into all the world. 
 
Vol. 58 �
Fourth Quarter, 1969 �
No. 4 
THE THIRTEENTH SABBATH OFFERING OVER-
FLOW FOR SOUTHERN ASIA WILL HELP TO: 
• 
Purchase properties for church buildings. 
• 
Supply additional dormitory accommodation at Spicer 
Memorial College. 
• 
Modernize and improve Lasalgaon (La'sal-gow) High 
Marathi (Ma-ra'thi) high school students look to Lasalgaon (pointing right side), and all 
college students hope for admittance to Spicer Memorial College (pointing left side). 
1. Each article is divided into three sections: the intro-
duction, the body, and the appeal. This is done to 
help you tell the story. Please do not read it. 
2. Do some research on the area you will be talking 
about. Gather pertinent facts. Consult an atlas, 
maps, encyclopedias, et cetera. Weave these into 
the story—at appropriate places. 
3. Be enthusiastic about the appeal. Make the story 
come alive. It is only paper and ink as it is. God 
now needs someone to put the appeal across to the 
hearers. Be on fire with the message. If the house 
were on fire, how would you react? The world today 
is "on fire" and dying, and must receive the mes-
sage of salvation before it is too late. 
THOUGHTS 
ON 
GIVING 
THE 
MISSION 
APPEAL 
SPECIAL 
NOTICE 
The WORLD MISSION REPORT, formerly the Missions 
Quarterly, now follows the practice of publishing some 
mission stories of a general nature and some especially 
relating to the field to receive the Thirteenth Sabbath 
Offering overflow. This is in harmony with an action 
taken at the 1966 General Conference Presession Ad-
visory Committee meeting of the Sabbath School De-
partment, at which there was representation from all 
world divisions. 
 
2 WORLD MISSION REPORT 
SABBATH, OCTOBER 4 
The Dividends Will Be 
Counted in Souls 
by Roscoe S. Lowry 
[Dr. Roscoe S. Lowry, president of the Southern 
Asia Division, has been a missionary in India 
during the past twenty-eight years. Since gradu-
ating from Pacific Union College in 1941, he 
has served as secondary school principal, col-
lege teacher, MV and education departmental 
secretary, and administrator. He was elected 
to his present position at the 1962 General 
Conference session.) 
Southern 
Asia is not mil) the home of several 
powerful non-Christian religions, it is 
the birthplace of two of the most ag-
gressive of these, namely, Hinduism 
and Buddhism. For centuries, even 
millenniums, these views of life have 
cast their spell over the hundreds of 
millions of people who live in these 
lands, and have made it extremely diffi-
cult for the gospel to penetrate. 
Of late, however, the Spirit of God 
is being poured out in unprecedented 
measure and we are beginning to see 
• each year hundreds, yes thousands, ac-
cepting the warning message of Reve-
lation; so much so, in fact, that within 
the past ten years our church member-
ship in Southern Asia has doubled. 
One of the agencies of the church in 
meeting the challenge of spreading the 
gospel has been its educational sys-
tem, which in mission fields has often 
been open to the public. This avenue 
has, in Southern Asia, accounted for 
almost one third of all baptisms 
throughout the years of our endeavor. 
Our schools not only bring young 
people to the foot of the cross, but 
more than this, they establish them in 
the faith and equip them to become 
active workers for their fellow na-
tionals. 
Indicative of the urge on the part 
of the young people of Southern 
Asia to get an education and the 
effectiveness of our schools for sal-
vation, is the story of Subodh 
(Soo-bod). 
Subodh was a youngster who 
loved to study. He realized early 
that it was a great privilege for him 
to attend school, so he made use of 
every opportunity he could to learn. 
He recognized also that if he ex-
pected to get a college education he 
should get a good foundation in 
English. One day as he noticed an 
advertisement for an English Voice 
of Prophecy correspondence course, 
he immediately recognized it as an 
opportunity. It mattered not to him 
that he was studying the Bible so 
long as he could learn English. But 
Subodh learned more than English. 
He soon learned to know Jesus, the 
Saviour of the world. 
With a deep longing in his heart 
he set about to seek ways and means 
whereby he might study more of 
Christianity. He decided, therefore, 
to leave home and seek admission to 
an Adventist school. While his par-
ents had not objected to Subodh's 
studying the correspondence les-
sons, they would not agree to his 
leaving home. Being determined to 
carry out a search for truth, Subodh 
secretly started to save his lunch 
and pocket money in order that he 
might earn his train fare to the far-
off school. 
One day he arrived at school and 
WORLD MISSION REPORT 3 
asked to be allowed to work for 
credit so that he might pay his next 
school year's expenses. It was only 
three days after admission in the 
school, however, that Subodh's elder 
brother, having been sent by his 
parents, caught up with him and 
forcibly took him back home. As he 
was still a minor, he could do noth-
ing but return. The family scolded 
him severely and put him to hard 
work that he might earn his food 
and clothing, telling him that it 
seemed he did not appreciate an 
opportunity to study. 
Subodh, however, did not lose 
sight of his ambition and again 
began carefully saving toward the 
day when he might have opportu-
nity to go back and be with his 
Christian friends in the school. It 
would not be long, he reasoned, until 
he would be old enough to choose for 
himself. However, a friend, who was 
sharing his room, sought frequently 
to borrow money. In order that his 
resources might not be depleted, 
Subodh attempted to keep only large 
bills around so that he might make 
a legitimate excuse to his friend. 
His friend, on the other hand, hav-
ing learned of his secret intentions 
to go to school, and being angry 
with him for not lending him 
money, informed Subodh's parents 
of his plans. Again his father 
caught hold of him, took his money 
away from him, and brought him 
back home. This time all of his 
clothes were taken away from him, 
except a few torn rags, in the hope 
that this would embarrass him to 
stay near at home. 
Although Subodh was not a 
Christian, he had already learned to 
pray, and now in his hour of diffi-
culty he turned to God for help. God 
answered his prayers in a strange 
way. Shortly after Subodh had been 
forcibly returned home, the elder 
brother was taken suddenly ill and 
died of cholera. The father conse-
quently seemed to have a changed 
heart and allowed Subodh to begin 
study again, but with a private 
tutor. In course of time the tutor, 
who was somewhat tolerant toward 
Christianity, advised the father 
that the son might do better if he 
could have opportunity to attend a 
school of his choice. The tutor rea-
soned, "He will soon tire of their 
religion and their food. Further-
more, if you continue to oppose him, 
you will lose his affection in the end, 
and, in any case, if it is the will of 
the gods that he should be a Chris-
tian, you can never stop him." 
After much urging and persua-
sion, the father finally allowed 
Subodh to leave home, but would not 
permit him to take any money for 
food. It was, nevertheless, with joy 
that the young lad boarded the train 
and headed for the mission school. 
At school again, though a lad from 
a high-caste Hindu family and not 
familiar with the available jobs, 
Subodh accepted all types of work 
that were assigned him. He worked 
hard in order to provide himself 
with necessary funds. He wore 
without shame the clothing that was 
provided by the mission Dorcas 
women. He studied hard and drank 
in the truth as it was presented to 
him. Then, before the school year 
was concluded, Subodh was bap-
tized. What joy came into his heart 
as he joined himself to the remnant 
4 WORLD MISSION REPORT 
p1 
church and continued his studies in 
preparation to be a minister to 
others. 
IMMTITNII Our schools today are 
filled and overflowing. Unfortunately, 
however, scores and scores of Seventh-
day Adventist youth cannot find admis-
sion simply because there is not suffi-
cient room to accommodate them. It is 
safe to say that all our many schools 
are grossly overcrowded and inade-
quately equipped. Spicer Memorial 
College, the division's worker training 
center, to which part of this quarter's 
overflow will go for added dormitory 
space, would have to reduce its present 
enrollment by about 30 per cent at 
least if it were to comfortably house 
its students. Nevertheless, our schools 
are definite soul-winning agencies in 
spite of their many needs. Crowded 
conditions, inadequate equipment, and 
often insufficient staff do not alter this 
fact. How much more could be done, 
however, if more students could be se-
lected among the many applicants, if 
more money were available to buy 
much-needed equipment, if more staff 
could be provided so that there would 
• be more scope for soul-winning activ- 
ity. 
As God's Spirit is poured out and 
men's hearts are turned to seek truth, 
we as His people should be ready to 
capitalize on every opportunity. Invi-
tations to preach the gospel are being 
presented on every hand, and compa-
nies of believers are being organized in 
many places throughout the length and 
breadth of Southern Asia. It is our 
hope that we will be able this quarter 
to acquire land on which to erect 
modest worship halls for these many 
4 
new believers, who though poor in this 
world's goods are rich in the love of the 
truth. Therefore, it has been decided 
that a portion of this quarter's offer-
ing overflow will go toward this objec-
tive. At the present time there are 
literally several hundred groups of 
believers who have been organized into 
companies of twenty-five and more, 
who today have no place in which to 
worship. 
We appeal to the world church to 
consider the challenge which the 
church in Southern Asia presents as an 
opportunity in which to invest money 
where the dividends will be counted in 
souls won to the kingdom of Christ. 
There is no better time to invest than 
now. 
SABBATH, OCTOBER 11 
Spicer Is Counting on 
Your Support 
by M. E. Cherian 
[Dr. M. E. Cherian completed his baccalaureate 
program at Spicer Memorial College in 1949, 
and thereafter joined its faculty in the depart-
ment of religion. After serving as dean of men 
and librarian, he attended Andrews University 
to obtain a Master's degree in theology in 1956, 
and then attended Maryland University to 
receive a second Master's degree in history. 
Returning to Spicer in 1957, he served in such 
capacities as registrar, head of theology and 
history departments, and since 1963 as presi-
dent. He received his Ph.D. degree from Poona 
University, India, in 1965.] 
INTRODUCTION 
Southern 
Asia Division with a population of 
700 million has among them only about 
forty thousand Seventh-day Adventists. 
Yet the only full-fledged training col-
lege our church has from which to draw 
WORLD MISSION REPORT 5 
workers to evangelize approximately 
one fifth of the world's population is 
Spicer Memorial College in Poona, 
India. At the present time more than 
90 per cent of the national leadership 
of our church in this division are those 
who have received their education at 
Spicer Memorial College. Today Spicer 
graduates not only constitute the over-
whelming majority of our working 
force for India, Burma, Ceylon, and 
Pakistan but also they constitute the 
backbone of our church organizational 
structure. 
Fifty-four years back the late 
Elder G. G. Lowry started a small 
school at Coimbatore (Corn' ba-tur), 
South India, to give expression to 
the Adventist philosophy of educa-
tion. Steady growth led to its trans-
fer to Bangalore within the next 
seven years, and then in 1942 to its 
present location in Poona in West-
ern India. Between 1942 and 1957, 
by the generosity of our believers 
around the world, this school—
Spicer Memorial College, named 
after one of our most loved denomi-
national leaders, Elder W. A. Spicer 
—was developed as a senior college, 
and physical facilities were built to 
accommodate a maximum of about 
three hundred students. 
The history of Spicer Memorial 
College is one of providential lead-
ings and God's continued blessings. 
It has not only become one of the 
best-known collegiate institutions 
of the land but also achieved ac-
creditation status while retaining 
its complete identity. Its present 
student body, representing more 
than forty distinct language groups 
and seventeen different nations, is 
the most promising human factor 
for the future of our work in South-
ern Asia. 
Yet today, this college, with its 
unlimited potentialities, is faced 
with a serious crisis because of the 
increased student enrollment of the 
campus. The boarding enrollment 
alone has come up to about six hun-
dred students, making the physical 
facilities of the institution totally 
inadequate. The situation has be-
come so acute that more than one 
hundred fifty students were refused 
admission this year. 
I wonder, friends, if you realize 
the tragic implications of our re-
fusal to admit these young people to 
Spicer. Do you know that there is 
not another Adventist college in 
India, Burma, or Ceylon to which 
these young people can go? Are you 
aware of the fact that if we do not 
admit them, 90 per cent of them will 
never be able to continue their edu-
cation? 
Do you also realize that next year 
we will have to refuse admission to 
at least two hundred young people, 
and that the number is likely to in-
crease proportionately year after 
year? 
Let us think of a young man like 
P. R. Solomon. He was brought up 
to become a priest in a temple, but 
in the prime of his life he chose to 
follow the Advent message, and has 
dedicated his life to become a minis-
ter to preach the gospel to his coun-
trymen. Solomon came to Spicer 
four years back and is now complet-
ing his program for the Bachelor's 
degree in theology. 
Even as a student he is engaged 
in active missionary work and gives 
4. 
6 WORLD MISSION REPORT 
promise of becoming a very effective 
evangelist by his godly life and 
zealous soul-winning activities. Yet 
Solomon is only a representative of 
many young men and women who 
are drawn from spiritual darkness 
to the glorious light of Adventism. 
However, today many Solomons who 
turn to Spicer to fulfill their dreams 
of a preparation for the gospel min-
istry are turned down, for we have 
no room for them. 
Let us take a look at the men's 
hostel built in 1954 to accommodate 
about one hundred fifty young men 
—four to a room. Today the rooms 
are crowded with six young men 
each. Even the guest room, the room 
for the sick, the parlor, and the 
worship hall, all have been con-
verted into dormitory accommoda-
tions. 
However, we have become used to 
crowded conditions and to the prob-
lems of lack of facilities. But with 
all of these, this year more than one 
hundred young men were refused 
admission since there was abso-
lutely no more space in that hostel. 
The girls' dormitory, built to 
• house about sixty girls, today 
crowds in nearly two hundred, and 
also we refused admission to more 
than fifty girls this year. 
Thus all these young people who 
leave their ancestral religions and 
the educational institutions of the 
land and turn to us to make it pos-
sible for them to be educated for 
service in God's cause and for eter-
nity are turned away because of 
lack of space. Can we be uncon-
cerned and indifferent to such a 
cause and so great a need? 
4 �
I am reminded of a young man by 
the name of Mohammed Yaqub 
(Ya-koob). He was an ex-army 
youth undergoing training in an 
army-sponsored vocational center 
two miles away from Spicer. One 
of the one hundred fifty or so young 
people who go out regularly every 
Sabbath for lay missionary activi-
ties led this Moslem young man to 
the feet of Christ and to the Sev-
enth-day Adventist Church. Subse-
quently, Yaqub was put out of his 
home by his Moslem parents for be-
coming an Adventist. With no other 
place of refuge, he turned to Spicer. 
This was four years ago, and fortu-
nately our hostel still had some 
space and Yaqub was admitted as a 
student. 
Today, after a period of training, 
Yaqub is a very valuable staff mem-
ber in one of our secondary schools. 
Yet, my friends, if young men like 
Yaqub were to come to Spicer today, 
we would have to turn them away, 
unless ... 
APPEAL 
We would be forced to 
turn them away unless you and I who 
have been called to be guardians of 
our youth and stewards of the message 
of salvation respond to the needs of 
young people like Solomon and Yaqub 
and give a truly liberal offering in the 
spirit of the One who emptied Himself 
for the salvation of man, including 
the millions of Southern Asia. 
Our offering overflow this quarter 
will be a Christmas gift that in the 
years to come will bless many a youth 
who comes to Spicer Memorial College 
to be trained for service. It will be a 
blessed monument to the spirit of true 
sacrifice and generosity of the mem-
bers of this Church—of you and me. 
WORLD MISSION REPORT 7 
SABBATH, OCTOBER 18 
And the Lord Led Me On 
by R. S. Shinge 
[R. S. Shinge (Shin'gee) is educational secretary 
of the Western India Union, and headmaster of 
Lasalgaon (La'sal-gow) High School, which is to 
receive a portion of the fourth quarter's Thir-
teenth Sabbath Offering overflow. He graduated 
from Spicer Memorial College (India) in 1962, 
and received the Master of Arts degree in 
education from Andrews University (U.S.A.) in 
1967.] 
INTRODUCTION 
From a non-
Christian home in a small primitive 
village in India to the dignified gradu-
ation convocation of Andrews Univer-
sity in the United States is only half-
way round the world, but it helps de-
pict a young man's life turned full 
circle as he let God have His way, lead-
ing him onward to faith and service. 
This is the story as reported by Elder 
Shinge: 
"Son, bring the chicken and kill 
it now. Today we must sacrifice to 
the gods." As she spoke, young 
Shinge's devout Hindu mother 
spread a yellow cloth on the floor in 
front of several metal figures placed 
in a recess on the wall of the room. 
In turn, each god was taken down, 
washed, cleaned, and placed on the 
cloth. The usual offering of a chicken 
was made and the flesh eaten. A 
fresh coconut was broken in front 
of the gods and offered as prayers 
were recited, saffron powder was 
placed on their foreheads, and the 
family went their way, having per-
formed the ritual expected at such 
times. In return the gods were to 
give guidance to the family and 
even healing through enchantment. 
For several years young Shinge 
had been attending the Seventh-day 
Adventist school near his home in 
the village of Patton Kodoli (Put' 
ton Ku-do' lee). During these years 
he also went regularly to Sabbath 
School and church functions. The 
mission school teacher, B. J. Hivale 
(III-vor lee), had never denounced 
their village customs, but somehow 
young Shinge had come to lose confi-
dence in such worship and longed in 
his boyish heart to be away from it. 
As the Adventist school did not 
go beyond five years of education, he 
attended the local government 
school during the next three years, 
but continued to join in many of the 
Adventist church activities. Later, 
in order to continue his education 
he left home and went to a boarding 
high school in Kolhapur (Ko' la- 
d 
poor) , the nearest city. 
"You boys ought to go to our high 
school at Lasalgaon," Elder W. H. 
Jordan, the district missionary, told 
young Shinge and a group of his 
friends when they were at home 
during one vacation. None of them 
had ever been so far away, but with 
his mother's financial help and the 
4 
further encouragement of the local 
worker, V. S. Shinde, he finally set 
out for Lasalgaon, situated hun- 
dreds of miles away on the other 
side of the state. This school had 
been founded in 1919 by Elder 
W. H. McHenry and R. E. Loasby. 
Land had been purchased beside the 
Bombay-Calcutta railway line about 
150 miles northeast of Bombay. 
Young Shinge enrolled here in the 
first year of high school with the 
4 
idea of at least improving his knowl- 
ti 
8 WORLD MISSION REPORT 
4 
edge of the English language. How-
ever, God had more in store for him. 
Under the daily influence of 
Christian teachers and the varied 
religious activities his mind turned 
more and more toward faith in 
Christ. When a call was given for 
students to join a baptismal class, 
his heart moved him to respond. It 
has been a real pleasure for him this 
year to be the one instructing the 
baptismal group at this same school. 
Finally his mind was made up and 
he was baptized by Elder C. C. Cant-
well, the school principal. Upon com-
pletion of his high school studies, 
he enrolled at Spicer Memorial Col-
lege, Southern Asia's institution of 
higher education. With diploma in 
hand he returned to his old school 
to become teacher and preceptor for 
four years. After serving as a school 
principal, then as pastor-evangelist 
in several cities, he was called to the 
union office as a departmental secre-
tary, and from there was sponsored 
to Andrews University for graduate 
study. 
Up to that time no one from his 
village had traveled so far nor re-
ceived such advanced education, but 
God had led him on, and he has con-
fidence to believe the divine One will 
continue to do so to the end. 
APPEAL 
During these years 
Elder Shinge wrote many letters to his 
mother telling of Christianity. With 
the help of the village church pastors 
and his letters he had the great joy 
of seeing his mother baptized, and to 
this day she is a faithful though aged 
member. 
So each one, having found the bless-
ing of God's leading in his own life, 
desires to pass on His love to others. 
As Elder Shinge looks around this 
union field, he sees others in positions 
of responsibility and leadership, sev-
eral of whom like himself came from 
non-Christian homes. What a blessing 
and means of salvation Lasalgaon 
High School has been to us. Then there 
are many others, workers and lay 
members today, who also have made 
their decision for Jesus Christ while at 
this school. 
Will you too pass on to today's youth 
of Western India the continued oppor-
tunity of Christian education and sal-
vation by giving a sacrificial offering 
for Lasalgaon school on the thirteenth 
Sabbath? 
SABBATH, OCTOBER 25 
The Gospel of Kindness 
Conquers Prejudice 
by J. A. Hansen 
[Pastor Jens Arne Hansen, born into a farm-
ing community in Jutland in 1920, attended a 
series of Adventist meetings in his late teens 
and was baptized in 1941. Soon after, he went 
to the Danish Adventist college at Vejlefjord, 
from which he graduated in 1946. After two 
winters' work in his native land he was called 
to lead the mission on the Danish dependency 
of the Faroes (Faer'oes) Islands (north of the 
British Isles). Here he served for six years, 
interrupted after the first three by a period 
of advanced study at Newbold College, England. 
He was ordained to the gospel ministry in 1954. 
From 1957-1963 he served as district pastor in 
various parts of Zealand (island group in East 
Denmark waters) before taking over the leader-
ship of the Greenland Mission.] 
INTRODUCTION 
Greenland 
is the world's largest island. It is the 
biggest area of land in the Arctic 
WORLD MISSION REPORT 9 
Circle. Greenland is a country of Den-
mark, separated by 1,300 miles of 
ocean. It is about fifty times as large 
as Denmark. The outermost rim of the 
island is ever green, but about 85 per 
cent of the country's surface is covered 
by ice. Most of the 35,000 people live 
along the coast. 
Outside it was bitterly cold. Nels 
and his mother trudged into the 
Adventist welfare center seeking 
help. The boy's boots were good, but 
they were not his, probably bor-
rowed from his father, they were so 
large. Longingly he fingered a pair 
of warm socks. 
"Well, take off your boots," sug-
gested the attendant. But the boy 
hesitated, apparently shy and em-
barrassed. 
"Come on. We must find the right 
size," urged our worker. 
Slowly the boots slid off. He had 
no socks on. An old piece of dirty 
woolen cloth was wound around each 
foot. Thankfully he went home 
wearing real woolen socks and as-
sisting his mother with a large 
sack of clothes for the needy broth-
ers and sisters. 
Up to 1950 Greenland was a 
closed land, so there has been much 
antagonism towards the "new sect," 
as Adventists are known. There are 
still some who believe it is their 
duty to oppose Adventists. Though 
all Greenlanders are officially mem-
bers of the Danish Lutheran 
Church, the majority have never 
experienced the power of the gospel 
to change their lives, and they have 
little knowledge or understanding of 
the Holy Scriptures. Greenlandic 
(or Gronlandsk) is an exceedingly 
difficult language, and our work is 
hampered by an inadequate mastery 
of the local speech. Four years ago, 
upon the arrival of the Hansens, it 
was customary for them to hear the 
children shout rude remarks after 
the Adventist missionary, but today 
both adults and children smile and 
greet them. One day they overheard 
a little boy telling his playmates, 
"There goes my pastor." How they 
pray that some of these children 
who have attended youth meetings 
will in time choose to follow Jesus 
fully. 
The activities of the mission for 
children and youth, the welfare help 
to the poor and needy, and the treat-
ments given in the clinic have 
broken down much prejudice and 
demonstrated that Seventh-day Ad-
ventists really want to help Green-
landers. 
The amount of reading matter in 
the native language is severely lim-
ited. Adventists have only three 
books and a series of tracts in 
Greenlandic, but these are much ap-
preciated. A Greenlandic school-
teacher uses The Great Controversy 
for lessons on the history of Chris-
tianity, and an Adventist Bible 
readings book for some Scripture 
lessons. An office worker, leader of 
the local temperance society, and an 
active lay member of the Lutheran 
Church, admits that he uses Ad-
ventist source materials for his 
meetings. 
Another civil servant said that 
though he did not agree with 
Adventist doctrine, he respected 
Adventists for their welfare and 
clinic work and their fine religious 
literature. 
10 WORLD MISSION REPORT 
4 
APPEAL 
But we want more 
than respect; we want souls in God's 
kingdom. Pray for the children who 
come winter after winter to the meet-
ings in the chapel built by your Sab-
bath School offerings. Pray for those 
who read the Adventist literature; 
pray that means may be forthcoming 
for the translation and printing of 
more literature; and give while money 
is of use, that God's work may be 
finished in Greenland and in all the 
earth. 
SABBATH, NOVEMBER 1 
A Boy Who Made Good 
by Dr. Siegfried J. Schwantes 
[Dr. Schwantes (Schwan'tees), a native of 
Brazil, was a teacher for many years in our 
Brazilian Adventist college in Rio Paulo. Be-
fore accepting a call to serve as head of the 
Bible department in the Middle East College, 
Dr. Schwantes taught as associate professor of 
religion at Andrews University.] 
INTRODUCTION 
The life of 
George Terzibashian (Ter-zee-bash'-
yan) epitomizes the frustrations and 
hopes of millions in the Middle East. 
Born in a well-to-do Armenian home 
in old Jerusalem, young George would 
in a few short years experience the ups 
and downs of fortune that have been 
the lot of so many in this strife-ridden 
region of the world. The story of young 
George is an inspiration to all who are 
interested in Christian service. 
As a result of the partition of 
Palestine in 1948, George's father 
lost all he had, and the family had 
no alternative but to spend the next 
few years as boarders in the Ar-
menian convent in the old city. 
Eight thousand other Armenians 
were seeking shelter in the same 
convent! George's family was for-
tunate enough to be assigned one 
room which had to serve as living 
room, dining room, sleeping quar-
ters, and kitchen. There was no use 
in looking back to a happy past ; the 
pressures of the present must be 
faced. Schools remained closed for 
three years, but when they opened 
again George's father was too poor 
to pay tuition, so the children were 
left to roam through the streets of 
Jerusalem, while mother cooked the 
meals and made the one-room home 
livable. 
Another year went by and father 
was still unemployed. At registra-
tion time George's mother made a 
bold resolution: she would sell her 
most precious possession, her wed-
ding ring, and enroll the children in 
the school attached to the convent. 
Eager to learn, but unable to do 
their homework in the crowded 
quarters, George and his brother 
requested the principal for permis-
sion to remain in school after 
classes to do their lessons. To sup-
port the promising boys in school, 
George's mother tried her skills at 
such enterprises as embroidering, 
making artificial flower bouquets, 
and oil paintings. Her sacrifices 
were rewarded when George, at the 
age of fifteen, completed his elemen-
tary education as valedictorian of 
his class. 
To fulfill a vow made when 
George was very sick in his infancy, 
his father now placed him in the 
Armenian Orthodox Seminary, 
WORLD MISSION REPORT 11 
where he was to study for the priest-
hood. During the next three years 
we find George happy in his studies 
at the seminary, a devout son of 
the church, faithfully performing 
the rites and ceremonies that were 
part of his seminary training. A 
dispute between rival bishops con-
tending for the vacant patriarchal 
seat created bedlam in the once 
quiet monastery and shocked 
George out of his complacency. 
With his faith rudely shaken, the 
young seminarian decided to quit 
at the end of the school year. 
Sure enough, the following sum-
mer we find George meandering 
through the streets of Jerusalem in 
search of a job and an education. 
He found employment in a candle 
factory, and soon became proficient 
enough to pay school fees and still 
help support the family. Two years 
later when he sat for his examina-
tions at the British Council Center 
in Jerusalem, George made almost 
top honors. Prospects in the world 
were now bright for George, but 
God had something better for him. 
One day a fine old lady of their ac-
quaintance dropped by and began to 
tell about her new-found faith. "In 
fact," she said, "better come with 
me to Sabbath School and learn for 
yourselves." George's father poured 
his scorn on the good sister, and she 
left the home brokenhearted. 
Pleasantly surprised, George was 
asked the following Sabbath to ac-
company his mother to Sabbath 
School in order to see for them-
selves what this new religion was 
and to apologize to the good lady. 
"There," to use George's words, "I 
found a haven for my troubled 
soul." George was deeply stirred by 
the sermon on Christ's second com-
ing. He became a regular member 
of the Sabbath School, and three 
months later he was baptized. 
George, now twenty years old, 
was invited to teach in our school 
in Amman, capital of Jordan. This 
term of service was followed by 
four years of training in Middle 
East College in Beirut, Lebanon. 
George completed the theological 
course with honors, and today he is 
pastor of our beautiful Armenian 
church in Beirut. 
APPEAL �
Verily the Lord has a 
"firmament of chosen ones" among 
the multitudes of the Middle East. It 
is the task of our missionaries to find 
these precious jewels, while Middle 
East College will polish them so they 
will shine as successful soul winners 
among their own people. God will bless 
our mission giving, and we may share 
in the rewards to the faithful. 
SABBATH, NOVEMBER 8 
A Man Who Loves God 
by Eugene P. Vervoort 
41 
[A native of Antwerp, Belgium, Eugene P. 
Vervoort (Fair-voo'rt) is a former lieutenant in 
the Belgian merchant marines. After the war 
he was converted to the Adventist faith and 
went to our school in Collonges (KO-Ionj.). Here 
he received a diploma in evangelism, and for 
two years pastored the church in Brugge 
(Brilg"e), Belgium. He was then asked to go 
as a missionary to the Indian Ocean Union 
Mission, where he has served with his wife for 
the past nineteen years. After having worked 
in the Malagasy (Mora gas' i) bush and on the �
4 
Seychelles (Sa-shele) Islands, he was called 
12 WORLD MISSION REPORT 
back to the island of Madagascar, where he 
has served in different capacities. Today he is 
the director of the bush school for children, the 
story of which will be told in the following 
article. We can say that Brother Vervoort is 
a missionary in the true sense of the word.] 
INTRODUCTION 
The town 
of Fianarantsoa (Fee - ah - nah' rahn-
tso'a), situated about 250 miles 
south of Tananarive (Tah-nah-nah-
reev/), is the administrative center 
of the most densely populated province 
in Madagascar. In this province alone 
live one quarter of the entire popula-
tion of this red-soiled, red-rivered 
island. The clever Betsileo (Bet-see-
lay' oo) rice growers of the plateau, 
the rugged cattle breeders of the Bara 
(Bah' rah) country, the tenacious 
Tanala (Tah-nah' la) from the eastern 
forests, and three distinct peoples of 
the coastal regions contribute to make 
this section one of the richest in the 
country. For many years the Advent 
message has been penetrating into 
this province, but a serious lack has 
been felt; namely, our work here did 
not have a school where the young 
people leaving the primary school 
could be prepared to enter the Indian 
Ocean Union Training School near 
Tananarive, the capital of Madagas-
car. 
All efforts to establish such a school 
never amounted to more than a wish. 
Even when the president of the union 
gave Brother Vervoort the supervision 
of this mission, with the view in mind 
of establishing an institution, he did 
not have anything to offer him but his 
very sincere compliments while hand-
ing over to him a mission seriously in 
debt. However, this gave God the 
opportunity to show His real re-
sources. 
In the little village of Manaotsara 
(Mah-nah-ooV-sah-rah) , just a few 
miles from the center of the town of 
Fianarantsoa, lives an elderly 
brother by the name of Rakotosolofo 
(Rah-koo' too-soo-loo' foo) . He has 
spent all his active life far away 
from his relatives. He became ac-
quainted with the Advent mes-
sage while he stayed for some 
time at Diego-Suarez (Dee-ay' go 
Swar-ez') . When he retired to the 
little village to spend his last years 
in peace and quietness, our brother 
had a few savings, but also a great 
love for his Saviour and a fervent 
desire to serve His cause. 
He had acquired some land on 
which he planned to build a house 
for his old age, but God placed a 
desire in his heart to see the mission 
establish a school in his little vil-
lage. 
In view of a certain reticence on 
the part of the mission to enter this 
open door, our brother began to 
build a large house. One room 
served for several years as a day 
nursery, and on Sabbaths as a meet-
ing place for a group of Adventists 
raised up by the preaching of this 
zealous son of God. He tried to en-
large this undertaking by starting a 
small school in which he himself 
taught mechanics to some of the 
young men. 
Without land or buildings, with 
the mission deep in debt, Elder Ver-
voort found himself before this 
open door. The building was not 
very modern, and the village of 
Manaotsara was rather shabby, so 
the small open door seemed less in-
viting. It was without enthusiasm 
that he entered. Our elderly broth- 
WORLD MISSION REPORT 13 
er's joy was great as he gave his 
best into our hands. He started at 
once to count his assets, and told 
Elder Vervoort: "This first build-
ing is too small. We should have a 
large school, and we should try to 
make room for the children of our 
members who live far away." 
He started constructing a second 
house. Many times it was necessary 
for him to interrupt the work in 
order to await the deposit of his 
small pension that he might start 
again. It took all that he had, and 
his aged wife went out to the rice 
field to make sure they would sur-
vive. Thus by hope and sacrifice the 
second building was finished. It 
gave the school an excellent start 
in humble surroundings. We had 
now seven good classrooms. In the 
meantime Brother Rakotosolofo had 
begun to take children of members 
and friends living far away into his 
home. Soon he had a roomful. Some 
months later the children occupied a 
second room, then the attic, while 
he and his wife lived in the poorest 
room. One day he took Elder Ver-
voort aside and said: "The mission 
needs all my house for a boarding 
school for young girls. I have talked 
it over with my wife, and she is of 
the same opinion. We are leaving 
the house, and you can use it for 
the students." He showed Elder 
Vervoort a tumble-down shed with 
a thatched roof near the house. "We 
shall repair that," he said, "and it 
will be good enough for us to await 
the return of Christ." 
The repairs were made, and they 
moved in, happy to leave a comfort-
able house, but visualizing the man-
sion Jesus has prepared for them. 
Elder Vervoort remembers one 
day when an unexpected rain car-
ried away a section of the kitchen 
wall which they were setting up. He 
met Brother Rakotosolofo at the 
place of disaster the next morning, 
and he was in tears when he said : 
"But what sin have I committed 
that God has taken away His protec-
tion from my work?" The great 
enemy of God was trying to hinder 
the progress of the work, but the 
school is prospering. The churches 
far away have begun to send their 
young people, the personnel work 
with joy even under imperfect con- 
A 
ditions, the finances of the school 
have cleared the debts of the mis-
sion, and we are thus permitted to 
go forward without obstacles. 
Here is the answer to 
the question of the noble soul! And 
this is also the divine answer to our 
overwhelming problems. What do you 
expect to see at Manaotsara? An ultra-
modern plant? No. Come here and con-
template the work of God: a man—in 
spite of his old age, his enfeebled eyes, 
his imperfect speech, his lack of edu-
cation—is still able to advance the 
work of God. You also can advance the 
work of God, brothers and sisters. Ac- 
cording to the way in which God can 
be revealed in you and through you, 
He can grant His blessings for the sal-
vation of the world. 
+ �
+ 
To Enjoy Your Giving 
Giving to God a weekly amount from the 
top of your income makes giving easier and 
adds the satisfaction of knowing, as you spend 
the rest of your income, that you have given 
God the "first fruits" rather than the "left-
overs." 
14 WORLD MISSION REPORT 
46. 
A 
A 
SABBATH, NOVEMBER 15 
"Please Build Us a 
Church!" 
by G. A. Yesudian 
[Baptized in 1933, Pastor G. A. Yesudian (Ye-
soo'-dee-an) studied at Spicer college and be-
gan evangelistic work in 1936. He was or-
dained in 1956, and is now a pastor-evangelist 
in the Tamil Section.] 
In working 
for God, it is doing the little things 
that matter most. Several months ago, 
in the far south of India, an unknown 
church member from a district in 
Madras (Ma-dras') State gave away a 
Voice of Prophecy application card. A 
young man consequently enrolled in 
the Bible course. Today there is a 
growing church in the little village of 
Pudikiramam (Poo-dee-key-ra' mum). 
Let me tell you the story. It is a thrill-
ing one! 
Pudikiramam is a small village lo-
cated ten miles from Sankarankoil 
(Sun-kur' un-koil; "koil" means 
"church"). About five hundred fam-
ilies live there. Of these, almost 
half are Christian. 
The first Christian missionary 
entered the village one hundred fifty 
years ago. He lived with the people. 
His home was a small thatched hut. 
He ate the food of the people, and 
slept on the ground as they did. His 
message fell on good soil, and the 
witness of his daily life bore fruit. 
The new Christian community flour-
ished. New missionaries came, and 
lived there. In time the villagers had 
their own Indian pastors. More than 
one hundred years passed. One day 
their elderly pastor died and nobody 
was sent to replace him. For many 
years the Christian community did 
not have its own regular pastor. 
However, the members were deter-
mined to be true to their Christian 
principles. They built their own 
little chu:ch—a small hut, thatched 
with the dried-out leaves of the 
palmyra palm trees that grow in 
abundance all around. They ap-
pointed their own leader, who regu-
larly carried on the services week 
after week. 
One day, just two years ago, two 
of the young men from Pudikira-
mam were talking to a friend from 
the next village. He introduced them 
to a free Bible correspondence 
course he was taking. They enrolled, 
and were quickly interested. They 
in turn told their friends what they 
were studying. There were ques-
tions that soon needed to be an-
swered and difficulties that needed a 
solution. Where could they find a 
Seventh-day Adventist pastor? 
Where was the nearest church? Af-
ter a long search they found 
Brother Paul Ebenezer, a faithful 
lay member who has worked suc-
cessfully over the past twenty years, 
not only as a farmer but also as a 
fisher of men. He has raised up a 
number of churches and companies 
in the Sankarankoil area. 
"Would you please come over and 
conduct meetings for us? There are 
many things we do not understand." 
A promise was made, but twelve 
months passed before it could be 
kept. Again they came. "Please 
come and start the meetings." So it 
was that the church pastor, accom-
panied by his wife and Brother 
INTRODU ION 
WORLD MISSION REPORT 15 
Ebenezer, began to preach. The 
whole village was soon deeply inter-
ested in all that was said. When the 
Sabbath was presented many of 
them eagerly accepted it. They be-
gan to observe it. Shortly after-
ward they came to the pastor and 
said : 
"We would like to become Advent-
ists. We want to be baptized—but 
we have just one request. We are 
not asking you to give us money. We 
do not want you to provide us with 
clothes. We are not expecting you to 
send our children to school or to set 
up industries for us, but we would 
like you to provide a proper church 
in which to worship." 
How difficult to refuse such a re-
quest! To prove his anxiety for a 
place of worship, one of the leading 
villagers gladly donated a beautiful 
plot of land and materials worth 
more than 1,500 rupees for the 
church. A very large group of men 
and women began to prepare for 
baptism. Soon twelve people were 
baptized, and one hundred others 
were in the baptismal class. Plans 
were immediately put into action 
for building a church for them—a 
church that would fulfill their 
hearts' desire. 
Here in Southern Asia 
there are more than three hundred 
churches and companies that have no 
church homes. They make the same 
appeal: "We do not ask you for clothes. 
We do not expect you to send our chil-
dren to school. But would you please 
help us to build a proper church in 
which we can worship?" 
How difficult to refuse such a re-
quest! 
We appeal to all of our Sabbath 
School members: Give what you can! 
In giving and working for God's cause, 
it is the small things as well as the 
large that count. One man gave away 
a Voice of Prophecy card, never dream-
ing that one day more than one hun-
dred people would be studying in a 
baptismal class because of it, never 
dreaming that a new church would be 
erected as a monument to his faithful-
ness. This quarter your gift, be it large 
or small, will help to establish many 
more churches in Southern Asia—
monuments to YOUR faithfulness. 
Their call rings in our ears: "Please 
A 
help us to build a proper church in 
which to worship!" Let us answer that 
call. 
SABBATH, NOVEMBER 22 
Vacation Bible School 
Again Opens the Way 
by Mrs. Richard W. O'Ffill 
[Mrs. Richard W. O'Ffill (nee Betty Eldridge) 
is the wife of the pastor and academic dean 
of Pakistan Union Junior College. In addition �
48 
to her responsibilities as a missionary wife, she 
teaches her eldest daughter by Home Study and 
also teaches half time at the college. Before 
going to Pakistan, Pastor and Mrs. O'Ffill served 
the ministry in the State of Ohio. Mrs. O'Ffill 
finds that combining home duties with teach-
ing duties is an all-absorbing task, requiring a 
great effort, but reaping a rich reward.] 
INTRODUCTION 
Pakistan 
Union junior College is one of our 
youngest colleges. Owing to difficulties 
involved in getting Pakistani students 
to Spicer Memorial College, it has 
been decided to upgrade the old Paki- 
4ki 
16 WORLD MISSION REPORT 
cycles turned out to be less than 
new. Several times they broke down, 
forcing the boys to push them home 
through dangerous territory in the 
dead of night. But always they 
claimed the promise that the Lord 
would send His angels to compass 
them about and deliver them, and 
they were never molested. 
The boys would arrive at the vil-
lage early in the morning and would 
return home late at night. Many 
times they had to prepare their eve-
ning meal at midnight. Did they 
have a church in which to hold their 
meetings? Did they have a comfort-
able auditorium with classrooms for 
the children who attended the Vaca-
tion Bible School? No indeed! The 
children met together under the 
shade of an occasional tree, and the 
evangelistic meetings were held 
under the stars. These courageous 
boys did not use inconveniences as 
an excuse to spend their summer 
doing their own pleasure. Only 
those who have labored here can 
know of the hardships these young 
men encountered—the extreme heat, 
the illiteracy of the people, the 
threats of other village religious 
leaders, the long hours each day, the 
late meals, the broken cycles, and 
the danger of bandits. 
When the Vacation Bible School 
was set up, the children were visited 
and invited to attend. Soon they 
could be seen coming, timid and 
scantily clad at first. But as the 
school progressed, clothing began to 
appear on their little brown bodies 
as the children learned about the 
things of God and took pride in 
their daily crafts and lessons. The 
refining, transforming power of the 
WORLD MISSION REPORT 17 
stan Union School into a college. In 
March of 1968 they graduated their 
first junior college class. The college 
sent out some of its students during 
vacation time in an experiment in sum-
mer evangelism. The two young men 
in our story were such students. 
r 
�
�
"You boys had better not come 
back to our village. The road here 
is very dangerous and full of ban-
dits. Besides, two other Christian 
workers came here once and fell in 
love with two of our girls and took 
them away. The villagers are very 
angry about that, and they might 
think you will do the same. It is 
not safe for you to be here. Go back 
home !" 
These threatening words came 
from a minister in the village of 
Niaz Beg (Nee-Az' Beg), West Paki-
stan. The minister was trying to 
discourage two young Adventist 
men who had come to the village to 
hold a Vacation Bible School and 
evangelistic meetings. This minis-
ter claimed a large religious follow-
ing in the village and was on the 
school board of their denomina-
tional school operating in the vil-
lage. Our young men politely 
thanked the minister for his con-
cern, and assured him that they 
would not do the same as those other 
Christian workers. "God will be 
with us. Just give us a chance," they 
said. 
AN 
�
�
So our boys went on with their 
plans to hold a Vacation Bible 
School in the mornings and evangel-
istic meetings at night. They stayed 
with Adventist friends in a town 
four miles away and rented bicycles 
to ride back and forth each day. The 
J4 
gospel could be seen even in these 
little children. A frequent visitor to 
these morning classes and also to 
the evening evangelistic meetings 
was the minister. God was quietly 
watering the seeds of truth being 
planted in this man's heart. 
After one of the evening meet-
ings a stranger confronted the boys 
and introduced himself as the super-
intendent of education for that dis-
trict. He asked the boys to meet 
with him and his staff at a special 
meeting. The boys were a bit appre-
hensive and wondered whether they 
were going to be asked to leave the 
village after all their hard work 
thus far. When they entered the 
meeting at the appointed time, the 
superintendent introduced them to 
the group. Who should be a member 
of the staff but the young minister. 
Then the superintendent turned to 
the boys and said, "We would like 
for you to hold Vacation Bible 
Schools in all our district schools. 
Will you do it?" As the staff waited 
for an answer, the boys looked at 
each other in surprise and relief. 
When they were able to answer, they 
had to tell the members that they 
were sorry but their summer sched-
ule would not permit it and that 
there were no other workers who 
could be sent at this time. It was 
with heavy hearts that the boys left 
the meeting that afternoon. 
As the young minister continued 
to attend the evening meetings, he 
became convicted of the Bible truth 
and requested personal Bible stud-
ies. When the subject of temperance 
was discussed, the man voluntarily 
gave up smoking and drinking tea, 
and he became a vegetarian. Before 
the meetings were finished, he made 
his decision to join the remnant 
church. His next step was to resign 
his position with his former church. 
He told our boys, "This message is 
so clear and right that if only others 
understood it as I do there would be 
Adventist churches and schools all 
over Pakistan." 
�
AV Yes, if only others un- 
derstood. If only we had workers to 
send to that district to hold Vacation 
Bible Schools. If only we had someone 
to send to this village or that village 
to hold evangelistic meetings. 
The schools and churches of South-
ern Asia are training young people and 
old alike as fast and as well as avail-
able funds permit. We need to expand 
our schools and to enlarge our evan-
gelistic programs. Many are the vil-
lages we have never entered. Many are 
the people who live and die having 
never heard the name of Jesus. Should 
not this weigh heavily on your heart 
this Sabbath day? One day the doors 
of evangelism may close, and ignorance 
and superstition will descend like a 
blanket over the people. Let us do 
something now while there is still time. 
Let us finish the gospel in Southern 
Asia before this generation passes. Let 
us answer the "Macedonian call." 
SABBATH, NOVEMBER 29 
God Appoints a Soul 
Winner 
by N. D. Roy 
[As a newly married, 20-year-old junior college 
graduate, Pastor N. D. Roy accepted the Ad-
ventist faith in 1949. A few months later he 
18 WORLD MISSION REPORT 
began to teach in Kellogg-Mookerjee High 
School near his home in East Pakistan. He 
studied during the next five summers to ob-
tain an Adventist education. In 1958 he en-
tered a district evangelistic work to which was 
added in 1966 the duties of lay activities secre-
tary for the East Pakistan Section. He moved 
in mid-1968 to the port city of Chittagong to 
do pioneer evangelistic work there.] 
expected letter with interest and 
recognized it to be a "Macedonian 
call." 
As quickly as possible Pastor Roy 
traveled to Sylhet and found Jarip 
in the village of Bogla Noador (Bog-
la' No-ii-doe) . He was a sixty-year-
old, well-to-do middle-class man who 
had lived all his life in this one vil-
lage. Locally he was known as 
"Morol," a tribal title signifying 
the "head of the area." Arrange-
ments were made to study the Bible 
in his home. A full year passed in 
studying the Scriptures. At the age 
of sixty-one Jarip took his stand for 
the Sabbath truth and began a new 
life in harmony with all the newly 
acquired knowledge of God's Word. 
He was the only Adventist in all of 
Sylhet. 
Jarip felt that he must not only 
be a disciple of Christ but also an 
apostle for Him. He began first in 
his home village giving Bible stud-
ies to friends and relatives. Present-
ing the truth here was not easy. He 
endured hardships for Christ's sake. 
Various trials came as he worked to 
save others. At times he faced per-
sonal peril, but he felt that having 
dedicated his life to Christ and hav-
ing accepted Christ's call to work he 
must not stop his witness. Energeti-
cally he labored through a full year, 
then notified Pastor Roy that a 
number of souls were ready to be 
baptized. 
Pastor K. S. Brown, then presi-
dent of that section of the South-
ern Asia Division, and Pastor Roy 
visited Sylhet to investigate the 
work Brother Jarip was doing. They 
discovered eleven persons ready to 
be baptized, and many others inter- 
INTRODUCTION 
East Paki-
stan is a small province with a large 
population which is divided into a 
number of separate and distinct groups 
of people, each living in its own par-
ticular area. Our mission program has 
not yet penetrated into some of these 
▪ 
areas. Until a few years ago the dis-
trict of Sylhet which is located in the 
northeastern corner of the province 
was one such area. The Lord was 
anxious for the message to be preached 
in that place, and here is the story of 
how He arranged for it to be done. 
Jarip Morol (Ja-re-ep' Mo-rol) 
was a Christian living in one of the 
valleys of Sylhet's beautiful moun-
tainous areas close to the Indian 
border. The inhabitants are called 
Shungsharik (Shung-shg-re—ele). 
Only a few are Christians, but prior 
to the events of this story none were 
10 �
Seventh-day Adventists. 
One day Jarip dreamed about the 
truth. In the dream he was told to 
visit Pastor N. D. Roy. Pastor Roy 
was the district leader of the area 
▪ and the nearest ordained Adventist 
pastor, but he lived more than a 
hundred miles to the west from 
Sylhet. Jarip found it difficult to 
believe the dream. However, it 
stayed with him to puzzle and worry 
him. Finally he wrote a letter to 
▪ Pastor Roy requesting that he come 
to Sylhet. Pastor Roy read the un- 
WORLD MISSION REPORT 19 
ested in the truth. Singing songs of 
repentance from sin and of accept-
ance of Jesus, the company of be-
lievers and interested ones walked 
to a nearby stream where in God's 
own outdoor sanctuary the eleven 
souls were baptized. Brother Jarip's 
smiling face actually glowed with 
happiness as he saw these souls be-
come members of God's remnant 
church. 
Encouraged and inspired by the 
conversion of those already bap-
tized, Brother Jarip continued his 
work for the interested ones and 
reached out to evangelize a number 
of other villages. Christ's command, 
"Go ye . . . , and preach the gospel" 
became a driving force in his life. 
At the time of this writing, six 
years after his baptism, Brother 
Jarip can count two companies 
raised up in Sylhet, with a number 
of believers in various nearby vil-
lages. Now a full-time worker has 
been assigned to the area to whom 
Brother Jarip gives his faithful 
support in extending the gospel 
throughout the district. 
APPEAL �
Brother Jarip has been 
an agent of the Lord Jesus who has not 
counted any sacrifice of his own time, 
money, or effort too great as he has 
attempted to win souls. With gladness 
of heart he tells how the Lord has re-
warded him for his steadfastness in 
keeping the Sabbath, for his faithful-
ness in the return of tithes and in giv-
ing of offerings. The opening up of 
this new area under the prompting and 
direction of the Lord now demands 
continued and larger expenditures of 
funds for the establishment of the 
church there. 
Their plea is: "Can we count on you 
to join us in sacrificial giving so that 
which our Lord and His servant, 
Brother Jarip, have begun may be car-
ried to completion? Won't you help 
us by your liberal Thirteenth Sabbath 
Offering to provide places where 
churches can be built? More than three 
hundred such places are badly needed 
in Southern Asia today. 
SABBATH, DECEMBER 6 
The Waiting Ones 
by Thomas M. Ashlock 
[Thomas M. Ashlock, of missionary parents, 
grew up in India. At the age of sixteen he 
returned to the States to complete his educa-
tion. He is a graduate of Southern Missionary 
College. He and his wife were called to the 
Southern Asia Division in 1950, where he la-
bored until 1957. He was later sent to Trans-
Africa, where he worked as departmental secre-
tary in various capacities from 1960 to 1967. 
He is at present Sabbath School secretary of 
the North Pacific Union Conference, U.S.A.) 
INTRODUCTION 
Sister Flo-
risa Timung (Floor-Tsa' Tee-mung'), a 
devoted Bible instructor of the Presby-
terian Church, sat on her veranda in 
Shillong, Assam, thinking of the star-
tling events that were taking place in 
the great world outside her hills and 
of the changes that had occurred right 
in her own neighborhood since she had 
moved there some years before. At that 
time her home, the only one on the 
hill, was surrounded by stately ever-
greens and singing pines. Life was 
simple and men were honest. Now 
most of the beautiful trees were gone, 
and in their place were houses, houses, 
and more houses. Strangers from the 
0 
20 WORLD MISSION REPORT 
plains, whose languages and customs 
she did not understand, had crowded 
in, and as it is in cities all over the 
world, it was no longer safe to go out 
and leave one's house unlocked. Her 
thoughts were interrupted by the click-
ing of her front gate as a young man, 
neatly dressed and smiling, approached 
her. 
"Good afternoon, Sister," the 
stranger greeted. As she accepted 
the handbill he said, "I shall look for 
you at the first meeting this coming 
Sunday evening," and went his way. 
"Prophetic Bible Lectures," Sis-
ter Florisa read aloud, "to be held 
in the Seventh-day Adventist 
Church. Do not miss this opportu-
nity to learn what the Bible teaches 
about the meaning of present-day 
events." 
"Oh, that is what I most want to 
know!" she exclaimed. 
In describing her experience of 
the first evening, Sister Florisa 
said, "As I listened to the sermon, 
which was actually a long one, it 
seemed to me it ended all too soon. 
I left that evening with the determi-
nation to attend every meeting." 
As the sermons, preached for the 
first half of the series by Pastor 
DeVer Laursen and continued by 
Elder Ashlock, were given night 
after night, it was most encourag-
ing to see this faithful woman indi-
cate her willingness to accept each 
truth presented. Despite the fact 
that she had spent her life teaching 
the Bible to others, it now became 
to her a new and even more precious 
revelation of the love of God. Now 
her greatest desire was to share 
with others what she had learned. 
She regretted that the leaders of her 
church had not come to hear these 
lectures, for she felt sure that had 
they done so, they, like her, would 
have accepted these truths. 
So it was with joyful anticipation 
that Sister Florisa set forth to call 
on some of her church leaders. She 
was wholly unprepared for the cool 
reception she received. Some became 
so upset that they seemed to regard 
her as a traitor. Hour after hour, 
one after another reasoned with her 
in an effort to dissuade her, but 
never once did they endeavor to 
prove from the Bible that what she 
had learned at the lectures was 
wrong. In relating these incidents 
later, she said, "I had no desire to 
leave my church nor to separate my-
self from my fellow churchmen, 
whom I loved, but when I realized 
that so many of the doctrines, such 
as those concerning infant baptism, 
the immortal nature of man, the 
continual punishment of the wicked, 
the sacredness of Sunday, and kin-
dred subjects, were based on tradi-
tion, the product of mingling Euro-
pean paganism with true Christian-
ity, I concluded with sadness that I 
could no longer remain a member of, 
and a worker in, my former 
church." 
Just because some of her dearest 
friends refused to accept the Bible 
truths she explained to them, Sister 
Florisa did not become discouraged. 
Soon after her baptism she pre-
pared a set of doctrinal tracts in 
her native Mikir (Me-keer') lan-
guage. Despite her advancing years, 
she traveled on foot many miles to 
the Mikir Hills in order that she, 
the first Mikir Seventh-day Advent- 
WORLD MISSION REPORT 21 
ist, could present in person God's 
last message to the people whom her 
father, the first Christian evangel-
ist, had won to Christ from the fear 
and darkness of the worship and 
appeasement of evil spirts. As a re-
sult of her efforts a group of be-
lievers there now rejoice in the 
third angel's message. 
If you were to visit Sister Florisa, 
you would find her either in Delhi, 
the capital city, with her daughter, 
who is a member of the Indian 
Parliament, or at the home of one of 
her other children in Shillong. 
Though fully retired, she would 
tell us of the joy that comes to her 
as she witnesses for her Saviour. 
She would conclude with a request 
that we share with her news of the 
progress of the work of Christ in 
other parts of the world. Before we 
would leave, she would plead with 
us to pray that something could be 
done to make it possible for more 
of our young people to go to the 
more than thirty language groups 
in her part of India who have not 
as yet heard the message of a soon-
coming King. 
Brother Ashlock writes that 
though he only had a glimpse of the 
fear and anguish brought about by 
Satan's hellish designs that Sister 
Florisa has seen, he has seen 
enough. 
During the past seventeen years, 
many times he has awakened in the 
middle of the night haunted by two 
large brown eyes, deeply set in a 
small heart-shaped face. With her 
jet-black hair, olive complexion, and 
sharp features, she could have left 
impressed on his mind the image of 
a most beautiful child. But the sad 
22 WORLD MISSION REPORT 
picture is that of a wan, little tear-
stained face, framed with a few 
strands of hair that had come loose 
from the long braid which hung 
almost to her waist. 
It was about ten-thirty in the 
morning on the first day of a long 
train ride from Calcutta to Bombay. 
The train had been stopped at a �
`41 
small station for some time, and 
Brother Ashlock was finishing a de-
licious Indian meal served in the 
train compartment by the railway 
dining service. To conclude his meal 
he had eaten a banana and had 
thrown the peeling out of the win- �
0 
dow, intending it for one of the 
many goats that frequent these re-
mote railway stations in India. The 
peeling had no more than hit the 
side of the tracks when he heard in 
Hindustani, "Thank you, sir. Thank 
you very much, sir." The voice was 
obviously that of a child. The double 
blast of the whistle and the slight 
movement of the train made him 
hurry to the window. 
Though she was probably seven 
years old, she was so little that at 
first glance she looked to be only 
four or five. As she walked along 
with the moving train picking off �
4 
the cinders that had clung to the 
banana peeling, she again said, 
"Thank you, sir, for I am so 
hungry." Then quickly glancing to 
one side, she saw something that re-
placed the sparkle in her eyes and 
the smile on her face with a look of �
A 
terror. As her eyes momentarily met 
those of Brother Ashlock's again, he 
saw a plea for help that he will 
never forget. Hurriedly she began 
to stuff the entire banana peeling 
into her mouth, cinders and all. Then 
4 
it was that Brother Ashlock, too, 
saw him—a tall skeleton of a boy 
probably fifteen or sixteen years old. 
He darted from behind a railroad 
car, knocked her down, took her 
precious banana peeling and in two 
or three gulps swallowed it and was 
on his way. He too was hungry. 
As she got to her knees and held 
out her hands imploringly, the train 
chugged around a curve and she was 
out of sight. Back on his seat was a 
second banana, but somehow Elder 
Ashlock couldn't eat it now. At the 
next station he bought a whole stalk 
of bananas—enough for at least one 
for each child on the station plat-
form as well as for those on the 
trackside of the train. However, all 
their thanks could not drown out the 
echo of that pitiful, "For I am so 
hungry." Brother Ashlock cannot 
tell you the exact color of her 
ragged little dress, but the plea in 
those eyes—that cry for help—has 
given a special urgency to John's 
prayer, "Even so, come, Lord 
Jesus." 
APPEAL 
"0 Lord, give us the 
peace and joy that come to those who 
participate wholeheartedly with Thee 
in Thy marvelous plan to save man-
kind. Help us who have so much more 
than banana peelings to eat to give as 
we should that Christ's work on earth 
may soon be finished so no one will 
ever hunger again. Amen." 
+ �
4- 
SABBATH, DECEMBER 13 
Lost but Found 
by F. E. Schlehuber 
[The writer was born and reared in the Pacific 
Northwest. He graduated from Laurelwood 
Academy, Walla Walla College, and received 
his Master's degree from Potomac University 
(now Andrews University). From 1946-1959 he 
served as principal of the Tanzania and Kenya 
training schools in Africa. He was principal of 
Upper Columbia Academy in Washington State 
from 1960-1966, and currently is principal of 
Lakpahana (Lock'pa-honna) Training Institute, 
Ceylon.] 
INTRODUCTION 
From the 
southernmost tip of the resplendent 
isle of Ceylon the Dondera Head light-
house sends its guiding beams to the 
extensive shipping plying the busy lane 
between the Orient and the Persian 
Gulf oil ports. Important as this light 
is to the ships that skirt the tip of the 
island, there is another light that shines 
forth in an isolated area just seventeen 
miles east of Dondera, in the commu-
nity of Tangalle (Tan-gall'). 
This story had its beginning 
nearly half a century ago when a 
harbor pilot met and married the 
daughter of a Colombo shipbuilder. 
To this union were born six chil-
dren. When Margaret, the youngest, 
was only nine months old, her pilot 
father slipped on the gangway, 
breaking his spine. Medical facili-
ties in Ceylon were inadequate to 
cope with the problem, so he was 
sent back to his native England. 
Upon the advice of friends, the 
mother decided to leave nine-month-
old Margaret in Ceylon until she 
returned. She knew she would have 
her hands more than full looking 
A loving act carries a momentum all its 
own, like a pebble tossed into a lake. And 
sometimes it can throw out enough rings of 
+, 
�
�
love to embrace a multitude of people.— 
Adapted from Arthur Cavanaugh in McCall's. 
4 
WORLD MISSION REPORT 23 
after her bedridden husband and 
five children, the oldest being just 
nine. 
Arrangements were being made 
to place the infant in a well-known 
convent when a prominent Ceylon 
family offered to care for the child. 
They felt to have this baby in their 
home would in itself be a mark of 
distinction. Satisfied that their baby 
would be properly tended, the fam-
ily sailed to England. Two and one-
half years later the father died. The 
mother's desire now was to bring 
her child home since it was evident 
that the family would never again 
come back to Ceylon. It was not as 
simple as it sounded, for the Ceylo-
nese family had become fondly at-
tached to little Margaret. Time 
passed, and every effort of the 
mother to recover her child seemed 
futile. Margaret continued to re-
ceive birthday and Christmas cards 
from her mother until she was ten 
or eleven years old. Then the cards 
no longer came, and Margaret was 
led to believe that her mother was 
now dead. 
School days occupied most of her 
childhood and adolescent years. At 
the age of sixteen Margaret left 
school and was entrusted with man-
aging one of the foster family es-
tates. By chance she was reading 
one of the books found in the estate 
house, only to discover folded be-
tween the pages of that book a por-
tion of a letter written by her real 
mother making inquiry about Mar-
garet. What a thrill it was to think 
that perhaps her mother might still 
be alive. Just to see the handwriting 
of her mother, whom she really had 
never known, was in itself a great 
24 WORLD MISSION REPORT 
satisfaction. Margaret secreted this 
letter as a treasure. 
Four years later, at the age of 
twenty, Margaret was reading yet 
another book, this time in the Co-
lombo house, when by chance she 
found the other portion of the same 
letter. This was even better, for it 
contained the address in England. 
Again her heart thrilled as she read 
the yearning of a mother for her 
lost daughter. 
It was during these lonesome 
years that Margaret found in her 
Bible a constant companion, a source 
of solace and comfort. She retired 
to bed one night after a weeping 
spell only to be awakened in the 
middle of the night by a voice that 
commanded: "Write to your 
mother." Margaret lighted a candle 
and wrote a long letter asking many 
questions about their separation. 
She expressed her unhappiness and 
her desire to see her mother. With 
a prayer on her lips, she addressed 
the envelope to the old address given 
on the treasured letter she had acci-
dentally found, and mailed it. 
Three weeks later a cable arrived 
saying: "Letter received, overjoyed, 
writing." Margaret took the cable 
to her room, fell down on her knees 
and uttered a prayer of thanksgiv-
ing that she had found her mother. 
Then came the long letter with fam-
ily snapshots and a full explanation 
of their separation. Life took on a 
new zest until her foster mother dis- �
I 
covered what had happened. New 
moves were on foot. Through con-
tact with the Anglican priest, a mar-
riage was arranged, and Margaret 
became Mrs. Andree. 
Peculiar as the circumstances 
1 
were in this unusual marriage, Mr. 
Andree proved to be a kind, loving 
husband, who ardently cared for 
Margaret. In the early years of 
their marriage Elder Dunbar Smith 
came to Colombo and conducted a 
series of meetings in the town hall. 
It was Mr. Andree who insisted that 
his wife attend these meetings, for 
he said, "These people explain the 
Bible very well." After work hours 
Mr. Andree joined his wife at the 
meetings and then they returned 
home together. When the effort was 
I over, Margaret was baptized into 
her new-found faith, rejoicing in 
the new light that had come to her. 
Not long after becoming a Sev-
enth-day Adventist, Margaret took 
into her home another adopted child 
from her former foster home. This 
girl, apparently possessed of an evil 
spirit, frequently erupted in uncon-
trollable fits. Over the years, Mar-
garet, the church pastor, and mem-
bers worked and prayed for this 
girl. God saw fit to heal the girl, and 
she too was converted and today 
stands with her husband and four 
children as pillars in the church. 
At the age of fifty, Mr. Andree, 
who had been afflicted since child-
hood with a respiratory condition, 
was stricken with double pneu-
monia. He was forced to retire from 
government service, and moved 
back to Tangalle, his home area. 
Here he and Margaret lived, devel-
oping the small property he owned, 
during the next five years until his 
death. During these last years 
Margaret's heart was thrilled to 
see her husband also surrender 
himself to the Master, to be used as 
He saw fit. 
APPEAL 
Many friends have 
tried to persuade Margaret to move 
back to Colombo, but she has stead-
fastly refused. Her goal is to see some 
souls in Tangalle brought to the light 
that has meant so much to her. One of 
these days an evangelistic effort in 
Tangalle will harvest a crop of souls 
where the seed has been sown by this 
lone Seventh-day Adventist who stands 
as a lighthouse to guide souls into the 
harbor of safety. And you can do your 
part by your liberal offering on the 
next thirteenth Sabbath to help pre-
pare an evangelist to water the seed 
that has been so faithfully sown. 
Spicer Memorial College has an enroll-
ment of double the number that it is 
built to accommodate. Your offering 
will make room for the training of 
some of these much-needed evangelists. 
SABBATH, DECEMBER 20 
"Let Us Arise and Build" 
by H. D. Erickson 
[H. D. Erickson has given fifteen years' service 
in our schools in India, and at present is princi-
pal of Lasalgaon High School, which is to share 
in the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering overflow 
for the fourth quarter, 1969. He received his 
B.A. degree from Walla Walla College in 1950 
and later his M.A. from the SDA Theological 
Seminary. In 1953, with his wife (daughter of 
veteran Southern Asia missionary 0. W. Lange), 
he was appointed to Assam Training School. 
After one year's teaching, he was made princi-
pal. Since then he has served as principal of 
Raymond Memorial Training School and Narsa-
pur SDA High School, both in India. He was 
appointed to his present position in 1967.] 
INTRODUCTION 
We are 
thrilled that the Western India Union 
boarding high school at Lasalgaon 
WORLD MISSION REPORT 25 
(La'-sal-gow), about 150 miles north-
east of Bombay, is to receive help from 
worldwide Sabbath School friends this 
fourth quarter, 1969. For the first time 
in its fifty-year history this institution 
will benefit from a Thirteenth Sabbath 
Offering overflow. Virtually every 
worker and national leader in Western 
India Union today received his high 
school training at this school, and it is 
the source also for future workers for 
this challenging union with its more 
than 60 million non-Christians. 
"Please, sir, may I move my 
chair? The water is pouring onto 
my book again." So for the third 
time Prakash (Pra-kosh') and the 
whole class move to another part of 
the small classroom, hoping this 
time to escape the numerous steady 
streams of descending rain water. 
Then both students and teacher con-
centrate again on their math prob-
lem. 
"Why don't they put a roof on?" 
you may ask. Well, they have a roof, 
but let me explain. The tile roof over 
the entire administration building 
is so old that it is no longer water-
proof. At least one staff member has 
spent sleepless nights moving and 
removing furniture around his 
apartment vainly trying to escape 
the rain water. 
A tradesman was recently em-
ployed to fix the roof, but after ten 
days' effort it was no better. It is be-
yond repair, no longer keeping out 
the water during the rainy season, 
which continues through nearly 
half of the school year. 
You can help put a roof over these 
classrooms by giving generously on 
the thirteenth Sabbath. "Why are 
those students and teachers sitting 
out there this morning?" a visitor 
to Sabbath School asks. He must be 
told that there is no room left in our 
inadequate chapel, which is really 
only a large classroom. And it is 
urgently needed for classroom and 
office space. To solve the problem a 
40- by 60-foot open-sided steel 
frame structure has recently been 
purchased. If we had the money we 
could brick in the walls and taste-
fully finish this to make an attrac-
tive chapel and church. 
A recent General Conference vis-
itor to the school stated that after 
inspecting the press, he was "de-
pressed." Although it is a vital link 
in the gospel work of the church in 
Western India, printing both the 
vernacular Sabbath School quarter-
lies and the church paper, this press 
is housed in an ancient chicken-
coop-like structure, originally built 
fifty years ago as a girls' hostel. 
Part of it is already demolished. 
The cases of type and the composing 
room are situated on an open 
veranda. 
Plans call for a 35- by 250-foot 
industrial building, providing ade-
quate facilities for press, grinding 
mill, carpentry and metal work-
shops, and maintenance. These plans 
await funds before they can be im-
plemented. 
If you were to visit the school 
during mealtime you would see boys 
using sacks to carry the hot pots of 
food from the kitchen across the 
campus to their hostel. During its 
fifty years of existence the school 
has never had a dining room. After 
cooking the food in a primitive 
kitchen, girls and boys eat their 
A 
I 
4 
26 WORLD MISSION REPORT 
meals in the study and worship 
room in each hostel. Plans are al-
ready drawn for a new dining hall 
and kitchen. 
APPEAL �
Despite the needs and 
inconveniences at this school, the stu-
dents are far from complaining. On the 
contrary, visitors to the school often 
comment on the fine group of bright-
eyed boys and girls we have enrolled. 
They certainly are a group you would 
be happy to help with a generous 
"Christmas gift" this thirteenth Sab-
bath. 
SABBATH, DECEMBER 27 
Sudna Escapes a Life 
of Fear 
by M. C. Lall 
[M. C. Lall entered mission work in Lahore in 
1945. Except for two years of teaching, he 
spent his time as a literature evangelist in the 
Northwestern India Union until 1953. In 1953 
he was invited to become a publishing depart-
ment secretary, and he has continued in this 
work in local or union capacity until the present 
time. In 1961 he answered the call of the 
Northeast Union of the Southern Asia Division, 
where he continues to serve as publishing 
secretary.] 
INTRODUCTION 
Karmatar 
(Kat' mä-tar) is located 170 miles 
northeast of the populous city of Cal-
cutta in Northeastern India. It was in 
Karmatar that the first established 
work of the Adventist Church for this 
region was begun in the late 1800's. 
Our first publishing press was located 
here, along with a sanitarium and 
school. Over the years Karmatar has 
114 �
continued to have a country style of 
life, and the spacious Northeast Union 
headquarters is still encompassed by 
dozens of villages where age-old living 
conditions have never changed. The 
people are mainly Hindu and Moslem, 
with their worship practices deeply 
rooted in the customs and traditions of 
the passing centuries. 
Adventist influence has been limited 
and as much as the mission's presence 
is appreciated yet the conversions have 
been difficult. M. C Lall, publishing 
secretary for the Northeast Union since 
1961, is perhaps the best acquainted 
with Sudna (So—od' na), whose story fol-
lows, and has done much to influence 
his life. 
He walked into Sabbath School 
wearing a newly made-over suit. He 
had on a necktie to match and a pair 
of canvas shoes. It was difficult to 
realize that the boy who walked into 
the church so quietly and bowed his 
head in prayer was the same young 
boy who followed his mother around 
when she came to work for the Lall 
family when they first moved to 
Karmatar to take up their new ap-
pointment at the Northeast Union 
headquarters office. 
Sudna was about six years old at 
that time. He came with his mother 
to get away from the monotony of 
village life; to get away from things 
that frightened him, such as the 
three vertical lines painted on the 
mud wall of his thatched hut. These 
lines ever reminded him that evil 
spirits were a regular visitor to his 
home. Children of homes on whose 
walls these marks were found were 
never left alone at midday or after 
dark. He lived in constant fear, and 
was afraid to step out into the dark- 
WORLD MISSION REPORT 27 
ness. He was weary of the endless 
tales of fear told by the older vil-
lage boys. Tears welled up in his 
large brown eyes each time he saw 
the head of a small goat forced into 
a wooden trap, its head chopped off, 
and the lifeless body squirm, jump, 
and then lie still. Even though these 
occasions made him sad, he was par-
ticular that this sacrifice of blood 
be performed to appease the great 
evil spirit. Much of the family's 
meager earnings were spent on the 
annual poojas (poofjus), religious 
ceremonies which called for an ani-
mal sacrifice. 
And then he was taken to the mis-
sion compound. How different life 
seemed ! The people were clean, 
busy; their homes smelled different, 
and best of all they were unafraid. 
There seemed to be no fear for these 
people who worshiped in a room 
with no visible signs of any god—a 
room with just ordinary benches 
and a wooden desk. 
Well, why worry about it, he 
thought. My fate is different. I have 
been born into another world, 
another way of life, and I may as 
well try to be content. However, try 
as he would to drive thoughts of dis-
satisfaction out of his mind, when-
ever he saw the mission children 
playing and worshiping he felt he 
was missing something in life. 
A small Branch Sabbath School 
was started in his village with Pas-
tor and Mrs. David assisting Mrs. 
M. C. Lall. Sudna came, but much 
of what was said made very little 
sense to him. But one thing that 
fascinated him was that at every 
meeting the mem-sahib told of a 
place where there would be no sor- 
row, no pain, no death—not even the 
death of a poor helpless goat, and 
best of all no fear. In time he 
learned the gospel choruses which 
spoke of love, hope, and joy. He en-
joyed hearing Pastor G. C. Arinda 
(A-rTn' da) play the violin. When a 
few weeks later it was announced 
that the meetings would be held at 
the mission, he was overjoyed. Soon, 
along with four other boys and an 
old lady, he was visiting the mission 
every Sabbath for a special meeting. 
He wondered why he couldn't attend 
Sabbath School every day, and even 
was bold enough to suggest this to 
the missionary's wife. When Sudna 
became interested enough in the 
Christian religion to start skipping 
regular school to attend Sabbath 
School, his father decided to take 
action, and Sudna was threatened 
with stripes and was even badly 
beaten. After a little encouragement 
from the mission folks and much 
pleading by Sudna with his father, 
Sudna left the Government Basic 
School and joined the mission school 
conducted by Mrs. Aimee McHenry 
every evening. 
Village life now was uninterest-
ing. More than a year had passed by 
since he started studying at the mis-
sion. During the year he had made 
much progress. It was therefore not 
altogether surprising to Mrs. Lall 
when one evening Sudna very seri-
ously announced, "I want to be a 
Christian. I am not afraid any more. 
Do you think it is possible for me to 
be a part of God's great family?" 
And then he pleaded, "May I come 
and live here? I don't want to stay 
in the village." Mrs. Lall placed her 
hand on the head of the little fellow 
28 WORLD MISSION REPORT 
and sent up a prayer of thankful-
ness to God who had through His 
Spirit influenced this young lad to 
look toward a better life, a life se-
cure in the confidence of a loving 
Saviour. 
For the past three years Sudna 
has been living on the mission com-
pound. His cheery smile and gra-
cious manners have won him a place 
in every heart. He visits his home 
often. He earns his food and money 
for his school fees. At the end of the 
present school term it is planned 
that he attend the union boarding 
school at Falakata. His ambition is 
to prepare himself to declare the 
glory of God among his people and 
to tell them of a "love that casteth 
out all fear." 
There are thousands 
of people who, like Sudna, await the 
opportunity to learn and to respond 
to the message of Christ. Yes, it costs 
something to send the message to these 
thousands, but the satisfaction of 
knowing that we have done our best 
in giving to help is worth the effort. 
You can have a part in Sudna's life 
and in the lives of countless others. 
Your gift will make you a part of the 
mission program around the world. It 
is to you that others like Sudna appeal 
for help. You won't disappoint them, 
will you? 
Me! A Caretaker? 
Consider the needs of the church. Ask your-
self, "What kind of church would this church 
be if every member gave just as I do?" All 
men are caretakers. Christians should try to 
please God in the use of all that He has put in 
their care. "Yes, I'm a caretaker—God's care-
taker!" 
THIRTEENTH SABBATH 
December 20 
Suggested Program 
9:15- 9:29 Have a song service of Christmas 
carols. 
9:29- 9:30 Program participants enter. 
9:30- 9:34 Silent prayer and opening song. 
9:34- 9:36 Prayer—brief. Remember the 
mission field to benefit from 
the offering overflow. 
9:36- 9:59 Special thirteenth Sabbath mis-
sions program—usually the adult 
and/or not more than two of the 
children's divisions participate. 
9:59-10:37 Class period—six-point program 
(see front of Class Record Card), 
8 minutes; lesson study, 30 min-
utes. 
10:37-10:40 Closing exercises; close promptly. 
Note.—Make 
posters or announcements, 
and/or use bulletin inserts provided free by the 
conference announcing the thirteenth Sabbath 
projects. Hold this special program the Sabbath 
before Christmas. Plan all details of your pro-
gram early—at least two weeks in advance. 
Instruct division leaders whose children are 
participating so that each may know the 
amount of time allotted. For additional pro-
gram material see Children's Edition, World 
Mission Report. 
+ 4 + 
Thoughts to Ponder— 
The Lord sometimes tests His people with 
prosperity in temporal things. . . . For all 
these blessings they must account to the Giver. 
. . . Some who profess to be children of God 
seem anxious to invest their means in the 
world. . . . If they continue to follow the dic-
tates of their selfish hearts, and expend pre-
cious time and means to gratify their pride, 
God will send reverses, and they will feel pinch-
ing want because of their ingratitude. He will 
intrust His talents to more faithful stewards. 
—Testimonies, vol. 4, pp. 619, 620. 
WORLD MISSION REPORT 29 
Thirteenth Sabbath Dialog 
NO CHRISTMAS? 
by Gloria Thomas 
Music: Christmas carols. 
1st Speaker: I love that Sabbath 
morning music (all pause to listen. 
Continue speaking when music is fin-
ished). I never hear Christmas carols 
but my thoughts go to lands where 
there is no Christmas. 
2nd Speaker: What? No Christmas? 
How can that be? Not that we ac-
tually believe that Christ was born on 
Christmas Day, but we do believe the 
story of His birth. 
1st Speaker: No, it wasn't that bad. 
We did no Christmas shopping, if you 
call it that, but there were so many 
Hindu and Moslem festivals that 
Christmas was just another festive 
occasion for a few Christians. After 
all, what would Christmas mean to 
someone who did not believe in 
Christ? 
4th Speaker: I've just come back 
from a trip round the world, and it 
happened that I joined a Ministerial 
Association weekend retreat near head-
quarters office in Poona, India. At one 
meeting the pastor of Spicer Memorial 
College gave an excellent talk on 
"Christ Died for Us." Later a group 
of us were discussing it. Strangely 
enough, the group was made up of a 
former Buddhist priest, a one-time 
Hindu youth, another young man who 
was brought up entirely in Moslem 
surroundings, and myself. Fascinated 
by this, I asked the once-Buddhist 
priest what the words "Christ died 
for me" meant to him when he believed 
that death was only a birth into 
another life. It chilled me when he 
said, "What if someone did die for 
me? I'd be born again into another 
life anyhow. So it really means noth-
ing to me." 
30 WORLD MISSION REPORT 
1st Speaker: I remember a little boy, 
brought in by his father to sit before 
a man-made god of stone to do pen-
ance. To seek forgiveness for his sins, 
he had to pierce a large darning needle 
through his tongue and leave it there 
for a length of time. Gruesome are the 
stories of some in seeking salvation. 
I asked this lad if someone else could 
have done this for him. "No, no!" he 
said emphatically, "I must bear the 
punishment alone to the nth degree. 
No one can be my substitute." Today, 
this young man has learned to love 
Someone who was willing to bear his 
sins and die in his stead, and in return 
he has dedicated his life to His service. 
He is now a senior ministerial student 
at Spicer College. He has found Christ, 
and now Christmas has new meaning. 
2nd Speaker: It must be strange not 
to have Christmas because of not 
knowing Christ. I find it difficult to 
understand because I've known of 
Christ since childhood. 
4th Speaker: Talking about Christ-
less nations, I think Southern Asia is 
unique. Note this rough outline map 
of Southern Asia. (Have large outline 
map placed on the side from the be-
ginning of the program. Fourth 
speaker walks up to it and points, 
writes, or indicates on the map as he 
continues speaking. See map at the 
back of "World Mission Report.") 
This area is Pakistan; it is a Moslem 
country. Burma is strongly Buddhist. 
The beautiful island of Ceylon also 
strongly holds to Buddhism. This large 
area of India is predominately Hindu. 
0 that the love of Christ may pene-
trate these lands! 
3rd Speaker: I feel ashamed to think 
that I spend so much money at Christ-
mas time and plan for so much fun 
when there are actually millions in 
Southern Asia who have no Christmas 
because they know not Christ. I wish 
I knew of some way to bring Christ 
to them. �
A 
2nd Speaker: I know! I know! This 
quarter our Sabbath School Offering 
overflow goes to Southern Asia. We 
can give a very special Thirteenth Sab-
bath Offering to upgrade the mission 
school at Lasalgaon (La'-sal-gow) , 
and to enlarge the dormitory space at 
Spicer Memorial College. The fact that 
they are calling for more space means 
that many are accepting Christ and 
are choosing our institutions of learn-
ing. I am going to give more than I 
have ever given before. 
4th Speaker: Another project that 
is to be helped by the Thirteenth Sab-
bath Offering overflow is the purchase 
of land for church buildings. Think of 
the Buddhist temples, Moslem mosques, 
and Hindu shrines (point to map) 
scattered over the countries, and in 
their midst Jesus calls for a place of 
worship. This comes as an irresistible 
challenge to me to do my best. 
1st Speaker: Bring Christ to South-
ern Asia by making this your largest 
Christmas gift, won't you? For myself, 
I have made a special sacrifice. 
(Speaker places his offering on plate. 
Other speakers do the same.) 
Suggestion: 
The superintendent 
places his offering on the plate and 
invites each member to give a real 
Christmas gift as the offering is taken. 
India Is Calling 
by Marye Trim 
I'd like to bank some money 
Up in heaven. Yes, I would! 
And I would really do it 
If I could. 
But there is something else 
That I can do, 
And so I want to share 
This news with you. 
For India is calling, calling; 
Pleading for the help that we can give 
To schools and students, yes, and churches, 
That India may know Jesus Christ, and live. 
Would you like to store your treasure 
Up in heaven? Well, you may, 
By gladly helping India 
On this thirteenth Sabbath day. 
The Thirteenth Sabbath Offering Overflow 
For the First Quarter 1970 
Will Go to the Northern European Division 
Issued quarterly by the Seventh-day Adventist Sabbath School Department, 
Washington, D.C. 
PRINTED IN U.S.A. 
WORLD MISSION REPORT 31 
ARABIAN SEA 
fteMv‘:;.., , 
mete11,111illa 
Pu.rha.e Church Properties 
SOUTHERN ASIA DIVISION 
Population �
Churche• 
Church 
Members 
Sob, Sek 
Mernban 
Burma U. 
25,000,000 
84 
4,127 
4,895 
Ceylon U. 
11,500,000 
16 
1,138 
1,000 
Northeast U. 
156,941,283 
72 
4,343 
4.964 
North 
�
India �
U. 
185,500,000 
31 
2,367 
2,930 
Pakistan U. 
125,000,000 
45 
3,730 
8,622 
South India U. 
110,160,887 
189 
22,279 
25,421 
Western Indio U. 
60,523,600 
31 
2,319 
2,950 
Di. is ion Totals 
674,625,770 
468 
40.303 
50,782 
SOUTHERN ASIA DIVISION 
BONGOS 
BAY OF B E NGAL 
ik �
41, 
CEYLON UNIO 
COLOMBO