Sharing News and Inspiration from the Southwestern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Carrying God’s Light to the World In this Issue... DEPARTMENTS CREATION Health . 4 Shades of Grace . 5 Pass It On . 6 8 Visión Hispana . 7 FEATURES Mission—A Way of Life Mission—A Way of Life . 8 Caring Enough to Belong . 10 Light Through the Prism of the Arts . 12 aring nough NEWS C E Arkansas-Louisiana . 14 10 Oklahoma . 18 to elong Southwest Region . 22 B Texas . 26 Texico . 30 Southwestern Adventist University . 34 North American Division . 35 Southwestern Union . 37 NOVEMBER-DECEMBERETCETERA 2011 Classified Ads . 38 Obituaries . 44 MyFaith . 46 For the Record . 47 Light Through the Prism of the Arts 12 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2011, Vol. 110, No. 12. The Southwestern Union Record is a monthly publication of the Seventh-day Adventist churches in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas, and is published at the headquarters of the Southwestern Union Conference, 777 S. Burleson Blvd., Burleson, TX 76028, 817.295.0476. Printed at Pacific Press Publishing Association in Nampa, Idaho. www.SouthwesternAdventist.org. On the Cover Evangelism is a top priority in the Southwestern Union. This past fall, 97 people traveled to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, and Livingstone, Zambia, holding 63 ShareHim meetings. The combined efforts of both teams led to 2,289 baptisms. [Photo of Avery Bokovoy preaching in Zimbabwe by her father, James Bokovoy.] 2 Southwestern Union Record President’s Perspective» BY LarrY Moore » SOUTHWESTERN UNION CONFERENCE PRESIDENT Let Your Common Light Shine I’ve always been intrigued at how a common person can rise above common tasks and impact generations of people in an uncommon way. I spent two years in the seminary on the campus of An- of his leadership is still burning brightly on the campuses of Ad- drews University back in the early 1970s. I have vivid memories ventist colleges and academies across the entire North American of watching the Andrews gymnastics team, the “Gymnics,” during Division. The annual Acrofest games that rotate through four of their home shows. Their coach was a charismatic Hawaiian fellow our Adventist universities each year are a testimony to high spiri- by the name of Bob Kalua. His team was wonderfully talented, I’m tual and physical standards that were set by men like Bob Kalua sure, but it wasn’t the amazing floor routines or towering human decades ago. pyramids for which I remember them. I spoke with Chad Hutchinson, our coach for SWAT (South- They stand out in my mind because of Coach Kalua’s vi- western Acrobatics Team) at Southwestern Adven- sion for making Jesus a central part of the gym- tist University, and he told me that he was heavily nastics program. Through sermonettes, skits, influenced by Coach Kalua’s acrobatic style of and prayers, sanctification was happening there gymnastics. But more importantly, Kalua’s focus on the mats in the Andrews gymnasium. on spirituality made a huge impact on Chad’s deter- As an onlooker in 1972, I experienced a complete para- mination to make ministry the focus of his own personal digm shift concerning what a sporting event should be all calling to physical education. about. I was impressed by how they shared their I’m not sure I ever met Coach faith through gymnastics during Kalua, and I haven’t seen him since half-time programs at local bas- my days back in seminary. He was ketball games or other sporting just a common man doing com- events. They told of opportunities mon things, but with God’s help, he lit to witness through gymnastics exhibitions at a fire that still burns today. What about you? county fairs. From middle schools to shop- What common things are you doing that ping malls, they were using their with God’s help could talents to share the start a fire in your Good News. church or com- I’m told that munity? Whatever Coach Kalua is re- God calls you to do, let tired and living in the state of your common light shine in Washington now. But uncommon ways. the legacy www.swurecord.org | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2011 3 CREATION Health BY LYNELL LAMOUNtaIN Making Room for Life: Trading Chaos for Connection Randy Frazee’s world was turned upside down during his first trip to the Holy Lands (Pastor Frazee is the senior minister of the Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Tex., where he serves alongside Max Lucado). The luxurious, air-conditioned tour bus groaned and weaved But, how important, really, is family dinner to the modern through the arid desert as Pastor Frazee’s group traveled from one family? Research suggests that having regular family dinners sig- ancient city to the next. Dotting the hillsides were the shabby box nificantly lowers the childhood risk of obesity, diabetes, smok- tents of the Bedouin shepherds, whom he pitied because of how ing, drinking, drugs, teen pregnancy, delinquency, eating disor- CREATIONdifficult he thought Health life must Article be for them. Graphic – REV 1 – ders, behavioral12/09-/09 problems, and depression. Having family dinners Just then, their Arab-Christian tour guide started speaking significantly improves eating habits—especially more fruits and into the microphone at the front of the bus. “Off to your right vegetables, fewer fried foods, and sodas—values and priorities, you will see the mobile residence of the Bedouin shepherd and grades, decision-making, conversational skills, reading skills, his family. Once their livestock has emotional health, self-esteem, and family relationships. C Choice grazed the available vegetation,C Choice the Dr. William Doherty writes, “The bigC pictureChoice is that family C Choice C Choice family will pick up their humble meals, and especially dinners, are the single most important ac- homes and move to a new place to tivity that parents can do to enhance the life of their children... R R R R Rest repeat the cycle.” What Randy heardRest Mealtime is a strong predictor of childhoodR well-being.Rest A national Rest Rest next shocked him. “The average study of young children’s time (ages 3-12) found that more meal- E Environment Bedouin,” the tour guide Econtinued,Environment time at home was the single strongest predictorE ofEnvironment better achieve- E Environment E Environment “lives to be over one hundred years ment scores and fewer behavioral problems. Mealtime was more old.” powerful than time spent in school, studying, church, playing A Activity A Activity A Activity A Activity Activity “What? How can that be?” Ran- sports or art activities.” (http://www.barillaus.com/Pages/Expert- A dy blurted out, not really intending Advice-Detail.aspx?AdviceArticleID=2&AdviceAuthor=Dr.-Wil- T Trust to voice his astonishment.T Trust liam-Doherty) T Trust T Trust T Trust Apparently, the Israeli govern- According to Mary Hyman, M.D., in How Eating At Home Can I Interpersonal ment wondered the sameI thingInterpersonal and Save Your Life, in 2010, 50 percent of meals wereI eatenInterpersonal away from I Interpersonal I Interpersonal RELATIONSHIPS commissioned a study. The assumpRELATIONSHIPS- home and one in five breakfasts were from McDonalds.RELATIONSHIPS Families RELATIONSHIPS RELATIONSHIPS tion was that it was diet, since the eat together three times a week on average, meals last less than O Outlook O Outlook O Outlook O Outlook O Outlook Bedouin eat whole foods, no preser- twenty minutes and are spent watching television or texting. vatives or candy, and very little meat. Here’s a thought. Since so many families celebrate the holiday N Nutrition But it was not their diet. N Nutritionseason with a special family meal, let’s useN this wonderfulNutrition occa - N Nutrition N Nutrition The secret? No stress and fam- sion as a springboard for enjoying our loved ones more often than ily dinner. The Bedouin make room for life. They startCREATIONhealth.com their day just twice a year. What if this was the year thatCREATIONhealth.com we chose to make CREATIONhealth.com CREATIONhealth.com at dawn; each family member has a job–some tend sheep, some room for life? What if we made it a custom to celebrate what mat- Increase circle size by 190% make clothes, others make meals, etc., and they finish their work ters most instead of scattering our energies on things that are here Add Circleby sunset. Their Shadow Object custom Style is that each family gathers back at the today and gone tomorrow? What if we stopped “doing” life and Left offsettents .125”for dinner. They build a fire for their festive evening of sto- started living life? C Choice C Choice C Choice C Choice Add 2ptries, white music, stroke and around singing, box and they connect for three or four hours I invite you to trade chaos for connection and make room Add Shadowas a family. to box for life. Start living life to the fullest...and let it begin with family After hearing that story, Pastor Frazee decided to Rtrade chaosRest dinner. R Rest R Rest R Rest for connection so he could make room in his life for, well, life. (See That’s CREATION Health! his book, Making Room for Life: Trading Chaotic LifestylesE forEnvironment Con- E Environment E Environment E Environment nected Relationships.) Lynell LaMountain writes from Florida Hospital in Orlando, Fla. A Activity A Activity A Activity A Activity 4 Southwestern Union Record T Trust T Trust T Trust T Trust I Interpersonal I Interpersonal I Interpersonal I Interpersonal RELATIONSHIPS RELATIONSHIPS RELATIONSHIPS RELATIONSHIPS O Outlook O Outlook O Outlook O Outlook N Nutrition N Nutrition N Nutrition N Nutrition CREATIONhealth.com CREATIONhealth.com CREATIONhealth.com CREATIONhealth.com Shades of Grace BY MIKE TUCKER » SPEAKER/DIRECTOR, FAITH FOR TODAY True Happiness Comes From Giving There’s a lot about Christmas that we don’t like.