Persistence in the Pacific

To discover all the other exciting events happening in Adventist Heritage month, visit the Adventist Heritage website.

Sven Östring is director of ministry and strategy for the South Pacific Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He loves reading inspiring mission stories with his beautiful wife and children. 

What is Adventist Heritage Daily Devotional?

Imagine a thriving Adventist movement in the South Pacific. Do images or stories come quickly to mind? This podcast recounts important events, stories and memories from Adventists throughout the South Pacific. These mission stories from our past are proof that the Adventist movement is alive and thriving. Listen to these podcasts and step out to join these pioneering Adventists with Jesus on His mission of making disciple-makers in the South Pacific.

“No, we don’t think you are the right person to do this ministry. Our decision is that it would be best for you to find some other ministry area to focus on.”

Have you ever heard those words? Or has someone given you the impression that is what they were thinking? I know people who have experienced this. There are times when our young people are given this type of message.

For Abram La Rue, it wasn’t because he was too young. Quite the opposite—he was too old. He’d just celebrated his 60th birthday while doing a Bible study course at an Adventist college in California. He was spiritually set on fire, and he shared with church leaders his vision and passion of becoming a missionary to China. Church leaders wrote back, telling him they didn’t have money to pay for him to go to China. They felt he was too old and wouldn’t be able to learn the difficult Chinese language. They recommended he consider one of the Pacific islands, maybe Hawaii or Guam or Fiji.

Abram followed church leaders’ advice and headed to Hawaii. One day, a sea captain invited Abram to come on board his ship to sail with him to Hong Kong. “This is my chance!” Abram thought excitedly. “Hong Kong is technically an island in the Pacific, so I’m not actually going against the advice of church leaders.”

As soon as Abram arrived in Hong Kong, he started giving out Adventist literature to people arriving on boats. Unfortunately, he only had literature written in English. After a while, he became good friends with a Chinese gentleman called Mo Wen Chang—a translator at the local court. Mr Mo offered to translate a chapter of Steps to Christ into Chinese.

Abram’s passion for sharing Jesus led him far beyond Hong Kong. He travelled to Singapore, Shanghai and Japan, giving out Adventist literature on ships everywhere he went. Finally, Adventist church leaders were so inspired they decided to officially send leaders to grow the Adventist movement in China and Japan, all because of Abram’s unshakeable vision and passion for Jesus. “The Lord is coming very soon,” he loved to share with people. “Suppose He should come tonight. Are you prepared?”

I’m personally inspired by Abram’s vision, passion and perseverance in pursuing his mission in the Pacific, even when other people didn’t think he could do it. Perhaps that is why leaders, staff and parents of the Hong Kong Adventist Hospital in Tsuen Wan were inspired to name a small primary school for the children of hospital staff the Abram La Rue Primary School. Perhaps they wanted to inspire the kids who attended with Abram’s pioneering example, young people like myself.

Verse of the day:
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” Galatians 6:9 (ESV).