!lliA&iMt R tptJ!il Go ye ..• into all the world. Vol. 63 Third Quarter, 1974 No.3 SOUTH AMERICAN DIVISION Projects: * New building for theology department, Brazil College, Sao Paulo, Brazil. * New facilities for Amazonas Agricultural School, Manaus, Brazil. Dwarfed by giant tomato plants, these students are learning many useful oc- cupations at the Amazonas Agricul- tural School at Manaus, Brazil, 1 ,000 miles from the mouth of the mighty Amazon River. Thirteenth Sabbath Offering Overflow-September 28, 1974 SOUTH AMERICAN DIVISION It will no doubt surprise you to learn that Christianity arrived in Bra- zil 64 years before reaching North America. In 1556, with the support of John Calvin, the reform theologian, a Huguenot colony was established on an island off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After some years of activity this colony disbanded be- cause of religious persecution and intolerance. After the failure of these first missionary endeavors, religious oppo- sition continued for almost three centuries. It was in the beginning of the nineteenth century that the first evan- gelical preachers arrived in Brazil, supported by various international missionary societies. Some decades later, beginning in 1891, Adventist pioneers came to this large country willing to struggle against what had then become a religious Goliath. Like David, in the Lord's hands Ad- ventism triumphed in Brazil. Today we are 184,287 members in the blessed hope. Part of this remarkable growth we owe to Brazil College, which for almost six decades has been preparing workers for their numerous evangelistic missions. However, this institution, which has given such outstanding service for God's cause, urgently needs a building for its theology department. Fifty per cent of the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering overflow from this quarter will be applied toward this project. The other school that will benefit with one half of this offering will be the Amazonas Agricultural School, located in the heart of the Amazon jungle, "the green hell" that has been described as "a veritable lung of the Americas, guaranteeing the purification of the air on the conti- nent." This dense green area, which challenged men for centuries, is now being rapidly and overwhelmingly penetrated. Immense resources are being tapped in a bold program of opening and settling this extensive area. Together with this program of government penetration and con- quest, we want as a church to enter victoriously and conquer this region for Christ. We believe that the Amazonas Agricultural School will play an im- portant role in this ambitious plan to illuminate the Amazon with the light of the Adventist hope. We trust again in the members of the Sabbath School, certain that on Sabbath, September 28, they will contribute generously for these two institutions that so badly need financial support and the benefit of our prayers. ENOCH OLIVEIRA Secretary South American Division SABBATH, JULY 6 Time of Opportunity in South America by R. A. Wilcox [President, South American Division] (Not·e.- This material is to be presented as an interview. Thus two people will be needed to present it, one representing Elder Wilcox, the other a reporter. Rehearsal will be helpful m making the interview lively and interesting.) REPORTER: Our guest today is R. A. Wilcox, president of the South American Division of the Seventh- day Adventist Church. Elder Wilcox received his degree in theology at Columbia Union College, Takoma Park, Maryland, then entered the ministry in the New Jersey Confer- ence. His next assignment took him to South America, where he spent twenty years in Brazil as a mission president, then ten years as presi- dent of the East Brazil Union. In 1958 he became president of the Middle East Division, then in 1966 president of the South American Division. Elder Wilcox, where are the head- quarters of the South American Di- vision? Incidentally, I assume that the division includes all of South America. ELDER WILCOX: Well, let me put it this way-the South American Division takes in most of South America, but not all. Our division headquarters, in Montevideo (Mon- tay-vee-dayo), Uruguay (Yoor-a- gway), on the Atlantic Coast between Argentina and Brazil, ad- ministers the work of the church in eight of the 13 South American na- tions. These are Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. The remaining five nations on the continent are in the Inter-American Division. REPORTER: Tell us a few general facts about the area covered by your division, such as how big it is, and the population. ELDER WILCOX: The South Amer- ican continent is more than twice the size of all the United States. The area included in the South Ameri- can Division is more than one and a half times larger than the United States and all its territories, so you see the division is a big area. Of the 165,163,777 people in the South American Division, 257,658 are Seventh-day Adventists. A couple of additional facts of in- terest about our division-it is far from being all tropical jungles. The sixth largest city in the world is Sao Paulo (Sounng Paul-oh), which has a population of nearly 6.5 million. Of cities in the United States only New York City is larger. Rio de Janeiro, also in Brazil, is larger in population than Chicago or Los Angeles. One other item: There are 49 mountain peaks over 20,000 feet high within the division area. REPORTER: I'm sure that will be great news for mountain climbers, Elder Wilcox. Seriously, though, what is your estimate of the future success of Adventist work in the South American Division? ELDER WILCOX: I think we are facing our greatest opportunity right now in our division. The rea- son I say this is that the South American is, in terms of averages, a young person. In fact, 55 per cent of TELL IT! THEY WILL ENJOY IT MORE. 3 the population is under 25 years of age, and this huge segment of the population is receptive to new ideas and new ways of doing things. The work of the church can go forward as never before if we are wise enough to make the best use of the financial resources God has given us. By "we" I mean all members of the church everywhere. I think most Adventists want to put their money where it will do the most good, and right now, the South American Di- vision is one of the places where the action is. REPORTER: What, exactly, do you mean by that, Elder Wilcox? ELDER WILCOX: Well, I just re- ferred to the youthfulness of the population in my division. In Sep- tember of 1972, on one weekend, more than 7,000 young people were baptized into the Adventist Church. On the average, every day of the year in the South American Divi- sion, the equivalent of a new church with 80 members is added to the more than 1,000 churches already in existence. Now, you don't add an average of 29,200 new members to the church each year without placing great stresses on existing facilities, espe- cially upon school facilities. REPORTER: And I imagine upon financial budgets, too. Speaking of budgets, Elder Wilcox, I imagine yours in the South American Divi- sion will be helped quite a bit by the overflow from the Thirteenth Sab- bath Offering to be received in all Adventist churches at the end of September. ELDER WILCOX: Yes, it will, and we are depending on it to improve 4 WORLD MISSION REPORT some of our educational facilities. Such improvement is vital to the fu- ture of the work, especially in Bra- zil. Why Brazil? Well, this nation is the seventh largest in the world in terms of population. The United States, by way of comparison, is fourth largest. Also, Brazil holds great potential for rapid growth and development. Huge new areas of the country, once covered by almost un- inhabited jungles, are now being opened to settlement for the first time. To meet this tremendous challenge the denomination must have thoroughly trained young workers. So, we plan to make use of much of the overflow from this quarter's Thirteenth Sabbath Of- fering to improve long-neglected schools. REPORTER: Elder Wilcox, you just said "long-neglected schools." Neg- lected in what sense? ELDER WILCOX: What I mean is the kind of neglect that occurs when you simply do not have the money to make the improvements and expan- sions that are needed. Let me give you a specific example. In 1968 the Amazonas Agricultural School was begun at Manaus, a city in the great Amazon River basin roughly 1,000 miles from the Atlantic Coast. Mem- bers of the church had been hoping for fifty years to have an Adventist school to which their young people could go, and they were naturally delighted when the agricultural and indus trial school was finally opened, even though there was money enough to provide only the simplest of facilities. Classes are being held in temporary wooden huts and structures, but the workers and stu- dents at the school have the begin- nings of an excellent agricultural program under way. In addition to meeting the needs of the school for produce, they have begun supplying garden products to people in Mana us. Part of the overflow from the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will be used to build permanent struc- tures to house the industrial class- rooms, administrative offices, a cafe- teria, and living quarters for students. Part of the offering will also be allotted to Brazil College, which was established in 1915 at Sao Paulo, located on the south coast of Bra- zil. This is the institution designed to provide college training for young people throughout Brazil, and it carries on an extensive educa- tional program with inadequate fa- cilities, especially for teaching the- ology. REPORTER: Give us some more in- formation about the kinds of pro- grams offered at Brazil College, Elder Wilcox. ELDER WILCOX: The college has a school of theology staffed by a fac- ulty of fourteen; a school of music with sixteen faculty members; an extensive school of nursing; a school of commerce, which also in- cludes the social sciences, science, mathematics, and languages, in ad- dition to commercial instruction; a teacher-training school; an acad- emy; and vocational and elementary schools. A building to house the school of theology will receive funds from the offering overflow. REPORTER: What other needs are there in these areas? What ways could our gifts be invested to the best advantage? ELDER WILCOX: Well, I mentioned earlier how great new areas of Bra- zil are being opened for settlement, especially the vast Amazon Valley. We want to send evangelistic teams into these areas as soon as possible. We have a golden opportunity, if we can take advantage of it. We need churches, schools, and clinics in these areas. The South American Division benefited from an offering overflow in 1972, and these funds made pos- sible great improvements in the educational work in Ecuador and Uruguay. We are in the process of expanding the little Ana Stahl Clinic at Iquitos, Peru, into a mod- ern medical center. So you see, we are doing our best to take advantage of every opportu- nity to spread the gospel in the South American Division. REPORTER: We have time for only a final closing thought, Elder Wil- cox. What appeal would you like to make? ELDER WILCOX: Help us build for the future of our young people in the South American Division. We want to provide them with the kind of educational facilities needed for leaders who will finish the work there. I would like to close with John 4 :35 : "Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest." What better description of the time of opportunity in South America! TELL IT! THEY WILL ENJOY IT MORE. 5 SABBATH, JULY 13 Brazil-a Sleeping Giant Awakening by Pastor Aldo Carvalho [Pastor Carvalho, chaplain at Belem (Belem') Hospital, Para, North Brazil, has served in the work of God for thirty-six years as a district worker, pastor, evangelist, teacher, and ad- ministrator. He spent six years in the Bolivia Mission and was for eleven years president of various missions in the Amazon River basin.] Brazil, to which the overflow from the third quarter Thirteenth Sab- bath Offering will go, is a giant among the nations of the world. It is the fifth largest in geographical size and the seventh largest in popu- lation. And it is now beginning a period of spectacular development. Because of its tremendous growth potential, which is in the first stages of realization, the nation's people have this unofficial motto: "Brazil is the country of the future, and al- ways will be." The modern development of Bra- zil began in 1957 when ground was broken for its new capital, Brasilia, on an empty plateau approximately 600 miles from the coast. Already this new city has nearly 500,000 peo- ple, and it has become the hub for a network of new highways that for the first time have made land travel fairly easy in the vast interior of the nation. One of the new highways runs north from Brasilia to Belem, a distance of 1,000 miles, and from Brasilia south to the border of Uru- guay, a distance of almost 1,400 miles. Another important road, the 6 WORLD MISSION REPORT Trans-Amazon Highway, is being built from Recife (Rey-see-fey) on the Brazilian coast all the way across the South American conti- nent to Lima, Peru, a distance of more than 2,800 miles. Population density throughout the entire Amazon basin, an area as large as the continental United States, has been only two persons per square mile, but this is begin- ning to change as the highways penetrate thick jungles to make pos- sible travel, commerce, farming, and the development of new towns. Opening the Brasilia-to-Belem high- way has already brought more than two million settlers into the area between the two cities, leading large numbers of Brazilians to move into the interior away from the coast and from along the rivers for the first time in Brazil's history. Belem, incidentally, has a population of 643,000 and is the social and cul- tural center for northeastern Brazil. Belem is also the headquarters city for the North Brazil Union Mission, which has a church mem- bership of 18,912 out of a population of 11,864,478 people in the six states and three territories included in the mission territory. Para Day Acad- emy, Northeast Brazil College, and Belem Adventist Hospital are also in this city on the northern coast of Brazil, just south of where the Amazon enters the Atlantic. In addition, Belem is home port for four medical launches-Luzeiro IV, Luzeiro VI, Luzeiro C-1, and Luzeiro C-2. Para Day Academy was estab- lished in 1961 and offers courses in accounting, Bible, drawing, English, geography, history, mathematics, Portuguese, physical education, and science. Northeast Brazil College, founded in 1943, provides training in Bibli- cal languages, history, modern lan- guages, philosophy, social science, religion, and theology. There is an academy; a vocational training pro- gram, including a farm, dairy, food factory, orchard, and woodworking facilities; and an elementary school in operation as part of the over-all college setup. The academy offers a broad range of courses, with strong emphasis on training for business. Belem Adventist Hospital is a 120-bed institution established in 1950, and along with the medical launches, which began their work more than forty years ago under the care of Elder Leo Halliwell, the hos- pital has been a strong factor in helping to extend the inti uence of the church. The Lower Amazon Mission, also headquartered in Belem, is being given four ambulances by the Bra- zilian Ministry of Health to be manned by Adventist drivers and nurses who will provide free medi- cal service to the thousands of pio- neer families following the new highways into the newly opened in- terior. The work to be done on land by the ambulances will be similar to that being done on the various rivers by the medical launches, and will include treatment and instruc- tion in prevention of disease and in health and hygiene. The staff as- signed to each ambulance will also preach the gospel of Christ. This extension of the medical work as the sleeping giant, Brazil, awakens will continue to give impe- tus to the growth of the work in the Amazon basin. Here is one illustra- tion of how people are responding to the medical ministry of the church: Osvaldo Galeno, a trader in Ma- capa, a town on the Amazon about eighty-five miles from the Atlantic, came to Belem Adventist Hospital for an operation, and each day while he was there the chaplain visited him as part of his hospital ministry. Osvaldo showed little in- terest initially, but finally one day he bought a Bible. As he was being prepared for surgery, one of the doctors offered prayer before the operation began. This was a turning point in Osvaldo's life. After he returned home he got in touch with the Adventist church and studied the Bible with a worker from the church for several weeks, and then he told various members of his family about his new beliefs. When Osvaldo was baptized, his wife, children, and two of his brothers and their families were also baptized. Since then he has won several other people to the church, making a total of seventeen, includ- ing the members of his family. And so the work of God goes for- ward in Brazil in spite of hardships, social disadvantages, and financial limitations. Adventists in North Brazil are especially looking for- ward to a large Thirteenth Sabbath Offering because of what the addi- tional funds can do to advance the work of God in the vast heartland of Brazil. May God bless us as we support His work so that it may go forward to earth's remotest bounds, winning many souls. TELL IT! THEY WILL ENJOY IT MORE. 7 SABBATH, JULY 20 Two Miracles for Modesto by Waldimiro Silva [Elder Silva graduated from the theology course at Inca Union College, Lima, Peru, in 1961. He has worked for eleven years in the North and South Peru Missions as a departmental secre4 tory. Currently he is Sabbath School, loy octivi4 ties, and stewardship secretory for the South Peru Mission, with headquarters at Puna, on Lake Titicoca.] Seventy-year-old Modesto Huay- hua (Wy'you-ah) had no use what- soever for the members of the large Seventh-day Adventist congrega- tion in his home town of Ticllasca (Tik-yah-sca), located 13,000 feet above sea level to the west of Lake Titicaca in the mountains of south- ern Peru. He had to admit, however, that they were among the best citi- zens of the area and were genuinely interested in helping other people. No, he couldn't find fault with their citizenship. "But they keep ruining my busi- ness," he muttered angrily. "Every time I have some good customers willing to pay for my services, along come the Adventists and I'm out again." Modesto was a sorcerer who dealt in witchcraft to give people advice and to work what he called cures on them. Sometimes old Modesto even cast a spell on someone when it was called for. Well, he thought, I guess I give those Adventists as good as I get. This was true enough. Modesto was the biggest problem faithful members of the Adventist church in Ticllasca had to cope with. He did 8 WORLD MISSION REPORT his best to infi uence the villagers to reject efforts by church members to win them over, and many villagers were his followers, depending on his incantations and rituals to fend off the evil spirits that caused them difficulties of one kind or another. But one day old Modesto became so sick that he was afraid he was going to die. He sent for one of the other sorcerers in the area, paid him his fee, and watched his rituals hopefully, thinking that he would certainly begin to feel better any minute. But nothing happened. Mo- desto sent for one healer after another until he had spent all his money, but he only became worse. His entire body had become swollen. He could do nothing to cure himself, nor could he receive any help from his fellow sorcerers in town. Modesto was, to put it bluntly, afraid to die, and finally in despera- tion he sent word that he wanted to see the Adventist district pastor, Silverio Aquino. When Pastor Aquino received the message at his office in Puno he asked three men from the church to go with him to see what could be done for Modesto. Pastor Aquino. (A-keeno), accom- panied by Manuel Huayhua (Man- you-el Wy'you-ah), who was Mo- desto's nephew, Gregorio Rojas (Gre-gore-eo Row-has), and Mari- ano Mallma (Ma-ree-ano Ma-ya- rna) , went as quickly as he could to Ticllasca, where he found a group of people clustered about Modesto's house, their faces glum and their attitude such that it was plain they had already given up on Modesto. The four men from the church could barely make out Modesto's thin form in the gloomy room. They threw more chips on the fire, and the flames gave enough light so they could see Modesto's tired old face. "Pray for me, Pastor. Pray for me," Modesto pleaded weakly. He knew that only God could hold back death, and he held out his trem- bling, bony hand toward Pastor Aquino. As the pastor took Modesto's hand he saw the tears that filled the old man's eyes. "Do you know who God is?" the pastor asked gently. "Yes, I know who He is," Mo- desto said. He closed his eyes in an effort to stop the flood of tears. "Pray to Him for me. I'll serve Him if He will spare me now," the old man wept. "We will pray for you," the pastor said, and he and the three men knelt around Modesto's bed. "I want to get on my knees, too," Modesto said. The pastor and one of the men had to support Modesto to keep him from toppling over as they all knelt in prayer. Modesto made no effort to hide his tears as the men helped him crawl back onto his bed after the prayer. Members of Modesto's fam- ily were also weeping and telling the pastor that they knew who God was, too, and that they thought He had heard the prayer. Modesto didn't die as he had feared, but he was not fully healed either. However, his attitude to- ward God and toward the Adventist congregation changed completely, and in a few days after the pastor's visit he and his family began taking Bible studies in preparation for bap- tism. The pastor and two deacons helped Modesto walk slowly into the river, and then he was immersed in the icy water of the stream. The pastor held onto Modesto and mo- tioned to the deacons to help him back to the shore, but before the deacons reached him Modesto began walking out by himself. He didn't need help to climb onto his horse, for Modesto had received two mir- acles in the water-he was restored physically, and he was healed spirit- ually. Modesto's wife, two sons and their wives, his younger brother and his wife, and thirty-seven other people were all baptized with Mo- desto. And soon after the baptism fifteen more residents of Ticllasca were ready for the rite as a result of Modesto's two miracles. Now the congregation in the little thatch-roofed church at Ticllasca happily work together with Modesto to pave the way for more miracles of spiritual restoration in their community. As Pastor Aquino responded to the call for help in Ticllasca, so, too, can each member of the church here respond to calls for help from many fields where fear and superstition still hold sway. Not everyone is called to go to distant places, but everyone, as faithful stewards of God's financial blessings, can an- swer the call by giving generously to the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering. And rest assured that your gener- ous gifts this quarter will bring an abundant harvest of souls in South America. TELL IT! THEY WILL ENJOY IT MORE. 9 SABBATH, JULY 27 Brazil College by Nevil Gorski [Professor Gorski, president of Brazil College, is also a graduate of that institution. He did graduate work at Sao Paulo University. He has taught and been a departmental secretary for twenty-two years. In 1966 he became president of Brazil College, the largest Adventist educa- tional institution in Brazil.] (Note.- This material is to be presented in interview form, with one person taking the part of a reporter, the other the part of Professor Gorski. Make the interview lively and spontaneous so it will be interesting to the Sabbath School members.) REPORTER: Prof. Nevil Gorski, president of Brazil College, is our guest today. Professor, exactly where is your college? PROFESSOR GORSKI: Brazil College is near Sao ( Sounng) Paulo, not far from the Atlantic Ocean, in the southern part of Brazil. The college is fourteen miles from the center of the city. REPORTER: Now, professor, you'll have to tell us where Sao Paulo is because most of us simply do not know. Also, how big is Sao Paulo? PROFESSOR: Well, if you know where Rio de Janeiro is, then find- ing Sao Paulo is easy. Just go down the coast of Brazil south from Rio about 200 miles, and there it is, just inland from the ocean. Sao Paulo is a big place. In fact, it is the sixth largest city in the world, with a population of 6,339,000. Its popula- tion is larger than that of every city in the United States except New York City. Sao Paulo is a great manufacturing center, a great in- dustrial city. 10 WORLD MISSION REPORT REPORTER: You are an alumnus of Brazil College, aren't you? PROFESSOR: Yes, I'm the second graduate of the school to become its president. REPORTER: Give us a brief history of the founding of the college. PROFESSOR: Brazil College was es- tablished in 1915 as the Adventist Seminary by two missionaries from the United States, John Liepke (Lip'kee) and John Boehm. The first class consisted of twelve stu- dents who lived and studied in some old houses on the school property. The only means of transportation to the school then was by horse cart or horseback. Today there are excellent roads, of course, and city buses ar- rive at the college gates every fif- teen minutes. Things are modern now. REPORTER: You said the first stu- dent body totaled twelve. What's the enrollment now? PROFESSOR: The current enroll- men is more than 1,700. This in- cludes all the students-from pri- mary and academy levels through college. College students number about 300. REPORTER: Brazil College is one of the institutions in the South American Division that will benefit from the overflow from the third quarter Thirteenth Sabbath Offer- ing. What is your major need at the college? What will your share of the overflow funds be used for? PROFESSOR: Our greatest need is for a building to house the school of theology at the college. Now let me tell you why this is so. In 1925 the main building of the school com- plex was constructed, and for many years this combination administra- tion, auditorium, and classroom building was adequate for the needs of the school. But the growth, espe- cially after World War II, was such that additional facilities were re- quired, and with the passing of time more buildings were constructed on the hill where the school is located. The school of nursing, established in 1969 and the newest of the five schools that comprise the college, occupied its own new building in 1972. This facility is a real credit to Adventist work in Brazil. REPORTER: Did Thirteenth Sab- bath Offering overflow funds make this nursing school building pos- sible? PROFESSOR: No, the interesting thing about the school of nursing facility is that it was built entirely with non-Adventist funds. One of the Western European countries that wanted to use some of its sur- plus funds to benefit young people in another country provided all the money-every cent of it. RE'PORTER: That's really remark- able. Now, back to your explanation of the greatest need at the college. PROFESSOR: Strange as it may seem, the greatest need is in the oldest department at Brazil College -the school of theology. This school is still in the basement of the old auditorium-classroom building put up in 1925. That building was con- structed to meet the needs of the college nearly 50 years ago. Not only is it totally inadequate, it con- stitutes a serious misrepresentation of Seventh-day Adventist educa- tional work, because the facilities it provides for the school of theol- ogy are, to put it bluntly, disrep- utable. So we prayerfully beseech Sev- enth-day Adventists everywhere to be as generous as possible on thir- teenth Sabbath. REPORTER: How important is the school of theology to Adventist work in Brazil, Professor Gorski? PROFESSOR : It is the cornerstone, really. The ministry, by and large, for the entire country of Brazil re- ceives its training at the school of theology. From this trained minis- try come not only the church pas- tors but also church administrators and other categories of leaders. To date more than six hundred students have graduated from the school of theology at Brazil College. These graduates are scattered all over Brazil in leadership positions. Many of them are serving also in other parts of the South American Divi- sion. So, you see, the influence of this school is international. Its role is crucial to the development of the work in South America, especially in Brazil. REPORTER: How are the students responding to the inadequacies of school of theology facilities at Bra- zil College? PROFESSOR: If you mean, do they like having to go to classes in a building most of us would be ashamed of, the answer is, Of course they do not like the situation. But if you mean, do the inadequate facilities detract from their zeal for God and the work of God, the an- swer is No. Let me illustrate what I mean. Every summer, forty two-man teams of theology students go out to TELL IT! THEY WILL ENJOY IT MORE. 11 various conferences in Brazil to hold revival meetings in the churches, and then they return to their studies in the fall. The young people at Brazil Col- lege are dedicated to the cause- there is no doubt of that. REPORTER: Well, Professor Gor- ski. I would like to see everyone here today begin planning now for a big Thirteenth Sabbath Offering. I think you have shown us a project that merits our most generous sup- port. PROFESSOR: I wouldn't want to leave the impression that Brazil College is the only institution in the South American Division to benefit from the offering overflow. Gener- ous financial help is also needed at Amazonas Agricultural School, es- tablished in 1968 at Manaus on the Amazon River in northern Brazil. This is the newest Adventist college in Brazil. REPORTER: So, this time we will have an opportunity to help both the oldest and the newest college in Bra- zil. My hope is that the third quar- ter Thirteenth Sabbath Offering overflow will be the biggest of them all. Thank you, Professor Gorski, for your report. The Word of God declares, "They that turn many to righteousness shall shine as tfle stars for .ever and ever." Your eternal rewards can and will con- tinue to grow and grow through the years ahead, even until the end of time, for such a wise investment. 12 WORLD MISSION REPORT SABBATH, AUGUST 3 Past Overflow to Open New Work by Edgard Villeneuve [Edgard Villeneuve, from Switzerland, has served since 1935 in the Malagasy Republic, wh1ch comprises mainly the island of Mada- gascar. At present he is secretary of the Sab- bath School, lay activities, and stewardship de- partments of the Indian Ocean Union, with headquarters on Madagascar, and IS editor of Adventist publications in the Malagasy lan- guage.] (Note.- This story gives o report on the area where the overflow offering for the lost quarter of 1972 was used, so is not directly related to the South American Division. Use the story as o sort of report to the stock- holders about what is being done with their investments.) Quarter after quarter, Sabbath School members around the world are called upon to generously sup- port Thirteenth Sabbath Offerings, and sometimes in the desire to pre- sent the extensive needs of the over- seas work, the need to let Sabbath School members know what is being accomplished with their funds is overlooked. This story reports briefly on what is being done with overflow funds from the offering re- ceived the last quarter of 1972, when the Thirteenth Sabbath Offer- ing overflow went to the Indian Ocean Union Mission, earmarked for a hospital in Madagascar. Work is under way on the hos- pital being built at Andapa, in a newly developed area made access- ible to motor traffic as the result of the Government's opening a high- way in 1970 connecting Andapa with the rest of the country. An- dapa is in a beautiful, highly pro- ductive valley surrounded by wooded mountains, and because of the area's long isolation from the outside world the people are still relatively free of such vices of mod- ern civilization as alcoholism and smoking, with their attendant dis- eases, and corrupting motion pic- tures. The opening of the hospital has full support from the Government. When plans for the institution were discussed with officials in 1970 the governor of the area personally found the twelve-acre site upon which the medical facility is to be operated. This site offers a pleasing view of the surrounding country- side. Recently, when the President of the Malagasay Republic visited Andapa the former governor, who is now his Secretary of State, an- nounced to the more than 10,000 people gathered on the occasion that he was "greatly pleased that the Ad- ventist Mission is going to build a modern hospital in Andapa." The official's speech was broad- cast throughout the nation of more than 8,164,000 people. The Malagasay people, predomi- nantly of the Malaysian-Indonesian- Polynesian ancestry, are·· approxi- mately 40 per cent Christian and 60 per cent animist and Moslem, but they are receptive to the teachings of Seventh-day Adventists, espe- cially in the Andapa area. During the few years the church has been working in the community sur- rounding Andapa, 250 people have become Adventists, and 600 attend weekly Sabbath Schools. Eight mis- sion stations have been organized in the region, and a flourishing church school is in operation. During the 1971 Ingathering campaign, church members discov- ered wide interest in plans for the hospital, and the people gave gener- ously to help with its financing. Many of them wanted to know whether the head doctor at the hos- pital would be an American. Madagascar, about 200 miles off the southeast coast of Africa oppo- site Tanzania-formerly Tangan- yika-is the world's fourth largest is'land · and consists of 226,657 square miles. Only the islands of Greenland, New Guinea, and Bor- neo are bigger. Madagascar is larger than France by 16,619 square miles. About 86 per cent of the people of the Malagasy Republic, which be- came an independent nation in 1960 when ties were severed with France, live in rural areas and engage in agriculture. The production of rice, manioc (a starchy root from which bread and tapioca are made), sugar cane, coffee, vanilla, cloves, and to- bacco provides most of the farm in- come. Graphite and mica are two important minerals mined in the country. Madagascar is approximately 985 miles from north to south, and about 390 miles from east to west at its widest point. The interior is mountainous, with one peak reach- ing an elevation ·of 8,655 feet. Tan- anarive (Tah-nah-nah-reev), lo- cated almost in the geographical center of the island, is the capital and largest city, with a population of approximately 350,000. Head- quarters of the Indian Ocean Union TELL IT! THEY WILL ENJOY IT MORE. 13 Mission, which is part of the Euro- Africa Division, are in Tananarive. There are more than 7,700 Sev- enth-day Adventists living in the Malagasy Republic, where both Malagasy and French are official languages. The church operates a publishing house in the capital city. It has a Voice of Hope broadcast headquarters there also. There are three SDA schools above the ele- mentary level and one dispensary in the country. The encouraging use made of Thirteenth Sabbath Offering over- flow funds for the construction of a much-needed hospital in the Mala- gasy Republic on the island of Mad- agascar provides each member of the Sabbath School incentive to give even more generous support to the financial needs of the work overseas. The funds given on thirteenth Sab- bath will represent financial muscle power, without which mission work could not be conducted. The financial power of the Sab- bath School members, coupled with the spiritual power of God, can ac- complish the task of giving the gos- pel to the world in preparation for the return of Christ. SABBATH, AUGUST 10 Sao Paulo-City of 1 SO Sabbath Schools by Pastor Sergio Moctezuma [Pastor Moctezuma graduated from the the- ology course in 1952 at Montemorelos Voca- tional and Professional College in Mexico. He 14 WORLD MISSION REPORT worked in Mexico as a pastor and depart- mental secretary for several years, then went to Brazil as Sabbath School and lay activities secretary.] Sao (Sounng) Paulo, Brazil, may well be the holder of two records in the Seventh-day Adventist Church worldwide: One for having the most Sabbath Schools, the other for hav- ing the largest number of Adventist church members in any city. This huge industrial city of southern Brazil, which has a popu- lation of 6,339,000 people, has 150 Sabbath Schools in operation each week, some of them attended by as many as 1,000 people. And there are 20,000 Seventh-day Adventists liv- ing in the city-more than the num- ber in conferences in many parts of the world. Another interesting feature of the Sabbath Schools in Sao Paulo is that they use several languages in addition to Portuguese, the lan- guage of Brazil. In the "mother" church in Sao Paulo, for example, the main Sabbath School is con- ducted in Portuguese. In the back section of the auditorium Bible classes use Japanese, and down- stairs the German language is used -three different languages in this one church, which has more than 800 Sabbath School members. In a small congregation not far from the mother church, only Ko- rean is spoken by the members, who bow politely in courtesy to visitors. Although the Korean congregation is small, it has become famous for its outstanding choir, which was called upon to provide music for the South American Youth Congress held in 1970. South American Adventists love music, and it is an important part of the worship services in many churches. One congregation is noted for its piano-accordion ensembles, and its violin, mandolin, and guitar groups. The nearby Santo Andre church, attended mostly by workers from the Brazil Publishing House, which is in Sao Paulo, has a male quartet which provides music for Sabbath School, and a ladies' quar- tet, ladies' trio, and choir for both Sabbath School and church services. The Moema (Mo-eh'mah) church near the airport, with a member- ship of 300) is ambitiously building an edifice with four floors to accom- modate anticipated growth. The Brooklyn Paulista church, which has 500 members, meets in a two-story building that provides plenty of space for youth and chil- dren's divisions. Santo Amaro church has 600 members, and the Campo Grande congregation is still happy about the large family which came into the church as a result of interests aroused by a Vacation Bible School. Capao (Ka-pounng) Redondo church has 1,500 Sabbath School members and is still growing. What's the secret of the rapid growth of the work of God in Sao Paulo? The answer is that dedi- cated church members are busy doing whatever they can to take the gospel to everyone in one of the largest cities of the world. For ex- ample, here's how a new church not far from the hillside campus of Brazil College came into existence: Prof. Nevil Gorski, president of the college, is a strong believer in Sabbath School evangelism. Re- cently he took a team of girls from the college down to the foot of the hill on which the campus is located, and the girls simply began telling Bible stories to any children who came to listen. The children liked the stories so well that they clamored for the girls to come back the next Sabbath af- ternoon-and the next. So week after week all through the school year the girls conducted their little Branch Sabbath School at the edge of the campus. When the team of girls completed their college work they went their separate ways, but the children remembered the stories the girls had told them and talked about them to their parents to such an extent that when an evangelistic series was held in the area the chil- dren and their parents flocked out to the meetings. Today there is a church with 300 members at the foot of the hill where the girls and the college president began their work with the children. Thus Sao Paulo is an illustration of how Branch Sabbath Schools- many of them started by only one person-can become the means of establishing numerous new churches in the huge population centers of the world. Today it would take three years to visit all the Sab- bath Schools, one each week, in Sao Paulo. However, the church members are not content to bask in the ac- complishments already attained. They have set as their goal having a total of 200 Sabbath Schools in operation by the end of 1974, and already Branch Sabbath Schools TELL IT! THEY WILL ENJOY IT MORE. 15 have been established for thousands of people. Even the Dorcas Federa- tion has its Branch Sabbath Schools, and each of the individual societies in the federation are start- ing theirs. The more than 20,000 church members in Sao Paulo, Brazil, are happy to share their experiences with Sabbath School members around the world, with the hope that this will generate more sharing of time and finances during this third quarter. Certainly God wants His people everywhere to spread the message of Christ's return through- out the earth. The challenge is for every church member to give of his abundance to send the message out to embrace all the people who could be enjoying the blessings of the Sabbath School with us. SABBATH, AUGUST 17 Bangladesh-Land of Hope by L. F. Hardin II"\.·~· ,.. aouo ~ng rom vvol1a Wa Ia College, Walla Wal a, Washington, 111 1939, Pastor Hordi., o;erved .n the mmistry 1n Oregon unt1l 194 7 He tren entered overseas serv1ce m the Sou~her'l Asia Division whe•e he woe; presider>t of the Ceylon Lmio'1 al"d also of the Bangia desh Conference He has '10W completed his overseas ass1anment al"d i~ DI"CP again a min e .{Note.-This is another of the four stories from fields other than the South American Division, to which the Thirteenth Sabbath Of- fering is directed. The purpose of this story is to give Sabbath School members some idea 16 WORLD MISSION REPORT of conditions and progress in Bangladesh, which was formerly East Pakistan.) Bangladesh, formerly East Paki- stan, is a land of hope in spite of the devastating war in 1971 that pro- duced 9 million refugees, and the terrible cyclone in 1970 that pro- duced flooding that killed 500,000 people and devastated crop lands. One reason for continuing hope is that Bangladesh, one of the world's newest independent nations, is on the long, though difficult, road to re- covery and stability under a repub- lican form of government whose leaders are determined to bring in- creasing benefits to the people. In terms of population, Bangla- desh, located at the head of the Bay of Bengal and sandwiched between the Indian states of Bihar to the west and Assam to the east, is one of the world's larger nations. Bang- ladesh has a population of 79,600,- 000, which makes it number eight in terms of population, right behind the land giant, Brazil. Dacca, the na- tion's capital and largest city, has approximately 900,000 people. Of the nearly 80 million people, 20 per cent are of the Hindu faith and about 80 per cent of the Moslem faith which means that the number of Christians is small, indeed. Among the tiny group of Christians are approximately 1,200 Seventh- day Adventists. Headquarters for Adventist work in Bangladesh are in Dacca. In spite of its enormous popula- tion, Bangladesh is not a large coun- try geographically, totaling only 55,126 square miles. This means that its population density is high- 1,444 persons per square mile. Bang- ladesh is slightly smaller in land area than the American State of Wisconsin, which has 56,154 square miles of land area, with a popula- tion density of only 80 persons per square mile. Bangladesh has a largely agricul- tural economy, producing rice, jute, tea, sugar cane, tobacco, and cotton as principal crops. Many of the Ad- ventists in the country are engaged in agriculture. The literacy rate in Bangladesh is rather low-22 per cent of the pop- ulation. To illustrate the seriousness of this particular problem, Bangla- desh has more than 62 million peo- ple who cannot read or write, which is a group of people larger than the entire population of France. There are, however, six universities, and education is one of the priorities of the new nation. There is one televi- sion station in Bangladesh. Adventists operate a hospital in Bangladesh, the twenty-bed Sev- enth-day Adventist Hospital at Go- palganj (Go-paul'gunj), Faridpur (Fa-rid'poor) District, on one of the branches of the mighty Ganges River, about one hundred miles southwest of Dacca. The denomina- tion also operates an academy not too far from Dacca and a boarding elementary school in the Garo Hills to the north near the Bangladesh- Assam border. Camp meeting is held at this school, and church members from miles around walk to the meetings. They form a beautifully peaceful scene as they walk along the paths between the rice paddies in single file, some of them at sunset carrying little candle lamps and hurricane lanterns flickering in the evening dusk to light the way, and all of them singing with their lovely voices the familiar hymn tunes in their native Bengali language. These faithful people carry their bedding, food, and cooking utensils, plus small children, and some of them walk as far as one hundred miles. They are happy to meet with others of like faith who have en- dured privations and hardships in recent times. Members of the church in north- ern Bangladesh are eager that med- ical work be expanded in their area, where a small clinic operated for a time in the Garo Hills. Bangladesh also needs educational facilities and help of all kinds to give added hope for the millions of people in this new nation. SABBATH, AUGUST 24 Approaching the True Pattern for Education by Luis Alafia LPusto. A ... .ma (A1-ahn-yah) has served the denof'Tlination for twenty-one years, three as a pub! ishing secretary, e1ght years as a pas- tor, two years in education, five years as president of the South Peru Mission, and for the past three years as Sabbath School and loy activities secretory of the Inca union. A na- tive of Ecuador, he is a graduate of Inca Union and River Plate colleges, the otter in Argentina, and has stud1ed at Guayaquil University, Ecuador.] (Note.- This material is to be presented in interview form, with two people participating, one as a reporter to conduct the interview, the other to take the part of Pastor Alana.) TELL IT! THEY WILL ENJOY IT MORE. 17 REPORTER: Pastor Alafia, you've had quite a bit of experience as a student, having graduated from two Adventist colleges in two different countries and having been a student at a public university. Do you think giving to the educational work is worthwhile? PASTOR: Well, if you're serious in asking that question, then you've asked the right man. Of course such giving is worthwhile. More than that, giving to aid overseas educa- tional projects is crucial to the fu- ture of Seventh-day Adventist work throughout the world. We are living in a time when people in various parts of the world want to-are de- termined to-develop projects and -enterprises for themselves. They realize that they need help, of course, but they feel the time has come to do things for themselves. Well, I guess what I'm trying to say is that our church can no longer be successful if it relies solely on peo- ple from overseas to run the various programs. REPORTER: Yes, Pastor, that's one of the facts of life today. The time is certainly gone when overseas mis- sionaries should do everything. PASTOR: Now, I'm not advocating the abolition of the overseas mis- sionary program. Not for one min- ute. What I've been doing is build- ing up to what I think is a very important point about giving to overseas educational projects. You see, education is the key to the sur- vival of our overseas work. We simply must have educational insti- tutions capable of turning out lead- ers of high quality. Now, another thing: The work of Seventh-day 18 WORLD MISSION REPORT Adventists is judged-whether we like it or not-by the way things look. This is as true in South Amer- ica as it is in North America. REPORTER: I know you are not advocating extravagance or frills just for show in order to make things look good. Explain what you mean. PASTOR: Well, let me use a good, live illustration-Amazonas Agri- cultural School, at Manaus (Ma- nous'), Brazil. This is one of two schools in Brazil scheduled for aid from the Thirteenth Sabbath Offer- ing overflow. Amazonas Agricul- tural School was established in 1968. If you look at the map on the back of your Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly you'll notice that Manaus is way up the Amazon River in the heart of Brazilian jungle country, 1,000 miles from the coast. A few years ago, Manaus was al- most the end of the world, but this is not true any longer. It is right at the heart of an exciting new devel- opment of a huge region as large as the United States. Thousands of people are settling in the interior of Brazil. Estimates are that by 1980, maybe 5 million people will have settled in the newly opened areas as a vast highway system is completed into the heart of Brazil- all the way across South America, in fact, from the Atlantic across Brazil and Peru to the Pacific. REPORTER: How does this affect Manaus and the potential of Ama- zonas Agricultural School? PASTOR: In the early days, Ma- na us was a boom town, its economy based on rubber. Then the rubber boom collapsed, and the city went into an extended economic depres- sion which lasted until 1967. Ma- naus became a free port in 1967, and industry was given tax concessions that made Manaus an attractive place to locate. River traffic has been the primary trade connection with the rest of the world, but now the new highways are being built to open up the area. Skyscrapers are being built, and thousands of tourists are pouring into the city. Boa Vista, about 400 miles north of Manaus with 37,000 population today, expects to have a population of a million by the year 2000. So you see, Amazonas Agricul- tural School is in an ideal location as far as the future growth of Bra- zil is concerned. REPORTER: What is the school like today? PASTOR: That's the whole point I've been emphasizing. Today the school is still in the simple hut stage of development. It has an enrollment of 120 students, and it is being de- veloped closely after the pattern outlined in the book Education. Stu- dents will be given practical as well as intellectual training. They will work on the farm, in the orchards, in the pottery factory, or at the sawmill to earn their way. The basis of the economy of the area as it is opened for settlement includes an important agricultural element - industrial and agricul- tural. This is also the pattern of education projected for Amazonas Agricultural School. But, again, back to my point. The school will have little influence, it will be unable to fulfill its intended mission as a training facility for skilled leaders of the church right at the heart of Brazil's future, un- less it receives funds enough to get past the hut stage, which is where it is at present. REPORTER: Is it a day school or a boarding school? PASTOR: It is a boarding school, the only one available for Adventist young people in the entire North Brazil Union. This union has a membership of more than 25,000. The problem is to upgrade the school by providing adequate dor- mitories for students who are now living in the huts to which I have referred. And classrooms must be provided, along with necessary equipment, to meet the rising stand- ards of education and the living conditions in the area. Primitive facilities were accept- able when the school was first opened six years ago. But the school can't be left in such condition. REPORTER: I agree with you. I'm sure every Sabbath School member here today agrees with you. Let's demonstrate our agreement by giv- ing the largest Thirteenth Sabbath Offering ever. Thank you, Pastor Alana. SABBATH, AUGUST 31 Mr. Edwards Meets God by G. R. Thompson [G. Rolph Thompson, president of the Car- ibbean Union Conference, is widely experienced as a pastor, teacher, evangelist, and odminis- TELL IT! THEY WILL ENJOY IT MORE. 19 trator He received his B.D. degree from Ad- drews University. Prior to assuming his present duties, he was president of the East Caribbean Conference (Note.-Aithough this story is not about the South American Division, to which the Thir- teenth Sabbath Offering overflow will go, it is an important addition to the mission quarterly because it is designed to keep the Sabbath School members informed about what's taking place in other parts of the world field.) Mr. Edwards met God on the largest of the Virgin Islands-St. Croix (Sant Kroi') - where his home is located. The Virgin Islands, consisting mainly of a clus- ter of three tropical jewels in the Caribbean Sea, about 75 ai'r miles east of San Juan, Puerto Rico, are United States territory and have a population of about 15,000 people. St. Croix, an 80-square-mile poten- tial paradise, is the largest of the Virgin Islands and the only one of them suitable for agriculture. Mr. Edwards is one of approxi- mately 14,000 Adventists in the East Caribbean Conference, which includes 15 islands and . island groups. This conference, in turn, is part of the Caribbean Union, com- prised of all that island chain called the Lesser Antilles, curving from the Virgin Islands at the _eastern end of Puerto Rico down to and in- cluding Trinidad off the northeast- ern coast of Venezuela. The general population of the Caribbean Union is nearly 3 million, of which about 39,000 are Seventh- day Adventists. The·· Caribbean Union was organized in 1926, when there were only 3,000 church mem- bers in the area. Although church membership has increased steadily over the years, it 20 WORLD MISSION REPORT is difficult for people to become Ad- ventists, because the Adventist way of life requires the abandonment of many cherished customs and beliefs. Only when a person meets God face to face, as it were, is he able to over- come the social pressures that often deter individuals from church mem- bership. This is what Mr. Edwards discovered on the island of St. Croix. When Pastor K. S. Wiggins came to St. Croix to conduct evangelistic meetings Mr. Edwards was among the first to attend the meetings, and soon everybody·; for miles around knew about it. Mr. Edwards was a member of one of the prominent churches, which in West Indian so- ciety lends prestige to an individual. There were many social and even bus'iness advantages in belonging to such a church, and Mr. Edwards was soon reminded of this after he began attending the Adventist meet- ings. "What will you do about your job?" one of his friends asked him. "You know, the Adventists don't work on Saturdays." "What will you do about your smoking? You know, the Adventists don't smoke," another friend said. "What will you do about your membership in the secret society? You know, the Adventists don't join secret societies," another one re- minded him. Well, what would he do about all these things? Mr. Edwards won- dered. However, he continued to attend the meetings, accompanied by Ad- ventist friends who had invited him to go in the first place. One night the evangelist stressed the point that God expects everyone to follow truth as soon as he learns it. After the meeting, Mr. Edwards' wife and son said they were con- vinced that the minister was right. They should follow truth, and they asked Mr. Edwards what he thought about the minister's point. His an- swer was noncommittal. Later, Mr. Edwards said he was too busy to attend a special seminar scheduled by the minister on a Sat- urday morning, and he went to work that morning instead. When he re- turned from work his son told him about what had been presented at the seminar and asked his father again what he thought about the teachings of the minister. On Sunday night Mr. Edwards and his family were back at the meetings. At the conclusion he called Pastor Wiggins aside and said, "My little boy is greatly con- cerned about my salvation. I want you to baptize me before you leave St. Croix." The pastor scheduled a baptismal service for the next Sabbath morn- ing. He said God would guide and help anyone who was willing .to serve Him and to show this willing- ness by being baptized. To his surprise, solving the prob- lem of what to do about working on Saturdays, about smoking, the se- cret society, and all the other ques- tions raised by his friends caused no difficulty at all. Yes, his employer said, he could have Saturdays off. Nothing to worry about. He threw away his c'igarettes, and God took away his desire for them, after thirty-five years of smoking. Once he was willing to come face to face with God Mr. Edwards dis- covered that following truth was a source of joy, that changing to a new way of life brought happiness. And once he met God and under- stood Him and His love Mr. Ed- wards never turned his back on Him. There are thousands of people in all parts of the world who need to meet God as did Mr. Edwards. We can help arrange such meetings ·by giving liberally on thirteenth Sab- bath to provide the funds necessary for sending out God's ambassadors who will introduce the Mr. Ed- wardses of the world to God. SABBATH, SEPTEMBER 1 Mrs. Zila's Story· by Mario Valente [Ma, io Valente (Vah-len-tay) graduated from the school f theology at Brazil College In 1971. Prior to th1s he worked as a distr ct pastor in the state of Rio Grande do Sui (Reo- grand doe Sool). in southern Brazil. He spent .four year.s in the United States teaching Portuguese and 1s at present professor of reliaious education,. Portuguese. and Eng 1sh at Brazil C liege (Note,- Tell your audience that the fol- lowing story will be presented in Mrs. Zila's own words.) The story of my conversion is an unusual one, and I would like to tell you about it because it demonstrates how God guides the lives of people and events, how He sometimes uses ordinary methods of· opening the way for the Holy Spirit to work. TELL IT! THEY WILL ENJOY IT MORE. 21 First of all, my name is Mrs. Zila (Zee-la). I live in Caxias do Sui (Kah-shee' ahs doe Sool), a small city in the southernmost state of Brazil-Rio Grande do Sui. Cax.ias do Sui is just about 75 miles north- west of Porto Alegre (Ah-lay-gray), an industrial city on the coast with approximately 900,000 people, north of the Brazil-Uruguay border. Ours is a subtropical climate, warm in both summer and winter, with mod- erate year-round rainfall. I was once a member of the J e- hovah's Witnesses faith, but even so, I always listened to the Voice of Prophecy radio broadcast in Portu- guese. There is a Voice of Prophecy branch office in Porto Alegre. I never missed a broadcast if I could help it. One day I wrote to the pro- gram for a copy of one of the radio sermons and to ask some questions about what had been said during the program. The Voice of Prophecy ·Office sent me a Bible correspond- ence course. At first I didn't know what to do about the course, but finally I began studying the lessons and sending them back to the broadcast office. I really enjoyed them because they helped me learn things about what the Bible taught, things I didn't know. I also gained more respect for the Adventists as I continued to study and listen to the program. Down the street from where I lived there was a family whose little boy played out in the yard, and when I passed this house I always spoke to the little boy because he seemed so happy, so nice and man- nerly. One day I stopped to talk to him. 22 WORLD MISSION REPORT "Pardon me, but I'd like to ask you something," I said to him. "Yes, ma'am," he said politely. "Would you mind telling me what your religion is?" "I'm an Adventist," the little boy said proudly. "Are you the people who have the Voice of Prophecy radio program?" "Yes, ma'am," he said politely. "Yes, and we have a church on this street. Just down there," said the little boy. "And the pastor of the church lives here. He's my father." "Oh, I didn't know he was your father," I said. "Yes, he's my father. Why don't you come in and talk to him?" the little boy said. A few days later I did go to talk to the Adventist minister, Pastor Mario Valente, who seemed happy to talk to me for as long as I wanted to stay. A few days after my visit Pastor Valente called at my house. He brought along a new set of Voice of Prophecy Bible lessons, and each time he came after that he brought the lessons. One Friday morning I told the pastor about a dream I had had on Thursday night. I had dreamed that on a Saturday morning I had gone to the Adventist church. Everyone was well dressed, but I was dressed differently from all of them, and they kept looking at me so much that I went home to change clothes. As I left the church the city was so dark I could hardly see. There were many wild animals rushing about fighting to eat up the people. I looked at San Pelegrino church next door to the Adventist church, and instead of San Pelegrino I saw a huge animal glaring at the Advent- ist church, trying to gulp down the people inside. There was brilliant light inside the Adventist church. I rushed home, found my husband and children, and then ran with them back to the Adventist church. The light inside seemed to be illuminat- ing the entire city. There were hun- dreds of people coming to the light inside the church, and hundreds of others outside being devoured by the animals. As I was feeling safe inside the church, I woke up. "Pastor, do you think this dream meant something, that it had some significance for me?" "Yes, it may be that God has used a dream to speak to you about sal- vation," the pastor said. "He used dreams in the Bible to speak to N ebuchadnezzar, Pharaoh, and others. Is it possible that God has used your dream to show you where the light of truth is? If so, then don't waste any time. Next Sabbath you must go to church." Well, I believed that God had spoken to me in that dream, and I was in church on Sabbath. I read the copy of The Great Controversy that the pastor gave me, and within a month I was a baptized Seventh- day Adventist, along with my chil- dren. After I joined the church I began enrolling other people in the Bible courses that had helped me so much. About twenty people have finished their lessons. So you see, God works in all sorts of ways to lead people to truth, and all of us have something we can do as instruments of God's leading. Sometimes what we are called on to do will set in motion a series of events that will enable the Holy Spirit to touch many lives. Notice what happened in my case. There was a radio program with Bible cor- respondence courses paid for by the offerings of a large number of church members who never. even heard of me. Yet their offerings supported the radio ministry that played a crucial role in my conver- sion. It may be that offerings given on thirteenth Sabbath for the support of the new facilities for the school of theology at Brazil College will be- come part of a chain of events in God's plan to reach many thousands of people. Pastor Valente, who worked with me and baptized me, is a graduate of the school of theology. What if the school had not existed? My plea this morning is, Give as though salvation depends upon it, and let God take your gift and use it in His own way to work out some- one's salvation. SABBATH, SEPTEMBER 14 Problems in a Pacific Paradise by Mrs. Nancy White (Note.-This story, to be handled as an interview, is designed to keep Sabbath School members in touch with mission areas other than the one to which the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering overflow will go. It is one of four such stories included for the third quarter. Biographical material about the author is TELL IT! THEY WILL ENJOY IT MORE. 23 incorporated into the story itself. Two people will be needed to present this story/ one of them a woman to represent Mrs. Nancy White/ the other to represent a reporter conducting the inter'{iew.) REPORTER: Today our guest is Mrs. Nancy White, the first woman guest we've had this quarter. Her husband is president of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Mission. Mrs. White is a teacher who graduated from Avondale College in Australia. Where have you taught, Mrs. White? MRS. WHITE: In the West Aus- tralian Conference until I was mar- ried in 1960. Then my husband and I went into evangelism in the Vic- torian Conference until 1964. Then we went as missionaries to the islands of the New Hebrides, then to the Gilbert and Ellice Islands in 1970. I know I've told you more than you asked me, but I thought you would want the information. REPORTER: Yes, I did, thank you. I've been wanting to ask you this question: Where are the Gilbert and Ellice Islands? MRS. WHITE: They are right out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. about 4,800 miles west of Los An- geles about 2,300 miles northeast of A~stralia, and nearly 3,000 miles east of the Philippines. REPORTER: You're a long way from everywhere, aren't you? MRS. WHITE: Yes, we are. Oh, I wanted to mention that we live on the island of Tarawa (Tar'a-wa). It was the scene of terrible battles dur- ing World War II. Our mission headquarters are in the town of Bairiki (Bye-ree'kee). Tarawa is also the seat of government for the 24 WORLD MISSION REPORT Gilbert and Ellice Islands, which are British colonies. REPORTER: You can probably guess what my next question is going to be: How many Seventh-day Adventists are there in your mis- sion territory? MRS. WHITE : More than 600, and we have five churches. Now, this doesn't sound like much, but the mission territory land area is only 342 square miles. We've got lots of water around us, but not much land area. Want to know what the popu- lation is? It is about 56,000 alto- gether. REPORTER: Could we describe your area as a Pacific paradise? MRS. WHITE: In many respects, yes. We have beautiful coconut palms and peaceful lagoons and sandy beaches. Really a lovely place. But we have our problems in this Pacific paradise. REPORTER: Problems in paradise? What are they? MRS. WHITE: Well, one of the big- gest problems is keeping our schools operating under denominational control. There is an attempt being made by the government Depart- ment of Education to consolidate some of the smaller schools, to even merge mission schools with govern- ment schools, as the officials believe this would improve the quality of education. Now the government is greatly concerned that all teachers be properly trained at an approved college. REPORTER: If the teachers in our church schools are not properly qualified the government steps in to take them over, right? MRS. WHITE: Yes, that's it, essen- tially. Let me tell you about an ex- perience I had one day recently. I was at home alone when an official from the government Department of Education came to see my hus- band about the number of qualified teachers employed in our various schools. Since my husband was away I gave the man the informa- tion he asked for. He handed me a list with the names of all our teachers on it and asked me to check the ones who were trained at either the government Teachers College on Tarawa or at our own Seventh-day Adventist Ful- ton Missionary College on Fiji. I can tell you this was a sobering experience. Most of the teachers at our school on Tarawa were qualified by having been college-trained, but on the outer islands. Fully trained teachers were just plain scarce. Now, as I've said, government policy is to consolidate smaller schools, both government and mission, in or- der to have qualified teachers in charge. REPORTER: So, the solution to the problem is to give our teachers col- lege training, then? MRS. WHITE: Yes, and the solu- tion sounds simple enough. We have a beautiful institution in Fulton College; it has a fine staff, a good curriculum, and adequate class- rooms. The government has a high opinion of Fulton, and any teacher trained there is considered by them to be fully approved, fully qualified by government standards. But-here's the big problem: Ful- ton College doesn't have the dormi- tory facilities for our teachers. Most of them are married; the col- lege is at Suva in the Fiji Islands about 1,500 miles away to the south. A teacher must attend the college for several years, and he needs to have his family with him. Tuition, living expenses, and travel costs are other problems we don't know how to solve sometimes. REPORTER: It boils down to finan- cial support for Christian educa- tion, doesn't it? MRS. WHITE: It does. We must have all our teachers trained prop- erly at college-at an Adventist college-so they can continue to maintain a Christian philosophy and atmosphere in our schools. The philosophy at the government col- lege is far from what we want in our schools, so it is not wise to send our teachers there. Nor can we allow our schools to be taken over by the government for want of qualified teachers. We want to be able to say that all our teachers are qualified the next time the Education Department in- spector comes to check. I hope Sab- bath School members everywhere will remember the needs of our schools when the time comes for them to give their Sabbath School offerings. RBPORTER: So do I, Mrs. White. Thank you for telling us about some of the problems that exist, even in your Pacific paradise. lllf the followers of Christ were awake to duty, there would be thousands where there is one today, proclaiming the gos- pel in ... [foreign] lands. And ALL who could not personally engage in the work, would yet sustain it with their means, their sympathy, and their prayers. 11 - Steps to Christ, p. 81. TELL IT! THEY WILL ENJOY IT MORE. 25 SABBATH, SEPTEMBER 21 Antonia's Victory by Rodolfo Cavalieri [Pastor Cavalieri (Ca-va'lee-airy), who gradu- ated from the school of theology, Brazil Col- lege, In 1960, has been in departmental work in the Rio de Janeiro Conference, and is now lay activities and Sabbath School secretory of the Rio Minos (Reo Me-nus) Conference, East Brazil Union.) Antonia's story is a strange one because it involves devil possession in the huge, beautiful city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which has a popula- tion of nearly 4.5 million people. This was not simply an evil little trait of character that kept giving Antonia a bad time. It was the real thing-full-blown possession by the devil. For more than eleven years the devil rampaged in Antonia's home, actually physically attacking her and members of her family, beating them almost to the point of uncon- sciousness. Frequently the invisible evil spirit would snatch up the table- cloth, dishes and all, and hurl it onto the patio. Often it would seize An- tonia and throw her to the ground, and many times she landed in the mud of the yard, almost lifeless. One night when she was lying across her bed, worn out and half dead from satanic abuse, she poured her heart out to God, pleading that He would send someone to free her from the overpowering evil. Meanwhile, God had already se- lected the instrument of Antonia's deliverance, Joaquin Dionisio da 26 WORLD MISSION REPORT Fonseca (Joa-keen Deo-nee'seo da Fon-seca). While Antonia was cry- ing out for help, Joaquin was pray- ing in his home on the other side of the city, asking God to direct him the next day to someone in special need of help, someone who was thirsting for truth. The next morning Joaquin got up early, had worship, and walked down the street to a bus stop, where he got on the first bus that came along. He had prayed that God would lead him, so he decided to let God do just that. He would ride the bus until he felt impressed to get off. As the bus entered a section of Rio de Janeiro called New B razilia, Joaquin got up suddenly and pulled the buzzer to stop the bus. This was where he felt impressed to get off. In the New Brazilia section the houses were built against steep hill- sides rising above the street. He walked for several blocks and then knocked at the door of one of the houses. A tired, desperate woman-An- tonia-came to the door, took the copy of the book, The Life of Jesus, from Joaquin's hand and, before Joaquin could even tell her why he was there, sobbed out her story. "I prayed all night last night; I couldn't go to sleep. I prayed that God would send someone to help me," she sobbed. "I can't stand be- ing tormented by the devil any more." "Do you believe in God? Do you believe Jesus can help you?" J oa- quin asked. "Yes, I believe, and I want Him to help me," said Antonia. Joaquin asked if Antonia would like to kneel for prayer. Then he asked for the intervention of the Holy Spirit in Antonia's life. Antonia heaved a sigh of relief at the conclusion of the prayer, and a dark, animallike form seemed to rise from her body. Then the awful shadow beat against the walls of the living room, screaming that it would persecute Joaquin and his family. For two days and two nights J oa- quin and his family became victims of the demon, which threw dishes and furniture about in Joaquin's house and attacked his 12-year-old daughter. Joaquin and his family prayed constantly for God's protection, and finally the demon was driven away. A few days later Joaquin began Bible studies with Antonia and her family, and then she asked if he would invite other people in to hear the Bible studies. With the help of another Advent- ist layman, Joaquin organized a Branch Sabbath School in Antonia's home. After Antonia, her husband, and other members of the family were baptized she asked that her large house become the meeting place for a church group, and she fixed up half of her home as a little chapel. Today this former strong- hold of Satan has become a church with a membership of 100. There are many strongholds of darkness still to be conquered by dedicated servants of God. Most church members do not have to grapple so directly with the evil one in order to reclaim souls, but every church member can provide finan- cial support needed by workers to bring deliverance to demon-pos- sessed people. We have, this thir- teenth Sabbath, an opportunity to provide financial support for two in- stitutions in Brazil where more dedicated workers can be trained. Half the overflow from the Thir- teenth Sabbath Offering will go to help build dormitories and other fa- cilities at Amazonas Agricultural School, Mana us, Brazil; the other half will be used to finance a new building for the school of theology at Brazil College. By giving generously to support these projects, we can help other Antonias win victories under God's blessing. SABBATH, SEPTEMBER 28 Light on the River by Tom Robinson [Pastor Robinson graduated from Union Col- lege, Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1965, then later attended Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan, where he received a Master of Arts degree in religion. He worked for five years in the South Dakota Conference as a pastor-evan- gelist. Currently he is lay activities, Sabbath School, and radio secretary for the Minas Mis- sion, East Brazil Union.] The sun is just beginning to filter into the broad basin of the Sao (Sounng) Francisco River, but there is already a cluster of people gathered at the rickety dock where the long white medical launch Lu- minar II is tied up. Here at Pira- pora (Pe-ra-po'ra), nearly a thou- sand miles from the point where the TELL IT! THEY WILL ENJOY IT MORE. 27 Sao Francisco River pours into the Atlantic Ocean on the southern curve of the great bulge of the South American continent, the med- ical launch manned by Tom Robin- son and his wife is headquartered. The people gathered at the dock begin climbing aboard the launch as soon as the Robinsons come on deck. It is Saturday morning, and the people are members of the Sev- enth-day Adventist Church, ready for a special commemorative serv- ice to be held several miles down the river at the spot where their Pira- pora congregation had its begin- ning. In addition to the members, the 1aunch carries the East Brazil Un- ion Mission Sabbath School and 1ay activities secretary and other guests who will take part in the special service downstream. The diesel motor of the launch roars into life, and the big craft, 1argest of all the Adventist medical 1aunches on the rivers of South America, heads into the main chan- nel of the river. In the distance, to the southeast of Pirapora, moun- tains rise to a peak of more than 4,000 feet. The river, plied by pad- dlewheel steamers, flows through high plateau country much of its way to the Atlantic. Along much of its course there is great human suffering and need caused by dis- eases of various kinds and by pov- erty and hunger aggravated by crop failures and drought, such as the one which prevailed in 1971 and 1972 over 150,000 square miles of the great bu1ge of Brazil, bringing agriculture to a standstill. But this Sabbath is a happy day, 28 WORLD MISSION REPORT and the people aboard the launch sing snatches of hymns and enjoy the cool early-morning breeze on the river. Finally the launch rounds a bend in the river and heads for a stretch of level shoreline shaded by two tall trees on a farm owned by one of the church members. The launch pulls in to land and the passengers scramble ashore, the adults assembling under one of the trees, the children under the other. Sabbath School and worship serv- ices are held on the spot where years earlier the farm owner and his wife began a Branch Sabbath School, which eventually grew into a church. For eight years the farm couple faithfully conducted the Branch Sabbath School, and after eight years eight people were baptized. Today the church has 120 members and meets in its own building near Pirapora. After the outdoor services and a picnic lunch the launch and its pas- sengers return to town, where an afternoon training session is held for church officers and leaders. In the evening a preaching service is held at the church, with more than 200 nonmembers present, many of whom have been helped by the launch's medical program. Several hundred adults sit and stand outside the church. Inside, nearly 200 chil- dren sit on the floor to listen to a story and to watch color slides shown by Mrs. Robinson. After the preaching service and story hour for the children end, the Robinsons return to the Luminar II to give medical aid to another crowd of people gathered at the boat. On Sunday morning, the Lumi- nar II, with four medical students aboard, heads downriver for Maria da Cruz, a little river town inhab- ited by a handful of people in des- perate need of both physical and spiritual help. Malnutrition, res- piratory disease, tropical sores, and intestinal parasites are common ail- ments treated by the Robinsons and the medical students during a long session on Sunday morning. Each person treated also receives kind words, encouragement, and Chris- tian literature along with his medi- cine. For lunch, the crew of the launch has mostly canned goods, because fruit and vegetable crops in the area were largely destroyed by floods. This destruction of crops eliminated the income from the produce the people usually had for sale, thus pushing them deeper into poverty and sickness. Day after day the Luminar I I travels the Sao Francisco River, ministering to the physical and spiritual needs of thousands of peo- ple each year. The launch is indeed a luminar, a light, in the darkness of human need, and this and thou- sands of other methods of dissemi- nating the light of truth all depend upon the faithful financial support of Adventists around the world. Twenty-five per cent of the Sab- bath School offerings given on thir- teenth Sabbath by Sabbath School members around the world will be set aside to help two educational in- stitutions in Brazil - Amazonas Agricultural School, near Manaus on the Amazon River, and Brazil College, 'Sao Paulo. Both of these institutions are training light bear- ers for service to God and their fellow men. Your gift today can help to make the light of truth shine brighter than ever to aid the great- est work ever committed to man. DIALOG Help to Build by Dilza F. de A. Garcia (Note of explanation.-This presentation is for thirteenth Sabbath. It is in the form of a word-o-gram. Three children, preferably of junior age, should take part, each one carrying a large placard with the letters "1," "A," "E,'' respectively. Each child needs a copy of the dialog to be sure he is following the text. This can be posted on the back of each placard, but do not allow the children to depend on this entirely. They should practice until each knows his part well.) 1-2-3 We come from Brazil, from 1. I 2. A 3. E 1. Instituto ( Een-stee-too-toe) 2. Adventista (Add-ven-tees- tah) 3. de Ensino ( deh En-see-no) 1-2-3 That is to say, Brazil College. 1. My father is a professor on the theology faculty in this institution. This college is 59 years old, but it does not have its own building for the theology department. There are 109 students studying theology, 25 of whom finish TELL IT! THEY WILL ENJOY IT MORE. 29 the course each year. Our college is in a pretty place. It's like a huge farm, with 150 hectares (370 acres) of land. 2. My father is studying to be a pastor. He is a student in the theology course. I like this college. It is pleasant to see the cows and sheep eating the green grass on the river- banks. There are 180 cows, which give very good milk. My father knows that Brazil has almost 200,000 Advent- ists, and millions who have not yet heard of Jesus. He is happy because he will soon be a pastor. But sometimes he is sad. Do you know why? There is no proper place for the theology classes or the general meetings of the fu- ture pastors. And they don't have the equipment neces- sary for their training. 3. I am an Adventist, and like many others, I want to study to be a missionary. I am very happy that I can study in the biggest Adventist college in Brazil. There are 1, 700 stu- dents here. From here many students graduate as mis- sionaries to work in various parts of Brazil, South Amer- ica, Africa, and Europe. Two graduates today work in the General Conference in the United States. 1. (With a happy expression) I received news of something that makes me very happy ... 2. Me too .. . 3. Me too .. . 1-2-3 Do you know what it is? 1. A part of the offering 2. For the thirteenth Sabbath 3. Of this quarter 30 WORLD MISSION REPORT 1-2-3 Will be for the construction of (pause for a moment) A THE- OLOGY DEPARTMENT BUILDING at Brazil College. 1. Help us ... 2. With your prayers ... 3. With your abundant offer- ings. 1. I count on you. 1-2 (Arms around each other) We count on you. 1-2-3 (All with arms around one another) All of us count on you. THIRTEENTH SABBATH September 28 Suggested Program 9:15-9:29 Inspirational song service. 9:29-9:30 Program participants enter. 9:30-9:34 Silent prayer and opening song. 9:34-9:36 Prayer-brief, remember the mis- sion field to benefit from the of- fering overflow. 9:36-9:59 Special thirteenth Sabbath mis- sion program-usually the adult and not more than two of the children's divisions participate. 9:59-10:37 Class period-six-point program, 8 minutes (including taking of lay activities report, 2 minutes, and brief tie-in with last week's lesson). Lesson study, 30 minutes. 10:37-10:40 Closing exercises-close promptly. Note: Posters, announcements, and /or bulle- tin inserts provided free by the conference an- nouncing the thirteenth Sabbath projects may be used. Plan all details of your program early -at least two weeks in advance. Instruct divi- sion leaders whose children are participating so that each may know the amount of time al- lotted. For additional program material see Children's Edition, World Mission Report. 11Give, and It Shall Be Given Unto You" by Flo J. Beveridge Christ gave Himself for us; His precious life it cost! And, now, He pleads with us To help Him save the lost. "Give," He commands us, "and To you it shall be given." (A store of treasure great Laid up for us in heaven!) Our loving Lord was rich, But left it all behind And came to this dark world His poor, lost sheep to find! Now His command is clear, And if we cannot preach, We may provide the means For some to go and teach. We're privileged to give- And thus to send the light To souls in distant lands Who're lost in sin's dark night. And if we love our Lord, His earnest call we'll heed To send our off'rings out And help those souls in need. Christ left His heavenly home- He came here willingly, And suffered on the cross To pardon you and me! And now He calls on us To help Him win the fight: To send His message out On wings of living light! South America calls us With earnest, pleading voice. If we but help them now, All heaven will rejoice! Then give with cheerful hearts. (For us, Christ gave His all!) Our friends who make this plea In vain they shall not call! My Need by Dorothy Minner What would I do if I should hear My Lord's voice speak to me And say, "I cannot use your gift. I'll manage without thee. Don't give to help the mission work, Let others do your part. For I can only use and bless The gift that's from the heart." Oh, how could I this burden bear? My all I'd offer then, If only He'd accept my gift And cleanse my heart from sin. I know I've given sparingly; To calls I've turned deaf ears. But He has done so much for me, My every prayer He hears. May I ne'er hear Him tell me No, Or see Him turn away. I'll gladly give more than my part, And I will start today! I need the blessing I receive When I give to my Lord. For as I give, He gives to me; 'Tis promised in His Word. THE THIRTEENTH SABBATH OFFERING OVERFLOW FOR THE FOURTH QUARTER, 1974, WILL GO TO THE NORTHERN EUROPE- WEST AFRICA DIVISION Issued quarterly by the Seventh-day Adventist Sabbath School Department, ~ashington, D.C. PRINTED IN U.S.A. PACIFIC OCEAN 1 Amazoa Agricultural School-New Buildings 2 Brazil College-New Theologg Building Sabbath Church School Members Members Austral 27,950,451 154 26,211 23,156 Chile 10,044,940 106 19,239 16,342 East Brazil 47,132,061 57,433 59,435 25,085,317 78,790 82,933 North Brazil 12.482,008 25,500 22,299 South Brazil 42.469,000 101,354 107,311 165,163,777 1,129 308,527 311.476 [F•guresasollstquarter.1973] ATLANTIC OCEAN