CONTENTS EDITORIAL FEATURES 2 EDITORIAL Stop the Rain 3 THE GREAT FLOOD OF 1993 Our Lake Union Responds Stop the Rain 7 BEAST BASHING MUST STOP We Must Bring People to Christ by Robert H. Carter, president 8 THE UNSUNG HEROES Maranatha Volunteers Lake Union Conference 10 COMMUNICATING CARE To the Physically Challenged very good friend of mine wrote a short note to the Lake Union Herald regarding 12 THE YOUTH CHALLENGE A my article in the July issue, "Pray for Rain." I know that this friend's short Capable of Ministering for Christ comment was made with "tongue in cheek." He wondered what residents living in 13 REVIVAL AMONG FRIENDS those areas of our country being devastated by excessive rainfall and flood waters The Union-Wide Women's Retreat would think of such a title. They no doubt are praying for the frequent rainfall to stop. 19 CREATIVE PARENTING Our hearts go out to fellow Americans whose businesses, homes and farmlands have been damaged by the rising water. Twenty-six people have lost their lives at the The Christian Perspective time of this writing, and over five billion dollars of property loss is reported. DEPARTMENTS According to authorities this is the worst flooding to affect the Midwest portion of our country in 100 years. Many survivors will never fully recover economically from this 4 Our Global Mission deluge. Government and private agencies are to be commended for their assistance to the unfortunate victims. 6 "Project Reclaim" Of course, my article in the July issue was written weeks before the rain and flood 6 1993 Crusades began. Had I possessed the gift of foreknowledge, I would have delayed submitting 14 Women's News that particular message for publication. 15 Education News Accounts of the suffering people living in the flood-ravaged areas of Illinois, Iowa, 16 Local Church News Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin, bring to mind the biblical records of the great 18 World Church News flood that took place in the days of Noah. It rained upon the earth "forty days and forty nights." There were no safe heavens in which the inhabitants might take refuge. 18 Singles' News There was no high ground that was beyond the reach of the rising waters. Even "the 21 A Look Back mountains were covered." The destruction was not limited to a few states. The whole 22 Milestones earth was inundated and every living creature perished. The only survivors were those 24 Classified Ads who had entered the ark. 28 Announcements According to Genesis 7:24, "the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and 30 For Youth Eyes Only fifty days." That is five months ! Can you imagine what it must have been like for Noah and his family to be cramped in that boat with all those animals and fowl for five long 31 Letters months? What a relief it must have been when, "The fountains also of the deep and COVER the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained" (Genesis 8:2). The water began to abate until finally "Noah removed the covering of This picture of Wagner Falls in Mich- the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry" (Genesis 8:13). igan's Upper Peninsula was taken by Paul Shortly thereafter Noah, his family, and the animals and fowl left the ark and resumed A. Sergio of South Bend, IN, using a Nikon 8008 camera with Fujichrome their normal lives. Velvia 50 film. It is our sincere hope that the rainfall will stop in the Midwest so that the flood waters can abate, and people can return to their normal activities. The main emphasis The Lake Union Herald (USPS 302-860; ISSN 0194- of my July article was not a prayer for literal rain, but an earnest request for a greater 908X) is published monthly by the Lake Union Conference, P.O. Box C, Berrien Springs, MI 49103. outpouring of the Holy Spirit. I believe that such a request is essential for every Second-class postage is paid at Berrien Springs, MI 49103 individual who desires to be ready for our Lord's soon return. The "latter rain" and additional mailing offices. Yearly subscription price $5; single copies 50 cents. Postmaster: Send all address representing the special outpouring of His Spirit upon all flesh prior to His appearing changes to: Lake Union Herald. P.O. Box C, Berrien Springs, MI 49103. must never stop! 2 • LAKE UNION HERALD, SEPTEMBER 1993 OUR GLOBAL MISSION Lake Union Responses to The Great Flood of 1993 Pitt do, by William E. Jones, disaster response director This Indiana church group assisted with flood Lake Union Conference relief efforts in St. Peters, MO. dventist Community Services (ACS) and Seventh-day Adventist volunteers responded early to the Awide-spread flood conditions which have controlled the lives of so many families throughout the Midwest. On Friday, July 16, a small group of Indiana Conference volunteers led by Cathryn Kuszmaul, director, traveled to St. Peters, MO, a suburb of St. Louis, where a distribution site had been set up in the Mid-Rivers Adventist Church and School (pictured above). Some volunteers were kept busy interviewing those who had suffered loss, while others distributed drinking water and assisted in sandbagging. More assistance for flood victims has been set up in the Illinois cities of Quincy (pictured right), Moline and Alton by Elder Jerry Coyle, Illinois Conference disaster response director. It was my privilege to travel to the flooded areas to help review their needs, and plan for future operations. I found from location to location and day to day, the needs varied. The Seventh-day Adventist Church is playing a major roll in distributing donated goods. Churches throughout the Lake Union have collection programs in place for items such as: bottled water, baby food and diapers, flashlights, batteries, cleaning supplies, canned food, can openers, personal comfort items (toothpaste, soap), paper goods (plates, cups) and blankets. Please call first! Individuals and groups that want to donate items, other than cash, to flood relief are urged to dial 800-253-3000 first. This 800 number acts as a clearinghouse, coordinating offers with relief workers on location at emergency distribution centers. Disorganized, unexpected arrivals of donated items that are not needed can create a backup of trucks, piles of clothing in parking lots, and actually prevent help from getting to flood victims. It is important that donations be packed in a way which will keep them from being ruined in transit, or make it difficult to handle them when they arrive at the disaster site. Pack your donations in medium and small cardboard cartons, because often the unloading must be done by hand, without forklifts or dollies. It is helpful to fill each donation box with the same kind of item and mark the box clearly with a large marker. Organize canned goods by type, too. At this time there is not a need of clothing, except for babies and preschool children. However, there is an on-going need for volunteers from outside the states of Illinois, Iowa and Missouri. Many SDA members in these areas are victims who should not be asked to provide major contributions of time and energy. If your are interested in volunteering, please call 800-253-3000 before traveling to the scene, for coordination purposes. flood continues on page 4 LAKE UNION HERALD. SEPTEMBER 1993 • 3 OUR GLOBAL MISSION Building Bridges of Mercy Michigan — South Flint (MI) Church's youth group recently decided they would like to do something to help AIDS victims. The group contacted Dave Warson, a South Flint member and the director of Joy Outreach, to find out what they could do to be most helpful. Joy Outreach is a privately funded national organization that helps both victims of cancer and AIDS. Warson called Wellness Services which gives assistance to AIDS victims in Genessee County, and asked if they could suggest a project. He was told that the organization was recently A flooded portion of the river in south St. Louis, MO, pushes against the donated a house in downtown Flint to use as a center for AIDS weakened levee. patients in the latter stages of the illness, and needed help preparing the house for occupancy. flood continued from page 3 On July 21, Jim Simonds, South Flint pastor, took nine The Seventh-day Adventist Church has had excellent media young people downtown to work on this house. They pulled coverage by television, radio and in the newspapers of St. Louis, weeds, washed windows, cleaned sinks, polished wall panel- as well as in other small towns of Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and ing, scrubbed floors and cleaned bathrooms. These enthusiastic Missouri. The 800 number has been listed daily in the Washing- volunteers cleaned the 16-room house in a little over two hours. ton Post and other national newspapers. Information about According to Simonds, their efforts to help did not stop with ACS and the 800 number has also been sent out on the Prodigy the house cleaning project. This youth group is collecting electronic news network. blankets, food and other necessities for the six or eight people Even the Euro-Africa Division of the SDA Church, head- who will eventually reside in the center. quartered in Switzerland, has responded with a special dona- tion of $10,000 from European Seventh-day Adventists. Stories about the response of people everywhere are heart- warming. John Wolfe and Dean Coridan tell of meeting a God Makes Methodist pastor from Fairfax, MO. He said that the people in his little town didn't know much about Adventists, and didn't Her Hands Work really like Adventists until they lost their water system and an ACS truck arrived past midnight with bottled water for families Wisconsin — The severe ar- that had gone more than 12 hours without drinking water.