Frontline Edition by Global Mission - 4th Quarter 2010

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EDITORIAL

Visible Challenges

By G.R. Mohan Roy

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FRONTLINEedition

he Adventist Church in India has had relative success. The Church has grown to more than 1.5 million members. Church leaders, evangelists, pastors, laypeople, and Global Mission pioneers are reaching out into the cities, towns, and villages across India to initiate, expand, and promote the scope and reach of the gospel ministry. But not all of India has had a chance to hear the message.

There are many visible challenges, such as: poverty, population growth, political unrest, and cultural barriers.

Muslims are already strong and organized opponents.

Hindus are becoming more hostile towards Christian work. Global Mission pioneers must prepare for the growing challenges and even for persecution.

Despite these difficulties there are opportunities.

God is creating new windows for spreading the gospel among unreached people groups. One such opportunity is the millions of people migrating to the cities. These people, who are in a period of transition, are open to new ideas, including learning about God and religion. It is our task to take hold of the opportunity and carry out the missionary command of Christ.

Our Global Mission pioneers are working hard and using simple methods such as, going door to door, witnessing personally to families in their homes, praying for the sick and starting small group Bible studies. Many of these small groups have developed into well-established congregations. The problem is that many of these small groups are in the cities

where the cost of living and building churches is higher.

Yet the pioneers are giving their all to save the lost and win unbelievers to faith in God and Adventist truth.

We could do so much more if we could hire more Global Mission pioneers in India. We pray that your valuable donations and fervent prayers will help our pioneers to plant new congregation among perishing souls. Thank you for your valuable financial support to finish the work of God and advancement of His mission.

G.R. Mohan Roy is the Adventist Mission director for the Southern Asia Division

Ayutthaya Thailand 13260 G. T. Ng –General Conference Secretary FRONT LINE EDITION Hindu Study Center griswold@loxinfo.co.th is published quarterly by Victor Sam Gary Krause –Director Phone: 66 818 515 414 Global Mission, part of the Southern Asia Division www.BridgesForMinistry.org Office of Adventist Mission, Post Box 2, Ganoune Diop –Study Centers Director at the Seventh-day Adventist HCF Hosur 635110 Rick Kajiura –Communication Director CentER for Secular and Church World Headquarters.

Tamil Nadu India Post-Modern Studies Tax- deductible gifts for Global Phone: 91 (4344) 26-2170 Nancy Kyte –Marketing Director 12501 Old Columbia Pike Mission projects can be sent to Fax: 91 (4344) 26-2090 DELBERT PEARMAN –Planning Director Silver Spring, MD 20904-6601 Adventist Mission victorsam@sud-adventist.org Phone: 800-648-5824 12501 Old Columbia Pike KARLA RIVERA –Donor Services Representative Fax: 301-680-6615 World Jewish Silver Spring, MD 20904 www.secularandpostmodern.com Friendship Center Laurie Falvo –Communication Projects Manager 800-648-5824 or online at: csps@adventistmission.org http://giving.AdventistMission.org Richard Elofer Charlotte Ishkanian –Mission Editor P.O Box 592 ©Copyright 2010 General Global Center For 94186 Jerusalem Andrew King –Video Producer/Editor Conference of Seventh-day Adventist-Muslim Israel Phone; 972 (2) 6251 547 Hans Olson –Communication Projects Manager Adventists..

Relations Fax: 972 (2) 6251 391 Lester Merklin www.jewishadventist.org Shyamala Ram –Senior Office Assistant ADVENTIST® and SEVENTHAndrews University rielofer@netvision.net.il Nimfa Sumagaysay –Donor Response Coordinator Berrien Springs, MI 49104-0220 DAY ADVENTIST® are the registered trademarks of Buddhist Study Center Phone: 240-338-6681 Stella Thomas –Administrative Assistant the General Conference of Scott Griswold Fax: 269-471-6252 2 G L O B A L M I S S I O N • w w w . g l o b a l m i s s i o n . o r g • 8 00-64 8 - 5 ®8. 2 4 Daniel Weber –Video Producer/Editor P.O. Box 15, Nakhon Luang, Seventh-day Adventists E-mail: MerklinL@gc.adventist.org

4Q 10

The Accident

By Andrew King

This story is from the First Quarter 2010 Adventist Mission DVD, which features stories from the Southern Asia Division, which includes India. Watch the Adventist Mission DVD in your local church or online at www.AdventistMission.org.

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eet Rex. He is a motor rickshaw driver in India.

One day while Rex was having dinner with his Uncle Simon, Simon turned to him and asked where his daughters, where going to school. Rex said they were attending the public district school “You should put your children in the Adventist school, said Simon, “They offer a high standard of education and your girls will learn English.”

Rex told his uncle that they were simply too poor to afford the Adventist school. So Simon offered to pay for the girl’s tuition.

Soon after the girls started attending they asked their mother to take them to Sabbath school. So Rex dropped them all off on his way to a full day of work.

When Rex’s daughters returned from church they would tell him the stories they’d learned in Sabbath School. His wife would also share Bible texts she had heard in church, but he wasn’t interested in learning more. He had to work on Saturdays.

This continued for about a year, until one day Rex learned about a day of fasting and prayer that the school sponsored one Sunday

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a month. Because it was Rex’s day off he decided to go. “I was touched by the message I heard that day, says Rex “and realized that it was Bible truth.”

The school principal invited Rex to come to church the following week, but Rex hesitated.

He didn’t think he could afford to take Saturday’s off from work.

Meanwhile Rex’s wife was preparing to get baptized and urged him to join her.He resisted at first, but eventually agreed, realizing that he wasn’t ready and still worked on many Sabbaths.

Two months after his baptism Rex suffered a spinal injury at work. Doctors warned him that he might never walk again without surgery, but the family simply couldn’t afford it. Months passed and Rex was confined to his bed. With plenty of time to think he realized that perhaps he wasn’t putting his trust in God. “I started praying that God would forgive me for not being faithful,” says Rex. The family finally found a doctor that was willing to operate on Rex’s spine for a price that they could afford. After the surgery, as Rex laid in bed he prayed without ceasing that God would allow him to work again.

Today Rex can walk again. He regularly attends church. “I don’t work on Sabbath anymore,” says Rex.

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Andrew King is a video producer and editor for Adventist Mission

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4Q 10

F E A T U R E

A Zeal for Christ

By Charlotte Ishkanian

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oseph felt his heart pounding as the mob of angry men pushed and jostled him.

Their angry voices rose as they accused him of stirring up trouble by introducing a new God to the village. “Let’s

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beat him!” said some. “Kill him!” yelled others.

Joseph had not been a Christian long. In his zeal to share his new faith with others, he had come to this village as a Global Mission

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pioneer to teach others about Christ. He’d found a man who wanted to know about Christ, and the two men studied the Bible together.

Soon the villager had given his heart to God.

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But others in the village were angry that a Christian had come to stir up the people. They had marched toward the home where Joseph was visiting and demanded that he come out of the house.

Joseph prayed silently as the mob pressed around him.

Then he stepped toward the leader, who stood brandish-

friend. He wants to be your God and friend, too.”

The leader looked into Joseph’s eyes and grew calm.

The crowd quieted a bit. Then the leader challenged Joseph.

The Challenge “I have a daughter,” he said. She’s 10 years old and has been paralyzed for six years. She can’t move, and

the sword at his side in a threatening manner.

The man turned to walk to his home, and the mob made sure that Joseph followed him. When they reached the leader’s home, the mob stayed outside while Joseph and the leader entered the house.

The leader pointed to his little girl, Kamala. Joseph

Come and ask your God to heal my daughter. If He heals her, then we will leave you alone. But if she isn’t healed, then we will kill you.”

ing a sword. Gently Joseph put his hand on the man’s shoulder and spoke to him.

“Brother, I’ve come in peace and in the name of Jesus, who is my God and my

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she can’t speak. Come and ask your God to heal my daughter. If He heals her, then we will leave you alone. But if she isn’t healed, then we will kill you.” The man touched

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realized that only a miracle would save her life—and his. He knelt by the bed and prayed. He asked God to forgive his sins, and then he asked that if it was God’s will, little Kamala be healed.

“Help those in this room to understand that You are the all-powerful God who made

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the earth and everything that lives here,” he prayed.

Seeing God’s Power Joseph finished his prayer and stood to his feet. The girl’s father nodded to two men who stood in the room with them. They tied Joseph up to be certain that he didn’t escape. Joseph continued to pray for the child, and within minutes he saw a slight movement.

Had he imagined it? No. Kamala moved again. She

stretched out her leg! Joseph encouraged her to keep moving, and the girl stretched her other leg and then her arms. Joseph praised God as he encouraged the girl to move.

Slowly Kamala sat up. Then as the family watched, speechless with joy, Kamala slowly pulled herself up on her oncewithered legs and took a step.

And then another.

“My daughter!” Kamala’s mother whispered. The girl smiled and walked slowly toward her mother. Tears

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filled the father’s eyes as he hugged Joseph. The men who had tied Joseph up stood silently as Kamala walked around the room. Her hands straightened out and grew strong as they watched.

Opening the Door of Faith The door behind them opened, and Joseph’s wife entered. Her face reflected her confusion. “What happened?” she whispered. “I was told terrorists planned

Any spicy, sauce-based Indian dish is referred to as a “curry,” even if it doesn’t include the specific spice we generally refer to as curry.

Serve this delicious curry over rice.

Corn and Green Bell Pepper Curry (Serves 4) Ingredients: • 3 tablespoon oil or butter (authentic Indian recipes use ghee, or clarified butter) • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds • 1 or 2 green chilies, finely chopped • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated • 2 tablespoons flour • 2 cups cooked corn kernels • 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped • 2 cups milk • 1 teaspoon sugar Preparation: 1. Over medium heat in a heavy pan, add the oil or butter and cumin seeds. Stir until the seeds crackle.

Add the chilies and ginger paste and fry lightly. Add the flour and reduce heat to low, cooking for about two minutes.

2. Mix in the corn and green bell peppers. Add the milk slowly while stirring carefully to make sure no lumps are formed. Cook on low for about 10 minutes or until thickened. Add sugar and salt to taste.

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to kill you.” She looked at Joseph, still tied up, and then at the joyful faces of those surrounding him.

“I’ll tell you later,” he told her. “But God has just revealed His mighty power to these unbelievers.”

The leader of the mob untied Joseph and apologized for causing him trouble. “I want to know about your God, who has restored my daughter to health,” he said.

Joseph spoke to the crowd who waited outside the

man’s house. Several asked to know more about the God Joseph worships. Within a year 15 people in the village were baptized, and Joseph and his wife are working with others who want to know about God. The leader of the mob who had planned to kill Joseph now works with him to teach others about the living God. Our mission offerings help support the

work of men and women such as Joseph who work as Global Mission pioneers in unentered areas of India and around the world. Thank you for having a part in the work of God through your offerings.

Charlotte Ishkanian is the editor of Adventist Mission’s Sabbath School mission quarterlies and Inside Stories

4Q FREE BOOK OFFER 10

a few of the stories you’ll want to read in Guide’s Greatest Mission Stories:

Guide’s Greatest Mission Stories

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here’s nothing like a good mission story to remind you that God is faithful. But He doesn’t just protect missionaries.

He floods their hearts with love so they can do His work wherever they are sent.

With adventure-filled stories selected from Guide magazine, you’ll be reminded why true stories are the most exciting. These are just

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• The frightful canoe ride in the dark through a river of ill-tempered hippos • How a man sold his shirt to buy a little more time to stay in a village where no one wanted him • The night a pack of dogs protected a missionary family from a murderous mob To order the book and to learn more about missionaries and Global Mission pioneers please visit www.

AdventistMission.org/book-offer, or call us at (800) 648-5824. We’ll send your free book right away, while supplies last.

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4Q 10

WORLD NEWS

Mission Loses a Friend in Dorothy Eaton Watts

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he Adventist Church and the world have lost a champion of mission. On November 8 Dorothy Eaton Watts laid down her burden and quietly fell asleep in Jesus following a three-year battle with cancer.

Dorothy, with her husband, Ron, at her side, lived a life filled with service to God. Every aspect of her life was devoted to others. They spent more than 26 years serving in India, 10 of which she served as associate sec-

retary of the Southern Asia Division and Ron served as president.

During their time in India, this division grew from about 200,000 to 1.4 million church members. Dorothy was instrumental in establishing the Adventist Child India, a program dedicated to sending children of new church to Adventist schools in order to help prepare them for future service in God’s work.

Dorothy wrote more than 25 books, including several devotionals for women and juniors. She served as editor

of Adventist Mission’s two mission quarterlies until she and her husband were called to work in British Columbia, Canada.

Dorothy was an encourager. She saw possibilities in people that they often didn’t see in themselves, and she encouraged others to be the best they could be.

We will miss Dorothy, a woman of valor and courage, a prayer warrior who was willing to fight for those who couldn’t fight for themselves, a woman who put mission first in her life every single day.

Recent Church Growth in China

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hina has a population of 1.3 billion people and less than four hundred thousand of them are Adventists.

But things are changing.

In the heart of northeastern China, in the province of Jilin, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has grown rapidly in the past 20 years. From a modest home church in the city of Garjuling more than 400 new congregations have

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been planted and more than 20,000 people have been baptized.

The person responsible is Elder Zu Shuwa, a thoughtful, humble woman of prayer who claims no personal credit, and says the growth of the church is entirely the work of the Holy Spirit and a team of workers.

Today Elder Zu oversees the training of dozens of volunteers who conduct Bible stud-

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ies, preach sermons and offer spiritual care.

Also in northeastern China lies the city of Shenyang.

The city is home to more than seven million people.

It’s also home to one of the largest Adventist churches in the world. Elder Hailya Jee pastors the Begwan Adventist Church and its 7,000 members. Begwan started as a church plant in 1985 with

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only nine members. Today it holds three church services every Sabbath and has

started 117 church plants.

The Begwan church holds lay evangelism training seminars,

literacy classes and prayer meetings.

There are still hundreds of millions of people in China thirsting for the good news about Jesus. And the church is not as blessed in all parts of China and still faces many challenges. But through sacrifice, through commitment, through prayer, planting new congregations is, touching hearts, transforming lives and growing the kingdom of God.

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What do we have in common?

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ach major world religion is unique, but there are many values we have in common. By learning about their beliefs and practices, we can build bridges of understanding. You can feel confident about sharing the Christian gospel in a manner that is respectful and meaningful.

The four-disc set covers Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Introductory special: $35.00. To order, visit www.AdventistMission.org, or call 800-648-5824.

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Help make mission possible

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Your gift to Global Mission makes frontline mission work a reality. Each day we’re reaching new communities with the gospel thanks to your support.

Without your support we simply couldn’t send out as many Global Mission pioneers or support outreach and church

Your gift will go to high priority places such as: • China and other countries of the Northern Asia-Pacific Division • India and other countries of the Southern Asia Division

planting projects. Please don’t wait,

• Bangladesh and other countries of the Southern Asia-Pacific Division

today there are more than 2.4 billion

• West Africa

people living in the 10/40 Window who

• The Middle East and other countries of the TransEuropean Division

are still waiting to hear about Jesus.

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Where will your Gift be Used?

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Ways to Give

Your gift will support various project such as:

Here are a few options you might consider as you plan your gift. You may give securely online, call our tollfree number, or mail your donation in the envelope provided in this magazine.

Whichever method you choose, please accept our heartfelt thanks for your gift.

For your convenience you have the option of having your credit card automatically billed each month, but any gift is welcome.

When giving online or by phone you may use American Express, VISA, Discover, or MasterCard. Checks must be sent by mail.

• Starting small groups in unentered areas • Supporting Global Mission pioneers through training, transportation and a monthly stipend • Building churches for newly formed congregations

Online: Giving.AdventistMission.org Phone: 800-648-5824 Mail: Global Mission 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904-6601

Year-end Giving Perhaps this is the year you can make an exceptional gift to Global Mission. If you want to

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receive your charitable income tax deduction in time for this year’s taxes, your gift must be made before Dec. 31. Keep in mind that there are different rules governing the date of the gift.

Credit Cards/Checks: The postmark date is the date of the gift.

Securities: If electronically transferred, the gift date is the day the securities enter Global Mission’s account.

For hand-delivered securities, the day they are received by Global Mission is the date of the gift. If mailed, the mailing date is the gift date.

Real estate: The day the signed deed is delivered to Global Mission is the date of the gift. If your state law requires recording of the deed to fulfill the title, though, then the date of recording is the gift date.

One hundred percent of your gift goes to fund frontline mission work carrying hope in Jesus to unreached people around the world. Thank you for helping touch hearts and lives for Jesus.

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General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904

Thousands of Global Mission pioneers around the world need your help.

These frontline mission workers have dedicated their lives to tell their world about Him, but they still need training, transportation, and a small living stipend.

They’ve done their part, what can you do to support them?

Visit giving.AdventistMission.org or call 800-648-5824 to learn more.

100 percent of your donation to Adventist Mission’s Global Mission work goes to support frontline workers and projects.