Roses in The Netherlands. This picture will be on the  back cover of September 2008 Old Paths.

Sabbath School: Sabbath, August 30, was a beautiful Sabbath in the Smyrna valley. Our Sabbath School began with prayer and a song service led by Brother Leon Holt. Superintendent Glen Ford directed our Sabbath School, and Sister Elaine Nailing shared the devotional thought on the differences between character and reputation, which was a blessing to all of us. Brother Ford then led the congregation in testimonies and prayer. The adult Sabbath School lesson was led by Brother Leon Holt and was a continued study on the Sabbath.

The four countries the young people have chosen for prayer this week are Honduras, Laos, Lithuania, and Monaco.

In Honduras, there are 340 Seventh-day Adventist churches. The church also operates one school, one hospital, one bookstore, and one radio station. These institutions are generally allowed to operate freely. There are no reports of major problems regarding Sabbath-keeping for Adventist students or employees. The Seventh-day Adventist Church is generally allowed to evangelize freely.

In Laos, in a population of 6,521,998, there are 778 Seventh-day Adventists. Laos reserves the right to regulate religion and it does this regularly. It recognizes only a few non-Buddhist religious organizations, and those which are not recognized by the government are subject to repressive measures. Even recognized religious organizations can be subject to harsh measures. For instance, in 2006 local officials sought to coerce Protestants into publicly repudiating their faith or facing arrest or forceful eviction from their villages. In the same year two Buddhist monks were arrested for having been ordained without government authorization. Most religions cannot proselytize without government interference. Those who have violated the anti-proselytizing laws and have remained vocal have faced “re-education” centers, better known as work camps. On April 1, 2006 a Christian who declined to renounce his faith was placed under house arrest until July. In some regions of Laos, certain non-Buddhist religions have autonomy. The Catholic Church, for example, enjoys considerable freedom in the southern region of Laos, while in the northern region the intolerance is formidable. Protestants have not faired so well. A disturbing report in the August 2007 issue of the Compass Direct News states that 13 Protestant Christians were gunned down in the northwest province of Laos. They were killed because they were alleged to be part of a Laotian separatist movement. According to this report, about 200 arrests have been made and Laotian soldiers have marched into the province with the order to shoot any fleeing suspects. No follow-up reports have been made so the outcome is unknown. There is one Seventh-day Adventist church. The church operates no institutions. According to the US State Department “The small Seventh-day Adventist Church, confined to a handful of congregations, reported no significant government interference in its activities in recent years, and its members appeared to be free to practice their faith.” The Seventh-day Adventist Church is one of the few recognized Protestant denominations in Laos. There are no reports of major problems regarding Sabbath-keeping for Adventist students or employees. Proselytizing is illegal, foreign missionaries are seldom permitted access to the nation, and the distribution of nongovernment approved religious literature is forbidden.

In Lithuania, in a population of 3,575,439, there are 890 Seventh-day Adventists. There are 17 Seventh-day Adventist churches. There are no reports of major problems regarding Sabbath-keeping for Adventist students or employees. Freedom to evangelize exists, but it can be tenuous and it is dependent on local leaders and the degree of toleration of the majority religions. Lithuania has generally sought to protect religious freedom, but the traditional religions of Lithuania enjoy a considerable degree of freedom that non-traditional faiths do not enjoy. The government considers a religion traditional only if its presence in the country can be traced back at least 300 years. Traditional religious organizations are able to register marriages, establish subsidiary institutions, build schools (sometimes with public funds), provide religious instruction in public schools, and receive government subsidies. The highest officials of these organizations are eligible to apply for diplomatic passports, their clergy and theological students are exempt from military service, and they may provide military chaplains. The Ministry of Justice does not require traditional religious communities and associations to register their bylaws. Traditional religious communities do not have to pay social and health insurance for clergy and other employees, and they are not subject to a value added tax on basic utilities.

By law the government may grant recognition to nontraditional religious communities that have societal support and have been registered in the country for at least 25 years. Nontraditional religious communities must apply to the Ministry of Justice and provide a description of their religious teachings and a founding statement signed by no fewer than 15 members who are adult citizens. Nontraditional religions can be subject to taxes and its clergy have few of the privileges that clergy of the traditional religions have.

In Monaco, there are no Seventh-day Adventists and Catholicism is the state religion. Catholic ritual plays a significant role in state festivities and in the life of the ruling family. Though there is no law against proselytizing, it is strongly discouraged, and no missionaries currently operate in the principality. In the past, authorities have routinely denied registration to organizations they regard as religious sects. There is no permanent Seventh-day Adventist presence in the country of Monaco.

We invite you again to visit our geo-quizzes for further information concerning these countries, and we hope that you will join us in prayer that God will pour his Spirit out and speak to the hearts and minds of the people in them. We will be adding information on the presence of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the countries we have already prayed for this month in future Sabbath reports, so that you can be updated on them too. In the meantime, may God richly bless you!

Click here for a geoquiz on Honduras, Laos, Lithuania, and Monaco.

Worship: The Worship Hour began with prayer and a congregational hymn. A children’s story was given by Sister Anna and was a delightful comparison of Christ’s work in us to a carpenter remaking a work of art that had been uncared for and had fallen into decay. The Worship Hour message was shared by Brother Dennis Robertson on the need to examine ourselves to see if we be in the truth or not. We are thankful he shared with us, and we all received a blessing.