FROM January 5 to February 26, 1969, the third Andrews University Extension School for the South American Division was conducted on the campus of River Plate College, Argentina. Located in Entre Rios province, among rolling hills, fifteen miles from the nearest town, the seventy-year-old college offered the quiet environment best suited for studying. The hot summer weather that was evident a good part of the session was somewhat alleviated by electric fans and by the swimming pool of the neighboring ISO-bed River Plate Sanitarium. The new, almost completed, boys' dormitory provided sleeping quarters for most of the teachers and students, and also classroom facilities.
By car, bus, and plane, students arrived from the eight countries that are included in the South American Division: one from Paraguay, three from Uruguay, three from Ecuador, four from Bolivia, thirteen from Peru, seventeen from Chile, twenty-nine from Argentina, and sixty from Brazil.
After stops in Brazil, Uruguay, and Buenos Aires to help in ministerial institutes along the way, the teachers arrived on campus on January 5. Raoul Dederen, the director of the Extension School, came from Andrews University. Robert L. Odom and E. Earl Cleveland came from the General Conference. On January 6 they started teaching, respectively, Christology, History of Sabbath and Sunday, and Evangelism. Mrs. R. L. Odom, daughter of Oliver Montgomery, first president of the South American Division, and herself an alumna of the college, was a most welcome guest. The manager of the Extension School was Enoch de Oliveira, ministerial secretary of the South American Division. His secretary, Elisabet G. Lang, was the registrar.
As there are two main languages spoken in the division, the 130 students met in two sections. Elder Odom taught his classes in Spanish. The other classes were translated from English into Portuguese by Antonio Nepomuceno, Henrique Berg, and Assad Bechara, and into Spanish by Rolando A. Idn and Werner Vyhmeister.
The daily schedule included three classes taught five days a week and a chapel hour. Twice a week the chapel hours were devoted to questions and answers, a feature that was greatly appreciated. Sunday through Thursday, after supper, the students directed a twenty-minute prayer meeting.
Among the high lights of the Extension School was the trip to the impressive Iguazu Ealls—on the border between Argentina and Brazil, and a visit to the oldest Seventh-day Adventist church in South America, situated about twelve miles from the college.
R. A. Wilcox, president of the South American Division, and A. J. Alva, educational secretary, were present for the presenting of 130 certificates as the Extension School came to a close on February 26, 1969.
It is difficult to evaluate in this short report the impact that the Extension School had on the workers who attended. A sample of the written testimonies of many of the students may convey the feelings and convictions of the whole group. "The [Extension] School transformed me into a new man, a new Christian, and a new pastor." "I take back with me a new vision of Christ." "It was a new anointing of the Holy Spirit in mv life and ministry." "I think that these '"^Extension] Schools should be held more often, so that all our ministers can benefit from them." "I return to my field with more faith, more love, and better prepared to continue with the task that God has given me."
