Misionero Completo en Ingles Tercer Trimestre 2010 Adulto

8/9/2019 Misionero Completo en Ingles Tercer Trimestre 2010 Adulto

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

MAGAZINE 2010QUARTER 3

T R A N s - E U R O p E A N D I V I s I O N

featuring:

God Has Planspg 12 | a BiBleof My ownpg 26

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C o n t e n t s

On the Cove: Caption?

DENMArk4 The Newspape Ad | July 3

6 A New Chuch | July 10

8 Against the Tide | July 17

10 A Pace to Beong | July 24

12 God Has Pans | July 31

FINlAND14 The Beating Heat | August 7

16 Convesation in a Sauna | August 14

18 Whee Ae You, God? |August 21

POlAND

20 Finding Gods Pan | August 28

22 A Gift in the Foest | September 4

24 Speading Banches of Faith | September 11

CHIlDrENS PrOjECT

26 A Bibe of My Own | September 18

rESOrCES

28 Thiteenth Sabbath Pogam | September 25

31 resouces

32 Map

= stories of special interest to teens


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This quarter features the Trans-European Division, which includescountries in Europe, Asia, andnorthern Africa. The division is home

to more than 616 million people,but only 111,000 are Seventh-dayAdventists. Thats a ratio of oneAdventist for every 5,555 people.

The ChallengesBecause of its great geographical and

cultural diversity, the challenges of

working in this division are complex.Much of Europe is materialistic, post-modern, and secular. People arentseeking after God. Churches are all butempty. Even the residents of formerCommunist-ruled countries are seekingmore for financial security thanspiritual certainty.

Some of the counties within this

division dont welcome Christianity atall. In these areas nurturing believers isdifficult and often dangerous.

Denmark and Finland are two ofthe most modernand secularcountries in Europe. But two newchurch plants are vibrant andgrowing. In the international English

church plant in Copenhagen,Denmark, as many as 60 peopleworship and fellowship from weekto week. Many are students or

guest workers with limited-timevisas to remain in the country, butothers are permanent residents. Justoutside Helsinki, Finland, a growingcongregation of believers findsinnovative ways to share their faithand their message with neighborsand, using the Internet, a broaderaudience. These two congregationswill receive help from the ThirteenthSabbath Offering to continue togrow and minister in their respectivemission fields.

Polands Camp Zatonie is a gift fromGod, and every year the outreach ofthis camp and the church memberswho use it bring hundreds, who might

otherwise not consider Jesus in theirlives, into contact with the gospel ofChrist. But the government, who gavethe camp to the church, is demandingthat its buildings be brought up tomodern standards. Its a financialhardship on the more than 5,000Adventist believers in Poland, butour Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will

help complete the renovations andmake the camp even more useful as anevangelistic tool.

Yours for the kingdom,

Charlotte IshkanianEditor, Mission

O p p o r t u n i t i e s

This quarters Thirteenth Sabbath

Offering will helpplant an English-speaking church in

Copenhagen, Denmark

renovate a historic building tobe used as a church in Nummela,Finland

renovate Camp Zatonie in Poland.

Dear Sabbath School Leader,


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Todays story comes from Denmark,a small country in northernEurope. [Locate Denmark on the map.]Kim leafed through the newspaper,

scanning the headlines and readingthe stories that caught his interest. Hiseyes fell on a small advertisement inthe lower corner of the page. He read itabsently, then stopped and read it again.

He turned the page and continuedreading, but his mind returned to thatsmall advertisement. The few sentencesin the advertisement invited readers tojoin a Bible study that was meeting onTuesday evenings.

Kim flipped back through thenewspaper, drawn to the ad as a moth isdrawn to a flame. He read the ad again,

sensing that it offered something that heneeded, that he had been searching for.

Searching for MeaningKim had always been interested in

spiritual things. Although his family,like most in Denmark, wasnt religious,Kim always believed ingood, if not inGod. Kim sensed that life was filled withstruggles between good and evil. He hadseen evil in the alcohol and drugs andviolence that hed encountered, and

he reasoned that if evil existed, thensomewhere good must exist as well.He tried to live a good life, but his

failures frustrated him. He searchedfor ways to embrace goodness withoutrealizing that the good he was lookingfor was God.

In his search for goodness, Kimadopted a healthy lifestyle and became

a vegetarian. He shared what he waslearning with his family, but he wascareful not to overwhelm them with toomuch information. Over the course oftime his parents saw the wisdom in hishealthy lifestyle.

As he read books on health, he wasintroduced to the New Age movement,a philosophy of life that emphasizes the

importance of being a servant of theworld. New Age teachings dont denyGod; instead they teach that God existswithin every person as a force for good.But salvation through Jesus Christ is nota part of New Age.

Searching for JesusWhen Kim faced some personal

problems he realized that the New AgeMovement didnt hold all the answers.He began to question God. Was He

the newspaper adJuly 3 | Kim Hoffensetz

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real? Did He care about humanity? IfGod cared about him, Kim wanted tomeet Him.

Kim met some Christians whointroduced him to a church. Kimattended the worship services andenjoyed the music. His spirit soaredas the people sang praises to God. Butin time Kim realized that the worshipservices were more about experienceand feelings than about reason andlogic. He yearned for something more,something to satisfy his mind as wellas his spirit. He wondered whether hewould always be searching and never

really finding.

The Newspaper AdThen Kim found the newspaper ad.

He decided to attend the Bible studymeeting. Perhaps there he would findthe answers he was looking for.

Kim was amazed at what he learned

during the Bible study. He neverrealized the depth of Gods love and

the plan of salvation. He continued toattend and built his life on the truthshe was learning. He discarded thetwisted philosophies that had cloudedhis understanding of God. Kimrealized that God was not only logical,but that He was the author of perfectlogic and meaning. His spiritual lifegrew as he studied for himself Godsgreat truths.

Kim shared small bits of what hewas learning with his family. Theylistened politely, but he could tell thatthey werent really interested. Kim haskept sharing, hoping that his familywill eventually accept his faith in God,just as they accepted his principles ofhealthful living.

Eight months after Kim found thenewspaper ad, he was baptized intoChrist and joined the AdventistChurch. Kim is learning how to sharehis faith with others and how to find

answers to his personal questions in hisBible. He enjoys sharing with others thetruths he has come to love. He wants tohelp others find God as he has. He hostsa weekly dinner and Bible study that 10to 12 people attend.

The church in Denmark is small,and few are interested in religion. ButKim wants to help the church grow.

He continues to share bits of truth andtestimony with his family, hoping thatone day they will come to know Jesus ashe has.

Our mission offerings help supportBible study groups such as the one Kimattended. And part of our ThirteenthSabbath Offering this quarter will helpplant a growing international church

in Copenhagen, the capital city ofDenmark.

F a s t F a C t s

Denmark is a small country made upof a peninsula and almost 500 islands.It lies south of Norway, and Sweden.

Its a wealthy and modern nation,and, like Finland, its people have losttheir sense of need for God.

Vikings founded the Danish kingdommore than 1,100 years ago, makingit one of Europes oldest continuouskingdoms. The national flag has beenin use since 1219.

Denmark is a monarchy, a kingdom;its flag is the worlds oldest. It hasbeen in continuous use for more than700 years.


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My name is Anette. I live inDenmark, and until a friendprayed for me I didnt know that Godloves me. My family isnt religious.Occasionally we attended a Christmasservice at church, but the rest of theyear God wasnt part of our lives.

Give Me FaithThen I came to a difficult period

in my life. My friend Carina was aChristian, but we hadnt discussedreligion. However, Carina recognizedthe problem I was facing and prayedfor me. She told me that God couldhelp me if I let Him into my life. As

she shared her faith with me, I wishedthat I could know God as she did. Butas much as I wanted to believe in God,how could I believe in something that Icouldnt see, touch, or feel?

You cant make yourself believe,Carina explained. Ask God to give youfaith.

That night I prayed for the first

time. God, if Youre there, please giveme faith. I waited, but I didnt feelanything different. I was disappointed,

but I wasnt ready to give up.

Struggling With GodI had not been baptized as an infant,

and I felt I wanted to take this step.So I found a church and asked thepastor to baptize me. She told me that

I should first understand baptism andthe commitment it represents. She sentme home with the assignment to readcertain passages in the Bible.

I read the Bible passages, and Carinacontinued to pray for me. Her strongChristian faith encouraged me to keepstudying and seeking God. As we readour Bibles together and talked about

God, I began to feel my friendship withHim growing.

During this time God showed methat my relationship with my boyfriendwas pulling me in the wrong direction.I struggled with God over this issue, forI didnt want to lose my boyfriend. Godcontinued to work on my heart. FinallyI surrendered and prayed, OK, God,

Im putting my life in Your hands. Itrust You. This was a huge step of faithfor me.

a new ChurChJuly 10 | Anette Wulf Andersen

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

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Although I wanted to be strong in mybeliefs, I found that it was much harder tofollow Christs example than I thought.

The Caf Church

One day when I met Carina, she wasreally excited. I found a new church,she said. Its called the Caf Church,and it meets on Saturdays. Its differentfrom any church Ive ever attended.Carina explained that the people whoattended sat at tables and enjoyed a softdrink until the program began. Thenthey joined in singing praise songs with

a group of musicians on a stage. Thensomeone spoke. It sounded interesting,and I decided to attend the church withCarina the next week.

On Saturday we went to the CafChurch. Carina was right. It wasspecial. Everyone was so friendly andwelcoming. I wanted to be a part of thisgroup and attend worship there every

week. I learned that this was a Seventh-day Adventist church and that it meets

in the oldest Adventist church buildingin Copenhagen. I had never heard ofSeventh-day Adventists, but I liked theworship and loved the people. At lastI felt that I was growing in faith andunderstanding.

The members told me that a youngwoman had started this church to reachother young adults such as myself. Inaddition to Sabbath services, theyinvited me to meet with one of severalsmall groups for Bible study and prayerduring the week.

As I studied the Bible with these

people I realized that I had found mychurch home. Although Carina quitcoming with me, I continued attendingthe Caf Church.

My Spiritual HomeI was so happy the day I was baptized

into membership at the Caf Church.I knew that I had found God and that

I can trust Him to lead me whereverHe wishes. His will for my life is what Iwant to follow, no matter where it leads.

Ive finished my studies at a universityin Copenhagen, and now I feel Godleading me to study theology. Imworking in an orphanage while Godworks out the details of the next step inmy life. I talk to Carina whenever I can

about the faith she helped me find. Iwant her to have the joy that Ive foundin Jesus.

I thank God for the Caf Church,an outreach of the Adventist Churchin Denmark. I now know that thischurch was established with the helpof Global Mission and your missionofferings. Im a follower of Jesus today,

and your mission offerings helped makeit possible. Thank you!

F a s t F a C t s

Denmark is a wealthy andthoroughly modern country. Its

citizens enjoy one of the higheststandards of living in Europe. Itscapital city is Copenhagen.

Through skill and imagination, theDanes have made effective use oflimited natural resources.

Denmarks best-known writersinclude Hans Christian Andersen,whose fairy tales are famousthroughout the world, and thereligious philosopher SrenKierkegaard.


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In the heart of Copenhagen, Denmarkscapital city, Seventh-day Adventistsare seeking to swim against the tide ofsecularism and apathy. They are reachingout to the international community,a segment of society that hadnt beentapped by Adventists until recently.

Growing numbers of people aretraveling to Denmark to study, to

visit, or to work. The internationalcongregation in Copenhagen seeks tominister to these people.

A Dream Coming TrueTen years ago Velma Callendar, a

worker for the United Nations, sawa need and dreamed of establishingan English-language church in

Copenhagen. Today some 60 peoplefrom 16 different countries worshiptogether in a crowded classroom of anAdventist school.

A pastor has been assigned part-timeto shepherd the group as it continues togrow and reach out to the internationalEnglish-speaking community in the city.

Many in the congregation are either

students or are employed as temporaryworkers whose visas allow them to stayin Denmark for more than a year. This

means that the congregations makeupchanges constantly, and those whoattend cannot always afford to supportthe church as they would like to. Inspite of these challenges the churchcontinues to reach out and grow.

Meet Some MembersLeila [LEH-lah] came from Kenya

looking for work. While her mother isa Seventh-day Adventist, her fatherworships in another faith. Leila and herbrother chose the Adventist Church.

When Leila arrived in Denmark,she didnt know any Adventists. Fortwo months she remained at homeon Sabbaths. Then a search on theInternet found the English-speaking

Adventist church. She negotiated thestill unfamiliar city and found the smallgroup of believers. She hasnt missed aSabbath since. I was so happy to findother Adventists who I could worshipwith, says Leila. This is my spiritualhome now.

Josan Sano, from the Philippines,has been in Denmark for several years.

She encourages the younger Filipinomembers to remain faithful to Godwhile they are far from home. Our

againstthe tideJuly 17 | congregational worship BackgroundiStockphoto.com/Tony Oquias

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church family is very close, and wecare about one another, she says. Ifsomeone is missing on Sabbath, we callto make sure they are OK.

Josan and GeraldineJosan invited Analyn [ah-nah-lihn] to worship with the Adventistbelievers on Sabbath. Analyn, alsofrom the Philippines, had been raisedin a different faith and had neverheard about Seventh-day Adventistsuntil she met Josan. She attendedthe church and met other young

Adventists from her homeland.She asks many questions, and herfaith in God has grown in this warm andwelcoming environment. The supportthat Analyn has received from membersof the international congregation hasdrawn her closer to God.

Geraldine Cardona is also from thePhilippines. When she worked in the

Philippines, she found it difficult to getSabbaths off from work. Many timesher supervisors threatened to fire herif she didnt work on Sabbath. TodayGeraldine works as an au pair [oh pair;a live-in babysitter] in Denmark and isan active member of the internationalchurch. We work together to makeour congregation healthy and vibrant,

says Geraldine. Were building ouryouth and outreach programs, whichare a big part of the churchs Sabbathprogramming back home in thePhilippines. But without a place tomeet together throughout the Sabbath,its difficult.

Bulging BuildingThe international congregation

meets for Sabbath School in a

classroom of a small Adventist school.Its far too small for the current groupand offers no permanency.

The space is not ours, one churchmember says. And its too small. MostSabbaths its difficult to find a place tosit. The children meet outside in thecourtyard, but on rainy or cold days theycant do that.

In an area of the world wheretraditional worship services are dying, theinternational church in Copenhagen isgrowing. Part of this quarters ThirteenthSabbath Offering will help establish

this international church in permanentfacilities and help its members reach outto a growing community.

M i s s i O n P O s t

Denmark is largely secular. Itsmodern and comfortable lifestyleenabled Danes to look to materialthings for satisfaction and security.Denmarks citizens seldom attendchurch more than on special dayssuch as Christmas and Easter.

Among the population, however,

some are searching for God.Immigrants from Europe, Africa,and South America have broughtwith them their intense desire tofellowship with other believersand reach out to those from theirhomeland who are also strangers ina foreign land.

The international congregation inCopenhagen is ministering to theEnglish-speaking people who livein the capital city. The church isgrowing stronger and larger.


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Leila [LEH-lah] awoke with a heavyheart. It was Sabbath, and she washomesick. She lay in bed thinking ofher mother and brother. They wouldbe going to church today. They wouldsing the songs that she had learned tolove and pray with the other believers.Perhaps they would pray for her, too.

In Kenya it seemed that nearlyeveryone went to church. But inDenmark, where Leila now lives, itseemed that few people attended thefine churches scattered across the city.In fact, she had been so busy in thetwo months since she had come toCopenhagen that she hadnt thoughtmuch about finding a church in which

to worship either.Leila had come to Copenhagen

to visit her aunt. When the womansuggested that Leila find work as an aupair [oh pair], a live-in babysitter, Leilaagreed. She obtained the necessary visaand found a job with a wonderful familywho treated her well. She began savingmoney to attend college when she

returned home. But she hadnt found achurch home.

Suddenly she knew what she had to do.

On the MapShe sat up and tossed the covers

aside. She turned on the computer andsearched the Internet for an Adventistchurch in Copenhagen. She was thrilledto discover an international Adventistcongregation that worshipped in thecity. Quickly she copied down the

address. But how could she get there?Her aunt wasnt an Adventist, so Leiladecided to take the bus to church. Shefound a map and traced the bus routeto the church. She dressed quickly andhurried to catch the bus.

She found the neighborhood wherethe church was located, but, when shefound the church, she was dismayed to

find the church empty! A disappointedsigh escaped her lips before she noticeda letter posted on the door explainingthat the church members were on aretreat. The letter gave the directions,so Leila hurried to catch a bus to theregion outside the city where the retreatwas being held.

She didnt know her way around the

city, so she swallowed her fear and askedfor help finding the right bus. She gotlost several times before she found the

a plaCeto BelongJuly 24 | Leila Apiyo

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retreat center. She arrived just as thesermon was ending. But Leila didntcare. She had found fellow believers!

She met Rose from Uganda, whoinvited her to join her for lunch. Roseintroduced Leila to other members ofthe English-speaking church. She metpeople from all around the worldIceland, Philippines, Tanzania, andAmerica, as well as from Denmark.The members welcomed her warmlyand invited her to join them the nextSabbath at the school where they holdSabbath School. Leila felt as if she werein heaven!

When the meetings ended for the dayLeila found her way back home. She wasdetermined not to miss another Sabbathof fellowship and worship!

Searching for a Spiritual HomeAs Leila reflects on her experience

finding fellow believers in Denmark, she

realizes that in many ways her life hasbeen a search for a spiritual home. Hermother was an Adventist, but her fatherwas from a different religion. Oftenas she was growing up she felt tornbetween the two religions and her desireto please her parents. Her father wantedthe children to follow his religion;and when he was home, the children

attended special religious classes onSaturday. But when he was traveling,as he often was, the children went toSabbath School with Mother.

When she was ready to go to highschool her mother insisted that Leilastudy at an Adventist boarding school.There Leila joined the choir andlearned to praise God using her voice.

At camp meeting, which was held onher school grounds, Leila had given herlife to Christ and been baptized. For

months Leila didnt tell her father ofher decision for Christ, for she fearedhurting him.

A Place to BelongLeila rejoices that she has found

her spiritual home in Denmark in theinternational congregation. She feelsloved and nurtured there and in turnwelcomes and nurtures others who come.

Im so happy that God led me to thischurch, she says. Our little worshiphall is overflowing, and we need to finda larger place to meet. We would like

to find a hall where people can find usmore easily so more people will come.Im thrilled to know that this

quarter part of the world churchsThirteenth Sabbath Offering will helpgrow this international congregationinto a vibrant, loving church family,where theres room for everyone whowill come.


The international English-languageAdventist church in Copenhagen,Denmark, represents Adventistsfrom at least 16 countries.These members speak at least 17

languages and dialects, yet theyfind unity and fellowship in theiradopted country and their newchurch home.

The international church has apart-time pastor to help it grow.It needs a permanent house ofworship in an area of the city thatis both safe and accessible by publictransportation. Pray that Godwill lead this congregation in themonths ahead as it grows in sizeand spiritual strength.


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Saranya [sah-RAHN-yah] tugged atthe red silk sari she was wearing.Her hand flitted nervously over the finefabric. Today was her wedding day; shewas marrying Amuthan [ah-MOO-than],a man she had seen only a few times.

As with most traditional marriagesin India, Saranya had spent little timewith her fianc, though they had spoken

for hours by telephone during theirengagement. They had prayed together,and Saranya was sure that this man hadbeen sent in answer to her prayers for aChristian husband.

She smoothed her long, dark hair asshe prayed silently once more. Please,God, be the center of our home. Lead ustogether in Your ways.

Saranyas PrayerSaranya smiled as she thought about

how God had given her a Christianhusband. Her parents werent Christians,and they had been determined that shewould marry in their religion. Saranyasonly hope was to pray. And God steppedin with His own plan.

At church one Sunday a girl sat nextto Saranya. She noticed Saranyas sweetvoice as she sang praises to God. She

listened as Saranya asked and answeredBible questions. This girl would be a goodhusband for Amuthan, she thought. Theyoung woman spoke to her family aboutSaranya. When Saranyas family learnedthat Amuthan was well-educated andhardworking, their hearts softened.

Amuthan

But Amuthan, who is an Adventist,was busy completing his Ph.D. in physicsin Switzerland, and his mind was far frommarriage. Why, he hadnt even seen apicture of this young woman whom hiscousin spoke about so glowingly.

Amuthans mother, on the otherhand, was a woman of strong faith.She wanted her son to marry a good

Christian girl. She and other familymembers began inquiring aboutSaranya. They were delighted to learnthat she had not yet been promised toanyone and that she had a strong faithin God. Saranya would make a fine match

for my son, Amuthans mother thought.While Amuthan studied in

Switzerland, his family began the delicatedance of arranging a marriage in India.Family members negotiated back andforth, and finally the families agreed that

god has plansJuly 31 | Saranya and Amuthan


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the two young people could marry.Saranya and Amuthan hadnt even

met yet.The young couple eventually did

meet, but only briefly and with familymembers present. When Amuthanreturned to Switzerland, e-mails andtelephone calls flew back and forthbetween them. Amuthan wanted to besure that Saranya was truly surrenderedto Christ, and Saranya wanted assurancethat Amuthans Adventist faith wasthe true faith. She questioned him atlength about his beliefs. The couple

spent hours reading the Bible togetherover the telephone and asking andanswering questions. Saranya visited alocal Adventist church and felt lovedand accepted there. She listened tothe Bible lessons each Sabbath and feltconvinced that this was the truth.

At last the wedding day arrived. ForSaranya the day marked the beginning

of a new life as a wife and as a child in anew faith.

New Home, New ChurchFollowing the marriage the couple

moved to Copenhagen, Denmark,where Amuthan would work as aresearch assistant. They searched theInternet for an Adventist church and

were delighted to find the English-speaking international church.

They visited the English church andfelt at home, for they had seen picturesof the members and activities on thechurchs website. This will be our churchhome, Amuthan thought.

The church members welcomed themand made them feel that they belonged.

At the first opportunity, Saranya wasbaptized. The couple quickly became apart of the church. Amuthan preaches

occasionally and takes turns teachingthe Sabbath School lesson as well.They join other church members whogive out flyers and introduce peoplein Copenhagen to the internationalchurch that they have come to love.

New Life in ChristAmuthan and Saranya enjoy living

in Denmark. They thank God forproviding them with a loving churchfamily made up of people from 16countries around the world. While theywant to grow their church, they struggle

with limited space and an unsafelocation in which to worship. But theyknow that God has plans for theirchurch, just as He has plans for eachone of the members.

Part of this quarters ThirteenthSabbath Offering will help plantthe international English church inCopenhagen, Denmark.

F a s t F a C t s

The international English churchis made up almost entirely ofAdventist believers who are livingin Denmark as they study and worktemporarily as au pairs [live-in

babysitters]. The churchs makeupchanges from month to month assome members complete their workassignments or their universitystudies and return home. Thismeans that while the church has alarge potential membership base, itdoesnt have a strong financial base.

Pray that God will call out people

in Denmark to hold up the handsof the church leaders and providethe financial base that will help thechurch to grow in strength.


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Narrator: In a classroom of a smallAdventist school set amidst a grove oftrees and overlooking a lake, a thrivingcongregation seeks to reach out to itsneighbors and lead them to Christ.

Located outside Helsinki, Finland,the congregation calls itself BeatingHeart, for their ministry is focused onreaching the hearts of those who live

in their community. The Beating Heartcongregation worships in the school,for it has no building of its ownyet. Already the young congregationhas outgrown its meeting space, andmembers are working hard to raise themoney to remodel the historic barn ontheir property into a new church home.

The land on which the school and

barn are located is part of an estate thatwas left to the church several years ago.Two members share their testimoniesof how God is working in and throughtheir lives to reach others for Christ.

Pirjo [a woman]: My name is Pirjo[peer-yoh]. I first heard of Seventh-day Adventists when I was 17. I met a

young man who invited me to attendchurch with himan Adventistchurch. I had never attended church,

and I felt uncomfortable going, but Iwas impressed by the friendship and theBible study.

I attended the church for severalmonths. Then during evangelisticmeetings I surrendered my heart toGod. It wasnt easy because I wantedto be a popular singer. But I gave Godthat dream, and He showed me that I

could use my talent to His glory insteadof my own.

I married a young man named Ari.Life wasnt perfect for I suffered fromdepression and sometimes wonderedwhether God really existed. But Godused my family and friends to draw mecloser to Him.

Then one day my brother-in-law, a

pastor, asked me to preach. I had neverthought of preaching before, but I waswilling to try. I was thrilled to be using mylove of writing to tell others about God.

Soon I was preaching on a regularbasis. Then someone asked me to give aBible study. I agreed to try and discoveredthat I enjoyed studying with others.

God has used my writing ability in

ways I never would have imagined. Ourchurch has an active Internet ministry.We upload our weekly sermons and

the Beating heartAugust 7 | Pirjo and Rainer

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photos of our congregation. Someweeks more than 400 people visit ourchurch website. Some of these arenot Adventists and may never havestepped inside a church. Others areour neighbors who want to know moreabout the little church in the forest. Ipraise God that He has given me talentsto use to share His love with others.

Rainer [a man]: I grew up in an area ofHelsinki with lots of crime. To protectme from the bad influences, my mother

sent me to an Adventist school, even

though we were not Adventists. ThereI learned to love God, and by thetime I was in sixth grade I had givenmy heart to God and wanted to bebaptized. I continued to worship in theAdventist church.

When I had children of my own,I wanted them to have the sameChristian education that I had enjoyed,but the little school I had attended hadclosed. Then I learned of the Adventistschool in Nummela, near Helsinki. Wemoved here so that our children could

attend the Adventist school.The school is attracting many non-Adventist families who want a kinder,safer environment for their children. Soour school is really a mission school thatreaches into the community for Christ.

Our little church is growing as well.Because the church uses the land weveinherited as a community outreach

center, neighbors come to help packsupplies for those in need, and as we allwork side by side, we get to know oneanother and make friends for Christ.

Narrator: Finland is a modern, secularcountry. People dont talk openly abouttheir faith, and spiritual matters arent apriority in peoples lives. But God is using

an active congregation with a love forothers to open avenues to share His lovein Nummela and throughout Finland.

This quarter part of our ThirteenthSabbath Offering will help renovate ahistoric building to serve as a worshipcenter for this congregation. Throughthe ministry of this active church, manyin the neighboring area will become

acquainted with Christians and withJesus, who has commissioned each of usto go and tell others of His love.


While Finland claims to be aChristian nation, few Finns attendchurch more than a few times a year.

Just outside of Helsinki, the capitalcity, lies Nummela, a small town thatis growing rapidly. A few years agothe Adventist church was given abeautiful large estate there. Part ofthe manor house has been convertedinto classrooms for an Adventistelementary school that ministers to

the surrounding community.

A church called the Beating Hearthas grown up on this campus too.Members plan to remodel a historicbarn on the property into a church.

Part of this quarters ThirteenthSabbath Offering will help thiscongregation renovate this

building to make it a house ofworship for a vibrant churchfamily in a growing community.


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Finland is a land of ruggedindividualists. Like many Finns,religion wasnt part of my life growingup. I thought Christians were weak andneeded God as a crutch. But a series ofcrises in my life changed my mind.

FailureI wanted everything in life, and I

didnt think I needed God to get it. Mybrother and I opened a cinema just beforevideos came out and people stoppedgoing to movies as much. When thecinema failed, we opened a burger shop.

I got married and thought that I

had made it in life. But then difficulteconomic times hit Finland, and moneywas tight. My brother and I disagreedabout how to run our business. My wifeand I fought over money. Eventuallyour business failed and my wife left me.Blame and accusations piled up rightalong with the bills.

I felt lost and alone and empty. I

turned to my sister, a Christian, andtold her my troubles. People in Finlanddont talk openly about weakness or

religion, but my sister listened. ThenGod arranged things so I met Reijo[RAY-oh], a member of my sauna clubwho was an Adventist.

Conversations in the Sauna

A sauna is a traditional Finnishsteam bath. Its a small building thatcontains stones that are heated to hightemperatures. Water is poured over thehot stones to produce steam. Peoplesit in the steam and work up a goodsweat. Then they jump into a cold lakeor take a cold shower to increase theircirculation. Saunas are more than health

clubs; they provide a social outlet as well.Reijo listened and then said he

wanted to introduce me to anothermember of our sauna club, a Seventh-day Adventist pastor named Pekka. Ihad never heard of Adventists beforeand wasnt sure who they were. But Ifelt I needed to talk to someone or Iwould explode.

I met Pastor Pekka at the sauna. Heseemed perfectly normal to me. He waswarm and friendly and listened to my

Conversationina saunaAugust 14| Seppo Kaitanen

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

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troubles. I was relieved that he didntridicule me or make me feel weak. Sowhen he invited me to visit his church, Iagreed to come. It was hard to go becauseI was so sure I could do things on my

own. I stood at the door of the churchtrying to convince myself that I was justgoing to hear Pastor Pekka speak.

The church members made me feelright at home. I liked the congregation,which was made up of severalnationalitiesRussians, Africans,Englishwho worshipped side by sidewith Finnish Christians. I especially

enjoyed the music. As we sang praises toGod, I began to relax. This is good, I toldmyself. These people are friendly and seem

genuinely happy. I knew that I wouldvisit again.

Riding the StormEven as I found peace in my new

church family, my home life was inturmoil. I wanted to reunite with mywife and children; and I prayed for Godswill in this, hoping that we could put our

family back together. Instead the divorcewas finalized, and I was alone.

Reijo, Pastor Pekka, and I continuedto meet at the sauna and talk aboutspiritual things. They invited me to join

a mens Bible study group, and I beganreading the Bible every day. It helpedfill my lonely hours.

Little by little I surrendered my lifeto God. In time I asked to be baptized.I knew God had transformed me into adifferent person, for others were seeingthe difference in my life. I wanted totell others about the peace I had found

in Jesus.But I was still alone, still lonely. I

began to pray for a wife.

Date at the SaunaI met Leah* at church. Shes a church

planter and leader of the Russiancongregation in our church. I invited

her on a dateat the sauna. We talkeda lot about spiritual things and aboutour lives. As we grew closer, Leah andI realized that God had brought ustogether. In time we were married.

I realize now that God can work ona persons heart anywhere, even in asauna. Leah and I pray that our familiesand friends will open their hearts to

God, for we both know that there is nopeace in life without Gods presence.

The Finnish church is smalljustover 5,000 members. This quarter youcan help us provide a church home foran active congregation near Helsinki.Please join us on Thirteenth Sabbathto help this congregation shed its lighteven more brightly.

*Liia in Danish

F a s t F a C t s

Finland lies in northern Europebetween Sweden and Russia. It is amodern, materialistic country.

The northern part of the countrylies above the Arctic Circle. In thepeak of summer it stays light allnight, and in the dead of winter itsdark all but a few dimly lit hours ofthe day.

During the cold winters, Finns enjoycross-country skiing and ice skatingon the countrys thousands of lakes.


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Itore open my cousins letter andbegan reading. Ive given my life toJesus, she wrote. What does that mean?I wondered. Id sometimes attendedSunday School, but Id never heard ofgiving my life to Jesus.

Long Search for GodI longed for a similar experience with

God, but I wasnt sure how to have it. Iattended several different churches andjoined youth activities, but I didnt findwhat my cousin had described. I boughta Bible and read it through; I did thingsthat I thought Christians did, but still Ifelt spiritually hungry.

After I finished university, I moved toHelsinki [hehl-SEEHN-kee], Finlandscapital city. There I met my futurehusband. I invited him to attend churchwith me, hoping that he would findGod and then show me how to findHim, too. But it didnt work.

Our children were born, and lifebecame busy. I had everything I

wantedexcept God. I continuedvisiting churches and prayed, Lord, Icant find you. Please find me.

Hope From AfarOur teenage daughter decided to

study in Australia for a year. I wasworried about her, and I prayed that shewould find a good family to live with.And she did. They were wonderful!Greg, the father, helped us set up our

computer so we could instant messageone another. As we chatted I got toknow Greg and told him of my searchfor God. He told me that he had driftedaway from his childhood church, but hesuggested that I read his favorite book,The Desire of Ages. I found the book onthe Internet and read it. It changed mylife! I read it again, this time comparing

it with my Bible. At last I sensed that Iwas finding answers to my questions anda closer walk with God.

Gregs father was a former missionarywho answered my questions aboutGod. He told me he was a Seventh-day Adventist, but I had never heardof them. He explained that Adventistskeep the Bible Sabbath and look

forward to Jesus return. My husbandlooked the church up on the Internet.What we read was reassuring.

where are You, god?August 21 | Hannele Amberla

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

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Greg told me about a Christian TVstation on the Internet. I watchedseveral programs and rejoiced to find mylife was changing. I learned that the TVstation was sponsored by Adventists.

An Invitation to WorshipThen Greg invited me to visit an

Adventist church. I hesitated becauseI had been disappointed so often, buteventually I agreed to go. I didnt expectmuch, but when I arrived at the churchI was overwhelmed with the love peopleshowered on me. I was amazed to hear

the Bible discussion. These people knewso much about the Bible! I loved thesermon too. I returned to church thefollowing week.

I struggled with attending churchon Saturday until I understood thepreciousness of the Sabbath. Andseveral other aspects of the Adventist

faith puzzled me. But Greg helped mefind answers to my questions, and Icontinued attending the church.

I fell in love with Jesus, just as mycousin had done so many years earlier.That summer I visited the churchs Biblecamp, where I studied the Bible deeplywith fellow seekers and came awayspiritually refreshed. During breaks I satby the lake and prayed for my husband.

I returned home from camp rejoicing.As usual, I shared my love for Godwith my husband, but this time I feltcompelled to urge him to make a

decision for Jesus. I didnt know it then,but this was our last conversation aboutreligion. Two days later he died in anautomobile accident.

Questions, Promises, and MinistryI couldnt understand why God would

take away my husband so soon after Ihad given my life to the Lord. Now I

understand that God gave me a churchfamily to support me and pray with meduring those difficult days. The Bibletexts I had memorized gave me peace,and the Holy Spirit comforted me.

I went to work for the churchs Biblecorrespondence school, where I helpothers who are struggling with some ofthe same issues I have. I met a good man

at church, and eventually we married.God has given us a ministry together.As for Greg in Australia, he returnedto the Lord as well. God surely works inmysterious ways!

Mission offerings support the Bibleschool where I work and the Bible campwe hold every year for new believers.This quarter your Thirteenth Sabbath

Offering will help provide a church fora congregation here in Finland. Thankyou for your support.


The Adventist Church in Finland issmall, with just over 5,000 membersamong a population of more than5.3 million. Thats one Adventist forevery 1,053 people.

The Adventist Church in Finlandhas developed several methods toreach out to searching hearts in thecountry. One way is through the Biblecorrespondence school. Anotheris the churchs youth camp. Here aspecial week of camp is dedicated toteaching new believers and groundingthem in their faith. Each year dozensjoin Gods remnant church because of

the outreach of the youth camp andthe faithful Adventist members whoshare their love for God with theirfriends and families.


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Roza, take a look at this,Grandmother said as she gave Rozaa colorful pamphlet. Its an invitationto a series of lectures about the Bible,Grandmother explained. You should go.You might learn something interesting.

Grandmother knew that Roza wasinterested in religious things. She wasactive in her parents church in Poland

and even volunteered as a youth leader,though she wasnt much older than theyouth she led. Her parents were proudof her involvement with the church andproud of her other accomplishments.Roza was preparing to become a teacher.

A New View of GodRoza looked at the pamphlet and

decided to attend the lectures. She wascurious what they could be about.

Roza found a seat and settled downfor the lecture. She met a young manat the lectures who was about herage. As they became acquainted, heinvited her to attend a summer Biblecamp that the church sponsored. Rozadecided to go; she was curious aboutthis church that seemed to know somuch about the Bible.

When she arrived at the camp, Roza

was a bit nervous about being amongso many strangers. But the youngman who had invited her introducedher to several young people from herhometown. She liked making newfriends. She soon found herself enjoyingthe fellowship at the Bible camp asmuch as the Bible studies.

Joy Bubbling OverWhen Roza returned home, she

started attending the Adventist churchevery Sabbath. She knew that herparents would not be happy that shewas attending a new church, so shedidnt tell them where she was going onSabbath morning.

But soon her excitement about what

she was learning spilled over, and shetold her mother everything she hadlearned at Bible camp and at church.Roza explained what she had learnedabout having a personal relationshipwith Jesus. We dont have to confessour sins to a priest, she told her mother.Just tell God.

Rozas revelation worried her mother.Why do you want to get involved in adifferent churcha strange church? sheasked. We have a perfectly good church.

Finding gods planAugust 28 | Roza Roszkowska

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But these people really love Jesus,Roza explained. They follow the Bible.I want to learn what God teaches.

If you insist on becoming anAdventist, Mother said with a sigh,dont expect any financial supportfrom me.

The ConfrontationRoza continued attending the

Adventist church, and she becameconvinced that the Adventist churchwas where God wanted her to be.After attending the church for several

months, Roza asked to be baptized.Her parents were angry when she toldthem about her decision. For the firsttime in her life her father hit her. Andher mother demanded that she leavethe house.

Roza packed a few clothes and herschool textbooks and left her parentshome. She went to stay with an

Adventist family that lived nearby. Two

weeks later Rozas mother sent her sisterto ask her to return home.

She was permitted to sleep in her ownbed, but her parents no longer supportedher financially. A scholarship paid herschool tuition, but Roza took a jobcleaning the church to pay for food andother necessities. She spent most of hertime in class and studying in the schoollibrary, going home only to sleep. Rozamanaged to finish college on her own.

Finding Gods PlanRoza knew that her mother was

worried about her. How will you everfind an Adventist husband? she asked.Roza knew her mother had a point,for there werent many Adventistsin Poland. But Roza claimed Godspromises to provide for her in every way.

While Roza was preparing forbaptism she met Krystov [Chris-toff], ayoung man who lived in another city

and was also planning to be baptized.The two began writing to eachother, and in time they began dating.Eventually they were married.

Krystov entered the ministry, andRoza began her career as a teacher. Herfamily saw that the couple was happy intheir faith and in their work, and theyhave reconciled. Roza hopes that one

day soon her parents will find the joy inJesus that she and Krystov know.

Roza is grateful to God for leadingher to the Savior through the influenceof her grandmother, a Bible lecturebrochure, and a Bible camp filled withfriendly youth who welcomed her. Thisquarter part of the Thirteenth SabbathOffering will help renovate the churchs

Bible camp in Poland so that hundredsmore people can experience the joy ofknowing Jesus.

F a s t F a C t s

For almost 50 years Polandwas under Communist rule.The quest for freedom took

root early in this country andhelped overthrow Communismthroughout Eastern Europe.

Unlike most other countriesthat were dominated byCommunism during this time,Polish farmers did not lose theirfarms during Communist times.Today families continue to

farm land that once belongedto their ancestors. Much of theharvest is still done with horsesand human labor.


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In 1990, just after Communism fell,Richard,* the Polish Union youthleader, had a dreaman impossibledream, some said. He wanted a youthcamp where the churchs youth couldbe trained for service. They had noland, no money, and no idea wherethey would get either. But Richardsensed that God was in the dream, so

he began searching.

A Place Called ZatonieRichard wanted a place away from

towns, a place where children andyouth could spend time in nature andlearn about God, a place where theycould see the Creator and learn to loveHim, he said. They wanted the camp

to have electricity and water, be on alake, and offer some basic buildings toget started.

Richard found a place calledZatonie [zah-TOH-nee], agovernment-owned camp on a lake inwestern Poland. The buildings on thecampground were in poor condition,but they could be made useful.

I believed that God wanted us tohave Zatonie, Richard says. But wedidnt have money to buy the camp or

furniture for the buildings. But as ourcommittee discussed the possibilitiesand the obstacles, the telephone rang.Someone in Denmark was offering usfurniturefree furniture. They wouldeven deliver it!

Richard knew that the campsite wasworth $200,000. And although thechurch had no money, Richard knew that

God would provide if this was His will.The union decided to rent the camp,and soon a truck from Denmark arrivedfilled with military surplus beds anddressers and kitchen supplies, most ofwhat was needed to start a camp. Theunion started holding camps at Zatonie.

A Bold Request

Richard went to the local villagecouncil and explained that the churchwanted the campsite to train childrenand youth to be good citizens. Hereported on how the church already hadused the camp to benefit children from acoal mining region and children whosehomes had been destroyed during recentflooding. He explained the purpose ofPathfinder camps and youth camps thatwere being held at the campsite. Thenhe asked the council to consider giving

a giFtinthe ForestSeptember 4 | Ryszard Jankowski

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the camp to the Adventist Church. Onemember of the local council objected tothe churchs request, but in the end thecouncil voted overwhelmingly to giveCamp Zatonie to the Adventist Church.A gift from Adventists in Britain paidfor the buildings. God had spoken.

A Busy PlaceFrom early spring until late autumn

Zatonie is a busy place. Besides weeksof summer camps for youth, thecampground hosts Polands annualcamp meeting, where 1,000 people or

more gather to enjoy 10 days to worshipGod, study His Word, and rekindlefriendships. Hundreds of people come tothis camp who are not Adventists, andmany leave having turned their livesover to Jesus.

Children are encouraged to bringa non-Adventist friend to summercamp with them, and some of these

young people have decided to follow

Jesus. The lake that lies along theborder of the camp provides a perfectplace for baptisms.

Literature evangelists use the campas a training site for full-time and part-time colporteurs who practice their salesskills in the villages around Zatonie.Thus the neighboring regions have beencovered for Christ.

One Changed LifeWhen Richard first found Zatonie, he

noticed that someone had written onthe side of a small building the words

God doesnt exist. Two years laterduring a camp meeting, he asked youngpeople what should be done with thewords. A young man stood and saidthat he had written those words in 1989while at a camp for troubled teenagers.When he returned home he learnedthat one of his friends had become anAdventist Christian. The friend invited

him to church, and in time he, too,gave his life to Christ. God took awayhis desire to drink and smoke and madehim into a new person. So this youngman who had written the words againstGod on the wall during a drunken act ofrebellion helped to paint over them as abrother in Christ.

God is using Camp Zatonie to change

lives. Part of this quarters ThirteenthSabbath Offering will help renovate theremaining buildings and make furtherimprovements so that this camp canenlarge its ministry to the churchsyouth as well as to those who dont yetknow God.

*Ryszard Jankowski [ree-SHARD Yahn-kow-skee], nowpresident of the West Polish Conference, was Polish Unionyouth director when Zatonies story unfolded.


There are about 5,700 Adventistsliving in Poland, or one for every

6,674 people.

Nearly all of Polands populationbelongs to the state-supported church,making it difficult for the AdventistChurch to grow there.

The churchs Camp Zatonie helpsstrengthen the faith of Adventistchildren and youth. In addition,

the camp is used to reach out tounderprivileged children and teenswho need to spend time in nature andlearn more about the God we serve.


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We need more nails up here! aman calls from the rooftop ofan aging house in western Poland. Ateenage boy jogs to the supply pile andpulls out a box of nails. He climbs thewooden ladder to give them to the manon the roof.

I think we will finish before supper,a sun-bronzed man with white hair

smiles with satisfaction. No moredodging the raindrops for this family!Vlads weather-beaten face wrinkles intoa familiar smile. This is his favorite timeof year, and hes doing what he lovesmosthelping people live better livesas they learn about the Life-giver, Jesus.

Vlad lives for camp meeting time.Although he's a retired pastor and

Global Mission coordinator for thePolish Union, he hasnt retired from hispassion to reach people for Christ. Andhell do whatever it takes to open thehearts of people to listen to the gospelmessage. Thats why he and his familyhave adopted the region around Zatonie,the Polish Unions youth camp, as theirpersonal mission field.

Being Gods HandsThe people living in the regionaround Zatonie Youth Camp aregenerally poor; and most, especiallyolder people, struggle to keep theirhomes in livable condition. Often theycant do the work themselves and cantafford to hire someone to do it for them.

As winter turns to spring, Vlad visits

the village officials and gets the namesof those who need help to keep their

spreading BranChesoF FaithSeptember 11 | Wladislav Kosowski


Camp Zatonie provides more thana place to go to spend a week in

nature and make friends with otherbelievers. The church reaches out tounderprivileged teens and children,giving them time in nature toconnect with God.

Church members use the camp as abase to reach out to the surroundingfarming villages. The people in thearea surrounding Zatonie once knewnothing about Adventists. Now theyknow that we are practical Christianswho love God and want them toexperience His love as well.

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homes in repair. Then during campmeeting he invites those who attendwhether Adventists or notto spenda day or two getting their hands dirtyfor God. Youth and adults work side byside to clean homes, repair roofs andplumbing, and do whatever they canto make life better for the people wholive near the camp. Members learnhow to use their skills to help a localcommunity while making a difference inZatonie. Its hard work, but the rewardsare great. They know that these peoplewill listen to the gospel once theyve

seen the gospel of love acted out in suchtangible ways.Vlads passion is planting churches

by showing practical Christianity.Even before Communism fell he wasteaching church members how to workwith others to win their confidenceand listen to their message of grace.Our goal has long been to plant new

churches in empty places, Vlad says.And with just over 5,000 Adventists inthe entire country of Poland, there aremany such empty areas. We work alot among the poor, the needy, and thesick, Vlad explains.

The people of the Zatonie regionare poor, and winters in Poland aresevere, Vlad says. Their houses are

poorly insulated, so frost gets inside.We put in insulation, repair the flooror the roof or the plumbingwhatevera family needs done.

Spreading the Branches of FaithThis year 60 people volunteered

to help repair 10 houses during campmeeting, Vlad says with a satisfiedsmile. Some are professional builderswho do specialty work such as electricalor plumbing. But most are ordinary

people who want to help someone else.In this way we spread the branchesof our faith, of Christianity, over thecommunity of Zatonie. We want thepeople who live near our camp to knowus as practical Christians.

The members of the village counciltake us to the homes in need of repairand tell the residents, We can helpyou. We have the materials, and theseAdventists are here to do the work.The people are thrilled that we havecome to help them. And imagine thejoy on the faces of people who know

that they will no longer have to sufferwith a leaky roof or plumbing thatdoesnt work or a rotting floor. Nowtheir home is fixed again!

When we first came to Zatonie,Vlad says, no one knew who we were.But when they saw that we are practicalChristians, they began to trust us. Aswe work on these peoples homes, we

invite themand the city officials wework withto come to our meetings.And they come!

Spreading the BlessingI hope those who come to help with

this work during camp will go homeand do the same thing in their owntowns, so that the branches of our faith

may shade many more communitiesaround Poland.

Camp meeting at Zatonie is aboutmore than attending meetings andseeing friends. Its about mission. Partof our Thirteenth Sabbath Offeringthis quarter will help pay for materialsto renovate the buildings on thecampsite so that they meet governmentstandards. Then the branches of faithcan spread out even more to shadowmore people with Gods love.


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Narrator:Next week is ThirteenthSabbath. While adults are encouragedto bring an extra-large offering tohelp establish churches in Denmarkand Finland and to expand a youthcamp ministry in Poland, the children

have their own Thirteenth SabbathOffering. They want to provide Biblesfor children in three countries of theMiddle East.

Lets hear from three children wholive in the region where the Bibles willgo. Elijah lives in Sudan, the largestcountry in Africa.

Elijah: I was born during a time of war.One day soldiers attacked our villageand burned it to the ground. We raninto the bush and hid for weeks withlittle to eat and no clean clothes towear. But the war is over now, and weare building a new village with homesof mud with straw roofs. Our school wasdestroyed, so we meet under a mango

tree to learn to read and write until wehave a school. Because of the fightingmy parents couldnt go to school, and

now they cant read or write. But theywere determined that we learn.

One day a missionary came to ourvillage and held worship. Then he gavea Bible to one child in each family. NowI can read Gods Word to my parents so

they can build their faith in God.

Narrator: Kristina lives in thecountry of Israel. What would a Bibledo for her life?

Kristina: When my mother and Imoved to Israel a few years ago, wecouldnt find an Adventist church. So

we worshipped in our apartment onSabbath. One Sabbath my friend Alona[ah-LOH-nah] came to play. I suggestedthat we play Sabbath School instead ofordinary games.

What is Sabbath School? Alonaasked. I told her that in Sabbath Schoolwe sing songs about God and listen toBible stories. We gathered our dolls to

be our class.Alona liked playing Sabbath School.

I invited her back the next week. I

a BiBleoF MY ownSeptember 18 | Kristina, Sudan children, Sharoon

[If you wish, ask three junior-age children to join you in presenting this mission report on the

special childrens offering project.]

C H I L D R E N ' s p R O j E C T


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wrote Bible verses in a notebook, andAlona copied the verses into the dollsnotebooks. Soon she had learnedthe Bible verses too. We sang songs,and Mother or I told a Bible story.Sometimes we played a Bible game orlistened to a Bible story while makingcards for friends.

Alona brought Nadia [NAH-dee-ah],another school friend, to play SabbathSchool. Even though Nadia and Alonaarent Christians yet, they love my littleSabbath School.

One day Mother told me that she had

found the Adventist church. Now weworship there on Sabbath. But its toofar away for my friends to attend so westill play Sabbath School on Sabbathafternoons. I would like to give Alonaand Nadia a Bible or a New Testamentso they can read Gods Word forthemselves. But I dont have any money.Maybe the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering

will buy enough Bibles so my friends canhave one.

Narrator: Kristina is a real missionary.Lets bring an extra-large offering so herfriends can have Bibles of their own.Sharoon will tell us what its like to livein Pakistan.

Sharoon: Pakistan lies northwest ofIndia. Most people who live thereare Muslims. There are only a fewChristians and even fewer Adventists.Our church is small and meets in ahouse that has been made into a church.We children meet in a bedroom tostudy our lesson. We dont have lessonquarterlies, so our teacher reads thestory to us. We listen carefully so we cananswer the questions she asks later.

We children dont have Bibles either,so we memorize Bible verses so we cantake parts of the Bible wherever we go.

Then someone sent some money tothe missionaries in our town and askedthem to buy Bibles for the children. We

were so excited! At last I have my ownBible! I bring it to church every Sabbathand read my Bible lesson for myself.

Now I can really answer the teachersquestions. I love my Bible, but I knowthat other children in Pakistan donthave a Bible. I hope that soon everychild who wants a Bible can have one.

Narrator: Sharoons wish is ourwish too, that everyone who wants aBible may have one. This quarter ourchildren are helping provide Biblesfor children in Sudan, Pakistan,and Israel. Entire families will beinfluenced by the Bibles that willbe purchased for children in thesecountries because we give a generousThirteenth Sabbath Offering.


Children in some countries of the Trans-European Division have little hope ofever owning a Bible of their own.

This quarter the children of the worldare working to raise funds to helpprovide children in Sudan, Israel,and Pakistan with Bibles in their ownlanguages. These Bibles will do farmore than provide a child with anopportunity to read Gods Word forthemselves. In many cases the Biblesmay be the means to reach entirefamilies for God.

Lets support our children as they reachout to other children with Gods Word.


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thirteenth saBBath prograM

Participants: Three to fivespeakersa narrator and two or four reporters. Ifyour group is small, two reporters can present two different project reports. [Note:

participants do not need to memorize their parts, but they should be familiar enough withthe material that they do not have to read everything from the script. Practice so that

participants can feel comfortable adding inflection where appropriate.]

Props: A map of the Trans-European Division. (Scan the map on the back page ofthe quarterly and project it onto a screen, or draw a map on a large piece of paper.)Photos of some of these projects are available at www.AdventistMission.org. Clickon Resources, Resources for Leaders, Thirteenth Sabbath Projects, and then onthe current quarter.

o p e n i n g s o n g Lead Them, My God, to Thee,The Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal, No. 653

w e l C o M e Superintendent or Sabbath School teacher

p r a Y e r

p r o g r a M The Difcult Places

o F F e r i n g While the offering is being taken, ask the children to sing one ormore of the songs that they have learned this quarter.

C l o s i n g s o n g Working, O Christ, With Thee,The Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal, No. 582

C l o s i n g p r a Y e r

Narrator: This quarter we havefocused on the Trans-EuropeanDivision. This region includes anumber of countries in Europe as wellas countries in the Middle East and

northern Africa. With such a widerange of nations, the challenges toreach the people in this division are

enormous. Adding to the challenges isthe fact that church membership in theentire division is just over 111,000fewer than many individual unions orcountries in other areas of the world.

This means that the financial base ofthe divisions work is small, makingnew work difficult to finance.

The Difficult Places


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Many of the countries in theEuropean sector of this division,including Denmark and Finland, whichare receiving part of todays ThirteenthSabbath Offering, are postmodern andsecular. Churches are dwindling, andcongregations are aging. But amidst thedismal-sounding reports, new lights areshining. New and vibrant congregationsare being planted. Lets hear aboutthe work in this field that has uniquechallengesand opportunitiestospread Gods love in difficult places.

Our first project is a new churchplant in Copenhagen, the capital cityof Denmark.

Reporter 1: Traditional churches inDenmark are dying. Great churchesoften open their doors to just a handfulof aging worshippers on Sundaymorning. The story isnt much betterin the Adventist churches in Denmark.

But one new church plant is growingrapidly. The Copenhagen English-international congregation is meetinga need and already has outgrown itsfacilities. This congregation attractsabout 60 people from five continentsand more than 16 countries. They havecome to Denmark to work or to study orto find a better life. They come to the

international church because they enjoythe fellowship and the vibrant worshipthat they find there.

This congregation began meetingwith one of the Danish-speakingchurches. But now they number morethan the Danish congregation andmeet separately for worship. They holdSabbath School in the small Adventist

school next door to the church. Buttheyve outgrown their space and need amore permanent place to worship.

Part of our Thirteenth SabbathOffering this quarter will help growthis new church plant. Thousands inDenmark speak English. They needto know about Gods love, and theinternational Adventist congregationwants to teach them. Lets help growthis church so that its light will shinethroughout the nation and bring manyto Christ.

Narrator: Its exciting to see newchurch plants growing in difficult areas,isnt it? Our next project is a churchplant just outside Helsinki, Finland.

Reporter 2: Finland faces many of thesame challenges as Denmark. The peopleare financially comfortable and dont feelthat they need God in their lives.

One congregation, however, isgrowing in an unusual place. Yearsago a wealthy Adventist died and

left his estate to the church. Part ofthe manor house now is home to theAdventist school that once was locatedin Helsinki. The current environment,with its setting among trees and neara lake, is far more conducive to anAdventist school than a busy city street.

The church that has grown uparound the school calls itself the

Beating Heart, for it seeks to pump theSpirit of God into the community thatis growing up around it. The activecongregation meets in the school,and, because of its outreach activities,its quickly outgrowing its facilities.It plans to renovate the lower levelof a historic building on the estate asits new church home. Part of todays

Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will helpthis congregation pay for the renovationof the building and provide a house of


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worship for this growing congregation.

Narrator: Our third project is anexciting onea youth camp in Polandthat is reaching thousands for God.

Reporter 3: The story of Zatonie YouthCamp is inspiring. God worked miraclesand provided a valuable piece of landand buildings to the Adventists ofPoland for almost nothing. This camp,which was operated by the Communistgovernment of Poland for many years,has become an important outreachcenter of the Adventist Church.While it operates weeklong camps forAdventist children and teens and thechurchs annual camp meeting, whichdraws more than 1,000 Adventists fromacross Poland, the camp also serves asan outpost for evangelism.

During camp meeting every yearvolunteers work in the surrounding

community repairing homes of thosewho cannot afford to make the repairsthemselves. Colporteurs train at Zatonieand practice their sales techniques inthe surrounding villages. And severaltimes a year the campground is openedfor children from disadvantaged homesor those who have suffered throughnatural disasters such as floods. These

children come for a week or more toenjoy nature and learn of the God wholoves them.

The camp may have been givento the Adventist Church, but thegovernment requires that the agingbuildings be brought up to modernstandards. Part of this quartersThirteenth Sabbath Offering will

help refurbish the existing buildingsand replace another building that hasbecome too dangerous to use. The result

will be a camp that will be able to reacheven more people in Poland with thegospel of Christ.

Narrator: Finally, we want you to knowabout our special childrens ThirteenthSabbath Offering project. Its exciting.

Reporter 4: The special childrensproject this quarter will help provideBibles for children in three countries:Sudan, Israel, and Pakistan. Imaginetrying to learn Bible truths when youcant read them for yourself. Imaginetrying to understand Scripture passageswhen you can only listen to someoneelse reading it or telling about it.

Families in the countries featureddont all have a Bible in their ownlanguage. Children have no way toread their Sabbath School lesson fromthe Bible and must rely solely on whatthey hear in Sabbath School. Having a

Bible will enhance their understandingof Gods Word and, in some cases, willhelp entire families come to God.

Children in Sabbath Schools aroundthe world have been working hardto bring a big Thirteenth SabbathOffering today so that other childrencan have a Bible.

Narrator: We have our work cut outfor us today. We have four projectsin six difficult regions of the world.Our offering can help plant a church,provide a worship center, reach outto children and youth in Poland, andprovide Bibles to thousands of childrenin three countries. Lets make a bigdifference in the lives of the people in

the Trans-European Division today.

[Offering]


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www.A

dventistMission.org

T h i r d Q u a r T e r 2 0 1 0

T r a n s - e u r o p e a n d i v i s i o n

E d i t o r i a l

Chaotte Ishanian Editor

Aita Byd Contributing Editor

Esthe lipscombDeena Bate-Wagne

Hans Oson Managing Editor

Emiy Hading Layout and Deign

O F F i C e o F a d v e n t i s t M i s s i o n Gay kause Director Ganoune Diop study Center Director ric kaiua Communication Director

Mati Schneide program Director

C O M M u n i C a t i O n s t a F F

lauie Favo proect Manager

Chaotte Ishanian MissionEditor Hans Oson proect Manager

Danie Webe Video producer

Andew king Video producer

Website: www.AdventistMission.og

Mission(IssN 0190-4108) i roduced and coyrighted

2010 by the Office of Adventit Miion, GeneralConference of seventh-day Adventit, 12501 Old Columbiapike, silver sring, MD 20904-6601 U.s.A. printed in U.s.A.

Volume 99, Number 3

ADVENTIsT and sEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIsT are the

regitered trademark of the General Conference of

seventh-day Adventit

.permiion i granted to reroduce material from thi

quarterly for ue in local sabbath school and children

minitrie rogram. permiion to reroduce any ortion ofthi material for ale, ublication in another eriodical, or

other commercial ue mut be authorized in writing by the

editor at the above addre.

Fo subsciption inquiies, e-mai juie Haines at

[email protected] o ca 800-456-3991 o

1-301-393-3280. Annual ubcrition rate er edition:dometic, Us$7.50; international, Us$14.50.

MissionA D V E N T I S TL E a d E r ' s r e s o u r C e s

For more information on the cultures and history of Denmark,Finland, and Poland, the countries featured this quarter, check thetravel section of a local library or visit a travel agency and ask forbrochures.

Visit our website for additional photos, recipes, language

pages, puzzles, and other activities that you can download andprint to make mission more fun for children. Go to www.AdventistMission.org. Click on Resources and ChildrensActivities in the pop-up menu. Go to second quarter and selectthe activity you want.

Adventist Mission DVD is a free video that features storiesfrom the featured countries as well as the worldwide mission of theAdventist Church. Ask your Sabbath School superintendent tomake you a copy of it. Or go online at www.AdventistMission.orgto download one of the DVD programs.

Embassies and Tourism Offices sometimes can provideinteresting information on their country. In North America,contact:

Embassy of Denmark, 3200 Whitehaven St., NW,Washington, DC 20008-3616. Phone: 202-234-4300; websites:www.ambwashington.um.dk and www.denmark.dk/en.

Embassy of Finland, 3301 Massachusetts Ave., NW,Washington, DC 20008. Phone: 202-298-5800; or for culturalinformation on Finland go to www.finland.org/Public/Default.aspxand click on About Finland.

Embassy of Poland, 2640 16th St., NW, Washington DC

20009. Phone: 202-234 3800; website: www.polandembassy.org.

Remind members also that the ongoing work of the worldchurch depends on the weekly Sabbath School mission offerings.On the twelfth Sabbath, report on mission giving during thequarter.

future tHirteentH saBBatH Projects

Next quarter the West-Central Africa Division will be featured.

Special projects include:

a church for the campus of Valley View University in Ghana

a science building at the Adventist University Cosendai in

Cameroon

childrens project: packets of school supplies with invitations

to visit the Adventist church.

First Quarter 2011 will feature Southern Asia Division.


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Copenhagen

Helsinki

Athens

Riga

Kaunas

Oslo

Warsaw

Stockholm Tallinn

BerlinDublin

London

Baghdad

Muscat

Islamabad

Riyadh

Sanaa

Nicosia

Cairo

Khartoum

Reykjavik

Nuuk

AUSTRIA

ITALY

SPAIN

GERMANY

FRANCE

PORTUGAL

ROMANIA

BULGARIA

TURKEY

BELARUS

UKRAINE

RUSSIA

CZECH

SLOVAKIA

MOLDOVA

LUX.

SWITZ.

ARME

GEOR

TURKEY

ERITREA

IGER

SOMALIA

LIBYA

CHAD

DJIBOUTI

TAJIKISTAN

IRAN AFGHANISTAN

INDI

TURKMENISTAN

FINLAND

SWEDEN

NORWAY

HUNGARY

DENMARK

POLAND

GREECE

NETH.

BELGIUM

ALBANIA

LITHUANIA

LATVIA

ESTONIA

BOSNIA

YUGOSLAVIA

CROATIA

SLOVENIA

MACEDONIA

U. K.IRELAND

CYPRUS

SUDAN

EGYPT

JORDAN

ISRAEL

LEBANON

KUWAIT

QATAR

U. A. E.

YEMEN

SYRIA

IRAQ

OMAN

SAUDI

ARABIA

GREECE

PAKISTAN

GREENLAND

ICELAND

A T L A N T I C

O C E A N

I N D I A N

TRANS-EUROPEAN DIVISION

1

2

3

4

4

4

NIONS CHurCHES MEMBErSHIP POPulATION

driatic 99 3,767 9,708,000altic 88 6,469 6,963,000ritish 246 29,736 66,000,000anish 46 2,523 5,596,000nland 73 5,044 5,312,000ungarian 111 4,667 10,034,000iddle East 78 17,861 236,633,000

Netherlands 54 4,845 16,433,000Norwegian 65 4,612 4,765,000

akistan 122 12,877 172,800,000olish 122 5,710 38,110,000outh-East European 215 8,151 16,064,000wedish 39 2,801 9,214,000ttached Fields 32 1,942 19,043,000

OTALS 1,390 111,005 616,675,000

s of January 2009)

PrOjECTS

1 Provide a church for anactive congregation nearHelsinki, Finland

2 Establish aninternational church inCopenhagen, Denmark

3 Renovate the PolishUnions campground atZatonie, Poland

4 CHILDRENSPROJECT: Bibles forchildren in Pakistan,

Israel, and Sudan

Misionero Completo en Ingles Tercer Trimestre 2010 Adulto

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Transcript of Misionero Completo en Ingles Tercer Trimestre 2010 Adulto