An Adventist family mourns their son’s death in a Moscow fire.

World AIDS Day is felt close to home.

And, going back to our roots. Join us for a tour of the historic Adventist village.

This is NewsLine for the week of December 12, 2003. And now, reporting from Silver Spring, Maryland, Liliana Henao.

LH: Hello, and welcome to Adventist NewsLine. Thirty-six students were killed, and two hundred more injured in a fatal early morning fire on November 24th at People’s Friendship University in Moscow, Russia. Today, the Adventist Church in Peru, Russia, and world wide is mourning the death of a twenty year-old member as a result of the blaze. Prayers are also requested for a second Adventist member injured as they both jumped to save their lives. Twenty year-old Giancarlo Paitamala Saenz from Peru arrived last October 20th at People’s Friendship University in Moscow with a scholarship to further his studies. 35 days later, an early morning fire pushed him to jump from the fourth floor of the burning dormitory. He later died of head injuries. Family and friends of Giancarlo attended a memorial service last week to remember their beloved son, brother and friend. Some peace and comfort comes from his last Sabbath reunion with Adventist members in Russia, where Giancarlo had the closing prayer.

Man’s voice (interpreted) Y el estuvo participando con mucho entusiasmo...

Interpreter: He was there participating with enthusiasm. He told his parents that he had been there. Actually, he had the closing prayer and in his prayer, he asked God to help them all to be faithful witnesses as Adventists in a foreign land. I believe his last thoughts were warm and determined in his commitment to Christ and his church.

LH: According to local news reports, an electrical problem may have caused the fire at 2:17 a.m. local time. The dormitory, which was used to house over-seas students awaiting medical clearances lacked an alarm system and there was no evacuation plan for its residents, many of whom didn’t speak Russian. This is why Giancarlo’s parents went on a mission to prevent another tragedy.

Humberto Paitamala: [...para yo...]

Translator: I want to speak to the officials of the university because I want to see... I want to experience the living conditions of our young people that go to study in Russia. We don’t want what happened to my son to happen again. We don’t want other parents to experience our great pain. If we stand strong, it is because we trust in the promises of the Holy Scriptures.

Rosa Saenz: ...me parece mentira ...

Translator: I still can’t believe this has happened. But I will always remember my son. I don’t want to cry, as I tell and ask my brethren please pray for us so we can be strong. We want to be strong and find strength in our faith so we can see our son at our Lord’s second coming.

LH: Another Adventist member. Eighteen year-old Ivan Ostrovski from Brazil is recuperating in a Moscow hospital from a broken arm, broken ribs, and spinal injuries. Ostrovski, who arrived a month ago to study international law, jumped from the fifth floor of the burning dormitory and miraculously survived.

LH: The funeral for Giancarlo was held last Sunday in Lima, Peru. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who lost loved ones in this tragedy.

LH: In other news, the world community commemorated World AIDS Day December first, and also around the world the offices of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) held events to raise awareness of the fight against HIV/AIDS. Participants say the most important message of World AIDS Day is hope so people can learn more about it and modify their risky behaviors to stop the spread of the fatal virus. Statistics show that forty million people world-wide are suffering from this disease, and this past year, more people died from AIDS than ever before. Also, of the five million new cases of HIV reported this year, seven hundred thousand were children. And there are more astonishing numbers.

Lady: Every minute around the world, there are about ten people that are infected by the human immunodeficiency virus, or what we know as HIV. And every minute around the world, about seven people die.

LH: During ADRA’s AIDS Week at the world headquarters of the Church, Adventist president, Jan Paulsen spoke of the need of each church member to acknowledge AIDS as a reality in our family and to reach out and help remove the stigma associated with AIDS.

LH: The president of the International Religious Liberty Association’s chapter in Azerbaijan, Muslim Imam Ilgar Ibragimoglu is in jail today. Ilgar Ibragimoglu, who visited IRLA headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland last June, is spending three months in jail pending a trial on charges of organizing public demonstrations. He says he’s innocent. Ilgar Ibragimoglu was a supporter of an opposition candidate during the recent presidential elections in Azerbaijan and later ordered in for questioning by police and detained. John Graz, secretary general of the IRLA, says it is worrisome that someone who is dedicated to promoting and defending religious freedom has been detained without apparent cause.

LH: And the vital importance of freedom of religion was re-emphasized last November 20th at the United Nations in New York. Ambassadors, diplomats and leaders of non-governmental organizations met to commemorate the twenty second anniversary of the adoption of the 1981 UN declaration on the elimination of all forms of intolerance and discrimination based on religion or beliefs. Ambassador Mokhtar Lamani, UN representative of the permanent observer mission of the organization of Islamic Conference spoke in behalf of many Islamic nations.

LH: Jonathan Gallagher, UN Liaison Director for the Adventist Church said that Adventists contributed to formulating the 1981 Declaration and are committed to its implementation as one method of insuring freedom of conscience and worship for all people.

LH: An ambitious project in the Buddhist country of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is expected to make a community impact. A major construction project of one hundred elementary schools and one hundred fifty new churches is well under way. Mike Ryan, director of Global Mission for the Adventist Church, says that church members in Myanmar are committed to mission and enthusiastic, but they lacked resources to meet many of their goals. Ryan believes that these new schools and churches will touch hundreds of lives and teach values and skills that will make a tremendous contribution to Myanmar’s society. The project is being organized and funded by donors from Adventists Layman’s Services and Industries, or ASI.

LH: And, more than one thousand young people from around the globe are getting ready to make a positive impact on the city of Bangkok in Thailand. Held from December 30 until January 3rd at the Impact Convention Center in Thailand, the Conference on Youth and Community will offer seminars, worship and fellowship and also community service activities. This Adventist World Youth Congress is organized by the Youth Department of the World Adventist Church and supported by many other departments. NewsLine will report from the Congress and associated events.

LH: Now, to a short break. But still coming up on Adventist NewsLine:

Adventist children around the world and their ministries have a new leader. You’ll get to meet her when we come back.

And details on the proclamation of the Year of the Bible in Germany.

Don’t go away.

[break]

LH: Welcome back to Adventist Newsline, just in time for Dialog with Garrett Caldwell, who today introduces us to the recently-appointed Childrens’ Ministries Director, Linda Koh. Garrett:

GC: Thanks, Liliana, and welcome to Dialog. Research has shown that children between the ages of 10 and 13 are most receptive to committing to Christ, making ministry to children vital. My guest today is Dr. Linda Koh, Childrens Ministries Director for the Adventist church. Linda, welcome.

LC: (microphone is very low) Thank you very much. Glad to be here.

GC: So how do you keep yourself on-task to bringing the Gospel to the children of the world?

LC: Well, we have targeted three areas of emphasis really for children. We recognize that nowadays a lot of influence from television and the different mass media, and we feel that we need to get our children grounded in the Truth. So one of the areas we want to do is to nurture children in their own spiritual growth. And we have programs and materials and resources that we are developing to help them learn to have Bible study, a personal devotion, and have a closer walk and learning how to pray.

GC: So are you providing tools to be used in church, tools to be used by parents, tools to be used by children on their own? Do you find that children sometimes all by themselves are hungry to know more about God?

LC: Yes.

GC: And how do you facilitate that kind of journey?

LC: Well, we are developing resources that would be for kids – just for the children themselves – learning how to study a particular topic in the Bible, and also materials for parents to work with the kids. And especially now we’re looking into the area of kids in discipleship. And one of the best agents is the parents themselves.

GC: Absolutely. You can’t be a disciple without having someone to follow. Talk to me more about the role of a parent in providing spiritual development for their child.

LC: Well, parents actually are the prime providers, really. They are the agents – the ones who can influence the children – from a very young age. They are the ones who teach by example, teach by talking about the doctrines, talking about the church teachings, and at the same time live it. So parents do a lot more than what most of us think. And we often-times think the school and the church will be the agents – but they are the ones that supplement only.

GC: Parents are working more and more, and lead busier and busier lives, and find themselves, I’m sure, less and less involved in their childrens’ life. So how much are you having to educate the parents on their own responsibility?

LC: Well, I think we need to keep talking – keeping this awareness – to remind parents the importance of the role that we should be performing. We’re so busy with our lives that we leave it to the school to do the religious education. But spiritual growth, really the development comes from what parents can do. So we are hoping to come up soon with these materials that can…it’s going to be done by parents themselves, the parents taking steps following the activities and the material to disciple their children.

GC: Now you talked earlier about the cultural influences of the world. The world feeds children more and more violent images, and images that are totally against what Christian values stand for. Are we able as a church to compete with the images that major movie studios and video game production studios produce? How do we compete with those things?

LC: Well, I don’t think we can compete entirely with them, because what the world provides has a different – altogether – attraction that young people like. But I think in our own approach in spiritual development and programming, I think we need to look at programs that can help meet the needs of those kids – like a little bit more contemporary maybe in our music to reach them. But we’re thinking of right now even ideas about radio programs. And we already have some of those. Like for example, one of the things that’s produced by my department is the “God’s Treasure Chest.” That’s a radio program for kids that can be broadcast on the radio. And also we are planning to come up with some television programs that could be used to broadcast to children so that as they’re looking at some of the other things, we also want them to be able to be immersed in some of these programs that are more spiritual and lead them to think about the Lord.

GC: When you’re trying to teach a child about the fundamental doctrines of the Adventist church, many times you find yourself trying to translate a document that’s written for adults. What are you doing to address that need?

LC: Well, I’m excited about this. I’m glad you asked the question, because right now we just finished working with the writer, and we are coming out with this in our own Seventh-day Adventist church. For example, we have the 27 fundamental beliefs on our doctrines for the Seventh-day Adventist church. So we’re going to take these, and now writing it for children. So we’re calling it “God’s Special 27 Ways.” God loves us 27 ways.

GC: Wow.

LC: So it’s going to be each doctrine explained on the level of the child, and it’s incorporated with activities and things that the kids can do to help improve, plus hopefully we want to add in some music that goes with it to teach those so that it can be easily remembered and memorized.

GC: Dr. Koh, thank you so much for being here and talking about this most-important ministry to children.

LC: You’re welcome. It’s a pleasure.

GC: And now, more Newsline.

LH: Thanks, Garrett. Churches in Germany have proclaimed 2003 the Year of the Bible. Throughout the year, many churches of different denominations have initiated special events to bring the Bible closer to the secular society. Germany’s Newsline correspondent Gabby Ziegler has the details of this event.

GZ: Churches in Germany have proclaimed 2003 the Year of the Bible. Throughout the year many churches of different denominations have initiated special events to bring the Bible closer to the secular society. Earlier last month, the Adventist churches in Munich have organized a unique event in the Olympic shopping center.

(German..interpreted) We asked what we could do as a church to reach people. They don’t come to church, so we have to go where they are. Jesus has shown us how. He became a human being, so we want to go to the people.

GZ: The event took place on different stages all over the shopping center, on 450 square meters altogether. Concerts, artists, Bible exhibitions, events for kids, and much more, were part of the program. 120 Adventist church members took turns for a week to answer questions about the Bible, play with kids, and hand out information.

(German..interpreted) We wanted to be right in the middle of the shopping center. The management told us they never had anything similar to this before. They asked us to come because it brings families together, and the Bible has a value which is hard to find today.

GZ: Thousands of visitors were in the shopping center during this week. Many came back and bought Bibles, realizing that it might not be such a boring book after all. From Munich, this is Gabby Ziegler for Adventist Newsline.

LH: The number of new students at the Bible correspondence school from the Munich area has doubled compared to the enrollment in the same period of time last year. And the Adventist churches in the area are welcoming visitors from the shopping center to their church services.

Well, when we come back, an Adventist journalist talks about the AIDS epidemic in Africa and the church’s response using their radio waves. And how about a tour of one of the historical spots of the Adventist church? Also learn how this could enhance your experience as an Adventist. Stay tuned.
(Music)

LH: The AIDS epidemic is killing millions of people on the continent of Africa. Many organizations are fighting desperately to help save the lives of those that are infected and at risk.

For one journalist and radio producer, the task is urgent; and senior correspondent, Julio Munoz, has his story.

JM: To say that the African continent has been affected by the AIDS epidemic is an understatement. The majority of those infected live in Sub- Saharan Africa. Of the 42 million people infected by HIV/AIDS around the world, nearly 30 million are in the Sub-Saharan region. Confronting the epidemic with limited resources is an overwhelming challenge.

Samuel Misiani: The AIDS/HIV problem in Africa is probably the greatest challenge that Africa as a continent is facing now—simply because it seems to be destroying the lives of their work force.

JM: Samuel Misiani is the regional director for Adventist World Radio in Africa. He says that organized religion has been slow to respond. The problem, according to Misiani, was not apathy but rather a difference of opinion in how the epidemic should be confronted. As the death toll grows, compromise seems to be the solution.

SM: While others seem to have been propagating the use of condoms, well the churches were working hard to preach conduct rather than condoms. But now there is a strong realization that there is a need to attack the issue both from the faith-based religious (side) so that the churches on one hand and also what the secular world can do to meet the real challenge that we have in Africa and, I believe, in the rest of the world as well.

JM: Adventist World Radio or AWR is a Christian radio broadcast that has addressed the HIV/AIDS. Its programs are not limited to messages of prevention.

SM: We are also dealing with how to take care of those who are already affected as one of the issues of AIDS/HIV was the question of stigma, you know, looking at those who are suffering as if they are outcasts—people who should not be in the society. But we maintain that the church is the place for HIV sufferers--because if they are rejected in the world, the church must be the last (place) to reject people.

JM: The problem of stigmatization is a serious one; and the church, according to members and leaders, has been guilty. AIDS, Misiani says, affects the church in a direct way.

SM: Aids is a problem. HIV is a problem even within the church. We have people, who as a result of the situation, have become church members and they are effective church members. We have people who are born into Christian homes who were not serious with their Christianity until they became HIV positive. So HIV/AIDS is an issue in the church as well.

JM: AWR is trying to produce AIDS awareness programs that will reach a diverse audience.

SM: What we need as our broadcasting arm of the church is how we can speak to those who are in our primary focus—those who are not within the church already—the unreached—and yet make radio programs that meet the needs of the people within the church.

JM: Misiani believes that AWR can educate the people of Africa and prevent the spread of the AIDS epidemic; but perhaps, more importantly, it can bring hope to those who are infected.

SM: We are changing talking of dying of HIV to living with HIV.

JM: At the Adventist World Church Headquarters, this is Julio Munoz for Adventist NewsLine.

LH: The Seventh-day Adventist Church, along with ADRA and other organizations, recently held an HIV/AIDS workshop in Nairobi in an attempt to build up a grassroots movement in Eastern Africa.

The historic Adventist Village is a three-block area in Battle Creek, Michigan, in the United States where several Adventist pioneer homes are located, including the first home owned by James and Ellen White, two founders of the church. Many members of the Adventist church don’t know of this village; but for the keepers of this historic site, it’s a vital element of the church’s past as it points to its future.

Wendy Rogers: The historic Adventist Village officially opened in 2000 by a group of people who wanted to preserve and to share the history and roots of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The village houses professionally restored original buildings as well as replicated buildings from 1852 to 1902 when the church’s world headquarters was located in Battle Creek. Jim Nix, Chairman of the Board of Adventist Heritage Ministries says that the stories of the church’s pioneers are told in each building.

JN: By the time they have completed a tour of the village, they have kind of a general idea of what Adventists really believe and what we teach—they really have a pretty complete view of (in miniature of course) what Adventism is all about.

WR: Nix says that many church members really don’t know a lot about the heritage of the church. When they come to the historic village, it makes a certain impact when they realize the circumstances in which the Adventist Church came about.

JN: And as they begin to learn, come to the village and hear the stories and walk the streets where the pioneers walked and they begin to learn about the dedication and the commitment and the sacrifice that brought this church to where they are today, most people (the reaction is) I am not sacrificing that much.

WR: Though the Adventist Church got started in New England, the pioneers moved West as the country moved west. The church’s General Conference or World Headquarters officially began in Battle Creek in 1863.

Woman’s Voice #1: I think it is very important that we learn about those who started our church because they are my age—they are in their twenties and some of them were even younger when they started the Seventh-day Adventist Church. And I just commend them for all that they did and I hope that young people today will be as committed as they were then.

Woman’s Voice #2: These pioneers that started our church were mainly teenagers. I mean when you stop and think about the fact that our church was started by a bunch of teenagers and early twenty-year-olds, it gives me a new sense of how we should be using our youth today.

Woman’s Voice #3: I think it is important for us to go back and study the stories of our pioneers and their experiences because I feel that the way God was leading them is still the way He is leading us today if we let Him.

WR: Two other historic sites run by Adventist Heritage Ministries are the William Miller Farm and the Hiram Edson Farm—both in New York State.

I’m Wendy Rogers for Adventist NewsLine.

LH: Find more information about the historic Adventist Village at adventistheritage.org. And this is our program for this week. I’m Liliana Hanao. For all of us here at Adventist NewsLine, thanks for watching. Until next week, God bless.

(Music)