June 15 - July 11, 1999 - Comments on the South East U.S. Field

Dear Brethren,

Greetings to you with 1 Peter 3:15: “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” As the people of God, we must develop an in-depth knowledge of the Scriptures, thus being prepared to readily answer any and all questions concerning the reasons for our faith. The main purpose for the 1999 Bible Seminar held in Georgia was to prepare our youth for the great work of spreading the gospel.

The first part of the seminar began at Hard Labor Creek State Park, a name that perfectly describes the busy schedule we all had to adopt. We will try to describe the wonderful experiences we all shared. However, we would also like to leave a little room for curiosity. For after all, you should all attend next year’s seminar and experience the amazing blessings firsthand!

Our typical day began at the sound of the bell, ruthlessly waking up all students at 6:00 a.m. After morning worship and breakfast, students were separated into two groups: the adult, and youth seminar classes. Bro. Benjamin Burec taught the adult class, which focused on the importance of the Sabbath school. Students received instructions on how to efficiently study the quarterly and then how to properly teach it to others. The final test was to put all they had learned into practice.

The youth seminar class, consisting of 22 students, was taught by Bro. Peter Lausevic. We were fortunate enough to be part of this class, so we can more easily convey to you the lessons and activities that filled our days with fun.

With the grace of God and the aid of His Holy Spirit, we were able to cover many aspects of our beliefs by digging through the treasures found in the word of God. We tackled topics such as “Ribbon of Blue,” which explained our stand on dress reform, “Nailed to His Cross,” a study focusing on the eternal existence of God’s law, and “Can We Be Perfect?” where we learned that Matthew 5:48 was not just a verse to look at, but a solemn command given to us by our dear Saviour.

After ten days at Hard Labor Creek State Park, we packed up all our belongings and headed towards Carrollton, GA, where we began Phase II of our seminar, designed especially for the youth. Our schedule now changed just a bit when our afternoon classes were replaced by canvassing—an activity that surely put our knowledge of the scriptures to the test. Bro. Fernando Flores was in charge of training us in the ways of a successful colporteur. We also had the experienced Bro. Devai in our midst, who patiently advised us in many ways. Our main motto was “The Colporteur Never Loses.” True, it can be said that we were all a bit hesitant in beginning such an overwhelming task. But as each passing day brought along its numerous experiences, our uneasiness turned into a burning desire to meet more people. We went from door to door, reaching the highways and byways with the word of God. Hundreds of precious souls were met with a “thus saith the Lord” for the first time. Many people were craving for Bible studies, while others could not wait to slam the door in our faces. But no matter how bad a day had gone, we all realized that one soul was worth it all. Each day, as the sun began to set low in the horizon, we gathered together to share and learn from the different experiences. Needless to say, after only two weeks of canvassing, we were met with the unmistakable fact that there is still a colossal work to be done. Brethren, we barely touched the tip of the iceberg! Every city in every state and country must be enlightened with the truth and it is up to you and me to let the light shine forth.

With classes in the morning and canvassing in the afternoon, one would presume that our evenings, at least, were left for leisure and relaxation. Well, not quite! You see, one of our first assignments was to prepare a Bible study. Each student was assigned a specific topic for which much research was required. Indeed, the temptation to procrastinate lurked around the camp, ready to snatch any student from his diligent studies. Yet, aside from the occasional slip-up, we were all dedicated to finding as much as we could about our topics. The endless nights of looking up Bible texts and Spirit of Prophesy quotes, however, was not entirely the hardest task, but definitely the most time consuming. Finally, each student was responsible for presenting his or her topic either for morning or evening worship. Personally, this was the hardest thing to do. But praise the Lord, we all did very well in our presentations and we learned much from each one.

Precious were the moments of our 1999 Bible Seminar. We spent four weeks together, yet it seems to have been but a twinkling of an eye. There was laughter, there were tears, bonds were formed, and lessons learned. However, most importantly, we were able to draw nearer, still nearer to our Lord and Saviour. We were able to partake of the Bread of Life, and learn of His divine nature. And finally, we were able to learn the correct methods of leading others to Christ, so that they may also experience the wonderful peace He has to offer. May the Lord bless each and every one of us in our daily walk with Him, and may we aid in the spreading of the gospel so that we may hasten His soon—yes, very soon—coming. Amen.