N E W S B R E A K
Lightning Kills Two Academy Students in South Sudan
wo students at a Seventh-day Adventist school in South Sudan were killed, and six more injured, in a lightning storm June 27 that struck through the campus electrical system into the dormitory, according to Beat Odermatt, president of the Sudan Union. At press time, the identity of the students has not been released.
The tragedy, which hit at the beginning of exam week, has left many of the students traumatized, says John Silvio, principal of the Eyira Adventist Vocational Academy. Lightning struck the campus and entered the dormitory. A student missionary from Southern Adventist University with two years of nurse's training administered first aid to the injured students. One survivor was taken to a hospital in Maridi, 45 kilometers from the school. The strike also appears to have completely destroyed all the wiring on the campus and ruined the generator.
"All the survivors of the lightning strike are doing well," reports Odermatt. The school will be closed for two weeks to allow students to visit their families--lack of communication in the war-torn country has parents concerned about their children. Mid-term examinations will be administered in mid-July after staff and students have had time to recover emotionally.
"I am optimistic that the school will recover from this setback," Odermatt says. "The Adventist Church will continue to be a leader in the education of the youth of South Sudan."
EAVA was established six years ago in Western Equitoria Province, about 200 kilometers north of the border between Sudan and Uganda. The school, which is operated by the Adventist Church in South Sudan, was literally hacked out of the bush on a large tract of land donated by the local chiefs, say school administrators.
Since 1983, Sudan has been torn by civil war between the Muslim north and the animist and Christian south. At least 2 million people, mainly civilians, have been killed in the conflict, according to reports from the region. There is a small Adventist community in South Sudan; a census, completed June 1, shows a membership of more than 5,020. --Adventist News Network
Adventists Sponsor Anti-Tobacco Campaign During World Cup in Seoul, Korea
South Korea's largest annual anti-tobacco campaign, held May 12 to June 15, drew some 10,000 people to more than 58 venues nationwide. Seventh-day Adventists sponsored the campaign, which highlighted the dangers of smoking, and included a range of events from a Kids' No?smoking Speech Contest, to public rallies, to street marches. Participants in the anti?tobacco campaign also distributed more than 50,000 "No?Tobacco" scarves to soccer fans attending the Korea 2002 World Cup.
One of the highlights of the campaign was an anti?tobacco rally in Seoul on May 25 attended by some 2,000 people. The march began with a stop?smoking ceremony that included speeches, music, and the launch of a 2002 signature-collecting campaign against tobacco.
Organizers say they were happy with the turnout for this year's campaign--the largest number yet. The quit-smoking campaigns were also supported by the government, police stations, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and many non-governmental organizations, including the Korean Association of Smoking and Health, People's Coalition for a Smoke-Free Korea, Commission on Youth Protection, and Korea Association of Health Promotion.
"These nationwide movements have drawn the public's attention and strengthened the smoker's will to quit smoking," said Cho Won?woong, general secretary of the International Temperance Association Korea and health ministries director for the Adventist Church in the region.
The International Temperance Association Korea was organized by Adventists in Korea in 1970 and promotes principles of healthy living through the country.--Adventist News Network
ADRA Argentina Aids Flood Victims
Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Argentina has been distributing emergency food supplies to nearly 4,000 people affected by flooding in the northern part of the country.
Heavy rains caused the worst flooding in 90 years. Eighty percent of the city of Presidente Roque Saenz Pena was affected, and many crops in the surrounding region were destroyed. "This disaster hits these people particularly hard because they are already suffering loss of income as the economic recession worsens in Argentina," says Frank Teeuwen, a spokesperson for ADRA International.
Until August 2002, ADRA Argentina volunteers will be distributing boxes of food to families identified as being in the greatest need in Presidente Roque Saenz Pena. The food items include wheat flour, maize (corn) flour, sugar, rice, spaghetti, vegetable oil, salt, and powdered milk.
News Notes
Dave Weigley was recently elected president of the Potomac Conference. Weigley most recently served as president for the Washington Conference. Weigley replaces Herbert H. Broeckel, who retired.
Chuck Simpson recently accepted the position of associate director of Trust Services for the General Conference. Simpson has served as TRS director for the Michigan Conference for the past six years. He replaces Elder David E. Johnston who is retiring after nearly 35 years with Trust Services.
Gerald Kovalski, Southern Union director of education, has accepted the position of North American Division vice president for education. He replaces Don Hevener who recently became education director for the Arkansas-Louisiana Conference.
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