Participants:
Series Code: AIM
Program Code: AIM000700A
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00:00 [OPENING MUSIC].
00:14 WELCOME AGAIN TO "ADVENTURES IN MISSIONS". 00:16 IT IS A JOY TO BE WITH YOU AGAIN TODAY AND JUST TO 00:20 SHARE SOME AMAZING STORIES. 00:23 WE ARE HERE TODAY WITH A SPECIAL GUEST, KEN 00:26 CRAWFORD. 00:27 WELCOME TO THE TABLE. 00:28 THANK YOU. 00:29 NICE TO BE HERE. 00:31 MY NAME IS OLE OLESON AND KEN AND I SHARE TWO THINGS 00:35 IN COMMON. 00:37 WE'VE BOTH BEEN TO AN ISOLATED ESKIMO VILLAGE ON 00:41 THE COAST OF ALASKA. 00:42 TRUE. 00:43 AND WE BOTH RECENTLY RETIRED. 00:45 WE WON'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THAT WILL WE? 00:47 AH, KEN YOU HAVE A BIT OF ALASKA IN YOUR BLOOD. 00:52 HOW DO YOU FIND YOURSELF HERE AT GOSPEL OUTREACH? 00:56 WELL, I RECENTLY RETIRED AS WE SAID AND YOUR-ONE OF 01:00 YOUR DIRECTORS DICK MADSON ASKED ME TO COME AND CHECK 01:05 IT OUT. 01:06 YES. 01:07 SO, I SHOWED UP HERE YESTERDAY TO FIND OUT WHAT 01:10 GOSPEL OUTREACH IS ALL ABOUT AND I'M GOING AWAY 01:14 QUITE INSPIRED. 01:15 YOU AND I HAVE GOTTEN TO HEAR SOME OF THE 01:17 PRESENTATIONS, HAVEN'T WE? 01:19 YES, AND THERE IS A, THERE IS A SENSE OF GOD AT WORK 01:23 THAT IS WONDERFUL TO BE A PART OF. 01:25 TRULY AMAZING. 01:27 VERY INSPIRATIONAL. 01:28 WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU RETIRED WHAT WERE YOU RETIRING 01:35 FROM? 01:36 THE LAST TWELVE YEARS I HAVE BEEN PRESIDENT OF THE 01:40 ALASKA CONFERENCE AND ALTHOUGH MY HISTORY IN 01:44 ALASKA GOES BACK A LONG WAYS BUT THE LAST TWELVE 01:46 YEARS I'VE BEEN PRESIDENT THERE. 01:47 THAT'S A LOT OF WORK. 01:48 CONGRATULATIONS AND THE GOSPEL OUTREACH WAS NOT 01:49 SOMETHING THAT YOU HAD HEARD ABOUT UNTIL DICK 01:51 MADSON MENTIONED IT TO YOU? 01:52 I HAD HEARD ABOUT IT FROM HIM, FROM HIM, AWHILE 01:55 BACK. 01:56 I'VE KIND OF FOLLOWED A LITTLE BIT AND A BEEN A 02:01 BIT OF A FAN OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL CONCEPT. 02:04 OK. 02:05 BUT THAT'S ABOUT ALL I KNEW ABOUT IT UNTIL THE 02:17 LAST COUPLE OF DAYS. 02:19 BEING THE CONFERENCE PRESIDENT IN ALASKA MEANS 02:22 THAT YOU HAVE A MIXED ENVIRONMENT TO WORK IN FOR 02:26 THOSE TWELVE YEARS AND BEFORE WHEN YOU WERE THERE 02:29 BECAUSE SOME OF IT IS LIKE URBAN MINISTRY, VERY MUCH, 02:32 AND SOME OF IT IS MISSION WORK IS IT NOT? 02:35 VERY MUCH MISSION WORK AND I REALLY IDENTIFIED WITH 02:39 MEETINGS HERE THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS. 02:42 IN ALASKA, WE HAVE 230 ESKIMO VILLAGES WE 02:48 ACTUALLY WORK IN ABOUT 8 OF THEM AND SO THE 02:51 CHALLENGE OF REACHING TO THOSE VILLAGES IS HUGE AND 02:56 I THINK THAT'S PART OF-I MEAN WHEN YOU SEE THE 03:00 UNCHURCHED IN THE 10/40 WINDOW AND THE NUMBER OF 03:04 PEOPLE MILLIONS UPON MILLIONS, BILLIONS OF 03:07 PEOPLE THAT NEED TO BE REACHED I MEAN, THAT'S I 03:11 CAN UNDERSTAND IT. 03:13 AND SOME OF THEM FOCUS IN THE AREAS SMALLER THAN 03:16 ALASKA. 03:17 SMALLER THAN ALASKA THAT'S TRUE. 03:19 THINGS HAVE SPREAD OUT UP THERE. 03:21 THINGS ARE SPREAD OUT FROM MY-THIS WAS ONE OF OUR 03:26 FAVORITE SAYINGS IN THE OFFICE FROM OUR SOUTHERN 03:28 MOST CHURCH AND NORTHERN MOST CHURCH WOULD BE FROM 03:32 THE MEXICAN BORDER PRETTY WELL TO THE CANADIAN 03:35 BORDER. 03:36 YES, SO IT'S A BIG DISTANCE - ALASKA. 03:39 NOW YOU MENTION THE ESKIMOS THERE ARE OTHER 03:43 NATIVE CULTURES THERE AS WELL AREN'T THERE? 03:45 THERE ARE. 03:46 THERE IS A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CULTURES. 03:47 IS MOST OF OUR WORK AMONG THE ESKIMO VILLAGES? 03:51 UM, THAT'S BEEN OUR CONCENTRATION. 03:53 WE HAVE HAD WORK IN THE SOUTHERN AREA OF ALASKA 03:57 DOWN THE ALASKA PANHANDLE, UH HUH, AMONG HAIDA AND 04:01 SOME OF THE INDIAN TRIBES DOWN THERE. 04:03 WE'VE HAD WORK AMONG THE ATHABASKANS AND WE'RE 04:07 BEGINNING TO MOVE INTO THAT AREA A LITTLE BIT BUT 04:09 OUR CONCENTRATION HAS BEEN IN THOSE ESKIMO VILLAGES 04:12 BECAUSE THEY ARE SO REMOTE. 04:14 YES. 04:15 AND VERY DIFFICULT TO GET TO AND IN TERRIBLE CRISIS- 04:20 MOST OF THOSE ESKIMO VILLAGES. 04:22 THE SUICIDE RATE AMONG TEENAGERS IN THOSE ESKIMO 04:26 VILLAGES IS 140 PERCENT HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL 04:30 AVERAGE AMONG TEENAGERS. 04:32 IT'S JUST INCREDIBLE TO SEE THESE LITTLE VILLAGES 04:36 OF 800 PEOPLE AND THE AMOUNT OF YOUTH THAT THEY 04:39 LOSE EVERY YEAR TO SUICIDE. 04:40 SUICIDE. 04:41 OH. 04:42 BECAUSE THE TRADITIONAL WAYS OF LIFE ARE BEING 04:45 ERODED BOTH BY ALL THE INPUT OF WESTERN 04:50 CIVILIZATION NOT TO MENTION WEATHER BECAUSE 04:53 SOME OF THEIR VILLAGES ARE BEING LITERALLY ERODED, 04:57 AWAY AREN'T THEY? 04:57 THAT'S TRUE VERY MUCH SO. 04:59 YES. 05:00 WELL, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THE CHURCH HAS 05:06 TRIED TO REACH OUT TO THESE INDIGENOUS CULTURES 05:09 IN THE PAST AND IN THE PRESENT. 05:11 WHAT DID THEY DO? 05:12 WELL, BACK IN THE 1930'S WE HAD SOME PUBLIC-SCHOOL 05:17 TEACHERS WHEN THEY FIRST STARTED PUTTING PUBLIC 05:19 SCHOOL TEACHERS IN SCHOOLS IN ALASKA AND THOSE 05:23 PUBLIC-SCHOOL TEACHERS WERE VERY MISSIONARY 05:25 MINDED AND THEY STARTED SOME OF THE WORK AMONG THE 05:29 ESKIMOS AND THEN OVER TIME IN THE EARLY 1940'S THEY 05:34 BUILT A MISSION SCHOOL. 05:37 O.K. 05:38 A RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL BASICALLY. 05:39 RIGHT. 05:40 AND MANY OF THE LEADERS FROM THE NATIVE 05:43 COMMUNITIES IN ALASKA NOW COME FROM THAT MISSION 05:48 SCHOOL. 05:49 THEY LEARNED A LOT OF THEIR LEADERSHIP 05:52 CAPABILITIES THERE AT THAT SCHOOL. 05:54 AH YES. 05:55 AND IT CLOSED IN THE MID 70'S BUT IT WAS A POWERFUL 05:59 INFLUENCE ON THE NATIVE CULTURE. 06:01 UH HUH. 06:02 AND SO SINCE THEN WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO REACH OUT 06:07 TO THESE COMMUNITIES AND SET UP MISSIONARY OUTPOSTS 06:10 IN THESE COMMUNITIES AND THIS IS A BIT OF A 06:16 TESTIMONY BUT, OK. 06:18 MY WIFE AND I -I'D GRADUATED FROM THEOLOGY 06:21 BUT I HAD NO INTEREST IN GOING INTO THE MINISTRY. 06:24 I JUST WANTED TO STUDY THE BIBLE. 06:26 YES. 06:26 AND SO WHEN, AFTER I GRADUATED THEY ASKED ME IF 06:29 I WANTED TO BE A MINISTER AND I SAID NO I LOVE 06:31 BUSINESS. 06:33 I SAID THAT'S MY THING. 06:33 I LOVE BUSINESS AND SO I WAS LIVING IN PASCO, 06:38 WASHINGTON AND WE HAD A FARM A BEAUTIFUL SIX ACRE 06:41 FARM-600 ACRES RIGHT ALONG THE COLUMBIA RIVER. 06:43 WE COULD THROW A ROCK INTO THE COLUMBIA RIVER FROM 06:46 OUR HOUSE AND MY WIFE AND I WENT ON A LITTLE 06:50 HONEYMOON TO THE VIRGIN ISLANDS AND WHILE WE WERE 06:52 THERE WE WERE IN THIS CONDO THAT HAD NO TV, NO 06:57 RADIO- IT WAS VERY REMOTE AND WE BEGIN TO STUDY THE 07:00 BIBLE TOGETHER. 07:02 WE TOLD THE LORD WHILE WE WERE THERE-I REMEMBER 07:04 PRAYING ON THE BEACH AND SAYING IF YOU HAVE 07:07 ANYTHING FOR US WE'VE ARRANGED OUR LIVES IN A 07:09 WAY THAT IT SUITS OUR NEEDS BUT IF YOU HAVE 07:10 ANYTHING FOR US, WHERE WE CAN BE A PART OF SOMETHING 07:11 BIGGER PART OF YOUR WORK THEN IF YOU CAN SHOW US 07:14 THEN WE'LL DO IT. 07:15 SO, WE GET HOME THAT NIGHT-THE NEXT MORNING 07:18 BEFORE WE GOT OUT OF BED THE PHONE RINGS AND IT IS 07:32 THIS VOICE ON THE OTHER END. 07:33 BIG DEEP VOICE, ELDER BILL WOODRUFF PRESIDENT OF 07:37 ALASKAN CONFERENCE. 07:38 I'M LOOKING FOR A COUPLE THAT'S WILLING TO MOVE TO 07:42 A LITTLE VILLAGE THAT IS ON AN ISLAND 35 MILES OFF 07:45 THE COAST OF SIBERIA ABOVE THE ARTIC CIRCLE. 07:48 UH HUH. 07:49 THERE IS ONE CABIN. 07:50 IT'S 16X20 BUT FOUR FEET OF THAT IS THE PORCH AND 07:55 THE ENTRY PORCH. 07:56 RIGHT. 07:57 16X16 ONE ROOM. 07:58 YOU CARRY YOUR WATER IN. 08:00 YOU CARRY YOUR HONEY BUCKET. 08:01 YOUR FOOD COMES ONCE A YEAR IN JULY. 08:03 YES. 08:04 AND WE NEED SOMEBODY RIGHT AWAY. 08:07 AND THAT TOWN WAS? 08:09 SAVOONGA, ALASKA ON ST. LAWRENCE ISLAND. 08:12 ST. LAWRENCE ISLAND. 08:13 GAMBELL IS THE OTHER VILLAGE. 08:15 AND I KNOW YOUR CABIN THROUGH AND THROUGH EVEN 08:16 THOUGH I'VE NEVER BEEN THERE BECAUSE I LIVED IN 08:17 ONE FOR TWO YEARS MYSELF. 08:18 RIGHT, THE SAME CABIN. 08:19 THEY WERE ALL COOKIE CUTTER CABINS ALL OVER 08:20 ALASKA. 08:21 YES. 08:21 YES, SO ANYWAY WE PACKED UP AND GOT RID OF 08:23 EVERYTHING. 08:24 THE HARDEST THING WAS MY WIFE HAD JUST PUT UP 200 08:25 QUARTS OF FRESH FRUIT AND GRAPE JUICE AND WE GIVE IT 08:26 -NONE OF THAT MADE IT TO SAVOONGA. 08:27 WE HAD TO GIVE IT ALL AWAY. 08:33 AND WE ARRIVED IN SAVOONGA IN JANUARY. 08:40 OH MY, KEN. 08:44 WHAT YEAR WAS THAT? 08:48 IF I CAN ASK? 08:49 1979. 08:50 1979 OK WELL THIS IS-THAT IS AN AMAZING STORY ALL BY 08:59 ITSELF HOW GOD CALLED YOU INTO THEIR FIRST CONTACT 09:04 WITH THE OUTER FRINGES OF ALASKA. 09:07 YES. 09:07 TO BE SURE. 09:08 DO YOU HAVE ANY STORIES OF HOW GOD WAS AT WORK IN 09:14 THESE COMMUNITIES BEFORE WE EVEN HAD A CHANCE TO GO 09:17 THERE? 09:18 WELL, IN THIS VILLAGE THE WORK STARTED BECAUSE ONE 09:22 OF THE ELDERS NAMED NATHAN NOONWUK AND HE GOT TB AND 09:28 SO THEY SENT HIM TO A SANITARIUM IN SEATTLE. 09:31 OK. 09:32 THE WHOLE TIME HE WAS IN THE SANITARIUM HE TUNED IN 09:35 TO RADIO-LISTENED TO THE RADIO AND HE LISTENED TO 09:38 THE VOICE OF PROPHECY. 09:39 OK. 09:40 H.M.S. 09:41 RICHARDS, SR. AND EVERY NIGHT HE WOULD LISTEN TO 09:43 THE VOICE OF PROPHECY AND HE BECAME CONVERTED AND 09:46 BECAME A SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST AND WENT BACK TO 09:49 THE VILLAGE AS A SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST. 09:51 AND HE WAS REJECTED AND SHUNNED IN THAT VILLAGE. 09:55 THERE WAS A DOMINANT FAITH PROBABLY? 09:57 RIGHT THAT VILLAGE WAS ALL PRESBYTERIAN. 10:00 ALASKA WAS DIVIDED UP IN THE EARLY-THE TURN OF THE 10:03 20TH CENTURY AND GIVEN TO DIFFERENT CHURCHES. 10:05 OH, YES AND ST. LAWRENCE ISLAND WAS GIVEN TO THE 10:07 PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 10:08 OK. 10:09 AND SO, THIS WAS REALLY THE FIRST ENTRANCE OF THE 10:12 SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISM INTO SAVOONGA. 10:15 SO, THE INTERESTING THING WAS THEY WERE HAVING A 10:19 VERY ROUGH WINTER, VERY LITTLE FOOD AND THERE CAME 10:23 ONE DAY -STORM AFTER STORM CAME THROUGH AND THERE 10:26 CAME ONE DAY THAT IT WAS BEAUTIFUL AND ALL THE MEN 10:30 IN THE VILLAGE WERE GOING TO OUT HUNTING AND IT WAS 10:32 ON A SABBATH. 10:33 NATHAN REFUSED. 10:35 THEY RIDICULED HIM AND THEY WENT OUT HUNTING AND 10:39 THEY TOLD HIM THEY SAID, "WHEN WE COME BACK WE ARE 10:41 NOT GIVING YOU A THING BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT 10:43 WILLING"-HE WAS ONE OF THE TOP HUNTERS IN THE VILLAGE 10:45 AND THEY WENT OUT AND CAME BACK WITH NOTHING. 10:49 AND THE NEXT MORNING-THAT NIGHT A STORM BLEW IN AND 10:53 THE NEXT MORNING NATHAN GOT UP AND IT WAS STORMING 10:56 SO BACK THAT HE COULD HARDLY SEE A THING IN 10:59 FRONT OF HIM AND HE SAID TO THE LORD, HE SAID, "I'M 11:02 GOING TO GO DOWN TO THE SHORE ICE". 11:04 NOW IN ALASKA IN THE WINTER YOU'LL HAVE SHORE 11:08 ICE THAT IS PERMANENT, YES, IT IS ABOUT 18 OR 20 11:10 FEET THICK. 11:11 YES. 11:12 AND IT GOES OUT ABOUT USUALLY HALF A MILE OR 11:14 SOMETHING AND THEN BEYOND THAT IS ICE FLOWS BUT, 11:18 RIGHT, SO HE MADE HIS WAY DOWN THERE IN THIS 11:21 BLIZZARD AND HE CAME TO THE EDGE OF THE SHORE AND 11:24 THERE WAS A WALRUS. 11:25 OH WOW. 11:27 AND SO, HE TOLD THE LORD HE SAID, "THIS IS MY ONLY 11:30 CHANCE" AND HE SHOT THE WALRUS AND HE RUSHED OVER 11:35 THERE SO IT WOULDN'T SINK- WELL, YES, HE SHOT IT AND 11:38 IT ROLLED OFF -IT WAS ROLLING OFF THE ICE. 11:41 OH MY. 11:42 AND WALRUS ARE YOU KNOW THEY AVERAGE ABOUT A TON 11:44 IN WEIGHT. 11:45 ABSOLUTELY, UP TO A TON AND A HALF. 11:46 ABSOLUTELY. 11:48 AND THIS THING WAS ROLLING OFF THE ICE AND HE PRAYED 11:50 AND HE SAID, "LORD STOP IT." 11:53 AND JUST THEN A PIECE OF ICE FLOW SQUEEZED THE 11:57 WALRUS AND HELD IT RIGHT THERE. 12:02 RIGHT THERE. 12:03 AND HE STARTED CUTTING OFF, YOU KNOW, BLUBBER AS 12:07 FAST AS HE COULD, YES. 12:08 AND HE CUT AND CUT AND CUT UNTIL HE GOT A HUGE PILE 12:13 OF WALRUS BLUBBER. 12:14 HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN DOWN THERE WITH HIS DOGS AND A 12:18 SLED? 12:18 NO! 12:19 HE WAS JUS THERE. 12:20 ALONE. 12:21 HE CUT AND CUT AND CUT UNTIL HE GOT ENOUGH AND OF 12:23 COURSE, IT WAS SUNDAY AND ALL THE REST OF THE MEN 12:25 WERE IN CHURCH AND WHEN HE GOT A PRETTY BIG PILE THE 12:29 ICE FLOW MOVED AND THE WALRUS SUNK AND SO HE WENT 12:32 BACK TO THE VILLAGE AND OF COURSE ALL THE MEN CAME 12:35 DOWN AND HE SHARED IT WITH EVERYBODY. 12:38 AND SO THAT WAS REALLY THE OPENING WEDGE OF THE 12:44 BEGINNING OF ADVENTIST WORK THERE. 12:46 UH HUH OH, THAT'S A STORY. 12:47 YES. 12:48 THAT'S A STORY. 12:49 WELL, LET'S TAKE A BREAK. 12:52 THERE -THE KIND OF MOTIVATION THAT LEADS 12:56 PEOPLE TO REACH OUT TO OTHERS USUALLY HAPPENS 12:59 BECAUSE OF STORIES LIKE THIS. 13:02 THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED TO US THAT WE WANT TO 13:04 SHARE AND I THINK IT IS SO CUTE WHAT THEY'VE PUT 13:08 TOGETHER. 13:09 IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET, THIS IS YOUR CHANCE. 13:11 THEY'VE GOT SOME OF THESE CHILDREN TO HELP TELL THE 13:14 STORY AND IT IS CALLED BE THE SPARK. 13:16 WATCH CAREFULLY. 13:17 I THINK. 13:18 I NEED TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL HERE AT HOME. 13:22 WHERE IS THE 10-40 WINDOW ANYWAY? 13:26 THOSE PEOPLE ARE TOO FAR AWAY. 13:29 SOMEONE ELSE CAN TELL THEM ABOUT JESUS. 13:31 MAYBE THEY COULD JUST WATCH TV. 13:34 NEARLY THREE BILLION PEOPLE TO REACH, MY HEAD 13:39 HURTS. 13:39 THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO, I GIVE UP. 13:43 WHAT'S THE POINT OF TRYING? 13:46 I CAN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE. 13:48 ACTUALLY, YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. 13:51 AND JESUS ASKED YOU TO GO TO ALL THE WORLD. 13:57 WHERE? 13:57 ALL THE WORLD. 13:59 HOW CAN I GO, I HAVE COMMITMENTS? 14:02 YOU CAN PRAY. 14:04 YOU CAN VOLUNTEER YOUR TALENTS. 14:07 YOU CAN TELL OTHERS. 14:09 YOU CAN GIVE MONEY TO SPONSOR BIBLE WORKERS. 14:13 MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE SEARCHING FOR HOPE AND 14:17 MEANING. 14:18 BUT THEY WON'T FIND IT WITHOUT YOU. 14:21 BE THE SPARK. 14:23 LIGHT THE FIRE. 14:24 FINISH THE WORK. 14:26 FINISH THE WORK. 14:27 BE THE SPARK! 14:29 THAT'S A GOOD PRESENTATION, ISN'T IT? 14:33 AND YOU, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF SPONSORING 14:36 THESE KIND OF STORIES, IF YOU'D LIKE TO BE A PART OF 14:40 ENCOURAGING PEOPLE-MEN AND WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD TO 14:45 GO AND TO SHARE THE STORY OF JESUS YOU CAN DO SO 14:50 THROUGH GOSPEL OUTREACH. 14:51 ON YOUR SCREEN, IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET, YOU 14:53 WILL, THERE WILL BE A PROMOTION WHERE THE NAME 14:56 IS THERE, WHETHER IN CANADA OR WHETHER IN THE 15:00 UNITED STATES WHERE YOU CAN SEND YOUR MONEY, WHERE 15:03 YOU CAN CALL, WHERE YOU CAN SEND AN EMAIL. 15:05 DON'T NEGLECT TO WRITE THAT DOWN. 15:07 THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO ENCOURAGE SOMEBODY ELSE. 15:11 LET THE LORD GUIDE YOU IN YOUR STEWARDSHIP. 15:14 WE'RE BACK WITH KEN CRAWFORD AND KEN ALL THOSE 15:18 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE THERE IN ALASKA AND YOU GOT TO 15:22 SEE SOME PEOPLE WORKING OUT THERE IN THOSE 15:24 VILLAGES AND DO YOU SEE LEADERS STILL THAT YOU 15:29 WORKED WITH-PEOPLE WHO GREW UP AS CHILDREN IN 15:31 THESE VILLAGES THAT ARE STILL LOYAL TO GOD? 15:34 VERY MUCH. 15:35 VERY MUCH AND THAT'S THE ENCOURAGING THING TO SEE 15:38 THOSE FOLKS THAT COME FROM A YOUNG AGE AND CONTINUE 15:42 TO BE FAITHFUL AND BECOME LEADERS AND OF COURSE, THE 15:46 STORIES. 15:47 THE BEAUTIFUL STORIES OF PEOPLE WHO GAVE THEIR 15:51 HEARTS TO THE LORD IN A THOUSAND WAYS. 15:54 THAT'S WHAT REALLY AMAZED ME ABOUT THESE LAST TWO 15:56 DAYS. 15:57 YES. 15:58 OH YES. 15:58 I MEAN WHEN YOU THINK OF THE THOUSANDS OF 16:03 CONVERSION STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD THAT HAVE 16:06 TAKEN PLACE THAT IS ONE OF THE BEAUTIES ABOUT THIS 16:11 ORGANIZATION THAT I CAN SEE. 16:13 UH HUH. 16:14 FROM MY FIRST TIME OF OBSERVATION-TWO THINGS: 1) 16:16 TO THINK THAT THERE IS AN ORGANIZATION LIKE THIS 16:21 THAT IS COMPLETELY VOLUNTEER. 16:26 I MEAN IN THE OFFICE HERE THERE MUST BE AT LEAST A 16:29 DOZEN OR FIFTEEN PEOPLE -INDEED- THAT ARE ALL 16:32 VOLUNTEERING THEIR TIME TO MAKE THIS ORGANIZATION TO 16:36 WORK. 16:37 RIGHT. 16:38 AND THEN ALL OF THESE LEADERS FROM THE DIFFERENT 16:41 DISTRICTS ALL AROUND THE WORLD. 16:43 I DIDN'T COUNT HOW MANY THERE WERE BUT THERE MUST 16:45 HAVE BEEN WHAT TWENTY? 16:47 CLOSE TO TWENTY, YES. 16:48 YES, AND EACH ONE OF THEM HAD THEIR AREA THAT THEY 16:52 OVERSEE AND THE WORKERS IN THAT AREA ALL AROUND THE 16:56 WORLD THAT THEY OVERSEE THAT IN ITSELF IS 17:00 INSPIRATIONAL. 17:02 THE MONEY THAT PEOPLE DONATE THAT INVEST IN THIS 17:05 DOES NOT PAY THE SALARIES OF THOSE WHO RUN OUR 17:09 CAMERAS, IT DOESN'T PAY THE SALARY OF ANY OF US, 17:13 RIGHT. 17:14 THE PEOPLE WORK IN THE OFFICE WEEK AFTER WEEK. 17:16 THEY DON'T GET A SALARY FOR IT. 17:18 IT'S LIKE WE'RE THESE RETIREES OR OTHERS WHO 17:21 HAVE AN INCOME SAY HERE IS MY TIME. 17:24 HERE IS MY TIME. 17:25 IT IS A WONDERFUL STORY. 17:27 SO, THAT PART IS TO ME VERY INSPIRATIONAL. 17:31 YES. 17:32 AND THEN YOU TAKE THE OTHER PART OF THAT WHERE 17:35 YOU SEE THE LOCAL WORK THAT IS GOING ON IN THE 17:39 LOCAL FIELD. 17:40 I JUST GOT BACK A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO FROM HO CHI 17:42 MINH CITY. 17:43 OK. 17:44 AND HAD A WONDERFUL VISIT THERE WITH -I WAS 17:48 TRAVELING WITH A FRIEND THAT HAS BUSINESSES OVER 17:51 THERE AND I JUST WENT ALONG. 17:53 OK. 17:54 BUT WHEN I WAS THERE I WANTED TO SEE HOW THE WORK 17:57 IS PROGRESSING IN VIET NAM-COMMUNIST COUNTRY. 18:01 SURE. 18:03 IT WAS INTERESTING TO ME THAT THE FIRST SABBATH 18:05 THAT I WAS THERE ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO OR SO. 18:08 THERE WAS TWO COMMUNIST OBSERVERS THAT ATTEND 18:12 CHURCH EVERY SABBATH. 18:13 O.K. 18:14 BECAUSE THAT IS THEIR JOB. 18:15 RIGHT THEY'RE COMMUNIST POLICE. 18:16 MAKE SURE THAT THINGS ARE GOING OK. 18:19 AND THE MEMBERS SHARED WITH ME THAT ONE OF THEM 18:23 HAD JUST BEEN BAPTIZED AND THAT THE OTHER ONE WAS 18:25 STUDYING. 18:27 THAT WAS ENCOURAGING IN ITSELF. 18:29 SO, RATHER THAN SEE THEM AS ENEMIES THEY SAW THEM 18:32 AS POTENTIAL BROTHERS IN CHRIST. 18:35 RIGHT. 18:36 THAT IS WONDERFUL. 18:37 AND THE CHURCH THAT I WENT TO THERE WAS A DELIGHTFUL 18:40 CHURCH. 18:42 I MEAN YOU COULD SENSE THE COMMUNITY THAT WAS TAKING 18:45 PLACE AND YOU COULD SENSE THE -YOU COULD SENSE THE 18:51 -FEEL THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THAT CHURCH. 18:53 IT JUST FELT GOOD. 18:55 THAT IS WONDERFUL TO FIND THAT THE SPIRIT IS WORKING 18:59 IN PLACES WE NEVER EVEN HAVE BEEN BEFORE. 19:01 AND I CAN SEE WHY UM, IN PLACES LIKE THAT IT WOULD 19:08 BE EASY TO WIN ANYBODY THAT CAME AND SAT IN THOSE 19:11 PEWS. 19:12 EVEN IF YOU ARE A COMMUNIST OBSERVER. 19:14 YES. 19:15 BECAUSE THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE JUST WARM THEIR 19:19 HEARTS. 19:20 I-IT REMINDS WE OF THE PASSAGE WHERE PAUL WAS 19:23 ENCOURAGING HIS, I THINK THEY WERE IN CORINTH, AND 19:28 HE SAYS, YOU NEED TO MAKE YOUR CHURCH SO THE PEOPLE 19:30 COME AND PRAISE GOD FOR WHAT THEY SEE THERE NOT 19:33 THAT THEY ARE PUT OFF AND SAY WHAT'S GOING ON HERE 19:36 BUT, YES, PRAISE GOD AND YOU SAW THAT IN ACTION. 19:40 I SAW THAT IN ACTION AND THE OTHER THING THAT 19:42 AMAZED ME WAS WHEN WE WERE TALKING WITH THE 19:44 CONFERENCE SECRETARY THERE-EXECUTIVE SECRETARY 19:47 AND HE WAS TELLING US THAT THEY HAVE THIRTY PASTORS 19:52 FROM OTHER DENOMINATIONS THERE THAT HAVE BEEN 19:55 STUDYING AND THAT TWENTY OF THEM ARE READY TO 20:01 BECOME SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST TO GIVE UP THEIR 20:03 JOBS AS A PASTOR AND THEY'VE ENCOURAGED THEM 20:09 NOT TO YET UNTIL THEY ARE ABLE TO GET THE FUNDS TO 20:14 BE ABLE TO KEEP THEM IN THEIR CHURCH-CONTINUE TO 20:17 FUND THEM IN THE CHURCH SO THAT THEY CAN WIN THE 20:20 FOLKS IN THEIR CHURCH. 20:21 SO, AS LONG AS THEIR CONGREGATIONS ARE BEING 20:23 NURTURED BY THEM, THEY WANT THEM THERE. 20:25 AND THEY ARE STILL SHEPHERDING THEM. 20:27 THEY WANT THEM THERE. 20:28 I'VE KNOWN PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT DENOMINATIONS 20:31 INCLUDING SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS WHO HAVE BEEN A 20:34 BLESSING IN OTHER CHURCHES BY SHARING THE LOVE OF THE 20:37 LORD, RIGHT. 20:38 AND IT IS SOUNDS LIKE A HEALTHY PLAN AND HERE IS 20:42 WHAT I FOUND OUT TODAY AND YESTERDAY. 20:45 THIS PROGRAM THAT HAS BEEN INITIATED WHERE YOU ADOPT 20:51 A WORKER. 20:52 OK. 20:54 YOU KNOW, YOU MAKE THEM PART OF YOUR FAMILY 20:55 BUDGET. 20:56 YES, YOU MAKE THEM PART OF YOUR FAMILY BUDGET. 20:57 WELL, THE COST OF A WORKER THERE IN VIET NAM IS $100 21:02 A MONTH. 21:05 $100 A MONTH! 21:07 YES, THAT IS WONDERFUL. 21:08 AND SO, IF YOU'VE GOT 20 PASTORS, UH HUH, AND AT 21:11 $100 A MONTH AND YOU ARE WILLING TO SPONSOR YOU 21:15 KNOW ONE OR TWO OR THREE OF THEM, THINK HOW QUICKLY 21:19 THE WORK COULD MOVE AHEAD WITH SUCH A SMALL 21:23 COMMITMENT. 21:25 YOUR BUDGET IN ALASKA WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT 21:27 THAN THAT, WASN'T IT? 21:29 IT WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. 21:31 YES -THAT'S ONE OF THE CHALLENGES OF WORKING IN 21:35 THE FIRST WORLD IS THAT WE HAVE ALL THESE 21:38 REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS AND 21:40 RETIREMENTS AND ALL THESE THINGS BUT THERE YOU HAVE 21:44 PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL AT THE LEVEL WHO ARE WILLING 21:46 TO WORK FOR JUST A LITTLE. 21:48 NOW, I WANT TO MAKE A COMPARISON THERE. 21:51 OK. 21:52 WHEN YOU AND YOUR WIFE WENT TO SAVOONGA HOW MUCH 21:55 WERE THEY PAYING YOU A MONTH. 21:57 $82.50. 21:59 $82.50? 22:01 AND YOU AND MY WIFE AND I -THAT WAS BACK IN THE 22:03 1979-WHEN WE ARRIVED IN 1971, UH HUH, IT WAS $25 A 22:09 MONTH PLUS THE GRUB STEAK PLUS THE CLOTHING THAT YOU 22:14 NEEDED AND FUEL AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT BUT 22:18 THAT WILLINGNESS FOR THESE MEN AND WOMEN OUT THERE 22:23 AROUND THE WORLD TO WORK FOR LITTLE BIT AND MAYBE 22:27 THAT SOMEDAY THEY WILL BE GRAY HAIRED LIKE US. 22:30 WE'D LOVE THE LORD TO COME BEFORE THAT BUT THAT 22:33 WILLINGNESS TO INVEST AT THAT TIME OF THEIR LIVES 22:37 IT'S A PRECIOUS OPPORTUNITY THAT I THINK 22:39 GOD HAS OPENED UP AND AGAIN I JUST WANT TO 22:42 ENCOURAGE OUR WATCHERS TO THINK OF WHAT YOU COULD DO 22:45 FOR JUST A LITTLE BIT OF OUR FUNDS TRANSLATED INTO 22:50 CONTACT WITH PEOPLE. 22:52 CONGREGATIONS LIKE YOU DESCRIBE IN VIETNAM. 22:55 PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE SAFE; WHERE THEY CAN 22:58 REJOICE AND GROW IN GOD. 23:01 IT'S A GOOD INVESTMENT. 23:03 OH, YES. 23:04 THAT PART HAS BEEN INSPIRATIONAL TO ME. 23:07 WELL, WHEN YOU THINK OF WHAT THIS GOSPEL OUTREACH 23:12 IS DOING AND WHETHER YOU GET INVOLVED OR NOT WE'RE 23:16 GLAD YOU ARE HERE TODAY AND GLAD YOU ARE SEEING IT 23:19 AND THE-I HAVE A FEELING THAT WHETHER YOU ARE 23:25 DIRECTLY INVOLVED OR NOT YOU'RE GOING TO BE A 23:27 SUPPORTER OF GOSPEL OUTREACH YOURSELF IN SOME 23:29 WAY. 23:30 I'M GOING TO BE MORE THAN A SUPPORTER I'M GOING TO 23:32 BE A BAND. 23:33 A BAND. 23:34 IT'S REALLY AN INCREDIBLE ORGANIZATION THAT'S-IT 23:38 SOUNDS LIKE FROM WHAT I HEARD THIS LAST COUPLE OF 23:41 DAYS THAT IT IS GROWING. 23:44 YES. 23:45 INCREDIBLY. 23:45 YES. 23:46 AS THEY REACH OUT TO ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT WORKERS 23:49 ALL AROUND THE WORLD. 23:50 EVEN IN A LOT OF THE MUSLIM COUNTRIES. 23:54 WELL, INTERESTINGLY THOSE OF YOU WHO MIGHT BE NEW TO 23:57 GOSPEL OUTREACH MAY NOT REALIZE THAT IT'S ORIGINAL 24:00 FOCUS HAS REMAINED THE SAME. 24:03 IT IS WHAT THEY CALL THE 10/40 WINDOW AROUND THE 24:08 EQUATOR OF CULTURES THAT HAVE TRADITIONALLY NOT 24:13 BEEN TOUCHED BY THE MESSAGE OF JESUS CHRIST. 24:16 NOW, I HEARD THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS WHAT THE 24:20 PERCENTAGE OF THE WORLD POPULATION IS IN THAT 24:22 10/40 WINDOW. 24:24 HOW MUCH WAS THAT DO YOU REMEMBER? 24:25 OH MY- NO, I DO NOT. 24:28 IT WAS A HUGE AMOUNT IN THE BILLIONS. 24:30 WELL, IF YOU INCLUDE AND WE DO HAVE SOME VOLUNTEERS 24:34 WORKING IN CHINA, I BELIEVE, YES SO IF YOU 24:37 INCLUDE CHINA I MEAN YOU HAVE SUCH A HUGE 24:39 PERCENTAGE OF THE WORLD RIGHT THERE. 24:41 RIGHT. 24:41 WHAT IS IT? 24:42 WHAT ARE THEY NOW 6 BILLION, 7 BILLION, RIGHT 24:45 AND TWO BILLION AT LEAST. 24:47 INDIA ITSELF, I BELIEVE HAS A BILLION AND A HALF 24:52 AND SO THERE, YOU KNOW IT'S A HUGE AMOUNT OF 24:57 PEOPLE. 24:58 MANY OF THEM WHO LOVE GOD. 25:02 WHO WANT TO PLEASE GOD. 25:05 WHO WANT TO LIVE A LIFE FOR GOD. 25:08 YES. 25:09 AND HAVE NOT KNOWN HOW BUT THE GOSPEL OUTREACH 25:14 WORKERS ARE PRESENTING THEM WITH A PICTURE OF GOD 25:18 THAT IS ATTRACTING THEM AND GIVING THEM A WHOLE 25:22 NEW LEASE ON THEIR FAITH JOURNEY. 25:23 SOME OF THEM WE MIGHT NO RECOGNIZE BUT THEY ARE 25:29 FINDING THEMSELVES AS FELLOWSHIPS ON THE 25:33 SABBATH. 25:35 YES, THEY HAVE FOUND THAT NO MATTER WHAT THEIR 25:37 RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND. 25:38 IT IS QUITE AMAZING. 25:39 YES. 25:40 WE WERE HEARING SOME STORIES EARLIER THIS 25:44 MORNING ABOUT JUST SOME GARMENT WORKERS WHO HAD 25:47 FOUND THE LOVE OF GOD IN THEIR LIVES AND REALIZED 25:51 THAT THEIR BOSSES WERE NOT ALL THAT INTERESTED IN 25:54 GIVING THEM A DAY OFF AND NEVER THE LESS GOD OPENED 25:59 DOORS FOR THEM TO FIND A WAY TO CONTINUE GROWING 26:04 THEIR FAITH WITH THE SABBATH REST THAT GOD HAS 26:08 GIVEN. 26:09 IT IS AN AMAZING PRIVILEGE TO HEAR THESE STORIES. 26:12 WE CAN'T GO INTO ALL OF THOSE BUT I WANT TO THANK 26:16 YOU KEN, FOR YOUR WORK THERE IN ALASKA AND OTHER 26:20 PLACES WHERE YOU HAVE WORKED. 26:21 I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE VISION FOR MISSION 26:26 THAT KEPT SUPPORTING THESE AND THE FACT THAT YOU USED 26:29 TO BE OUT THERE I SAVOONGA YOURSELF, DIDN'T HURT THAT 26:32 AT ALL. 26:33 NO. 26:34 YOU COULD LOOK AT THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO GO OUT 26:36 THERE NOW OR THE OLDER PEOPLE WHO VOLUNTEER FOR 26:38 THAT AND YOU COULD ENCOURAGE THEM. 26:40 YES. 26:41 WHAT A BLESSING THAT IS. 26:43 WELL, AS WE ARE WRAPPING DOWN HERE AGAIN I 26:45 ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE THE NAME OFF THE SCREEN HOW 26:48 YOU CAN CONTACT GOSPEL OUTREACH. 26:51 SIT DOWN- YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AND JUST DECIDE 26:53 JUST HOW GOD WANTS YOU TO BE STEWARDS OF THE 26:56 RESOURCES THAT YOU HAVE. 26:58 DON'T LET HIM DOWN. 27:00 THIS WORLD NEEDS YOUR INVESTMENT. 27:52 [CLOSING MUSIC]. |
Revised 2017-09-05