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S U M M E R 2 015
THE GOSPEL TO THE WORLD
MISSION REPORTS FROM THE PHILIPPINES, KENYA AND MORE!
SPECIAL GC SESSION EDITION!
A BLESSING TO YOU AND THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL! Your purchases from our selection of books, CDs and DVDs provide direct support to worldwide mission work. And they bring a special blessing to your home too!
Will I Ever Learn? Special
Feeling Fit
The powerful autobiography of a woman transformed by God from a life of pain and hard-living to a life of surrendered service. $7.99, plus shipping.
Discover how real people have prevented and even reversed serious diseases and bad lifestyle habits—and how you can too! $7.99, plus shipping.
Piano Reflections
Generations
by Hyveth Williams
autograph ed edition!
Michael Fillman
by Aileen Ludington, M.D.
Melashenko Family Singers
Michael’s piano hymns of inspiration will turn your heart heavenward. Favorites include There’s Power in the Blood, He Hideth My Soul, What a Friend We Have in Jesus and many more. $7.99, plus shipping.
Three generations of the Melashenko family join together to make this one of the most uplifting CDs in your collection. $7.99, plus shipping.
We Shall Be Changed
After the Storm
Quiet Hour Morning Devotions
A fresh, exciting collection of life lessons and modern parables, all based solidly on Scripture. Each day’s devotional message is another positive, uplifting step toward that day! $4.99, plus shipping.
by Trudy J. Morgan-Cole with Bill Tucker
With the winds blowing at us from all directions, learn how to practically apply Jesus’ advice and build a life that will stand firm. $1.49, plus shipping.
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Devotional
ARE WE
by Randy Bates
WILLING?
SHE WASN’T MORE THAN three years old. And I was about five. While I don’t remember it personally, I have seen the home movie countless times.
The two of us were running on the beach, chasing and being chased by the waves. There is no sound, since the video was taken more than 50 years ago on an old wind-up Super 8 movie camera. She gets a little too deep into the water. Suddenly her feet start to slip out from under her. The video camera jerks and then falls to the ground as the scene fades to black. My sister and I had been told to stay away from the water. There was a vicious undertow. At first we obeyed. But as the day wore on, we got closer and closer to the waves that rippled up the beach. And, unwittingly, closer and closer to the undertow. In a flash, the water sweeping back to the ocean sucked my sister (800) 900-9021 |
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off her feet and started dragging her out to sea. When the next wave crashed onshore, she disappeared underneath. As my parents told the story, the next few minutes were terrifying. Only now, as an adult with a child and grandchildren of my own, can I really empathize with their fear in that moment. Sitting on a seawall by the beach was a group of college students. Seeing what was happening, they jumped up and ran into the water. Linking arms, they made a big halfcircle and started working their way toward shore. They quickly found my sister and brought her to my parents. Though wet and scared, she was unharmed. Despite rolling in the sandy surf, there wasn’t even sand in her mouth, nose or ears. My parents were so grateful for those students, that they knew what to do and were willing to help. We live in a world where millions are drowning in sin. As we sit on the seawall, are we willing to get involved? Will we jump in, link arms and rescue those sinking in sin? If that is your desire, please join us in the mission field. God can use you to make a lifesaving miracle happen. Just like He did for my sister. Randy Bates is president/CEO of Quiet Hour Ministries.
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SUMMER 2015 • VOL. 78, NO. 03
Editor Steve Hamstra
Layout Harding Design
Quiet Hour Ministries Board Chairman Ralph S. Watts, Jr. President/CEO Randal H. Bates Board of directors
vice chairman Darold Retzer
Daryl Gohl Dick Neuharth Bill Tucker Roy West David Wilkins Founder J. L. Tucker, 1895-1989 Echoes is the official publication of The Quiet Hour,
Inc., doing business as Quiet Hour Ministries, PO Box 3000, Redlands, California 92373-1500, USA. Subscriptions are $5 per year to United States addresses. International rates vary. For subscription service please call us at 800-900-9021, visit www. qhministries.org, or write to us at the above address. Quiet Hour Ministries is a not-for-profit supporting ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Donations to Quiet Hour Ministries are tax-deductible in the United States. Those in Canada may send their tax-deductible gifts to PO Box 22085, St. Thomas, ON, N5R 6A1, Canada. UNIFORM DISCLOSURE STATEMENT The Quiet Hour is a 501(c) (3) organization, gifts to which are deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes. Florida: A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALL ING TOLL FREE WITHIN THE STATE, 1-800-435-7352. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. The Quiet Hour’s registration number is CH19265. Maryland: A copy of The Quiet Hour’s current financial statement is available on request to The Quiet Hour, Box 3000, Redlands CA 923731500 - Telephone # 909-793-2588. For the cost of copies and postage, registration documents, and other information are available from the Maryland Secretary of State. Mississippi: The official registration and financial information of The Quiet Hour may be obtained from the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office by calling 1-888-236-6167. Registration by the Secretary of State does not imply endorsement. Virginia: A financial statement is available from the State Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services upon request. West Virginia: West Virginia residents may obtain a summary of the registration and financial documents from the Secretary of State, State Capitol, Charleston, West Virginia 24305. Registration does not imply endorsement. The Quiet Hour Canada is a registered charity in Canada. Reg. # 89764 8002 RR0002 Where legally possible offerings will go to these projects; otherwise special arrangements will be made with Quiet Hour Ministries for distribution of funds based on the laws of Canada where these funds are collected.
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MAILBAG Lerma U.
I praise God for guiding this group of young people back to their school (Ozark Adventist Academy). My daughter has been privileged to be with them through the kind generosity of many sponsors whom God has blessed to give and make it possible for her to go. May God replenish their resources abundantly. I can only praise God because from start to finish He was with all of them. May the lives they have touched be drawn closer to Jesus every day.
Micaela R.
First time at a Quiet Hour Ministries Ambassadors of Hope gathering. Had a great time and experienced great people there. Thank You.
Etta Mae B.
Thank you for what you do! Keep up the good work!
Marianna M.
Bless you people who go to such mission fields.
Pastor C.
Thank you for coming to our place here in Balete, Aklan. Your presence truly made a difference in the lives of those you ministered to here for ten days. Over one hundred were baptized and many are still receiving Bible studies. The brethren were also encouraged as they got involved in the motion, especially seeing ahead a finished church where they can congregate every Sabbath. Words won’t really be enough to express how thankful we are to God for using you to bless others.Â
Letters may be edited for clarity and space considerations.
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Through My Eyes
GOD’S GREAT CALL by Ted N C Wilson
AS THE EARTH APPROACHES ITS FINAL DAYS, Christ’s words convey an urgent call to you and me. “Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest?’ I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” John 4:35 NIV. How is the Seventh-day Adventist Church answering this call? Through many productive and Holy Spirit-blessed official programs and activities. But as the Spirit of Prophecy reminds us, “The ordained ministers, alone, are not equal to the task. God is calling…Bible workers, and other consecrated laymen of varied talent who have a knowledge of present truth, to consider the needs of the unwarned cities. There should be one hundred believers actively engaged in personal missionary work where now there is but one. Time is rapidly passing.” Medical Ministry, p. 248. That is why I’m so grateful for the many wonderful supporting
ministries who are part of ASI. These “consecrated laymen” are vital to the proclamation of the three angels’ messages. Quiet Hour Ministries is just such an organization. Recently, I visited the QHM headquarters. I was so impressed with what God has done through this organization. He is working through its dedicated employees, volunteers and supporters to lift up Christ, His righteousness, His three angels’ messages and His soon coming. Pastor Kyle Allen, the ASI secretary/treasurer, has joined multiple evangelism mission trips with QHM. He describes QHM’s comprehensive outreach as, “a full picture of helping the church to
So many still need to know Christ’s saving grace. Let us all do our part and work earnestly. (800) 900-9021 |
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grow and be successful.” When Kyle was a local pastor, his church members participated in evangelistic meetings, health and children’s ministry programs and even chapel construction with QHM. It is wonderful to see young people, particularly students, work together through this ministry. They receive a special opportunity to share the precious love of our Savior with the world. “Long has God waited for the spirit of service to take possession of the whole church so that everyone shall be working for Him according to his ability.” Acts of the Apostles, p. 111. I encourage all members of the worldwide church to humbly submit themselves to God. Pray to be used in personal ministry and mission outreach. Sometimes that’s through personal involvement. Other times through dedicated financial support. So many still need to know Christ’s saving grace. Let us all do our part and work earnestly. And very soon we can see the Lord returning in the clouds of heaven!
Ted N C Wilson is president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
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GC SESSION SPECIAL
LEADERSHIP INTERVIEW Recently we sat down with two of Quiet Hour Ministries’ leaders, president/CEO Randy Bates and executive director for international evangelism Jim Neergaard. We wanted to get a sense of where QHM is today and where it’s headed.
What is Quiet Hour Ministries currently doing in the mission field?
more than 5,700 volunteer team members to work in 80 countries. But there are also our gospel workers. Having those local workers on the ground is huge for us. Their support of our evangelistic meetings results in thousands accepting Christ every year.
Jim Neergaard (pictured above right): Our first priority is sending evangelism mission teams. When they’re in the field, our teams are involved in a complete outreach program. This usually includes evangelistic meetings at multiple sites, children’s programs at each site, a church construction project and medical, dental and eye clinics. Another priority we have is special mission projects. This includes providing equipment, Bibles or meeting other needs brought to us from Seventhday Adventist leaders around the world. For example, in just the last year we’ve helped finance a mission airplane and supplied Bibles for outreach to the Maasai people of Kenya. And I should also mention our Muslim outreach projects. For many years we have been active in outreach to Muslims, both in the mission field as well as in North America. And we just recently provided Bibles for evangelistic meetings in Pakistan.
What are the most urgent mission needs we’re seeing today?
JN: Obviously there are many needs in the mission field. And the urgency will vary from one place to another. But really the greatest need everywhere in the world is God’s love and His saving grace. We know from the words of Jesus that when the gospel is taken to all the world, that then He will come again. So preaching the gospel, sharing the good news with others, that is the most urgent need.
How does QHM aim to meet those needs?
RB: Well one of the biggest ways is simply helping people become aware of the needs. And the opportunities available to meet them. Really there are a variety of ways to serve. The most direct way is to join an evangelism mission trip and personally help.
Randy Bates (pictured above left): And I would relate this all to the gospel commission of going into the world, preaching the gospel and making disciples. Specifically that’s often through our mission teams. In fact, in the past ten years we have sent out ECHOES
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GC Inter view
But others may want to help through their gifts for evangelistic meetings and other projects. However people choose to help, we prayerfully use those resources to go as far as we can in serving the Lord.
RB: We cooperate with the Seventh-day Adventist Church by responding to their calls for assistance with evangelistic outreach. As a supporting ministry, we do not receive any funding from the Adventist Church. Yet all of our gifts, all of our work, goes to support the work of the Adventist Church. Financially, that’s more than $16 million in the last ten years. Also in the last ten years, our evangelistic efforts have brought in over 111,000 new Adventist Church members. So I see this cooperation as intentionally very close. And a real benefit to us and the global church. JN: Yes and we only send mission teams where local church leaders have invited us to come. Furthermore, when a team is invited, we make it very clear that they are coming to support the goals and strategies of the local Conference. And that the mission team will serve the local church and not expect the local church to serve them. Also, when our teams build a church, it is on land owned by the Conference. And located where they have prioritized building a new church. And the evangelistic meetings and children’s programs are held only where the Conference determines our team should work.
JN: I would add that if our goal is to share the good news, it needs to be easily understood in multiple cultures. And it must be focused on Jesus. With this in mind, we are in the process of creating a Christ-centered international sermon series. We’re so excited to launch that series later this year.
Why have a model that’s volunteerand mission trip-based? Why not just send support directly to locals in the field?
JN: Because often what is needed is more than just money. Look, the Adventist Church is worldwide. And so we are a huge family of brothers and sisters in Christ. Joining a mission team allows you to meet, interact and personally know your brothers and sisters in other parts of the world. It’s not uncommon for long-term friendships to be made. Volunteers will also get to understand firsthand the unique spiritual issues and church-related challenges their brothers and sisters face. This means a stronger, more united body of Christ. It also spiritually revives the local church members. And the volunteers who went on the mission trip too.
Dreaming big, looking further into the future, where do you see QHM headed? RB: Our vision is to increase from the hundreds of evangelism team members that we currently have each year to thousands of people each year. I mean, imagine that many people choosing to allow the Holy Spirit to use them and participating in evangelistic outreach! And we’re building the resources and tools to sustain effective evangelism both internationally and locally. Ultimately we believe God is leading toward the fufillment of Matthew 24:14. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
RB: Also, by sending people to personally interact with others and preach the gospel, we are following Jesus’ example and His commission to us. We believe that the direct face-to-face, heart-toheart approach is the best way to share God’s love. This has the added benefit of providing an opportunity for volunteers to experience God working through them. Very often it’s life-changing for our team members.
How does QHM cooperate with the Seventh-day Adventist Church? (800) 900-9021 |
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GC SESSION SPECIAL
YOUR WORLDWIDE
IMPACT
2010-2015
Thanks to you, we’re blessed to further the gospel work around the world. To give you just a glimpse of everything you’ve made possible, these pages bring you a snapshot of the last five years—since the 2010 General Conference Session.
BECAUSE OF YOU:
YOUR SUPPORT:
• $21,742,797 given for missions!
JOINED WITH:
• 60 • • 2,954
The power of the Holy Spirit Mission fields in
countries
mission team members
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TO MAKE POSSIBLE:
• 920 • 54,374 • 167
evangelistic meetings and children’s programs local-language Bibles given out
new churches built
RESULTING IN:
815,000 • • 46,448 More than people reached for Christ
people baptized! God is at work through you!
THANK YOU! (800) 900-9021 |
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A BLESSED MISSION
by Jeron Holloway
A LEADER’S VIEWPOINT ON A SPECIAL OUTREACH TO COSTA RICA
IT WAS MISSION TRIP PLANNING season again. And I had high hopes for our Ozark Adventist Academy students to have a great mission experience this year as they had last year. But I was not quite sure where God wanted us to go. I was thinking Ethiopia or India. That just wasn’t going to work with our timeframe. Then I started to consider destinations in Latin America, eventually settling on Costa Rica. More specifically, the city of Port Limon. Soon we were working with Quiet Hour Ministries (QHM) for the second year in a row to help plan and organize our school’s mission trip. Working with Quiet Hour Ministries has been a true partnership for our academy. With other organizations we would have to send a person from our school on a preparatory trip prior to the mission trip. But QHM did all of the pre-trip planning for us. This included arranging our air travel, lodging, meal plans, transportation and clean water for drinking. QHM also does a good job of working with the ECHOES
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Mission team member Brianna Blount preaching in Costa Rica.
local Adventist churches beforehand to prep the sites for our evangelistic meeting speakers. In short, the program they offer is great for academies and for church groups who need help planning and participating in a mission trip. Our students were very excited and they started fundraising in earnest to participate on the mission trip. With QHM’s website the students were able to set up their own fundraising pages and then
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Costa Rica Mission Repor t
The chapel built by our team will bless a church plant in an area on the outskirts of Port Limon.
Health outreach was a major emphasis for our Costa Rica mission team, with multiple clinics and a health expo held in the city center.
send invitations to their friends and families to give toward their fundraising needs. This was so efficient and a big help for our students. The departure day finally arrived. And I along with six other chaperones and 37 excited students loaded up and headed to the airport. For more than half of the students this was their very first mission trip experience! When we arrived in Costa Rica we were greeted by Jim Neergaard, our team leader and also the executive director for evangelism at QHM. We also met other members of the mission trip team—a couple from California, a physician’s assistant from North Carolina, a couple from Oregon and a teacher from Arizona. Over the next 10 days our mission team had the privilege of working with the Seventh-day Adventist churches of Port Limon to conduct evangelistic meetings, children’s programs and health clinics at seven sites. We also put on a health expo at the city park. In addition, our team helped to construct a chapel in the outskirts of the city where there were no churches. As the Holy Spirit blessed our efforts, 29 people were baptized while we were in Costa Rica. And many more made commitments to be baptized shortly thereafter. Working with our local brothers and sisters in Costa Rica was a treat for me. It seemed to me that everyone had a passion for working for the Lord. One Bible worker in particular stuck out to me as
especially dedicated and committed to the cause. Her name was Milady. For three days during the mission trip I had the privilege of going with her to visit people in the community with whom she was having Bible studies. One day we met with a lady who had expressed interest in baptism during the meetings. She had studied with Jehovah Witnesses in the past and had some questions about what she had learned from them. I watched and listened as Milady very clearly answered her questions from the Bible. I saw that as the lady discovered the Bible answers for herself, she became convinced of the truth. By God’s grace, later in the week that lady took her stand to be baptized and join the Adventist Church! Day by day I watched as Milady faithfully reached out to people to study the Bible with them, pray for them and invite them to the evening meetings. She really has a heart for God and has inspired me to be a more active soul winner for Jesus. Being able to visit members of the community with her was the highlight of my Costa Rica mission experience. Our students were impacted in many ways as a result of this mission trip and for all of them it was a positive experience. Many of them have committed to being more active witnesses for God here at home. I thank God for the ministry of QHM and have been blessed to work with them as a true partner in missions.
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Jeron Holloway is the chaplain at Ozark Adventist Academy in Gentry, Arkansas. He was also part of the leadership of our mission trip to Costa Rica in April 2015.
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PROJECT UPDATES EVERY DAY THERE IS SOMETHING GOING ON AROUND THE WORLD that’s part of Quiet Hour Ministries’ outreach. Whether it’s church construction, gospel workers giving Bible studies or evangelism teams proclaiming Jesus, there are always projects happening that are furthering the Lord’s work. And these projects only happen through your generous support. In an effort to keep you up to date on what’s going on in our worldwide outreach, here’s what’s happened in the various areas of our ministry over the last few months: WORLDWIDE EVANGELISM – There were 101 baptisms in Kalibo, Philippines. More than 1,300 people attended the final meeting! Evangelistic meetings were also held in General Santos, Philippines, where 8,535 were baptized! Port Limon, Costa Rica hosted meetings as well and saw 48 people baptized. Mission teams also preached the gospel in San Vicente, Colombia. CHAPELS AND CONSTRUCTION – A mission team helped construct a church on the side of a steep hill in Kalibo, Philippines, which will seat 100-120 people. Volunteers also helped build chapels in Port Limon, Costa Rica and San Vicente, Colombia. Your generous donations made these chapels possible and now local congregations have buildings where membership can expand. GOSPEL WORKERS – Gospel workers diligently prepare the towns and outlying areas prior to our meetings. They study with people in their homes. Gospel workers were active before, during and after our evangelistic meetings in the Philippines, Costa Rica and Colombia. ECHOES
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BIBLES – Each new believer receives a Bible at our evangelistic meetings. Local-language Bibles were given to people in the Philippines, Costa Rica, Colombia and Kenya so they could continue learning about Jesus. CHILDREN’S OUTREACH – Along with each evangelistic meeting were outreach programs that ministered to the children. Hundreds of kids in the Philippines, Costa Rica and Colombia came to the programs to sing, hear Bible stories, play games and make crafts. MUSLIM OUTREACH – Our Muslim outreach workers continued to study with hundreds of people, both in the United States and abroad, who are excited to know more about Jesus. MEDICAL CLINICS AND EYE CLINICS– Medical and eye clinics were held in Colombia, Costa Rica and the Philippines with patients receiving general care as well as eye glasses and dental exams. Hundreds of patients were seen each day in each clinic. Many were given glasses that allowed them to see, as well as medications and treatments that alleviated illnesses. www.qhministries.org |
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2015 PROJECTS #
PROJECT
STILL NEEDED
2015 GOAL
RAISED
$130,000
84% 109,761
06019
Worldwide Evangelism
06003
Worldwide chapels
06009
Gospel Workers
06002
Bibles
06052
Children’s Outreach
59,500
06012
Muslim Outreach
60,000
06061
Medical Clinics
59,800
202,700 78,000 132,000
$20,239 83,563
59% 119,137
6,775
91% 71,225
77,025
42% 54,975 108% 64,272
THANK YOU!
56,971
5% 3,029 74% 44,430
15,370
YOUR GIFTS CAN BE MADE VIA THE ENCLOSED RESPONSE CARD, BY CALLING (800) 900-9021 OR ONLINE AT WWW.QHMINISTRIES.ORG/GIVENOW (800) 900-9021 |
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THE SAVIOR IS WAITING REFLECTIONS ON EVANGELISM IN GENERAL SANTOS, PHILIPPINES
by Pam Lister
THE EXCITEMENT, AND VERY HIGH HEAT AND HUMIDITY, WAS PALPABLE as our mission team arrived in the Philippines. Comprised of people from all over the US and Canada, we landed in General Santos on March 4. A warm welcome from the Southern Mindanao Mission (SMM) and its president, Roger Caderma, awaited us. They were excited too. And rightly so. With our team holding meetings at four sites and 44 local pastors hosting meetings as well, we were ready for a powerful coalition of evangelism! It was immediately clear to me that the SMM team had been preparing the fields for harvest. Everything was ready. We were excited to see what the Lord would do as the meetings began March 6. Well, saying everything was ready would leave out one huge miracle. The site which would host Pastor Bill Tucker’s meetings was the new Adventist Convention and Media Center. Only it wasn’t finished yet. But God really did work a miracle through an army of volunteers, including Pastor Caderma. The place was transformed right before our eyes! Pastor Bill was able to host all his evening meetings there. Each day construction continued on the media center. But at night only the work of the Holy Spirit was being done. We also saw evidence of attack from the enemy
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who did not want the gospel message preached. Arlene, one of our speakers, had a complete computer crash. She brought it to our lunchroom and you could see that she was distressed.
The evangelistic meetings covered 48 sites in General Santos as well as its surrounding villages.
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Philippines Mission Repor t Everything, including her sermons, was gone. Pastor Bill shared with us some of the miracles he had witnessed in the mission field. He reminded us that God is powerful and can restore even the very equipment we use. Laying his hands on the computer he prayed, asking the Lord to repair the damage done by the enemy. When the prayer was complete, Arlene turned on the computer. Everything was intact and all the sermons were there! I know you may think there’s no way that actually happened. But I saw it. We all saw it with our own eyes. There is a song I sing called “Is anything too hard for God.” And I can testify that I have seen His miraculous power firsthand—not only with Arlene’s computer but in the lives that were transformed in General Santos. A special dynamic was added to our outreach when a team of local Adventist health professionals partnered with us to hold free clinics in the area. Thousands of people in four separate neighborhoods received dental, medical and optometry services. Minor surgeries were even performed. Although the dentist office is about my least favorite place to be, I chose to help at our dental clinics. I quickly became an expert at helping patients receive medicine for numbing and making cotton balls for the dentists to pack the tooth extraction sites. A special blessing to me was developing a close friendship with Mamella, one of the local dental assistants. One Sunday I was able to visit with some of the people attending the Tupi church meetings, where team member Talula Cartwright was presenting the message. Talula and I arrived at the home of a sweet 84-year-old woman by the name of Tabeeta. She had been bedridden for three years and was unable to attend any of the meetings. Through an interpreter we were able to pray with her. She didn’t speak any English. After prayer I was asked to share a song. The song “The Savior is Waiting” came to my mind. And so I began to sing for Tabeeta. As I watched her face, I realized she was singing along with me word-for-word in English! The song of our Savior was imprinted on her mind and in her heart and my voice filled with tears as we sang together. (800) 900-9021 |
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Bill Tucker preaching at the under-construction Adventist Media and Convention Center in General Santos.
Hundreds of those baptized at the evangelistic meetings were young people.
Thanks to you, every new believer baptized in General Santos received a local-language Bible.
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abortions. After giving her heart to Jesus, she had left that way of life. In fact, I learned she was now a Seventh-day Adventist. She was so thankful we had come to help her people that she just wanted me to know how much it was appreciated. Then she looked me straight in the eye and said, “God bless you and God bless Quiet Hour!” I felt so blessed to have had that moment with her. On the final Sabbath in General Santos we saw more than 2,800 people give their lives to Jesus! It was incredible to witness so many responding to God’s call. The SMM leaders shared that preliminary baptisms totaled in excess of 4,000 for that Sabbath! Personally my faith is strengthened as I witnessed firsthand the power of the gospel. Our group became a team united for God’s purpose, for His glory and for His soon return. I’m so thankful to be part of a worldwide evangelism ministry that meets urgent needs. God led our team to touch lives in spiritual, emotional and physical ways. But the work is not done! Will you help tell even more people about Jesus? The Savior is waiting … for you. Join us in the mission field and share His love! Remember, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 NKJV.
Mission team member Talula Cartwright (center) praying with 84-year-old Tabeeta (right) during a home visit in support of the evangelistic meetings.
It reminded me in a very powerful way that Jesus translates His love into all languages. Our team was also blessed with the opportunity to help many families whose homes had been destroyed by a large sinkhole. It had opened up just days before we arrived. Pooling together some compassion gifts, we purchased rice, noodles and other foods to be distributed to each family. Then we each prepared the gift packages and were ready for distribution. Every package also contained a devotional book with a handwritten note from Pastor Bill. Piling into vehicles, we made our way to the shelter housing the sinkhole victims. After a short message of encouragement from Pastor Bill, I sang a song for them and we began distribution. Talula and I handed out the canned food and paused a moment with each person as they came through. I was deeply touched as one woman told me, “I prayed last night that God would send me some rice to feed my children. And He answered my prayer and sent you. Thank you so much.” As we were preparing to leave, I noticed an elderly lady resting in the shade of the shelter platform. She beckoned for me to come to her. As I knelt down in front of her, she took my hand and started speaking to me in Cebuano. She wasn’t always a believer she said. Before she met the Lord, she used to perform illegal ECHOES
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Pam Lister is executive director of Quiet Hour Ministries Canada.
Bill Tucker speaking to local villagers outside General Santos.
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A R E YO U R E A DY ? JOIN A MISSION TRIP! The mission field is calling you! Join us on an evangelism mission trip and experience soul winning like you never have before!
Upcoming mission trips: 2015
MALAWI CUBA PANAMA HONDURAS
August 17-31 November 19-29 November 19-29 December 22-January 3 2016
CUBA March 2-13
LOOKING FOR A MISSION TRIP FOR YOUR CHURCH OR SCHOOL GROUP? WE CAN HELP! We’d love to work with you on a custom mission experience for your group. Call us today at (800) 900-9021 for group mission trip information. To learn more or sign up, visit www.qhministries.org or call our evangelism department (800) 900-9021.
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BLESSINGS AND GREATER BLESSINGS VISITING HAITI BEFORE OUR MISSION TEAM ARRIVES
by Joe Shewchuk
AS YOU ASCEND THE HILL, YOU begin to realize what a unique construction project this will be. We’re on the poor side of Bois Dioute, Haiti. Many of the local people don’t have jobs. And to me it seems like many of them earn a meager living by selling whatever wares or skills they have. And there’s nowhere for these people to build their shanty homes except further and further up the mountain. The closest Seventh-day Adventist Church was badly damaged during the massive 2010 earthquake. So much so that the local members can’t use it. They have a temporary wooden structure instead. But with more and more people living on the side of the mountain, the local members know they need to build up there. Right now some 50 people worship in a house on the mountainside. But as you can imagine, it’s cramped and there’s no room for growth. Finally our car arrives at the construction site—or at least as close as the road will take us. That’s when I learn our construction crew will have to carry all the equipment and building supplies from the road up to the site. As I said, a unique construction project. But the need here is so great. Without the church you’re providing, these brothers and sisters could never grow their little flock. And they simply can’t
Children at the nearest Adventist Church have only a makeshift room made of tarps to worship in.
afford to build on their own. As I continue on my pre-mission trip site visit, it becomes even more painfully clear how much our mission team is needed here. The free clinics we’ll hold will fill a huge gap. Most of the local people have little to no access to any health care. They try folk remedies or simply continue on through illness and pain. When you’re on a mission trip, at times things are so busy you don’t fully take in all the needs your team is meeting. The advantage of being a team leader on a planning visit like mine is that you see all the different ways your team will make such a difference. And it makes you eagerly look forward to the mission trip. Your prayers and support also make a huge difference in the mission field. So I want to thank you as well for being such a blessing to the people of Bois Dioute. I can already see God’s blessing and guidance in this project. And I know when our mission team arrives the blessings will be even greater. Plus the impact will continue for years to come as the new church is planted in the community. Joe Shewchuk volunteers as a mission team leader for Quiet Hour Ministries. As this magazine goes to press, Joe’s mission team was just departing for Haiti.
Most of the people in Bois Dioute are very poor.
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BY GOD’S GRACE A REPORT ON EVANGELISM IN KENYA
by Ronald Nyabinge
PRAISE GOD FOR HIS BLESSINGS! An exciting evangelistic project supported by Quiet Hour Ministries in Kenya’s Maasailand has recently concluded.
I thank God that we had many opportunities to share openly in public spaces and in the villages. It brought us joy to see how many people were receptive and appreciative of the message. One elderly man, Daniel, said, “I am amazed that you would come all the way to find us here in our humble homes and teach us the Word of God and give us Bibles.” A woman named Margaret was so happy and encouraged by the message, she came to our team and quoted three Bible verses she’d learned through the meetings. This was meant to assure us that our work in her village was not in vain but a true experience with God.
New believers receiving the local-language Bibles you provided.
This was a historic project. Evangelism among the Maasai is traditionally very difficult. But our team of young people from the Tombe Adventist Youth Ministry felt a calling to preach Jesus among the Maasai. And thank you to Quiet Hour Ministries for providing local language Bibles to support this outreach. I want to share with you what the evangelistic meetings accomplished in God’s name. I pray this also blesses you because of your support of these meetings. Our group held meetings in four different villages: Lollorian, Sekinani, Orolosha and Enkure. Most of these areas are unentered by the church. The local Maasai people walk everywhere. The roads are bad and there are wild animals at night. So holding meetings right in each village is important. We worked very hard to present a message that met the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of the Maasai people. And we did see that many people in these Maasai villages are so eager for a change in their lives. ECHOES
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Praise God, 250 people were baptized! And more are taking Bible studies right now!
By God’s grace, 250 people were baptized among the four villages! Another 280 enrolled in Bible studies. I thank God that through Quiet Hour Ministries we were able to give each one of these people a Bible! Thank you Quiet Hour Ministries for standing with us in this project. It is my prayer that this journey to reach our brothers and sisters in Maasailand will bear even more fruit for the kingdom. Ronald Nyabinge is director of the Tombe Adventist Youth Ministry in Kisii, Kenya.
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