The village of Ekwok is the destination of Dillingham SDA church members Rod and Brenda Rau most Sabbaths. No, they are not trying to get away from the Dillingham church-- they are extending its reach with a branch Sabbath school. They have permission to meet in the Ekwok city hall/post office, in a room about 20x20 feet in size. Conveniently located in the same building as the post office, they sometimes have people drop in after picking up their mail.
Ekwok is a village about 42 miles North-East of Dillingham, that has had previous Adventist work, years ago when the Aleknagik mission school was still open. At first glance, it would appear that all that remains of the original work is a small 10x20 foot structure once used as a meeting house. However, people are what make the church, and Ekwok has people who are interested in learning more about the Bible.
Please consider if you may be called to be an evangelist this summer in Ekwok.
Warren
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Mission: Ekwok
Mission: Manokotak
The branch Sabbath school work in the village of Manokotak has made some exciting strides in the past year. But the story goes back about ten years, to when Dave & Shirley Williams befriended a man we'll call T (some names will be changed for privacy). Dave Williams, a Dillingham Adventist church member, did some mechanical work for T, an elder in the Moravian church in Manokotak, and shared some Bible studies and Sabbath school quarterlies with him at that time.
Now, fast forward to last year, 2006, when Dillingham members Margarita Merino and Florie Jewell visited house to house in Manokotak throughout the year. In the process, they found many interested people. One man we'll call A was willing to have Bible studies in his home. These began this spring, 2007, and have had around 13-14 people each week. A woman we'll call R (along with her mother) was one of those people. When R learned of the Sabbath and discussed it with her mother, she said "I've known that for a long time". R wondered why she hadn't been told about it all this time.
By June, R was ready for baptism, and she and her husband were flown to Dillingham for her baptism in June, 2007. At the baptism, her husband also seemed very interested. He also expressed his desire to begin paying tithe.
Since learning of the Sabbath, R has been active in outreach. She has shared her faith with the V.P.S.O. (Village Public Safety Officer) and also T, the Moravian church elder mentioned at the beginning. The V.P.S.O. was initially skeptical, but he studied the Sabbath for himself, he found it to be Biblical. Under conviction from the Holy Spirit, he made a decision to keep the Sabbath. Based on his convictions, the V.P.S.O. quit his job so he could keep Sabbath.
Meanwhile, the Moravian elder, T, had heard Sabbath presented at the Moravian church. When the Sabbath was presented, T noticed the reactions of the members. Some reacted with surprise, some with apparent anger, but some reacted with excitement and acceptance. T wanted more studies for his church. He wanted the Dillingham pastor to present the Bible truths from the Bible at the church, not pushing any denomination, just the scriptures. However, when the pastor called, the church wasn't ready for such a presentation yet. Nonetheless, T did request more quarterlies, further studies, and DVDs, which the pastor subsequently took over to him.
T wrote a letter in July to the Dillingham Adventist pastor, giving these details, and stating that he had begun keeping the Sabbath in June this year, and that besides the V.P.S.O., another family has also made a decision to keep the Sabbath. He has shared the Sabbath with his Thursday Bible study group, and they would like a Bible-based study given without pressure to join another denomination. Many young people, children and adults are listening to him, but fear persecution and name calling as the Adventists have received.
T has stated that while he doesn't want to change his denomination, he wants to keep the Sabbath and be faithful to the truth of the Bible. He is also aware of many other non-Biblical teachings in his church, such as the use of graven images and communication with purported spirits of the dead (forbidden by scriptures).
This fall (2007), child dedications have been given for 3 of R's children. Decisions are also being weighed by many, to follow the Bible more fully. Please keep them in your prayers and consider whether you may be called to dedicate some time this summer to evangelism in a village.
There are always challenges to deal with, and some of them are physical. Manokotak consists of an old village and a new village, which are about five miles apart. They could really use two groups of evangelists going out, rather than just one. Alternately, a light vehicle such as a moped or even a bicycle could be helpful for transit between the villages at least in the non-winter months.
Most of all, however, dedicated volunteers are needed who see that the fields "are white already to harvest." (John 4:35). "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest." (Matthew 9:37-38)
Warren
Mission: Togiak
But it went well, and I got to practice a short, soft field landing with a 20 mph wind! There weren't very many people today, about five adults and three children, but we had some really good discussions with the ones who were there, so I think it was good that we went. One young man, who is almost completely deaf, has a sister with several young children, who was arrested recently for drinking, and is now in jail in Anchorage. So he now has the responsibility of caring for her three children while she is gone. He lives with his father and sister, but he says they are not a lot of help, and he ends up looking after them too most of the time. Sometimes he gets so fed up with them all that he comes over here to Dillingham, to get away from it, and spends the whole time here drinking! Today, we talked to him for a long time, and had special prayer for him before we left. I asked if he'd like us to dedicate the children and him next Sabbath, and have special prayer for them as a "family", and he said he'd really like that. So we'll be having a dedication next Sabbath :). I really wish that the Lord would provide a couple who could not only be spiritual leaders there, but could also volunteer to open an Adventist school there too. If they could volunteer their time, the parents wouldn't have to pay huge school fees, and some of these wonderful kids could be in a Christian school!
Blessings,
Mission: Dillingham area villages
The next few posts will discuss missions work in the villages in the Dillingham area. The Dillingham church has a number of members involved in branch Sabbath school work in Togiak, Manakotak, and Ekwok. The church has adjusted their schedule so the participants can attend at least part of the Dillingham service before going to one of the villages. Here are the villages and the groups that have been going out:
- Togiak: Judi & Gavin Thompson & Jim Bingman
- Manakotak: Florie Jewell, Margarita Merino, Linda & Wendell Downs
- Ekwok: Rod & Brenda Rau
ShareHim meetings may work better in the villages than in Dillingham at this time. In any case, we hope to reach people while their interest is at a peak. Read on to learn more about how God is working in people's hearts.
Warren
