Nov. 22, 2005 Silver Spring, Maryland, United States

Compiled by ANN Staff

United States—Adventist churches and their immediate surroundings that were severely affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita earlier this year will get help in rebuilding from Adventist Community Services (ACS) Disaster Response. Donors to ACS—the church’s humanitarian arm in the United States and in Bermuda—helped raised an unprecedented U.S. $2 million. To volunteer to help distribute emergency supplies at the ACS warehouse operations, contact Pauline Lewis, coordinator of volunteers, at (816) 233-6929 or (816) 390-0209. To make a donation to the “Community Rebuilding Project,”  call 1-877-ACS-2702, see www.communityservices.org or send mail to ACS Disaster Response, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904.

Canada - -Toronto mayor David Miller, and several religious leaders, joined Seventh-day Adventists in calling for an end to gun violence on Sunday, Nov. 20. The call came in the wake of the Nov. 19 shooting of a mourner at a funeral held at the Toronto West Seventh-day Adventist Church. The victim was Amon Beckles, who was attending Jamal Hemmings’ funeral.

Philippines —At the request of the local government in Negros Oriental in the Philippines, the Seventh-day Adventist Church joined with the local Health Department to train 360 public school teachers in a two-day seminar on Healthy Lifestyle Promotion Training, Oct. 25 to 26. 

Peru —Volunteers from the Carmichael Adventist Church in California, who came to build and paint churches in Peru, gave 500 pairs of shoes to local children at the Calca Adventist Church, located in Peru’s Sacred Valley. The volunteers organized the kids, then one by one began washing each child’s feet in basins of water, dried them and fitted the children with a brand new pair of socks and shoes.

Myanmar —A new modern translation of the Bible into the Burmese language was dedicated Oct. 27 at the Bible Society headquarters in Yangon, Myanmar. Translation for this version of the Bible began in November 1966 and was completed in installments.

Serbia—The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Serbia had its centennial celebration on Oct. 28. The first Adventist church was organized in the village of Kumane in 1905. Since then more than 200 churches have been established in Serbia with a membership of 10,000.

South Korea - Teachers from the largest language school in Korea —the Seventh-day Adventist Language Institutes—recently spent a week at the Positive Life Radio studio, on the campus of Walla Walla College in Washington, United States, recording songs and stories that will be used to teach English to South Korean children. The project uses children’s songs and stories, such as “The Wheels on the Bus,” to teach English to young people in South Korea. WWC students and elementary students from Rogers Adventist School, in College Place, are serving as the voices that will help millions of Koreans learn English.

Spain —Religious experts from several nations gathered in Seville, a traditional home to three cultures—Christian, Muslim and Jewish—for a conference on religious coexistence and combating prejudice. The “Three Cultures” foundation sponsored the event, which was attended by Ambassador Doudou Diene, special United Nations rapporteur on racism. Dr. John Graz, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty director for the Seventh-day Adventist world church and secretary-general of the International Religious Liberty Association, was among the 20 experts who attended the meeting.

Kenya —The University of Nairobi now has an official Seventh-day Adventist Church on campus. There are more than 500 students worshipping at the campus church, which was accepted into the Central Kenya Conference on Nov. 12.

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