Retirees Evangelism in Southeast Arizona
S
outheastern Arizona is a beautiful part of the Southwest’s high desert area, encompassing the Huachuca, Chiricahua, and Whetsone mountains. Historically the land of the Apache and of mining interests, the area has now become a haven for retirees looking for a low cost of living, beautiful scenery, good weather, great hiking, and bird-watching opportunities. One of the three main cities in this part of Arizona is Sierra Vista, which houses the Fort Huachuca Military Base. The Adventist church in Sierra Vista is experiencing a resurgence of life as an active group of retirees have settled there from all parts of the United States and have become very involved in evangelism and leading out in Bible studies. Church members are meeting with Bible students in homes and businesses to pass along God’s message of love for them. With 70 Bible studies currently taking place, the church is actively spreading the Word of God in their community. Travel further southeast from Sierra Vista to the town of Bisbee in the land of ore and smelting. Known for the Copper Queen Mine for much of the 20th century, the closing of the mine in the 1970s radically changed the economic future of the town. In the 1980s and ‘90s, the town had a rebirth of life as people seeking a socially unconventional lifestyle with a low cost of living sought a place to retire. The Bisbee church and the adjoining Cochise SDA Christian School are actively spreading the gospel. The members see this as a great place for the young at heart to retire and help carve out a great reputation for leading Bible
O
Members of the Sierra Vista church pray over Pastor Alvin Schnell and the ministry of the church. studies. Over 40 Bible studies are currently being conducted by the members of the church. Pastor Alvin Schnell and the members of both the Sierra Vista and Bisbee churches have looked at Douglas, Arizona, as place to begin growing evangelism. Douglas sits a few miles from Bisbee on the Mexican border. The local church group has 10 members, but last year members of its sister churches helped with starting 18 Bible studies that took place in the church and 14 additional studies that took place in homes. While there are many exciting aspects of retiring in this area of Arizona, the members of the Adventist churches in Sierra Vista, Bisbee, and Douglas want people to retire here and be active in evangelism. While Southeast Arizona is seeing a rebirth of population in recent years, the Adventist church is also seeing a rebirth of members as these churches grow and spread the gospel. ____________________ By Craig Paul
Chinle Church Survives Historic Flood
n April 21, snowmelt came surging down the Canyon de Chelly in Chinle, Arizona, and broke through a berm that was meant to hold back floodwaters. As water surged into town, the Adventist mission site was about 90% under water for a day or so and power was out for about two days. The water came within three inches of entering the church building but then receded, which meant that there was no water damage in the church or fellowship hall. However, the old parsonage (used for children's Sabbath
30 Pacific Union Recorder
Arizona Conference
School and storage) is about six inches lower than the rest of the building, and two inches of water flooded that area. All the residences and the school are higher off the ground and weren't seriously threatened with water damage, although there was water in the crawlspace under two of the residences. A wonderful group of volunteers from the Glendale (Arizona) church came the following weekend, and by Friday afternoon they had completely cleaned up the floors in the old parsonage, which are all tile and vinyl—