Welcome to ASI Video Magazine,
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I'm Dan
Houghton. ASI is a made up
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of a wide variety
of members, businesses,
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supporting ministries
and individual professionals.
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Each and every
one of them is sharing
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Christ in the market
place. Telling the world
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about the soon
coming of our savior.
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Today we are going to
meet two very different
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ASI members, one is
active here in the United States
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and the other
benefits children thousands
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of miles away. Global
Vessels is an ASI member
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organization from
the State of Maryland,
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but its mission is
serving orphans in Africa.
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When it began, Global
Vessels was constructing
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clinics, churches
and other buildings.
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That work brought
them face-to-face with many
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thousands of orphans in
Africa. It was then that
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Global Vessels
decided to focus solely
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on serving these precious kids.
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We had a couple
that heard about what
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we were doing from Oregon.
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They just got
married, listen this story,
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this is amazing to
me. They just got married,
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okay, in October
of last year, 2007.
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They decided they
wanted to go and do
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a mission trip, so they
decided to rent his house,
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sell her car, newly
weds. They're married ten days,
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got on a plane, flew
to Africa with backpack,
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backpacks on,
looking for a place to work
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in an orphanage,
which is unbelievable to me.
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They, we are there and
we need somebody to help us.
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Max Church sends them
to us, our friend there,
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would have them, Max
sends them down to us,
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saying Frasier, these
guys might be able to help you.
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They come down here,
and they are so on target,
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on point for
getting things done.
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So instead of
staying a month they stayed
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an entire year.
They're newly weds,
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for an entire year,
so they've been there
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working and working
and I just got back about
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two weeks ago. We had
a couple from Germany,
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who saw what we were
doing and they decided
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they wanna come, Tom and Evelyn.
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Evelyn is an
Architect, Tom is an Engineer.
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Listen to this, the
couple that were there before
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Ned and Emily.
Emily is an Architect,
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Ned is an Engineer. I
mean God is orchestrating
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this thing, he is
just taking, he's taken
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me totally out of it.
I am out of this thing.
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This is God's
orphanage, this is God's project
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and God keeps putting people
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in place to get the job done.
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I have often said how
are we gonna do this Lord.
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Because, I am, I believe
the balance for my husband.
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He has a vision
that I respect and love.
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He never sees
obstacles, so it seems
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and I probably see
too many obstacles,
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but I don't regret
it, no I think this is
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what God wanted me to do.
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It was a faith
building experience,
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because when we
started out we didn't have
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any money and we
were going to go build
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this church and we
rallied the forces together here
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to go and do it and
then the Lord just beginning
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to touch individuals
hearts when they began to lay
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the moneys down,
so we could actually
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do the project. So I
said wow, is that what
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God would do. I mean
he places in our hearts
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to do it and then he
provided the means for us
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to get it done. So
from that one church we were
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there, we said you
know what lets do it again.
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They all had to work hard
to get their funds together.
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One gentleman took his
wife and two children with him.
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Just so they could
have that experience.
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And, when we're
there building a church
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and we were passing and we saw,
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this is a boarding
academy by the way.
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We saw the
students in the cafeteria,
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in the classrooms
late at night with a
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kerosene lantern,
studying. I said what's wrong,
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they don't have a
library. Why do they all live
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at a place. They said
well let me show you a library.
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I mean they took me to
the library there at the
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secondary school
and when I arrived there
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I have more books in
my own personal library
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than they had for the
entire school and so I said
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you know what that's
the project for next year.
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Oh I know Mrs. Mathis
and her husband Frazier
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had gone on this trip
for quite a while I heard
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about them and ever
since I came to TA since
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I heard about these
mission trips and even when
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I was in college
I heard about them.
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I wanted to go on
one. So, they gave me the
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opportunity to go with
them and I jumped at it,
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I've never been to
Africa and I just wanted to
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get that feeling that
I've seem people from back
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who have gone on
mission trips and served others
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and buildings
something and helping others.
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So we came back
to this church with
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Emmanuel
Brinklow, we start touting,
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this is what you're
going to do next year,
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so we're going to go,
we're going to build a library.
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A member in our
church knew someone who knew
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someone and they were
able to get us computers
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from the library of
Congress. Used computers,
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so not only did
we built a library,
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but we did an
extension on to the library
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and did a computer lab.
So when we would go back
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we were able to see
these children there studying
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in this library. Now
surely I've got works,
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we started out,
didn't have any money to do
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the library, and my wife
was saying you know what,
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we need to call this
off. We don't have much money,
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you know, we
don't make sense to go.
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I said no, lets go, I
mean Lord's gonna make a way.
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So a week before it
was time for us to leave,
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one of the members in
this Church here I wrote him
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on a list of what we
need. I said I need 35 for this,
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I need 5 for this
and I sent it to him,
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I gave it to him that
sabbath. About the middle
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of the week, I was
there at work, my wife
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called me and said she
said, he wants you to come
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to his office. I said
oh, okay. So I go over there
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and I am thinking wow,
this guy, he's going to write me
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a check about $2500 you
know that'll be a little bit.
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So I get there expecting
that he is going to write us
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a check for about
$2500. He says Frazier you know
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what he says I really believe
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in what you're doing.
He said I can really see
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you making a difference there.
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He says listen go next
door. He says my accountant
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is gonna write you
a check for $10,000
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and from that initial
of $10,000 to me it just
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submitted in my
heart, there was nothing
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impossible for God
to do and from that time
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on I've always told
individuals it's not about
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the money. It has
nothing to do with money.
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It has to do with
you being faithful
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and you being
dedicated and you trusting God.
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I've come to the conclusion
that you do what you can
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and that's all God asks
of you and he does the rest.
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It's like you're planting
the seed and he makes it grow.
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So, when we came
back after working there
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in Tanzania, when we
were able to go there
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the first year and do an
extension onto this clinic
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And the clinic was for
individuals who had Aids
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and also maternity,
but in the process of doing
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the clinic we passed
this little orphanage
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on the side of the road.
And we go into this orphanage
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okay and we, this
old gentleman going into
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the town of Arusha and
gathering these children
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who've been abandoned
on the streets. He brings
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the children back
and they had a little
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two bedroom house. We go
there and there are about
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42 children there in
this little bitty house.
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And he is taking care
of him and a couple more
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guys to the best and
the ladies to the best
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of their ability. So we
leave this project where
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we're doing the extension
onto the clinic and we go
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and we pass the hat, we
said listen we got to help
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these children, so we
passed the hat there right
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on the work site. We
got enough money to buy
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some clothes, some
flip-flaps, so we got these
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huge 55 gallon drums,
filled them with water
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put them in the
back of a pick-up truck.
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In the back of a wagon
rather and drove them near
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to the orphanage
that this guy was manning.
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We heated up the
water and we gathered
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the clothes and we
start bathing these children.
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Bathing them, combing
their hair, putting on the
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new clothes and I mean
it's just, everybody is crying
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you know because
they're touching,
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these children
need a little touch,
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so they're touching
these children and the children
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are just lighting
up from the touch.
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So we came back here
to this church again,
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rallied a couple
of people together,
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I got an
architect and an engineer
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and then our Pastor,
Pastor Marcellus Robinson,
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and we flew back to
Tanzania and we walked
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the site where we
were gonna actually build
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these ten houses and
lo and behold we were able
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to rally a group of
folks together again
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and we were able to
go back and start this
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fabulous children's
village which consist
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of ten houses. We
have four houses right now.
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We have two totally completed.
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We have 20 children
whose parents have deceased
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because of Aids or
who have been abandoned,
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living in their homes right now.
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The kids were
great, I mean when we first
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drove up to the
orphanage they just were waving
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at us and we just
talked through the window.
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It was like, it kind of
put something in your heart
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you know like that good
feeling that you're doing
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this for the kids and
stuff, and its just a good
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experience and like,
you get to play with them,
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and when I was on a
break or like whenever
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where the job
was done for the day,
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you know we just
play with them, play ball,
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sports and you know
live with their little toys
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and everything
and read books to them
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and have worship with them.
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It was really good.
The kids were awesome.
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And I see students
working pretty hard doing
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school work, they're
pretty serious usually
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about their work,
but over there they seem
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to have a sense
of accomplishment.
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I think most of them
had never done this kind
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of physical work
before and I know most of them
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have never worked that
hard, but when they got
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in the line and they
were transporting the block
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and learning how to lay
the block and then later
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did some painting and
just helping carry things
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and helping organize. I
think they were learning
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some skills that
they had never done before
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and I think those
kinds of skills are as
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important as any
part of your education.
00:10:20.69\00:10:22.49
We were building the
orphanage, we made cement
00:10:22.86\00:10:27.24
we shoveled gravel and
rocks into wheel barrels
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to move things around,
because we had to carry
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everything everywhere.
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There wasn't any
machinery or anything.
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I remember that most
of us picked up a child
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that we would bond with
and I don't know if that
00:10:40.97\00:10:44.65
was part of the project,
but we just did it anyway,
00:10:44.68\00:10:47.46
so I had a little boy
named Usini and I don't know
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we just bonded and he
would talk to me in Swahili
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and I'll talk to him
in Spanish. And we would
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sort of pick up
like little words and
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I learned a
couple of Swahili words.
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After working all day
long we were so exhausted
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and tired, but
just to see the smile
00:11:02.59\00:11:04.47
on the kids face
made, it just all went away.
00:11:04.50\00:11:07.39
Words can't define
how much this trip meant
00:11:07.79\00:11:11.44
to me and how it impacted me.
00:11:11.47\00:11:13.11
All I can say is
that it was great.
00:11:13.14\00:11:14.76
Especially when we first
started out we would never
00:11:15.43\00:11:17.84
go without taking young
people. We would directly
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go to individuals in
our church and say can
00:11:21.55\00:11:24.00
you pay for two young
people to go, just two.
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Okay, let me tell
you about ASI okay.
00:11:27.98\00:11:30.01
ASI is about four or
five members in this church
00:11:30.04\00:11:33.42
are members of ASI
and every year I come back
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from a mission trip
and they would tell me
00:11:36.80\00:11:38.33
you need to be a
member of ASI, yeah.
00:11:38.58\00:11:40.69
You need to be a member
of ASI, no, I don't know
00:11:40.72\00:11:43.36
this ASI, it's already
I said, you need to be a
00:11:43.39\00:11:45.14
member of ASI, so
every year I come back
00:11:45.17\00:11:47.44
and they would be,
they get on me you need
00:11:47.47\00:11:49.18
to be a member, you
need to be a member,
00:11:49.21\00:11:50.59
but finally when we
all came back, its okay
00:11:50.96\00:11:52.59
I am going to ASI.
I am going to see what
00:11:52.62\00:11:53.90
this is all about,
you know, so I go, alright
00:11:53.97\00:11:57.19
and I walk in the
meaning I am just blown away.
00:11:58.00\00:12:00.81
You know there are
so many people doing
00:12:00.84\00:12:03.93
so many different ministry
that means we need to get,
00:12:03.96\00:12:05.81
somebody needs to
get a big blow horn
00:12:05.84\00:12:07.76
and just blow this horn
throughout all of the world
00:12:07.79\00:12:10.44
and let people know
that what ASI is doing.
00:12:10.47\00:12:12.58
There are
individuals that are ministering
00:12:13.23\00:12:14.71
to individuals, so to me
that's what ASI did for me,
00:12:14.74\00:12:18.49
it connected me with
like minded individuals.
00:12:18.52\00:12:21.35
Individuals who
wanted to see Christ in the
00:12:21.38\00:12:23.45
market place, so to me
it has made a difference
00:12:23.48\00:12:26.43
in the ministry of
Global Vessels. You know,
00:12:26.46\00:12:28.59
and not that and to top
it off, one year they gave us
00:12:28.62\00:12:31.88
a little stipend, they
gave us a little money to go
00:12:31.91\00:12:33.62
and do a project, so you
know I'm excited about it
00:12:33.65\00:12:35.24
now for sure you
know. They not only talked
00:12:35.27\00:12:37.89
the talk, but
they walked the walk.
00:12:37.92\00:12:39.34
So ASI is home base for
the holy spirit, you know,
00:12:39.73\00:12:44.24
it's where he tabernacles
and he lights people up
00:12:44.27\00:12:47.23
and then he sends them
out, you know in the darkness,
00:12:47.26\00:12:49.45
to, to, to eliminate other
individuals and that's what
00:12:49.48\00:12:52.49
happened to me, so to
me I am trying to stretch
00:12:52.52\00:12:55.02
and do everything I
possibly can. I want see
00:12:55.56\00:12:57.66
what you can do
guys. You got to do this,
00:12:57.69\00:12:59.38
you know do this,
build ten houses and he's got
00:12:59.70\00:13:02.77
four up already and we
know the rest are going to come.
00:13:02.80\00:13:04.93
I already know, I'm
thinking about another
00:13:04.96\00:13:06.24
project, 'cause I
know this one is done.
00:13:06.27\00:13:07.64
You know I don't know,
is anything to hard for God.
00:13:08.04\00:13:11.84
I want to see what he
can do and to me he has been
00:13:12.65\00:13:15.30
proving himself over and
over again and that thing
00:13:15.33\00:13:18.82
was really heart
warming to me, I said,
00:13:18.85\00:13:20.37
this is life changing
for the individuals that go.
00:13:20.75\00:13:22.84
What an inspiring
story of compassion
00:13:25.98\00:13:28.31
and caring service. Jesus
welcomed the little children
00:13:28.34\00:13:31.86
and it's so important
that we, as the body of Christ,
00:13:31.89\00:13:35.22
look after the little
ones. For more information
00:13:35.25\00:13:38.39
about Global
Vessels call 301-596-0945
00:13:38.42\00:13:44.29
or visit www.globalvessels.org.
00:13:44.76\00:13:49.07
ASI is an
organization of approximately
00:13:49.56\00:13:52.14
1000 Seventh-day
Adventist lay organizations
00:13:52.17\00:13:55.39
who believe that while
they may not be pastors
00:13:55.42\00:13:58.06
by profession, they can
still be active in ministry.
00:13:58.09\00:14:01.00
ASI members are a diverse group.
00:14:01.63\00:14:03.59
We range from
business owners to individual
00:14:03.86\00:14:06.25
professionals to self
supporting ministries,
00:14:06.28\00:14:08.49
but we are united by
one goal and that is sharing
00:14:08.67\00:14:12.16
Christ in the market
price and ASI members
00:14:12.19\00:14:15.20
are firmly
committed to the Adventist
00:14:15.23\00:14:17.32
Church and its mission.
00:14:17.35\00:14:19.09
ASI is a great
opportunity for anyone to
00:14:20.73\00:14:23.32
meet people. And
you have an opportunity
00:14:23.35\00:14:24.81
to network with individuals
00:14:24.84\00:14:26.10
It's a great
opportunity for them to learn
00:14:26.13\00:14:27.76
from each other.
Rubbing shoulders
00:14:27.79\00:14:29.21
and hanging out with
people that are committed
00:14:29.24\00:14:32.07
to the Lord's soon coming.
00:14:32.10\00:14:33.52
I have developed
a wonderful network.
00:14:33.55\00:14:35.88
It's been absolutely invaluable,
00:14:35.91\00:14:37.60
the contacts
we've made through ASI.
00:14:37.63\00:14:40.20
We often think
that witnessing in
00:14:50.95\00:14:53.11
North America
isn't too challenging,
00:14:53.14\00:14:54.99
the hard part is just
getting out of our comfort
00:14:55.32\00:14:57.97
zone but that's
not always the case.
00:14:58.00\00:14:59.89
Dene Sue Ross owns a
contract technical writing
00:15:00.76\00:15:04.30
firm in Idaho and
she's encounters serious
00:15:04.33\00:15:07.20
obstacles in sharing
Christ in her market place
00:15:07.23\00:15:09.60
but through these
challenges God has
00:15:09.63\00:15:12.74
brought some
wonderful blessings.
00:15:12.77\00:15:14.45
Move your little
orange guy, wow that
00:15:14.48\00:15:18.44
was a big one. Okay
here is one, now I am going
00:15:18.47\00:15:20.34
to stump you guys. Okay
this is question number 63,
00:15:20.37\00:15:23.56
question number 63 in
cast you want to look it up,
00:15:24.03\00:15:26.13
from what
Mountain did Jesus ascend
00:15:26.39\00:15:29.60
into heaven. Oh,
this is a hard question.
00:15:29.63\00:15:33.11
I was born and raised
Minneapolis, Minnesota.
00:15:33.99\00:15:37.16
But moved to the Silicon
Valley and began a career
00:15:37.64\00:15:41.33
as a technical
writer, worked there for about
00:15:41.36\00:15:43.70
15 years before
family circumstances brought
00:15:43.73\00:15:47.23
me back to Idaho and I
thought well this an area
00:15:47.26\00:15:50.41
that's right to
have a company like this
00:15:50.44\00:15:52.56
and so I started
Write Way up. We started out
00:15:52.59\00:15:55.69
as just a straight
technical writing firm
00:15:55.72\00:15:57.93
back in 1986, we
were incorporated,
00:15:57.96\00:16:00.64
we write
technical documentation,
00:16:00.67\00:16:03.20
computer manuals, we
create training programs,
00:16:03.60\00:16:07.69
curriculums for a
lot of large companies
00:16:07.72\00:16:10.85
here in the Treasure
Valley, the largest single
00:16:10.88\00:16:13.70
contract that we
have ever had is with the
00:16:14.45\00:16:16.86
State of Idaho, I have
now 16 technical communicators
00:16:16.89\00:16:22.78
down their full time
and although my offices
00:16:22.81\00:16:26.61
are in Eagle, Idaho,
which is about 15, 20 miles
00:16:26.64\00:16:31.52
west of Boise, I am on
site everyday at the Capital
00:16:31.55\00:16:36.04
Mall in Downtown Boise
to oversee this project.
00:16:36.07\00:16:39.69
It was while we had
this contract that we began
00:16:39.92\00:16:43.91
our relationship with
ASI and I have to tell
00:16:43.94\00:16:47.06
you it was frightening at
first to use my livelihood
00:16:47.09\00:16:52.54
as a vehicle to
witness for Christ.
00:16:52.57\00:16:55.32
And I had a longing to
do it, but I just believed
00:16:55.96\00:16:59.83
that it's a big step
for us to go out on a limb
00:16:59.95\00:17:03.95
and do that. When I
began Write Way in 1986
00:17:03.98\00:17:08.91
I was not a
Christian I was not a
00:17:09.18\00:17:11.73
Seventh-Day
Adventist. The main purpose that
00:17:11.76\00:17:14.72
I started the company
was to create a living
00:17:14.75\00:17:17.44
for myself and
other people who work
00:17:17.47\00:17:19.74
for my company. Dan
and I attended a series
00:17:19.77\00:17:23.24
in Caldwell, Idaho in
1996 and we were baptized,
00:17:23.27\00:17:27.18
but in 1999 Dan and I
were invited to a regional
00:17:27.58\00:17:31.43
ASI conference by
friends of ours who had
00:17:31.46\00:17:34.15
attended a national conference.
00:17:34.18\00:17:36.10
They were so moved
and so inspired by what
00:17:36.36\00:17:40.40
they have seen, quite
honestly they just wouldn't
00:17:40.43\00:17:42.67
take no for an answer,
we very reluctantly went
00:17:42.70\00:17:45.89
because like so many
other business people
00:17:45.92\00:17:47.92
we were really too busy
to tie it into our schedule.
00:17:47.95\00:17:50.87
But we went and
we discovered things
00:17:51.24\00:17:55.55
that we have never heard
before, it was truly a life
00:17:55.58\00:17:59.17
changing event for
both of us. I began to look
00:17:59.20\00:18:02.86
at my business
completely differently than
00:18:02.89\00:18:05.73
I ever had
before. ASI has educated,
00:18:05.76\00:18:09.93
it has motivated and it
has facilitated me to be able
00:18:10.28\00:18:15.38
to use my company and
what I do to make a living,
00:18:15.41\00:18:18.71
in order to reach out
to the people around me
00:18:18.98\00:18:21.20
and share Christ with
them. Well, I work on a floor
00:18:21.23\00:18:25.70
where there were a lot
of 30 something computer
00:18:26.67\00:18:31.16
software developers
and many of them came
00:18:31.19\00:18:33.64
into the office
very early in the morning
00:18:33.67\00:18:35.44
and as they would
go my cube, they would
00:18:35.47\00:18:38.09
of course see me
sitting in my office at
00:18:38.12\00:18:40.04
5 O'clock in the morning.
And it appeared that I was
00:18:40.07\00:18:42.69
writing something and I
had my Bible propped up.
00:18:42.72\00:18:45.30
While their curiosity
simply got the best of them,
00:18:46.06\00:18:48.67
in one morning a
young man stopped by office
00:18:48.70\00:18:51.19
and he asked me
what I was doing,
00:18:51.22\00:18:52.65
so I was able to share
with him that I was just
00:18:53.45\00:18:55.42
doing some personal
Bible study and he says here
00:18:55.45\00:18:57.76
at work and I said yes, I
said it really gets my day
00:18:57.79\00:19:03.03
off to a great start
when I spent some time
00:19:03.06\00:19:05.85
in the word, gives me
an opportunity to pray
00:19:05.88\00:19:08.87
and really seek God's
will for me. I think he was
00:19:08.90\00:19:12.28
really pretty
surprised that I would talk so
00:19:12.31\00:19:14.36
candidly with him
about my personal Bible study
00:19:14.39\00:19:18.33
habits. I made a little
joke and I said you know
00:19:18.36\00:19:21.79
you should really try
it; it's a great way to start
00:19:21.82\00:19:23.97
your day. So the
next morning I looked up
00:19:24.00\00:19:26.83
and he was
standing in my cube doorway
00:19:26.86\00:19:31.01
and he had a small
piece of paper with him
00:19:31.31\00:19:33.40
and I said, good morning
Phil, what can I do for you,
00:19:33.43\00:19:36.27
and he says, I've got
one for you this morning
00:19:36.30\00:19:38.70
and I said you got
one what? And he says
00:19:39.56\00:19:41.62
well I've got a
question about the Bible.
00:19:41.65\00:19:43.62
And so I said well what
is it, let's give it a try
00:19:44.39\00:19:46.73
and he says and he held
the card up and read off
00:19:46.76\00:19:50.64
of it and he says can
you tell me what was the name
00:19:50.67\00:19:54.29
of Moses' mother?
Well, as it turned out
00:19:54.32\00:19:58.27
I had just finished
writing the story about the
00:19:58.30\00:20:02.87
birth of Moses and how
his mother had replaced
00:20:02.90\00:20:05.17
him in the little
basket made out of willows,
00:20:05.20\00:20:10.16
and so I just happen to
remember and I looked at him
00:20:10.19\00:20:13.45
and I said I believed
that his mother's name
00:20:13.48\00:20:15.95
was Jochebed and I
tell you he was so surprised
00:20:15.98\00:20:21.73
that I would know the
answer to that question,
00:20:21.76\00:20:23.92
he says, wow, I'm
really impressed and I said
00:20:24.69\00:20:28.08
well you see it really
pays to study your Bible
00:20:28.11\00:20:30.36
and I offered up a
little prayer of Thanksgiving
00:20:30.39\00:20:32.62
that knew the answer
to that question. Well,
00:20:32.65\00:20:35.43
the next morning he
brought two or three cards,
00:20:35.46\00:20:37.38
well within a week or
two they were 5 maybe 6, 7
00:20:38.57\00:20:43.61
young people coming
into my office every morning,
00:20:43.97\00:20:47.44
it got to be a
pretty regular thing between
00:20:47.47\00:20:49.67
about 5:30 and 6 O'clock
and we set up the board game,
00:20:49.70\00:20:53.93
we actually, I think
we went through about
00:20:53.96\00:20:56.89
5 versions worth of
a Bible story questions
00:20:56.92\00:21:01.38
and we would play Bible
trivia for about 30 minutes
00:21:01.86\00:21:04.59
and as those
questions were asked I had
00:21:04.62\00:21:07.11
unbelievable opportunities
to share about what
00:21:07.69\00:21:10.72
Seventh-Day Adventists believed.
00:21:10.75\00:21:12.43
One morning I was
sitting at my desk and I was
00:21:13.26\00:21:15.89
actually doing my Bible
study, this was probably
00:21:15.92\00:21:20.55
about 7:30 in the
morning and I noticed the shadow
00:21:21.47\00:21:27.16
in my doorway and I
looked up and there were
00:21:27.19\00:21:30.21
two Capital Mall
security gentlemen standing
00:21:30.24\00:21:35.66
there and it was a
little bit intimidating,
00:21:35.69\00:21:39.61
I stood up, I went
with the security guards
00:21:40.34\00:21:43.79
they told that they were
taking me to a conference
00:21:43.82\00:21:45.99
room there on the
floor. By now pretty much
00:21:46.02\00:21:50.36
everyone on the
floor was aware of the fact
00:21:50.39\00:21:53.85
that security had come
to my cube that they were
00:21:53.88\00:21:57.37
asking to see me and
everyone was standing up
00:21:57.40\00:22:00.67
looking over their cube
walls and I really sent up
00:22:00.70\00:22:05.36
a prayer. Well they took
me into a conference room
00:22:05.39\00:22:08.75
and it really was an
unbelievable scenario,
00:22:10.10\00:22:12.98
they were probably a
half dozen attorneys.
00:22:13.01\00:22:15.39
They closed the
door and they proceeded
00:22:16.38\00:22:19.89
to tell me that one
of the Federal Auditors
00:22:19.92\00:22:23.30
that had been visiting
the building where my office
00:22:23.66\00:22:26.74
is had filed a
formal complaint about me
00:22:26.77\00:22:31.16
and I said a formal
complaint about what?
00:22:31.94\00:22:34.81
And they said, well
he walked down the hall
00:22:35.16\00:22:38.71
and glanced into your
office and saw a book on
00:22:39.51\00:22:44.89
your bookcase, the
name of Christ was the
00:22:44.92\00:22:48.39
on the book and the name
of Christ is very offensive
00:22:48.42\00:22:50.75
to him. It was unbelievable
to me because you have
00:22:50.88\00:22:55.62
to understand the
environment that you
00:22:55.65\00:22:58.92
have in a State office
building, I would describe
00:22:58.95\00:23:01.68
it as being
tolerant of virtually every,
00:23:01.71\00:23:05.48
every persuasion
except for Christianity.
00:23:05.51\00:23:10.24
So needless to say,
I was pretty shocked
00:23:11.06\00:23:14.80
and very intimidated.
After they went through
00:23:14.83\00:23:19.83
and told me the
exact nature of the charges
00:23:19.86\00:23:22.20
and what my options
were, they said to me of course
00:23:22.23\00:23:26.70
you have the right to
counter-sue and I said
00:23:28.16\00:23:31.70
well I would not be
interested in counter-suing
00:23:31.73\00:23:34.54
and the attorneys
were baffled at that,
00:23:35.34\00:23:38.14
they said that you mean
to tell me that you're going
00:23:38.17\00:23:41.65
to just stand here
while somebody files
00:23:41.68\00:23:45.60
this formal complaint
against you which will
00:23:45.63\00:23:47.73
become a permanent
part of your professional
00:23:47.76\00:23:51.16
record with the State of
Idaho and you're not going
00:23:51.19\00:23:54.52
to counter-sue and I
said no, I'm not. They said,
00:23:54.55\00:23:58.05
we strongly recommended
that you to talk an attorney
00:23:58.08\00:24:00.48
first and I said well I
said I am convicted about
00:24:00.51\00:24:04.15
something, I believe
in religious liberty,
00:24:04.18\00:24:06.63
I believe in
religious freedom and I said
00:24:06.66\00:24:09.86
if I believe it in for
myself then I have to believe
00:24:09.89\00:24:12.62
it in for everyone and I
said the man who has filed
00:24:12.65\00:24:16.33
this complaint
because he's offended by the
00:24:16.36\00:24:18.62
name of Christ, I want
him to have the freedom
00:24:18.65\00:24:21.88
to be able to
do that. And I said
00:24:21.91\00:24:24.64
if I counter-sued
him, I am chipping away
00:24:24.67\00:24:28.12
at the freedom that I
think our country is founded on.
00:24:28.89\00:24:32.42
Well the people in the
room were, they couldn't believe
00:24:32.83\00:24:38.33
that somebody
would have that attitude,
00:24:38.65\00:24:40.60
they asked me a lot of
questions about well do
00:24:40.90\00:24:46.03
you believe in this or
do you believe in that,
00:24:46.06\00:24:48.29
you're not offended by
the crystals that are on
00:24:48.32\00:24:50.55
this floor, you're
not offended by Jews
00:24:50.58\00:24:52.97
who don't believe in
the Christ that you serve
00:24:53.00\00:24:55.12
and I said no, I said
Christ died to give me choice,
00:24:55.15\00:24:59.64
I feel like we
should all have that choice.
00:24:59.96\00:25:02.10
Well, it was an opportunity
for me to really witness
00:25:02.61\00:25:05.53
to them that day
about what I believe
00:25:05.56\00:25:07.90
and probably every
single person who works on
00:25:08.63\00:25:10.96
that floor came to
my office for 5 minutes
00:25:10.99\00:25:16.17
or an hour to talk
about what had happened
00:25:16.20\00:25:19.24
and so I was able to
witness to each one of them
00:25:19.27\00:25:21.47
on an individual basis
and the entire situation
00:25:21.50\00:25:25.12
was rectified by my
moving my bookcase to
00:25:25.15\00:25:29.66
another wall, so that
the book Steps to Christ
00:25:29.69\00:25:33.12
could not be seen from
the doorway and I'll tell you
00:25:33.89\00:25:38.79
the biggest miracle of
all, there was probably
00:25:38.82\00:25:43.16
a 100 books in my office
and there are always there.
00:25:43.19\00:25:48.41
Bibles study guides,
leaflets, posters, tracks,
00:25:48.80\00:25:54.63
my office is full of
material that I use to
00:25:55.03\00:25:58.81
share Christ in my
market place, and it was as
00:25:58.84\00:26:01.68
if they didn't see it,
I wasn't asked to remove
00:26:01.71\00:26:05.96
any of it. I didn't
have to take it home,
00:26:05.99\00:26:08.08
the Lord just
really protected me.
00:26:08.36\00:26:11.71
We slit a bookcase to
another wall and the entire
00:26:12.53\00:26:15.11
incident was over and
I had had the opportunity
00:26:15.14\00:26:17.81
to witness to probably
80 people in the course
00:26:17.84\00:26:21.97
of a week's time.
It's incumbent upon us to
00:26:22.00\00:26:26.45
make sure that we're
always conducting ourselves
00:26:26.48\00:26:29.12
like Christ's
disciples, because no matter
00:26:29.16\00:26:32.29
what we do in the
workplace, it's more
00:26:32.32\00:26:34.62
important how we
act and treat people,
00:26:34.65\00:26:36.51
sometimes the simplest things,
00:26:36.54\00:26:38.31
I've had people come
up to me that I never had
00:26:38.73\00:26:41.48
any business
dealings with who perhaps work
00:26:41.51\00:26:43.65
in the same door, and
they say you know you just
00:26:43.68\00:26:47.10
always seem happy or
you're always friendly
00:26:47.13\00:26:50.16
to everyone, I don't
think we realize sometimes
00:26:50.19\00:26:53.39
how much we're
being watched and what
00:26:53.42\00:26:55.12
an important
witnessing tool. But the Lord
00:26:55.15\00:26:57.66
has blessed us tremendously,
the company has grown
00:26:57.69\00:27:00.32
tremendously in the last
13 years that we have been
00:27:00.88\00:27:04.24
down here and it's
really been a blessing.
00:27:04.27\00:27:06.79
I am happy, very happy
to be known by the people
00:27:07.21\00:27:12.24
who work down there
as a really dedicated
00:27:12.27\00:27:14.86
Seventh-Day
Adventist business women
00:27:14.89\00:27:16.83
and I owe that to ASI.
00:27:16.86\00:27:18.35
God can use each one
of us to reach people
00:27:21.24\00:27:23.75
right where we are
and ASI is made of people
00:27:23.78\00:27:27.33
just like Dene Sue who
are excited about active
00:27:27.36\00:27:30.48
outrage and about sharing
Christ in the market place.
00:27:30.51\00:27:33.38
For more information
about ASI and becoming
00:27:34.13\00:27:36.65
a member call
301-680-6450 or visit
00:27:36.68\00:27:42.85
www.asiministries.org.
You've being watching
00:27:42.88\00:27:47.93
ASI Video
Magazine, I am Dan Houghton,
00:27:47.96\00:27:51.11
join me next time
for more stories of ASI
00:27:51.43\00:27:54.30
members sharing Christ
in the market place. Bye.
00:27:54.33\00:27:57.66