards, Doyle Barnett and his wife,Samuel Young and his wife, NathanielYen, and H. Carl Currie were able toparticipate in the historic meeting. Mostwere assigned morning or midday devo-tionals.

New LeadershipNorthern Asia-Pacific Division pres-

ident P. D. Chun presided over themeeting at the start. However, he soonpassed the chair to Eugene Hsu, ChinaUnion Mission’s first president. Thecommittee discussed 14 items, includ-ing operating policy, structure, andreports of SCIUM and EAA officers.The new union will operate under theauspices of the Northern Asia-PacificDivision. One of the most importantitems was the nominating committee.The 21 committee members, includingthe three officers of the China UnionMission (Eugene Hsu, president;Stanley Ng, secretary; Paul Cho, trea-

surer), spent about eight hours inprayer and discussion to choose associ-ate officers, departmental directors,union executive committee members,and union institutional board members.

The associate officers and depart-mental directors include Chek YatPhoon, vice president; RobertFolkenberg, Jr., field secretary forGlobal Mission; Shin-Seng Liu, minis-terial association/shepherdess; VernaChuah, family, women’s, and children’sministries; Chin-Chen Huang,Sabbath school and personal min-istries; Billy Liu, youth, Adventistchaplaincy, and AmiCus ministries;John Ash III, Chinese Media Center.

Current statistics show that thereare 7,587 Adventist members inTaiwan, 3,766 in Hong Kong, includ-ing Macao, and 254,305 in mainlandChina. Since the population of Chinais about 1.3 billion (the largest in theworld), the newly organized ChinaUnion Mission has the largest targetpopulation of the Adventist Church’s90-plus unions around the world.

W O R L D N E W S & P E R S P E C T I V E S

Chinese Union Mission Forms in Hong Kong


B Y TA D A O M I S H I N M Y O , D I R E C T O R O F T H E C O M M U N I C AT I O N A N D P U B L I C A F F A I R S A N D

R E L I G I O U S L I B E R T Y D E P A R T M E N T O F T H E N O R T H E R N A S I A - PA C I F I C D I V I S I O N

NEW LEADERSHIP: right to left, secretary Stanley Ng, pres-ident Eugene Hsu, and treasurer Paul Cho

NSD president P. D. Chun



On May 19, tidal waves from a powerfulcyclone ravished many villages in southernPakistan. CNN reported that at least 200bodies were swept away to sea and hundredswere unaccounted for. Gail Schatzschneiderand a team of staff members from KarachiAdventist Hospital assisted the victims. Shefiles the following report.—Editors.

The cyclone of May 19 left manyvictims in Sindh (southern)Pakistan. The hospital’s disaster

relief team was assigned islands offPakistan’s mainland where the govern-ment has not gone to help. The peopleare humble fisherfolk who live on largesandbars in straw huts. During the terri-ble storm the little huts were blown andwashed away with many people also.

Team members made three trips tothe islands, delivering whole-wheat flour,rice, lentils, ghee (clarified butter), noo-dles, tea, and later sugar. We deliveredapproximately 5,000 pounds (2,270 kilo-grams) of food between June 12 and 15.

Clean WaterWhen asked what they need most,

the people said “clean water.” Wellswere out of thequestionbecause theyyielded saltwater. To helppurify thewater, uncleanwater from acanal on themainland wastransported inplastic contain-ers. This waterwas thenpoured into apit on theisland. Thedirty freshwater mixedwith the saltyground and itbecomes salty water. Animals wereliving in this drinking water. Theocean was cleaner, and indeed somepeople are drinking ocean water.

On June 16 the Karachi AdventistHospital medical staff returned from a

two-day medicalcamp. Two doctorsand six nursesspent two daysseeing patients oneight to 10islands. Theyexamined at least150 patients whohad headaches,body aches, TB,eye infections,stomachaches, andmouth ulcers.

Our medicalteam enjoyedhelping the peopleand wanted toreturn. The four

women nurses are young and loved theadventure, even though they had towade through water again and again tocarry medicines to the island wherechildren and adults smoked andchewed betel nut.

Housing NeedThe people on the islands need houses

with a concrete foundation to withstandthe next storm. Instead of straw theyneed wooden houses covered with strawand thatch. All materials must be trans-ported by boat to many islands. Brickhouses would not be acceptable, sincethe cool breezes must blow through thewalls to cool the homes.

Families as well as houses have beentorn apart. One man cried, saying hehas six children but his wife waswashed away. It is difficult to imaginehow anyone survived. There was sim-ply no place to go for safety when the20-foot wall of water hit them. A boat-man said he was in water up to hisneck all night. I wondered how anychildren survived. Though we saw sev-eral children there, we didn’t see manybabies. It is estimated that 2,500 peo-ple lost their lives.

The local people in Karachi are giv-ing donations to help with expenses.Karachi Adventist Hospital will provideat least one more medical camp.

Karachi Adventist HospitalAssists Cyclone VictimsB Y G A I L S C H AT Z S C H N E I D E R , H E A LT H P R O M O T I O N D E P A R T M E N T, K A R A C H I

A D V E N T I S T H O S P I TA L I N PA K I S TA N

HELP’S ON THE WAY: ADRA/Pakistan workers unload 5,000 pounds offood shipped to cyclone victims.

THANK YOU: Fisherman George Francis (left) receives food fromGail Schatzschneider of Karachi Adventist Hospital and Igbal Inayatof ADRA/Pakistan on Jamro Island.

Loma Linda University MedicalCenter Announces Cutbacks

L oma Linda University Medical Center (LLUMC)executives are forecasting layoffs necessary to close a

projected $41.3 million budget deficit. The medical cen-ter announced it will lay off employees,cut programs, and impose across-the-board pay cuts for its entire staff of4,500 in an attempt to close the pro-jected debt.

“In order to accomplish this, $14million in nonpatient-care labor will bereduced by eliminating positions andimplementing wage and salary reduc-tion for a period of six months,” saidLLUMC president B. Lyn Behrens in anofficial letter released to all employeesat the medical center. “The executiveteam is voluntarily taking an additional5 percent pay cut, along with imple-menting overall reductions in management staff.”

According to the letter, frontline employees, such asnurses, therapists, and clerks, will be hit with the 5 per-cent pay cut. No employee responsible for patient care

will be laid off, according to Behrens. The layoffs willoccur among support staff, such as food service, mainte-nance, clerical, and supervisory workers.

“We do not take these actions without regard for thepersonal sacrifice they will require from all of us,” saidBehrens.

The cutbacks are prompted by reductions in Medicarereimbursement payments throughout theU.S. and the emergence of health main-tenance organizations that can negotiatesignificant cuts in insurance payments tohospitals.

“The majority of the hospital’sfunding comes from Medicare, Medi-Cal, and patients enrolled with healthmaintenance organizations, orHMOs,” said Augustus Cheatham,vice president for public affairs atLoma Linda University MedicalCenter. “Last year the hospital woundup with an $8 million budget surplus.If we do the same amount of business

this year, the reimbursements from federal, state andHMO contacts will result in a $41.3 million loss. Sowhat we’ve got to do now is change the course tomake sure we at least break even.”


N E W S B R E A K


Six African countries have endorsed a cease-fire for theDemocratic Republic of the Congo. The six representthe primary engaged forces, but imposed peace is, at

best, a holding in check of hostilities by outside forces. Barteredpeace is difficult enough when there are only two parties in arelatively small and accessible area, never mind six.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is only one thirdthe size of the United States, is heavilyforested, and has practically no viable roadsystem. Complicating things further, therebel leaders did not sign the cease-fire agreement, and rebelforces pocketed in untamed areas have vowed to fight on.

Fighting accelerated in August when rebel forcesadvanced on the capital city, Kinshasa, after PresidentLaurent Kabila expelled the Rwandan Tutsis who hadhelped him overthrow the previous government. Enoughcountries became involved for pundits to dub the conflict

“Africa War I,” and the rebels have since splintered into atleast three major factions.

Even during the cease-fire talks, rebels pushed towardMbuji-Mayi, the diamond capital of the resource-rich Congo.

The Congo is a beautiful land with friendly people. Butthey’re among the world’s poorest. The war, a carryover of theRwandan conflict of 1994, is gruesome, with brutal massacres

that happen more frequently where thereare no immediate communication linkswith the outside world.

Strategists must consider all this, and more, in theirpeacekeeping plans. Some question whether peace is worththe bother.

A thousand times yes!Hearts may turn to God in the heat of battle, but

imposed peace provides opportunities for learning the art offorgiveness and for healing ruptured relationships.

NEWS COMMENTARY

Peace for the Congo?B Y C O R R I N E VA N D E R W E R F F, A P R O F E S S I O N A L W R I T E R A N D M O T I VAT I O N A L

S P E A K E R F R O M S H E RW O O D PA R K , A L B E R TA , C A N A D A

Please pray for: Anthony Alexander, his wife, Saratha, andtheir five children.

Anthony Alexander, a former Global Mission pioneerwho has established several new churches in Sri Lanka, hasbeen held in prison since March 1998, under “suspicion ofterrorism,” without a trial.

Anthony began his ministry by asking church leaders tosend him where there was no church. He went to the “unen-

tered” hill country of SriLanka and established fivenew churches and led 175people to baptism—mostof them Buddhists orHindus.

Hired as a full-time pas-tor, Anthony next went toJaffna in north Sri Lanka,where he established aschool that now has morethan 100 students. Whileworking there he and hisfamily lived in the middle

of the worst fight-ing of the civil warbetween the SriLankan army andTamil guerrillas.

More than halfthe pioneers work-ing in Sri Lankabecame Seventh-day Adventiststhrough Anthony’sministry. His min-istry was marked bycompassionate care for people. “We can’t just preach to thepeople,” he said. “We need to first work with them in theirsuffering.”

Now the Alexander family desperately needs our supportas brothers and sisters in Christ.

Further HelpYou can further help by writing letters to Pastor

Alexander and various authorities. For further informa-tion on how to write, please call 1-800-648-5824 or e-mail [email protected].


Global Mission Prayer Ministry

Based in California, the private nonprofit hospitaloperates some of the largest clinical programs in theUnited States in areas such as neonatal care, outpatientsurgery, and corneal transplants. Some of the programsthat will be eliminated with this budget cut includemammography screening operation and a high-techtraining center.

“We’ve never had to make an adjustment of this mag-nitude,” said Cheatham, adding that the cuts in jobs andprograms are the largest in 15 years.

The announced cutbacks are the latest in a series offinancial challenges for the hospital. In May Standard &Poor’s lowered the hospital’s bond rating on the institu-tion’s $60.69 million health-care revenue bonds fromBB+ to BBB- because of the hospital’s weak liquidity.The hospital’s chief financial officer resigned effectiveMay 12 and was replaced with an interim CFO.

Like LLUMC, other hospitals, including University ofCalifornia San Francisco/Stanford, Georgetown UniversityMedical Center, and the University of Pennsylvania, havealso made drastic cuts to adjust budgets and incur lessdebt. Hospitals are hoping to stop the losses by aggres-sively lobbying the U.S. Congress for legislative relief.

Commending her employees for their commitmentand dedication to the special mission of Loma Linda,Behrens states that a focus on mission “is hollow unless

an institution takes the tough management actionsrequired to remain strong, viable, and competitive.”

“I continue to appreciate the positive attitudes reflect-ed by so many of our employees,” said Behrens. “Thatspirit of hopefulness is aligned with the feeling of theleadership team that with God’s help, we can do this anddo it well.”—Adventist News Network.

Education Work Grows in South America

Officials in the South American Division report thatenrollment in Adventist schools, academies, and univer-sities reached 194,804 this year.

“We surpassed 200 schools in South America, dou-bling this number in just seven years. We went from 101schools in 1992 to 203 in 1999, and 13 schools wereopened this year,” says Roberto Azevedo, division educa-tion director.

What’s Upcoming

Sept. 4 Lay Evangelism EmphasisSept. 11 Adventist Review emphasisSept. 18 Family Togetherness DaySept. 25 Thirteenth Sabbath offering for the

Africa-Indian Ocean Division

N E W S B R E A K



ANGEL MANUEL RODRÍGUEZ

Recently our teenage son asked us about the bibli-cal reasons to refrain from premarital sexual intercourse. Can you help us?

Premarital sex hasbecome an accepted way

of life in most Western (“Christian”)countries—promoted as the norm inmost movies and television programs.Who, then, has the courage (some maysay, the stupidity) to talk against it?God does, and so should we.

In discussing this subject we haveto examine the biblical teachingsabout virginity, sexual promiscuity,marriage, and sex. Here are somethings to consider:

1. Regulations on Virginity: Female virginity was highly valued inthe Old Testament, as evidenced in its laws. Loss of virginitycould, in some cases, result in capital punishment (Deut. 22:20,21); while in others, marriage was required (verses 28, 29). Sexoutside of marriage was a social, moral, and spiritual evil that wasunacceptable to the Lord. With respect to male virginity, there isno biblical law that specifically deals with it, making it necessaryto look for other evidence.

2. Regulations on Sexual Promiscuity and Adultery: We find spe-cific legislation condemning male sexual promiscuity through pros-titution and/or adultery. Satisfying one’s sexual desires with a pros-titute was not an acceptable practice in Israel (Lev. 19:29; Prov. 5;7:10-27). In the New Testament, prostitution was also clearlyrejected and condemned (1 Cor. 6:15, 16). In the Old Testamentadultery was a capital crime, resulting in the execution of bothindividuals (Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22). This simply emphasizes theseriousness with which God took this aspect of the social and reli-gious life of His people.

In the New Testament adultery and fornication are consid-ered incompatible with Christian life and doctrine (1 Tim.1:10; Heb. 13:4; Eph. 5:3; 1 Thess. 4:3). Hence, the evidencepoints to the fact that virginity was expected from men inIsrael and the Christian church.

3. Biblical View of Marriage and Sex: The biblical indictmentagainst sexual promiscuity is based on the Bible’s view of the dig-nity of the person and on the holy nature of marriage. The Lordrejects any activity that degrades those two principles. Accordingto Genesis 2:18, 21-24 man and woman were created for compan-

ionship, to establish a permanent commitment to each other inlove. The physical unity of their bodies was possible and meaning-ful in a setting of permanency and love.

In the Scripture, a person is not justa body that can be detached from thetotality of his or her being, to functionsimply as an object of pleasure byanother for personal sexual satisfaction.Since one’s personal value cannot beseparated from one’s body, a dehuman-ization of the body has a direct impacton our self-image, leaving behind per-manent scars in the soul. Sex withoutlove and permanent commitmentbypasses personhood and drags the indi-vidual to a lower status of existence.

Marriage, instituted by God, provides the existential ambi-ence within which each of the partners finds self-realization,permanent companionship, respect, and expressions of lovingconcern for the other (1 Cor. 7:10). The mutuality of the pub-lic commitment and its dimension of permanency make it safefor both individuals to fully surrender their whole person—notjust the physical body—in love to each other. Consequently,the couple comes out of the sexual relationship—the most pro-found human expression of love—enriched and with a deepfeeling of self-realization; they become one (Gen. 2:24). It isonly in mutual trust and love that we surrender ourselves toanother person. Physical pleasure separated from soul commit-ment in love, even if enjoyed by consenting adults, splits thatwhich God united.

The Scriptures reject premarital sex because sex without love(agape), commitment, and the permanency explicit in a marriagerelationship is spiritually, morally, and emotionally degrading. ButGod’s grace, through Christ, knows no limits; it offers those whohave fallen short of the divine expectation healing through divineforgiving love. Those who accept it will be re-created in God’simage. To them Jesus’ merciful voice says: “Go, and sin no more”(John 8:11).

Angel Manuel Rodríguez is an associate director of theBiblical Research Institute of the General Conference.

For Mature ReadersB I B L E Q U E S T I O N S A N S W E R E D

Sex without love isspiritually, morally,

and emotionallydegrading.

Celebrating the Year of the Family

Ways to keep the church family complete

L I F E S T Y L E


BY MARY H. T. WONG

ONE ITEM IN THE HEADLINE

news arrested my attention and

held me in its grip the rest of the

day. Flashed on the TV screen

was the picture of a sophisticated-

looking young woman who had committed suicide in ILL

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a Comfort Inn room a year beforewithout leaving any trace of her trueidentity. She was known as KathySmith to those with whom she talkedprior to her death. With no identityavailable, she was put in an unmarkedgrave without any headstone. Duringthe newscast the police appealed forhelp in establishing her identity.

While it was a tragedy for a youngwoman to take her own life, it was agreater tragedy that, because no onehad reported her missing, her identitycould not be established. To me it

meant that she either didn’t have anyfamily or had been so long out oftouch with them that no one noticedwhen she had disappeared.

For the Adventist Church, 1999has been designated as the Year ofthe Family, with the theme “Ex-perience the Fellowship of God’sFamily.” A great deal of emphasis hasbeen attached to such elements asunity, communication, and love asnecessary ingredients for enjoying thefellowship of God’s family. However,

even if we have all of these, if thefamily circle has been broken, familymembers cannot experience the joyof true fellowship.

As we celebrate the year of God’sfamily, we need to ask if our churchfamily is complete. We are thrilled andimpressed with the phenomenal num-ber of new members added to ourchurch family each day through GlobalMission projects and satellite evange-lism. What sometimes escapes us, how-ever, is that while we are busy bringingin new members, we lose some as well.Wandering youth and inactive mem-bers of all ages are the missing mem-bers in our church families.

Our Children, Our FutureAlthough many of our youth are

lost to the world because of factorsbeyond our control, we are partlyresponsible for the loss of some ofthese precious souls.

Christ attached a great deal ofimportance to children. He made timefor them in His hectic schedule (Matt.19:14; Mark 10:16). In the final hoursbefore His return to heaven He in-structed Peter to “feed” His lambs(John 21:15). Christ pointed out thatit would be better “to be thrown intothe sea with a millstone tied aroundhis neck than for him to cause one ofthe little ones to sin” (Luke 17:2,NIV).

Despite the great importance ofnurturing children, some parentsneglect their spiritual training. Theyhave set academic excellence andworldly success as higher priority.They expend a great deal of time andeffort in improving the academic skillsof their children while neglecting timefor their spiritual nurturing.

In countries where there are classesor extracurricular activities on theSabbath, some parents allow their chil-dren to attend school. Or children mayrefuse to go to church (if forced to go,they tolerate it until they can choosenot to go) because there are moreinteresting activities to keep themaway. Parents may feel that Sabbathschool and church programs do notcater to their children’s needs, and are

not in keeping with the developmentin modern technology and pedagogythat provides for active rather thanpassive learning. They want programsfor their children that challenge themto be thinkers rather than reflectors ofothers’ thoughts (see Education, p. 17).

Our children are the future of thechurch. Unless efforts are made tokeep them within the fold, they willbe lost to the world, and our churchfamily will be incomplete. How canwe ensure that our children will fulfillthe role that God has designed forthem rather than let them be used bythe devil to perpetuate evil?

Ways Parents May Provide Spiritual Training

Here are two suggestions for pro-viding spiritual training and increasingloyalty to the church:

1. Have a long-range goal to pre-pare for life beyond this world.

2. Learn how to train children andacquire materials for this purpose.

Through seminars and church pub-lications, church leaders and familyministries directors can play an activerole in helping parents set the rightpriorities for their children, and recog-nize the necessity of providing spiri-tual training for them from the earliestyears of their lives. Up-to-date materi-als and innovative ideas for conduct-ing family worship can be developed,translated, and made more easilyaccessible to church members, espe-cially those in the world divisions out-side of the United States.

Through revival meetings, parentscan be made aware of how their ownpersonal lives and examples can havean impact on their children. Theywill recognize the need to model anintimate relationship with God andloyalty to the church as they helptheir children know God through per-sonal experience rather than just aknowledge about God.

Efforts to improve the materialsand methodology for instruction usedin the Sabbath school and churchservice can be considered. TheGeneral Conference Sabbath SchoolDepartment is cognizant of this

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urgent need, and a new curriculum forthe children’s Sabbath School that isin keeping with the interests of chil-dren will soon be made available tothe churches. These new curriculummethods have been developed forcountries in which English is notused. While it may be difficult to finda budget for the translating andadapting of materials, this is an essen-tial investment for the future of ourchurch and for eternity.

Ministers can plan their sermonswith the needs of children and youthin mind. Leaders and teachers inchildren’s Sabbath schools can dis-cover innovative ways to reach thechildren by attending workshops andtraining programs, and reading booksand journals on children’s ministries.Why Nobody Learns Much of Anythingat Church: And How to Fix It, byThom and Joani Schulltz (GroupPublishing), can provide Sabbathschool and church leaders with addi-tional insights.

The church family is also madeincomplete by people who have leftthe church. Often, when a child islost, the whole neighborhood andthe police turn out in force to lookfor the missing child. Many have leftthe church, yet are we putting forthsufficient effort to reclaim them? Inthe parable of the lost sheep Christtold how the shepherd deemed it soimportant to find the one “lostsheep” that he left his 99 sheep inorder to search for it in the wilder-ness. Then He emphasized howheaven rejoices over the repentanceof one sinner (Luke 15:10).

In Matthew 9:10-13 Jesus is pic-tured as associating with publicans andsinners because it was He “came to callnot the righteous but sinners to repen-tance. In His dealings with MaryMagdalene, Zacchaeus, and other sin-ners, He has shown us an example ofthe need and the methods we shoulduse to reclaim inactive members.

Planning for the Reclamation ofInactive Members

Church pastors can plan activitieswith the church members that might

help the backsliders reconnect withthe church. Keeping track of missingSabbath school and church memberswill encourage members of thechurch to be involved in visitationprograms to keep them updated onchurch news, bring them churchpublications and sermon tapes, andpray with them.

The training of members by thepersonal ministries director will makethe program more effective. To makeit easier for inactive members toreturn to the church, they can be firstinvited to join cell groups in whichthey can forge a close relationshipwith a few people before they rejointhe congregation. Special days withprograms planned for the returningmembers can be included in thechurch calendar of events. Finally,one of the best ways to win themback is by establishing friendships.Then if a tragedy occurs in the family,the church members will be amongthe first ones there to lend support.

A Challenge for the Year of the Family

As we celebrate the fellowship ofGod’s church family this year, we mustremember that our church family isincomplete if our children are missingand if missing members have not beenreclaimed. Unless we make an effort torestore the breach, whatever fellow-ship we may experience will be a joyincomplete.

Are we like Kathy Smith’s family?Are we oblivious to the young peopleand inactive members we have lost?Are we actively engaged in reclaimingthem? Is our church family complete?This is a question that God will ask uswhen we see Him someday. ■

Mary H. T. Wong is chil-dren’s, family, and women’sministries director for theNorthern Asia-PacificDivision. She writes from theRepublic of Korea.

Whatsometimes

escapes us is

that whilewe bring in new

members,we losesome as

well.

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You don’t have to have the mind of Christ to be a good host, but it helps.

BY MADELINE S. JOHNSTON

WHILE MY HUSBAND PURSUED doctoral study in an Eastern city, ourfamily of six lived in a small apartmentin a run-down section of town. OneFriday we had all been too busy to pre-

pare a special Sabbath dinner, or even to clean very much.Naturally, then, the next morning a young woman appeared

at our church for the first time. As the worship service began,the head deaconess came to our pew and whispered to me,“Would you please invite this young woman home for dinnertoday? I can’t; I don’t have anything prepared.”

My immediate instinct was to decline. I would be embar-rassed to invite anyone to our apartment that day. But I real-ized I couldn’t decline—our family was not only a minister’sfamily, but a missionary family home on study leave, and wecould sense that church members imbued us with a certainaura that included high expectations.

Thus, with an inner gulp, I said, “Yes, I will.” And Idid. But I felt near panic as I pondered what I could pulltogether quickly as a reasonable meal for seven.

That Wasn’t So HardAs it turned out, Lynn proved very adaptable, and she fit

right in. We all enjoyed getting acquainted with her. I don’trecall what we ate, but none of us went hungry. We droveher to her apartment later. She explained she was a graduatestudent, new to the area. In subsequent weeks we continuedto enjoy her friendship.

Late that Saturday night we were surprised by a tele-phone call from a dear friend of ours in the GeneralConference—one to whom we felt personally indebted

because of the fatherly kindnesses he had shown to us as ourpaths had crossed in the mission field and later on furlough.He was one of those rare administrators who put peoplebefore policies; and if a policy couldn’t be bent, heexplained and apologized with genuine caring. If there wasanyone we would hate to disappoint, it was he.

After the usual pleasantries he said, “I’m calling justbecause I want to thank you for inviting my friend Lynnhome for dinner today.” He went on to tell us that thisyoung woman, the daughter of Adventist leaders elsewhere,was very dear to him. He kept in touch with her, and theyhad talked by phone that evening. He told us that she hadsuffered a divorce and had come to this place, far fromhome, to do graduate study and begin a new life. Thedivorce had shaken Lynn’s faith, too. She seriously consid-ered abandoning it altogether. Through this experience thechurch had seemed cold and heartless. That Sabbath morn-ing she had decided to give church one more try. If no onebefriended her at church that day, she decided, she wouldnever attend again.

Remembering how close I came to refusing hospitality tosomeone in such need, even though the Bible mandates hospi-tality, has served as a sobering lesson to me in the years since. ■

Madeline S. Johnston spent 20 years as a secretaryin the Department of World Mission of theSeventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary atAndrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan.She is now the faculty adviser to the weekly stu-dent newspaper there.

Christ’sHome


BY LOREN DICKINSON

IDO SERIOUS SEARCH AND RESCUE AROUNDjunkyards, because I’m an old car hobbyist. It’s the wayI find road-tested parts at right prices. But a recentexcursion led me to something I hadn’t expected.

The dried-upcharacter who seemed tobe minding the store was afriendly but dilapidatedbachelor of 65. Thoughfluent and helpful, he wasseverely wasted. “I’ve gotarthritis of the back some-thing fierce,” he moaned.“Just got home from thehospital, but it didn’t dono good.”

His language wasn’tlike that of the collegekids who inhabit my life.But I got the point. “Thedoctors don’t know how totreat me; I’ve been tothree, but I don’t feel nobetter.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. Itruly meant it.

“Yeah, and the last oneeven told me to quitsmokin’ and boozin’.”

“That,” I said, “soundslike perfect sense to me.” Then I added, “And what do youthink you’ll do about that?”

I can tell you his reply word for word. “I’m gonna find mea new doctor.”

The junkyard junkie is a classic case. He’s experiencingsome very annoying information he wants neither to hearnor believe. What if he finds a new doctor? What changesthen? His psychological discomfort may subside, but hisphysical disorders won’t.

He by no means is alone in playing mind games with dis-sonant and unsettling information. Some Millerites did it 150years ago. With certainty they predicted Christ would returnin their lifetime—in fact, October 1844. But He didn’t—a

very dissonant event. To assuage their tortured minds,Millerites faced anguished choices. So they made them. Somediscredited their leaders. Some redated their calendars. Somebitterly renounced their faith and checked out.

I often do no betterthan the Millerites didwith dissonant informa-tion. Weight is one. I’vebeen carrying about fivepounds too many. But mydiet goes virtually un-changed, and I still jog amere mile a day. I’ve goneweeks, in fact, withoutdropping on the scalesbecause I don’t want toknow the truth, the unset-tling truth.

What’s the answer forthe arthritic or for us? Ithink it’s this: We mustsearch for reputable, well-founded ideas that makesense. Let’s live by thebest data and behaviorswe can get hold of (evenwhen that means we mayhave to deal with the dis-sonance they produce).Scripture offers the perfect

starting point. “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable . . .right . . . pure . . . lovely . . . let your mind dwell on thesethings” (Phil. 4:8, NASB).

Nobody needs a new doctor. Nobody needs new scales.What we honestly need is to believe and live by the goodsense we’ve come to know or are still discovering. ■

Loren Dickinson is a professor of communication atWalla Walla College, College Place, Washington.

“I’m Gonna Find Me a New Doctor”

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ANDREA STEELE

The Holy Spirit istraveling the air-waves in Mada-gascar, carrying themessage of hope to

nearly 14 million people. TheVoice of Hope in Malagasy wenton the air for an hour a day onMarch 29, 1998. Since then peo-ple all over the island haveresponded with joy. “Your pro-grams have given me new hope,”write many listeners. “I want tothank you because you are theone who invited me to Christ.”

“Up to 150 letters arrive weeklyat the production center and Bibleschool here in Antananarivo,” saysElian Andriamintantsoa, MalagasyVoice of Hope producer. “Many lis-teners travel here to the studio tomeet the speakers and to sharetheir excitement about the mes-sage. That keeps the producersexcited about making programs!”

Frontline evangelistic teams onthe island discover dozens of people who have listened toAWR and studied their Bibles and asked for baptism. Theking of the Bara tribe Ivohibe and 35 people in his villagejoined the church after an evangelistic series. Most of themhad first heard the message on AWR. In Amboasary village,70 people, most of them listeners, were baptized after anevangelistic meeting, and at last count, 150 people now meetin a church under the trees. Listeners in Sadabe villagerequested a pastor to “come and baptize” them, and offered apiece of land for a church.

Although there are 50,000 church members on theisland, most of them live and worship in very isolatedareas. Each pastor may have a dozen churches to care for;most churches see their pastor perhaps once in sixmonths. Adventist church members greatly appreciatethe “nourishment and encouragement” of AWR’s dailybroadcasts.

AWR broadcasts change lives: “I was an alcoholic, not a

Christian, and about to lose my job,” writes Francois.“Then I heard the saving message from you. I tuned in bychance, and tried to apply the instruction you gave—repentance and prayer—but I did not know how to pray.So I said simply to God, ‘Save me and change me.’ Andsomething strange happened within my mind and body. Ibegan to hate alcohol. Now I know I am saved, and it’s nota surgeon who did it, but God through AWR.” Francoishas since been baptized.

Madagascar is a verdant and fertile land; but there is agreat absence of water. Ninety percent of the rural popula-tion have no assured access to fresh water. Now the gospel isbroadcast over Adventist World Radio, covering the wholeisland with the water of life!

Andrea Steele is director of public relations and listener servicesfor Adventist World Radio.

Water for the ThirstyA D V E N T I S T W O R L D R A D I O

WORKING FOR JESUS: These women produce the children’s program in Malagasy for airing onAdventist World Radio to Madagascar.

They Still Go

Regular Missionary ServiceThe following persons left for regular

missionary service in the latter part of1998 and early 1999. Please rememberthem in your prayers.

George Chempil Abraham, returning toserve as dentist/director, Antigua SDA DentalClinic, St. Johns, Antigua, West Indies.

Vera Gama Michel de Matos, to serve astranslator, Brazil Publishing House, Tatui, Brazil,and Ismael de Matos, of Hyattsville, Maryland.

Norman David Emerson, returning to serveas physician/internal medicine, Guam SDAClinic, Tamuning, Guam, Oleta Emerson, andone child.

Leopold Henry Garbutt, returning to serveas orthopedic surgeon, Bella Vista Polyclinic,Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, Ann Elizabeth Garbutt,and one child.

Eduardo Alberto Gonzalez, returning toserve as professor, Montemorelos University,Montemorelos, Nuevo Leõn, Mexico, and SylviaGonzalez.

Aldemar Hernandez, to serve as instructor,Antillean Adventist University, Mayagüez,Puerto Rico, of Angwin, California.

Edwin Hernandez, returning to serve as vicepresident for academic affairs, AntilleanAdventist University, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico,and Magaly Hernandez.

Keith Masao Horinouchi, returning to serveas preventive-care specialist, Guam SDA Clinic,Tamuning, Guam, and Madeline Horinouchi.

Chester Lee Huff, returning to serve as pres-ident of Euro-Asia Division, Moscow, RussianFederation, and Barbara Huff.

Karl Errol Johnson, returning to serve assecretary, French Polynesia Mission, Papeete,Tahiti, and Ariane Johnson.

Rodger Ferguson Jones, to serve as physicslecturer, Pacific Adventist University, PapuaNew Guinea, Jennifer Jones, and two children,of Carmichael, California.

Matthew Mark Kent, returning to serve asprofessor, New Testament, Spicer MemorialCollege, Pune, India, and Daphne Kent.

Sung Min Lee, returning to serve as pharma-cist, Guam SDA Clinic, Tamuning, Guam,Esther Seungai Lee, and two children.

Neil Foster Lovitt, M.D., returning to serveas family practice physician, Guam SDA Clinic,Tamuning, Guam, and Katherine Lovitt.

Michael John Mahoney, to serve as assistantadministrator for clinical services, Guam SDAClinic, Tamuning, Guam, Bonnie RuthMahoney, and three children, of Pioneer,Tennessee.

Thomas Joseph Massengill, returning toserve as treasurer, Southeast Asia UnionMission, Republic of Singapore, and DorothyJean Massengill.

Harry Mayden, returning to serve as directorof education, Euro-Asia Division, Moscow,Russian Federation, and Joyce Mayden.

Lincoln Saturo Morikone, returning to serveas laboratory director, Hongkong AdventistHospital, Hong Kong, and Drusila Morikone.

Michael Frank Munsey, returning to serveas elementary teacher, Yang Ming ShanChristian School, Taiwan, and Lana ElizabethMunsey, of Caldwell, Idaho.

Leslie Charles Neal III, returning to serveas art professor, Montemorelos University,Montemorelos, Mexico, Heidi Linette Neal, andtwo children.

Daniel Reece Neisner, returning to serve aschaplain, Hongkong Adventist Hospital, HongKong, Shirlee Neisner, and three children.

James Kenji Nozaki, to serve asphysician/family medicine, Guam SDA Clinic,Tamuning, Guam, of Colton, California.

Pablo Perla, returning to serve as president,Dominican Union Mission, Santo Domingo,Dominican Republic, and Martha Perla.

Martine Polycarpe, returning to serve asaccountant, Guam-Micronesia Mission, AganaHeights, Guam.

Jagannadha Rao, to serve as physician/internist, Andrews Memorial Hospital, Kingston,Jamaica, and Kamala Rao, of Nassau, Bahamas.

Robert Lavern Robinson, returning to serveas treasurer, Euro-Asia Division, Golianovo,Moscow, Russia, and Brenda Annette Robinson.

Sampson Kenneth Twumasi, returning toserve as religion lecturer, Bugema University,Kampala, Uganda, of Michigan.

Scott Roy Von Bergen, returning to serve asdentist, Guam SDA Clinic, Tamuning, Guam,and Sheila Von Bergen.

John Lennart Wilcox, to serve as associatedirector, ADRA/Peru, Lima, Peru, and FionaLouise Wilcox, of Washington, D.C.

George Louis Wonenberg, returning to serveas dentist, Adventist Dental Practice, Bulawayo,Zimbabwe, Africa, and Becky Wonenberg.

Adventist Volunteer ServiceDuring the past year the following per-

sons have left home to serve as volunteers inother countries. Most of the following areyoung people, and they have returned homeby now. But we want them to know thatwe recognize and appreciate their service.

Neil Stewart Brantley, to serve as English lan-guage teacher, Montemorelos University, NuevoLeõn, Mexico, of Berrien Springs, Michigan.

Everton George Dawkins, to serve asEnglish/Bible teacher, Korea SDA LanguageInstitutes, Seoul, Korea, of Miami, Florida.

Michael and Jamie Delay, to serve as ele-mentary teachers, Ekamai International School,Bangkok, Thailand, of Collegedale, Tennessee.

Dos Santos, to serve as assistant food con-troller, ADRA/Bolivia, La Paz, Bolivia, ofRiverside, California.

Carolyn Patricia Douglas, to serve asEnglish/Bible teacher, Japan English Schools,Yokohama, Japan, of Garland, Texas.

Brigett Michelle Dunn, to serve as elemen-tary teacher, Ekamai International School,Bangkok, Thailand, of Arden, North Carolina.

Esther Jemima Edwards, to serve as English/Bible teacher, Korea SDA Language Institutes,Seoul, Korea, of Brooklyn, New York.

Raymond C. Gager II, to serve as teacher/evangelist, Korea SDA Language Institutes,Seoul, Korea, of Berrien Springs, Michigan.

Tosco-Gabriella Henry, to serve as English/Bible teacher, San Yu English Bible Center,Pingtung City, Taiwan, of Collegedale, Tennessee.

William Edward Hawthorne, to serve asteacher/technical adviser, Davis IndianIndustrial College, Paruima Village, Guyana, ofVernon, Alabama.



STEPHEN G. DUNBAR

As we turn into the twenty-first century theconcept of radical activism continues to takeon an ever increasingly sinister profile. Thereare the Timothy McVeighs who stand asicons for antigovernment groups, the Irish

“Christians” killing for their beliefs,Middle Eastern terrorists blowing upbuses, hotels, and innocent people.

Even causes that were once viewed asfighting for the good have been tarnishedby radicals. Some Greenpeace protestersspike trees and seriously injure forestworkers, while some antiabortionistsharass and even murder abortion clinicphysicians, and “Christian ministers”have redefined evangelism to mean TVappearances and swindling megabucks.

However, despite the unorthodoxmethods used by such radical groups and individuals, theyleave behind a minimal impress on the history of humankindwhen compared to the life of one particularly radical Man.

Two thousand years ago, when Jesus stepped into thehuman scene, life for the common person was relatively littledifferent than it is today. There were new discoveries thatwere beyond comprehension. Government was too big, crimewas on the increase, wages were too low and taxes too high.

There were the rich and those despised by the rich, reli-gious purebreds and Gentile mongrels, those blessed withhealth and others cursed with illness. Those who were to bethe spiritual leaders in Israel accepted instead the false secu-rity of religiosity and the deceptive witness of Satan aboutthe character of God in blessing those who were good andcursing those who were bad. After all, they were the eliteamong the saved, the rich, the blessed. They were the sus-tainers of the traditions. And they liked it that way.

Imagine the shock to their conventional minds whenJesus began to focus the radical spirit of agape into everyaction of their laws.

Their heads bow in shame, recognizing their own faultsand failures as Jesus, the radical soul lover, lifts the head ofthe adulterer in whose eyes He sees a repentant heart.1

Watch them squirm and mutter as Jesus, the radical healer,actually touches, then hugs and laughs with the leper whomthey have cursed and evicted like so much religious refuse.2

There He is again, the radical provider, giving the bread oflife to those left starving by the loveless acts of tradition.3

And now, on the Sabbath, the radical re-creator takesthe hand of His fellowman, mangled under the weight ofPharisaical contempt, and makes it whole.4 He breaks the

Pharisees’ rules as much to free theirhearts as to free those who have nohope in keeping them. His actions, soradically different from the Pharisees’perceptions of acceptable religiousbehavior, stem from a heart moved byradical compassion.

Unlike those whose aim it was to main-tain self-serving laws at the cost ofinsignificant sinners, Christ’s unorthodoxministry involved continual acts of com-passion and tender mercy to the suffering.All those on whom the religious leaders

looked with disgust, those oppressed by the continual reminderof their sin and guilt as evidenced by their physical sicknesses,Jesus delighted to heal.

His heart was on their side, and no amount of evidencecould sway Him to oppose those He had come to save.Pious inactivism had finally been upstaged by a demonstra-tion of radical love.

And now, as we turn into the twenty-first century, societycontinues to crave an authentic definition and activedemonstration of a love that is radically different from whatpopular culture has always offered. Humanity craves a lovethat is motivated by His selflessness, activated by His righ-teousness, and demonstrated by His willingness.

It is this love, the reality of Jesus’ own life, that is freelyaccepted and freely given by all who are changed by thepower of this radical Man.

1 John 8:3-11.2 Luke 5:12-15.3 Mark 8:1-8.4 Matt. 12:9-14.

Stephen G. Dunbar is a Canadian taking post-graduate studies in marine biology at CentralQueensland University, Queensland, Australia.

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No Turning Back - Adventist Review

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