Dear family and friends,

We would like to begin this letter with this quote. “If we have the true religion of the Bible, we shall feel that a debt of love, kindness, and interest is due to Christ in behalf of His brethren: and we can do no less than to show our gratitude for His immeasurable love to us while we were sinners unworthy of His grace, by having a deep interest and unselfish love for those who are our brethren and who are less fortunate than ourselves” (Welfare Ministry 35). Our visit in Yemen has been a crazy adventure filled with different experiences that we would like to share with you.

We began our adventure with a safe arrival in Sana’a, Yemen. A few fears with luggage being stolen in the airport and being chosen amongst others as the targets of burglary welcomed us. The culture and faith barrier soon was seen and we realized of how far we were from 76059. In the end we left the airport safely, with nothing missing and we were welcomed with the warmth of Hanan’s family who drove us to what would become our home for the summer.

After a few days of getting over our jet lag, we visited the office of ADRA Yemen. We met the staff and got to know a bit of what daily life in the office of ADRA is like. We were very impressed by the friendliness of the staff and we felt welcomed as part of the team. After an official tour of the office, we began our work by getting a thorough explanation of the vision and goals of ADRA Yemen and what activities are done to accomplish them. We were introduced to projects we would be visiting in the days to come and were overwhelmed by the real life cases that exist within ADRA. Of course, there was no better person to explain things than the country director for ADRA Yemen, Nagi Khalil. He really explained the management of ADRA and answered a few questions for us.

We spent a few days in Sana’a and were able to participate in a surprise birthday party and in a local hash which is a traditional British outdoor activity that is practiced all over the world. We hiked to the top of a mountain and were met by sunset before the expected time, which meant that our hike to the bottom of the mountain would be in complete darkness. With a few slips along the way and the fear of being lost we finally arrived safely to where the rest of the team was waiting.

True adventure began for us on our trip to Aden, which is located on the coast of Yemen along the Gulf of Aden. We traveled with Hanan’s dad by bus. What was to take us five hours was extended to an eight-hour trip because of the many stops along to way to pick up others. We arrived in Aden at night, picked up some food, and found a hotel to rest for the night. In the morning we met the staff of the ADRA office in Aden and joined them for their daily meeting, which is called “Good Morning.” As we got to know each member and what they do we immediately connected with the staff in no time. Our meetings back in Sana’a were an introduction to the cases that ADRA works with, and our time in Aden allowed these cases to come to life as we witnessed the social counselors advising and assisting the different people who came for help. The reason we mention that we immediately felt a difference in the staff was because these people met with the actual refugees and the different crisises in life that have to be assisted. We were given a tour of the local projects which included, social counseling for refugees who were attempting to reestablish their lives in Yemen, a kindergarten for the children of the refugees, a community center which provided income generation for young women by teaching them skills like sewing, needlework and computers skills, and the local school which ADRA is involved in by supporting the students.

Our next trip was from the city of Aden to the refugee camp, which is located two hours away, in what we called the real middle of nowhere. Truly it requires a person’s presence in this camp to fully grasp the reality of life in a refugee camp. There are currently 14,400 Somalian refugees and 800 Ethiopians who claim political asylum in the camp. Meeting the staff and eating a beautiful lunch welcomed our first day in the camp. We met with several of the community workers who are both staff and refugees. Some had spent sixteen years living in different camps with the hope that their life will become better, but when that will happen, they do not know. The dreams and plans of these young people have made it so hard to imagine the life that millions live, having to make daily decisions on how to survive for one day rather than plan for the future. It truly made us realize the many blessings that we have from the Lord and it reminded us of how much prayer millions around the world need.

Although our time in the refugee camp was filled with images of misery, this experience has allowed us to look at the future and make our plans in a way which will lead us to make a difference to those suffering around the world and to make them a big part of our lives. It is hard to forget a mother with tears in her eyes who looked to us for help to feed her child, and all we had to offer was encouraging words. Also, we a young girl who in her eyes has no reason for living after making a great mistake. These people will always remain in our lives and we will meet many more in the project we have left to visit, but as for our experience so far in Yemen, we have only the Lord to thank for His goodness and love which is seen in many ways.

We are back home in Sana’a. We have read a few emails and talked to some family. Today we will attend a Yemeni Sana’anian wedding. We’ll spend a few days here before our next trip. As we know that most of us are all over the world serving in different ways, we hope and pray that the will of God is being manifested in each of our lives. We thank you for your warm emails and we encourage you to keep the faith and do what the Lord has called us to do. We miss you all and we send you our best wishes.

Love,

Hanan and Eileen

PICTURES

Traditional houses built on the mountains of Yemen

Here are buildings in the old city of Sana’a, Yemen. Muslim mosques are visible throughout the city.

These are children of the refugees who are reestablishing their lives in Yemen. The children are attending the kindergarten class that is provided by ADRA.

Here is the real middle of nowhere. This is on the road to the refugee camp.

Different organizations that collaborate to sustain the Kharaz Refugee Camp in Yemen

Somalian refugees walking

Hanan and Eileen with the youth leaders of the refugee camp

Hanan and Eileen wearing a hijab, which is the covering for women

Hanan and Eileen with the ADRA leaders in Aden, Yemen

Hanan and Eileen enjoying the beach in Aden, Yemen

Hanan and Eileen

How does the Bible define sin? Whidden has a great list on page 43 of “Ellen White and Current Issues” Symposium, Volume 2 2006. He gives four characteristics of sin.

First, he writes about 1 John 3: 4. From the King James Version, the verse reads, “Sin is the transgression of the law.” As Adventists, we are familiar with this verse. Our history as a denomination was centered around uplifting the law of God, the Ten Commandments especially the Sabbath. Yet this one verse cannot provide our whole understanding of sin. We must also look at the whole of Scripture.

Second, Whidden talks about sin as “an attitude that continues to harbor and excuse feelings of hate, lust, and so forth (Matthew 5: 21-32; James 1: 14, 15).” When you look at Matthew 5: 21-32, part of the Sermon on the Mount, you see that Jesus “expands” the Ten Commandments. For example, he says if you lust in your heart after a woman, you’re committing adultery (a violation of the seventh commandment). And he asserts that being angry with someone is the same as murdering (breaking the sixth commandment). So, we can realize that Jesus makes the law a heart and thought issue instead of just tangible evil actions.

Third, Whidden quotes Romans 14: 23 (KJV), “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” He continues, “This level of sin manifests itself as attitudes of Godless, self-dependence which are the fruit of the refusal to exercise faith in God.” When we depend on ourselves, when we trust in ourselves, when we don’t acknowledge God, we sin. As sinners, we all have those moments when we do something well and we don’t glorify God. Instead, we take the credit and God doesn’t even get a passing thought. In a similar way, we oftentimes try to do something without seeking God’s help. According to Paul, these attitudes are sinful.

Fourth, Whidden writes, “Sin not only comprehends the bad things we do; but… also the natural, deranged mess that we are from birth.” This is a crucial point to understand. We morally broken from birth. Because of this moral weakness, we have tendencies to sin.

Since the post-fall interpreters will disagree with the fourth point, let’s look at some key texts that support this view. Here are a couple verses that come to mind.

Psalm 51: 5
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Eph. 2: 1-3
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked… and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Psalm 51: 5 and Eph. 2: 1-3 simply tell us that we have a sinful nature even from birth.

Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?

Notice our problem in Jeremiah 17:9. Our problem is our hearts. Our hearts deceive us. This means we can think we’re doing something morally right with all our soul and being yet we’re oftentimes going against God’s will. The problem is not that we’re refusing to live morally. Scripture tells us that the problem is inward. We’re sick with sin and we can’t heal ourselves.

Luke 18:18-19
And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

In the verses from Luke, we see Jesus conversing with the rich young ruler. Jesus makes an interesting point that no one is good except God. Jesus is showing us that all humans are morally on the same level - that is, none of us are good. We’re all sinners, bent towards evil. There is only one human who is good. That special person is Christ, God in the flesh.

Let me close this blog entry with this quick anecdote I heard from a sermon. The pastor told us about his young son. His son had never seen violence before. Yet one day he hit his older sister because he wanted something from her. Why did he do that? What prompted his evil act?

His sinful heart.

In my next entry about the humanity of Christ, we’ll continue looking at Whidden’s writings. He has some quotes from Ellen White about our inherent sinfulness. On the topic of sin, we’ll see that Ellen White mirrors the principles of the Bible.

Whidden’s chapter, “The Humanity of Christ Debate - What Did Ellen White Teach?,” begins with the three main interpretations within the Adventist church about the humanity of Christ.

The first one he calls the traditional or historical Christology. (By the way, Christology is simply the study of Christ.) This view asserts that Jesus came into the world with a fallen human nature. More specifically, Christ had the human nature of Adam after the fall. This was a nature not only weakened physically by the fall but it was also a nature that had tendencies to sin. Of course Christ never sinned, but the historical Christology proponents will say that Christ had inclinations to sin. Like us, Christ was prone to sin. However, unlike us, he never sinned.

The second interpretation that Whidden brings up is the new Christology or pre-fall position. This position is espoused by the authors of the book, Questions on Doctrine. This controversial and ground-breaking book was published in the 1950s by the Adventist church. The authors of this book attested that Jesus took Adam’s pre-fall sinless human nature. Thus, Jesus did not have our tendency to sin.

Finally, Whidden gives the third position. He calls it the alternative pre-fall Christology and it is the position he holds. In this view, Jesus took Adam’s human nature after the fall. This is in agreement with the traditional Christology position. However, the alternative pre-fall Christology departs from the traditional Christology by saying that Jesus did not inherit sinful tendencies from Adam - that is, Jesus did not have a tendency to sin.

So, what did Jesus inherit in Adam’s fallen nature? The pre-fall Christology theologian would say that Christ inherited our physical weaknesses. For example, Christ had to sleep when he got tired. He had to eat when he got hungry and drink when he got thirsty. He inherited our physical limitations but not our sinful inclinations.

Whidden quotes from Jean Zurcher’s book, Touched with Our Feelings: A Historical Survey of Adventist Thought on the Human Nature of Christ:

Christ did not come “in power and splendor,” or even with the sinless nature of Adam…

This does not imply, however, that Jesus inherited “evil tendencies” from Adam. Although the body of Christ was subject to physical deterioration and inherited the weaknesses of man’s physical constitution , He inherited none of the inclinations to evil associated with fallen human nature.

Here’s the important thing to grasp. Physically, Christ was like us - frail, weak, prone to get sick if we don’t take care of our bodies, and under the consequences of aging. But morally, Christ was unlike us - He was bent towards goodness while we are bent towards sin.

In the next couple of days, I’ll go through Whidden’s chapter. He gives evidence that Ellen White held the alternative pre-fall Christology. Also, we’ll look in the Bible and find that it teaches this interpretation.

We sent down a team of about eight people. We gave four 30 minute seminars. Roland spoke on Christian values, Mrs. Hadley talked about Ellen White’s life, Adrian gave a seminar on last day events, and Alex and Eileen worked together for a seminar on courtship and marriage.

I spoke to one of the participants of this trip, Jennifer Castillo. Jennifer is a relatively new member of the Ellen White Research Center. This was only her second trip. She said she was blessed by the powerful and practical sermons about prayer at the youth rally. She was encouraged to pray to God more openly. She was inspired to pray to God as though he was a close friend.

We went to the first ever North American Division youth conference in Dallas. This conference was named “Just Claim It.”

We set up a booth but our main goal was to give out many copies of the book Happiness Digest (or otherwise known as Steps To Christ) by Ellen White.

We gave out around 800 free copies of Happiness Digest. We didn’t just give them to the Adventists but also to the non-Adventist convention workers.

We found a lady from the Salvation Army and we gave her two extra books. She sent us a letter showing her appreciation. In the letter, she wrote:

I have really enjoyed the book you gave me, “Happiness [Digest].” The very first story applied to my life so much, “Love Beyond Compare.” I shared the other two books with my sisters back at the Salvation Army.

March 11-16, 2007

Hanan, Lubasi, Nadya, and Mrs. Hadley (our director) drove all the way to White Estate headquaters at the General Conference in Silver Spring, Maryland. Mrs. Hadley wanted us to be exposed to the staff and activities of the White Estate.

We were impressed with the dedication of the White Estate staff. They gave us a tour. They told us about some of their projects including a CD-ROM, a children’s website, and an ezine. When we told them about our activities, they were interested. Also, the staff found it interesting that we were from different countries - Mrs. Hadley from the US, Hanan from the Middle East, Lubasi from Africa, and Nadya from Russia.

March 24, 2007

Four of us went with our friend Adrian to a nearby prison. We led out in the Sabbath service. It was an humbling experience for me. Many of the inmates had studied the Sabbath School quarterly. They were knowledgable in Scripture. And they loved to worship God by singing hymns loudly.

Each of us spoke for 15 minutes during the sermon time. Two of us spoke about the sanctuary and the other two spoke about the second coming.

March 30, 2007

We helped organize youth vespers called “Joven a Joven” for the local Spanish church. The topic was addictions so we brought in a doctor to be the speaker.

March 31, 2007

Mrs. Hadley was part of an interesting program for Sabbath School at the local English church. A quartet sang old Adventist hymns and she spoke about those precious hymns.

We will be at Weslaco, Texas, ministering to the academy students and the local English church. We’ll speak about the church as a family and the role of the church in the last days. Also, we’ll talk about Ellen White, her life, and the Spirit of Prophecy.

April 21, 2007 - Saturday

We’ll be at Durango Spanish SDA Church in San Antonio, Texas. Our seminar topics include the tests of a true prophet, Ellen White’s life, and how to properly interpret her writings.

April 28, 2007 - Saturday

We’ll go to Alvarado SDA Church to talk about the health message.

June 20, 2007 to July 2, 2007

This summer we’ll go back to Ukraine!

The theme of our programs will be friendship evangelism. Along with the Ukrainian church members, we want to reach non-Adventists. Also, we hope to raise up a Synergy group out of the Ukrainian young people. (Synergy is the part of the research center that goes to churches to give seminars.)

Each day we’ll focus on one topic. Some of the topics include family, health, children, and youth. Since we want to reach out to the community, we’ll do a practical ministry activity relating to the topics. For example, on “health day,” we might visit hospitals and nursing homes. On “youth day,” we might go to the park, meet young people, and invite them to the seminars. On “children day,” we might visit an orphanage.

We’re still in the planning stages of this mission trip. Please pray for us that we might be led by the Holy Spirit and make Christ the center of our ministry. Thanks!

We held this meeting to tell others about the research center and the new ministries we were starting. We invited our friends and a bunch of them came.

This meeting was similar to a church service. Mahalia led out in hymns that our Adventist pioneers sang. Mrs. Hadley gave a quick history of the research center. I spoke on the centrality of Christ in Ellen White’s writings and life.

At the end of the meeting, the leaders of the new ministries spoke about their ministry and asked people to join. For example, Hanan told us about a women’s group that was starting. And Uzzie notified us about a study group on the Great Controversy.

February 10, 2007 - Saturday

Eileen went to the nearby Adventist church in Alvarado, Texas. She gave the mission story for Sabbath School. She talked about the gift of the Spirit of Prophecy. She gave facts about Ellen White and her life. She also spoke about what the Ellen White Research Center could offer to local churches.

February 17, 2007 - Saturday

Pastor Jim Ferguson invited us to his church in Weatherford, Texas, through this comment. We sent over 14 people to his church to help out with the church service and do afternoon seminars.

During Sabbath School, we gave a report on our December mission trip in Ukraine. Also, the children learned about creation. For the church service, Lubasi preached from the book of John. He also related his sermon to our Ukraine mission trip.

In the afternoon, we presented three programs: Alex talked about the flood in Genesis, Phoebe spoke on the sanctuary, and we taught the children more about creation.

February 17, 2007 - Saturday

Three of us went to Sara’s home church, Cross Timbers SDA church in Eastland, Texas. We gave a report on the Ukraine mission trip.

February 24, 2007 - Saturday

We went to the Adventist church in Waxahachie, Texas.

For Sabbath School, Alex gave the mission spotlight by telling the church members about our ministry. Sonia led out in the lesson.

During the church service, Alex preached on 1 Samuel 17:32. His sermon title was “Is There Anybody?”.

In the afternoon, we gave a couple workshops. Alex spoke again on the Genesis flood. Victoria talked about literature evangelism while Enrico spoke to the youth. He based his seminar on Messages to Young People. And Sarai, Sonia, and Ingrid led out the children’s program. They taught the kids about creation.

Other Activities

This is an interesting ministry. Nadya started giving Russian language lessons for those interested in our second mission trip to the Ukraine. We plan on going back this summer.

Special Welcome

One last thing.

I’d like to welcome all the new members who ministered with us in February.

I hope you had a great experience in the Lord. And I hope you’ll continue to serve with us so that Christ might come sooner!

Satan is continually seeking to overcome the people of God by breaking down the barriers which separate them from the world. Ancient Israel were enticed into sin when they ventured into forbidden association with the heathen.

In a similar manner are modern Israel led astray. “The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” 2 Corinthians 4:4.

All who are not decided followers of Christ are servants of Satan. In the unregenerate heart there is love of sin and a disposition to cherish and excuse it. In the renewed heart there is hatred of sin and determined resistance against it.

When Christians choose the society of the ungodly and unbelieving, they expose themselves to temptation. Satan conceals himself from view and stealthily draws his deceptive covering over their eyes.

They cannot see that such company is calculated to do them harm; and while all the time assimilating to the world in character, words, and actions, they are becoming more and more blinded.

In this first passage, Ellen White seems to say that Christians should not associate with ungodly people.

BALANCING STATEMENTS

However, in this passage from the same book, we find balancing statements.

The Great Controversy (1911), page 69, paragraph 3 (bold supplied):

While the Waldenses regarded the fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom, they were not blind to the importance of a contact with the world, a knowledge of men and of active life, in expanding the mind and quickening the perceptions.

From their schools in the mountains some of the youth were sent to institutions of learning in the cities of France or Italy, where was a more extended field for study, thought, and observation than in their native Alps.

The youth thus sent forth were exposed to temptation, they witnessed vice, they encountered Satan’s wily agents, who urged upon them the most subtle heresies and the most dangerous deceptions. But their education from childhood had been of a character to prepare them for all this.

Two paragraphs later, we have this great passage on being a missionary for Christ.

The Great Controversy (1911), page 70, paragraph 2 (bold supplied):

The spirit of Christ is a missionary spirit. The very first impulse of the renewed heart is to bring others also to the Saviour. Such was the spirit of the Vaudois Christians.

They felt that God required more of them than merely to preserve the truth in its purity in their own churches; that a solemn responsibility rested upon them to let their light shine forth to those who were in darkness; by the mighty power of God’s word they sought to break the bondage which Rome had imposed.

CHECKING THE BIBLE

So, what is Ellen White trying to say? Is she contradicting herself or can we reconcile these passages?

I believe Ellen White is giving Biblical counsel in these passages.

For example, the Bible talks about the dangers of associating with ungodly people.

Consider 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 (NIV):

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

“Therefore come out from them
and be separate, says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you.”

Also, 1 Cor. 15:33 (NIV) says, “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’”

However, we have these seemingly contradicting verses (Luke 5:27-32; 15:1-2; Matt. 11:19) which tell us that Jesus hung out with ungodly people. He did this to call them to repentance (Luke 5:32).

RECONCILING THE TWO VIEWPOINTS

So, how do we reconcile those Ellen White’s passages and these Bible verses?

There seems to be two principles we can derive.

First, we must consider our motivation.

If we do associate with ungodly people, we should do so motivated by a desire to love, serve, and evangelize. Too many Christians associate with ungodly people without Christ’s missionary spirit. This is dangerous and often leads Christians to sin with non-Christians.

Second, we must evaluate our spiritual training and maturity.

Many Christians are not ready to associate with ungodly people. They may need training in friendship evangelism. They may be struggling with habitual sin. Or they may be easily influenced.

Whatever the reason, church leaders and spiritually mature Christians should love, serve, mentor, and train less mature Christians. Through their guidance and example, less mature Christians can develop the skill and maturity to reach ungodly people.

Finally, I close with this plea. Many Christians are unwilling to associate with ungodly people. Yet Christ calls his followers to be more and more like himself. This includes associating with ungodly people for the purpose of evangelism.

How are you preparing yourself for ministry towards the ungodly?

Our Saviour calls for faithful witnesses in these days of religious formalism; but how few, even among the professed ambassadors for Christ, are ready to give a faithful, personal testimony for their Master!

Many can tell what the great and good men of generations past have done, and dared, and suffered, and enjoyed. They become eloquent in setting forth the power of the gospel, which has enabled others to rejoice in trying conflicts, and to stand firm against fierce temptations.

But while so earnest in bringing forward other Christians as witnesses for Jesus, they seem to have no fresh, timely experience of their own to relate.

These words encourage me to deepen my relationship with Christ. I don’t want to depend on someone else’s testimony. I want to experience the power and love of Christ myself.

Therefore, I’m motivated to read my Bible and pray. Through Bible reading, I get to know Christ more and more, even as a friend. As I pray, I acknowledge my dependence in Jesus.

As the hymn goes, “I need him. Oh, I need him. Every hour I need him.”

Yesterday’s bread is stale. Likewise, my experience yesterday with God may not help me today. Today I must go back to Christ. Christ keeps me from depending on my strength and ability.

I want to give a new testimony for my Lord Jesus. Last month’s testimony was great, but “Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Jesus gives grace even today. There is a testimony to glorify Christ today.

Gospel Workers (1915), page 273, paragraph 2:

Ministers of Christ, what have you to say for yourselves? What soul conflicts have you experienced that have been for your good, for the good of others, and for the glory of God?

You who profess to be proclaiming the last solemn message of mercy to the world, what is your experience in the knowledge of the truth, and what has been its effect upon your own hearts?

Does your character testify for Christ? Can you speak of the refining, ennobling, sanctifying influence of the truth as it is in Jesus?

What have you seen, what have you known, of the power of Christ? This is the kind of witness for which the Lord calls, and for which the churches are suffering.

We meet many people in our ministry that we’d like to keep in touch with.

We’d like to know more about our internet readers.

Therefore, I’ve set up a forum.

If you’d like to participate and build up our internet community, please register.

Thanks and God bless!