News From Around the World

• Members Translate Literature Into Many Languages
• 35 Attend Caribbean Leadership Training Seminar
• Kiloughs Attend South African Ministerial Conference and National Council Meeting
• Visiting the Churches in East Africa
• Serving Equatorial Africa
• First-Ever Nigeria United Youth Camp Held Aug. 22-28
• Treasurer Visits Central America

Members Translate Literature Into Many Languages

by Victor Kubik

Did you know that we currently have United Church of God literature available in Russian, Estonian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Polish, Romanian and Swedish? All of it can be accessed at http://ucg.org/easteuropean/.

Several of the booklets have also been printed, such as Sunset to Sunset: God's Sabbath Rest and The Gospel of the Kingdom. The Bible Study Course is available in Estonian and Russian and is mailed out on a regular basis as requested.

In Estonia we have had more people take the Bible Study Course in their native language than receive the English Good News. We have found that people's spiritual knowledge develops far more quickly if they study the Bible and literature in their native language—the language they are most comfortable using.

One of our newest items is the Swedish booklet The Road to Eternal Life. It is available on the new Swedish page of our UCG site at http://www.ucg.org/svenska/. Translation was done by members Solveig Hammar of Stockholm and Kira Spenser of Mjolby, Sweden, with layout by Cincinnati, Ohio, member Linda Saar.

Outside the major languages such as English, Spanish, German and Italian, we started to translate booklets and articles first into Russian in 1996 followed by Estonian and then other languages. How is this done and who does it?

Estonian: the New York Connection

For the Estonian and Russian languages, our most consistent effort was organized by elder Johnnie Lambert of Elmira, New York. Mr. Lambert undertook having the entire Bible Study Course translated into Estonian by one of our attendees, Toomas Schvaak.

The text was then sent to Jude Sieker in New York for layout. She has spent countless volunteer hours laying out the text along with graphics using the Quark XPress desktop publishing program, and then converting them to PDF files. Mr. Lambert purchased a color laser printer and printed the entire study course on it.

In addition to being offered on radio advertisements, the study course was offered to Good News readers and was requested by most of the readers, who were anxious to read something in their native language. The course was then sent out monthly, one lesson at a time, from Mr. and Mrs. Lambert's home. The process worked very well and more than 180 regularly received it.

Since the publication of the Bible Study Course, Toomas Schvak has translated two or three articles from every issue of The Good News magazine. With every mailing, the translated articles are photocopied and inserted into the magazine. Since English is not a language known very well in Estonia, the Estonian inserts have been responsible for sparking a significant interest in The Good News .

The first mass-produced booklets in Russian and Estonian were printed in western Ukraine by our Sabbatarian friends. Their cost was about one third what it would cost to have it printed in the United States. Also, it saved us on shipping charges from the United States to the readers.

In the Estonian language, besides The Gospel of the Kingdom and Sunset to Sunset: God's Sabbath Rest, the Heaven and Hell booklet was translated and printed on the Lamberts' printer. Two other booklets in production are God's Holy Day Plan and Fundamental Beliefs of the United Church of God.

International Cooperation Produces Russian Literature

Once the Estonian language Bible Study Course was translated, Mr. Lambert proceeded to have it translated into Russian. An Estonian member did the first translation. It was then sent to Basil Kopey in Moscow and Natasha Weatherhead in Barbados for further review with our Sabbatarian friends in Ukraine giving their input as well. It is so important not only to have doctrinal concepts accurately translated, but to make sure that they sound right to the ear in the local language.

Along with Jude Sieker, who has continued to give her time in laying out the new Russian lessons, Carolyn Barker has learned from Jude to do the layout work. Carolyn has done half of the Russian lessons. Because of very substantial cost savings, we have had the printing done in Ukraine.

The Sabbatarians have been so impressed with our Bible Study Course that they printed an additional 1,000 copies for themselves in addition to our order of 2,000.

The course is shipped to Estonia where Johnnie Lambert and the members in Tartu are doing the regular mailings.

Two other booklets, The Road to Eternal Life and God's Holy Day Plan, have also been translated into Russian, and are in the process of being published.

Romanian and More

One of our most prolific new languages is Romanian. UCG Church member Dr. Dumitru-Dan Teodorescu of Tampa, Florida, has translated many of our booklets, including The Middle East in Bible Prophecy.

Everything we offer is available in printable PDF format on our UCG Web site. Most of the site content is maintained by elder Henrikas Klovas who lives in Kaunas, Lithuania. All material is converted into PDF and is easily downloadable and printable by anyone accessing the Web site. UN

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35 Attend Caribbean Leadership Training Seminar

by Madge Thompson and Atheah Turnquest

The Caribbean region conducted its fifth Caribbean Leadership Training seminar Aug. 4 to 7 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. There were 35 representatives from the Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Curacao and Trinidad.

For the first time, wives and deaconesses were included, thus affording them better insight into the scope of the leaders' responsibilities and better understanding of their roles in giving assistance and support to the Church.

Sessions were led by Arnold Hampton and Kingsley Mather, senior regional pastors. Participants were given a comprehensive overview of what the Church is all about, beginning with the UCG's need to train leaders to replace an aging ministry; the Church's leadership model, based on biblical principles—serving with meekness and building harmony in speaking the same thing; how to "Prepare for Greater Service to God's People NOW"; and "Pitfalls Leaders in God's Church Must Avoid."

Janice Mather and Ann Hampton moderated breakout sessions for the ladies on discretion and "How to Make the Sabbath a Delight."

The Sabbath was indeed a delight, as Mr. Hampton and Mr. Mather gave the sermon and sermonette, complemented by vigorous songleading by Osmond Douglas of Barbados.

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Kiloughs Attend South African Ministerial Conference and National Council Meeting

by André van Belkum

Clyde and Dee Kilough arrived in South Africa on Aug. 25 to attend a National Council meeting and ministerial conference at a venue in one of the country's wildlife reserves, the Kruger National Park.

Because of flight delays, the Kiloughs missed their connection from New York to Johannesburg, and as a result arrived a day later than scheduled. Another predicament arose when it was discovered that Mrs. Kilough's luggage was not on the flight. However, the bag was traced and delivered three days later.

Sabbath services were conducted in Johannesburg, with Mr. Kilough giving general news about developments in the Church, as well as a Bible study and the sermon titled "Vision, Commitment and Sacrifice." There was a record attendance of 110. Many appreciated the opportunity to spend time getting to know our guests better.

Sunday morning was set aside for traveling from various corners of the country to the meeting venue. People came from various countries in southern Africa. The ones who traveled the longest distance were Kambani and Shirley Banda from Zambia, and Gladstone and Alice Chonde from Malawi.

National Council Meeting

Before the start of the ministerial meeting on Monday, Mr. Kilough attended the quarterly meeting of the National Council for Southern Africa. Neil Becker, who together with his wife, Erlene, and daughter, Leanne, handles all mail out of their homes in East London, gave an office update.

It was reassuring to notice that there was growth in virtually all aspects of the work carried out by the Church. The budget for the next financial year was discussed and, again, the financial outlook for the coming year appears rosy.

As usual, time was devoted to discussions of media promotions and projects, and we are especially encouraged by the responses from our Web site. Recently a record number of over 100 requests per day for The Good News were received at the office.

Ministerial Conference

The next three days were set aside for matters relating to the ministry, especially the future leadership of the Church. In his opening lecture, Mr. Kilough pointed out how God has richly endowed us with various skills that we, in turn, can pass on to others. He emphasized that we need to ask God for greater personal effectiveness so that we can help others assume leadership roles.

He also led an interactive session on what to look for in leaders and how to further mentor those who respond positively, and explained how those in Ministerial Services are introducing various education programs that should help develop a rich crop of future leaders.

As the group was small, there were many opportunities to interact with each other. The result was an exceptional spirit of togetherness and camaraderie. The peaceful setting contributed to the success of the conference, with outings to view the wildlife in the vicinity.

Huge herds of African or Cape buffalo were spotted, together with elephants ominously feeding right next to the road. On one occasion we came across two male lions that had made a kill on the road, and were lying with extended bellies close to where our vehicles were. Various species of antelope were spotted, as well as zebra, giraffe and gnu.

It was a sad occasion when finally the day of departure arrived, and we left to travel to our various homes in the scattered regions of southern Africa and the United States. However, the goals and purposes of the conference were accomplished, and we feel better equipped to handle the enormous responsibilities God has given us to carry out. UN

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Visiting the Churches in East Africa

by Jim Franks

Sept. 4 through 21, my wife, Sharron, and I traveled to East Africa to assist John and Merrie Elliott. Our purpose was to visit as many members and prospective members as possible in the two weeks that we had available.

During one stretch of 10 days we visited 12 groups of members and prospective members, conducted 12 services and 12 follow-up Bible studies. The groups ranged in size from as few as 10 to over 100.

East African Challenges

Our work in East Africa currently consists of members and prospective members from the three countries of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The governments are fairly stable in these countries but that is not true of the neighboring countries. On this list are two of the most troubled countries in all of Africa—Sudan and Somalia.

Recently an article appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer that listed Kenya as a country with great potential for terrorist activity as a result of its proximity to Sudan and Somalia coupled with very porous borders.

HIV infection is quite high in this area and there are many orphans because of the high death rate from AIDS. In addition, typhoid fever, yellow fever and malaria all take a toll on the population, especially the young children. Poor sanitation and the lack of good drinking water are the primary causes of disease.

Through the Good Works Program wells have been dug in several areas and Church buildings have been constructed to provide a location for services in areas where the members were previously meeting in outdoor settings (OK in the dry season but virtually impossible during the wet season).

The work of the Church in this region is managed from our Church office currently located in the home of Antonio Ndung'u, a deacon and longtime Church member in Nairobi. He keeps the membership roll updated, answers letters and e-mails and coordinates our literature distribution.

In Kenya we have literature available in the major local languages. This makes it possible for more people to have access to the teachings of the Church and has raised the interest level across the country.

Currently we are working with 780 people throughout the three East African countries of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Most of these are in western Kenya with a few in Tanzania and a handful in Uganda. Of these 780, we have 93 baptized members in Kenya, eight in Tanzania and one in Uganda, for a total baptized of 102. In an average month we receive 40 to 50 Internet responses and another 50 letters asking questions or requesting a visit.

This year we had over 300 in attendance during the Feast of Tabernacles in Nairobi. Doug and Tanya Horchak and their daughter Becky attended the Feast with the members in East Africa this year while the Elliotts took a year off to attend elsewhere. Mr. Horchak reports that during the Feast there were 15 baptisms and 28 children blessed.

Diligent Deacons

In addition to Antonio Ndung'u, Mr. Elliott has divided the workload of caring for the brethren and prospective members among three other deacons: David Gichuru, Jonathan Otieno and Moses Nyaira. David Gichuru has been a member of the Church since the 1970s. Jonathan Otieno first attended Church with his father when he was 4 years of age and now at the age of 31 he is a deacon serving in the Migori area of western Kenya. Moses Nyaira began attending services in 1996 and was ordained a deacon in 2004.

These four deacons conduct Sabbath services, hold Bible studies and travel throughout the region meeting with prospective members. Moses Nyaira has a full-time job working for the Kenyan post office, and David Gichuru recently retired from his full-time job. Jonathan Otieno and Antonio Ndung'u are full-time employees of the Church. All four display a genuine love for God's people and a passion for spreading the gospel throughout East Africa.

It was humbling to see the sacrifices made by these men and their families to provide more people with the knowledge of the true gospel. Each week they travel to remote villages and major cities to meet with groups of people. They travel by public transportation (buses and vans), but in most cases they must walk several kilometers to reach the destination for a Bible study or meeting with prospective members.

Travel in East Africa is never easy. We experienced firsthand the poor road conditions and in some remote areas we were made aware that there are no roads. We traveled in our own rented vehicle (four-wheel drive Land Rover); therefore we did not have to worry about the schedule of the public transports nor did we have to worry with the many dangers of traveling by this method. Some buses are robbed so often that it is expected as one of the hazards of travel. The four deacons face these obstacles on a weekly basis.

"Our Calling"

One of the great challenges of East Africa is identifying those who are truly being called and focusing our attention on them. In each location that we visited we covered the subject of "our calling" either in the sermon or during the Bible study or question-and-answer period. We discussed Christ's statement in John 6:44, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him…" Time will tell how many will progress to baptism and membership in the Church. Currently we are concentrating on teaching the fundamental principles of God's truth.

There is good potential for the Church to grow in this region of the world; but with limited resources, we must be careful not to get ahead of ourselves. Our approach for the future throughout this region of Africa can be characterized by Peter's words in Acts 3:6: "Then Peter said, ‘Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you…'" The most precious gift that we have to offer is the truth of God's way of life. We don't have unlimited amounts of money, but what we do have is being used to print literature and provide for the preaching of the gospel to Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. It is an exciting time, as the response has been excellent!

The Good Works Program has been a great help by assisting with the physical needs—wells, buildings, mosquito nets, etc.

Much Work to Be Done

Mr. Elliott will be returning to Kenya in December for our second annual youth camp. Each year he makes at least four visits to oversee the work of the deacons and monitor the growth of the Church. His wife, Merrie, travels with him at least twice each year.

There is much work to be done and each trip is filled with activity. I can attest to the fact that there is little downtime when you travel to East Africa. We traveled from the modern city of Nairobi to villages with mud huts and dirt floors. We conducted services in many different venues, from a well-appointed room on a college campus to an open field in the middle of a remote village.

My wife and I look forward to returning to Kenya in the near future to assist with the work that is being done by Mr. and Mrs. Elliott along with the four deacons and their wives. This trip was rewarding and also sobering. We already miss the new friends and family members that we were introduced to.

Please pray for the brethren in East Africa and the work that is being done. It is exciting to see the enthusiasm for God's truth and to assist new people who are being called to God's way of life. UN

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Serving Equatorial Africa

by Jim Franks

Africa is an intriguing place to visit, but it can be a difficult place for one to live. Unstable governments, religious strife, rampant disease, and high unemployment make daily life a struggle for many Africans, especially in equatorial Africa. Yet God is calling people into His Church from this part of the world.

In the United Church of God we have many members and prospective members in this region scattered from Ghana eastward to Kenya. This portion of Africa is served by three U.S. pastors who have been assigned as senior pastors and two who serve as associate senior pastors.

Melvin Rhodes serves as the senior pastor for Ghana in addition to his U.S. responsibilities—pastor of Lansing, Michigan; managing editor for Anchor magazine; and senior writer for The Good News and World News and Prophecy. Mr. Rhodes is assisted in Ghana by Tom Clark (pastor of Wichita, Liberal and Salina, Kansas).

Fred Kellers serves as the senior pastor for Nigeria in addition to his U.S. responsibilities—pastor of Nashville and Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and Bowling Green, Kentucky. Mr. Kellers is assisted by Mark Mickelson (pastor of Spokane, Washington, and Coeur d'Alene and Lewiston, Idaho).

John Elliott serves as our senior pastor for East Africa in addition to his U.S. responsibilities—pastor of Phoenix and Yuma, Arizona.

In the United Church of God, areas outside the United States are served in various ways. Some areas have their own national councils to tend to their organizational needs but other areas are administered from the home office. Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda fall into this latter category. Messrs. Rhodes, Kellers and Elliott work with Ministerial Services in taking care of the needs of the members in these countries.

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First-Ever Nigeria United Youth Camp Held Aug. 22-28

Aug. 22 was a day to be much remembered in the minds of the UCG members in Nigeria. It was the first day of the first United Church of God youth camp in the history of United in Nigeria. It had been exactly 11 years since there was a youth camp in Nigeria.

The Nigerian youth camp took place from Aug. 22 to 28, 2006. The location was a quiet and picturesque place at Afobaje Hotel, on the outskirts of an ancient town, Aiyetoro, in Ogun State in the southern part of Nigeria. The camp location was about 25 minutes from one of the tourist attraction in the state called Olumo Rock or "The Rock."

Thirty campers from all the congregations in the country, including 11 boys and 19 girls, attended the youth camp. Also attending were two minicampers, a 2-year-old girl and 5-year-old boy, Rotiwa and Tomiwa Akinbo. They are the children of the associate pastor, Oludare Akinbo, who helped coordinate the camp along with his wife. In addition to the campers, 18 staff members assisted in the goal of creating an enabling environment for these young people, all but four of whom have had no previous camp experience.

The camp director, Doug Horchak, an experienced camp director and pastor from the Dallas, Texas, congregation traveled from Ghana where he also helped with the youth camp in that country. He, along with Oludare Akinbo, handled the Christian Living classes, prebreakfast Compass Checks and volleyball.

Mr. Horchak was joined by Greg Peoples, a volunteer staff member also from the Dallas, Texas, congregation. Mr. Peoples was on his first trip to Africa. He also added his unique Texan spice to the Team Challenge activity and various aspects of camp. It was a blessing indeed to have him volunteer to come and be with us here.

The activities included soccer, computer appreciation, Christian Living, Team Challenge and volleyball.

The computer appreciation class had each of the three camper teams assist in putting together a camp newsletter that is available for download at the UCG Nigeria's Web site.

On the Sabbath, Mr. Horchak traveled to Lagos to speak and fellowship with the brethren while Oludare Akinbo and Greg Peoples conducted the service at camp.

The last night of camp was a special night in that there was a formal banquet, with the boys having to escort two ladies picked randomly to the banquet. After the wonderful dinner (and dessert of ice cream and cake courtesy of a member of the Dallas, Texas, congregation, Dora Jennings, and her mother, Carmen Avilla), the teams all presented very interesting and wonderful skits.

We thank God Almighty for the gift of being able to organize and hold the camp again in Nigeria for our youths. A number of the staff members who have had camp experience in WCG all felt extremely happy to have the opportunity to participate in passing on to the youths what was passed on to them.

Campers and staff all benefited immensely, and the comments of the campers were very encouraging. Just like the theme of the UYC 2006 camp video, I believe the first UYC in Nigeria was indeed an "Extreme Makeover" experience for all of the participants! The camp ended with everybody having had a thoroughly wonderful time and looking forward to next year's camp.

The campers and staff all departed for their home areas on Aug. 29.

Oludare Akinbo

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Treasurer Visits Central America

by Leon Walker

On Aug. 31 the treasurer for the Church, Tom Kirkpatrick, began a 12-day trip to Central America. He was accompanied by Leon Walker, regional director for the Spanish-speaking areas, and his wife, Reba.

Their itinerary included five days in El Salvador and Guatemala respectively. Dr. Kirkpatrick was able to give a sermon and Bible study as well as a doctrinal lecture in the congregations of San Salvador and Guatemala City.

El Salvador

Dr. Kirkpatrick and the Walkers arrived in El Salvador Thursday evening, Aug. 31. The next day they toured San Salvador. The tour highlighted the great differences between the poorer and more affluent areas of the city.

Having traveled several times to Ghana, Dr. Kirkpatrick was struck by the similarities between these two developing nations. Though they are different nations ethnically, culturally, linguistically and historically, they face similar problems and challenges—especially in the economic arena.

El Salvador is also a nation affected by devastating earthquakes that occur on a much-too-frequent basis. This was highlighted in the tour by evidence of earthquake destruction still remaining as a result of earthquakes in 1985 and 2001. Dr. Kirkpatrick was sobered in viewing the site of loss of life and property from an enormous landslide caused by the earthquake of 2001 in Santa Tecla, a city near San Salvador.

On Sabbath, Sept. 2, Dr. Kirkpatrick gave the sermon in the morning in San Salvador. He spoke on God's great care and concern for us as individual members of the Church. After lunch, which was provided for the membership in the hall where services were conducted, Dr. Kirkpatrick presented a Bible study on lessons we can learn from the life of Solomon.

Dr. Kirkpatrick said: "The brethren in San Salvador are quite friendly and made me feel very welcome with their warm greetings! The brethren face great challenges economically, as unemployment is very high (over 50 percent) in their country. The brethren must also deal on a day-to-day basis with the prevalence of political violence, even 15 years after the end of a terrible civil war, which is still very much in the minds of the brethren.

"Despite all this, I was struck by the friendliness and good cheer of the people of El Salvador, and especially the brethren in the Church. In this regard, they set a splendid example of faithful constancy and endurance, which we who have so much more physically and materially can learn from."

The next day, Sunday, Dr. Kirkpatrick conducted a 2½-hour lecture on a doctrinal test that the members had taken before his visit. The brethren had been given a Spanish translation of the test, and a tabulation of the results of their answers had been sent to Dr. Kirkpatrick before the trip. The test, which is a 100-question multiple choice examination, had been given previously to elders and others in Ghana and the Philippines. However, this is the first time that it had been given to an entire congregation.

The purpose of the exam is to help those who take it focus on the plan of God as highlighted in the doctrines ("teachings") of the Church. The exam is constructed in such a way that "almost correct" answers are offered as alternatives to the "best," most complete and biblically-based answers to specific questions. This has the effect of reinforcing God's truth, and also showing how subtle is the enemy's distortions of that truth in many of the traditional doctrinal positions of this world's churches.

Dr. Kirkpatrick went through each question, explaining the correct answers and giving scriptures that support the correct answers. He was quite impressed by the seriousness and concentration of the brethren during this entire process. This was evidence of their desire to more fully understand the precious truths that God has revealed to His Church.

Guatemala

Dr. Kirkpatrick and the Walkers next traveled to Guatemala, which is only a 25-minute flight from El Salvador. Approaching Guatemala City Dr. Kirkpatrick wondered: "How did they build a modern, sprawling city on the top of these green and uneven mountains? It is a beautiful site from the air."

They were welcomed at the now-being-renovated Guatemala City airport by Luis Mundo and his wife, Dorita. Dr. Mundo has served for the past five years as pastor of United's six congregations in Guatemala, totaling over 500 brethren, following his retirement from a career as a pediatrician.

Dr. Kirkpatrick and the Walkers dined with Dr. and Mrs. Mundo Wednesday evening. Though language separated them, Dr. Kirkpatrick was able to get to know the Mundos, with translation assistance from the Walkers, and they enjoyed greatly some deep discussions about the plan of God.

The next day, Thursday, Dr. Kirkpatrick and the Walkers spent some time together at the Mundos' home, and at midday—joined by 15-year-old Sharon Mundo (the Mundos' youngest child)—they drove to the colonial city of Antigua, which was the former capital of Guatemala.

Much of the old city of Antigua has been preserved as a historical "museum," where people from around the world come to study Spanish, and its popularity as a tourist site has been enhanced by fine hotels and restaurants. This is the site of the Feast of Tabernacles in Guatemala, where nearly 600 Feastgoers will gather to picture a time when the entire world will be as beautiful and peaceful as this spectacular site.

On Friday, Dr. Kirkpatrick and the Walkers visited two sites in Guatemala City. First they saw an enormous scale relief map of the entire nation of Guatemala, highlighting its rugged volcano mountain topography. Then they visited the grand national palace, which houses the executive offices of the national government.

As a complete surprise to Dr. Kirkpatrick, he was honored by the tour guide with an invitation to participate in the "changing of the roses" ceremony—a daily solemn ritual, during which a fresh rose (symbolizing peace) is placed in the rock-carved hands in the central courtyard of the palace. The two hands symbolize freedom and peace. This daily ceremony has taken place since the end of the Guatemalan civil war in 1996.

Dr. Kirkpatrick spoke on the Sabbath morning in Guatemala City, gave the afternoon Bible study and on Sunday morning presented the lecture on the fundamental doctrines of the Church.

Sunday afternoon the brethren presented a beautiful and lively show of traditional songs and dances. Dr. Kirkpatrick and the Walkers were impressed, not only by the quality and talent displayed, but also by the participation of individuals of all ages. That evening Dr. Kirkpatrick and the Walkers were able to witness the wedding of two young Guatemalan members, with Dr. Mundo officiating.

Dr. Kirkpatrick and the Walkers flew back to the United States the next morning, appreciative of the opportunity to meet with our brethren and ministers in these two Central American countries. UN

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