Participants:
Series Code: AIM
Program Code: AIM000619A
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00:00 [OPENING MUSIC[
00:24 WELCOME TO GOSPEL OUTREACH'S PROGRAM ADVENTURES IN MISSIONS. 00:29 MISSIONS. HAVE YOU EVER MADE A BUCKET LIST OF ALL THE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO AND 00:33 ALL THE PLACES YOU WANT TO GO WHILE YOU'RE ALIVE HERE ON EARTH? 00:36 I HAVE. 00:37 I'VE MADE A LOT OF THEM. 00:39 AND FOR YEARS MY BUCKET LIST INCLUDED THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA, THE ARMY 00:44 UNDERGROUND YOU KNOW THE TERRACOTTA SOLDIERS AND JUST CHINA. 00:49 I WANTED TO GO. 00:51 AUDREY FOLKENBERG IS HERE WITH US TODAY AND YOU ARE THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR 00:56 GOSPEL OUTREACH ON THE COUNTRY OF CHINA RIGHT? 01:00 THAT'S RIGHT. 01:01 LUCKY . 01:02 SO YOU'VE BEEN TO THE GREAT WALL? 01:04 I HAVE. 01:04 I'VE BEEN TO THE GREAT WALL FORTUNATELY. 01:07 HOW DID YOU FEEL? 01:08 I FELT VERY SMALL BECAUSE IT WAS SO GREAT. 01:11 YOU COULD JUST LOOK OUT AND IT WENT ON AND ON AND ON. 01:14 AND ON AND ON. 01:15 YES. 01:16 THE FIRST TIME I WENT THERE MY KIDS WERE LITTLE SO WAS THERE WITH THE KIDS 01:19 DOING MORE OF A TOURIST THING. 01:21 SINCE THEN I'VE BEEN BACK TAKING OTHER GROUPS THAT ARE WANTING TO GET TO KNOW 01:24 CHINA. 01:25 BUT IT'S AN AMAZING THING. 01:27 AND WHEN YOU THINK THAT THERE WERE THOUSANDS OF BODIES ALSO BURIED IN THAT 01:31 WALL AS THEY WORKED. 01:33 YES, AS THEY WORKED. 01:34 I MEAN PEOPLE LIVED, FOUR GENERATIONS OF FAMILIES, WORKING ON THE SAME WALL. 01:39 YES. 01:41 JUST FARTHER DOWN, FARTHER DOWN, FARTHER DOWN. 01:44 THE ONE DAY THAT I WAS THERE OR ONE DAY THAT I WAS THERE IT SNOWED. 01:49 REALLY. 01:50 I HAD DREAMED ABOUT THAT POSSIBILITY OF TAKING PICTURES OF THE GREAT WALL 01:53 WITH SNOW. 01:54 FANTASTIC. 01:55 AND WE WALKED, TWO OF US, SEVERAL MILES JUST UP AND DOWN AND TALKING TO 01:58 FRIENDS AND IT JUST OVERWHELMED ME. 02:00 YES. 02:01 IT'S SO HUGE. 02:02 IT IS HUGE. 02:03 AND THE TERA COTTA SOLDIERS? 02:04 FASCINATING, FASCINATING. 02:06 THOUSANDS OF MAN-MADE HUMAN-SIZED FIGURINES THAT WERE DISCOVERED BACK IN 02:13 THE 1970S THAT WERE BURIED BEFORE THE TIME OF CHRIST. 02:15 AND ALL UNDERGROUND. 02:16 ALL UNDERGROUND. 02:17 WHY? 02:19 WELL BECAUSE WHEN THE EMPEROR WAS BURIED HE NEEDED TO HAVE HIS 02:23 ENTOURAGE WITH HIM IN THE AFTER LIFE AND SO THEY WERE BURIED UNDERGROUND. 02:26 AND THEN IT WAS SEALED FOR ALL THOSE YEARS. 02:29 BUT THEY'RE ALL CLAY SOLDIERS. 02:30 THEY'RE NOT REAL PEOPLE. 02:31 NO, NO, NO. 02:32 YES. 02:33 SO HE COULD TAKE CLAY SOLDIERS WITH HIM TO THE AFTER LIFE. 02:35 THAT'S RIGHT. 02:36 SO MUCH I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT WHY PEOPLE BELIEVE WHAT THEY BELIEVE. 02:40 AND AS YOU HAVE BEEN IN AND OUT OF CHINA IN YOUR LIFE DO YOU WISH YOU KNEW 02:43 THAT TOO? 02:44 YES. 02:46 IN FACT TO BE HONEST WITH YOU DICK THE MORE I LEARN ABOUT CHINA THE MORE 02:49 QUESTIONS I HAVE BECAUSE IT'S THE OLDEST CULTURE THAT WE KNOW ABOUT AS FAR 02:53 AS THE HISTORY THAT GOES BACK THE FURTHEST SO IT'S A FASCINATING PLACE. 02:57 AND CHINA HAS BEEN THROUGH SO SO MUCH THAT IT'S INTRIGUING. 03:02 SO WHY DIDN'T JESUS GO TO CHINA INSTEAD OF THE MEDITERRANIAN? 03:05 I DON'T KNOW THAT BUT THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. 03:07 AND SOME DAY WE CAN ASK HIM. 03:09 IT SAYS IN SCRIPTURE IN JOHN THAT THE LIGHT THAT LIGHTETH EVERY MAN WHICH 03:16 MEANS EVERY HUMAN BEING IS LIT BY THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 03:21 HOW HAVE YOU SEEN THAT IN CHINA? 03:23 WELL I THINK ONE OF THE MAIN INDICATIONS THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS WORKING IS 03:29 THAT OUR CHURCH HAD TO GO UNDERGROUND AND AT THAT TIME WE ONLY HAD ABOUT 03:32 TWENTY THOUSAND MEMBERS. 03:33 THAT WAS IN THE 1950S. 03:35 AND COMING OUT WE HAD WELL OVER 200 THOUSAND AND NOW OVER 400 THOUSAND MEMBERS 03:41 IN CHINA. 03:42 AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY ADVENTIST SCHOOLS IN CHINA. 03:45 WE'VE BEEN PERSECUTED. 03:46 THERE HAVE BEEN RELIGIOUS RESTRICTIONS BEYOND MOST OF OUR IMAGINATION BUT YET 03:51 GOD IS DOING AMAZING AND MIGHTY THINGS. 03:53 AND THROUGH THESE DIFFICULT TIMES THE CHURCH GREW, HIS FAMILY GREW. 03:56 IS IT STILL BASICALLY UNDERGROUND? 03:58 NO, NO. 03:59 THE CHURCH IN CHINA NOW IS VERY MUCH OPEN. 04:02 WE HAVE MANY LEGAL CHURCHES ALL ACROSS CHINA. 04:05 THERE ARE STILL RESTRICTIONS AND DIFFICULT TIMES MOST DEFINITELY. 04:10 THE CHINA GOVERNMENT IS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT RELIGION AND POLITICS AND 04:15 SO WE ARE VERY RESPECTFUL IN WHAT WE DO BUT ALSO WE HAVE A MANDATE. 04:20 YOU HAVE A COMMITMENT TO TALK ABOUT JESUS. 04:22 YES. 04:23 AND THE GREAT GOD WHO IS BRINGING A NEW LIFE. 04:25 YES. 04:26 AND TO DO THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF A POLITICAL CULTURE. 04:28 RIGHT. 04:29 IT MUST BE REALLY DIFFICULT SOME DAYS. 04:31 IT IS. 04:32 WE HAVE BEEN IN CHINA WHERE WE WALK DOWN THE STREETS AND THERE ARE 04:34 MCDONALDS AND KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKENS AND YOU NAME IT. 04:36 IT'S JUST A MODERN MODERN CITY. 04:38 BUT YET ALL OF A SUDDEN WE GO INTO CHURCH AND THEY'VE ASKED US NOT TO GO UP 04:39 FRONT BECAUSE, BECAUSE THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SAID IT WOULDN'T BE GOOD FOR A 04:41 FOREIGNER TO GO UP FRONT. 04:42 BUT YOU GO TO THE CHURCH. 04:46 YES. 04:47 AND OTHER PLACES WE SPEAK UP FRONT, WE SHARE. 05:00 WE JUST TRY TO BE VERY RESPECTFUL OF THE LOCAL RULES BECAUSE ONE OF MY 05:04 FAVORITE SAYINGS IS THERE ARE MANY CHINAS IN CHINA. 05:08 SO EVERY PLACE YOU GO IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT AND WE JUST WORK WITH OUR 05:13 LEADERS. 05:15 MOST OF OUR GOSPEL OUTREACH AREA COORDINATORS LIVE SOMEWHERE IN THE 05:21 UNITED STATES OR CANADA AND GO OCCASIONALLY TO WHERE THEIR GOSPEL 05:26 OUTREACH WORKERS ARE. 05:27 WHERE DO YOU LIVE? 05:28 I LIVE IN HONG KONG. 05:29 I LIVE IN CHINA. 05:30 YOU LIVE IN CHINA. 05:31 I LIVE IN HONG KONG CHINA. 05:32 WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE THERE? 05:34 WELL I FOLLOWED, WENT WITH MY HUSBAND. 05:38 SO WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME IS THAT, JUST DESCRIBE WHAT YOU REALLY DO. 05:41 OKAY. 05:42 WELL MY HUSBAND AND I LIVE IN CHINA. 05:45 WE LIVED IN ASIA FOR NINE YEARS BEFORE BETWEEN MAINLAND CHINA HONG KONG 05:49 AND TAIWAN. 05:50 THEN WE CAME BACK TO THE STATES FOR EIGHT YEARS. 05:52 THIS TIME WE'VE GONE BACK AND MY HUSBAND IS A UNION PRESIDENT. 05:55 AND ONE OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT I HAVE IS TO WORK WITH 05:59 GOSPEL OUTREACH AND BEING THE CHINESE REGIONAL DIRECTOR AND SO I HELP 06:04 OVERSEE ALL THE GOSPEL OUTREACH TEAMS THAT ARE IN CHINA. 06:09 THAT MUST BE REALLY A BLESSING TO BE THERE AND WORK WITH THEM MUCH MORE 06:16 DIRECTLY THAN SOME OF OUR OTHER LEADERS ARE ABLE TO DO. 06:19 YES, I FEEL LIKE I HAVE A PULSE ON WHAT'S HAPPENING. 06:24 THERE CAN BE MORE ACCOUNTABILITY BETWEEN US AND THE WORKERS. 06:29 SO HOW DO YOU TRAIN YOUR GOSPEL OUTREACH WORKERS. 06:31 WELL, I'VE GOT TO GO BACK TO THE FIRST QUESTION. 06:33 HOW DO YOU FIND GOSPEL OUTREACH WORKERS IN CHINA? 06:36 WELL THE UNION IS ON THE OUTSIDE. 06:39 IT'S IN HONG KONG SO IT'S CHINA, IT'S ON THE OUTSIDE OF MAINLAND CHINA. 06:43 YES I WAS GOING TO SAY, HONG KONG, YEAH, I KNOW IT'S CHINA BUT IT'S NOT 06:47 QUITE. 06:48 RIGHT. 06:50 WELL WHAT WE DO IS WE WORK WITH SOME OF OUR MAIN CHURCHES IN CHINA AND THEY 06:52 HELP US IDENTIFY PEOPLE THAT THEY HAVE TRAINED AND THEY HAVE WORKED WITH. 06:56 OH, OKAY. 06:57 SO THAT'S BASICALLY THE WAY WE CONNECT WITH PEOPLE. 06:59 AND THEN HOW DO YOU TRAIN THEM AND WHAT DO YOU TEACH THEM? 07:02 WELL A LOT OF THEM HAVE BEEN TRAINED ALREADY IN THEIR CHURCHES. 07:05 AND THEN HONESTLY FOR ME TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH THEM IS USUALLY NOT AN OPTION 07:11 BECAUSE I'M A FOREIGNER. 07:12 I DON'T BLEND IN, I DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT COLOR HAIR OR THE RIGHT SHAPED EYES. 07:16 SO WHAT I DO IS WORK THROUGH OTHER PEOPLE THAT CONNECT WITH THEM AND DO 07:21 THE TRAINING. 07:23 WE PROVIDE MATERIALS. 07:25 GOSPEL OUTREACH HAS BEEN FANTASTIC AND I WANT TO SHOW YOU ANOTHER TIME, BUT 07:29 WE HAVE MATERIAL THAT IS PLACED IN THE HAND OF EVERY TEAM AND GOSPEL 07:34 OUTREACH HELPED PUT IT THERE. 07:35 IT'S GLOW TRACTS, IT'S BIBLE STUDY MATERIALS, HEALTH INFORMATION, HOW TO 07:40 HAVE A STRONG PRAYER LIFE. 07:42 SIMPLE THINGS THAT ANYBODY COULD REALLY SHARE WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS. 07:48 YES. 07:49 LISTENING TO YOU TALK I FIND MYSELF BETWEEN THE ROLE OF TOURIST AND PASTOR 07:56 AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW YOU FIT IN THERE BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE THE 08:01 ABILITY BECAUSE OF THE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT TO BE ABLE TO GO INTO CHINA 08:04 AND SAY, ALRIGHT GOING TO HOLD AN EVANGELISTIC CAMPAIGN. 08:07 NO. 08:10 CHINA IS VERY MUCH FOCUSED ON SHARING JESUS, OUR LEADERSHIP THERE. 08:16 AND WHAT THE UNION DOES IS WE PROVIDE SUPPORT FROM THE OUTSIDE. 08:20 SO HOW DO YOU DO THAT? 08:21 WHAT DO YOU PROVIDE? 08:22 WELL WE PROVIDE MATERIALS, TRACTS YES. 08:24 WE PROVIDE BECAUSE OF GOSPEL OUTREACH AND OTHER SUPPORTERS WE ARE ABLE TO 08:28 HELP PROVIDE A LIVELIHOOD. 08:31 HELP TO PAY FOR THEM TO GO PLACES. 08:33 EVERY WEEK OR SO SOMETIMES MORE SOMETIMES LESS I GET AN EMAIL IN MY BOX FROM 08:35 YOU WHERE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THINGS YOU WANT ME TO PRAY FOR. 08:37 YES. 08:38 AND THAT SEEMS TO BE THE FOCUS. 08:39 AS I GO BACK AND LOOK AT THOSE IT'S SOMETHING REALLY WONDERFUL HAPPENED 08:40 THE OTHER DAY AND YOU GIVE ME A SHORT STORY AND THEN IT'S, PLEASE PRAY FOR. 08:43 YES. 08:44 WHAT DO YOU NEED MOST TO DO YOUR WORK WELL? 08:46 I FEEL THAT WHAT CHINA NEED TO DO THE JOB WELL IS THE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY 08:48 SPIRIT AND HEARTS THAT ARE OPEN TO THAT. 08:50 YOU KNOW WE HAVE CHALLENGES IN CHINA JUST LIKE HERE IN THE UNITED 09:19 STATES AND THAT IS MATERIALISM, SECULARISM MEISM. 09:25 ALL THE ISMS. 09:26 BECAUSE CHINA AS YOU KNOW IS A BOOMING ECONOMY. 09:29 SO EITHER PEOPLE HAVE THE MONEY AND THEY HAVE THE THINGS WHICH THEY FEEL NO 09:35 NEED FOR CHRIST OR THERE IS THAT POSSIBILITY OF HAVING WHAT THEY WANT TO 09:42 HAVE IN THEIR HANDS. 09:43 THEIR RICE BOWLS ARE FULL AND NOW THEY DON'T SENSE THE NEED FOR JESUS AS 09:48 MUCH. 09:49 SO CHINA IS THE LARGEST UNREACHED AREA, IDENTIFIED UNREACHED GROUP BUT YET 09:53 IT'S SO MODERN IN MANY PLACES. 09:57 AND THERE IS THAT HOPE OF MATERIAL GAIN SO PEOPLE DON'T SENSE THEIR NEED. 10:01 THAT'S A HUGE CHALLENGE RIGHT THERE. 10:03 SO ONLY THE HOLY SPIRIT. 10:04 YOU KNOW GOSPEL OUTREACH HELPS TO SEND TEAMS IN THERE. 10:07 YOU PROVIDE FUNDING AND NOW SLOWLY AS MONEY HAS COME IN PEOPLE ARE 10:13 WORSHIPING THE GOD MONEY, THE GOD OF MONEY. 10:17 YES. 10:18 SO GOD IS ATTACKING THAT THROUGH CHURCHES, CONGREGATIONS THROUGH 10:25 INDIVIDUALS IN MANY DIFFERENT PARTS OF CHINA. 10:28 WHAT IS THE MESSAGE THEY GET TO GIVE TO THEIR NEIGHBORS? 10:32 ONE THING THAT OUR TEAMS ARE REALLY FOCUSING ON MANY OF THEM IS MEETING 10:36 THE NEEDS, THE FELT NEEDS. 10:38 I'M HEARING THAT AGAIN AND AGAIN AS I'M INTERVIEWING PEOPLE HERE AT GOSPEL 10:41 OUTREACH. 10:42 WE FIND WHAT IS THE NEED OF THE LITTLE FAMILY. 10:45 WHAT ARE THOSE NEEDS IN CHAIN? 10:46 WELL IN CHINA THE FAMILY IS VERY MUCH DIVIDED. 10:49 THERE ARE A LOT OF, THE DIVORCE RATE IS GOING UP. 10:52 THERE'S A LOT OF SQUABBLING. 10:54 THERE IS A LOT OF PRESSURE ON FAMILIES TO SURVIVE, IT'S SURVIVAL OF THE 10:59 FITTEST. 11:00 AND THEN THE DYNAMICS ARE VERY DIFFERENT WITH THE ONE CHILD POLICY FOR ALL 11:04 THOSE YEARS THERE'S NOT A LOT OF BROAD BASE FOR SUPPORT. 11:08 SO THAT IS A HUGE CHALLENGE. 11:10 JUST THE FAMILY DYNAMICS. 11:12 YOU KNOW THEY DON'T HAVE THE HOPE. 11:14 IF THEY FAIL IN THEIR CAREER OR IN THEIR PROFESSION THEN WHERE DO 11:20 THEY GO BECAUSE THEY ONLY HAVE THIS ONE LIFE TO LIVE AND IT'S ALL ABOUT 11:24 SUCCESS. 11:25 DOES SOMEONE TELL THEM WHAT THAT LIFE IS GOING TO BE? 11:28 DOES THE GOVERNMENT SAY YOU LOOK LIKE YOU OUGHT TO BE A NURSE? 11:31 YOU KNOW I THINK IT USED TO BE MORE THAT WAY. 11:33 THEY BASICALLY PRESCRIBED WHAT YOU WOULD DO WITH YOUR LIFE. 11:36 BUT NOW THERE'S MORE AND MORE FREEDOMS. 11:39 PEOPLE CAN MAKE THEIR CHOICES. 11:41 THEY CAN CHOOSE THE CAREER THEY WANT TO GO IN. 11:43 NOW THERE ARE A LOT OF STRESSORS AS FAR AS ACADEMICALLY PREPARING 11:47 THEMSELVES AND GETTING QUALIFIED. 11:49 YES. 11:50 SO YOU'VE GOT CITIES WITH MANY MANY BUILDINGS AND LOTS OF FACTORIES AND 11:53 YOU'VE GOT COUNTRYSIDE WHERE PEOPLE STILL GROW APRICOTS. 11:56 YES, BUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN CHINA IS WHAT WE CALL THE GREATEST HUMAN 12:00 MIGRATION AS PEOPLE ARE MOVING FROM RURAL SETTINGS INTO THE CITY. 12:05 SO YOU GO INTO THE CITIES AND WE HAVE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF 12:10 PEOPLE. 12:11 I HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING INTERESTING. 12:13 THE LARGEST CITY IN CHINA HAS MORE PEOPLE IN IT THAN EVERY SINGLE STATE IN THE 12:19 UNITED STATES EXCEPT FOR CALIFORNIA. 12:21 REALLY. 12:22 REALLY. 12:23 YES, EVERY STATE. 12:24 WHERE IS THAT? 12:25 IS THAT BEIJING OR WHERE? 12:26 NO IT'S OUT IN CHONGQING YES. 12:27 OUT IN, NOW TELL ME WHAT THAT MEANS? 12:31 GIVE ME A MENTAL PICTURE BECAUSE I SEE BEIJING AND I SEE SHANGHAI AND I SEE 12:36 HONG KONG. 12:37 WHERE'S THAT? 12:38 WELL IT'S OUT TOWARDS THE WEST A LITTLE BIT. 12:40 AND IT'S A MANUFACTURING CITY, IT'S A MADE CITY. 12:43 YES. 12:45 IT'S A HUGE CITY AND IN THAT CITY ON ANY GIVEN SABBATH WE HAVE MAYBE 200 12:51 PEOPLE MEETING. 12:53 FROM A CITY OF 30 PLUS MILLION PEOPLE WE ONLY HAVE A SMALL GROUP OF 12:58 ADVENTISTS. 12:59 AND WE HAVE TEENS NOW IN THAT CITY THAT ARE FOCUSING ON REACHING THE 13:04 UNREACHED. 13:05 YOU KNOW MOST GOSPEL OUTREACH WORKERS GO IN ONE BY ONE. 13:07 BUT IN CHINA WE SEND THEM IN, GROUP BY GROUP? 13:10 TWO BY TWO. 13:12 TWO BY TWO AND BY DOING THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO HOLD HEARTS AND MEET PEOPLE. 13:18 THEY HAVE EACH OTHER TO SUPPORT BECAUSE IT'S VERY VERY DIFFICULT WORK. 13:22 SO THEY HAVE EACH OTHER. 13:24 I WANT TO SHOW A QUICK COMMERCIAL, SURE, AND THEN I WANT TO COME BACK AND 13:27 SAY, ALRIGHT, WHAT IS THE DIFFICULTY THAT THEY REALLY FACE AS GOSPEL 13:30 OUTREACH WORKERS. 13:32 OKAY. 13:33 TAKE A QUICK LOOK. 13:36 GOSPEL OUTREACH BEGAN A MISSION TWENTY YEARS AGO BY ASKING ONE SIMPLE 13:40 QUESTION. 13:41 WHAT IS JESUS WAITING FOR? 13:43 IN A WORLD FILLED WITH FAMINE, HUNGER AND STARVATION, WHAT IS JESUS 13:47 WAITING FOR? 13:48 IN A WORLD FILLED WITH EARTHQUAKES, HURRICANES AND NATURAL CALAMITIES, 13:53 WHAT IS JESUS WAITING FOR? 13:55 THE GOSPEL TELLS US IN MATTHEW 24:14 "AND THIS GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM 14:02 SHALL BE PREACHED IN ALL THE WORLD FOR A WITNESS UNTO ALL NATIONS AND THEN 14:05 SHALL THE END COME." 14:10 INSPIRED BY THOSE WORDS GOSPEL OUTREACH BEGAN WITH ONE WORKER AND OVER THE 14:13 PAST TWENTY YEARS HAS GROWN INTO AN ORGANIZATION WITH TWENTY-TWO HUNDRED 14:18 WORKERS IN FORTY PLUS COUNTRIES. 14:19 GOSPEL OUTREACH IS AN INDEPENDENT SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST LAY MINISTRY RUN 14:24 ENTIRELY BY VOLUNTEERS. 14:27 YES, YOU HEARD THAT CORRECT. 14:28 IT'S AN ALL VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION. 14:31 GOSPEL OUTREACH WORKS WITH THE ORGANIZED CHURCH TO SPONSOR BIBLE WORKERS IN 14:35 UNREACHED TERRITORIES. 15:08 JESUS IS WAITING FOR THE FINAL QUESTION IS WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? 15:09 AUDREY FOLKENBERG IS WITH US TODAY. 15:10 AND YOU'VE HAD SOME, THERE'S A THOUSAND HISTORY QUESTIONS I WOULD LIKE TO 15:13 ASK YOU. 15:14 YES, AND PROBABLY I COULDN'T ANSWER THEM ALL BUT I WOULD LOVE TO. 15:16 MY LITTLE TIME IN CHINA HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY REWARDING AND YET IT JUST 15:22 SEEMS OVERWHELMING. 15:23 YES. 15:24 THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT CHINAS. 15:26 THERE ARE AND IT'S A FASCINATING PLACE BUT THE FOCUS THAT GOSPEL OUTREACH 15:29 HAS IS REACHING PEOPLE FOR JESUS. 15:32 AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT AS FAR AS POSSIBLE. 15:36 BUT YOU DO THAT BY DISCOVERING BASIC NEEDS AND FINDING WAYS TO 15:40 COMPLETE THEM? 15:41 WE IDENTIFY UNREACHED AREAS OF CHINA AND THEN WE MOVE IN AND OUR TEAMS ARE 15:46 ALL ABOUT TRYING TO GET TO KNOW AND CONNECT, BUILD FRIENDSHIPS. 15:49 HELPING TO IDENTIFY THE NEEDS AND THEN BEING THERE FOR THE PEOPLE. 15:53 BUT I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO UNDERSTAND CHINA IS TO 15:57 LOOK A LITTLE BIT INTO THE HISTORY. 15:59 OKAY. 16:01 NOW THE FIRST ADVENTIST MISSIONARY WENT IN TO CHINA IN 1888. 16:04 HIS NAME IS ABRAM LA RUE A FASCINATING STORY. 16:06 AND THAT'S WHERE IT ALL STARTED AND IF YOU DON'T MIND I'D LIKE TO SHOW THIS 16:10 VIDEO THAT BASICALLY CAPTURES THE HISTORY OF WHERE OUR CHURCH BEGAN TO 16:16 WHERE IT IS NOW. 16:17 I WOULD LOVE THAT. 16:18 THANK YOU. 16:19 MUSIC. 16:27 WHEN WE SAY TO GROW GOD'S KINGDOM WE MEAN TO EXPAND THE PLAN OF SALVATION 16:32 AMONG MILLIONS OF CHINESE LIVING IN THE GREAT CHINA REGION. 16:35 THE ADVENTIST MINISTRY IN CHINA BEGAN WITH LAY MISSIONARY ABRAM LA RUE 16:42 127 YEARS AGO IN 1888. 16:45 THE FIRST OFFICIAL MISSIONARY J.N. 16:48 ANDERSON WAS SENT TO CHINA IN 1902. 16:51 IN 1906 NAG PIT KEH BECAME THE FIRST ORDAINED CHINESE ADVENTIST MINISTER. 16:58 LATER ON PASTOR ---------------A BAPTIST MINISTER JOINED THE 17:02 ADVENTIST MINISTRY. 17:04 FOR HALF A CENTURY ADVENTIST LEADERS AND MEMBERS LIVED THROUGH 17:09 DIFFICULT HISTORICAL PERIODS WITHSTANDING COUNTLESS REGIME CHANGES, 17:17 POLITICAL UNREST AND BRUTAL MILITARY CONFLICTS INCLUDING THE JAPANESE 17:20 INVASION AND A CIVIL WAR. 17:21 DESPITE THE UNSTABLE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT BY 1950 THE CHINA DAVISON ALONG 17:26 WITH ITS SEVEN UNION CONFERENCES WAS SUPERVISING 276 CHURCHES 17:32 AND 21 THOUSAND MEMBERS. 17:34 IT ALSO OPERATED MANY SCHOOL RANGING FROM ELEMENTARY LEVEL TO 17:39 COLLEGE LEVEL, 13 HOSPITALS AND SIGNS OF THE TIMES PUBLISHING 17:44 ASSOCIATION. 17:45 WITH THE BACKDROP OF THE ONGOING KOREAN WAR THE ADVENTIST CHURCH WENT 17:50 THROUGH THE ACCUSATION MOVEMENT DURING WHICH MANY ORDINARY CITIZENS WERE 17:54 WRONGFULLY ACCUSED OF BEING FOREIGN SPIES. 17:57 IN 1951 THE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT CONFISCATED ALL CHURCH ENTITIES. 18:02 IN 1958 CHINA ENTERED A PERIOD CALLED THE GREAT LEAP FORWARD. 18:08 CHRISTIAN CHURCHES WERE ANNEXED IN ORDER TO ELIMINATE DENOMINATIONS. 18:13 STARTING IN 1966 THE CULTURAL REVOLUTION WHICH LASTED TEN YEARS INFLICTED 18:19 ANOTHER ROUND OF DESTRUCTION TO ALL RELIGIONS. 18:21 BIBLES WERE TORCHED IN PUBLIC. 18:24 CHURCHES WERE CONVERTED TO FACTORIES, SCHOOLS AND DAYCARE CENTERS. 18:29 MANY CHRISTIAN MINISTERS AND ORGANIZATION STAFF WERE SENT TO LABOR CAMPS 18:33 FOR RE-EDUCATION. 18:35 SOME WERE THROWN IN JAIL. 18:37 IT WAS THE DARKEST CHAPTER IN THE CHRISTIAN IN CHINA. 18:41 EVEN DURING THE MOST DIFFICULT TIMES THE LORD WAS WITH HIS FAITHFUL 18:47 FOLLOWERS. 18:48 MANY ADVENTISTS SUFFERED FOR THEIR FAITH BUT THEIR PERSEVERANCE KEPT THE 18:52 CHURCH ALIVE. 18:54 WHEN CHINA ENTERED A NEW ERA THE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES SPRANG LIKE BAMBOO SHOOTS 18:59 ACROSS THE COUNTRY. 19:01 TODAY IN 2015 THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE CHINESE ADVENTIST CHURCH REACH 410 19:08 THOUSAND. 19:09 THE NUMBER OF CHURCHES AND MEETING PLACES IS BETWEEN FOUR AND FIVE THOUSAND. 19:13 MORE THAN THREE MILLION BOOKS OF SPIRIT AND PROPHECY HAVE BEEN PRINTED 19:18 AND DISTRIBUTED. 19:20 FROM 1958 TO 1966 THE ADVENTIST CHURCH HAS GONE THROUGH A GREAT TEST. 19:26 IN SHANGHAI WHERE THE CHINA DIVISION OFFICE WAS LOCATED MORE THAN 20 19:30 MINISTER, ELDERS AND DEACONS, MINISTRY DIRECTORS AND LAY PERSONS 19:35 WERE SENT TO LABOR CAMPS FOR REEDUCATION. 19:38 NONE OF THEM BETRAYED THEIR FAITH. 19:40 THEY WENT STRAIGHT BACK TO THE BUSINESS OF GROWING GOD'S KINGDOM WHEN THEY 19:44 WERE RELEASED. 19:46 YEARS LATER THEY WERE EXONERATED BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. 19:49 YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF SOME OF THEM. 19:52 ------------, -----------, -----------, ------------, AND ROBERT WONG. 19:54 THERE WERE MANY DEDICATED ADVENTISTS LIVING IN OTHER PLACES AS WELL. 19:58 WE REMEMBER THOSE WHO BECAME MARTYRS FOR THE KINGDOM INCLUDING 20:15 -----------. 20:16 CURRENTLY THERE ARE SEVERAL CITIES AND REGIONS IN CHINA WHICH BOASTED 20:23 HAVING MORE THAN ONE THOUSAND ADVENTISTS WORSHIPPING ON ANY GIVEN 20:29 SABBATH. 20:30 THE CITIES OF WOSHI, WHEN CHO, SHEN YOUNG, CHE ON AND THE REGIONS AROUND DA 20:37 GUSHON, GO JUL, NORTHERN GUAN DO PROVINCE ARE PROMINENT LOCATIONS. 20:43 THE CHURCHES AT THESE LOCATIONS STARTED SMALL. 20:46 THEIR DEVELOPMENT TESTIFIES TO GOD'S GLORY AND POWER. 20:50 ALL THE CHURCH LEADERS LED WITH GOOD EXAMPLES OF TRUE DEDICATION AND SACRIFICE. 20:55 THE CONGREGATIONS RESPONDED WITH FAITHFUL WITNESSING. 21:00 FROM A FEW TO SEVERAL THOUSAND THEY STEADILY GROW GOD'S KINGDOM. 21:04 BUT THAT ON THE GOOD GROUND OBEY, WHICH IN AN HONEST AND GOOD HEART 21:10 HAVING HEARD THE WORD KEEP IT AND BRING FORTH FRUIT WITH PATIENCE. 21:15 JESUS RIGHTFULLY DESCRIBED HOW HIS KINGDOM GROWS. 21:19 FROM THE ERA OF EAST ASIA ASSOCIATION TO TODAY'S CHINESE UNION MISSION 21:25 EVERY OUTREACH METHOD, LITERATURE EVANGELISM, RADIO BROADCASTING, 21:30 DISCIPLE TRAINING, INTERNET AND TV MINISTRY, CORRESPONDENT BIBLE 21:33 SCHOOLS, GRIGGS UNIVERSITY ASIA, EXCHANGES AND VISITS HAVE BEEN USED TO SERVE 21:42 THE SEEDS AND TO NURTURE THE HEARTS. 21:46 WITHOUT--------WE SEE THAT THE SEED HAS GROWN AND BORN FRUIT IN CHINA. 22:09 WHAT ARE THE WORDS THAT YOU REALLY WANT ME TO USE WHEN I PRAY FOR CHINA? 22:12 THERE ARE SO MANY BIBLE VERSES TO CLAIM BUT I WOULD FOCUS THOSE 22:17 SPECIFICALLY ON KINGDOM GROWTH, KINGDOM GROWTH. 22:21 WHAT DOES THAT MEAN. 22:22 KINGDOM GROWTH IS GROWING GOD'S KINGDOM. 22:24 YOU KNOW CHINA FOR MANY YEARS WAS CALLED THE MIDDLE KINGDOM. 22:27 RIGHT. 22:29 BUT IT'S GOD'S KINGDOM AND WE NEED GOD'S KINGDOM TO GROW. 22:32 IN THE POPULATION THERE IS STAGGERING BUT WE KNOW THAT EVERY PERSON NEEDS TO 22:39 LEARN OF JESUS TO HEAR HIS NAME. 22:41 OKAY, IN THE EARLY DAYS WHEN LA RUE AND THE OTHERS WENT INTO CHINA IT WAS 22:49 LIKE THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION THEY BROUGHT WAS WONDERFUL. 22:52 THEY BROUGHT MEDICINE, THEY BROUGHT CARE, THEY BROUGHT EDUCATION. 22:55 THEY WERE WELL RECEIVED. 22:57 NOT ALWAYS. 22:58 YES THERE WERE DIFFICULT TIMES BECAUSE PRIOR TO THEM HISTORICALLY THERE 23:01 HAVE BEEN SOME THINGS THAT CHRISTIANS HAVE DONE THAT PUT A VERY, THAT WERE VERY 23:06 CRUEL, VERY CRUEL. 23:07 YES. 23:09 BUT IT WAS, THEY WERE VERY EFFECTIVE IN GETTING INTO CHINA AND THEN SENDING OUT 23:13 THE MESSAGE PRIMARILY THROUGH LITERATURE THROUGH PUBLISHING. 23:15 YES. 23:17 WHICH WAS WELL RECEIVED BECAUSE PEOPLE WOULD READ AND THEY WOULD SAY WHO ARE 23:19 THESE PEOPLE. 23:20 I WANT TO KNOW MORE OF THIS. 23:21 BUT THEN IT CAME TO A SITUATION WHERE WE HAD TO GO UNDERGROUND. 23:26 THAT'S RIGHT. 23:27 IN 1949 COMMUNISM CAME IN AND WE HAD HOSPITALS, WE HAD SCHOOLS, WE HAD 23:31 CHURCHES, WE HAD CONFERENCE OFFICES, DIVISION OFFICES. 23:34 GONE. 23:35 ALL OF THEM WERE TAKEN AWAY. 23:36 GONE, OVERNIGHT. 23:37 YES. 23:38 AND THE CHURCH GREW. 23:41 THE CHURCH GREW THROUGH THOSE DIFFICULT TIMES BECAUSE FAITHFUL PEOPLE 23:45 HAD A PASSION FOR SHARING THEIR HOPE. 23:48 THEY WEREN'T GOING TO LET IT GO AWAY. 23:50 NO, NO. 23:52 SO EVEN THOUGH THE DEVIL, AND I WANT TO JUST PUT HIM IN PART OF THIS, SO THE 23:55 DEVIL COMES ALONG AND SAYS WE JUST GOT TO OBLITERATE THE ADVENTIST CHURCH IN 23:59 CHINA. 24:00 AND THEY SUCCEEDED. 24:02 NO, THE CHURCH WENT UNDERGROUND. 24:04 BUT THE BUILDINGS WERE GONE. 24:06 YES, ON THE SURFACE IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS GONE. 24:08 THE ORGANIZATION WAS GONE. 24:09 YES. 24:10 THE ADVENTISTS WERE OVER, DONE, FINISHED. 24:12 AND YET THE CHURCH IS GROWING MORE NOW THAN IT HAD BEFORE. 24:14 YES. 24:16 AND THEN RECENTLY THE GOVERNMENT SAYS YES, IT'S OKAY, WE CAN HAVE CHURCHES 24:20 AGAIN. 24:21 YOU CAN ACTUALLY HAVE AN ORGANIZATION. 24:23 HOW IS THE CHURCH DOING? 24:24 IS IT GROWING FASTER? 24:25 NO ACTUALLY THE CHURCH GROWTH RATE HAS SLOWED IN CHINA. 24:29 AS WE WERE TALKING BEFORE THERE IS MORE MONEY, MORE MATERIALISM, MORE 24:34 SECULARISM. 24:35 SO THE DEVIL HAS FOUND A BETTER WAY. 24:37 YES. 24:39 THE SAME WAY THAT HE HAS USED IN AMERICA AND WESTERN COUNTRIES. 24:41 RIGHT. 24:42 AND ACTUALLY THE CHURCH IN CHINA ISN'T AN ORGANIZED CHURCH. 24:48 THE GOVERNMENT WANTS EVERY CHURCH TO BE ON IT'S OWN. 24:52 BUT THE UNION FROM HONG KONG IS SUPPORTIVE. 24:56 SO IT'S A LOOSELY CONNECTED COLLECTION OF BELIEVERS. 25:00 YES. 25:01 THAT'S THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN CHINA. 25:03 THAT'S THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN CHINA BUT THAT LOOSELY CONNECTED GROUP OF 25:06 BELIEVES IS SENDING OUT TEAMS INTO UNREACHED AREAS IF CHINA. 25:11 AND JUST BECAUSE THERE'S A CHURCH IN A CITY OF FIVE MILLION THAT HAVE MAYBE A 25:17 HUNDRED WORSHIPPING ON SABBATH DOES NOT MEAN IT'S REACHED. 25:21 SO THEY ARE SENDING OUT TO OTHER QUARTERS OF THE TOWN. 25:24 YES, ABSOLUTELY. 25:26 YOU CAN LOOK AT A GIANT APARTMENT BUILDING IN BEIJING AND YOU CAN SAY 25:32 THERE ARE TWO ADVENTISTS IN THAT APARTMENT BUILDING, MAYBE. 25:36 BUT IF THEY ARE GOSPEL OUTREACH WORKERS HOW ARE THEY SPENDING THEIR TIME? 25:40 THEY ARE GOING DOOR TO DOOR. 25:41 THEY ARE GETTING TO KNOW THEIR NEIGHBORS. 25:43 THEY'RE PASSING OUT LITERATURE. 25:45 THEY'RE INVITING THEM TO THEIR HOME. 25:47 THEY'RE SHARING THE LOVE OF JESUS. 25:49 FULL TIME. 25:50 FULL TIME. 25:51 THAT'S WHAT THEIR DOING. 25:52 AND THAT HAS A POSSIBILITY OF TOTAL TRANSFORMATION IN CHINA. 25:54 YES. 25:55 AND IT'S MAKING A DIFFERENCE. 25:56 ONE BUILDING AT A TIME. 25:57 YES. 25:58 OR THE FLOOR OF ONE BUILDING AT A TIME. 26:00 THAT'S RIGHT. 26:02 ONE LIFE AT A TIME BUT I AM CONVICTED THAT THE FUNDING THAT COMES IN FROM 26:06 GOSPEL OUTREACH AND THE EFFORTS OF THESE GOSPEL WORKING TEAMS IS NOT 26:12 ENOUGH. 26:14 IT TAKES THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THAT'S WHY PRAYER IS SO IMPORTANT. 26:19 OKAY, SO YOU BRING ME BACK AGAIN TO THE EMAILS THAT I GET FROM YOU EVERY WEEK. 26:22 DICK, PRAY FOR THE ---------, PRAY FOR THE WORK, PRAY FOR THE GOSPEL 26:27 OUTREACH WORKERS. 26:28 YES. 26:30 THAT ASSUMES, WHAT THAT REALLY ASSUMES IS THAT YOU'RE NEEDED IN CHINA. 26:34 THAT'S RIGHT. 26:36 IT'S NOT THE GOSPEL OUTREACH WORKERS, IT'S NOT AUDREY AND BOB, IT'S YOU 26:41 PRAYING FOR SPECIFIC HOLY SPIRIT POWER ON SPECIFIC FLOORS IN LITTLE OR GIANT 26:48 APARTMENT BUILDINGS. 26:49 [CLOSING MUSIC] |
Revised 2016-04-28