Picture Story by Global Mission - 4th Quarter 2008

DEAR FRIENDS or a long time the Indonesian pastor had felt a great burden for an unentered part of his district. Finally he stopped thinking about it and got started doing something.

He began visiting some of the remote villages. It often took him many hours to reach them only to find that most of the people didn’t want to hear from him.

But the pastor didn’t take no for an answer and came back over and over to visit the people. Little by little he was making progress. A few were actually becoming interested. Then one day he received an exciting invitation. Several individuals wanted him to come and study with them.

The pastor was thrilled. But on the appointed day nothing seemed to be going right. First it rained. The slippery roads made travel difficult on his motorcycle. Then one of his tires went flat. By the time he was able to get it fixed and changed it was too late to make the trip. “Why Lord?” he kept asking.

The next morning the pastor learned that three truckloads of men had been waiting along the narrow mountain roads to kill him. Then he knew why God had stopped him. And, he wondered if he should go back at all. Maybe God was showing him the time wasn’t right.

After a few days of indecision the pastor decided he just had to go. Those people needed to hear the gospel. So, he went first to the leader of the group that had been waiting to kill him. As they began to talk, he learned that the man had lived for a while on the pastor’s home island. That created a bit of an icebreaker and the man invited the pastor to his home. More visits followed and soon the leader of the ambush was inviting his friends to the Bible study.

That former enemy is now a baptized Seventh-day Adventist and is working as a Global Mission pioneer in that same region. He has established four groups. Fifty-one people have been baptized and ten more were studying at the time I visited them.

Praise God for people who are willing to bring the gospel – even to their enemies!

In Christ,

Rick Kajiura Adventist Mission’s Communication Director

12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904

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his new ministry in the seaside resort community of Limassol on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus aims to attract people with its community-oriented programs and socially affirming activities.

“Meeting Point” is a place where people can drop in without feeling threatened by “heavy religion.” Here people can meet new friends, share fresh ideas and ultimately encounter God. While the venue will ultimately house the local congregation’s regular Sabbath worship services, the seafront, two-story office building will not resemble a conventional church. Religious activities will be combined with parenting seminars, music and art workshops, kids clubs, and a resource library with Internet access. “Our purpose is to meet the needs of the surrounding people, many of whom are immigrants and tourists,” says the church’s leader. “We want it Languages: Greek, Turkish, and English to be a hub of belonging in the Religion: Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, and heart of the tourist area.” other 4%

ome 2,500 km (1,500 miles) north of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean lays Wallis and Futuna—two island groupings—which are collectively an overseas territory of France. Here there are no Seventh-day Adventist Church buildings and no Adventist church members.

Global Mission pioneer Jean-Noel (pictured here) is using the Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible School lessons in French to make contacts in the community. So far 60 people are attending his weekly meetings.

Already a few people have expressed their desire to be baptized and to join the Languages: Wallisian (indigenous Polynesian lanAdventist church. Please pray guage), Futunian, and French that God’s Spirit will move in Religion: Roman Catholic 99% and other 1% the hearts of every one who comes.

Population: 15,300*

Population: 1 million*

Adventist membership: 0*

Adventist membership: 75*

Adventist to population ratio: 1:15,300*

Adventist to population ratio: 1:13,618*

Churches: 0*

Churches: 1*

Companies: 0*

Companies: 0* Details: The birthplace of Christianity, the Middle East is largely untouched today with the gospel. The Adventist Church has struggled to grow in this region known for political unrest and religious strife. Your support of fund number 5280 will help further establish congregations in Middle Eastern countries such as Cyprus.

Details: Throughout the world there are thousands of people and places that are still untouched by the Adventist message. Fund number 5200 will help provide the resources needed to reach into the most unreached areas of the world. Your support will take the gospel to people and places where an Adventist or in many cases even a Christian has never gone before.

omen in brightly colored clothing fill this new church in Mirzpur, India. Considered one of the most holy districts in India, this area of the country is home to many of the most renowned carpet and brassware industries.

The Adventist church is growing fast in India.

However India’s immense diversity is a great challenge to mission. In this country of one billion people, there are more than 4,600 distinct people groups and some 1,600 identified languages. There is also a need for new church buildings. ne warm a woman walkedisinto the Portuguese-speaking With the rapid Sabbath growth ofmorning Adventism, the Church struggling to keep up. Permanent congregation in Brussels, Belgium. Pastor de Matos recognized as Anna, structures help encourage and strengthen new Jose members as they face theirher family a woman with he had metnew when he was pastoring in London. She was struggling to find a members their beliefs. withfor God and had a lotpioneers of problems. relationship Please pray Global Mission as they strive to share the gospel with

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every tongue, tribe and When the pastor left London people group in India. And he thought he would not see thank you for your support of the believers again, but the Global Mission’s workfararound members were never from the world. and prayers. his thoughts Six years later Anna walked through the doors of his small Adventist church in Brussels.

She had married a Belgian and seemed genuinely happy.

She told the pastor that she had been baptized and now lives near the Adventist meet-

Languages: Hindi, English, and 14 other official languages Religion: Hindu 81%, Muslim 13%, Christian 2%, Sikh 2%, and other 2% Population: 1.1 billion* Adventist membership: 1.2 million* Adventist to population ratio: 1:903* Churches: 3,057* Companies: 5,580* Details: Adventists around the world often meet outdoors under a tree. A church building provides a worship home as well as a stronger presence in a community. Your support of fund number 5360 will give new Adventist congregations like the one above the boost they need to keep their fledgling religious community alive.