OCI Reports Fall/Winter 2012

RepoRtsFall/Winter 2012 • Vol. 14, No. 3/4

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Latest News From: Albania, Colombia, Romania, and More...

Healing& RevivalBringing hope to victims of abuse worldwide | 11

2 F a l l / W i n t e r 2 0 1 2 3O C i r e P O r t S

New school of Health evangelism

In January, Amazon Lifesavers Ministry, an OCI member in Brazil, will hold a five-month LIGHT course. This will also mark the launch of its full-time school of health evangelism. Using the LIGHT curriculum, with some adaptations to meet the needs of the Amazon, the ministry hopes to train many new Bible workers who will enter uncharted territory and also nurture young church plants.

Messiah’s Mansion Ministry In a combined effort with Eden Valley

Institute, Oklahoma Academy’s junior class held a nine-day Messiah’s Mansion Exhibit in Loveland, Colorado. The event attracted more than 6,200 guests. As a result, about 200 people requested Bible studies, as well as prophecy seminars, cooking classes, financial seminars, lifestyle change classes, and more information on Christian education.

NEWSFLASHNews From OCI Ministries Around the World

organic outreachLoma Linda Campestre in Villa de

Leyva, Colombia, continues to provide its community with healthy and delicious homemade products. The popular tourist town puts the ministry in constant contact with people from around the world and other parts of Colombia. The team transports its products by bicycle to a health store in town, as well as to customers’ places of work. Many customers also receive lifestyle advice, and the ministry hopes to eventually open a lifestyle center to better meet the needs of its clients.

Working togetherIn collaboration with the North

Caucasus Union Mission (Russia), Our Home Lifestyle Center & School in Ukraine is launching a medical missionary and evangelism training course. The course is a combination of programs from Our Home, Wildwood Lifestyle Center & Hospital, and the Amazing Facts Center of Evangelism. Students will go door-to-door offering health resources and services together with Bible studies. The ministry hopes that the training program will grow into a permanent school of medical evangelism in an area with a large Muslim presence.

Crossing BordersNew England Wellness & Education

Center (NEWEC) is renovating the property in New Hampshire where Mountain Missionary Institute, a previous OCI ministry, was located. The former boys’ dorm has been remodeled, and the roofs are being repaired. The ministry is also involved with a project in Ukraine; in partnership with a local social center called Alfa-Nik, NEWEC has helped to establish the first Seventh-day Adventist orphanage in Ukraine. The ministry also operates a Country Life Restaurant in Keene, New Hampshire, and was recently featured in The Keene Sentinel newspaper for its work in Ukraine.

Musical MissionAs a way to foster a connection

with its community, Fondacioni Almise, an OCI associate member in Albania, resumed English and guitar classes this fall. While classes are not overtly religious, they provide the ministry with a way to challenge people’s thinking on life and to cultivate further interest in spiritual topics. The team rejoices over the upcoming baptism of two of its language students.

Caring Helpers

This fall Advent Home Learning Center in Tennessee hosted a group of volunteers from the Tennessee Valley Authority (power company) as part of a “Day of Caring” program. The volunteers worked in the garden and helped clean up the campus. Harold Masengil, the team leader, was particularly impressed with the staff’s sincere attitude and their mission to help turn troubled boys’ lives around, giving them an opportunity to succeed as adults.

Friendly FarmingSince 1979, Le Mas Perdu, an OCI

ministry in France, has helped hundreds of young people struggling with addictions; it also provides training in organic agriculture. Every summer the ministry opens its doors to families. This year the director, Monique Garcia, had been praying for an additional helper. Her prayer was answered when the sister of a previous guest offered to come work at the farm. The ministry was also blessed with the opportunity to sing and worship with many visitors during its weekly Friday evening vesper programs.

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steven Grabiner Executive Editor Janell Hullquist Editor, Layout & DesignHannah Kuntz Content EditorDebbie Hicks Copy Editorprinted By College Press, LLC

OCI Reports magazine is published quarterly by Outpost Centers International. Send address changes to [email protected], and please include both the old and new addresses. You may also use the OCI contact information below.

Outpost Centers International is a nonprofit organization working in cooperation with the Seventh-day Adventist Church to network and nurture supporting ministries worldwide. OCI operates through the generosity of people like you and issues tax-deductible receipts to U.S. donors. One-hundred percent of all donations go to the designated ministry. Please direct correspondence to: Outpost Centers International 5132 Layton Lane Apison, TN 37302 Tel: 423-236-5600 Fax: 423-236-5650 Email: [email protected] For further information, please visit us on the web at www.outpostcenters.org.

About the Cover: Two Romanian women comfort each other during a Bible study.

photo by: Janell Hullquist

Copyright © 2012 Outpost Centers International

[email protected]

president’s perspective

Traveling to different OCI ministries around the world has its privileges, such as visiting interesting

places and eating unusual food. However, more valuable than that is the tremendous encouragement i receive from seeing firsthand how God is extending His kingdom. My faith is strengthened as i witness the energy and faithfulness of God’s people who regularly endure hardships and make sacrifices.

On the other hand, one unpleasant aspect of my job is the time i spend in airports, either waiting for a delayed flight or running at full speed, roller bag in tow, hoping to catch a connecting flight. While i sat in an airport recently, the lord impressed me with an important lesson.

as i watched the crowds move from gate to gate, i wondered where people were going. Were they business travelers scurrying to another meeting? Was that family on vacation? then the lord reminded me that we must all answer that question: where are we headed?

Humanity has only two choices of a final destination: everlasting glory or everlasting destruction. every day each person we meet is headed toward one destination or the other. it is in this light that we should conduct all of our interactions with others. thinking on this, C. S. lewis wrote, “there are no ordinary

people….” every person is a candidate for heaven and should be treated as such.

as we engage in the ministry given to us, may we seek to encourage our fellow travelers on their journey home.

Steven GrabinerPresident

No ordinaryPeople

RepoRtsFall/Winter 2012 • Vol. 14, No. 3/4

Life in Switzerland was troubling for Sammy Wehrli. after his parents got

divorced, his attitude went downhill. “i didn’t care about anything,” Sammy

says. “i did my own thing and began smoking and drinking when i was 13.”

Sammy’s grandfather, who lived in the United States, heard about the situation and told Sammy’s mother about laurelbrook School & Sanitarium, an OCi ministry in tennessee.

When Sammy arrived at laurelbrook in 2010, he was not thrilled. Starting his freshman year more than 4,500 miles away from home, he missed his

friends and family and struggled to adjust to the new routine.

“For the first time in my life, i had to work four hours a day and wake up

early, too,” Sammy says. “they expected us to spend time in daily devotions. i already knew how, but i

had chosen not to at home.”

by Thomas McDonald

touching Lives

an invitation to join the Bible worker program was instrumental in Sammy’s transformation. He learned more about the Seventh-day adventist Church, how to mark his Bible, and how to conduct Bible studies.

Sammy credits laurelbrook teachers and staff for cultivating his desire to study God’s Word.

“they taught us to have a close relationship with God by spending quality time in devotions, as Jesus did in Mark 1:35,” Sammy says.

Mike Mudd, Sammy’s Bible teacher, observed that after Sammy had the opportunity to be part of soul winning and to minister to others, he began recognizing more fully what Christ was trying to do in his own life.

“i know the lord has a work for him to do,” Mike says. “i can’t wait to see it.”

like Sammy, each student at laurelbrook has the opportunity to make a decision for Jesus. When life’s path becomes a slippery slope, it is the staff ’s goal to help students find firm footing on the rock of ages.

FirmFooting

top left: Staff and students spend a Sabbath in nature.top right: Sammy is learning the value of work.

Thomas McDonald is the marketing director at Laurelbrook School & Sanitarium. To learn more, visit www.laurelbrook.org.

F a l l / W i n t e r 2 0 1 2


Face to Face

Robert Zizka is president of Springs of Health in Czech Republic. For more information, visit www.outpostcenters.org.

What is the most successful springs of Health outreach?

Our medical missionary work is based on a close cooperation with Country Life Prague’s health food stores and restaurants, which welcome hundreds, even thousands of customers each day. Thanks to this exposure, we are able to attract many people to our outreach activities, including the lifestyle magazine, lectures, health club

found in one of the rooms, and they had to be restored. We’re happy for the beautiful location in downtown Prague. During the week we use the center to put on various lectures, seminars, and courses, and we also plan to use it in collaboration with ADRA and other organizations.

What are the greatest health-related needs in the Czech Republic, and how is the ministry meeting them?

Czech Republic is a country with a very high rate of heart disease and cancer (80 percent of deaths within the country are caused by these two diseases). We also have some of the highest incidences of colon cancer in the world. For the past 18 years, Springs of Health has been emphasizing the importance of healthy living through our lifestyle magazine, which is distributed to thousands of readers all over Czech Republic and Slovakia. Thousands of articles are available for free on our website. Each year hundreds of guests participate in our programs and are blessed not only physically, but also mentally, socially, and spiritually.

What challenges have you faced in your work?

Currently we are going through a period of change,

including new personnel. There is also a polarization happening in our society and in the church. However, on a daily basis we witness God’s providence when we seek Him first. He is sending us more students than ever for our current lifestyle advisor course, from places we would never expect. We are very thankful for the continuing support from Country Life Prague, too.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your work?

Personally there isn’t a better feeling than becoming good friends with someone who came as a total stranger to one of our programs. Often after several years have passed, that person makes a decision to be baptized. It’s also very rewarding when graduates from our programs return to visit or participate in another program. We are blessed by this wonderful new family, and I believe that many will one day make a decision for Christ.

What are some future goals for the ministry?

We hope to build our own lifestyle center one day. We want to bring new life into our medical missionary school and to attract more young Adventist students. By means of the community center, we want to bring the gospel to many more citizens of Prague (population of 1 million). In addition to our city outreach, we strive to cooperate with and actively serve our members, churches, pastors, administrators, and sister organizations in a number of ways.

Robert Zizka grew up in a secular Czech family. As an athlete and long-distance runner, he became interested in health food and endeavored to maintain a healthy lifestyle. In 1994 Robert applied for a position at Country Life Prague, an OCI member ministry. During his time at Country Life, Robert accepted Jesus as his personal Savior. He is now working to bring others to Christ through lifestyle change as the president of Springs of Health, another OCI ministry in Czech Republic.

meetings, NEWSTART® lifestyle programs, medical missionary school, and our restaurant church.

How does the ministry utilize the community center in prague?

For many years we worshipped downstairs on Sabbaths. We called it the “restaurant church.” It took us several years to finish remodeling the building, mainly because valuable historical paintings were

Interview by Hannah KuntzAbove: The team is encouraged to see the fruits of their labor.Left: Lifestyle guests get a new perspective on life.

Robert witnesses to the staff at a runners’ magazine.

**

Prague is considered a popular medical tourist destination, providing Robert and his team with many opportunities to witness through health.

BlessingSharing the


Mission snapshot

Lastingtradition

Family

Sharing the legacy of mission service

The Busl FamilyKim and Joyce Busl have

been involved in ministry most of their lives. they passed on a love of missions to their children: Jabel, 31, and Jared, 29, grew up in africa and experienced the mission field firsthand. When the family moved to africa in 1983, Jared was 3 months old and Jabel was almost 2 years old.

Kim is currently the OCi field vice president for africa, and he and Joyce also work with VitaSalus, an OCi ministry in Portugal.

in 2000 Jabel and Jared started Frontline Builders, an OCi ministry that organizes building and agricultural projects in africa and Mongolia. the team also drills wells.

How did you pass on your love of missions to your children? Kim & Joyce: regardless of where we live, the lord gives us a mission field to labor in. Personal sacrifices made on behalf of others are a wonderful blessing; as our children experienced this, their tender hearts developed a love for the less fortunate. When we were missionaries in africa, our small

boys took their tools and helped to haul sand, make cement blocks, and construct roofs for clinics, schools, and churches.

later as teenagers, Jabel and Jared met refugees from South Sudan when we pioneered the work at Kibidula Farm institute. the boys felt a burden to get involved after hearing these Sudanese students share about the hardships, tragedy, horror, and violence they had lived through.

People warned them that it was a dangerous endeavor, but their desire and commitment to help grew. equipped with a seven-ton truck and a land Cruiser filled with tools and building supplies, Jabel, Jared, and their cousin, Caleb Knowles, successfully engaged in building schools, churches, and agricultural projects in South Sudan, all in the middle of a raging civil war.

Do you have a special memory of your family doing mission work?

One miserable winter day, a woman and her two young boys came and huddled underneath the overhanging roof of our home in tanzania. their threadbare clothes were not adequate for the stormy weather. Jabel and Jared looked up from their schoolwork and observed the family through the

window. Within moments they had collected several personal items, as well as blankets from their beds. they went outside and placed their possessions in the hands of this needy mother and her boys. Children are naturally inclined to want to alleviate hurt, sorrow, and suffering, but learn best by example.

The Fournier Family

Frank and Janet Fournier moved their family of three to africa in 1987. their desire was to serve where they could do the greatest amount of good and, if possible, to instill a spirit of service in their children.

Frank is currently the director of eden Valley institute, while Janet founded and runs eden Valley Foster Care Mission. their son, Jason, is the director of Kibidula Farm institute in tanzania, and their daughters, angela and Julie, both served overseas and now minister to their church families in the United States.

As the holiday season approaches, people focus more on giving and on spending time with family. traditions are followed, favorite recipes are shared,

and memories are made. When the festivities end and relatives disperse, the traditions are packed away for another year. However, families serving at OCi ministries are passing on a lasting family tradition: a mission mindset, a lifestyle that promotes serving others, year round. the Busls and Fourniers share from their experience.

Compiled by Hannah Kuntz

Left to right: Joyce and Kim; Jabel and Michelle with their boys; and Jared. The entire family has dedicated their lives to serving God in the mission field.

Fournier family 1977

Busl family 1985

Continued


Jason, what stands out in your mind from your childhood in Africa?

i wasn’t initially thrilled when my parents brought us to africa, but i decided to make the best of it. i began taking on much more responsibility and gaining experience in various lines of work. that experience has served me well. Some of my fondest mission memories were when we were in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. We moved there in February 1988 when i was 15. every Sabbath we had a large group meeting in our backyard for church, and our whole family led out with the services in various ways. During that time we learned to form close friendships across cultural boundaries. that was basically the last year that our family was together, but that tradition of service is still strong.

Why is it important to pass on a love of missions to children? Frank: Wholeheartedly engaging in mission work is the best way to pass on a love for soul winning to children. they are not easily fooled and can detect the genuine from the false at an early age. Parents who model a kind and caring spirit to their children will generally pass these traits on to them. However, children will walk away from inconsistency, pretensions, and a halfhearted Christian experience.

Jason: involve your children in what you do. as they grow and mature, they will be able to carry more responsibilities and be more than just observers. Optimistically they will develop their own vision and burden, too, and take the steps necessary to realize these goals, whether through education or hands-on training.

From Galilee to Jerusalem, Jesus healed all who were afflicted by

Satan. Sadly, the same devastation exists today. if Jesus were to step onto the stage of humanity again, how would He minister to the lost and dying?

For years the Hope of Survivors, an OCi ministry based in nebraska, has worked to bring healing and restoration to those abused by someone in the role of spiritual authority. recently God led the directors, Steve and Samantha nelson, to expand their focus to include all forms of abuse, opening a new door of opportunity for the ministry.

the need became evident during an abuse & recovery Conference held in Hawaii during april 2012. Many attendees responded to the messages of healing and revival by seeking God’s transformation in their lives. the nelsons were touched and overwhelmed by the realization that people around the world are in urgent need of spiritual and emotional healing.

by Steve Nelson

Steve Nelson is president of The Hope of Survivors. For more information about this ministry, visit www.TheHopeOfSurvivors.com.

Healing& Revival

in august, Steve and Samantha traveled to romania to strengthen the ministry’s presence there. they also hoped to establish a center for healing and restoration during their visit.

in Bucharest Steve presented a series on revival and healing. at the close of the last meeting, he invited people to come forward for special prayer and, if led by the Spirit, to be anointed.

“there is one person i will never forget,” Steve says. “She told me that she had been praying for God to bring a pastor who would understand what she was going through and pray with her for God’s healing touch. there is no earthly price that can be attached to witnessing someone who, in response to the prayer of faith, is recreated into the image of God.”

the team is thrilled to see how God is using the Hope of Survivors to touch thousands of lives, bringing many who were near the brink of eternal ruin back to the Source of life and healing. Steve and Samantha ask for your prayers as they continue to expand their focus and establish a center of healing in romania.

Above: Steve (right) preaches in Romania.Left: Samantha connects with people around the world.

Clockwise from top: Janet and Frank and their children, Julie, Jason, and Angela, with their families.

touching Lives

To learn more about any of these OCI member ministries, visit www.outpostcenters.org.

Lasting Family Tradition, Continued

FACt: Combined, the Busl and Fournier families have served, led, or pioneered the work at the following OCI ministries:

Mountain Missionary Institute and Country Life Natural Foods store in New Hampshire (former ministries)Riverside Farm Institute in ZambiaKibidula Farm Institute and Eden Valley Foster Care Mission in TanzaniaOCI Headquarters in TennesseeEden Valley Institute in ColoradoFrontline Builders in Sudan VitaSalus in Portugal

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the small team continued to grow; two americans arrived to supervise construction and maintenance projects. nathan rittenour and elisha VandeVoort were often presented with challenging tasks. nathan constructed the ministry’s campus using One-Day Church structures. When Keith asked them to build a radio tower in the nearby city of Kisangani, all they had was a pile of steel and welding equipment, but they did it.

Once the 100-foot tower was built, things were in place to go on the air. in november 2011, a young Kenyan named Jeff Marube opened the radio studio with the help of 22 young Congolese volunteers.

Broadcasting the Messageat first it seemed impossible to

attract listeners, since there were 10 other established radio stations in the city of Kisangani. However, three months later, Jeff received a surprise visit from the country’s radio inspector. He waited nervously as the inspector carefully assessed the studio and surveyed the community.

Jeff was shocked and ecstatic when the inspector told him that the radio station had the most listeners in Kisangani. the inspector also praised the Bible-based programming, including the speakers and health presentations. With a potential audience of more than 2 million listeners, the team is thrilled to witness many people being baptized as a result of the station.

Water for the Thirstynot everyone in Congo can be

reached with radio programming. in addition to meeting spiritual needs,

the ministry seeks to care for the physical well-being of the Congolese. Contaminated drinking water is a big problem in rural villages. Water-borne diseases like dysentery and typhoid, as well as parasites, cause sickness and sometimes death. a few years ago, a portable well-drilling rig was donated to CFM. Since then nathan and elisha have drilled nine wells in communities where the ministry’s church planters are working. Grateful for clean water, some people walk up to two miles to use the wells.

While Congo is still recovering from its painful past, there is hope for a better future. and God is using CFM to spread Christ’s healing love in some if its darkest and most remote areas. the ministry praises Him for His providence. Whether a church planter studying the Bible with people, an appreciative mother drawing water from one of the ministry’s wells, or a family clustered around listening to the radio station, there is plenty of evidence that hearts are being touched and lives are being changed.

The team at Congo Frontline Missions is pioneering the work in war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo.

by Barry Mosier

Mission snapshot

Risking AllIt

Above: Children collect clean drinking water from a well drilled by CFM.previous page, left to right: Keith and Tammy greet a Pygmy family; Nathan and Elisha piece together the radio tower; Pastor Mtenzi enjoys helping bring souls to Christ.

Africa’s first world war, as the conflict would later be called,

began in 1994 in Democratic republic of Congo. When the fighting ended nine years later, more than 5 million people had died, travel was difficult, and as many as 20,000 U.n. peacekeeping troops were stationed in the region. Few missionaries had returned to the Congo river Basin; when Congolese church leaders begged Keith Mosier to start a mission project in 2003, the task seemed dangerous—impossible even.

it was a risky endeavor, but Keith and his wife, tammy, moved forward

in faith to answer the call. Despite the dangers, the Mosiers saw God bless in the development of Congo Frontline Missions (CFM) and the team that He helped bring together.

Building a TeamFrom the beginning, the Mosiers

were joined by Pastor Mtenzi and his family from tanzania. Mtenzi now teaches in the ministry’s evangelism training school. He also oversees 65 church planters. together with God’s blessing, their efforts have resulted in more than 2,500 baptisms and the establishment of 65 church congregations in remote areas.

Barry Mosier is Keith’s father and serves as treasurer of Congo Frontline Missions. For more information, visit www.congofrontlinemissions.org.


Service Opportunities

If you have a desire to serve God, prayerfully consider one of the

following ways to get involved.

Maikel Moncaleano is director of Vida Sana Redension in Colombia. To find out more about his ministry, visit www.outpostcenters.org.

Amazon Lifesavers Ministry, BrazilAdministrative Assistant Agricultural DirectorBible Workers Boat DriverBuilder/BricklayerGeneral MechanicOperational Base Coordinator

DayStar Adventist Academy, USAVice President

Fondacioni Almise, AlbaniaVolunteer: English Teacher

Miracle Meadows School, USAElementary School TeacherHuman Resources DirectorMath/Science Tutor

New England Wellness & Education Center, USA

Builder Business Developer for RestaurantRestaurant Cook

Springs of Life Foundation, PolandEnglish Teacher

Vida International, HondurasAccountantAgriculturalistHead Cook and Kitchen Manager

by Maikel Moncaleano

Get Involved

service openings events

We often analyze our present condition and wish it were

different. Yet no matter who we are or where we’re from, we are all part of God’s timeline.

Perhaps the best way to face the future is to look at the past. For 6,000 years, each day has had the same number of hours, each week the same number of days, reminding us that there is nothing new under the sun. Our lives are similar to those who have come before us. We all struggle with our sinful human nature, constantly battling our selfish desires. Despite good intentions, sometimes it is tempting to lay aside God’s plans for us and instead pursue our own aspirations.

With this in mind there are some important questions to ask. What are we doing with our lives? Where do we have our focus? We are living in the last

days of God’s timeline; is our priority spreading the gospel and preparing others for Christ’s second coming?

things like money and human intelligence pale in comparison to God’s love, Jesus’ character, and the power of the Holy Spirit. We can’t aspire to any higher calling than God’s will for our lives. the time to make sacrifices and put our hands to the plow has arrived, as His timeline nears completion.

as we keep our eyes fixed on Christ’s imminent return, let us lift each other up as one body, following in the footsteps of men and women before us who surrendered everything because they loved their Creator.

View the complete list atwww.outpostcenters.org.

Food for thought

God’sTimeline

OCI Leadership Retreat When: May 30 - June 8, 2013 Where: Riverside Farm Institute Contact: [email protected] Website: www.outpostcenters.org/retreat

NEWEC Mission Trip to Ukraine When: June 2013 Where: Ukraine Contact: New England Wellness &

Education Center Peggy Schauffler

603-352-8595

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OCI Reports Fall/Winter 2012

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Transcript of OCI Reports Fall/Winter 2012