Participants: Vaughan Sparrow & John Davidson & John von Horsten (Host), Fred & Jill Cornforth / Dee Casper / Radim Passer / Richard Korbut Jr., Moise Ratsara
Series Code: 17ASIC
Program Code: 17ASIC000005A
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00:20 Hello again.
00:21 And welcome again to this segment 00:23 of ASI Members in Action 00:25 where we are listening to what ASI members are doing 00:28 in their part of God's vineyard. 00:30 Have you enjoyed the story so far this evening? 00:33 Each one of these gentlemen represent different ministry. 00:36 So welcome to all of you who are joining me here 00:38 on the platform also this evening. 00:41 Vaughan Sparrow is the president 00:45 of Wildwood Institute 00:46 and Lifestyle Center and Clinic. 00:49 Vaughan, welcome. Thank you. 00:51 We're going to be talking about Wildwood for just a minute 00:54 but before we do that, 00:55 I'd like to maybe introduce you. 00:58 And perhaps you could tell us where you're from, 01:01 and how you got involved, 01:02 and how long you've been involved 01:04 as president there at Wildwood? 01:05 I've noticed a little Southern accent in your speech 01:10 but not the kind of Southern accent 01:11 that you'd run into here in Texas. 01:14 It comes from the deep South. 01:15 Deep South, okay. 01:16 South Africa. South Africa. 01:18 I was born to farming parents in South Africa. 01:23 At the end of my high school, 01:25 my father wanted us to get some education. 01:29 Went to Helderberg College in South Africa. 01:32 When I graduated there, we went farming. 01:35 And the Lord convicted us 01:36 to get involved in medical missionary work, 01:39 worked it out that we could come to Wildwood 01:42 and we've been there for about 12.5 years. 01:44 Wonderful. 01:46 Give me a bird's eye view 01:47 of what Wildwood is and what you do there? 01:50 Wildwood is a ministry of dedicated lay people, 01:55 volunteers to service, 01:57 trying to spread God's love and His Word 02:01 to hasten His soon return. 02:03 We have a video that will explain 02:05 a little bit more about what Wildwood does. 02:07 And so perhaps if we could roll that video at this moment 02:10 and enable to give you a good idea 02:12 as to what Wildwood's about. 02:13 Thank you. 02:18 Hidden among the outskirts of Chattanooga, 02:22 there is a place called Wildwood. 02:25 A community of Seventh-day Adventists 02:28 that focus on the ministry of Christ 02:31 by claiming lives for His kingdom 02:33 through medical missionary work, 02:35 health evangelism, and social interactions. 02:39 The environment, the mindset of the place is beautiful. 02:44 It's not the money, it's the love, 02:47 that understanding the person in general, 02:50 the physical part and the spiritual part. 02:52 We can't come here and not smiling. 02:55 Everybody wave to you, "Hi!" 02:58 So it's new but I love it. 03:01 I hope I can use that to change mindset of my people 03:04 where I came from. 03:10 What I love about Wildwood 03:11 is that Wildwood is so much more 03:13 than what happens here on this campus. 03:15 It may start here 03:17 but then people go out from here. 03:19 And they go out, 03:20 and they start lifestyle centers. 03:22 They start projects, they do mission work, 03:25 they change their communities, they work with their churches. 03:29 Wildwood is basically like a launching pad. 03:31 It's somewhere that people come, 03:33 they get inspired, they get trained 03:35 but then they go to all corners of the world 03:37 and do amazing things for the Lord. 03:40 How does something like this happen? 03:43 Wildwood is the result of many miracles. 03:46 It's inspiring reading and hearing 03:48 about those numerous miracles 03:50 from the many resources that we have available. 03:53 The men and women who started Wildwood had a vision. 03:57 They believed in ministry that would impact the world 04:00 as well as their local community. 04:02 We are now living in the consummation 04:04 of that vision 04:06 as medical missionary work has extended across the globe. 04:15 Vaughan, you recently celebrated 04:16 an anniversary there at Wildwood. 04:18 What was your? What year was it? 04:20 Seventy five years. Seventy five years. 04:22 And in that time, there have been many miracles 04:24 that have happened but some challenges also. 04:27 And I understand that this year there was a challenge, 04:30 but you were able to overcome that with God's help. 04:32 Tell us a little bit about it? 04:33 I believe that we are blessed but challenged. 04:38 And this past year, 04:41 we've had challenges on our education front 04:44 with our medical missionary training program. 04:47 We were seeking different type of visa. 04:51 And as we asked questions, 04:52 the State decided that they needed to shut us down. 04:56 And they told us to remove our webpage 04:59 and they did some further investigation. 05:03 But by the Lord's grace, 05:05 we were able to get legal opinion. 05:09 And as we sought that legal opinion, 05:11 we were eventually granted religious exemption 05:15 for our education program, 05:16 and that was a real blessing. 05:18 You see the Lord's hand in that decision then? 05:21 Amen. Amen. 05:22 So the education department is back up and running? 05:25 Back up and running, 05:26 and we're training missionaries that go all around the world. 05:28 And there is a project that ASI is helping you with. 05:32 What's that all about? 05:34 We have a community center that we have started. 05:36 It's a project, and thanks to ASI and our donors 05:40 we are able to start this project. 05:42 We've had many challenges 05:44 in location, in licensing, weather. 05:47 But we are ready to roll 05:49 and hopefully by the end of this summer, 05:52 we will have at least the earth work done. 05:55 And so it's been a real blessing. 05:56 And again, we want to thank you to ASI for the support 06:00 that is being given to us. 06:03 In that 75 years again 06:05 many, many stories that couldn't be recounted 06:08 but, perhaps you have just one which you could share with us? 06:12 We have so many. 06:16 On the education front, 06:17 we have lives being changed, characters being formed. 06:20 In our lifestyle center though, 06:22 we get to see firsthand God's healing. 06:26 And Michelle was experiencing numbness, 06:29 tingling in her arms, hands, and feet, and legs. 06:33 And eventually, she was diagnosed with MS. 06:36 And after a lot of medication, a hospital stay, 06:41 she decided that she didn't want to continue with this 06:44 the rest of her life. 06:45 After she was released from hospital, 06:47 she decided to go on a juice fast 06:49 and take things into her own hands. 06:51 She experienced healing in a significant way. 06:54 But a short time after, she started to slip again. 06:58 And her own words here, "We called Wildwood 07:01 and within a few hours, we arrived. 07:03 I did not think that I could financially afford 07:05 to stay the 25 days but God opened the door. 07:09 It was such a blessing under the care of doctors 07:11 who are not trying to push poison into your veins 07:14 but to use God's method of healing 07:16 combined with their knowledge of the body 07:18 to facilitate healing and restoration." 07:20 And she says, "I appreciated the fact 07:22 that the doctors took time 07:23 to pray with each of us as patients. 07:26 I have seen Him work some miracles in my life 07:28 and in the lives of the other guests 07:30 that were with me. 07:31 Before I left Wildwood, my symptoms had abated. 07:34 During my time at Wildwood, 07:36 I received not only physical healing, 07:38 but also emotional and spiritual healing." 07:40 And as we listen to these testimonies 07:42 of these lifestyle guests, 07:44 it's a highlight every two weeks in our program 07:46 to hear how the Lord is actively healing people 07:49 and changing lives. 07:51 The physical healing is important, 07:53 but it's the spiritual healing that we're really after. 07:55 That's right. 07:56 Well, Vaughan, it's been a pleasure speaking to you. 07:58 Thank you so much. 08:00 John Davidson is the president of Eden Valley. 08:03 Perhaps you could tell me was... 08:08 Let's say five years ago, 08:10 being the president of the Eden Valley, 08:11 something that you were planning to do 08:13 and was on the top of your list? 08:16 Well, five years ago, I wouldn't... 08:20 I'm sorry about that. Five years ago, no. 08:23 One year ago, no. 08:25 Really? Okay. 08:27 It wasn't on the radar. Okay. 08:30 Tell us how it happened? 08:32 Oh, well. 08:33 It kind of is a longer story but it happened by Lisa Hodges 08:39 coming to my house and asking me to do that. 08:41 But there is kind of a lengthy story 08:43 that goes along with that. 08:46 Yeah. 08:47 We don't have time for the whole story, of course, 08:49 but the key here is 08:53 when God calls, 08:56 you need to be ready to answer it. 08:57 And we discussed just a little bit about 08:59 what that means for you, let's talk about that? 09:02 Well, being born in a Seventh-day Adventist home 09:04 and baptized at 12 years old like many of us, 09:07 you grow up being a Seventh-day Adventist 09:10 but really not dedicating your life to the Lord. 09:14 You do all the right things 09:16 but you don't dedicate yourself. 09:18 And my dad would tell me as I grew up, 09:20 and even he would tell me today, 09:22 "You have to dedicate yourself unconditionally." 09:26 And that's the hard part, isn't it? 09:27 Unconditionally? 09:30 Think about that for a second 09:31 when a military army surrenders unconditionally. 09:36 And that's your heart, giving that to God and saying, 09:39 "Whatever you want me to do, I will do." 09:42 Amen. 09:43 Now, we've got a video 09:44 that explains just a little bit about 09:46 what Eden Valley is about. 09:47 And also you've had some challenges 09:49 in the last year or so. 09:50 And so we want to know what those are. 09:51 But if we could look at the video that will explain 09:54 what Eden Valley is and what you do there? 10:02 In 1962, Eden Valley Institute of Wellness 10:06 was founded at the foothills 10:08 of the Rocky Mountain National Park. 10:14 A lifestyle center was started a few years later 10:17 to reach out to those who were in health crisis. 10:21 Implementing God's natural laws of health 10:23 outlined in the Bible in our treatments, 10:26 our guests experience rest, healing, and peace 10:30 in the beautiful nature setting surrounding the property. 10:33 More importantly, they were brought 10:35 to the knowledge of Jesus who only can give true healing 10:39 both physically and spiritually. 10:43 Today, Eden Valley is blessed 10:45 with more than 30 dedicated volunteers on staff. 10:49 Our two week natural remedies program 10:51 has helped hundreds of people 10:52 to restore their health and their faith. 10:56 Our three month educational program 10:58 which combines medical missionary work and evangelism 11:01 has provided our students with knowledge and tools 11:04 that have been used to improve the lives 11:07 of believers and nonbelievers 11:09 all across the globe. 11:11 In 2017, we also started a new program 11:15 geared towards health professionals. 11:17 The Natural Remedies Program for Health Professionals 11:20 is an intensive one month program 11:23 designed to equip individuals with medical background. 11:28 Here at Eden Valley, our mission is to restore 11:31 the lives of our guests, students, and community members 11:36 through the use of Scripture based education, 11:39 natural remedies, and spiritual nourishment. 11:44 But the challenges are big and ever changing. 11:47 In 2010, Eden Valley operations were threatened 11:51 by some requirements imposed by the county. 11:54 Included in their list 11:56 was a $1 million new sewer plant. 11:59 By God's grace, since August, 2016, 12:02 the new sewer plant has been fully operational. 12:06 The boy's dormitory has been recently renovated 12:08 with funds donated for this purpose. 12:11 All rooms received new carpet, 12:13 a fresh coat of paint, and new furniture. 12:16 Eden Valley's lifestyle center must be expanded. 12:20 More space and new equipment 12:21 means we can accommodate more guests 12:23 and perform treatments and programs 12:26 that are not possible with our current structure. 12:30 Until our Lord and Savior returns, 12:33 many people still need to be touched 12:35 by the medical missionary work. 12:38 Please pray for Eden Valley 12:40 as we continue in our journey to share God's love 12:44 through the gift of better health. 12:50 Now, John, the video mentioned one challenge 12:53 but there's another challenge that you mentioned also. 12:55 And you're a recipient of the project offering 12:58 that will help with that challenge. 13:00 Tell us what it is? 13:01 Yeah, that challenge is a new kitchen. 13:04 The county came just like 13:06 they did with the sewer plant there 13:08 and they said, "We needed to make a change." 13:10 And the change is we needed a commercial kitchen, 13:13 we are cooking there. 13:15 And it's not legal if you will. 13:19 And so we are working towards 13:21 building a brand new commercial kitchen. 13:24 So they said, "We love what you're doing, 13:25 just need to be legal." 13:27 So we can be legal. Okay. 13:29 It wouldn't be complete if you didn't tell us 13:32 a little bit of a story about what's going on 13:34 and what the Lord's doing at Eden Valley right now? 13:36 Well, you saw a little bit about the education department, 13:39 students learning to do 13:41 what we do there at Eden Valley, 13:43 our lifestyle center. 13:44 I'm just going to tell you a quick story 13:45 at the lifestyle center. 13:47 There was a group of people that came. 13:51 It was about a month ago. 13:52 We do an outreach session, it's one week long. 13:54 And there was a man there that talked to me 13:57 and he said, "I really didn't have a good picture of God. 14:00 I had a picture in my mind of what God was like." 14:04 But after dealing with our people 14:06 there in the lifestyle center 14:08 and studying the Bible each morning, 14:10 we have worship at 6:30 each morning, 14:12 he says, "Now I have a new picture of what God is. 14:15 God is love. 14:17 The way that you treat me here shows what God is like." 14:22 And so his complete picture of God has changed. 14:24 "I see a loving God, 14:26 a God who wants me to spend eternity with Him." 14:30 Yeah, that's the picture 14:32 that we need to leave with people, isn't it? 14:34 Whether they're Bible believing Christians 14:36 or not Bible believing Christians, 14:37 they still need to have that picture 14:39 from all of our institutions. 14:41 John, thank you for talking to us this evening. 14:42 Thank you. 14:44 The next organization is a new organization 14:48 called Adventist Help. 14:49 And in fact, I guess you could say actually a fast moving, 14:54 up and coming entrepreneurial, 14:56 rough and tumble kind of organization. 14:59 And so you're doing some exciting work. 15:01 I'd like to introduce to some of you. 15:04 Probably most of you know, Kim Busi. 15:06 He's been in mission work for many decades 15:09 and a good friend. 15:11 And also a new friend Dr. Michael von Horsten. 15:14 I think I mangled your name appropriately. 15:17 And you are also involved in this new work. 15:22 I'd like for Kim to take just a moment 15:24 to give us the cliff notes version of what the work is 15:28 and how it really came to be. 15:30 It's something that's fairly brand new 15:32 and just always evolving. 15:33 So give us an overview of it, Kim? 15:35 Two years ago at the ASI Europe Convention, 15:39 we went to Budapest, 15:40 we found 3,500 refugees 15:42 sleeping in the local train station. 15:44 An ASI member from North America came to me 15:47 and said, "Kim, can you get me 10 minutes with your board?" 15:50 I said, "Sure." 15:51 He presented to the board an opportunity 15:55 to serve these hundreds of thousands of people 15:58 in a tangible way 15:59 as they are fleeing war and terror 16:02 in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan. 16:05 And we had no idea what would happen. 16:09 Three months later, what you see here 16:11 is Adventist Help initiative was created. 16:14 We ended up with a bus turned into a clinic 16:16 on the shores of Lesbos. 16:18 This facility was the one and only 16:21 medical emergency facility on that island. 16:25 As you see, the picture of the boats here, 16:27 people coming in. 16:29 Just imagine yourself having lived in a desert, 16:31 you end up here. 16:32 We all know 16:34 that thousands of people have drowned on their way. 16:37 Lord lead wonderfully in this ministry, 16:39 thousands of people have been ministered unto, 16:42 volunteers from around the world fly themselves. 16:47 They pay for themselves to be there 16:49 and they serve the needs of these folks. 16:51 When they closed Turkey so the boats couldn't come out, 16:56 they close the gates of Greece 16:57 so the refugees couldn't enter Europe. 17:00 They asked us to establish a facility at a refugee camp. 17:04 And you saw in that slide, a 40 foot container. 17:08 A person whom we all know, elder... 17:12 Did I say that right, Ted Wilson. 17:14 I'm sorry, Ted. Yes. 17:15 I remember your dad. 17:17 Heard about Adventist Help, 17:18 he appealed to Viriato Ferreira, 17:20 the president of ASI Europe, 17:22 he said, "Can Adventist Help come to Iraq? 17:25 There's a great need in Iraq for this type of ministry." 17:29 We kind of drew sticks to see 17:31 who would win the trip to Iraq and I won. 17:33 So I got to go to Iraq. 17:35 And shortly thereafter, my good friend here, 17:37 Dr Michael von Horsten from South Africa 17:40 came to spearhead that work in Iraq. 17:44 He was a great strength to us in Greece. 17:48 And so in Iraq, what you're going to see 17:50 is a partnership between MENA, 17:52 the Middle East North Africa. 17:55 Middle East North Africa, right, 17:57 and ADRA and Adventist Help 18:00 and volunteers from around the world. 18:03 Dr. Michael, maybe you can give us an idea 18:05 of what typically is going on at this... 18:10 Well, it's a hospital there in Iraq. 18:13 And also how did it get going exactly there in that vicinity. 18:18 And did you do it all by yourself? 18:20 No, definitely not. 18:21 So this is been one of the most exciting projects 18:24 I've ever been involved in as in my medical career. 18:27 So we came to Iraq in February this year. 18:31 I went there to possibly open up a small clinic 18:33 like we opened in Greece, possibly two or three beds. 18:36 And I walked into the ADRA office, 18:39 and we talked about the possibilities 18:41 for opening up this unit 18:42 and collaborating with ADRA Kurdistan. 18:45 And from there, it just skyrocketed. 18:47 I actually don't even know how it happened 18:48 but the facility we have on the ground now 18:53 is a 45 bed hospital, a six consultation room, 18:56 primary care unit, a mental health unit, 18:59 a dental unit that's busy being developed at the moment, 19:03 nine bed emergency unit 19:05 with the three bed heart care units, 19:06 an X-ray unit, and ultrasound facility, 19:09 and a laboratory, plus a pharmacy 19:12 which is absolutely nothing short of a miracle. 19:15 So, yeah, we're really excited to be on the ground. 19:18 Just to give you an idea of the location, 19:20 we're actually 20 kilometers east... 19:23 20 miles east of the city of Mosul. 19:26 So for those of you who are following Middle Eastern, 19:30 the events happening in the Middle East, 19:31 this is one of the strongholds of ISIS. 19:34 And the liberation process 19:36 that's been underway for the past two months 19:38 in the area has displaced 19:40 hundreds of thousands of people. 19:42 And currently we, there's a cluster of five 19:45 internally displaced persons camps 19:48 with collective populations of 100,000 people 19:51 that's 20,000 children sitting 19:53 with no access to emergency care 19:56 in patient facilities on the ground. 19:58 And that's where ADRA 20:00 and Adventist Help have stepped in 20:01 and put this facility together. 20:04 So, yeah, it's incredible to be there. 20:06 Just to give you an idea of people 20:08 we are dealing with... 20:09 This is a population that has absolutely 20:11 no medical care for three years. 20:13 You know, every day, we've seen children 20:16 that have been starving to death. 20:18 They've been living on rice water. 20:20 The parents have been eating grass 20:23 which they buy for $12 a kilogram, 20:25 they've been eating cat's meat 20:27 that they bought for $45 per kilogram. 20:30 They've been starving, 20:31 it's been a siege of biblical proportions. 20:33 And so we're dealing with children 20:35 with miasmas of severe acute malnutrition. 20:37 We're dealing with people 20:38 with severe mental health issues. 20:40 We're dealing with people who've seen crucifixions 20:43 on a day to day basis. 20:45 People who have had their children beheaded, 20:47 people who've had their brothers and sisters 20:49 thrown off buildings, 20:50 who've been sex slaves, who've been tortured. 20:53 We see children in our clinics that have been electrocuted 20:56 and tortured by ISIS. 20:58 So this is a group of people that are incredibly vulnerable. 21:02 These are not terrorists, these are victims of terrorism. 21:06 And we are here to reach out to them. 21:08 It's a beautiful entering wedge into the 10/40 window. 21:11 Yeah. 21:13 This type of work is something 21:15 that you could probably tell us stories for hours. 21:21 Unfortunately, we only have a few seconds left. 21:23 So if someone wants to get involved 21:25 in the work that you're doing, 21:26 if someone here is listening 21:27 and they'd like to get involved, 21:29 how can they get involved in what you're doing? 21:30 Well, right now, we have an Adventist Help booth 21:33 here at the convention. 21:34 And I invite you to come, see Cloustee, Michael, see myself. 21:38 This is been a faith venture from day one. 21:40 We responded to a call that God put before us. 21:43 And it's been a miracle to watch it happen. 21:46 Every two weeks, we have bills to pay 21:47 and we have no money in the bank account. 21:49 We need volunteers from around the world 21:52 to keep this hospital open. 21:53 We went from a 40 foot clinic to a 45 bed hospital. 21:57 We have no administration, we have no paid help. 22:00 It's simply a miracle 22:02 that we see God working to touch the lives of people, 22:05 to share the love of Christ in a tangible way 22:08 in countries where we have not had success in years past. 22:11 Please, come by the booth, 22:13 or you can visit www.AdventistHelp.org. 22:17 Thank you so much, gentlemen. 22:18 And ASI is praying for each one of your ministries. 22:22 We'll keep you in prayer. 22:23 And we know that God is blessing 22:24 and He will continue to bless in the future. 22:26 Thank you so much. 22:27 Amen. Thank you, Cal. 22:29 I do what I do 22:31 because I believe that the gospel 22:32 is the most beautiful compelling thing there is. 22:36 And at times, I don't believe that we communicate it 22:39 as beautifully as we can. 22:40 So I design for ministries of the Adventist church 22:44 because the message is beautiful, 22:47 the audience doesn't always see it. 22:49 I think ASI is really great 22:50 because it provides an opportunity 22:52 for me to meet bunch of really great people 22:55 who have been doing very inspiring work in the church. 22:58 And as I want to work with Adventist ministries 23:01 and help them communicate what they're doing, 23:04 I love knowing what they are doing. 23:05 And it inspires me to be a better Christian. 23:08 And I think that's something 23:10 that we can all see as having really great value. 23:21 We're delighted to be here tonight 23:23 and to talk about some fantastic things 23:26 that God is doing in the lives of people 23:29 who are ministering right out on the frontlines. 23:33 I want to get right to it, 23:35 Fred and Jill Comforth are here. 23:37 I want you to know that Fred is our new chapter president 23:40 for the North Pacific Union Conference and ASI, 23:44 our ASI chapter up there. 23:46 Fred, you were a part of ASI a long time ago but tell us. 23:50 Yeah, no, it's remarkable to think to be back, 23:53 involved with ASI. 23:54 The last two or three years 23:55 there's been so much good done by ASI 23:57 that we felt drawn back to it 24:00 and we've become very involved, very involved 24:05 and it's been a wonderful experience. 24:06 We just see so much potential 24:08 and as you can tell from all the other people 24:10 before just wonderful miracles of God 24:13 happening in people's lives every day. 24:14 So in Boise which is where our home is, 24:19 we just completed an Amen Clinic 24:21 where we had just under 1400 people 24:25 that came over a three day period. 24:29 And I think one of the most remarkable things to me 24:31 was that over half of our volunteers 24:35 were in their 20s and 30s, 24:37 so it was a younger group 24:38 but it was really remarkable to see 24:41 these people getting involved in people's lives. 24:43 And my wife has some stories 24:45 she would like to tell that came from the clinic itself. 24:49 What a pleasure it was to work in the mission field of Boise. 24:54 I know that we hear about the mission field 24:55 being so far away 24:57 but really in our hometowns 24:58 you can find mission fields wherever you live. 25:02 So, yes, it was a privilege for us to serve there 25:05 in this capacity at this medical clinic. 25:09 I am a pediatric nurse by education and by training 25:12 and so I gravitate towards the children. 25:15 And one of my stories is about a little girl, 25:17 her name was Naomi 25:19 and her mother, actually their whole family, 25:22 there were three kids and a mother and a father, 25:25 that came to my attention 25:27 because they were a very special family. 25:28 They had waited in line for five hours 25:31 to finally get her daughter to be seen for vision 25:33 only to find out 25:35 that she didn't quite make the age bracket 25:40 that we had advertised for and so were turned away. 25:42 Long story short, they went back in line 25:45 and waited again and waited three hours to get to dental 25:50 because she also had a toothache. 25:53 So they made it to the front of the line 25:54 only to find out that, 25:56 you know, it's getting to be the end of the day 25:57 and these people were so gracious and beautiful 26:01 about having to wait this whole time. 26:03 They weren't angry. 26:04 So we ended up getting them in 26:07 because we realized she really needed her vision done. 26:09 We got her through the process really quick. 26:12 And she just was so excited about finally getting glasses. 26:16 She just said, "I just want to see, 26:17 I just want to see." 26:19 So upon testing found out 26:21 that she had such horrible vision 26:24 that we couldn't help her that day 26:26 and she was just sobbing, 26:28 you know, "I just want to see." 26:30 Come to find out her family, her parents, 26:33 her mother was a stay at home mom 26:35 but her dad had three jobs and they were all part time 26:39 so they didn't have any health insurance. 26:41 And she wasn't going to be able to get screened 26:43 for vision till second grade 26:44 and she was only six years old. 26:47 So she was going to have to wait 26:48 several years to get screened. 26:50 So we ended up giving her 26:52 the strongest prescription glasses that we could 26:55 and sent her home. 26:56 So she couldn't still see very well 26:58 but she was just sobbing 27:00 when she put on her bright yellow glasses 27:02 that she had picked. 27:03 She was so excited. 27:05 So we know, in a few weeks later she got her real glasses. 27:07 So we know that we just helped this one family. 27:10 They came back the next day 27:11 and got all their dental work done. 27:14 And it was just such a privilege 27:16 to be placed in her life. 27:19 Another super fast story is we had, 27:21 it seemed like a lot of our people 27:23 that came for the dental needed extractions 27:26 and a lot of them had job interviews 27:28 that they were really looking forward to doing 27:30 so wanted to be their best. 27:32 So we just really felt like 27:34 we were empowering people by helping their health. 27:36 Our theme in Boise was Love Heals 27:39 and that's going to be the title 27:41 of our northwest convention 27:43 in the spring of 2018 but... 27:47 We had a home that our company had built 27:50 that was on the market 27:51 and a realtor had showed the home 27:53 and had noticed that the crawl space cover 27:56 was not quite in there straight and correct. 27:59 And after the showing, went back and looked 28:02 and found in the crawl space 28:03 that there was a sleeping bag and some clothes. 28:07 And we found out that a young man, 18 years old, 28:10 who had aged out of the foster care program 28:13 and was still just a junior in high school 28:15 had nowhere else to live 28:17 and so he had somehow found his way into the home 28:19 and was lived there at night 28:20 and then when he'd go off to school during the day, 28:22 he would put his stuff in the crawl space. 28:25 And so that impacted us 28:27 and we're setting up some homes in the area 28:30 that have an older couple 28:32 that will have two or three of these kids 28:34 that have aged out of the foster care system 28:36 and we're hoping that they're going to able to live there 28:38 for two or three years till they get on their feet, 28:40 maybe even get into college is our hope. 28:43 We're also helping 28:44 with a number of orphanages around world. 28:46 It's been a huge blessing to us. 28:49 There's been about 30 or so orphanages that we have helped 28:53 in different places and there's just, 28:55 you know, sometimes there's so much need 28:57 and I think that's one of the positive factors 29:00 about ASI is that, 29:01 you know, you can't do it alone. 29:03 And there's so much encouragement that comes 29:05 when you're with people that have that like mindedness 29:08 of being a conduit for God's love. 29:10 And that's something that Jill and I both, 29:12 we have committed ourselves to is seeking out people 29:15 that are like minded, that are like hearted 29:18 and whether it's a clinic, an orphanage, a foster home. 29:23 And two last little things that we're involved with to 29:26 and I shouldn't say little but, 29:28 you know, if we have the slide about human trafficking. 29:32 There's millions of people that are caught up 29:35 in human trafficking right now 29:36 and only one percent are actually rescued 29:39 from that environment. 29:40 Can you imagine that? 29:42 Just 1% are actually rescued. 29:45 And we, our area in Boise which has, 29:48 the community of Boise about 700,000 people 29:52 has over 70% church attendance 29:55 but we have one of the highest hit rates 29:58 for reported human trafficking. 29:59 So even though you would think 30:01 it would be a Christian community, 30:03 we've got a real problem on our hands 30:05 and we're also reaching out 30:06 trying to do something there as well. 30:08 So Fred and Jill, you are actually 30:10 in the business of commercial real estate. 30:13 That's correct. 30:14 But you are finding every way that you can to do ministry. 30:18 Every minute. Amen, that's awesome. 30:20 Dee Casper, Dee, glad to have you here. 30:24 Now, Dee, as my understanding 30:26 that you grew up in the shadow of a big satellite dish. 30:31 That's true. Tell us about that? 30:32 Yeah, I grew up about 25 to 30 miles 30:35 away from the 3ABN World Headquarters 30:37 and had never actually heard 30:38 of a Seventh-day Adventist for 21 years. 30:40 And found it on television in the fall of 2006. 30:43 Okay. 30:44 So the television station next door 30:46 you discovered in 2006. 30:48 So what programs did you start watching? 30:51 Doug Batchelor's Most Amazing Prophecy series, 30:54 he did at Berrien Springs was the first thing, 30:56 it was super helpful. 30:57 I remember thinking, I wasn't doctrinally rooted, 30:59 remember thinking I've never heard this before 31:01 but that's what the text says. 31:03 And the more I was hearing, 31:04 after that was David Asscherick's 31:05 Discover Prophecy series. 31:07 And from there I went to find anything of David's 31:10 that I could on the Internet to listening... 31:11 You were baptized when? 31:13 December 4th, 2010. 31:15 Okay, December 4th, 2010 is your anniversary. 31:18 And you became a Seventh-day Adventist 31:20 because of the television station next door 31:22 and their ministry. 31:23 And then you've become involved in ministry, 31:25 in fact, I believe you are now leading a ministry 31:28 right next door to 3ABN. 31:29 Yeah, Our ministry is actually located on Miracle Lane. 31:33 We're on Miracle Lane right next to the original TV studio. 31:35 So UnScene Media Group, the ministry I work for, 31:38 that's where we're located. 31:39 Yeah. Okay. 31:40 Now, tell us a little bit about that ministry? 31:42 So we are professional filmmaking organization. 31:44 So we create content internally 31:46 but we're doing a lot of work for other organizations. 31:48 So this picture here is some devotional videos 31:51 that GYC has been releasing through Facebook, 31:54 we produce those for them. 31:55 There's another video we are, 31:57 or a picture we have right after this 31:58 of a cooking program we did 31:59 for a physician here in Texas, Dr. Dona Cooper Dockery. 32:03 And she has a television program 32:06 encouraging people to get healthy 32:07 and how to use food as medicine. 32:09 So we actually filmed some cooking programs 32:11 for those television shows that she has 32:14 while we were down in Texas earlier this year. 32:16 We've done stuff for like Nat school evangelism. 32:18 We made their promo video and other places. 32:20 So that's the industry that we use to raise funds 32:24 to do a lot of ministry. 32:25 So we do filmmaking professionally 32:27 but our burden is to raise funds 32:30 to use internally to be able to do a lot of ministry. 32:32 So we have, basically our burden is to make content 32:36 to reach young people through social media, 32:38 that's principled, that's Christ centered, 32:40 that's modern 32:41 but we also have training programs 32:44 to equip young people to do media. 32:46 So the next picture that we have here 32:47 is from our summer film camp. 32:49 Basically 13 to 17 year olds for two weeks in the summers, 32:53 they get a chance to actually learn 32:54 how to make their own short film. 32:56 We teach them how to write a script, 32:57 how to do the storyboarding, how to film with 4k cameras, 33:01 how to edit on final cut pro 33:03 and we let them use macbook pros to do that. 33:06 And then we have a film festival at the 3ABN church 33:08 at the end of those two weeks 33:09 for them to show what they've made. 33:11 It was a huge success the year that we did it last year. 33:13 And then we also have a nine month 33:15 internship training program called Idea. 33:17 This is one of our interns actually giving a devotional 33:20 at Harvard Hills Academy 33:21 where we did a week of prayer this last fall. 33:24 And the next picture is of small groups 33:27 happening in Texas 33:29 where we had a youth event called War Plans, 33:30 basically training churches to start small groups 33:33 and particularly to grow their youth groups 33:35 in their community 33:37 dealing with heart issues for young people, 33:38 showing to the point like TED talk format. 33:40 Then they break into small groups 33:42 and start to digest even more and then we kind of leave them 33:44 with materials to watch together 33:46 then do small groups for the following weeks 33:48 to grow their youth group. 33:49 So that's our burden is media and evangelism. 33:52 The Idea program, 33:54 the nine months training program 33:55 is basically like film school 33:56 and a school of evangelism put together. 33:59 So if people have an interest in digital media 34:01 would also have an interest in how to give a Bible study, 34:03 how to preach, how to share their faith. 34:05 We teach them all of that and it's an internship format. 34:08 So it's not just sitting in the classroom all day 34:10 and learning with very, very hands on. 34:13 So I travel and do week of prayers 34:14 and speak at a school somewhere, 34:16 they come with and they get to share too 34:17 when we travel and do film making 34:19 for GYC and others. 34:20 Our girls last year actually filmed that 34:22 and did the editing for it. 34:24 So you get to work on hands on projects 34:26 to advance the world churches mission. 34:28 It's an awesome opportunity, we're really excited for it. 34:30 So that's the ministry side that we're doing. 34:32 We travel and speak in churches, 34:34 we do weekends, a week of prayers 34:37 and any youth events things like that, 34:38 that's one of our biggest burdens 34:40 is to not just make content 34:42 but also be involved in personal ministry. 34:44 And probably the most amazing testimony 34:46 I've witnessed in the times 34:48 I've been into UnScene since August of 2015 34:51 is someone given a DVD of a sermon 34:54 I shared at a church locally. 34:56 So running this film making industry has allowed us 34:59 to do lots of personal ministry 35:01 and preach in churches and do other things, 35:02 that's what keeps the doors open. 35:04 So an opportunity that came from this 35:05 was I preached in a church 35:07 and a family member gave them the DVD, 35:08 the message and I covered the sufferings of Christ 35:10 from Gethsemane to the cross. 35:13 And this person has wrestled with homosexuality for years, 35:16 say were a young person. 35:18 And they heard this message 35:20 and they had the most profound response to the gospel 35:23 I've ever seen in my life. 35:25 And they could not turn this message off, 35:28 they literally put it on repeat when the message ended 35:30 and put that on non-stop repeat for days. 35:33 They even let this thing playing for their dogs 35:35 to listen to when they left their house. 35:37 They couldn't turn it off 35:39 because for the first time in his life 35:40 he saw that he could be saved, 35:43 first time in his life. 35:44 He had an awful experience in religion, 35:46 not in Adventism, another church. 35:47 But it just been, had received a whole lot of scrutiny 35:50 and unbelief being heaped upon him by Christians. 35:54 And so he thought, "This is the way 35:55 that Christians feel about me. 35:57 This must be the way that God feels about me." 35:58 But to hear this message he saw that God is not hate 36:02 and that God actually loves and cares for me. 36:04 And what end up happening 36:06 was he told me the most profound thing 36:07 I've ever heard in my life, 36:09 he said, "That message separated me from being gay." 36:14 It literally separated him 36:16 from a former identity he had had. 36:18 And he said that, "It was, for the first time in my life 36:20 I saw that I don't have to identify 36:22 myself as a homosexual 36:23 that Jesus doesn't see me that way." 36:26 And just an amazing, amazing story 36:28 that is continued to strengthen my faith in the gospel 36:31 and to know that because of the work 36:33 that God has allowed us to do in filmmaking, 36:35 we can actually see this make a difference in people's lives 36:37 all around the country. 36:40 Dee, if I'm hearing correctly and it's very moving, 36:43 thank you. 36:44 There's two really good passions, 36:46 two really strong passions you have. 36:47 One, is training. Yes. 36:50 You want to train other people, 36:51 especially young people to be able to utilize the passion 36:55 that God has given them in their skill development, 36:57 but you're also reaching out 36:58 and touching specific people through the ministry. 37:01 Yeah, personal ministry, 100%. That's awesome. 37:04 Thank you very much for what you're doing. 37:05 Thank you. 37:06 It's my privilege to introduce my good friend, Radim Passer. 37:10 Radim hails... 37:13 he comes from the beautiful city of Prague, 37:15 Czech Republic 37:17 and Radim is a businessman. 37:20 He actually is in commercial, 37:22 he makes his living in commercial real estate. 37:24 We have two commercial real estate people 37:25 up here today. 37:27 But, Radim, several years ago 37:29 you discovered that your passion 37:33 was to see people come to Christ and evangelism. 37:37 And you heard about a little program called New Beginnings. 37:40 And I want you just to tell us a little bit about 37:44 how you have used New Beginnings, 37:46 which of course all of you know is the DVD project 37:51 where we actually teach laypeople to preach sermons. 37:55 You used that extensively in Prague. 37:57 Tell us about it? 38:00 Good evening ASI. 38:02 We would like to thank ASI family 38:05 for the amazing tool which is New Beginnings. 38:08 We're using this project typically two ways. 38:12 One of them is public meetings typically five times a week 38:18 which we are doing once a year. 38:21 And we started about one and a half year ago 38:23 to do something for the business people 38:26 because business people very rarely can attend 38:29 all these meetings five times a week. 38:32 So we decided to prepare for people 38:34 from business community during three days all 26 lectures 38:39 plus life story of the preacher. 38:41 And thanks God, it's feasible. 38:44 That's awesome. 38:45 So two ways, just want to point out 38:47 the traditional way of preaching 38:49 you've used where you do the regular programs 38:51 but also the intensive 38:53 and that intensive is something new. 38:55 We've all been very impressed 38:56 watching that three day intensive, 38:59 Radim, you've tested that out. 39:00 Sometimes the Europeans lead the way 39:04 and we're glad for that. 39:05 But, you know, there was an experience that you had. 39:08 You took a group down to Tanzania 39:12 and in Tanzania you were going to do a mission trip 39:14 from Central Europe. 39:17 And you were going to go on that project. 39:19 Tell us a little bit about how you are, 39:21 how many people you took 39:22 and how this guy sitting next to you, Richard... 39:24 Richard, glad to have you here too. 39:26 How Richard got involved in this? 39:28 I worked with Richard's father a long time for private videos 39:32 and for the corporation videos for us. 39:35 And his father asked me 39:38 before we went to Tanzania to take also his son with us. 39:43 And my decision was immediate 39:45 because I hope it would be a great experience for him. 39:49 Okay. 39:50 Now, Richard, you, 39:52 I want to direct the question to you now. 39:54 You got to go on this trip, 39:56 what was your situation right at that time in your life? 40:01 Well, Dan, my situation I can tell you at that time 40:04 I was a big mess. 40:05 I was a big wreck. 40:08 In my high school years 40:09 I ended up experimenting with some drugs 40:11 and I ended up being addicted for about 10 years in my life. 40:16 And right around that time that I met Radim 40:19 is about the time that my mom had enough with me 40:21 over here in the United States. 40:23 And she said go back to your father 40:25 and work with him for some time, 40:27 maybe he'll straighten you out. 40:29 So thinking that I would just go back 40:31 to the Czech Republic 40:32 and kind of escape this addiction. 40:36 That did not happen, actually it got even worse. 40:38 I ended up using heroin 40:39 and methamphetamines over there. 40:42 I did end up meeting Radim 40:44 and started doing some video work for him with my father. 40:49 And some of the first work 40:51 that we had the opportunity to do 40:53 was the New Beginnings. 40:54 And when we started the New Beginnings, 40:56 I started seeing some very revolutionary things 40:59 that I've never heard of, 41:02 I mean, I've heard of Jesus before 41:04 but just as, you know, some maybe mythical character 41:07 but the things that I heard there, 41:09 the whole 25 lectures we had, 41:11 I mean, my world got flipped upside down. 41:14 And so that was the beginning 41:17 of maybe some sort of at least a mental transformation. 41:22 So then soon enough I heard the theory 41:25 because I did three of those seminars. 41:28 And after that, but my addiction 41:31 kept getting worse and worse. 41:32 I mean, I was just a wreck, 41:34 I mean, I could still videotape, 41:36 I could still function and all that 41:38 but as long as I had my dose, 41:40 that was priority at that time, that was my God. 41:43 So what end up happening, my father already knew of that 41:46 so he asked Radim, he said, 41:47 "Look, can I take my son with me to, 41:50 you know, the Tanzania maybe that'll have an influence," 41:53 because I mean, trust me, he was hopeless with me, 41:55 I mean, he didn't know what to do anymore. 41:57 So Radim said yes and I appreciate that a lot 42:00 because they knew about my situation 42:01 and, you know, I was scheduled to say the least. 42:04 So we have, you know, risk takers. 42:06 One of the things about ASI 42:08 business people have to be risk takers. 42:10 So, Radim, you took a risk 42:12 that this guy could come and still contribute, right? 42:16 Are you glad you did that risk? 42:17 I think we are all risky people for Jesus. 42:20 That's right. We're looking for Jesus. 42:21 So you were grateful 42:23 that he took the risk on you, Richard, 42:24 and you recognize that he was taking a risk. 42:27 Yeah, I did recognize that, 42:29 I mean, it was a big risk 42:30 but at the same time what ended up happening is 42:32 that I was there for about one month 42:34 and that was the first time 42:36 that I was actually in a community 42:38 with Seventh-day Adventist for one month, 42:40 I mean, can go anywhere, you know. 42:42 And I met this other guy Bill 42:43 and he had the same experience as 42:45 or he went through an addiction as well. 42:48 So I talked to him 42:50 and he was the first person I actually opened up to 42:51 because, you know, that time I was kind of hiding it, 42:53 I mean, I was kind of embarrassed about it. 42:55 So Bill was like, "Man, I was, you know, I was, 42:58 you know, an addict as well with my wife 43:00 but we gave ourselves to the Lord 43:01 and from day to day it was just gone. 43:03 From that, at that time, 43:05 I mean, I was going through hopelessness, 43:06 I thought it was never going to end. 43:08 I mean, they tell you, 43:09 you know, at all these meetings and AA and all that, 43:11 they're like, oh, you're an addict for life." 43:13 So that's a very hopeless situation 43:15 but so he was like, "Just give yourself over to Jesus. 43:19 Just talk and prayed." 43:21 So I went back to the Czech Republic 43:23 after this whole inspiring moment 43:25 and about, still took me another two years, 43:27 I mean, it's quite some time. 43:28 And I went to rehab there and I did just that 43:32 when that big withdrawal came through 43:34 because those seven years of opiates 43:35 and I can tell you right now that's, it's rough. 43:39 So over there in the detox, I said, "Lord," I was like, 43:43 "If you're out there and if you're listening to me 43:45 like, all these people said that you were, 43:48 I promise I will go the right way, 43:50 just get me out of this situation." 43:52 And I can tell you that the next day 43:54 he did just that. 43:55 Amen. 43:57 I want you all to know, yeah, thank you, go ahead. 43:59 Say, express your feelings. 44:03 There's a two part formula that Richard has shared. 44:07 And I want all of you both those of you 44:09 who may be watching from home right now, 44:11 those of you who are in audience, 44:13 you may have struggled with addictions yourself, 44:17 you may have a family member that struggles with addictions. 44:21 Addictions are everywhere in our society. 44:24 But I want you to know that here's a man 44:26 that had a two pronged approach. 44:28 One was give your heart to Jesus and pray, right? 44:32 When a man gives or a woman gives 44:33 their heart to Jesus and prays, things happen. 44:35 Secondly, you got professional help 44:37 and went into rehab 44:38 and the prayers were answered 44:40 and you have had an incredible journey since that time. 44:44 Now I want to take a few more minutes 44:45 and just talk about your journey, okay. 44:49 Now in that journey since you had that victory 44:52 and you begin, 44:53 your life has been full of all kinds of things. 44:56 Tell us a little bit about that? 44:57 Okay. 44:59 So, the first thing was, 45:00 after this miraculous healing that came about 45:03 and this is just after one prayer that, 45:05 I mean, I didn't do anything else, 45:06 I just prayed. 45:08 So the next day, I felt like 45:09 I was maybe 10 years younger so, 45:12 and I had this like tingle in my spine 45:13 and I just knew that this was the way, 45:16 I mean, everything just clicked from, 45:18 you know, from what I learned from the New Beginnings 45:20 and everything just clicked in all together. 45:22 And so what happened then is that, 45:23 obviously I went through the whole rehab 45:25 and I came out fresh. 45:26 I mean, I went out of there, 45:28 I was like I'm drug free for life, 45:29 I mean, people are like, "Are you crazy, 45:31 you know, you'll be back here again," 45:32 and, you know, they're doubting me and all that. 45:34 But I knew already in my heart that once I follow Jesus 45:37 that He'll be able to get me out. 45:39 And, you know, frankly I was like, 45:41 "Well, what I was doing back then was bad 45:44 so I need to go the totally opposite direction, 45:46 not just stay off the drugs, 45:47 I mean, I need to go the whole nine yards 45:50 as far away as I can." 45:52 And I was like, well, the best thing to do 45:54 is to follow Jesus, I mean, He was sinless, 45:57 I mean, you know, He was the definition of good. 46:00 So I did just that 46:02 and from then on I figured I was like, 46:04 I got to tell more people about this. 46:06 I mean, obviously, I mean, this is, 46:07 if I would have known this earlier 46:08 I would have done this way back. 46:10 So what end up happening is, 46:12 I end up going back to the rehab 46:13 because there's these AA meetings 46:15 that you're allowed to go back to 46:17 as a member of the rehab, progs finest. 46:22 I was able to go back over there 46:23 and share my testimony with them. 46:27 During the wintertime, I go there at least once a week so. 46:30 Okay. Good. 46:31 Our last question I just want to ask. 46:34 If you, a lot of people are listening to you right now 46:36 and your testimony is a very powerful one, Richard. 46:39 If you could say anything you wanted 46:41 to any of these people or anybody 46:42 who might be watching on television, 46:44 what would you say? 46:45 Okay. 46:46 Well, I would say that we do have to understand 46:49 it's really difficult with addicts. 46:50 I mean, you can't trust them 46:53 which is why I was even surprised that Radim did, 46:55 I mean, knowing that, you know, I would, I could, 46:58 you know, cause a lot of trouble. 47:00 I was very unreliable. 47:01 So I would say to them 47:04 definitely have compassion and lot of love. 47:08 You know, the trust part, 47:10 you always have to keep an eye out. 47:12 But the prayer, I think it's very important. 47:14 The prayer is really important because I know that Radim 47:17 and a bunch of people from the organization 47:19 were praying for me 47:20 because my dad reached out to them. 47:21 I didn't know that until later. 47:23 And so the prayer is definitely very important. 47:26 And then, like you said in the beginning, 47:28 I mean, the involvement in the community 47:29 I think was very strong for me. 47:31 I mean, that was a big testimony because... 47:33 I mean, you can hear a lot of things, 47:35 let's say on the street 47:36 but when you involve somebody in, 47:39 like a Seventh-day Adventist community 47:41 that they can see the true love, 47:44 I mean, I was telling myself. 47:45 I was like, "These people have something that I've never had." 47:48 I mean, they have some kind of love 47:49 that I really, really want. 47:51 And that's what ended up happening, 47:52 that's what ended up drawing me near to that. 47:55 So the prayer and then the involvement. 47:58 Amen. Can you say amen? 47:59 Amen. Thank you, all. 48:00 Now, Radim, last question. 48:02 Are you glad that you invited him to Tanzania? 48:05 I'm grateful to God 48:06 because He's so good and always... 48:09 this is experience by experience. 48:11 He's overcame our expectations. 48:15 Amen, amen. 48:16 Thank you. 48:18 I remember once upon a time, I was... 48:22 I started pastoring very early. 48:25 I was about 21 years old 48:26 and I remember sitting in my first board meeting. 48:29 And I asked them, "I didn't know about 48:31 Robert's Rules of Order or anything of that kind." 48:34 And I said, "What you guys want to talk about?" 48:37 The board meeting started at about 6 o'clock 48:40 and it ended at 10 o'clock that evening, four hours. 48:44 I learned an important thing about organization. 48:49 And that is, before we expect to have a great outcome, 48:53 we must be willing to work beforehand. 48:56 The reason why that board meeting 48:57 took about four hours 48:58 is I realized that I didn't have the tools 49:02 to do something greater to organize the meeting. 49:05 And as a result, we drag down and wasted time. 49:10 And I believe things like ASI, GYC help with those things. 49:13 They give you tools, they give you vision 49:16 so that you're able to work well 49:18 and not waste people's time, 49:20 and really have a great outcome idea and be efficient. 49:24 And that is my tip that I want to leave with you. 49:27 Work, and work, and work well. |
Revised 2017-10-26