May 2009 Archives

Follow the Bible arrived at the Northern Asia-Pacific region (NSD) after traveling through the South Pacific region (SPD) in Ilsan, South Korea on May 18. NSD ministerial secretary, Pastor Miguel Luna, traveled to Sydney, Australia last week to pick up the traveling Bible to continue its journey in NSD. Church officers, departmental directors, staff and guests from the Korean Union Conference met to participate in a special Bible arrival program that morning.

The program began with Bible readings in the main languages represented in the NSD territories: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Mongolian and English.

Northern Asia-Pacific regional secretary, Akeri Suzuki, shared a testimony about his father, Mitsuharu Suzuki, who was the first Adventist believer at Anjo in Aishi Prefecture, Japan. During the last moments of his life Suzuki called his children and siblings and said, "I want to ask you to please read the Bible! This is my hope." Seven of his brothers and a sister remain faithful Adventists in Japan. Suzuki said their lives were a testimony to the power of God through Scripture.

After a music selection performed by the youth ministries director, Joshua Shin, local Pastor Miguel Luna spoke about living the Word of God, suggesting the importance of studying the Bible and spending time in reading it every day. As we read we realize that its message is meant for us, he said, adding that the Bible leads people to Jesus and gives them hope of his return when sin, death and suffering will be no more.

After the congregation sang "Give Me the Bible", Women's Ministries director, Sally Lam-Phoon, led a responsive reading, after which S. H. Han, local communication department director, led the audience in committing to Bible reading. Finally, Suzuki handed over the Bible to the president of the Korean Union Conference, Hong Myung Kwan, for the arrival program at the KUC auditorium on May 19.

The Bible will continue its journey through Korean until May 30 when a representative from the Chinese Union Mission (CHUM) will come to Seoul to take the Bible to Taiwan, the first stop of the Bible in the CHUM region. Later it will visit Hong Kong before being handed over to the Mongolia Mission Field on June 11. From the Mongolia Mission Field the Bible will be handed to the Japan Union Conference when a representative from JUC will take the Bible to Japan. In Okinawa, a representative from NSD will take the Bible to Sahmyook University on June 27 to pass the Bible on to Euro-Asian regional President Artur Stele who will take the Bible to Vladivostok, Russia to begin its journey throughout his region.