Month: April 2008

future work

3 Comments / travel spreading 1858gc / April 7, 2008

What should i be doing?  My visa in Thailand is good until June 11, then…..?

My first plan last year when i came was that i would teach until May, then soon after that the 1858 Great Controversy book would be translated into Thai, and i could spend most of the last half of the year in Thailand spreading that book.  But now the school where i was teaching is not following God, so i cannot return there until they do, and the Thai 1858gc will not be ready for printing until later, so what to do, where to go?

Options as i see them now, in order of probability/feasibility – of course i’m always open to the Holy Spirit’s leading 🙂

1. Go to Myanmar and help spread the 1858gc there.  PROS- Book will be hot off the press and needs promotion. CONS- May not be ready by then.

2. Go to Malaysia and help the Chinese translator there.  PROS- Being directly with the translator would help the work go faster, and be more faithful to the original.  CONS- Don’t know if the translator even wants help.

3. Go to Cambodia and help spread the book there.  PROS- Book is already printed and languishing.  CONS- Need someone who can go around to the churches with me and be my interpreter, plus i need a lot of physical and moral stamina to enter this country.

4. Try to extend visa for Thailand to help translator there.  PROS- Can help get book done, loving atmosphere.  CONS- Feel like time and talents better used elsewhere until book gets translated.

5. Go to Indonesia and introduce book there.  PROS- Book has not yet been introduced there, and there are many SDAs.  CONS- Have zero contacts there.  NOTE- Book is in Malay which is probably acceptable in Indonesia too, but not sure.

6. Go to India and work on distribution and especially animated movie of book.  PROS- Really, really want to get this book into animated form, and have 2 really great friends there to work with.  CONS- India just doesn’t seem to be calling me at all at present, and takes even more physical stamina than Cambodia.

7. Go to Japan.  haha.  Must wait a while longer, but have promised (Lord willing) to make it back there before the end of this year 🙂

Around the end of the year i hope to go back to Japan after a 3 year absence, then over to Korea for a few weeks, then go see America again after almost a 5 year absence.  In Japan i have many friends and want to encourage the Brothers and Sisters there, and also entreat the non-Christians to accept Jesus before it is forever too late.  Korea has many strong SDAs, and while 5,000 of these 1858gc books were printed there around 4 years ago, i have not heard a peep about distribution, so want to go there and promote this book.  Then in America of course i want to see my relatives, especially my brother and his new family.  There are also some people i wish to introduce this book to, and try to carry on deep studies of this book with those who have already shown an interest.  Hopefully some self-supporting places will be interested in allowing me to come and study this book in earnest with them.

Aaaaaaah, just the thot of going back to Japan again refreshes me. Just think, perfect food, people who do what they say, no translators, understand everything around you – those who have not been for extended periods in a place where you could not speak the language cannot understand how belittling it feels to not be able to read anything or speak to people you meet.  Thankfully (yes, i know, it is God’s long-range plan) i have been able to find English speakers most everywhere i’ve gone, so have been helped tremendously, but still, it is humbling (maybe that’s why God sent me?!) to not even be able to give a witness for Jesus or have any idea about what is in the food. 

Father, please look on me tenderly.  Forgive my sins of pride, lust of the eyes, and impatience.  Mold me, shape me, give me trials, but please remember that sometimes i need rest too….or should i just fix my eyes on the heavenly rest?  Bless especially those who have helped me, and may they all have a stronger desire to follow the words in this 2nd greatest book in the world: The Great Controversy Between Christ and His Angels, and Satan and His Angels.  Your words will not return to you void.  I want to continue having a part in making that prophecy come true.  I love you Jesus, tremendously.  I thank you and praise your name for choosing me.  Show me when to use the rest of my dwindling money to advance your cause.  Use me in any way, absolutely any way you see best.  Please correct me when you see me going astray.  I want to serve you, worship you, talk like you, walk like you, be like you.  Direct me to others who have similar desires.  Please save me.  Amen.

1858 great controversy translation progress

5 Comments / great controversy book work / April 6, 2008

Nearly all the work going on to translate and spread this book is going on in South East Asia and in India.  A email today from Singapore stunned me by saying a lady there has translated this book into Chinese!  I have never even met the person!!!  Now i have to send that to the Chinese translator and verify that it is in fact OK.  From what i can make out, it mostly looks good, but there is a mistake in the book title and chapter 32 title.  Please pray that the Chinese language 1858 Great Controversy Between Christ and His Angels, and Satan and His Angels can be completed soon, so it can be spread widely among the Chinese reading population.

Languages currently being translated:
1. Tibetan
2. Myanmar
3. Chinese
4. Thai
5. Romanian
6. Bhutanese
7. Mizo
8. French

The languages above are listed in order of percentage completion.
1. The TIbetan book has been translated and proofread, and even printed!  However, the printing had a big error, and the printer agreed to reprint without additional cost.  So the funds have been sent, and just now waiting on the printer to reprint them correctly.

2. The Myanmar edition has been completely translated and is currently undergoing proofreading.  It has taken a big longer than expected, but is scheduled to be ready to print this summer.

3. The Chinese edition – wow!  One lady in Malaysia worked on it some, then her hard drive crashed and she lost it all, so i was just hoping that maybe it could be completed before the end of this year.  But then today’s email from Singapore gives me hope that we can use this translation, and just proofread it, and maybe even get to the printer before year-end!  Exciting 🙂

4. The Thai translation is going more slowly than hoped for, but the translator has put renewed effort into it recently, so i still hope it can get to the printer sometime this early fall.  Last week i sat with the translator a bit, and it was fun to go thru the material together.  Sure brought back memories of when i translated it myself into Japanese 🙂

5. A Romanian in Thailand is translating this book very carefully.  He and the Thai translator are a husband-wife team.  His questions about the nuances and which pronoun is referring to what really causes me to think deeply about each word – nice!

6 & 7.  Both language translations have been paid for, and are still in process in northern India.

8. The French book is being translated by a missionary from Africa who is living in Bangkok.  Does anyone know any French proofreaders?

Please remember the various translation workers in your prayers, especially for the Thai-Romanian translator team.  Living in Thailand now, and seeing the obstacles Satan has put up in keeping this book from the Thai people, has made me all the more determined to see that it does get done and spread here.

like a little child

Leave a Comment / daily rambliniscings / April 4, 2008

Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.

Recently i have had the privilege of watching over a 6 year old daughter of my friend.  Now i love kids very much, and since leaving Japan 2 1/2 years ago, have not had so much opportunity to be closely involved with them until coming to be a teacher in a school last August.  But a school setting and a home setting are quite different, bringing out different attributes of character etc.

Somehow i never really grew out of a childlike mentality in some areas.  That being good or bad, others may judge, but i have never really joined in the standard adult games of lying, looking down on or up to others, trying to win others to your point of view and so on.  Just tell the truth, believe others, do your best, expect the same from others, love God first, hope others do too (especially SDAs), and love your neighbor as yourself – not causing anyone trouble, and expecting no one to intentionally cause you trouble either.

“Uncle Daniel, why do they want to eat yucky pig?” is asked of me while we walk past dead, pink carcasses hanging in a row in the market.  “Because many people think it tastes yummy.”  “But why?”  “Either they don’t know God, or don’t want to do what he says.”  “Why don’t they know God?”  “Maybe no one has told them, or maybe they know but are too busy getting money.”  “But why do they want money?”  “Do you like to eat?”  “Yes.”  “Your daddy and mommy work to feed your belly.  They work so they get money to get you food and other things you need.”  “But why?”  “God said it is good for us to work”.  Now coming to this point, i get taught a good lesson.  I’ve told my close Brothers and Sisters that God has the biggest bank account in the world.  He owns everything.  But….do i live my life like that, with the simple faith that he will provide if we do everything according to his will?

Walking with her thru the metropolis of Bangkok helps me see things that i’ve come to take for granted, from a fresh eye.  It also has helped me see that nearly everything us adults do is bad – from our food to our music to our pollution to our clothes to our language to many of our businesses – the list goes on and on.  It is sickening to look at how nearly everything man touches goes bad. 

The “But why?” questions never get tiresome.  In fact, it is a pleasure to hear them, as it makes the mind think in new and creative ways.  “But why?” (after explaining that some people worship that big tree with the red ribbons hanging from it).  “But why?” (after being told that trash is everywhere because many people don’t care about this world)  “But why?” (after being told that the drawing of Jesus’ nail prints is incorrect – that they really should be shown in the palms of his hands).

Even this simple question tho is often looked down on by adults who are too busy with their own lives to consider things from a newly-functioning brain’s perspective.  Why not spend that extra minute letting the children know that we really are interested in them, rather than brushing them off?  Sure hope Jesus doesn’t get tired of our questions!!!

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Madison, God’s Beautiful Farm

1 Comment / book and video review / March 15, 2009

Madison, God’s Beautiful Farm
(The E. A. Sutherland Story by Ira Gish & Harry Christman.)
B

The story starts out where you’d expect it to – on the steamboat Morning Star going up the Cumberland River near Nashville Tennessee in 1904. Percy Magan and Edward Sutherland are told by Ellen White that the Lord wishes them to buy a large worn-out farm against their better judgment. Of course we know the outcome, and the result is clearly given in the book title.

Sutherland and Magan should be regarded as the pioneers in following counsel in the Spirit of Prophecy in educational lines. These two men were personally responsible for starting Walla Walla College, moving Battle Creek College out into the country side in Berrien Springs (now Andrews University), helping College of Medical Evangelists (Loma Linda)’s fledging endeavor, the Seventh-day Adventist church school system, and of course – Madison College.

The greatest success was found in the Madison example, as the neglect and opposition by church leaders gave them the freest rein to run their school exactly according to Bible and Spirit of Prophecy counsel. If the Lord said the students need to learn agriculture, they would learn agriculture. Poor students should be allowed opportunity to work for an education? No problem. After learning that the practice of conferring degrees was started by a pope, they published this notice in the school paper: “Preparation for usefulness in the cause of Christ will be the subject constantly held before students, replacing the courses and diplomas of the past.” Teachers and students worked together with one spirit in the fear of the Lord, and what mighty things did God do for them!

The book struggles in not condemning those against educational reform. But overall it gives a mostly balanced picture of how this work of reform by these two men was in general not received well by SDA church leaders.
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