4 July 2015 | San Antonio, Texas, USA [Katie Allen, tedNEWS] With 1 Adventist to every 392 people on earth, the mission to reach all people across the world is a challenge sometimes out of our comprehension. Daniel Wang Xin Jiao, Secretary of the Chinese Union Mission, spoke of his family’s first-hand experience with the challenges in the mission field to attendees of the Church in Mission programme, on 4 July, at General Conference Session.
Xin Jiao’s parents were among the first Chinese to become Adventist in Shanghai, several decades ago. His father, forced to leave medical school for keeping the Sabbath, printed translated copies of The Great Controversy and The Desire of Ages to distribute with his wife during a time when Christianity was not tolerated.
After being sent to a labour camp for his Christian beliefs, his father’s medical experience earned him a place in the camp’s hospital. He had written Bible verses from memory in a little red book, kept in his pocket, reminding him of Jesus’ power in his life.
Xin Jiao’s father appeared on stage in the Alamodome, proudly holding the little red book that had gotten him through such a tumultuous time in his life. “I’m very happy that my son can now participate in the Church”, he said. “Satan is working very hard to draw everyone away from Jesus’ truth, but I want to encourage everyone to hold on to God before the end comes.”
This was just one of the many compelling and moving Global Mission stories shared throughout the afternoon. Presenters Ana Costescu and Sam Gungaloo, who are involved with the Sabbath Sofa ministry in the UK, delved into video stories from around the world.
They began with the amazing mission of Pastor Vinicius Metzker, who has a special surfing ministry. Utilising his special waterproof Bible, Vini “mingles with people in the water”. He believes that Jesus preached in a unique way and knew the language of people. In his own ministry, Vini strives to follow that example, of reaching people in a way that will impact them.
The afternoon included an array of musical items, prayers from children in their native languages and the work of artist Milton Coronado, who created a piece of art on stage, during the programme.
There was a quiet sadness in the auditorium, as Jan, Gary and Stephanie Roberts took to the stage after a video about Adventist Aviation. It told the story of long-time missionary, Bob Roberts, and his untimely passing after a plane crash, in April 2014. It focused on his missionary work in the isolated mountain villages of Papua, Indonesia.
Gary, son of Bob and Jan, spoke of the privilege it has been for himself and his brother, Eric, to take on Adventist Aviation after such a tragedy. Tearfully, Jan Roberts, wife of the late pilot, shared how her husband had made an impact in the mission field. She concluded saying, “Keep mission alive in the home, bring it into Sabbath School and the churches.”
Other moving stories included an insight into Dr Gillian Seton’s powerful experience tackling the Ebola crisis in West Africa. When other hospitals in the area had closed down, the hospital she worked in, Cooper Adventist Hospital, made the decision to stay open to receive non-Ebola patients, as there was still a need for medical care outside of the crisis. Despite this decision, several Ebola patients were admitted and Dr Seton told the story of how God had gotten the hospital through.
The programme concluded with a special commemoration of missionaries and a presentation to Michael Ryan, the first director of Global Mission.
“I would like to present a plaque,” said Gary Krause, Director of Adventist Mission at the General Conference. “I’ll read what it says: ‘Presented to Michael Ryan, July 4, 2015. Thank you for your outstanding service, for taking the seed of global mission to grow a worldwide harvest. From the Seventh-day Adventist Church.'”
