Reaching the more than one million people who regularly attend the Arizona State Fair was one of Arizona Conference's goals last year. The other was to unify churches valley-wide. Eight churches and two schools volunteered to sponsor one or more days at the 2003 fair.
Booth staffers attended three training sessions where they learned how to perform effective literature evangelism, answer basic health questions and effectively run the booth. The final training session was a mock booth set-up with more than 40 people in attendance.
The health booth was attractive and professional. Volunteers offered free health age assessments and blood pressure checks, and physicians answered health-related questions. Two Adventist companies—Freezees Nut Cream and Cedar Lakes Vegetarian Meats—donated vegetarian food samples.
Project Restore donated 32,000 magazines on topics including health, the Sabbath and the state of the dead. Douglas Deibel, a professional computer designer and Thunderbird Academy graduate, designed a mural, and Ben Franklin Press donated the printing of the mural as the back drop for the booth.
During the 18 days of the fair, there were many opportunities to share Jesus. Corolla White, a nurse from Beacon Light Church, was working the booth late one evening when a young man came by requesting a blood pressure check. Much to everyone’s surprise, it was 205/110, a hypertensive emergency. Corolla immediately urged him to go directly to the hospital. "You are a stroke waiting to happen," she told him. A few weeks later he showed up at the South Mountain Church to give Corolla a hug and thank her for saving his life, noting that he had started modifying his diet.
Each day provided new experiences and adventures. By the end of the fair, 5,000 pieces of literature had been distributed and 1,000 names and addresses had been collected for follow-up.
Organized under the name of Right Arm of Love Ministries, this valley-wide group of Seventh-days Adventists of all ages, cultures and backgrounds has a common interest of sharing the right arm of the three angels’ messages with Phoenix.
By Lela Lewis, M.D.
