Participants: Ole Olesen (Host), Dean Coridan
Series Code: AIM
Program Code: AIM000599A
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00:00 [OPENING MUSIC].
00:15 WELCOME TO ADVENTURES IN MISSIONS HERE AT GOSPEL OUTREACH. 00:19 IT'S A SPECIAL DAY. 00:21 WE HAVE A LOT OF GUESTS HERE. 00:23 MY NAME IS OLE OLESON AND WITH ME IS DEAN CORIDAN. 00:29 WELCOME DEAN. 00:30 THANK YOU SO MUCH. 00:31 NOW WHERE ARE YOU COMING FROM? 00:32 I'M IN THE IOWA-MISSOURI CONFERENCE. 00:34 IOWA-MISSOURI CONFERENCE OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS. 00:38 WHAT IS YOUR ROLE THERE? 00:39 I'M THE CONFERENCE PRESIDENT THERE. 00:41 THAT WILL DO. 00:42 HOW LONG HAS THAT BEEN TRUE AS PRESIDENT? 00:44 TEN YEARS. 00:45 YOU'VE BEEN PRESIDENT FOR TEN YEARS? 00:47 YES. 00:48 YOU KNOW THAT PLACE WELL. 00:49 I KNOW IT WELL. 00:50 NOW WHAT BRINGS YOU TO GOSPEL OUTREACH BECAUSE NORMALLY I DON'T THINK OF 00:52 GOSPEL OUTREACH AS PART OF THE IOWA-MISSOURI CONFERENCE. 00:54 ONE OF THE MINISTRIES THAT WE'RE DEVELOPING IN THE IOWA-MISSOURI CONFERENCE 01:01 IS MINISTRY TO REFUGEES. 01:03 AS WE'VE BEEN DEVELOPING THAT, GOSPEL OUTREACH ASKED IF I WOULD COME AND 01:05 MAKE A PRESENTATION TO THEIR BOARD ON REFUGEE MINISTRIES. 01:07 I DID THAT AND FROM THERE THEY'VE ASKED US TO SPEAK WITH YOU. 01:15 OH WONDERFUL. 01:21 REFUGEES, THIS WORLD HAS NO SHORTAGE RIGHT NOW DOES IT. 01:25 PROBABLY WE HAVE THE LARGEST NUMBER OF DISPLACED PEOPLE RIGHT NOW 01:31 THAN WE'VE EVER HAD ON PLANET EARTH. 01:33 OF COURSE, IT KIND OF GROWS WITH OUR WORLD POPULATION IN A SENSE. 01:38 WORLD POPULATION, LACK OF RESOURCES AND PERSECUTION. 01:42 SO WHEN YOUR CONFERENCE TOOK ON THIS MINISTRY HOW DID THAT BEGIN? 01:51 TELL US THE STORY? 01:53 WE SHOULD HAVE STARTED IT A LONG TIME AGO BUT IF YOU THINK OF REFUGEE 01:57 MINISTRIES OR REFUGEE WORK IN THE UNITED STATES THE TWO CITIES THAT WOULD 02:03 PROBABLY COME MOST TO YOUR MIND WOULD BE NEW YORK, SAN FRANCISCO OR LOS 02:08 ANGELES AS ENTRY POINTS FOR REFUGEES. 02:11 BECAUSE OF TRANSPORTATION THAT'S NO LONGER TRUE. 02:15 THE NUMBER ONE ENTERING POINTS FOR REFUGEES NOW IS THE MIDWEST. 02:21 THE REASON BEING IS BECAUSE WHEN A REFUGEE RECEIVES REFUGEE STATUS 02:27 FROM THE UN AND THEY CAN IMMIGRATE TO A RECEIVING COUNTRY, THE UNITED STATES 02:33 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GIVES FOUR MONTHS OF HOUSING, MEDICAL, SCHOOLING, THAT 02:40 TYPE OF THING AND HOUSING AND ALL OF THAT IS CHEAPER IN THE MIDWEST SO THE 02:46 REFUGEES ARE BEING LOCATED THERE. 02:48 SO YOU'RE INITIAL MINISTRY THEN IS WITH THE REFUGEES WHO HAVE BEEN PLACED IN 02:54 THE UNITED STATES IN MID-AMERICA. 02:56 THAT'S RIGHT. 02:58 AND WHAT HAPPENED IS, AS WE BEGAN TO MEET REFUGEES IN OUR CONFERENCE THE LORD 03:04 SPOKE TO OUR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND OUR CONSTITUENTS THAT THERE 03:08 WAS SOMETHING THAT WE NEEDED TO DO TO HELP THESE PEOPLE TO BE THEIR 03:12 FRIENDS. 03:13 COUPLED TO THAT THEN WE DO A LOT OF OVERSEAS MISSION WORK WITH OUR TEENAGERS 03:19 FROM OUR ACADEMY. 03:21 WE GO TO COUNTRIES WHERE THERE ARE REFUGEE CAMPS. 03:25 IN CONJUNCTION WITH THAT I BEGAN TO THEN VISIT THE REFUGEE CAMPS TO SEE WHAT 03:30 THEIR CONDITIONS WERE FIRST HAND. 03:32 OH MY, SO YOU THEN HAVE A FIRST-HAND KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT THESE PEOPLE ARE 03:38 COMING FROM WHEN THEY REACH YOUR CONFERENCE HERE. 03:41 THAT'S RIGHT. 03:43 SO I'M JUST NOW RETURNING FROM A MONTH BEING OUT OF THE CONFERENCE TO NEPAL, 03:51 LEBANON AND IN INDIA AND DURING THE COURSE OF THAT I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO 03:56 THE HIMALAYAS AND THE TIBETAN BORDER WITH NEPAL TO SEE THE POTENTIAL WORK 04:01 THERE AND TO MAKE IT INTO THREE REFUGEE CAMPS IN NEPAL AND UNOFFICIAL 04:08 SYRIAN REFUGEE CAMPS IN LEBANON. 04:11 OH WOW. 04:12 SO SOME OF THESE REFUGEES GO BACK A LONG WAYS. 04:17 THERE'S NO WAR CURRENTLY I DON'T THINK IN THE NEPAL, INDIA, TIBET BORDER BUT 04:23 THERE WERE WARS IN THE PAST. 04:25 THAT'S RIGHT. 04:26 FOR A LONG TIME THE NUMBER ONE IMMIGRANT REFUGEE GROUP TO THE UNITED STATES 04:32 HAS BEEN THE NEPALESE, BHUTANESE REFUGEES. 04:35 THEIR STORY GOES BACK ABOUT 100 YEARS. 04:39 BHUTAN ASKED NEPAL IF PEOPLE COULD COME TO THEIR COUNTRY FOR LABOR. 04:44 THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF NEPALESE WENT TO BHUTAN. 04:49 THEY LIVED THEIR LIVES THERE. 04:52 BUT ABOUT 30 YEARS AGO THE BHUTAN GOVERNMENT FELT LIKE THEY HAD SO MANY 04:58 HERITAGE NEPALESE THERE THAT THEY MIGHT LOSE THE IDENTITY OF THEIR COUNTRY, 05:04 SO 450 THOUSAND, 30 YEARS AGO, WERE FORCED TO LEAVE. 05:09 THEY WALKED FROM BHUTAN BACK TO NEPAL. 05:12 WHEN THEY REACHED THE BORDER OF NEPAL THE NEPALESE GOVERNMENT SAID 05:16 THEY COULDN'T COME IN BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT NEPALESE THEY WERE 05:21 BHUTANESE. 05:22 THE UN FORMED FIVE REFUGEE CAMPS AND FOR 30 YEARS THOSE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN 05:27 LIVING IN THE REFUGEE CAMPS. 05:29 RIGHT NOW THE UNITED NATIONS INTENT IS TO CLOSE THOSE REFUGEE CAMPS SO 05:34 THEY'RE DOWN TO THREE BUT THERE'S 185 THOUSAND REFUGEES LEFT AND THEY'RE 05:39 STILL LOOKING FOR COUNTRIES TO SEND THEM TO. 05:41 THE MAJORITY OF THOSE ARE GOING TO COME TO THE UNITED STATES. 05:44 REALLY. 05:45 YES. 05:46 AND ARE SOME OF THEM THERE WITHIN YOUR CONFERENCE? 05:48 IN KANSAS CITY WE HAVE FOUR THOUSAND TO FIVE THOUSAND. 05:53 IN ST. LOUIS WE HAVE ABOUT THREE THOUSAND. 05:57 SO THE REFUGEES THAT WE BEGAN WORKING WITH WERE BHUTANESE REFUGEES FROM 06:02 THE CAMPS. 06:03 THEY WERE IN KANSAS CITY. 06:06 WHEN WE STARTED WORKING WITH THEM WE BEGAN TO REALIZE THAT THEY STILL 06:10 HAD FAMILY BACK IN THOSE REFUGEE CAMPS. 06:15 SO WHAT I DID WAS GO TO THE CHURCH WHERE SOME OF THE NEPALESE ARE 06:20 CHRISTIAN, NOT SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST BUT CHRISTIAN, AND GOT TO KNOW THEM, 06:26 BEGAN TO TAKE PICTURES OF THEM AND I WOULD TAKE THEIR FAMILY PICTURE, 06:31 THEIR NAME AND WHO THEIR RELATIVE WAS IN THE REFUGEE CAMP. 06:36 THEN JUST MADE IT A SUBJECT OF PRAYER, WHEN TO THE REFUGEE CAMPS AND 06:41 FOUND SOMEBODY WHO WOULD HELP US AND WE FOUND EVERY FAMILY AND GAVE THEM A 06:46 PICTURE OF THEIR FAMILIES BACK IN THE U.S. 06:49 THERE WAS MUCH JOY, TEARS. 06:50 I BET THERE WAS. 06:51 IT WAS REALLY AMAZING. 06:52 OH MY. 06:53 BEING ETHNIC NEPALESE ARE THEY BASICALLY SPEAKING NEPALESE DIALECTS? 06:56 THEY CAN SPEAK NEPALESE. 06:57 SOME SPEAK FAIRLY GOOD ENGLISH AND THE LANGUAGE THAT THEY USE IN BHUTAN. 07:07 YES, OH. 07:10 WELL THAT'S FASCINATING. 07:15 SO YOU HAVE PEOPLE NOW WHO ARE MINISTERING TO THESE REFUGEES AS THEY TRY TO 07:22 SETTLE IN THE UNITED STATES. 07:24 FOUR MONTHS IS NOT A LONG TIME. 07:26 NO, AND REALLY THE FOUR MONTHS DOESN'T NECESSARILY GET THEM EMPLOYMENT. 07:31 NO. 07:33 BUT IT DOES GIVE TIME FOR SOMEBODY TO HELP THEM NAVIGATE THROUGH THE 07:38 SOCIAL SERVICES. 07:39 SO THEY HAVE FOUR MONTHS TO GET OFF FEDERAL SOCIAL SERVICES ONTO A LOCAL 07:45 STATE SOCIAL SERVICES. 07:47 OK. 07:48 AND TO HELP THEM CONNECT TO JOB TRAINING AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES. 07:53 HOW IS THIS AFFECTING THE LOCAL MEMBERS OF ADVENTIST CONGREGATIONS WHO ARE 07:59 GETTING INVOLVED WITH THAT? 08:01 WELL, I CAN TELL YOU A COUPLE OF STORIES THAT GIVE AN ILLUSTRATION. 08:06 THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR. 08:08 WE HAVE OUR COLUMBIA CHURCH IN COLUMBIA, MISSOURI. 08:11 AND THEY DECIDED THAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO THEIR VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL 08:14 DIFFERENTLY THIS LAST YEAR THAN BEFORE. 08:16 THEY DIDN'T DO IT OUT OF THE CHURCH. 08:18 THEY WENT TO THE AREA OF COLUMBIA WHERE IT WOULD BE A PART THAT YOU WOULDN'T 08:25 GO TO. 08:26 OK. 08:27 BECAUSE THEY DECIDED THAT'S WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE THAT NEED IT. 08:29 FOR INSTANCE THE DAY BEFORE THE VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL WAS TO START THE 08:33 PASTOR CALLED ME AND SAID THERE HAD JUST BEEN A SHOOTING IN THAT PART, 08:37 SOMEBODY HAS BEEN KILLED, SHOULD WE STILL GO? 08:39 WE PRAYED IT THROUGH AND DECIDED YES. 08:42 THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR, THAT'S WHERE THE GOSPEL IS NEEDED. 08:45 THAT'S RIGHT. 08:46 SO THEY DID THEIR VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL IN THAT PART AND MET AN IRAQI FAMILY 08:52 WHO ARE KURDS. 08:54 AND WE HEAR ABOUT THE KURDS AND WAR GOING ON. 08:57 ALMOST EVERY DAY YOU HEAR THAT IN THE NEWS. 09:00 THEY MET THIS KURDISH FAMILY THAT HAS FIVE CHILDREN. 09:04 IN OUR CONFERENCE WE RAISED SOME MONIES AND AS LONG AS THE MONIES LAST IF 09:09 A REFUGEE FAMILY WANTS TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO OUR CHURCH SCHOOL WE PROVIDE 09:15 THE FIRST YEAR FOR FREE SO THAT THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A SAFE 09:19 ENVIRONMENT. 09:20 WOW. 09:22 SO AS THEY GOT TO KNOW THIS KURDISH FAMILY AND WERE TALKING WITH THEM THE 09:25 FAMILY BECAME VERY INTERESTED IN CHRISTIANITY. 09:29 THEY HAVE BEEN SHARING THE GOSPEL WITH THEM. 09:31 THE KURDS ARE ANIMISTS. 09:34 ANIMISTS BELIEVE MUCH IN THE SPIRIT WORLD AND THE WAY THE SPIRIT WORLD 09:41 COMMUNICATES TO THE PHYSICAL WORLD IS PRIMARILY THROUGH DREAMS. 09:45 SO DREAMS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THEM. 09:47 I GOT A FIRST-HAND TESTIMONY OF THE COLUMBIA MEMBERS WHO ARE WORKING 09:52 WITH THIS FAMILY. 09:54 THEY CALLED ME AND WERE SO EXCITED. 09:56 THEY SAID WE STARTED BIBLE STUDIES WITH THEM. 09:59 WHEN WE WENT TO THE HOME THE FATHER WAS SAYING THROUGH INTERPRETERS TO 10:04 THE MOTHER, YOU'VE GOT TO TELL THEM YOUR DREAM. 10:08 SO SHE SAID HER DREAM WAS THAT SHE WAS BACK IN IRAQ IN HER HOUSE. 10:13 ISIS MILITIA WAS COMING TO THE HOUSE AND SHE KNEW THEY HAD WAITED TOO LATE 10:18 AND THEY WERE GOING TO BE KILLED. 10:20 SHE SAID SHE WAS SO SCARED WHEN A MAN WAS STANDING BY HER. 10:24 HE WAS THE WHITEST MAN SHE HAD EVER SEEN. 10:27 HE HAD WHITE CLOTHES, WHITE HAIR, WHITE BEARD. 10:32 SHE HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT AND THE MAN JUST SAID TO HER DON'T 10:35 BE AFRAID. 10:37 THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HURT YOU. 10:38 I'M GOING TO COVER YOU WITH A CLOAK AND THEY WILL NEVER SEE YOU. 10:42 SHE WAS SO GRATEFUL SHE REACHED OUT TO TAKE HIS HANDS TO KISS HIS HANDS. 10:46 WHEN SHE DID THAT SHE SAID THERE WAS A MARK ON THE PALM OF HIS HAND. 10:51 THEN SHE TURNED HIS HAND OVER AND THERE WAS A MARK ON THE BACK OF HIS HAND 10:54 AND SHE SAID HOW DID YOU GET THAT. 10:57 HIS RESPONSE WAS MY FATHER GAVE IT TO ME. 10:59 THEN SHE SAID AT THAT MOMENT I WOKE UP. 11:03 THEN THE QUESTION WAS COULD YOU TELL US WHO THAT MAN IS? 11:08 THE CHURCH MEMBERS IN COLUMBIA TOLD ME, WE FEEL LIKE DANIEL THAT THERE'S A 11:15 DREAM AND WE CAN TURN RIGHT TO THE BOOK OF REVELATION AND GIVE THE 11:19 DESCRIPTION OF JESUS. 11:21 OH THANK YOU DEAN FOR SHARING THAT. 11:23 THAT'S A STORY THAT NOBODY IS GOING TO HEAR INCLUDING ME TODAY WITHOUT A CHILL 11:30 RUNNING THROUGH US THAT GOD IS AT WORK. 11:32 I JUST WANT TO TURN TO THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE WATCHING THIS AND I WANT 11:36 TO GIVE YOU THAT INVITATION. 11:38 TWO THINGS: I WANT YOU TO LOOK ON YOUR SCREEN FIND THE REFERENCES, FIND THE 11:43 PHONE NUMBERS, THE EMAIL ADDRESS, THE WEBSITES. 11:47 LISTEN TO GOD'S VOICE. 11:49 MAYBE IN A DREAM TO YOU YOU WILL FEEL COMPELLED TO BECOME A PART FINANCIALLY 11:54 WITH WHAT GOSPEL OUTREACH IS DOING. 11:57 THIS IS ALL DONE ON DONATIONS. 11:58 THERE ARE NO OFFERINGS COLLECTED FOR GOSPEL OUTREACH PER SE. 12:03 CHURCHES DON'T HAVE THAT ON THEIR REGULAR CALENDAR. 12:06 THIS IS YOU WHO GIVE. 12:08 BUT DON'T FORGET, AS YOU GIVE TO AN ADVENTURE LIKE THIS YOU COULD BE DOING 12:15 SOMETHING IN YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY. 12:18 YOU HAVE A CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE. 12:20 THERE MAY BE REFUGEES BEING PLACED IN A NEW ENVIRONMENT NEAR YOU. 12:26 I DON'T KNOW BUT GOD HAS A PLAN FOR EACH OF US AND I JUST PRAY THAT YOU WILL BE 12:34 THE SPARK IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD FOR SOMETHING THAT GOD HAS IN MIND. 12:38 I NEED TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL HERE AT HOME. 12:44 WHERE IS THE 10/40 WINDOW ANYWAY? 12:47 THOSE PEOPLE LIVE TOO FAR AWAY. 12:50 SOMEONE ELSE CAN TELL THEM ABOUT JESUS. 12:53 MAYBE THEY COULD JUST WATCH TV. 12:56 NEARLY THREE BILLION PEOPLE TO REACH. 12:58 MY HEAD HURTS. 13:00 THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO. 13:02 I GIVE UP. 13:04 WHAT'S THE POINT OF TRYING? 13:06 I CAN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE. 13:09 ACTUALLY YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. 13:11 AND JESUS ASKED YOU TO GO TO ALL THE WORLD. 13:16 WHERE? 13:17 ALL THE WORLD. 13:18 HOW CAN I GO, I HAVE COMMITMENTS. 13:21 YOU CAN PRAY. 13:23 YOU CAN VOLUNTEER YOUR TALENTS. 13:28 YOU CAN TELL OTHERS. 13:32 YOU CAN GIVE MONEY TO SPONSOR BIBLE WORKERS. 13:35 MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE SEARCHING FOR HOPE AND MEANING. 13:37 BUT THEY WON'T FIND IT WITHOUT YOU. 13:40 BE THE SPARK. 13:41 LIGHT THE FIRE. 13:43 FINISH THE WORK. 13:46 FINISH THE WORK. 13:48 BE THE SPARK. 13:51 DEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE TRYING TO FINISH THE WORK RIGHT THERE IN 13:55 YOUR CONFERENCE. 13:56 WELL IT'S AMAZING, OUR GOAL. 13:58 AND SO WE'RE SO GRATEFUL FOR GOSPEL OUTREACH TO INVITE US TO SHARE WITH 14:03 THEM BECAUSE OUR GOAL IS THAT MOST REFUGEES ARE COMING FROM COUNTRIES THAT 14:10 WE COULD NOT GO FREELY TO PREACH IN. 14:12 BUT WE CAN REACH THESE PEOPLE IN REFUGEE CAMPS. 14:18 SO THE GOAL IS IF WE COULD HAVE BIBLE WORKERS WORKING THE REFUGEE CAMPS, TO 14:23 PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO IMMIGRATE TO FREE COUNTRIES, INTRODUCE THEM 14:28 TO JESUS. 14:29 SOME WILL GIVE THEIR HEARTS TO JESUS THERE, SOME WILL GIVE THEIR 14:33 HEARTS TO JESUS WHEN THEY GET TO THE U.S. 14:36 OR THE OTHER COUNTRY. 14:38 IF WE COULD ORGANIZE ENOUGH. 14:41 FOR INSTANCE THE BHUTANESE REFUGEE CAMPS, IF I GO THERE AND TALK WITH PEOPLE 14:46 THEY CAN TELL ME A YEAR IN ADVANCE THE DAY AND THE CITY THAT THEY ARE GOING 14:52 TO IMMIGRATE TO SO THEY CAN SAY SIX MONTHS, HOUSTON, TEXAS. 14:58 WOW. 14:59 WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF IN THE NORTH AMERICAN DIVISION WE ORGANIZED 15:02 ENOUGH THAT IF THERE WERE GOSPEL OUTREACH BIBLE WORKERS IN THE REFUGEE 15:07 CAMP, SEND THE INFORMATION TO US IN NORTH AMERICAN THAT IT WOULD BE A 15:14 SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST FAMILY THAT WOULD MEET THEM AT THE AIRPORT AND BE 15:19 THE FIRST CONTACT THESE PEOPLE WOULD HAVE IN HELPING THEM TO GET 15:22 RESETTLED. 15:24 IF THEY BECOME CHRISTIANS AND SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS IMMEDIATELY THEY WILL LET 15:30 THE REST OF THEIR FAMILIES KNOW BACK IN THE REFUGEE CAMPS AND BACK IN BHUTAN. 15:35 SO WE CAN CARRY THE GOSPEL TO THE WORLD IF WE REACH THE REFUGEES AMONG US AND 15:43 THEY THEMSELVES WILL TELL THEIR FAMILIES. 15:45 YOU SOUND EXCITED ABOUT THIS. 15:46 OH I AM VERY MUCH SO. 15:49 WE HAVE A HUGE OPPORTUNITY ON THE TIBETAN BORDER. 15:53 TIBET IS A CLOSED COUNTRY. 15:55 IT'S AN OCCUPIED COUNTRY. 15:57 IF ANYBODY HAS READ THE HISTORY IT HAS BEEN VERY HARSH. 16:01 BUT ON THE NEPALESE SIDE OF THE TIBETAN BORDER IT IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE GOSPEL 16:09 WORK AND WHEN I WENT THERE WHAT I SAW FIRST HAND WAS THAT TIBETANS WHO ARE 16:17 LIVING IN NEPAL CAN FREELY CROSS THE TIBETAN BORDER WITH NO SEARCHING, NO 16:24 QUESTIONING. 16:25 THEY CAN GO VISIT THEIR FAMILIES IN TIBET. 16:28 SO? 16:29 AH. 16:30 IF WE COULD ESTABLISH A CHURCH, YOU SEE EXACTLY WHAT I'M SAYING. 16:32 IF WE COULD ESTABLISH A CHURCH THERE AND PEOPLE BECOME CHRISTIANS, WHEN 16:37 THEY GO VISIT THEIR FAMILY IN TIBET WE CAN CARRY THE GOSPEL TO TIBET FROM THE 16:44 NEPALESE SIDE. 16:46 THAT IS AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY. 16:49 IT IS. 16:50 SO YOU'RE DREAMING OF WORKING WITH GOSPEL OUTREACH TO PUT WORKERS 16:56 WHO KNOW THOSE NATIVE LANGUAGES, KNOW THOSE CULTURES, INTO THE BORDER 17:00 LAND OF TIBET AND NEPAL, THE LAST REMAINING REFUGEE CAMPS FOR THESE BHUTANESE 17:07 NEPALESE. 17:09 AND IT SOUNDS MAYBE YOU'RE EVEN THINKING OF-THIS FALL WE'RE GOING TO-GOSPEL 17:15 OUTREACH HAS DECIDED TO TAKE THIS ON AS A MINISTRY. 17:18 OK. 17:19 THEY VOTED THAT THIS WEEK. 17:21 SO THE FIRST CAMPS WE'RE GOING TO GO TO NOW ON BEHALF OF GOSPEL OUTREACH 17:26 ARE GOING TO BE IN TURKEY. 17:27 AND THIS FALL WE'RE GOING TO GO VISIT ORGANIZED SYRIAN REFUGEE CAMPS, SEE 17:32 HOW WE CAN HAVE PEOPLE, BIBLE WORKERS WORK IN THOSE CAMPS. 17:37 WHAT WOULD IT BE IF A GOSPEL OUTREACH WORKER WORKING IN A REFUGEE CAMP 17:43 TOLD US IN AMERICA THESE PEOPLE ARE COMING TO YOUR COUNTRY. 17:47 WE MEET THEM AT THE AIRPORT. 17:49 WE BEFRIEND THEM. 17:51 THEY GIVE THEIR HEARTS TO CHRIST. 17:53 THEY WANT TO CONTACT THEIR FAMILIES BACK IN THEIR HOME COUNTRIES AND WE 17:58 COULD NOTIFY A GOSPEL OUTREACH WORKER IN THE HOME COUNTRY TO GO VISIT 18:03 THEIR FAMILY TO GIVE AN INVITATION. 18:05 THIS BECOMES EXCITING. 18:06 IT DOES. 18:07 IT BECOMES EXCITING. 18:10 YOU TOLD THAT STORY ABOUT THE DREAM THAT CAME TO ONE WHO COMMUNICATED THAT WITH 18:17 A MEMBER OF THE COLUMBIA CHURCH. 18:19 DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER STORIES LIKE THAT? 18:21 WELL WE HAVE I THINK A REALLY POWERFUL STORY OF A KAREN REFUGEE IN THE DES 18:29 MOINES AREA. 18:30 WE HAVE SEVERAL THOUSAND KARENS . 18:32 THAT'S FROM MYANMAR, OLD BURMA. 18:34 YES. 18:35 AND THEY'VE HAD TO FLEE FROM MYANMAR TO THAILAND TO REFUGEE CAMPS, THEN 18:37 FROM THAILAND IMMIGRANTS. 18:38 WE HAVE A YOUNG WORKER THERE WHO'S NAME IS STEPHEN, STEPHEN ----. 18:52 AND WHAT HAS REALLY EXCITED US IS AS WE GOT TO KNOW STEPHEN AND THEN 18:59 HIRED HIM AS A WORKER TO WORK WITH THE KARENS HIS GRANDFATHER WAS ERIC B. 19:03 HARE'S FIRST CONVERT IN THE JUNGLE SCHOOL. 19:11 SO WE JUST FEEL LIKE HOW HAS GOD LED THAT THIS YOUNG MAN'S HERITAGE, HIS 19:18 GRANDFATHER WAS THE FIRST ONE TO RESPOND TO ERIC B. 19:21 HARE. 19:23 NOW HE'S A HIRED WORKER IN THE UNITED STATES WORKING FOR THE KAREN PEOPLE. 19:26 WAS THAT A HIRE OUT OF YOUR CONFERENCE OR A HIRE OUT OF GOSPEL OUTREACH? 19:31 IT WAS A HIRE OUT OF OUR CONFERENCE. 19:33 HE WAS IN OUR CONFERENCE AND AS WE BEGAN TO DEVELOP REFUGEE WORK THE NORTH 19:38 AMERICAN DIVISION HELPED US LOCATE HIM AND THEN WE ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD WORK 19:45 IN MINISTRY. 19:46 HE HAS BEEN DOING IT. 19:47 YOU HAVE A LOT IN COMMON WITH GOSPEL OUTREACH. 19:50 WE DO. 19:51 UNBELIEVABLE. 19:52 I'M JUST AMAZED AT WHAT I'M SEEING. 19:55 SO I AM VERY GRATEFUL TO THIS MINISTRY. 19:58 SO THERE IS A YOUNG BOY THAT HE HAS WORKED WITH, A REFUGEE. 20:01 HIS NAME IS DA TU. 20:03 DA TU WAS 12 AND WE GAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR HIM TO BE ABLE TO GO TO CHURCH 20:10 SCHOOL AND HE TOOK IT. 20:11 WHEN HE WENT TO OUR LOCAL CHURCH SCHOOL HIS HEART BEGAN TO BURN WITHIN HIM 20:15 THAT HE WANTED TO SHARE JESUS WITH SOMEBODY SO HE BEGAN TO PRAY EVERY DAY 20:21 THAT JESUS WOULD LEAD HIM TO SOMEBODY THAT HE COULD SHARE WITH. 20:26 HE BEFRIENDED ANOTHER KAREN BOY WHO LIVED NEXT TO THEM IN AN APARTMENT 20:33 WHO WAS A BUDDHIST. 20:34 THEY BECAME PLAYMATES. 20:35 HE WAS PRAYING HELP ME TO SHARE JESUS TO MY FRIEND AND THEN HAD THE COURAGE 20:43 TO TELL THIS YOUNG BUDDHIST BOY ABOUT JESUS AND HE JUST SIMPLY SAID 20:48 JESUS IS COMING AGAIN AND HE'S GOT A NEW HOME AND EVERYBODY WHO BELIEVES IN 20:55 HIM IS GOING TO GET THE NEW HOME AND THOSE WHO DON'T BELIEVE IN HIM 20:59 AREN'T GOING TO GET THE NEW HOME AND INVITED HIM TO GIVE HIS HEART TO 21:02 JESUS. 21:03 A 12 YEAR-OLD TESTIMONY. 21:04 THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. 21:07 THIS WAS IN THE U.S. 21:09 OR-NO THIS WAS IN DES MOINES, IOWA. 21:12 THIS TOOK PLACE RIGHT THERE IN DES MOINES, IOWA, BOTH OF THEM REFUGEE 21:15 FAMILIES. 21:16 THAT'S RIGHT. 21:18 SO THE YOUNG BOY SAID WELL I WANT TO GIVE MY HEART TO JESUS SO HE WENT TO HIS 21:21 MOTHER AND SAID I'VE NOW BECOME A FOLLOWER OF JESUS. 21:25 I'M NO LONGER A BUDDHIST, I WANT TO BE BAPTIZED. 21:29 AND THE MOTHER SAID NO, YOU CAN'T YOU'RE A BUDDHIST. 21:33 HE ASKED THE NEXT DAY. 21:34 SHE SAID NO YOU CAN'T YOU'RE A BUDDHIST. 21:37 HE ASKED THE NEXT DAY. 21:39 THEN HE CHANGED TACTICS. 21:41 THE NEXT DAY HE WENT AT ONE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING AND WOKE HIS MOTHER UP AND 21:48 SAID I'VE BECOME A FOLLOWER OF JESUS AND I WANT TO BE BAPTIZED. 21:53 SHE SAID NO YOU CAN'T. 21:55 NEXT MORNING ONE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING HE GOT UP. 21:58 IN THREE TIMES THE MOTHER SAID YES, YOU CAN BE BAPTIZED. 22:02 THAT YOUNG MAN WAS BAPTIZED THIS SUMMER. 22:06 THE MOMENT HE WAS BAPTIZED, BECAUSE OF WORLD-WIDE COMMUNICATIONS 22:11 THAT FAMILY CONTACTED THEIR FAMILY BACK IN MYANMAR AND SAID HE HAS 22:19 BECOME A FOLLOWER OF JESUS, A CHRISTIAN. 22:22 THAT FAMILY THEN RESPONDED BACK, TELL US ABOUT THAT. 22:27 TELL US WHAT IT MEANS. 22:28 THAT'S THE POTENTIAL WE HAVE. 22:31 OH WOW. 22:32 AND THEY'RE SO OPEN BECAUSE THEY NEED SO MUCH HELP. 22:36 THIS IS THE GLOBALIZATION OF THE MESSAGE OF HOPE. 22:41 YES, THAT'S RIGHT. 22:42 WHEN I TALK ABOUT REFUGEE WORK IN OUR CONFERENCE THE NUMBER ONE QUESTION I HAVE 22:47 IS WELL WHAT WOULD WE DO. 22:48 I MEAN HOW DO YOU WORK WITH THE REFUGEES. 22:52 YOU KNOW, I DO LOTS OF REFUGEE VISITING. 22:55 I GO TO A LOT OF HOMES. 22:57 IN ALL THE VISITING I'VE DONE I'VE NEVER HAD ONE REFUGEE FAMILY ASK ME FOR 23:02 FOOD, CLOTHES AND THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. 23:06 YES, THAT'S EASY TO IMAGINE. 23:08 AND I WAS THINKING BOY IF THEY ASK US FOR ALL THESE THINGS HOW ARE WE GOING TO 23:11 PROVIDE THAT. 23:12 I'VE NEVER HAD ONE ASK US THAT. 23:15 WHAT I HAVE HAD ASKED IS WOULD YOU HAVE A PRAYER OF BLESSING ON THIS HOME? 23:22 AND THAT'S WHETHER THEY ARE CHRISTIAN OR NOT. 23:25 AND IT'S TESTIMONY AFTER TESTIMONY OF REFUGEES JUST WEEPING SAYING WE HAVE NO 23:31 FRIENDS. 23:33 YOU ARE THE FIRST PERSON TO COME TO OUR HOUSE AND BE A FRIEND TO US. 23:39 AND WHAT WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IS-I'M JUST GOING TO USE TWO 23:44 TERMS-MOST REFUGEES ARE COMING FROM THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES THAT ARE HIGH 23:49 CONTEXT SOCIETIES. 23:51 HIGH CONTEXT MEANING EVERYTHING, EVERY DECISION MADE IS A FAMILY AND 23:56 COMMUNITY DECISION. 23:59 BUT THEY ARE BEING IMMIGRATED TO COUNTRIES THAT ARE LOW CONTEXT 24:03 SOCIETIES LIKE THE U.S. 24:05 WHERE MOST DECISIONS ARE INDIVIDUAL. 24:08 WE ARE ALL VERY INDEPENDENT. 24:09 THAT'S RIGHT. 24:10 AND WHEN THEY COME HERE THEY HAVE SUCH A LOSS OF COMMUNITY. 24:13 YES. 24:15 AND THEY FEEL SO LONELY BECAUSE THERE IS NO ONE TO MAKE DECISIONS WITH. 24:20 WHEN WE COME ALONG SIDE AND WHAT BETTER AVENUE THAN THE CHURCH WHICH IS 24:24 GOD'S FAMILY ON THIS EARTH, TO BE IN THEIR HOMES, INCLUDE THEM IN OUR 24:31 FAMILY AND GIVE THEM THE SUPPORT TO MAKE DECISIONS. 24:35 REFUGEE WORK IS GOD'S WORK. 24:38 BEING A PASTOR MYSELF I SUSPECT THAT THOSE CONGREGATIONS THAT GET 24:44 INVOLVED IN THIS BEGIN TO SEE THEMSELVES MORE AS A FAMILY. 24:48 THEY SURE DO. 24:50 BECAUSE WE IN OUR INDIVIDUALISTIC CULTURE ARE PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF 24:58 DOING CHURCH TOGETHER WITHOUT REALLY BONDING. 25:01 THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. 25:02 BUT YOU CAN'T DO THE REFUGEE WORK WITHOUT BONDING WITH THEM BECAUSE 25:06 IF YOU VISIT THEM IN THEIR HOME THEY VIEW YOU AS PART OF THEIR FAMILY. 25:13 YOU ARE PART OF THEIR FAMILY. 25:14 OH MY. 25:16 WELL DEAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING. 25:19 THAT'S A VISION THAT I HAVE NOT HEARD OF BEFORE AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU 25:24 HAVE OPENED UP A LOT OF EYES AND EARS TO THAT POTENTIAL. 25:29 THE UNITED STATES IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE ONE OF THE PLACES IN THE WORLD 25:33 THAT WELCOMES PEOPLE LIKE THIS. 25:35 THAT IS RIGHT. 25:36 AND WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. 25:37 THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH CAN ORGANIZE IN SIMPLE WAYS THAT WOULD 25:44 ALIGN MINISTRIES TO EACH ONE DOING THEIR PART AND WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD. 25:51 I LIKE IT. 25:52 THERE'S AN APPEAL. 25:53 I'M GOING TO TURN BACK TO YOU WHO ARE WATCHING THIS AND JUST PASS THAT APPEAL 25:58 ON TO YOU AGAIN. 25:59 WE HERE AT ADVENTURES IN MISSIONS WANT YOU TO ENTER INTO THAT ADVENTURE. 26:05 IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE OFF IN BHUTAN OR NEPAL OR THE BORDER LANDS OF KURDISTAN, 26:11 IF SUCH A PLACE EXISTS. 26:13 IT CAN BE RIGHT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. 26:15 YOU HAVE A POWER. 26:17 YOUR CHURCH, YOUR CONGREGATION HAS A POWER TO DO GOOD THAT NOBODY 26:21 ELSE CAN DO. 26:22 I JUST PRAY YOU'LL WRITE DOWN THOSE CONTACT NUMBERS AND ADDRESSES AGAIN. 26:28 THEY'RE ON THE SCREEN, YOU CAN FIND THEM. 26:31 WE ARE HERE HOPING THAT THIS WILL CONTINUE TO EXPAND. 26:36 CONFERENCES LIKE IOWA-MISSOURI AND LEADERS LIKE DEAN CORIDAN AND YOU 26:43 WILL TAKE UP THAT LEADERSHIP AND WE WILL SOON SEE THOUSANDS WHERE 26:48 NOW THERE IS ONE. 26:49 AMEN. 26:50 GOD BLESS YOU EACH ONE. 26:51 THANK YOU DEAN. 26:52 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. 26:54 IT'S BEEN FUN. 26:55 [CLOSING MUSIC] |
Revised 2016-01-15