ANR Bulletin
Adventist News Review
Trans-European Division of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church

5 January 2005

In this Issue:

* England: Asia Tsunami ? ADRA response update
* Cyprus: No Fast Moves!
* Netherlands: ADRA-Netherlands: first cornea transplant in Djibouti
* TED Prayer Guide for week 9 ? 15 January


ASIA TSUNAMI ADRA RESPONSE UPDATE

ST. ALBANS, ENGLAND [ANR] ? The Tsunami Disaster Appeal in the UK for
Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) started on 27 December
and to-date £65,200 in donations has been received. Raafat Kamal,
ADRA-UK Director says ?the response from our Church members and
regular supporters has been fantastic and continues to be very
generous. Along with a collection from members of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church in Britain last Saturday we anticipate more than
£125,000 will be received. We have sent $100,000 to support the ADRA
Asia Fund and will concentrate our continued support for Sri Lanka.?

On December 31, Conrad Vine, a consultant for ADRA-UK arrived in
Colombo, Sri Lanka and recently sent the following insight into life
in the affected area. ?The response by communities across Sri Lanka
has been amazing. Communities further inland are themselves bringing
food and water to the coastal communities. Extended families are
taking in orphaned children and homeless adults. Hotels in the
affected regions offer rooms for free for office and accommodation
purposes. Restaurants are providing free food for aid workers. The
various government ministries are working around the clock to ensure
that aid gets through smoothly with as little hassle as possible."

?Everywhere one gets the sense that the communities and institutions
are doing all they can to recover and help each other. In the coastal
areas, the work of burying the dead is still going on, but already
shattered communities are starting to put themselves back together
again. The devastation in some areas is total, but the process of
recovery is beginning,? Vine concludes.

?Images in the media have shocked us all,? says Roy Richardson, ADRA
director for the Trans-European region, ?but let us continue to keep
in mind the many thousands who are grieving over lost loved ones and
who have lost homes and businesses. All our ADRA offices are pulling
together to provide as much help as possible for the affected region.
Please continue to help as you are able, through donations and
through your prayers.?

[ANR Staff/ANR]


NO FAST MOVES!

NICOSIA, CYPRUS [ANR] ? The headquarters office in Cyprus, of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Middle East region was the venue
for the December 2004 year-end meetings. Administrative officers from
all the countries that comprise this region gathered to discuss the
business of the church including Basim Fargo, Secretary-Treasurer of
the Adventist Church in Iraq.

During his report, Fargo described the difficulties he had
experienced in his travel to the meetings. At first he and his family
were planning to fly out of Iraq. But as the day of their departure
got closer the news got worse. The situation had become so dangerous
that two or three were being killed on the way to the airport every
day. Finally they decided it would be safer to travel across the
desert by road, than to drive through town to the airport.

They hired a taxi and drove away from Baghdad. The motorway was good,
the car ran smoothly, and gradually they began to relax. Suddenly,
without any warning, about 100 km from the border, they saw a crowd
of cars stopped and people milling around them. It didn't look like
an ambush, so they cautiously continued toward the group. It was
clear no one was driving beyond this apparent road block and as they
approached they saw two bodies lying on the side of the road and a
car riddled with bullet holes.

The group advised them not to proceed as an American convoy was ahead
and had just recently killed the two men. Was this the truth or a
trick? Considering their options they finally decided it would be
safer to proceed than to wait and see what might happen next. After a
few very tense kilometres they saw ahead of them the American convoy
slowly escorting a string of petrol trucks down the motorway. The
guns were now aiming right at them and someone with a megaphone was
shouting commands, "Slow down. Move to the other side of the
motorway. Proceed slowly. NO FAST MOVES!"

They held their breath, slowed the car to a crawl, carefully crossed
the central reservation and began driving on the farthest side of the
deserted motorway with the big guns pointing directly at them as they
passed the convoy. Some considerable distance beyond the column of
vehicles, they were again allowed to cross to the correct side of the
motorway and proceed, at which point they were told that those killed
had refused to slow down when approaching the convoy. Whether they
were terrorists or just scared and confused, no one knew for sure.
The men in the convoy were clearly very edgy about any vehicle trying
to come near them.

During Fargo's report he describe what it is like to walk from your
house to church and wonder if today you will be the one to step on
the land mine. As you enter the store you wonder if today one of the
trucks outside will suddenly blow up and bury you in rubble. As you
get in your car to come home from work (if you have work) you wonder
when the car in front of you may swerve, blocking your path as armed
men jump out to grab you and take you hostage where you will be held
as a pawn in a battle that you aren't part of and can't control.

Our hearts ache for our brothers and sisters in Iraq. We talk about a
time of trouble that is coming on the world sometime in the future,
but they are living through it today! How long, Oh Lord? How long?

[Homer Trecartin/ANR]


ADRA-NETHERLANDS: FIRST CORNEA TRANSPLANT IN DJIBOUTI

HUIS TER HEIDE, NETHERLANDS [ANR] ? Recently, in the city of
Djibouti, capital of the Republic of Djibouti, four cornea transplant
operations were performed by Doctor Diederick Jansonius, a Dutch eye
specialist who had taken the corneas with him. This kind of operation
has never before taken place in this country in the ?horn of Africa.?

The operations were just part of the activities of a so-called ?eye
camp?? a short intensive campaign during which a large number of eye
surgeries and other interventions were undertaken by a group of
foreign specialists, who donated their time for this specific
purpose. During the ?eye camp? 517 operations were performed, in
addition to over 2,000 consultations.

The ?eye camp? is one of the many elements of a three year
development project initiated by ADRA-Netherlands in cooperation with
another Dutch agency, 'Himalaya Eye Care Foundation', which
contributes personnel and expertise. Most of the activities of this
project, which has a budget of about 300,000 euros, are centered in
the Adventist Health Clinic in the city of Djibouti. This clinic,
which is sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, specializes
in dental and eye care.

Djibouti, with its half million inhabitants, consists almost
completely of hot dessert country. The air is full of dust, which
accounts to a large extent, for the unusually high incidence of eye
problems. The absence of adequate medical facilities and the lack of
knowledge among the people regarding simple preventive measures are
also contributors to the fact that many suffer from eye problems or
total blindness. This project of ADRA-Netherlands, the humanitarian
arm of the Adventist Church in the Netherlands, will hopefully
greatly reduce this problem for the people of Djibouti.

[Reinder Bruinsma/ANR]


TED PRAYER GUIDE FOR WEEK 9 ? 15 JANUARY 2005

ST ALBANS, ENGLAND [ANR] ? It is fitting that right at the beginning
of the year, the General Conference reminds us of the importance of
health. This is no longer a side issue, but a vital component of our
Christian life. By word and example, we can show others ?out there?
how practical Christianity can work.

Health must never be limited to what not to do or eat; nor must it
become a battle ground for members to criticise each other. Rather we
must view the wealth of health instruction in the Bible, Sister
White, and official church books published about health as a means of
gaining clearer minds and healthier bodies with which to better serve
? and live for ? the Lord. ?I have come? said Jesus, ?that they may
have life and have it to the full? (John 10:10). That is life here
and now, as well as in the future.

Prayer Requests:

1. And thank God for His good gifts to us throughout last year
2. For those who are suffering poor health
3. For wisdom in using the instruction on health given to us..

[Paul Clee/ANR]


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ANR Staff: Miroslav Pujic, news director, Beverly Coysten, editor
ANR, 119 St Peter's Street, St Albans, Herts, AL1 3EY, England
E-mail: anr@ted-adventist.org
Website: www.ted-adventist.org

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