frontline edition - 1q 2008

G L O B A L M I S S I O N • w w w . g l o b a l - m i s s i o n . o r g • 8 0 0 - 6 4 8 - 5 8 2 4 1

FRONTLINEedition 1Q

08THE LAND OF SILK ROADS

The Euro-Asia Division is a vast territory of extreme

natural beauty and many mineral resources. Due to the vastness of the territory—which stretches from Western Europe to the Far East, from the Artic to Central Asia—there is a tremendous amount of contrast in terms of the socio-political, cultural, and religious diversity. The rapid modernization of the work of the Adventist Church in the Euro-Asia Division is beset with many challenges.

Big cities create great challenges for the Church. The modern cities of the former Soviet Union are no different than the cities of the West. Every day, people are confronted with seri-ous social, economic, and moral issues. The religious pressure from other faiths

makes it hard for the Protes-tant minority to grow and in some areas can make public evangelism next to impos-sible. Because of this Global Mission is making long-term plans to establish training centers to prepare people to work with the unreached in Central Asia—the land of the ancient Silk Road.

At one time, this largely unreached area was a center of religious, cultural, and artistic exchange between the East and the West. Today Global Mission is making every effort to reopen that route for the exchange of eternal values set by Jesus Christ. Central Asia, which contains Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, is roughly four million square kilometres in size. This area

is home to a community of some 60 million people. They all need the gospel of Christ. They all need the blessings of the Second Advent.

Building on the foundation of the early Adventist pioneers, we hope these centers will train a new generation of workers who will, by the power of the Holy Spirit, turn this part of the world “upside down” for Christ. On behalf of the Euro-Asia Division I thank you for your fi nancial support of the many projects which are touching and changing lives of people living within our vast territory.

Branislav Mirilov

Adventist Mission Director,

Euro-Asia Division

FRONT LINE EDITION is published quarterly by Global Mission, part of the Offi ce of Adventist Mission, at the Seventh-day Adventist Church World Headquarters. Tax- deductible gifts for Global Mission projects can be sent to Global Mission 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600 800-648-5824 www.global-mission.org

GLOBAL CENTER FOR ADVENTIST-MUSLIM RELATIONSJerald Whitehouse AMRNET PO Box 1223 Loma Linda CA 92354 USA Phone: (909) 824-4563 Fax: (909) 824-4845 [email protected]

HINDU STUDY CENTERG. R. Mohan RoySouthern Asia Division Post Box 2, HCF Hosur 635110 Tamil Nadu India Phone: 91 (4344) 22170 Fax: 91 (4344) 22090

WORLD JEWISH FRIENDSHIP CENTERRichard Elofer P.O Box 592 94186 Jerusalem Israel Phone; 972 (2) 6251 547 Fax: 972 (2) 6251 391 [email protected]

BUDDHIST STUDY CENTERScott Griswold P.O. Box 234, Prakanong, Bangkok Thailand 10110 [email protected]

CENTRE FOR SECULAR AND POST-MODERN STUDIESc/o Miroslav Pujic119 St. Peter’s Street; St. Albans, Herts AL1 3EY; ENGLANDPhone: 44 (1727) 860-331Fax: 44 (1727) 866-312

©Copyright 2008 Seventh-day Adventist® Church. ADVENTIST® and SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST® are the registered trademarks of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®.

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E D I T O R I A L

Reopening the Silk Road for Jesus

MICHAEL L. RYAN –Chairperson, Global Mission

GARY KRAUSE –General Field Secretary

GANOUNE DIOP –Study Centers Director

RICK KAJIURA –Communication Director

NANCY KYTE –Marketing Director

MARTI SCHNEIDER –Programs Director

HOMER TRECARTIN –Planning Director

RUTH DUNBEBIN –Secretary / Donor Services

LAURIE FALVO –Communication Projects Manager

CHARLOTTE ISHKANIAN –Mission Editor

ANDREW KING –Video Producer/Editor

HANS OLSON –Communication Projects Manager

NIMFA SUMAGAYSAY–Donor Response Coordinator

STELLA THOMAS –Administrative Secretary

DANIEL WEBER –Video Producer/Editor

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The Gazette

The sun sets along the river in the Western Russian town of Krasnodar.

Fishermen cast their lines into the water hoping to catch one more fi sh before the day ends. Local people take a stroll across a bridge. Here people take time to stop and enjoy the warm evening air.

Near the river a group of people gather around a street performer telling stories and drawing pictures on an easel. People laugh at his jokes and smile as he makes a connec-tion with them. Michael, the street performer is a Seventh-day Adventist who leads a team of young people from the local church. They come here several times a week to do art evangelism. Michael uses his artistic talents to tell a story of someone who loves them very much, someone who died for their sins and wants to make their lives whole. As Michael tells his stories, the young people pass out a newspaper called the Gazette. This paper tells readers of Christian values and how to better their lives. It may seem like a simple thing, but it has changed lives. It has brought new life to people who have been looking for something that will make their lives complete.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in this town is an active part of the community. Lay mem-bers have taken Jesus’ call to spread the gospel to heart. Through their outreach, the local church is growing and spreading Jesus’ love.

Small groups meet in homes and church members share their faith with their neigh-bors and friends. Entire families are coming into the church and they in turn share the story of Jesus with other people they meet. Hundreds of lives have been changed, and many of them can trace it back to the Gazette newspaper. A portion of your 13th Sabbath Offerings this quarter will go to build new churches in the Krasnodar region. These buildings will serve as houses of light to reach even more people and bring them out of darkness. Your prayers and fi nancial support are making a difference in people’s lives around the world.

To learn more about this quarter’s 13th Sabbath Offering, please visit AdventistMission.org.

it has changed lives. It has brought new life topeople who have been looking for somethingthat will make their lives complete.

To learn more abo13th Sabbath OfferinAdventistMission.oorg.Mission.o g


For thousands of years the Silk Road was the

main trade route between China and Europe. Mer-chants, monks, nomads and pilgrims all traveled along the road, which connected ancient Eastern and West-ern civilizations, transport-ing trade goods as well as culture, and religion. Many historians consider this road a major conduit in the develop-ment of some of the world’s great civilizations. Today this region is a high-priority area for Global Mission, as it lies within the 10/40 Window, home to many of the world’s major religions but with rela-tively few Christians.

Five countries make up this region known as Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. This land-locked region is fi lled with sharp contrasts; from the idyllic herding life of those still living in yurts to camels trekking across arid plains to glacier-capped mountains and alpine lakes. Although some may consider Central Asia a collection of underdeveloped post-Soviet communities, in many areas cars and trucks have replaced donkey-drawn carts and the nomadic life has been replaced by crowded housing in major cities. What hasn’t changed is the need

to carry the gospel to this unreached region.

For more than 100 years the Adventist Church has had a presence in this region yet sharing the Adventist faith remains challenging. Today’s socio-political cli-mate and lack of resources have impeded church growth and the ability of church members to build bridges of understanding and friendship within Central Asia.

After the fall of Commu-nism, Adventist membership in Central Asia declined as ethnic Russians and Germans moved out of the region. Today Global Mission pio-neers who are familiar with

F E A T U R E

Ancient Silk Road

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CENTRAL AS IA

the language groups and cul-ture are helping membership rise again. In 1990 several missionary-minded Germans heard about Global Mission’s push to reach every people group of a million or more individuals around the world. They began training and sending out groups of pio-neers to one of Central Asia’s hardest-to-reach countries in 1994. In one city alone, 140 people were baptized the fi rst year.

Now Rubin Ott, president of the Adventist Church’s Central Asia headquarters says, “We want to train [more] church members to minister to the physical, social, and spiritual needs of the people.”

A few months ago Adven-tists launched a bold 10-year initiative to reach the 60 mil-lion who live in this region. This initiative will help to establish an Adventist voca-tional school and a health-training program.

Challenges remain ahead. Years of Soviet control with its atheistic mind set, opposi-tion from well-established churches, modern secularism, and materialism have further complicated the church’s ability to take root. This past September a court sentenced two Adventist pastors in Uzbekistan for “unduly orga-nizing and holding worships.” In 1999 the only Adventist Church building in Turkmeni-

stan was destroyed. With no compensation from the gov-ernment, church members have struggled to fi nd a new home. The cost of rebuild-ing is $300,000—much too high for people earning $100 per month. To make matters worse, they can’t meet in government-owned buildings or private homes. The cost of renting a private facility is $100 per meeting. Members meet when they can, but often are unable to meet regularly as a group. In one Central Asian city people can only meet in groups of four, even if they are related. One pastor has 17 groups of four people.

“Helping the indigenous people of Central Asia is an ongoing priority for the Adventist Church,” says Gary Krause, Adventist Mission director. “Thanks to the gen-erosity of those who support Global Mission and mission offerings, we can help meet this need.”

Watch for updates on the progress of this 10-year program on our website at www.Global-Mission.org.

Hans Olson, Laurie Falvo,

and Homer Trecartin

all contributed to this article

R E G I O N P R O F I L E

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By the Numbers

* Congregation refers to either a church or organized company

What countries make up Central Asia?Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

What are the major religions in Central Asia?Muslim and Russian Orthodox. After some 70 years of Communist rule many people consider themselves either secular or atheist.

What are the major languages of Central Asia?Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Turkmen, Uzbek, and Russian.

What fuels the economy of Central Asia?Natural gas and petroleum resources, mining

metals and coal, raising livestock, producing textiles, and growing produce.

How many Adventist congregations are in Central Asia?103 churches and 59 companies

How many Adventists live in Central Asia?Kazakhstan: 3,200; Kyrgyzstan: 1,200; Tajikistan: 680; Turkmenistan: 80; Uzbekistan: 1,300

How can I support this project?Much of the ongoing funding will come from the general Euro-Asia Division Global Mission fund. If you’d like to support this project and other Global Mission projects across Euro-Asia, please contribute to FUND #6200.

FAQ about Central Asia


Uzbekistan has had a long and glittering history,

especially during the days of the Silk Road when

cities along the trade route thrived. Merchants

built warehouses and fi lled them with silks,

carpets, gold, and silver. The Uzbeks welcomed

the new foods and spices that traders brought

into the region and quickly incorporated them

into their traditional cuisine.

Throughout the generations, cooks have

adapted their recipes according to the food that

was available to prepare nourishing meals for

their families.

WHAT’S COOKING IN UZBEKISTAN

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UZBEK POTATO SALAD—Serves 6 2 large potatoes, cooked, peeled, and diced1 carrot, chopped1 cup fresh or frozen green peas2 apples, fi rm and sweet2 tablespoons fresh lime juice2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped (optional)1 cup fresh scallions, chopped½ cup raisins

Salad Dressing½ cup sour cream or 1/3 cup mayonnaise1 ½ tablespoons mustard2 tablespoons orange juice2 tablespoons fresh lime juice¾ teaspoon salt1 teaspoon curry powder

(more or less to taste)2 tablespoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS1. Steam the chopped carrots and peas for

5 minutes and set aside.2. Peel, core, and cut the apples into

½-inch cubes. Place them in a large serv-ing bowl and sprinkle with the lime juice to prevent discoloring.

3. Add the potatoes, carrots, peas, eggs, scallions, celery, and raisins to the bowl.

4. Thoroughly mix the salad dressing. Pour over salad and toss well.

5. Garnish with toasted walnuts.


ON THE MENU:• Black Sea Borscht• Uzbek Potato Salad• Salad Dressing

BLACK SEA BORSCHT—Serves 6Borscht is a thick, slow-cooked soup popular from Russia to

parts of Central Asia. Its ingredients vary from country to

country, but an essential ingredient is a deep red vegetable,

such as beets, tomatoes, or even rhubarb.

6 cups water or vegetable stock2 medium onions, sliced thin 2 cloves garlic, minced1 teaspoon salt1 medium head cabbage (white,

green, or red) shredded2 carrots, sliced in rounds2 stalks of celery, sliced1 large potato, peeled and diced into ½ inch cubes3 large fresh beets (about 1 ½ pounds), peeled and diced

into 1-inch cubes1 cup of tomato juice or 1 large tomato, peeled, seeded, and

diced1 teaspoon sugar3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice

INSTRUCTIONS1. In a heavy-bottomed large pot place 6 cups of water or vegetable

stock with the onion, garlic, beets, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

2. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.3. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the dill and lemon or

lime juice. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 40 minutes. Add the dill and lemon or lime juice and stir well.

4. Check to see if the vegetables are done. This soup should be red-dish and slightly tart.

5. Pour soup into individual bowls. Garnish with the sour cream mixture.

Garnish

1 cup of sour cream (or

drained yogurt) mixed

with 2 tablespoons

of chopped dill and 1

grated clove of garlic Garnish

1 cup coarsely

choppedtoasted

walnuts

Silk Road Cuisine


WORLD NEWS1Q

O8In Loving Memory of Deep Bahadur Thapa: 1940–2007

Deep Bahadur Thapa was born into a Hindu family on November 15, 1940 in Gorkha,

Nepal; the son of Mr. and Mrs. Nar Bahadur Thapa. At age seven, the family migrated to India in search of educational prospects. Pastor Thapa’s early education was in Benali Medium. He joined Raymond Memorial High School in 1957 in standard six. He is remembered to have said that, in the same year the medical missionary work was started in Nepal with the entry of Dr. Stanley Sturges, God was working out His plan by introducing him to the truth to later serve in that fi eld.

While at the school, he learned about Jesus and decided to give his life to the Lord. He was baptized in 1959 against the wishes of his parents. He joined Spicer Memorial College in 1965 to study to be a minister and gradu-ated in 1970. Thereupon he entered the Lord’s service as health educator at Scheer Memorial Hospital in Banepa, Nepal.

That same year he married Miron Bala Panit in Bariatu, Ranchi, on September 23. His fi rst convert was his father. In 1976 the Southern Asia Division sent him to Manila, Philippines, for his masters in health science. Two years later the family returned to Nepal. He worked as a health educator and evangelist at Banepa, Nepal. In 1980 he became the fi rst Nepalese

ordained minister. In 1986, he was appointed as secretary, East India Section, Ranchi, and worked in that fi eld until 1991.

In 1991, when Nepal became a democracy, Pastor Thapa was sent back to Nepal to

establish the Himalayan Region. In June 2000 he moved to Falakata,

West Bengal, and from there he directed the Bhutan Global Mission Project. He con-tinued working tirelessly after his retirement in 2003.

The sad end came sud-denly. On September 23, he

celebrated his 37th wedding anniversary with family and

friends. Around twelve that night, he had a mild heart attack.

The next day, the doctor at Falakata referred him to Siliguri’s Anandlok Nursing Home where he was admitted in the ICU and there he breathed his last around 5:35 p.m. on the 24th of September, 2007.

He leaves behind his wife, Miron; daughers, Greeta Jacob and Reeta Ernest; sons, Deepak and Robin Thapa; grandchildren; fi eld pastors; gospel workers; church members; and friends who will miss him like the husband, father, grandfather, brother, mentor, and friend that he was.

Pastor Thapa held fast to the Blessed Hope, leaving the burning torch in our hands to carry on the work. He rests in the grave to be raised at the sound of trumpets and the archangel.

While at school,

he learned about

Jesus and decided to

give his life to

the Lord.


JapanIn Tokyo, Japan, there is

only one Adventist Church for every 2.1 million people. This crowded city of 30 mil-lion people is fi lled with busy people and few Christians. Recently, a group of pioneers sponsored by Global Mis-sion and the Pioneer Mis-sionary Movement of the Northern Asia-Pacifi c Division launched Kinshicho. This church plant reaches into fi ve of Tokyo’s large unentered neighborhoods.

Church planting in Tokyo isn’t easy. Although the Adventist Church started work some 100 years ago, the Japanese are relatively unreceptive.

Tokyo is also one of the most expensive cities on the planet and funding the rental of a meeting hall and pioneer housing is diffi cult.

In spite of these mission challenges, in the past two years seven people have been baptized. The weekly atten-dence at Kinshicho is nowsome 20 people every Sab-bath. They’re even looking to move to a bigger place.

CroatiaStop Smoking seminars

aren’t a thing of the past. Last fall Marijan Persinovic held a Stop Smoking seminar in Vukovar, Croatia. This work week-long event was part of the “Touch of Hope” project that will hopefully start a new small group in this town. The event started with 12 attendees.

After the fi rst session some of the participants confessed that they had tried to stop smoking before, but it ulti-mately became too diffi cult to stop. They asked Marijan for advice. This gave him an opportunity to talk about the power of prayer. He asked if he could pray for them following the meeting. The rest of the week Marijan held a prayer meeting after each seminar. By the end of the week, some of the participants who had not yet managed to stop smoking asked Marijan to take the time to pray privately with them. At the close of the event everyone was invited to a health seminar held twice a week in the local church. Three people now study the Bible with a local pastor and elder each week.

M O R E N E W S

10 G L O B A L M I S S I O N • w w w . g l o b a l - m i s s i o n . o r g • 8 0 0 - 6 4 8 - 5 8 2 4

ThailandIf you were a church

planter, what would you do the fi rst week on the job? Renato and Catherine, two church planters in Bang-kok, Thailand, said that they prayed. This past summer as they prepared to reach into this burgeoning economic center of Southeast Asia, they followed the Biblical example laid out in Luke 10 and prayed for someone to help them reach the community.

Their fi rst week, as they were knocking on doors in the community, they met Miss Turtle, a Thai businesswoman who was praying for someone to teach her more about Christianity and the Bible. She was touched by the lives of some Christian neighbors who’d moved away and she was looking for someone to study the Bible with her.

Over the next two months Renato, Catherine and Miss Turtle studied scripture and looked for ways to apply it in

their daily lives. Just a couple months ago Miss Turtle pub-licly made her decision and was baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

United StatesAndrew Clark and the staff

at the Adventist Community Services Center of Greater Pittsburg never planned to build a ministry for teenagers. As they planned their Con-science Café they expected it to be a place where Gen Xers could hang out while their kids played in the playground outside. Their vision quickly changed.

One afternoon, just after they opened, four teenag-ers walked in with their pre-bought lunch. Andrew remembers thinking that they “looked like thugs.” But he went over and talked with them. He asked them ques-tions and learned their names.

The next day, they returned with some of their friends. This time they brought money to buy lunch in the café. The next day they brought even more friends. Each afternoon they’d buy lunch, hang out, and talk with Andrew.

One day the conversation turned to religion. Andrew told them that he’s a pastor.

“Well, where’s your church?” they asked.

“You’re sitting in it,” he answered.

“Now it’s our church, too,” they responded. “And we’re coming back and bring-ing our friends.”

The kids keep coming each week. Now 30 kids a day show up at the café. This unique church plant has no church building, no church services, and no church membership list but the staff believes that God is using them to reach people.

M O R E N E W S


Hope for the ThirstingA book of inspiring stories from the former Soviet Union

Sometimes God sends an angel to do his work. This time he called 300 inexperienced missionaries, some barely in their 20s. Most were new Christians and new Adventists. Some were previously pizza salesmen, spirit mediums, and professional soccer players. Each of these Global Mission pioneers was given the same assignment: Go back to your home country and plant a church in an area with no other Adventists.

Discover the exciting results in this book: • A lifelong KGB worker who was changed by a bowl of soup

• A Bible that spent the night in a wood stove• A communist propaganda expert who found Christ in a children’s Bible• A host of miracles from Siberia to the Asian deserts

To learn more about Global Mission and to ask for your free copy of Hope for the Thirsting,visit: www.Global-Mission.org/Offer821, or call us at 1-800-648-5824. We’ll send your free book right away.

SPECIAL OFFERS1Q

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e

Free Book Offer from Adventist Mission!

Curse-Proof!An inspiring story about a young man’s

unshakable faith

Beloved storyteller Eric B. Hare, with his wife Agnes, served as missionaries in Burma for more than 20 years. Their legacy of mission service continues to inspire Adventists around the world. His many audio recordings have been etched in the memories of children for the past three generations.

Visit www.AdventistMission.org/Offer821 to order your free copy of Curse-Proof! the newly discovered manuscript by Eric B. Hare, published by Pacifi c Press®.

Offer available for a limited time and while supplies last.

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unsh

Belovin Buto inbee

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Remember when mission Remember when mission work was the most important work was the most important

thing we did as a church?thing we did as a church?It still is.It still is.

Be part of it!Be part of it!

Every day nearly 1,000 Adventist

missionaries serve in more than 200 countries around

the world. Your support of the Spring Mission Appeal offering

on March 29 will help give them the resources they need to

tell the world about Christ’s love. For more information visit:

www.AdventistMission.orgwww.AdventistMission.org.

Thank you for being part of it!

frontline edition - 1q 2008

Documents

global mission projects

ce of adventist mission

i s s i o n w w w

center of religious

lives of people

early adventist pioneers

usa phone

central asiathe land