Participants: Ron Watts
Series Code: AIM
Program Code: AIM000432
|
00:00 [OPENING MUSIC]
00:23 HELLO EVERYBODY. 00:24 I AM SO DELIGHTED TO HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF WELCOMING YOU 00:27 TO ANOTHER "ADVENTURES IN MISSIONS" PROGRAM. 00:31 AND AS I USUALLY SAY, THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE REGULARS WITH US YOU KNOW WHAT THIS PROGRAM IS ALL 00:36 ABOUT BUT YOU ARE STILL WITH US BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT IS GOING TO BE AN EXCITING NEW REPORT OF 00:41 WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH GOSPEL OUTREACH AT SOME FAR FLUNG CORNER OF THIS GLOBE 00:47 PARTICULARLY IN THE 10/40 WINDOW. 00:50 SO WELCOME, WELCOME AND YOU WILL WANT TO STAY WITH TODAY BECAUSE WE HAVE A PERSON AS MY GUEST 00:58 TODAY WHO KNOWS PROBABLY ABOUT AS MUCH ABOUT GOSPEL OUTREACH AND THE FRONTLINES AS ANYBODY I 01:07 GET TO TALK TO. 01:08 SO WELCOME, WELCOME TO RON WATTS. 01:12 THANK YOU DAN. 01:13 I'M GLAD YOU ARE WITH US RON. 01:14 IT IS A DELIGHT. 01:16 AND I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY I HAVE HAD TO SIT WITH YOU ON THE SET HERE AT 01:21 GOSPEL OUTREACH. 01:23 I'VE RUBBED SHOULDERS WITH YOU IN OTHER PLACES 01:26 AND THIS IS AN EXPERIENCE I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO. 01:29 AND I ALSO. 01:30 AND SO WE ARE GOING TO DO A LITTLE CATCHUP FOR THE SAKE OF OUR VIEWERS 01:37 WHO MAY NOT KNOW YOU AS WELL. 01:40 BUT WE WANT THEM TO KNOW YOUR CONNECTION TO GOSPEL OUTREACH AND IN MY MIND I'VE BEEN SAYING 01:48 YOU ARE ONE OF THE "FATHERS" OF GOSPEL OUTREACH, WOW, IN SOME SPECIAL, SPECIAL WAYS AND WE MAY 01:57 GET TO THAT BUT FIRST LET'S DO A LITTLE RUN OVER OF WHO RON WATTS IS AND WHERE YOU HAVE BEEN. 02:06 NOW RON, IN MY EXPERIENCE, I FIRST REALLY CONCENTRATED ON RON WATTS AND HIS PRECIOUS WIFE 02:14 DOROTHY WHEN YOU WERE IN ALASKA. 02:17 YOU WERE PRESIDENT THERE. 02:19 YES, I WAS PRESIDENT OF THE ALASKA CONFERENCE. 02:21 A WONDERFUL PLACE WITH WONDERFUL PEOPLE. 02:24 BUT YOU HAD BEEN OTHER IMPORTANT PLACES BEFORE THERE. 02:29 TELL US ABOUT THAT. 02:31 WELL, I SPENT MY EARLIER YEARS IN INDIA. 02:35 I WENT THERE WHEN I WAS 29 YEARS OF AGE AND GREEN BEHIND THE EARS AND TO LEARN THAT CULTURE AND TO 02:42 LEARN HOW TO DO EVANGELISM THERE AND I WAS TRAINING THE PASTORS IN THE BEGINNING AND THEN I 02:49 BECAME THE LOCAL FIELD PRESIDENT AND THE UNION PRESIDENT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AND THEN AFTER 02:55 16 YEARS IN INDIA I CAME BACK TO NORTH AMERICA AND THAT IS WHEN I WAS IN ALASKA. 03:01 AND WE CONNECTED. 03:03 NOW YOUR HISTORY IN INDIA JUST MAKES MY MIND RACE BECAUSE I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE IN MINISTERING 03:14 IN CERTAIN PLACES OVER THE YEARS OF RUNNING INTO A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAD ROOTS IN INDIA AND RIGHT 03:23 KIND OF CLOSE HOME AND WE GET KIND OF PERSONAL IN SOME OF THE STORIES WE TELL HERE. 03:29 MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW'S GRANDFATHER IS ROSCOE LOWRY. 03:35 OH MY, ROSCOE WAS THE DIVISION PRESIDENT WHEN I WENT TO INDIA AND MY COACH, THE ONE WHO TAUGHT 03:42 ME THE ROPES, AS IT WERE, AND HOW TO ADAPT TO THE CULTURE. 03:46 WELL, AND I'M SURE YOU LIKE TO SEE ROSCOE ANY CHANCE YOU GET AS WELL. 03:51 ROSCOE IS A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL MAN. 03:53 HE IS IN HIS 90'S NOW AND I LOVE TO SIT WITH HIM AND YOU JUST KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT AS YOU HEAR 04:01 AMAZING STORIES THAT ARE LIKE YESTERDAY FOR HIM FROM INDIA. 04:07 HE HAS A VERY, VERY RICH EXPERIENCE AND BACKGROUND FROM HIS LIFE IN INDIA. 04:12 THE OTHER NAME QUICKLY, A COUPLE OF NAMES, ARE THE ASHLOCKS. 04:19 OH YES, THE ASHLOCK FAMILY SEVERAL OF THEM WERE THERE, THE FATHER AND THE FATHER SPENT HIS 04:26 LIFETIME OF MINISTRY, FRANK ASHLOCK, YES AND THEN HIS SONS TOM AND JIM AND EVEN SINCE TOM'S 04:35 DEATH BETTY HAS BEEN BACK TO INDIA FOR CELEBRATING I NAGALAND OR SOMEPLACE. 04:41 YES, SEVERAL TIMES ACTUALLY. 04:43 THEY ARE VERY MUCH LOVED IN NORTHEAST INDIA. 04:46 THE OTHER NAME I WILL MENTION, I COULD GO ON LONGER THAN WE HAVE HERE TODAY BUT THE OTHER NAME IS 04:51 WELDON MATTISON. 04:53 WELDON IS GOING TO BE 90 IN A FEW DAYS. 04:56 YES, EXACTLY. 04:58 WE ARE TAPING HERE AT GOSPEL OUTREACH THE LAST OF SEPTEMBER, 2012 AND I THINK IT IS OCTOBER 4 05:06 IS WELDON MATTISONS 90TH BIRTHDAY, THAT'S RIGHT. 05:10 AND I AM INVITED TO THE PARTY. 05:12 WOW, THAT IS WONDERFUL. 05:13 I HAVE TO TELL YOU WHEN YOU MENTIONED WELDON, HE WAS THE MINISTERIAL DIRECTOR OF THE 05:18 DIVISION IN INDIA WHEN I CAME AS THE MINISTERIAL DIRECTOR OF THE SOUTH INDIA UNION SO 05:22 IMMEDIATELY,OF COURSE, WE STARTED WORKING TOGETHER AND HE KNOWS THE LOCAL LANGUAGES AND 05:28 KNOWS THE CULTURE SO MUCH AND I LEARNED AN IMMENSE AMOUNT FROM HIM. 05:33 WE BECAME VERY CLOSE FRIENDS WITH HIM. 05:36 I GET TO VISIT HIM, I'M A PASTOR FOR SENIOR CARE AT LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY CHURCH AND WELDON IS 05:43 A MEMBER OF MY PARISH SO I GET TO SEE HIM. 05:46 ALRIGHT, LET'S FAST FORWARD TO WHERE WE ARE AND YOU RETURNED TO INDIA WHEN AND IN WHAT CAPACITY. 05:55 IN 1997 I WENT BACK THE SECOND TIME TO BE THE DIVISION PRESIDENT. 06:00 THE PRESIDENT OF THE DIVISION HAD A BRAIN ANEURYSM AND COULDN'T CONTINUE SO THEY ASKED 06:05 ME TO GO AND FILL OUT HIS TERM. 06:08 SO WE WENT FOR 3 YEARS THINKING WE'D, WE DIDN'T TAKE ANYTHING WITH US. 06:11 I DIDN'T TAKE MY SERMONS. 06:13 I JUST TOOK A BIBLE AND A FEW PILLOWS THINKING WHAT'S 3 YEARS, YOU KNOW. 06:18 AND THEN OF COURSE, WE ENDED UP STAYING 11 YEARS. 06:21 WOW. 06:22 WHEN YOU RETURNED TO INDIA AFTER YOUR EARLIER HISTORY THERE, 06:26 WHAT HIT YOU THE HARDEST WHEN YOU GOT BACK? 06:30 WHAT HIT ME THE HARDEST, I'LL TELL YOU I THINK I REALIZED THE GREAT POTENTIAL FOR WINNING 06:37 PEOPLE TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IN INDIA. 06:40 AND I HAD HAD SOME EXPERIENCE THAT LED ME TO THINK WE OUGHT TO PLAN IN A BIGGER WAY AND WE 06:47 OUGHT TO PLAN ON GETTING A MILLION NEW MEMBERS IN INDIA. 06:51 THERE ARE OVER A BILLION PEOPLE THERE AND I TOOK THAT TO THE DIVISION COMMITTEE AND THEY 06:57 UNANIMOUSLY VOTED IT. 06:59 NOT A MAN DISSENTED AND SO WE MADE OUR PLANS AND BEGAN TO WORK. 07:04 AND GOD BLESSED AND IN A MATTER OF 8 YEARS, WE HAD A MILLION NEW MEMBERS. 07:11 WOW. 07:12 AND WE WANT TO GET INTO THAT DEEPLY BUT WHAT YOU REMIND ME OF WHEN DEAR TOM ASHLOCK, HE AND 07:19 BETTY I THINK, PIONEERED IN NAGALAND. 07:22 NAGALAND AND THE FULL COURSE OF THEIR MINISTRY OVER MILES AND THROUGH CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WERE 07:30 UNBELIEVABLE, AS I REMEMBER THE STORIES 07:34 AND THE RETURN WAS SO MINIMAL FOR ALL OF THEIR HARD WORK. 07:39 THAT IS TRUE AND THAT IS TRUE OF SCORES OF MISSIONARIES WHO WORKED IN INDIA AND MANY OF THEM 07:44 SPENT THEIR LIVES THERE. 07:46 THEN, FOR YOU TO COME WITH THIS VISION FOR A MILLION SOULS, 07:51 THAT MUST HAVE HIT SOME OF THE FOLKS PRETTY HARD? 07:55 CAN THAT HAPPEN IN INDIA? 07:56 WELL INDEED, IF THE LORD HADN'T SOMEHOW SPOKEN TO US AND SAID THIS MUST BE DONE AND THIS CAN 08:04 BE DONE, THERE IS NO WAY WE COULD HAVE EVEN THOUGHT OF IT. 08:07 WE ARE SHARING HERE IN THE CONTEXT OF GOSPEL OUTREACH. 08:14 YOU RETURNED IN 1997, WERE THERE ANY GOSPEL OUTREACH WORKERS IN INDIA IN 1997? 08:20 I DON'T REMEMBER DAN, IF THERE WERE ANY THERE AT THAT TIME BUT VERY SHORTLY THEREAFTER THEY 08:26 BECAME VERY, VERY MUCH INVOLVED. 08:28 WE HAD HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS, WELL LOCAL WORKERS. 08:33 WE WOULD CALL THEM VOLUNTEERS. 08:35 YES. 08:36 THE WHATEVER WE CALLED THEM THEY WERE DOING EVANGELISTIC WORK, PLANTING NEW CHURCHES AND WE 08:41 BECAME THE LARGEST FIELD WHERE GOSPEL OUTREACH PEOPLE WERE WORKING. 08:46 MANY OF THEM HAD TREMENDOUS SUCCESS, PLANTED A LOT OF NEW CHURCHES. 08:51 UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP WERE THE FIRST GOSPEL OUTREACH WORKERS INVITED TO INDIA? 08:55 I THINK PROBABLY THAT IS TRUE. 08:56 HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT GOSPEL OUTREACH? 08:59 NOW YOU ARE ASKING ME A DIFFICULT QUESTION, DAN. 09:03 GOSPEL OUTREACH IS WELL KNOWN. 09:05 I DON'T REMEMBER HOW I FOUND OUT ABOUT IT. 09:07 IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT IT, YOU DID AND AS A RESULT THE REST AS 09:15 WE SAY IS HISTORY. 09:16 A MILLION MEMBERS WITHIN 8 YEARS? 09:19 THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED. 09:21 THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED AND GOSPEL OUTREACH AND THE PIONEERS THAT WE SENT OUT TO VILLAGES WERE A 09:26 VERY, VERY BIG PART OF THAT. 09:29 THEY WOULD WORK AND ESTABLISH THE CONGREGATIONS. 09:32 YOU PERHAPS ARE IN THE BEST POSITION TO RESPOND TO THIS QUESTION OF ANYBODY I'VE VISITED 09:37 WITH ON AN "ADVENTURES IN MISSIONS" PROGRAM, TELL US HOW YOU, A DIVISION PRESIDENT, 09:46 INVOLVED IN THE ACCEPTED STRUCTURE OF THE SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH HOW DID YOU 09:54 DETERMINE WHO WOULD BE A GOSPEL OUTREACH WORKER? 09:57 OR WHAT ROLE DID YOU HAVE IN THAT? 10:00 WELL, I TRUSTED THE LOCAL PEOPLE, THE LOCAL MISSION PRESIDENTS. 10:05 THEY MADE THE SELECTIONS. 10:07 I DIDN'T MAKE THE SELECTIONS. 10:08 I NEGOTIATED WITH GOSPEL OUTREACH, TOLD THEM WHAT THE PROGRAM WAS AND PUT THEM IN 10:13 TOUCH WITH GOSPEL OUTREACH, TOLD THEM THE QUALIFICATIONS THAT WOULD BE NEEDED BUT THEY MADE 10:17 THE SELECTIONS AND DID A VERY GOOD JOB OF IT ACTUALLY. 10:21 AND I CAN SAY THAT THE PEOPLE THAT WE WORKED WITH IN THE LOCAL FIELD SHOWED GREAT WISDOM IN THE 10:29 SELECTIONS THAT THEY MADE BECAUSE THOSE 10:30 GOSPEL OUTREACH WORKERS REALLY DID OUTSTANDING WORK. 10:34 NOW WE COMBINED IT WITH EVANGELISITIC CAMPAIGNS THAT WERE, YOU KNOW, SPONSORED BY 10:39 OTHERS AND SO FORTH SO THAT THEY WOULD HAVE A PLACE TO BRING THE PEOPLE TO MAKE THEIR DECISIONS 10:44 FOR BAPTISM AND SO IT WAS A COMBINATION WORK BUT GOSPEL OUTREACH WAS A VERY, VERY BIG 10:51 PART IN OUR GETTING THAT MILLION NEW MEMBERS. 10:54 NOW THIS IS A VERY FUNDAMENTAL KIND OF QUESTION. 10:57 YOU SPOKE OF THE LOCAL CONFERENCES WISDOM IN MAKING SELECTIONS, WHERE DID THIS 11:03 SELECTION OPPORTUNITY COME FROM? 11:06 APPLICATIONS? 11:07 ASKING PEOPLE OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? 11:11 WHAT I DISCOVERED THAT THEY DID WHEN YOU GIVE THEM FREEDOM, THEY WILL BE VERY CREATIVE BUT I 11:16 DISCOVERED THAT MANY OF THE VOLUNTEERS THAT THEY SELECTED WERE FOLKS WHO HAD STUDIED IN 11:22 OUR BOARDING SCHOOLS. 11:24 OH. 11:25 AND MAYBE HADN'T FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL OR MAYBE HAD AND HAD GONE INTO OTHER PROFESSIONS BUT THEY 11:29 HAD A BACKGROUND AS STUDENTS IN THE SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM. 11:34 THEY HAD BEEN STUDYING IN OUR BOARDING SCHOOLS AND THEY WERE THE ONES WITH THE BACKGROUND WHO 11:39 QUICKLY DEVELOPED THE SYSTEM OF GIVING BIBLE STUDIES. 11:42 THEY ALSO HAD CERTAIN PERSONAL TRAITS OF FRIENDSHIP AND HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE 11:48 THAT THEY LEARNED BY STUDYING IN AN ADVENTIST SCHOOL. 11:51 AN ADVENTIST EDUCATION WAS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THOSE FIRST VOLUNTEERS BEING SELECTED. 11:57 YOU'RE IN THE BEST POSITION TOO, TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION. 12:00 WHAT IS THE EXTENT OF ADVENTIST EDUCATION, SECONDARY EDUCATION 12:05 LIKE ACADEMIES, BOARDING SCHOOLS IN INDIA? 12:08 WELL, INDEED, INDIA IS A COUNTRY WITH MANY LANGUAGES AND SEVERAL MAJOR LANGUAGES WITH A HUNDRED 12:16 MILLION PEOPLE OR MORE SPEAKING THOSE LANGUAGES. 12:19 WE, OUR MISSION OVER THE YEARS REALIZED FROM ITS VERY EARLY DAYS THAT THE HOPE OF 12:26 ESTABLISHING A SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH 12:28 IN INDIA IN A STRONG WAY WAS THROUGH CHRISTIAN EDUCATION. 12:32 SO WE HAD BOARDING ACADEMIES 12:33 IN ALL THE MAJOR LANGUAGE AREAS. WONDERFUL. 12:37 AND THOSE HAD BEEN GOING ON FOR SCORES OF YEARS. 12:41 I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW OUR EARLY PIONEEERS EVEN FOUND A WAY TO START SOME OF THOSE. 12:45 THOSE SCHOOLS ARE THERE TODAY 12:46 AND STILL PRODUCING SOME VERY GOOD SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST YOUNG PEOPLE. 12:51 JUST FOR SAKE OF ILLUSTRATION PICK OUT ONE OF THOSE SCHOOLS IN SOME STATE, SOME PLACE NO MATTER 12:58 THE LANGUAGE AND TELL US ABOUT THAT SCHOOL, THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS AND HOW STUDENTS GET 13:04 THERE AND ARE SUPPORTED THERE. 13:06 WELL ONE OF THE PLACES WHERE A LOT OF GOSPEL OUTREACH VOLUNTEERS OR WORKERS CAME FROM 13:12 WAS THE NARSAPUR BOARDING SCHOOL IN ANDHRA PRADESH. 13:15 O.K. 13:16 AND THAT HAD BEEN GOING ON FOR FROM THE EARLIEST DAYS OF OUR WORK. 13:21 I CAN'T GIVE A DATE FOR IT. 13:23 MANY MISSIONARIES THAT I KNOW HAD BEEN PRINCIPALS OF THAT SCHOOL 13:27 AND THEY GAVE EXCELLENT TRAINING. 13:29 JUST AN EXAMPLE: WHEN I WOULD VISIT THE AREA AND I WOULD STAY IN A HOTEL ON MY WAY BACK HOME 13:36 WAITING FOR THE TRAIN AT THE JUNCTION, THEY WOULD COME TO MY ROOM AND SEE HOW I WAS FOLDING 13:42 MY CLOTHES TO PUT THEM IN THE SUITCASE. 13:45 AND THEY WOULD SAY "PASTOR, LET ME FOLD YOUR CLOTHES". 13:49 I WAS AMAZED, THESE GUYS WHO HAD BEEN TRAINED IN THE DORMITORY IN OUR SCHOOL AND I WENT TO AN 13:56 ADVENTIST SCHOOL IN CANADA, YOU KNOW, I NEVER LEARNED ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT THEY TRAINED THEM 14:01 HOW TO FOLD THE SHIRT, HOW TO FOLD THE TROUSERS AND I COULD GET TWICE AS MUCH STUFF IN MY 14:08 SUITCASE WHEN THEY FOLDED IT. 14:10 LITTLE THINGS LIKE THAT. 14:11 FASCINATING STORY, FASCINATING STORY. 14:13 RON, WE NEED TO NOW FOCUS -YOU ARE NO LONGER DIVISION PRESIDENT AND YOU ARE WORKING ON SOME VERY 14:23 IMPORTANT PROJECTS BUT ONE OF THOSE IS YOUR ASSOCIATION WITH GOSPEL OUTREACH. 14:26 TELL US ABOUT THAT. 14:27 WELL, I'M GOING TO WORK WITH GOSPEL OUTREACH. 14:29 THIS IS MY FIRST MEETING AFTER AGREEING FOR THAT AND THEY HAVE GIVEN ME AN ASSIGNMENT OF 14:36 WESTERN INDIA AREA. 14:37 THAT IS THE TWO STATES OF MAHARASTRA AND GUJARAT. 14:41 NOW OF COURSE THERE AREN'T MANY PEOPLE THERE YOU KNOW. 14:43 MAHARASTRA ONLY HAS A HUNDRED MILLION POPULATION AND GUJARAT HAS ABOUT 65 MILLION SO THERE 14:49 ARE A FEW PEOPLE TO WORK WITH AND IN THAT AREA IS THE CITY OF BOMBAY. 14:55 PRESENTLY HAVING ABOUT 14 MILLION PEOPLE BUT IT IS TARGETED, IT'S DEMOGRAPHICS AND 15:03 THOSE PEOPLE WHO WORK THIS OUT TELL US THAT BOMBAY IS DESTINED TO BECOME THE LARGEST CITY IN 15:10 THE WORLD IN POPULATION. 15:12 THEY ARE EXPECTING BOMBAY TO TOP OUT AT 33 MILLION AND IT SO HAPPENS THAT THE GENERAL 15:17 CONFERENCE RIGHT NOW HAS A PROGRAM FOR "EVANGELISM IN LARGE CITIES". 15:22 BOMBAY IS ONE OF THOSE CITIES THAT HAS BEEN SELECTED FOR THAT PURPOSE. 15:26 YOU KEEP SAYING BOMBAY AND I UNDERSTAND I THOUGHT THEY CALL IT MUMBAI. 15:33 BOTH ARE CORRECT, BOTH ARE CORRECT AND I THINK ANYBODY THERE IF YOU SAY IT EITHER WAY 15:38 THEY'LL KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, THEY'LL KNOW WHERE THEY ARE. 15:40 PROBABLY MUMBAI IS MORE ACCURATE. 15:43 I THINK THE BRITISH HEARD THE INDIANS SAYING MUMBAI AND THEY SAID BOMBAY, YOU KNOW. 15:49 MANY OF OUR GOSPEL OUTREACH WORKERS ARE IN VERY RURAL AREAS ACROSS INDIA BUT UP TO 33 16:00 MILLION SOME DAY IN BOMBAY? 16:02 DO YOU HAVE GOSPEL OUTREACH WORKERS THERE AND HOW DO THEY WORK IN THE CITY AS CONTRASTED 16:07 WITH A RURAL AREA. 16:09 WELL, WE HAVE ABOUT A DOZEN WORKERS AT THE PRESENT TIME IN BOMBAY THAT ARE GOSPEL OUTREACH 16:15 AND I THINK THAT THERE IS A PLAN, HOPEFULLY THERE IS A PLAN TO INCREASE THAT CONSIDERABLY AS 16:20 WE GET SPONSORS FOR THIS PROGRAM. 16:24 BOMBAY HAS PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER INDIA. 16:27 EVERY LANGUAGE GROUP IN THE COUNTRY IS REPRESENTED IN THAT CITY. 16:31 THEY LIVE IN LOCALITIES WHERE THEY USUALLY GROUP TOGETHER AND THERE IS ABOUT A THOUSAND PEOPLE 16:37 FROM TAMIL SPEAKING AREAS ARRIVING IN BOMBAY EVERY DAY. 16:41 MIGRANTS. 16:43 THERE IS A THOUSAND PEOPLE FROM ANDHRA PRADESH THAT ARRIVE THERE EVERY DAY. 16:47 THAT IS HOW BOMBAY IS GROWING AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIFFICULTY IN OTHER PLACES EARNING A LIVING 16:53 OR IF A FAMINE COMES OR IF THEY LOSE THEIR JOB OR OTHER DIFFICULTIES, SOMEHOW IF THEY 16:59 GET TO BOMBAY THEY CAN FIND A WAY TO GET A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY 17:03 SO THAT THEY CAN SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES. 17:05 THERE ARE LOTS OF PEOPLE; LOTS OF MEN IN BOMBAY WHO'S FAMILIES LIVE SOMEWHERE ELSE. 17:10 THE TAXI DRIVERS ARE MOSTLY FROM UTTAR PRADESH IN NORTH INDIA, THAT BY THE WAY, IS A STATE OF 17:16 200 MILLION PEOPLE AND THEY LEAVE THEIR HOMES AND THEY COME TO BOMBAY START DRIVING THE 17:25 TAXIS AND THEY GO HOME ONCE A YEAR. 17:28 BUT THEY SEND MONEY EVERY MONTH TO THEIR FAMILIES. 17:31 EVERY LANGUAGE GROUP IS REPRESENTED IN BOMBAY AND WE HAVE A LITTLE EXPERIENCE BECAUSE 17:35 SEVERAL YEARS AGO I REMEMBER WHEN WE STARTED LOOKING AT BOMBAY CAREFULLY; THERE WERE 17:40 ONLY 300 SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS THERE. 17:42 THERE ARE NOW 3000. 17:44 WE CONCENTRATED, WE MADE IT A SEPARATE MISSION, CITY MISSION AND THEN STARTED DOING 17:49 EVANGELISM AND OF COURSE, THE EVANGELISM THERE IS NOT PUBLIC EVANGELISM AS WE THINK OF IT. 17:54 YOU KNOW I WANT YOU TO TELL US MORE ABOUT THAT. 17:57 YOU THINK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO EXPLAIN TO US WHAT YOUR ONE, TWO THREES ARE LEADING 18:03 UP TO THIS GREAT INITIATIVE FOR EVANGELISM THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AND THIS IS MY 18:08 OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO OUR VIEWERS ABOUT WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE 18:12 AND WHAT THEY CAN DO. 18:13 YOU'VE BEEN MOVING TO THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT AS I HAVE, HEARING RON WATTS ACCOUNT OF THE WORK IN 18:22 BOMBAY AND THE EXCITING POTENTIAL OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN THERE WITH THOSE MILLIONS OF 18:29 PEOPLE CONGREGATED IN ONE PLACE AND THE CHALLENGE TO THE GOSPEL TO REACH INTO THESE PEOPLE'S 18:36 LIVES AND HOMES. 18:38 RIGHT NOW, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO ARE A PART OF THE GOSPEL OUTREACH FAMILY. 18:46 YOU HAVE BEEN SHARING SACRIFICIALLY OF YOUR RESOURCES TO HELP FUND GOSPEL OUTREACH 18:54 WORKERS AND WHAT I AM HEARING COMING UP HERE WITH THE APPEAL THAT RON IS GOING TO MAKE FOR 19:01 MORE WORKERS FOR GOSPEL OUTREACH AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MAKE AN INVESTMENT IN PROBABLY ONE OF 19:08 THE MOST, THE HIGHEST POTENTIAL FOR EVANGELISM ON THE PLANET. 19:15 AND SO, I WANT TO CONTINUE TO LISTEN CAREFULLY AND BEGIN TO PRAY AS TO WHAT GOD WOULD HAVE 19:21 YOU DO TO BE A PART OF THIS WORK. 19:23 NOW, YOU CAN BE IN TOUCH WITH GOSPEL OUTREACH. 19:32 WEBSITE: WWW.GOAIM.ORG 19:34 WE ARE GOING TO LEAVE IT THERE ON SCREEN LONG ENOUGH FOR YOU TO JOT IT DOWN BECAUSE YOU WANT TO 19:37 BE IN TOUCH WITH GOSPEL OUTREACH. 19:39 THERE ARE GOING TO BE VOLUNTEERS HERE AT GOSPEL OUTREACH WHO CAN RESPOND TO YOUR INQUIRIES AND 19:46 HELP DIRECT YOU IN YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS MINISTRY. 19:49 SO, THANK YOU FOR WHO YOU ARE, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE AND WHAT YOU WILL DO TO ADVANCE 19:55 THE WORK OF THE KINGDOM TO HASTEN THE COMING OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR. 20:00 THE LORD OF THOSE FOLKS IN BOMBAY AS WELL, 20:03 AS THE LORD OF THE FOLKS WHERE YOU LIVE ACROSS NORTH AMERICA. 20:08 SO, GOD BLESS YOU AND I WANT TO HEAR MORE OF RON WATTS ACCOUNT OF THE OPPORTUNITIES 20:16 AND POTENTIAL IN BOMBAY. 20:18 THANK YOU RON FOR BEING WITH US. 20:22 WHAT ARE YOU STARTING WITH TO BUILD YOUR TEAM AND ADVANCE THE PROJECT THAT IS COMING UP.? 20:32 WELL, FORTUNATELY BOMBAY IS ALREADY ORGANIZED AS A 20:37 SEPARATE CONFERENCE OR MISSION AS IT IS THERE. 20:41 SO THEY HAVE A PRESIDENT AND A TREASURER AND DEPARTMENTAL DIRECTORS AND SO THEY HAVE A 20:45 STAFF, A TEAM THAT IS ALREADY WORKING. 20:48 AND FORTUNATELY THERE ARE PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER INDIA AND SO WE WANT TO ESTABLISH CHURCHES IN 20:54 ALL THOSE LANGUAGES. 20:56 OH. 20:57 MULTILANGUAGE, YOU KNOW WE NEED HINDI SPEAKING CHURCHES, WE NEED TELAGU SPEAKING CHURCHES, 21:02 CONGREGATIONS WHO SPEAK MALAYALAM AND YES SOME WHO SPEAK ENGLISH. 21:06 THERE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE IN BOMBAY THAT SPEAK ENGLISH AS WELL. 21:10 IT IS THE COMMERCIAL CAPITAL OF INDIA AND IT IS, YOU KNOW, THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT IS WANTING TO 21:16 MAKE BOMBAY THE LARGEST FINANCIAL CENTER BETWEEN LONDON AND HONG KONG. 21:20 IS THAT RIGHT? 21:22 THAT IS THEIR TARGET FOR THE CITY OF BOMBAY AND IT IS A PLACE OF BUSTLING COMMERCE AND EVER 21:28 SINCE THE BRITISH DAYS ACTUALLY, IT IS AN ISLAND AND THERE IS HUGE POTENTIAL BECAUSE PEOPLE 21:35 WHO COME FROM THEIR VILLAGE TO BOMBAY ARE LONELY PEOPLE. 21:40 THEY ARE LOOKING FOR FRIENDS AND IF THERE IS SOMEBODY THERE WHO SPEAKS THEIR LANGUAGE AND WHO 21:46 MAKES FRIENDS WITH THEM, HELPS THEM PERHAPS GET SETTLED AND STARTS TO TALK ABOUT HOPE AND 21:52 COURAGE AND STRENGTH THAT THEY CAN FIND IN GOD AND IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, THERE IS A GREAT 22:09 POTENTIAL FOR EVANGELISM. 22:10 WE HAVE LAY PEOPLE THAT WE CAN TAKE TO THAT CITY AND DO THIS GOSPEL OUTREACH WORK. 22:12 AND I CONCEIVE, I KNOW FROM PAST EXPERIENCE, THAT WE CAN WIN NOT HUNDREDS BUT THOUSANDS OF NEW 22:15 PEOPLE TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IN THAT CITY. 22:18 SO, WE NEED AT LEAST LETS START WITH 50 NEW VOLUNTEERS THEN GO TO 100 BUT LET'S HAVE VOLUNTEERS 22:25 IN ALL THE LANGUAGES BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS THEN IS PEOPLE MOVE TO THE CITY BUT THEY HAVE THEIR 22:31 RELATIVES BACK IN THEIR HOME STATE AND THEIR HOME LANGUAGE AND IF THEY LEARN OUR MESSAGE 22:40 THERE AND ACCEPT IT, THEN A CHURCH WILL BE PLANTED IN THEIR VILLAGE, 22:43 IN THEIR TOWN THAT THEY CAME FROM. 22:44 IT HAS A POTENTIAL OF HAVING AN IMPACT ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. 22:47 LET ME REDUCE, FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR VIEWERS WHO ARE THINKING ABOUT THIS, 22:50 REDUCE THIS TO THE BASICS. 22:51 OBVIOUSLY THE COST OF LIVING IN BOMBAY IS GOING TO BE GREATER 22:56 THAN IN SOME OF THE VILLAGES OUT THERE. 22:59 THAT IS TRUE. 23:01 IF YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE 50 NEW GOSPEL OUTREACH WORKERS HOW MUCH, ON AN AVERAGE, DOES IT 23:07 COST TO SUPPORT THAT GOSPEL OUTREACH WORKER? 23:09 MY UNDERSTANDING IT IS A $150 IS WHAT THE TARGET THAT GOSPEL OUTREACH IS PUTTING AND THAT 23:14 WILL BE ADEQUATE. 23:16 IT WILL BE? 23:17 IT WILL BE ADEQUATE. 23:18 O.K. 23:19 AND EXPLAIN OUR VIEWERS LARGELY KNOW THIS, BUT EXPLAIN WHAT DOES THE $150 TAKE CARE OF? 23:27 ALRIGHT, IT TAKES CARE OF THEIR PROVISIONS, THEIR FOOD COST, IT TAKES CARE OF THEIR CLOTHING 23:33 COST, IT TAKES CARE OF THEIR MEDICAL COST IF THEY HAVE SOME PROBLEM WITH SICKNESS AND THEY 23:40 CAN - THEY HAVE TO HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE, A PLACE TO RENT. 23:44 THAT IS PROBABLY THE MOST EXPENSIVE THING IN A CITY LIKE BOMBAY. 23:48 WHAT ABOUT TRANSPORTATION? 23:49 TRANSPORTATION NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED IT'S A BIG CITY, 23:51 AND YOU NEED TO FIND YOUR WAY AROUND. 23:54 THEY'LL FIND THEIR WAY AROUND ON BICYCLES; THEY'LL GO BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT. 23:58 THERE IS A GOOD TRANSPORT. 23:59 A LOT OF TRAINS IN BOMBAY GOING TO DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY. 24:04 THEY WON'T BE IN CARS, I CAN ASSURE OF THAT BUT SOME OF THEM WILL HAVE SCOOTERS, 24:09 MOTORSCOOTERS BUT THEY WILL NEED TRANSPORTATION AND THEY NEED TO GO TO THOSE PARTS OF THE CITY 24:15 WHERE THE PEOPLE SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE AND ESTABLISH CHURCHES HERE AND THERE. 24:19 NOW I CAN TELL YOU WE ESTABLISHED ALREADY A NUMBER OF CHURCHES IN BOMBAY AND I'VE 24:24 VISITED THEM AFTERWARD. 24:25 WE GOT SOME BUILDINGS WE WERE ABLE TO BUY SOME OLDER BUILDINGS, REMODELED THEM, 24:29 SOMETIMES RESIDENCES AND SO ON. 24:31 WHEN I HAVE GONE THERE ON A SABBATH EVEN WHEN THEY DIDN'T KNOW I WAS COMING, THE PLACE WAS 24:37 ALWAYS PACKED TO THE DOORS. 24:39 YOU COULD NOT GET IN. 24:40 ANYTHING YOU BUILD IN BOMBAY FOR THE PEOPLE TO WORSHIP IN THEY WILL FILL IT VERY QUICKLY. 24:46 THERE IS A HUNGER. 24:47 THERE IS A SPIRITUAL HUNGER AMONG THE PEOPLE THERE AND THAT HUNGER INTENSIFIES WHEN THEY 24:54 LEAVE THEIR HOMES AND GO TO THE CITY. 24:57 THE WORK, IF I AM FOLLOWING YOU, KIND OF LISTENING BETWEEN THE LINES, THE WORK IS LARGELY GOING 25:04 TO BE DONE ON A PERSONAL VISITATION WITNESS PROCESS. 25:10 IT WILL BE DONE BUT THEN THEY WILL GATHER PEOPLE IN GROUPS IN A HOME. 25:14 BUT A SMALL GROUP 15, 20, 25, 30 PEOPLE. 25:18 IF THEY HAVE GROUPS LARGER THAN THAT, IT BECOMES TOO NOTICEABLE AND PROBLEMS BECAUSE THERE ARE 25:25 -BOMBAY HAPPENS TO BE A CITY WHERE PEOPLE ALSO HAVE WAYS OF GETTING THEIR WAY THAT IS NOT 25:31 QUITE CIVILIZED, SHALL I PUT IT THAT WAY? 25:33 I THINK WE UNDERSTAND. 25:35 SO YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL THAT THOSE PEOPLE DO NOT DISTURB THE MEETING SO YOU DO IT IN A QUIET 25:46 WAY BUT THAT QUIET WAY IS VERY, VERY EFFECTIVE IN THAT CITY. 25:50 WE HAVEN'T TIME TO TALK ABOUT THIS TO ANY GREAT EXTENT BUT THIS KIND OF PERSONAL WORK EVEN 25:54 THOUGH IT IS A MAJOR POPULATION AREA, THIS KIND OF PERSONAL WORK IS GOING TO MEET THE GENERAL 25:58 CONFERENCE EVANGELISTIC INITIATIVE? 26:02 I HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT THAT QUESTION BUT I DON'T KNOW ALL THOSE DETAILS BUT I THINK WHAT 26:08 THE GENERAL CONFERENCE IS LOOKING AT IS PEOPLE TO BE WON TO THE LORD. 26:12 I DON'T THINK THEY ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT HOW IT IS BEING DONE 26:15 AS LONG AS IT IS BEING DONE EFFECTIVELY. 26:17 O.K. 26:18 I KNOW THE CITY OF BOMBAY IT IS WISER TO DO IT IN SMALL GROUPS. 26:22 RON WATTS IT IS ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO HEAR ABOUT YOU AND NOW TO SEE YOU IN PERSON HERE AS 26:29 GOSPEL OUTREACH AND I'M ALSO PRIVILEGED TO KNOW THAT 26:34 YOU ARE SEEING US HERE AT GOSPEL OUTREACH. 26:37 IT IS A WONDERFUL BLESSING TO BE IN TOUCH WITH OUR FAMILY, OUR SUPPORTERS, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE 26:43 PRAYING FOR GOSPEL OUTREACH AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR WHO YOU ARE AND 26:48 WHAT YOU HAVE DONE AND WHAT GOD WILL BLESS YOU TO CONTINUE DOING FOR THE ADVANCE OF THE WORK OF 26:55 THE KINGDOM AND REMEMBER PRAY FOR BOMBAY AS YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT GOSPEL OUTREACH. 27:03 GOD BLESS YOU ALL. 27:04 SEE YOU NEXT TIME. 27:05 [CLOSING MUSIC] 27:17 I NEED TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL HERE AT HOME. 27:21 WHERE IS THE 10/40 WINDOW ANYWAY? 27:24 THOSE PEOPLE ARE TOO FAR AWAY. 27:27 SOMEONE ELSE CAN TELL THEM ABOUT JESUS. 27:29 MAYBE THEY COULD JUST WATCH TV? 27:32 NEARLY THREE BILLION PEOPLE TO REACH. 27:35 MY HEAD HURTS. 27:37 THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO, 27:40 I GIVE UP. 27:41 WHAT'S THE POINT OF TRYING? 27:43 I CAN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE. 27:45 ACTUALLY, YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. 27:48 AND JESUS ASKED YOU TO GO TO ALL THE WORLD. 27:52 WHERE? 27:53 ALL THE WORLD. 27:55 HOW CAN I GO? 27:56 I HAVE COMMITMENTS. 27:57 YOU CAN PRAY. 27:59 YOU CAN VOLUNTEER YOUR TALENTS. 28:05 YOU CAN TELL OTHERS. 28:08 YOU CAN GIVE MONEY TO SPONSOR BIBLE WORKERS. 28:11 MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE SEARCHING FOR HOPE AND MEANING 28:14 BUT THEY WON'T FIND IT WITHOUT YOU. 28:16 BE THE SPARK, 28:17 LIGHT THE FIRE, 28:18 FINISH THE WORK 28:20 FINISH THE WORK. |
Revised 2015-02-06