Participants:
Series Code: AVMN
Program Code: AVMN000009
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00:01 ASI is a Ministry that's networking all these
00:03 different ministries together with the church 00:05 and lay people. Being involved with ASI, 00:06 meeting other people. ASI convention is 00:08 an excellent opportunity, just a great opportunity. 00:11 In ASI, there is a particular fellow. 00:14 ASI is really the stamp, it's the glue that holds 00:16 all the ministries together. 00:28 Welcome to ASI video Magazine. 00:31 When I attempt the ASI convention each year, 00:33 I am amazed to see the wide variety of ASI 00:36 member ministries, businesses and 00:39 professionals that are all involved in 00:41 sharing Christ in the market place. 00:44 No matter what they do, ASI members are committed 00:47 to active outrage to sharing God's love 00:50 and the good news of his soon return. 00:54 Frontline builders is an ASI member organization 00:57 that constructs churches all around the world. 01:01 They work very closely with the Seventh-Day 01:02 Adventist church to provide church buildings 01:05 for missionaries in the field. 01:07 There are many areas in the world for the local 01:10 congregation could never afford to build the church. 01:13 Let's find out how God has used frontline builders 01:17 to provide for the needs of His people. 01:52 We have winter condition here. 02:12 How are you, guys? Yeah! It's chilly. 02:15 Come on, go inside. 02:22 It comes the toilet. 02:25 The crack cementing block so 02:28 the experts work on the church. 02:35 Well, when we first started our Ministry went up to 02:39 South Sudan and they were many, 02:41 many congregations meeting up there. 02:44 Church congregations meeting without any 02:45 buildings, you know, under mango tree 02:47 or in little grass shelter or whatever. 02:49 So, we wanted to help them build permanent 02:53 structures that they could, you know, 02:55 meet in our Sabbath, so no matter 02:57 who was reining, you know or you know, 03:00 whatever is going on they can still meet and so 03:03 we went up there and, and Sudan is 03:07 totally undeveloped. We couldn't buy any 03:09 materials there and you know you could get, 03:11 you know, stone for the foundation and sand 03:14 for the cement up there, but other than that 03:16 we have to get everything from Uganda. 03:19 In the all the cement, roofing sheets, 03:21 nails, anything you had to buy you had to bring 03:24 in from Uganda, which was between 03:26 24-30 hour truck trips, on most horrible roads 03:32 you can imagine. 03:36 That's how we managed to pass through about 03:38 5 o'clock then we said no, we have to reach 03:40 by now even you reach 1 or 2 in the morning. 03:42 So, then we passed, we passed miles 13, 03:45 where there is a fest ridge we managed, 03:47 mile 14 we managed, 15 but now we are 03:50 coming to mile 16, we found vehicles blocked 03:53 about 200 meters coming this way, towards Yei. 03:57 They said, no you can't pass tonight because 03:59 the place is severe, so we have to wait 04:02 until morning when the vehicles will start 04:04 passing again and start moving. 04:06 So, we slept here. Now, we are just waiting 04:07 to see our fate when we reach mile 16 04:09 because it is a severe place. 04:19 I've been working here for since yesterday, 04:25 you can see it's very dangerous. 04:48 Yeah! We started to go 16 mile. 04:50 We found out something blocking our roads, 04:52 so pushing ourselves and now it started to get. 04:55 So, we trying to push with the truck, 04:57 so that we clear the road we can go all through. 05:35 Our work started because we had a burden to 05:38 help build infrastructure in South Sudan, 05:41 a country that had been a kind of neglected 05:44 as far as our work is, our work about church 05:47 is concerned, they hadn't been much building 05:49 of infrastructure of church, 05:50 there are schools up there and we heard about 05:53 the need and so we would provide funding, 05:54 so that we can go up there and start building 05:56 some churches and schools and help the bore machines 05:58 pioneers with the work that they were doing up 06:00 there in Sudan, and we have also been 06:03 working in Mongolia. Number of years ago, 06:06 we went over there and we built one of the 06:08 first Adventist church is in Mongolia 06:11 and there it's a different challenge because 06:13 in Sudan it's really hot. So we tried to get as 06:15 much ventilation through the building as we can. 06:18 Now in Mongolia you know the average 06:21 temperature is below zero, you know, very cool, 06:24 in the summer it's warm, but in the winter 06:26 it's very cool. So, we had to learn you know 06:28 go there and figure out what they, 06:29 you know, what building materials they use 06:31 and how they insulate and how they heat it. 06:35 Before we start form is our insulation, 06:38 is gonna put the bricks of the outside 06:42 and so we go on a church there out of logs, 06:46 and you know we have insulated with wood, 06:48 coal, wood and coal burning stoves in there. 06:55 We invested in a couple of these hand drills, 06:57 they are kind of expensive, 06:58 they are almost 50 cents a piece, 07:00 so we are trying to be careful with them. 07:03 Yeah. I like that new technology. 07:14 Yeah, everything by hand you know there are no 07:18 electric tools or modern, you know, cement mixers 07:20 or anything everything you know hammer 07:22 and shovel and stick. 07:25 Our mission is a big emphasis about work 07:27 because their ideas are really brilliant, 07:30 they take local people and train them, 07:32 people who have had experience in Jesus Christ 07:33 and then convert them, they train them, 07:35 they send them into this villages, 07:36 remote areas and all times these areas 07:38 that are difficult to reach and they will go 07:40 in there and they will work with the local people 07:42 in that area and witness for Christ there and start 07:46 a company there are a church there. 07:49 And so all throughout South Sudan even though 07:50 you had 25 years of civil war and basically 07:54 no outside influence you had these global 07:56 mission pioneers working in these areas 07:58 and just doing a tremendous work 08:00 and so we, we believe in that work 08:01 and we want to support that work 08:03 and so our way of supporting is to go 08:05 and help them build churches, help them 08:06 built schools provide, help provide them 08:08 with training opportunities with bicycles, literature, 08:11 whatever they need to kind to be more effective 08:13 in the work that they do. 08:15 We grew up being involved in ASI, 08:18 our parents were members and I grew up as children 08:21 at missionaries who came back every 08:24 other year or so at 10 ASI convention 08:26 and kind of make the rounds and get, you know, 08:29 meet up with old friends and, 08:32 and talk to people about ministries. 08:34 So, we grew up involved in that and involved 08:36 in the youth meetings and then as we started 08:38 our Ministry it was really people in ASI, 08:41 who thought you know these young guys. 08:45 You know, we are teenagers at that time, 08:46 we were 18-19 years old and they thought hey, 08:48 you know sounds pretty crazy you know that 08:51 you know they have been trying to built 08:52 churches up in Sudan for several years 08:54 and heaven happen, you know, 08:55 it's pretty crazy that what these guys 08:57 go up there and try, but they were willing to 08:59 take that risk on us and just 100 percent 09:01 behind us. You know encouragement and 09:05 in financially to fund the work that 09:06 we were doing and gave us that opportunity and, 09:09 yeah our Ministry won't be happening today 09:12 like it wasn't for ASI in sub quarter they have shown. 09:16 Is this your hammer? Yeah. Whose hammer is this? 09:18 Ours for work, whose work, tell us work. Yeah, 09:27 It's a Lord's work, yeah. Every time at ASI 09:31 somebody comes up to me and says hey 09:33 there is a real need in this part of the world 09:35 that you need to do. This part of building 09:37 collides you set up and have a building 09:38 project working enough. Let's get some ideas, 09:40 let's get plan to get and how we can go 09:42 and get this done, and so it's really a 09:44 networking place as well, where we bring 09:46 together ideas and get to know the people 09:48 that are out there with experience, you know, 09:50 making these things happen. 09:54 Now we have hired the local people to help, 09:57 you know, dig the foundations and to mix 09:58 the cement by hand and they will make the brick 10:02 and we got the whole community there helping 10:06 with the project. You know, axe was the only piece of 10:09 development in the village in the 10:10 community and so everybody was their 10:12 building this building and they are all excited 10:14 about it and you know everybody comes to 10:16 you know celebration when its done and now 10:19 all these people who haven't even really 10:21 accepted the gospel aren't you know 10:23 members of the church or anything. You know 10:26 they feel like this is their building because 10:29 they have been part of it the whole of time you 10:30 know and so everybody comes and and you know, 10:34 you know, every Sabbath you know the global 10:36 mission pioneer there. He is, you know, 10:39 he has given the message and these 10:40 people feel like that's their ability they want 10:42 to be there. And so, just the building itself is an 10:44 evangelism tool because the whole 10:46 community now is in the church, now they 10:48 are learning about, you know, the gospel and 10:50 pretty soon you know they are getting 10:52 baptized being members. 11:26 Alright, our hope is to continue working in 11:28 these areas of Africa especially in other parts 11:33 of the world that really, you know, you know lot 11:37 of Africans, Southern Africa you had 11:39 missionaries in countries for over a 11:41 hundred years you know working their and 11:43 there is a huge Adventist present, but 11:45 then you go on to Central Africa and 11:46 North Africa and you have these regions that, 11:48 our work really hasn't been established there. 11:50 And they have got some reason usually, usually 11:52 it's because maybe because of war or you 11:56 know this country face huge poverty and it's 11:58 just difficult to work there and so our goal 12:01 for our future is to continue targeting these 12:03 areas, to continue supporting the work of 12:05 Global mission pioneers, and over the 12:07 next few years we would like to establish a 12:09 base somewhere in Africa, where we can 12:11 workout of and send teams up into 12:14 Sudan and to Central Africa Republic into 12:17 these areas that needs the infrastructure and 12:20 the work that we been doing and so long term 12:22 we hope to have a more systematic, you know, 12:27 base the work out of and more groups of 12:29 young people working with us to do this 12:31 project. That's where our hearts are and we 12:37 plan to be involve, you know in Africa and 12:40 other places in the world just you know 12:43 developing helping the church, wherever we 12:45 can. Yeah, severe. Yes, yes, yes 13:25 There are people with serious needs all over 13:28 the world including many of our brothers 13:30 and sisters in Christ. I am so thankful for 13:33 frontline builders and other ASI members that 13:36 are working to meet the needs of the family of God 13:41 For more information about frontline builders call 13:44 423-236-5600 or visit www.frontlinebuilders.org 13:58 At every ASI convention, we have the 14:01 special projects offering through which ASI 14:04 supports around 40 projects from Seventh- 14:07 Day Adventist Ministries around the 14:08 world. These projects very widely from 14:11 construction to evangelism and 14:13 humanitarian aid and more, but they are all 14:16 focused on sharing Jesus Christ around the 14:19 world. We are honored at ASI to support these 14:23 projects and to help tell the world that Jesus is 14:27 coming again. 14:31 Abuse is not something we enjoy talking a lot 14:34 about, but the simple fact is that it happens 14:37 even in Christian homes. Women's healing and 14:41 empowerment network is an ASI member 14:44 organization that provides a shelter for 14:47 abused women. They are also involved in 14:50 abused prevention programs, but such than 14:53 apart is their emphasis on Christ centered 14:56 healing bringing hurting people into the arms 15:00 of Jesus. 15:04 There is so much of this in our society and as 15:08 people become acquainted with the 15:09 church family and come into the church family 15:11 they bring these things right into the church as well. 15:14 I mean that's why you drive down the road and 15:16 people get mad and foot each other off and 15:18 screaming at each other at the grocery store. 15:20 Just because they become acquainted with 15:21 Christ does it mean that they don't have a history. 15:25 If people act occasionally like that in 15:28 the stores or whatever you know they are 15:29 doing at home. 15:30 What I am finding out is that domestic 15:34 violence and abuse especially sexual abuse, incest 15:39 Oh! I think abuse for the most part has been 15:41 swept kind of relevant. 15:42 It's very prevalent in Christian circles. 15:45 And really just not help with for years and I 15:50 think some of the worst abuse cases happen 15:53 most often in the least respected families. 15:56 This lifestyle looking on the outside like they 16:00 guided together, they got the big house, they 16:02 have got the nice cars, they are dressing good 16:03 clothes and they go home and they are been 16:07 beaten by their husbands. 16:09 I try to educate to prevent, but even while 16:12 we are prevent trying to prevent it, there are 16:15 people that need help. And so their needs also 16:18 be intervention programs, where people 16:19 can go, counselors that understand the 16:23 dynamics of the domestic violence. We 16:25 need pastors, who, who also understand the 16:29 cycle of violence so that they don't become a 16:31 part of perpetuating it innocently. 16:34 We need to recognize if person would not have 16:36 come, the person would not have been so forth 16:38 right. The person would not have put their own 16:41 lives and repetition on the line had it not been 16:44 in their mind very real. 16:46 Okay, next scenario. My husband was 16:50 abusing me, I told, I told my pastor and he 16:54 said, I should not air my dirty linen. 16:57 Sometimes when you know when a couple 17:00 comes and they are in an abusive situation and 17:03 they told their pastor. If a pastor does not 17:05 understand the messages that he should 17:07 give the perpetuate, as well as the victim. You 17:10 know, he could do more harm then good. 17:13 The next part goes on, I got a divorce from him. 17:17 The challenge here is the church has asked 17:20 me to leave the congregation. Is this 17:22 fair that I should leave, while my husband 17:25 continues to be part of the congregation. 17:27 I would encourage, encourage her to come 17:31 and join my chair. 17:33 Yeah, that would be better, get better. 17:39 Generally speaking that the victim is the one 17:43 that brings it forward. In cases like that 17:47 unfortunately what normally happens it's 17:51 either, either minimized or the victim is blamed. 17:57 This happened in my life, in my life and it 18:01 was a wonderful and I'm still at this other 18:04 congregation. I've grown so much there 18:06 and I've learned so much, so it's not fair, 18:11 it's not fair, however. Let's go ahead and 18:17 move on because we don't know what God's 18:20 plans are and so let's just go ahead and move 18:22 on and go to pastor Collins church. 18:26 It's her choice, her choice, that's the key. 18:32 That's why I left him because I don't want my 18:36 son to put somebody through the same thing 18:39 later on. I did not want my son to think it was 18:42 okay. And I didn't want to have a phone call 18:47 from his significant other telling me that he 18:51 is doing the same thing that his dad and his 18:53 grandfather and his great grandfather have 18:56 done before. I wanted the pattern to stop and 19:00 I'm glad that I stopped it before he was old 19:02 enough to really understand it. 19:04 Ten years ago, when I was the director at the 19:08 shelter in Niles, this lady came from another 19:13 state with three young girls, beautiful girls and 19:18 she was escaping out the domestic violent 19:19 situation and she stayed for a couple of months, 19:21 she decided that she was gonna leave her 19:23 abuse for good not go back. 19:25 A kind of check it out on my mom since my 19:27 dad wasn't there for me to scream at me, it's all 19:31 your fault, you know, but I would say 19:36 probably about three years after my parents 19:40 finalize the divorce I ended up being out on 19:45 my own, 16. Started working, was working 19:50 on getting back into school, it's a college 19:54 that is, I had got my GD because I never finished 19:58 high school because I was jumping all over 20:00 the place from house to house. 20:02 Well a couple of months ago I got a call 20:05 from this lady with, you know, who had these 20:08 three daughters. She said my oldest daughter 20:11 is an abusive relationship and I need 20:13 you to help her. 20:14 While I was working one day, this guy walks 20:18 into the mall and he is very good-looking guy 20:23 and we started talking a little bit, he pretended 20:27 like he was looking for shoes. And about a 20:30 week later he called me and we start dating. 20:33 Probably a few months later, I started finding 20:37 out more about him, found out that he had a 20:41 daughter that he didn't planned on telling me 20:45 anything about. He also lies me about his living 20:48 situation with his current girlfriend and 20:52 all these things should have been a warning, 20:55 but of course I wanted to believe him because 20:57 he seem like a good person, but something 21:00 in the back of my mind kept on telling me to 21:02 just leave it alone and just, I just didn't listen. 21:06 Her mom came to the shelter, helped her mom 21:09 to get out of the abusive relationship, but the 21:11 daughter, the oldest daughter went right 21:13 back into it so, but, I think it's exciting 21:17 because when the daughter realize that she 21:20 needed help, she called somebody. 21:22 He was very angry about me being 21:24 pregnant, told me that I needed to get an 21:26 abortion and I refused. He threw a big few 21:30 things out the house, should have left, but 21:33 thinking that was the father of my son I 21:37 should stay be a family, I was just falling into 21:40 the same pattern in that my mom fell into. Six 21:43 to seven months after my son was born, he 21:46 laid his hands on me one to many times and 21:49 just, I just that's when I called Mabel, I told my 21:52 mom that I want to get in touch with Mabel 21:54 and that's when I spoke to her. 21:56 And that's what we are here for, we are not 21:57 trying to disrupt relationships and we are 22:00 not trying to end relationships, but we 22:02 are trying to say when there is a 22:04 problem, here is the place you can go 22:06 because more than anyone else I believe 22:09 you know in this Ministry I definitely 22:12 want to see couples together. I don't, it's not 22:15 my desire that people separate. But, at the 22:18 same time if people are not safe then they need 22:20 to separate until it's safe for them to be together. 22:23 And even though it took my mom and my sisters 22:29 and a good family, a couple good family 22:33 friends to actually physically remove me 22:35 from the situation, I don't regret it. 22:40 So, I spoke to the young women, we got her out 22:44 of that situation. She is located near us in a 22:50 home and she is being helped and so after 10 22:53 years so what that we did in Niles, it still 22:57 continuing because this, this young lady now, 23:01 when she realize that she needed help, she 23:03 decided to come to our network. 23:05 We need to start at the younger ages and start 23:09 teaching children in Junior High and High 23:12 School not to get into relationships that 23:16 possibly be damaging teaching them the signs 23:19 to work for and also reminding them how 23:22 valuable they are to God. We can have that 23:25 in a public organization. 23:27 So that's why we, I feel that secular shout, well, 23:30 well, they are helpful, I don't want anyone to 23:32 get the idea that we don't need them, we 23:34 definitely do, but if a person is into healing 23:38 long-term healing, I think what we 23:42 offer is superior. 23:43 Mabel, in her organization 23:47 puts Jesus first. 23:49 The difference with what we are trying to do 23:52 is that is Christ-centered because true healing 23:56 comes from Christ. It comes through him. 23:58 And so the difference with our program is that 24:00 we are, we are not trying to, to fix 24:03 something short-term, we are looking 24:05 at the long-term. 24:06 I feel like I depended too much on my son's 24:11 father. I think the reason why I didn't 24:15 leave before is because I didn't feel like there 24:17 was any other choice financially with the way 24:20 that our economy is going right now and I 24:23 just didn't think that it will be possible as a 24:25 single mother, so surviving given my son 24:27 what he needed, but now I'm seeing that I 24:31 can give from better that what he was getting 24:34 when I was with him. I have a great job, a great 24:38 job and I'm staying with the most wonderful, 24:41 wonderful women in the world, she is an 24:45 angel. I don't know what I do without 24:48 everybody that I've, that God has really blessed 24:51 me, so be around. 24:54 And so what we are trying to do is help 24:57 these people find healing, so that the 24:59 behavior stops. And the empowerment part is 25:02 okay, now that I'm healed. What I'm gonna 25:05 do with what I have received. 25:07 We are not just about a shelter, we are about 25:10 healing, we are about empowering and 25:14 setting people free. 25:15 Well I think with ASI you know they found 25:19 the programs like this that probably would 25:21 normally get funded through the church, so 25:23 they have funded us when we were part of 25:25 this place. And we are a member of ASI and, 25:28 when I can, when I can't afford it, I go to the 25:31 national conventions, but you know for past 25:33 couple of years I couldn't afford, it's 25:35 frightening even though. It puts us in 25:37 contact with other entities and other 25:40 organizations other funded programs and 25:43 you know by ASI and it also individuals who 25:47 have the money, individuals have the 25:49 interest, they take an interest in it and we 25:51 have gotten a few donations from people 25:53 who have attended ASI. Also give us exposure 25:56 too about the Ministry does exist. And so we 25:59 have in Texas, we have a counseling center. In 26:03 Ohio, we have every year the group their 26:06 polish in ministries, they have a teen girls 26:08 conference. We have a home in New York and 26:13 also educational program and then as 26:17 well as New York and then in here in Spokane 26:21 we have the, you know, the network is based 26:24 here and then of course we have the 26:26 shelter in Niles. 26:27 I believe this is modern day slavery, I believe 26:30 that people are enslaved in their homes 26:32 to someone that suppose if we loves them and we 26:36 are going to help them be set free through the 26:38 power of Jesus and that's what our goals 26:41 are, I believe it will be huge network in the 26:43 future. There is things just like anything else 26:46 started now we have to, you know, iron out 26:48 some of our kingly stuff, but as more and 26:51 more people come on the board and we 26:54 become more and more known. I believe the 26:56 people will recognize our worth and our 26:58 success and be able to help us to 27:03 grow even bigger. 27:04 I'm continually inspired by the stories of lives 27:08 changed by ASI members like Women's 27:11 Healing and Empowerment Network. 27:13 Their 24-hour crisis hotline is 27:16 509-998-7956. For General Information 27:23 call 509-525-9999. ASI is online 27:30 at www.asiministries.org. 27:35 I'm Dan Houghton. You have been watching 27:38 ASI Video Magazine, see you next time for 27:42 more stories of ASI members sharing Christ 27:45 in the marketplace. God be with you. |
Revised 2014-12-17