1. education
2. school

Fr o m E ve r y w h e r e t o E ve r y w h e r e
How to be a Missionary
volume 11
•
number 1
departments
5 Postcard
6 Editorial
11 Reflections
30 New Volunteers
32 Volunteer Opportunities
features
8 Of Second Chances
Volunteering was a last offering of
respect to the calling I had thought
was mine.
12 An Unlikely Miracle
contents
Amazing things happen when we look
through God’s eyes instead of our own.
14 The Unexpected
I had told God that I was going to go; I
couldn’t back out now.
18 Won’t You Come?
Are you a Jeremiah, saying, “Here I am,
send me?”
22 A Volunteer Interview
I would heartily encourage other retirees
who are still in fairly good health to
consider volunteering.
24 An Island Overview
We were told that the party would
begin around 6pm, but they were still
setting up around 8pm. This was our
first introduction to “Island time.”
Cover: Some of the boys at the Laura Seventh-day Adventist School in Majuro horsing around.
Story on page 24.
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
c o n t e n t s
2
adventist volunteer service
missionpost
GENERAL CONFERENCE VOLUNTEER STAFF
Homer Trecartin | DIRECTOR/EDITOR
Donna Rodill | SR EDITORIAL ASSISTANT/LAYOUT & DESIGN
Theresa Berry | ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Candace Renk | AVS VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Joanne Stango | AVS ASSOCIATE COORDINATOR
Jill Walker Gonzalez | AVS ASSISTANT COORDINATOR/
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
J John Wycliffe | OFFICE ASSISTANT
DIVISION VOLUNTEER COORDINATORS
Hudson E Kibuuka | EAST-CENTRAL AFRICA DIVISION
Gabriel E Maurer | EURO-AFRICA DIVISION
Michael Kaminsky | EURO-ASIA DIVISION
Faye Reid | INTER-AMERICAN DIVISION
Jose Rojas | NORTH AMERICAN DIVISION
Akeri Suzuki | NORTHERN ASIA-PACIFIC DIVISION
Marly Timm | SOUTH AMERICAN DIVISION
Robert Bolst | SOUTH PACIFIC DIVISION
Julian Hibbert | SOUTHERN AFRICA-INDIAN OCEAN DIVISION
Rose Christo | SOUTHERN ASIA DIVISION
Gary Rustad | SOUTHERN ASIA-PACIFIC DIVISION
Paul Tompkins | TRANS-EUROPEAN DIVISION
John Enang | WEST-CENTRAL AFRICA DIVISION
We welcome unsolicited manuscripts, letters to
the editor, volunteer tips, postcards and stories.
Send all editorial correspondence to:
Adventist Volunteer Center Publications
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600 USA
E-mail: [email protected]
Fax: 301-680-6635
Website: www.adventistvolunteers.org
Mission Post (ISSN 1528-235X) is published four
times a year by the Adventist Volunteer Center of
the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
Printed by the Review and Herald Publishing
Association, 55 West Oak Ridge Drive, Hagerstown,
MD 21741-1119. Copyright © 2001, General
Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. For a free
subscription, send your name and address to
Adventist Volunteer Center Publications, 12501 Old
Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600 or
send an email to: [email protected]
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
c o n t e n t s
3
adventist volunteer service
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
p o s t c a r d
4
adventist volunteer service
P o s t c a r d
Halli Hallo!
I
have been in Moldova for almost two months already. Everything I see, hear and
eat here—the people, the landscape, the cities, the situation of the country—
reminds me of my childhood in Kazakhstan, so I feel at home.
During my first week in Moldova, I worked with the ADRA Moldova team, helping
them to prepare bags of food and toiletries for flood victims. We personally delivered
the bags, and all the people were very grateful for our assistance.
Now, I serve as a volunteer in the Rainbow Rehabilitation Center for children.
There are 18 children here, all of different ages, and each with their own story
of tragedy. The goal of the center is, if possible, to integrate the children back
into their own families or to find a suitable foster or adoptive home for them. Of
course, one of the center’s most important goals is to be able to support and assist
more children.
My duties here are to attend to the children throughout the day and to help them
in their various tasks, and, of course, to have fun with them.
It is not easy to work here, but the prayers of my family, my friends and my
community give me strength every day as I work with the children.
I am very happy that I am able to serve God in Moldova by serving these children.
Sincerely,
Eva Roon
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
p o s t c a r d
5
adventist volunteer service
editorial
Homer Trecartin | Editor, Mission Post | Associate Secretary, General Conference of Seventh-day
Adventists | Director, Adventist Volunteer Center
How to be a
F
Missionary
or years I read books about
lands with the gospel. I was faithful with
missionaries like “Nyla and the
my tithes and mission offerings to help
White Crocodile,” “Diamondola”
support missionaries around the world.
and “Clever Queen.” Dozens of times I
But down deep in my heart there was a
listened to stories like “The Big Yellow
desperate longing to actually go myself, to
Truck,” “Crooked Ears” and “Pip Pip the
be a missionary. But how?
Today I find that many have those same
Naughty Chicken” by Eric B. Hare. These
stories inspired me, challenged me and
questions – just how does someone go
motivated me, but they didn’t tell me
about being a missionary anyway?
While there is no particular course
how I could become a missionary.
you must take if you want to be a
As I got older and wiser I piously
declared, “We are all missionaries, you
missionary—among those needed are
know—wherever we live!” And that
professionals such as pastors, doctors,
is true. We are all missionaries in our
mechanics, teachers, technicians, nurses,
communities, our families, even at work.
Bible workers, dentists, farmers, pilots,
But my words were really trying to
musicians, linguists and more—there are
bravely cover up a longing in my heart.
some things you can do to help yourself
Oh, I tried to be a loving neighbor and
be prepared. If you feel that burning
friend, a witness to those around me.
desire to help carry the Gospel to those
I prayed for those who made great
of other cultures, here are six steps you
sacrifices to leave family and enter difficult
should follow:
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
e d i t o r i a l
6
adventist volunteer service
1) Learn to know Jesus as your
an application to be a volunteer.
friend. If you don’t know Him and
If you have trouble with that, you
spend time with Him each day, how
can contact your school or division
can you share Him with others?
volunteer service coordinator for
2) Pray. Pray that God will open
help. And don’t just apply once
doors, pray that He will give you a
and give up if the opening you ask
burden for a part of the world where
for is already filled. Keep talking
He may want you to serve, and then
to your coordinator and ask for
begin to pray daily for the people of
your application to be sent for
that part of the world.
consideration to another place or
3) See if there is anyone from that
assignment. After all, God may have
part of the world living, working,
something far different in store for
studying, or vacationing near you
you than ever could have thought.
and begin to get to know them.
6) Continue praying for God to
Eat in their restaurants, read books
send laborers into the harvest and
about them, look things up on the
watch for Him to send you into the
Internet. If possible, become a friend
field right where you are or around
of some, invite them to your home
the world.
and go to theirs.
May God be with you as you seek His
4) Begin to learn the language
will for your future.
of the part of the world where you
feel called to serve. Buy a language
NOTE: If you are interested in reading
course book or computer program.
more mission stories, log onto www.
Even if God sends you somewhere
AdventistMission.org. There you will
else, the process of learning one
find all kinds of current stories, pictures,
language will make learning another
videos, blogs, and ways to be involved.
language easier and quicker.
Mission is happening. Be a part of it!
5) Log onto www.
AdventistVolunteers.org and fill out
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
e d i t o r i a l
7
adventist volunteer service
Kenya
Of Secondances
Ch
By Karlah Bacomo
I
smelling the stench of hopelessness and
helplessness, feeling the acidity of horrible
suffering brought on by life’s miseries,
hearing the arrogant mockery of death
and dying, tasting the vainness of life…
I guess it was because of all of this that I
felt like running away.
I didn’t feel anything like this at all
during my junior internship. In fact, I had
told friends and family that if there was
one year of medical school I would like
to repeat, it would be the year I did my
hospital internship. Now, here I was, in a
sense, repeating it, but loathing it. I was
losing my grip on medicine. I wanted to
bolt. But that was an inconceivable idea.
If you had known me from childhood, you
wouldn’t have thought it possible that I
wanted to ditch. Besides, I didn’t know
what I would do if I quit, so I stuck to it;
I held on by a frayed thread of reluctant
persistence and tolerance, and just willed
the year to be over.
’ve realized something. I want to be
a doctor. That’s not a bad ambition,
you might say. To most, my
statement wouldn’t mean anything out
of the ordinary—except that I already
am a doctor!
Three years ago, I graduated from
medical school fresh and ready for life,
with eagerness for the world of medicine
and with zest to serve humanity. I entered
a post-graduate internship, but sometime
during the middle of the year, I lost it.
I lost my passion for medicine, healing,
serving. I lost it. And as much as I was
confused and depressed, I was mostly
scared. Being a doctor was my childhood
dream come true—or so I thought. For the
past twenty years I had even believed that
being a missionary doctor was my calling.
I woke up one day, however, to realize
that I was dragging myself to work. I was
counting duty hours by the second. I was
staring at the clock, urging it to make 60
minutes into 60 seconds. I was sprinting
for the hospital door by 4:59 pm. Thirtyhour duties were caustic nightmares. The
bottom line? I wanted out!
Maybe it was because I was interning
in a government hospital. Everything
was damaging to my senses: seeing
the dirt-poor patients surrounding me,
Karlah with baby Ashley
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
k e ny a
8
adventist volunteer service
And then Papa died. He was brought
to the hospital the night of his 60th
birthday because of chest pains. Fourteen
hours later, he was dead. How cruel
can medicine, technology and science
be? Okay… how cruel can life be?? This
shouldn’t have happened to me! And
why should it happen to our family when
there were just the three of us? Existing
in a dismembered triumvirate was not a
possibility. How selfish and unfair can life
be??!! And why did God let him die in the
first place?? From what I knew, my papa
was the archetype of “Eat well, sleep well,
work well, pray well, die anyway.”
Of course, nobody actually heard all
those words from me. I was brought up in
a good, Christian home with God-fearing
parents. I was supposed to have all-around
strong faith in God, too. After all, wasn’t
that what my very name stood for*? I
wasn’t about to destroy my family’s or my
own image, so I kept my feelings to myself
and became a hypocrite.
The deepest prayer I ever prayed was at
my father’s bedside, as the doctors were
trying to resuscitate him. I struggled there
just as Jacob struggled with God long ago.
But when Papa was pronounced dead, I
let go of God’s hand and left Him by the
bedside. That prayer was my last real one.
Ten days after we buried Papa, I went
back to the hospital to resume work. It
was January 1. What happened to me
between New Year’s Day and now was a
subsistence filled with apathy, depression,
confusion, desperation, antagonism,
indifference, uncertainty, ennui, chaos,
regression and disorientation in all
aspects—emotional, physical, psychological
and most importantly, spiritual.
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
k e ny a
KENDU BAY, KENYA
But things are different now. I’m now
an Adventist Volunteer in Kenya at Kendu
Bay Adventist Hospital. A friend wanted
an honest answer as to why I’m here. I
answer with brevity: I had a dream that
turned into a nightmare. I had a reality
I wanted to escape from. I thought just
maybe I could find the answers here, and
maybe, if I got lucky, get a shot at life
again.
I can’t really point to a day or a specific
something that gave me my ‘reconversion.’
I gave myself one year to do volunteer
medical work so that I could try to move
forward in any small way. Before I started
volunteering, I was actually craving a
drastic career change. But I decided on
this one year to be a missionary doctor—a
last offering of respect to the calling I had
thought was mine.
I’ve been here for nine months now, but
I can safely say I have most of my answers
already. Maybe the change in environment
gave me a different perspective. But I
guess the best explanation is that God
didn’t give up on me, as I did Him. The
rest of the questions I have will most likely
be unanswered until I get to ask God
Himself. But I’ve been made better by this
experience. The answers I got were not
concrete, they were not handed down
neatly packaged by God and they did not
come together all at once. I saw them
in bits and pieces: in the peaceful smile
of a dying patient, in the appreciative
kisses of an elderly patient, in the life of
another friend, in the hugs of strangers, in
the prayer of the hospital chaplain and a
nurse, in tranquil sunsets, in letters, in old
memories, in the recent political unrest in
9
adventist volunteer service
Kenya
Kenya, even in the rebounding quietness I hear when I throw my questions at God. I had
let go of God, but He hadn’t let go of my hand after all.
My term of service will come to an end soon, and although I have been invited to stay,
I plan to go into specialty training and then come back to the mission field to serve as a
doctor. I believe it is one of God’s answers for me.
Karlah Bacomo has now finished her year of volunteer service in Kenya and has returned to her native
Philippines. Currently, she is still working on her residency and on an application for an SDA medical
institution. In the future she plans to do medical volunteer work again.
*The name Karla means “strong and womanly” (www.name-meanings.com).
Karlah with twins John and Joseph.
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
k e ny a
10
adventist volunteer service
“The true
Christian is
like the sun,
which pursues
its noiseless
course, and
everywhere
leaves the
effect of its
beams in blessings upon the
world around him.”
Photo curtesy of Russell Gibbs
R e f l e c t i o n s
—Unknown, Signs of the Times, July 4, 1939.
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
r e f l e c t i o n s
11
adventist volunteer service
Honduras
An Unlikely Miracle
By Lori Dickerson
O
ne of the biggest challenges
I’ve faced this year here at
Maranatha Bilingual School in
Honduras, has come to me in the form
of a little first grade girl with a sweet
smile and an unpredictable personality.
I’ll call her Dulce. I used to stay up nights
worrying about how to deal with her.
Dulce is a special girl in many ways. She
came into my classroom not knowing
her numbers or how to count, and I’m
supposed to be teaching her addition
and subtraction. She couldn’t even
spell her name correctly, but she is
supposed to be writing pages of notes
for every class.
The other kids can tell she is different.
They use that to their advantage. If my
back is turned and a pencil goes flying
through the air, they always blame it on
Dulce. Half the time it really is Dulce. The
boys have taught her several bad words
that she loves blurting out in the middle
of class. I can scarcely get through
five minutes of class time without her
shouting out something, upsetting my
classroom into little gasps and giggles.
Dulce looks around at all the trouble
she has caused, smiles and does a little
victory dance. She craves attention—
even if it is negative.
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
h o n d u r a s
Once I reached a point where I was
either trying to get her expelled or
sent to another school. My reasoning
was that if I couldn’t help her, she
shouldn’t be in my classes. She belonged
somewhere where they had more
specialized teachers ready and able to
deal with a girl like her. We did have a
special education teacher at our school,
but she told me that Dulce was too
extreme of a case even for her training.
Truthfully, I didn’t want Dulce in my
classroom because she was impossible
and energy-draining. Every day I felt like
she was holding my entire class back
from learning. Sometimes she made
me so angry that it scared me because
I didn’t want my anger to show in the
classroom.
Even with all my prayers that she
would leave and that God would deliver
me from this thorn in my side, Dulce still
remains in my classroom. Her parents
refuse to take her out of school. Is God
playing some sort of practical joke on
me? I often wondered.
Over time, however, I realized that
God was gently telling me to love His
child and to be patient with her, just
as He is patient with me. I began to try
to love her, half-heartedly at first, but
12
adventist volunteer service
now I truly love her. I’d like to say that
now she has caught up with the rest
of her class and that she won’t fail all
of her classes again. But I don’t think
that is the miracle God is working in
Dulce. The miracle that He is working is
that sometimes she writes all her notes.
Sometimes she finishes an assignment.
Sometimes she’s not causing all the
trouble in the classroom. Sometimes
other kids help her instead of tease her.
Sometimes she gives me a hug instead
of sticking her tongue out at me. And
those sometimes are becoming more
and more often.
Just today she was grinning from ear
to ear because she had finished all her
notes, and when a classmate gave her
a sticker, she said, “Thank you.” She
couldn’t wait to tell me what a good girl
she’d been. I live for those moments.
All in all, I’ve learned something
important from Dulce. I think that
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
h o n d u r a s
sometimes God’s miracles happen so
slowly that we, being so used to instant
gratification, don’t see them—unless we
begin to look through God’s eyes instead
of our own.
Lori Dickerson ended her volunteer service in
Honduras in June of 2008. Currently, she is a
Junior Elementary Education major (with a minor
in Spanish and Religion) at Walla Walla University,
Washington, USA. She works in the campus library
and tutors Hispanic children after school.
She offers the following advice to volunteers,
“Love persistently. Love what you are doing even
when you don’t feel like doing it. Even when
you have been wrongly hurt. Even when it feels
impossible. God has never given up on you, so do
not give up on the task He has given you now. He
has, and will, provide for you all the strength you
will ever need.”
13
adventist volunteer service
Poland
The
Unexpected
A
not only be starting a school from scratch,
but would also be starting a church in a
town with no Adventist presence!
This was not what I had had in mind
when I decided to be a volunteer! I had
signed up to be an English teacher in an
established school and not an evangelist in
a developing country for a reason: I didn’t
think I could handle uncharted territory.
I’m the type of person who thrives in
already well-established frameworks. I
get told what to do, and I do it well. If
I’m given a program, I can make tweaks
here and there to perfect it, but I couldn’t
just create a new one from scratch!
Nevertheless, I had told God that I was
going to go, and I couldn’t back out
now. Thus, I agreed to do whatever they
needed me to do, thinking that if this was
the direction God was sending me, He
must have a plan.
My first month in Poland was difficult. I
experienced major culture shock, feelings
of loneliness, anxiety, depression and
frustration. There was no Internet access
where I was staying, so for at least a week
I wasn’t able to get in touch with my
family or my girlfriend to let them know
that I had arrived safely. Then, the food
was different. I came down for breakfast
the first morning expecting cereal, and
s an Adventist Volunteer, I started
out thinking that I would be
serving at School by the Sea in
Kolobrzeg, Poland. I had, after all, been
accepted there. One of my friends had
spent the previous year teaching English
there, and I had read all of her blog entries
about it. I had never taught English, but I
decided I wanted to go to the same place
she had gone so I would at least know
what to expect.
However, when departure time neared, I
found out that plans had changed. I turned
out to be the only male volunteer going to
School by the Sea. I couldn’t share the girls’
apartment and the school was hesitant to
rent a separate apartment just for me, so
they came up with another idea.
Maciek Strzyzewski, one of the codirectors of the school in Kolobrzeg had
just decided to move to a town called
Kartuzy near Gdansk to open a new
school. Tomasz Sulej, the other co-director
of School by the Sea, asked me if I would
be willing to go with Maciek to help him
with the new school. As I listened to him
describe the conditions that I would be
living and working in, I began to feel
nervous. I would be living with Maciek, his
wife and their two daughters (Jasmine and
Jagoda, ages three and five). We would
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
p o l a n d
By Matthew Mize
14
adventist volunteer service
business deals with them so they would
recommend us as English tutors for their
students. I even stood in the street passing
out fliers and speaking English to show
the villagers that I was a native speaker.
Unfortunately for Maciek, though, hardly
anyone signed up for the classes at our
new school.
So, by the end of the month, change
was in the air again. Maciek was no
longer able to afford to accommodate me
because we weren’t getting any business
for the new school. He didn’t immediately
know what to do with me, so he started
looking for other schools that needed
English teachers. Finally, he contacted
the School of Language at Wyzsza Szkola
Teologiczno-Humanistyczna (Polish Senior
College of Theology and Humanities),
which is located just outside of Warsaw.
The school was interested in having me
serve there.
instead found tomato, cucumber and bell
pepper sandwiches with cole slaw and
cottage cheese! Also, I learned the hard
way what it is like to be surrounded by
people who speak a different language.
Maciek and his wife, Agatha, were the
only ones in the family who could speak
English and they never spoke it unless they
were talking to me. The girls tried to talk
to me, but I couldn’t understand them.
For a while, I felt so lonely that I couldn’t
imagine surviving the whole year there.
As the first month went by, though, I
got more and more used to my new home.
The countryside was beautiful and Maciek’s
family was extremely friendly. Plus, I started
to have fun working with Maciek.
We spent most of the month walking
door to door, first in Kartuzy, and then
in the surrounding villages, distributing
fliers that advertised the school. We met
with high school directors to work out
Engaged!
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
p o l a n d
15
adventist volunteer service
Poland
Sometimes I wasn’t actually alone, but
I may as well have been because I was
surrounded by people who I couldn’t
understand. Everyday, I had to walk alone
over an hour to and from classes. I found
myself with plenty of time to think and
pray. In fact, I even chose a tree on the
way to school that I stopped and prayed
near without fail every time I passed. Now,
back in America again, I find myself at a
new school with basically no friends again,
and I’m okay with that. I’ve learned to be
happy with people around or when I’m
by myself.
I also learned to expect change, and to
be flexible enough to live with it. My plans
changed and I was thrown for a loop more
than several times in Poland. Through all
of this, I realized that I’m not in charge of
the situation. God is, and God didn’t write
each of us individual notes that tell us the
exact plans or routes we are supposed to
follow in our lives. Instead, He gave us the
Bible which taught us principles to live
by. One of those principles tells us to love
one another; a second principle tells us
to “go into all the world.” Notice that the
Bible doesn’t say to go to any specific part
of the world, but just to go. I think that
instead of giving us specifics, God would
rather we just make ourselves available for
Him to use. Then, He can lead us to the
place where He wants us.
I really believe that the first month I
spent in Poland toughened me up so that
I was ready to do the job God REALLY
wanted me to do there. When I got to
my second location, I was thrilled to take
on the challenges I ran into! In the end,
God never told me to go to the school
in Warsaw. But He did tell me to make
When the details were worked out, I
said goodbye to Maciek, Agatha, Jasmine
and Jagoda, and headed south to Warsaw.
When I got there, I was pleasantly
surprised to find that now I had my own
room (I had slept on the floor Maciek’s
living room before), that I was surrounded
with Adventists my own age and that my
boss was an American. From an emotional
standpoint, the most difficult chapter
of the year was now finished, but my
challenges were far from over.
Upon arrival, this school expected me
to teach, training or no training. So, I had
to learn quickly. Plus, my expenses went
up. The laundry that I used to do for free
now cost me $1 to wash and $1 to dry per
load. The Internet that I used to be able to
access for free (though with very limited
access) now cost me 30 zloties a month.
Moreover, my schedule was always
changing. In Warsaw, I taught mostly
private lessons. Students would come and
go frequently. I would teach someone for
a few weeks and they would call in one
day and say they couldn’t make it that
week. Then, they’d call again the next
week and say they couldn’t make it again.
Then, some would come back several
weeks later and others would just stop
coming altogether. Usually when the latter
happened, I replaced them. Some would
come back several weeks later.
Though my trip to Poland certainly
didn’t turn out the way I expected when
I signed up to go, I learned a lot from
it. First of all, I learned that it’s okay to
be alone sometimes. I came from the
United States where I always wanted
to have friends or family nearby. But in
Poland, I constantly found myself all alone.
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
p o l a n d
16
adventist volunteer service
myself available, and when I did, He took
the wheel. I learned that we should always
keep ourselves available to God because
that’s the only way we will ever get the
work done that needs to be finished on
this earth. Making ourselves available
won’t necessarily lead us across an ocean;
it may lead us no farther than the nearest
grade school tutoring lab or the homeless
shelter down the street, but make no
mistake, once you make yourself available
to God, you will be used.
in Teaching. Besides this, Matthew is also looking
forward to marrying his fiancé (to whom he
proposed while she was visiting him in Warsaw) in
July of 2009!
After that? Who knows! But he and his fiancé
(who was also a volunteer) are considering
volunteer service again. Surely God will lead them
as they make themselves available to Him!
Upon returning to the United States from Poland
in June of 2007, Matthew Mize packed up his
car and moved to California, where he’s lived ever
since, and where he attends La Sierra University.
Having just finished his Bachelor’s degree in History
there, Matthew has already started his Master’s
Above: Matthew with
his American friend,
Dorothy Porowski,
Director of the School
of Foreign Languages
at the Polish Senior
College of Theology
and Humanities in
Podkowa Lesna, shortly
after his arrival.
Left: Matthew (center)
with some friends from
the church and a fellow
teacher from Germany
(right).
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
p o l a n d
17
adventist volunteer service
Cambodia
Won’t You Come?
By Sharon Rogers
W
watch the sunset on the river as the soft
glow of the city lights start to shine in the
near darkness.
Won’t you come and walk along the
crowded city roads? Roads where animals,
people, bikes, cyclos (bicycles with small
carriages in front for passengers), ox carts,
motorcycles, cars and trucks go both ways
on both sides. Roads where you can easily
make friends with the welcoming and
curious Cambodian people.
Won’t you come to this country where
there are only approximately 6,000
Seventh-day Adventists—0.5% of the
on’t you come to Cambodia,
a tropical land where there
are only three seasons: hot,
cool and rainy? Where the countryside is
a lush green during the rice planting and
growing season and where it fades to a
golden brown hue during harvest time.
Won’t you come to Cambodia’s capital,
Phnom Penh, a thriving city over one
million people strong? A city where the
Tonle Sap, Mekong and Bassac Rivers all
run through the downtown area, making
it picture perfect. A city where you can
catch a boat ride for just a few dollars and
2
1
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
c a m b o d i a
18
adventist volunteer service
population? This country where the other
95.5% still need to hear the news of a
loving Savior.
The staff of Cambodia Adventist School
is praying that God will send faithful
volunteers like you to come and help do
His work in this tropical land.
Won’t you come?
Cambodia Adventist School (CAS) is
located in the bustling and thriving city
of Phnom Penh. An oasis in the city,
CAS sits on two acres of land amidst
banana, mango and papaya trees. The
school has a friendly atmosphere and
offers American-based curriculum. On the
grounds, there are three buildings: a dorm
that houses 40 students, the picnic area
and an 18-classroom block which was just
finished in August of 2008.
The school has a good reputation in the
community. The people of Cambodia are
interested in quality education for their
children, and even though most of them
are Buddhist, they choose CAS because
a friend or neighbor has told them about
the English Medium School where the
4
Are you a Jeremiah, saying,
“Here I am, send me?”
3
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
c a m b o d i a
19
adventist volunteer service
Cambodia
teachers go the second mile to help their
students learn, and where they teach
good moral values in the process.
Though CAS is now quite popular, the
school had humble beginnings. When
CAS first opened its doors in 1995, its
staff was made up of two teachers, one
helper and a student volunteer. At that
time, the school only offered Kindergarten
through 2nd grade. Since then, CAS has
steadily grown. The school now offers
Kindergarten through 12th grade, has 382
students and 36 staff members! So, now
more help is needed than ever, and some
of the people relied on for help every year
are volunteers.
In the past, CAS has had quite a few
volunteers and has been immensely
blessed by them. Volunteers have helped
out in many ways, from befriending
students when they needed it most, to
challenging students to do better with
their studies, from telling students what
college is going to be like, to encouraging
them not to give up so easily and giving
5
6
7
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
c a m b o d i a
20
adventist volunteer service
them advice about how to survive high
school. In fact, CAS students love to
spend time with friendly and outgoing
volunteers, and they hate seeing them
leave when the time comes. Volunteers
from years past often maintain the lasting
friendships that they have made here;
some volunteers have even returned to
visit their students from years ago.
Volunteers to CAS have also helped
by leading out in vespers, chapels and
Sabbath Schools. They have witnessed
to students one on one, and many of
them continue to witness and give
encouragement even after they have left
CAS. Now, more volunteers are needed
here to help. So, if you want to volunteer
in a place that needs hard-working,
committed Christians, then CAS is the
place for you!
Today, the hand of God is working at
Cambodia Adventist School. The school
has had the privilege of seeing five to
eight students baptized each year, more
than half of them coming from Buddhist
homes. Yet, there is still a great work to be
done here at CAS (the school’s population
is only one-third Christian) and in
Cambodia. Like the people in Macedonia
in Paul’s day, the Cambodian people are
calling out from their darkness and asking,
“Who will come? Who will teach us? Who
will help us out of this hopelessness?”
Will you? Are you a Jeremiah, saying,
“Here I am, send me?”
Won’t you come?
Sharon Rogers is the principal of Cambodia
Adventist School. Together with her husband Gareld
(who is a Global Mission coordinator and builder for
Cambodia Adventist Mission), Sharon has lived in
Cambodia for 12½ years. Before going to serve in
Cambodia, they lived in Ocala, Florida, USA, where
Gareld was a construction supervisor and Sharon
taught at SDA schools in Ocala and Deland. Sharon
and Gareld have two grown daughters, three
grandsons and one grand-daughter.
1. First day of school.
2. Inside the science laboratory.
3. Inside a classroom.
4. Inside the computer room.
5. Thatch building.
6. Exterior of the classroom building.
7. Another view of the classroom building.
8. Parking garage, generator, electrical building.
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
c a m b o d i a
21
8
adventist volunteer service
Thailand
A Volunteer Interview
Carl Ashlock, a retired educator and pastor, and his wife, Glenda,
a licensed counselor, have worked for the Seventh-day Adventist
Church in the United States for many years. In September of 2007,
they decided to continue their service, but this time as volunteers,
by spending a year teaching at Mission College in Thailand. While
still serving there, Carl Ashlock was interviewed about his and his
wife’s experience volunteering in Thailand.
Jill Walker Gonzalez (JWG): Why did
you decide to volunteer in Thailand?
to stay a few steps in front of our students
this way. The college has been very good
to us; they’ve tried not to overload us.
We have had time to travel on breaks and
see parts of the world we’ve never seen
before.
Carl Ashlock (CA): Our son and his family
are in Thailand. He is the Senior Pastor of
the college church. And he informed us
of the need for volunteers. So we applied
and were accepted.
JWG: What do you love most about
serving in Thailand?
JWG: What kind of volunteer work do you
do? Describe your typical day.
CA: There are so many things that we love
about our work and life here. First of all,
the people in this part of the world are so
very friendly and accepting of us. We have
quickly developed many warm friendships
with our students and fellow staff workers
at the college. Our students come from 40
different countries. This provides us with
the privilege of expanding our horizons
far more than we ever imagined was
possible. We enjoy shopping at the local
CA: A typical day for us would go like this:
we get to our offices at about 8 am each
morning and prepare for our classes (on
average, we have one or two classes each
day). Supplies and resources are somewhat
limited, so we have to improvise by doing
a lot of our own research for our class
lectures. But this has been a blessing. We
are stimulated and motivated to learn and
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
t h a i l a n d
22
adventist volunteer service
JWG: What would you say to encourage
others to serve as volunteers?
markets and getting the wonderful fresh
fruit in such abundance. We enjoy feeling
that we are making a great and significant
difference in the lives of young people
who want to eventually return to their
own countries and prepare others for the
coming of Christ.
CA: I would heartily encourage other
retirees who are still in fairly good
health to consider volunteering. To
feel so needed at this stage of life is a
wonderful boost to the spirits. I feel so
appreciated here by the students and the
administration. I’ve decided that I’d like to
wear out rather than rust out.
There is a level of commitment and
sincerity among many of our students
that is uplifting and rewarding for us. Our
efforts are well repaid by the expressed
appreciation we hear daily.
Currently, the Ashlocks are keeping themselves
busy by helping out at their home church in
Franklin, North Carolina. There, Carl conducts
weekly prayer meetings, helps with Sabbath school
and preaches from time to time, while Glenda does
JWG: What is the biggest challenge you
have faced volunteering?
occasional counseling.
CA: Our biggest challenge is the need to
improvise. We are so used to being
able to access whatever we need
in America where resources are so
plentiful and adequate. But here, we
improvise much of the time and we do
without. We are often driven to our
knees in prayer. What a blessing this
has been!
JWG: How has this experience
changed your life?
CA: Both our lives have
been affected by our need
for prayer. We get up early
each morning and have much
to talk to God about—our
students, the college and the
many other ‘normal’ things
people our age pray about. It
has given a greater sense of
urgency to our prayers and our
dependence on God. What a
blessing that is!
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
t h a i l a n d
Above: At a Cambodian
wedding.
Left: Carl and Glenda
Ashlock and their
grandchildren.
23
adventist volunteer service
An Island Overview
By Annalena Hullquist
Majuro, an
atoll, is the
capital of
the Marshall
Islands and is
approximately
31 miles long,
but only 1/3
of a mile wide
at its widest
point.
Majuro
It was absolutely beautiful—blue water like
I’d rarely seen before except in pictures. But
that’s not really what you’re thinking about when you’re hurtling
towards this water at speeds upwards of 200 miles per hour!
T
we were there. Rose and I were going
to be sent to Laura, a small town on the
opposite end of the island. I had originally
signed up for 2nd grade and was fairly
eager to begin. The drive out to this tiny
town was beautiful. At times, the road
narrowed to the point that the ocean was
within 4 feet of either side of the road!
We soon arrived at Laura, which was to
be my home for the next several months.
The school is Kindergarten through 8th
grade, with only one building and three
classrooms, plus an office/library. This
quaint little set-up is located in the very
center of this 1/4th mile region, with the
trees blocking the wind and making the
already torturous high temperatures worse.
After making sure all our stuff was
moved in, the Principal took off back to
the Delap Seventh-day Adventist School,
and Rose and I were left to tackle a very
new culture. That first weekend, the
church and school members decided to
throw us a Yokwe party, or welcome
party. We were told that the party would
begin around 6 pm, but they were still
setting up around 8 pm. This was our first
he plane was about to land and I
still couldn’t see any hint of land
anywhere. Had it not been for
a warning about this during our 4-day
orientation in Hawaii, I might have been
more frightened. I was about to begin
serving for 10 months as a volunteer in
Majuro. Majuro, an atoll, is the capital of
the Marshall Islands and is approximately
31 miles long, but only 1/3 of a mile wide
at its widest point.
As we were taken to the Delap Seventhday Adventist School (where I would be
serving), we got our first real look at this
small island. The visions in my head of
straw huts and shy little “island people”
were quickly dispersed by factories, small
shacks and a few houses, most of which
had seen better days.
The Delap school is located right on a
beautiful rocky shore beyond which are
only eons of ocean water to be seen.
This is where we spent our first few days
getting prepared—me and about 20 other
volunteers, all with the same curiosity
about our new living quarters. But, of
course, we had to get to the real reason
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
m a j u r o
26
adventist volunteer service
why it is largely impressed upon you to be
flexible while in the mission field!
The church is located right on our
school’s property. The elder was very
enthusiastic to learn that I played the
piano and he put me to work during the
very first church service. I quickly found
out that their piano (which had seen
better days) was not only out of tune, but
also had 10 major keys that were either
totally flat or did not work at all.
The Marshallese have their own
hymnbook, which the pastor (when
he finally came) was eager to use.
Unfortunately, the tempo the music was
written in was not always the rhythm the
congregation sang the songs to. I learned
to adapt and became very proficient at
playing the piano for Marshallese church
services, so much so that I had a bit of
difficulty adjusting back to a normal piano
when I came back to the US!
Time began to pass very quickly for us.
We got used to not only the temperature,
introduction to “Island time.” When we
were finally called to come outside, we
saw the front of the school had a nice
little table set up with two chairs, with the
rest of the chairs arranged in a semi-circle
facing them. They sang to us their native
songs and set us up at that little front
table and they sat facing us. They gave us
leis and flower crowns. We literally felt like
royalty as they brought us a complete set
of every food dish, including fish with their
dull eyes staring back at us. For drinks, we
had fresh coconuts with straws sticking
out of the top? This was more like the
Island experience I had expected.
Rose and I lived out there in Laura
completely by ourselves for a while. We
were told that the pastor who would be
sharing the other half of our small building
would be coming soon (we didn’t realize
that in Marshallese, “soon” could mean up
to a couple of months). We had a couple
of days before school started, giving us
plenty of time to get our books together
and figure out how to do lesson plans
from scratch.
The first few days of school did not
feel like they would be too difficult. We
thought we’d be able to navigate the
next ten months fairly easily. Little did
we realize that kids are generally on their
best behavior and actually study for the
first week, but after they get to know
your first name and who you are, well,
you are not only their teacher but also
their friend and they will come to you
with everything and test you sometimes
to see how “easy” of a teacher you’re
going to be.
I had only nine students, but was
teaching grades 6, 7 and 8. I had
originally signed up for 2nd grade. This is
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
m a j u r o
but also the culture,
Annalena’s
teaching
dedication.
and making
27
adventist volunteer service
Majuro
friends with the natives—hanging out
with them (which involved just sitting in
groups not even really talking sometimes,
playing volleyball, which seemed to be
a primarily female sport, and sometimes
basketball, the guy’s sport.
We would occasionally go into Delap to
shop, as the “supermarket” on Laura was
little more than a gas station and minmart. Also, items in Laura were typically a
few cents more expensive than they were
in Delap (hey, when you’re on a stipend,
you really learn to watch your pennies).
Since we had no vehicle, our mode of
transportation was the bus, which was
an old 12-passenger van that had no real
schedule and was usually crammed with
upwards of 15 people.
The island itself is beautiful, although
I was never able to completely instill
the intelligence in my students that
Styrofoam was not biodegradable like an
apple core and I was frustrated with the
trash that was piled up on the otherwise
gorgeous island.
There was an outer island called
Rongrong that we sometimes camped
on for the weekend. That was a literal
paradise, complete with an old fishing
boat beached on the reef. At low tide,
we waded out to it, climbed onto it and
poked around. The boat ride to the island
was sometimes more than someone with
a weak stomach could handle. One day,
the church decided to throw a Sunday
picnic out there. They fit about 15 people
per boat. Then, after a day of games and a
cookout, they only wanted to take one trip
back (gas costs $5 a gallon here), so they
packed about 30 adults and kids into the
boat. The edge of the boat was no more
than 2 inches above the water—a little
disconcerting—but since the rest of the
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
m a j u r o
company showed no fear on these sharkinfested waters, I decided to relax and
enjoy the sunset on our 5-mile trip back,
traveling about 3 mph!
There were plenty of these small
experiences that ingrained themselves
in my memory, and when we finished
the year, I was severely sad to leave
“my kids.” I had grown to love this lazy,
beautiful island where the natives loved
us and treated us like celebrities. It was
an experience I will never forget, being
in a place where I grew close to another
culture—another life really. Where God
felt so much closer, maybe because of the
simple way of life. It was a real chance for
me to get back to the basics.
Annalena, who is originally from New York
state, USA, returned from Laura in June of 2007.
Currently she is serving in Iraq as a mechanic.
When she returns to the United States, she plans
to finish her Graphic Design major. After that?
“I wouldn’t mind volunteering again,” she says,
“for a short term mission trip. I definitely enjoyed
volunteer service in Laura and I learned a lot.”
28
adventist volunteer service
Annalena with some of the girls.
Students making a pyramid.
Laura Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Annalena’s classroom.
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
m a j u r o
29
adventist volunteer service
Tanzania
Living at
Havilah Orphanage Village
By Thomas Simader
M
y wife, Evelyn and I have been
married for six years now, and
for most of that time we have
dreamed of working together for God
in the area of development and aid in
Africa. While looking for a volunteer
position, we had to be patient, to let
God work and to heed the words of the
Bible in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “To everything
there is a season and a time to every
purpose under heaven.”
Now, praise the Lord, we are living
and working in Tanzania in Africa as
the directors of the Havilah Orphanage
Village! We have been here since the
end of September 2008 and will stay for
at least one year. We may stay longer…
That is in the Lord’s hands.
Our village is located in the
countryside about one hour away from
Arusha, which is the closest big city. The
orphanage is situated on the campus of
the University of Arusha. The countryside
here is very green and beautiful. It’s
quiet, and from where we are, we can
see Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru!
The weather is very comfortable; it is
always between 30 and 35 degrees
Celsius (in Fahrenheit, between 86 and
95 degrees). We often just look around
us and say, “Thanks be to God!”
Our duties here include managing
and organizing everything at the Havilah
Orphanage Village. As administrators,
we care for all employees and children.
At the moment, the center has two
m i s s i o n p o s t
|
t a n z a n i a
houses with ten children, one African
housemother and one American
volunteer per house. We live together
with all the children. Our assignment
is a lot of work, sometimes very loud
and strenuous, but we have a lot of
fun with the children and we enjoy
being with them. As soon as we have
the funds, we will start to build more
houses for Havilah Orphanage Village (as
I am an Electrical Engineer and Evelyn
is an Architect, part of our duties are to
help with the construction of the new
houses). The goal is to have ten houses
so we can accommodate 100 children!
Up until now, we’ve had a lot of
good and bad experiences here. We’ve
learned many lessons about the people
and the environment in Tanzania. But in
all our experiences, we have felt God’s
leading and protection! We also feel that
we are depending on God more here
than we were in Germany, our home
country. This is probably because of the
new environment, the high poverty level
here and the high rate of crime. We have
definitely felt God protecting us each day!
We love being here and are very
thankful for all the experiences we’ve
had and are still having. They are
forming our characters daily and
bringing us closer to our Lord!
Thomas Simader writes from Tanzania, where he
and his wife Evelyn will be volunteers at the Havilah
Children’s Home until the end of September 2009.
30
adventist volunteer service
New
Volunteers
Abston, Erin Renee—Dental Hygienist, from USA to Madagascar
Acosta, David Daniel—Chaplain and Men’s Dean, from Colombia to Uruguay
Adams, Rachel Michelle—Reassign as Second Grade Teacher, from USA to Taiwan
Akipe, Mark Hari—English Language Teacher, from Papua New Guinea to Ukraine
Alexander, Lance Christiaan—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Alexander, Lizelle—English-Religion Teacher, from South Africa to Korea
Alvarez, Anna Luz—English Teacher, from USA to Peru
Andersen, Carla Jean—Teacher, from USA to Thailand
Anderson, Emily Marie—English Language Teacher, from USA to Kazakhstan
Bairos, Tiffiny Ann—English Teacher, from Canada to Brazil
Baptiste, Geraldine—Bible Worker, from South Africa to Australia
Barrett, Kim Louise—Asst Girl’s Dean, from Australia to United Kingdom
Baumgartner, Evelyn Joy—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Baumgartner, Renee—Admin Support/ESL Teacher, from USA to Ethiopia
Bell, Carla Sandra—Reassign as English-Religion Tchr, from New Zealand to Korea
Bernoth, Andrea Louise—English Language Teacher, from Australia to Russia
Betz, Raymond Keith II—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Blake, Natalie—English Teacher, from USA to Mexico
Booysen, Michael Johannes—Eng-Religion Tchr, from South Africa to Korea
Borcherding, Christopher John—Airplane Mechanic, from USA to Peru
Borges, Fernando Anversa Pereira—Film mkr/Prog Prdr, from Brazil to Lebanon
Bothma, Shermon Carryn—English-Religion Teacher, from South Africa to Korea
Bowman, Camden Ryan—Community Ambassador, from USA to Peru
Bull, Malcolm John—English-Religion Teacher, from Australia to Korea
Cartagena, Marianela Betsabé —Med Intern, from Argentina to Kenya
Cartledge, Liam—2nd - 4th Grade Teacher, from United Kingdom to Laura
Cha, Jasmine Ji Hyun—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Chambers, Michael John—English-Religion Teacher, from Australia to Korea
Chinkanda, Nozizwe Esther—Eng-Religion Teacher, from South Africa to Korea
Colen, Ana Paula Ribeiro—Asst Girls Dean, from Brazil to Spain
Coon, Anna Catherine—English Teacher, from USA to Chile
Cordero, Carlos Jose—Asst Men’s Dean, from USA to Denmark
Cox, Frank Greg—Communications/Radio, from USA to Nicaragua
Custodio, Jonathas Newlands—Youth Pastor, from Brazil to New Zealand
Davison, Armida Inocencio—Teacher’s Aide, from Philippines to Macao
Delinger, Timothy Sean—English Teacher, from USA to Chile
Dickerson, Jeffrey Dean—Language Dept Asst, from USA to Italy
Donesky, Orville Blair—Pilot, from USA to Peru
Edmond, Nivard—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Fahrbach, Donald Christian—Family Medicine Physician, from USA to Guam
Figueroa, Michelle Marie—EMT/RN, from USA to Chad
Foster-White, Mia Morrissa—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Frehn, Jennifer—English Teacher, from USA to Peru
Gabrielyan, Zaven—High School Bible Teacher, from Armenia to Ebeye
George, Robin Lewis—Video Production, from USA to Thailand
Gomez, Daniel Montaya—Bible Worker, from USA to Australia
Goley, Andrew William—High School Health/Physical Ed Tchr, from USA to Pohnpei
Goodwin, Cory James—Video Production Team, from Canada to Thailand
Govender, Paul—English-Religion Teacher, from South Africa to Korea
Grady, Liesl Krysanne—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Green, Dervette Annelice Voresther—English-Religion Tchr, from USA to Korea
Groom, Steven Mark—Church Pastor, from Australia to Thailand
Guerrero, Carolina Andrea—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Hansen, Sara Isabella Setrinen—Bible Worker, from Norway to Australia
Harriss, Deanna Kathleen—Dental Hgnst, from USA to St Vincent & The Grenadines
Hargett, Matthew—Grade 2-4 Teacher, from USA to Laura
Harrison, Chima Wenee Ada—English-Religion Teacher, from UK to Korea
Harrison, Richard Dominic—English-Religion Teacher, from UK to Korea
Harvey, Darby James—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Hawkins, Lindsey Kaye—Video Production Team, from USA to Thailand
Hayes, Ian Desmond—Reassign as English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Heck, Aila—3rd Grade Teacher, from Germany to Yap
Hein, Erwin Edgar—Fisiotherapist, from Argentina to Honduras
Issa, Andrea Louise—Reassign as Preschool Teacher, from USA to Egypt Field
Jean-Pierre, Renwick Saeed—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Jeon, Daniel Sung—Bible Worker, from USA to Australia
Jones, Joanna Naomi—English Teacher, from United Kingdom to Peru
Jung, Je Hoon (Jason)—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Kamsuon, Amita—English Language Teacher, from India to Djibouti
Keever, Phoebe Hoa—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Kendall, Kristopher Neil—Asst Dean of Men, from Australia to Denmark
Kentish, Jodi-Ann Monique—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Kgasa, Lorato Sheila—English-Religion Teacher, from South Africa to Korea
Kim, John Sunho—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Kotanko, Adam Julius—English Teacher, from USA to Chile
Kowarsch, Klaus Willfried—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
missionpost | new volunteers
Kowarsch, Paula Dian—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Krouse, Tina Kesia—Reassign as Academic Office Supervisor, from Australia to Korea
La Madrid, Kristen Marie—Reassign as English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Leukes, Shirna Gaynor—English-Religion Teacher, from South Africa to Korea
Lillystone, Elaine Ruth—Pioneer Taskforce Wrkr, from Australia to United Kingdom
Lillystone, Robert James—Pioneer Taskforce Wrkr, from Australia to UK
Ludwig, Antonia Jacqueline—English-Religion Teacher, from Australia to Korea
Mandache, Maria—Training/Seminar Instructor, from USA to India
Mandache, Zaharia—Building Supervisor, from USA to India
Manjo, Mandy—English-Religion Teacher, from South Africa to Korea
Manjo, Sherwin Craig—English-Religion Teacher, from South Africa to Korea
Maqubela, Mandisa Pumla—English-Religion Teacher, from South Africa to Korea
Mayr Rojas, Roy Kenneth—IT Director, from Chile to Philippines
McCreery, Skyla Dawn—Reassign as English Language Tchr, from Canada to Ukraine
McNeil, Yonique Aesha—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Mdakane, Lungile Pearl—English-Religion Teacher, from South Africa to Korea
Michell, Andrew Donald—Miss Outreach Ctr Staff, from USA to Thailand
Moll, Dinah-Vera—Reassign as 3rd Grade Teacher, from Austria to Palau
Morales, Amber Yvette—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Myers, Carol Marie—Community Development, from USA to India
Myers, Phillip Roger—Community Development, from USA to India
Newton, Clara—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Ngobeni, Hetani—Reassign as Academic Office Supervsr, from South Africa to Korea
Norton, Brian Michael—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Nugent, Joy Christina—3rd Grade Teacher, from USA to Pohnpei
Nyangati, Linah Thaitinga IV—Kindergarten Teacher, from Kenya to Yap
Odiyar, Mai-Rhea Laurice—Miss Outreach Ctr Staff, from Canada to Thailand
Oliveras Jr, Richard Luis—Video Production Team, from USA to Thailand
Onde, Delfred Abarquez—Youth Pastor, from Philippines to Australia
Orban, Erika Maria—English Language Teacher, from USA to Russia
Ovens, Magdeline—English-Religion Teacher, from South Africa to Korea
Parraway, Memory Mae (Waugh)—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Patrick, Kirsty May—ESL Teacher, So Maranhao Miss, from Australia to Brazil
Pearce, Theresa Lynne—Youth Worker, from Australia to UK
Perez, Cléderson Matheus Rien—Film maker/Program Prdr, from Brazil to Lebanon
Peronti, Vincent Matthew—High School Bible Teacher, from USA to Palau
Pineda, Roselle Faye—Reassign as Asst Girl’s Dean, from Philippines to Argentina
Pita, Martin Rodrigo—Chaplain Asst, from Argentina to Spain
Poonen, Lauren Andrea—English-Religion Teacher, from South Africa to Korea
Powell, Lillie Mae—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Quaile, Marianne Elizabeth—HS Asst Girls’ Dean/Librarian, from USA to Palau
Ramages, Justin Ray—Reassign as English-Religion Tchr, from South Africa to Korea
Rantsoabe, Mpho Simon—English-Religion Teacher, from South Africa to Korea
Ravinovich, Mariel Ines IV—Library Asst, from Argentina to South Africa
Ricketts, Mario Fernando—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Rippingale, Geoff Murray—Coordinator, from Australia to India
Roberts, Brandan Seth—Video Production Team, from USA to Thailand
Rouhe, Anna Emilia—Elementary School Teacher, from Finland to Thailand
Saguan, Lowennel Bayola—Asst in the Theology Dept, from Philippines to Germany
Salagubang, Jammie—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Schatzschneider, Gail—Teacher, from USA to Malawi
Severance, Michael Scott—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Silverio Mota, Hermenegildo Apolonio—Dentist, from Peru to Rwanda
Siqueira, Matheus Araújo de—Film maker/Program Prdcr, from Brazil to Lebanon
Slade, Joel Phillip—High School Bible Teacher, from Australia to Pohnpei
Smith, Atarah Julie Anne Adama—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Snyder, Daniel Kevin—2nd Grade Teacher, from USA to Palau
Snyder, Erinn Deanne (Anderson)—8th Grade Teacher, from USA to Palau
Stanton, Jennifer Lynn—Physician Asst Intern, from USA to Guam
Strong, Davidlyn Pearl—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Taylor, Frances Grace—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Tromp, Johannes (Tommy) Andries—Eng-Rel Tchr, from South Africa to Korea
Unger, Gerhard—Interim Education Director, from USA to Guam
Valerio, Paul—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Vance, Michael James Jr—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Von Szuts, Sebastian Phillipo—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Vyhmeister, Nancy Jean—Editor/Teacher, from USA to Philippines
Vyhmeister, Werner Konrad—Accreditation Coordinator, from USA to Philippines
Waylor, Luke Walter—English-Religion Teacher, from Australia to Korea
Wienhoff, Brieanne Elizabeth—Preschool Teacher, from USA to Egypt
Williams, Gemma Adelaide—English-Religion Teacher, from USA to Korea
Wilson, Thaddeus David—Med Student, from USA to Guam
Witbooi, Hayley Elizabeth—English-Religion Teacher, from South Africa to Korea
Witzel, Everet Wayne—Adjunct Prof, from USA to Philippines
Zawilinski, Alan Lewis—Boys Dean and Humanities Teacher, from USA to Taiwan
31
adventist volunteer service
volunteer opportunities
Albania
Administrator
Adventist Family
Health Clinic
Nicaragua
Nurse
Tasba Raya
Adventist Clinic
Brazil
ESL Teacher &
Translator
South American
Division
Palau
High School Bible
Teacher
Palau Mission
Academy
Djibouti
English Language
Teacher
Djibouti Adventist
Health Center
Peru
Manual Labor/
Agriculture
Touch of Love
Ghana
Guam
India
Accounting
Lecturer
Valley View
University
Maintenance
Assistant
AWR-Guam
Teacher
Spicer Memorial
College
Poland
Puerto
Rico
Rwanda
Primary English
Teacher
Christian Primary
School
English & Music
Teacher
Bella Vista Adv Aca
Dentist
Kigali Dental Clinic
Kenya
Clinical Officer
University of
Eastern Africa,
Baraton
Tanzania
Student Nurse
ADRA Tanzania
Listed are samples of volunteer opportunities available at the time this issue went to press. There are currently hundreds of
volunteer opportunties available throughout the world, and more become available each day! For the most current information on
these and other volunteer positions, visit us online at: www.adventistvolunteers.org. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer,
contact your division volunteer coordinator for more information. Your home division will process your application.
To find your Division Contact from the website, click on “divisions.”