August 2011 S OUTHERN Walking the Walk FHCHS Makes Mission Service a Priority August 2011 (cid:135) TIDINGS 1 Vantage Point Getting Beyond Pain Answers and hope are sometimes found in the strangest places. This past De- cember I was one of 14 journalists who had the privilege of visiting Israel as a guest of the Israeli government. After several deeply spiritual days of eagerly visiting Jop- pa, Caesarea, Megiddo, Cana, Nazareth, Capernaum, and sites around Jerusalem, our guide led us to a memorial that filled me with a sense of dread — Yad Vashem, the holocaust museum. Movies and previous visits to holocaust memorials always stoked smoldering anger and lingering pain in my heart over man’s inhumanity to man. I did not want to lose the inspiration I gained from walking in the steps of Jesus while trudging back through ghastly reminders of the racial hatred that scars our pasts and our persons. I expressed my reluctance and reasons to our guide, Tsion ben David, who em- pathized but encouraged me to try it. Then, “If it was too painful, turn around and come out.” With deep apprehension I entered the winding corridor that slowly descended into the heart of the memorial. Each step passed walls that retraced the roots and rise of anti-semitic hatred, a supremacist mindset, open hostility, neutrality, and the indifference that paved the way for the holocaust. One poignant note by a German pastor read, “They came for the Communists and I did not object for I was not com- munist. They came for the socialists ... the Jews ... and I did not object .... When they came for me, there was no one left to object” (Martin Niemöller). The exhibits then chronicled the terror, humiliation, forced labor, deportations, death camps, and exterminations of the holocaust, and end at a huge pile of shoes once worn by those killed in the ovens. From that low point, the winding corridor began a slow ascent through exhibits that revealed something I had never seen in any other holocaust museum or memori- al. These walls, letters, and photos now portrayed how Jews as individuals, families, and a nation have risen from the ashes of Auschwitz to rebirth and renewal, from R. Steven Norman III being victims to victors. Southern Union Two things surfaced for me in Yad Vashem: first, a conviction that no one can afford to be neutral or indifferent to injustice. We are our brother’s keeper. Second, I Communication began to sense hope and see anew the possibility for a creative response to injustice. Director Smoldering anger over the past does not have to burn away the love we need for today. Those of us who have suffered at the hand of hatred and indifference to Guest Editorial our plight can move beyond pain to forgiveness and full engagement in love and life again. How? I saw the answer in Yad Vashem. It is possible as we personally learn from the past, educate the world about the past and the possibilities of the present, choose to love all mankind, give of ourselves even in the face of risk, commemo- rate how God has led us, and connect and hold a firm faith in a promised future. As Christians we find this in Jesus. Then, like Joseph, we can be “fruitful in the land of … affliction,” Genesis 41:52. When I walked out of the museum, the ceiling swung up and outward to a magnificent view of the Judean valley. At first the sky over the valley was covered by clouds, but then the sun’s rays broke through and shown a light over the valley. Pointing to the valley, Tsion ben David exclaimed, “See this valley? See the emerging cities? This is our revenge.” The best victory over pain is rebirth, renewal, and a life committed to love. 2 T(cid:44)(cid:39)(cid:44)(cid:49)(cid:42)(cid:54)(cid:3)(cid:135)(cid:3)August 2011 Contents S OUTHERN F EATURES Volume 105, No. 8, August 2011 The Southern Tidings is the Official Publication of the Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists SOUTHERN UNION CONFERENCE Walking the Walk (cid:22)(cid:28)(cid:26)(cid:27)(cid:3)(cid:48)(cid:72)(cid:80)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:76)(cid:68)(cid:79)(cid:3)(cid:39)(cid:85)(cid:76)(cid:89)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:135)(cid:3)(cid:48)(cid:68)(cid:76)(cid:79)(cid:3)(cid:36)(cid:71)(cid:71)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:86)(cid:3) 4 FHCHS Makes Mission Service a Priority P.O. Box 849, Decatur, Georgia 30031 Telephone (404) 299-1832 www.southernunion.com Staff Back to School Editor R. STEVEN NORMAN III 10 Editorial Assistant IRISENE DOUCE Circulation BOBBIE MILLBURN Advertising NATHAN ZINNER Production COLLEGE PRESS Why Join SAC? Layout BRIAN WIEHN 11 Contributing Editors Adventist Health System JULIE ZAIBACK Carolina RON QUICK Mortgage Burning, Induction CREATION Health LYNELL LAMOUNTAIN 12 Florida MARTIN BUTLER Held Same Day Florida Hospital College ERIC CADIENTE Georgia-Cumberland TAMARA WOLCOTT FISHER Gulf States BECKY GRICE A Reluctant Worker, Hispanic MARIEL LOMBARDI Kentucky-Tennessee MARVIN LOWMAN $12,000 Worth of Literature 13 Oakwood University MICHELE SOLOMON South Atlantic JAMES LAMB South Central MICHAEL HARPE Southeastern ROBERT HENLEY South Atlantic Opens New Southern Adventist University RAINEY PARK 14 Camp Villas Conference/Institution Directory CAROLINA (704) 596-3200 P.O. Box 44270, Charlotte, NC 28215 The Leap Toward FLORIDA (407) 644-5000 P.O. Box 2626, Winter Park, FL 32790-2626 Maturity in Christ 15 GEORGIA-CUMBERLAND (706) 629-7951 P.O. Box 12000, Calhoun, GA 30703-7001 GULF STATES (334) 272-7493 Helping to Make Health P.O. Box 240249, Montgomery, AL 36117. KENTUCKY-TENNESSEE (615) 859-1391 Care in Haiti Safer 17 P.O. Box 1088, Goodlettsville, TN 37070-1088 SOUTH ATLANTIC (404) 792-0535 P.O. Box 92447, M.B., Sta., Atlanta, GA 30314 SOUTH CENTRAL (615) 226-6500 S 18 Adventist Health System P.O. Box 24936, Nashville, TN 37202 20 Carolina SOUTHEASTERN (352) 735-3142 P.O. Box 1016, Mt. Dora, FL 32756-0056 W 22 Florida ADVENTIST HEALTH SYSTEM (407) 975-1400 24 Georgia-Cumberland 111 North Orlando Ave., Winter Park, FL 32789-3675 26 Gulf States FLORIDA HOSPITAL COLLEGE OF 28 Kentucky-Tennessee HEALTH SCIENCES (800) 500-7747 E 671 Winyah Drive., Orlando, FL 32803 30 South Atlantic OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY (256) 726-7000 7000 Adventist Blvd., Huntsville, AL 35896 N 32 South Central SOUTHERN ADVENTIST UNIVERSITY 33 Southern Adventist University (800) SOUTHERN P.O. Box 370, Collegedale, TN 37315-0370 34 Southeastern SOUTHERN TIDINGS Volume 105 Number 8, August 2011. 36 Obituaries Published monthly by the Southern Union. Free to all mem- bers. POSTMASTER: send changes of address to Southern 44(cid:3) (cid:38)(cid:79)(cid:68)(cid:86)(cid:86)(cid:76)(cid:192)(cid:72)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:36)(cid:71)(cid:89)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:86)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:74) Tidings, P.O. Box 849, Decatur, GA 30031 47 Events Calendar [email protected] Front Cover: Sara Hueneke (left); Mike Tran; Kurt Jones, M.D.; Les Steele, physician as- sistant; Christina Madill; Ashley Mandeville; and Kayla Colon outside in the courtyard of the Clinica American De Juliaca in Peru. August 2011 (cid:135) TIDINGS 3 Cover Feature Walking Walk the FHCHS MMaakkkkkkkkkeeeeeeesssssss MMMMMMMMMMMiiiiiiiiisssssssssssssiiiiiiiiiooooooonnnnnnnn SSSSSSSSSSSeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrvvvvvvviiiiiiiiiiccccccceeeeeeee aaaaaaaa PPPPPPPPPPrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiooooooorrrrrrriiiiiiiiitttttttttyyyyyy BY ERIC CADIENTE 4 T(cid:44)(cid:39)(cid:44)(cid:49)(cid:42)(cid:54)(cid:3)(cid:135)(cid:3)August 2011 The Seventh-day Adventist Church has a rich tradition of orga- nizing mission trips to various parts of the globe. The mission trips are often undertaken for a variety of reasons — medical, educational, or ministerial — but the underly- ing theme throughout the years has always been one of serving others in a manner similar to how Christ lived his life while on Earth. At Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences (FHCHS), that tradition of mission and service is alive and well. At FHCHS, students, faculty, and staff are able to participate in multiple mission trips throughout the year. Whether traveling halfway around the globe to Russia or the Ukraine, assisting in a medical mis- sion in Latin America or the Carib- bean, or assisting the underprivi- leged and underserved here within the United States, FHCHS students are able to impact the lives of those they meet while continuing to grow as individuals. The longest running mission endeavor at FHCHS is one orga- nized by Health and Biomedical Sciences Department chair Ann Vining, Ed.D., and her husband, David. The Russian/Ukrainian trips have been ongoing since 1999, and came about while David Vining was on a mission trip to Siberia where he met representatives from Zaokski University (a sister Adventist Univer- sity in Russia). They told him of an endeavor in which they were trying to raise money to benefit children’s homes in their area. Unlike the United States, Russia does not have a foster system, and in its place the formation of children’s homes has arisen. Unlike orphanages, approxi- mately 60 percent of the children at these homes have living fam- ily members, but have been taken away by the state because of various reasons such as having a mother in jail, abuse, or abandonment. Due to the scarcity of money and resources, many of the children lack coats, hats, gloves, scarves, toys, and even undergarments. Upon hearing the plight of these children, Vining and her husband August 2011 (cid:135) TIDINGS 5 immediately started planning a mission trip to visit the children’s homes in Russia. Their endeavor to reach the children of Russia and the Ukraine has been ongoing for 12 years. Due to recent changes in the political climate, FHCHS has been working with another Adventist college, the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences. The last two mis- sion visits have moved to children’s homes in the Ukraine, but funds are still sent to the children’s homes in Russia that FHCHS has visited in the past. Oftentimes, the assistance is extended to the children in the local area as well. During the course of the visits, Vining and her hus- The group is greeted by clinic staff and folk performers. band have shipped or purchased more than 15,000 coats, 30,000 toys, 10,000 track suits, and countless numbers of gloves, hats, and under- garments. “The purpose of what we are trying to do in Russia and the Ukraine is to tell the children that somebody cares for them,” said Ann Vining. “We want to help them un- derstand that they have worth and personal value as a child of God.” Each mission trip is undertaken during the College’s winter break, and has always been a life-changing event for all involved. A perfect example of this is four teenage girls in Russia whose grandmother had taken them into her home. All four have now been baptized into the Adventist Church and are attending Nursing student Loryn Astle smiles for the camera as she makes balloon shapes for the the Adventist high school at Zaok- children. ski. In addition to the Russian/ Ukrainian mission trips, FHCHS has participated in the popular “Share- Him” mission trips in past years as well. By the time of this printing, a mission trip to Costa Rica will be underway that is being organized by the campus chaplain, Bill Crofton, and his son, Matt. Their organiza- tion, Mission 517, takes its name from 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Chaplain Crofton and his son have organized several trips to Costa Members of Mission 517 assist the teacher in the classroom. Rica during the last nine years, the 6 T(cid:44)(cid:39)(cid:44)(cid:49)(cid:42)(cid:54)(cid:3)(cid:135)(cid:3)August 2011 underlying purpose of each be- ing education. Working with rep- resentatives from the Costa Rican Ministry of Education, the mission reaches out to K-6 children in the public schools in the Tamarindo area. Open to Adventists and non- Adventists alike, Mission 517 has had all kinds of participants ranging from Adventist Academy students, Orlando area high school students, college students from around the country, and entire families. “During each mission trip we host a Vacation Bible School, teach English, incorporate some science into the curriculum, host an orga- nized physical education program, and often undertake a beautification project such as painting a mural or building,” said Crofton. “But most of all we hug them, play with them, and let them know we love them and value them.” “These mission trips are rela- tionship-driven.” states Bill Crofton. “Many students stay in contact with Happy smiles are everywhere on Mission 517 trips. their Costa Rican friends for years afterwards.” The experiences and relationships that occur on the trip impact not only the local Costa Ricans, but the missionaries as well. In 2008, two non-Adventist students from Boston University approached Crofton on the last night of their mission trip. After thanking him for including them on the trip, they told him, “We have to go back and evaluate what we are going to do with our lives.” After he had heard their comment, Crofton was re- minded of the passage in Ellen G. White’s Ministry of Healing, page 43, which states, “Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Savior mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, ‘Follow Me.’” As a former missionary himself, FHCHS president David Greenlaw, D.Min., also asked the campus chaplains to arrange domestic mis- sion trips to minister and assist the underserved and uninsured within the United States. “We shouldn’t just Members of the local Peruvian village greet the mission team in their native attire. August 2011 (cid:135) TIDINGS 7 focus our efforts overseas when so many need help at home,” related Crofton. Along with his fellow chaplain, Reynold Acosta, Crofton arranged for a mission trip to south central Florida to work with the un- derserved and large migrant worker population in the state. Future do- mestic mission trips are also being planned for the Appalachia region of the United States. Florida Hospital College’s unique relationship with Florida Hospital also allows for unparal- leled mission opportunities for students in the institution’s graduate Nurse Anesthesia Program (NAP). David (kneeling) and Ann Vining (left) pose with the missionary group from FHCHS. In February of 2011, NAP student Christina Madill and FHCHS adjunct faculty member Mike Tran, CRNA, participated in Florida Hospital’s Global Mission Initiatives mission trip to Peru. In addition to Madill, several FHCHS alumni made the trip as well, including nursing gradu- ate Marshall Moss, and sonography graduates Sara Hueneke and Kayla Colon. With visits to Lima and Juliaca, Peru, Madill found herself assisting with surgery in conditions far differ- ent than the squeaky clean sterile environments she was used to. With Juliaca situated 13,000 feet above sea level, many members of the mis- sion team battled altitude sickness while carrying out their duties. “This trip was a personal achievement for Boys (ages 4-13) from the Segrado Corazon de Jesus Orphanage show their apprecia- me,” said Madill. “Not only was I tion of FHCHS nursing alumnus Marshall Moss in Juliaca, Peru. able to help the underserved, but I grew personally from the experience and now have a new appreciation for the facilities we, as profession- als, have, but also as Americans living in a country of comparative prosperity.” At times, Christina and Mike found that they had to fashion a surrogate instrument out of the existing supplies to accomplish their goals during surgery. “This experi- ence really made me appreciate all that we have here in America and how fortunate we are to have access to the simplest things,” said Madill. “But, it gave me confidence in what I am able to do. I now know I can work under adverse conditions and still be able to do what is needed.” Ann Vining (center) visits with administrators of a Ukrainian children’s home. 8 T(cid:44)(cid:39)(cid:44)(cid:49)(cid:42)(cid:54)(cid:3)(cid:135)(cid:3)August 2011 While Christina and her team as- sisted the surgeons in the operating room, the other missionaries visited orphanages in the region to help with basic care and introduce the lo- cal populace to the fundamentals of healthful living. Kayla Colon, 2009 sonography graduate, said, “I think I can say I am addicted to helping others and offering to lend your skills where you can help meet a specific need. I enjoy the feeling of accomplishment knowing my efforts have truly sparked a change.” In 2010, a group of four nurse anesthesia students, led by Susan Crider, accompanied members of the “Hearts in Motion” mission organization in Guatemala that was a blend of medical and ministerial Happy, smiling children welcome the team in Tamarindo, Costa Rica. mission. Working with the local hospitals in Zacapa, Crider and her group assisted the anesthesiologist in the operating rooms. In addition, Crider and her classmates felt it was important to represent themselves in a manner consistent with the mis- sion and vision of Florida Hospital College. Thanks to the contribution of many concerned individuals, Su- san and her classmates were able to distribute nearly 50 children’s begin- ner Bibles written in Spanish. Each child beamed with happiness as they held their new Bible and prom- ised Susan that they would read it to their siblings and parents. Christina Madill (left) and members of Florida Hospital’s Global Mission Initiatives Not only do FHCHS and Florida team visited a hospital in Peru. Hospital mission trips accomplish several of the College’s learning out- come — including caring, commu- nication, service to the community, and professional expertise — but they also embody the College’s four vision words: Nurture, Excellence, Spirituality, and Stewardship. At Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences, our mission is to blend healthcare and ministry, then see those come alive in the students, faculty, and staff. Eric Cadiente is Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences director of marketing and public relations. Members of the Mission 517 pose outside by the school sign in Tamarindo, Costa Rica. August 2011 (cid:135) TIDINGS 9 Southern Union Feature BACK TO SCHOOL Tips for a Successful Year BY DEBRA FRYSON As a child, did you dread the to-school sales, and by taking ad- instances, when parents set realistic sight of sale flyers with back-to- vantage of tax-free days. Many states high expectations, children strive to school savings? How awful to be have tax-free weekends that allow reach them. When children know reminded that it was time to stock you to purchase school supplies, their parents expect them to make up on pencils, pens, and notebooks. clothing, books, computers, and other good grades, they do. When children How alarming to realize that all too back-to-school items without having know the expectation is that they soon summer vacation would be over to pay sales tax. An Internet search will go to college, they do. Celebrate and it would be time to head back to for your state’s tax-free weekend will small successes, so that a desire to do school. While that is no longer your reveal scheduled dates and items that one’s best becomes contagious. When worry, perhaps you have children qualify for tax-free status. setbacks occur, teach your children to who now find themselves in the same learn from them and to embrace them predicament. Once the School Year Has Begun as opportunities for growth. Ready or not, it’s that time of year Time and again, research shows Parental involvement at school again. Here are some tips that may that parental involvement has a major and regular communication with help you and your child have a suc- impact on student success in school. teachers is also very valuable. Partici- cessful school year. “When parents are involved students pate in school activities and events, have: and become an active member of the Before the School Year Starts (cid:135)(cid:3) Higher grades, test scores, Home and School Association. Also, Reestablish bedtime routines that and graduation rates establish an open line of communica- may have been relaxed during the (cid:135)(cid:3) Better school attendance tion with your child’s teachers, who summer. According to the National (cid:135)(cid:3) Increased motivation, better will appreciate knowing that you are Sleep Foundation, preschoolers need self-esteem concerned about your child’s prog- from 11 to 13 hours of sleep each (cid:135)(cid:3) Lower rates of suspension ress. Phone calls, email, and visits to night, school-age children need from (cid:135)(cid:3) Decreased use of drugs and the classroom are effective ways to 10 to 11 hours, and teens need from alcohol stay in touch and to show that school 8.5 to 9.25 hours. Students will think (cid:135)(cid:3) Fewer instances of violent success is important to you. more clearly and function better if behavior.” they have had proper rest. While your children may be sad As summer comes to an end, The To be involved, communicate fre- to see the care-free days of summer Association of School Psychologists quently with your children about their come to an end, help them reflect on recommends that parents turn off schoolwork. Ask them about things friends and activities they’ve missed the television. They advise that you that are going well or that are not while they’ve been out of school. “encourage your child to play quiet going so well. Discover in what sub- Encourage them to look forward to a games, do puzzles, flash cards, color, jects they excel, or in what subjects new year with excitement in anticipa- or read as early morning activities in- they struggle. Show an interest in, tion of all the things the year has in stead of watching television. This will talk positively about, and encourage store. Here’s to the start of a success- help ease your child into the learning your children regarding schoolwork. ful year! process and school routine.” Provide resources that will help them Debra Fryson is Southern Union Save money by stocking up on do their best. director of education. school supplies during annual back- Set high expectations. In most 10 T(cid:44)(cid:39)(cid:44)(cid:49)(cid:42)(cid:54)(cid:3)(cid:135)(cid:3)August 2011