We're continuing on
with more thrilling stories
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and I am being joined here
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on the platform
with Dr. Leonard Brand.
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Perhaps, Dr.
Brand, you could tell us
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where you're
from and what you do.
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I am from Loma Linda.
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I teach at Loma
Linda University.
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I'm chair of the
Department of Earth
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and Biological Sciences,
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which gives degrees
in biology and geology.
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Now you
mentioned to me previously
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that Loma Linda has
kind of a unique distinction.
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You would think that
many Christian colleges
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offered
doctorates in earth sciences
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but you said that
that's not necessarily
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the cases, is that correct?
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Well, they do
offer graduate degrees,
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the difference is--
like you say you think
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they would offer
good Biblical programs
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but other Christian
universities and colleges,
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if they have
something like geology,
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they teach basically
theistic evolution or evolution,
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not a Biblical
concept of origins.
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So Loma Linda has a
Biblical based program
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that they offer as a doctorate.
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Yeah, we are the
only place in the world
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where a student
can get a doctorate
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in biology or geology
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and that passes from teachers
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who accept the
Biblical story of origins.
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Okay. Amen.
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Then how it that you can
get past the typical theory
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that the earth is
billions of years old?
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Well, in the eyes
of most scientists,
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of course, we
don't get buy where,
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you know, but we're
a little bit out of it.
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But we can teach
our students learn
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what science has to
offer, the best evidence
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they know what
other scientists think,
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they also know
what the Bible says
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and how we can reinterpret
that evidence in a way that,
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that really helps us to
understand geology better.
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Now we have a short video clip
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and maybe you could tell us
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a little bit about what's on it.
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Okay, some of us
do geology research
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to understand better
how to explain the rocks,
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how to interpret the rocks.
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And we find that if we
take the Bible seriously,
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the Bible
concept of a global flood
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a few thousand years
ago, that gives us clues,
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it helps us to see things
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that other people don't notice.
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And so we are
indeed making some progress
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in understanding
that geological evidence.
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And I'll just say one
thing, in the little video
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we'll talk about hypothesis
and a couple of places.
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Okay, to us, the global flood
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is not a
hypothesis, that's reality.
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But when we get to
these little details,
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there are-- you know,
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the Bible doesn't
give us those details
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but the Bible helps
us to think of hypothesis
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and how we might
interpret that evidence
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and then study those.
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Well, let's watch
the video now then.
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Okay.
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The surface of our earth
has been shaped by water.
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Flowing water has great
power to erode even hard rocks.
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Rivers undercut their banks
especially at flood seasons.
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Then moving
glaciers or flowing water
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cut and shape the surface.
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The result is landscape
that we find very beautiful.
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What type of
water flow did it take
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to cut these
magnificent structures?
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Two Geologists from
Loma Linda University
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and South Western
Adventist University,
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Dr. Leonard Brand
and Dr. Arthur Chadwick
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are seriously asking this
question and seeking answers.
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Here we see an impressive cliff
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meandering across Southern Utah,
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where the white
cliffs reach the skyline,
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the Navajo Sandstone
forms the magnificent walls
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of Zion canyon, 2,000 feet high.
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An enormous of water
energy would be required
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to erode these high cliffs.
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What type of water flow pattern
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is required to form
such a long continuous cliff?
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The cliff is not
part of a pair of cliffs,
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such as occurs on the
sides of river valleys.
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It is part of a
series of cliffs.
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There are no rivers
flowing along these cliffs
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that could have eroded them.
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These examples
and many more lead
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Dr. Brand and
Dr. Chadwick to think
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that the usual geologic theory
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of millions of
years of gradual erosion
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are not adequate
to shape the land
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into its existing
landscape pattern.
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They believe that serious study
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of how a very
large flow of water
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could explain the landscapes
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will provide much more
realistic explanations.
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Future research
will pursue these clues.
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That walking, would you do it,
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you have to walk
everywhere that you go?
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Well, we get as close as we can
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and then we do a lot of walking.
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Okay.
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I understand also that ASI
has had a part in that video
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and also in your
work, is their correct?
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They have and
supported, yeah. It's wonderful.
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Yeah.
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Let me ask you, in
today's educational environment
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just really how
important is to have
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a Biblical based
geologic program.
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Geologists
interpret the evidence in ways
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that can be very
destructive to Christian faith.
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Students who study
geology and Christian students
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who studied geology in other
universities have a hard time
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because they can
describe the evidence
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and their interpretations
very convincingly.
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And it's
difficult for many people
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to hang onto their faith
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in spite of what is
being-- they're been given.
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And so it is very crucial,
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it's throughout
the Christian world
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and even the Adventist church,
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they are those who are pushing
toward the theistic evolution
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and in much of Christian
Protestant denominations,
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there is a big movement among
the scholars in that direction
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so it's something of concern.
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And but with our research
trying to understand it better,
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as Seventh-day
Adventist educators
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we have a responsibility
and a great privilege
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to find ways to interpret
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the evidence
according to the Bible.
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Now there are questions
we don't have answers to,
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but we will always have those.
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But we can be a
great help to our students
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and I can just
give you one example,
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I remember a
student took a class for me
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and after the class is
over, I got a phone call.
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Now he tried to
make this anonymous
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but I knew who he was.
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But he thanked me for the class
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and he said "Your class
has opened the way to faith."
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And that's a great privilege
to get responses like that.
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Dr. Brand, it has been a
real pleasure talking to you
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and it is an
encouragement to all of us
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to know that
Loma Linda is holding
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the standard in this area.
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I'd like to close
with one other comment.
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My lovely wife was
not able to be here,
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so I just like to
tell her happy anniversary.
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Thank you so much.
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Again I think that
it's an incredible privilege
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that we have--
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He said, don't start the clock.
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It's an incredible
privilege that we have,
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to be able to have a
biblically based program
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in our university.
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Joining me now is
Dr. Willard Regester.
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Tell me just a
little bit about yourself
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and what we're gonna talk about.
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Well, I'm a retired physician
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and that's what
we're gonna talk about,
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what I've been doing.
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Okay. I should
do this, you know.
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There we go, that's
what I was about to say.
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Now...
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to start it off you
had told me a little story
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and
unfortunately because you said
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the clock had already started
and you can see it back there,
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we had there long
version on our telephone call
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but we're gonna have to have
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a cliff notes
version this evening.
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But how did you get
involved in the work
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that you're doing now?
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Well, what you're
really saying is--
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I've been to Romania,
and why did I go to Romania?
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Here I am getting...
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tonight's my birthday.
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What's your birthday?
What, what, what age are you?
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Well, 89
starting at sunset today.
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How about that.
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Eighty nine.
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I had the--
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Happy birthday to you...
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Hey, the clock is running.
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Happy birthday, Regester.
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Happy birthday
to you. Amen, amen.
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And many more.
That's right, that's right.
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I've had the
opportunity to go to Romania
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15 years ago, 14
years ago, 13 years ago,
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12 years ago and 11 years ago.
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Five times, and last February,
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18 months ago I had
a humongous surgery.
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So I knew I would never
go back to Romania again.
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And I was never laying
around at home and sitting there
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and wishing I wish I
could go back to Romania.
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It wasn't going through my mind.
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But the pastor that I worked
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with all those
years was the same pastor.
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His name was John Lascoe,
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and John never
called me on the telephone.
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He had five churches.
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He got transferred to Tel
Aviv, about that time I left
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that I would be 11 years ago.
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And then he got
transferred to Belgium.
00:10:01.75\00:10:05.70
So as you know your
geography, Romania is in between
00:10:05.73\00:10:08.92
so they had a family reunion
00:10:08.95\00:10:10.97
and I got an
email just this last,
00:10:11.00\00:10:14.01
a year ago now in August saying,
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"Dr. Regester, why weren't
you here for our reunion?"
00:10:16.12\00:10:20.64
Well, I said I am
happy you missed me
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but an old guy
like me 80 years old,
00:10:24.18\00:10:26.80
it would be
presumptive to get on a plane
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and come over there all alone.
00:10:28.46\00:10:30.44
Well, about a month
went by and my wife said--
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she yelled at me down the hall
00:10:36.17\00:10:37.61
and said we need some groceries.
00:10:37.64\00:10:40.29
So she tossed a
list there by the phone
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and I take my noon
nap but I couldn't sleep,
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I couldn't go to
sleep, nothing bothering me,
00:10:45.17\00:10:47.50
I just couldn't go to sleep.
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So I thought I'll
just get up and pray.
00:10:49.52\00:10:52.46
So I got on my
knees and I thought,
00:10:52.49\00:10:54.37
and this head to be from God.
00:10:54.40\00:10:58.80
I think I'll just
say-- think a prayer,
00:10:58.83\00:11:02.47
I think I'll
just think a prayer.
00:11:02.50\00:11:04.44
I don't want that devil to
get involved in this process.
00:11:04.47\00:11:08.28
So this is what I thought,
00:11:08.31\00:11:09.68
"If You want me to
go back to Romania,
00:11:09.71\00:11:13.34
have John Lascoe
call me on the telephone."
00:11:13.37\00:11:19.47
So when I got up from my prayer,
00:11:19.50\00:11:22.32
I thought, well, I'll go
get the list and go on to town
00:11:22.35\00:11:25.55
because I can't sleep anyway.
00:11:25.58\00:11:27.92
So as I picked up the
list, the phone was flashing.
00:11:27.95\00:11:32.10
I picked up the
phone, it was John Lascoe.
00:11:32.13\00:11:35.54
How about that. So
now what I do, folks?
00:11:35.57\00:11:39.04
Go to Romania.
00:11:39.07\00:11:42.10
Do I tell the Lord,
no, no, I was just kidding?
00:11:42.13\00:11:47.36
So I went to Romania
00:11:47.39\00:11:50.99
and my brother and
I during those years
00:11:51.02\00:11:53.30
that we were there,
we built five churches.
00:11:53.33\00:11:55.57
And John having been transferred
00:11:55.60\00:11:57.54
from Tel Aviv to Belgium
00:11:57.57\00:12:00.39
asked me to speak the first two,
00:12:00.42\00:12:02.67
at two of his
churches in Brussels
00:12:02.70\00:12:05.60
on February 2nd of just now.
00:12:05.63\00:12:09.09
And then I went on to Romania
00:12:09.12\00:12:10.62
and spoke at the other churches.
00:12:10.65\00:12:12.84
I'm telling you my friends,
00:12:12.87\00:12:14.54
it's nice to go
back like Paul did
00:12:14.57\00:12:17.59
and visit where you've been.
00:12:17.62\00:12:20.85
It's nice to go back.
00:12:20.88\00:12:23.15
Now, you know, why did I
go, that's what your question?
00:12:23.18\00:12:27.42
That was what I
was about to ask.
00:12:27.45\00:12:28.86
You know, I don't even now.
00:12:28.89\00:12:32.22
I don't even know why I went.
00:12:32.25\00:12:34.20
But this is one thing,
there was a fellow there,
00:12:34.23\00:12:37.60
I always make a
call, I always make a call
00:12:37.63\00:12:40.15
when I go there I call.
00:12:40.18\00:12:42.86
In the big church
of Wallachia, Romania,
00:12:42.89\00:12:45.65
how many have you
been in Wallachia, Romania?
00:12:45.68\00:12:47.61
I'm sure there's some hand.
00:12:47.64\00:12:49.00
There is a hand back there so,
00:12:49.03\00:12:50.84
anyway this fellow
had been in the church,
00:12:50.87\00:12:53.89
I mean, helping with the church,
00:12:53.92\00:12:55.54
building the church.
00:12:55.57\00:12:56.76
His wife is a
Seventh-day Adventist.
00:12:56.79\00:12:58.56
For 30 years he had
never responded to a call.
00:12:58.59\00:13:02.99
But when I
called he came forward
00:13:03.02\00:13:06.72
and it was amazing
you should have seen
00:13:06.75\00:13:08.45
the look on their faces.
00:13:08.48\00:13:10.51
So maybe, maybe
that's why I went to Romania.
00:13:10.54\00:13:14.75
I'm being honest
with you when I tell you
00:13:14.78\00:13:16.65
I don't know why
I went to Romania.
00:13:16.68\00:13:19.07
There were other people that
were convicted and came forward
00:13:19.10\00:13:22.70
but there's a fellow out
here in this audience someplace,
00:13:22.73\00:13:25.55
maybe some of you know him.
00:13:25.58\00:13:27.96
He told me-- and this
is an absolute guarantee.
00:13:27.99\00:13:32.59
He said the Lord
during the first week
00:13:32.62\00:13:36.28
of the millennium
will come and tell you
00:13:36.31\00:13:39.59
why you went to Romania.
00:13:39.62\00:13:43.40
That's a guarantee.
00:13:43.43\00:13:45.62
That was told to
me by Herb Douglas
00:13:45.65\00:13:47.93
and I'll bet you he's
out there in the audience.
00:13:47.96\00:13:50.64
I said is that a guarantee
that I am gonna be there
00:13:50.67\00:13:53.19
in the first
place, then the guarantee
00:13:53.22\00:13:54.57
that Jesus will come
and tell me what happened.
00:13:54.60\00:13:57.50
So where are you,
Herb? Come on, stand up.
00:13:57.53\00:14:01.25
Anyway I'll take that guarantee.
00:14:01.28\00:14:03.77
There you go.
00:14:03.80\00:14:04.84
Dr. Regester, we're
gonna have to wind it up here.
00:14:04.87\00:14:07.95
Well, wait a minute.
00:14:07.98\00:14:11.17
There's a couple of
things I want to tell you.
00:14:11.20\00:14:13.32
Now it's an honor
and it's a humbling honor
00:14:13.35\00:14:16.45
to talk to people like this.
00:14:16.48\00:14:19.39
All of you out there are working
00:14:19.42\00:14:21.69
for the Lord Jesus Christ, amen?
00:14:21.72\00:14:23.82
Amen.
00:14:23.85\00:14:25.85
I want you to know,
00:14:25.88\00:14:29.12
a calm, peaceful sea
00:14:29.15\00:14:34.26
never developed any
skilled sails men and...
00:14:34.29\00:14:38.95
sailors.
00:14:42.04\00:14:44.44
Did you hear what I just said?
00:14:44.47\00:14:46.00
A calm sea never
developed any skilled sailors.
00:14:46.03\00:14:50.52
You might write that down
00:14:50.55\00:14:52.03
or all you having a
calm ocean out there?
00:14:52.06\00:14:57.97
And then one last thing.
If the-- see they sang to me.
00:14:58.00\00:15:03.96
That' right.
They used up my time.
00:15:03.99\00:15:05.54
That's right,
go. So I've got time.
00:15:05.57\00:15:08.27
Fraction of a second.
00:15:08.30\00:15:10.83
When the Lord calls you...
00:15:10.86\00:15:12.78
go.
00:15:15.08\00:15:16.40
Amen.
00:15:16.43\00:15:17.56
Amen, what a blessing to have
00:15:26.70\00:15:28.41
these members in
action, isn't it?
00:15:28.44\00:15:30.67
We have the young and the
old right here together today,
00:15:30.70\00:15:33.17
all working for God's purposes.
00:15:33.20\00:15:35.75
Having with me this
evening, DayStar Academy.
00:15:35.78\00:15:39.17
We have their principal,
00:15:39.20\00:15:40.63
Alexa Hernandez
and Jerry and Heidi.
00:15:40.66\00:15:46.21
So thank you so much
for joining us tonight,
00:15:46.24\00:15:49.05
for members in action now.
00:15:49.08\00:15:51.14
Alexa, you are the
principal at DayStar,
00:15:51.17\00:15:53.96
how long have you
been the principal?
00:15:53.99\00:15:56.26
I, as of this
summer, become the principal.
00:15:56.29\00:15:59.50
Okay, so this is gonna be a
new challenge for you this year.
00:15:59.53\00:16:02.18
But you've been at
DayStar for how many years?
00:16:02.21\00:16:04.47
Yes, this is my fifth year.
00:16:04.50\00:16:06.31
So tell us, what is the focus
00:16:06.34\00:16:07.84
of the educational
program at DayStar.
00:16:07.87\00:16:10.30
DayStar's
educational focus is to know God
00:16:10.33\00:16:14.01
and to make Him known.
00:16:14.04\00:16:15.78
And we are striving to teach
00:16:15.81\00:16:18.48
our young people
according to the blueprint
00:16:18.51\00:16:20.87
with a special
emphasis in missions.
00:16:20.90\00:16:24.15
So a special
emphasis in missions,
00:16:24.18\00:16:26.37
now I know that there
is a variety of things
00:16:26.40\00:16:28.08
you could get involved in.
00:16:28.11\00:16:29.35
Jerry, tell us
a little bit about
00:16:29.38\00:16:31.08
what's going on in the mission
program there at the DayStar.
00:16:31.11\00:16:35.45
Yeah, missions is a
big part of our program.
00:16:35.48\00:16:37.95
We take three weeks out
of our schedule every year
00:16:37.98\00:16:41.06
to go and do missions.
00:16:41.09\00:16:43.98
We've been
blessed last three years
00:16:44.01\00:16:45.63
so to be able to be
involved specifically
00:16:45.66\00:16:47.92
with the one day church.
00:16:47.95\00:16:50.00
So building one day churches,
00:16:50.03\00:16:53.25
where do you build
one day churches there?
00:16:53.28\00:16:55.75
We've been to
Belize two different times
00:16:55.78\00:16:58.18
building one day churches,
00:16:58.21\00:16:59.26
then we also have
been over in Zambia.
00:16:59.29\00:17:01.26
Wow.
00:17:01.29\00:17:02.34
So how many one day
churches has DayStar built
00:17:02.37\00:17:05.62
over the last several years?
00:17:05.65\00:17:07.73
DayStar students have
been directly involved
00:17:07.76\00:17:09.90
in building 46 one day churches.
00:17:09.93\00:17:11.88
Amen, hallelujah, 46
churches, wow, that's amazing.
00:17:11.91\00:17:16.25
And what's the most
you built in one country?
00:17:16.28\00:17:20.22
We've built 37 in Belize.
00:17:20.25\00:17:23.29
And how many days did that take?
00:17:23.32\00:17:26.42
We took, took us
some more three weeks,
00:17:26.45\00:17:30.18
we did the 37
churches in that time.
00:17:30.21\00:17:31.96
Well, see that's only
about 18 days of work,
00:17:31.99\00:17:34.33
so if I calculate
that should may rename this
00:17:34.36\00:17:36.70
the half day church.
00:17:36.73\00:17:39.00
Wow, that's amazing.
00:17:39.03\00:17:40.66
These young people built
37 churches in like how long?
00:17:40.69\00:17:45.47
Yeah, just like
15 to 18 work days,
00:17:45.50\00:17:49.38
it's pretty amazing.
00:17:49.41\00:17:51.26
When we went to
start the project,
00:17:51.29\00:17:54.56
I knew that we weren't gonna be
able to do all 37 in that time.
00:17:54.59\00:17:58.40
But as we got closer to the end
00:17:58.43\00:18:00.63
we split our students
up into different groups
00:18:00.66\00:18:02.39
so we were doing more
than one church in a day.
00:18:02.42\00:18:04.78
And the students could
look and see, you know,
00:18:04.81\00:18:08.14
if we decided to not play
today and we'd work instead,
00:18:08.17\00:18:12.15
maybe we could get this so.
00:18:12.18\00:18:13.51
The kids just took
it on as a challenge
00:18:13.54\00:18:15.15
and yeah, before they
left we had 37 all done.
00:18:15.18\00:18:18.56
Amen.
00:18:18.59\00:18:19.97
Now, Heidi, I know
you're a participant
00:18:20.00\00:18:21.77
in some of these trips building
churches around the world.
00:18:21.80\00:18:24.59
Let me ask you this evening,
00:18:24.62\00:18:25.69
how has experiencing missions
in this way changed your life.
00:18:25.72\00:18:30.60
Well, it's really
cool because we went
00:18:30.63\00:18:34.25
and we built churches
in Belize the first time
00:18:34.28\00:18:36.76
but then we got to go
back there a second time,
00:18:36.79\00:18:38.64
so we like, got to
see all of our hard work
00:18:38.67\00:18:40.62
and they were using it.
00:18:40.65\00:18:42.43
And then it's
just really cool to see
00:18:42.46\00:18:43.71
how thankful they are
00:18:43.74\00:18:44.84
and they're so grateful
and it just made me realize
00:18:44.87\00:18:47.32
how much I have and has given me
00:18:47.35\00:18:49.60
a desire to help people.
00:18:49.63\00:18:51.78
So you have
developed the missionary spirit
00:18:51.81\00:18:54.90
by mission training, right?
00:18:54.93\00:18:56.15
Yes. Amen.
00:18:56.18\00:18:57.21
Now, Alexa, I know you
get to see these people
00:18:57.24\00:18:59.24
when they come back as we
were talking you mentioned
00:18:59.27\00:19:02.41
you really had
been on these trips
00:19:02.44\00:19:03.71
but you get to see
them when they come back.
00:19:03.74\00:19:05.40
Tell us about what you see
00:19:05.43\00:19:07.19
when these young people
come back from this experience.
00:19:07.22\00:19:10.84
Well, Steve, it's so
exciting to see them come back.
00:19:10.87\00:19:14.09
They're on fire for the Lord,
00:19:14.12\00:19:16.12
they're excited about
what they've been able to do
00:19:16.15\00:19:18.36
as young people to participate
and building these churches.
00:19:18.39\00:19:21.79
Really anyone can
be involved in doing it
00:19:21.82\00:19:24.18
and they feel so
excited to be a part.
00:19:24.21\00:19:26.54
They're ready to
share with their friends
00:19:26.57\00:19:28.10
and their families
and area wide churches.
00:19:28.13\00:19:31.24
They have testimonies to share
00:19:31.27\00:19:33.35
and they are so
excited to come back
00:19:33.38\00:19:36.39
and tell the
experiences of the joy
00:19:36.42\00:19:39.11
they've been able to
share with the young people
00:19:39.14\00:19:41.12
and the church families
00:19:41.15\00:19:43.32
that they've been
able to build churches for.
00:19:43.35\00:19:46.62
So mission programs actually
00:19:46.65\00:19:49.79
work for the young as well
as for those who are older,
00:19:49.82\00:19:52.46
I can see the transforming lives
00:19:52.49\00:19:53.97
of these young
people reaching out
00:19:54.00\00:19:55.87
around the world
and building churches.
00:19:55.90\00:19:57.85
Jerry, what if someone else
00:19:57.88\00:19:59.26
was thinking about
building some one day churches?
00:19:59.29\00:20:01.82
Tell us about that.
00:20:01.85\00:20:03.71
Yeah, I think
it's a great project,
00:20:03.74\00:20:05.54
like it's been shared,
00:20:05.57\00:20:06.61
you just need to
see the excitement
00:20:06.64\00:20:09.38
on the people's faces as you
built them a church in a day.
00:20:09.41\00:20:12.90
And it's the project--
00:20:12.93\00:20:15.16
the whole
project is put together
00:20:15.19\00:20:17.01
so that all of
us can be involved,
00:20:17.04\00:20:18.49
we don't have to
have any special skills.
00:20:18.52\00:20:21.20
So how do you go
about doing that?
00:20:21.23\00:20:23.08
Is there some way that
you can give folks that,
00:20:23.11\00:20:25.38
you would encourage them
00:20:25.41\00:20:26.48
if they want to go
build some one day churches,
00:20:26.51\00:20:28.46
how should they go about that?
00:20:28.49\00:20:30.21
Well, you could
stop by our booths,
00:20:30.24\00:20:32.22
DayStar Academy,
which is booth 512.
00:20:32.25\00:20:34.87
And we could give you
more information on that
00:20:34.90\00:20:36.93
or you could stop by and visit
with the folks at Maranatha.
00:20:36.96\00:20:39.76
Amen.
00:20:39.79\00:20:40.88
So, folks, tonight it's
just been a blessing here now.
00:20:40.91\00:20:45.15
I understand that DayStar
00:20:45.18\00:20:46.97
is gonna be doing
some more of these.
00:20:47.00\00:20:50.12
Yeah, we are planning
actually this next year
00:20:50.15\00:20:52.59
to go into Panama and build
some more one day churches.
00:20:52.62\00:20:55.49
Praise the Lord.
00:20:55.52\00:20:56.60
So if you want to get involved
00:20:56.63\00:20:57.79
in building some
one day churches,
00:20:57.82\00:20:59.15
maybe you got a
passion to go out
00:20:59.18\00:21:00.55
and do some work
somewhere around the world.
00:21:00.58\00:21:03.00
Give Jerry a call and
see how you can personally
00:21:03.03\00:21:06.14
get involved and
maybe helping DayStar
00:21:06.17\00:21:07.82
and go and build
some one churches,
00:21:07.85\00:21:09.21
some one day churches somewhere.
00:21:09.24\00:21:10.95
And maybe they'll get it down
00:21:10.98\00:21:12.33
to a quarter of a day next time,
00:21:12.36\00:21:13.92
what do you think?
00:21:13.95\00:21:15.06
Amen, thank you, folks,
00:21:15.09\00:21:16.20
for joining us this evening.
00:21:16.23\00:21:17.35
May God bless you.
00:21:17.38\00:21:18.75
Next this evening,
we're gonna be speaking
00:21:21.56\00:21:23.58
with Christina Montero
00:21:23.61\00:21:25.59
who is from the
Finish The Work team,
00:21:25.62\00:21:28.18
and from California, Christiana,
00:21:28.21\00:21:30.11
thank you so much for
joining us this evening.
00:21:30.14\00:21:32.20
Tell us a little bit
about what is Finish The Work.
00:21:32.23\00:21:36.41
Finish The Work is a
ministry made up of young people
00:21:36.44\00:21:40.26
ranging from ages high
school to early college age.
00:21:40.29\00:21:44.06
Basically we're
bringing these young people,
00:21:44.09\00:21:47.48
we show them how
to study the Bible,
00:21:47.51\00:21:49.94
we then equip them
with tools on how to witness
00:21:49.97\00:21:53.26
at their church and then
we plug them into our ministry
00:21:53.29\00:21:56.61
where we go around to various
churches and give revivals.
00:21:56.64\00:21:59.57
And give these
young people opportunities
00:21:59.60\00:22:03.25
on how to be
leaders in evangelism.
00:22:03.28\00:22:08.36
So you are
working with young people
00:22:08.39\00:22:10.04
and you are taking them out
00:22:10.07\00:22:11.32
and they're
doing revival meetings.
00:22:11.35\00:22:14.10
Now how did this get started?
00:22:14.13\00:22:16.30
The way that Finish The Work
00:22:16.33\00:22:18.39
got started was a
good friend of mine,
00:22:18.42\00:22:20.00
Michael Tuason,
he had been raised
00:22:20.03\00:22:22.53
in the Adventist
church but for the first time
00:22:22.56\00:22:24.48
when he was in early 20s,
00:22:24.51\00:22:25.84
he gave his heart to the Lord.
00:22:25.87\00:22:27.92
And he wanted to go,
00:22:27.95\00:22:29.49
you know, share his
faith, the first thing you do,
00:22:29.52\00:22:31.14
you want to tell
somebody about Jesus.
00:22:31.17\00:22:33.24
And he went to his
church and kind of looked around
00:22:33.27\00:22:36.35
and said, "I think I need
to share Jesus here first."
00:22:36.38\00:22:40.48
So what he decided to do
00:22:40.51\00:22:43.24
is he and a few
friends got together
00:22:43.27\00:22:45.79
and they had the same
vision where they decided,
00:22:45.82\00:22:49.25
you know, let's
preach at our local churches
00:22:49.28\00:22:52.37
and revive them
before we bring people in.
00:22:52.40\00:22:55.28
So this wok of revival started
from the grassroots effort,
00:22:55.31\00:22:58.27
the young people thinking
about what needed to be done
00:22:58.30\00:23:00.72
in their own churches kind
of coming together to do that.
00:23:00.75\00:23:04.12
So how many young
people over the years
00:23:04.15\00:23:05.87
have been involved in
these Finish The Work teams?
00:23:05.90\00:23:08.72
Well, Finish The
Work currently right now
00:23:08.75\00:23:10.51
usually holds about
anywhere from 15 to 25 members.
00:23:10.54\00:23:14.98
But over the last eight years
00:23:15.01\00:23:16.52
we've had over 80 young
people involved in our ministry.
00:23:16.55\00:23:20.60
Wow, that is amazing.
00:23:20.63\00:23:21.93
And all in the account of
the Southern California area?
00:23:21.96\00:23:24.18
Yes.
00:23:24.21\00:23:25.30
We range from LA, Orange County,
00:23:25.33\00:23:27.40
but mostly Loma Linda.
00:23:27.43\00:23:29.28
So tell me about this,
a group of young people
00:23:29.31\00:23:32.98
like poor college
students, how you're doing this?
00:23:33.01\00:23:35.92
Well, we are very
blessed that several years ago
00:23:35.95\00:23:39.30
ASI got involved
with Finish The Work
00:23:39.33\00:23:41.54
and they sponsored us.
00:23:41.57\00:23:43.75
So this is the ASI
chapter there in Pacific Union?
00:23:43.78\00:23:47.14
Yes, the Pacific Union has
kind of adopted Finish The Work
00:23:47.17\00:23:51.14
and we've become the
right hand of evangelism
00:23:51.17\00:23:53.74
for the Pacific Union.
00:23:53.77\00:23:55.71
And basically if
it wasn't for them,
00:23:55.74\00:23:57.55
there would be
no gas in our cars
00:23:57.58\00:23:58.93
to get to these churches.
00:23:58.96\00:24:00.92
So they're helping
you put gas in your cars
00:24:00.95\00:24:02.54
to get from church to church,
00:24:02.57\00:24:03.67
these young peoples are
going from church to church,
00:24:03.70\00:24:05.79
they're reviving the churches.
00:24:05.82\00:24:07.41
And not only they're
reviving the churches,
00:24:07.44\00:24:09.50
tell us, Christina, how has
this affected you personally?
00:24:09.53\00:24:12.62
I've been so blessed to
be part of Finish The Work.
00:24:12.65\00:24:15.72
When I be-- got
involved in Finish The Work,
00:24:15.75\00:24:19.01
I had just come back
from youth conference
00:24:19.04\00:24:21.88
where I was so
excited about Jesus.
00:24:21.91\00:24:23.43
I wanted to share my faith
and I wanted to revive people.
00:24:23.46\00:24:26.68
I wanted to
express my love for God.
00:24:26.71\00:24:29.52
And Finish The
Work basically helped me
00:24:29.55\00:24:33.22
to become
equipped with the tools
00:24:33.25\00:24:35.70
in order to do that effectively.
00:24:35.73\00:24:37.62
I got trained on how to be
a leader in my local church
00:24:37.65\00:24:41.01
and also plugged me
into other ministries
00:24:41.04\00:24:43.14
such as colporteuring,
00:24:43.17\00:24:45.44
getting involved in
planning youth conferences
00:24:45.47\00:24:48.55
in my local area and
also some other ministries,
00:24:48.58\00:24:53.06
I can't even begin to tell you.
00:24:53.09\00:24:55.68
Well, I can see that
you are excited about this,
00:24:55.71\00:24:57.96
that it has impacted your life.
00:24:57.99\00:25:00.10
But what about
the other young people
00:25:00.13\00:25:02.19
who have come to the program?
00:25:02.22\00:25:03.40
How have their
lives been changed?
00:25:03.43\00:25:05.54
I have seen amazing things
happen in Finish The Work.
00:25:05.57\00:25:08.12
Let me tell you,
over the last year
00:25:08.15\00:25:11.13
we've really had a lot
of younger people come in
00:25:11.16\00:25:15.32
as far as than
being in high school.
00:25:15.35\00:25:17.83
Five of which were
seniors in high school
00:25:17.86\00:25:20.07
and I was so excited
because when they first came in,
00:25:20.10\00:25:23.67
they really didn't
know how to study the Bible.
00:25:23.70\00:25:25.68
They really didn't know
how to share their faith.
00:25:25.71\00:25:29.34
And over the course of the year
00:25:29.37\00:25:30.99
through us giving them training,
00:25:31.02\00:25:33.40
they've been able to--
00:25:33.43\00:25:35.11
many of these young men
who are 16, 17 years old
00:25:35.14\00:25:37.80
are giving sermons.
00:25:37.83\00:25:39.35
They're preaching,
they're becoming leaders
00:25:39.38\00:25:42.44
within their church
and in their academy.
00:25:42.47\00:25:44.83
One of them of which became
00:25:44.86\00:25:46.27
the religious
president of his class
00:25:46.30\00:25:49.40
and he started a
weekly Bible study on campus.
00:25:49.43\00:25:51.73
And he started bringing other
young people into the ministry.
00:25:51.76\00:25:55.42
And I'm blessed
because they're not here
00:25:55.45\00:25:57.85
because almost all of them are
out colporteuring this summer.
00:25:57.88\00:26:00.51
Amen.
00:26:00.54\00:26:01.61
So it's been
such a blessing to see
00:26:01.64\00:26:04.08
the fruits of
that, and really quick,
00:26:04.11\00:26:06.86
all those five seniors
that have been involved
00:26:06.89\00:26:09.45
in Finish The Work this year,
00:26:09.48\00:26:10.98
each of them has decided
to get two years of their life
00:26:11.01\00:26:14.19
to going to a Bible College
00:26:14.22\00:26:15.80
to become effective evangelist
out in their communities.
00:26:15.83\00:26:20.80
You know, we talked today
about keeping the young people
00:26:20.83\00:26:23.13
and the church
and how to do that
00:26:23.16\00:26:25.16
and what that means.
00:26:25.19\00:26:26.46
Tell us what
you've learned about that.
00:26:26.49\00:26:28.67
Well, whenever I hear,
00:26:28.70\00:26:31.12
oh, we need to
keep the young people,
00:26:31.15\00:26:33.48
we should bring in
contemporary music,
00:26:33.51\00:26:35.88
we should bring
in entertainment,
00:26:35.91\00:26:37.23
we should bring in things
that the young people like,
00:26:37.26\00:26:39.88
but let me tell you that
has not been my experience.
00:26:39.91\00:26:43.12
In my experience in ministry,
00:26:43.15\00:26:45.55
what I've seen that's effective
in bringing the young people in
00:26:45.58\00:26:49.28
and keeping them
in is Bible study
00:26:49.31\00:26:52.45
and getting them
trained and useful tools
00:26:52.48\00:26:55.68
to be effective witnesses
00:26:55.71\00:26:56.95
in their local
churches and in ministries.
00:26:56.98\00:27:00.31
Amen.
00:27:00.34\00:27:01.98
Now, Christina, maybe
there's someone here tonight
00:27:02.01\00:27:04.61
or maybe somebody watching
00:27:04.64\00:27:06.05
that would like to experience
this in their own church
00:27:06.08\00:27:09.02
or maybe there's a
young person that says,
00:27:09.05\00:27:10.67
you know, this is exciting,
00:27:10.70\00:27:11.77
I would like to do
something with this,
00:27:11.80\00:27:13.69
how can they get
some more information?
00:27:13.72\00:27:15.75
We have a Facebook page.
00:27:15.78\00:27:17.60
If you go on Facebook, there's--
00:27:17.63\00:27:20.05
it's called
Finish The Work Ministry
00:27:20.08\00:27:21.97
and you just see nice
big red cross, that's us.
00:27:22.00\00:27:25.89
So they can
obviously go on there.
00:27:25.92\00:27:29.19
And you are willing to give them
00:27:29.22\00:27:30.26
some more
information and mentor them?
00:27:30.29\00:27:31.80
Absolutely.
00:27:31.83\00:27:32.90
If you contact us we'll be
more than happy to tell you
00:27:32.93\00:27:36.08
how to get started
in your local church.
00:27:36.11\00:27:38.05
And if you can't come
to Southern California,
00:27:38.08\00:27:42.40
if you can't
contact us, you can always
00:27:42.43\00:27:44.63
just start wherever you
are, whatever church you have,
00:27:44.66\00:27:47.07
wherever God's placed you,
to just rally up your friends
00:27:47.10\00:27:50.25
and just see what you
can do to be a helpful tool
00:27:50.28\00:27:54.22
in your local
community and in your church.
00:27:54.25\00:27:55.99
Thank you so much
00:27:56.02\00:27:57.10
for sharing with us
this evening, Christina.
00:27:57.13\00:28:00.90
Next this evening, we're
going to be talking to GYC now.
00:28:00.93\00:28:05.04
How many of you this
evening know what GYC is?
00:28:05.07\00:28:08.76
Well, that's good,
00:28:08.79\00:28:09.82
but we're going to just
get a little information here.
00:28:09.85\00:28:12.85
We have Alonna Smith
00:28:12.88\00:28:14.54
and Brandon
Schroeder here tonight.
00:28:14.57\00:28:16.43
Thank you for joining us.
00:28:16.46\00:28:17.93
And, Brandon, tell
us what is GYC anyway.
00:28:17.96\00:28:20.80
Give us the kernel
of truth about GYC.
00:28:20.83\00:28:23.51
GYC is a
movement of young people
00:28:23.54\00:28:26.30
that started out
relatively small,
00:28:26.33\00:28:27.86
just a handful of people
that said we want to study,
00:28:27.89\00:28:30.35
we want to gather in a community
00:28:30.38\00:28:32.77
and learn more about our
God and His will for our lives.
00:28:32.80\00:28:35.77
And the first event,
there was only 200 people
00:28:35.80\00:28:38.50
that was 10 years ago,
00:28:38.53\00:28:40.10
and it has since
grown into a movement
00:28:40.13\00:28:42.01
of young people
of more than 7,000
00:28:42.04\00:28:44.20
in our annual convention.
00:28:44.23\00:28:45.73
Amen.
00:28:45.76\00:28:46.79
We do more than
just an event though,
00:28:46.82\00:28:49.26
it is not just an event
00:28:49.29\00:28:50.63
but it is a lifestyle of
evangelism and service to God.
00:28:50.66\00:28:54.98
And so we have events
00:28:55.01\00:28:56.35
throughout the
year like mission trips,
00:28:56.38\00:28:58.60
evangelism programs
that we run and other things
00:28:58.63\00:29:01.09
that young people can
be involved with as well.
00:29:01.12\00:29:03.84
Now, Alonna, I know that
00:29:03.87\00:29:06.02
there are some
things going on right now
00:29:06.05\00:29:07.93
and just have some
things that are completed
00:29:07.96\00:29:09.70
that GYC has been involved in.
00:29:09.73\00:29:11.53
Tell us about what's been
happening in South Africa.
00:29:11.56\00:29:14.72
Yes, I just got
back a few weeks ago
00:29:14.75\00:29:16.75
from Pretoria, South Africa.
00:29:16.78\00:29:18.18
We have a couple of
pictures to show you of that.
00:29:18.21\00:29:21.26
The GC Youth
department actually invited GYC
00:29:21.29\00:29:24.98
to run and
coordinate the outreach
00:29:25.01\00:29:28.00
for the youth event that
they were having called Impact,
00:29:28.03\00:29:30.06
it was in
Pretoria, South Africa.
00:29:30.09\00:29:32.00
And we had 50
buses on outreach day
00:29:32.03\00:29:34.84
with 3,200 young people
00:29:34.87\00:29:37.21
and in only three hours,
20,000 Great Controversies
00:29:37.24\00:29:40.38
were distributed
in the local area.
00:29:40.41\00:29:42.50
Wow.
00:29:42.53\00:29:43.61
Now isn't that
amazing that GYC is kind of--
00:29:43.64\00:29:46.25
it sounds like GYC
00:29:46.28\00:29:47.53
to me has become like
the expert outreach people.
00:29:47.56\00:29:50.94
Because now you're
going around the world
00:29:50.97\00:29:53.49
to help other young
people learn how to do outreach.
00:29:53.52\00:29:56.05
Now I've been to some GYC
00:29:56.08\00:29:57.21
and have
experiences outreach things
00:29:57.24\00:29:58.64
so I think it's amazing
that they can distribute
00:29:58.67\00:30:01.09
that many Great Controversies
in that a short period of time.
00:30:01.12\00:30:05.12
I know there's
other things going on.
00:30:05.15\00:30:06.51
Brandon, there's another project
00:30:06.54\00:30:07.76
here stateside right now
going on, what's happening?
00:30:07.79\00:30:10.73
Yeah, we're
involved in things here.
00:30:10.76\00:30:13.41
There's a little island
off the coast of Ontario
00:30:13.44\00:30:16.17
called Manitoulin Island.
00:30:16.20\00:30:17.73
And we recently just sent
a group of 37 young people up
00:30:17.76\00:30:22.21
there on a mission trip.
00:30:22.24\00:30:23.27
And believe it or not,
00:30:23.30\00:30:24.35
Manitoulin Island
is an unreached area
00:30:24.38\00:30:27.20
in North America.
00:30:27.23\00:30:28.29
Amen.
00:30:28.32\00:30:29.35
You didn't even know
those exciting anymore, right?
00:30:29.38\00:30:30.70
Yeah, right.
00:30:30.73\00:30:31.76
But it's there and we
sent 37 young people there.
00:30:31.79\00:30:35.17
One young girl
was only 14 years old.
00:30:35.20\00:30:37.33
She is going
out in the community
00:30:37.36\00:30:39.68
witnessing and
ministering to people.
00:30:39.71\00:30:41.88
She met a lady at
the door that said,
00:30:41.91\00:30:43.83
you know, I used
to be a Christian
00:30:43.86\00:30:46.05
but I've lost my faith in prayer
00:30:46.08\00:30:48.04
because when I was
praying for my son,
00:30:48.07\00:30:51.23
my church family
didn't support me,
00:30:51.26\00:30:53.06
they weren't there for me.
00:30:53.09\00:30:54.30
And this young girl
continued to talk with her,
00:30:54.33\00:30:56.80
asked if she could
pray with her, she agreed.
00:30:56.83\00:30:58.94
At the end of
the prayer she said,
00:30:58.97\00:31:00.09
thank you for providing for me
00:31:00.12\00:31:01.68
what my church family could not.
00:31:01.71\00:31:02.92
And so there are young
people going to unreached areas
00:31:02.95\00:31:06.18
of North America changing lives
00:31:06.21\00:31:08.87
through the power
of the Holy Sprit.
00:31:08.90\00:31:10.57
Now, Alonna, I
knew there's some--
00:31:10.60\00:31:11.86
we had a story that
happened in South Africa,
00:31:11.89\00:31:13.98
share with us how
your work in South Africa
00:31:14.01\00:31:17.14
is impacting the people there
00:31:17.17\00:31:19.29
and the young
people who participated.
00:31:19.32\00:31:20.93
Yes, I am sure any of
you who've attended GYC
00:31:20.96\00:31:23.05
know that
outreach is the highlight.
00:31:23.08\00:31:24.54
And two of the young
people in South Africa
00:31:24.57\00:31:26.84
were going door-to-door
00:31:26.87\00:31:27.90
and they saw an elderly woman
sitting outside of her house.
00:31:27.93\00:31:30.71
And so of course
the two young people
00:31:30.74\00:31:32.20
approached her and offered her
00:31:32.23\00:31:33.72
the book The Great Controversy.
00:31:33.75\00:31:35.25
She glanced through it
and asked them instantly
00:31:35.28\00:31:38.11
what church they were from.
00:31:38.14\00:31:39.53
When she responded
she just beamed and said,
00:31:39.56\00:31:41.67
"You know, I love your church.
00:31:41.70\00:31:44.07
I am not a Seventh-day Adventist
00:31:44.10\00:31:45.91
but I have been looking to find
00:31:45.94\00:31:47.90
a Seventh-day
Adventist Church in my area."
00:31:47.93\00:31:50.12
So these two young
people were so excited,
00:31:50.15\00:31:51.99
they prayed with her
and they connected her
00:31:52.02\00:31:54.16
with a local Adventist pastor.
00:31:54.19\00:31:56.42
That's amazing to
think how God is planning way
00:31:56.45\00:31:59.28
ahead of time for
these things just to be setup
00:31:59.31\00:32:01.66
and He is waiting to
for us arrive on the scene
00:32:01.69\00:32:04.26
and participate and do our part.
00:32:04.29\00:32:06.28
Boy, isn't it great
that we have young people
00:32:06.31\00:32:07.96
who are doing their part, right?
00:32:07.99\00:32:09.90
Now we know that there
are some GYC events plan
00:32:09.93\00:32:14.54
for this fall,
tell us what's coming.
00:32:14.57\00:32:16.98
GYC this year
will be January 1 to 5
00:32:17.01\00:32:20.88
and it is literally just down
the street from us right now.
00:32:20.91\00:32:23.90
Here in Orlando
00:32:23.93\00:32:25.01
at the Orange
County Convention Center
00:32:25.04\00:32:27.13
and at the Hilton Orlando.
00:32:27.16\00:32:28.89
And if any of you
would like to come,
00:32:28.92\00:32:30.77
we invite you warmly
to come to our website,
00:32:30.80\00:32:33.77
GYCweb.org.
00:32:33.80\00:32:35.81
And registration will
be open later this month.
00:32:35.84\00:32:39.66
All right, so, Brandon...
00:32:39.69\00:32:42.12
GYC this year our theme
00:32:42.15\00:32:43.52
is going to focus on
the Great Controversy.
00:32:43.55\00:32:46.78
The title of the theme
is Before Men and Angels
00:32:46.81\00:32:49.84
and it's a simple reminder
that our lives on this earth
00:32:49.87\00:32:53.40
are not to be live to
ourselves or to pop culture
00:32:53.43\00:32:57.35
or to what the
world would demand of us,
00:32:57.38\00:32:59.67
but they are lived
before an entire universe
00:32:59.70\00:33:02.58
and that our
lives are center stage.
00:33:02.61\00:33:04.96
And we have a short video
00:33:04.99\00:33:06.26
that will explain
that a little bit more.
00:33:06.29\00:33:08.12
Amen, thank you for
joining us this evening.
00:33:08.15\00:33:10.50
Great member in action stories.
00:33:10.53\00:33:12.03
May God bless you.
00:33:12.06\00:33:13.63
My life is
incredibly insignificant.
00:33:24.35\00:33:27.92
I am a tiny
person on a small planet
00:33:27.95\00:33:30.33
in a very large universe.
00:33:30.36\00:33:32.40
My life is short.
00:33:32.43\00:33:34.69
My money, education
00:33:34.72\00:33:36.18
and
accomplishments are temporary.
00:33:36.21\00:33:38.88
I can easily be replaced.
00:33:38.91\00:33:41.49
My employer could find
another person to do my job.
00:33:41.52\00:33:45.71
Let's face it.
00:33:45.74\00:33:47.66
Even my cat can
survive without me.
00:33:47.69\00:33:51.52
But God can't.
00:33:51.55\00:33:53.33
See, I know this because He
stepped down from His throne
00:33:53.36\00:33:56.39
and made Earth His home.
00:33:56.42\00:33:57.96
Rejected and despised,
He bore my selfishness,
00:33:57.99\00:34:01.08
murders, and lies,
carrying them to the grave,
00:34:01.11\00:34:03.93
making me the
receiver of divine grace.
00:34:03.96\00:34:07.11
Now, now I see my worth
00:34:07.14\00:34:10.15
through the
eyes of the universe.
00:34:10.18\00:34:12.17
There's something
bigger at play here.
00:34:12.20\00:34:14.74
Bigger than men.
00:34:14.77\00:34:16.39
Scripture claims that the
created accused the Creator
00:34:16.42\00:34:19.25
and the universe
is merely a spectator.
00:34:19.28\00:34:21.93
You and me, our lives are
center stage in this story.
00:34:21.96\00:34:26.97
We are the drama.
00:34:27.00\00:34:29.10
We, the
receivers of divine grace
00:34:29.13\00:34:31.34
and the life changing spirit.
00:34:31.37\00:34:33.33
We who have been
baptized by fire and water,
00:34:33.36\00:34:36.76
stand and live
before men and angels.
00:34:36.79\00:34:40.39
You see, creation waits
to see if in our testimony,
00:34:40.42\00:34:43.92
the righteousness of
God will be vindicated.
00:34:43.95\00:34:46.53
So I refuse to be
ruled by materialism,
00:34:46.56\00:34:49.81
or circumstances,
00:34:49.84\00:34:51.57
or even in search of
the accolades of men.
00:34:51.60\00:34:54.05
No self-seeking is
allowed to dictate my actions
00:34:54.08\00:34:57.68
for I'm willing to be
made a fool for Christ's sake
00:34:57.71\00:35:00.68
because I realize
that I live on a stage
00:35:00.71\00:35:03.41
set before men and angels.
00:35:03.44\00:35:05.90
And my purpose
is to glorify God.
00:35:05.93\00:35:09.56
To glorify God.
00:35:09.59\00:35:11.17
See, let me
break it down for you.
00:35:11.20\00:35:13.40
My life is meant to vindicate
the character of the Creator,
00:35:13.43\00:35:17.27
before men and angels.
00:35:17.30\00:35:20.01
My life is
incredibly significant.
00:35:23.77\00:35:26.98
Good morning ASI.
00:35:32.36\00:35:34.38
Good morning.
00:35:34.41\00:35:35.53
Isn't it great to be
here in Florida together?
00:35:35.56\00:35:38.34
Yeah.
00:35:38.37\00:35:40.08
I'm bringing with me a friend,
00:35:40.11\00:35:42.42
who I know to those here
probably needs no introduction.
00:35:42.45\00:35:46.47
But to the audience on 3ABN,
00:35:46.50\00:35:48.64
we'd like to
introduce Pastor Mark Finley,
00:35:48.67\00:35:51.34
who serves as a
special assistant
00:35:51.37\00:35:54.33
to our General
Conference president.
00:35:54.36\00:35:56.90
He wears really many hats.
00:35:56.93\00:35:58.76
And tonight, this morning
00:35:58.79\00:36:00.13
he's gonna share
with us a little bit
00:36:00.16\00:36:01.33
about the Hope Channel TV,
00:36:01.36\00:36:04.47
who just at this time
00:36:04.50\00:36:05.86
are celebrating
their 10th anniversary.
00:36:05.89\00:36:08.76
And, Mark, you've been involved
00:36:08.79\00:36:11.22
from more than the beginning
actually, there's a story
00:36:11.25\00:36:14.95
to how this all came
about little by little.
00:36:14.98\00:36:17.93
Well the history of
God's working in media
00:36:17.96\00:36:21.01
in the Seventh-day Adventist
church is an amazing one.
00:36:21.04\00:36:23.87
And the history of Hope Channel,
00:36:23.90\00:36:25.45
it was quite fascinating,
00:36:25.48\00:36:26.62
it was back
about 20 years to 1994.
00:36:26.65\00:36:30.55
And in 1994 Elder Elma Claire,
00:36:30.58\00:36:33.91
who was the
president to that time
00:36:33.94\00:36:35.36
of the North American division,
00:36:35.39\00:36:36.69
convened a small
group to dream about
00:36:36.72\00:36:39.70
what might be done for
evangelism for North America.
00:36:39.73\00:36:43.89
As a pilot project in
1994 in Southern California,
00:36:43.92\00:36:49.30
there was a very small
uplink that took place,
00:36:49.33\00:36:52.85
it took place out of
the home shopping network
00:36:52.88\00:36:56.90
to five churches in
Southern California,
00:36:56.93\00:36:59.69
it was a lay training event.
00:36:59.72\00:37:01.36
That event was
financed, in part by Heart,
00:37:01.39\00:37:05.97
one of our ASI organizations.
00:37:06.00\00:37:08.70
Then, the event
was so successful
00:37:08.73\00:37:11.47
that the next year 1995,
00:37:11.50\00:37:13.32
we did the first net
event in North America
00:37:13.35\00:37:16.44
to 676 churches from
Chattanooga, Tennessee.
00:37:16.47\00:37:19.63
I remember that
Chattanooga, Tennessee.
00:37:19.66\00:37:21.42
We've members at
our church in Dunlap,
00:37:21.45\00:37:23.99
they go back to that time.
00:37:24.02\00:37:25.32
About 80,000 to 100,000 people
00:37:25.35\00:37:27.64
attended across North
America in those 676 churches,
00:37:27.67\00:37:30.86
there were 8,000 baptized,
00:37:30.89\00:37:32.43
it just
electrified North America,
00:37:32.46\00:37:35.18
what God could do through media
00:37:35.21\00:37:37.06
and satellite
evangelism particularly,
00:37:37.09\00:37:39.16
that was the early
beginning of Hope Channel.
00:37:39.19\00:37:40.92
And you were just cutting your
teeth on satellite evangelism.
00:37:40.95\00:37:43.73
We had never done
it before as a church,
00:37:43.76\00:37:45.57
you know, when people had
said to us this will not work.
00:37:45.60\00:37:48.93
We said why not?
00:37:48.96\00:37:49.99
One, people won't come to
see somebody on the screen.
00:37:50.02\00:37:52.97
Second, if they come
they'll leave quickly
00:37:53.00\00:37:54.92
and third, nobody will respond.
00:37:54.95\00:37:56.70
Well, when more than
8,000 people were baptized
00:37:56.73\00:37:59.51
that led to net 96,
which we had at that time
00:37:59.54\00:38:04.33
almost 1,800
churches in North America.
00:38:04.36\00:38:07.43
We had
languages around the world
00:38:07.46\00:38:09.90
and 40 countries were involved
00:38:09.93\00:38:12.35
and baptized about
18,000 in North America,
00:38:12.38\00:38:15.24
so we just saw God working
00:38:15.27\00:38:16.96
in the Holy
Spirit in dramatic ways.
00:38:16.99\00:38:19.09
I remember
something very personally,
00:38:19.12\00:38:20.66
when you got to net 2000
and that was a bold endeavor
00:38:20.69\00:38:24.49
because, you attempted
to go out at 10 major cities
00:38:24.52\00:38:28.06
around the world, is that right?
00:38:28.09\00:38:29.52
It is, and when we worked
together it was in Romania,
00:38:29.55\00:38:31.97
Sala Palatului
was the auditorium.
00:38:32.00\00:38:34.52
It was the former
centre of communism in Romania.
00:38:34.55\00:38:38.21
And you invited
me, I was just helping
00:38:38.24\00:38:39.96
the health centre
Herghelia, in Romania
00:38:39.99\00:38:42.37
there to start a
medical missionary course.
00:38:42.40\00:38:44.86
And you asked us to
come over to help you,
00:38:44.89\00:38:47.25
and we spent a month there.
00:38:47.28\00:38:48.63
We did, we had a thousand people
00:38:48.66\00:38:50.34
attending our health meetings,
00:38:50.37\00:38:51.41
that you might
remember, my wife and your wife
00:38:51.44\00:38:54.11
participated in
a cooking school,
00:38:54.14\00:38:55.53
I don't remember how many but---
00:38:55.56\00:38:56.97
Five hundred were there
just in a cooking school.
00:38:57.00\00:38:58.59
That was amazing.
00:38:58.62\00:38:59.68
We had a thousand a
day going through the expo
00:38:59.71\00:39:02.16
and when our time
was up, we would just say
00:39:02.19\00:39:04.30
come on join us in
the main auditorium
00:39:04.33\00:39:06.66
and almost
everybody would come in.
00:39:06.69\00:39:08.37
And those early
satellite events,
00:39:08.40\00:39:10.00
of course, were the early
beginnings of Hope Channel
00:39:10.03\00:39:13.25
and 3ABN participated
with us in a great way
00:39:13.28\00:39:16.03
because they were carrying
the signal back in those days.
00:39:16.06\00:39:19.52
You remember, we
had a lot of tension
00:39:19.55\00:39:21.32
at the last moment
on that opening night
00:39:21.35\00:39:23.77
because somehow
the customs people
00:39:23.80\00:39:25.98
were not letting
the television equipment
00:39:26.01\00:39:28.16
and the satellite equipment in.
00:39:28.19\00:39:29.99
They finally got in on
the day of the meetings,
00:39:30.02\00:39:32.51
they had that huge roof,
00:39:32.54\00:39:34.33
I wouldn't want to
be on a rounded roof,
00:39:34.36\00:39:36.24
I remember that and the wind.
00:39:36.27\00:39:38.22
And they were putting up
that equipment to make it work
00:39:38.25\00:39:41.61
and we were getting to
count down five minutes,
00:39:41.64\00:39:44.17
ten minutes to five minutes.
00:39:44.20\00:39:45.81
And finally it
went just in time.
00:39:45.84\00:39:48.03
You know, one of the interesting
00:39:48.06\00:39:49.20
miracles of that
whole story is that,
00:39:49.23\00:39:52.95
the custodian of
this communist auditorium
00:39:52.98\00:39:56.33
let me into the room
with a communist dictator
00:39:56.36\00:39:59.40
Nicolae Ceausescu
prepared for his speeches
00:39:59.43\00:40:02.99
to the communist party
and I sat at his table praying
00:40:03.02\00:40:07.22
that God would send
the satellite signal
00:40:07.25\00:40:09.31
all across Europe.
00:40:09.34\00:40:10.73
And it was quite
a thrill to sense
00:40:10.76\00:40:12.96
that the Holy Spirit
was working in the heart
00:40:12.99\00:40:15.17
and center of atheism.
00:40:15.20\00:40:16.78
So, take us up to
2003 because in a way
00:40:16.81\00:40:20.32
there was no official
name, you were just learning,
00:40:20.35\00:40:23.93
experimenting
tremendous results.
00:40:23.96\00:40:26.10
How did that turn
into Hope Channel?
00:40:26.13\00:40:27.59
The Seventh-day Adventist church
00:40:27.62\00:40:29.18
was buying satellite
time from about 1995 to 2003.
00:40:29.21\00:40:34.31
But we found that it
was much more cost efficient
00:40:34.34\00:40:37.31
if we bought 24 hours a day
00:40:37.34\00:40:39.75
rather than
buying satellite time.
00:40:39.78\00:40:41.71
So 10 years ago
that led to the early
00:40:41.74\00:40:44.57
beginnings of the Hope Channel.
00:40:44.60\00:40:47.83
So, that meant,
you knew you had a spot
00:40:47.86\00:40:50.03
that was waiting
for you, it was there.
00:40:50.06\00:40:51.54
Exactly, when we were
buying just satellite time,
00:40:51.57\00:40:53.77
at times the
owners of the satellite
00:40:53.80\00:40:56.92
companies would say to us,
well, you can't have this time.
00:40:56.95\00:41:00.36
So, we had two problems,
00:41:00.39\00:41:01.89
one is we didn't
have the times we wanted.
00:41:01.92\00:41:05.01
Second, we were paying
more money for occasional time
00:41:05.04\00:41:07.44
that we would be
paying for regular time.
00:41:07.47\00:41:10.15
Our time's going
fast, isn't it amazing?
00:41:10.18\00:41:12.72
Tell us the international effect
00:41:12.75\00:41:14.16
and give us the story.
00:41:14.19\00:41:15.31
Sure.
00:41:15.34\00:41:16.40
Today we look back at
10 years of Hope Channel
00:41:16.43\00:41:19.89
and see how
unique this ministry is
00:41:19.92\00:41:22.38
and see what God
has miraculously done.
00:41:22.41\00:41:25.28
Hope Channel today
is on 14 satellites,
00:41:25.31\00:41:30.25
broadcast in 26
languages around the world.
00:41:30.28\00:41:35.40
Amen. In over 60 media centers.
00:41:35.43\00:41:38.22
You have to understand merely
00:41:38.25\00:41:39.88
because we put up a
signal in English does not mean
00:41:39.91\00:41:44.37
that somebody in Inter
America or South America
00:41:44.40\00:41:47.42
or the Middle East
or Africa can hear it.
00:41:47.45\00:41:49.96
So, Hope Channel works in 60
media centers around the world,
00:41:49.99\00:41:54.19
it works in 26 languages
and there are thousands
00:41:54.22\00:41:58.13
and thousands of
people involved in developing
00:41:58.16\00:42:00.86
the programming in
those 60 media centers.
00:42:00.89\00:42:04.24
Let me share with you
one story from North America.
00:42:04.27\00:42:07.40
My wife and I were holding
a major evangelistic meeting
00:42:07.43\00:42:10.78
in Mobile, Alabama just
a little over a year ago.
00:42:10.81\00:42:14.95
We were coming to
the end of the meetings,
00:42:14.98\00:42:17.23
the last third of the meetings,
00:42:17.26\00:42:18.74
we had 24 meetings
or so in that series.
00:42:18.77\00:42:21.94
As we were coming to the end,
00:42:21.97\00:42:23.44
a lady and her
husband walked in,
00:42:23.47\00:42:26.16
as I made the
appeal to be baptized
00:42:26.19\00:42:28.88
on the true church message,
00:42:28.91\00:42:30.47
she and her
husband came forward.
00:42:30.50\00:42:32.38
I said, how did you learn
about the Adventist message?
00:42:32.41\00:42:34.91
She said, Pastor Mark,
I used to be an Adventist,
00:42:34.94\00:42:37.75
my husband has
never been an Adventist,
00:42:37.78\00:42:39.31
we drifted away from the church.
00:42:39.34\00:42:41.01
But we have
watched this exact series
00:42:41.04\00:42:44.45
that you're
preaching here on Hope Channel,
00:42:44.48\00:42:46.59
it's on right now.
00:42:46.62\00:42:48.25
And we watched
the first two thirds
00:42:48.28\00:42:50.38
of your meeting on Hope Channel,
00:42:50.41\00:42:52.07
learned you're
in Mobile, Alabama,
00:42:52.10\00:42:54.14
came to the exact meeting
00:42:54.17\00:42:56.65
that I was
preaching on television
00:42:56.68\00:42:59.11
but now preaching
live, she walked in,
00:42:59.14\00:43:01.84
she and her husband
have been both baptized
00:43:01.87\00:43:04.34
and the whole purpose
of all Adventist media
00:43:04.37\00:43:07.29
and Hope Channel is to herald
the Three Angels' Messages
00:43:07.32\00:43:10.85
to prepare people
for the coming of Jesus.
00:43:10.88\00:43:13.47
We're so grateful
to ASI for the help
00:43:13.50\00:43:16.20
they give all of
our media centers.
00:43:16.23\00:43:17.92
We praise God for ASI
and for every entity in media
00:43:17.95\00:43:24.02
that's reaching these
major cities for Jesus.
00:43:24.05\00:43:26.19
It was with you at the beginning
00:43:26.22\00:43:27.43
and they've been
with us till this time.
00:43:27.46\00:43:29.07
Thank you so much. God bless.
00:43:29.10\00:43:30.91
Good morning ASI. Good morning.
00:43:36.76\00:43:39.51
This is another
offering in action segment,
00:43:39.54\00:43:42.32
and this morning we
will be presenting to you
00:43:42.35\00:43:45.24
two projects in
this year's offering.
00:43:45.27\00:43:47.65
The first is for
Lightbearers Ministry
00:43:47.68\00:43:49.60
and with me at the
podium is James Rafferty
00:43:49.63\00:43:52.30
who is the cofounder
of Lightbearers Ministry
00:43:52.33\00:43:54.37
and, James, first tell us,
00:43:54.40\00:43:55.84
remind us of the focus
of Lightbearers Ministry?
00:43:55.87\00:43:58.92
Well Light Bearers
Ministry has a four fold focus,
00:43:58.95\00:44:01.21
we're preaching ministry,
we're teaching ministry,
00:44:01.24\00:44:04.22
we're resource ministry
and then we're gonna be talking
00:44:04.25\00:44:06.63
about the publishing
part of Lightbearers ministry.
00:44:06.66\00:44:08.98
And so what is
the specific focus
00:44:09.01\00:44:10.88
of this year's offering project?
00:44:10.91\00:44:13.11
Well, this year is focused
on the country of Angola,
00:44:13.14\00:44:16.25
one of the fastest
growing infrastructures
00:44:16.28\00:44:18.15
right now in the world,
00:44:18.18\00:44:19.62
because they've just come out
of a civil war in early 2000's
00:44:19.65\00:44:24.20
and the SID,
Southern Indian Ocean Division
00:44:24.23\00:44:27.00
has asked us to assist them
in reaching millions of people
00:44:27.03\00:44:31.20
with the Adventist message.
00:44:31.23\00:44:32.47
And so, how will that be done?
00:44:32.50\00:44:34.50
Well, primarily by
printing literature like
00:44:34.53\00:44:36.91
the Leaves-of-Autumn
and they requested
00:44:36.94\00:44:39.10
three
containers which we printed
00:44:39.13\00:44:41.41
and shipped to Angola
in March of this year.
00:44:41.44\00:44:45.27
Now each
container contains about
00:44:45.30\00:44:47.47
two million
pieces of literature.
00:44:47.50\00:44:49.87
So, those three
containers totaled
00:44:49.90\00:44:53.01
about six million
pieces of literature
00:44:53.04\00:44:55.44
and they were shipped and
they began to utilize them.
00:44:55.47\00:44:58.23
There were about
250,000 Bible study sets
00:44:58.26\00:45:02.96
in those three containers.
00:45:02.99\00:45:04.40
Wow, that's incredible,
00:45:04.43\00:45:07.30
that's a lot of paper
to fill the container.
00:45:07.33\00:45:09.37
How does that
happen at Lightbearers?
00:45:09.40\00:45:11.34
Well, it begins in
the computer format,
00:45:11.37\00:45:14.15
the layout and design
and those tracks are laid out
00:45:14.18\00:45:18.37
and then they're sent
into the publishing house,
00:45:18.40\00:45:20.31
printed out in a plate
which goes on to press.
00:45:20.34\00:45:23.22
Usually when we do
that much literature,
00:45:23.25\00:45:26.07
we run one plate for
about 2 to 300,000 copies
00:45:26.10\00:45:29.81
and then take it
off, put another plate on.
00:45:29.84\00:45:31.89
Pile up the literature,
run it through the folders,
00:45:31.92\00:45:34.71
set it up in pallets, put
it in base and roll it out
00:45:34.74\00:45:39.31
when the semis
come and put about
00:45:39.34\00:45:42.19
720, 50 to 60
pound boxes loaded up
00:45:42.22\00:45:46.14
in a 20 foot
container and off it goes.
00:45:46.17\00:45:48.57
How long does it
take to do all of that?
00:45:48.60\00:45:50.83
It depends, doing
three containers at one time,
00:45:50.86\00:45:54.07
may be six
weeks to three months.
00:45:54.10\00:45:58.98
It varies depending on how
much we're doing at one time
00:45:59.01\00:46:03.91
and what, where our crew is out,
00:46:03.94\00:46:05.36
what time of the
year it is, etcetera.
00:46:05.39\00:46:07.45
So, how do you...?
Who pays for all of this?
00:46:07.48\00:46:10.92
Well, we're a self
supported ministry,
00:46:10.95\00:46:12.54
so we raise our own funds
and there are number of people
00:46:12.57\00:46:16.17
who are supporting
with small donations,
00:46:16.20\00:46:19.10
with larger donations,
00:46:19.13\00:46:20.51
but ASI is also
helping us this year.
00:46:20.54\00:46:23.79
And, I understand we're funding
00:46:23.82\00:46:26.32
one container for
the annual project?
00:46:26.35\00:46:27.67
Yes, each container costs
approximately 50 to $60,000
00:46:27.70\00:46:32.80
and the donation we're receiving
00:46:32.83\00:46:33.93
from the ASI this
year is about 50,000.
00:46:33.96\00:46:36.38
So, we have an
awesome opportunity
00:46:36.41\00:46:38.02
to be partners in
ministry with Lightbearers.
00:46:38.05\00:46:39.82
So I'm an honorary
Lightbearers' member.
00:46:39.85\00:46:42.04
Amen. All right.
00:46:42.07\00:46:44.06
Tell me a little
about, how you know
00:46:44.09\00:46:46.98
where to send materials?
00:46:47.01\00:46:48.04
So you mentioned
that the Southern Indian
00:46:48.07\00:46:51.04
African Ocean
Division requested this.
00:46:51.07\00:46:54.89
How do you get requests
00:46:54.92\00:46:56.33
and how do you
know where to send them?
00:46:56.36\00:46:57.79
It's a pretty simple
process, we're up on the web,
00:46:57.82\00:47:01.12
we've our Lightbearers Ministry,
00:47:01.15\00:47:02.68
lbm.org, lightbearers.org
and we also send out letters
00:47:02.71\00:47:07.27
and tell people
what we're doing,
00:47:07.30\00:47:08.50
we're on 3ABN also
letting people know,
00:47:08.53\00:47:11.10
and we've been doing
this for about 25, 30 years,
00:47:11.13\00:47:16.30
and so, lot of people
know by word of mouth.
00:47:16.33\00:47:18.68
And we simply contact divisions
00:47:18.71\00:47:20.63
or divisions hear
about us through pastors,
00:47:20.66\00:47:23.15
lay people and they contact us.
00:47:23.18\00:47:25.11
We've a publishing
spot there on our website
00:47:25.14\00:47:28.70
and people can click into that
00:47:28.73\00:47:29.98
and there's a form you fill out,
00:47:30.01\00:47:31.73
we ask several questions.
00:47:31.76\00:47:33.46
We work with the church,
00:47:33.49\00:47:34.52
with divisions,
with conferences.
00:47:34.55\00:47:36.32
So they request literature
00:47:36.35\00:47:37.89
and we've a number
of different options
00:47:37.92\00:47:39.74
as far as the type of literature
00:47:39.77\00:47:41.13
that they can request.
00:47:41.16\00:47:42.62
VOP lessons, Voice of Prophecy
00:47:42.65\00:47:44.44
Discovery lessons
are the most popular,
00:47:44.47\00:47:47.06
the ones that
are most effective.
00:47:47.09\00:47:48.58
And then we've Daniel
and Revelation literature,
00:47:48.61\00:47:51.72
we've some Spirit
of Prophecy literature,
00:47:51.75\00:47:54.37
we've some health tracks.
00:47:54.40\00:47:55.90
And so, they'll go through
00:47:55.93\00:47:56.98
and they'll
select what they want.
00:47:57.01\00:47:58.83
And then we'll just be
in correspondence with them.
00:47:58.86\00:48:00.62
Our main
question is, who are you
00:48:00.65\00:48:04.31
and what are you going to do
00:48:04.34\00:48:05.63
with two million
pieces of literature?
00:48:05.66\00:48:08.52
How do you plan to
distribute this literature?
00:48:08.55\00:48:10.74
And once we're able to ascertain
00:48:10.77\00:48:13.11
that this is
viable, they can distribute,
00:48:13.14\00:48:14.76
they can receive the container,
00:48:14.79\00:48:16.48
distribute the literature,
then we just move forward.
00:48:16.51\00:48:19.54
This must be
incredibly gratifying
00:48:19.57\00:48:22.19
to be involved in this way.
00:48:22.22\00:48:24.20
I'm wondering
you're always sending out,
00:48:24.23\00:48:25.63
sending out, sending
out, do you get any return,
00:48:25.66\00:48:28.39
does any one say
beside thank you so much,
00:48:28.42\00:48:32.66
this is what's
happening as a result
00:48:32.69\00:48:34.38
of your giving
us these pamphlets.
00:48:34.41\00:48:38.01
We get a lot of
really good response.
00:48:38.04\00:48:40.59
We've realized and been
told that to a large degree
00:48:40.62\00:48:44.79
the work of the
fourth angel in revelation 18
00:48:44.82\00:48:46.99
will be accomplished
through our publishing houses
00:48:47.02\00:48:48.56
to getting this literature out,
00:48:48.59\00:48:50.34
that these are
our silent messengers.
00:48:50.37\00:48:52.60
And we recognized that when
we hear reports about people
00:48:52.63\00:48:56.02
who sometimes
find the literature
00:48:56.05\00:48:58.46
lying on the
street or, you know,
00:48:58.49\00:49:00.26
just it's passed
from hand to hand,
00:49:00.29\00:49:01.97
it's been read
three or four times.
00:49:02.00\00:49:03.94
And so, we receive a
lot of personal reports,
00:49:03.97\00:49:06.62
lot of individual
reports, we consistently
00:49:06.65\00:49:10.38
and I mean on our daily,
00:49:10.41\00:49:11.99
weekly basis receive
requests for follow up,
00:49:12.02\00:49:16.46
they want books, they
want a Bible for example,
00:49:16.49\00:49:19.20
they want more material,
00:49:19.23\00:49:20.59
they've heard
about Lightbearers,
00:49:20.62\00:49:22.07
they see an address,
they go to our website
00:49:22.10\00:49:24.06
and they connect with us.
00:49:24.09\00:49:25.14
And a lot of these
people, just this week
00:49:25.17\00:49:27.43
I received an
email from a young lady
00:49:27.46\00:49:30.82
who's at the Pentecostal
faith and is asking questions,
00:49:30.85\00:49:33.68
she was connected with us
00:49:33.71\00:49:35.16
and asking
questions about the Bible
00:49:35.19\00:49:37.35
and about
different things concerning.
00:49:37.38\00:49:38.86
Well, a simple question
her daughter was asking was,
00:49:38.89\00:49:41.32
you know my daughter
said that war actually,
00:49:41.35\00:49:44.79
rebellion and sin
actually began in heaven
00:49:44.82\00:49:47.02
but, I've never heard
that before, is that true?
00:49:47.05\00:49:49.94
I don't know if that's biblical.
00:49:49.97\00:49:51.49
And so, I was able to
answer a number of questions
00:49:51.52\00:49:53.27
that she had from a
biblical perspective,
00:49:53.30\00:49:55.85
concerning that
question for her daughter.
00:49:55.88\00:49:57.62
Wow, that's incredible.
00:49:57.65\00:49:59.32
James, thank you
so much for what you
00:49:59.35\00:50:01.46
and Lightbearers are
doing to spread the word
00:50:01.49\00:50:03.73
all around the globe.
00:50:03.76\00:50:04.82
Amen. Praise the Lord.
00:50:04.85\00:50:08.03
Our next project here
comes from, down, actually
00:50:08.06\00:50:12.83
right here in
Florida, not too far from here
00:50:12.86\00:50:15.69
and Jeffrey Cobb is
the founder director
00:50:15.72\00:50:18.07
of Shelter from the Storm.
00:50:18.10\00:50:20.48
Jeffrey, where is
Shelter from the Storm located?
00:50:20.51\00:50:23.26
In Gainesville, Florida.
00:50:23.29\00:50:24.46
And how far away from
this place is Gainesville?
00:50:24.49\00:50:27.52
Two hours North.
00:50:27.55\00:50:28.58
And thank you so much for
driving here this morning,
00:50:28.61\00:50:30.77
to be able to
give some information.
00:50:30.80\00:50:32.48
You're welcome.
00:50:32.51\00:50:34.02
So, first tell us
what's the purpose
00:50:34.05\00:50:36.48
of the project for this year?
00:50:36.51\00:50:39.17
The purpose of it is
to do some renovation
00:50:39.20\00:50:42.02
for Shelter from
the Storm Ministry.
00:50:42.05\00:50:44.54
It's a ministry for ex-offenders
00:50:44.57\00:50:46.76
released from jail and prison,
00:50:46.79\00:50:49.41
they've received a
Seventh-day Adventist message.
00:50:49.44\00:50:52.56
Now we've had the
privilege actually of watching
00:50:52.59\00:50:55.57
Shelter from the
Storm grow and expand,
00:50:55.60\00:50:59.15
and so now we've
come to the point
00:50:59.18\00:51:00.33
where there needs
to be some renovation
00:51:00.36\00:51:02.29
and some expansion
to be able to house
00:51:02.32\00:51:04.44
and to support the ministry.
00:51:04.47\00:51:06.80
I'd like you to tell
us a little bit about,
00:51:06.83\00:51:09.87
first how you got involved?
00:51:09.90\00:51:11.06
There are many that may
not remember exactly how,
00:51:11.09\00:51:13.37
so were you at home sleeping
in your mansion, dreaming
00:51:13.40\00:51:17.35
and the Lord gave you a vision
about Shelter from the Storm?
00:51:17.38\00:51:20.01
No, I was a long way from there,
00:51:20.04\00:51:22.39
way out well as I
was in prison doing time.
00:51:22.42\00:51:25.95
When I first heard His message,
00:51:25.98\00:51:28.63
I was facing 30
to life in prison.
00:51:28.66\00:51:31.38
So I was in a prison
cell waiting to be sentenced
00:51:31.41\00:51:35.07
when the Lord impressed His
message and His vision on me.
00:51:35.10\00:51:40.09
And so, when the
Lord miraculously
00:51:40.12\00:51:42.09
had you released from prison,
00:51:42.12\00:51:44.16
what was the burden
on your heart to do?
00:51:44.19\00:51:46.97
When I was released,
00:51:47.00\00:51:48.19
I didn't want to
go back to Miami,
00:51:48.22\00:51:50.09
you know drugs,
alcohol, down with crooked judge
00:51:50.12\00:51:54.26
and police officer for 30 years.
00:51:54.29\00:51:56.84
I didn't want
to go back robbing,
00:51:56.87\00:51:58.44
kidnapping, shootouts.
00:51:58.47\00:52:00.11
I didn't want to go back there.
00:52:00.14\00:52:01.85
Once I accepted His message,
00:52:01.88\00:52:03.61
I wanted to be
around different people,
00:52:03.64\00:52:07.36
you know so, after that there
00:52:07.39\00:52:10.44
I didn't want to
go back to Miami.
00:52:10.47\00:52:12.71
So, once I was released I
asked the prison ministry lead,
00:52:12.74\00:52:16.04
I say, hey, do you all
have a transition house
00:52:16.07\00:52:18.80
of Seventh-day Adventist
denomination and he said no.
00:52:18.83\00:52:24.36
No? No.
00:52:24.39\00:52:26.31
So, there was no
way for you to go
00:52:26.34\00:52:28.32
to nurture you in the
faith that you've just accepted.
00:52:28.35\00:52:31.23
No where for me to go.
00:52:31.26\00:52:32.89
That's a problem. Big problem.
00:52:32.92\00:52:35.59
So, what did you do about it?
00:52:35.62\00:52:37.26
What I did when I was released,
00:52:37.29\00:52:39.63
I went to Gainesville and
I went to transition house
00:52:39.66\00:52:42.95
and I was new in
the faith and you know,
00:52:42.98\00:52:45.39
I was on, you
know, rooted in the faith
00:52:45.42\00:52:48.22
and I went to a
first day shelter
00:52:48.25\00:52:50.70
and there was
twist in the scriptures,
00:52:50.73\00:52:53.20
so I was a little confused.
00:52:53.23\00:52:54.87
It was a difficult
time but by God's grace
00:52:54.90\00:52:57.62
He brought me through.
00:52:57.65\00:52:58.80
Praise God, and so now
we've a Shelter from the Storm,
00:52:58.83\00:53:02.52
a name that you
selected because you've found
00:53:02.55\00:53:05.19
that this
transitional housing needs
00:53:05.22\00:53:07.77
to be a shelter from the storm
that ex-offenders will face
00:53:07.80\00:53:10.95
when they're
released from prison.
00:53:10.98\00:53:12.32
Absolutely,
because a lot of guys
00:53:12.35\00:53:14.78
when they release from prison,
00:53:14.81\00:53:16.88
you know, family,
mother, father had died
00:53:16.91\00:53:19.94
or some of them
go through divorces.
00:53:19.97\00:53:22.53
So they don't have
really no where to go
00:53:22.56\00:53:24.81
and they want to,
you know, a new start
00:53:24.84\00:53:26.66
and a lot of them
accept this message in prison.
00:53:26.69\00:53:30.28
So they be wanting to
go to deeper study indeed
00:53:30.31\00:53:33.41
and they'll be
wanting to keep the Sabbath.
00:53:33.44\00:53:35.31
They'll be wanting
to keep God's Sabbath.
00:53:35.34\00:53:37.87
Now, when they come to
Shelter from the Storm,
00:53:37.90\00:53:39.88
it's not just a place where
they live and eat and sleep.
00:53:39.91\00:53:44.68
What other things do
you have for them to do,
00:53:44.71\00:53:47.49
to occupy their time?
00:53:47.52\00:53:49.13
We just thank God for
the ASI Southern Union,
00:53:49.16\00:53:51.92
they purchased
some lawn equipment
00:53:51.95\00:53:54.30
so when the
guys come out we can,
00:53:54.33\00:53:56.98
we can employ them
with a job of cutting lawn,
00:53:57.01\00:54:00.20
because if you
go by the highway,
00:54:00.23\00:54:02.13
you'll see a lot of these guys
00:54:02.16\00:54:03.54
in orange
uniforms cutting grass.
00:54:03.57\00:54:07.19
So if they're cutting
grass in prison for free,
00:54:07.22\00:54:10.00
why wouldn't they
cut grass and get paid.
00:54:10.03\00:54:14.50
So, little debate,
no they were actually
00:54:14.53\00:54:16.45
learning a skill
for gainful employment
00:54:16.48\00:54:18.58
once they're released.
00:54:18.61\00:54:20.04
Absolutely. Okay.
00:54:20.07\00:54:22.70
So, they've
something that they can do,
00:54:22.73\00:54:25.33
something meaningful
that they can earn some money,
00:54:25.36\00:54:28.62
they've somewhere they can live
00:54:28.65\00:54:30.08
and start to make
a way for themselves.
00:54:30.11\00:54:32.90
Tell us some
stories about some successes
00:54:32.93\00:54:35.69
from the results
of their encounter
00:54:35.72\00:54:37.73
with Shelter from the Storm?
00:54:37.76\00:54:39.17
I had a young man that he
got in trouble down in Miami,
00:54:39.20\00:54:44.40
Adventist young kid,
he has just turned 18,
00:54:44.43\00:54:47.70
so they want to
send him to prison.
00:54:47.73\00:54:49.71
Wait, I've to stop you.
00:54:49.74\00:54:51.31
Did you say
this is a Seventh-day
00:54:51.34\00:54:53.13
Adventist young person?
00:54:53.16\00:54:54.22
Seventh-day Adventist,
and there's a lot of them
00:54:54.25\00:54:56.58
as I travel to the prison.
00:54:56.61\00:54:58.51
Our young youth you
won't know where they at,
00:54:58.54\00:55:01.03
they don't come to
church, stays in prison.
00:55:01.06\00:55:04.80
So, what happen then?
00:55:04.83\00:55:05.91
Okay, after, they
wanted to send him to prison,
00:55:05.94\00:55:09.96
so his parents
called me say hey,
00:55:09.99\00:55:12.21
they want to
send my son to prison.
00:55:12.24\00:55:14.29
They said, now, Bobby, being
in the system over ten times,
00:55:14.32\00:55:18.07
I kind of learned the system.
00:55:18.10\00:55:20.06
So what I did,
he was on probation,
00:55:20.09\00:55:24.88
he didn't post a leave day card,
00:55:24.91\00:55:26.82
I told his
mother put him on a bus.
00:55:26.85\00:55:29.29
She was like, oh no, oh
no, he can't leave there.
00:55:29.32\00:55:32.30
I said put him on the bus.
00:55:32.33\00:55:33.64
No judge is gonna
sentence any body to prison
00:55:33.67\00:55:37.16
that trying to help their self.
00:55:37.19\00:55:39.40
So, she sent him to Gainesville.
00:55:39.43\00:55:41.63
When time for court,
his lawyer went and said
00:55:41.66\00:55:43.99
he's in Gainesville, judge
said Gainesville, what it is?
00:55:44.02\00:55:47.51
And I wrote to judge a letter,
00:55:47.54\00:55:49.30
she heard a little bit
of my story down from Miami,
00:55:49.33\00:55:52.43
and I used to down
be with crocked judges
00:55:52.46\00:55:55.38
and all that, and
what I'm doing now.
00:55:55.41\00:55:58.38
So the judge,
he read the letter,
00:55:58.41\00:56:00.71
he called me personally.
00:56:00.74\00:56:02.29
He said, thank you, you know
I'm gonna let him stay there
00:56:02.32\00:56:06.20
and he said I'm
gonna keep your information
00:56:06.23\00:56:08.21
because I might be
sending some more people there.
00:56:08.24\00:56:11.20
So after that the
young man came to the house
00:56:11.23\00:56:15.02
and went to
Shelter from the Storm
00:56:15.05\00:56:17.00
and one day I was--
00:56:17.03\00:56:20.41
You know, because 12
years a lot of guys came to.
00:56:20.44\00:56:25.12
They say hey, man, there's
a young guy looking for you.
00:56:25.15\00:56:28.15
I said what young guy.
00:56:28.18\00:56:29.27
Said, guy said he
came to the ministry,
00:56:29.30\00:56:32.42
he want to see you.
00:56:32.45\00:56:33.58
So one day I was
there and a guy showed up,
00:56:33.61\00:56:36.38
he say hey man, I
want to thank you,
00:56:36.41\00:56:38.69
for giving me an opportunity
to get my life right.
00:56:38.72\00:56:41.47
I said, what you're
doing with your self?
00:56:41.50\00:56:43.29
He said, man right
now thank God for you,
00:56:43.32\00:56:46.16
now I'm attended
Oakwood University.
00:56:46.19\00:56:48.60
Praise God.
00:56:48.63\00:56:49.94
Jeffrey, we want to
thank you for what you
00:56:49.97\00:56:52.35
and Shelter from
the Storm are doing.
00:56:52.38\00:56:54.42
Thank you and God
bless you. God bless you.
00:56:54.45\00:56:56.25