Show n"tTir n'nr m swsssvj The Herald Journal Logan Utah Thursday August 12 1999 — Page 19 Humanitarian workers experience a slice of hell By Terry Mattingly Scripps Howard News Service Russian military had carved Dimitri Petrov quickly realized marks in the wall trying to chart the days of his ordeal On religion that the men who shot out the tires on his humanitarian-ai- d truck weren’t fighting for the Once a day or less the relief breakaway Russian republic of workers were fed potato soup and bread Penkovsky was released Chechnya The situation was worse than after six months Petrov who that The gunmen were bandits They weren't interested in politics or religion or debates about freedom and international law They didn't care if the food and medicine was destined for Muslims or Christians or anyone else in the village of Aki-Yu- rt on the border of Ingushetia and Chechnya back on Sept 20 1997 "The bandits have no nationality They have absolutely nothing in their souls" said Petrov a Russian national who was workInteing for the Baltimore-base- d rnational Orthodox Christian Charities when he was kid- napped After moving Petrov and his colleague Dmitri Penkovsky five times the raiders consigned them to a cold dark unventilated cement pit hidden under a metal plate and a parked car A previous prisoner probably from the believes he suffered a heart attack while in captivity was set free after 11 months Leaders of their relief agency — citing security concerns — declined to answer questions about the terms of their release There are parts of this world too dangerous and too remote to be featured in the tiny video uni- verse of the evening news It didn't make news when these humanitarian workers were kidnapped and it wasn't news when they were released But it was news in the churches in which people prayed for them day after day rite after rite It's a strange day when church bulletins contain about as much international news as many newspapers The remote mountains of Chechnya located between the Black and Caspian seas may look like heaven but they've a slice of hell right now Humanitarian workers and missionaries vanish and die on a regular basis More than 40000 people have died in a savage but largely unnoticed war since Chechen nationalists declared their independence from the Russian Federation in 1991 Petrov said that at the most the secessionist government controls a mere third of the state The rest is up for grabs "It is an area of the world that is just as violent and unstable as the Balkans if not more so" said Alexis Troubetzkoy the International Orthodox Christian Charities representative for Russia “It is an area of incredible beauty but also of incredible hatreds The conflict there is so complex and so desperate that it is almost impossible to describe" The situation has degenerated to the point that “it is the bandits who have the real power It is just evil They will do anything Thieves are stealing from thieves" said Petrov speaking through a translator during a the economy is in ruins and civic order is a cruel joke At one point another cell of bandits attempted to kidnap them away from their original captors said Penkovsky This is what the bandits do for a living he explained “They steal people” They also kill During their captivity they heard their cap- - Announcing the First Annual AGGIE QEACKER DAY contests food and FUN!!! 28 Lundstrom Park (1350 N 1600 E Logan) SATURDAY AUGUST Scripps Howard News Service You're talented You work hard People notice Word gets around One day you get a call Come work for us someone says We have a bigger operation a larger budget a higher profile We can give you more money better benefits greater status greener pastures Faith Matters Yes you'll have to move Pull up stakes Uproot your family Leave friends and neighbors behind Start over in another part of the city or state or country Try tpJbhKgn wherg you're replanted But this isn't just a new job you're being offered It’s a promotion a chance to move up in the world to a bigger better job house lifestyle whatever It would be irrational to turn it down wouldn't it? Dr L Joseph Rosas m likes to think so He just turned down such an offer But a lot of what he docs is irrational Rosas still pastor of Union Avenue Baptist Church in Memphis is a man of faith As Carmelite nun Ruth Burrows once said “Faith is not a thing of the mind” Amen sister When it conies to “bigger better" job offers the mind — espe- mind the cially self-absorb- ed of career-ladd-er our cul- ture — tells us to say yes and give two weeks notice Faith isn’t so quick to quit and move on On paper the "promotion" Rosas was offered by a large church in East Tennessee seemed too good to pass up in homogenous suburban Kingsport and is growing Its membership and budget are more than double those at the inner-cit- y prayer service with supporters in the Baltimore area The result is a chaotic game of in a land in which hide-and-se- ek BIG DUCK RACE! church in Memphis It is to a particular church” says Rosas “But as one lady put it you don't see too many preachers ’called’ to a smaller church” For the past 10 years Rosas has been preaching to his congregation about call and commit- 5 c ment: God put us in this neighborhood and left us here for a reason he’d say We're here to affirm others not ourselves Rosas has been Union Avenue's pastor for nearly 10 years He's 47 He and his wife We’re here to build disciples not bottom lines We're here to connect to die world not disconnect We’re here to be righteous and faithful not rich and famous U3tHKQ3MOtWK iff fflff afliaffluam at wmmm 2 stay at SHERWOOD HIILS 1 nights stay at BEAVER CREEK LODGE Free ear tubes at IfYER CHERON ami WILSON MOTOR : (lift Certificates to ALS SPORTING GOODS Custom AGGIE BANNER by Burbank Bunner I rounds of gulf at LOGAN GAMES Our Mission A A nights nightl stay at CENTER STREET INN: vacation to llam emit We WUI: now for sale at: ALL PROCEEDS from duck sales go to the USU SCHOLARSHIP FUND for our County High School Graduates Other sponsors include: USU Athletics Sprint Print Square One Printing Staples The Herald Journal Charter Communications Channel 12 KVFM For more information call Emma Ray at IEVIEIK¥(IDN1E 2nd ®? C 1 :00 pm Saturday September 11 Logan River Golf Course 550 W 1 000 S Logan Yes! I want to participate m the 1999 annual Cache County Sheriffs Search & Rescue Bene fit Gtilf Tournament at the Logan Riivr Golf Course to benefit the volunteer efforts of Cache County's professional Search and Rescue organization I will join you as (check all that apply) : PLAYER - ini W) CCC-- Amkiupu MSMACFY-Oncol CMAmUiv I LopmM r jORCOPYitfc i N G?A I DS tiu S&9 '1 5 a SILVER GOLF ONLY - 60 name listed on hctoummranl day Corporate Sponsor - 500 hdudm snlry fsmmanls for up to 4 phyan a smal company product display at ho tounoml and your company's namo Intod an dim tournament day program as a sifmrlmml sponsor GOLD Corporate Sponsor - M 000 hdudm myluminoab tor up to 6 phyan prominent signogo at ho toumamonl and your sponsor company's namo hied an ho toumamonl day program as a gald-huPLATINUM Corporate Sponsor - '1 500 hdudm anky fsmmoals far up to 8 phym praminonl signogo eS tm toumamonl and your company's namo Inlid an ho toumamonl day program os a painum4nal i CONTRIBUTOR ' Sony I cant bo wih you But ondosod is my supporting gift of FORM: Name: Company: Company: Address: Address: ay ST Zip: CHy ST Zip: Fk Fax: ft: Fax: Aucboiqpsl BRIDGERLAND AUDIOLOGY 'Jftefitf&iH EA R A Benefit Tournament for the -- cart and dinner lor sach ploy BRONZE Corporate Sponsor - ‘250 hdudm entry frasmcah for up to 2 pioyms and your company branra-lmo- l sponsor program as a Funds from this year’s tournament will Drive be used to purchase 2 Vehicles Rescue ATV SPACE IS LIMITED RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOWI a DINNER ONLY 75 Hayar indudes snhy PROCEEDS 5 Stevenson WM'lIl! Annual "Lost in the Rough" GREAT FORMATI The tournament features a four player scramble format with a shotgun start and a number of individual competitor events 2 LB 2 MJY Ymm MJCK MDW! RKMSTRAnON Ruben Q-9- 752-63- 80 -- Jmrifcr OwnutM MS CCC-- MORRIS TRAVEL Cache County Fair Sports Academy USU Alumni House and USU Bookstore GREAT FOODI Featuring Prime Rib catered by the Coppermill Restaurant Dinner will be at the Bullen Center at 43 S Main in Logan at 6:00 pm 1 Follow the Golden Rule in every aspect of our Audiology practice 2 Maintain the most competitive prices on our products and services throughout our extended trading area 3 Actively pursue the most advanced technological developments in the hearing health care industry in order to provide the newest and best products services and technology to our patients at the very best prices 4 Provide our best service products and follow-u- p care based on our patients' needs and desires rather than on what is most convenient or most profitable for our practice 5 Compete fairly and honorably in the marketplace 6 Provide a day trial period with all hearing instruments so patients have sufficient time to ensure they are satisfied with their hearing instrumentfs) 7 Carefully work with our patients to help them achieve maximum benefit from their hearing aidfs) or other amplification devices service for the life of 8 Provide follow-u- p programming cleaning and every hearing instrument dispensed by our practice 9 Provide the most professional and sensitive caie we can to our patients Sun Yiefoieg ii § Mission Sftementt Provide our patients with the very best hearing health care and the world's finest bearing aids at the best possible price To Implement GREAT PRIZES including family membership to the SPORTS ACADEMY locution to HAWAII Imvtion to TETON in Jackson Hole Ski Passes to BEAVER MOUNTAIN: Tukets to ISV FOOT-BAI- L DUCKS Rosas believed all of that Then he got a "better" job offer He and his family gave it serious consideration They met with the East Tennessee folks then went there to visit They talked with family and friends They prayed Rosas thought about what he and his family would gain by taking the job A “promotion" more money fewer hassles of urban life ami ministry It was inviting Then he began to think about what they would have to give up 3 Win VIEW LODGE RIVER struggling to adapt to changing times and demographics Membership is declining Its future is anything but certain “There are a lot of advantages to diversity but it can wear on The home their kids have you" Rosas says “The church here is still going but I’m in a grown up in denomination that tends to see The community of faith that church growth as a mark of faithhas sustained them fulness For a lot of people attenRelationships yean in the makdance is the bottom line” ing More is better Or (fiat's what It was no contest the culture tells us Often that's ' Rosas also realized something what the church tells us too If else your church isn't growing some “I had been trying to get the church-growt- h experts say it’s congregation to commit to this (tying church this location this comHow do ministers move up the he says “Now I had to ladder of success? Well one way munity’’ do what I had asked others to is promorion by title Some mindo” isters move on to become supeSo Rosas turned down the job rintendents or presbyters or offer But he wasn’t rejecting a bishops There are no Baptist “bigger better” lifestyle He was bishops Most pastors “move up" keeping one by serving larger and more prestigious congregations for greater personal rewards “We preachers give a lot of lip service to being 'called' or 'led' 4:00-6:00p- m buy a DUCK for $5 (6 for $25) and flout it down the canal in the faithful than rich and famous Pam have one child entering college this fall and another not far behind The East Tennessee church is their kidnappers were inspired by greed not political cultural or spiritual convictions This wasn't about religion — it was about money It wasn't about politics — it was about raw power But pray for Chechnya the men said Prayer may he the only option left CACHE COUNTY USU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION It’s better to be righteous and By David Waters lives discuss the status of other prisoners A pair of Baptist captives did not fare as well One is still missing The other was killed and his head left in a garbage can said Penkovsky While their captors did attempt to browbeat them into converting to Islam Petrov and Penkovsky both said they are convinced that iSTiiI) 79211855 floosa Mohs Checks Payable Jo: Cache County Sheriff's South and Rcscssc Attn: Golf ToumiasnU Registration FX) Box 1 34 Login UT 84323 AJ donations arc lax iaiucuHi The CCSSAfi is a dvmLjhlc nonprofit orpmiiaiiim lDf84-l4059l- 2 or Eric Qumsman at For mom information please call Qsn Curtis at Payments by mad must hr postmarked no bier dun Srpumlvr 4 1W9 Ajut September 4 fuyment should dus f am fw e nude at die draw You mUttauIjibvn macn£y C |