newsforjan2005

On Wednesday evening after being hospitalized for about three weeks, Victoria Whyms died at Princess Margaret hospital. She is the mother of Pastor Lynden Williams, and her other children include David Williams and Ellie Reid of the Grants Town Seventh-day Adventist Church, Princess Williams of the Parkgate Seventh-day Adventist Church, and Vincess Williams of Message of Hope Seventh-day Adventist Church. The funeral is scheduled for Sunday February 6th 2:00 p.m. @ the Grants Town Seventh-day Adventist Church. Condolences may be sent to low2205@yahoo.com

Adventist Bahamian Returns to Mayaguana. Clayton Farrington has been an Adventist for more

than seventeen years. He became a Seventh-day Adventist Christian in 1988 after being introduced to the Adventist message by wife, Ives (deceased in 1997). He joined the Bible class at the Bethany Adventist Church, North Miami, Florida, and soon got baptized. He has been an enthusiastic Seventh-day Adventist ever since. He returned to the Bahamas to reside at his native home, Mayaguana in August of 2004.

While is Florida, Clayton worked as a retail manager at Winn Dixie and Wal-Mart Stores. Currently he owns and operates a convenience store in Abrahams Bay, Mayaguana. There are only three other Adventists on the island with no Adventist Church. Clayton has a passion to spread the Adventist message in Mayaguana. He plans to use sermon video series and live satellite to teach the Adventist message each week. He will be purchasing the Hope Channel satellite dish package to assist in this ministry.

The island of Mayaguana is located in the southeastern Bahamas, more than 350 miles from Nassau with a total population of 385. Here is a description of this lovely island from the Bahamas Web Pages "

"Mayaguana is the least developed and most isolated island within The Bahamas family of islands. That’s a Bahamian way of saying it’s an ideal getaway for travelers seeking footprint-free beaches, reef diving, and a tackle box of sportfishing. . . ."

Clayton Farrington is a father of eight children (six daughters and two boys. He has since remarried to a wonderful lady who is not yet of the Adventist faith. Pray for him as he witnesses in Mayaguana.

Wintley Phipps Sings for US Presidential Inauguration
On the steps of the capitol on January 20 in honor the of inauguration of the country's 43rd president, George W. Bush, Adventist pastor and musician Wintley Phipps sang a song written in 1997 by U.S. senator Orrin Hatch and Janice Kapp Perry titled "Heal Our Land."* Phipps is founder of the U.S. Dream Academy, an online Christian academic resource, and has also served as senior pastor of churches in the Washington, D.C. area. He is currently pastor of the Palm Bay Adventist Church in Florida.

Also performing during the inauguration ceremonies were Ring of Fire, an internationally renowned

bell choir whose musicians are alumni of Tualatin Valley Junior Academy in Hillsboro, Oregon, and a bell choir comprising students in grades 7 to 10 from C. F. Richards Junior Academy in Stanton, Virginia.

Dr. Curtis McMillan, semi-retired dentist, and president of MedDentCo, parent company of Med

Plan and Dent Plan, visited the Adventist Headquarters on Friday, January 14, 2005. Dr. McMillian is the first Bahamian graduate of Northern Caribbean University, Jamaica, and former Vice Principal of

Dr. Curtis standing with his brother, Wendell McMillan and his neice Cheryl Rolle

Bahamas Academy. He is the oldest of five brothers: Daniel, Leslie, Cyril and Wendell McMillan. He visited his niece, Dr. Cheryl Rolle, education director of the conference. Dr. Curtis McMillan and his wife, Thelma, are proud parents of three children and three grandchildren. Send your greetings to medplan@batelnet.bs

Marguerite Brennen with Conference officials

Marguerite Brennen, co-director of Journey, a singing group at Andrews University, Michigan, presented to the Bahamas Conference administrators a check of $960 for survivors of the recent hurricanes in the Bahamas. Journey had a benefit concert on November 14, 2004 to raise funds for this purpose. Learn more about Journey by visiting their website. www.journey-ministries.com

Tsunami India Report Jan 4, 2005
(The following is a casual report from India by Dorothy Watts courtesy of Dr. Clifton Keller) Pastor Watts gave a report at our New Year's eve meeting Friday evening. It will give you a little idea of how our believers are. God is so good. So far there are no reports of any Adventist believers who have perished in India due to the Tsunami. In Sri Lanka I think there are 5 or maybe more who are un accounted for.

Many of you are requesting information about how Adventists were affected by the recent tsunami disaster of December 26. It has taken some days to gather information as communication lines were down and travel into some areas is not possible. The good news is that so far we have heard of no members who have lost their lives in the disaster. The bad news is that many have lost their houses, all of their possessions, and their means of making a living. Here is what we know at present. Ron Watts. President, Southern Asia Division

SOUTH TAMIL CONFERENCE
Periyathazhai (Global Mission Church) 300 families are being fed three meals a day in our church building. These are all fishermen. 30 Adventist families in two villages lost their fishing boats and nets. 15 owned fibre glass boats at a value of Rs 150,000 ($3,500) each. And 15 owned small boats valued at Rs 50,000 to 60,000 ($1,400) each.

Idinthakarai
This is a fishing village on the Tuticorin coast. 10 Adventist families lost their boats and fishing nets. They are staying in our church near Vallioor. Our church is feeding 50 people three meals a day. Authorities will not allow them to return to their homes. The boats are valued at Rs 45,000 ($1,050) each to replace and some can be repaired at Rs. 10,000 ($232) each. They will have a loss of income for at least the next three months.

RAMNAD-SIVAGANGA REGION
There are seven Adventist churches on Rameswaram Island including 40 fisherman families. All have been asked to vacate their villages. There was a new church scheduled to be dedicated on January 1. It was not possible because no one is allowed back on the island. All 40 Adventist families were affected. 10 had their small houses damaged. Seven families lost their boats and nets. These were washed out to sea and there has been no sign of them. Two families lost equipment to grow sea plants which produce a jelly which they sell to a company. The cost of that equipment is Rs 35,000 ($813) each. Fifteen families lost goats, cows, buffalos at an average loss of Rs 7,000 for each family ($162). Ten families lost all of their furnishings, utensils and all household goods as well as their clothing.

TANJORE KARAIKAL REGION
In one Karaikal village the pastor reports the following losses to Adventist members: House # 1: House and clothing. House # 2: House and clothing. Brother Raju owned a small grocery shop by the sea shore. It was swept away with all of the merchandise. The pastor's cycle and scooter were damaged. The church building had 7 benches, pulpit, all windows damaged. School building materials were washed away. Sand, cement, and steel rods all gone. Two teachers working in our school have damaged houses. In a second village there were 20 families who have been in the baptismal class for several months. They were among the 600 families who lost everything, including houses. It will take Rs 100,000 for each house ($2,325)

NORTH TAMIL CONFERENCE
In Cuddalore there are 15 Adventist families whose houses were damaged. They were not fishermen. In Pondicherry 10 members families had houses damaged. Total 25 families had damage to their houses. We are feeding 200 people every day in the Pondicherry Church.

ANDAMAN-NICOBAR ISLANDS
Our work is concentrated in Port Blair. Our members are all safe. The church however was damaged and will need to be replaced at a cost of $5,000 In Nicobar Island one church elder had a furniture workshop which was washed away.

ADRA IS AT WORK
ADRA is on the job bringing relief. However, because they receive government funds they cannot target Adventist families but go wherever they are asked to go by the Indian government and give to all in that area. Funds sent through ADRA are much appreciated and much needed but they go for the general relief effort in the region and cannot be designated for Adventist members or losses.

The Adventist Church in Southern Asia is doing what it can to help care for our members. Presently only feeding is going on and such immediate help as needed. More help will be extended as funds become available to help the members be rehabilitated. If you wish to help rehabilitate Adventist members in India who have lost everything in this disaster, you may send funds through the General Conference. Make out Checks to General Conference of SDA, and mail care of Stanley Ponniah, General Conference of SDA, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, Maryland 20904. Indicate it is for India Tsunami Relief. (Dorothy Watts, Associate Secretary, Southern Asia Division)