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summer 2013
Never The Same Again How God is changing lives around the world!
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dang gel re! i s v n o
s e eva m n e I in or ch
u p d lip cua d m i Ph E An
RESOURCES TO TOUCH YOUR HEART
AND TELL OTHERS ABOUT JESUS! These resources are a blessing to you and our worldwide ministry! Your purchases from our selection of books, CDs and DVDs directly support our outreach efforts around the world, helping to tell even more people about Jesus.
Breakthrough DVD
In this dynamic evangelistic series Pastor José Rojas presents the gospel message in his relevant, witty and relational style. The four-disk Breakthrough DVD set—available in English and Spanish—is an excellent way to share Christ with non-believers and will uplift and inspire you as well!
My Provider Tiffany Campbell-Daley
You’ll enjoy this classic album from recording artist Tiffany Campbell-Daley. This collection includes favorites like The Lord’s Prayer, When Jesus Speaks and Come As You Are. $7.99, plus shipping.
$22.99, plus shipping.
Generations Melashenko Family Singers
Quiet Hour Reference Bible New King James Version
The Melashenko Family Singers have been blessing audiences around the world for more than four decades with their Christ-centered gospel music. Three generations join together to make this one of the most uplifting CDs in your collection.
This Slim Line, Reference Edition features an introduction to each book of the Bible, concordance, center-column references, translation notes, full-color study maps and more. Bound in genuine leather with gilded-gold page edges.
$7.99, plus shipping.
$17.99, plus shipping.
Glimpses of God
Safe in the Shepherd’s Arms
by Dorothy Minchin-Comm
Discover the ways our heavenly Father reveals countless glimpses of His glory throughout the phenomenal world He designed. $4.99, plus shipping.
by Max Lucado
A special little book featuring hope and encouragement from Psalm 23. You’ll be blessed by Max Lucado’s devotional thoughts built on this favorite Bible chapter. $1.49, plus shipping.
Order Today! Offers limited to stock on hand. To order, just call (800) 900-9021 or visit store.qhministries.org
Devotional
You Are My Witnesses
by Roy West
“‘You are my witnesses,’ declares the Lord, ‘and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He…’” Isaiah 43:10 NIV. Pastors often tell the story of Jesus returning to heaven and telling the archangel that He commissioned the disciples with the responsibility for sharing the gospel. The archangel asks, “But if they fail, do you have other plans?” Jesus answers with confidence, “No, I have no other plans.”
Cooperation with God is vital to personal spiritual growth and to success in Christian service. In fact, our success is totally dependent upon how much we rely on divine power for everything. My friend, God needs you and me more than we sometimes think. He needs those of us who can minister personally to go and do so. For those who cannot go, but can give of their means, He needs you also. Will we benefit from being co-workers with God in
What a responsibility we have to make sure the gospel is shared around the world!
SUMMER 2013 • Vol. 76, No. 03
Founder J. L. Tucker, 1895-1989
Executive Editor Bill Tucker
Editor Steve Hamstra
Layout Harding Design
Quiet Hour Ministries President/Speaker Bill Tucker
CEO Randal H. Bates
Echoes is the official publication of The Quiet Hour, Inc., doing business as Quiet Hour Ministries, PO Box 3000, Redlands, California 92373-1500, USA. Subscriptions are $5 per year to United States addresses. International rates vary. For subscription service please call us at 800-900-9021, visit www. qhministries.org, or write to us at the above address. Quiet Hour Ministries is a not-for-profit supporting ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Donations to Quiet Hour Ministries are tax-deductible in the United States. Those in Canada may send their tax-deductible gifts to PO Box 22085, St. Thomas, ON, N5R 6A1, Canada. UNIFORM DISCLOSURE STATEMENT The Quiet Hour is a 501(c) (3) organization, gifts to which are deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax
God’s confidence in His disciples in the church today is based on the fact that He has no other plans. What a responsibility we have to make sure the gospel is shared around the world! I love Quiet Hour Ministries’ mission. We want people all around the world to experience the saving grace of Christ Jesus! Humanly speaking, this is an impossible task. But thank God we don’t have to do it alone. The apostle Paul writes, “As God’s coworkers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.” 2 Corinthians 6:1 NIV. Did you catch that? We’re co-workers with God in this enormous task!
accomplishing His mission? The answer is a resounding YES! Notice God’s promise through the Psalmist, “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.” Psalm 126:5-6 NIV. God didn’t promise it was going to be easy. But He promised it would be tremendously rewarding. Claiming that promise, let’s cooperate with God and get this work finished!
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purposes. Florida: A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALL ING TOLL FREE WITHIN THE STATE, 1-800-435-7352. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. The Quiet Hour’s registration number is CH19265. Maryland: A copy of The Quiet Hour’s current financial statement is available on request to The Quiet Hour, Box 3000, Redlands CA 923731500 - Telephone # 909-793-2588. For the cost of copies and postage, registration documents, and other information are available from the Maryland Secretary of State. Mississippi: The official registration and financial information of The Quiet Hour may be obtained from the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office by calling 1-888-236-6167. Registration by the Secretary of State does not imply endorsement. Virginia: A financial statement is available from the State Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services upon request. West Virginia: West Virginia residents may obtain a summary of the registration and financial documents from the Secretary of State, State Capitol, Charleston, West Virginia 24305. Registration does not imply endorsement.
Roy West is executive director of Quiet Hour Ministries Canada.
The Quiet Hour Canada is a registered charity in Canada. Reg. # 89764 8002 RR0002 Where legally possible offerings will go to these projects; otherwise special arrangements will be made with Quiet Hour Ministries for distribution of funds based on the laws of Canada where these funds are collected.
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MAILBAG Team member to Guanaja, Honduras: Mission stories are no longer just “stories,” but now bring a sense of reality for me. To see firsthand the conditions the locals live with causes me to want to help people both abroad and in the area in which I live. Team member to Iquitos, Peru: I re-affirmed a constant dependency on God. This trip reminded me that I need to stop worrying about unimportant things and focus more on the important ones.
Team member to Tonga: I think that this trip really strengthened my spiritual life. I hadn’t recognized that there were so many other Christians similar to me, wanting to serve Jesus but not necessarily sure how. It motivated me to stay active in my church. Team member to Siguatepeque, Honduras: I had to depend on Christ so much during the Vacation Bible School program and once I returned home I remembered those children, as well as the locals I worked with. It made me consider my own relationship with Christ.
Team member to Tonga: I realized how we take many small things in life for granted, like being able to see, having hot water, etc. and also being able to afford basic things like food. I always had that thought but going through the experience of it made it real for me. Team member to Iquitos, Peru: I was especially impacted by how eager people are to learn about God. Team member to Malawi: I saw firsthand how the Holy Spirit uses anyone willing to be willing.
Letters may be edited for purposes of clarity and space considerations.
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Through My Eyes
Unforgettable by Jim Neergaard
People
When asked if I’d be interested in leading a Quiet Hour Ministries mission trip, I have to admit I was captivated.
trip our evangelistic speakers’ qualifications ranged from accomplished pastor-evangelist to a “prodigal grandson” brought by his grandparents. On that same trip we had a team member who was eight years old and another who was eighty! The eighty year-old, a loving grandma, told a Bible story each evening in the children’s program, illustrating it with colorful felts. The eight-year-old boy spent his day at the church construction site, moving block, shoveling sand and helping however he could. I’ve also seen how nothing can match the energy and enthusiasm of the young people on a mission trip. They work hard! And I love the way they find creative solutions to overcome obstacles. Not even a foreign language is a barrier as they communicate God’s love however they can. The local kids especially love our youth team members. And the feeling is mutual! It’s also amazing to hear the youth preach. One teenage girl spoke every night with clarity and passion. She preached the Sabbath morning sermon to a congregation of several hundred! Sometimes the youth will rotate and share the evening preaching duties. On one trip an outfit was shared too. Only one young man had remembered to bring a white shirt and tie. So he shared that same shirt and tie with three other speakers who forgot to bring theirs! This is just a glimpse of the exceptional people who make up a QHM mission team. Can you picture yourself as a mission team member? I know there’s room for you on our upcoming trips! I encourage you to pray about joining a QHM mission trip. Not only will you have the time of your life serving others. You will also be part of a team of unique and incredible people who love Jesus!
Full disclosure here, I used to work in the QHM evangelism department. For five years I’d helped others prepare for their mission trips. And I always felt great when teams had successful trips and sent in their stories of sharing God’s saving grace. It really was exciting and rewarding work for me. But now I was being asked to participate on the other side—to go with a team to the front lines. It was exciting to accept this new responsibility and tackle a new challenge. I learned that leading a mission team requires interacting with each team member as the unique person he or she is. Yet you also need to unite the team to accomplish our mission goals. Hands down, I love the team members who come on QHM mission trips! They vary greatly in age, experience and skills— but all have a common love for Jesus. On one mission
Jim Neergaard (front left) with a mission team he led to Honduras last summer.
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Jim Neergaard has served as volunteer team leader on several QHM mission trips over the past year. At this printing, he’s just returned from leading a team to Colombia.
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Spiritual
by David Wilkins
Shock Waves
Reflections on the QHM mission trip to General Santos, Philippines
I saw spiritual shock waves travel through the South Mindanao Mission! From the combined efforts of Quiet Hour Ministries (QHM), local lay people, Bible workers, pastors and mission leaders, God did amazing things. Months before our mission team arrived, QHM was working with the local Adventist leadership to support gospel workers and groundwork to really embed this outreach in the General Santos area. Through this impressive pre-work, when our team arrived there had already been nearly 2,000 people baptized! I went on this mission trip to conduct medical and optical clinics and to provide health education presentations at the main meeting site in General Santos. But it didn’t take long for me to be captivated by the spiritual momentum and energy of the Filipino believers.
There are people who, as naturally as breathing, pray fervently and frequently about everything they do! In my life I’ve had to be intentional about making prayer a part of my life. But these people live and work in an atmosphere of communing with Heaven about everything, great or small. Consequently, the power of the Holy Spirit seemed to be unleashed in marvelous ways in their midst. They don’t approach soul winning merely hoping there will be results. They go about their sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with a remarkable spirit of expectancy. And I witnessed their efforts being
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powerfully multiplied! I wondered, where does this exciting spiritual energy come from? The answer became clear. The children learn it from their parents and leaders. And it is reinforced at every level of their education. It was eye-opening to see
Dr. David Wilkins, an ophthalmologist, working in the free medical clinic provided by our mission team in General Santos.
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Philippines Evangelism Testimony the Filipino kids and young people and their enthusiasm for Jesus, with Whom they talk all the time. I was teamed up with Pastor Bill Tucker in General Santos City. At our site they had singing groups every night that richly blessed our evangelistic meetings. One night it was a large group of children all dressed up in identical green dresses. Most of them were six to nine years-old. After singing they came and sat by me in the front row. At the end of the message Pastor Tucker made an appeal for people wanting to follow Jesus to stand and come forward. A little girl from the singing group—I would guess she was 8 years old—came over and took my hand and began to go forward. As we joined the others at the front she looked up at me with sparkling eyes and said, “I want to meet you in heaven.” I melted. The Filipino children also have a deep and warm respectfulness. Many children each night would come up to me and greet me with a warm smile and handshake. While holding my hand they would bow their heads touching the back of
my hand to their forehead. At first I thought this was nice and they were just being courteous and respectful. Then I inquired about the meaning of this gesture. The children were actually asking for a blessing! I have never experienced this kind of spiritual fire from people so young! Night after night, as each evangelistic meeting began, the same young girl made it a point to come to the front row and sit by me along with her two friends. I found out her name was Fola and she was 9 years old. I noticed that every evening the girls brought notebooks that they were drawing or writing in. At first I paid little attention to what they were doing. But then I looked more closely and noticed they were not drawing but were writing down every Bible text that Pastor Tucker put up on the screen! Later I asked Fola if she was just writing them down for fun or did she really study them at home. She assured me she looked them all up in her Bible at home! At the end of our first week in General Santos, I had a
Through the efforts of local gospel workers preparing for our meetings, nearly 2,000 people had been baptized before our team even arrived in General Santos!
Friday without a clinic. So I took advantage of the time to make a trip to Mountain View College (MVC), located north of General Santos City about 350 kilometers. When I arrived, I knew something special was going on at this school. First we met with the president, Don Leo Garliva. Walking into his office, we could see his Bible was sitting in the middle of his desk. His habit is to arise at 3:00 a.m., read his Bible and pray for 30 minutes or so and then return to bed. He emphasized how this habit leads to Spirit-led clarity throughout his day’s duties. I could clearly see how MVC reinforces and builds on the spiritual foundation started earlier in each student’s home. Little wonder there is spiritual power in these kids later in their lives! I began to understand and appreciate the origin of their Team member Joe DeClue (left) giving a health talk at one of our evangelistic meetings.
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Thousands were baptized during our final Sabbath in General Santos. Today the total number baptized through our evangelism project in South Mindanao is more than 6,500!
spiritual hunger and passion for sharing Jesus. Serving Jesus is not something they do; it really is who they are. In this type of outreach culture, our QHM mission was stepping into a spiritually charged environment. The expectation of what God would do was high. And we were not disappointed. A special part of many QHM evangelism mission trips is to support the work being done for children in local orphanages. This trip to the Philippines was no exception. We visited several orphanages, sharing food, gifts, stories, financial support and love with the most adorable little children. It was all I could do to not come home with a couple of little girls I was privileged to meet and hold. What a treasure they are! The precious people who have dedicated their lives to the care and future of these children are as close to angels as we earthlings can get. I applaud your consistent support of these children through Quiet Hour Ministries.
It was an honor for me to serve the local people through the medical clinic. Thousands came to be seen. I was especially involved with the optical clinic, where more than 1,000 people were fitted with donated eye glasses. With the momentum created by the local gospel workers, the work done by our QHM mission team and much blessing from the Lord, we were thrilled to have baptized more than 5,000 people by the time we left. At this writing, the number is close to 7,000! Praise God! On the final Sabbath we had a large rally at a sports complex in General Santos City. There were about 7,000 people attending the service. At the end of the service as we left the stadium little 9-year-old Fola found me. She took my hand and asked if she could go to the baptism
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with me. As we walked out of the stadium she was skipping and singing “We Have This Hope.” With a joyful heart, I walked and listened. It was beyond beautiful to hear one so young letting her heart and voice erupt with praise and hope. Returning home from the Philippines, I was wonderfully exhausted and spiritually energized. I came back with a whole different understanding of prayer, of building a culture of outreach and of why we’re here. David Wilkins, M.D., was part of our evangelism mission team to General Santos, Philippines, in March 2013.
Come experience the
mission field! There are exciting opportunities for you in the mission field! Join us on a Quiet Hour Ministries evangelism mission trip and experience the excitement of firsthand soul winning.
Upcoming mission trips:
Ecuador July 3-14
Ecuador July 17-28
Our mission teams involve people of all different skill sets.
We’re looking for: Speakers
Medical professionals
Honduras July 31-August 11
Children’s leaders
Belize October 16-28
Cooks
Ecuador November 20-December 1
Peru November 20-December 1
Builders Anyone excited about sharing Jesus
To learn more or sign up, visit www.qhministries.org or call our evangelism department at (800) 900-9021. (800) 900-9021 | www.twitter.com/qhministries
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Much Rejoicing in Heaven
Stories from our outreach in Ecuador by Charlene West
There was much rejoicing in Ecuador and in heaven this spring as a result of the Quiet Hour Ministries’ mission project in the city of Quevedo.
One of those baptized was Rosita. She met Christ in an unexpected way. Every Saturday, Rosita would go grocery shopping for her family. This trip would take her right by a local Seventh-day Adventist Church. A few weeks before our team members arrived in Quevedo, Rosita heard much singing and praising coming from the church. To her it sounded like angels singing. As she continued walking she thought to herself, “I should be attending a church. My children should also be going to church.” Later that same afternoon, Wilker, one of the local gospel workers, knocked on her door. He and Rosita had a long conversation. Before Wilker left her home, she’d agreed to begin Bible studies with him. As Rosita studied the Bible day after day, she brought her children into the studies as well. But fearing the anger of Genaro, her husband, she did not let him know what they were doing. So each day the studies would happen in the afternoon while Genaro was at work. Soon our evangelism mission team arrived in Quevedo and began their nightly meetings. Rosita and her children wanted so badly to come to the meetings. However they knew they’d need to tell Genaro about the meetings and the Bible studies. It was time to be honest with him. Nervously and with much prayer they approached Genaro and informed him about the meetings and that they were planning to attend. “Yes,
A team of young people from the Rocky Mountain Conference joined others from Pennsylvania, California and the Virgin Islands to share the amazing grace of Jesus with the people of Quevedo. Thousands of people were reached through the cooperative efforts of local gospel workers and our team members. In addition to the evangelism meetings that were held in 14 different churches, the team members also led children’s programs, medical and eye clinics as well as a church construction project. And we were honored to dedicate that new church during our final Sabbath in Quevedo. Let me share with you the amazing stories of some of the people we met on this mission trip.
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On our final Sabbath in Ecuador, 138 precious people were baptized!
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Ecuador Mission Repor t I heard about the meetings,” he replied. “There’s a lot of talk about them at work. I’m fine with you going.” Each night Rosita and her children attended the meetings. They enjoyed the singing, reading the Bible and hearing the young speaker from the Rocky Mountain Conference preach about Jesus. It was during these meetings that Rosita and her children decided to give their lives to Jesus and be baptized! Rosita and her children have faithfully attended church since being baptized. But Genaro ignores their involvement with the church. They continue to pray for him, that one day God will answer their prayers and Genaro will find Jesus. Victor Anchundia is another gospel worker in Quevedo. He worked diligently to share Jesus with those in his district. His work was instrumental in helping prepare for our meetings. One day he met Maria Perez. She was very distressed because she’d learned her son was taking drugs. So she was thrilled to now meet someone who had a relationship with God and would pray with her for her son. Victor began to study the Bible with Maria each day. Soon Maria’s son saw the joy and peace in his mother’s face and he began to study as well! Together they were baptized during our meetings in Quevedo! The gospel workers in Quevedo were truly amazing. They brought many people to the meetings. Each person was looking for hope, encouragement and a better life. These precious people, like Maria and her son or Rosita and her children, have asked Jesus to become a part of their lives. And today, after our mission team has returned home, the faithful gospel workers continue to engage these new believers and nurture their growth. I began by mentioning the rejoicing in Ecuador and in heaven. Well the rejoicing reached a high on March 16. That final day in Quevedo, 138 wonderful people were baptized! That number has since risen to 150. And more are still studying and weighing decisions for Christ. Please keep all these people and local gospel workers in your prayers.
Team member Cassie Carr preaching at one of our evangelistic meetings.
An evangelistic meeting in a new church our mission team was helping build.
Our mission team was made up of young people from the Rocky Mountain Conference.
Charlene West is executive director for international evangelism at Quiet Hour Ministries. She also led our evangelism mission trip to Quevedo, Ecuador.
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Project Updates Every day there is something going on around the world that’s part of Quiet Hour Ministries’ outreach. Whether it’s church construction, gospel workers giving Bible studies or evangelism teams proclaiming Jesus, there are always projects happening that are furthering the Lord’s work. And these projects only happen through your generous support. In an effort to keep you up to date on what’s going on in our worldwide outreach, here’s what’s happened in the various areas of our ministry over the last few months: Worldwide Evangelism – Thanks to your gifts, evangelistic meetings were held in Ecuador, the Philippines, Indonesia, Dominican Republic, Argentina and Guatemala. More than 7,000 people were baptized through these efforts!
Children’s Outreach – Special children’s programs were part of our evangelism in Ecuador, Indonesia and the Philippines. In addition our Indonesia mission team dedicated a new orphanage your gifts helped build!
Chapels – In conjunction with the evangelistic meetings in Ecuador, our mission team also built and dedicated a church in the city of Quevedo.
Muslim Outreach – Hamid (not his real name) was leading Bible studies with more than 500 Muslim believers. However he only had three Bibles to share with them. Thanks to your gifts, we were able to provide him with 500 local language Bibles.
Gospel Workers – In preparation for our upcoming evangelistic meetings, gospel workers were laying the groundwork in communities in Ecuador, Costa Rica and Honduras. Bibles – Hundreds of local language Bibles were provided to those baptized at our evangelistic meetings in Ecuador, Indonesia and the Philippines.
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Medical Clinics – Medical and eye clinics were part of our outreach in Ecuador, Indonesia and the Philippines. Thousands of people received free care at these clinics.
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Project needs #
2013 goal
Project
06019
Worldwide Evangelism N
$267,000
06003
Worldwide chapels
173,250
06009
Gospel Workers
06002
Bibles
34,650
06052
Children’s Outreach
46,140
06012
Muslim Outreach
60,000
06061
Medical Clinics
17,325
ew goal! So many new openings for outreach!
69,300
STILL Needed
Raised
$267,000
$0 53% 91,507 66% 45,752 33% 11,325 58% 26,691 10% 5,962 14% 2,390
81,743 23,548 23,325 19,449 54,038 14,935
Your gifts can be made via the enclosed response card, by calling (800) 900-9021 or online at www.qhministries.org/givenow (800) 900-9021 | www.twitter.com/qhministries
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“You Have Touched Their Hearts” by Felix Bendezu
A report from our India evangelism mission trip
Mission trips are always a terrific adventure. I’ve seen amazing things happen as we share the love of Jesus around the world. India is a country of contrasts. There are very rich people and many very poor people. Violence and terrorism on one side, peaceful and happy people on the other. And there are a lot of religions. While the majority is Hindu, there are quite a number of Buddhists and Muslims as well. Christians are less than two percent of the population. So our mission trip to Andhra Pradesh, India, did have risks. It’s not always safe to preach the gospel in some areas. Our Quiet Hour Ministries mission team was coordinated by Bob Robinson and included eight
people from the United States and Canada. After a long flight and many hours of train and car rides, we arrived in Nandyal exhausted, but ready to fulfill our mission. Early the next morning, I went up to the rooftop garden for a time of prayer. But a group of monkeys kept interrupting. I later learned they are permanent residents! India is quite the experience! Nandyal is a populous city where swarms of vehicles share the streets with people and all kinds of animals. However we did not have the opportunity to preach in
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the city. Instead, our meetings took place in the surrounding towns and villages, places without any Christian presence. My evangelistic meetings were held in Brahmanapalli, a town of about five hundred. Sharing the gospel of Jesus in this village, I was struck by how similar life in this place was to villages Jesus visited: simple, no hurry and people living off the land. They cook over logs and straw. They live with their chickens, cows, goats and dogs. Local gospel workers had prepared a well-ornamented open-air auditorium. I was warmly welcomed with a floral garland, symbolizing affection, and a shawl as a symbol of authority. A representative from the East
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India Evangelism Repor t Central India Union, Pr. Nelson Prasad, was my skillful translator. When we’d arrive at the meeting site each day, the children would run and gather around the car. They’d greet us and courteously help carry the equipment to the platform. We would begin each evening with beautiful singing and praise the Lord with tambourines and cymbals. The local people love to sing. Next, we’d watch a portion of the “Jesus” movie and then it’d be my turn to speak. God blessed us abundantly and the people radiated with emotion and happiness as they heard the messages. After the meetings, many people came to the platform with individual prayer requests. Some of the ladies would touch our feet after we prayed for them. Three days into the trip we started visiting people in their homes. This brought a lot of blessings for everyone involved. They so much wanted our prayers. So we’d pray for their children, spouses and many other requests. And we always invited them to attend our evening meetings.
on. I got the same response: “It’s nothing, don’t worry.” But I understood something was wrong. Yet my translator was trying to keep me from worrying. Praise God, the opposition we met from these men ended happily! The Holy Spirit was working to transform our enemies into good friends. The first man who confronted us soon changed his attitude, becoming very friendly and showing us great hospitality. The second man, an important leader of the community, asked me one night, “How do you like India?” I said I was impressed by its landscape and especially by the loving-kindness of the people and their hospitality. He responded, “We too are very happy with the valuable teachings for our community.” Two days later he invited us to his home, where he introduced his whole family and provided a delicious meal. God is so good. His love can transform hearts, turning people who opposed the gospel into friends of the church!
Meeting Opposition
Mission Accomplished
One evening, a man came in from the street and started yelling and tried to argue with the gospel workers. I asked my translator what was going on. “It’s nothing,” he said, “don’t worry.” So I approached the man and kindly talked with him. His demeanor changed and he became very respectful and soon left. Another evening, right after our meeting ended, a different man entered the auditorium, approached the platform and started yelling. He was even challenging the gospel workers to a fight. Once again I asked my translator what was going
My final meeting was splendid! We reviewed with the people all of the teachings we’d presented over the course of the meetings. To my surprise and great delight they could repeat by heart many of these precious truths! Once again, the community people thanked us with floral garlands. One after another, people from the crowd brought more and more garlands till they covered all of my neck and part of my face. My translator warmly said, “It is because you have touched their hearts.” What the translator didn’t know was how much these beautiful
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people touched my heart too! More than 50 people accepted the Lord Jesus Christ and were baptized while we were in India. Some of these were baptized at great risk to their own lives. Today a total of 686 people have been baptized through our outreach in India! Our mission was accomplished and the time had come for our long trip home. We left with hearts full of happiness and thanksgiving to the Lord. I cannot encourage you enough to join the next Quiet Hour Ministries mission trip. Is it too difficult or impossible? Make the decision to come! Because with God everything is possible! Felix Bendezu was a team member on our evangelism mission trip to Andhra Pradesh, India.
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Use Me
A mission team member’s testimony from Indonesia
by Keri Mau
Two weeks before the Indonesia mission trip, I found myself deciding to go. The whole time in my head I was praying, “God, I know you want me on this trip for a reason. Or else this all wouldn’t have worked out. Please use me.”
Part of our mission trip took place at the YAPI orphanage, where your gifts helped build a new dormitory after a tragic fire destroyed the previous one.
Little did I know that God was going to use me at that church a few days later. Waking up the next morning, I prayed again, “God, I don’t know why You brought me here. But I know there’s a reason. Please use me.” When you pray a prayer like that, expect God to hear and answer you! An hour later, while we were all having breakfast and getting acquainted with one another, the group found out I didn’t have any particular task yet. So they asked me to assist one of the VBS leaders at her church. I was happy to help out wherever I could. Though I’d never actually led out in Vacation Bible School, I realized this was God answering my prayers and I happily agreed. It was a blast! I had so much fun with the kids and Nathan, my assistant! It was my first time working with a translator for that long. But she was so energetic and helpful that it was a breeze. I breathed a prayer of thanks to God for answering my prayers. But He wasn’t done answering my prayers. The next morning during worship it was announced that one of the nine churches needed a VBS program. They had already announced at the
Some of our Indonesia mission team members with local young people.
I hadn’t really planned to go on this trip until that point. But God had made a way for me to go. So I was determined to serve Him as best as possible! After going on three mission trips, I know they are my passion. I absolutely love mission trips. So going on this one was exciting for me. But there was some apprehension as I learned the majority of the group was coming from one church in Canada. “Great, I’m going to be an outsider” I thought, pleading with God yet again to use me. Since I was flying in through Malaysia, I landed in Manado, Indonesia, a few hours later than the rest of the group. By the time I reached our guest house, the group was already leaving for their evangelistic meeting sites. I jumped in a van with the film crew. Soon I found myself at the Pioneer Tondano Seventh-day Adventist Church with nothing to do but support the speaker for the night and help the film crew. ECHOES
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Indonesia Mission Testimony church that there would be a kids program so we couldn’t turn back. After a bit of discussion we all agreed that I would go lead the VBS. And guess what church it was? Pioneer Tondano, the first church I had gone to. This was more than I was expecting and I thanked God for the opportunity to serve Him. Almost every night we averaged about 50-60 energetic kids ready to learn about God! We told Bible stories with felts and charades, made crafts, sang songs and taught lessons through puppets. It was such a blessing! God didn’t stop there though. Before the trip I had mentioned to the QHM planning team that I Each night 50-60 energetic kids was willing to help out with the eye came to the children’s outreach clinic, since I’ve served there on two program Keri led. other mission trips. Little did I know I would be running the clinic with little to no help for two days! Since the clinics were run during the late afternoon and evening, the rest of the group wasn’t able to help as they needed to be at their respective churches during that time. I prayed, “Well God, if You think I can do this, then I can with Your help.” It was exhausting work since there was a steady stream of people eager to
get a pair of glasses. I could see the fatigue on my translator’s face as we saw person after person for almost two hours. What made us keep going? What made it worth it? The smiles on the faces of those who were given new sight. The exclamation of delight when they realized they could read the paper clearly. And knowing we were giving them a pair of glasses to help them read their Bibles. That made it worth it. As I always say, you come back from mission trips changed for the better. You get a new perspective on life. You have a better appreciation for life and the things God has blessed you with. You get a better understanding of life and a better worldview. And most of all, you are drawn closer to Him! I go on mission trips for all those reasons and more. It’s amazing, it’s exhilarating and it’s something that you have to experience for yourself.
Some 85 people were baptized during a downpour on our closing Sabbath in Indonesia.
When you ask God to use you, expect Him to answer you with more than you could imagine! Oh and the Canadian group? They were absolutely awesome and accepted me with arms wide open. I couldn’t have asked for a better team to work with. Thanks so much for a wonderful time! Keri Mau was part of our mission team to Indonesia in April 2013.
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God Provided
A report from our Moldova evangelism by Benjamin Stan
Our mission trip began in disappointment. But it ended in triumph. We’d been planning on an evangelism mission to India, but our visa applications were not approved. Our team, a group of students from Romania, headed to Moldova instead to hold evangelistic meetings. It was unclear to us why God had arranged things this way. That is, until we arrived in Moldova.
That’s when we saw that God needed us to go there, so He had changed our plans. After I met the local pastor and my meeting site was decided, I was certain that God had this planned from the beginning. The first Sabbath in Ivanovca Noua, the village hosting my evangelistic meetings, I learned of the tragedy they went through less than a year ago. A cement truck hit a van carrying several members of their brass orchestra and others
from the local Adventist church. Five people died and many others were injured. While singing the theme song for our meetings, “Awaiting His Return,” I saw tears in the eyes of those who had lost someone dear. One young man who came to each of our meetings was 16-yearold Ion Sirghi. He was seriously injured in the crash. In fact, the accident left him in a coma for some time. Having survived the crash, he told me he believes God has a plan for him. The accident left both visible and invisible scars on Ion. He is still unable to return to school. His pain and suffering make him long even more to see Jesus return. One evening he told me, “Every night I think about heaven and how it will be there.” During the first week of meetings, he approached me and asked me to pray for him. I did (and still do, every day). After the prayer we talked for a long time. We parted with a warm hug. This became something we shared at every meeting. When I made the call for baptism, I saw Ion struggle. He was hesitant to make a decision. After the meeting, as I was greeting the guests, he came to me and said he wanted so much to come forward but just couldn’t. He asked if I would repeat the appeal the following night. I assured him
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Team member Daniel Andrei preaching.
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Our entire Moldova mission team—a group of students from Romania.
I would call for baptism at every meeting thereafter. At the next call, Ion asked to be baptized! On our last day in Ivanovca Noua, Ion and four others were baptized! Greeting him with a warm hug after his baptism was the greatest feeling of all. I continue to pray for him and the believers in Ivanovca Noua, that God will not only provide healing, but also the encouragement to follow Him.
Team member Daniel Constantin leading a meeting.
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Moldova Mission Repor t
A total of 168 people have been baptized from our evangelistic meetings in Moldova.
I wasn’t the only team member convicted by our experience in Moldova. Daniel Andrei, one of the student team members, thought at first that perhaps he should change his message. Since many of the attendees at his meetings were church members, he believed they needed a different message from the evangelistic series. However, he discovered that the simple presentations were exactly what the people needed! Every evening he saw not only visitors responding to the appeals, but church members also! Two minutes before his first meeting in Ghidighici, team member Alin Catinean, saw that there was only one visitor. We experienced some opposition from the local Orthodox church, so we expected lower visitor numbers. But even so, Alin invited the church members to pray before the meeting began. In less than a minute, two more visitors walked into the church. They were soon followed by others. And inspite of all the opposition, the location had an average of eight visitors every night! Another of our team members, Iulian Condrachi, was approached
one evening by an elderly lady. She asked him to pray for someone to whom she had given a Bible. Before they prayed, he talked with her for some time. In the discussion she mentioned additional prayer requests. Hearing their conversation, a young lady joined them as well. She was asking for prayer for a friend who was not able to come to the meetings. Later, during our team devotional, Iulian told us the important lesson he’d learned from this experience. You never know who will open his or her heart to God through you. Sabbath evening during the opening weekend of our meetings, team member Daniel Constantin talked with one of the young ladies who attended. It was her first time in an Adventist church! She was married and her husband was against her coming to the meetings. Usually he worked far from home during the week. But during the span of our meetings he had no work scheduled. She asked Daniel to pray that her husband would allow her to attend the meetings. The following evening Daniel saw her in the audience. And a young man sitting next to her. It was her husband! As it turned out, when she returned home the previous evening, her husband said she could not attend again. Calmly she responded, “The Lord will provide.” Impressed by her response, he not only said she could go to the meetings, but decided to come too! During our final evangelistic meeting in Moldova, both the young lady and her husband asked to take Bible studies to prepare for baptism!
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Benjamin Stan with one of the local people baptized during our evangelistic meetings.
Long after our team returned home, the work continues in Moldova. Many people who attended our meetings are continuing Bible studies. To date, 168 people have been baptized! Looking back, though we all had high hopes for an India mission trip, our whole team agrees that Moldova was better by far. Because that’s where God needed us. Benjamin Stan was a team leader on our evangelism mission trip to Moldova.
A local choir provided beautiful music at Benjamin’s evangelistic meeting site. SUMMER 2013
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In Memory Of...
Quiet Hour Ministries gratefully acknowledges the many gifts given in memory of loved ones to help share God’s saving grace with the world. If you wish to honor a loved one through a memorial gift, please indicate so with your donation and provide the individual’s name. We will be happy to include your gift in a future Echoes magazine. Should you wish to make an anonymous memorial gift, simply note that as well and we will respect your request. Abbott, Walter Maurice by Robbie & James Land by Jim & Judy Culpepper
Bechthold, Raymond by his sister-in-law, Ferne V. Davick Blehm, Walter D. by his wife, Shirley Blehm Hartnell Bowden, Angeline by Steve & Mary Lou Pride Bowser, Edith P. by her granddaughter, Marilyn Springer Brass, Buddy by Mrs. Ruth Brass Bremmer, Martha H. by Earl & Evelyn Holdren Brown, Joyce D. by her sister, Cora M. Falls Brown, Kenneth S. by his wife, Marion by his mother, Maxine E. Hand Bucher, Joe R. by his wife & son, Sue & Joe Bucher, Rose by her mother & brother, Sue & Joe
Daniels, Susie F by her daughter, Alyce D. Jones
Hoyt, Dick by his mother, Gwen Hoyt
De Witt, Dr. & Mrs. J.L. by their son & daughter-in-law, Lyndon & Martha De Witt
Hoyt, Irma by her mother-in-law, Gwen Hoyt
Dieter, Minnie M. by her son & daughter-in-law, Edward & Audine Dieter Dwyer, Art by Olive Holm White
Edgmon, Deward T. by his wife, Jean by Jim & Jackie McPherson
Knox, Shirley by J. Rita Vital
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SUMMER 2013
Krossner, Louise by her granddaughter, Melody Wheeler
Fortner, B D & Myrtle Ellen by Don & Joyce Fortner
LaBianca, M. Olav by Wally & Geri Dunks
Gal, Anna by her husband, Troyan
Grace, Alvena S. by Wally & Geri Dunks
Cratty, James & Reece by their sister, Ione Patterson
Korgan, Joada by Carol & Dwain Leonhardt
Fellows, Byron Milo by Wally & Geri Dunks
Chambers, Roy & Edith by their daughter, Gwen Hoyt
Cole, Bonnie & Verlyn by Al Wiggins
Jones, Owen P. by his wife, Alyce
Fahrbach, Alice by Rae Anna Brown
Gerald, Walter by Neva & Don Gerald
Colaw, Henry A. by his sister, Verla Rice
Hutchinson, Edwin R. by his wife, Marion Hutchinson Brown
Ikeda, Michael Willi by his mother, Jutta Ikeda MacKay
Eby, Fern E. Fleming by Wally & Geri Dunks
Calvert, Jean B. Meyers by her daughter, Marilyn R. Springer
Coffman, Carl by Farrel & Bobbi Brizendine
Hoyt, Warren by his wife, Gwen
Larson, Verna by her son & daughter-in-law, Lyle & Twila Larson by her son, Albert Lee Larson
Hamby, Martha by her granddaughter, Sandra J. Monette
Ledbetter, Mae by her friends at the Valley SDA Church by Margaret P. Lind by Linda Grabenstein by William & Connie Downing
Heitzmann, Alvina by Mrs. Olga Lang Rodin
Liebelt, Albert by his wife, Betty
Herzel, Mary Lee by her daughter, Judy Halleron
Liebelt, Ardy by his sister, Ferne V. Davick
Hooper, David E. by his sister & brother-in-law, Jan & Dick Lind
Liebelt, Arthur & Marcella by his sister, Ferne V. Davick
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Memorial Gifts Liebelt, M. J. & Mrs. by thier daughter, Fern V. Davick Linn, John by Mr. and Mrs. Steve Pride Little, Lyle by his wife, Dorothy & family Lloyd, Russell by his daughter, Betty Cessna Long, Alan Dean by his mother, Pauline Long
Nord, Naomi (Omi) J. by Neva & Don Gerald
Oakley, Gordon by Neva & Don Gerald
Pedersen, Stanley F. by his wife, Dora Mae
Rader, Dick by his wife, Marguerite Radford, Albert & Mary by their daughter, Wanda Radford
Mallory, Jack by Wally & Grace Dunks Martin, Robin Elizabeth by her parents, Roger & Ellen Perry, Jr. Maxwell, Albert Carl by Robbie & James Land Mayer, Jeffery by his parents, Earl & Doris Mayer Meyers, Marcia Ann by her sister, Marilyn R. Springer Meyers, William H. by his daughter, Marilyn Springer Miller, Theodore Eugene by Esther & Bruce Knutson Moore, Carl T. by his wife, Mable Morikone, Arnold by David Morikone Morikone, Jimmy by David Morikone Morikone, Roy & Eileen by David Morikone
Radford, Dollie by her sister, Wanda Radford Radford, Pearl by her sister, Wanda Radford Rushold, Harry & Irma by their son & daughter-in-law, Marlin & Udene Allen
Salsgiver, Laura by Jim & Judy Culpepper Sanders, Maude M. by her daughter & son-in-law, Martha & Lyndon De Witt
Sutherland, Mavis G. by Jim & Judy Culpepper
Tucker, LaVerne E. by Marilyn Springer
van Overbeek, Jan Robert by Farrel & Bobbi Brizendine Van Pelt, Leah Marilyn by Marilyn Springer Venden, Morris by Marilyn Springer by Don & Maxine Rogers
Warren, Alma by Wally & Geri Dunks Wessels, Izak F. by J. Rita Vital Wiggins, Arlene by her husband, Al Wisserkerkee, Charleze by J. Rita Vital Wright, Harold & Crystal by their daughter, Penny C. Ancel
Schneider, Edward by his wife, Winifred Schneider, Kurt D. by his mother, Winifred Schneider Seth, Courtney by J. Rita Vital Sherburne, Floyd & Florence by their daughter, Nyla Sherburne Shields, Ruby by her sister, Wanda Radford
Newton, Lloyd by his daughter, Marguerite Rader
Sisson, Sarah D. by her brother, George W. Sisson
Newton, Lydia P. by her daughter, Marguerite Rader
Smart, Iva by her sister, Wanda Radford
Newton, Myron by his sister, Marguerite Rader
Smith, Stephen A. by Wally & Geri Dunks
Newton, Robert & Anita by Marguerite Rader
Sparks, Arnold by Neva & Don Gerald
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Stork, Willis F. by his wife, Lois
Swetnam, Ronald by Wally & Geri Dunks
Pegel, Neil Lyndy by his wife, Lois
Long, J. Murray by his wife, Pauline Long Lopez, Delpha Weir by J. Rita Vital
Stoia, Rose Marie by her husband, Joseph
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Zachary, James by his wife, Jean
IN HONOR OF . . .
Thankfulness: Abuel, Ildefonso & Emmy for our 63rd Anniversary Pillsbury, Albert for his 92nd Birthday, by his wife Wilma Rogers, Don L. & Maxine for our 60th Anniversary Stafford, Lexi Student Missionary to Philippines, by Al Wiggins
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Quiet Hour Ministries News
Missions Convention by Steve Hamstra
2013
A special celebration of what God is doing around the world
Bill and Jackie Tucker inviting the 1,200 attendees to get involved in mission outreach.
The words of Christ are unmistakable, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.” Matthew 28:19 NIV. On Sabbath, May 4, more than 1,200 people joined together at our first ever Missions Convention to see how the Great Commission is being fulfilled today! Attendees enjoyed mission stories from seven team members representing six mission trips over the past year. Mission story highlights included the personal testimony of Alexis Temko, for whom our mission trips were instrumental in overcoming troubled teenage years, and Demetrius Brown, who excitedly shared about his outreach to the children on our Thailand mission trip—complete with an on-stage demonstration of a song-and-motions routine he did with the kids. Pastor Bill and Jackie Tucker also gave a presentation about ECHOES
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their recent evangelism mission trip to the Philippines, an effort that has resulted in more than 6,500 baptisms! Pastor José Rojas gave a special sermon Sabbath morning, challenging attendees to get involved in soul-winning. And in the afternoon, Christian recording group Selah treated everyone to an emotional and uplifting concert. An especially memorable moment was when attendees were asked to stand, one table after another, representing all the people baptized through our mission trips so far this year. Soon everyone in the room was on their feet—each person representing
almost eight baptisms. A huge applause went up to God as we celebrated nearly 8,000 people baptized already this year! Over the combined Ambassadors of Hope and Missions Convention weekend, more than $65,000 was given to support our worldwide mission work—enough to reach more than 8,000 people for Christ! “It was a wonderful, very professional program,” said one attendee. “There were so many stories and reports from what’s going on around the world. I was just captivated as we saw one amazing story after another!” “We can only praise God for everything that’s been accomplished,” said Bill Tucker, our president and speaker. “This was a special occasion, a time to see how the Lord is reaching people with the message of His grace in these last days. And He’s doing it through ordinary people doing extraordinary things in the mission field.” Truly this is the Great Commission being fulfilled. We’re thrilled to partner with God and with you in carrying out this wonderful work. Steve Hamstra is executive director for marketing at Quiet Hour Ministries.
See video highlights from our Missions Convention at www.qhministries.org/convention 22
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“Therefore
GOnations. and make
disciples of all Matthew 28:19.
Ambassadors
of Hope
2013
As a special thank you for your yearly commitment of $1,200 or more, you’re warmly invited to join us for our Ambassadors of Hope weekends. Come and enjoy uplifting messages and music, frontline mission reports, comfortable accommodations and delicious vegetarian meals. Plus you’ll meet our leadership and other mission-minded friends! T wo weekends remain! Register today! September 6-7, 2013 Park Vista Hotel Gatlinburg, Tennessee October 18-19, 2013 Skamania Lodge Stevenson, Washington
For more information or to register, call (800) 900-9021 or visit www.qhministries.org/aoh.
”
A Gift with
Tripled Benefits! A
Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA) can
make a big difference. You can enjoy currentyear tax benefits, a fixed lifetime income and help share the gospel around the world. In fact, the average CGA with Quiet Hour Ministries
reaches more than 300 people for Christ! Call us today to learn more.
Jackie, Viveca and Tonya are here to help you find estate planning answers! • Call (800) 900-9021 • Visit us at: www.qhministries.org/legacy
To include Quiet Hour Ministries in your will, simply add this statement: “I give to The Quiet Hour, Inc., a Michigan corporation whose address is 630 Brookside Ave, Redlands, California, the sum of [dollar amount] or [percentage] of the residue of my estate to be used for worldwide ministry.” PO Box 3000 Redlands, CA 92373
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