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| SDA
Presence |
| Micronesia
page 8 |
Pohnpei SDA School Sign
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Eight
ethnic Micronesian groups occupy the 607 islands of Micronesia in the western
Pacific Ocean. Of these, four island groups - Kosrae, Pohnpei, Chuuk, and
Yap make up what is called the Federated States of Micronesia. In 1985,
a son from a prominent Micronesian family who attended Palau Mission Academy
was baptized and influenced his father to donate land to build a Christian
school. Nets 98 and 99 were both effective in Yap State. Physicians from
the Guam Adventist Clinic have served in Micronesia and have put Seventh-day
Adventists in the limelight. The greatest need in Micronesia is for locally
trained and certified teachers as well as fully trained local ministers.
At the present time, the church in Micronesia is largely dependent upon
the Adventist Volunteer program for providing teachers to the nine different
island schools. |
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Cambodia page
10 |
SDA Church in Siem
Reap |
Devastated
by three decades of both internal and external conflicts, Cambodia is still
trying to cope with thousands of land mines from previous turmoil. Minorities
include Chinese and Muslims (also called Cham) who are settled in the major
population areas. There are also many minority hill tribes on the borders
of Vietnam, Laos and Thailand.
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Hundreds of Cambodians
who fled to Thailand's refugee camps found Christ there while studying
English from the Bible. Determined to share Christ when they returned
home, these men are now lay pastors, and supporting the literacy program
which Cambodia Adventist Mission and ADRA are helping to rebuild.
Land has been acquired
by the Mission for a grade school (1-12) in Phnom Penh and a small boarding
school (6-12) in Kampong Thma for the next step in building our educational
system. Two orphanages are also serving the people. Sixty-five Lay Bible
workers, dozens supported by ASI, work with the pastors.
In December of 2001,
the Cambodia Mission had twenty one literacy programs throughout the country.
As of the end of April 2002, we have reports from sixty-seven locations
where a teacher is bringing literacy to previously illiterate people.
More than 800 student attend classes this year, and after a three month
program, 60% of those who attend are expected to become involved in Bible
studies and have an interest in Christianity. Cambodia is a Buddhist country,
but last year from five Phnom Penh literacy classes there have been 10
baptisms and 39 more are attending baptismal classes to be baptized in
the near future.
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Nigeria page
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SDA Ile-Ife Hospital
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Most
populous country on the continent of Africa, Nigeria is home to more than
200 people groups. Once a British crown colony, Nigeria watched as the Ibo
region seceded in 1967, called itself the Republic of Biafra, and then collapsed
in 1970. One-third of the population of the entire division resides in Nigeria!
Despite consistent growth, Seventh-day Adventists have yet to make a dramatic
impact. Insufficient technology and lack of student and staff housing and
classrooms at Babcock University hamper expansion. However, ADRA has now
opened a female hostel. An Adventist World Radio recording studio for vernacular
programming was commissioned October, 1999. |
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Philippines page
14 |
Datu (chief) Mailina
and wife.
Lapangon village. |
Lying
500 miles off the southeast coast of Asia in an area of great tectonic instability,
the Philippines form an archipelago about 1,100 miles north to south in
a somewhat triangular form to include all of its 7,107 islands. Phenomenal
growth of the Seventh-day Adventist Church began in the 1980’s though
no one program is more important than another. Students from seven church-operated
colleges and universities, 22 academies and elementary schools spend their
summers in literature evangelism. Children and youth conduct evangelistic
series. A pioneer program called Task Force sends people into unentered
areas for a year or two to develop Bible study groups. They are trying to
harness the potential of volunteers to finish the work in the only Christian
nation in Southeast Asia, where Adventists are one of the largest Protestant
denominations. |
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Russian Federation page
21 |
The Cathedral of Christ
our Savior,
Moscow. |
The
world’s largest country, the Russian Federation extends halfway around
the globe. Surrounded by the Arctic and Pacific Oceans on two sides, it
also faces the Barents, East Siberian, Okhotsk, Japan, Black, and Caspian
Seas—as well as a short outlet to the Gulf of Finland. In this vast
land, Seventh-day Adventist membership has increased 900 percent during
the past 14 years. However, only three out of ten congregations have a place
to worship. The Adventist dental clinic in Moscow, six language schools
and the three Adventist secondary schools provide opportunities for public
and personal evangelism. The unions in Russia pay serious attention to various
kinds of youth ministry; Pathfinder and Adventurer Clubs have been organized
in several places. There are full-time evangelists in each conference. |
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