Participants: Brian Schwartz / Carlos & Kathy Irizarry / Mindy Thygeson (Host), Bill Knott & Jared Thurman, Michelle Doucoumes, Rick McEdward & Michael Eckert
Series Code: 17ASIC
Program Code: 17ASIC000004A
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00:35 Their chains were fastened tight
00:40 Down at the jail that night 00:43 Still Paul and Silas would not be dismayed 00:50 They said, it's time to lift our voice 00:54 And she praises to the Lord 00:58 Let's prove that we can trust Him 01:02 Come what may 01:06 God wants to hear you sing 01:10 When the waves are crashing 'round you 01:13 When the fiery darts surround you 01:17 When despair is all you see 01:20 God wants to hear your voice 01:24 When the wisest man has spoken 01:27 He says, Your circumstance is as hopeless as can be 01:34 That's when God wants to hear you sing 01:50 He loves to hear our praise 01:54 On our cheerful days 01:57 When the pleasant times outweigh the bad, by far 02:04 But when suffering comes along 02:08 And we still sing Him these songs 02:12 That is when we bless the Father's heart 02:19 God wants to hear you sing 02:22 When the waves are crashing 'round you 02:26 When the fiery darts surround you 02:29 When despair is all you see 02:33 God wants to hear your voice 02:36 When the wisest man has spoken 02:40 He says, Your circumstance is as hopeless as can be 02:47 That's when God wants to hear 02:50 You sing 02:54 God wants to hear you sing 03:01 When the waves are crashing 'round you 03:04 When the fiery darts surround you 03:08 When despair is all you see 03:13 God wants to hear your voice 03:16 When the wisest man has spoken 03:20 He says, Your circumstance is as hopeless as can be 03:26 That's when God wants to hear 03:30 You sing 03:33 That's when God wants to hear 03:40 You sing 03:47 You sing 03:54 Amen. Amen. 03:56 Good evening ASI. 03:58 We're happy to see each one of you here 04:00 this evening and we're looking forward 04:02 to the blessing that God is going to give us. 04:04 I have with me this evening, Bill Knott 04:07 and he is the Executive Editor of Adventist Review 04:10 at Adventist World. 04:12 And I also have Jared Thurmon with me 04:13 who is Marketing Director for Adventist Review 04:16 and Director of Strategy and Innovation 04:18 for something called ARtv. 04:20 So we're gonna find out a little bit more 04:22 what that's all about. 04:23 And ASI enjoys a long relationship 04:26 working together with Adventist Review 04:29 with Bill Knott, with Jared. 04:30 We're thankful for the privilege 04:32 of having them here this evening. 04:34 Well, you know, I know that things are getting smaller 04:37 these days, you know, 04:38 the Adventist Review went from a larger format 04:41 down to a smaller format and then suddenly 04:44 we just have a little card. 04:45 Is this the new format for the Adventist Review? 04:47 No, there's no microchip buried in here 04:50 or in your hand. 04:51 This in reality, this is just illustrating something 04:55 about how this ministry has been growing so rapidly 04:58 in the last two years. 05:00 We are a family of products now, not just one. 05:03 We're called Adventist Review Ministries 05:05 but we publish Adventist World Magazine 05:07 which all of you get in your homes, 05:09 kids view, our product for kids. 05:12 We have large websites, social media options. 05:16 We are now a family 05:18 that's the oldest thing in the church 05:20 and also the newest thing in the church. 05:22 Okay, so what we can see then is that 05:24 you're actually partnering with all different, 05:26 other ministries as well. 05:28 I often tell our team, 05:30 we did not build this organization, 05:33 tithe and the faithfulness of church members 05:35 built Adventist Review Ministry, 05:37 so it's our job to shine a spotlight 05:40 on partner ministries like ASI and help other people 05:43 discover what they're doing 05:44 and how the Lord is working through them. 05:45 Okay, wonderful. 05:47 Well, Jared, it seems like your title is actually 05:49 a little bit different than it was last year 05:51 when you were here. 05:52 Can you tell us what the changes are? 05:54 Yeah, we've got something exciting 05:58 and it's not just one thing, it's really a thought 06:00 of what does tomorrow look like and how do you serve the church 06:04 and those that we love around us 06:07 through the content of the Adventist Review 06:09 and all the things we're working on. 06:11 So I have the privilege and joy 06:13 of agitating and rattling Bill's cage 06:17 and finding ways in which we can better serve our church 06:22 and those around us. 06:24 So one of those things is ARtv. ARtv is... 06:29 I could say it's inspired somewhat 06:31 by Christ Object Lessons. 06:34 Ellen White says of Jesus in His day 06:37 that the reason He spoke in parables 06:40 was because it was the most popular form 06:42 of storytelling, especially with the Greeks. 06:46 Okay. 06:47 Well, what we know from the data today is 06:50 by the year 2020, 8 out of 10 people 06:53 will be using the internet 06:55 and 8 of those people of the 10 06:58 will be using it on their mobile device 07:00 watching a video called short form content. 07:05 So ARtv is really how do we deliver 07:07 this timeless message in video format, mobile first 07:13 and find ways in which we can easily share it 07:15 with those around us. 07:17 And we are very excited that that launches this October. 07:21 Okay, that sounds exciting. We're looking forward to it. 07:24 Why don't you tell us, Jared, a little bit about the booth, 07:26 and why people should go by the Adventist Review booth? 07:29 Yeah, we're very excited, we've recently finished 07:31 a production and project with ADRA 07:35 where we sent a team over there to film in virtual reality. 07:40 And if you'll come by our booth or you can go by ADRA's booth, 07:44 you'll be able to put some of these VR goggles on 07:47 and immerse yourself in the audio 07:50 and the visuals of a village drilling a well 07:54 and being in that experience. 07:57 Virtual reality has an impact 07:59 where they're finding psychologically, 08:02 you actually believe you were there. 08:04 So I want to just invite you, come by our booth 08:06 and experience what that's like. 08:09 Okay, sounds exciting. 08:10 Well, Bill, I know that we traditionally have 08:13 thought of Adventist Review or Adventist World 08:15 as being a way that we get media out through print. 08:19 But could you tell us a little bit 08:20 how Adventist Review is changing 08:22 and how it's progressive? 08:24 You know, many times people think that 08:28 if you're leaning forward toward new technologies, 08:31 somehow you're leaning away from biblical truth. 08:35 We've taken it as a founding principle 08:37 of what we're doing that we're conservative 08:39 when it comes to truth, but we're progressive 08:42 when it comes to methodology. 08:44 We've got to find the ways to deliver to audiences, 08:47 the timeless truths of scripture in a way that 08:49 they will understand and will change their thinking. 08:52 So we're not only print centric now, 08:55 we're developing audio podcasts, 08:58 we're working as Jared has said in short form on demand video. 09:02 Our social media program is exploding. 09:05 We continue to publish 09:07 the most widely spread magazines 09:08 in the Adventist church, 09:10 but it's a range of things, it's a family of things, 09:12 because our goal isn't just to reach readers, 09:16 it's viewers, readers, listeners 09:18 anyone who we can put the good news in front of. 09:20 Amen. 09:21 It's a blessing to be here every year 09:23 with Adventist Review in this partnership. 09:25 I know that we've had the privilege of partnering 09:28 for a number of years now, and I'd like to ask you, Jared, 09:32 why do you come every year? 09:33 How is the ASI Convention a blessing to you 09:36 and to Adventist Review? 09:37 I have found over the last 10 years 09:40 coming to ASI and now with our Adventist Review team. 09:44 We come here for the best ideas. 09:47 We come here to inspire people 09:49 and we come here to be inspired. 09:52 What the seminars give us is a blessing, 09:55 what is done on this stage is a blessing, but I often find 09:58 it's those short conversations in the halls 10:01 and at lunch and at dinner that make me want to say, 10:04 "I want to be an Adventist this week, this year. 10:08 I want to be on fire for the Lord 10:09 and I want to come back next year 10:11 and experience that again." 10:12 So that's why we come. Amen. 10:14 We get amazing stories from here, 10:16 people walking the halls who stop and say, 10:18 "Could I talk to you for a moment?" 10:19 And suddenly unfolds a story 10:22 that we want to tell the world about. 10:23 It's a story of faith or courage, 10:26 sometimes challenge with daunting circumstances. 10:29 Those are stories that inspire believers 10:31 literally around the world 10:32 that come out of this convention every year 10:34 and that's one of the big reasons we're here. 10:36 Amen. 10:37 I want to thank both of you for partnering with ASI. 10:40 We're so happy for the relationship 10:41 with Adventist Review, Adventist World and ARtv 10:44 and everything that's moving forward. 10:46 Thank you. Thank you. God bless. 11:09 What this dying world could use is a willing Man of God 11:15 Who dares to go against the grain 11:19 And works without applause 11:24 A man who'll raise the shield of faith 11:27 Protecting what is pure 11:30 Whose love is tough yet gentle 11:34 A man whose word is sure 11:38 God doesn't need an orator 11:42 Who knows just what to say 11:46 He doesn't need authorities to reason Him away 11:52 He doesn't need an army 11:56 To guarantee a win 12:00 He just needs a few good men 12:06 Men full of compassion 12:09 Who laugh and love and cry 12:13 Men who'll face eternity and aren't afraid to die 12:20 Men who'll fight for freedom and honor once again 12:27 He just needs a few good men 12:33 He calls the broken derelict 12:37 Whose life has been renewed 12:40 He calls the one who has the strength 12:44 To stand up for the truth 12:48 Enlistment lines are open 12:51 And He wants you to come in 12:55 He just needs a few good men 13:01 Men full of compassion 13:04 Who laugh and love and cry 13:08 Men who'll face eternity and aren't afraid to die 13:15 Men who'll fight for freedom and honor once again 13:22 He just needs a few good men 13:28 Men full of compassion 13:31 Who laugh and love and cry 13:35 Men who'll face eternity 13:38 And aren't afraid to die 13:43 Men who'll fight for freedom and honor once again 13:50 He just needs a few good men 13:57 He just needs a few good men 14:04 He just needs a few good men 14:17 Amen. 14:20 Hello, ASI family members. 14:22 I love coming to ASI. 14:25 So many of us have an amazing stories, don't we? 14:29 You go down through the exhibit hall, 14:30 it's one story after another. 14:33 And tonight is Members in Action. 14:36 We're going to hear some of those stories 14:38 and get to know some of our wonderful ASI members, 14:41 and the closest one to me is Dr. Brian Schwartz 14:44 who is from Dayton, Ohio. 14:46 He's a physician at Kettering Hospital. 14:49 I understand that you pray with all of your patients. 14:53 How that in the world did you start doing that? 14:57 Well, thank you, Esther. 14:59 So that was a big change in my thinking, 15:02 so when I started off in medicine 15:05 and after going to Adventist Medical School, 15:07 I was not personally comfortable 15:09 praying with patients. 15:10 But around 2004-2005, 15:12 there was a group that formed one of the ministries 15:16 of ASI called AMEN, 15:17 The Adventist Medical Evangelism Network. 15:19 We were challenged by Pastor Mark Finley 15:21 to just start having a spiritual conversation 15:24 with our patients. 15:25 And I came back from that meeting 15:27 convicted and changed and realized that 15:31 I needed to start doing that. 15:32 And so I would pick out a patient here and there 15:34 and start praying with them, but I was picking out the ones 15:38 I thought would respond at first. 15:39 But after a while I became convinced 15:41 that I needed to pray with every single patient. 15:44 That is something we all can do, right? 15:47 No matter what it is, whether a physician, 15:50 or a fire chief, or a police officer, 15:54 we can always pray with somebody. 15:56 And so tell me, you were telling me about 15:58 a fire chief and some prayers that you had with him? 16:02 So having started praying with my patients, 16:05 this just revolutionized my practice. 16:07 It used to be that I would go to work 16:11 that was where I worked, I would do Sabbath school 16:14 and help out at church, I go on mission trips, 16:16 but this has changed my practice into a ministry. 16:19 And I realize that I have people from all walks of life 16:22 that come to my office. 16:24 I don't have to go out there to pass out literature, 16:26 I don't have to go out there to meet them, 16:27 they're coming to me. 16:29 And so one of them is the chief of the fire department 16:32 in one of our area cities. 16:35 He needed heart surgery and as my habit is, 16:39 we made the visit. 16:41 We got the right referrals and then I said, 16:43 "By the way, one of the things I offer to do 16:44 with all my patients is to have a prayer. 16:46 Would you like to have a prayer?" 16:47 And he got tears in his eyes 16:49 and just held my hand and when we got done praying. 16:51 He said, "Can you just pray one more time?" 16:53 And he just really was touched by it and appreciated that 16:57 and then it seemed like that was it. 17:00 But what I'm convinced that this does is it opens the door 17:03 for them to realize that I am a safe person 17:05 to have a spiritual conversation with. 17:07 And so two years later, 17:09 after he's recovered from surgery, he comes in, 17:11 he's got probably the third patient from the end 17:14 and he's like, "Doc, you're a spiritual person. 17:17 Can I ask you a question?" 17:19 And all of a sudden he asked me, 17:21 "How do you know that the Bible is true?" 17:23 And that turned in from a 10 to 15 minute visit 17:26 to a 45 minute visit 17:27 where my nurse had to come knock on the door and say, 17:29 "Doc, you've got a couple more patients to see." 17:31 And I pray with him again and he thanked me 17:34 and he just had an interest in the Bible 17:37 for the first time. 17:39 Next year, he came back, "Doc, you're smart person. 17:42 You believe in creation, tell me why?" 17:45 And so it just opened the door for him to see that 17:48 I was somebody in the community that he could go to 17:51 and ask those kind of questions when he was searching 17:53 in his own heart. 17:56 It's simple, isn't it? Just gaining trust. 17:59 Now, you pray with all of your patients? 18:01 Does that mean that you don't have any patients 18:03 that are people who don't believe in God? 18:07 So, yeah, it's a very good question. 18:08 So at first I selected a few, 18:12 pretty soon I started offering to all my patients 18:14 because if I missed one that I had prayed with before 18:17 they got really upset the next time. 18:19 And literally, in the last 10 years, 18:21 I've had maybe a dozen patients say, 18:23 "No, I don't want a prayer. 18:24 We'll make a little MP in the charts, 18:26 so I don't keep nagging them over and over. 18:29 But I've prayed with the Jewish rabbi. 18:34 In fact, real quick I'll tell that story. 18:36 He needed a pacemaker, he was in his 80's, 18:40 he decided you know what, 18:41 I'm not having any more procedures, 18:43 I'm just going to die, just let me go to hospice. 18:46 But my partner said, "Well, 18:48 just talk to Dr. Schwartz about it." 18:49 And I came in and talked to him about it, 18:50 he wasn't having, he's just like, 18:52 "No, I don't want to have anything to do with that." 18:54 So I got done, I said, "By the way, 18:55 one of the things I offer to do is have a prayer. 18:58 Would you mind if I had a prayer with you?" 19:01 And I prayed the way I pray a Christian prayer, 19:04 and when he got all done he had tears in his eyes 19:06 and he said, "You know, 19:08 I'll go ahead and have that pacemaker." 19:10 And we've gotten to be friends over the years 19:12 and he then confided to my wife later 19:15 that when I walked in the room he was like, 19:16 "There's no way I'm having that pacemaker." 19:19 When I prayed with him, the thought that went 19:20 through his brain was, praise God I found a doctor 19:23 who doesn't think he's God. 19:25 And it really transformed our relationship 19:28 and he was wide open to having 19:30 spiritual conversations. 19:32 Well, that's wonderful 19:34 and there's another story you want to share. 19:36 We have a couple of minutes left or less, 19:39 would you like to tell us about a Muslim person that you... 19:42 So this isn't directly related to sharing with patients, 19:45 but at Kettering Medical Center we have a fellowship program, 19:47 so we train doctors who have finished 19:50 their residency in internal medicine 19:51 then they can go on and specialize in cardiology. 19:53 And then an additional year past that 19:55 is an interventional cardiologist, 19:57 and I'm the director of the interventional 19:58 cardiology fellowship. 20:00 So my fellows just see me interacting with patients 20:02 before every case, before every procedure, 20:04 I offered to pray with them, Mohammad is Muslim 20:08 and a very devout, very kind hearted. 20:11 And I just got to really appreciate him through the year 20:14 but one of my partners Dr. Hahn and myself 20:16 decided partway through the year, last year, 20:18 that we'd start a Bible study group. 20:20 And we were going to show 20:21 the Thunder in the Holy Land video series, 20:23 invite our patients to come to the hospital to a room 20:26 that we had to do these. 20:28 And Mohammad being just a really helpful guy 20:30 saw me rolling the television 20:31 and the video machine down to a room. 20:35 He says, "Oh, Dr. Schwartz, let me get that for you. 20:36 Let me get that for you, I'll set it up." 20:37 And he didn't know what we were doing 20:39 but he came, he set it up and I just said, 20:41 "Oh, Mohammad, why don't you stay, 20:43 we're having a Bible study." 20:44 And he stayed and he watched the video 20:46 and then we talked about it, 20:47 and week after week after week he came, 20:50 he set it up pretty soon it turned into a discussion 20:53 where this is what we believe as Christians, 20:54 what do you think about that? 20:56 And we had this back and forth dialogue 20:58 where he was very, very open. 20:59 I was able to give him a copy of the Great Controversy 21:01 and he really appreciated that. 21:03 And by the time that he graduated a year later 21:05 and he's now practicing in a nearby town he said, 21:08 "Dr. Schwartz, I just want to thank you 21:11 for sharing Jesus with me." 21:13 He said, "I believe that Jesus is the Messiah 21:16 that He is coming back soon and when He comes back 21:18 I'm going to be ready." 21:19 And so just a few months ago, he's often at practice, 21:24 he is very respected in this community, 21:28 he sent me a check blank in the line 21:32 but he sent me a check for $3,000 and said, 21:34 "Dr. Schwartz, please just send this 21:36 to that ministry that you talked about 21:38 were physicians go overseas and help people." 21:40 The Adventist Medical Evangelism Network, 21:42 and so he's funding our ministries, 21:44 he's been touched by just the fact that 21:46 I took the time to pray with patients 21:48 and then took the time to just almost nonchalantly 21:51 just share Jesus with him and it's had a huge impact. 21:55 Amen. Isn't that wonderful? 21:57 That's something that each one of us 21:58 can do, is it not? 22:00 For just a few seconds when you pray with somebody, 22:01 they are looking to God. 22:04 That's very powerful. 22:05 So we have this physician here. 22:06 We also have another couple of physicians, 22:09 tell us a little bit about yourself, 22:10 tell us your names? 22:12 I'm Carlos Irizarry, this is my wife Kathy Irizarry, 22:16 we're both family practice physicians. 22:19 We worked in Puerto Rico in a mission term 22:21 for about six years, 22:23 then moved to Minden, Louisiana 22:25 where we practiced, private practice, 22:27 for almost 25 years. 22:29 And we retired recently in this past December. 22:34 Oh, you're retired. 22:37 That means you're picking up some new hobbies, 22:40 you're going on vacations, 22:41 spending some time with grandchildren, right? 22:44 Well, that's obviously what we were wondering about. 22:47 What are we going to do when we retire? 22:49 And there were two things that crossed our minds, 22:52 two considerations. 22:53 One was we wanted to be near an Adventist College 22:56 to benefit from the energy of the young people 23:00 and programming that they would have there. 23:03 Also we wanted to have a home that would have enough room 23:07 so that we could invite guests who were, 23:10 and accommodate guests who were interested 23:12 in learning to live a healthy lifestyle. 23:15 I need to define a healthy lifestyle. 23:18 Ellen White delineates that very well 23:21 the components of that in her book Ministry of Healing, 23:24 page 127 where she says, "Pure air, sunlight, 23:28 abstemiousness, exercise, rest, 23:32 proper diet, water, trust, and divine power." 23:36 These are the true remedies. 23:38 Now we've tried to teach these to our patients 23:41 and have been extremely gratified 23:43 to see significant benefits in those, 23:47 there're relatively few who have listened 23:49 and made changes in their lives. 23:52 Now we want to take this to the next level 23:55 and invite people into our home so that we can better help them 24:00 to internalize these concepts by actually putting them 24:04 and getting their hands into it, so to speak. 24:07 So rather than just listening to lectures, 24:10 we want to have them actually practice shopping for the food. 24:16 They will prepare many of the meals 24:19 and they will learn what it means to make time 24:21 in their day for exercise and devotionals. 24:25 Okay, so home. 24:28 Kathy, he's talking about inviting people into your home? 24:31 What does that look like? 24:33 Looks like fun. All right. 24:36 You know, it's really interesting 24:38 our home/Ouachita Healthy Living Center. 24:44 It's just an amazing thing that it's coming around, 24:47 I don't know if it's up there, it is on the screen. 24:50 This is a work of the Lord, He planned our retirement, 24:55 He's given more than we could ask or think, 24:58 in providing for us a place where we will live 25:04 and be able to also have this plan 25:07 of a healthy living center. 25:09 It has been constructed and is at getting finished. 25:14 With the partnership of Ouachita Hills, 25:18 many hours of labor go into the construction. 25:22 We've been in Louisiana for a good part of that time 25:25 and it's just interesting to me 25:29 that so many hands have been involved, 25:32 I think just about every academy student, 25:35 every college student has been involved 25:38 in the building of this place 25:40 and the staff, they've all been involved. 25:42 But not only that, 25:45 Brother Steve Dickman brought a team of young people. 25:48 I think they represented several academies 25:50 and they came and labored put up sheetrock, 25:53 that was wonderful. 25:55 So we have this, now it's located 25:58 on property belonging to Ouachita Hills, 26:01 and I think some people may not know 26:03 what Ouachita Hills is. 26:04 So this is a school that has both an academy and college. 26:10 It's located in a beautiful spot 26:13 in Arkansas close to Amity, Arkansas, 26:17 and you can look that up on your map. 26:20 So this is our plan and the center, 26:22 it's nearing completion but not quite there yet. 26:26 We want to have people living in the home with us, 26:29 we have a large common area, the pictures down, 26:31 but the large common area has very ample kitchen counters 26:38 and stuff so people can be really involved 26:40 in a large open living room 26:43 where we can have instruction given. 26:46 So instead of going to a class 26:48 where they learn about healthy living, 26:50 whether be a cooking class or just, you know, 26:52 there's a lot of different healthy living programs 26:55 that are out there right now. 26:56 So you're talking about putting people 26:57 in a home setting, 26:59 so that way they can practice cooking, 27:01 they can practice sleeping, for somebody like me 27:03 that could be a struggle getting that rest. 27:06 But, you know, you're putting them outside, 27:07 and you mention that there is a garden 27:08 in the backyard so they can go outside 27:10 and get that sunshine, fresh air, 27:11 and little exercise, and learn how to garden. 27:13 That garden is not there yet, 27:16 but we want there to be a garden, 27:18 and we hope to be able to include all of these phases 27:22 that will include the eight natural remedies 27:25 that they will live that lifestyle with us 27:28 for the time that they stay in our home, 27:30 which would be maybe a week session. 27:32 But I wanted to say one other thing, 27:34 in addition to be able to enjoy 27:36 this opportunity in our retirement, 27:39 we will also be able to teach on the campus 27:42 and that gives us more exposure 27:43 to these wonderful young people, 27:44 which is just such a thrill. 27:46 Amen. 27:47 And enjoy all the programs on the campus. 27:49 Right. 27:51 So now when do you plan to have your first session? 27:53 You said it's not finished yet. 27:55 It's not quite finished yet, it's getting there. 27:58 We also still have to give further work 28:01 to preparing for the sessions, 28:03 so right now our target date is to have our first session 28:07 somewhere in early 2018. 28:10 Okay, wonderful. 28:12 So how can these people that are here 28:14 or watching on 3ABN, 28:16 how can they get more information from you? 28:19 Just come to the Ouachita Hills booth, 28:22 that's number 706. 28:23 It's 607. 28:25 Excuse me, 607, 607, Ouachita Hills, booth 607. 28:29 Okay, wonderful. 28:31 You need to visit them and find a little bit more about it. 28:33 Now, I want to go to Mindy. 28:34 Now, we were just talking about opening up your home 28:37 for, you know, to do this healthy living instruction. 28:42 But what if there isn't a home? 28:43 What if you're living in a tent? 28:45 And so we're going to be hearing from Mindy Thygeson 28:49 who is with Impact Hope, and let's go ahead 28:52 and play the video right now 28:54 so they can see what we're talking about. 28:55 My name is Lia and my parents go to Africa a lot. 28:59 There was a war that made people 29:02 have to run away from their own homes 29:04 and live in another country. 29:07 People who have to leave their homes, 29:12 have been living in Rwanda refugee camps 29:16 for over 20 years. 29:19 They even have only enough money 29:22 for one meal a day. 29:25 They have to hike to get water 29:29 and there are no lights and no showers. 29:33 They can only go to school until ninth grade in the camps. 29:39 When my mom and dad heard about these people, 29:43 they were sad because most of the people 29:46 are Seventh-day Adventist like us. 29:57 You can raise your hand. 29:59 Almost all of them. 30:02 My mom and dad started something 30:05 called Impact Hope. 30:06 They're trying to raise money 30:08 to send kids to go to school onwards, 30:10 so they can get jobs, 30:13 so they can take care of their families. 30:15 As far as refugees are concerned, 30:18 we were all hopeless 30:21 but you have come to support us. 30:24 With this, we would like to show you that 30:27 we are going to work hard and succeed, 30:31 not only in school, but even in everyday life. 30:36 Hoping that you are going to be the one 30:40 who will help us in order to fulfill our dreams. 30:46 There are lots more kids who want to go to school, 30:50 will you help us? 30:56 Okay, now we're talking about refugees from Congo 31:01 and Rwanda, correctly? 31:03 Okay, let me ask you... 31:05 The video talked about this but how many people 31:07 are we talking about? 31:09 There's approximately 80,000 people 31:12 who are living in the Congolese refugee camps 31:15 in Rwanda, 31:16 but the thing that caught our attention is well, 31:21 we knew about the genocide that happened in Rwanda 31:24 in 1994. 31:26 But we didn't realize what happened next, 31:28 so the genocide spilled over into neighboring countries 31:31 including Zaire, which is now the Congo. 31:34 The perpetrators of the genocide in Rwanda 31:37 fled for their lives fearing that they too would be killed 31:40 for what they had done. 31:42 And so they fled into Tanzania and Burundi, 31:45 but in Zaire where they came, 31:48 they came across a group of people 31:49 who are the same tribal systems as those found in Rwanda. 31:53 And so when they saw the lush farmlands in the Congo 31:59 and the herds of cattle and these people were the ones 32:03 who were being killed in Rwanda. 32:06 They began genocide again. 32:09 Well, this area that was targeted 32:11 had been proselytized by evangelist, 32:14 Adventist evangelists in the early 1900's. 32:18 So this whole area was primarily 32:20 Seventh-day Adventist Christians. 32:22 So this led to an influx of refugees into Rwanda, 32:26 and at times there were around 100,000, right? 32:30 Currently, there is 80,000 refugees 32:33 and around 80% and higher. 32:36 And in some cases, in some camps 32:38 100% of them are Seventh-day Adventist. 32:42 So my husband and I when we heard this, 32:45 we felt very compelled to do something about it. 32:49 I'm a nurse and my husband's a businessman 32:51 but, you know, we prayed to do something 32:54 involving missions, and we felt like 32:56 God was calling us to take part in helping in some way 33:01 for these Adventist people, our brothers and sisters. 33:05 Right, and I think that's a good point is that 33:07 we're not talking about people, 33:10 we're talking about brothers and sisters. 33:12 And they are family, 33:14 and when you're sharing the story with me, 33:15 it really touched my heart because we were talking about 33:17 our brothers and sisters. 33:18 It could easily be any one of us here. 33:20 And so what are you doing? 33:25 Well, we found out, as we learned more 33:27 about the conditions in the camp 33:29 and the situations with the students 33:31 and the young people, 33:33 we found out that ADRA Rwanda is actually in the camp 33:36 and they provide education up to the ninth grade, 33:39 but after that there's no funding 33:41 for further education. 33:43 And so my husband and I started an organization 33:46 called Impact Hope, 33:48 and we're sending students from the camps 33:51 to grades ten through twelve, 33:54 plus, one year of technical training 33:56 to Adventist boarding schools in Rwanda. 33:59 So it's been a really great thing for the students 34:03 and also to help the Adventist schools 34:06 in Rwanda as well. 34:08 We have a picture up about this young lady 34:10 with the mattress. 34:11 Can you tell us a little bit about that? 34:13 So for $600 a school year we can take one refugee 34:18 and put them into an Adventist boarding school 34:21 in Rwanda and they say, "You've taken us to Europe." 34:24 Because the contrast between the camps 34:26 and these humble Adventist boarding schools 34:28 is so extreme, that they feel like 34:30 they've really been transported to a different country. 34:34 And we're just so happy 34:35 because they have this confidence 34:38 and they feel that their dreams have come true, 34:41 the dream that they never would have anticipated. 34:46 Especially, the fact that they're in Adventist school 34:49 is especially great. 34:50 Well, the last picture that you saw was Elaine. 34:53 She is one of our shining stars 34:55 and she's in technical school right now, 34:58 she graduated last year. 34:59 And now she's taking sewing. And she sees the potential now. 35:03 She has a future and she can, she knows it 35:06 she doesn't have to remain in the refugee camps. 35:09 She doesn't have to continue this cycle, 35:12 and so she's just incredibly grateful for the opportunity 35:15 to earn money to make a living 35:18 and to provide for not only herself 35:20 but her future family. 35:22 So we're really excited about the impact 35:24 and I don't think we'll really understand 35:26 the full impact until we go to heaven. 35:28 Absolutely, absolutely 35:30 because you're not giving them only hope, 35:32 but you're also helping them get a livelihood. 35:34 And you're putting them in a position 35:36 where they can actually do mission work, 35:38 and that's something that we need to remember to. 35:41 So this has only been going on for about two years 35:43 and you tell me that about 410 students 35:46 already have been impacted, is that correct? 35:48 That's right, we have 410 students 35:51 and they're all sponsorship based 35:53 so we're just, we would always encourage anyone 35:56 who's interested in taking part of this program 35:59 and becoming a sponsor to come to our booth 36:03 at number 404. 36:05 It's called Impact Hope. 36:06 You can also find us on our website 36:09 at impact-hope.org. 36:12 And we'd love to grow the numbers 36:14 and help more of our Adventist brothers and sisters 36:17 for only $50 a month. 36:19 Thank you so much. 36:21 Thank you very much. 36:23 And so I really appreciate all of you 36:24 sharing your stories tonight 36:26 and I'm sure that many of us have been blessed 36:27 and hopefully we can go home with some new ideas 36:30 as to how we can impact the community 36:31 around us as well. 36:36 I remember when I went to my first ASI Convention, 36:40 I actually didn't have any idea what ASI even was. 36:44 I only went because I had a friend 36:46 that was going who invited me, 36:48 but when I went to ASI, 36:50 it opened my eyes to a world that I didn't know existed. 36:54 To be honest, I didn't know that 36:57 there were all these ministries, 36:58 all of these people just doing these different things 37:01 for the Lord, and it made a strong impact on my life. 37:04 In fact, I can trace my first desires 37:08 to go into doing more ministry for God to seeing that ASI. 37:13 And people that I met who were working with ASI, 37:16 working with the Youth for Jesus programs, 37:19 and other things like that that I would have had no idea 37:22 about had it not been for ASI. 37:25 I sense a need in our church for a way 37:30 that people can come together, 37:32 for a place to belong in the church. 37:35 I feel like sometimes, it gets portrayed 37:38 like the epitome of Adventism is going to church 37:41 and paying tithe and maybe participating 37:43 in outreach sometime. 37:46 But in my personal experience, it's so much more than that, 37:49 and there are so many of us that are striving 37:51 in our daily lives to do things for the Lord 37:53 but where do we fit? 37:55 Where do we come together? 37:56 I mean how do we get reinspired, and network, 38:00 and get the support that we need? 38:03 And I see that as a huge need, 38:06 I see that is something that if we could really form 38:09 that kind of network and do this together, 38:12 that all of us could benefit, that all of us could grow, 38:15 and feel like we mean something in the church. 38:19 Like we have a purpose, we have a place in the church, 38:22 and that God is going to really be able 38:25 to use not just the pastors, not just the elders, 38:30 but those of us in everyday life 38:33 to do something for Him. 38:38 With me is Joshua Marcoe, 38:40 he is the technical coordinator for the Ellen G. White Estate. 38:44 And, Joshua, we're glad to have you here this morning 38:46 to help us understand how our offerings 38:48 are being used to spread the love of God 38:50 and the gospel around the world. 38:52 First tell us, catch us up a little bit, 38:55 we know that funding has been received in the past 38:58 to help with translations, where are we with that 39:01 and what's the project for this year? 39:03 I'll just give you a little recap 39:05 of what we did last year. 39:07 To give you an idea, 39:08 we put 48 books up on our website 39:13 and in our apps 39:14 and they are in 15 different languages. 39:17 I'll just read you through a few Bulgarian, Chinese, 39:20 Estonian, French, Hebrew, 39:23 Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, 39:26 and a number of others. 39:27 Well, that's wonderful. 39:29 So then this gives people an opportunity around the world 39:32 to actually access the writings of Ellen White? 39:34 Yeah, if you've appreciated reading books 39:37 like Great Controversy or Steps to Christ 39:40 which actually, this is 125th anniversary 39:43 of Steps to Christ or other books like that, 39:46 you can appreciate that but not everyone 39:48 has those books in their languages. 39:50 So this is what this offering is helping to do 39:54 is take the books that have been translated 39:56 put them into our apps on our website. 39:59 Then people around the world wherever they are, 40:02 if they're in their home country 40:03 or here in America or somewhere else, 40:05 they can get online and read those books 40:08 in their language and be blessed. 40:10 Amen, amen. 40:11 How many of you have your phone with you? 40:14 Do you have your phone? I see lots of phones. 40:16 How many of you have the EG White app on your phone? 40:20 Just as many and the Bible, so we've got the Word of God 40:23 and the Spirit of Prophecy right at our fingertips 40:26 literally to be able to share the love of Jesus. 40:29 And so it's wonderful to know that other people 40:32 around the world can do the same. 40:34 So what kind of... 40:36 What number of languages or what kind of languages 40:38 are the target for this coming year? 40:40 Well, this coming year we've already accumulated 40:43 enough books to cover all the funding 40:46 that ASI is going to give us, so that's great. 40:49 And what we're concentrating on, not necessarily by design, 40:53 but just by what we have received 40:55 is primarily Central Asia 40:57 and also some in Central Africa. 41:00 So we're going to be doing books like in Tajik, in Uzbek, 41:04 in Kazakh, in Kirghiz, and some in Amharic, 41:08 in Georgian, Persian or Farsi, Luo, 41:12 Kenya, Rwanda, and Armenia. 41:15 Now did you say Kirghiz? Yes. 41:17 Well, our next interviewees are actually from Kyrgyzstan. 41:21 So then they will be able to access Ellen White writings 41:24 in their language as a result of the offering for this year. 41:28 Absolutely. Oh, that's wonderful. 41:29 I'm sure that's really good news for them as well. 41:31 All right, you know what, Joshua, is there anything... 41:34 This is what I want to ask you. 41:35 In your mind why is this important? 41:38 Why is this important work, this is a critically initiative 41:41 for the Ellen White Estate? 41:44 Just something that just happened to me this week, 41:46 I was visiting with a friend actually a relative of mine, 41:49 he speaks Malayalam. 41:52 He does not feel comfortable reading English, I'm sorry, 41:57 but he speaks Malayalam and we have books in Malayalam 42:01 that are actually in the process 42:02 of being translated and being put on to our website. 42:05 He will be able to read the Conflict of the Ages series 42:08 in his language, that will be a blessing to him 42:10 and he may become an Adventist as a result of that. 42:13 Amen. 42:14 So it has personal resonance for you as well. 42:17 Great, thank you very much, Joshua. 42:19 I appreciate all that you 42:20 and the Ellen G. White Estate is doing. 42:22 Thank you, and thank you ASI for your contribution and help. 42:25 And if you want more information, 42:27 what booth should they go to for to know? 42:29 Come to booth 723. 42:31 Seven twenty three for the EG White Estate. 42:33 Thank you very much, Joshua. Thank you. 42:36 Coming to join me at the podium now 42:38 as I mentioned before 42:39 are individuals from Kyrgyzstan. 42:41 They're from the Adventist school 42:43 in Kyrgyzstan 42:44 and I'm really excited to have... 42:45 These are my new friends from Kyrgyzstan. 42:48 I don't speak Russian or any other languages 42:50 that they've got. 42:51 But I'm really happy that one of them 42:53 at least speaks English. 42:54 So this is Christian Mueller. 42:57 Christian Mueller is the former development director 42:59 for the school and next to him is, 43:02 I'll say Galina, we'll just skip her last name. 43:06 She's a graduate from the school 43:08 and coming from at the end is our president 43:12 for the Adventist school in Kyrgyzstan. 43:14 So we want to learn a little bit more 43:15 about Adventist school. 43:17 First of all tell us, Christian, where is it? 43:20 How many students? How many staff? 43:21 Give us kind of the lay of the land about the school. 43:24 Okay. Good morning ASI. 43:25 I think we are located in the 10/40 Window 43:30 in Kyrgyzstan in the Southern Union mission 43:33 in the Eurasia division. 43:35 And the school has around 360 students right now 43:40 and 70% of them are from Muslim families. 43:43 It's very interesting because even though the school name 43:47 is Christian school, 43:50 their parents are bringing their kids 43:51 because of the high level of education. 43:54 Oh, wonderful. 43:55 Now I understand that this school has 43:58 a very interesting distinction in all of Central Asia. 44:02 Yes, actually it's the only Adventist school 44:04 in all Central Asia. 44:06 So some of the kids from the other stands 44:09 they are having problems with the Sabbath 44:12 and going to school on Sabbath 44:14 because it's an obligation to do it, 44:16 they are coming to our school to the boarding school 44:19 so they can have a good education 44:21 and keep the Sabbath. 44:22 Now you said the other students from the other stands, 44:25 what are you talking about? 44:26 Well, the union it's the stands in the union 44:30 are the Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, 44:34 Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, 44:37 Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. 44:40 Okay. I'm impressed that you remember all those stans. 44:43 The only stan I know is Stan Smith. 44:45 Oh, that's good. But that's about it. 44:47 Okay, so tell us a little bit about the curriculum, 44:51 and since this is a... 44:53 You have mostly Muslim that are attending the school, 44:56 how do you infuse Christianity 44:58 into the life of the school there? 45:01 Even though we cannot put Bible as a part of the curriculum, 45:06 we have everyday worship first with teachers 45:10 that not all of them are Christians, 45:13 even Christians. 45:14 We have 30% around of them Adventists 45:17 and the rest are Christians and some of them are Muslims. 45:20 But anyways we get together, 45:22 all together to make worship every morning, 45:24 and every day also they have a worship 45:27 with all the students. 45:29 As I was telling you 45:30 this morning part of the project 45:32 and sorry I go in advance of that, 45:34 it's a place so we can meet all together for worship 45:37 every day because we have a very small place 45:40 and for 360 students we cannot gather them all. 45:43 So we do worship with first grade to four grade, 45:47 then to fifth to seven, and so we separate the classes 45:50 so we can get together for worship. 45:52 Okay. 45:53 So then, this project is to fund or to help to fund 45:58 the raising up of a multipurpose center, 46:00 so that you're able to do things like worship 46:03 and a variety of other activities. 46:04 Yes, we have one big project in the school 46:07 that is Community Soccer School. 46:10 You know, I'm from Argentina so we love soccer. 46:13 So we created soccer school there 46:15 with 120 kids that are coming. 46:18 We teach them values not only sports 46:21 but we mentor them. 46:22 Because kids are in the streets, 46:26 they play soccer but without parents guard. 46:30 So we bring them together, we take them to camp meetings, 46:34 we teach them the Bible. 46:36 Now we have a small group with 20 of them 46:38 studying the Bible, kids from 15 to 16 years old. 46:41 Amen. 46:42 Now you have some pictures that you want to show us? 46:44 Yes. 46:45 Can you give us some, bit more? 46:46 This is the multipurpose building 46:48 that we already started in April 46:51 and we hope to finish for the winter 46:54 because the biggest problem there is the winter 46:56 and we cannot continue the work 46:59 with the kids during the winter. 47:00 So this is, we are constructing it right now. 47:03 Okay. 47:05 And this is how we will finish the view. 47:07 Okay, have a look, wonderful. 47:08 And I think there is some pictures 47:10 in advance of this 47:11 that showed among a group of the children 47:14 that, and tell us a little bit about... 47:16 Yes, it's very interesting because we have around 47:19 80 nationalities in our school. 47:22 So if you saw the pictures, you will see 47:25 different type of faces and it's very nice 47:29 because we can reach many cultural people 47:35 that is already living in Kyrgyzstan. 47:37 So this is one nice part of the school. 47:39 And you will see also another picture of a building 47:42 that it's already almost done that is for 300 more kids 47:46 because we are rejecting around 40 to 50 kids per year 47:50 because we don't have space for them. 47:52 So thanks to God and help of many people 47:56 and some of them members of ASI, 47:59 we were able to construct this building for 300 more kids 48:03 and to expand the school to almost the amount of members 48:07 of the church in Kyrgyzstan. 48:08 We have 700 members in Kyrgyzstan, 48:10 the whole country. 48:11 And if God is willing, 48:13 we will fill up the new building, 48:14 we will reach almost 600 kids that will listen to the gospel. 48:18 So I just want to ask Constantine Kampen, 48:21 who's the president. 48:23 So I know that your English isn't good. 48:25 Well, my Russian is not good, so we're good. 48:30 So let's see, so how does this work. 48:32 So if your English isn't very good, 48:34 you rely on Christian to... 48:38 We divide our obligation. 48:40 He speaks, I work. Okay. 48:44 And so and one of the things that you're wearing 48:46 that you and Galina are wearing 48:48 this is common local dress in... 48:53 If you come in national holidays, 48:55 you can see people wearing this. 48:57 Okay, okay, all right. 48:58 So I understand that if you go to their booth, 49:00 you're able to actually take a picture with them 49:02 in their national garbs, so that's wonderful. 49:04 Welcome. 49:06 Okay. 49:07 So let's talk to Galina a little bit. 49:09 Galena, so I understand that you're a graduate 49:12 of Adventist School Kyrgyzstan? 49:13 Yes. 49:14 How is it that you came to go there? 49:16 Well, I started going there when I was... 49:19 Well, I started school in the first grade 49:22 and my mom put me there not because it was Christian 49:24 but because the school was the best school in my town. 49:28 And public schools all there is not really good 49:32 because the teachers are not really caring about you, 49:34 they're like just caring if you give them presents 49:36 or they give you, sometimes money. 49:39 Because like they're not getting enough payment, 49:42 and also another reason my mom put me there, 49:45 is that in Kyrgyzstan it's really cold in the winter 49:48 and in public schools in the winter 49:50 like inside of the school it's really cold. 49:53 So the kids should wear their coat, and gloves, 49:56 and hats, and everything. 49:57 And so in Adventist school, it's warm inside in the winters 50:01 so that's why my mom put me there. 50:04 Safety and warmth first, absolutely. 50:07 So how was it that you were introduced to Jesus 50:10 at the school? 50:12 Well, like I know different but from my family 50:15 because I felt like I needed something, 50:18 I felt like it's something I have to know 50:20 like I didn't know what it was. 50:23 Then when I was in eighth grade, I knew one, 50:29 actually it was Christian's sister. 50:31 She went there to be a missionary 50:34 and she gave us classes in English, 50:35 through there I got to know, so she ask the girls, 50:38 and once I told them, 50:40 "Hey, let's go to do something on Saturday. 50:42 Let's go to a walk or something." 50:44 And they told me they can't do that 50:47 because they're going to church on Saturday 50:49 and for me it was like, you can't think about 50:52 and that's it like excuse not to go 50:53 it was meant to go like to work because for me 50:55 to going to church it's on Sunday. 50:58 And then they told me about the Adventist Church 51:01 and then I went there with them and I like that. 51:04 Oh, that's wonderful. 51:06 So that your introduction to Jesus came from your friends 51:10 there at school? 51:11 Yeah, there actually it wasn't like a school students 51:14 but they were like just coming to English classes 51:16 at school in this school. 51:18 Okay, wonderful, wonderful 51:20 and we don't have a lot of time left, 51:23 but tell me what it has meant to actually have Jesus 51:27 in your life as a result? 51:29 Well, as I knew Jesus, and I see like, 51:32 I finally found what I was looking for 51:34 a whole like, my life actually and I feel like 51:40 there's nothing better than knowing Jesus 51:42 and being in church. 51:44 And everything I have now it's because I know Jesus. 51:47 Amen. 51:48 And now Galina is studying at Monte Morello, 51:50 she wants to become an English teacher. 51:52 Amen. Thank you very much. 51:53 Thank you for your offering in advance 51:56 so that we can help the Adventist School Kyrgyzstan 51:59 teach others about Jesus. 52:01 Thank you. 52:07 To be at ASI and to hear about 52:08 what God is doing around the world. 52:10 Amen. 52:11 Well, not far from the country of Kyrgyzstan 52:13 is an area of the world 52:15 that is a particular challenge for evangelism. 52:18 And just a few years ago, 52:19 the General Conference organized, 52:21 reorganized the 20 countries in the Middle East, 52:24 to form the Middle East and North Africa Union 52:27 with 545 million people. 52:29 It is one of the most challenging areas 52:31 of the world for evangelism and with me here today 52:34 is Rick McEdward, the president of MEAN. 52:36 And, Rick, tell us you have a guest with you as well. 52:39 Yeah, thanks, Kyle. Yes, with me is Michael Eckert. 52:41 He is our publishing ministries director 52:44 in the Middle East North Africa Union 52:46 and it's fun to be here with the ASI group, 52:49 we love the enthusiasm that everybody shares here. 52:51 Amen. 52:52 So, Rick, you have quite a challenge 52:54 on your hands with MENA. 52:56 I think that's fair to say. 52:58 We have 20 countries as Kyle mentioned 53:01 545 million people, but 95% of those people 53:06 come from a large non-Christian religion 53:10 that we hear about in the news almost every day. 53:14 In our union, we have one Adventist 53:17 to every 167,000 people. 53:23 In North America, it's one Adventist for every 294. 53:28 So if every Adventist in the whole union 53:31 was faithful to share the gospel 53:34 once every single day. 53:38 All those 3,700 members, it would take us 410 years 53:42 to complete the simple gospel commission 53:45 that Christ has given us. 53:50 So, Rick, last year in light of this incredible challenge, 53:55 ASI sponsored a project as a part of the offering 53:59 to do something very special in MENA. 54:02 Tell us a little bit about that project? 54:04 Well, I'll let Michael explain the project 54:08 and how it makes an impact in our union. 54:12 As Rick has already mentioned, we have a tremendous challenge 54:15 and our 20 countries we have more than seven languages 54:19 that are spoken in these 20 countries. 54:21 And Arabic, Farsi, and Turkish alone, 54:25 these three languages over 500 million 54:28 which is half a billion people on the planet 54:31 speak that language. 54:32 And Arabic alone is a little liturgical language 54:37 for 1.6 billion Muslims on this planet. 54:41 Arabic, and so our goal was last year 54:45 to produce The Conflict of the Ages series, 54:48 which are the five major books of Ellen White, 54:51 Patriarchs and Prophets, Prophets and Kings, 54:54 The Great Controversy, The Acts of the Apostles, 54:56 The Desire of Ages in these three languages. 54:59 And we partnered with the General Conference 55:01 EG White Estate and with ASI to make that project possible. 55:06 Can I just interject here for a moment 55:10 in concert with this project 55:13 an experience that we had recently? 55:15 There was a young man from one of our countries, 55:18 the country I will not disclose here. 55:21 But he was, he had moved away from his home was in Europe 55:24 and as he was there in Europe working in the night, 55:28 he got a strong impression from God, 55:30 "You must go back to your home country." 55:33 Three times in the night, 55:35 you must go back to your home country 55:36 and he's like, "Why would I go? 55:38 It's winter there. 55:39 It's raining, there's no reason for me to go back." 55:43 But he obeyed the impression that he got from God. 55:47 When he went back, he was a lot walking 55:50 along the street corner in one of our largest cities 55:54 in the Middle East North Africa Union. 55:55 I mean, it's a massive city. 55:59 And as he was walking, he just happened to be 56:02 between a ferry terminal and a university 56:05 where we have a congregation that meets. 56:09 And along the streets near where the congregation meets 56:12 we have a nice literature rack and that literature rack 56:15 has several well known titles, the Seventh-day Adventists, 56:19 it has Bibles, it has other things 56:21 and because it's on a busy thoroughfare 56:24 that particular corner gets thousands and thousands 56:29 of people walking by every single week. 56:32 So this guy stopped picked up a book 56:37 and started reading it. 56:39 As he read it his attention was totally captured 56:44 by what he was reading 56:46 and that book was The Great Controversy. 56:48 Now after that he said, 56:50 I can't stop, this is addictive, 56:52 he was addicted to reading The Great Controversy. 56:55 He sat down and read it in one weekend. 56:57 I don't know how many of you have tried that 56:58 but that's not an easy task. 57:00 How many of you read in one weekend? 57:02 That's incredible. I don't see any hands. 57:03 But there reality was he came back and he says, 57:07 "What else do you have?" 57:08 And they gave him some more books. 57:10 And then he went to our head office and he said 57:13 there has to be more and so they gave him 57:14 some in English because he could speak English. 57:16 And little by little he became so consumed 57:21 with reading Ellen White and knowing the Jesus 57:25 that she promotes... 57:26 Amen. 57:28 That his life was changed. 57:30 And today he is back there in that large city 57:35 at that same group 57:36 and he is manning the booth at the literature rack 57:39 and drawing people as they walk by 57:42 into a new relationship with Jesus. 57:44 We are giving away 200 Bibles every single week, Kyle. 57:48 Praise the Lord. 57:49 And we are giving away 70 Ellen White titles 57:53 whether one of the ones that we're working on 57:55 or others as a result of that connection that he had, 58:01 that impression that he followed, 58:03 God is using it now to reach out to many. 58:05 And we're seeing the impact of the Spirit of Prophecy 58:09 in real time in our union, when people are willing to stop 58:13 and read what they see. 58:15 So, Rick, you're telling me that 58:16 because of what some of our members gave last year 58:18 here at the ASI offering, there are people in MENA 58:21 who will be able to read the Spirit of Prophecy 58:23 for the first time. 58:24 Absolutely. Amen. Amen. 58:26 There's nothing better than that. 58:27 Rick, finally, how can our ASI members 58:30 and those watching us on 3ABN get involved 58:32 with what you're doing in MENA? 58:34 Well, first of all, you know, everybody can be involved 58:37 because everybody can pray 58:39 and in the Middle East North Africa Union, 58:41 we believe that God is moving mountains by prayer. 58:44 So please pray for us, 58:45 but I want to mention something else. 58:48 There is so much to do, and we have major cities 58:54 of over a million people that do not have 58:56 one Seventh-day Adventist 58:57 and we need people with business background, 59:00 we need people who are professionals, 59:02 we need supporting ministries to come into our territory, 59:05 to establish a lighthouse for God's kingdom 59:07 and to work with us on how to start 59:10 new fellowship groups 59:11 throughout the Middle East and North Africa Union. |
Revised 2017-10-26