working without God’s blessing because he was withholding the tithe. This convic-tion grew in his heart until he determined that in the future he would return a faith-ful tithe. The next summer came. It was again a long, hot summer with long bicycle rides between farmhouses. However, the sales seemed to come easier and more frequently. At the end of the summer he had to go back and deliver the books to his customers. This year, he was able to make all his deliveries. No one had changed their minds and decided not to buy the books. When the final results were tallied, he found that he had earned two scholar-ships: enough to pay his way in school for two years! Robert never forgot this lesson. While the results of tithing may not always have been this dramatic, he learned that he could not out-give the Lord. Later on, Rob-ert and his wife, Norma, decided to con-tribute an additional ten percent of their income in offerings. At this time, they had children of their own in Adventist schools. There seemed to be no money in the bud-get for returning a double tithe, but in faith they went ahead. To this day, Norma can-

www.arklacsda.org • 318-631-6240

By Rodney Dyke, Conference Treasurer

Robert’s father was not an Adven-tist, but his mother was determined that he receive a Christian education. Except for one year in elementary school, he was educated entirely in Seventh-day Adven-tist schools. Since the family was not well-off, she could not afford the tuition to send him to an Adventist academy, so Robert had to work to help earn his way. During the summers, he was a lit-erature evangelist. The amount of money he needed to earn seemed like an almost insurmountable goal to the young man. He felt that he could not afford to return a tithe on his sales, so for one summer he did not. It was a long, hot summer. He was working in a rural area and had to ride his bicycle from one farmhouse to another. Sometimes they were miles apart. At night he would ask for a place to stay in whatever home he was visit-ing. Despite all his hard work, the sales were disappointing. He was able to go to school that year, but it was not easy since he had not earned nearly enough during the summer. As Robert thought about that difficult time, he felt convicted that he had been

A Legacy of Faithful GivingA Legacy of Faithful Givingnot explain how they were able to afford it, but the money was always there. As time passed, they increased their giving until it was more than one-third of their income. They faithfully returned their tithe and supported the work of their local church as well as other soul-winning or-ganizations such as Adventist World Ra-dio and It Is Written. They found that they never lacked anything that they needed. They were able to get out of debt, paying off their house and cars. They were fru-gal, their needs were modest, and God blessed their faithfulness. As soon as their children were old enough to have an allowance, Robert and Norma taught them to return a tithe. Even though the amount was very small, their children learned to fill out a tithe envelope, put their coins in it and place it in the offer-ing plate. Their son, Rodney, says, “This lesson, learned early in life, I have never forgotten. In my own life, I have found God to be faithful. I know that I have received His blessing as I return my tithe to Him.”

Thank you, mom and dad, for such a great example!

NVolume 4, No. 8 - December 2011

E W S L E T T E RARKANSAS-LOUISIANA CONFERENCE OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS

Thank you, mom and dad, for such a great example!

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An Evangelism exchange program was spon-sored by the Southwestern Union Conference with the North Argentina Union Conference where our pastors would hold meetings in Argentina and then their pastors will come to our Union and hold meet-ings in our churches. During September a diverse group of pastors from the different Conferences in the Southwestern Union went to Argentina on a mission trip, holding evangelistic crusades in different churches of the North Argentina Confer-ence. Elders Pedro Ledezma, Eusebio Prieto, and Ramiro Alvarez held meetings in Argentina from September 13-27, 2011. Personally I am thankful to the Arkansas-Lou-isiana Conference for the opportunity to be a part of this trip. I went to San Vicente, in the State of

Missions, Argentina, where I held two evangelistic meetings every night. Each evening in the Progreso Church and in the San Vicente Central Church we had full church attendance even though it was raining hard. God blessed us in many wonderful ways. I witnessed many miracles of people accepting Jesus as their Savior, families coming back to the church, and disintegrated families becoming united. I was blessed with a baptism of 46 souls. It was a wonderful experience to see and talk with people of a different culture, but with the same need of salvation and love. The Evangelistic Exchange Program was crowned with a total of 315 baptisms resulting from the hard work of all the pastors and the blessing of the Holy Spirit.

EVANGELISMPastors Join

By Pedro Ledezma,Spanish Evangelism Coordinator

People with different culture, but with the same need of salvation and love!!

EvangelismExchange Program

In June 2011, a large district-wide Spanish Evangelistic Campaign was conducted by Pas-tor Cesar Cardenas in greater Little Rock, in col-laboration with the four area Spanish churches in this district - Glenwood, Hot Springs, Little Rock, and North Little Rock. This evangelistic campaign was held in a public building right in the middle of Little Rock, and centered in an area where large communities of Hispanics live. At the conclusion of the meetings Evange-list Cardenas, a guest from Columbia, baptized 40 precious souls. With the excitement and blessings mount-ing, we moved forward with another series, and it just so happened that my non-Adventist brother, Reyes Gaspar Prieto, decided to come and visit me during this time. After he arrived my brother decided to attend the evangelistic campaign every night -- and he did not miss one night. At the conclusion of the meetings I

A River of Spanish Evangelism Flows through Greater Little Rock, AR

was in for another wonderful surprise. When the line formed for those who wanted to give their hearts to Jesus and be baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church, my brother Reyes Prieto was there. What a thrill and privilege was in store for me as I baptized my brother here in Little Rock, AR! During October 7-21, we conducted two more series. One entitled, “For What Did Jesus Die?” was in the Little Rock Spanish Church. Speaker/Evangelist Vincent Valedon from Puerto Rico baptized ten people, who gave their lives to Jesus. North Little Rock Spanish Church ran another campaign simultaneously with Pastor Werner Gil from Gentry and two more precious souls were baptized. Others are studying with the desire to be baptized at a future date.

By Elder Eusebio Prieto, Greater Little Rock Spanish District

Pastor Prieto embracing his brother Reyes Gaspar Prieto after baptizing him.

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NEWS

Forty teens and 10 adults gathered on October 26 in prepara-tion for leading the upcoming Prayer Conference. This “training” consisted of introducing the four elements necessary to the Chris-tian life and growth: Prayer, Bible Study, Ministry and Worship. As each of these areas was considered, the Holy Spirit brought humility, confession, repentance, and unity among the group. On Friday, October 28, some 200 young people arrived on the campus of Ozark Adventist Academy. They came from Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Missouri, Iowa, and as far away as New Mexico. The leaders’ desire was to see every stu-dent also experience the same spirit of love and unity they had. On Sabbath morning, the students led their peers into Bible Study, Prayer and Worship. The service was enhanced by the beautiful music of Mark Bond and students, along with the Ozark Academy Strings ensemble, and choir. Two students shared a powerful message of how God had changed them through the Bible. Sabbath afternoon the students descended on the community offering to pray for their needs and give them the book “Path to Peace”. They returned excited how God had opened up opportu-nities for them to witness. On Saturday night, after a period of recreation, they again met

Teen Prayer Conference Proves God’s Faithfulness

in the Gentry Church sanctuary. For the next four hours, stu-dents came up front to give testimony of what God was doing in their hearts. Three students asked for baptism that evening with others making their decision to be baptized in their home church. The conference ended on Sunday morning with a prayer breakfast, during which the students determined to not allow this experience to be lost, but to maintain their relationship with Christ daily and encourage each other to “keep the faith”.

The Pocahontas Seventh-day Adventist Church was pleased to have Chef Mark Anthony, from 3ABN, come the weekend of October 15 and 16. Chef Mark had the sermon on Sabbath titled, “Oh, Taste the Lord and See He is Good.” Everyone enjoyed the Sabbath sermon. Afterwards we got Mark out of the kitchen and into the wilds, known as Old Davidsonville State Park, for our annual church picnic. On Sunday a great turnout of more than 40 people came for Mark’s Dinner and a Message. There were several members from other churches who traveled quite a distance, as well as members of the communities around Pocahontas. Chef Mark Anthony put on a wonderful program with food and a good message. He also painted a picture of Jesus, while blindfolded, for the Pocahontas church. There is definitely another invitation in the future for Chef Mark to come back.

By Elaine Jones, Communications

The Baton Rouge Red Stick Path-finder Club geared up for a backpacking trip through the Eagle Rock Loop of the Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas at the end of May 2011. Many months were spent preparing and training for this trip. The Pathfinders practiced hiking with heavy water bottles in their backpacks to get used to carrying a full pack. The weather was perfect for such a trip and everyone had a wonderful, fun time.

By Debra Decker, Pathfinder Director

Chef Mark Food Demonstration

Dinner and a Message

Baton Rouge Red Stick Pathfinders go Backpacking

By Marian Parson, Prayer Ministries Coordinator

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NEWS

From June 10-12, 2011, 92 Hispanic women from NW Arkansas gathered together for a special women’s retreat at the Holiday Inn in Springdale, Arkan-sas. The retreat was headed up and organized by Norma Ledezma, with all the Women’s Ministry Directors and pastor’s wives from the NW Arkansas Spanish churches lending their expertise. The theme was “Creciendo en Cristo” (Grow-ing in Christ), and was blessed by the Holy Spirit and the Word, which says in Proverbs 4:18, “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.” Several women from West Siloam Springs, Oklahoma were our special guests during the weekend.

The speaker was Dr. Kelly Dullac, a Christian psychologist from Brazil, dedicated to serve God and others. She spoke on the psy-chology of how women’s minds work and how through the changes of life God can use each of us and work through us if we let Him. Dr. Dullac assured us that we are God’s precious daughters, and showed us how to keep our homes happy with the best possible environment for Christian growth. Following lunch we gathered for “El Tesoro Escondido” (The Hidden Treasure), directed by Idalia Parra, from the Gentry Spanish Church. We had opportunity to share with different women in singing and reading Bible verses and learning how important and beautiful we are to God. At the end of the session each woman was given a small mirror to look in and say, “I am the most precious treasure for God”. Two other seminars were presented by our guests from West Siloam Springs. Gloria Cook spoke on the sanctuary and Di-ana Murillo spoke about women’s health. After a wonderful Sabbath we dressed for the “Banquete con el Rey” (The Banquet With the King), directed by sister Graciela Alcon. Each woman was dressed in white as they entered the banquet. At the entrance Carmen Castro, Soledad Prieto, Jenny Rodriguez and Kelly Dullac were waiting to crown each woman. Our Women’s Ministry Directors waited to escort each woman to a special table prepared for them. It was like a taste of heaven, having the great

Northwest Arkansas Hispanic Women’s Retreat By Jenny Rodriguez, pastor’s wife

What an awesome God we serve! ARKLA Women’s Ministries had the privilege to host their first annual Spiritual Retreat in the pic-ture perfect location of Camp York-town Bay. No phones, no TV, no computers; nothing to distract from the peace that passes all under-standing. The Lord really blessed the 94 ladies who were able to at-tend. From the wonderful food to the outstanding music, God’s Spirit was truly present there. The ladies that spoke poured out their lives, telling their sto-ries. They spoke about how God brought them to Himself, and how that experience has brought them to where they are today. Isaiah 43:1 says, “Fear not, for I have re-deemed you; I have called you by

The “Aposento Alto”, “Upper Room” was a special place set aside for special

prayer.

banquet with our most precious King, Jesus. The special music and stories of how God has worked in changing the lives of our women was most inspiring. It was a wonderful evening. The “Aposento Alto” (Upper Room), was a special place set aside for special prayer. It was directed by Soledad Prieto and Ceney Brenes. The working of the Holy Spirit could be felt during our special prayer moments and the room was in use several times during the weekend, as women who were passing through hard times in their lives would pray, making a circle while other wom-en covered them with a scarf. The scarf symbolized Jesus arms hugging them, as if He was putting His arms full of love around them. At 5:00 a.m on Sunday morning, we gathered again in the “Aposento Alto” for special prayer. Several ladies with urgent and personal prayer requests sat with their eyes covered while other ladies came and prayed for them. Finally, after breakfast on Sun-day morning, the women wrote notes to God which they taped to a balloon; then we went outside and sent our prayers and prayer requests heavenward on the morning winds. These moments of prayer were very significant. We understand that prayer is a very important tool for our lives as Christian women. Jeremiah 29:12-13 says. “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

ARKLA Women’s Ministry Spiritual Retreat

name; you are mine.” God gives each one of us a story, written just for us. Each one of us has gifts and talents that He has asked us to share with others. I am so proud of the ladies who have the courage to share, how-ever painful that might be of what God has done in their lives. I am very thankful for the ladies who graced us with their beautiful music and songs. For all the ladies that help make these retreats special, from the decorations, to the enter-tainment, and for the long hours of preparation, everyone is a valued member of our team. I am also grateful for the ladies who attend-ed. The Holy Spirit went before and opened hearts. He brought the la-dies who needed to hear words of

encouragement and know a tender heart empathizing with another, with arms to give a hug. Just knowing that you are not alone and there is someone out there who understands and feels your hurts is a balm for the soul. It was a privilege to see real healing start in God’s daughters. We are on this road together, Jesus is the Shepherd and we, His sheep, know His voice and follow Him wherever He leads. A one day meeting was held November 5 at the Tex-arkana Seventh-day Adventist Church. This was the first time that we had events and men speakers for our gentle-men. There were sessions both in English and Spanish, with something for the kids as well as the teens, concluding with a concert by Merry Dye.

By Melody Radde, ARKLA Women’s Ministries Director

Page 5

Northwest Arkansas Hispanic Women’s Retreat

NEW EMPLOYEES We Welcome Two New Pastors

Elder Robert Mackay has joined our ministerial staff as pastor of the North Little Rock Church. Elder Mac-kay holds a Master of Divinity degree from Andrews University and is an ordained minister with a broad base of ministerial experience. He began his ministry as a Literature Evangelist in the Illinois Conference, and later served as a church pastor in Chicago. He continued ministry in the Michigan and then New York Conferences before serving in several different chaplaincy roles. One of Elder Mackay’s passions is missionary service that has taken him repeatedly to India and Thailand, as well as Nigeria, Martinique, and Cambodia. Elder Mackay recently moved to Little Rock to pursue chaplaincy training and certification at the University of Arkansas Medical School. We welcome him to the Arkansas-Louisiana Conference and to our ministerial team!

We welcome G.W. Chew to our ministry ranks as Lay Pastor of the Fayetteville Church. G.W. is a profes-sional chef, yet has a deep desire to use his God-given talents in such a way that will give blessing and impact to local church ministry. This interest and desire began in high school when he earned a full track scholarship to a division one college for track and field. After signing the contract, G.W. realized that he would have a difficult time keeping the Sabbath, and when he broke his leg during a conference championship meet, he gave up the scholarship to become a Seventh-day Adventist. Within a year’s time, he was working full time as a literature evangelist. Believing that food is an entering wedge, G.W. developed a number of non-meat products and established a restaurant business in Fredrick , MD. Today, Pastor Chew is using his talents to reach the people of Fayetteville through evangelism and out-reach and a “tent ministry” approach by opening up another health food restaurant in the community.

Elder Robert Mackay

Pastor G.W. Chew

The Hot Springs Hawks Pathfinder Club met for the first time this school year on August 31. We invited all who were in 5th – 12th grades to come and join us. Parents were also invited to stay for the evening to see how the meetings will be run. We started on the backpacking honor that night, knowing we were going to do the rest of this honor during September, and made plans for a one night backpack trip. Twelve young people joined Pathfinders that first night and 3 more joined during the month of September. Mike Salzmann started the classwork for the backpack honor that first night and continued every meeting during September. On September 24 the club went to Lake Catherine for a full 2 mile hike with all their gear on, then they went to a field behind Salzmann’s house to set up their camp. The young people cooked all their own meals for supper and breakfast. After breakfast, it was back to Lake Catherine to do another 3 mile hike, to fulfill the requirements for the honor. We want to thank those who donated to our club and also loaned backpacks. We are thankful for the support of our church family. The Pathfinder Club went to the Garland County Fair during Sep-tember and took turns working in the church fair booth and handing out brochures for the Prophecy Seminar. We are praying that those who received a brochure will read the invitation and come to the upcoming meetings.

By Judith Lyman, Pathfinder SecretaryHot Springs Hawks Pathfinder News

Backpacking group

The Hot Springs Hawks attended the area wide Campo-ree in October and participated in the skill and marching events. They will participate in our yearly can-a-thon in November for non-perishable foods to help provide food baskets that our church distribute every Thanksgiving and Christmas.

YOUTH

Page 6

“Now you boys go home this weekend and think about what you’ve done. I’ll tell you what your punishment will be on Monday after our parent-teacher conference”. The sharp words of my church school teacher stung my conscience like a convicted criminal as I shuffled out the door toward home. My cousin and I had bullied and embarrassed a younger student that day, and we were about to pay dearly for it. It was a loooong weekend with thoughts of punishment, public humiliation or worse. Sometimes the imagination and anticipation are worse than the reality. Youth today need mercy and forgiveness just as I did during that long weekend back in seventh-grade. Since having been called to serve as the new Youth Director for the Arkansas-Louisiana Conference, I have been reflecting on the years of my youth—and remembering how much

Youth Today, Have Mercy!By Ray House, ARKLA Youth Director

I needed the guidance and direction that compassionate adults gave me along the way. On Monday morning, after my long weekend of worry and regret, my cousin and I waited and waited. Finally the last bell rang and we wondered if the teacher had forgotten… were we off the hook, was there no more punishment? Punishment or not—we had learned our lesson and em-braced the free grace that was extended to us. Jesus has taken the punishment of all our sin, thank God for His mercy! Ellen White was keen on reaching our

youth when she said, “The youth need more than casual notice, more than an oc-casional word of encouragement. They need painstaking, prayerful, careful labor.” Gospel Workers, p. 208. My mission is to create breakthrough encounters where young people can find God’s calling and purpose in their lives. Many of our church-es already offer breakthrough opportunities in the church school, Adventurer and Path-finder clubs, Adventist Youth organizations and even Sabbath School. A breakthrough encounter is any event that reaches a per-

son’s heart where they become open to God and desire to break away from the bondage of the past. We need to double our efforts in creating events where our youth can be exposed to God’s love, joy and purpose. God is wanting to breakthrough to every young person in these last days. He is urg-ing all of us to make every effort to bring our youth to places where they can encounter God’s grace and break from the bondage of this sin-sick world.

September 10, 2011, was a special Sabbath in the Hot Springs Seventh-day Adventist Church when Community Service Leaders cut the ribbon for the newly constructed Community Service building. As Pastor Ron Ray finished the morning sermon, he invited the congregation outside to share in the joy of a dream fulfilled and to witness the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The idea for the new facility was first conceived by a few ladies in the church who had a burden for commu-nity ministry. With their support and the support of other members, the idea began to grow. Some builders from the Hot Springs Church provided building materials and a small, but excellent, building team was formed. In the fall of 2010 the building process began. The men donated many long hours to complete the project. The new center, complete with shelving, counter and sink, a bathroom with a shower and a laundry room will facilitate many church ministries and activities. Members have given generously to help stock the shelves. Com-munity Service helpers have been happily stocking food, sorting clothing, and organizing emergency supplies to

New Community Service Building in Hot Springs

meet the needs of the Hot Springs community. The finished prod-uct shows what God can do when dedicated Christians work to-gether to provide a very special place where they can better serve the Master.

Picture: Cutting the ribbon: Contractor, Gabriel Vasilescu, CS Leaders, Janet Lickey and Juanita Bissell, Builder, George Vasilescu, Pastor Ron Ray.

By Juanita Bissell, Communications

Page 7

“Let’s Move” Day, September 25, 2011 You have probably heard the sobering statistics: Over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates in America have tripled. This is concerning because a child who is obese at ages 10-13 has an 80% chance of adulthood obesity – and con-sequently suffering from diabetes, hyper-tension, heart disease, cancer and other serious health conditions. There is a huge need for education and opportunities to help families prevent and reverse this sce-nario. Alarmed by these statistics, First Lady Michelle Obama initiated the “Let’s Move” campaign, dedicated to solving the problem of obesity within one generation. Faith communities were invited to partici-pate in this initiative.

In light of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s stand on health, General Confer-ence President Ted Wilson has pledged that we will join hands with this initiative in solving the problem of obesity, so children born today will grow up healthier experi-encing an abundant life (John 10:10). In response to this epidemic and the national “Let’s Move” campaign, the North American Division launched “Adventists InStep for Life” on April 1, 2011. The North American Division set aside Sunday, Sep-tember 25, 2011, as “Let’s Move” Day. The goal was to get as many people possible in-volved in physical activity on that day. The goal for 2011 is to cover 1 million miles. At our recent pastor/teacher meetings

On Sunday, September 25, at 10:30, 33 people left Greater New Orleans Christian Academy headed for the levy to walk 2.5 miles to the dump station and then do the return 2.5 mile walk. Students, parents, Pathfinder leaders, Pathfinders, friends, and other family members participated in the walk accounting for 150 miles in about three hours. A light lunch was served following the walk. Participants enjoyed fresh air and sunshine while eating hummus, pita bread, a variety of fruits and vegetables, and salad. Fol-lowing lunch, the young people participated in a number of relay races – including a three-legged race, a water carry, carrying an egg on a spoon, and a water balloon toss and fight. This was followed by an obstacle course which young people did several times. Shooting baskets proved to be a favorite of the obstacle course. The last hour was spent playing flag football. Everyone had a great time socializing and learning how to exercise properly while enjoying the health laws taught by the Seventh-day Adventist church.

The Bonnerdale Church and School came together for a “Let’s Move” Day at our local park. Many brought their bikes to ride on the bike trail and many others walked. Students played football and enjoyed the playground. We exercised for about 4 hours with a picnic afterwards. Some came and exercised the whole 4 hours. Others came for just part of it. We had about 54 participating with a number of community friends that we invited. The total number of miles exercised was 248! Everyone had so much fun! One student asked, “Can we do this every month?”

in August, we invited Katia Reinert, the NAD Health Ministries Director, to pro-mote “Adventists InStep for Life” program and the “Let’s Move” Day. Each pastor and teacher was given a toolkit booklet which contains many ideas for implement-ing the program. Also, they were given posters and brochures for promoting the “Let’s Move” Day. Several churches and schools in the Arkansas-Louisiana Conference partici-pated in the “Let’s Move” Day on Sunday, September 25, 2011. The following are brief reports from Bonnerdale and New Orleans:

Bonnerdale, AR

Reported by JanElla Schnepp New Orleans, LA

By Stephen Burton, Superintendent of Schools

Arkansas-Louisiana Conferenceof Seventh-day AdventistsP.O. Box 31000Shreveport, LA 71130

Finances By Rodney Dyke, Treasurer

The Lake Charles Community Services and members of the Lake Charles Church held their annual school supplies drive which assisted young people and residents of the Calcasieu Parish Women’s Shelter. Calcasieu Parish Women’s Shelter provides housing and other resources for displaced women and children. Thanks to our church members for their support of this event.

By Margaret Jackson, Community Services Director

Lake Charles Community Services holds School Supplies Drive