MISSION POSTVOLUME 9 NUMBER 1

F r o m E v e r y w h e r e t o E v e r y w h e r e

2 M I S S I O N P O S T = P r i n t e d i n t h e U S A

MISSIONPOSTEditorialVernon B ParmenterDIRECTOR/EDITORDonna RodillSR EDITORIAL ASSISTANT/LAYOUT & DESIGNTheresa BerryADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTJan ErntsonAVS VOLUNTEER COORDINATORJoanne StangoAVS ASSOCIATE COORDINATORJill WalkerAVS ASSISTANT COORDINATORJ John WycliffeOFFICE ASSISTANT

Division Volunteer CoordinatorsHudson E KibuukaEAST-CENTRAL AFRICA DIVISIONGabriel E MaurerEURO-AFRICA DIVISIONMichael KaminskyEURO-ASIA DIVISIONFaye ReidINTER-AMERICAN DIVISIONJose RojasNORTH AMERICAN DIVISIONAkeri SuzukiNORTHERN ASIA-PACIFIC DIVISIONUrias ChagasSOUTH AMERICAN DIVISIONRobert BolstSOUTH PACIFIC DIVISIONJulian HibbertSOUTHERN AFRICA-INDIAN OCEAN DIVISIONRose ChristoSOUTHERN ASIA DIVISIONGary RustadSOUTHERN ASIA-PACIFIC DIVISIONPaul TompkinsTRANS-EUROPEAN DIVISIONJohn EnangWEST-CENTRAL AFRICA DIVISION

We welcome unsolicited manuscripts, letters tothe editor, volunteer tips, postcards and stories.Send all editorial correspondence to:Adventist Volunteer Center Publications12501 Old Columbia PikeSilver Spring, MD 20904-6600 USAE-mail: AVCpublications@gc.adventist.orgFax: 301-680-6635Website: www.adventistvolunteers.org

Mission Post (ISSN 1528-235X) is published fourtimes a year by the Adventist Volunteer Center ofthe General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.Printed by the Pacific Press Publishing Association,1350 North Kings Road, Nampa, Idaho 83687-3193.Copyright © 2001, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. For a free subscription, send yourname and address to Adventist Volunteer CenterPublications, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, SilverSpring, MD 20904-6600 or send an email to:AVCpublications@gc.adventist.org

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contents

Volume 9 Number 1

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DEPARTMENTS4 Guest Editorial

7 Postcard

8 Reflections

31 Volunteer Opportunities

FEATURES

10 Pohnpei ProjectStudent Project Breathes New Life Into Old Lab.

12 Jump!Marielle Piquard learned to jump into life.

14 The Furnace: Youth On FireFriday night vespers helps lead youth to a personal

relationship with Christ.

16 My JourneyShirley Gee went on a journey that taught her how

to trust God completely.

20 Let There Be LightSam and Effie Jean Ketting set off on THE trip of

their life!

24 The Impossible−−God’s SpecialtyThis volunteer entered on an impossible trip.

But that’s God’s specialty.

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4 M I S S I O N P O S T = G u e s t E d i t o r i a l

guest ed i tor ia l

t is rare that God does what we expect. Usually he does

the unexpected, and usually, the unexpected is better

than we ever imagined that it could be. As Javier Gonzalez,

a young lay pastor who lives in Maryland, writes, “You just

happen to be a child of the God of unexpected surprises.

Watch for Him, He's bound to do the unexpected for

you.” Certainly what He did for me in the summer of

2003 was an unexpected surprise−a surprise that changed

the direction of my life.

In March of 2003, I was two months away from

graduating from Columbia Union College (CUC) with a

Bachelor’s degree and I knew exactly what I was going to

do when I got my diploma. I was going to get my Master’s

of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and go on to become a

best-selling writer. I applied to three of the top five

Creative Writing programs in the United States. I was sure

that God wanted me to write, and I expected He would

make sure that I got the best education that a writer could

get. So, praying daily to get a letter of acceptance from

one of the schools, I waited.

The first letter finally came. Excited, I ripped open the

envelope and saw the word that sunk my heart: rejected.

The second letter? Rejected. There was only one more

letter left.

One Friday afternoon I went to get the mail for my

roommate and me. The first thing I saw in our mailbox

was an envelope from Columbia University. The final letter.

I slowly pulled it out of the box, along with two other

papers—two copies of CUC’s weekly newsletter. I paused

for a moment. I did not want to open this last letter. If it

IThan YouExpect

was another rejection letter, I had no idea

what I’d be doing for the following school

year. All my plans would be ruined. All my

prayers would have fallen by the wayside

somewhere.

I squared my shoulders and opened the

letter anyway. Rejected. I felt as if someone

had punched me. I stood for a moment,

paralyzed on the steps, the rejection letter in

one hand and the CUC newsletters in the

other. And I did what any good, sensible

person would do. I cried. God did not do

what I expected. He had let me down.

After crying for a minute, I wiped my tears

and walked over to a nearby trashcan. Still

angry and disappointed, I was about to

crumple both the rejection letter and the

newsletters up and throw them away, but

something told me to keep a newsletter and

read through it, something I was not in the

habit of doing. While walking back to my

room, I scanned the newsletter, trying to

keep my mind off of the fact that I was not

going to school the next year. My eyes

stopped half-way down the front page on an

advertisement asking for volunteers to help

run a summer camp in Poland. Poland?

Volunteering? I had never thought of

volunteering before, but I felt God telling me

that I needed to check out this opportunity.

Better

G u e s t E d i t o r i a l = M I S S I O N P O S T 5

Jill WalkerServes as Assistant AVS Coordinator for the

General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

There was no reason not to. Now that I had

all three rejection letters, I didn’t need to

spend the summer preparing for graduate

school. Plus, I had always wanted to spend

some time overseas. So, there I was, a rejection

letter in one hand, a new opportunity in the

other, and God telling me in my heart, “Go

this way, Jill!”

I decided to call the number on the ad

and see what would happen. Soon enough, I

got in touch with the leaders of the summer

camp, Joanna and Piotr Jamroziak, who

invited me to come to Poland to teach

English during the camp. I went - following

this trail that God was laying out for me. The

summer camp was two weeks long. During

those two weeks I taught a daily, two-hour

English lesson, taught the kids how to play

baseball and made friends who are now more

like family. At the end of the summer camp,

Piotr and Joanna asked me to come back to

Poland for a year to teach English at their

language school. I did, and I found that giving

a year of my life to teach in Poland was a

small sacrifice to make for everything that I

received in return. I gained a Polish family,

developed teaching skills I never knew that I

had and learned to trust God in an entirely

new way. Most importantly, I was able to use

my own God-given talent with words and

language to minister in my own way to the

students that I taught. All in all, it was the

best year of my life thus far.

I have never regretted going to Poland for

a year, and I have never regretted not getting

into Columbia University. On the contrary, I praise God

for leading in my life the way that He did and for taking

me somewhere I never thought I would go. I finally

understand that God did not let me down; He just had

different—and better—plans for my life than I did. I expected

an MFA in Creative Writing and, later, a best-seller.

Instead, through my year in Poland, I discovered what it is

I truly want to do with my life: to serve God and others

with the skills I have been given, whether that includes

writing a best-seller or not.

Perhaps you feel that God is calling you to be a volunteer,

but you’ve made other plans for your life right now. Don’t

just push that feeling away. Don’t crumple up and throw

away the newsletter with your opportunity for service on

it, like I almost did. Stop and listen to what God is telling

you. Ask Him for guidance. He may surprise you with

what He says; He may call you somewhere you never

thought you would go. If He is calling you, and if you go,

be assured that your experience will be better than you

expect—better even than the plans you made for yourself.

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P o s t c a r d = M I S S I O N P O S T 7

postcard

ThailandSDA Language Schools

orking at the SDA Language School in Thailand was a wonderful experience for me! Ilearned so much about myself and I also learned how far God can take me if I allow

HIM to do so. A lot of my “faults” were tested while working there - patience being the main thing. I saw God

pushing me to my full potential and I can honestly say I have grown! I’ll admit that teachingsomeone who knows no English or very little English isn’t easy, but the rewards and theprogress they made surpassed any stress I may have encountered.

I would recommend this school to ANYONE who thinks teaching or being an ambassador forChrist is the area of service for you. The director and staff are amazing and will help relieve anytension or homesickness you might encounter. So if you’re thinking about it, STOP thinkingand just go for it because the experience will be a memory for a lifetime.

Lauren Shankel – Southwestern Adventist University

would like to say that this missionary assignment met my expectations, but it didn’t!!!!It far surpassed anything that I ever expected. I was not expecting to become so attached to

all of my students, or to be welcomed into the staff so warmly. When I first arrived in Bangkok,I can’t deny that I went through culture shock. Everything was very different, so different thatI thought I would never adjust to living there.

However, not only did I adjust, I learned to love the people, the culture and most of all mystudents. I loved teaching at the SDA Language School in Thailand. The entire staff created anenergetic and fun atmosphere for learning, so not only did the students learn and have fun,the teachers did too!!

While I was teaching there, God revealed His love and compassion to me. He showed methe importance of prayer and the importance of putting my trust in HIM. I will always keepthese people and this school in my prayers and I will never forget the amazing experience I hadas a Missionary at the SDA Language School in Thailand.

Laurel Ball – Southwestern Adventist University

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8 M I S S I O N P O S T = R e f l e c t i o n s

re f lec t ions

Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indianyouth's rite of passage?His dad takes him into theforest blindfolded andleaves him alone.

He is required to sit on astump the whole night and nottake off the blindfold until the rayof sun shines through it. He is allby himself. He cannot cry out for helpto anyone. Once he survives the nighthe is a man. He cannot tell the other boysof this experience.

The boy was terrified...could hear all kindsof noises...beasts were all around him. Maybeeven a human would hurt him. The wind blew thegrass and earth and it shook his stump. But he satstoically, never removing the blindfold. It was the onlyway he could become a man.

Finally, after a horrific night, the sun appeared and heremoved his blindfold. It was then that he saw his father.sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watchthe entire night.

Just like the Cherokee boy, we are never alone. Evenwhen we do not know it, our Father is protecting us. Heis sitting on the stump beside us.

Never AloneNever Alone

R e f l e c t i o n s = M I S S I O N P O S T 9

1 0 M I S S I O N P O S T = M i c r o n e s i a

m icrones ia: pohnpei

hree and a half years ago, Walla WallaCollege (WWC) student Raymond Betz

spent a year teaching in the computer labat the Pohnpei Seventh-day AdventistSchool. Like dozens of WWC studentseach year, his life was changed by his experience as a student missionary.However, Betz’s experience also changedthe lives of countless current and futurestudents in Pohnpei.

Returning to WWC to complete hisengineering degree, Betz was determinedto equip Pohnpei’s computer lab with allnew computers and a server.

Pohnpei ProjectStudent Project Breathes New Life Into Old LabBY KRISTI SPURGEON

T “After some research, thought, andmuch prayer, I felt like this was a projectGod was calling me to do. I had to trustthat God would provide what I needed tomake this project happen,” Betz says abouthis decision to raise more than $11,000.

Supported by the Office of StudentMissions, Betz began asking potentialdonors and returned student missionariesfrom the Guam-Micronesia Mission fortheir support in what he called thePohnpei Project.

Within a year Betz collected enoughmoney to purchase 20 new Dell computersand a server. He and a friend spent muchtime preparing, packing, and shipping thecomputers to their new island home.Then, two days after graduating with hisBachelor of Science in Engineering in2006, the aspiring engineer found himselfon a plane to Pohnpei where he set up the

new computer lab. “I spent many days in the lab painting,

building new desks, fixing the partiallycollapsed ceiling, unpacking, installing,networking the computers, and configuring the server,” Betz says.

The end of summer arrived and whenBetz’s scheduled flight back to theUnited States left Pohnpei, Betz was stillin the computer lab.

M i c r o n e s i a = M I S S I O N P O S T 1 1

“I felt God was calling me to stay, so that’s what I decided todo.” Betz is now the computer teacher at the Pohnpei Seventh-day Adventist School and plans to stay for at least two years.

“As each school day passes, students at the Pohnpei SDASchool are learning more about computers and how to usethem, but more importantly, students are hearing aboutChrist, and seeing Him modeled through the teachers here,”Betz told friends in a letter thanking them for their support ofthe project.

“I taught computer classes in the old relic of a lab,” Betzsays, “and it is wonderful to have these new computers. Thestudents say the same thing. In fact, many of them tell me theywish I’d brought the computers a year earlier!”

“I’m so impressed by the difference one student can make,”says Jeanne Vories, director of student missions at WWC whohelped provide structure and support for the Pohnpei Project.“I’m equally impressed that the majority of donors wereyoung alumni.”

As to what he’ll do next, Betz isn’t sure. “My plan is just tofollow God's leading. I am very passionate about beinginvolved in ministry and mission work. Whether that will be acareer or something I do on the side, I don't know yet.”

By: Kristi Spurgeon, College Relations, Walla Walla College

Raymond Betz

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a f r ica: burk ina faso

or three years I had been promisingmyself: “After my Baccalaureate, I shall

spend a whole school year in Africa! I’mfed up with attending classes, with sittingup all day! I want to go on an adventure!And if I go, let it be in the service of Godand of my neighbor!”

After I graduated on 17 September2006, I did it! I flew off to Burkina Fasofor a nine-month period.

As soon as I arrived the heat greeted meimmediately, although it was the end ofthe rainy season.

I soon became acquainted with my colleagues of the Mission who greeted mewith open arms.

I lodged in the house of the presidentof the Seventh-day Adventist Mission,Pastor Santa Cruz.

Since the Mission, the president’s houseand the chapel are located around a campus in the center of Ouagadougou,

BY MARIELLE PIQUARD

the capital, it was not necessary for me totravel much, at least in the beginning. Ioften felt locked up, because I was frightened by the “outer” world.

In the beginning, I felt angry with mycolleagues for not taking better care of meand taking me out to visit the surroundingcity so that I might see some landmarks.After a while I thought, “You are a biggirl, jump!”

I asked a friend to take me out for a visitto the city and from then I started goingout and making friends. I made real friends,who will remain in my heart forever.

From my very first Sabbath there, I was integrated into the choir of theOuagadougou church. Throughout thiswhole year I’ve had the opportunity tolearn wonderful African songs, and even conducted the choir. It was a really good experience.

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Jump!

Marielle

A f r i c a = M I S S I O N P O S T 1 3

About three weeks after my arrival, mycolleague and I had to travel to visit ourSeventh-day Adventist primary schools,driving through cities, villages and thebush. These journeys have left me withbeautiful memories.

During one of these journeys, we rodeon two motorcycles; the headlight of oneof them had broken down, and we had todrive through the bush after nightfall. Wewere very afraid but the Lord always protected us.

I had occasion to visit several churches,both in the bush and in the cities. Howdifferent they are! In the cities, more attention is given to the clothes worn andbehavior in church but in the bush, thechurch members dance and sing at the topof their voices.

I also had the privilege of teachingdrawing to students of the OuagadougouSeventh-day Adventist school. Most ofthem discovered painting for the first time.

In the Ouagadougou Central Church,we met with a group of friends to sing for

the pleasure of singing. Then we met torehearse hymns for the Sabbath worshipservice and we decided to make our ownCD. This enabled me to return to Francewith a CD of some songs composed by amember of this group, Akligo Yao Mawuli.

All these experiences caused me to growspiritually. I thank the Lord for answeringmy dream which was to have an experiencewith Him and my neighbor while servingfor His cause. Before I had left for BurkinaFaso, my grandfather, Jean Kempf, hadgiven me a Bible text to follow me whereverI went: Psalm 121. Today I can really say,“Yes, the Lord has watched over my comingand going, both now and forevermore!”

By: Marielle Piquard, Teacher, Burkina FasoMission. Volunteer from France.

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m icrones ia: yap

ear God! I’m bored! I want somethingto do!” No, this is not the prayer I

prayed before God turned my life aroundand sent me out as a missionary; this isthe prayer I prayed the first few months Iwas in Yap. Now, before you get me wrong,I’m not lazy, and having ten classes toteach, there are plenty of things to do hereas a teacher. For example, I keep busywriting lesson plans, grading papers,coming up with projects, entering grades,etc. I’m just one of those freakishly organized/perfectionist people who haseverything done the minute she is asked to

do it and has things planned out for thenext five weeks. This, in addition to thedrastic difference between my usual hecticday back home in Pennsylvania, USA, andthat of the relaxed island lifestyle, left meneeding something more to fill my time.So I prayed this prayer several times, andGod was quick to answer!

I really have a passion for my highschool students here since I’m the 11thgrade home room teacher, and also theonly female high school teacher. Oneweek, I felt impressed to invite all my classes to church, since less than 10% ofthe school is Adventist. When I invited myBiology class to church, I was surprisedwhen one of my students informed methat I was the first teacher to ever invitethe students to church. This was a hugeshock to me! But instead of focusing onwhy it hadn’t happened before, I decidedto do something about it.

The Furnace was the answer! Based onDaniel 3:16-28, “The Furnace: Youth onFire,” is based on the story of the youththat were thrown into the furnace only toprove the strength of God. I felt that if wehad a Friday night vespers at the school,led by the students, maybe they would be

The Furnace: Youth On FireI felt that if we had Friday night vespers at the school maybethe students would be able to see God in a new light andbegin to have a personal relationship with Him. BY SARAH HOSKO

“D

M i c r o n e s i a = M I S S I O N P O S T 1 5

able to see God in a new light and beginto have a personal relationship with Him.

The first Friday night we had an attendance of 18 students, and by the second week the number more than doubled to 40! At first it was only studentsfrom the school who attended, but nowwe are starting to reach out to the youth ofthe island. We are focusing on topics thatyouth struggle with these days and arehoping to help them. Some of the subjectswe hope to cover are drugs, peer pressure,depression, sex, betel nut (a commonthing in the islands), etc. Some of theyouth are beginning to lead out everyweek, so I am hoping that those whoattend will start opening up.

Every Friday afternoon, the trucks headout to Colonia, the only town on theisland, to pick up all those who want tocome to “The Furnace.” We make ourrounds at the local pick-up spots wheregroups of them are anxiously waiting toget on the truck. If we are early, we hangout with them before loading up thetrucks and heading back to the school to

start the program. It’s a great time tobond with them and show them thatwe’re interested in them as individuals.Back at the school, it’s a beautiful sceneto watch the sun set over the hill andbring in the Sabbath as the youth singpraises to the Creator of the islands.When it’s over, it’s back on the trucks totake them back to their homes. I don’t pray the same prayer anymore.

Now I ask God to bring His blessings tothe group which comes every Friday night,in hopes that we can reach them and showthem what a personal relationship withHim is really like. I have gotten closer tothe students, and every day they make mesmile. Please pray for us as we try to getfunding to continue this ministry. It’s agreat feeling when you recognize the missionGod has given you and you can see Himhelping you fulfill it.

By: Sarah Hosko, 11th Grade HomeroomTeacher, Yap SDA School. Ten-month volunteerfrom Southern Adventist University.

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cook is lands

or some reason I found this a very difficult piece towrite and I’ve been putting it off for months.

There have been so many inspiring and wonderfulstories submitted by other volunteers that includedramatic ways in which the Lord has worked forthem; my story just didn’t seem very interesting. Infact, there were times when I just felt as though Ishould pack up and go home because the wonderfulthings that I planned to do for the Lord just didn’tseem to be happening. God is good though, and Hehas borne with my human frailties and continues toteach me from His lesson book of life.

I had considered volunteering for many years buthad never really acted on it. Then one day as I wasexploring the General Conference website, I stumbledupon the Volunteer website. Just out of curiosity, Ibegan to look for interesting places that mightneed a secretary. That is how I found my presentvolunteer position.

I first noticed the volunteer position for the CookIslands on the North American Division website inApril of 2005. It lingered on my mind. However,even though I was working for a Seventh-dayAdventist Church at the time, I still was not surethat I was following God’s will for my life. I hadbeen working as an Administrative Assistant for theRisk Management and Human ResourcesDepartment of the Oregon Conference−in the great

Northwest USA−for three years.And yet, after much soulsearching, I became impressedthat God was leading me intomission work. Eventually, aftermuch prayer, I became convincedthat the position in the CookIslands was God’s calling.

Of course the devil wasn’tpleased, and suddenly terriblefears set in. The fear of risk, fearof leaving family and friends andgoing into the unknown, fear ofloss and of financial insecurity,and knowing that I would needto raise funds to function as avolunteer for a year. I had noidea how to proceed and wastotally overwhelmed with the responsibility and the enormouspreparation that would berequired of me to live in adeveloping country for anextended period of time.

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My JourneyWhatever my challenges were, there has never been a timewhen I’ve gone to Him in prayer, poured my heart out inloneliness or sorrow, where He has not only lifted my burden,but also has given me comfort.BY SHIRLEY GEE

C o o k I s l a n d s = M I S S I O N P O S T 1 7

I have been here at the PapaaroaAdventist School since March 2nd of2006. The school is located on RarotongaIsland in the Cook Islands. Our schoolhas over 100 students in grades 1 throughForm 4. The days are lively and active, andsometimes I am quite weary when I headfor home. It is quite a transition to go fromworking in a quiet office environment tothe vibrant life of a school campus.

My typical day begins at 5 am withmorning devotion. I usually take an hour’slong walk along the lagoon. It is wonderfulto meditate and talk to God as the morningsun comes up in such a pretty setting.Staff worship begins at 7:30 am, and workin the library is from 8:00 am until 3:30pm. This schedule has only been in effect

since September. Prior to that, I startedwork by serving breakfast in the TuckShop 7:00 until 8 am. I also prepared andserved lunch. By the time the Tuck Shopwas cleaned up and ice blocks made forthe next day, I had spent three to fourhours there alone. In between, I functionedas the secretary to the principal whichincluded many and varied tasks. Thehighlight to my day was laughing andtalking with the children. My biggest challenge was understanding them becausethe mixture of Maori and the NewZealand English were new to my ear. Somehow it has gotten better over time.

My first low experience was when Ithought that I would never have the timeto work in the library and complete the

1 8 M I S S I O N P O S T = C o o k I s l a n d s

task for which I came. The entire libraryneeded cataloging and was unorganizedwhen I arrived. None of the books were inorder. There was trash in the library andthere were old text books that needed tobe thrown away. I knew that in order todo a successful job, I would need to beable to spend several months working onit alone. However, until August it lookedlike I would never have the time to do thework that needed to be done because ofmy long hours in the Tuck Shop. I wasalso responsible for getting out a monthlynewsletter—which I greatly enjoyed—andfor doing other office duties. During thistime I prayed that God would make a wayfor me to get the library cataloged before Ileft. God is faithful and my prayer wasanswered. The library is now catalogedand though I still have finishing touchesto complete, it is almost done.

My second low was feelings of extremeloneliness and isolation. I truly missedbeing able to just pick up the phone andcall my mother and sister. This experiencehas taught me to make Jesus my bestfriend. He has always lifted me up when Ifelt that I couldn’t go on anymore. Iremembered that Jesus walked this lonesome valley and was not welcomed orloved by the church of His time. It helpedto put into perspective the truth thatwhatever my challenges were, there hasnever been a time when I’ve gone to Himin prayer, poured my heart out in lonelinessor sorrow where He has not only lifted my

burden, but also has given me comfort.This experience has taught me to lean onJesus for wisdom, strength, and friendship.God has also been teaching me that thereis truly no problem too big or too smallfor Him to solve.

My highest moments happen when thechildren run to me for hugs, or as I watchtheir eyes when I do ‘story hour’ in thelibrary, or as I watch their interest grow inreading.

What I miss most about being home isbeing able to spend time with my friendsin church activities, going to concerts, thebeautiful Portland parks, hiking theColumbia Gorge, riding the white waterrapids, and going to new and uniquerestaurants to try different foods.

What I love most about being in theCook Islands is walking along the lagoon(which is right across from the school).The Titikaveka Village, where I live, hassome of the most beautiful lagoons on theislands. We have amazing sunsets, and thesea is a myriad of turquoise blues thatchange with the tides. It is spring timehere now, and the Frangipani and FlameTrees are in radiant dress. All the flowersare blooming and the palms reflect thesun’s rays so that the whole world seemsto sparkle. The lagoon is a place where thecares of the world fade away and there is aserenity to the sea that gives peace to thesoul.

My message to fellow volunteers is toremember that we−of ourselves−can not

C o o k I s l a n d s = M I S S I O N P O S T 1 9

change anything. Only God changes heartsthrough His Holy Spirit−we are only theconduits. When it seems that no oneunderstands you or vice versa, especiallywhen faced with a new culture or situa-tion, remember God knows and can giveyou wisdom to handle the situation. Thebest thing to do is pray, and then just waiton the Lord. It is amazing how many sit-uations have been solved without myhuman intervention.

I’ve learned that it takes a minimum ofsix months to a year before one starts feel-ing comfortable in a new culture. TheCook Islanders have a very complex cul-ture and it takes many months to evenbegin to start truly understanding how thepeople think.

One of my favorite Bible verses is onethat brings comfort to my heart. Its prom-ise is found in Jeremiah 29:11-13“For I know the thoughts that Ithink toward you, saith the Lord,thoughts of peace, and not of evil,to give you an expected end. Thenshall ye call upon me, and ye shallgo and pray unto me, and I willhearken unto you. And ye shallseek me and find me, when yeshall search for me with all yourheart.” KJV

God has led in amazing waysand it has kept me humbly on myknees. It has been a journey inlearning to trust Him completelyto lead and provide. So, would I

do it all over again? Absolutely! It has beenan experience I will always remember—thehard times, the good times, the challenges,and the spiritual growth—and know thatevery where our Heavenly Father leads usis only a place of preparation for theKingdom. Someday I look forward tomeeting all God’s volunteers from all overthe world in ‘the land that is fairer thanday.’

By: Shirley Gee, served as Secretary/Librarianat the Papaaroa Adventist School, from theOregon Conference, USA.

Shirley Gee

2 0 M I S S I O N P O S T = A f r i c a

oza? Where is that? Did you ever hear of a placenamed Koza?” I asked my wife, Effie Jean, who

was standing at the kitchen sink scraping some carrots.No, she never heard of a place called Koza, not inAfrica, nor anywhere else in the world. That, of course,makes it an attractive place to visit. As octogenarianand therefore the senior in the Ketting household,she made the decision weshould go and relieve the fur-loughing doctor couple inKoza while I tried to figure outwhere in the world we couldfind that place Koza. AdventistHealth International agreed toarrange for the appropriatetickets. However, we wereunable to find Koza on anymap. We were told that it wasin the ultimate North ofCameroon on the edge of the Sahara desert. Somepeople we met while planning this venture got reallyexcited about us going there, and we looked forwardto it as THE experience that would crown our seriesof relief term mission ventures to Seventh-dayAdventist mission hospitals.

A fuel leak on the first leg of our journey preventedour aircraft from leaving. We were re-routed over to

Let There Be LightWe looked forward to our trip to the edge of the Saharadesert as THE experience that would crown our seriesof relief term mission ventures to SDA mission hospitals.BY SAM AND EFFIE JEAN KETTING

“K Air France to travel on the next dayto another place with the strangename of Yaounde, which I quickly found on the passengers’information map. In Yaounde, thecapital of the Cameroons, we metthe church president at the airport.

He took usovernight to thechurchheadquarters.Unfortunately,none of thechurch peoplespoke Chineseor Thai, and myFrench was over60 years stale.Just the same,

two days later we managed to get toanother airport and another aircraft company ferried us in anortherly direction. One hour later,we landed and soon saw the sign“Ketting” identifying our contactfrom Koza. He led us by four-wheeled taxi to a bus station. Fromthere, we caught an eight-wheeledbus, where free seating landed us in

From Trip to Trap

afr ica

A f r i c a = M I S S I O N P O S T 2 1

the very rear to practice our first ever rodeo ride.After three or more hours, I thought we weregetting closer to the North Pole. However, thetemperature was getting hotter all the time. Wesat down on our suitcases at the next bus station,though standing up was a little easier for thebruised derriere. Jack, our Cameroonian tourguide, whose English was excellent, kept up a running commentary about the area and went tobuy a few gallons of developer for the x-raydepartment. Our security and salvation dependedentirely on Jack, who possessed a thumb thatcould dial faster on a cell phone than my wifecould play chop sticks on her piano. I never knew itcould be done. While he was shopping, AudryShank arrived with a 4 x 4 and would drive usfurther north. And she warned us that we wouldnot be getting closer to the North Pole. Afterhours on another paved road, we spent one houron a dirt road which led us over rocks, ruts,bumps and whatever other objects can bedescribed on the passageway in the wilderness ofthe extreme North. I was sure even Moses and thechildren of Israel in their 40 years of sojournthrough the wilderness, had never experiencedsuch exercise. Just the same, we were lookingforward to Koza, our promised land.

We experienced our first bout of jet lag duringthe first days after our arrival. A sort of a mixedjet lag, partly in the West-East direction andpartly in the North-South direction. If that doesnot make a person dizzy, nothing will. In theend it felt like a trap. We were at the Shanks’residence not really knowing how we got there.

The Accommodations

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But more important than that, we had noidea how to get out of there. It became atrap at the edge of Africa’s Sahara Desert.We were directly in the overflow pathwayof the notorious heat of the hottest area ofAfrica. Fortunately, there were many fansaround the house. After a few days of orientation, we welcomed a night of restfulsleep under a strong electric fan. After afew days, however, the monotonous roarof the electric fan stopped. All the lightswent off. My watch dial pointed at 2:00am. No wind was blowing, not even a waftof air was noticeable. It seems that thenoise of silence is louder when there is noobservable light from any source. No animals, no birds, no traffic noise. As amatter of fact, it seems the customarysnoring eminating from any other lifeorganism in the house would have been awelcome and reassuring evidence to me asa city boy that this darkness was not eternal.The silence in a strange world is louderthan the silence we imagine hearing in ourown homes. But here? Even the silence inCameroon speaks a language I do notunderstand. What if during such a poweroutage there is an emergency in surgery?

I discussed with the management that onthe first day, God said, “Let there be light.”Even as God needed light so He could seewhat he was doing, so the surgeon neededlight so he could see what he was doing inthe dark. The surgeon needs light to makerounds as well.

The standard furniture of a patients’ward does not include any chairs. A 20-watt fluorescent tube dangles high on thewall. The medical records show that it isimpossible to read or write by this humbleillumination. Two translators are neededto find out what a mother’s problem is. To get the weight off my legs, I sit down on a heap of multicolored products of a local weaving industry whichlay in a heap on a nearby bed. A cryalarms me. There is a cute little newborncompletely covered with the local weavingproduct!

A few nights later, one of the nursescalls me to the hospital for an emergency.Long explanations are useless, especially inthe pitch blackness of the powerless night.I grab a Faraday six-volt floodlight from mybedside, climb onto the ambulance, whichin this case is behind a big, burlyCameroonian on his 75 cc Honda motorcycle. I grab the driver around hischest to experience the rodeo movementsof the bike over exposed roots, rocks andruts on our way to the emergency room.

The next morning, I inquire if there isemergency electricity setup in cases such asthis. Well, there is a 50 kVA generatorwhich has not worked for three years. Thehistory and later physical examination ofelectrical power gave me the first clue: thegenerator had puttered, then died andnever ran again. Did we need a new one?Let us see the old one first. It was a three-phase gasoline operated affair. A week laterwe visit a professional mechanic who

Let There Be Light

A f r i c a = M I S S I O N P O S T 2 3

agrees to come see it and fix it. We agree on the cost.Three days later the problem of lights is solved with twobatteries, new gas and oil filters and a few other minorthings. The revival of a job analysis for the residentelectrician assures us that in case of a power outage inthe future, there would be light within ten minutes.

A preacher may preach a very effective and soul-savingsermon in the darkness of the night. A surgeon,however, cannot perform a body-saving procedure ona patient under the same circumstances and expect tomake a man whole.

The Brightest Lights are the people of Koza−friendly, hardworking subsistence farmers. The hospitalmanager told us that when there is no fresh harvest,there is very little or no food at all for the faithfulAdventists who live around the Koza hospital. It isnoticeable that all the population lose some weight. Andsince the Koza Adventist Hospital started its operations,there was not enough money to pay the workers duringJune and July. 2006 was the first year that these faithfulworkers did get their monthly pay. They do not complain because all in the Koza Adventist familyunderstand, and they praise the Lord with the samebig smile on their faces as they do during the rest ofthe year.

By: Sam and Effie Jean Ketting served asmissionary doctors for many years andhave been doing volunteering service sincetheir retirement.

Dr’s Greg and Audrey Shank serve asInterdivision Employees at the KozaAdventist Hospital.

Effie Jean and Sam Ketting

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cent ra l europe

The Impossible−God’s SpecialtyBY MARANATHA HAY

Today, this country in Central Europe is the second most atheisticnation in the world. Christian belief is seen as a weakness or aninability to logically deal with personal problems, and children are taught that the Bible is nothing more than a Cinderella fairy story. When I arrived, I knew that we would bedoing the impossible but that’s God’s specialty, isn’t it?

The following story is about my student Jamie.*

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There was no way I could take thecredit. I know myself too well.

“It’s not me that you like, Jamie. It’sGod. I changed because He did thechanging,” I said, completely shocked.

“I don’t want to go home because Iget depressed. I don’t want to go outbecause I’ll take drugs. I don’t knowhow to fill it,” she whispered.

I had no answer for her, so I prayed.At that moment, I was impressed toshare some verses.

I told her to wait a moment, and Iran into the sanctuary. I grabbed aBible but I forgot that I didn’t speakthe local language.

I ran into the room, breathless.“Here, I think this might help you. Ithelped me.”

was always frightened of Jamie. On the first dayI thought she was either going to set me on fire

or freeze me to death with her stare. But the HolySpirit worked on her heart and, eventually Jamieallowed me to listen to some of her struggles.

One day I woke up at six and felt impressedto pray for Jamie and her grandmother. When Igot to school I noticed she was absent. I knewthat her grandmother was in the hospital so Iassumed that Jamie was with her. I didn’t thinkof it the rest of the morning.

After class I stumbled into the teachers’room. Peace is a beautiful thing. After a fewminutes I heard someone calling my name.

“Ms. Hay, Jamie wants to talk to you,” a fellow teacher said. “She’s really upset. She’sin the hallway.”

I rushed into the hallway. Jamie was at theother end. Her face was white and pasty.

“Let’s go into a classroom. What’s wrong?”Jamie’s grandmother had died at six o’clock

that morning−the very same moment I feltimpressed to pray for her. Jamie looked terrible.She started crying and said that when shefound out all she wanted was to come to schooland see me.

She told me she had done some ‘destructivethings’ to her body. Saturday night she went to aclub and a man there offered her something thatwould take the pain away. So she over-dosed on something that sent her ona trip for 10 hours. She passed out ata train station and was awakened by aman who was part of the Mafia. Hesaved her life and had called her sever-al times that morning.

“I want to change; I want to be better.I want to be like you,” she said.

I

2 6 M I S S I O N P O S T = C e n t r a l E u r o p e

A New Life In Christ

I cracked open the Bible. My mind was swirling; I didn’t recognize anything and I couldn’teven recall an appropriate text for the situation.

“God, please help me find the right text,” I prayed. I leafed through the pages and stoppedsomewhere in the New Testament. “What does this say?” I asked.

“Romans,” she said.Then I pointed to a subtitle that described what the passage below was about. “What does

this say?”“A new life in Christ. It’s Romans 6,” she read.Chills ran up and down my spine. A new life. That was exactly what Jamie wanted. I thought

this is the closest to speaking in tongues that I’ll experience.She asked me if I was a believer and I said I was. She was surprised and then mentioned that

her grandmother was a believer also.“Jamie, if your grandmother was alive, she would be so happy that you’re wanting to make a

change. You would be reading something that was very important to her,” I said.She thought for a while and smiled. We talked for about two hours and by the end, she said

she was feeling better.I walked her to the door and asked her where she was going. She told me that she had a date

with her friend to get stoned at a bar close to the school. But now she was going to go homeand read. I told her that she had a clean slate and that it was never too late to start over. And Irecommended that she toss her drugs into a park trash can.

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1. Volunteer teachers & Administration2. Maranatha with her class3. Maranatha with student4. Volunteer teachers on Crazy Hair Day5. Graduation Day6. Spirit Day

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I teach Jamie three days a week and every time I get the same desperate feeling. When I lookat my students I see people I love. People I would do anything for and want to help. They’relost, blundering around in a world that thinks religion is ridiculous. But God is chasingJamie−the same way He chases you and me. And He will not stop until the lost is found.

“If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tellyou the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did notwander off. In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little onesshould be lost.” Matthew 18:12-14 NIV.

Stories like these may seem small, but they happen every dayhere. They are baby steps, but every movement is getting us closer,bringing this atheistic country closer to Christ.

Footnote: Today, Jamie attends church with her teacher andsometimes brings a friend.

*Editor’s note: Names and places have been changed to protect thoseinvolved.

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1. Thanksgiving Party2. Class3. Volunteer teachers and Administration4. Volunteer teachers

SPONSOR A MISSIONARYImagine your church or organization choosing missionary projects,selecting church member(s) to serve as a HisHands missionary volunteer, and raising the funds to send them into service.

Picture, if you can, the exciting stories your church will hear throughoutthe year−the answers to prayer, people responding to God’s call.

HOST A MISSIONARY

www.hishands.adventist.org

Imagine another church or organization sending you a full-time HisHands missionary volunteer to help spread the gospel, free of charge to your church!

Imagine what could happen−you could choose toreceive an assistant pastor; the youthmight be given a new leader; your churchmight receive a full-time Bible worker oran evangelist.

The possibilities are endless!

SERVE AS A MISSIONARY

Is God calling you to serve as a HisHands volunteer missionary?Ask your church to sponsor you to serve at home, somewhere inyour country or in your division, or overseas! It will change your life

and the lives of precious souls.

Your Hands HisHands

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HHiissHHaannddss

Many Hands Make Work

O p p o r t u n i t i e s = M I S S I O N P O S T 3 1

2007 volunteer opportunities

JamaicaJamaicaRadiologist

Andrews Memorial Hospital Ltd.

MongoliaMongoliaESL Teacher

Korean SDA Language Institute - Mongolia

NorwayNorwayKitchen Assistant

Norwegian Junior College/Tyrifjord

SaipSaipananKorean Pastor

Saipan Korean SDA Church

SamoaSamoaComputer Teacher

Lakina Adventist Academy

United SUnited SttatesatesTeaching Intern

East Pasco Adventist Academy

VVenezuelaenezuelaVideographer and Reporter

ADRA/Venezuela

Listed are samples of volunteer opportunities for 2007 at the time this issue went to press.There are currently hundreds of volunteer opportunities available throughout the world, and

more become available each day! For the most current information on these and other volunteerpositions, visit us online at: www.adventistvolunteers.org.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, contact your division volunteer coordinator formore information. Your home division will process your application.

CameroonCameroonRelief Physician/SurgeonKoza Adventist Hospital

Cayman IslandsCayman IslandsChurch Pastor

Cayman Island Conference

Dominican RepublicDominican RepublicESL Teacher

Dominican Adventist University

EthiopiaEthiopiaNursing Assistant

Adventist Health International - LLU

GermanyGermanyAssistant for German Language Course

Friedensau University

IndiaIndiaElementary Teacher

SDA Residential English High School

IndonesiaIndonesiaESL Teachers

Adventist English Conversation School

General Conference ofSeventh-day Adventists

12501 Old Columbia PikeSilver Spring MD 20904-6600