Members of the newly organized Fort Wayne United Seventh-day Adventist Church in Indiana.
This agency informed me that there was a family from the country known as Myanmar who wished to move to Fort Wayne. At that time, I didn't know that the city had many refugees from Myanmar who had made their residence there, and this family knew people there. But it's interesting that this family had also identified themselves as Adventists, and as a result, the agency called me to see if our church was open to receiving them and providing the support they needed.
Soon, I presented the proposal to the church board, and they promptly accepted the request and organized a committee to make the preparations. On my part, I researched the beginning of the Adventist work in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) and discovered that the work began with a missionary named Eric B. Hare. Together with his wife, these missionaries managed to establish schools, medical clinics, and churches, which resulted in many souls being won for Christ and significant growth in the Adventist work in that country. Unfortunately, the current government is persecuting certain ethnic groups, including those who are Christians, and as a result, millions have had to flee their country. When we received the request, I learned that the Adventist family who wished to come to Fort Wayne had been waiting in a refugee camp in Thailand for several years, hoping one day to be approved by our country.
After several months of preparation, the day came when we received them at the airport. We gave them a warm welcome and took them to the apartment we had rented and furnished for them. I was very pleased with how the members of my church accepted them as family in faith. I remember very well the Sabbath when they joined us in worship for the first time. It was evident, despite the language barrier, that this family was very happy to finally be able to worship in an Adventist church.
More than twenty years have passed since that single family arrived. Over time, the group has grown to the point where they now have their own pastor who serves them. In the years that have passed, many people from their culture living in Fort Wayne have been baptized, and their children have attended our schools, academies, and even Adventist universities. Imagine my joy, after more than 20 years, seeing an attendance of 90 people coming together to be officially organized as a company of the Indiana Conference.
Think about it. The Adventist work in Myanmar began with faithful missionaries who shared their faith. The seed of those missionaries brought a single family to the United States, and their faith sowed more seeds that bore fruit in a new congregation. From what I see, it is worthwhile to share the seed of our faith.
Carmelo Mercado is vice president for multiethnic ministries at the Lake Union Conference.
