| WORLD REPORT

Barbados: Adventists Join 
Government Project to Rebuild Homes

The Adventist Church in Barbados is collaborating with the country’s government to eradicate poverty. The joint project engages the Office of the Advisor to the Government on Poverty Eradication (OAGPE), the Rural Development Commission, and the Northern District of Seventh-day Adventist Churches in the Parish of St. Lucy.

 

A HAPPY HOMEOWNER: Parliamentary representative Denis 
Kellman hands the keys for the newly rebuilt home to homeowner 
Urcille Babb. Also pictured are district pastor Dayle Haynes 
(left/front), and representatives of the regional Adventist 
Community Services and OAGPE.

The Honorable Hamilton Lashley, advisor to OAGPE, said the project is a part of the government program called Carrying Out the Promise.

 

The poverty eradication project involves rebuilding five houses in a state of disrepair with materials supplied by the government and labor provided through the regional Adventist Community Services.

 

Two homes have already been rebuilt and their keys handed to occupants Urcille Babb, 81, of River Bay in the Parish of St. Lucy, and Beryl Broome, 79, of Checker Hall in the same parish. They both recounted how their old homes were termite-infested and say they are now rejoicing over their new homes since moving back in on February 8.

 

Petra Tannis of OAGPE presented the Adventist church in Barbados with the Prime Minister’s Award in recognition of its outstanding work in the program.

 

Also present for the occasion were Denis Kellman, parliamentary representative for the constituency of St. Lucy; representatives from OAGPE; Colin Thorne, Personal Ministries director of the East Caribbean Conference; and members of the region’s Adventist Community Services.

 

—Inter-American Division Communication Department/AR.

 

 

Eight cyclists embarked on a 2,229-kilometer (1,385 miles) “Circle of Courage” New Zealand cycle tour on February 11 to address issues of at-risk behaviors among youth in rural communities.

 

CYCLISTS: Eight New Zealand cyclists rode almost 1,400 miles 
to raise awareness of at-risk behaviors among youth: (from left) 
Steve Kennelly, Doug Mcleod, Paul Rankin, Rebekah Rankin, 
Jonathan Duffy, Neone Okesene, Norah West, and Jake Ormsby. 
Setting out from Bluff on South Island, the cyclists visited 23 towns across New Zealand during the four-week tour. Organized by Adventist Health in the New Zealand Pacific Union Conference (NZPUC), the tour concluded at the lighthouse of Cape Reinga on North Island on March 8.

 

“Studies have revealed worrying results of at-risk behavior among young people in New Zealand,” says Jonathan Duffy, director of Adventist Health for the South Pacific Division. “About half of the students in New Zealand have tried marijuana by age 16, and 80 percent of them currently drink alcohol. . . . About 20 in every 1,000 females of that age also get pregnant and have a child.

 

“Research shows the most important protector against risk taking for young people is for them to feel valued by significant adults in their community,” Duffy adds. “I want to challenge the adults in rural communities to take the leading role in developing positive relationships. This will build resilience and self-esteem among young people.”

 

The eight cyclists covered approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) a day and presented talks about at-risk behaviors in towns along the way. They distributed reading materials and information packs, as well as provided local media with radio spots and newspaper articles about available resources.

 

For more information, go to www.circleofcourage.org.nz.

 

—South Pacific Division Communication Department/AR.

 

 

A rocket exploded in front of the Baghdad Adventist Church on February 27, killing two passersby, injuring several others, and damaging an extension building being

constructed next to the church.

 

NEW CHURCH HEADQUARTERS: A building being 
constructed next to the Adventist church in Baghdad 
will be the new home of the Adventist Church 
headquarters in Iraq.
“We are not sure whether our church was specifically targeted or if the rocket missed its intended objective,” said Basim Fargo, president of the Adventist Church in Iraq. “Whichever the case, the damage and harm to human life are the same. Fortunately there was no meeting in the church when the rocket fell . . . but some previous explosions have taken place during office hours while all the staff were at work.”

 

Fargo said the Adventist church in Baghdad has been targeted eight times with car bombs, rockets, and other explosive devices since the beginning of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

 

“One car bomb in September 2004, packed with 150 kilograms (330 pounds) of explosives, damaged the church building severely and blew out most of the stained glass windows,” Fargo said. “The ensuing fire left us with a repair bill of $150,000.”

 

Church members in Baghdad no longer worship in the church each Sabbath but rather in members’ homes.

 

“We used to have hundreds of church members,” Fargo said. “Now few families are left, due to regular explosions, kidnappings, and violence, which are taking place across the country.”

 

He added, “We thank the Lord for His protection and guidance to His people and His church.”

 

The multipurpose extension under construction will house the new church headquarters for Iraq. Plans also include rooms for a medical clinic and church staff and guest apartments.

 

“This project was supposed to be finished some time ago,” Fargo noted, “but due to the current situation, the work was delayed. We hope by the end of this year we will finish it.”

 

—Middle East Union Communication Department/AR.

 

 

The Island of Golden Smiles,” Bahrain, was the venue for the first Adventist camp meeting in the northern Gulf region.

 

Historic Attendees: Adventist expatriates working in Kuwait, 
Qatar, and Saudi Arabia joined members in 
Bahrain for the region’s first camp meeting.
Adventist expatriates working in Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia joined the members in Bahrain for the event, held February 22-24. 

 

“It was such a refreshing experience,” Kuwait church elder Kelly Pedrin said. “I am blessed to be one in fellowship and prayer with our brethren from other parts of the world.”

 

Kjell Aune, president of the Adventist Church in the Middle East; his wife, Marianne, who serves as the Family Ministries director; and Daniel Duda, Ministerial director for the Trans-European Division, were camp meeting speakers. Programs for children were also part of the event.

 

“It is a good thing to share perspectives with different cultures,” said Judith Claros, a church member from Qatar who attended the camp meeting. “It makes us grow more mature not only spiritually but also in developing understanding of different cultures around us.”

 

 

 

GERMANY: Voice of Hope Broadcasts 
From New Media Center

Stimme der Hoffnung (Voice of Hope), the Adventist Church’s media center in central Germany, celebrated the opening of its new headquarters in Alsbach-Haehnlein, Hesse, Germany, on March 3.

 

Located about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Frankfurt, the new complex replaces Stimme der Hoffnung’s former location in nearby Darmstadt, Hesse, where limited space and resources cramped its ministry. 

 

Some 300 national and international guests and representatives, including Adventist world church president Jan Paulsen, attended the inaugural ceremonies.

 

“The future of our church is not thinkable without media,” Paulsen said during remarks at the inauguration. “We are living in an information society where the media establish priorities and convey values. Our church must not stray [from our values], but must use modern media to reach people, inviting them to meet Jesus.”

 

The newly inaugurated media center provides office space for 30 employees, houses five studios, and offers a variety of programs available via radio, cable, satellite, and Internet in Europe and beyond. It also offers an audio library service for sight-impaired listeners.

 

For more information, go to www.stimme-der-hoffnung.de

 

—Adventist News Network/AR.

 

 

For the first time the Adventist Church hosted the interdenominational Women’s World Day of Prayer (WWDP) in South Africa on March 2. The event was held on the Helderberg (Adventist) College campus in Somerset West, near Cape Town.

 

The WWDP is a worldwide movement of Christian women from various cultures, races, and churches who meet to observe a common day of prayer on the first Friday of March each year. It is open to all faith groups.

 

Using the theme “United Under God’s Tent,” Adventist women of Paraguay designed this year’s WWDP program, which focused on a variety of social issues such as unemployment, poverty, gender inequality, violence, drugs, and prostitution.

 

“Something like this brings hearts together, brings us into common identification with each other, in our common needs,” said Aleta Blow, event coordinator.

 

More than 200 women attended the event and represented such countries as France, Germany, Switzerland, Brazil, Italy, Bolivia, Holland, Australia, Paraguay, Thailand, Tanzania, Swaziland, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa, and Lesotho.

 

—Adventist News Network/AR.