Volume 8 Number 2

MISSION POST
F r o m
E v e r y w h e r e
t o
E v e r y w h e r e
VOLUME 8 NUMBER 2
Changing Lives
One by One
MISSIONPOST
WANT TO EARN SOME MONEY?
We want to hear your mission stories whether current or in the
past! We will pay you US$50 if your story meets the requirements
and is published in Mission Post! This is a fantastic opportunity to not
only share your story with others, but to encourage others to be a
part of the world wide volunteer family.
Some of the things you should include in your article:
lName, age, where you are from in the world
lWhere you volunteered and why (or why you will be volunteering!)
lWhen you served and for how long
lThe good, bad, exciting, scary, enjoyable experiences you had
lSome of the interesting/unusual things that happened to you or in
the country
lTimes you saw God working, His influence, His guidance, etc
lHow God has used you to change lives
lHow volunteering has changed your life
We would love to hear from anyone who has been, is, or is going
to be a volunteer-short term or long term. We'd love to feature as
many stories as we possibly can, so start writing! Aim for about 600
to 800 words for your article and if you have pictures, SEND THEM!
Please send them in JPG format at 300dpi (or a very large size). If it’s
easier for you to send regular photos we can scan them for you. The
more pictures you send, the better!
Editorial
Vernon B Parmenter
EDITOR
Donna Rodill
SR EDITORIAL ASSISTANT/LAYOUT & DESIGN
Jan Erntson
ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY
Joanne Stango
SR OFFICE ASSISTANT
Theresa Berry
OFFICE ASSISTANT
J John Wycliffe
OFFICE ASSISTANT
Division Volunteer Coordinators
Hudson E Kibuuka
EAST-CENTRAL AFRICA DIVISION
Gabriel E. Maurer
EURO-AFRICA DIVISION
Michael Kaminsky
EURO-ASIA DIVISION
Faye Reid
INTER-AMERICAN DIVISION
Jose Rojas
NORTH AMERICAN DIVISION
Akeri Suzuki
NORTHERN ASIA-PACIFIC DIVISION
Urias Chagas
SOUTH AMERICAN DIVISION
Mel Lemke
SOUTH PACIFIC DIVISION
Julian Hibbert
SOUTHERN AFRICA-INDIAN OCEAN DIVISION
Rose Christo
SOUTHERN ASIA DIVISION
Gary Rustad
SOUTHERN ASIA-PACIFIC DIVISION
Paul Tompkins
TRANS-EUROPEAN DIVISION
John Enang
WEST-CENTRAL AFRICA DIVISION
The “Inverted Pyramid” Structure:
Involves arranging information and facts in descending order of
importance.
The lead, or introductory sentence, should draw out the most
significant aspects or facts. The lead sentence must tell readers why
this story is important and excite an interest to keep reading.
We welcome unsolicited manuscripts, letters to
the editor, volunteer tips, postcards and story
ideas.
Send all editorial correspondence to:
Adventist Volunteer Center Publications
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600 USA
E-mail: [email protected]
Fax: 301-680-6635
Website: www.adventistvolunteers.org
Lead sentence/first paragraph: Most significant
aspect of the story and essential information.
What, when, who.
Middle: Develop story with more information.
Use quotes. Explain why, how.
Tagline: Least essential information. Often
provides background information on the people
or institutions involved.
Write your story in such a way that if the editor were to cut out
the last few paragraphs, the essential elements and thrust of the
story would not be compromised.
Mission Post (ISSN 1528-235X) is published four
times a year by the Adventist Volunteer Center of
the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
Printed by the Pacific Press Publishing Association,
1350 North Kings Road, Nampa, Idaho 836873193. Copyright © 2001, General Conference of
Seventh-day Adventists. For free subscription, send
your name and address to Adventist Volunteer
Center Publications, 12501 Old Columbia Pike,
Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600 or send an email
to: [email protected]
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MISSION POST
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c o n t e n ts
Volume 8 Number 2
D E PA RT M E N T S
4
Guest Editorial
7
Reflections
8
30
14
31
Postcard
Fun and Games
Volunteer Opportunities
F E AT U R E S
10
For the Love of God
In a culture where everybody tries to blend in and
conform so that they are not too conspicuous,
becoming a Christian is a gigantic step.
14
A Volunteer ’s Diary
John Morris revisits Papua New Guinea 40 years
after his last visit.
20
20
My Life as a Volunteer in Africa
With the knowledge that God was on my side, I
confidently started my African adventure.
22
Part of a Family
Leaving his country and job as a pastor in
Switzerland, Raphel wanted to serve the Lord in a
very different context.
25
Building Relationships
In order to share the Gospel, we must first build
relationships.
22
26
Big Changes
Volunteering made a huge impact
on Sandra’s life. She learned so
much and changed in character
and as a Christian.
26
Contents
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MISSION POST 3
guest editorial
Two Years W
I
n June of 1979, after my first year of
college, I was invited to serve as a
missionary. I had always been involved in
outreach work before, but had never
experienced the ultimate commitment of
giving full time to mission work for what
came to be two years of my life.
It all began with a simple invitation,
made to me by a local church, to go into a
neighboring town to find new people who
would like Bible studies. I went there
thinking that I would only work for three
months. But after only one week in that
town, the Lord blessed me with 27 new
people taking Bible studies.
Even more stunning was the miracle of a
local Methodist congregation that rented
their church facilities to my new group of
believers in that town. I found myself
suddenly leading a church of 32 new people
attending within the second week of
working there.
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MISSION POST = Editorial
ChangedMy Life
s Which
Conference leadership heard of the miracle
somewhere to serve. It is God who calls us to
and called me into the office to talk with me
serve and we accept His invitation to go in His
about the new church group who needed a pastor
name. Mission begins with a simple ministry
on a full time basis. I made suggestions to the
assignment that turns into an adventure that
leaders regarding people who could lead the
blesses the lives of those you serve and, most
new church.
incredibly, your own life!
But I was not prepared for what happened
We cannot possibly know what God is going
next. The president of the Conference looked at
to do when we serve, but if we are faithful in
me and said that he felt that I should be the
going where He sends us, we are destined for
pastor of the little congregation. And so it
the most powerful blessings of our lives. What
happened… I was asked to serve as the
may begin as a simple assignment of mission
missionary pastor of the new Windsor,
work blossoms into experiences of growth and
California Adventist Church for the next
maturing in your faith journey.
two years.
I was 19 years old at the time and frightened
Those two precious years changed my life.
Before my mission service I was an average
by the idea of a responsibility that I had never
committed Christian. After serving in mission,
carried before in my life. My major focus in
I came to understand my destiny
my college studies was education. I had
in the Lord. You too can grow
planned to be a teacher and never imagined
immeasurably through the joy
doing pastoral work!
of mission service. Your life
Those two years of mission work taught me
will never be the same again!
that it is not we who volunteer to simply go
Jose Vicente Rojas, Director
Office of Volunteer Ministries
North American Division
Editorial
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MISSION POST
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postcard
The
Umbrella
I
stood out in the rain: wet, frustrated, tired, and foreign. I couldn’t remember
why I came to South Korea. My mission seemed not to be accomplishing anything.
The culture was strange and seemed hostile, the language impossible. On top of all
of this I had lost my umbrella before the monsoon season even started.
The light was red, of course. So I stood in the rain waiting for it to change, not
paying any attention to the cars at the stoplight beside me, except to hope that I
would get the green light first.
I jumped as a horn blared. Turning, I saw a family vehicle, the Asian equivalent
of an SUV. I couldn’t quite make out the driver because of the umbrella that she
was pushing through the passenger window.
I took the umbrella and returned the smile of my benefactor.
“Kamsahamnida (Thank you),” I
said, pronouncing it badly in a
thick Texas accent.
She smiled and drove off
when the light changed, leaving
me with a much nicer umbrella
than I ever would have bought
for myself.
God knew that I needed an umbrella;
but more importantly, he knew that I needed
the care that came with the umbrella. Even
without my asking or knowing what to ask for, He
met the needs of a stubbornly unacculturated American
with the kindness of a Korean lady.
By Paula Graham
SDA Language Institute, Korea
Postcard
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reflections
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Reflections
Give Your Unique Gift
"Each of us, as we journey
through life, has the opportunity
to find and to give his or her
unique gift. Whether this gift is
quiet or small in the eyes of
the world does not matter at all
- not at all; it is through the
finding and the giving that we
may come to know the joy that
lies at the centre of both the
dark times and the light. Identify
one talent you possess that has
enriched the lives of others."
-From 100 Ways to Keep Your Soul
Alive, by Frederic and Mary Ann
Brussat, p 51
Shells in Sand-Cape Cod, Provincetown
Photo courtesy of Russell Gibbs
Reflections
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j a pa n
“
For the Love of God
B Y GERALD CHRISTO II
In a culture where everybody tries to blend in and
conform so that they are not too conspicuous,
becoming a Christian is a gigantic step...
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Japan
“D
ad, let’s go tell the Eskimos about Jesus’
love,” the five-year-old boy said to his
father one evening just as he was getting ready
for bed. He heard in Sabbath School that his
offering was going to help Eskimos learn about
Jesus. He wanted to do more than just drop a
couple of coins into a basket. He didn’t know
it then, but he wanted to be a missionary.
Every night the Eskimos were remembered in
his prayers.
And then, one day after college, an Adventist
Volunteer Service (AVS) opening in Russia
became available. There were no more studies
to do. No longer a little boy, I was still too
young to get married. Why not go to Russia?
It used to be a communist country and I
could tell them how much God loved them.
Within a month after my last class I was on
my way to the far eastern city of Khabarovsk
to serve as a missionary for one year.
Ask any missionary to tell you about their
experience and you will almost always be treated
with the story of a person they met. Here’s
one such story of a boy I met in Russia.
Vasilievich was a boy during the Communist
era. He belonged to an Adventist family. It
was difficult for Vasilievich and his sister to go
to church on Sabbaths. The law demanded
that they attend school everyday and yet every
week they told their teachers they were going
to their Babushka’s (grandmother) house on
Saturday and would be back for classes on
Monday. On Saturday they would go to another
Christian’s house to worship. It was illegal for
children to attend religious services and so the
children walked under the skirts of their
Babushka to and from the meetings. If children
were ever found at these meetings, the resulting
consequences would leave the parents in a
work camp and the children in a special
government-run institution.
Many Saturdays they would see a stranger
approach the house where they were meeting.
Not knowing who the stranger was, or his
political views, the believers had to be very
careful. Children were hidden under the
floorboards until the stranger finished visiting,
which sometimes lasted several hours.
After sunset on Sabbath, Vasilievich and his
sister would do their homework for Monday
and study extra hard so that they could not be
accused of slacking in school. Being anything
less than the top in school would have aroused
anger over their frequent trips to their
Babushka’s house.
Three years after serving in Russia, including
further studies and my wedding, I find myself
in a place where many missionaries have been
before—in the middle of another year of service.
This time around I’m in a warmer climate in
Japan. I hadn’t initially planned on another
year with AVS, but one thing I’ve heard about
missionaries—they always come back.
In this culture, where everybody tries to
blend in and conform so that they are not too
conspicuous (Buddhism is the popular religion),
becoming a Christian is a big, nay a gigantic
step. No longer do you take part in all the
religious activities of the family. No more
prayers to ancestors, no more temple visits. No
more tending the family shrine that is located
in every house. Parents become upset with
their children for becoming a Christian
because this means that their children will not
look after them, after their ashes, when they
die. They will be neglected. This draws anger
Japan
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MISSION POST 11
and estrangement from close relations. And yet
there are a number of people who have made
that step.
There are a few people who have been
attending Bible classes at our English Language
School for the past 20 years, but they do not
call themselves Christians. They possibly know
more about the Bible than many Christian
young people that I know. They’ve become
good friends. And while they do not come to
church, they regularly attend our Friday night
and Sabbath evening worships at the English
School. They keep saying church is not for
them, and yet you’re drawn to believe that they
still want a relationship with Christ. There are
many more here that have yet to give their lives
completely over to Christ, yet their desire to
know Him more is strong and sincere. They
may never call themselves Christians but, in
their diligent study of the Bible over the past
several years, their desire to develop a close
relationship with Christ, and their love for Him
already have them standing out from the crowd.
And then there are those that have joined
the church, leaving behind everything they
ever believed. One lady started English lessons
with a missionary in 1986 and the next year
she started Bible studies too. She has since
joined the church and taken up a job at the
local SDA Elementary school. We talked
again and I found out that she’s still the only
Christian in her family. However for her it’s
no longer as big a problem as it was initially.
She’s managed to show her family that being a
Christian does not mean ignoring family.
Did you ever see a missionary that looks
absolutely radiant talking about his mission
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MISSION POST
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Japan
Previous page: The author hard at work rolling the
dough for noodles at a Bible camp.
Top right: Playing Bible Pictionary (minus the actual
game) on Sabbath afternoon.
Bottom right: Spicer College (India) graduates who are
volunteers in Japan. L-R: Mridul, Samuel, Tamar,
Naphirisa, Gerald II, and Melvin.
trip? It’s not a glow of job satisfaction or of
having done a task well but the joy of
introducing a person to Jesus. That takes time.
Most often you will not see the fruits of your
efforts during your term, but you will see other
missionaries’ fruits. But in hearing the stories
of people who love God and who are not
afraid to show it, you will find joy that cannot
be equaled.
I went to Japan wanting to show them
how much Jesus loves them—they showed me
how much they love Him. And now my faith
is stronger.
By Gerald Christo II
Japan
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pa p u a n e w g u i n e a
A Volunteer’s Diary
Come with me – 3 sites in one week – 40 years after my
last visit.
B Y JOHN L MORRIS
Friday, March 24
Marcia (she who must be obeyed) dropped me at
Mascot (Sydney's airport) well in advance of my
usual last-minute routine. My motto is the less
time spent waiting for planes the better. I have
missed a plane in the past but today I was not
late although there was only enough time for a
quick kiss before checking in. Virgin Blue Airline
performed well getting me to the Gold Coast,
and my luggage turned up.
Sabbath, March 25
At Murwillumbah, I
spent a pleasant
weekend with my
eldest daughter
Cathy, her husband
Colin and their two
children R'chelle and
Craig. The teen
01 Sabbath School took
the church service in
which R'chelle had a part. Picture 01 (R'chelle
Louwen) It was well presented and enjoyable.
Sabbath afternoon we went to Tweed Heads to
walk on the beach. The waves were up to four
meters (13 feet) as a result of cyclone Wilma that
was off the coast, and we spent the time watching
the waves crashing over the breakwater. Picture 02
Sunday, March 26
The family drove me to Brisbane where I caught
the flight to Port Moresby. The parting greeting
was, "Have you got your passport?" On a previous
trip (to Fiji out of Brisbane) I did leave my passport
in Sydney and had to make lengthy and near-frantic
phone calls to get a flight out of Sydney the
following day.
Port Moresby was a surprise in that it had an
excellent terminal that was clean and easy to find
your way around in, with only a couple of
03
02
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Papua New Guinea
maintenance problems. Picture 03 I had two
hours to wait and we then flew off to Goroka,
by Fokker, F28 via Mt Hagen in wet and stormy
conditions. The pilot threaded his way through
the clouds and eventually we dropped safely onto
the tarmac. Roger and Carol Millist with their
son Lynden, plus the newest staff member
Damon Roberts and his wife Lisa (Adventist
Aviation Services) met me and we had a pleasant
meal together at the Paradise Hotel. Then off to
Kabiufa Adventist Secondary School.
05
ablution blocks were not clean. The walls are
rendered concrete blocks and moisture adheres
and mold grows. I wonder about the health of
students in this setting. Roofs and gutters are
rusted through. Picture 05 Most gutters are not
serviceable, usually having fallen. Water tanks are
rusted out and there is inadequate fresh water for
everyday use. The kitchen has fire-heated boilers
located under the timber floor of the dining room
(the steam boiler has
been out of action for
years)-thus the
kitchen is a big fire
risk. Brick walls of the
dining hall were
loose. The church had
broken windows at
06
the apex of the roof
which were impossible to get to without any
reasonable scaffolding. Picture 06 Downpipes
did not meet gutter nozzles. Barge and fascia timbers were rotting, not properly protected. There
were holes in the timber verandas-a trip hazard.
Painting is needed all around. Boys dorms need
skylights in the roof over the central hall for
additional light.
Staff housing had a standard set of problems:
inoperative gutters, rusted water tanks, wateraffected timber fascias and barges, dirty and
moldy showers and toilets, rusted roofs, need of
Monday and Tuesday, March 27 & 28
I spent two days at Kabiufa. The task here (and at
Mt Diamond out of Port Moresby) was to evaluate
the maintenance standards and report on what is
needed to bring the buildings up to standards.
Monday I spent the day inspecting all buildings
other than staff housing, which was scheduled for
Tuesday. I walked around the campus with Gedisa
Omot, the director of maintenance, noting
problems and advising on some solutions.
Major problem areas at Kabiufa are: a) Sewerage
effluent treatment and disposal b) Ablution block
cleaning and maintenance c) Drinking water
collection and use, and d) Water impact on
building components.
The septic tank for the boys dormitories was
clogged and not fully operational. Picture 04 The
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Papua New Guinea
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MISSION POST 15
was good quality but pricey; but even then the
shower screen did not pull across the opening.
09
protective paints or other appropriate coatings. I
did not bother to record the problems at each
house as they were almost identical. Older
houses going back to the 50's and 60's need to
be demolished. Picture 07 They are badly
weathered and breaking down. Housing
conditions do not seem
to affect the infectious
spirit of the children.
Picture 08
Tuesday night saw me
on the Dash 8 for Port
Moresby. I did not know
if I would get out since
the Monday evening flight
08
was cancelled because of
bad weather. Roger Millist was held by bad weather
20 minutes flying time away and did not get back
to Goroka until Wednesday morning but we
made it to Port Moresby with a rough trip. The
hotel at Moresby was the nearest to the airport. It
07
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Papua New Guinea
Wednesday, March 29
Back at the airport I
was met by the Lands
Development officer
from the Papua New
Guinea Union
Mission. We left on
the 6.00 am flight and
arrived at Gurney on
10
the western end of
Milne Bay at 7.00 am. Quite a change for me. In
1966 there was only an airstrip
plus one toilet which was filthy.
Now they have a nice small terminal
building, very new and a credit to
the area. Picture 09 We were met
by the local pastor, the Mission
secretary and the deputy
government administrator for the
Milne Bay province. It took some
time to get my bags as the plane
was carrying a coffin and the funeral party was on
board. The party was greeted by all of my contacts;
a well-known local person had died. We dropped
our gear at the Bayview
Apartments-basic, clean
and most important, they
were fitted with room air
conditioners. Then down
to the Bay.
A 23-foot-fiberglass
boat with a 40hp motor,
11
no oars or spare fuel or
life jackets was to provide the next means of
transport across the Bay to Ramaga. There was
plenty of coral close by the shore, and the boat
0
had to be poled out about 50m before they would
start the motor. Picture 10 The trip to Ramaga
took about one hour, the waters were a little
choppy with about 1/2m (18 inches) swell.
Morning was sunny with some mixed cloud cover.
The visit to Milne Bay was something of a
sentimental visit. I was a member of the first Fly
and Build trip organized in the South Pacific
Division (called the Australasian Division then).
Some 35 team members came from various parts
of Australia and New Zealand and spent a month
erecting the school. The current status of the
school was a surprise. It had been there 40 years
with very little maintenance. I thought that it
might have been demolition material. Some of
the steel columns had rusted through (Picture
11) but most were still in order. Masonite sheets
had not been water affected; about
10% had been removed or broken;
but a good clean and a coat of paint
would fix them up. Louvre window
glass was about 15% gone. Fibro
louvers, which were cut by Pastor
George Rollo in his major job 40
years ago were about 80% gone.
Roof sheeting was heavily rusted,
could be painted for very short-term
life but really needs replacement. Picture 12
Teacher's houses need a good working over. The
boys dorm needs total recladding inside and out,
and the generator shed needs to be reconstructed.
We stopped for
lunch at about
12:00 noon then
we watched a big
storm over the
north side of
the Bay move
westward along
the bay. We also
had rain, but at
14
2:00 pm it
stopped and the boat crew decided to head for
home for safety reasons. Picture 13 shows the
inspection party, Pastor Jeffrey Kamo, the caretaker,
boat crew, the sunburnt Aussie, and Benny Soga,
North East Papua Mission Secretary. We took the
long way home to show me a little of the north
side of Milne Bay. I went to the
revival meetings that night in
the local church - in English
thankfully. I was given the
opportunity to speak to the
local members and tell them
what I was doing. They seemed
to appreciate the interest in the
area and are very supportive of
13 the plan to restart the school (its
been closed for six or seven years).
Thursday, March 30
We had a working session for the morning,
discussing what needs to be done. Pizza for
morning tea, then a full lunch. I just could not fit
anything in other than fruit. The local fruit was a
taste sensation with plenty of bananas, papaya,
etc. After lunch we took a walk through the
town, visiting some of the major suppliers to see
what they had in stock and whether it would be
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Papua New Guinea
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MISSION POST 17
economical to
use them for
building
supplies. The
hardware store
owner (an
Australian)
indicated that he would grant a 20% discount
for school reconstruction materials-very useful.
Then we were off to the airport for the 5:00 pm
flight back to Port Moresby where Alan Clarke
was waiting to pick me up. We went for a meal to
the Gateway Hotel as the power had been off at
Mt Diamond and cooking the evening meal was a
problem for his wife. I
stayed with Alan and
Roven Clarke for my
two nights on campus.
Alan is still a member
of my home churchThornleigh-and we
have known each other
for 20 plus years.
15
16
Friday, March 31
Friday I began the audit accompanied by the
College maintenance supervisor. Picture 14 The
campus is very flat with water ponds on the
ground surface. With heavy soils, there is little
run-off opportunity. 50% of the time I was there
it rained. Water collection and storage is a
problem; amenities are not maintained; again the
wrong construction materials have been used.
Rusted and damaged roofs (Picture 15), missing
downpipes, missing water tanks. It is important to
provide covered walkways as well as hard gravel
paths (plenty of free local gravel is available outside
of the main campus). The College needs a student
center for casual time; the library is totally
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MISSION POST
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Papua New Guinea
inadequate. Some construction shortcuts need
amending; the kitchen needs bigger benches and
better waste disposal. However, the kitchen
location, in a separate building from the dining
room, received full marks. Picture 16 Dormitories
are messy, need weather protection at entries to
stop water, mud and dirt from being tracked in;
they need improved ventilation and insect
screening to all windows and doors. The ablution
blocks have the same problem as at Kabiufa with
rendered walls being great for growing mold.
Alan and Roven's daughter, Charmain (7
months old), is a little charmer Picture 17,
smiles readily, rolls over easily and tries to crawl
but cannot make it yet. I enjoyed that stay with
them. Alan was trying to fight
off the flu. Thankfully I did not
get it.
Sabbath, April 1
I went to the Mt Diamond
College church and then to
Sabbath School. I got the
students to sing for me "The
Paw Paw" song and to shout
out "Happy Sabbath" which I
recorded on my little hand-held dictating
machine. The school student body sings well,
takes part in the program with enjoyment, and
sang for me when asked, even out in the yard
after lunch.
Picture 18 One
of the teachers
was speaker for
the church service
on the “dangers
of negativity.” We
went to Pacific
Adventist
University after
17
lunch and dropped in on Nemani Tausere and
family. He is the vice chancellor (previously
principal at Fulton College in Fiji) and gave him
and a number of Fijian guests a big surprise. The
PAU campus is well laid out, a major contrast to
the state of the high schools I visited.
The student activity that evening was a cultural
night in various staff houses and with the evening
programs in local languages, I spent the night
with Alan and the video machine.
Sunday, April 2
This morning we concentrated on staff housing
and mechanical things. A lot of machinery is out
of order and the cost of parts locally is a problem
Picture 19. We inspected the school farm and
the water supply. From
the river they pump
through a 50mm pipe
yet the outlet to the
school is a 100mm
pipe - correction is
needed. There is an
Aussie-made windmill
on site that needs
attention. It used to
pump water to header
20
tanks out of a ground
level tank. Now inside the tank are a number of
frogs that have no way out of the tank unless
there is an exceptionally heavy rainfall to fill the
tank. I watched the students cutting grass with
bush knives. The maintenance manager knew
nothing about scythes, which would make grass
management a lot easier if they had a half dozen
on site.
Staff housing has the same problems as Kabiufa.
Maintenance education is needed. The science
building provided a number of surprises Picture 20.
I left Port
Moresby for
home about
3:00 pm. in
a big 767
19
which was
about 3/4 full on the way to Brisbane. But from
Brisbane to Sydney there were only 40 on the
plane. I spoke with the pilot ( a PNG National)
regarding the loading and he indicated it was a
condition of the Codesharing arrangements with
Qantas. I was picked up with a warm smile at
about 9:15 pm. but with a cool reception from
the weather.
The task now is to complete the two college
reports and submit them to the South Pacific
Division for action. The report on Ramaga is
going back to PNG for costing, then to the
Division to see how funding can be organized. A
copy of the report will also go to the 1966/67
team members who are still with us. I would like
to see if they might have an interest in going back
to the site to help get the buildings in order to
allow the school to re-open in 2007. This will be a
big task but with enthusiastic personnel, both
indigenous and expatriate, quite achievable.
By: John Morris
18
Papua New Guinea
=
MISSION POST 19
africa
My Life as a Volunteer in Africa
With the knowledge that God was on my side and
no harm would come to me, I confidently packed
my suitcase to start my African adventure.
B Y ANITA KELMAN
I
am suffering from “failure to
readjust back to normal life”
disorder. This problem only
started after spending a year
overseas as a volunteer. During
2005 I had the opportunity to
serve at Helderberg College on
the southern tip of the African
continent. I believed South Africa
to be an exciting but dangerous
place so before arriving the fears
of being mugged or eaten by a
wild animal were foremost in my mind. But with the knowledge
that God was on my side and no harm would come to me, I
confidently packed my suitcase to start my African adventure.
I had nothing to worry about. Everybody was so welcoming.
There was not a lion or elephant in sight so I started to relax.
Helderberg is a college where people of all nations can come
together to live, study, eat, and socialize. It was a fabulous year
with days spent assisting in the college library, shelving books,
setting up displays, helping customers and supervising students.
And the fun did not stop there. Evenings and weekends were
spent in worship and fellowship, rehearsing drama productions,
playing netball and performing in the choir. Yes, it was an
action packed life with never a dull moment. Becoming friends
with college staff and students from across Africa, Europe, Asia
and South America was truly an enlightening cultural experience.
I miss my happy carefree life at Helderberg. Boarding the
plane home to Australia was difficult, knowing that I had to
leave everyone behind, but trusting that God now has an even
greater plan for my life.
20
MISSION POST
=
Africa
Six months have passed since I
returned to Sydney. My old friends
are still here with their same
boyfriend issues; my church is still
singing the same songs, and I’m back
at work. The tears have dried up; the
African homesickness has subsided
and my life is now a quieter, less
action-packed existence. I still harbor
a secret desire to jump on the next
plane and escape back to Africa. I
long to walk down the college road
again, watch sunsets over Table
Mountain and to hear the excited
chatter of 100 young people in the
cafeteria discussing their day.
Volunteering changed my life; it
gave me a purpose and a greater desire
to serve others. God led me to South
Africa and he will continue to lead me
in the next chapter of my life. I am
already looking at new opportunities
to travel overseas and serve again. To
anybody who is thinking about
volunteering, take the time out and
go! Let God use and change you.
By Anita Kelman
TEN VOLUNTEERS NEEDED URGENTLY FOR INDONESIA!
If English is your mother tongue
and you enjoy working with peoplethis is the assignment for you.
There are wonderful opportunities for evangelism.
The Facilities and living conditions are excellent.
Check the details now online:
www.adventistvolunteers.org
SSD.AECS.2006.01
Africa
=
MISSION POST 21
new zealand
Part of a Family
Relationships are more important than anything else...
B Y RAPHAEL GRIN
L
eaving my country and my job as a pastor in
Switzerland, I wanted to serve the Lord in
a very different context. I hoped I would not
be disappointed.
After spending six months in Australia to
learn English, I applied to the Adventist
Volunteer Service (AVS) for a position in New
Zealand. Everything went well until the week
before I was due to flyout. An e-mail from
New Zealand told me that they didn't need me
anymore. Some administrative problems,
apparently. Very disappointed and upset, I
started to make new plans. Then, the day after,
a second e-mail said that they would find
something else for me to do somewhere in the
country. Not very confident, I flew off to
New Zealand.
Leap of Faith
22
MISSION POST
=
New Zealand
After one week with the team I was supposed
to work with, I learned I would not stay with
them. Looking for something else to do, I
turned toward the place where we stayed, Tui
Ridge Park, a park owned and run by the
church (www.tuiridgepark.co.New Zealand).
The manager didn't take long to consider my
request: a few minutes after asking him, I was
part of the staff.
The work at Tui Ridge Park was actually very
interesting. The Park hosts schools and other
groups for their camps, from one day up to
one week. In the Park, each group can enjoy
several challenging activities in a native bush
setting. They can stay in the dorm or live in
tents on the campground. We even provide
their food.
My job was to work as an Outdoor
Instructor with the children: rock climbing,
abseiling, high ropes (different rope games at
about 10 meters (32.6 feet) above the ground),
flying kiwi, mountain biking, etc. It was very
challenging but rewarding to see the children
(and some adults too!) facing their fear of
heights when doing these activities. They
learned to trust themselves and others and do
something challenging, exciting and probably
new in their life’s experiences.
I was also chaplain for the staff, did a little
bit of maintenance around the Park and some
office work. The church nearby included me as
well, and I helped them a little bit, teaching a
few Sabbath school classes, preaching twice
and helping with the Pathfinder club.
Team of Tui Ridge Park
However, the actual highlight of my experience was not
the work I did, even though I really enjoyed it and will
miss working in the outdoors back home. The most
memorable aspect was the atmosphere and the
relationships I observed among the staff members and
their families-that was something awesome. I was part of
a family, living with these people 24/7, working, eating,
going to church, doing sports and other social events all
together. Our relationships during this year grew
stronger and closer and the day I had to leave was one
of the saddest in my life. I will never forget my "kiwi"
family and I look forward to meeting them again.
Raphael (right) and colleagues
I learned three main things during this year as a
disinfecting dormitories.
volunteer: dependence, trust and grace. Being alone in
a new country where the language is not your mother
tongue, not knowing anybody, and not being sure what
you are going to do the next year is quite scary. So you have to rely on people. The people
at Tui Ridge Park provided me with everything I needed, even things I didn't need! I really
depended on these people for the basics…
Without knowing me at all, the manager and everybody else trusted me straight away,
the first day I arrived in the Park. They didn't take long to give me responsibilities and
New Zealand
=
MISSION POST 23
make me a full member of the staff. Even though being an Outdoor Instructor is not my real
profession, I did this work full time. I felt very confident, trusted by my colleagues and friends.
Above all, I learned the real meaning of grace. Grace is when you get something good that you
don't deserve. That’s exactly my feelings after this year in New Zealand. I have been blessed so
much by my friends over there, and I feel I didn't do anything to deserve it. The people, the
place, the work, the atmosphere, the friendship-everything was a gift from God. I feel that I was
served more than I served, that I received more than I gave.
I value more than anything else this time as a volunteer, knowing that God had a plan for me
and sent me where I could both give and learn.
By Raphaël Grin, Switzerland
P.S. New Zealand is such a beautiful country, no wonder the inhabitants call their country
"God's own" or "God zone"…
Raphael Grin
24
MISSION POST
=
New Zealand
russia
Building Relationships
In order to share the Gospel, we must first build relationships.
B Y CLAIRE-LISE DAVY
H
ave you ever felt afraid of the future?
But finally, when it’s over, you realize
that it was one of the best experiences you
have ever had?
Some months ago, I had to decide what I
would do during the year 2005-2006. I asked
God, and he sent me to Kaliningrad (in Russia)
to be a French teacher. I had never left my home
country before and had absolutely no diploma
or experience in teaching. But God was with me
and helped me when I had problems.
One absolutely wonderful thing is meeting
your family in Christ: they make you feel good,
at home, and loved. You share with them your
experiences, habits and culture, your home
church and personal spiritual life. The principal
goal of a missionary is to share the Bible. That
means you have to be sure of your beliefs and
faith. For me, my beliefs were jumbled and I
needed (and still do) to build my spiritual life
around what I learned everyday in my
relationship with God. It may be difficult, but
it is such a need!
Moreover, being a missionary made me
more mature. I am now more responsible,
independent, and better organized.
Being a teacher is very interesting.
Most of my students were so nice.
They were really interested in the
French language and culture and were
happy to show me the beautiful places
in Russia. In addition to the French
lessons, there was a special time every Friday
night to discuss and read the Bible with
students. And when we had activities with
students outside of school, we built relationships
that made it possible to share the Gospel.
Do you like adventure? Go to Kaliningrad to
try blinis, borsh, "fish under fur"( Russian foods),
read cyrillic letters, take a minibus that drives
crazily, learn to speak Russian, and confront
temperatures of -20deg Centigrade... Do you
like nature? Take a look at the beautiful Baltic
sea, the huge forests and lakes.... Or if you prefer
friendships, you will discover that the Russian
people are very hospitable, you will build true
friendships, and play with cute children.
I thank God for giving me this experience. If
you have the choice, don’t hesitate to volunteer,
you will come back stronger!
By Claire-Lise Davy, (France), Missionary teacher at
English Language Center in Russia, Kaliningrad city.
Claire (second from left) pictured here with her students.
Russia
=
MISSION POST 25
australia
Big Changes...
Those few months had a huge impact on my life....
B Y SANDRA BANKMAN
I
came to Australia with very few expectations. I
a project with homeless kids around
had just finished High School and wanted to go
my area that I thought I could help
overseas to do some kind of volunteer work, mainly
with, but by the time I got there it
with disadvantaged children. When my boyfriend’s
had been closed down. So my Pastor
dad told me about a church in New South Wales,
suggested that if I wanted to work with
Australia, which he had visited as a pastor a few
kids I should find the disadvantaged
years ago, I thought why not serve in a church (I
families in that area and organize
was a Christian but not a Seventh-day Adventist).
something for the kids where they
Australia sounded especially great to me since it was
could feel loved and valued. I
one of my dream countries that I wanted to visit
discovered a lot of poverty and hardship
one day anyway.
nearby and was very interested in
Three months later I arrived at the Sydney airport,
getting to know these families and
ready to meet the people that I would live with and
helping them. So I contacted some
my supervisor, the Pastor of the Central Coast
single mom families from church and
Community Church. I was very excited but also
visited them.
nervous about what to expect from these guys. I
wondered what kind of work I would be doing for
leaders went to a seminar in
the next few months. They gave me a very warm
Melbourne about kid’s ministries and
welcome at the airport, as well as at home and at
I got to go with them! That was a
church, which made it really easy for me to get used
great experience for me and a good
to my new surroundings. Three months isn’t very
opportunity to get some ideas about
long for volunteer service so I decided to myself
what I could do with the kids after
that I had to give my very best and make the most
getting to know them. After that
of it.
weekend I had so many ideas in my
It did not take me long to realize that it wasn’t as
easy as I thought. Before I came over I had heard of
26
The next week some of the church
MISSION POST
=
Australia
head, which I now had to put into
Continued on page 28
Use the talents you
possess. The woods
would be silent if the
only birds that sang
were the ones who
sang best.
-Unknown
Gray Bird-Lake Louis, Alberta, Canada
Photo courtesy of Russell Gibbs
=
Canada - Alberta-Lake Louise-cu of
MISSION POST 27
action. Shortly after my return from Melbourne
weekends. We had game and movie afternoons
I got involved in a project at the local public
and a “Where’s Wally” day. The kids just gave
school. Some ladies from the local Baptist
me so much and I learned heaps from them.
church got together once a week for “Extreme
Not only did I get involved with the local
Kids Club.” They played with the kids after
school, I also received Bible studies from our
school, told them Bible stories and did crafts.
Pastor and my friend Sarah once a week. We
It was amazing to see how these kids, some of
had studies on the Sabbath, Spiritual Gifts,
whom had never heard of God before, learn
and on the Prophecies Daniel … which we gave
their memory verses, listen to the words of the
back to our Teens small group. That was a
Bible and sing and worship God with such
great way to learn how to give Bible studies
happiness and joy in their eyes. I also started
since I’ve never given any before.
as a teachers aide to read with a second grade
On the weekends we had “Kid’s Church”
class once a day. Most of the
which ran parallel
kids were from broken
to the main service.
homes. They were all longing
It was awesome to
for love, and someone who
see about 50 kids
would give them attention. It
praising and
did not take long before I
worshipping God.
got very close to them and
The kids all got
they found their way into my
very involved in the
heart. I started organizing
service. Each week
activities for them on the
we had a different
01
child doing the
welcoming, singing
up the front or praying. They all loved to
serve God!
Those few months made a huge impact on
my life and also changed it in many ways. I
have learned so much and have changed not
only in character but also as a Christian. A big
turning point came when we went camping
02
28
MISSION POST
=
Australia
with about 4000 people. It was called Big Camp. One
of the sermons especially touched me and set me
thinking… The preacher was talking about the hall of
Christianity, which describes the house of God where
the main hall is the hall of Christianity. From this
hall you can enter different rooms, one room for each
denomination. Not long ago I entered the room of
Adventism, which started when I got to know my
boyfriend. Since then it has been a process of learning
and adapting. Through all those Bible studies in
Australia I’ve learned heaps about the Bible and
while attending an Adventist church and living with
an Adventist family I’ve also learned about the
Adventist lifestyle. I learned to identify myself as an
Adventist and that’s why I decided to get baptized!
This was the perfect way to end this most inspiring
and significant experience in my life, which really was
a new beginning for me to live the rest of my life with
God, our Creator and Heavenly Father, by my side. I
03
Picture 01: The ladies from the local
Baptist Church who organize "Extreme"
Kids Club every week (with some of their
kids).
Pictures 02: The kids from Central Coast
Community Church (CCCC) love to serve
God and worship him during Kids Church.
Picture 03: The kids enjoy learning about
the Bible, singing and spending time with
their friends.
Picture 04: After the baptism: "This was the
perfect way to end this most inspiring and
significant experience in my life.
think that’s the best decision any of us can make!
By Sandra Bankman
Editor’s Note: Missionary volunteers are usually
required to be baptised before they serve but
occasionally we make exceptions due to special
circumstances. We praise God that He opened the
doors for Sandra to serve.
04
Australia
=
MISSION POST 29
fun and games
1
Starting with a five letter word, change one letter to create a new word. This word is then
changed by one letter to create another new word. For example, DOG, DIG, FIG etc. These
words in turn mean:
a gaggle of geese
a device for measuring time
what you can do with a mouse
a baby chicken
a device to prevent wheels from moving
a surprise
a small house
a pile of cards
a small piece of wood
unable to move
What is represented by these BrainBats?
2
3
RUE
4 By changing the second letter of each word below, you can make another valid word. Can you change
each word such that the second letters will reveal an eleven letter word when read downward. Therefore,
what now reads VOKAHLIUPPW will be a real word.
OVAL
POST
SKIN
MALT
WHEN
SLAB
MISS
FUND
APED
SPED
SWAY
MISSION POST
Answers:
1. Flock, clock, click, chick, chock, shock, shack, stack,
stick, stuck. 2. Split second timing. 3. Are you ready.
4. Paperweight: opal, past, spin, melt, wren, swab, mess,
find, aged, shed, stay.
30
Puzzles devised by © Kevin Stone [www.brainbashers.com]
=
Fun and Games
2006 volunteer opportunities
Botswana
Indonesia
Teacher
North Botswana Field
ESL Teachers
Adventist English Conversation School
Cameroon
Japan
Construction Supervisor
Adventist University Cosendai
Pastor
Okinawa International Church
Chad
Lesotho
Accountant
Bere Adventist Hospital
Ebeye
Teachers
Ebeye SDA Schools
Egypt
Pastor
Nile Union Academy
Georgia
English Teacher
English Language Center - Tbilisi
Germany
Assistant for German Language Course
Friedensau University
Nursing Tutor
Maluti Adventist Hospital
Mexico
English Teacher
University of Montemorelos
Russia
Assistant to the Women’s Dean
Zaosky Adventist University
Thailand
Librarian
Adventist International Mission School
Venezuela
Carpenter
Bible School of Chirikayen
Listed are samples of volunteer opportunities for 2006 at the time this issue went to press.
There are currently hundreds of volunteer opportunities available throughout the world, and
more become available each day! For the most current information on these and other volunteer
positions, visit us online at: www.adventistvolunteers.org.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, contact your division volunteer coordinator for
more information. Your home division will process your application.
Opportunities
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MISSION POST 31