Youth and Adult Mission Magazine by Adventist Mission - 2nd Quarter 2009 by Adventist Mission

MISSION MAGAZINE

A D V E N T I S T YOUTH AND ADULT

QUARTER 2

2009

featuring:

STUBBORN FAITH pg 10| A PASSION FOR GOD pg 20

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SOUTHERN AFRICA-INDIAN OCEAN DIVISION

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O N T E N T S

On the Cover: Delight Haangala shares her faith in Zambia, where she plans to attend Zambia Adventist University, recipient of part of this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering.

NORTHERN ANGOLA 4 The Troublemaker | April 4 6 The Path to God | April 11

CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ANGOLA 8 Child of War, Child of God | April 18 10 Stubborn Faith | April 25 12 See for Yourself | May 2 14 Finding God’s Way | May 9

ZAMBIA ADVENTIST UNIVERSITY 16 God of the Impossible | May 16 18 Marlene’s New School | May 23 20 A Passion for God | May 30

ZAMBIA 22 Light in the Darkness | June 6 24 Making Wise Choices | June 13 26 A Matter of Faith | June 20

RESOURCES 28 Thirteenth Sabbath Program | June 27 en

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This quarter we feature the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division, the newest of the world church’s divisions. Eleven countries and numerous island nations totaling about 151 million people make up this division. More than 2.1 million Seventh-day Adventists share their faith here. That is a ratio of about one Adventist for every 72 people. Special emphasis this quarter is on Angola and Zambia. The Challenge Angola is home to about 16 million people, some 329,000 of whom are Seventh-day Adventists. That’s one Adventist for every 50 people. The country is struggling to rebuild following 40 years of war, during which most major governmental and educational institutions were destroyed or heavily damaged. The church in Angola has not had resources to rebuild these schools, which service thousands of children, Adventist and nonAdventist. Some children have no other option for an education. Part of this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help rebuild two primary schools and provide facilities

OPPORTUNITIES This quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help ¾ Provide a library at Zambia Adventist University ¾ Rebuild two elementary schools in Angola ¾ Renovate and rebuild buildings at Bongo Mission for Bongo Adventist University in Angola.

for Bongo Adventist University, which will include the Adventist seminary as well as university-level classes in education, business, and other critical courses, thus enabling the church’s thousands of young people to receive a quality Christian education for future service in their homeland. Zambia, a landlocked nation in southern Africa, is one of the world’s 50 poorest countries. Some 70 percent of Zambians earn a living as subsistence farmers. Among the nearly 11.5 million people living in Zambia, 573,700 are Seventh-day Adventists, a ratio of one Adventist for every 20 people. Yet the church has just one secondary school. Recently the church in Zambia opened Zambia Adventist University, and already it has more than 800 mostly part-time students. The school library has more than 42,000 books, but library space to house just a fraction. Part of this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help provide a library for this new university. Flash! Mission offerings and the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering have seen a significant increase in recent months. The Euro-Asia Division, which was featured during first quarter 2008 (the last quarter for which statistics were available at press time), received $650,000. Praise God and thank you for your sacrifice! Yours for the kingdom,

Charlotte Ishkanian Editor, Mission

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Dear Sabbath School Leader,

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THE TROUBLEMAKER April 4 | Lucas Pedro

ADVENTIST MISSION Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division

ucas grew up in his uncle’s home in Angola. His uncle is a leader in the family’s Protestant church, and Lucas joined the choir as a teen. Choir members were urged to be baptized, so Lucas joined the baptismal class.

The Forgotten Sabbath One day the class read through the Ten Commandments. As Lucas followed along while the teacher read the Ten Commandments, he noticed that the fourth commandment said to keep holy the Sabbath day, Sabado in Portuguese. He asked the teacher why the church worshipped on Sunday when the Bible said that Sabbath—Sabado—was God’s holy day. “The Jews kept Sabbath,” the teacher explained. “But Christians keep Sunday.” Lucas wasn’t satisfied. The Bible says to “remember” the Sabbath. That must mean that God knew we’d forget, he thought. Lucas began searching the Bible for other references to the Sabbath. He hoped this would help him understand what it meant to keep the Sabbath holy. In class the next week Lucas read the texts he had found and asked the teacher to help him understand why the

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Sabbath was upheld in the Bible, yet they didn’t keep it. The Troublemaker Lucas gained the reputation as a troublemaker in the class, but he wasn’t ready to give up. He found other texts about the Sabbath and took them to class. Ezekiel 20:19, 20 calls the Sabbath a sign between God and His people. Lucas asked his teacher what it meant. But instead of answering his question, the teacher became upset and sent Lucas out of the class and told him to see the pastor for answers. When the pastor didn’t answer his questions, Lucas stopped attending the class. But he continued studying and prayed for answers. Providential Meeting One day as Lucas walked along the riverside, he heard someone mention the word “Sabbath.” He stopped and saw a man talking with some young people. He stepped closer to listen. When Lucas had a chance, he asked the man the questions about the Sabbath that had been bothering him. The man, Samuel, explained the Sabbath so clearly that it all made sense. At last he had answers!

FAST FACTS ¾ Angola lies along the Atlantic Ocean on the western coast of Africa, between the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north and Namibia to the south. It is the seventh-largest country in Africa and has great potential riches. However, nearly 40 years of war between 1961 and 2002 devastated the economy. ¾ The capital city, Luanda, lies on the Atlantic coast. Its population, officially about 2.5 million, swelled by several million as refugees fled heavy fighting during the war. The government is attempting to resettle these refugees in their home districts.

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The Ultimatum Lucas’ uncle looked at him and said firmly, “You must make a choice. Accept what our church teaches or find another place to live.” “I have no choice,” Lucas said humbly. “I must follow God, no matter what.” His uncle told him to leave. Lucas packed his things and left his uncle’s house. He didn’t know where to go, so he slept in a neighbor’s chicken house that night. When another friend refused to let him stay at their home, he asked Samuel for help. A church elder took him in. He began working with the pastor while he prepared for baptism. The church members supported him, and he was able to continue his high school studies. Lucas continues to live with an Adventist family while he completes his studies. When he meets friends from his uncle’s church, he gladly tells them that he has found the answers to the questions that had troubled him in his former church. And he invites them to visit the Adventist church. “Now they know the truth, and I pray that they will make their decision to follow the light they have,” Lucas says. When Lucas feels lonely or abandoned by his family, he remembers that Jesus often felt this way. “Christ’s followers often didn’t understand Him, so I’m not alone,” he adds. “I’m honored to follow His footsteps and do what He wants me to do.” Our Thirteenth Sabbath Offering this quarter will help rebuild Bongo Adventist University, where Lucas and many more young people will prepare for full-time ministry in Angola. à

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Samuel invited Lucas to his house to study the Sabbath with him, and Lucas eagerly accepted. The two began studying the Bible together, and soon Lucas realized that the Sabbath wasn’t the only Bible concept that he hadn’t known. When Samuel invited Lucas to visit the Adventist church, he gladly agreed. He was welcomed warmly and continued attending. On Sunday Lucas visited his former church. He wanted to share what he was learning with his young friends. He invited them to visit the Adventist church. Lucas’ uncle learned of his visits to the Adventist church on Sabbath and confronted him. “Uncle,” Lucas said, “when I didn’t get answers to my questions in our church, I prayed that God would lead me to someone who could answer my questions. God answered those prayers and showed me the answers. Now I attend the Adventist church.”

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T HE P ATH TO GOD Backgr oun d©iS t ockph ot o.com/Ton y Oquias

April 11 | Cristina*

[Ask a young woman to present this first-person report.]

ADVENTIST MISSION Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division

rom the time I was a young girl I wanted to become a nun and serve God and humanity. And when I was 11 years old my parents entered me into a convent, where I could prepare to become a nun. I enjoyed helping the poor and preparing to serve God for the rest of my life. As part of our education, we nuns-in-training went into villages near the convent to care for the orphans and widows and give them food, clothes, and medicine. Sometimes we even worked with the lepers. I enjoyed this part of my work and I couldn’t imagine any other life for me.

Unexpected Studies When I finished secondary school I was sent to study in a secretarial school to learn computers. Neither I nor my superiors knew that the school was operated by a Seventh-day Adventist pastor. While we studied our lessons and struggled to learn computers, the pastorteacher told us stories from the Bible and talked about God. I have always loved learning about

God and was really interested in what the pastor told us. He could explain things from the Bible in such a beautiful way. I noticed that some things he read to us from the Bible were contrary to what I had learned in the convent, but they made so much sense to me. I began to look forward to my computer and secretarial classes more because of the Bible stories I would hear than for the skills I would gain. It seemed that the more I learned about the Bible and God from my pastorteacher, the less appealing the daily worships in the convent became. I completed my classes and returned to regular convent life. But soon I realized that my religious life had lost its vibrant joy. I continued doing my work even as I struggled with my faith. Something had changed, but I wasn’t sure what it was. A Different Path The time came for me to take my final vows to become a full-fledged nun, but something held me back. I wasn’t sure why, but I couldn’t do it. I felt

MISSION POST ¾ The official language of Angola is Portuguese, but nearly everyone speaks at least one Bantu language as well. ¾ The Adventist Church in Angola is one of the largest Protestant churches, with more than 300,000 members. About one out of every 50 Angolans is a Seventh-day Adventist. But 49 out of 50 Angolans are not Adventist believers. ¾ Pray that the believers in Angola will share their faith as you share your mission offering so they will have the resources needed to tell their world about God’s love.

God’s New Path In spite of my mother’s protests, I decided to leave the convent. Those in charge were shocked at my decision, but they didn’t try to force me to stay. Because I had no place to go, no home except the convent, I went to the Adventist church in the nearest city. I told the church leaders what had happened and was welcomed warmly by church members. I told them that I had no place to live and no means of support, and church members offered to help me as they could. In a short period of time I was offered a secretarial job and a place to live. I’m content and happy in my new faith, for I know that I have found the true path that leads to God. I look forward to what God has in store for me. Thank you for giving to mission. Your offerings helped me find the path to God. à *Not her real name

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and shocked. She asked why, and I explained that I had discovered truths in the Bible that I couldn’t deny, truths that our church didn’t teach. Mother reminded me that ever since I was a child I had wanted to be a nun, to serve God and humanity. I told her that I still wanted to serve God and humanity, but in a different way. “Who has led you astray?” she asked desperately. I explained how my teacher had opened the Bible to me during class. Mother accused me of being deceived by a cult of witches and wouldn’t listen as I tried to explain to her that everything the pastor had taught was from the Bible.

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confused with so many contradictory ideas spinning in my head. I knew that if I didn’t take my vows I would have to leave the convent. But where would I go? I couldn’t write my mother and explain my decision to her, for our mail was read. And even if I could write to her, what would I tell her? That I had decided to toss away my life dream? That I would give up 15 years of commitment to something I had held more precious than life itself? But as I prayed, I realized that God had shown me a different path to God, and I knew I had to follow it, no matter what. Then the head of the convent told me that before we take our final vows, we have one final visit with our families. I hoped that I would be able to explain to my mother something that I hardly understood myself. When my mother came for the visit, I simply said that I wasn’t going to take my final vows. She was surprised

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CHILD OF WAR, CHILD OF GOD April 18 | Carlos*

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arlos* was 14 when the soldiers came. They marched him away from his mother’s home at gunpoint and led him to a field filled with other frightened boys. Some were younger than he was. They lived in Angola, and they all had been drafted into the army. For almost 40 years Angolans had been fighting. After they won their independence from Portugal, they fought among themselves for control of the country. The fighting around his hometown was fierce, for it was home base for one faction of the guerrilla soldiers.

Kill to Survive Carlos was given a gun and taught to shoot it. He learned other military tactics, then for four years he moved through the African bush, ate whatever he could find, shot to kill, and obeyed orders in order to stay alive. He was not allowed to return home to see his mother. Then following a skirmish with government troops, he was wounded when his unit fled. Someone helped him off the battlefield and into a small village nearby. But there was no hospital, or even a small clinic, to treat his injuries. He slumped against a building

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in the sun, where a villager found him. The man realized that Carlos was just a boy. He helped Carlos to his feet and took him to his home. The man’s wife tended to his injuries and fed him a thin vegetable broth. Carlos slurped it up; he hadn’t eaten in days. The family treated Carlos more as a son than a soldier, even though they could be executed for harboring an enemy soldier. Carlos grew stronger and enjoyed listening to his host talk about how much God loved him. The man’s words were as a healing balm to the boy’s soul. As Carlos heard the family pray he yearned for the peace and confidence that they had. He asked his new friends to teach him how to pray. Food was scarce, and the family was forced to search for anything to eat. Often Carlos heard the father pray, “Lord, help us find food today, and please keep the soldiers away.” Carlos realized how dangerous it was for them to keep him. Nevertheless, Carlos stayed with the family until the war ended. During that time he accepted Jesus as his Savior, but he couldn’t attend church. All he knew was what the family had taught him.

Sharing the Blessings In 2005 Carlos’ mother and siblings returned home. His brother asked to live with him, so Carlos shared his small room with his brother. Carlos also shared his faith with his brother. It’s been a long and difficult journey to faith, but Carlos praises God for protecting him and leading him to Jesus. “God didn’t give up on me,” he says. “Now I don’t want to give up on my brother.” Peace has come to Angola, a land with more than 300,000 Adventist believers. This quarter, part of our Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help rebuild three schools that were severely damaged during the fighting. Thousands of young people such as Carlos plead for an education. Let’s not let them down. à *Not his real name

FAST FACTS

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free. And he could worship in peace.

¾ Huambo [WHAHM-boh] is Angola’s second-largest city, with a population of about 400,000. It’s situated on a plateau in central Angola. ¾ The Angola Union Mission has been located in Huambo for 75 years. During the years of war several mission buildings were damaged or destroyed, but the union office and the nearby church received only minor damage. On more than one occasion bombs fell in the courtyard outside the church, killing civilians standing there, but those who took refuge inside the church were safe.

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Peace—and New Struggles When the war ended in 2002, Carlos returned to his hometown. He learned that his mother had moved to the capital city during the war. But he found an uncle who invited Carlos to live with him. Carlos gratefully accepted. Carlos was now 19 years old, but he had finished only seven years of school. His uncle paid his school fees so Carlos could study. Carlos appreciated his uncle, who was doing so much to help him, and he wanted to obey him. But soon he realized that his new faith would set him at odds with not only his uncle, but his entire family. Carlos attended school during the week, but his uncle expected him to work on the weekends. But when Carlos’ uncle learned that Carlos wanted to attend church—on Saturday—he was angry and determined to break Carlos of this habit. Carlos didn’t know enough about the Bible yet to answer his uncle’s accusations about Adventists. He yearned to worship with fellow believers, but he didn’t know where an Adventist church was. Then his spiritual father visited him and showed the boy where to find the church. Carlos eagerly went to church, where he made new friends and felt he had a spiritual home. Often Carlos left his uncle’s home before dawn and went without food in order to escape his uncle’s Sabbath work list. He was hungry, but he wanted to worship God. When his uncle couldn’t force him to forsake his faith, he told Carlos to leave his house. Carlos found a small, abandoned room behind a disco. It wasn’t comfortable, but it was

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STUBBORN FAITH April 25 | Victorina Enoc

ADVENTIST MISSION Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division

everal years ago while I stayed with my youngest daughter, who was in the hospital, I passed the time reading some books that my husband had brought to me. One caught my attention and set my life on a new and difficult course. The book mentioned that the apostle Paul worshipped in the synagogue on Sabbath. That evening I asked my husband, “Didn’t Paul live after Christ?” He nodded. “This book says that Paul worshipped on the Sabbath. If that’s so, then why do we worship on Sunday?” “Because Jesus was resurrected on that day,” he answered. But his answer didn’t satisfy me and stayed in the back of my mind. Chance Encounter? Three years later I met a woman who said that she was an Adventist. I knew that Adventists worship on Saturday, and I wanted to see how they worship. I asked my husband for permission to visit the church, and he agreed. I was pleased with the church service and returned every week for a month. Then my husband said, “It’s time to stop going to

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this Sabbath church.” But I didn’t want to stop; I had found something beautiful. Often we argued over religion, for he was a leader in his church. But I wasn’t ready to give up. When I asked to be baptized, he realized that I was serious about this church. He became angry and told me that people were talking about how I wouldn’t obey him. Then he refused to let me be baptized. But I knew I had to obey God, so I was baptized. Keep Her! She’s Yours. As I came out of the baptismal water, my husband entered the church. He was angry. He pulled a knife and stabbed a deacon. Then he shouted, “She was baptized against my will! You can keep her now; she’s yours.” I stayed with a deaconess. Eventually my husband invited me home and promised not to harm me. When I arrived home he said, “Keep the Adventist baptism, but come to church with me on Sunday.” “I’ll obey you in other matters,” I said humbly. “But I’ve learned too much about the Sabbath to turn my back on God’s law.” I’d clean the house on Friday,

MISSION POST ¾ For almost 40 years (between 1961 to 2002) Angolans were caught up in war. Some of the fiercest fighting took place around Huambo, where Victorina lives. The war killed a half million people and destroyed government buildings, hospitals, and many schools in the country. ¾ The regions closest to the fighting had no electricity, no running water, and often no food. People flocked to the churches for protection and hope; during this time the Adventist Church grew to be one of the largest denominations in the country. ¾ Pray that now that peace has come, people will continue to turn to God.

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The Showdown My husband became distant, refusing to eat what I cooked and refusing to let me sleep in our room. I obeyed in every point I could, but I refused to give up worshipping on the Sabbath. Then one Friday evening I returned home from church to find that he had locked me out of the house. I crawled into the children’s window and slept on the floor. When he realized I was in the children’s bedroom, he beat me and sent me out of the house. “I have found another woman,” he said. “Get out.” On Sabbath morning I went to the church. I stayed all day. After sunset I returned home and slept in the children’s room. Early Sunday morning

I gathered my things and went to my husband’s brother. I told him that my husband had beaten me once too often. I was leaving for good. I stayed with my son, who by this time was living on his own. Eventually my children joined me, for they couldn’t stand living in their father’s home any longer. Now I am at peace. Three of my children have followed me into the Adventist Church. I hope that all of them will eventually become Adventists, but I know it must be their decision, just as my own faith was my decision. Please pray for my family, for my children, and even for my husband, that they will follow Jesus while they can. And this Thirteenth Sabbath I pray you will give a large offering to help our church in my country, Angola, rebuild its schools so that children can learn about God even when they are small. Thank you. à

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but he would mess it up so the children couldn’t attend church with me. One Sabbath my husband came to church and asked for me. I didn’t go out until church ended. Then he pulled out a stick and beat me. When someone rescued me, he turned the stick on the pastor. I fled to another province and stayed with my brother. My husband begged me to return home and care for him and the children. But when I returned home, people from my husband’s church began visiting. They urged me to obey my husband and return to his church. I told them, “If I obey my husband, I would have to disobey God. How can I betray God and worship on Sunday?” Some of the church members told me that if I refused to obey my husband, they would find another wife for him. This shocked me, for I realized I might have to choose between my family and God’s will.

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S EE FOR Y OURSELF Backgr oun d©iS t ockph ot o.com/Hect or J os eph L uman g

May 2 | Joao Quintas da Silva

[Ask a young man to present this first-person report.]

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itchcraft is common in parts of Angola, and people both fear it and respect it. When my mother became seriously ill, she blamed witchcraft and fled with us to another part of Angola to escape the curse. And later, when she became sick again, there was no hospital or doctor to go to for help. There was no one but the traditional healer, the witch doctor. Life was hard, and Mom sent us children to live with other families. I went to a family with several head of cattle and was sent to watch the cattle. But I wanted to go to school, and I knew I would never get to study while living with this family. So when I was 9 years old I ran away and made my way back home. I lived with two aunts. However, I was deeply disappointed to learn that even in the city I couldn’t go to school because I didn’t have the right papers. My aunts made and sold local beer in the marketplace, so I helped them. Soon I was drinking the homemade beer too. Then one day I learned about a man who was teaching literacy classes to

anyone who wanted to attend. I signed up and began to learn to read. I was thrilled! I enrolled in a different school and learned so quickly that I was able to skip a grade. A friend gave me a little New Testament, and I read that, too. I felt its influence on my life, and soon I stopped drinking beer and started attending the church my family had once attended, hoping to hear God’s Word for myself. I was about 12 years old at the time. Life-Changing Program One day a couple years later I heard a religious radio program that caught my attention. As I listened, I realized that the speaker spoke of things I hadn’t heard of in church, things such as the Sabbath. I asked my pastor about these things, but he shrugged my questions off. Disappointed, I started visiting other churches in town. But in each one something didn’t seem quite right. The teachings didn’t match what I had heard on the radio or read in the Bible. I saw an Adventist church in

Listen to God School in Angola held classes on Saturday, and I conscientiously attended. But one Sabbath morning as I walked to class, I heard a voice tell me, “Go to church and worship God.” Another voice said, “You don’t want to miss classes.” I felt the pressure, but I decided to go to church. My mother still urged me to leave the Adventist Church, which didn’t fit with her traditional beliefs. But I knew that I had found the church that teaches God’s truth. Its teachings agree with the Bible because they are taken from the Bible. In time, Mom calmed down and I was

MISSION POST ¾ While more than three fourths of Angolans profess at least some Christian beliefs, many integrate traditional African religious practices into their faith. Witchcraft is often practiced in the rural regions of the country. ¾ During the war many Adventist schools were damaged or destroyed. Part of this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help rebuild or renovate primary schools in Cuale (in northern Angola) and in Quicuco (in the south). The Bongo Mission near Huambo is being rebuilt to house Bongo Adventist University, which will train young people as pastors and church leaders.

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able to be baptized. My family wasn’t happy, but they didn’t stop me. I enjoy being active in church and telling others about God. I want everyone to know that I’ve found God’s true church, and I invite them to come and see for themselves that Adventists aren’t witches; they’re God’s children, seeking to follow Him in every part of their lives. The best part of my outreach is that I now get to translate for the radio broadcasts that first drew me to this wonderful church! Pray for my family. I want them to come to know Jesus as I have come to know Him. I want them to see for themselves what Jesus has done for me. Thank you for sharing your faith and your mission offerings so that people in Angola and around the world can know that God loves them. à

www.AdventistMission.org

town, but I didn’t know much about Adventists. Someone told me that they were witches, so I stayed away from the Adventist church. My mom and brother and sisters had returned to town, and once more we lived together. Then one day I noticed a church being built near a road I often walked along. When the church was completed, a sign was posted announcing evangelistic meetings. I went to the meetings out of curiosity and was impressed with the messages. They were true to what I had read in the Bible, something I hadn’t found in other churches I had attended. During those meetings I surrendered my life to God. When Mom learned that I was attending the Adventist meetings, she was unhappy. She and most of my other relatives still believed that Adventists were witches, and they warned me about them. But I had found something in this church, something I couldn’t find in any other church, so I continued attending. The pressure at home was tough.

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F INDING GOD ’ S WAY May 9 | Mario Armindo

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[Ask a teen boy to present this first-person report.]

’m Mario. I live in Luanda, the capital city of Angola. I’ve seen firsthand that choosing friends carefully is a matter of life and death.

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Choosing Wisely I grew up in a single-parent home. My mom was gone a lot with her work when I was young, and I stayed with my aunt Arminda a lot. She is an Adventist, and I remember going to Sabbath School under a tree in her yard. I liked it.

As I stared at those two lifeless bodies, I recalled the pastor saying, “Be ready. We don’t know when our end will come.” But then I became a teenager, and I made my own friends. I chose the wrong kind of friends, and they had a bad influence on me. These boys hung out in the marketplace near the city bus station. I soon realized that they weren’t there just to have a good time. They stole from people in the marketplace whenever they had the chance and

sold what they stole to make a little money. Then we’d go see a movie or do something else we thought was fun. I thought they were pretty cool, and soon I was caught up in their idea of fun. I began to steal too. I forgot about my aunt’s little Sabbath School that met under the tree in her yard. New Home, New Friends Then my mom moved the family to another part of town. It was too far for me to go see my friends. Mom took a job that allowed her to spend more time at home with us kids, and I liked that. Before long I noticed that this family had a big meal every Saturday afternoon. Soon I hatched a plan to become their friend so I could wander over on Saturday for lunch. But before long the neighbor realized my plan. He smiled at me and said that I could eat with his family—if I went to church with them first. So I started attending his church—the Adventist church. I met a lot of young people at the

MISSION POST ¾ Even though one person out of every 50 in Angola is a Seventh-day Adventist, 49 out of 50 are not. Many people still need to hear that God loves them and wants to give them a better life both now and for eternity. Someone has to tell them. ¾ Our mission offerings help tell the world that Jesus is coming soon and invite young and old alike to give their lives to Christ.

A New Path My life changed almost overnight. I stopped drinking and using drugs. I went back to church and invited my mom to join me. She did, and a few months later we were baptized together. My life was taking a totally new direction. I began looking for teens who were living as I once had. I tried to tell them they were on the wrong path and they could end up lying on the street with a bullet in their head if they didn’t change their ways. Then I’d invite them to let God into their lives. God has led me to several people who have accepted my invitation to give God a chance in their lives. Even though I am still in high school, I have taken the lay leaders’ training course and I sometimes preach. I especially enjoy working with children and teens, urging them to choose their friends carefully, for friends will influence the direction of their lives. I thank God for not giving up on me when I was making the wrong choices, for showing me the right path before it was too late. As I looked into the faces of those dead teens, I realized that there was no time to play around in the world. I thank God for sending me friends who drew me to Jesus and to the church, even when I was leaning toward the world. Your mission offerings help reach out to young and old alike to tell the world that God has made a way of escape, and that way is Jesus. à

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Deadly Encounter A while later I went to live with my cousin in my old neighborhood. I connected with my old friends and met some new ones. Soon I was drinking and using drugs with them. One night we heard a lot of gunfire. Early the next morning we ventured out into the streets to try to learn what had happened. There we found two teenagers lying dead on the street. I didn’t know them, but the sight sickened me. Someone told me that they had been killed during a robbery attempt. As I stared at those two lifeless bodies, I recalled the pastor saying, “Be ready. We don’t know when our end will come.” Somehow I knew that the two guys lying on the street hadn’t made their lives right with God before they died. But there was still time for me,

time to make sure that my life was right with God. Right there, staring at those bodies, I gave my life to Christ.

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Adventist church, and soon I was going to church for the friendship, not just for the meal I could have after church. But I found no real relationship with God at church.

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G OD OF THE IMPOSSIBLE Backgr oun d©iS t ockph ot o.com/S imon Gur n ey

May 16 | Kisco Mweemba

[Ask a young man to present this first-person report.]

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hen my parents died, my elderly grandmother took me in. She had no income, so her church paid my school fees. The priest hoped I would follow his footsteps, and as I grew up he gave me leadership responsibilities. When I was a teenager, he gave me a printed sermon and told me to preach it the following Sunday. But when I read it, I didn’t understand most of it. The priest lived too far away for me to ask him, and I wondered what to do. I remembered a neighbor who was a religious man, an Adventist lay leader. I asked him to read the sermon and explain it to me. He read the sermon, which described Peter’s dream of clean and unclean foods, and explained that the sermon said it’s OK to eat unclean foods. “But,” he added, “that’s not what the Bible says.” He showed me Bible verses that say we should not eat unclean foods. How could I present a sermon that didn’t teach according to the Bible? I

decided to skip church that Sunday. The priest was unhappy with me and threatened to stop sponsoring my schooling if I didn’t do as he said. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I told the Adventist man about my problem. He read me a Bible verse that I couldn’t get out of my mind. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36, NKJV). I worked for six months to earn enough to enroll in classes. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it, for I am training for God’s service. Then he read another verse that strengthened me: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33, NKJV). I decided to follow God and began meeting with the handful of Adventists who worshipped under a tree. I sensed that this was where I could find God.

¾ Zambia Adventist University was established in 2003 to provide a Christian education for Adventists and non-Adventists in Zambia. ¾ The school is operating out of repurposed and temporary buildings as it struggles to raise funds to build up its campus. Part of this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help provide a library to house the university’s 42,000 books, most of which are in storage until a suitable building can be completed.

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Adventist University. But again I had no sponsor. I went to the school and was told they had found no sponsor. They asked me to come back in two weeks. I prayed so hard during those two weeks! But when I returned, no sponsor had been found. I was discouraged, thinking that I wouldn’t be able to study that year. People in my village teased me, but I kept praying. Then the school chaplain found a job for me. I could work to pay my tuition. I can’t afford to live in the dormitory, so I stay with four other students in an unused chicken house. We don’t mind, for we don’t have to pay dormitory fees to live here, and we cook our own food to save money. The university staff helps us. They gave us beds and blankets and are looking for another place for us to stay. I worked for six months to earn enough to enroll in classes. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it, for I am training for God’s service. I want to become a pastor. It’s not exactly what the priest had in mind when he sent me to school, but I know it’s God’s will. I love to tell others this wonderful truth that I have learned. I tell my grandmother and others in my village that my God is the God of the impossible. And people listen. They have seen how God has rescued me and provided for me when no one in the village was willing to help me. Four members of my family have seen God’s providence in my life and have joined the Adventist Church. I’m happy that I can serve the God of the impossible, who has turned impossibilities into realities. He has never left me stranded, and I know He never will. à

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The priest learned of my decision and stopped paying my school fees. I had to quit school. The neighbors said, “See what you’ve done? You’ve lost the opportunity to study because you’ve rebelled against your church.” A month later the Adventist district pastor visited our little group and heard my story and found someone to sponsor me so I could go to school. My grandmother gave her blessing, and I returned to school. In time I was baptized into the Adventist Church. Then in the eleventh grade the man who had sponsored me died, leaving me without a sponsor. I gathered my things to go home, but the school’s accountant stopped me. “Where are you going?” she asked. I told her I had no money to continue school. “Your fees are paid for two more terms,” she said. I praised God and continued my studies. I worked to help pay my final two terms, and with God’s blessing I graduated high school. I was accepted to study at Zambia

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M ARLENE’ S NEW SCHOOL May 23 | Marlene Ingwe

Marlene’s New School When Marlene was 10 years old, her parents decided to enroll her in the Adventist school in town, where they felt she would get a good-quality education. Her cousins attended that school, and Marlene was excited to be at the same school with them. Marlene was surprised to learn that the Adventist school held daily worships, and everyone had Bible class. The teachers prayed with the students and really cared about what was happening in their lives. Marlene loved her new school and often shared with her family what she was learning there.

was going to hold special meetings. She encouraged the students to invite their families. Marlene was eager to go and eager to invite her parents. Her parents didn’t go, but they allowed Marlene and her brothers and sister to go. Marlene felt honored, for it’s not often the youngest child influences the older children. Marlene and her brothers and sister went to the meetings as often as they could. As the meetings drew to a close, the pastor invited those who wanted to follow Jesus to fill out a card. Marlene took one and saw that her brothers and sister did too. Marlene was so excited that her family was following her example. The children studied the Bible together and were baptized together. Several days after the children’s baptism, Marlene’s father called the family together and told them that as head of the household, he had decided that they would not attend the Adventist church. The children were sad, but Marlene felt the saddest.

Exciting Evangelistic Meetings One day her teacher told the students that the church next door to the school

Stubborn Younger Sister “Father’s word was law,” Marlene said. “So my brothers and sister stopped

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arlene is a teenager who lives in Zambia. [Locate Zambia on a map.] She’s the youngest of several children in her family. The family sometimes attended a Protestant church, but religion wasn’t the most important thing in their lives.

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FAST FACTS ¾ More than half the people in Zambia work as farmers. Most are subsistence farmers, raising enough food to feed their family, with a little extra to sell. ¾ While 80 percent of school-age children are enrolled in primary school, only 25 percent complete high school. Many adults cannot read and write. ¾ The Adventist Church has just a few primary and secondary schools, not nearly enough to accommodate everyone who wishes to study.

Appeal Part of this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help build up the newly established Zambia Adventist University next door to Marlene’s secondary school. The special project is to provide a library to house the university’s 42,000 books that have no home right now. Ask God what He would have you do to support Christian education in Zambia. à

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Reaching Her Family for Christ When Marlene returned home for the

holidays, she encouraged the family to have evening worship together. They all agreed, and Marlene led out, choosing to study the Ten Commandments. When they studied the fourth commandment, Marlene’s mother was surprised to read about the Sabbath day. She had never known this commandment. However, her father wasn’t swayed. He insisted that it didn’t matter what day they worshipped on; any day was OK. Marlene continued to pray for her family. Then last year while Marlene was at school, her home church held a series of evangelistic meetings. Marlene was thrilled to learn that everyone—including her father—was attending the meetings. Marlene’s father took his stand and was baptized, and her mother is still preparing for baptism. Now the family worships God together. “I thank God that my parents sent me to the Adventist school, where I could learn the truth,” Marlene says. “I thank God for answering my prayers and uniting my family in Jesus. Now when I go home for vacation, someone wakes me on Sabbath morning, saying, ‘Get up! It’s time to go to Sabbath School!’ I smile. What great joy!”

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attending the Adventist church. But I wasn’t ready to give up. I knew I had found something special, and I wanted to follow God.” Marlene continued to attend church on Sabbath, even when her father made her attend church on Sunday, too. She went in order to please him, but her heart wasn’t in it. Eventually her mother convinced her father to let her attend church on Sabbath. Marlene was so happy! When Marlene was ready to attend high school, she asked her parents to let her study at Rusango Secondary School, the Adventist boarding school several hours from the family’s home. They agreed, and Marlene went there to study. “I joined the prayer band and asked everyone to pray for my family,” she said. “I wanted my parents to give their hearts to God.”

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A PASSION FOR GOD May 30 | Told to Mission by Autriche Niyongere

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eligion wasn’t an important part of Autriche’s [au-TREECH] life as he was growing up in Zambia. But that changed when he was a teenager. One day as he walked from his high school class, he noticed some friends surrounding Morris, a classmate. He stepped closer and noticed that Morris was leading his friends in a Bible study in their free time. Morris talked so easily about the Bible that Autriche was captivated. Autriche joined the study group. He didn’t have a Bible, so he looked on with someone else. The group met for prayer or Bible study before class, after class, and during lunch time.

Surprising Discovery During one study session someone asked about the Ten Commandments. Morris turned to Exodus 20 and read the Ten Commandments. Then he explained a bit about them. Autriche was intrigued. But as he listened to his friend read the words, something seemed wrong. This is not the way the Ten Commandments are written in my church, he thought. He wanted to read them from the Bible, to see for himself

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whether what Morris read was true or his church’s Ten Commandments were true. Autriche asked his neighbor to lend him his Bible, and he read Exodus 20. He discovered that Morris was right. Morris and Autriche spent time talking about God and Bible truth. Autriche learned that his friend’s mother had sent him away from home when he accepted God’s true church. Miraculous Escape The story reminded Autriche of a day a few years earlier when his own family had fled from their home in another country. They had been crossing a lake when a fierce storm capsized the two other boats with them, and many people drowned. Autriche prayed, “God, if You will save me, I will serve You.” The next thing he knew he was lying on the sand on an island in the lake. The family managed to escape to Zambia, and they settled into a new life. Autriche quickly forgot his promise to God as he studied in his new school. But as Autriche listened to Morris speak of God’s love, he felt a desire to surrender his life to Christ. Autriche was a member of a band. But as God

¾ Zambia is officially a Christian nation, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church has more than 573,700 members there. This is one Adventist for every 20 people in the country, the highest percentage of Adventists anywhere in the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division. ¾ Still, one person out of 10 in Zambia follows traditional religions or no religion at all. Pray for the people of Zambia, especially those who don’t know that Jesus loves them. ¾ Watch the Adventist Mission DVD for inspiring stories of God’s love in the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division

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Estranged and Reunited Autriche’s father was unhappy that his wife and son had joined this strange religion. He tried to force Autriche to work on Sabbath and give up his new faith. But Autriche refused. Furious, his father refused to let him work there. He wouldn’t pay his school fees, either. Autriche managed to finish high school and applied to attend Zambia Adventist University. He was accepted, but he had no money to attend. Because Autriche wanted to study theology rather than business, his father refused to support him. But God has provided a way for Autriche to study. He must work several jobs and plants a garden to raise the food he lives on. But he is determined to finish his studies. Things have improved at home. Autriche’s father visited the school and was impressed with it, even though it’s just getting started. Now father and son communicate, and his father is willing to help him when he can. “I praise God for what He is doing in my life,” Autriche says. “I still have problems, but God provides, and I’m grateful.” Part of the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering this quarter will help build a library at the newly established Zambia Adventist University. Thank you for helping where it’s most needed. à 21

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God Makes a Way Autriche told his father that he had given his life to Christ and wanted to worship God on the Sabbath, according to the Ten Commandments. This was a serious step, for his father owned a business and expected Autriche to work on Saturdays. His father said nothing, but his stepmother, who overheard the conversation, stepped in and volunteered to work in his place so he could attend church on Sabbath. Autriche praised God for making a way for him to keep the Sabbath. Then Autriche’s stepmother became ill. She recalled when she had nearly died and sensed that God had saved

her life for a purpose. She knelt down and surrendered her life to God to serve Him as He led. As she prayed, a voice spoke, saying, “Follow your son.” When Autriche returned from school that day, his stepmother asked to go with him to some evangelistic meetings he was attending. That night his mother asked to be baptized.

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spoke to his heart, the boy realized that the life of the band members was not how a Christian should live. He quit the band and surrendered his life and talents to God.

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LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS June 6 | Ellen and Harville Valenciano

[Ask a narrator and a couple to present this first-person interview.]

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Narrator: Harville [HAR-vihl] and Ellen Valenciano [vah-lehn-see-AHnoh] are missionaries serving at Yuka Adventist Hospital in Zambia. [Locate Zambia on a map.] Ellen Valenciano is a doctor at the hospital, and her husband, a trained accountant, is the supervisor of maintenance there. Recently, Mission asked the Valencianos about their work in the African bush. [To the man representing Harville:] Harville, describe the region in which Yuka Hospital is located.

HV: The hospital is in a remote region of western Zambia, near the border with Angola. [Point to Angola-Zambia border on the map]. The nearest sizeable town is Mongu, several hours downstream by banana boat. This is where we buy supplies for ourselves and the hospital. Narrator: Most people seem to think that frontline mission service is a thing of the past. Tell us about the conditions under which you work, Dr. Ellen. EV: The hospital building is about 50

years old, and the metal roof has rusted through and needs to be replaced, but we don’t have the money. My husband patches it, but more holes appear almost overnight. Recently, part of the ceiling in the operating room fell in. We had to operate on seriously ill patients at the government hospital several miles away. We still did minor surgeries in another room in the hospital. Electricity is another real problem. If the power goes out while we’re performing surgery, we have to operate by candlelight or a flashlight. We can’t use our generator unless we disconnect the power lines to the hospital. So we do what we can in daylight. Being without power in a hospital can be lifethreatening, but praise God, so far no one has died for lack of power. Narrator: You mentioned a government hospital nearby. Why does the church support a hospital when another one is so close by? EV: Often people don’t go to a hospital until they are seriously ill. They come

HV: Mission life is full of challenges and surprises. Several months ago, during the flood time, I traveled in our banana boat to Mongu to buy building supplies. The trip home is upstream and takes 12 to 15 hours loaded with supplies and building materials. We left Mongu at 3:00 a.m., but propeller trouble forced several stops. By sunset we were still hours from the hospital and in an area infested with crocodiles. We tied the boat to a tree, and my helper went on to Yuka to get help while I waited with the boat and its cargo. Some villagers brought wood for a fire to ward off the cold. Two men urged me to rest in a nearby house, but some children ran up and whispered, “Those men are robbers. They’ll steal your things.” I stayed with the boat

MISSION POST ¾ Zambia is officially a Christian nation, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church has more than 574,700 members there. There is one Adventist for every 20 people in the country, the highest percentage of Adventists anywhere in the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division. ¾ Still, one person out of 10 in Zambia follows traditional religions or no religion at all. Pray for the people of Zambia, especially those who don’t know that Jesus loves them.

Narrator: And what about you, Dr. Ellen? EV: The hospital is quite near the river, where snakes, hippos, and crocodiles live during the rainy season. Deadly cobras sometimes visit the hospital grounds, searching for dinner. Sometimes they get into the hospital ward, and the security guard or my husband must kill them. Dr. Mangold, the medical director at Yuka, found a cobra curled up in his chicken house one day. When he tried to kill it, the cobra spit into his eyes. He was blinded for two days. Hippos can be dangerous when they leave the river at night to graze. One night I went to see a patient who was having trouble breathing. I sensed that the hippos were near, but I couldn’t see them. I prayed for God’s protection and returned home safely. The next morning, we saw that the hippos had crossed the campus! I thanked God for protecting us. HV: We could have worked in a better hospital elsewhere in the world, but God has called us to Yuka. We know we’re making a difference in people’s lives. Narrator: Thank you for your service to God and humanity. [To the audience:] Because of your faithful giving, the church sponsors almost 1,000 missionaries in more than 100 countries. Thank you. à

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Narrator: Missionaries have exciting stories to tell. Share some with us.

until workers from the mission hospital arrived to tow the banana boat home. The trip took almost 24 hours, but God protected us and our supplies.

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here because they know that we pray for them before surgery or treatments. This is so important. And because we don’t charge fees, people who cannot afford the government hospital come to us.

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MAKING WISE CHOICES June 13 | Julius Ndano

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ulius lives in southern Zambia. He grew up in a family that had no religious roots. When he was 14, some friends invited him to join their gang, and he did. He didn’t understand the dangers of alcohol and drug use, and before long Julius was addicted. He loved the thrill of danger.

Riots Riots broke out in the city, and Julius and his friends decided to join in. When they arrived at the scene of the riots, the police were there, trying to break up the fighting. Julius followed his friends to a house, where the boys grabbed anything of value and fled the house. They saw a police officer ahead and tried to dodge him. But the police officer yelled for them to stop. One of the boys attacked him, and in the skirmish that followed, bullets flew. Suddenly Julius felt something sting his neck, and blood trickled onto his shirt. He had been shot. Another boy fell to the ground, shot in the stomach. He died on the street. Suddenly the boys were not brave warriors, but terrified teens. They helped Julius home and treated his

wound. It wasn’t serious, and Julius realized how lucky he was to be alive. A Different Kind of Friend That evening Alex, a friend of Julius, visited him. Alex had heard about the shooting and knew that Julius needed to change his life. Alex invited Julius to go to church with him. Julius reluctantly agreed, but added, “I don’t want to hear

MISSION POST ¾ Most people hear of God’s love from someone they know. Often it’s a family member or a neighbor. When a person sees God’s love shining in the life of another, they are more willing to study the Bible with them or attend evangelistic meetings. ¾ When others see God’s love in our lives, they may ask what makes us happy. When we tell them that Jesus is the difference in our lives, it opens the door to share God’s plan of salvation with them. ¾ The Adventist Mission DVD contains stories of people telling people of God’s love. Show one in your Sabbath School.

Struggle and Victory Julius quickly discovered that it wasn’t easy to quit using drugs and alcohol. He struggled with his cravings, but Alex stayed with him, studying the Bible and praying for victory for Julius. “Alex helped me focus on God, not on drugs and drink,” Julius said. “And God delivered me.” Once Julius gained the victory over his addictions, he was ready to be baptized. Just as God used Alex to lead Julius to Jesus, Julius now shares his faith with his friends. Although some still make fun of him, two of his friends have been baptized. “That’s what mission is about,” Julius says with a smile. Your mission offerings help train youth and adults to share their faith with friends and neighbors. Thank you for giving. à

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Struggle for Allegiance The next morning one of Julius’ friends came to see him. He offered Julius some marijuana, and soon both boys were high on drugs. Julius forgot about his dream. But that night he had another dream. This time three angels carrying black books came to talk to him about Jesus and heaven. This time when Julius woke up he knew that God was calling him. He dressed and went to his friends and told them, “I’m giving my life to Jesus. I’m not going to smoke or drink anymore.” His friends didn’t believe him and made fun of him, but Julius was determined to change. He thought of his dead friend and of Alex, who had invited him to go to church on Wednesday for Bible study. Julius left his friends and got ready to go to church.

As he entered the church that evening, Julius found several groups of people studying the Bible together. He sat near one of the teachers and listened to things he had never heard before. He sensed that this was the church that taught the truth. He told Alex that he wanted to attend church on Sabbath. At Sabbath School and the worship service that Sabbath Julius realized how much he had to learn. He asked his friend how he could become a Seventh-day Adventist Christian. Alex introduced him to the pastor, and Julius joined the baptismal class. Alex also invited Julius to study the Bible with him. The two went to a quiet place outside of town to study. His friends saw him and invited him to drink beer and smoke marijuana with them, but he refused. “I can’t go back to that,” he told them. They laughed and left him alone with Alex.

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anything about God.” Alex was different from most of the boys Julius knew. When Julius and his friends teased him about being a Christian, Alex didn’t become angry. In fact, he wanted to be Julius’ friend. That night following the shooting, Julius had a dream. In it he saw a man who looked like Jesus sitting on a throne and judging people. Julius watched as Jesus sent people to heaven or hell, and he wondered where Jesus would send him. But when Jesus looked at Julius, He said nothing. He just stood and left the room, leaving Julius standing alone. Julius awoke with a start, sure that God was speaking to him through the dream. But he wasn’t sure what to do about it.

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A MATTER OF FAITH June 20 | Told to Mission by Delight Haangala

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elight Haangala is 14 years old. She was born in Zambia, but spent most of her childhood in Zimbabwe, where her father was studying. She grew up speaking English and the local language of southern Zimbabwe.

Trouble With Language When Delight was 12 years old, her family returned to Zambia. There she faced an unexpected problem. Her playmates giggled at her when she tried to talk to them. “They thought it was funny that I couldn’t speak my native language,” she sighed. But the problem quickly became more serious when Delight registered for school that year. Although English is the official language in Zambia, students talk to one another in one of the local languages. “My parents enrolled me in a private school that held classes in English,” Delight said. “But as soon as I enrolled, I began to have problems.” School Problems “The school was operated by a church, and classes were held on

Saturday,” she explained. “I wanted to honor God and worship on Sabbath, but my teachers pushed me to attend school. They didn’t understand why my church or my parents couldn’t just give me permission to attend classes. “I had attended Adventist schools in Zimbabwe, and Sabbath was never an issue,” she continued. “I asked my father what to say to my teachers, and he gave me some advice and a book to read, then he urged me to pray about it. He expected me to work the problem out.” Delight encountered other problems as well. “In the religion classes I had to take, the teachers taught some things that I knew weren’t biblical,” she said. “This challenged me to examine my own beliefs more deeply so I would know exactly what the Bible said. This helped ground me in my faith,” she added. “For the first time I had to make sure exactly what I believed.” Delight loves to play soccer and run, and she’s very good at both. She wanted to join the school teams, but her teacher told her not to bother because most of the games were on Sabbath. “Sometimes the teachers and my friends

MISSION POST ¾ In Zambia one person out of every 20 is a Seventh-day Adventist. While this is a wonderful statistic, 19 out of every 20 people still are not Adventists. There is still a lot to do to tell people in Zambia that Jesus is coming soon. ¾ Our mission offerings help make it possible to share God’s love with others. The more we give, the more people will hear God’s message of love. ¾ Check out the Adventist Mission DVD for stories from Southern Africa-Indian Ocean and other fields around the world.

Seeing Good in Difficulty Delight is working hard so she can transfer to the Adventist boarding school next year. Then she will be able to study in a school that teaches the same things she already believes. But still, she believes that God allowed her to attend the other school for important reasons. “I am able to share my faith with other students,” she said. “I stood up for what I believe and gained a better understanding of why I believe those things. I grew spiritually as I learned why I believe in something. “It’s easy to take a Christ-centered education for granted when you don’t have to defend your beliefs,” Delight added. “I hope my story will encourage others who might be facing Sabbath problems at work or at school.” This quarter part of the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help build a library at the newly founded Zambia Adventist University in southern Zambia. Then thousands of students from Adventist and non-Adventist homes can study in a Christian environment and learn what the Bible really does teach. Thank you for sharing your offering with the youth of Zambia this quarter. à

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Test of Faith “I believe that when we are faithful to God, He is faithful to us in return,” Delight said. “A science class I was taking began meeting on Sabbath so the teacher could go into deeper explanations about what we were studying during the week. He told me that I was missing so much important material from the course when I didn’t attend class on Saturday. Then one day, in front of the entire class, he announced that I would fail the final exam and the course because I was absent on Saturdays. The class became very quiet as the teacher continued shouting at me. “I knew that everyone was watching me. I had to do everything possible to pass that course. I prayed and studied extra hard. I asked my classmates for

their study notes for classes I missed on Sabbath. When the day came for the final exam, I felt prepared. Later, when the teacher returned the exams, I realized that I had received the highest mark in the class. The teacher had no choice but to congratulate me in front of the class—after he had predicted that I would fail. I know that God honored me because I honored Him.”

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were upset with me because I wouldn’t compromise my faith,” she said. “But I wouldn’t change my mind.”

THIRTEENTH SABBATH P ROGRAM Our Youth, Our Future O

P E N I N G

WE S

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See below

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PROGRAM OFFERING

“Lead Them, My God, to Thee” The Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal, No. 653

O N G

“Our Youth, Our Future” Ask kindergarten and primary children to sing one or more of the songs they have learned this quarter as the offering is taken. “Rise Up, O Church of God” The Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal, No. 615

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Participants: Narrator and three reporters (or alternate with two presenters). [Choose participants who will practice their parts and present them clearly. While participants do not have to memorize their parts, they should be familiar enough with the content that they can present the material with confidence.]

Scripture: “You are a chosen people, . . . a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” (1 Peter 2:9, NIV; Proverbs 22:6, NIV).

Narrator: Our children are our greatest treasure. Rightly trained, they become a powerful army for God. But they cannot train themselves; we must train them to reflect the image of God in their lives. While the home is the first training ground, our Christian schools can exert a powerful influence on our youth. But not everyone who wants an Adventist education can receive one.

Let’s learn more about the needs in two countries in southern Africa: Zambia and Angola. __________ [Name of first presenter], what are the greatest needs in Zambia today? Presenter 1: Zambia is a relatively stable nation in Africa, but it is also one of the poorest. The church there hasn’t been able to establish a wide network

[MWEN-dah moo-loon-DAH-no]. “The school has 42,000 books, most of which are stored in large shipping containers because we have no building to house them. And while these books are stored away, students have no access to them. Internet access is available on a limited basis, and the nearest public library is hours away in the capital city. “In order to become a leader in education in Zambia,” Mulundano continues, “we must move forward toward completion of our campus. We’re grateful that the world church has agreed to help us fund the construction of our new library, the heart of our campus. This will make a huge impact for our students and our church.” It’s exciting to see the church move forward to educate its young people for Christian service. Let’s support Zambia Adventist University and help build the library, the heart of this new institution. Narrator: Thank you, _____________ [insert name of presenter], for that report. Now let’s move to Angola on the western edge of the Southern AfricaIndian Ocean Division. ____________ [name of presenter] will tell us a bit of the history of this country and its members. Presenter 2: Angola is a country of determination. For almost 40 years Angolans have lived with the turmoil of war. First came a 13-year-long war for independence. And shortly after independence, political factions began fighting among themselves and a civil war broke out. Peace proved elusive, and cease-fires failed repeatedly. But in 2002 the warring factions put down their weapons, and the country has been at peace since then. However, one cannot rebuild in a

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of Adventist primary and secondary schools. However, we do have a primary school in Lusaka, the capital city, and a small primary school, a large secondary school, and now a university located at Rusangu Mission, the birthplace of Adventism in Zambia. Zambia Adventist University was launched in 2003 and immediately began attracting both full-time and part-time students. The vast majority of students have been government and public sector employees seeking to upgrade their education. The seminary at the university is offering short-term training courses for pastors already in the field, and this also is drawing great interest. At the school’s first graduation, some 80 students received degrees. Like nearly every new college or university, Zambia Adventist University is experiencing growing pains. Dormitories are crowded and classrooms are filled to capacity. But the spirit on the campus is one of pioneering a permanent and significant university to serve the Adventist constituency and those who want to continue their education in a Christian environment. Currently several construction projects have begun on campus, including a large complex that will house classrooms, an auditorium, and office space. But the heart of a university is its library. One can have a university without dormitories and possibly without classrooms, and the students can still learn. But it’s impossible to have a university without a library where students can study, do research, and pursue knowledge. “The library is urgently needed on campus,” says the school’s vice chancellor, Mwenda Mulundano

ADVENTIST MISSION Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division

day what was destroyed over nearly two generations. Homes, businesses, government offices, and schools suffered the greatest losses. And while the government is working hard to rebuild public buildings, the Adventist Church has found it difficult to rebuild its schools. The more than 300,000 members in Angola simply don’t have the money to rebuild schools that were damaged or destroyed during years of fighting. And thousands of students who lost their schools to bombs have no other school to attend until these schools are rebuilt. Some students are so desperate to study that they attend classes in buildings with inadequate roofs and no windows. Often students have little more than a teacher, a blackboard, and a desire to learn. This quarter part of our Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help rebuild two primary boarding schools, Cuale [kwah-leh] in the north, and Quicuco [kee-KOH-koo] in the south. Neither school was totally destroyed, but both need extensive repair in order to be safe to open. During the war the Adventist seminary moved to the union headquarters in Huambo [WHAHM-

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Three years ago part of the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering was designated to help build a women’s dormitory at Malawi’s Lake View College. The work is in progress and should be completed in time for the 2009 school year to begin. Students and faculty at Lake View say a hearty thank you for your help.

boh] when its campus on the Bongo Mission was heavily damaged. Now that peace has returned to the land, the seminary is preparing to return to Bongo Mission, but some buildings were so severely damaged that they cannot be rebuilt, and others need extensive repair. Work is proceeding, as the need to restart the university is urgent. But the church members in Angola cannot bear the financial burden alone. They need our help. The young people of Angola need a safe place to study. Our offering today can help make their dreams of an education become a reality. Thousands of young Adventists throughout the country will have the opportunity to study, to train, to prepare to serve God and their fellow humanity. Let’s remember them as we give today. Narrator: In the Southern AfricaIndian Ocean Division, the motto is “educate for eternity.” As brothers and sisters, we can help them educate their youth by giving a generous Thirteenth Sabbath Offering to help build their schools and train their young people. Can we do less? Ask God what He would have you do today for your family in Zambia and Angola. [Offering]

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For more information on the culture and history of Angola and Zambia, check the travel section of a local library. Visit a travel agency for brochures from southern African countries. Many game parks dot these countries, and ecotourism brochures should provide excellent photos. Online Information. The Adventist Mission website contains additional material that can add flavor to your mission presentation. Find words and songs in Portuguese and three local languages from Angola and Zambia. Recipes from these countries plus some puzzles are also available. Go to www.adventistmission. com; click on “Resources” and on “Mission Quarterlies” in the drop-down menu. Click on children’s activities. Adventist Mission DVD is a free video that features stories from the featured countries as well as the worldwide mission of the church. Ask your Sabbath School superintendent for it. Or go online at MissionDVD.org to download the DVD. Embassies and Tourism Offices sometimes can provide interesting information on their country. In North America, contact: The Embassy of Angola, 2100-2108 16th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20009; (202) 452-1042 or (202) 785-1156. Or visit the embassy’s website at www.angola.org/. The Embassy of Zambia, 2419 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20008; (202) 265-9717; e-mail: embzambia@aol. com; or visit www.zambiaembassy.org/. An offering goal device will help focus attention on world missions and increase weekly mission giving. Ask your Sabbath School council to set a quarterly mission offering goal; then chart the weekly progress toward the quarter’s goal on the goal device. Draw a school building onto heavy poster board or ask the children’s division for a large felt schoolhouse. Place a felt (or drawn) student—adult or child—near the school each week that the set amount of offering has been reached. Remind members that the ongoing work of the world church depends on the weekly Sabbath School mission offerings that support world mission in general. On the twelfth Sabbath, report on mission giving during the quarter. Then on Thirteenth Sabbath, encourage people to double or triple their mission offering. Count the mission offering as soon as it’s taken and record the amount on the offering device at the end of Sabbath School. This immediate feedback will encourage members to continue their mission giving.

FUTURE THIRTEENTH SABBATH PROJECTS Next quarter the South American Division will be featured. Special projects include colleges in northern Brazil and Ecuador and the radio station in Ecuador. Fourth quarter 2009 will feature the South Pacific Division.

MISSION ADVENTIST

SECOND QUARTER 2009 S OUTHERN AFRICA-INDIAN OCEAN D IVISION EDITORIAL Charlotte Ishkanian Deena Bartel-Wagner Hans Olson Emily Harding

OFFICE

Editor Contributing Editor Managing Editor Graphic Designer

ADVENTIST MISSION

Gary Krause Ganoune Diop Rick Kajiura Nancy Kyte Marti Schneider Homer Trecartin

Director Study Centers Director Communication Director Marketing Director Programs Director Planning Director

COMMUNICATION STAFF Laurie Falvo Charlotte Ishkanian Hans Olson Daniel Weber Andrew King

Project Manager Mission Editor Projects Manager Video Producer Video Producer

Website: www.AdventistMission.org Mission (ISSN 0190-4108) is produced and copyrighted © 2009 by the Office of Adventist Mission, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®,12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904, U.S.A. Printed in U.S.A. Volume 98, Number 2 ADVENTIST® and SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST® are the registered trademarks of the General Conference of Seventhday Adventists®. Texts credited to NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. Texts credited to NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce material from this quarterly for use in local Sabbath Schools and children’s ministries programs. Permission to reproduce any portion of this material for sale, publication in another periodical, or other commercial use must be authorized in writing by the editor at the above address. For subscription inquiries, e-mail Julie Haines at jhaines@ rhpa.org or call 800-456-3991 or 1-301-393-3280. Annual subscription rates per edition: domestic, US$7.50; international, US$14.50.

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Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division

7,467

Totals June 30, 2007

POPULATION 16,448,000 1,753,000 21,307,000 13,070,000 20,359,000 52,878,000 11,477,000 13,349,000

Library at Zambia Adventist University Rebuild primary schools in Cuale and Quicuco, Angola, which were heavily damaged during the civil war Rebuild the Adventist university in Bongo, Angola

2,204,271 150,641,000

328,848 28,029 108,929 282,861 230,327 113,977 573,690 537,613

PROJECTS:

968 86 498 1,242 991 932 1,725 1,025

CHURCHES MEMBERSHIP Angola Botswana Indian Ocean Malawi Mozambique Southern Africa Zambia Zimbabwe

UNIONS