“God sent you all to deliver us!” exclaimed a group of African youth who were touched by the Bible studies presented by four Hartland students this winter.

“The studies on righteousness by faith helped many young people have a closer,
genuine walk with God and to avoid extremes,” shared Loago Setswalo. “They
discovered that God empowers them to live a Christlike life, and that they can’t do it in their own strength.”

Aaron Wilson, Ike Anurukem, Noah Hill, and Loago Setswalo, all pastoral evangelism majors at Hartland College, visited three countries in southern Africa for four weeks. Their purpose? To share the gospel and do ground work for establishing health and Bible training institutions similar to Hartland.

“I would say the greatest need in Africa is to get resources for the people that will help them study for themselves,” Noah commented. When students finish at Hartland, they are able to study the Bible for themselves, and they have countless resources to share with others. With this in mind, Loago is planning to establish a training institution where many African young people can study and go back to their own people, shining like rays of light throughout the dark corners of their homeland.

“These were the best two weeks of my life,” one young lady shared after participating in a Bible camp where the students were guest speakers. She had been able to learn about Daniel and Revelation, conversion and righteousness
by faith, and outreach.

Aaron says, “The Bible camp youth have gone back to study for themselves.” The
team shared resources with them, which will enable the young people to continue
learning. Now they are going out and sharing in their own communities.

During the day, participants went out with an outreach group to minister to the
people through health ministry and Bible work. The evenings followed with public
evangelistic meetings, where Aaron and Loago preached for one week each. During
the meetings, about fifty people came out, ranging in age from little children to adults. In the end, about thirty of them took a stand for Christ.

This winter, an impact was made in Africa. Aaron believes that God really prepared them at Hartland so they could do the work there. It may seem small now, but seeds have been planted which are about to be watered by the Holy Spirit. Streams of water which cannot be stopped will cause those seeds to germinate and spring forth to bear fruit for God’s glory very soon.

by Kristine Lucrida

Two days before Obama’s inauguration, Last Generation went to work in Washington, D.C.

Patriotic insignia flooded the cold streets of Washington, D.C. Policemen, security guards, and helicopters swarmed around the Lincoln Memorial. Over 400,000 people from around the world assembled on January 18, 2009, to attend a concert entitled “We Are One.” Thousands were excited about the impending inauguration of the United States’ first African-American president. A thrill of hope was in the air!

Hartland staff and students were also there, not to enjoy Bono and Renee Fleming, but to take advantage of this spirit of hope by passing out Last Generation magazines: “The Perfect Economic Storm” and “Back to Basics.” This spirit made possible a day of notable progress for God’s truth. “This was the most receptive group of people I’ve ever seen,” said Brian Beavers, Hartland’s outreach coordinator.

Nathan, a student who participated, recalls an experience he had. “I noticed a group of teenagers dressed in black. Even their make-up and dyed hair were black. I thought they would never accept this magazine, so I was surprised that one of the girls in the group took it. As she walked toward a trash can, I thought, She is going to throw it away. I prayed for the Lord to impress their hearts to read these precious truths. She then passed the trash can, sat down, and began reading. As she read intently, her friends looked curiously over her shoulder. Then I knew that the Lord was working not only on them, but also on all the people who received the Last Generation magazines.”

The Lord blessed the efforts of His servants. “It’s amazing how God can use strangers who initially didn’t plan on passing out literature,” said Bogdan, a student. Eva, another student, describes her experience. “As I handed out the magazines, two women approached me asking, ‘Could we have a couple of magazines to pass out?’ I decided to give her all the magazines in my hands. I wouldn’t have given that stack to her if I hadn’t seen how sincere she was. I know she gave out all the magazines.”

God used this secular event to further His cause. While many who attended had that spirit of hope we mentioned earlier, many were also apprehensive about our current economic crisis. Sharing this truth-filled literature at this event couldn’t have been timelier. The group succeeded in passing out about 9,000 Last Generation magazines in only four hours. Bradley (age 13) exclaimed, “It’s fun to share the gospel. If you haven’t experienced it, I advise you to give it a try!”

Remember “Lord, Send Me” (LSM),  a project that sponsors Hartland students in ministry? We introduced it in the December/January issue of Hartland Ministry Report. Then, we were still looking for our first project. Director Nancy Carmouche confesses, “My idea of a ‘first project’ was very conservative. I pictured a health major opening a modest clinic, selling herbs, and giving treatments in a back bedroom. The Lord had other ideas.”

He certainly did. He had in mind a missionary training school in Brazil, pioneered by Hartland student Giancarlo de Miranda and three students of Taquara Institute. This is SETI—the Santos Evangelistic Training Institute, located 9 hours north of Taquara.

“We want young people to develop a missionary mind,” Giancarlo de Miranda, ’10, outlines goals for SETI. “We hope to see colporteurs, Bible workers, and medical missionaries going to remote parts of Brazil to establish churches and plant seeds of truth.”

Miracles have fueled this project. Before Giancarlo and the Taquara students even met, they already yearned to start a school. “When I arrived last winter break to preach at Taquara’s camp meeting, Erich Assuncao (now interning at Hartland) shared his vision to establish a missionary training school,” Giancarlo tells us. “I shared with Erich the ideas I’d implement if it were my ministry. As we continued to talk, we realized we had the same burden.”

This was only the beginning of miracles. Giancarlo continues, “God opened doors in many churches and inspired members to help us.” Locals began to get excited. “SETI is the answer to our prayers,” exclaimed Albani, member of Vila Velha SDA church. Three people have even offered to give land to expedite SETI’s startup!

“‘Lord, Send Me’, itself, was another evidence of God’s leading,” reflects Giancarlo. “Both projects, although unknown to each other, arose simultaneously.”

The team hopes to start the school January 2011, but they are already busy. “We have been holding meetings in the United States, Brazil, and Canada,” explains Giancarlo. “We also have CDs and DVDs containing the Three Angels’ Messages that all of those who request can receive.”

SETI is the perfect first project for LSM. Giancarlo says, “SETI has the same goal as LSM—to make disciples and multiply the truth, thus hastening the Second Coming.”

LSM will ensure that SETI makes a solid start by helping with fundraising, mentoring, establishing a board, accounting, etc. We can only handle this big project with your prayers and support. Won’t you join us on our exciting journey?

To support SETI, make your check out to Hartland and write “SETI” in the memo. To contact SETI, email setibrazil@iceves.com. Watch for more about SETI in future HMRs.

Even the Great Depression couldn’t stop him!

by Joseph Ware

Beautiful churches always enthrall me, and this one was no exception. It had everything—buttresses, stone, stained glass, trussed ceilings, and engaging charm.

Was this an ancient cathedral somewhere in Europe? No! It was a Seventh-day Adventist church in Hyattsville, Maryland, complete with Adventist stained glass including the image of Daniel 2 and the Three Angels’ Messages. Who was responsible for such an exquisite place of worship?

Shortly before the Great Depression began, a new associate editor came to the Review & Herald by the name of F. D. Nichol. Elder Nichol was a man of enthusiasm and energy, and to be merely the associate editor of the denomination’s most prominent paper was not enough. He wanted to throw himself into some real soul-winning work. So he gathered a team to run an evangelistic crusade in nearby Hyattsville, Maryland, an area known for its opposition to the Seventh-day Adventist truth.

Thirteen people were baptized in the series, and, rather than transfer them to nearby congregations, Elder Nichol felt that God was calling him to build a monument to the truth in dark Hyattsville. He decided to build a church fitting of the cause, debt-free. This might not sound like a difficult task, but by now the darkest days of the Great Depression were upon them. Nichol knew that this work would require patience and a blessing from God, so while they raised funds for the building, the company rented the Masonic Temple and held services.

After several years of fundraising, the congregation raised $25,000 (about $350,000 today) to build their church, and Nichol made sure they used it wisely. In 1939, after seven years of fundraising and building, the Hyattsville SDA church opened at a total cost of $24,998.75—a dollar and a quarter under budget. And it wasn’t a dingy, dilapidated building. It was a beautiful structure, built to last and to glorify God.

The church and the health center Elder Nichol built beside it still stand today as a testimony to what those who are ambitious for the Master’s glory can do, even in the midst of grave financial duress. And today a committed, diverse group of Bible-believing Christians worships in the gorgeous stone church.

Just as in Elder Nichol’s day, we face challenging times. This is all the more opportunity to see the hand of God work. What are you ambitious about? What do you want to do for the Master’s glory?

by Joseph Ware

“Amazing,” he whispered as our last note died away among the pews. On tour in Washington State, the Three Angels’ Chorale had just finished singing, a cappella, the beautiful Christmas carol “I Wonder as I Wander” in a rural church.

This past winter break, the Three Angels’ Chorale traveled to the Northwest to bring tidings of comfort and joy to Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and California. Two and a half weeks of our lives, a (not so) cheap plane ticket, cramped quarters in a van, and 28 concerts—why was this worth it?

This brings us to another question: “Why do we sing?” Why do Hartland students journey across the nation and spend their breaks floating words on chords? Is our “performance” to awe others with our musical abilities, as we had obviously done for the man in our Washington audience?

One lady in Shady Point, Oregon, said, “I was so inspired by your music! I know that the Holy Spirit worked through you last night. All of you are like little lights that have come from the East Coast to the West Coast to spread truth.” She answers the question. She gives the reason God sent 18 people across the country. He had a mission for us: He wanted us to spread light. And in spite of our weakness, God gave us strength to fulfill His purpose.

“You came all the way out here to sing for us?” The young man slumped on the bench as he asked his question. It was our very first concert in a prison in Northern Idaho. He turned to his buddy, “Wow! People do care about us!”

During the tour, we were able to conduct two music workshops in public schools. At the elementary school we went to, the music teacher told us, “My father passed away last weekend, and your message of hope gave me a much-needed lift.” We treasured these opportunities to minister to secular young people.

“I don’t like music. I almost lost my taste for music, but your music really touched me,” a lady at the College Place Church in Washington State told us. In the Three Angels’ Chorale, we believe that the Holy Spirit works a miracle between our mouths and our audience’s ears. This lady was evidence of that.

Why does God perform this miracle? We go back to the answer to the original question: God sends us to perform a mission effectively. So we keep singing, not to glorify ourselves, but to fulfill with our trembling voices the work God has for us.

by Don Ball and Aaron Baker

An army of young workers rises

“I will never set foot in an Adventist church or have anything to do with God,” Magattalena determined. Magattalena had been attending our camp meeting in Botswana when she received news that her father had a serious accident and was in the hospital. Shortly thereafter, yet another trial arose. Her faith was so severely tested that she vowed she would have nothing to do with God.

But her conscience wouldn’t leave her alone. One evening she came to us with many questions. After a long talk, she said, “I want to start attending a Seventh-day Adventist church.” We knelt with her, and she asked Jesus into her heart. By God’s grace, Magattalena and many others made recommitments to the Lord and left the camp meeting with a much deeper relationship with God.

In Botswana, there is much opposition to the preaching of the Three Angels’ Messages. Adventists do not often have the opportunity to hear their distinctive doctrines being taught. These circumstances led our brethren to sponsor a camp meeting to teach and train church members from Botswana and South Africa.

We joined with Hartland graduate Ray de Carlo, ’89, and Thomas Jackson (from M.E.E.T. Ministry in Tennessee) to present over 30 sermons with the theme, “Get Ready, Get Ready, Get Ready!” The people were riveted. “We only have one opportunity each year to hear this type of messages,” said Nkosi. They meticulously took notes as if they would never hear these things again.

Thomas Jackson contributed the health element, giving health lectures and natural remedy demonstrations. We witnessed first-hand the power of the health message working with the Three Angels’ Messages. As we ministered to the needs of the people, barriers were broken down and many doors were opened to pray and counsel with people.

As a result of the meetings, three people asked for rebaptism. Several young people asked for applications to Hartland College. One of the hardest things for us to cope with was seeing so many eager young people wanting to be educated for the ministry, yet held back because of lack of funds. But praise the Lord—two are already here, and possibly two more will soon be on their way. All four have the desire to go back and raise up a school in Botswana after their training at Hartland.

God is organizing a mighty army in Botswana. We praise God for the opportunity He gave us to share His Word and to help equip this squadron of His remnant.

by Martin Colebank

Last Generation takes to the rails.

“Charles* was always hungry to understand the Bible, final events, and many other things,” recalls Loago, a literature evangelist from Botswana. “When he read Last Generation magazine, he was able to learn about these things based just on the Bible. It was wonderful!”

“He wrote to the address on the magazine, which was the address of the ministry I was working with. We sent him The Great Controversy, and he studied further,” shares Loago. “He was speaking with an excited heart. You could tell that he had actually been redeemed from the deceptions that had been taking place in Africa.”

Stories like Charles’ are not unfamiliar to Loago Setswalo. Loago is originally from Botswana, but when he went to a university in South Africa, he met Last Generation magazine for the first time. Ever the alert literature evangelist, he looked into it to see if it would fit into his witnessing. “Frankly, I don’t like distributing something that I haven’t read,” he explains. “So I read it, and it was inspiring to me. I thought, This is well written. It’s good material.”

He put it to work. “Every time I went to the campus, I’d get a bag full of Last Generations. Then when I got into the train, I’d give them out to the people who were in the same rail I was in.” Every day, Loago boarded the train to his university, his backpack full of Last Generation magazines. Every day, he got off the train, his backpack empty.

Loago met many highly-educated people commuting to the university. “I was in the second class in the train. Several passengers could have had a doctorate or a master’s degree, and most probably had a certificate. Many of them were university students.” He says, “You know university students don’t read just anything, but they were curious to know the truth found in Last Generation magazine.”

“Last Generation is unique. Because it is so attractive, hardly anyone will turn against it,” Loago says. “It’s the most effective magazine I’ve seen for winning souls. The Holy Spirit seems to have been poured upon it.

“If you want to reach secular people, you must catch their attention and give them good stuff. You have to give them quality paper, as well as professional literature that gives them something they can actually think about. Last Generation magazine was good for that,” says Loago. “I wanted something with which to witness and reach out to souls. I knew Last Generation would be the best magazine to reach the heart.”

*Not his real name

by Joseph Ware

You’ve probably never heard of Jacob Arminius, yet he played a pivotal role in restoring vital truths lost during the Dark Ages.

He wasn’t a martyr. He never did anything heroic. He was no Luther, Huss, or Wycliffe. He was Jacob Harmenszoon, a pastor of the Dutch Reformed Church and a professor at the University of Leyden. Yet he played an important part in the chain of events that restored truths lost during the Middle Ages.

So much truth had been forgotten during that dark millennium that God could only gradually restore truth, gradually remove error. His people could take only small amounts of light at a time. An example of this is God’s use of the Reformer John Calvin. Today we are hard on him for his predestinarian views (the belief that God alone decides whether a person will be saved; humans have no choice in the matter).

As flawed as this belief was, during the Reformation, the view that your eternal destiny was in the hands of a just God rather than a fallible priest was a step in the right direction.

But God still had to move His people forward in truth. Another one of His instruments to do this was Jacob Harmenszoon, more commonly known as Jacob Arminius.

Arminius was a student of Beza, who had studied under Calvin. But Arminius embraced neither of their views. First as a pastor, and then as a professor, he became known in Calvinist Holland for his controversial belief that man could choose to reject or to accept God’s grace. After his death this became known as Arminianism. Under the Wesleyan revivals of the 18th century, it spread to North America. Arminianism helped pave the way for the great religious revivals of the 18th and 19th centuries, including the great Advent awakening begun by William Miller, and culminating in the rise of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the mid-19th century.

The controversy between Calvinists and Arminianists had only just begun when Arminius died in 1609 at the age of 50. This controversy still rages today among Christians, yet the Bible is clear. Joshua in the Old Testament commands, “Choose you this day whom ye will serve.” Joshua 24:15. John in the New Testament pleads, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. …he that will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17 (RV). How grateful we should be for brave men who were willing to advance the light of truth against popular opinion. And how grateful we should be that God has given us a choice. Choose Him today!

by Lynette Allcock

“Hartland College helped my desire become reality.”

“I do not know where I would be today if I had not attended Hartland College,” says Sheri Trueblood. “I went to Hartland with the desire to become a missionary, and the Lord used Hartland to help my desire become reality.”

Sheri graduated in 1999 with a degree in Bible Instruction and a minor in Health Ministry to prepare her for mission work. “I love giving Bible studies and working with people in their homes. I know the Lord led me to take health classes and work in the Lifestyle Education Center, as the health message is the opening wedge for the gospel in people’s hearts.”

Sheri deeply appreciated Hartland’s commitment to follow God’s plan for education, especially regarding entertainment, dress, diet, and relationships. She also appreciated the caring, self-sacrificing staff. “The example of our women’s dean greatly impacted my life,” she recalls. “Though she was busy with college duties, she always found time for us. Every night she would visit us in our rooms and pray with us; she was genuinely concerned about our well-being and wanted to help us grow spiritually. She and her husband took us on mission trips and looked for ways to make our education practical. From them and other staff, I saw what it meant to be a genuine Christian and how to serve others using Christ’s methods.”

Currently, Sheri works at Wellness Secrets Lifestyle Center in Arkansas. “We have a live-in health program, health food store, and restaurant, and we give health seminars for our community and churches out of state.” Sheri cooks for the live-in guests, conducts cooking schools, and gives lectures. “I love the ministry that I am working with. My classes and training at the Hartland Lifestyle Education Center prepared me for this work, giving me a balanced approach to health. Working with Ray and Lee Heathman, former Hartland staff, gave me excellent training in conducting cooking schools and health seminars.”

As she traveled around the world, Sheri felt the impact of her time at Hartland. In the field, she found the resources of truth-filled literature very valuable.

“I appreciate visiting Hartland—I feel like I’m with family who love and support me in whatever I do. Everything God does has a far-reaching purpose, and I know He led me to Hartland.” She concludes, “The Lord used my time at Hartland to build my character and draw me closer to Him. These are the most important possessions in my life.”

by Joseph Ware

Staff and students spread light on a dark evening.

If there is an evening when people are willing to take literature, Halloween is it. At Hartland, we seized the occasion. As carved pumpkins cast a flickering glow on the streets in our local communities, about 50 staff and students from Hartland went out into the night, each with a different light—the light of 30 copies of the special Halloween edition of Last Generation magazine. They set out to take the truth to people at a time when most are in the mood to open their doors to complete strangers. God turned a holiday made to celebrate darkness into the perfect witnessing opportunity.

Eva, one of the students who participated, recalls, “This one lady had a mask on to scare the children who were coming to the door, but when she saw me and my magazine, she just started laughing. I told her who I was and what I was doing. She was so amazed and said that she would read this magazine for sure.”
“Everyone accepted the Last Generations and encouraged us to keep going at it,” says Ike, a student who also distributed Last Generation magazines in the communities around Hartland on Halloween.

The evening was an excellent opportunity to acquaint our community with what Hartland is. Many had either never heard of Hartland or only knew of the property before it became a college. Hui, another student, shares, “We met a man who had no idea what Hartland was. I told him that it was a missionary training school and that I had come from Malaysia to study there. He seemed really interested. I think that he really liked the name: Last Generation Magazine. ”

With a fine witnessing tool like Last Generation, we felt no shame as we told people that we were training for Gospel service at Hartland College. As Ike puts it, “I was proud to hand them out, because they were so properly put together and designed.”

In one short evening, we passed out 1,300 copies of Last Generation Magazine. After the literature leaves our hands, we may never know who it has affected, but God gives us blessings even as we work. “I had a wonderful time,” says Angela Pulley, Dean of Women. Aaron called it a “great experience.”

In Heaven, though, we will be able to see the fruits of our labor. I invite you to join us in the incomparable experience of casting your bread upon the waters. Put God’s truth to work in your neighborhood.

by Martin Colebank

Twice Pastor Millin had trekked four hours to pick up the shipment; twice he had been thwarted. What would happen this time?

“It was an adventure of faith,” relates Hartland graduate Rodney Millin, now working in strife-torn Zimbabwe. “For the third time, I made my way to Harare to pick up the books.” Would everything go smoothly for Pastor Millin this time? Twice before, he had made the four-hour trek from his mission post to pick up the shipment of free literature from Hartland Publications, and twice his efforts had been thwarted. Would it happen again?

“The first time, the company lost track of the shipment. Then they called to say the books had arrived in Harare and that I should come quickly to pick them up before they started charging storage.” Pastor Millin continues the saga, “I went there the very next day only to be told that the railway people were on strike for higher wages, and as such they would not offload the pallet.”

However, one week later the strike was called off. Pastor Millin was traveling to Harare the third time, confident that God would show Himself strong, but uncertain of what problem would throw itself in the way.

On this third visit, God cleared the way. “This time it went so smoothly. I paid very minimal customs fees (about US $20 in all). Who would have thought that $18,000 worth of books could be cleared for only $20?” The only problem that Pastor Millin faced was customs officials hungry for God’s Word. He tells us, “It was a job just keeping the people from customs at arm’s length lest they take all the books and Last Generation magazines. I gave them just enough to keep them wanting more.”

Pastor Millin walked out of the customs office praising God. “I was so excited. I finally got the books!” He immediately put them to use. He writes, “I have already begun distributing them to truth-starved people.”

Hartland is able to send these books to literature evangelists like Pastor Millin all over the world because of your gifts to the HP Free Literature Fund. As Pastor Millin puts it, “Your faithfulness and prayers have made all of this possible.” As we do our part and put our faith in God, we have the privilege of watching Him clear the way before us. Let’s join Him now and watch the Lord work!

Jamshed is one of your faithful literature missionaries in Bombay, India. He shares how he sees God using Last Generation to change lives.

I don’t believe that lives are changed because of Last Generation. The Holy Spirit changes lives. Who guided Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, so that they met at the moment the eunuch was reading from the prophet Isaiah? Who was it that guided Peter to Cornelius?

Is it coincidence that a young lady who is visiting social networking sites receives the Last Generation, “Saying No to Sexual Temptation”? She was so affected by it that she called to thank me, saying she shared it with all her friends. They, too, have realized the issues involved and how the media is constantly bombarding them with these messages.

Then there is the Hindu lady at the bank to whom I have been giving Last Generation. She shared it with her family and other colleagues who started asking for more copies. When her mother suddenly passed away, she told me it was a total shock to the whole family and her father was taking it very badly. What Last Generation issue came in the mail? ”What the Bible Says about Death.” She told me it gave her and her family such comfort and strength.

Are these instances a co-incidence? Luck? I don’t think so.

The first time I saw a Last Generation magazine in 2003, I absolutely fell in love with it—the spiritual articles, the Bible study, the wealth of information, especially “These Times” and “Lifelines.” I would get a copy now and then from an individual, but he never shared how to receive them regularly. So I prayed to God (and told no one else) to please let me get these magazines regularly without having to ask anyone or undergo any obligation. Imagine my joy when suddenly in 2006 a case of Last Generation magazines started coming to my address.

O, what a joy, honor, and privilege to have such a loving, caring Father in heaven! What a wonderful promise we have in Jeremiah 33:3: “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Or, “Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us, of which we know nothing.” Desire of Ages, p. 330.

Your faithful donations enable us to send Jamshed a regular shipment of magazines. He shares these in his largely Hindu community. Thank you for your continued support of this special ministry. To help, call 1-877-LASTGEN or e-mail sales@lastgen.net.

by Joseph Ware

Teacher and students lead others to truth

“Am I going to hell if I don’t keep the Sabbath?” Rosa was frightened.

“She was scared to death of hell,” says Chuck Holtry II, Hartland College Bible instructor and recent prophecy seminar speaker. Then the Holy Spirit did His work. “Toward the end of the seminar, Rosa’s fear was gone,” said Chuck.

This spring, Hartland students working with Chuck witnessed God’s power as they held a prophecy seminar at the local Amicus SDA church in Ruckersville, Virginia.
This is where Rosa had her fear removed, her life changed. But her life wasn’t the only one changed. There’s Kendra, who was planning to commit suicide. She had not only planned, but she had also prepared, assembling all the necessary equipment to accomplish her plans. Then she received an invitation to the seminar. She decided to try one last thing. “Her facial expressions at the end of the seminar were totally different,” says Chuck. “She became a new person. You could see a new creature, and that’s just awesome when you see that.”

Carl had a question about whom he should confess to. “What about James 5:16, where it says, ‘Confess your faults one to another’? Whom should I confess to?” Chuck explained that only public wrongs needed to be confessed publicly and that private sins were between him and God. At the end of the seminar Carl expressed, “You don’t know how much your answer meant to me. Thank you so much!”

Not everyone had an easy road to experiencing God’s power. Nadia, a Muslim, had been converted to Christianity by her boyfriend. Yet when she brought him to the seminar to hear the new truth she was learning, he ridiculed it. “He was mocking the things that were said,” said Chuck. Nadia didn’t come the next night. “That got me scared,” continues Chuck. “It was like, ‘Oh, no! She has given in.’”

But Nadia hadn’t given in. Two nights after the meeting her boyfriend attended, she came back. She’s now attending church.

The community was not the only group blessed by the seminar. “We saw instant answers to prayer,” said Julieta Tano, one of the students who helped with the seminar.

Another student, Lauren Simms, remarked, “As a group, we were drawn closer together for one purpose—to win souls for Christ.”

Please pray for the souls touched by this seminar. Thirteen accepted the Sabbath and six are continuing to study. Pray that the right influences come into their lives to lead them down the path of ever increasing light into that perfect day.

by Rachel Perry

Meet Kayla, my 11-year-old Bible study contact.

“Do you want to learn about a beast with seven heads and ten horns?” my friend Wei Kang Chia asked Kayla, the little girl who answered the door. Wide-eyed, she nodded.

In the beginning of this school year all the students at Hartland had dispersed in the nearby town of Ruckersville to conduct religious interest surveys, hoping to find more Bible study interests. Kayla was the youngest person to request Bible studies.

The following week the outreach coordinator at Hartland approached me. “Rachel, would you like to give Bible studies to Kayla? She is 11 years old.” Though I responded eagerly, I had butterflies in my stomach. I had never given Bible studies before. How could I adapt the adult studies for a child? What if she asked a question I couldn’t answer? And what would her parents say?

The Lord impressed me to use Truth 4 Youth, a complete evangelistic series for children produced by Young Disciple Ministries. The PowerPoint presentations and scripts make it easy for a beginner like me to give Bible studies, and each Bible truth is presented in an attractive way that children can understand. “Where do you get these pictures from?” Kayla asked me once. “They look so real!”

We always begin our studies with a few simple Scripture songs. At first I didn’t see any response from Kayla, either positive or negative, and I wondered if I should teach her some popular children’s songs instead. A few weeks later my partner chose Psalm 139:23, 24 from the songbook. “I know that song by heart!” Kayla exclaimed. “I sing it at school sometimes.” My mouth almost fell open! We had sung that song only a few times. “I don’t know why,” Kayla continued, “but that song goes through my mind every week after you leave.”

It has now been almost a year since I started studying with Kayla. Recently she has started asking questions like, “What if someone sins just before they die? Will they be lost?” Her parents are very supportive of our studies. In fact, Kayla’s step-father has just begun Bible studies with one of my friends! Praise the Lord!

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” By God’s grace, the seeds of truth that we have planted in Kayla’s heart will be watered and will someday spring up into a verdant, fruitful tree.

by Hal Mayer

Before the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington DC, President Bush gave an interview to Eternal World Television Network (EWTN), a Catholic television broadcaster. In this interview he made some very prophetic statements.

“The president explained the reasons he would meet Pope Benedict’s airplane upon its arrival at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington,” wrote EWTN, “saying this unprecedented greeting was due to the particular significance of the Pope.
“’One, he speaks for millions,’ said Bush. ‘Two, he doesn’t come as a politician; he comes as a man of faith; and three, I so subscribe to his notion that there’s right and wrong in life, that moral relativism undermines the capacity to have hopeful and free societies. I want to honor his convictions, as well,’ the president said…. The president said he thought the Pope spoke with clarity on…moral principles….”

When the president speaks like this, he is essentially making the pope a higher authority than the position he holds as President of the United States. No U.S. president has ever met the pope’s plane personally. But because he represents the Catholic Church and speaks on faith and morals, the president thinks he deserves special treatment. When the president threw a banquet in his honor, Benedict decided to go to a prayer meeting with the bishops instead. Both the president and the pope, by their actions, project an elevated papal status above the nation.

Even though the president said that the pope doesn’t come as a politician, his words and actions belie the opposite.

“President Bush said that Pope Benedict’s words provided support for politicians in difficult situations,” wrote EWTN. “The president said, ‘I want to remind this Holy Father how important his voice is in making [it] easier for politicians like me to be able to stand and defend our positions….’”

When the EWTN interviewer asked President Bush what he saw when he looked into the eyes of the pope, the president replied, “God.”

This amazing statement reveals just how far we have come prophetically. When the president of the United States sees God in the eyes of the pope, we should take notice. Revelation 13:8 says, “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him….” Do we have a head of state that worships the pope? If so, God’s true people are in a dangerous position. The time is near when they will face a difficult dilemma. How will they be able to warn the world that the most popular man on the face of the planet is actually the Antichrist?

by Rachel Perry

How did books from HP end up in a little library in Zimbabwe?

Come with me to Zimbabwe, Africa, and join me as we travel down the bumpy, dusty road to Zvishavane, a small mining town. As we walk along the busy city street, we approach the local post office–a large building with many shops. Curious, we step inside. A myriad of sights, sounds, and smells greet our senses. A pottery shop here, a jewelry shop there, a food vendor across the way–all vie for our attention.

However, our eyes are drawn to a little photo studio where a friendly-faced young man waits at his booth. He smiles and welcomes us as we enter his shop. “How may I help you today? Have you come to have your photo taken, or would you like to check out some books from my library?”

He directs our attention to a small bookshelf against the wall, filled with English books, magazines, and tracts. As you take a closer look, one of them catches your eye. “By Colin and Russell Standish!” you exclaim.

“Oh, yes,” he beams. “We just received a box from America with several of their books, along with audio tapes and a few books from other authors, such as B.G. Wilkinson. Have you heard of them?”

“Why–why, yes,” you stammer. “I regularly support Hartland Institute, where Colin Standish is President. How did you get these books?”

“In December 2007, two Hartland graduates came to speak at my church: Pastor Rodney Millin and Brandon Jones. From them, I came to know Hartland, and they graciously sent me a box of materials for this little library I operate in my photo studio.

“Please tell the brothers and sisters at Hartland how thankful I am for these materials, especially the Sabbath School Lesson Comments by Ellen G. White. At last I have something to hand to my clients who come in every day! I pray that I may continue to have a lasting relationship with Hartland so that my studio library can be awash with truth.”

As we leave that little photo studio, you don’t seem to notice the smoky smell of jerky or the brawling in the streets. Your mind is carried back to that gift you sent to Hartland, marked “Free Literature Fund.” Could it be that your donation helped send that literature on its way to the little studio library in Zimbabwe?

Thursday, April 17, 2008, fifty-one staff and students from Hartland were deployed onto the battlefield of Washington, D.C. to share truth-filled literature with those attending Pope Benedict XVI’s mass at the Nationals Park Stadium. An estimated 14,000 copies of Last Generation’s special issue “Back to Basics” were distributed.

Lluvia Reneau, Belize

As I was handing out magazines, I noticed a lady who looked rather unhappy.

“Ma’am,” I smiled, “here’s a gift for you!” She walked away, trying to ignore me, so I added, “It’s free!” Then she said, “You know what? This is free, too!” And she threw her bottle of water in my face. As I continued handing out magazines, water dripping down my face, people looked at me like I was crazy. But I remembered what Jesus said: “Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you…. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven.” Matthew 5:11,12. I thank God for that experience because He is preparing me for something greater.

Ikechukwu Anurukem, England

I used to be Catholic. As I watched all the Catholics coming out after mass, it really hit me that this might be their last chance to have the truth. This made me even more intent on getting it out to them.

Samantha Coon, Montana

My favorite experience was when I met a Catholic priest. He came up to me and excitedly asked me if I would take his tract. Glancing down, I saw a pocket-sized tract on Mary. I answered, “Sir, I will take your literature if you take mine.” He gladly accepted, and we parted ways with a big smile, both of us thinking that we had gotten a piece of literature to a soul in need.

Please pray for the literature that was handed out. People are reading those books and magazines, and their lives are being impacted. In Revelation 14, John saw the everlasting gospel going to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. On April 17 it started in Washington, D.C., but by God’s grace it will spread much farther.

A Hartland college student and his Romanian friends win the trust of skeptical villagers.

“What is happening here!” the teacher demanded. “If you don’t leave now, I will call the police!” I had suspected something like this might happen, but we had already promised to do the Vacation Bible School. We couldn’t stop now.

Last summer, I organized a group of youth from my church in Romania to do mission work in a small village. The church was dying, and my friends and I wanted to do something worthwhile during our summer vacation. Following the pastor’s advice, we planned a two-part program: Vacation Bible School for one week, followed by a health expo the next week. “This is great!” the pastor enthused. “It’s unusual to see young people organizing everything themselves. I wish more young people would come and do what you are doing.”

The principal of the local elementary school gave us permission to use the school for our children’s meetings. It seemed the perfect neutral meeting place! However, on the second day a teacher and a priest from the village burst through the door, shouting threats and angry words. They thought we were trying to hide something, but the principal had simply forgotten to tell them we were coming.

The teacher soon calmed down and left, but the priest stayed to see what we were doing. After watching the children sing enthusiastically about Creation, he asked them, “I see that you like to sing. What if we have a meeting tonight at the Orthodox church in the village at 4:00? Will you come?” But the children chorused, “No!”
The next day, the children were waiting for us outside the school. The door was padlocked. “Are we still going to have our meeting?” they clamored. We found an open field, and continued meeting there for the rest of the week. Although it was very rainy that season, the Lord always stopped the rain just before our meetings.

At the beginning, the villagers were very skeptical. We learned later that the priests were threatening not to baptize their children or perform their weddings if they attended our meetings. In spite of this, we had a steady attendance at both the children’s meetings and the health expo.

The one Adventist in that village, a little old lady, kept us informed of the village talk. Several women told her, “It’s so nice the way those young college students talk to us. We can see that they’re different. Even though they’re educated, they don’t look down on us.”

Others thanked us personally, saying, “We’ve never had anybody come to our village and do something for us without having any other interest. But we see that you really care. Thank you.”

By God’s grace, walls have been broken down in that village. After I graduate, I want to go back and start a ministry there, continuing what we started. In the meantime, I pray that God will continue to break down barriers in the people’s minds and prepare the way for His truth.

Told by Bogdan Chirvasuta, a sophomore at Hartland College. His major is Christian Media Management.

by Jeremiah Fameronag

“I didn’t go to China to see results. I went to share Jesus through my life.”

“Even though I don’t know God, I’ve had a glimpse of who He really is because of your selflessness,” Janeson told me. Janeson came from a wealthy, yet broken, family. One day he invited my co-worker and me to his home to meet his mother. Before we left, he thanked us for coming to China as volunteers.

This past summer, the Lord called me to share my faith in communist China. Because I went as an English teacher, I felt a great responsibility to show my students who Christ really is. As a foreigner, I was not allowed to talk about Christianity or religion at all, on threat of imprisonment. But every day I asked God to help me live and share His light.

From July to November, I taught students of all ages, from 3 years old to 43! Despite the restrictions, I still found ways to share my beliefs. Once in conversation class I asked my students, “Why do we exist?” Most of their answers were either “to have a career,” “to help support our families,” or “to have a good life.” Then someone asked me, “What about you?” I explained, “I believe the purpose of life is service. When we live selfless lives, we will find genuine happiness.” (Of course, I couldn’t tell them it was a biblical principle.) I didn’t fully understand the impact of that conversation until just before I left, two months later.

Jessica was an agnostic. We often had discussions about premarital and same-gender unions, suicide, and other such things. She was in favor of all of them! Usually after our discussion, she would ask, “What about you, Jerry? What’s your view?” and I would tell her. A few weeks before I left, she said, “Now I understand your views, Jerry. Now I understand that God is not glorified when we kill ourselves or have same-gender or premarital unions.” Today she is a baptized member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church!

During my four-month stay, I sometimes got depressed and thought, I’m not really doing anything. It seems I’m only teaching English and nothing is happening. But while I was doubting, the Lord showed me something. I was reading a missionary book about Nate Saint, in which he mentioned, “We are sent into a mission field not to reap results, but to show love.” Then I realized my mission trip was successful, not only because souls were touched, but because Jesus was seen through selflessness.

The apostolic church was unquestionably pure and zealous of good works. However, the aged apostle John saw disturbing signs of the influence of the Gnostics and the coming of “that wicked,” the spirit of Antichrist. The church was gradually sliding downward into apostasy.

Three centuries later, Emperor Constantine “converted” to Christianity. This was the first of several milestones marking the digression of the church from the straight path set forth by Christ. Next, the corrupted Alexandrian manuscripts were adopted as the official Scriptures. This influenced many Christians to accept mysticism and, centuries later, the monastic movement. It also paved the way for the adoption of spiritualistic ideas, such as immortality of the soul.

Emperor worship was common in the society of pagan Rome, so most people followed Constantine’s lead and “converted” to Christianity. Yet, his conversion was not genuine, for he claimed the title of Pontificate Maximus, the head of the pagan religion. (This title was later conferred on the Bishop of Rome.) However, exclusive worship was not rendered to Christ. Instead, the church leaders claimed the worship of the masses for themselves. To attract members, the rites, rituals, and festivals of paganism (such as Sunday worship) were adopted by the church.

Another milestone was the Roman church’s polarization of laity and clergy as two distinct classes. Contrary to Scripture, a hierarchical structure was implemented. The pope gradually acquired the powers of a king with absolute authority over the entire church, and he created a visible structure that eclipsed the spiritual structure. This led to abuse of power. Church members could no longer enjoy liberty of conscience.

They were oppressed in many ways, and dissenters were silenced by excommunication or even death. The common people were forbidden even to read the Scriptures.

The consequences were far-reaching. Because society, economy, scientific discovery, education, and intellectual inquiry were stifled, the world was launched into the Dark Ages. In the Western world, people lived in spiritual and intellectual darkness without the light of the Scriptures. It was not until the Reformation, when the Scriptures were made more accessible to the common classes, that the Roman yoke was broken.

Throughout the history of the Christian church, both vigilance for the truth and liberty of conscience have been essential to the preservation of true Christianity. The time is coming soon when we will no longer have the liberty of conscience that we now enjoy.

May God strengthen us to “hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown” (Revelation 3:11).

Ther Ling Kwok wrote this when she was a student at Hartland College. She graduated in 2006.

Well trained foreign students = the perfect missionaries for their homeland!!

· They have no visa problems, culture shock, or homesickness.

· They don’t need to spend 1 to 2 years studying the language.

· They already understand their peoples’ “world view.”

· Like Isaiah 6:8, they are saying, “Here am I, send me.”

Does this spark your interest? Read on.

Friends, have you ever felt the Lord calling you to do something that’s completely “out of the box” as they say nowadays? I have been at Hartland Institute since March of 1994. But after 15 years of looking at numbers in the accounting office, the Lord has called my attention to another kind of numbers, over 6 billion of them who do not know our God. So here I am in World Mission (out of my box), and I am eager to share my vision with you.

You probably know that over the years World Mission has conducted extension schools and evangelistic seminars all over the world. While these efforts are important and will continue, my vision is to look at new ways to carry the gospel message to other countries. But wait! We have an amazing group of enthusiastic young people right under our noses who are superbly equipped to go to every kindred, nation, tongue, and people! This year is Hartland’s 25th anniversary, and we have many successful graduates all over the globe: administrators, pastors, graphic designers, medical missionaries, and the list goes on. We have trained and sent out many sincere young people from many countries who had a burning desire to serve the Lord in their homeland, but the sad truth is that they were not all successful. Some faced so many unexpected obstacles that they greatly downscaled their plans, or worse, abandoned their vision, and as a result an evangelistic lighthouse went out. As I pondered this I realized that no matter how well trained they are, they still lack experience. Some face more challenges and some just need more guidance than others. I believe we are failing to tap an unrealized wealth of evangelistic treasure, and it is my desire to develop a program that will not just encourage, but actually provide a support system for these brave young people as they step into an increasingly unfriendly and challenging world. The Lord impressed me with this idea as I was reading a magazine about missionaries who leave their homeland and struggle with cultures, languages and customs that hinders them greatly in their effort to spread the Gospel. In contrast, I realized our many foreign students are the perfect missionaries for their homeland! They have no visa problems, culture shock, or homesickness. They already know the language and they understand their people better than any foreigner possibly could. Best of all, they are ready NOW!

And so, based on Isaiah 6:8, the “Lord Send Me” (LSM) program is born. For our very first outpost project we will choose a graduate who is already in the mission field but needs help with their ministry. LSM will help them analyze their needs, set goals, and address obstacles that are hindering their progress. We want to provide logistical and organizational help, some financial support, and of course continued spiritual direction and encouragement. We will keep you informed of their progress on a monthly basis. (This will be exciting.) We will begin with just 1 or possibly 2 projects, but as the Lord blesses, we will expand. Our plan is that these first pilot sites will eventually become outposts where interns and American graduates can come for mission experience. Eventually we want to see our current students who want to go into self supporting work, raising funds for their start-up costs, anticipating obstacles, and developing realistic plans for their ministry before they even graduate so that they will be able to move more successfully into the work the Lord puts on their hearts.

While we commend the work of other missionary organizations, we strongly believe that supporting our graduates will give you far more for your missionary dollars than sending American missionaries to unfamiliar lands.

Well, are you inspired by this concept? Already we have students and graduates waiting and praying for just the kind of help we are preparing to offer. Soon we hope to begin unfolding our plans and featuring our first project in our Ministry Report and on this website. If you want to see evangelism come to life, please consider helping with this program. You may donate through this website or mail donations to Hartland World Mission, PO Box 1, Rapidan, VA 22733 Eventually you will be able to select individual projects, but for now just mark your donation “LSM Program” or simply “Evangelism”.

If we work together we can move this army of youth to the front lines and see them finish the work. They are ready, are you? Isaiah 6:8.

Thank you so much for your faith in our graduates and support for our evangelistic work.

Nancy Carmouche

Acting Director, World Mission Division