The Wore Out God-Pod
BY STEVE PESTER
Because I have Jesus in my life...I have everything
A phone call came into the Window Rock Church with a simple question. “Is there any way my God-Pod can be replaced?”
Pastor Dale Wolcott listened to J.R. Sanders of Thoreau, New Mexco on the other end of the call. Sanders explained how he faced significant health issues since glaucoma took most of his sight, and a recent knee surgery had left him in a wheelchair most of the time. “My knee feels like a ‘Gumby’ knee,” he joked.
Sanders called because the Navajo/English God-Pod he had received nearly three and half years ago had quit working. Since he can no longer see well enough to read and doesn’t have electricity in his home, the solar-powered God -Pod is the only way he can listen to scriptures. He was now hoping if there was any way the God-Pod could be replaced.
A shipment of the Adventist World Radio God-Pods had been delayed. However, the week before Sanders called, two boxes holding over 300 God-Pods had been delivered, proving that God’s timing is good.
Since Thoreau is a ninety-minute drive from Window Rock, Dine’ Adventist Radio (DAR) Manager Steven Pester decided to drive to Thoreau and visit Sanders to deliver the God-Pod in person.
Sanders's one-room home was a good way off the interstate and even further off paved roads. The driving instructions included, “Go past the white house with the red car, then at the fork near the old windmill, stay to the right. Drive through the wash, and after the tree with license plates nailed to the trunk, look for the blue house with the silver roof and a white pickup truck.”
J. R. Sanders showing off both his new God-Pod and his old worn out one.
Pester found the modest blue home fronted by a wheelchair ramp with a gate at the top. The door was wide open, facing the west, allowing the sun to pour in. Sanders, a soft-spoken, extremely friendly man, was concerned about whether his driving instructions had been accurate and was enthusiastic about having a visitor.
He shared his life story with Pester telling him that his mom took him to a Christian church as an infant, so he doesn’t know much about Navajo Traditions. Except for his “wild years,” he’s tried to be a good Christian. After his military service, he owned his own construction contracting business and attended church in Thoreau regularly.
But his faith was tested when he got sick, lost his business, and had to have surgery on his knees and his back, after which he spent 19 months in the hospital recovering.
When he returned to his little blue house he spent hours listening to the radio on his God-Pod to find spiritual encouragement. An evangelistic series broadcast is where he learned about the Sabbath, but he couldn’t get to a Seventh-day Adventist church. He found Dine’ Adventist Radio on Sunday mornings on KTNN and is grateful that the program is in both Navajo and English. His favorite translator is Anita. “She does the best and the way she speaks the Navajo language is beautiful!” he exclaims.
“I live in a small one-room house with my dog, Sam, and don’t have all the things I used to have,” says Sanders. “But, because Jesus is in my life and I love him so much, I have everything.”
A Ministry of Music
BY JUSTIN CHUA
During the fall of 2024, Dr. Gréta Pásztor poured her passion, expertise, and dedication into leading a group piano course for Adventist church pianists of all skill levels. Held every week at the Tucson Desert Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church, each one-hour class focused on essential topics such as practice techniques, accompaniment patterns, reharmonization of hymns, and solo performances.
The church was thrilled to host the course and make excellent use of its brand-new Yamaha grand piano. Under Dr. Pásztor’s guidance, students gained new skills and discovered fresh inspiration for their respective music ministries. Some students have been pianists for their churches for many years, while others were looking to build their confidence to lead from the piano bench.
Dr. Pásztor shared what inspired her to teach the course, “During high
school, I took a similar program on conducting church choirs, taught by Ken Tucker, a Baptist pastor, and musician, which inspired me to pursue conducting alongside the piano.” Later, during her doctoral program at the University of Arizona, she used her experience and talent to teach piano to undergraduates. “These experiences helped me create a curriculum for church pianists to inspire and educate musicians in the Tucson Adventist community, especially those without access to private lessons,” she continued.
Dr. Pásztor’s dedication profoundly impacted her students. Justin Chua, a longtime church pianist, reflected
on his experience, “Despite serving as our church pianist for quite some time, I was amazed at how much more there is to learn.” He continued, “Even with hymns I’ve played countless times, she offered insights and recommendations that took my playing to a new level.”
Pastor Mike Stevenson, who represented the Arizona Conference at the final class, spoke highly of Dr. Pásztor’s contributions, “We want to keep Gréta here for as long as we can. I know she is gifted beyond measure, and it will not be long until she brings her teaching to greater audiences.”
The 12-week piano program reminded everyone of the power of music to elevate worship.
Dr. Pásztor’s commitment to music and ministry began at an early age when she began playing the piano at age six. Born in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, she earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance from the University of Arizona in 2024. Her academic and professional achievements include prestigious awards, recital performances, and work as a conductor and musician across the United States and Romania.
Dr. Pásztor remains grounded in her faith and has a clear mission. “Music, as a vital element of worship, is also a blessing to the congregation,” she says. “It is a form of praise, a vehicle for prayer, and a means of fostering fellowship. I encourage all blessed with musical ability to cultivate this talent and use it to glorify God as the parable of the talents reminds us,” she says.
Dr. Pásztor’s ministry was a beautiful example of using God-given talents to uplift His church.
