Piano playing... His
Eye is on the Sparrow...
00:00:20.12\00:00:27.06
I sing because I'm happy;
00:00:42.30\00:00:48.74
I sing because I'm free;
00:00:48.78\00:00:57.22
His eye is on the sparrow
00:00:57.25\00:01:07.10
And I know He watches me.
00:01:07.13\00:01:15.20
Why should I feel discouraged
00:01:15.24\00:01:22.34
and why should the shadows come?
00:01:22.38\00:01:29.45
Why should my heart be lonely
00:01:29.48\00:01:34.02
and long for heaven and home?
00:01:34.06\00:01:38.86
When Jesus is my portion,
00:01:38.89\00:01:43.73
a constant friend is He,
00:01:43.80\00:01:49.14
His eye is on the sparrow
00:01:49.17\00:01:54.84
and I know He watches me.
00:01:54.88\00:02:00.62
His eye... is on the sparrow
00:02:00.65\00:02:06.02
continuation music...
00:02:06.05\00:02:07.76
continuation of music...
00:02:07.79\00:02:09.82
some more music...
00:02:09.89\00:02:11.23
interim music...
00:02:11.26\00:02:12.59
and I know He watches me...
00:02:12.63\00:02:18.47
I sing because I'm happy;
00:02:18.50\00:02:25.91
I sing because I'm free;
00:02:25.94\00:02:34.18
His eye is on the sparrow
00:02:34.22\00:02:43.89
And I know He watches me...
00:02:43.93\00:02:53.57
closing music...
00:02:53.60\00:02:57.94
My name is Wayne Atwood,
I'm from Better Living Ministry
00:02:57.97\00:03:01.98
or in French it's "Mieux Vivre"
00:03:02.01\00:03:03.85
and I'm delighted to be here
00:03:03.88\00:03:05.55
to introduce Claus
Nybo this morning...
00:03:05.58\00:03:08.15
I think many of you know
him, he's from LifeStyle TV
00:03:08.18\00:03:10.92
and we're delighted that
you're here with us today.
00:03:10.99\00:03:13.66
I'd like to ask you...
what are the challenges
00:03:13.69\00:03:17.79
surrounding your
work at LifeStyle TV?
00:03:17.83\00:03:20.20
Well, Wayne, you know
00:03:20.23\00:03:21.96
it's a lot of the same as
you're facing... I think...
00:03:22.00\00:03:23.83
working in Northern
Europe and Scandinavia...
00:03:23.93\00:03:26.47
we have very few
Adventists to begin with...
00:03:26.50\00:03:29.04
we have...
probably as many Adventists
00:03:29.07\00:03:30.94
as typically will come
out for an ASI Convention
00:03:30.97\00:03:33.74
in all of Scandinavia,
00:03:33.78\00:03:35.28
that's not very many to
reach those countries...
00:03:35.34\00:03:38.38
on top of that...
00:03:38.41\00:03:39.75
this is ranked as the
most secular areas in the world
00:03:39.78\00:03:43.12
so there are a lot of challenges
00:03:43.15\00:03:45.09
and I know each of
you are facing challenges
00:03:45.12\00:03:46.82
so I don't want to
claim the challenge
00:03:46.92\00:03:48.56
as being worse than
what you're facing...
00:03:48.59\00:03:50.19
but these are some of the
things that we're working with.
00:03:50.23\00:03:52.93
And what do you do
00:03:52.96\00:03:54.30
in order to try to
reach those secular people
00:03:54.30\00:03:56.40
because that is
something that's very important?
00:03:56.43\00:03:58.47
We have found that health
is really one of the things
00:03:58.50\00:04:02.70
that opens up doors
00:04:02.74\00:04:04.41
amazingly... so we
have developed that...
00:04:04.44\00:04:06.98
a whole
comprehensive health strategy
00:04:07.01\00:04:09.44
to reach out to people
00:04:09.48\00:04:10.88
and so we do that
from doing Health Expos...
00:04:10.95\00:04:14.15
a little different than
what you did here in Spokane
00:04:14.22\00:04:16.69
but big Health Expos that
00:04:16.72\00:04:18.05
connect with people out
in the shopping centers,
00:04:18.09\00:04:20.26
and introduces
them to what we do,
00:04:20.29\00:04:23.09
we have then
developed a magazine
00:04:23.12\00:04:26.03
that is an
Outreach Health Magazine
00:04:26.06\00:04:28.86
that we give out
free... four times a year
00:04:28.90\00:04:31.23
and so everybody that
comes to the Health Expos...
00:04:31.27\00:04:34.54
we will sign up
for a free subscription
00:04:34.57\00:04:36.40
to a magazine like this
and that will then connect
00:04:36.44\00:04:39.44
to different health
programming so we have
00:04:39.51\00:04:42.51
a health Series called
Lifestyle Talk that connects in
00:04:42.54\00:04:45.91
and they go
through a Lifestyle Expo,
00:04:45.95\00:04:47.68
get a lifestyle VIEW Magazine,
00:04:47.72\00:04:49.25
start watching
Lifestyle Talk Programming on TV
00:04:49.28\00:04:52.62
and then... as
they're in on the TV...
00:04:52.65\00:04:54.92
they will find the
spiritual programs as well...
00:04:54.96\00:04:57.76
the Message Series
00:04:57.79\00:04:59.13
which is really
what's going to bring them
00:04:59.16\00:05:01.36
to conviction
and into the church.
00:05:01.43\00:05:03.80
That's a wonderful idea,
00:05:03.87\00:05:05.70
so people become
familiar with this magazine
00:05:05.73\00:05:08.20
that's completely free...
and then, because they know you,
00:05:08.24\00:05:11.84
then when you
send other messages,
00:05:11.87\00:05:13.68
then... they
have that connection.
00:05:13.71\00:05:15.41
That's really interesting
because what we do...
00:05:15.44\00:05:18.15
we have the churches work with
00:05:18.18\00:05:19.71
signing up
subscriptions in their area
00:05:19.75\00:05:22.22
and so, as they do that...
00:05:22.25\00:05:23.89
they will help
build a mailing list
00:05:23.92\00:05:26.02
of subscribers in their area...
00:05:26.05\00:05:27.69
whenever the church then
does any kind of health event,
00:05:27.72\00:05:31.19
then they will
send us their flyers
00:05:31.26\00:05:33.50
and we will add it with the
magazine when we mail it out,
00:05:33.53\00:05:36.10
so people will have
found and build up confidence
00:05:36.13\00:05:39.27
in what they've been reading,
00:05:39.30\00:05:40.80
they see an advertisement
00:05:40.84\00:05:42.27
and it's no longer just
a stand-alone advertising
00:05:42.30\00:05:44.34
like everything else,
00:05:44.37\00:05:45.71
but they will
show up at the meetings
00:05:45.74\00:05:47.68
and we find that
the rate of people
00:05:47.71\00:05:49.78
coming to the
churches now... are much higher
00:05:49.81\00:05:52.21
than when the church
just sends out flyers alone.
00:05:52.25\00:05:54.62
Yes, isn't that a
great idea? It's just...
00:05:54.65\00:05:57.15
it's wonderful to be able
to build up that confidence
00:05:57.19\00:05:59.69
so that the people recognize
you because a lot of times
00:05:59.72\00:06:02.26
we just send out
something kind of "cold-turkey"
00:06:02.29\00:06:04.53
if I can use that expression,
00:06:04.56\00:06:05.89
and people don't
maybe make the connection
00:06:05.93\00:06:07.50
so that's just a wonderful idea
00:06:07.60\00:06:09.26
to be able to create
connections that are ongoing
00:06:09.30\00:06:11.83
so, does it work?
00:06:11.87\00:06:13.20
It does and it's amazing...
00:06:13.23\00:06:16.00
I just... I'm so
excited just two weeks ago,
00:06:16.04\00:06:19.01
I was at the Swedish
Union Summer Conference
00:06:19.04\00:06:21.41
and there came up a couple to me
00:06:21.48\00:06:24.41
and they were so excited...
00:06:24.45\00:06:27.62
they came up and said, "You're
from LifeStyle TV right?"
00:06:27.65\00:06:29.68
And so this couple shared
how they had found LifeStyle TV
00:06:29.72\00:06:33.76
on the satellite
about two years ago,
00:06:33.79\00:06:35.69
they started watching...
00:06:35.72\00:06:37.53
as they watched, they
would watch more and more
00:06:37.56\00:06:40.50
and then they would find
our "Great Controversy Series"
00:06:40.53\00:06:43.10
which is a Series that goes
through The Great Controversy
00:06:43.16\00:06:45.77
chapter by chapter...
00:06:45.83\00:06:47.20
they said they
followed every week,
00:06:47.24\00:06:49.20
they would record it on DVD
and they would sit and watch it
00:06:49.24\00:06:52.37
they said... 25 times
each... in order to make sure
00:06:52.41\00:06:55.48
that whatever was presented
was according to the Bible,
00:06:55.51\00:06:58.51
at the end... when they were
getting through all of this,
00:06:58.55\00:07:01.58
they were
getting really worried...
00:07:01.62\00:07:03.62
they weren't going to
get tricked into anything,
00:07:03.65\00:07:06.82
so the man... he
says... "I drew up this chart
00:07:06.89\00:07:09.79
of what I believe
of end-time events"
00:07:09.82\00:07:11.79
and then he says...
"I couldn't believe it...
00:07:11.83\00:07:14.13
a couple of weeks
later in the Program...
00:07:14.20\00:07:16.46
you held up a
chart in the Program
00:07:16.50\00:07:18.40
and it was basically
identical to what I drew up
00:07:18.43\00:07:21.37
and I knew that the Adventist
Church was the right place"
00:07:21.40\00:07:25.27
so him... his wife...
their daughter and her husband
00:07:25.31\00:07:29.11
four people... joined the church
00:07:29.14\00:07:31.21
this Wednesday
as a result of that.
00:07:31.25\00:07:33.21
Wow! Amen, praise the Lord,
well, your ministry LifeStyle TV
00:07:33.25\00:07:37.49
and our ministry...
Better Living Ministry,
00:07:37.52\00:07:39.32
have something in common...
00:07:39.35\00:07:41.22
and I'd like you to
tell us what you're doing
00:07:41.29\00:07:43.09
to train the next generation.
00:07:43.16\00:07:44.86
We do have...
even a name, I believe,
00:07:44.89\00:07:47.86
we have the Media
Missionary Program
00:07:47.86\00:07:50.83
where we train young
people to learn about Media,
00:07:50.87\00:07:54.74
giving them an opportunity
00:07:54.77\00:07:56.27
to work with a
professional media team
00:07:56.30\00:07:58.21
and to learn
alongside... during one year...
00:07:58.24\00:08:01.31
and to see what
Media is really like
00:08:01.34\00:08:03.28
and then they can go out
in the churches... to work...
00:08:03.31\00:08:06.11
to other ministries
and use their skills
00:08:06.15\00:08:08.52
and I think you have something
similar to that don't you?
00:08:08.58\00:08:11.32
Yes, that's right, in
fact I won't take the credit
00:08:11.35\00:08:14.02
because we kind of saw
what LifeStyle TV was doing,
00:08:14.09\00:08:16.76
we saw that
training young people
00:08:16.79\00:08:18.63
is something
that's so much needed
00:08:18.66\00:08:20.53
and so we also were inspired
to do something similar.
00:08:20.56\00:08:24.27
But before we get
into the training,
00:08:24.30\00:08:26.60
why did you choose
00:08:26.63\00:08:28.20
a French-speaking
area in Canada to work in?
00:08:28.27\00:08:31.67
Okay, well, when I
moved to Quebec, Canada,
00:08:31.71\00:08:35.04
where my wife is originally
from about 13-years ago,
00:08:35.08\00:08:38.38
I was very surprised to see
how much work needed to be done
00:08:38.41\00:08:42.82
among French-speaking people
00:08:42.85\00:08:44.39
and at that time, I
didn't speak the language,
00:08:44.42\00:08:47.26
so it took me awhile
to kind of... realize...
00:08:47.29\00:08:49.72
how big the need was...
00:08:49.76\00:08:51.56
and so as I started to develop
a burden for that, I thought,
00:08:51.59\00:08:55.06
"What better way to reach out to
these people than using Media"
00:08:55.10\00:08:58.53
because Media can just go beyond
00:08:58.57\00:09:00.77
what any one individual can do
00:09:00.80\00:09:02.77
and so, we were
just really inspired
00:09:02.80\00:09:04.94
to start a Media Ministry
00:09:04.97\00:09:06.34
that was dedicated to reaching
out to French-speaking people
00:09:06.37\00:09:09.58
and of course our
first goal was to reach out
00:09:09.61\00:09:12.01
to French-Canadians
because that's where we were
00:09:12.05\00:09:14.42
but our second
goal was to reach out
00:09:14.45\00:09:16.22
to French-speaking
people all over the world
00:09:16.25\00:09:18.89
so that remains just
a passion in my heart
00:09:18.92\00:09:21.06
to be able to do that.
00:09:21.09\00:09:22.52
And does that work
then to reach French people?
00:09:22.56\00:09:26.33
That's a really good
question and I would say that
00:09:26.36\00:09:29.93
it is a big
challenge to reach out
00:09:29.96\00:09:31.93
to French-speaking people
00:09:31.97\00:09:33.34
and it's something where
we have to be creative...
00:09:33.37\00:09:35.70
it's something where we
have to use new methods as well,
00:09:35.74\00:09:39.24
it's... health
is... is a wonderful thing
00:09:39.27\00:09:41.78
that we've also
used in the past,
00:09:41.81\00:09:43.55
I won't talk about
it a lot this morning
00:09:43.65\00:09:45.21
but it's
something that we've seen...
00:09:45.25\00:09:46.82
very good results from as well
00:09:46.85\00:09:48.85
and... and we were...
00:09:48.88\00:09:50.92
we feel that
this is so important
00:09:50.99\00:09:53.66
to be able to
provide materials in French,
00:09:53.69\00:09:57.33
originally recorded in French,
00:09:57.36\00:09:58.89
so it makes much
more of a connection
00:09:58.93\00:10:00.50
than things that are just
00:10:00.53\00:10:01.83
translated from
another language.
00:10:01.86\00:10:03.20
You have worked specifically
also in reaching young people
00:10:03.23\00:10:06.17
with some of your programming,
00:10:06.20\00:10:07.54
what are some of the
initiatives you've done there?
00:10:07.60\00:10:09.07
Yes, well, I guess
what I could start with is
00:10:09.10\00:10:12.27
to just explain a
little bit about how...
00:10:12.31\00:10:15.38
what we have in common
in our programs... in that
00:10:15.41\00:10:18.25
we really felt that
training young people
00:10:18.28\00:10:20.68
is something that
is just so important
00:10:20.72\00:10:22.58
because they're
the next generation
00:10:22.62\00:10:24.45
that is going to take the
gospel message to the world
00:10:24.49\00:10:27.96
and they have so much
energy and so much enthusiasm
00:10:28.02\00:10:31.46
and unfortunately,
00:10:31.49\00:10:32.83
media is
something that is often used
00:10:32.86\00:10:34.56
I think, in the hands of Satan
00:10:34.60\00:10:37.97
in order to influence
people in the wrong way,
00:10:38.00\00:10:40.47
I mean, everybody can
see that it's no secret...
00:10:40.50\00:10:42.77
and yet... media is so important
for us to use it for God's glory
00:10:42.80\00:10:47.04
so we were just inspired
and one thing that really...
00:10:47.11\00:10:49.98
I would say... there are
two kinds of motivating factors
00:10:50.01\00:10:52.61
for us when we decided
to launch this program...
00:10:52.65\00:10:55.02
one of it was seeing
what you guys are doing
00:10:55.05\00:10:57.42
and inspired by
what you're doing...
00:10:57.45\00:10:58.85
another thing that was really
the deciding factor for us
00:10:58.89\00:11:02.02
was when we went out on a
mission trip... in Honduras
00:11:02.06\00:11:05.83
to Vida Internacional...
it's also a project or a member
00:11:05.86\00:11:09.53
I should say... of ASI
and so we saw down there
00:11:09.56\00:11:13.20
a vibrant training program,
it wasn't particularly in Media
00:11:13.23\00:11:17.61
but it was... we
saw these young people
00:11:17.64\00:11:19.34
and all the energy they brought
00:11:19.37\00:11:20.74
and we were just convinced
and the amazing thing is...
00:11:20.78\00:11:23.91
is that... there were two
people that we met right there
00:11:23.95\00:11:27.18
that decided to join
the Program and so...
00:11:27.22\00:11:30.89
to us it was also a confirmation
that God was opening the door
00:11:30.95\00:11:34.02
and once again, you sweetened...
00:11:34.06\00:11:35.62
and to help...
encourage us to move forward.
00:11:35.66\00:11:38.43
Really, literally so...
because one of your trainees
00:11:38.46\00:11:41.26
was one of our employees, right?
00:11:41.30\00:11:42.66
Yes, that's right... and
we sent one of our people
00:11:42.70\00:11:46.30
to get trained by you as well,
00:11:46.33\00:11:47.67
before we even
started the training program.
00:11:47.70\00:11:49.64
You're right and so
we like that partnership
00:11:49.67\00:11:51.04
but you did a specific
program as well for young people
00:11:51.07\00:11:54.98
where you
involved them in issues
00:11:55.01\00:11:56.88
that are
related to young people.
00:11:56.91\00:11:58.51
Yes... that's absolutely right,
00:11:58.55\00:12:00.62
we did a Series
called "Conviction"
00:12:00.72\00:12:02.65
we recorded it in French
00:12:02.68\00:12:04.09
but it's actually
also the first program
00:12:04.12\00:12:06.45
that we recorded
in English as well,
00:12:06.49\00:12:08.72
we did 26 episodes and we
had young people come and share
00:12:08.76\00:12:13.83
their convictions
on a variety of topics
00:12:13.90\00:12:17.27
including topics like Evangelism
00:12:17.33\00:12:19.87
which is something
that's pretty standard,
00:12:19.90\00:12:21.57
but also things like
homosexuality, peer pressure,
00:12:21.64\00:12:24.64
things that young
people face today...
00:12:24.67\00:12:26.74
challenges that they face
and giving them Biblical answers
00:12:26.78\00:12:30.41
but also targeting those
00:12:30.45\00:12:32.21
that don't have so much of
a background of the Bible yet,
00:12:32.25\00:12:34.65
so they can know how
they can stand strong.
00:12:34.72\00:12:37.15
Very good... now your program...
00:12:37.19\00:12:39.69
you already
touched this a little...
00:12:39.72\00:12:41.22
but they're just
available in France... are they?
00:12:41.26\00:12:43.09
No, the programs are actually
all available on our website
00:12:43.12\00:12:47.60
and we're also
broadcasting on Hope Channel
00:12:47.60\00:12:51.23
as well as on 3ABN French
00:12:51.30\00:12:53.37
and the new program is
most likely going to be
00:12:53.40\00:12:56.37
also broadcast on 3ABN...
00:12:56.40\00:12:57.87
the English-speaking
one on 3ABN as well,
00:12:57.91\00:13:00.48
so... we've
developed some partnerships.
00:13:00.51\00:13:02.91
You know, it's interesting,
00:13:02.94\00:13:04.61
I think we have time
for just one story, Wayne,
00:13:04.65\00:13:07.42
what we all live
on is prayer and faith
00:13:07.52\00:13:10.19
you know, when we
started this magazine,
00:13:10.29\00:13:12.92
one really
unique experience was...
00:13:12.95\00:13:15.46
in Sweden you have to get
permission by the Government
00:13:15.49\00:13:18.26
to use the title that you're
going to use for your magazine
00:13:18.29\00:13:21.03
before you can publish, so
we thought, "No problem... "
00:13:21.06\00:13:23.77
we sent in our application,
00:13:23.83\00:13:25.17
got it back within a couple of
weeks and it said, "Denied... "
00:13:25.20\00:13:27.74
and so they wouldn't
let us use that title
00:13:27.77\00:13:30.91
because they thought...
somebody else was using the word
00:13:30.97\00:13:33.38
"Lifestyle" in another title,
00:13:33.44\00:13:34.98
we didn't agree with them
00:13:35.04\00:13:36.58
and really felt that
this was what we needed,
00:13:36.61\00:13:39.15
so we started a
long legal battle
00:13:39.18\00:13:41.32
with the main
lawyer of the Government
00:13:41.38\00:13:44.25
for the Patent
Registration Department
00:13:44.29\00:13:47.12
and to make a long story short
00:13:47.16\00:13:49.49
over four months
we went back and forth
00:13:49.52\00:13:51.86
on a legal battle and finally
she told us on Christmas,
00:13:51.89\00:13:54.03
"You know, we
hear your arguments
00:13:54.10\00:13:55.86
but it's not going to fly,
00:13:55.90\00:13:57.33
so just send another application
with another name... "
00:13:57.40\00:14:00.67
and I don't know why, Wayne,
00:14:00.74\00:14:02.40
because I've never
done this before...
00:14:02.44\00:14:03.81
especially in secular Sweden
00:14:03.84\00:14:05.17
but seeing that we had
a Christian background...
00:14:05.21\00:14:07.51
I told the head lawyer, I said,
00:14:07.58\00:14:08.91
"Thank you but we believe
God wants us to have this name
00:14:08.94\00:14:12.78
and we're going to pray
00:14:12.81\00:14:14.15
that you're going
to change your mind. "
00:14:14.22\00:14:15.68
And two months later...
00:14:15.72\00:14:19.75
after we had had a
whole week of special prayer,
00:14:19.79\00:14:22.79
all of a sudden I get a
letter from the Government
00:14:22.82\00:14:26.90
that just simply was...
the right to use the name
00:14:26.93\00:14:30.83
without any explanation...
totally unheard of
00:14:30.93\00:14:33.70
and I just
said, "Thank you Lord"
00:14:33.74\00:14:35.10
and so God works...
00:14:35.14\00:14:36.60
and I'm sure you could
share many stories as well.
00:14:36.67\00:14:39.21
I will actually share
one for fifteen seconds
00:14:39.24\00:14:41.81
and that is that
we had a couple...
00:14:41.88\00:14:44.61
a family with young children
00:14:44.65\00:14:45.98
that were
listening to our programs
00:14:46.01\00:14:47.48
they were just
eager to hear more,
00:14:47.52\00:14:48.95
they downloaded all
of our radio programs,
00:14:48.98\00:14:50.95
they listened to them in their
car... day after day after day,
00:14:50.99\00:14:53.15
they were so convicted
that this was the right message
00:14:53.19\00:14:55.99
that they joined the church
and a lot of times, you know,
00:14:56.02\00:14:58.66
we don't see
what happens after...
00:14:58.69\00:15:01.20
but these particular people
actually joined our local church
00:15:01.23\00:15:03.97
and now they're
Leaders in the church,
00:15:04.00\00:15:05.83
they're committed to
our message... completely...
00:15:05.87\00:15:08.90
and, in fact, I would say
they're probably more advanced
00:15:08.94\00:15:11.44
than a lot of Adventists
00:15:11.47\00:15:12.81
that have been
there for a while already.
00:15:12.84\00:15:14.18
Amen, I wish we had more time
00:15:14.21\00:15:15.74
but a great thank
you to our ASI family
00:15:15.78\00:15:17.85
for your
support and your prayers
00:15:17.88\00:15:20.05
and to 3ABN for your inspiration
00:15:20.12\00:15:22.18
and commitment to help us.
00:15:22.22\00:15:23.59
Wayne: Thank
you... Claus: Thank you.
00:15:23.62\00:15:24.95
I'm here to tell you about some
bad news and some good news.
00:15:24.99\00:15:28.89
The bad news is...
00:15:28.92\00:15:30.73
is that our Speaker
that's on your program today,
00:15:30.76\00:15:34.20
Endo Condra is not going
to be able to be with us,
00:15:34.20\00:15:37.53
he had a
sudden... some sickness...
00:15:37.57\00:15:41.24
but we praise the Lord
00:15:41.27\00:15:42.64
that we just got a
report that he's doing better
00:15:42.67\00:15:45.04
and he's on the road to recovery
00:15:45.11\00:15:46.74
but we have really
good news for you today,
00:15:46.78\00:15:49.34
because we have the privilege
of having Homer Trecartin here
00:15:49.38\00:15:53.38
the President of our
00:15:53.42\00:15:54.98
North Africa and
Middle East Union.
00:15:55.02\00:15:57.75
Now, it's interesting,
00:15:57.79\00:15:59.85
I had the privilege of
being in Dubai last November
00:15:59.89\00:16:03.46
and I was with Elder
Finley and Larry Romwell,
00:16:03.49\00:16:06.49
we were walking
through the bazaar
00:16:06.53\00:16:08.33
and as you know... I
like to take pictures
00:16:08.36\00:16:11.00
and I was looking
for the Spice Market...
00:16:11.03\00:16:13.44
while I was looking
for the Spice Market,
00:16:13.47\00:16:15.74
we got lost... and all of a
sudden this gentleman yells out
00:16:15.77\00:16:19.27
there's this...
"Pastor Finley, Pastor Finley"
00:16:19.31\00:16:21.44
and we look around because
00:16:21.48\00:16:23.04
we don't think we
know anybody there
00:16:23.08\00:16:24.48
and this man walks up
in a uniform and he says,
00:16:24.51\00:16:26.92
"I just want you to know that
I listen to you all the time...
00:16:26.95\00:16:30.49
see... I'm able
to get Audioverse
00:16:30.52\00:16:33.12
and I download
sermons every week
00:16:33.15\00:16:35.06
because there's no church around
00:16:35.09\00:16:36.93
and so I get my
spiritual fulfillment
00:16:36.96\00:16:39.16
from listening to
you through Audioverse,
00:16:39.19\00:16:41.30
I own a business... "
00:16:41.33\00:16:43.23
so he would be a real ASI
member and... there in Dubai...
00:16:43.26\00:16:48.07
and he says, "But I
had the privilege...
00:16:48.10\00:16:50.57
every Sabbath, me and a team...
00:16:50.61\00:16:52.01
have a privilege... "
he pulled out a card...
00:16:52.04\00:16:53.78
"we're able to pray with
patients at the hospitals
00:16:53.84\00:16:57.75
and that's my ministry. "
00:16:57.78\00:16:59.38
and so... I was just
really gratified to hear that
00:16:59.41\00:17:03.75
we have business
people and lay people
00:17:03.82\00:17:05.82
that are involved
all over the world
00:17:05.85\00:17:07.86
and Homer... you
went... because I know...
00:17:07.89\00:17:11.83
Homer, we've known each other
for... we tried to remember...
00:17:11.86\00:17:14.13
we couldn't remember how
long we've known each other
00:17:14.20\00:17:17.67
but you... had a nice...
lived in Washington, D.C.
00:17:17.70\00:17:20.94
and had a job there,
00:17:20.97\00:17:24.24
what made you decide
to go to the Middle East?
00:17:24.31\00:17:28.18
Well, Denzil...
00:17:28.21\00:17:29.84
it's more
dangerous in Washington, D.C.
00:17:29.91\00:17:32.91
than it is in the Middle East...
00:17:32.95\00:17:34.32
but that wasn't the reason,
00:17:34.35\00:17:37.12
we... you know... we
have grandkids here...
00:17:37.19\00:17:40.16
our parents are getting older,
00:17:40.19\00:17:41.52
I hugged my folks
goodbye a couple of days ago
00:17:41.56\00:17:45.33
and I always know that could
be the last time I see them
00:17:45.36\00:17:48.56
but we felt God was calling
us, there are so few people
00:17:48.60\00:17:51.67
in the Middle East
and North Africa...
00:17:51.70\00:17:53.60
to share the gospel
00:17:53.64\00:17:54.97
and so when they asked
me to go, we said, "Yes... "
00:17:55.00\00:17:58.61
Amen, Homer thank you
for sharing and please...
00:17:58.64\00:18:02.44
tell us what's on your heart.
00:18:02.48\00:18:03.81
Thank you Denzil... we
could repeat that story
00:18:03.88\00:18:07.82
you shared with us
many times, Denzil,
00:18:07.88\00:18:10.12
there are many people
that are watching and listening
00:18:10.15\00:18:13.09
even that we don't know about,
00:18:13.15\00:18:14.66
you know I'm... I'm
going to tell some stories
00:18:14.69\00:18:18.99
I'm not going to show any
pictures for security reasons
00:18:19.03\00:18:21.93
I'm going to change the names
00:18:22.00\00:18:23.97
on any of the
people that I talk about
00:18:24.00\00:18:25.97
and a lot of times I won't
tell you what Country it's from
00:18:26.00\00:18:28.84
but... but you can know...
I want you to get a sense
00:18:28.87\00:18:32.01
for what's happening
00:18:32.04\00:18:33.38
in the Middle East
and North Africa Union.
00:18:33.41\00:18:35.68
A few years ago,
00:18:35.71\00:18:37.91
a teenager that I'm
going to call, "Walid"
00:18:37.98\00:18:40.85
he's from one of our
North African countries,
00:18:40.92\00:18:43.79
a few years ago
he was a teenager
00:18:43.82\00:18:45.92
and he was watching
curiously but suspiciously
00:18:45.95\00:18:49.79
as a group of Christian young
people came to his village.
00:18:49.82\00:18:53.26
"What in the world
would they want to do
00:18:53.29\00:18:55.70
coming to his
village?" he wondered
00:18:55.73\00:18:58.13
but after a few minutes they
organized a football game...
00:18:58.17\00:19:01.67
soccer game and
they began to play
00:19:01.70\00:19:03.44
and Walid loved football and
so soon he was joining with them
00:19:03.47\00:19:07.21
and it wasn't
long... and he became
00:19:07.24\00:19:09.54
fast friends with
three of the young men.
00:19:09.61\00:19:11.41
They spent all their
time together each day
00:19:11.45\00:19:15.08
during the week or two that
the young people were there,
00:19:15.12\00:19:17.95
one of the young
men was asking Walid
00:19:17.99\00:19:21.72
lots of deep,
serious questions about Islam
00:19:21.76\00:19:25.26
and one night as Walid went back
to his room, he was thinking,
00:19:25.29\00:19:28.76
"You know if I could
convince that young man
00:19:28.80\00:19:32.07
to become a Muslim,
00:19:32.10\00:19:33.44
I would assure
myself a place in paradise,
00:19:33.47\00:19:36.50
so for the next three
days, Walid worked intently
00:19:36.54\00:19:40.68
on that young man,
he used every argument,
00:19:40.71\00:19:44.35
everything that he had
ever heard or had been taught
00:19:44.38\00:19:47.42
and by the end of the third day,
00:19:47.45\00:19:49.15
that young Christian man said
the Shahada and became a Muslim.
00:19:49.18\00:19:52.85
Walid went back to
his room that night
00:19:52.92\00:19:56.06
thinking he would be
thrilled and excited,
00:19:56.09\00:19:59.19
I mean, "I just assured
myself a place in paradise"
00:19:59.23\00:20:03.00
but he wasn't... he lay on
his bed tossing and turning,
00:20:03.03\00:20:06.63
"What was wrong,
00:20:06.70\00:20:08.04
why didn't he feel better
about what was happening?"
00:20:08.07\00:20:11.21
And then a
thought came to Walid,
00:20:11.24\00:20:14.04
it was so strong a thought
00:20:14.08\00:20:15.88
that it was almost as if
a voice had spoken to him,
00:20:15.91\00:20:19.55
"Walid, you've been
criticizing the Bible a lot
00:20:19.58\00:20:23.15
but you've never
read a word of it. "
00:20:23.18\00:20:25.89
"Well," Walid thought,
00:20:25.95\00:20:28.36
the next day he went
to see the three young men
00:20:28.39\00:20:31.39
and it was their last day in
the village and he said to them,
00:20:31.43\00:20:34.40
"Could you write down
some passages from the Bible
00:20:34.46\00:20:37.40
on a piece of paper
that I could read later?"
00:20:37.43\00:20:40.57
He didn't know what a hard
assignment he was giving them
00:20:40.60\00:20:43.74
he knew that Muslim young people
00:20:43.84\00:20:45.97
learned large passages
of the Quran by memory,
00:20:46.01\00:20:49.04
he didn't know that most
Christian young people don't...
00:20:49.08\00:20:51.91
and those three young men
thought and thought and thought
00:20:51.95\00:20:54.72
and they finally came
up with two or three things
00:20:54.78\00:20:57.12
and put them on
some scraps of paper
00:20:57.15\00:20:58.92
and Walid stuck
them in his pocket,
00:20:58.95\00:21:01.02
he went back to
his room that night
00:21:01.06\00:21:03.02
and he took out the first one,
00:21:03.06\00:21:04.39
it was going to be the
first passage of Scripture
00:21:04.43\00:21:07.40
he had ever read,
00:21:07.40\00:21:08.73
it was a passage about
Mary being the mother of God,
00:21:08.76\00:21:14.20
Walid crumpled it up and threw
it across the room in disgust,
00:21:14.24\00:21:18.74
"What a perverted book
those Christians have," he said,
00:21:18.77\00:21:23.45
everybody knows God
didn't have a mother,
00:21:23.51\00:21:25.95
well, Walid didn't know
that that wasn't from the Bible
00:21:25.98\00:21:29.42
it was from their Catechism
00:21:29.45\00:21:31.09
and they didn't know it
wasn't from the Bible...
00:21:31.12\00:21:33.42
it was just the only
thing they could think of
00:21:33.46\00:21:35.46
and they had put it down,
00:21:35.49\00:21:36.83
so he pulled the next piece out
it was also from their Catechism
00:21:36.89\00:21:40.86
but at least it was
quoting from the Bible
00:21:40.90\00:21:43.90
at the top it
said, "Thee our Father,"
00:21:43.93\00:21:47.27
and as Walid read
through those phrases
00:21:47.30\00:21:50.64
of the Lord's Prayer,
00:21:50.67\00:21:52.01
"Our Father, which art in heaven
00:21:52.04\00:21:54.61
hallowed be Thy name... "
00:21:54.64\00:21:56.78
and emotion swept over him
00:21:56.81\00:21:58.85
like nothing he had
ever experienced before,
00:21:58.88\00:22:01.65
Walid's father had died
when he was a little boy
00:22:01.68\00:22:04.35
and Walid had
longed all his young life
00:22:04.39\00:22:06.96
for a daddy that he could
talk to like the other boys had.
00:22:06.99\00:22:10.66
He knew God, he prayed to
God, he went to the mosque,
00:22:10.73\00:22:15.30
he knew that God was the
Creator He was the Almighty...
00:22:15.33\00:22:19.90
He was the merciful...
he was the beneficent...
00:22:19.93\00:22:21.94
he could name
the 99 names of God
00:22:21.97\00:22:24.17
that Muslims look at especially,
00:22:24.21\00:22:26.11
but he had never heard anybody
refer to God as a Father...
00:22:26.14\00:22:31.31
that night as Walid finished
his regular Muslim prayers,
00:22:31.35\00:22:36.45
he looked up and talked to God
00:22:36.48\00:22:38.82
like he might have
talked to his father
00:22:38.89\00:22:41.06
if he were still alive,
00:22:41.12\00:22:42.46
it was a powerful
experience, he was moved by it
00:22:42.49\00:22:45.83
and so the next day
after all five times of prayer,
00:22:45.86\00:22:49.46
he talked to God in his heart
00:22:49.50\00:22:51.20
like he would have
talked to his father,
00:22:51.23\00:22:52.73
day after day he did
that, even in the mosque
00:22:52.77\00:22:56.37
he would have
his regular prayers
00:22:56.40\00:22:58.17
and then talk to
God like a father,
00:22:58.21\00:22:59.87
you know, we're finding
throughout the Muslim world...
00:22:59.91\00:23:03.35
that that concept of God
as the father is something
00:23:03.38\00:23:06.72
that is powerful to Muslims,
00:23:06.75\00:23:09.35
there's actually a book called,
"I Dared to Call Him Father,"
00:23:09.38\00:23:13.56
if you ever get a
chance to read it,
00:23:13.66\00:23:14.99
that will give you little bit of
a picture of the thinking there,
00:23:15.02\00:23:17.96
but Walid was going... for
about a year and a half then
00:23:17.99\00:23:21.40
talking with God
as a father every day,
00:23:21.43\00:23:23.67
toward the end of that time,
00:23:23.73\00:23:26.00
another thought
came into his mind,
00:23:26.03\00:23:28.20
we know that
there's a battle going on
00:23:28.24\00:23:30.37
and there are different
forces giving us thoughts,
00:23:30.41\00:23:32.81
this thought was
coming from the other side,
00:23:32.84\00:23:35.61
the thought was,
"Walid, you know you learned
00:23:35.68\00:23:38.41
to pray like
that... from Christians
00:23:38.45\00:23:41.28
and if you keep doing it,
00:23:41.32\00:23:43.45
you're probably going
to become a Christian"
00:23:43.55\00:23:45.42
and Walid thought, "No, no,
I don't want to be a Christian,
00:23:45.45\00:23:48.22
Christians are heathens
00:23:48.26\00:23:49.66
they drink alcohol,
00:23:49.69\00:23:51.03
they eat pork,
they pray to saints,
00:23:51.06\00:23:52.93
I don't want to be
a heathen Christian,"
00:23:52.96\00:23:55.00
so Walid tried to stop,
00:23:55.03\00:23:58.33
that night when he said
his regular Muslim prayers,
00:23:58.37\00:24:01.90
he just stopped... he
didn't talk to God like a father
00:24:01.94\00:24:05.37
but something was
empty, he couldn't sleep,
00:24:05.41\00:24:08.08
he was tossing and turning,
00:24:08.11\00:24:09.44
he missed that close
time with God, his father,
00:24:09.48\00:24:14.12
and finally he broke
down and did it again
00:24:14.15\00:24:16.62
and for the next week or two
Walid was wrestling with God.
00:24:16.69\00:24:21.52
He was wrestling with himself,
00:24:21.56\00:24:23.66
he wanted to keep
talking to God like a father
00:24:23.73\00:24:26.16
but he felt he should quit,
00:24:26.19\00:24:27.50
and then in the
midst of that wrestling,
00:24:27.60\00:24:29.40
Walid had a dream,
00:24:29.43\00:24:30.83
in his dream, he
saw that he had died
00:24:30.87\00:24:33.40
and his body was
laid out on the ground
00:24:33.44\00:24:35.80
in the normal
fashion, everything was normal,
00:24:35.84\00:24:38.17
there was nothing
fearful about the dream
00:24:38.21\00:24:40.64
the family gathered around
in a circle in the normal way,
00:24:40.68\00:24:43.95
some of the family
members dug the grave,
00:24:44.01\00:24:46.45
when it was ready,
00:24:46.51\00:24:47.85
one uncle came over and
00:24:47.88\00:24:49.22
picked Walid's
body up by the head
00:24:49.28\00:24:51.35
and the other uncle came
and picked him up by the feet
00:24:51.39\00:24:53.82
and began to carry
his body toward the grave,
00:24:53.86\00:24:56.79
it was just the way he
had seen it happen many times
00:24:56.83\00:24:59.89
but suddenly in his dream,
00:24:59.96\00:25:02.40
he saw something that
nobody else seemed to be seeing,
00:25:02.43\00:25:05.60
he saw flames
leaping up out of the grave
00:25:05.63\00:25:08.37
and the uncles were moving
step by step toward that grave
00:25:08.40\00:25:12.81
to drop his body
in that burning grave
00:25:12.84\00:25:15.98
and he was terrified
00:25:16.01\00:25:17.35
but just before
they dropped the body in,
00:25:17.38\00:25:20.62
a voice called out, "Stop... "
00:25:20.65\00:25:22.65
everybody turned to look
00:25:22.68\00:25:25.05
and there stood Jesus
at the end of the grave,
00:25:25.09\00:25:27.49
Jesus had His
hand up and he said,
00:25:27.56\00:25:30.13
"Don't put him in
there, this one belongs to me"
00:25:30.16\00:25:34.20
and then Walid woke up,
sweat pouring off his body,
00:25:34.20\00:25:38.17
"What did the Prophet Isa
mean, 'this one belongs to me?'"
00:25:38.20\00:25:42.90
Remember, he
didn't know of Jesus
00:25:42.94\00:25:45.11
as anything except a Prophet...
00:25:45.14\00:25:47.24
what did the Prophet mean?
"This one belongs to me... "
00:25:47.28\00:25:50.95
for the next week or two,
Walid could hardly sleep or eat,
00:25:50.98\00:25:54.52
he was just constantly thinking,
00:25:54.55\00:25:56.52
"What did Isa mean...
'this one belongs to me?'"
00:25:56.55\00:26:00.49
Then one day, Walid
found himself in a bookstore
00:26:00.52\00:26:03.86
and the bookstores
in our part of the world
00:26:03.89\00:26:06.39
can be just like the
bookstores you're used to here,
00:26:06.43\00:26:09.73
or they can be
really fascinating places,
00:26:09.76\00:26:12.30
you know, you'll go
into one part of a building
00:26:12.33\00:26:15.24
and find that there would be
many, many, many little cubicles
00:26:15.27\00:26:18.64
each one with an old
man sitting in the back
00:26:18.67\00:26:21.58
looking over his glasses and
stacks of books and magazines
00:26:21.61\00:26:25.75
from floor to ceiling,
00:26:25.78\00:26:27.42
if you find what you want,
00:26:27.45\00:26:29.02
you have to
pull it out carefully
00:26:29.05\00:26:30.42
and make sure the
whole stack doesn't fall over
00:26:30.49\00:26:32.49
and Walid was
standing in one of those
00:26:32.52\00:26:34.89
absentmindedly...
vacantly staring
00:26:34.92\00:26:37.63
at the stack of
books in front of him,
00:26:37.66\00:26:40.30
he wasn't thinking
about anything there,
00:26:40.33\00:26:42.86
he was thinking about,
"What did the Prophet Isa mean,
00:26:42.90\00:26:45.97
I belong to him?"
00:26:46.00\00:26:47.54
And then his eyes focused
and right in front of him
00:26:47.60\00:26:50.94
were two Bibles...
00:26:51.01\00:26:52.54
the first two he had
ever seen in his life,
00:26:52.57\00:26:55.44
excitedly, Walid
pulled them out of the stack
00:26:55.48\00:26:58.25
and rushed to the little old man
who quickly grabbed the Bibles
00:26:58.28\00:27:02.35
with terror on his face and
stuffed them under the counter
00:27:02.38\00:27:06.19
and said, "Absolutely not...
00:27:06.22\00:27:07.96
do you know what
would happen to me
00:27:07.99\00:27:09.69
if I sold those
Bibles to you... a Muslim?
00:27:09.72\00:27:12.06
Those are there for
tourists... not for Muslims. "
00:27:12.09\00:27:14.96
Well, Walid came back every
day begging for those Bibles.
00:27:15.00\00:27:20.54
Finally, one day,
nobody else was in the area
00:27:20.57\00:27:23.34
and the old man looked
cautiously both directions
00:27:23.41\00:27:26.14
to make sure no one was around
00:27:26.17\00:27:27.64
and then he said, "Okay,
I'll sell you the little one"
00:27:27.68\00:27:31.45
he took it out,
wrapped it in a trash bag,
00:27:31.48\00:27:34.05
and Walid put it inside his
coat and went back to his room
00:27:34.12\00:27:37.39
and that night he read the
little one, the gospel of Luke,
00:27:37.42\00:27:40.69
over and over and over
again and it changed his life
00:27:40.76\00:27:45.26
a few more weeks and
months and years went by
00:27:45.29\00:27:49.00
in that time, Walid
met some other Christians,
00:27:49.06\00:27:52.77
he studied with
them a little bit,
00:27:52.80\00:27:54.77
he was baptized
into their church
00:27:54.80\00:27:56.71
but what they were
teaching and what he was reading
00:27:56.77\00:27:59.21
in the Bible wasn't matching up
00:27:59.24\00:28:00.84
so he was frustrated
00:28:00.91\00:28:02.34
and then one day a
lady came into his shop
00:28:02.38\00:28:05.21
where Walid was working,
00:28:05.25\00:28:07.15
she was from West Africa,
00:28:07.18\00:28:08.92
she was a Banker who
had moved to his country,
00:28:08.98\00:28:12.29
she was an Adventist,
they started a friendship
00:28:12.32\00:28:15.62
she began to talk,
00:28:15.66\00:28:16.99
they started praying
together once in a while,
00:28:17.06\00:28:19.23
she began to invite him
to their Bible Study Group
00:28:19.26\00:28:21.80
that a group of the
Adventist business people
00:28:21.83\00:28:24.37
who were there
working... had going on...
00:28:24.40\00:28:26.57
and after another year or two
00:28:26.60\00:28:29.20
of wrestling with
smoking and studying,
00:28:29.24\00:28:31.41
finally, Walid was baptized
00:28:31.44\00:28:33.24
and joined the
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
00:28:33.27\00:28:35.28
today, Walid is one of
our very few national pastors
00:28:35.31\00:28:41.82
in the Middle
East and North Africa,
00:28:41.85\00:28:45.09
Walid and we thank
God for a lay person,
00:28:45.12\00:28:48.29
a banker, who moved to
a strange country to work
00:28:48.32\00:28:53.06
and wondered what they
could possibly accomplish there
00:28:53.09\00:28:56.77
but God used their faithful
work to bring Walid to Him.
00:28:56.83\00:29:00.57
We need hundreds
more like that Banker lady
00:29:00.60\00:29:05.14
to come and help us in the
Middle East and North Africa
00:29:05.17\00:29:07.64
but when you think of MENA,
00:29:07.68\00:29:09.74
the Middle East
and North Africa,
00:29:09.78\00:29:11.38
I can almost guarantee,
you think of wars, terrorism,
00:29:11.41\00:29:15.78
maybe deserts, oil,
maybe a few camels and pyramids
00:29:15.85\00:29:20.19
and yes, we have all of that,
00:29:20.22\00:29:22.02
we also, as
Denzil was mentioning,
00:29:22.06\00:29:24.69
have some of the most fantastic
architecture in the world
00:29:24.73\00:29:27.76
in Dubai... in Qatar...
in some of the other places,
00:29:27.76\00:29:31.10
we have so much,
00:29:31.13\00:29:32.50
we have mountains
with snow in them,
00:29:32.53\00:29:34.34
in fact, we have snow
skiing in Lebanon every winter,
00:29:34.37\00:29:36.81
a year or two ago,
00:29:36.84\00:29:38.17
we had 21 feet of
snow in the mountains
00:29:38.21\00:29:40.38
and... it's not what you picture
in your minds from the news,
00:29:40.41\00:29:44.38
but what I really wish is
if you could see the people,
00:29:44.41\00:29:47.82
real people... like you and I...
00:29:47.85\00:29:50.69
people who love their families
and who worry about the future
00:29:50.72\00:29:54.79
and there are
lots of people in MENA,
00:29:54.82\00:29:58.86
there are 500 million of them,
00:29:58.89\00:30:02.53
that's way more people
than live in the entire
00:30:02.56\00:30:05.93
North American Division,
00:30:05.97\00:30:07.30
we have 500 million people,
00:30:07.34\00:30:10.57
in fact there are only three
divisions of the world church
00:30:10.61\00:30:14.14
that have as many
people as MENA has,
00:30:14.18\00:30:17.45
MENA is a huge territory
00:30:17.51\00:30:19.35
with almost no
Seventh-day Adventists.
00:30:19.38\00:30:22.28
It takes me longer
to fly across the Union
00:30:22.32\00:30:25.15
than it does to fly from
Lebanon to the United States,
00:30:25.19\00:30:28.76
in fact, if I took our
Union and I put a pin in Morocco
00:30:28.79\00:30:32.23
on one edge and
flipped the whole union over,
00:30:32.26\00:30:35.43
Iran comes to somewhere
over by San Antonio, Texas...
00:30:35.46\00:30:39.97
it's a huge, huge Union.
00:30:40.00\00:30:43.14
If you divided up
every Seventh-day Adventist
00:30:43.17\00:30:47.31
in the North American Division
00:30:47.41\00:30:48.74
so that we all lived
in a different community
00:30:48.78\00:30:51.81
and if we had
each Adventist member
00:30:51.85\00:30:54.28
contact one person a day,
00:30:54.32\00:30:56.15
it would take us about a
year to make the first contact
00:30:56.18\00:31:00.16
with everyone
living in North America,
00:31:00.19\00:31:02.46
if we did the same thing in
India, it would take two years
00:31:02.49\00:31:05.93
in South America... five months,
00:31:05.96\00:31:08.30
in Peru... about a month,
00:31:08.36\00:31:10.23
if we went to the Philippines,
it takes four months,
00:31:10.27\00:31:13.94
in Southern Africa
Indian Ocean Division,
00:31:14.00\00:31:16.34
it would take 58 days,
00:31:16.37\00:31:17.81
but if we divided
up every Adventist
00:31:17.87\00:31:20.28
in the Middle East
and North Africa...
00:31:20.34\00:31:22.61
so that even my wife and
I lived in different cities,
00:31:22.64\00:31:25.85
and if each of us
contacted one person a day,
00:31:25.88\00:31:29.42
it would take us 450 years
00:31:29.45\00:31:33.05
to contact everybody
that's currently living there
00:31:33.09\00:31:36.19
with the first contact,
00:31:36.22\00:31:37.59
you see, we have very
few Seventh-day Adventists
00:31:37.63\00:31:42.40
living in the Middle
East and North Africa,
00:31:42.43\00:31:44.53
to look at it another way...
00:31:44.57\00:31:46.87
around the
world... we have an average
00:31:46.90\00:31:49.47
of one Seventh-day
Adventist Church or Company
00:31:49.50\00:31:52.87
for every 50,000 people,
that's average around the world,
00:31:52.91\00:31:57.48
one for every 50,000 people,
00:31:57.51\00:31:59.88
if we had that average in MENA,
00:31:59.95\00:32:02.25
we should have 10,000
churches and Companies
00:32:02.28\00:32:06.15
but we have about 40,
00:32:06.19\00:32:09.56
not 10,000 like
the world average...
00:32:09.59\00:32:12.79
we have about 40,
00:32:12.83\00:32:14.30
if a wealthy donor came along
00:32:14.30\00:32:16.93
and gave us money to buy or
build or rent 10,000 churches...
00:32:16.97\00:32:21.44
so that we could have the
same average as the world,
00:32:21.47\00:32:25.01
we couldn't even put one member
in each of those churches,
00:32:25.04\00:32:29.34
in fact, every Sabbath morning,
each of our 3,000 members
00:32:29.38\00:32:32.85
would have to run around
and quickly turn the lights on
00:32:32.88\00:32:36.28
and open the
doors of three churches.
00:32:36.32\00:32:38.19
We can't even... we don't
have a Company or a Church
00:32:38.22\00:32:42.99
for every 50,000...
00:32:43.02\00:32:44.36
we don't even have one
member for every 50,000 people,
00:32:44.39\00:32:48.76
we have so few Adventists
to be lights in our communities
00:32:48.83\00:32:53.27
and yet the work in
our area goes forward only
00:32:53.30\00:32:57.61
when we have
people on the ground
00:32:57.64\00:32:59.77
beginning to make friends
like the man that Denzil met
00:32:59.81\00:33:03.21
working there... praying
with people in the hospital...
00:33:03.24\00:33:06.51
that's when the
work goes forward.
00:33:06.55\00:33:08.35
Mrs. White described well the
work in our part of the world
00:33:08.38\00:33:12.69
in Ministry of Healing page 143
and I know you know this quote,
00:33:12.72\00:33:16.96
she said, "Christ's method alone
00:33:17.03\00:33:19.76
will give true success
in reaching the people,
00:33:19.79\00:33:22.60
the Savior mingled with men
as one who desired their good,
00:33:22.66\00:33:26.47
he showed His sympathy to
them, ministered to their needs
00:33:26.50\00:33:30.31
and won their confidence,
00:33:30.37\00:33:31.81
then He bade
them, 'Follow me. '"
00:33:31.84\00:33:34.44
Our problem is... around
the world, including MENA,
00:33:34.48\00:33:38.65
we often want to skip
over those first steps
00:33:38.68\00:33:41.42
and go right to the last one
00:33:41.45\00:33:43.22
to inviting
people to follow Jesus
00:33:43.25\00:33:46.19
that's definitely our longing in
the Middle East and North Africa
00:33:46.22\00:33:49.76
we want to invite
people to follow Jesus,
00:33:49.79\00:33:52.53
but it's the last step in the
process... not the first step
00:33:52.56\00:33:57.00
and it's usually ineffective
00:33:57.03\00:33:59.67
unless we have carefully
followed the first steps.
00:33:59.73\00:34:02.67
Mrs. White goes on
in that same passage
00:34:02.70\00:34:05.97
in Ministry of
Healing, page 143,
00:34:06.04\00:34:08.01
she said, "There's need
of coming close to the people
00:34:08.04\00:34:10.95
by personal effort...
00:34:10.98\00:34:12.31
if less time were
given to sermonizing. "
00:34:12.35\00:34:15.22
Okay, that's hard for
Pastors and Evangelists
00:34:15.25\00:34:18.19
she says, if less
time... not more...
00:34:18.22\00:34:21.49
if less time were
given to sermonizing,
00:34:21.56\00:34:24.73
and more time was
spent in personal ministry...
00:34:24.76\00:34:27.86
greater results would be seen,
00:34:27.93\00:34:30.87
"the poor are to be
relieved, the sick cared for,
00:34:30.93\00:34:34.44
the sorrowing and
the bereaved comforted...
00:34:34.47\00:34:36.37
the ignorant instructed,
the inexperienced counseled,
00:34:36.40\00:34:40.78
we are to weep
with those that weep
00:34:40.84\00:34:42.64
and rejoice with
those that rejoice,
00:34:42.68\00:34:45.31
accompanied by the
power of persuasion,
00:34:45.35\00:34:47.92
the power of prayer, the
power of the love of God,
00:34:47.95\00:34:52.22
this work will not...
cannot be... without fruit. "
00:34:52.25\00:34:57.23
That holds true in MENA today,
that's a wonderful promise
00:34:57.29\00:35:02.16
regardless of what
you see in the news
00:35:02.23\00:35:04.97
and what your mind tells
you about our part of the world,
00:35:05.00\00:35:07.84
hearts are opened in the
Middle East and North Africa
00:35:07.87\00:35:10.71
like never before in history,
00:35:10.74\00:35:13.07
we have tremendous
opportunities today as a church,
00:35:13.11\00:35:16.98
the problem is... we
don't have anyone on the ground
00:35:17.05\00:35:20.85
in most of the cities in
MENA who can mingle, meet needs,
00:35:20.92\00:35:25.49
make friends and then
invite people to follow Jesus.
00:35:25.52\00:35:29.46
Not long ago, a
Muslim man in Iran
00:35:29.49\00:35:33.19
had a dream,
00:35:33.23\00:35:34.56
man! we can tell you
many stories about dreams,
00:35:34.56\00:35:37.43
but in his dream...
00:35:37.47\00:35:38.80
he heard that guests
were coming to visit him
00:35:38.83\00:35:41.97
and he was really,
really frustrated...
00:35:42.00\00:35:45.01
because he had
nothing to offer them,
00:35:45.04\00:35:47.94
now, one of the most humiliating
things that can happen to you
00:35:47.98\00:35:52.05
if you are a Middle Easterner,
00:35:52.08\00:35:53.42
is for guests to come... and you
have nothing to share with them,
00:35:53.48\00:35:56.65
sometimes, Barbara and I have
visited in... even a poor home
00:35:56.69\00:36:00.82
and if we got there by surprise
00:36:00.89\00:36:03.49
and they didn't have
anything to share with us,
00:36:03.56\00:36:05.99
we would notice
one of the little kids
00:36:06.03\00:36:07.86
slip out the back
door and in a few minutes
00:36:07.86\00:36:10.47
come back in carrying a bag
00:36:10.50\00:36:12.13
with a bottle of
soda and some cookies,
00:36:12.17\00:36:13.94
they have to have something
to share with their guests,
00:36:13.97\00:36:17.61
this man... he was concerned
because guests were coming
00:36:17.64\00:36:21.18
and he had nothing
to share with them,
00:36:21.21\00:36:22.54
what was he going to do?
00:36:22.58\00:36:23.95
And then suddenly,
a picture on the wall
00:36:23.98\00:36:26.58
started talking to him,
00:36:26.61\00:36:28.05
he looked at it in surprise
and it was a picture of Jesus,
00:36:28.08\00:36:32.12
and the picture said to him,
00:36:32.15\00:36:34.39
"Don't worry about what you're
going to give your guests,
00:36:34.42\00:36:37.23
I am here, I will
give them living water"
00:36:37.26\00:36:40.60
and then the man woke up,
00:36:40.63\00:36:42.30
he didn't know what it meant,
00:36:42.33\00:36:44.03
you remember, he had
never read the Bible...
00:36:44.07\00:36:46.17
and he had absolutely no idea
00:36:46.20\00:36:48.37
what Jesus might be talking
about with "living water,"
00:36:48.40\00:36:51.57
he didn't know who he
could go to... to ask,
00:36:51.61\00:36:54.48
he assumed that a Christian
might know the answer to that...
00:36:54.51\00:36:58.31
a follower of Jesus,
00:36:58.35\00:36:59.68
but if there were any followers
of Jesus in his Iranian village,
00:36:59.71\00:37:03.82
he didn't know who they were,
00:37:03.85\00:37:05.55
they would have been secret
and he didn't know who to go to
00:37:05.59\00:37:08.72
but he knew he had a nephew
00:37:08.76\00:37:10.86
that had recently
become a Christian,
00:37:10.89\00:37:13.26
in fact, he had
really mistreated that nephew
00:37:13.29\00:37:16.77
after he became a Christian,
he had turned him away
00:37:16.80\00:37:19.50
and said, "You are no
longer a part of the family... "
00:37:19.57\00:37:22.24
he wouldn't let him
come visit his cousins,
00:37:22.27\00:37:24.21
he had totally shut him off,
00:37:24.24\00:37:25.94
he wondered if the nephew would
even be willing to help him
00:37:25.97\00:37:29.31
but finally... secretly...
he went and found the nephew
00:37:29.34\00:37:32.65
and told him the dream
00:37:32.68\00:37:34.02
and said, "Can you
tell me what it means?"
00:37:34.05\00:37:36.05
And lovingly,
with great rejoicing...
00:37:36.08\00:37:38.95
his nephew got out his Bible
and read to him the passage
00:37:38.99\00:37:42.49
about Jesus and the woman at
the well and the living water
00:37:42.52\00:37:45.96
read to him...
several other passages
00:37:46.03\00:37:48.00
about the water of life
and today... that uncle...
00:37:48.03\00:37:51.83
and his whole family...
and almost half of the village
00:37:51.87\00:37:55.64
in Iran are
secret believers in Jesus
00:37:55.67\00:37:58.11
and the nephew...
00:37:58.14\00:38:00.11
more recently the
nephew took a trip out of Iran
00:38:00.14\00:38:03.38
and while he was outside
in a neighboring country,
00:38:03.41\00:38:06.61
he "accidently" bumped into
some Seventh-day Adventists,
00:38:06.65\00:38:10.35
and after a period of
deep study and searching,
00:38:10.42\00:38:13.32
he has joined the
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:38:13.39\00:38:16.19
and today he's looking for ways
to share what he has learned
00:38:16.22\00:38:20.03
with his uncle and others.
00:38:20.06\00:38:22.13
Those stories are being repeated
over and over throughout MENA
00:38:22.16\00:38:28.07
wherever we're able to
plant a dedicated Adventist
00:38:28.10\00:38:31.41
in an unentered community.
00:38:31.44\00:38:33.04
But what about the 100s
and 100s of cities in MENA
00:38:33.07\00:38:37.65
where we don't have a single
00:38:37.68\00:38:39.65
remnant end-time
believer in Jesus... living?
00:38:39.68\00:38:42.62
Who is going to tell them?
00:38:42.65\00:38:44.45
Who's there to live and
mingle and meet their needs
00:38:44.49\00:38:47.96
and win their confidence
00:38:47.99\00:38:49.32
and then invite
them to follow Jesus?
00:38:49.36\00:38:51.36
Did you know that Jesus...
while He was here on earth,
00:38:51.39\00:38:55.13
never told His
followers to pray for money?
00:38:55.16\00:38:59.03
But over and over again,
00:38:59.07\00:39:01.97
He told them to
pray for laborers...
00:39:02.00\00:39:05.11
to go into the
harvest... we understand why.
00:39:05.14\00:39:09.14
We always could use more money
00:39:09.18\00:39:11.55
and we are
thankful for you members
00:39:11.58\00:39:14.15
who are faithful in your
tithes and mission offerings,
00:39:14.18\00:39:17.22
those provide the bulk of our
support for the work in MENA,
00:39:17.25\00:39:21.09
we're also thankful for donors
00:39:21.12\00:39:23.36
who go above and beyond
00:39:23.39\00:39:24.73
their regular tithes
and mission offerings
00:39:24.79\00:39:27.23
and make special
donations to our work,
00:39:27.23\00:39:29.70
those donations are
a tremendous blessing
00:39:29.73\00:39:32.20
but our greatest
need is not money,
00:39:32.23\00:39:34.87
it's people...
dedicated Seventh-day Adventists
00:39:34.90\00:39:38.84
who are willing
to come in and work
00:39:38.87\00:39:40.58
in our countries in MENA,
00:39:40.61\00:39:42.24
so today... I
want to share with...
00:39:42.28\00:39:45.05
a few of our needs with you,
I could give you a huge list,
00:39:45.08\00:39:47.95
I shared a few
at the GC Session,
00:39:47.98\00:39:49.82
I'm going to give you
a few different ones here
00:39:49.85\00:39:51.72
and repeat one or two...
but we could give you many,
00:39:51.75\00:39:54.72
I just want to
share a few with you
00:39:54.76\00:39:57.63
especially, I
want to plead with you
00:39:57.66\00:40:00.43
to be praying that God
will send tentmakers to MENA.
00:40:00.50\00:40:04.50
Tentmakers... you know...
it's kind of a loose term
00:40:04.53\00:40:08.84
that we use to refer to
anyone who is working at a job
00:40:08.87\00:40:13.11
to earn their support,
00:40:13.14\00:40:14.48
not getting their
support from the church
00:40:14.51\00:40:17.01
but who is there as
a missionary like Paul,
00:40:17.05\00:40:19.71
like Priscilla and
Aquila, tentmakers...
00:40:19.75\00:40:22.35
we need people who are willing
to come and work in our area
00:40:22.38\00:40:26.42
not just to make money,
00:40:26.45\00:40:28.22
we need dedicated Adventists
that are willing to come
00:40:28.26\00:40:31.63
who know that their reason
for being there... is mission.
00:40:31.66\00:40:34.96
You know what a
difference that attitude makes?
00:40:35.03\00:40:37.93
I want to illustrate it
with another category of worker,
00:40:37.97\00:40:41.17
I was surprised to find that
00:40:41.20\00:40:43.87
in the Middle
East and North Africa,
00:40:43.94\00:40:46.47
we have 100s of
"Adventist Students"
00:40:46.51\00:40:48.98
who have come from
around the world on scholarships
00:40:49.01\00:40:51.78
to study in many
of the universities...
00:40:51.81\00:40:54.75
hundreds of them
but their goal in coming
00:40:54.78\00:40:57.52
has been the degree,
so when that's their goal,
00:40:57.55\00:41:01.49
then... everything
else becomes secondary
00:41:01.52\00:41:05.53
and if the pressure
builds up, they compromise,
00:41:05.56\00:41:09.10
they begin to take
their tests on Sabbath,
00:41:09.13\00:41:11.27
they begin to do things that
they know they shouldn't do,
00:41:11.30\00:41:15.14
they're
compromising because their goal
00:41:15.17\00:41:18.14
is the degree... not mission...
00:41:18.17\00:41:20.98
when we go around the world
00:41:21.04\00:41:23.81
and recruit
students for our program
00:41:23.85\00:41:25.78
that we call "The
Waldensian Student program"
00:41:25.81\00:41:28.15
where we handpick young people
00:41:28.18\00:41:29.95
and plant them in
universities for mission...
00:41:29.98\00:41:32.72
their purpose is different,
00:41:32.75\00:41:34.82
we have about 50 of
them in place right now
00:41:34.86\00:41:38.46
in various universities
00:41:38.53\00:41:39.96
and we're looking
for many more than that,
00:41:40.00\00:41:41.70
their goal is the mission
and so when the pressure comes,
00:41:41.76\00:41:45.73
they're willing to
fail a class if necessary,
00:41:45.77\00:41:48.14
they're willing to
get thrown out of school
00:41:48.17\00:41:50.44
if that's what
happens and be sent home,
00:41:50.47\00:41:52.67
their goal is the mission.
00:41:52.71\00:41:55.14
When a person comes to a country
00:41:55.18\00:41:57.41
in the Middle
East and North Africa,
00:41:57.48\00:41:59.65
just for a job and money,
they're afraid to lose that job.
00:41:59.68\00:42:03.89
What will their family
do for support back home?
00:42:03.92\00:42:06.86
What will happen to their
investment in getting there?
00:42:06.89\00:42:09.69
What if their boss
makes up a story about them
00:42:09.72\00:42:12.29
and they get thrown into jail?
00:42:12.33\00:42:14.20
If they've come for the money...
00:42:14.20\00:42:15.90
they are easily led to
compromise what they stand for,
00:42:15.93\00:42:20.97
but if they come for mission,
00:42:21.04\00:42:23.04
they see their job
as a way of being there
00:42:23.07\00:42:25.47
to become friends with people
they could otherwise not touch,
00:42:25.51\00:42:28.88
they do excellent work
00:42:28.91\00:42:31.01
because they're there
as a witness for Jesus,
00:42:31.05\00:42:33.78
they make friends and
pray for their co-workers
00:42:33.82\00:42:36.45
and clients to have dreams.
00:42:36.52\00:42:37.89
You know, in the Middle
East and North Africa Union,
00:42:37.92\00:42:40.42
there are millions...
literally millions...
00:42:40.46\00:42:43.63
of people coming into our
countries to work every year,
00:42:43.69\00:42:47.03
most of them are non-Christian
00:42:47.10\00:42:49.70
and most of them are
coming in for the money,
00:42:49.73\00:42:51.70
they're coming in to take jobs
in big companies and Governments
00:42:51.73\00:42:55.74
where they work as Professors,
as Doctors, as Nurses,
00:42:55.77\00:42:59.24
as Engineers,
Cell-phone Technologists,
00:42:59.27\00:43:02.08
Computer Programmers,
Accountants, Bankers,
00:43:02.11\00:43:05.08
Taxi Drivers,
Construction Personnel
00:43:05.11\00:43:08.05
and House
Help... any type of work,
00:43:08.08\00:43:10.69
they're coming
in by the thousands,
00:43:10.72\00:43:13.22
by the millions and we believe
00:43:13.25\00:43:15.69
that there should be
hundreds or even thousands
00:43:15.72\00:43:18.49
of dedicated
Seventh-day Adventists
00:43:18.53\00:43:20.60
coming in as part of that
group to be there for a witness
00:43:20.63\00:43:24.57
not just for the job,
00:43:24.60\00:43:26.27
we don't need... just pastors...
00:43:26.30\00:43:29.37
in fact, we can't
use very many pastors,
00:43:29.40\00:43:32.87
we will accept a pastor
if he has another degree
00:43:32.91\00:43:37.71
but what we
really need are people
00:43:37.75\00:43:40.48
with other
specialties, other degrees,
00:43:40.52\00:43:43.12
other work
experience that can come in,
00:43:43.15\00:43:45.75
we need professionals
from every walk of life
00:43:45.79\00:43:48.62
and then... we have a goal...
we haven't gotten there yet,
00:43:48.66\00:43:52.73
we need some
money, we need some help
00:43:52.76\00:43:54.93
but we need to
develop a database
00:43:54.96\00:43:57.20
for recruiting tentmakers.
00:43:57.23\00:43:59.57
We need to have the names
and addresses and languages
00:43:59.60\00:44:03.30
and CVs and Skill
Sets and Experience,
00:44:03.41\00:44:06.54
of 1,000s of
Seventh-day Adventists
00:44:06.57\00:44:09.44
in that database,
00:44:09.48\00:44:10.85
so that when we see
a job posted in Kuwait
00:44:10.88\00:44:14.25
or Yemen or
Saudi Arabia or Morocco
00:44:14.32\00:44:17.19
or Libya or somewhere else,
00:44:17.22\00:44:19.32
we can quickly get on the phone
00:44:19.39\00:44:21.46
with somebody who has
the right skills and say,
00:44:21.49\00:44:24.23
"Would you be willing to
go to that city as a Tentmaker
00:44:24.26\00:44:28.03
and take that job
with that big company
00:44:28.10\00:44:30.33
or that Government office?"
00:44:30.37\00:44:31.80
There's an Adventist Engineer
00:44:31.83\00:44:35.07
who has been working in
Saudi Arabia for many years,
00:44:35.10\00:44:37.87
he and his wife worked
very hard at their jobs
00:44:37.91\00:44:41.88
and at making friends with
00:44:41.91\00:44:44.35
the people in their
community and their co-workers.
00:44:44.38\00:44:47.18
They regularly have people
over to their house for meals
00:44:47.22\00:44:50.55
and often... in that
quiet personal setting,
00:44:50.59\00:44:53.19
the discussions
turned to spiritual matters,
00:44:53.22\00:44:55.79
one young man that comes
to their house many times
00:44:55.82\00:44:58.99
through the last few years,
works in a different city.
00:44:59.03\00:45:02.20
When he's off work for
a weekend or a few days,
00:45:02.23\00:45:05.40
he comes to where
this tentmaker couple live
00:45:05.43\00:45:08.34
and sometimes
spends days at their house
00:45:08.37\00:45:11.21
just watching them, listening,
talking, studying, sharing...
00:45:11.24\00:45:15.81
they've begun to share
Bible principles with him
00:45:15.84\00:45:19.28
and he's using those in
his issues of family and work
00:45:19.31\00:45:22.75
and he's seeing dramatic changes
00:45:22.78\00:45:25.15
as a result of listening
to the Bible principles
00:45:25.22\00:45:28.82
and applying them to his life.
00:45:28.86\00:45:30.23
Do you know where
that young man works?
00:45:30.26\00:45:32.66
He works in Mecca...
00:45:32.69\00:45:34.46
now Mecca is a city of
more than a million people,
00:45:34.50\00:45:38.80
it's one of our big cities
that we have absolutely no idea
00:45:38.83\00:45:43.37
how we're going to get
somebody in there to work,
00:45:43.41\00:45:46.51
when I drive through
Saudi Arabia and I go past Mecca
00:45:46.54\00:45:49.44
that's what I have to
do, I have to go past Mecca
00:45:49.48\00:45:52.05
on the Interstate...
there's a huge Interstate...
00:45:52.08\00:45:54.88
on the Interstate are
these great big green signs...
00:45:54.92\00:45:58.55
one sign says,
"Muslims only... left lanes"
00:45:58.59\00:46:02.22
the other sign says,
00:46:02.26\00:46:03.69
"Non-Muslims...
right lanes only"
00:46:03.76\00:46:06.53
they have to go
around the by-pass...
00:46:06.56\00:46:09.26
only Muslims can go into Mecca,
00:46:09.30\00:46:11.00
they have
checkpoints and they...
00:46:11.03\00:46:12.67
they check to make sure,
00:46:12.70\00:46:14.27
"How are we going to
get somebody into Mecca?"
00:46:14.30\00:46:17.01
We've been agonizing
and praying over that,
00:46:17.04\00:46:19.91
but now we realize
God already has a plan...
00:46:19.94\00:46:22.78
probably more than one
that we aren't aware of...
00:46:22.81\00:46:25.35
he's already at
work even in Mecca
00:46:25.38\00:46:27.62
and He's doing
it through the lives
00:46:27.65\00:46:29.75
of a faithful tentmaker couple
who have gone from their homes
00:46:29.78\00:46:34.09
to live in a difficult
country of Saudi Arabia
00:46:34.16\00:46:37.46
and make friends with
the people around them.
00:46:37.53\00:46:40.80
Another thing we need
is... we need business people
00:46:40.83\00:46:44.27
to come and set up
branches to their companies
00:46:44.30\00:46:47.40
in our countries,
00:46:47.44\00:46:48.77
you could tell
us your expertise,
00:46:48.80\00:46:51.14
we could talk with
you and choose a city
00:46:51.17\00:46:53.17
where we don't
have anything going on
00:46:53.21\00:46:55.11
and that would fit your
needs and our strategic plans
00:46:55.14\00:46:59.21
and you could
come and open a branch,
00:46:59.25\00:47:01.72
you would have to do the
research and get the permits
00:47:01.75\00:47:04.32
and do the funding
sources and everything
00:47:04.35\00:47:07.12
but you would be
helping to open up work
00:47:07.19\00:47:09.89
in a city where we currently
have no Seventh-day Adventists.
00:47:09.92\00:47:13.26
Another thing we need is
a series of Nursing Homes
00:47:13.29\00:47:16.40
or Elderly Care Facilities,
00:47:16.43\00:47:18.20
we need those Facilities
to be staffed by Adventists
00:47:18.23\00:47:22.27
who don't drink
alcohol, don't eat pork,
00:47:22.30\00:47:24.84
don't pray to saints...
00:47:24.87\00:47:26.21
what a powerful witness
those workers would have
00:47:26.24\00:47:29.84
on the families who need a place
to bring their elderly member
00:47:29.88\00:47:34.62
who no longer can
be cared for at home...
00:47:34.65\00:47:37.19
In many of our cities...
00:47:37.22\00:47:38.99
a series of vegetarian
restaurants or cafes would be
00:47:39.02\00:47:42.19
a wonderful blessing...
00:47:42.26\00:47:43.73
a way to open up
work and make friends
00:47:43.76\00:47:45.86
and begin to meet people.
00:47:45.89\00:47:47.60
Another item that's
very dear to our heart
00:47:47.66\00:47:51.47
is the Literature Ministry,
00:47:51.50\00:47:53.07
now that one has
been a little hard...
00:47:53.13\00:47:55.10
a little puzzling what to
do for the last few years,
00:47:55.14\00:47:57.71
but the last two summers...
00:47:57.74\00:47:59.67
we've gathered a
group of young people
00:47:59.71\00:48:02.11
from America,
Australia, Germany, Mexico
00:48:02.14\00:48:04.45
and our Middle Eastern countries
00:48:04.48\00:48:06.51
and we have teamed
them up to sell books
00:48:06.55\00:48:09.28
for two summers now in Lebanon.
00:48:09.32\00:48:11.55
They've gone from city to
city making amazing connections
00:48:11.59\00:48:15.66
and distributing
1,000s and 1,000s of books,
00:48:15.69\00:48:18.79
many of them are health books
00:48:18.83\00:48:20.66
but quite a few of them
are also full message books
00:48:20.73\00:48:23.26
like "The Great Hope,"
00:48:23.30\00:48:24.77
"The Great
Controversy" and others...
00:48:24.80\00:48:26.27
We... we have a problem
though, we need someone to come
00:48:26.30\00:48:32.21
and be a
coordinator for follow up
00:48:32.24\00:48:34.71
for those Literature
Evangelists' interests,
00:48:34.74\00:48:37.35
we have...
00:48:37.38\00:48:38.71
we have very few
members and pastors
00:48:38.75\00:48:41.75
in most of the cities
where they're selling books...
00:48:41.78\00:48:44.29
we don't have a
single Seventh-day Adventist
00:48:44.32\00:48:47.16
and follow up...
especially in our countries
00:48:47.19\00:48:49.72
is not a one-time visit.
00:48:49.76\00:48:51.33
Follow-up means somebody
who will come back to the home
00:48:51.36\00:48:54.30
repeatedly... week after
week... month after month...
00:48:54.36\00:48:57.53
maybe starting with
answering their health questions
00:48:57.57\00:49:00.77
for the family and later...
as they've won confidence...
00:49:00.80\00:49:04.04
the questions may
turn to spiritual issues,
00:49:04.07\00:49:06.57
we need somebody
00:49:06.61\00:49:09.04
to come... an
experienced Bible Worker
00:49:09.08\00:49:11.68
with training as a Health
Educator... would be wonderful.
00:49:11.71\00:49:14.35
Right now... we
don't have the person
00:49:14.38\00:49:16.45
or the budget for them but
we believe God will supply,
00:49:16.48\00:49:19.62
we're just thrilled that at
least we've been able to make
00:49:19.65\00:49:22.76
the first step and
start selling books
00:49:22.79\00:49:24.49
but now we want to follow up
on the selling of those books.
00:49:24.53\00:49:27.50
You see, the harvest is ripe
00:49:27.56\00:49:30.47
in the Middle
East and North Africa.
00:49:30.50\00:49:32.60
Jesus didn't say, "Pray
for the harvest" did he?
00:49:32.63\00:49:35.64
It's ripe... He... and
we see that all the time,
00:49:35.67\00:49:38.61
He said, "Pray for laborers"
that's what we're missing.
00:49:38.64\00:49:41.88
We need people on the
ground, mingling, meeting needs,
00:49:41.91\00:49:45.15
winning confidence...
00:49:45.18\00:49:46.51
and then inviting their
new friends to follow Jesus,
00:49:46.55\00:49:50.09
it's time for Jesus to come
and we don't want to be here
00:49:50.12\00:49:54.26
another 450 years... I
don't think we will be either.
00:49:54.29\00:49:58.33
We are seeing two
parallel movements developing
00:49:58.36\00:50:02.80
The Holy Spirit
is being poured out.
00:50:02.83\00:50:05.10
I believe the Latter
Rain is falling today.
00:50:05.13\00:50:07.50
We are seeing... first of all...
00:50:07.54\00:50:10.37
doors to people's
hearts being thrown open
00:50:10.41\00:50:12.77
across the Middle
East and North Africa
00:50:12.81\00:50:15.14
like we've never seen before.
00:50:15.18\00:50:17.11
ISIS is helping with that a lot,
00:50:17.21\00:50:19.05
people are frustrated
at what they're seeing
00:50:19.08\00:50:21.45
and they're saying, "There
must be something different"
00:50:21.52\00:50:23.75
right now they don't
want to talk to Christians...
00:50:23.79\00:50:26.09
they think Christians are pagans
00:50:26.12\00:50:28.26
and they don't want
anything to do with them,
00:50:28.29\00:50:29.76
but they're also frustrated
with their own religion
00:50:29.79\00:50:32.93
and when an Adventist
moves into their community...
00:50:32.96\00:50:35.90
and they see someone
who is a follower of Jesus
00:50:35.93\00:50:39.10
but doesn't wear a
cross, doesn't drink alcohol,
00:50:39.13\00:50:42.24
doesn't eat pork,
doesn't pray to saints,
00:50:42.27\00:50:44.41
doesn't live like the movies,
00:50:44.44\00:50:46.27
doesn't believe that the temple
has to be re-built in Jerusalem,
00:50:46.31\00:50:49.81
when they see those
things in an Adventist...
00:50:49.84\00:50:53.01
they say, "Wow!" and
they begin to ask questions
00:50:53.05\00:50:56.15
every single time.
00:50:56.18\00:50:58.05
We are also seeing a movement
00:50:58.09\00:51:01.19
of God impressing the hearts
of Adventists around the world,
00:51:01.22\00:51:04.99
we see it sweeping
across our university campuses
00:51:05.03\00:51:08.63
and through
gatherings of professionals,
00:51:08.66\00:51:10.63
dozens have been coming to us
00:51:10.67\00:51:13.90
and they're at
various stages in making plans
00:51:13.94\00:51:16.71
to come and join us in the
Middle East and North Africa.
00:51:16.77\00:51:19.71
They're making
massive sacrifices,
00:51:19.74\00:51:22.14
giving up good-paying jobs
to come to an unknown future...
00:51:22.18\00:51:26.01
in fact, we know and they know,
00:51:26.05\00:51:28.38
that some of them
could well be called on
00:51:28.42\00:51:30.45
to make the
ultimate sacrifice by coming.
00:51:30.49\00:51:33.72
Today, I want to share
with you four situations
00:51:33.76\00:51:40.16
that are... that are in need
of earnest prayer right now...
00:51:40.20\00:51:44.23
there's a Dentist and a
Nurse couple from Europe
00:51:44.30\00:51:48.17
who are working on plans
00:51:48.20\00:51:50.14
to go to Southern
Libya as tentmakers,
00:51:50.17\00:51:52.77
and I think you know
the situation in Libya,
00:51:52.84\00:51:55.98
you see it in the news often...
00:51:56.01\00:51:57.78
they are going
to need our prayers,
00:51:57.81\00:52:00.32
our earnest prayers
for protection and guidance
00:52:00.35\00:52:03.42
as they move into that country,
00:52:03.49\00:52:05.49
we have a couple
from the United States
00:52:05.52\00:52:07.69
that have just
given up their jobs
00:52:07.72\00:52:09.46
and are heading to
one of our countries
00:52:09.49\00:52:11.69
that's been often in the
news with attacks on tourists...
00:52:11.76\00:52:15.73
terrorist attacks on tourists,
00:52:15.76\00:52:17.53
they are going to find
work in one of those cities
00:52:17.57\00:52:20.70
that we have arranged with them.
00:52:20.74\00:52:22.24
He is a Social Worker,
00:52:22.27\00:52:23.67
she's been a teacher at one
of our Adventist Universities,
00:52:23.71\00:52:27.34
and they've left that all
to come to an unknown future
00:52:27.38\00:52:30.98
in a difficult country.
00:52:31.01\00:52:32.71
A young physician from
the country of Colombia,
00:52:32.75\00:52:35.82
has given up a high-paying
job at a prestigious university
00:52:35.85\00:52:40.12
where he teaches
Neuro Rehabilitation,
00:52:40.16\00:52:42.99
I don't even know what it
is, but it sounds impressive.
00:52:43.02\00:52:45.93
He has left all that
00:52:45.99\00:52:48.13
and gone to one of our
largest countries in MENA,
00:52:48.16\00:52:51.00
a country that's been through
a very difficult political time
00:52:51.03\00:52:54.90
and is continuing unrest...
00:52:54.94\00:52:57.04
and he's gone to find a job
00:52:57.07\00:52:59.11
in one of the
universities or hospitals there,
00:52:59.14\00:53:01.98
so that he can be a tentmaker
00:53:02.01\00:53:04.05
and a French-speaking young lady
00:53:04.08\00:53:05.98
with an amazing
background and skill set
00:53:06.01\00:53:08.05
has just gone to one of
our French-speaking countries,
00:53:08.08\00:53:10.99
she has gone to the city
that we've worked out with her
00:53:11.02\00:53:13.86
she had to go in
there cold turkey
00:53:13.89\00:53:16.22
and find a place to stay,
00:53:16.26\00:53:17.76
she found a place to stay
with someone from that country
00:53:17.79\00:53:21.60
a national... a widow
lady... not a widow...
00:53:21.63\00:53:24.23
a recently divorced lady
00:53:24.27\00:53:25.93
and she's been there
about two weeks now, I believe,
00:53:25.97\00:53:30.11
after the first week
of living with that lady,
00:53:30.17\00:53:33.27
they lady said...
00:53:33.34\00:53:34.88
has had a number of deep
spiritual discussions with her
00:53:34.91\00:53:37.88
and the lady says to her,
00:53:37.95\00:53:39.28
"I'm not sure
exactly what's happening,
00:53:39.31\00:53:42.42
but I believe God
sent you here to this city
00:53:42.45\00:53:46.05
for a special purpose.
00:53:46.09\00:53:47.52
Audience: Amen.
00:53:47.56\00:53:49.16
You know, these and many others
00:53:49.19\00:53:50.53
have already made
their decision to go,
00:53:50.59\00:53:52.39
they're not just
thinking about it...
00:53:52.43\00:53:54.46
they have actually
entered the enemy's territory
00:53:54.46\00:53:57.73
and that old roaring lion
is not going to sit by idly
00:53:57.77\00:54:01.87
and let them have a
peaceful time of it.
00:54:01.90\00:54:03.74
We've added a 135 missionaries
to MENA in the last three years,
00:54:03.81\00:54:08.61
we need to add 100s more to
even make a drop in the bucket,
00:54:08.64\00:54:13.42
to even be able to put one
or two people in each city,
00:54:13.45\00:54:16.55
100s more... but these people...
00:54:16.58\00:54:20.46
these pioneer missionaries
00:54:20.49\00:54:21.99
are going to need prayer
warriors... holding them up.
00:54:22.06\00:54:25.56
They're going to need
people to come and join them
00:54:25.59\00:54:29.03
and form teams in each city
00:54:29.06\00:54:31.37
and now I want to make
a very specific call...
00:54:31.40\00:54:34.97
I... this is not
a general call...
00:54:35.00\00:54:37.94
I don't want very
many people to stand,
00:54:37.97\00:54:40.28
you need to consider carefully
before you answer this call
00:54:40.34\00:54:44.31
but if you are willing...
00:54:44.35\00:54:46.15
to join some of these four
individuals or the many others
00:54:46.18\00:54:50.15
who have been making
the decisions to come,
00:54:50.19\00:54:52.35
if you're willing to join them
and become part of their team
00:54:52.39\00:54:56.26
or some other team and go
wherever God might send you,
00:54:56.29\00:54:59.43
would you stand with me?
00:54:59.46\00:55:01.06
I'm going to ask
you to be careful...
00:55:01.10\00:55:03.80
as you make that decision,
00:55:03.87\00:55:05.87
it's not an easy decision
and should not be made lightly,
00:55:05.90\00:55:08.97
I often cry as
I make these calls
00:55:09.00\00:55:11.81
because I know that some who
respond will never return home.
00:55:11.84\00:55:15.81
Some will be asked to
make the ultimate sacrifice,
00:55:15.84\00:55:19.71
so I'm asking you not to stand
00:55:19.75\00:55:22.32
unless you're willing
to be a martyr for Jesus,
00:55:22.35\00:55:24.62
if that's what He should ask,
00:55:24.65\00:55:26.02
if you...
00:55:26.05\00:55:28.79
feel that burden on your heart
00:55:28.82\00:55:30.73
now or at some
point in the future,
00:55:30.76\00:55:32.73
come by the Adventist Mission
Booth later today or tomorrow
00:55:32.76\00:55:36.30
and talk with us, give
us your contact information
00:55:36.33\00:55:38.73
so that we can be in touch,
00:55:38.77\00:55:40.90
you know, a few months ago,
00:55:40.94\00:55:42.94
I was at our
Adventist University...
00:55:43.00\00:55:44.97
yes you can sit
down... thank you...
00:55:45.01\00:55:46.98
a few months ago
00:55:47.04\00:55:48.38
I was at our
Adventist University in Colombia
00:55:48.41\00:55:50.51
for Mission Weekend,
00:55:50.55\00:55:51.88
on Friday night, the
President, Dr. Acosta,
00:55:51.91\00:55:55.08
made a call for those who
were willing to be martyrs
00:55:55.12\00:55:58.29
to come up on the platform
00:55:58.32\00:55:59.65
and more than a 100
business people and young people
00:55:59.69\00:56:03.69
came up on the platform...
00:56:03.76\00:56:05.09
then he asked me to
come up and pray for them
00:56:05.13\00:56:07.76
but I could hardly pray
00:56:07.76\00:56:09.80
because of the tears
running down my cheeks
00:56:09.83\00:56:12.07
and choking my voice,
00:56:12.10\00:56:13.47
you see... Dr.
Acosta hadn't just called
00:56:13.54\00:56:17.61
other people's children,
00:56:17.64\00:56:18.97
there on the platform
was his youngest daughter,
00:56:19.01\00:56:22.98
a university
student who had come forward
00:56:23.01\00:56:25.75
and said, "I'm willing to
be a martyr for Jesus, daddy"
00:56:25.78\00:56:29.85
not only that... I knew that
Dr. Acosta's other daughter,
00:56:29.88\00:56:33.96
and son-in-law
and granddaughter...
00:56:33.99\00:56:35.66
little bitty granddaughter
00:56:35.69\00:56:37.03
were even then... in the
final stages of their move
00:56:37.06\00:56:39.79
from Argentina
to the Middle East
00:56:39.83\00:56:41.90
where they would be
working as tentmakers...
00:56:41.93\00:56:45.83
ASI, Spokane, Washington.
00:56:45.87\00:56:53.04