Their chains were fastened tight
down at the jail that night.
00:00:35.70\00:00:43.07
Still Paul and Silas
would not be dismayed.
00:00:43.10\00:00:49.54
They said, It's
time to lift our voice
00:00:49.58\00:00:54.68
and sing praises to the Lord.
00:00:54.72\00:00:58.52
Let's prove that we can
trust Him come what may.
00:00:58.55\00:01:06.36
God wants to hear you sing when
the waves are crashing round you
00:01:06.39\00:01:13.54
when the fiery
darts surround you,
00:01:13.57\00:01:16.87
when despair is all you see.
00:01:16.91\00:01:20.71
God wants to hear your voice
when the wisest man has spoken.
00:01:20.74\00:01:27.65
He says your circumstance
is as hopeless as can be.
00:01:27.68\00:01:34.26
That's when God
wants to hear you sing.
00:01:34.29\00:01:42.13
He loves to hear our praise
on our cheerful days when the
00:01:50.31\00:01:57.65
pleasant times
outweigh the bad by far.
00:01:57.71\00:02:04.55
When suffering comes along and
we still sing Him these songs
00:02:04.59\00:02:12.36
that is when we
bless the Father's heart.
00:02:12.39\00:02:19.03
God wants to hear you sing when
the waves are crashing round you
00:02:19.07\00:02:25.91
and when the fiery
darts surround you,
00:02:25.94\00:02:29.34
when despair is all you see.
00:02:29.38\00:02:33.28
God wants to hear your voice
when the wisest man has spoken.
00:02:33.31\00:02:39.99
He says your circumstance
is as hopeless as can be.
00:02:40.06\00:02:47.00
That's when God
wants to hear you sing.
00:02:47.03\00:02:54.24
God, God, God, God
wants to hear you sing
00:02:54.27\00:03:01.41
when the waves are
crashing round you,
00:03:01.44\00:03:04.51
and when the fiery
darts surround you,
00:03:04.55\00:03:07.82
when despair is all you see.
00:03:07.85\00:03:12.82
God wants to hear your voice
when the wisest man has spoken.
00:03:12.85\00:03:19.83
He says the circumstance
is as hopeless as can be.
00:03:19.89\00:03:26.67
That's when God
wants to hear you sing.
00:03:26.70\00:03:33.68
That's when God wants
to hear you sing. You sing!
00:03:33.71\00:03:53.80
Good evening ASI! We're happy
to see each one of you here this
00:03:55.80\00:04:00.57
evening, and we're looking
forward to the blessing that
00:04:00.60\00:04:03.10
God is going to give us.
00:04:03.14\00:04:04.87
I have with me this evening Bill
Knott, and he's the Executive
00:04:04.94\00:04:09.21
Editor of Adventist
Review and Adventist World.
00:04:09.24\00:04:12.01
And I also have Jared
Thurman with me who is Marketing
00:04:12.05\00:04:14.85
Director for Adventist
Review, and Director of Strategy
00:04:14.88\00:04:17.65
and Animation for
something called ARtv.
00:04:17.69\00:04:20.76
So we're going to
find out a little bit more
00:04:20.79\00:04:22.19
of what all that's about.
00:04:22.22\00:04:23.56
And ASI enjoys a long
relationship working together
00:04:23.59\00:04:26.96
with Adventist Review
with Bill Knott, with Jared.
00:04:27.00\00:04:30.37
We're thankful for
the privilege of having
00:04:30.40\00:04:32.77
them here this evening.
00:04:32.80\00:04:34.14
Well, you know, I know
that things are getting
00:04:34.17\00:04:36.20
smaller these days.
00:04:36.24\00:04:37.67
You know, the Adventist
Review went from a larger format
00:04:37.71\00:04:41.14
down to a smaller format,
and then suddenly we just
00:04:41.18\00:04:44.48
have a little card.
00:04:44.51\00:04:45.85
Is this the new format
for the Adventist Review?
00:04:45.88\00:04:47.78
No, there's no microchip
buried in here, or in your hand.
00:04:47.82\00:04:51.09
This, in reality, this is just
illustrating something about how
00:04:51.15\00:04:56.22
this ministry has
been growing so rapidly
00:04:56.26\00:04:58.66
in the last two years.
00:04:58.69\00:05:00.03
We're a family of
products now, not just one.
00:05:00.06\00:05:02.83
We're called Adventist Review
Ministries, but we publish
00:05:02.86\00:05:06.23
Adventist World magazine, which
all of you get in your homes,
00:05:06.30\00:05:09.20
Kids View, our product for kids.
00:05:09.24\00:05:11.81
We have large
websites, social media options.
00:05:11.87\00:05:16.31
We are now a family that's
the oldest thing in the church,
00:05:16.34\00:05:20.22
and also the newest
thing in the church.
00:05:20.25\00:05:21.88
Okay, so what we can see
then is that you're actually
00:05:21.92\00:05:25.05
partnering with all different
other ministries as well.
00:05:25.09\00:05:29.02
I often tell our team we
did not build this organization.
00:05:29.06\00:05:33.06
Tithe and the faithfulness
of church members built
00:05:33.09\00:05:36.03
Adventist Review Ministries.
00:05:36.06\00:05:37.40
So it's our job to shine a
spotlight on partner ministries
00:05:37.43\00:05:40.97
like ASI, and help other people
discover what they're doing,
00:05:41.00\00:05:44.41
and how the Lord is
working through them.
00:05:44.44\00:05:45.91
Okay, wonderful. Well, Jared,
it seems like your title is
00:05:45.94\00:05:49.44
actually a little bit
different than it was last year
00:05:49.48\00:05:51.51
when you were here.
00:05:51.55\00:05:52.88
Can you tell us
what the changes are?
00:05:52.91\00:05:54.58
Yeah. Well, we've
got something exciting,
00:05:54.62\00:05:56.99
and it's not just one thing.
00:05:57.02\00:05:59.55
It's really a thought of
what does tomorrow look like?
00:05:59.59\00:06:02.49
And how do you serve the church,
and those that we love around us
00:06:02.52\00:06:07.70
through the content
of the Adventist Review
00:06:07.73\00:06:09.86
and all the
things we're working on?
00:06:09.93\00:06:11.27
So I have the privilege and
joy of agitating and rattling
00:06:11.30\00:06:16.27
Bill's cage, and finding ways
in which we can better serve
00:06:16.30\00:06:21.44
our church and those around us.
00:06:21.48\00:06:23.68
So one of those things is ARtv.
00:06:23.71\00:06:25.88
Okay. ARtv is, I could
say it's inspired somewhat by
00:06:25.91\00:06:31.42
Christ's Object Lessons.
00:06:31.45\00:06:33.09
Jesus says, or Ellen
White says of Jesus in His day,
00:06:33.12\00:06:37.23
that the reason He spoke
in parables was because it was
00:06:37.26\00:06:41.30
the most popular
form of story telling,
00:06:41.33\00:06:43.83
especially with the Greeks.
00:06:43.87\00:06:46.17
Okay. Well, what we
know from the data today is,
00:06:46.20\00:06:50.21
by the year 2020 eight out
of ten people will be using the
00:06:50.24\00:06:54.68
Internet, and eight of
those people, of the ten,
00:06:54.71\00:06:58.15
will be using it on their mobile
device, watching a video called
00:06:58.18\00:07:03.18
Short Form Content.
00:07:03.22\00:07:04.55
So ARtv is really how do we
deliver this timeless message
00:07:04.59\00:07:09.66
in video format, mobile first,
and find ways in which we can
00:07:09.69\00:07:14.76
easily share it
with those around us?
00:07:14.80\00:07:16.67
And we are very excited that
that launch is this October.
00:07:16.70\00:07:21.20
Okay. That sounds exciting.
00:07:21.24\00:07:22.70
We're looking forward to it.
00:07:22.77\00:07:24.17
Why don't you tell us, Jared,
a little bit about the booth
00:07:24.21\00:07:26.71
and why people should go
by the Adventist Review booth.
00:07:26.78\00:07:29.24
Yeah. We've very excited.
00:07:29.28\00:07:30.61
We have recently finished
a production and project with
00:07:30.65\00:07:34.48
ADRA, where we sent a
team over there to film
00:07:34.52\00:07:37.85
in virtual reality.
00:07:37.89\00:07:39.32
And if you'll come by our booth,
or you can go by ADRA's booth,
00:07:39.35\00:07:44.09
you'll be able to put some of
these VR goggles on and immerse
00:07:44.13\00:07:48.70
yourself in the audio, and the
visuals of a village drilling
00:07:48.73\00:07:53.97
a well, and being
in that experience.
00:07:54.00\00:07:57.01
Virtual reality has an
impact where they're finding
00:07:57.04\00:08:00.68
psychologically you
actually believe you were there.
00:08:00.71\00:08:04.28
So I just want to invite you.
00:08:04.31\00:08:05.81
Come by our booth and
experience what that's like.
00:08:05.85\00:08:08.92
Okay, sounds exciting.
00:08:08.95\00:08:10.69
Well, Bill, I know that we
traditionally have thought of
00:08:10.72\00:08:13.72
Adventist Review, or Adventist
World as being a way that we
00:08:13.76\00:08:17.23
get media out through print.
00:08:17.26\00:08:18.96
But could you tell us a little
bit how Adventist Review is
00:08:18.99\00:08:22.10
changing, and
how it's progressive?
00:08:22.13\00:08:23.73
You know, many times people
think that if you're leaning
00:08:23.77\00:08:29.64
forward toward new technologies
somehow you're leaning away
00:08:29.67\00:08:33.51
from Biblical truth.
00:08:33.54\00:08:35.51
We've taken it as a founding
principle of what we're doing
00:08:35.54\00:08:38.51
that we're conservative
when it comes to truth,
00:08:38.55\00:08:41.12
but we're progressive
when it comes to methodology.
00:08:41.15\00:08:43.79
We've got to find the ways
to deliver to audiences the
00:08:43.82\00:08:47.79
timeless truths of Scripture in
a way that they will understand
00:08:47.82\00:08:50.93
and will change their thinking.
00:08:50.96\00:08:52.79
So we're not only
print-centric now,
00:08:52.83\00:08:55.03
we're developing audio podcasts.
00:08:55.06\00:08:58.10
We're working,
as Jared has said,
00:08:58.13\00:08:59.57
in short form on demand video.
00:08:59.60\00:09:02.17
Our social media
program is exploding.
00:09:02.20\00:09:04.57
We continue to publish the most
widely spread magazines in the
00:09:04.61\00:09:09.04
Adventist church, but
it's a range of things;
00:09:09.08\00:09:11.45
it's a family of things.
00:09:11.48\00:09:12.81
Because our goal isn't just
to reach readers, it's viewers,
00:09:12.85\00:09:16.82
readers, listeners,
anyone who we can put the
00:09:16.85\00:09:19.62
good news in front of.
00:09:19.65\00:09:20.99
Amen! It's a blessing
to be here every year with
00:09:21.02\00:09:23.99
Adventist Review
in this partnership.
00:09:24.03\00:09:25.63
I know that we've had the
privilege of partnering for
00:09:25.66\00:09:28.26
a number of years now.
00:09:28.30\00:09:29.66
And I'd like to ask you, Jared,
Why do you come every year?
00:09:29.70\00:09:33.40
How is the ASI
Convention a blessing to you
00:09:33.44\00:09:36.17
and to Adventist Review?
00:09:36.20\00:09:37.64
I have found over the
last ten years coming to ASI,
00:09:37.67\00:09:41.84
and now with our
Adventist Review team,
00:09:41.88\00:09:44.31
we come here for the best ideas.
00:09:44.35\00:09:46.41
We come here to inspire people,
and we come here to be inspired.
00:09:46.45\00:09:51.35
What the seminars
give us is a blessing.
00:09:51.39\00:09:54.39
What is done on
this stage is a blessing.
00:09:54.42\00:09:57.39
But I often find it's
those short conversations in the
00:09:57.43\00:10:00.90
halls, and at lunch, and at
dinner that make me want to say,
00:10:00.93\00:10:04.87
I want to be an
Adventist this week, this year.
00:10:04.90\00:10:07.97
I want to be on fire for the
Lord, and I want to come back
00:10:08.00\00:10:10.67
next year and
experience that again.
00:10:10.71\00:10:12.74
So that's why we come.
00:10:12.77\00:10:14.11
We get amazing stories from
here; people walking the halls
00:10:14.14\00:10:17.18
who stop and say, Could
I talk to you for a moment?
00:10:17.21\00:10:19.78
And suddenly unfolds
a story that we want to
00:10:19.81\00:10:22.42
tell the world about.
00:10:22.48\00:10:23.82
It's a story of faith, or
courage, sometimes challenge
00:10:23.85\00:10:27.42
with daunting circumstances.
00:10:27.46\00:10:28.99
Those are stories that inspire
believers literally around the
00:10:29.02\00:10:32.26
world that come out of
this convention every year.
00:10:32.29\00:10:34.43
And that's one of the
big reasons we're here.
00:10:34.46\00:10:36.53
Amen! I want to thank both
of you for partnering with ASI.
00:10:36.56\00:10:39.97
We're so happy for the
relationship with Adventist
00:10:40.00\00:10:42.47
Review, Adventist
World, and ARtv and everything
00:10:42.50\00:10:44.94
that's moving forward.
00:10:44.97\00:10:46.47
Thank you. God bless.
00:10:46.51\00:10:47.94
What this dying world could
use is a willing man of God who
00:11:09.03\00:11:15.94
dares to go against the grain,
and works without applause.
00:11:15.97\00:11:23.55
A man who'll raise the shield of
faith protecting what is pure,
00:11:23.58\00:11:30.19
whose love is tough yet gentle;
a man whose word is sure.
00:11:30.22\00:11:38.63
God doesn't need an orator
who knows just what to say;
00:11:38.69\00:11:46.10
He doesn't need
authorities to reason Him away;
00:11:46.13\00:11:52.97
He doesn't need an
army to guarantee a win;
00:11:53.01\00:11:59.81
He just needs a few good men.
00:11:59.88\00:12:06.86
Men full of compassion,
who laugh and love and cry-
00:12:06.89\00:12:13.50
Men who'll face eternity
and aren't afraid to die-
00:12:13.53\00:12:20.37
Men who'll fight for
freedom and honor once again-
00:12:20.40\00:12:27.48
He just needs a few good men.
00:12:27.51\00:12:33.42
He calls the broken derelict
whose life has been renewed;
00:12:33.48\00:12:39.92
He calls the one who has
the strength to stand up for the
00:12:39.95\00:12:47.40
truth. Enlistment lines are open
and He wants you to come in-
00:12:47.43\00:12:54.80
He just needs a few good men.
00:12:54.84\00:13:01.48
Men full of compassion,
who laugh and love and cry-
00:13:01.54\00:13:08.35
Men who'll face
eternity and not afraid to die-
00:13:08.38\00:13:15.12
Men who'll fight for
freedom and honor once again-
00:13:15.16\00:13:21.86
He just needs a few good men.
00:13:21.90\00:13:28.40
Men full of compassion,
who laugh and love and cry-
00:13:28.44\00:13:34.68
Men who'll face eternity
and aren't afraid to die-
00:13:34.71\00:13:43.42
Men who'll fight for
freedom and honor once again-
00:13:43.45\00:13:50.66
He just needs a few good men.
00:13:50.69\00:13:56.80
He just needs a few good men.
00:13:57.43\00:14:03.94
Hello, ASI family members.
00:14:19.49\00:14:21.92
I love coming to ASI.
00:14:21.96\00:14:24.33
So many of us have
amazing stories, don't we?
00:14:24.99\00:14:29.13
You go down
through the exhibit hall;
00:14:29.16\00:14:30.83
it's one story after another.
00:14:30.87\00:14:32.20
And tonight is
Members In Action.
00:14:32.23\00:14:36.30
We're going to hear some of
those stories, and get to know
00:14:36.34\00:14:38.74
some of our
wonderful ASI members.
00:14:38.77\00:14:40.78
And the closest one to
me is Dr. Brian Schwartz,
00:14:40.81\00:14:44.41
who is from Dayton, Ohio.
00:14:44.45\00:14:46.65
He's a physician
at Kettering Hospital.
00:14:46.68\00:14:49.08
I understand that you
pray with all of your patients.
00:14:49.12\00:14:53.59
How in the world did
you start doing that?
00:14:53.62\00:14:55.99
Well, thank you, Esther.
00:14:57.93\00:14:59.26
So that was a big
change in my thinking.
00:14:59.29\00:15:02.83
So when I started off in
medicine after going to an
00:15:02.86\00:15:06.47
Adventist medical school, I
was not personally comfortable
00:15:06.53\00:15:09.20
praying with patients.
00:15:09.24\00:15:10.57
But around 2004, 2005 there was
a group that formed one of the
00:15:10.61\00:15:15.01
ministries of ASI called
AMEN, the Adventist Medical
00:15:15.04\00:15:18.25
Evangelism Network.
00:15:18.28\00:15:19.61
We were challenged by Pastor
Mark Finley to just start having
00:15:19.65\00:15:23.02
a spiritual
conversation with our patients.
00:15:23.05\00:15:25.35
And I came back from that
meeting convicted, and changed,
00:15:25.39\00:15:30.03
and realized that I
needed to start doing that.
00:15:30.06\00:15:32.23
And so I would pick out a
patient here and there and start
00:15:32.26\00:15:34.53
praying with
them, but I wasn't...
00:15:34.56\00:15:36.43
I was picking out the ones I
thought would respond at first.
00:15:36.97\00:15:39.53
But after a while I become
convinced that I needed to pray
00:15:39.57\00:15:42.10
with every single patient.
00:15:42.14\00:15:43.51
That is something
we all can do, right?
00:15:44.74\00:15:46.71
No matter what it is,
whether we're a physician,
00:15:46.74\00:15:49.71
or a fire chief, or a
police officer, we can always
00:15:49.74\00:15:54.72
pray with somebody.
00:15:54.75\00:15:56.08
And so tell me... You were
telling me about a fire chief,
00:15:56.12\00:15:59.05
and some prayers
that you had with him.
00:15:59.12\00:16:01.49
So having started
praying with my patients,
00:16:01.52\00:16:05.13
this just
revolutionized my practice.
00:16:05.16\00:16:07.43
It used to be that I would go to
work; that was where I worked.
00:16:07.46\00:16:12.67
I would do Sabbath
School, and help out at church,
00:16:12.70\00:16:15.30
I'd go on mission trips.
00:16:15.37\00:16:16.71
But this has changed my
practice into a ministry.
00:16:16.74\00:16:18.97
And I realized that I have
people from all walks of life
00:16:19.01\00:16:22.21
that come to my office.
00:16:22.24\00:16:24.31
I don't have to go out
there to pass out literature,
00:16:24.35\00:16:26.41
I don't have to go
out there to meet them.
00:16:26.45\00:16:27.78
They're coming to me.
00:16:27.82\00:16:29.15
And so one of them is the
Chief of the Fire Department
00:16:29.18\00:16:32.39
in one of our area cities.
00:16:32.42\00:16:34.42
He needed heart surgery.
00:16:34.46\00:16:36.36
And, as my habit
is, we made the visit,
00:16:36.39\00:16:41.06
we got the right referrals.
00:16:41.10\00:16:42.43
And then I said, By the way,
one of the things I offer to do
00:16:42.46\00:16:44.60
with all my
patients is to have a prayer.
00:16:44.63\00:16:46.17
Would you like to have a prayer?
00:16:46.20\00:16:47.54
And he got tears in his
eyes, and just held my hand,
00:16:47.57\00:16:49.64
and when we got done
praying he said, Can you just
00:16:49.67\00:16:51.74
pray one more time?
00:16:51.77\00:16:53.11
And he just really was touched
by it and appreciated that.
00:16:53.14\00:16:57.11
And then it
seemed like that was it.
00:16:57.15\00:16:59.71
But what I'm convinced that this
does is it opens the door for
00:16:59.75\00:17:03.22
them to realize that I
am a safe person to have a
00:17:03.25\00:17:05.95
Spiritual conversation with.
00:17:05.99\00:17:07.32
And so two years later, after
he's recovered from surgery
00:17:07.36\00:17:10.53
he comes in, he's got probably
the third patient from the end,
00:17:10.56\00:17:14.46
and he's like, Doc,
you're a spiritual person.
00:17:14.50\00:17:17.77
Can I ask you a question?
00:17:17.83\00:17:19.17
And all of a sudden he
asked me, How do you know
00:17:19.20\00:17:21.80
that the Bible is true?
00:17:21.84\00:17:23.17
And that turned in from a
10 to 15 minute visit to a
00:17:23.20\00:17:26.47
45 minute visit, where my nurse
had to come knock on the door,
00:17:26.51\00:17:29.04
and say, Doc, you've got a
couple more patients to see.
00:17:29.08\00:17:31.38
And I prayed with him
again, and he thanked me,
00:17:31.41\00:17:34.45
and he just had an interest
in the Bible for the first time.
00:17:34.48\00:17:38.55
The next year he came back.
00:17:38.59\00:17:40.52
Doc, you're a smart person.
00:17:40.56\00:17:42.42
You believe in
creation; tell me why.
00:17:42.46\00:17:44.76
And so it just opened the
door for him to see that I was
00:17:44.79\00:17:48.30
somebody in the community that
he could go to and ask those
00:17:48.33\00:17:51.47
kind of questions when he
was searching in his own heart.
00:17:51.53\00:17:54.60
It's simple, isn't it?
00:17:56.17\00:17:57.57
Just gaining trust.
00:17:57.61\00:17:58.94
Now you pray with
all of your patients?
00:17:58.97\00:18:01.68
Does that mean that you don't
have any patients that are,
00:18:01.71\00:18:04.35
people who don't believe in God?
00:18:04.38\00:18:07.02
So, yeah, that's a
very good question.
00:18:07.05\00:18:08.68
And so at first
I selected a few.
00:18:08.72\00:18:12.32
Pretty soon I started
offering to all my patients,
00:18:12.35\00:18:14.76
because if I missed one
that I had prayed with before,
00:18:14.79\00:18:17.03
they got really
upset the next time.
00:18:17.06\00:18:18.79
And literally in the last
ten years I've had maybe a dozen
00:18:19.43\00:18:22.46
patients say, No, I
don't want a prayer.
00:18:22.50\00:18:24.33
We'll make a little NP on the
chart so I don't keep nagging
00:18:24.37\00:18:26.97
them over and over.
00:18:27.00\00:18:28.34
But I've prayed
with a Jewish Rabbi.
00:18:28.37\00:18:33.58
In fact real quick
I'll tell that story.
00:18:34.18\00:18:36.54
He needed a pacemaker.
00:18:36.58\00:18:38.71
He was in his 80's.
00:18:38.75\00:18:40.15
He decided, you know
what, I'm not having any more
00:18:40.18\00:18:42.38
procedures; I'm
just going to die.
00:18:42.42\00:18:44.32
Just let me go to hospice.
00:18:44.35\00:18:46.69
But my partner said, Well, just
talk to Dr. Schwartz about it.
00:18:46.72\00:18:49.52
And I came in and
talked to him about it.
00:18:49.56\00:18:50.89
He wasn't having it.
00:18:50.93\00:18:52.26
He was just like,
No, I don't want to have
00:18:52.29\00:18:53.63
anything to do with it.
00:18:53.66\00:18:55.00
So I got done, I said, By the
way, one of the things I offer
00:18:55.03\00:18:56.77
to do is have a prayer.
00:18:56.80\00:18:58.13
Would you mind if I
had a prayer with you?
00:18:58.27\00:19:00.84
And I prayed the way I
pray a Christian prayer.
00:19:00.87\00:19:03.74
And when he got all done
he had tears in his eyes,
00:19:03.77\00:19:06.17
and he said, You know, I'll go
ahead and have that pacemaker.
00:19:06.21\00:19:10.38
And we've gotten to be
friends over the years,
00:19:10.41\00:19:12.61
and he then confided in my
wife later that when I walked
00:19:12.65\00:19:15.95
in the room he's
like, There's no way I'm
00:19:15.98\00:19:17.59
having that pacemaker.
00:19:17.62\00:19:19.02
When I prayed with him the
thought that went through his
00:19:19.05\00:19:21.02
brain was, Praise God,
I've found a doctor who
00:19:21.06\00:19:23.83
doesn't think he's God!
00:19:23.86\00:19:25.19
And it really transformed our
relationship, and he was wide
00:19:25.23\00:19:29.46
open to having
spiritual conversations.
00:19:29.50\00:19:31.63
Well, that's wonderful.
00:19:32.80\00:19:34.14
And there's another
story you wanted to share.
00:19:34.17\00:19:36.71
We have a couple of
minutes left, or less.
00:19:36.74\00:19:38.64
Would you like to tell us about
a Muslim person that you...
00:19:38.67\00:19:41.44
Yeah, so this isn't directly
related to Share Him with
00:19:41.48\00:19:44.65
patients, but at Kettering
Medical Center we have a
00:19:44.68\00:19:46.68
fellowship program, so we train
doctors who have finished their
00:19:46.72\00:19:50.15
residency in Internal
Medicine, and then go on and
00:19:50.19\00:19:52.19
specialize in cardiology.
00:19:52.22\00:19:53.56
And then in an
additional year past that is an
00:19:53.59\00:19:55.92
Interventional Cardiologist.
00:19:55.96\00:19:57.29
And I'm the Director
of the Interventional
00:19:57.33\00:19:58.66
Cardiology Fellowship.
00:19:58.69\00:20:00.03
So my Fellows just
see me interacting with
00:20:00.06\00:20:02.50
patients before every case.
00:20:02.53\00:20:03.97
Before a procedure I'll
offer to pray with them.
00:20:04.00\00:20:06.23
Mohammed is Muslim, and
very devout, very kindhearted.
00:20:06.27\00:20:11.67
And I just got to really
appreciate him through the year.
00:20:11.71\00:20:14.24
But one of my partners,
Dr. Hahn, and myself decided
00:20:14.28\00:20:17.08
part way through the
year last year that we'd start
00:20:17.11\00:20:19.08
a Bible study group.
00:20:19.11\00:20:20.45
And we were going to show
The Thunder in the Holy Land
00:20:20.48\00:20:22.85
video series, invite
our patients to come to the
00:20:22.88\00:20:25.72
hospital, to a room
that we had to do these.
00:20:25.75\00:20:27.82
And Mohammed, being
just a really helpful guy,
00:20:27.86\00:20:30.03
saw me rolling the television
and the video machine down to
00:20:30.06\00:20:34.56
the room, and he
said, Oh, Dr. Schwartz,
00:20:34.60\00:20:35.93
let me get that for you.
00:20:35.96\00:20:37.30
Let me get that for you.
00:20:37.33\00:20:38.67
I'll set it up. And he
didn't know what we were doing.
00:20:38.70\00:20:40.04
But he came and he set it up.
00:20:40.07\00:20:41.40
I just said, Oh, Mohammed,
you're welcome to stay.
00:20:41.44\00:20:42.80
We're having a Bible study.
00:20:42.84\00:20:44.17
And he stayed, and
he watched the video,
00:20:44.21\00:20:46.27
and then we talked about it.
00:20:46.31\00:20:47.64
And week, after week, after
week he came; he sat it up.
00:20:47.68\00:20:51.05
Pretty soon it turned into a
discussion where, This is what
00:20:51.08\00:20:54.02
we believe as Christians.
00:20:54.05\00:20:55.38
What do you think about that?
00:20:55.42\00:20:56.75
And we had this back
and forth dialogue where he
00:20:56.79\00:20:58.75
was very, very open.
00:20:58.79\00:21:00.12
And I was able to give him a
copy of the Great Controversy,
00:21:00.16\00:21:01.86
and he really appreciated it.
00:21:01.89\00:21:03.22
And by the time that
he graduated a year later,
00:21:03.26\00:21:05.56
and he's now practicing
in a nearby town, he said,
00:21:05.59\00:21:08.86
Dr. Schwartz, I
just want to thank you
00:21:08.90\00:21:10.97
for sharing Jesus with me.
00:21:11.00\00:21:13.74
He said, I believe
that Jesus is the Messiah,
00:21:13.77\00:21:16.37
that He is coming back soon.
00:21:16.40\00:21:17.74
And when He comes
back I'm going to be ready.
00:21:17.77\00:21:19.37
And so just a few months ago...
00:21:19.41\00:21:22.91
He's off in a practice.
00:21:22.94\00:21:24.58
He's very
respected in his community.
00:21:24.61\00:21:28.15
...He sent me a
check; blank in the line.
00:21:28.18\00:21:32.55
But he sent me a check
for $3,000.00 and said,
00:21:32.59\00:21:34.92
Dr. Schwartz, please just send
this to that ministry you talked
00:21:34.96\00:21:38.33
about where physicians
go overseas and help people:
00:21:38.36\00:21:40.56
the Adventist
Medical Evangelism Network.
00:21:40.60\00:21:42.46
And so he's
funding our ministries.
00:21:42.73\00:21:44.47
He's been touched by just
the fact that I took the time to
00:21:44.50\00:21:47.44
pray with patients, and then
took the time to just almost
00:21:47.47\00:21:50.74
nonchalantly just
share Jesus with him.
00:21:50.77\00:21:53.58
And it's had a huge impact.
00:21:53.61\00:21:54.94
Amen! Isn't that wonderful?
00:21:54.98\00:21:57.01
That's something that each
one of us can do, is it not?
00:21:57.05\00:21:59.61
For just a few seconds,
when you pray with somebody,
00:21:59.65\00:22:01.88
they are looking to God.
00:22:01.92\00:22:03.95
That's very powerful.
00:22:03.99\00:22:05.42
So we have this physician here.
00:22:05.45\00:22:06.79
We also have another
couple of physicians.
00:22:06.82\00:22:09.46
Tell us a little
bit about yourself.
00:22:09.49\00:22:10.83
Tell us your names.
00:22:10.86\00:22:12.19
I'm Carlos Irizarry.
00:22:12.23\00:22:14.60
This is my wife Kathy Irizarry.
00:22:14.63\00:22:16.50
We're both family
practice physicians.
00:22:16.53\00:22:19.00
We worked in Puerto Rico in
a mission term for about six
00:22:19.03\00:22:22.50
years, then moved to
Minden, Louisiana where we
00:22:22.54\00:22:25.71
practiced private practice
for almost twenty-five years.
00:22:25.74\00:22:29.44
And we retired
recently in this past December.
00:22:29.48\00:22:33.62
Oh, you're retired. Ha ha!
00:22:33.65\00:22:36.65
That means you're
picking up some new hobbies,
00:22:36.69\00:22:39.95
you're going on vacation,
spending some time with
00:22:39.99\00:22:42.12
grandchildren, right?
00:22:42.16\00:22:43.49
Well, that's obviously
what we were wondering about.
00:22:43.53\00:22:47.53
What are we going
to do when we retire?
00:22:47.56\00:22:49.36
And there were two
things that crossed our minds;
00:22:49.40\00:22:52.03
two considerations.
00:22:52.07\00:22:53.40
One was we wanted to be near
an Adventist college to benefit
00:22:53.44\00:22:57.17
from the energy of the young
people, and the programming
00:22:57.21\00:23:02.04
that they would have there.
00:23:02.08\00:23:03.41
Also we wanted to have a
home that would have enough room
00:23:03.45\00:23:07.58
so that we could
invite guests who were...
00:23:07.62\00:23:10.19
and accommodate guests who
were interested in learning to
00:23:10.22\00:23:12.95
live a healthy lifestyle.
00:23:12.99\00:23:14.32
I need to define
a healthy lifestyle.
00:23:14.36\00:23:17.86
Ellen White delineates that very
well, the components of that
00:23:18.59\00:23:22.46
in her book, Ministry of
Healing, Page 127, where she
00:23:22.50\00:23:26.30
says, Pure air, sunlight,
abstemiousness, exercise,
00:23:26.33\00:23:32.04
rest, proper diet,
water, trust in divine power.
00:23:32.07\00:23:36.31
These are the true remedies.
00:23:36.34\00:23:37.98
Now we've tried to teach these
to our patients, and have been
00:23:38.01\00:23:42.08
extremely gratified to see
significant benefits in those,
00:23:42.12\00:23:46.65
the relatively
few who have listened,
00:23:46.69\00:23:49.42
and made changes in their lives.
00:23:49.46\00:23:51.39
Now we want to take this to
the next level and invite people
00:23:51.43\00:23:56.16
into our home so that we can
better help them to internalize
00:23:56.20\00:24:01.80
these concepts by
actually putting them in...
00:24:01.84\00:24:04.47
getting their hands
into it, so to speak.
00:24:04.51\00:24:07.44
So rather than just listening
to lectures, we want to have
00:24:07.48\00:24:12.68
them actually
practice shopping for the food.
00:24:12.71\00:24:15.48
They will prepare many of
the meals, and they will learn
00:24:15.52\00:24:20.36
what it means to
make time in their day for
00:24:20.39\00:24:22.72
exercise and devotionals.
00:24:22.76\00:24:24.69
Okay, so home? Ah Kathy,
he's talking about inviting
00:24:24.73\00:24:29.56
people into your home?
00:24:29.60\00:24:30.93
What does that look like?
00:24:30.97\00:24:32.57
It looks like fun. Alright!
00:24:32.60\00:24:35.34
You know, it's
really interesting.
00:24:35.37\00:24:37.67
Our home/Washita Healthy
Living Center, it's just an
00:24:37.71\00:24:45.01
amazing thing that
it's coming around,
00:24:45.05\00:24:46.98
and I don't know if it's not...
00:24:47.02\00:24:48.35
There it is on the screen.
00:24:48.38\00:24:49.72
This is a work of the Lord.
00:24:49.75\00:24:52.12
He planned our retirement.
00:24:52.15\00:24:54.12
He's given more than we could
ask or think in providing for us
00:24:54.16\00:25:00.40
a place where we will live, and
be able to also have this plan
00:25:00.43\00:25:07.17
of a Healthy Living Center.
00:25:07.20\00:25:09.34
It has been constructed, and
is getting finished, with the
00:25:09.37\00:25:15.04
partnership of Washita Hills.
00:25:15.08\00:25:18.18
Many hours of labor
go into the construction.
00:25:18.85\00:25:22.48
We've been in Louisiana
for a good part of that time.
00:25:22.52\00:25:25.85
And it's just interesting
to me, that so many hands
00:25:25.89\00:25:31.53
have been involved.
00:25:31.56\00:25:32.89
I think just about every academy
student, every college student
00:25:32.93\00:25:37.00
has been involved in
the building of this place.
00:25:37.03\00:25:40.17
And the staff;
they've all been involved.
00:25:40.20\00:25:42.37
But not only that,
Brother Steve Dickman,
00:25:42.40\00:25:46.27
brought a team of young people.
00:25:46.31\00:25:48.24
I think they
represented several academies.
00:25:48.28\00:25:50.51
And they came and
labored; put up sheetrock.
00:25:50.55\00:25:53.68
That was wonderful.
00:25:53.72\00:25:55.05
So we have this. Now
it's located on property
00:25:55.08\00:25:59.72
belonging to Washita Hills.
00:25:59.75\00:26:01.16
And I think some people may
not know what Washita Hills is.
00:26:01.19\00:26:04.69
So this is a school that
has both an academy and college.
00:26:04.73\00:26:09.93
It's located in a
beautiful spot in Arkansas,
00:26:09.96\00:26:14.84
close to Amity, Arkansas.
00:26:15.44\00:26:17.57
And you can look
that up on your map.
00:26:17.61\00:26:19.24
So this is our plan.
00:26:19.27\00:26:21.74
And the Center,
it's nearing completion,
00:26:21.78\00:26:23.88
but not quite there yet.
00:26:23.91\00:26:25.88
We want to have people
living in the home with us.
00:26:25.91\00:26:29.72
We have a large common area.
00:26:29.75\00:26:31.15
The picture's down, but
the large common area has very
00:26:31.19\00:26:35.56
ample kitchen
counters and stuff.
00:26:35.59\00:26:38.39
So people can be really
involved in a large open living
00:26:38.43\00:26:42.80
room where we can
have instruction given.
00:26:42.83\00:26:45.53
So instead of going to a class
where they learn about healthy
00:26:45.57\00:26:49.87
living, whether it be a
cooking class, or just...
00:26:49.90\00:26:52.51
You know, there's a lot
of different healthy living
00:26:52.54\00:26:54.78
programs that are
out there right now.
00:26:54.81\00:26:56.14
So you're talking about putting
people in a home setting,
00:26:56.18\00:26:58.91
so that way they
can practice cooking,
00:26:58.95\00:27:00.95
they can practice sleeping.
00:27:00.98\00:27:02.38
For somebody like
me that could be a
00:27:02.42\00:27:03.82
struggle; getting that rest.
00:27:03.85\00:27:05.85
But, you know,
you're putting them outside.
00:27:05.89\00:27:07.52
And you mentioned that there
was a garden in the backyard,
00:27:07.56\00:27:09.36
so they can go outside and
get that sunshine, fresh air,
00:27:09.39\00:27:11.53
and a little exercise,
and learn how to garden.
00:27:11.56\00:27:13.83
That garden is not
there yet, but we want
00:27:13.86\00:27:17.03
there to be a garden.
00:27:17.07\00:27:18.60
And we hope to be able to
include all of these phases
00:27:18.63\00:27:21.87
that will include the eight
natural remedies, that they will
00:27:21.90\00:27:26.34
live that lifestyle with us for
the time that they stay in our
00:27:26.37\00:27:30.01
home, which would be
maybe a week session.
00:27:30.05\00:27:32.48
But I wanted to
say one other thing.
00:27:32.51\00:27:34.22
In addition to being able to
enjoy this opportunity in our
00:27:34.25\00:27:38.65
retirement, we will also be
able to teach on the campus.
00:27:38.69\00:27:41.96
And that gives us more exposure
to these wonderful young people.
00:27:41.99\00:27:44.73
which is just such a
thrill, and enjoy all the
00:27:44.76\00:27:48.13
programs on the campus.
00:27:48.16\00:27:49.70
Right. So now when do you
plan to have your first session?
00:27:49.73\00:27:53.23
You said it's not finished yet.
00:27:53.27\00:27:55.30
It's not quite finished yet.
00:27:55.34\00:27:57.04
It's getting there.
00:27:57.07\00:27:58.41
We also still have
to give further work to
00:27:58.71\00:28:01.34
preparing for the sessions.
00:28:01.38\00:28:03.08
So right now our target date
is to have our first session
00:28:03.11\00:28:07.68
somewhere in early 2018.
00:28:07.72\00:28:10.85
Okay, wonderful! So how
can these people that are here,
00:28:10.89\00:28:14.56
or watching on 3ABN,
how can they get more
00:28:14.59\00:28:17.59
information from you?
00:28:17.63\00:28:18.96
Just come to the
Washita Hills booth.
00:28:18.99\00:28:22.00
That's number
706... It's number 607.
00:28:22.03\00:28:25.03
Excuse me, 607, 607.
Washita Hills booth 607.
00:28:25.07\00:28:29.74
Okay, wonderful. You need
to visit them and find out
00:28:29.77\00:28:32.31
a little bit more about it.
00:28:32.34\00:28:33.68
Now I want to go to Mindy.
00:28:33.71\00:28:35.04
Now we were just talking
about opening up your home for,
00:28:35.08\00:28:38.05
you know, to do this
healthy living instruction.
00:28:38.08\00:28:41.88
But what if there isn't a home?
00:28:41.92\00:28:43.69
What if you're living in a tent?
00:28:43.72\00:28:45.45
And so we're going to be
hearing from Mindy Thygeson,
00:28:45.49\00:28:49.56
who is with Impact Hope.
00:28:49.59\00:28:51.56
And let's go ahead and play
the video right now so they can
00:28:51.59\00:28:54.30
see what we're talking about.
00:28:54.33\00:28:55.66
My name is Lee Anne.
00:28:55.70\00:28:57.03
My parents go to Africa a lot.
00:28:57.07\00:28:59.03
There was a war that made people
have to run away from their own
00:28:59.07\00:29:04.31
homes and live
in another country.
00:29:04.34\00:29:06.78
People who have to leave
their homes have been living in
00:29:06.81\00:29:13.62
Rwanda Refugee Camps
for over twenty years.
00:29:13.65\00:29:18.62
They even have only
enough money for one meal a day.
00:29:18.65\00:29:24.09
They have to climb to get
water, and there are no lights,
00:29:24.13\00:29:31.37
and no showers. They can
only go to school until ninth
00:29:31.40\00:29:35.24
grade in the camps.
00:29:35.27\00:29:36.77
When my Mom and Dad heard about
these people they were sad,
00:29:39.31\00:29:44.71
because most of the people are
Seventh-day Adventist's like us.
00:29:44.75\00:29:49.55
Can you raise your hand?
00:29:57.13\00:29:58.46
Ha ha, all of
them! Most of them.
00:29:58.49\00:30:01.56
My Mom and Dad started
something called Impacto.
00:30:02.26\00:30:06.67
They are trying to raise money
to send kids to go to school on
00:30:06.70\00:30:09.74
so they can get jobs, so they
can take care of their families.
00:30:10.24\00:30:15.64
There are a lots more
kids who want to go to school.
00:30:45.57\00:30:49.64
Will you help us?
00:30:49.68\00:30:51.55
Okay, now we're talking
about refugees from Congo,
00:30:55.82\00:31:01.36
and Rwanda, correct?
00:31:01.39\00:31:03.16
Okay, let me ask you, can...
00:31:03.19\00:31:05.53
The video talked about
this, but how many people
00:31:05.56\00:31:07.66
are we talking about?
00:31:07.70\00:31:09.03
There's approximately 80,000
people who are living in the
00:31:09.06\00:31:13.67
Congolese
Refugee Camps in Rwanda.
00:31:13.70\00:31:16.14
But the thing that got our
attention is... Well, we knew
00:31:16.17\00:31:22.04
about the genocide that happened
in Rwanda in 1994, but we didn't
00:31:22.08\00:31:26.58
realize what happened next.
00:31:26.61\00:31:28.22
So the genocide spilled
over into neighboring countries,
00:31:28.25\00:31:31.72
including Zaire,
which is now the Congo.
00:31:31.75\00:31:34.26
The perpetrators of the genocide
in Rwanda fled for their lives,
00:31:34.29\00:31:38.59
fearing that they, too, would be
killed for what they had done.
00:31:38.63\00:31:42.23
And so they fled
into Tanzania and Barundi.
00:31:42.26\00:31:45.60
But in Zaire, where they came,
they came across a group of
00:31:45.63\00:31:49.17
people who were the same tribal
system as those found in Rwanda.
00:31:49.20\00:31:52.71
And so when they saw the
lush farmlands in the Congo,
00:31:52.74\00:31:59.08
and the herds of cattle, and
these people were the ones who
00:31:59.11\00:32:03.69
were being killed in Rwanda,
they began genocide again.
00:32:03.72\00:32:08.76
Well, this area that was
targeted had been proselytized
00:32:08.79\00:32:12.46
by evangelists, Adventist
evangelists in the early 1900's.
00:32:12.49\00:32:17.70
So this whole area
was primarily Seventh-day
00:32:17.73\00:32:20.74
Adventist Christians.
00:32:20.77\00:32:22.10
So this led to an
influx of refugees into Rwanda,
00:32:22.14\00:32:26.94
and at times there
were around 100,000.
00:32:26.98\00:32:29.98
Currently there's 80,000
refugees, and around 80%,
00:32:30.01\00:32:35.75
and higher, and in some
cases in some camps 100% of them
00:32:35.78\00:32:40.06
are Seventh-day Adventists.
00:32:40.09\00:32:41.42
So my husband and I, when
we heard this we felt very
00:32:41.46\00:32:45.99
compelled to do
something about it.
00:32:46.03\00:32:47.93
I'm a nurse and my husband's
a businessman, but, you know,
00:32:47.96\00:32:52.37
we prayed to do
something involving missions.
00:32:52.40\00:32:55.60
And we felt like God was calling
us to take part in helping
00:32:55.64\00:33:00.54
in some way for
these Adventist people,
00:33:00.58\00:33:03.28
our brothers and sisters.
00:33:03.31\00:33:04.68
Right. And then I think
that that's a good point.
00:33:04.71\00:33:06.88
It's like, we're not
talking about people.
00:33:06.92\00:33:09.65
We're talking about
brothers and sisters.
00:33:09.68\00:33:11.99
And they're our family.
00:33:12.02\00:33:13.66
And when you were
sharing the story with me,
00:33:13.69\00:33:15.39
it really touched my
heart, because we are talking
00:33:15.42\00:33:17.23
about our brothers and sisters.
00:33:17.26\00:33:18.59
It could easily be
any one of us here.
00:33:18.63\00:33:20.23
And so what are you doing?
00:33:20.26\00:33:24.70
Well, we found out, as
we learned more about the
00:33:24.73\00:33:28.17
conditions in the camp, and the
situations with the students,
00:33:28.20\00:33:31.11
and the young people, we found
out that ADRA Rwanda is actually
00:33:31.14\00:33:35.41
in the camp, and
they provide education up
00:33:35.44\00:33:37.95
through the ninth grade.
00:33:37.98\00:33:39.31
But after that there's no
funding for further education.
00:33:39.35\00:33:42.92
And so my husband and
I started an organization
00:33:42.95\00:33:46.32
called Impact Hope, and we're
sending students from the camps
00:33:46.35\00:33:51.39
to grades ten through twelve,
plus one year of technical
00:33:51.43\00:33:55.16
training to Adventist
boarding schools in Rwanda.
00:33:55.20\00:33:58.80
So it's been a really
great thing for the students,
00:33:58.83\00:34:03.20
and also to help the Adventist
schools in Rwanda as well.
00:34:03.24\00:34:07.71
We have a picture up about this
young lady with the mattress.
00:34:07.74\00:34:11.51
Can you tell us a
little bit about that?
00:34:11.55\00:34:13.01
So for $600 a school year, we
can take one refugee and put him
00:34:13.05\00:34:19.15
into an Adventist
boarding school in Rwanda.
00:34:19.19\00:34:21.56
And they say you've taken us
to Europe, because the contrast
00:34:21.59\00:34:25.26
between the camps and
these humble Adventist boarding
00:34:25.29\00:34:28.20
schools is so extreme that they
feel like they've really been
00:34:28.23\00:34:31.63
transported to a
different country.
00:34:31.67\00:34:33.47
And we're just so happy because
they have this confidence,
00:34:33.50\00:34:38.31
and they feel that
their dreams have become true.
00:34:38.34\00:34:41.14
They dreamed that they
never would have anticipated.
00:34:41.18\00:34:44.31
Actually, the fact that
they're in an Adventist school
00:34:44.35\00:34:49.35
is especially great.
00:34:49.38\00:34:50.72
Well, the last picture
that you saw was Aleene.
00:34:50.75\00:34:53.66
She is one of our
shining stars, and she's in
00:34:53.69\00:34:56.52
technical school right now.
00:34:56.56\00:34:58.03
She graduated last year.
00:34:58.06\00:34:59.66
And now she's taking sewing.
00:34:59.69\00:35:01.36
And she sees a potential now.
00:35:01.40\00:35:03.73
She has a future, and she knows
that she doesn't have to remain
00:35:03.77\00:35:07.54
in the refugee camps.
00:35:07.57\00:35:09.00
She doesn't have to
continue this cycle.
00:35:09.04\00:35:11.64
And so she's just incredibly
grateful for the opportunity
00:35:11.67\00:35:15.21
to earn money, to make a living,
and to provide for not only
00:35:15.24\00:35:19.71
herself, but her future family.
00:35:19.75\00:35:22.05
So we're really excited about
the impact, and I don't think
00:35:22.08\00:35:24.79
we'll really
understand the full impact
00:35:24.82\00:35:27.36
until we go to heaven.
00:35:27.39\00:35:28.72
Absolutely, absolutely!
00:35:28.76\00:35:30.09
Because you're not giving
them only hope, but you're also
00:35:30.13\00:35:32.63
helping them get a livelihood.
00:35:32.66\00:35:34.36
And you're putting them in
the position where they can
00:35:34.40\00:35:37.07
actually do mission work.
00:35:37.10\00:35:38.43
And that's something
that we need to remember, too.
00:35:38.47\00:35:40.70
Ah, so this has only been
going on for about two years,
00:35:40.74\00:35:43.61
and you were telling me that
about 410 students already have
00:35:43.64\00:35:47.48
been impacted. Is that correct?
00:35:47.51\00:35:48.84
That's right. We
have 410 students,
00:35:48.88\00:35:51.01
and they're all
sponsorship based.
00:35:51.05\00:35:52.85
So we're just, we would
always encourage anyone who's
00:35:52.88\00:35:56.92
interested in taking
part of this program,
00:35:56.95\00:35:59.42
and becoming a sponsor, to
come to our booth at number 404.
00:35:59.45\00:36:05.06
It's called Impact Hope.
00:36:05.09\00:36:06.43
You can also find us on
our website at Impact-Hope. org
00:36:06.46\00:36:11.73
and we'd love to grow the
numbers, and help more of our
00:36:11.77\00:36:16.20
Adventist brothers and
sisters for only $50 a month.
00:36:16.24\00:36:19.61
Thank you so much!
00:36:19.64\00:36:21.24
Thank you very much.
00:36:21.28\00:36:22.68
And so I really appreciate
all of you sharing your stories
00:36:22.71\00:36:25.41
tonight, and I'm sure that
many of us have been blessed.
00:36:25.45\00:36:27.38
And, hopefully, we can go home
with some new ideas as to how
00:36:27.42\00:36:30.82
we can impact the
community around us as well.
00:36:30.85\00:36:32.99
I remember when I went
to my first ASI Convention.
00:36:36.39\00:36:39.59
I actually didn't have
any idea what ASI even was.
00:36:39.63\00:36:43.97
I only went because
I had a friend that was
00:36:44.00\00:36:46.50
going who invited me.
00:36:46.53\00:36:47.87
But when I went to ASI it
opened my eyes to a world that I
00:36:47.90\00:36:53.07
didn't know existed.
00:36:53.11\00:36:54.44
To be honest, I didn't know that
there were all these ministries,
00:36:54.48\00:36:58.75
all of these people
just doing these different
00:36:58.78\00:37:00.72
things for the Lord.
00:37:00.75\00:37:02.08
And it made a
strong impact on my life.
00:37:02.12\00:37:04.55
In fact I can trace my first
desires to go into doing more
00:37:04.59\00:37:09.92
ministry for God
to seeing that ASI.
00:37:09.96\00:37:13.60
And people that I met
who were working with ASI,
00:37:13.63\00:37:16.36
working with the Youth for Jesus
programs, and other things like
00:37:16.40\00:37:19.90
that that I would
have had no idea about
00:37:19.93\00:37:22.70
had it not been for ASI.
00:37:22.74\00:37:25.27
I sense a need in our church
for a way the people can come
00:37:25.31\00:37:31.15
together, for a place
to belong in the church.
00:37:31.18\00:37:34.98
I feel like sometimes it gets
portrayed like the epitome of
00:37:35.02\00:37:39.49
Adventism is going to
church, and paying tithe,
00:37:39.52\00:37:42.79
and maybe participating
in outreach sometime.
00:37:42.82\00:37:45.29
But in my personal experience
it's so much more than that.
00:37:45.33\00:37:48.96
And there's so many of us that
are striving in our daily lives
00:37:49.00\00:37:52.20
to do things for the
Lord, but where do we fit?
00:37:52.23\00:37:55.20
Where do we come together?
00:37:55.24\00:37:56.77
I mean how do we get
re-inspired, and networked,
00:37:56.81\00:38:00.84
and get the
support that we need?
00:38:00.88\00:38:02.51
And I see that as a huge need.
00:38:02.54\00:38:06.05
I see that as something that
if we could really form that
00:38:06.08\00:38:09.25
kind of network, and do this
together, that all of us could
00:38:09.28\00:38:13.52
benefit, that all of us
could grow and feel like
00:38:13.56\00:38:17.13
in the church;
like we have a purpose,
00:38:18.29\00:38:20.50
we have a place in the church,
and that God is going to really
00:38:20.53\00:38:25.17
be able to use,
yeah, not just the pastors,
00:38:25.20\00:38:28.20
not just the elders, but
those of us in everyday life
00:38:28.24\00:38:32.87
to do something for Him.
00:38:32.91\00:38:34.34
With me is Josh Marcoe.
00:38:38.45\00:38:40.45
He's the Technical Coordinator
for the Ellen G. White Estate.
00:38:40.48\00:38:44.25
And, Joshua, we're glad to have
you here this morning to help us
00:38:44.29\00:38:47.22
understand how our offerings
are being used to spread the
00:38:47.26\00:38:50.03
love of God, and the
gospel around the world.
00:38:50.06\00:38:52.09
First tell us,
catch us up a little bit.
00:38:52.13\00:38:54.80
We know that funding has
been received in the past to
00:38:54.83\00:38:58.13
help with translations.
00:38:58.17\00:39:00.24
Where are we with that, and
what the project for this year?
00:39:00.27\00:39:03.41
I'll just give you a little
recap of what we did last year.
00:39:03.44\00:39:06.91
To give you an idea, we
put 48 books up on our website,
00:39:06.94\00:39:13.08
and in our apps, and they
are in 15 different languages.
00:39:13.11\00:39:17.09
I'll just read you through
a few: Bulgarian, Chinese,
00:39:17.12\00:39:20.76
Estonian, French, Hebrew,
Indonesian, Italian, Japanese,
00:39:20.79\00:39:25.93
and a number of others.
00:39:25.96\00:39:27.56
Well, that's wonderful!
00:39:27.60\00:39:28.93
So then this gives people
an opportunity around the world
00:39:28.96\00:39:32.03
to actually access the
writings of Ellen White.
00:39:32.07\00:39:34.37
Yeah, if you've
appreciated reading books like
00:39:34.40\00:39:37.84
Great Controversy, or Steps to
Christ, which actually this is
00:39:37.87\00:39:41.11
the 125th Anniversary of Steps
to Christ, or other books like
00:39:41.14\00:39:45.31
that, you can appreciate
that, but not everyone has those
00:39:45.35\00:39:49.18
books in their languages.
00:39:49.22\00:39:50.72
So this is what this offering
is helping to do is take the
00:39:50.75\00:39:54.79
books that have been translated,
put them into our apps,
00:39:54.82\00:39:58.19
on our website, and
people around the world,
00:39:58.23\00:40:00.96
where ever they are; if
they're in their home country,
00:40:01.00\00:40:03.67
or here in America, or somewhere
else, they can get online,
00:40:03.70\00:40:06.97
and read those books in
their language, and be blessed.
00:40:07.00\00:40:10.31
Amen! Amen! How many of
you have your phone with you?
00:40:10.34\00:40:13.91
Do you have your phone?
00:40:13.94\00:40:15.28
Ah, I see lots of phones.
00:40:15.31\00:40:16.64
How many of you have the
E. G. White app on your phone?
00:40:16.68\00:40:19.41
Ah, just as many! And the Bible.
00:40:19.45\00:40:22.08
So we've got the word of
God, and the Spirit of Prophecy
00:40:22.12\00:40:25.29
right at our fingertips;
literally to be able to
00:40:25.32\00:40:28.06
share the love of Jesus.
00:40:28.09\00:40:29.66
And so it's wonderful to know
that other people around the
00:40:29.69\00:40:32.89
world can do the same.
00:40:32.93\00:40:34.26
So what kind of, what number
of languages, or what kind of
00:40:34.30\00:40:37.77
languages are the
target for this coming year?
00:40:37.80\00:40:40.24
Well, this coming year we've
already accumulated enough books
00:40:40.27\00:40:44.54
to cover all the funding
that ASI is going to give us.
00:40:44.57\00:40:48.38
So that's great! Amen!
00:40:48.41\00:40:49.84
And what we're concentrating
on, not necessarily by design,
00:40:49.88\00:40:53.01
but just by what we have
received, is primarily Central
00:40:53.05\00:40:57.25
Asia and also
some in Central Africa.
00:40:57.29\00:41:00.12
So we're going to be doing
books like in Tauch and Uzbek,
00:41:00.16\00:41:04.39
and Kazakh and Querkez, and
some in Amharic, and Georgan,
00:41:04.43\00:41:09.70
Persian, or Farsi, Luo,
Kenya, Urwanda, and Armenian.
00:41:09.73\00:41:14.97
Now did you say Kurgas?
00:41:15.00\00:41:16.44
Yes. Wow! Our next interviewees
are actually from Kurdistan.
00:41:16.47\00:41:20.38
So then they will be able
to access Ellen White writings
00:41:20.44\00:41:24.28
in their language, as a result
of the offering for this year.
00:41:24.31\00:41:27.82
Absolutely! Ah,
that's wonderful!
00:41:27.88\00:41:29.28
I'm sure that's really good news
for them as well. Absolutely!
00:41:29.32\00:41:31.89
All right. Well, you know what?
00:41:31.92\00:41:33.25
Josh is there anything?
00:41:33.29\00:41:34.62
No, this is what
I wanted to ask you.
00:41:34.66\00:41:36.22
In your mind why
is this important?
00:41:36.26\00:41:38.79
Why is this important work?
00:41:38.83\00:41:40.16
This is a critical initiative
for the Ellen White Estate.
00:41:40.20\00:41:43.10
Well, just something that
just happened to me this week.
00:41:43.16\00:41:46.37
I was visiting with a friend,
actually a relative of mine.
00:41:46.40\00:41:49.60
He speaks Malayalam.
00:41:49.64\00:41:51.71
He does not feel comfortable
reading English. I'm sorry.
00:41:51.74\00:41:56.78
But he speaks Malayalam.
00:41:56.81\00:41:59.15
And we have books in Malayalam
that are actually in the process
00:41:59.18\00:42:02.45
of being translated, and
being put onto our website.
00:42:02.48\00:42:05.22
He will be able to read
the Conflict of the Ages
00:42:05.25\00:42:07.96
series in his language.
00:42:07.99\00:42:09.32
That will be a blessing to him,
and he may become an Adventist
00:42:09.36\00:42:12.39
as a result of that.
00:42:12.43\00:42:13.76
Amen! So it has personal
resonance for you as well.
00:42:13.80\00:42:17.17
Great! Thank you
very much Joshua.
00:42:17.23\00:42:18.90
We appreciate all
that you, and the Ellen G.
00:42:18.93\00:42:20.94
White Estate is doing.
00:42:20.97\00:42:22.30
Thank you, and thank you ASI
for your contribution and help.
00:42:22.34\00:42:25.64
And if you want more
information, what booth should
00:42:25.67\00:42:27.91
they go to for... to know?
00:42:27.94\00:42:29.61
Come to booth 723.
00:42:29.64\00:42:31.38
723 for the E. G. White Estate.
00:42:31.41\00:42:33.31
Thank you very much Joshua.
00:42:33.35\00:42:35.15
Coming to join me at the podium
now, as I mentioned before,
00:42:35.18\00:42:39.39
are individuals from Kurdistan.
00:42:39.42\00:42:41.32
They're from the
Adventist school in Kurdistan.
00:42:41.39\00:42:44.23
And I'm really
excited to have...
00:42:44.26\00:42:45.89
These are my new
friends from Kurdistan.
00:42:45.93\00:42:48.16
I don't speak Russian, or any
other language that they've got.
00:42:48.23\00:42:51.10
But I'm really happy that one
of them at least speaks English.
00:42:51.13\00:42:54.00
So this is Christian Muller.
00:42:54.04\00:42:57.47
Christian Muller is
the former Development
00:42:57.51\00:42:59.27
Director for the school.
00:42:59.31\00:43:00.64
And next to him
is, I'll say Galina.
00:43:00.68\00:43:03.31
We'll just skip her last name.
00:43:03.35\00:43:04.98
She's a
graduate from the school.
00:43:06.25\00:43:08.12
And coming from at the end is
our President for the Adventist
00:43:08.15\00:43:12.82
school is Kurdistan.
00:43:12.85\00:43:14.19
So we want to learn a little
bit more about Adventist school.
00:43:14.22\00:43:17.23
First of all tell us,
Christian, where is it?
00:43:17.26\00:43:20.23
how many
students? how many staff?
00:43:20.26\00:43:21.86
Give us kind of the lay
of the land about the school.
00:43:21.90\00:43:24.00
Okay. Good morning ASI.
00:43:24.03\00:43:26.67
We are located in the
10/40 window in Kurdistan in the
00:43:26.70\00:43:31.54
Southern Union Mission
in the Euro-Asia Division.
00:43:31.57\00:43:35.58
And the school has
around 360 students right now,
00:43:35.61\00:43:40.08
and 70% of them are
from Muslim families.
00:43:40.12\00:43:43.49
It is very interesting because
even though the school name is
00:43:43.52\00:43:47.69
Christian school, their parents
are bringing their kids because
00:43:47.72\00:43:52.19
of the high
level of the location.
00:43:52.23\00:43:54.60
Oh, wonderful! Now I understand
that this school has a very
00:43:54.63\00:43:59.03
interesting distinction
in all of Central Asia.
00:43:59.07\00:44:02.10
Yes, actually it is
the only Adventist school
00:44:02.14\00:44:04.31
in all Central Asia.
00:44:04.34\00:44:05.67
So some of the kids from
the other stands that are having
00:44:05.71\00:44:10.21
problems with the Sabbath,
and going to school on Sabbath,
00:44:10.25\00:44:14.65
because it's an obligation
to do it, they are coming to our
00:44:14.68\00:44:17.59
school, to the boarding
school so they can have a good
00:44:17.62\00:44:20.72
education and keep the Sabbath.
00:44:20.76\00:44:22.72
Now you said the other
students from the other stands.
00:44:22.76\00:44:25.19
What are you talking about?
00:44:25.23\00:44:26.56
Well, the union, it's, the
stands in the union are the
00:44:26.59\00:44:30.93
Afghanistan, Tajikistan,
Kajikistan, Kyrgyzstan,
00:44:30.97\00:44:35.30
Turkmenistan,
Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.
00:44:35.34\00:44:40.18
Okay, I'm impressed that
you remember all of those stans!
00:44:40.21\00:44:42.68
The only Stan I know is
Stan Smith. Oh, that's good.
00:44:42.71\00:44:45.71
But that's about it.
00:44:45.75\00:44:47.38
Okay, so what? Tell us a
little bit about the curriculum.
00:44:47.42\00:44:51.09
And since this is a, you
have mostly Muslim that are
00:44:51.12\00:44:55.52
attending the school, how
do you infuse Christianity into
00:44:55.56\00:44:59.36
the life of the school there?
00:44:59.39\00:45:01.20
Yeah, even though we cannot
put Bible as a part of the
00:45:01.23\00:45:05.27
curriculum, we
have every day worship;
00:45:05.30\00:45:08.20
first with the teachers.
00:45:08.24\00:45:10.27
Not all of them are
Christians, even Christians.
00:45:10.31\00:45:13.91
We have 30%
around of them Adventist,
00:45:13.94\00:45:17.25
and the rest are Christians,
and some of them are Muslims.
00:45:17.28\00:45:20.12
But anyways we get
together, altogether,
00:45:20.15\00:45:22.82
to make worship every morning.
00:45:22.85\00:45:24.22
And every day also they have
a worship with all the students.
00:45:24.25\00:45:29.12
As I was telling you, this
morning part of the project,
00:45:29.16\00:45:32.19
and sorry I go in advance of
that, it's the place where we
00:45:32.23\00:45:35.80
meet all together
for worship every day.
00:45:35.83\00:45:37.83
Because we have a very small
place, and for 360 students
00:45:37.87\00:45:42.17
we cannot gather them all.
00:45:42.20\00:45:43.94
So we do worship with
first grade to fourth grade,
00:45:43.97\00:45:47.04
then to fifth to seventh.
00:45:47.08\00:45:48.48
And so we separate
the classes so we can get
00:45:48.51\00:45:51.35
together for worship.
00:45:51.38\00:45:52.71
Okay. So then this project
is to fund, or to help to fund
00:45:52.75\00:45:57.85
the raising up of a
multi-purpose Center so that
00:45:57.89\00:46:01.26
you're able to do things
like worship, and a variety
00:46:01.29\00:46:03.96
of other activities.
00:46:03.99\00:46:05.33
Yes, we have one big
project in the school that is
00:46:05.36\00:46:07.83
Community Soccer School.
00:46:07.86\00:46:10.37
You know, I'm from
Argentina, so we love soccer.
00:46:10.40\00:46:13.44
So we created Soccer
School there with 120
00:46:13.47\00:46:16.91
kids that are coming.
00:46:16.94\00:46:18.27
We teach them
values, not only sports.
00:46:18.31\00:46:20.98
But we mentor them,
because kids are in the streets.
00:46:21.01\00:46:25.61
They play soccer, but
without parents guard.
00:46:25.65\00:46:30.39
So we bring them together.
00:46:30.42\00:46:32.05
We take them to camp meetings,
we teach them the Bible.
00:46:32.09\00:46:36.06
Now we have a small group with
20 of them studying the Bible;
00:46:36.09\00:46:39.43
kids from 15 to 16 years old.
00:46:39.46\00:46:41.43
Amen, Amen. Now you
have some pictures that
00:46:41.46\00:46:43.47
you want to show us.
00:46:43.50\00:46:44.83
Yes, this is the
multi-purpose building that we
00:46:44.87\00:46:48.47
already started in April.
00:46:48.50\00:46:51.67
And we hope to finish before
the winter, because the biggest
00:46:51.71\00:46:55.14
problem there is the winter.
00:46:55.18\00:46:56.54
And we cannot the work
with the kids during the winter.
00:46:56.58\00:47:00.58
So this is, we are
constructing it right now.
00:47:00.62\00:47:04.19
And this is how we
will finish the view.
00:47:04.22\00:47:07.36
How it will look. Wonderful!
00:47:07.39\00:47:08.72
And I think there are some
pictures in advance of this
00:47:08.76\00:47:11.63
that showed a
group of the children.
00:47:11.66\00:47:13.56
And tell us a
little bit about...
00:47:14.83\00:47:16.60
Yes, it's very interesting
because we have around 18
00:47:16.63\00:47:19.93
nationalities in our school.
00:47:19.97\00:47:22.40
So if you saw the
pictures, you will see
00:47:22.44\00:47:25.01
different type of faces.
00:47:25.04\00:47:27.04
And it's very nice because we
can reach many cultural people
00:47:27.08\00:47:35.32
that are already
living in Kyrgyzstan.
00:47:35.35\00:47:36.99
So it's one nice
part of this school.
00:47:37.02\00:47:39.32
And you will see also another
picture of a building that
00:47:39.35\00:47:43.32
it's already done
that is for 300 more kids.
00:47:43.36\00:47:46.46
Because we are rejecting
around 40 to 50 kids per year,
00:47:46.49\00:47:50.43
because we don't
have space for them.
00:47:50.47\00:47:52.20
So thanks to God, and the
help of many people, and some of
00:47:52.23\00:47:57.54
them members of ASI, we were
able to construct this building
00:47:57.57\00:48:01.98
for 300 more kids, and to expand
the school to almost the amount
00:48:02.01\00:48:06.51
of members of the
church in Kyrgyzstan.
00:48:06.55\00:48:08.45
We have 700 members in
Kyrgyzstan; the whole country.
00:48:08.48\00:48:11.75
And if God's willing, we
will fill up the new building.
00:48:11.79\00:48:14.52
We will reach almost 600 kids
that will listen to the gospel.
00:48:14.56\00:48:18.43
So I just want to ask Constatine
Campen, who's the President.
00:48:18.46\00:48:23.03
So I know that
your English isn't good.
00:48:23.06\00:48:25.07
Well, my Russian's not good.
00:48:25.10\00:48:26.47
So we're good. So I, so let's
see, so how does this work?
00:48:26.50\00:48:32.24
So if your
English isn't very good,
00:48:32.27\00:48:33.78
and you rely on
Christian to ah...
00:48:33.81\00:48:37.75
We divide our obligation.
00:48:37.78\00:48:40.05
She speaks, I work.
00:48:40.08\00:48:41.72
Okay, and so one of the
things that you're wearing,
00:48:43.52\00:48:46.52
that you and Galina are wearing,
is this common local dress in...
00:48:46.55\00:48:52.63
If you come on
national holidays, you can see
00:48:52.66\00:48:56.46
people who wear this.
00:48:56.50\00:48:57.83
Okay, alright. So, and I
understand that if you go to
00:48:57.87\00:48:59.87
their booth, you're able to
actually take a picture with
00:48:59.90\00:49:02.20
them in their national garbs.
00:49:02.24\00:49:03.57
So that's wonderful. Welcome.
00:49:03.61\00:49:05.21
Okay, so let's talk
to Galina a little bit.
00:49:05.24\00:49:09.38
Galina, so I understand
that you're a graduate of
00:49:09.41\00:49:12.35
Adventist
School Kyrgyzstan? Yes.
00:49:12.38\00:49:14.45
How is it that
you came to go there?
00:49:14.48\00:49:16.15
Well, I started going there
when I was outside of school,
00:49:16.18\00:49:20.12
in first grade, and my Mom
put me there, not because it was
00:49:20.16\00:49:23.96
Christian, but
because the school was the
00:49:23.99\00:49:25.83
best school in my town.
00:49:25.86\00:49:27.93
And public schools over
there is like not really good,
00:49:27.96\00:49:32.07
because the teachers are
not really caring about you.
00:49:32.10\00:49:34.47
They like just to caring
if you give them presents,
00:49:34.50\00:49:36.60
or they give sometimes
money, because like they are
00:49:36.64\00:49:39.87
not getting enough payment.
00:49:39.91\00:49:41.48
And also another reason my
Mom put me there is that in
00:49:41.51\00:49:46.61
Kyrgyzstan it's
really cold in the winter.
00:49:46.65\00:49:48.32
And in public schools in
the winter, like inside of the
00:49:48.35\00:49:51.55
school it's really cold.
00:49:51.59\00:49:53.59
So all of the kids should
wear like their coat and gloves,
00:49:53.62\00:49:56.22
and hat and everything.
00:49:56.26\00:49:57.86
So in my Adventist School
it's warm inside in the winter.
00:49:57.89\00:50:01.86
So that's why my
Mom put me there.
00:50:01.90\00:50:03.40
Safety and warmth
first. Absolutely!
00:50:04.73\00:50:07.64
So how was it that
you were introduced to
00:50:07.74\00:50:09.74
Jesus at the school?
00:50:09.77\00:50:11.14
Well, I was like kind of
different from my family,
00:50:11.17\00:50:15.81
because I felt
like I needed something.
00:50:15.84\00:50:17.88
I felt like it's
something that I have to know,
00:50:17.91\00:50:20.72
like, but I
didn't know what it was.
00:50:20.75\00:50:23.05
Then when I was in
eighth grade I knew one,
00:50:23.08\00:50:28.62
actually it was
Christian's sister,
00:50:28.66\00:50:30.93
she went there to be missionary,
00:50:30.96\00:50:34.00
and she gave us
classes in English.
00:50:34.03\00:50:35.46
While there I got to know three
other girls, and once I told
00:50:35.50\00:50:40.07
them, Hey, let's go to
do something on Saturday.
00:50:40.10\00:50:42.57
Let's go to walk or something.
00:50:42.60\00:50:44.84
And they told me they can't
do that, because they're going
00:50:44.87\00:50:47.58
to church on Saturday.
00:50:47.61\00:50:48.94
And for me it was like,
if you want to think about,
00:50:48.98\00:50:52.25
and acting like
excuse not to going with me,
00:50:52.28\00:50:53.85
to go like to work,
because for me to going to
00:50:53.88\00:50:56.28
church, it's on Sunday.
00:50:56.32\00:50:58.15
And then they told me
about the Adventist church.
00:50:58.19\00:51:01.06
And then I went there
with them and I liked it.
00:51:01.09\00:51:04.69
Oh, that's wonderful!
00:51:04.73\00:51:06.36
So that, your introduction
to Jesus, came from your
00:51:06.39\00:51:09.43
friends there at school.
00:51:09.46\00:51:10.87
Yeah, they actually
weren't like school students,
00:51:10.90\00:51:14.67
but they were like just
coming to an English class at
00:51:14.70\00:51:16.71
school, and this school.
00:51:16.74\00:51:18.34
Okay, wonderful, wonderful.
00:51:18.37\00:51:19.71
And we don't have a lot of time
left, but tell me what it has
00:51:19.74\00:51:24.68
meant to actually have
Jesus in your life as a result.
00:51:24.71\00:51:28.88
Well, as I knew Jesus, and I
see like the, I finally found
00:51:28.92\00:51:32.95
what I was looking
for like my life actually.
00:51:32.99\00:51:36.99
And I feel like there's nothing
better than knowing Jesus,
00:51:37.03\00:51:42.50
and being in church.
00:51:42.53\00:51:43.87
And that everything I have
now is because I know Jesus.
00:51:43.90\00:51:47.14
Amen! And now Galina is
studying at Montemorelos.
00:51:47.17\00:51:50.64
She wants to become
an English teacher. Amen!
00:51:50.67\00:51:53.04
Thank you very much.
00:51:53.07\00:51:54.41
Thank you for your offering,
in advance, so that we can help
00:51:54.44\00:51:57.41
The Adventist School Kyrgyzstan
teach others about Jesus.
00:51:57.45\00:52:01.02
Thank you. Amen!
00:52:01.05\00:52:02.38
Good to be at ASI, and to
hear about what God is doing
00:52:07.12\00:52:09.52
around the world. Amen?
00:52:09.56\00:52:10.89
Well, not far from the country
of Kyrgyzstan is an area of the
00:52:10.93\00:52:14.43
world that is a particular
challenge for evangelism.
00:52:14.46\00:52:17.93
And just a few years ago the
General Conference organized,
00:52:17.97\00:52:21.20
reorganized the twenty countries
in the Middle East to form the
00:52:21.24\00:52:25.04
Middle East and
North Africa Union.
00:52:25.07\00:52:27.18
With 545 million people, it
is one of the most challenging
00:52:27.21\00:52:31.55
areas of the
world for evangelism.
00:52:31.58\00:52:32.95
And with me here
today is Rick McEdward,
00:52:32.98\00:52:35.42
the President of MENA.
00:52:35.45\00:52:36.79
And, Rick, tell us, you
have a guest with you as well.
00:52:36.82\00:52:38.82
Yeah, thanks Kyle. Yes,
with me is Michael Eckert.
00:52:38.85\00:52:41.62
He is our Publishing Ministries
Director in the Middle East
00:52:41.66\00:52:45.43
North Africa Union.
00:52:45.46\00:52:46.80
And it's fun to be
here with the ASI group.
00:52:46.83\00:52:49.30
We love the enthusiasm
that everybody shares here.
00:52:49.33\00:52:51.73
Amen! So Rick, you
have quite a challenge on
00:52:51.77\00:52:54.54
your hands with MENA.
00:52:54.57\00:52:56.17
I think that's fair to say.
00:52:56.20\00:52:58.37
We have 20
countries, as Kyle mentioned.
00:52:58.41\00:53:01.38
545 million people, but 95% of
those people come from a large
00:53:01.41\00:53:08.15
non-Christian religion
that we hear about in the
00:53:08.18\00:53:11.29
news almost every day.
00:53:11.32\00:53:12.65
In our Union we have
one Adventist to every
00:53:13.25\00:53:18.39
167 thousand people.
00:53:18.43\00:53:21.90
In North America it's
one Adventist for every 294.
00:53:21.93\00:53:27.87
So if every Adventist in
the whole Union was faithful
00:53:27.90\00:53:32.64
to share the gospel once every
single day, all those 3,700
00:53:32.67\00:53:39.61
members, it would take us
410 years to complete the simple
00:53:39.65\00:53:44.55
gospel commission
that Christ has given us.
00:53:44.59\00:53:46.62
Wow! So, Rick, last year,
in light of this incredible
00:53:46.65\00:53:54.96
challenge, ASI sponsored
a project as a part of the
00:53:55.00\00:53:58.73
offering to do
something very special in MENA.
00:53:58.77\00:54:02.27
Tell us a little
bit about that project.
00:54:02.30\00:54:04.37
Well, I'll let Michael explain
the project, and how it makes
00:54:04.41\00:54:10.78
an impact in our Union.
00:54:10.81\00:54:12.61
As I already mentioned, we
have a tremendous challenge,
00:54:12.65\00:54:15.22
and our 20 countries, we
have have more than 7 languages
00:54:15.25\00:54:19.25
that are spoken in
these 20 countries.
00:54:19.29\00:54:21.49
And Arabic, Farsi, and Turkish
alone; these three languages,
00:54:21.52\00:54:26.36
over 500 million, which is half
a billion people on the planet,
00:54:26.39\00:54:31.17
speak that language.
00:54:31.20\00:54:32.53
And Arabic alone is
the liturgical language for
00:54:32.57\00:54:37.47
1.6 billion Muslims
on this planet: Arabic.
00:54:37.51\00:54:42.34
And so our goal was,
last year, to produce the
00:54:42.38\00:54:47.15
Conflict of the Ages series,
which are the five major books
00:54:47.18\00:54:50.49
of Ellen White, Patriarchs and
Prophets, Prophets and Kings,
00:54:50.52\00:54:54.16
The Great Controversy, Acts
of the Apostles, Desire of Ages,
00:54:54.19\00:54:57.76
in these three languages,
and be partnered with the
00:54:57.79\00:55:00.50
General Conference, the
Ellen White Estate, and with ASI
00:55:00.53\00:55:03.70
to make that project possible.
00:55:03.73\00:55:05.97
Can I just interject here, for
a moment, in concert with this
00:55:06.00\00:55:11.44
project an
experience that we had recently.
00:55:11.47\00:55:15.24
There was a young man
from one of our countries.
00:55:15.28\00:55:18.48
The country, I
will not disclose here.
00:55:18.51\00:55:21.08
But he had moved away from
his home, and was in Europe.
00:55:21.12\00:55:25.15
And as he was there in Europe
working, in the night he got
00:55:25.19\00:55:29.16
a strong impression
from God: You must go back
00:55:29.22\00:55:32.23
to your home country!
00:55:32.26\00:55:33.60
Three times in the
night: You must go back
00:55:33.63\00:55:36.00
to your home country!
00:55:36.03\00:55:37.37
And he's like, Why would I go?
00:55:37.40\00:55:38.73
It's winter there,
it's raining, and there's no
00:55:38.77\00:55:41.34
reason for me to go back.
00:55:41.37\00:55:42.70
But he obeyed the
impression that he got from God.
00:55:42.74\00:55:47.11
When he went back he was walking
along the street corner in one
00:55:47.14\00:55:52.41
of our largest cities in the
Middle East North Africa Union.
00:55:52.45\00:55:55.65
And I mean it's a massive city.
00:55:55.68\00:55:58.02
And as he was walking he just
happened to be between a ferry
00:55:58.82\00:56:03.43
terminal and a
university where we have a
00:56:03.46\00:56:07.40
congregation that meets.
00:56:07.43\00:56:08.83
And along the streets near where
that congregation meets we have
00:56:08.86\00:56:12.80
a nice literature rack.
00:56:12.83\00:56:14.30
And that literature rack
has several well-known titles
00:56:14.34\00:56:18.07
to Seventh-day Adventists; it
has Bibles, it has other things.
00:56:18.11\00:56:20.98
And because it's on a busy
thoroughfare, that particular
00:56:21.01\00:56:25.71
corner gets thousands and
thousands of people walking
00:56:25.75\00:56:30.79
by every single week.
00:56:30.82\00:56:32.15
So this guy
stopped, picked up a book,
00:56:32.19\00:56:36.83
and started reading it.
00:56:36.86\00:56:38.26
As he read it his
attention was totally captured
00:56:38.29\00:56:44.13
by what he was reading.
00:56:44.17\00:56:45.63
And that book was The
Great Controversy. Amen!
00:56:45.67\00:56:48.34
Now, after that he
said, I can't stop.
00:56:48.37\00:56:51.34
This is addictive! He
was addicted to reading
00:56:51.37\00:56:53.94
The Great Controversy.
00:56:53.98\00:56:55.31
He sat down and
read it in one weekend.
00:56:55.34\00:56:56.85
I don't know how
many of you've tried that,
00:56:56.91\00:56:58.78
but that's not an easy task.
00:56:58.81\00:57:00.15
How many of you have
read it in one weekend?
00:57:00.18\00:57:01.68
Okay, incredible! I
don't see any hands.
00:57:01.75\00:57:03.49
But the reality was
he came back and he says,
00:57:03.52\00:57:07.42
What else do you have?
00:57:07.46\00:57:08.79
And they gave
him some more books.
00:57:08.82\00:57:10.16
And then he went to our
head office and he said,
00:57:10.19\00:57:12.59
There has to be more.
00:57:12.63\00:57:14.13
And so they gave him
some in English, because he
00:57:14.20\00:57:15.70
could speak English.
00:57:15.73\00:57:17.07
And little by little he
became so consumed with reading
00:57:17.10\00:57:22.07
Ellen White, and knowing the
Jesus that she promotes... Amen!
00:57:22.10\00:57:26.74
...that his life
was changed. Amen!
00:57:28.34\00:57:30.21
And today he is back there
in that large city, at that same
00:57:30.25\00:57:36.08
group, and he is manning the
booth at the literature rack,
00:57:36.12\00:57:39.22
and drawing people as
they walk by into a new
00:57:39.25\00:57:43.16
relationship with Jesus.
00:57:43.19\00:57:44.53
We are giving away 200
Bibles every single week, Kyle.
00:57:44.56\00:57:48.23
Praise the Lord! And we
are giving away 70 Ellen White
00:57:48.26\00:57:52.40
titles, whether one of the ones
that we're working on or others.
00:57:52.43\00:57:56.74
As a result of that
connection that he had,
00:57:56.77\00:58:01.01
that impression
that he followed,
00:58:01.04\00:58:02.54
God is using it now
to reach out to many.
00:58:02.58\00:58:05.75
And we are seeing the
impact of the Spirit of Prophecy
00:58:05.81\00:58:09.68
in real time in our Union,
when people are willing to stop
00:58:09.72\00:58:13.59
and read what they see.
00:58:13.62\00:58:14.96
So, Rick, you're telling me
that because of what some of our
00:58:14.99\00:58:17.96
members gave last year
here at the ASI offering,
00:58:17.99\00:58:19.86
there are people in MENA
who will be able to read the
00:58:19.89\00:58:23.06
Spirit of Prophecy
for the first time.
00:58:23.10\00:58:24.43
Absolutely! Amen!
00:58:24.47\00:58:25.80
Amen. There's
nothing better than that.
00:58:25.83\00:58:27.17
Rick, how can, finally,
how can our ASI members,
00:58:27.20\00:58:30.37
and those watching us on
3ABN, get involved with what
00:58:30.41\00:58:33.27
you're doing in MENA?
00:58:33.34\00:58:34.68
Well, first of all, you
know, everybody can be involved,
00:58:34.71\00:58:37.55
because everybody can pray.
00:58:37.58\00:58:39.31
And in the Middle East North
Africa Union we believe that
00:58:39.35\00:58:42.48
God is moving mountains by
prayer, so please pray for us.
00:58:42.52\00:58:45.55
But I want to
mention something else.
00:58:45.62\00:58:47.42
There is so much to do, and
we have major cities of over
00:58:47.46\00:58:54.90
a million people that do not
have one Seventh-day Adventist.
00:58:54.93\00:58:57.23
And we need people
with a business background,
00:58:57.27\00:59:00.20
we need people
who are professionals,
00:59:00.24\00:59:01.94
we need supporting ministries
to come into our territory
00:59:01.97\00:59:05.04
to establish a lighthouse for
God's kingdom, and to work with
00:59:05.07\00:59:08.58
us on how to start new
fellowship groups throughout
00:59:08.61\00:59:11.91
the Middle East
and North Africa Union.
00:59:11.95\00:59:13.28