From Iceland to Poland

The editor The Ministry visits Iceland

J.R. Spangler is editor of Ministry. 

ONE of the most pleasant scenic surprises of my life was my recent visit to Iceland. Somewhere, someway, somehow, I got the idea that Iceland and the Sahara Desert were similar, not in climate but in barren­ness and loneliness. It is true that Iceland's population of about 200,000 doesn't over­crowd this forty-thousand-square-mile is­land planted between Norway and Green­land. But the variety of impressive scenery was exhilarating.

Large areas of now hard, cold, molten lava splashed violently over the island's sur­face project a picture of past powerful vol­canic action. The explosions of hot masses of lava have plastered rocks and sediment broadside on the landscape. It looks as if a couple of evil angels had had a giant mud fight using fistfuls of molten rock. This over­coat of hardened lava is mysteriously exotic. Dabbed in the midst of this former fiery background are glacier lakes overflowing with pure ice-cold water. Fantastically deep, jagged crevices bordering these lakes cradle crystal-clear water scores of feet deep.

Term "Geyser" Invented Here

It is here the word "geyser" was coined for the first time. Areas of hot springs and gey­sers are sprinkled profusely over the island. Massive sparkling white glaciers can be seen on clear days from almost any point. From my guest quarters at our secondary school I could see the newly formed island of Surt­sey (see G. H. Coffin's article "The Fiery Birth of an Island," May, 1968). Truly, Ice­land is a geological paradise, especially for the Bible-believing creationist.

Yet all is not lava beds and glaciers. R. J. Burgess, publishing secretary, kindly trans­ported me through miles of lush countryside carpeted with fields and farms. Cows and sheep far outnumber the population. Lovely clean farmhouses occupied by some of the friendliest people in the world made the landscape invitingly picturesque.

Strange, but true, the average tempera­ture of much of Iceland is higher than Bos­ton or Chicago. Although it doesn't get so cold, neither does it get so warm. Thus, a rather chilly atmosphere persists on a year-round basis. The ceaseless blowing of the winds never lets you forget that Christ used this element as a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

Thermal Vein Drilling

Reykjavik, the name of Iceland's capital, which means Bay of Smoke, is really a smog-free area. Steam belching from hot springs gave the city its name. Today the majority of homes are heated by harnessed hot water, warmed to a temperature of 170 degrees F. by boiling underground furnaces. Drilling for a thermal vein in Iceland is about as common as drilling for oil in Texas. Our school recently had their prayers answered  when a powerful steam source was tapped at a depth exceeding 3,500 feet. Engineers and government officials had little hope of finding steam on our school property, which, by the way, is our largest school as far as acreage is concerned. It is measured by miles, not by acres, and no one could give me the mile measurements!

Farmers noticed that near the school's main buildings the winter snows seemed to melt more rapidly than in other places. Al­though geologists were a bit skeptical, the government agreed to drill. Today a geyser of steam exceeding all expectations spews out of the four-inch pipe day and night. Pipes are now being connected to all build­ings to utilize the steam for heating pur­poses. The big problem now is to find the funds to pay the S25,000-plus drilling bill from the government.

Our Icelandic leaders are already dream­ing of the day when sufficient funds will be available to build large greenhouses for crop-growing purposes on a year-round basis. It is claimed that greenhouse construc­tion investments pay off in a year or two. I visited one greenhouse named Eden, which grew all types of vegetables, plus grapes, oranges, and bananas. Free heat of such a quantity as we have at our school presents us with a definite opportunity to secure needed income.

Evangelism Our Greatest Need

My main work was instructing at a com­bined laymen's-workers' meeting held at our Iceland Secondary School. The new confer­ence president, S. B. Johansen, and family arrived during our week of meetings. The main working force is at our school. Only two ministers are in the field. In spite of Iceland's small population, I sensed a great opportunity for evangelism. We are confi­dent that under the capable leadership of Pastor Johansen steps will be taken to evan­gelize every town and village in this unique country. The greatest need we have in Ice­land is not money or men, but evangelism. If this is put first, everything else will auto­matically increase. A new day is ahead. Let us remember this precious area of God's harvest field in our prayers.

My last Sunday in Iceland found me go­ing Ingathering with the president, Svein Johansen. It was a stormy, rainy day, but Ingathering, like the mail, stops not for storm, fire, flood, or what have you. Sigur­dur Bjarnason, lay activities secretary, thoroughly organized the campaign for this field day. Fifty people took part, resulting in the solicitation of more than one thousand dollars. House-to-house solicita­tion yields, on an average, from one to two dollars a home. This, I believe, is a world record. The main reason for such large do­nations is twofold. Use is made of the solici­tor's card, whereby names are signed and donations are recorded. This, plus the gen­erosity of Icelanders, makes Ingathering a pleasure.

Britain

A one-day meeting of the South England Conference workers was conducted in the New Gallery Center. Conference president E. H. Foster, is a man unopposed to new ideas and methods. At this meeting Pastor John Coltheart, division Ministerial Asso­ciation secretary, introduced a number of men who are preparing for public meetings. Some of these men were launching out for the first time. We salute their faith and vi­sion. It was my privilege to have part in the opening exercises of Newbold College for the 1968-1969 school year. G. L. Caviness, president, reported that two hundred-plus students representing twenty-five nationali­ties were in attendance. A high spiritual tone is maintained at Newbold, and the number of those preparing for denomina­tional service is significant.

British Union Conference president B. E. Seton, recently held a special three-day com­mittee meeting on evangelism. Our work in Britain faces tremendous problems, but we believe God is leading. The future looks bright. We are confident that soul winning will be placed at the top of the list of all activities, where it rightly belongs.

Poland

The capsheaf of my Northern European Division tour was my visit to Poland. Few countries in Europe have a grimmer history of suffering and trial than Poland. Past op­pression was not an uncommon experience for our believers, but today the picture has changed. An atmosphere of religious free­dom has made it possible for our church to be one of the most, if not the most, aggres­sive Protestant denomination. Seventy-five workers of the Polish Union met in our cen­trally located Warsaw church for a week of intensive study of the Bible and evangelis­tic methods.

Pastor Duncan Eva, division president, spoke on the need of the power of the Holy Spirit. The presence of God was felt in a most definite way. Pastor Coltheart's instruc­tions on conducting a successful evangelis­tic campaign challenged the thinking of our men. A number of Polish workers presented messages on various Bible doctrines. A spirit of unity prevailed. The closing service found the men coming forward to rededi­cate their hearts and lives to the proclama­tion of this message. Melted hearts, moist cheeks, and clasped hands were signs of the deep movings of the Spirit upon us. We knew that this exact scene could never be repeated on earth. But our hope of meeting one another in the kingdom was made radi­antly bright by the promises of God's Word. Our work in Poland is growing. The gov­ernment's attitude toward the place and work of Seventh-day Adventists in their country is favorable. The union president, Pastor S. Dabrowski, and the union secre­tary and editor of our publications, Z. Lyko; have contributed much to encourage this excellent relationship with the government. Adventists have nothing to hide, and the government is fully aware of our aims and motives. This is as it should be.

Our membership in Poland is nearing the four-thousand mark. There is no problem in conducting public meetings in our own churches. In Warsaw we have had the privi­lege of using a large church of another Protestant denomination. It is hoped that the day will soon come when we can hire public halls for the presentation of our mes­sage.

Twenty Tons of Paper

Our publishing work is forging rapidly ahead under most unusual circumstances. We prepare our own material, but govern­ment presses print our books and maga­zines! Our modern up-to-date Signs of the Times magazine has a ten-thousand-copy circulation. During one of our meetings a loud racket intermittently interrupted the service. When we found out what it was, none complained. Twenty tons of good quality paper was being unloaded at our union office. This gift from the Northern European Division makes possible the pub­lishing of more books in the Polish lan­guage, including The Great Controversy. It is a noteworthy fact that more Spirit of Prophecy books (the number exceeds a dozen) are translated into Polish than into any other language in this division. The amazing thing is that these books are printed on government presses. We salute our Polish leaders and ministers for their vision and aggressiveness.

 

It is remarkable the recovery this country has made after such a devastating experi­ence during World War II. For instance, Warsaw was 80 per cent destroyed during that holocaust. Today the restoration of this city with not only new but ultramodern buildings came as an amazing surprise to me. I met no beggars, no hippies, and no peddlers of smut. I didn't see a single photo­graph or picture at newsstands or book­shops that were of a pornographic nature. No vile motion picture advertisements were seen. The people gave evidence of being well fed and clothed.

Political systems may differ, but one thing is sure, I walked through the streets of the giant city of Warsaw with no fear of being harassed. One restless night I finally arose at 3 A.M. and asked the desk clerk if it would be quite safe for me to walk through their lovely parks. A puzzled look accompanied his answer of "Certainly, why not?" It was a moonlight night and a stroll through the tree-lined parks to the Vistula River was an unforgettable experience. There came to my mind with fresh force the thought that Ad­ventists can and should cooperate with any government that permits God's church to teach and baptize without fear of restraint or interference. We deeply appreciate the attitude of the Polish Government toward religious freedom. It should not be kept a secret that the Polish Seventh-day Adventist Church today is operating under far more favorable circumstances than ever before. In this country today all churches are on an equal footing.

Visit With Polish Ambassador

On my return home, Pastors Ralph Watts, Duncan Eva, and I had a forty-five-minute audience with Poland's ambassador to the United States, Dr. Jerzy Michalowski. The purpose of this visit was to express our ap­preciation for his government's attitude to­ward religious freedom and the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The ambassador's warmth and friendliness made it clear that Adventists were respected and appreciated in Poland.

The Most Disturbing Experience of My Life

The most disturbing experience of my life resulted from a visit to the ill-famed Auschwitz concentration camp near Cra­cow. We have read about it, seen pictures of it, but nothing shocks the mind so much as to actually visit this monument of man's inhumanity to man. It is a horrible testi­mony to what can happen when men are totally devoid of the Spirit of God.

As I stood within the massive prison yards guarded by a double fence of barbed wire, which at one time was charged with high voltage; walked past the ruins of giant ovens where untold thousands of people went up in smoke; saw tons of women's hair, piles of suitcases, shaving brushes, spectacles, crutches and braces, and other personal belongings, somehow, like the blood of Abel crying out, I could hear the screams and cries of those who were being put out of existence. My mind did not long dwell on the time when this all took place. Rather it turned to the future, when the whole world will violently seek to exter­minate the people of God. Persecution will again be revived in its cruelest forms. Can a man maintain his faith in God under these circumstances? Can a man still believe that God is love when he suffers innocently? It all depends whether a man is willing to look at the cross of Christ and compare this with the ugly character of Satan and realize that the enemy of all souls is responsible for motivating the people of all races and nationalities through the centuries to cruelly persecute the innocent.

In that final day of earth's history, which is undoubtedly much closer than any of us dream, it is my prayer that not one of us in this movement will ever be found on Satan's side. To once know this truth and then re­ject it strips a man of the sustaining, re­straining Spirit of God.

Conclusion

As I take a backward glance at my six weeks' tour of Northern Europe, I repeat that God has done much for our church, but much remains to be done. It is my firm conviction that the leadership of the North­ern European Division are determined that every avenue of soul winning will take first place in their thinking and actions.

J. R. S.

J.R. Spangler is editor of Ministry. 

December 1968

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More Articles In This Issue

Born Again!

"Ye must be born again."

Christ at the Heart

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Applying the message of Laodicea to our own time.

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Visitation--The Lifeline of Evangelism

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Using and Reporting Evangelistic Funds

Carefulness in using evangelistic funds

A Formula for True Unity

How the Lord's Prayer is one of the means for achieving true unity.

Church Under Fire

The cry for a new kind of Christianity.

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