Participants:
Series Code: AVMN
Program Code: AVMN000011
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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 We involve with ASI, meeting other people. 00:08 It's like convention. It's an excellent opportunity, 00:10 just a great opportunity. 00:11 ASI is a particular fellowship. 00:14 ASI is really the stand as to glue and hold all 00:17 the Ministries together. 00:27 Welcome to ASI Video Magazine, 00:29 I am Dan Houghton. Involving many people 00:32 in service and Evangelism is what ASI is all about, 00:34 after all our motto is sharing Christ 00:38 in the market place. God has a specific plan 00:40 for each one of us and He is ready use us 00:44 for His glory if only we are willing. 00:47 Today, we're going to meet ASI members that 00:49 have chosen to follow God wherever He leads. 00:54 Centro Misionero de Salud or Missionary Health Center 00:58 is located into the city of Monterrey Mexico. 01:02 It began as a medical missionary training School 01:05 and has since gone into multi-faceted ministry. 01:09 Today, it includes a vegetarian restaurant, 01:12 health food store, lifestyle center, 01:14 onsite publishing department and more, 01:17 and they have some amazing stories to share 01:19 of lives transformed by God. 01:41 We prepare bread that we sell in town 01:45 and we make normally whole wheat bread 01:48 and also sweet bread because people loves it. 01:51 We export some of it through to United States 01:54 and also all the products we distribute here in Mexico 01:59 and those help us to be a statistical initiative. 02:18 CMS has started in 1995 02:22 through trained missionaries. 02:25 We have a medical missionary training program 02:28 that lasts six months and over 500 students have 02:35 gone by our program. We teach them on how to 02:38 they can start a bakery, 02:40 how they can do wholesome products, 02:43 and according to the market 02:45 they having their area where they might be. 02:48 There is a couple, they got a training here 02:51 and then they got a call to go 02:53 and work in Conference 02:55 here in the North Mexican Union 02:57 and they had a call to work in their 03:00 Global Mission Project and along with 03:03 other 29 Laypeople and so when they got, 03:08 they placed each one of them 03:10 in the area where they were going to be working. 03:13 For some reasons their Global Mission Funds 03:16 didn't came through, at that time 03:21 and all of them came back to their own places 03:25 and they again, they were not able to 03:28 continue working, but our students 03:32 they remained there even without having that 03:35 financial support from Global Mission 03:38 and they started a bakery, 03:40 they started doing a different products. 03:42 They were able to become self-supporting 03:45 and they started a Church there. 03:48 They got seven people Baptized and they started 03:51 and that Church is growing 03:52 and is growing up to this day. 03:55 They have food productions. 03:57 It help us to get some income in 04:00 as well as the Lifestyle program 04:02 and also we have our department of publications 04:05 where we make a literature available in the Spanish, 04:09 in the States, and also we made 04:11 some literature available here in Mexico. 04:14 Well, when we came here this was all vandalized. 04:20 They were just two or three houses 04:21 that were almost gone, you know. 04:25 It has no windows, the wires of electricity, 04:30 anything at all. All there was garbage everywhere 04:34 and donkeys and cows and so we came here 04:40 with the help of the Lord and saying well we will see. 04:43 The Lord will help us and we started 04:45 cleaning and repairing things so 04:48 to make it livable for us. 04:51 We've started training programs. 04:53 We had students from Central America 04:55 and from Mexico and that was our first generation 05:00 and then from there on, we haven't stopped 05:02 and now our program is six months length 05:06 and we help the students, you know, 05:08 they came from Spain, from Central America, 05:10 South America, from United States 05:12 and all over Mexico. So, we trained them 05:14 on Evangelism. We teach them 05:17 on how to hold Bible studies 05:19 and how to give Evangelist curing pain, 05:21 how to use different materials 05:24 to reach the people, to reach out, 05:27 and also we teach them on health 05:31 and we teach them how the laws of health, 05:34 how to call health experts, preventive medicine, 05:38 and how to also do simple treatments, 05:42 so they can help the people 05:44 through the natural remedies 05:47 as well as cooking classes, 05:49 that gives them many ways to also reach out, 05:53 but that first class we had about 13 to 14 students 05:59 and was interesting because 06:02 everything was in one building - the classrooms, 06:05 the kitchen, the dinning room, 06:07 the dorms, the office, the maintenance, 06:11 everything was in one building 06:14 and so that was the first program we had 06:19 and from there on God has been blessing, 06:22 so where we can be, put in every department 06:26 in their proper place and be able to 06:28 a better service, better living quarters 06:32 for the students, and it has been wonderful 06:36 experience to see it how God has been blessing, 06:39 after blessings, you know, and it's just a wonderful 06:43 experience to see God working through the people 06:46 and providing the needs and the services through 06:51 and continue providing these type of training. 07:06 Well, it has been a blessing to know where, 07:08 you know, that we have the Elementary School, 07:12 not only for our children and also you know 07:14 for the children of around here in town because 07:18 there is many people and families 07:21 that are looking for something different, 07:22 you know. We are the first Private Bilingual School 07:27 or any private School there is in the area 07:30 in the South of this State of Nuevo Leon. 07:33 You know to give the license of a School 07:36 it tastes, a longtime, but the Lord you know 07:40 has been very faithful and sometimes 07:43 I tell, hi Jamie you are pushing too much, 07:48 because that involves me too. 07:51 But I know that when the Lord praise is mine, 07:53 he is faithful, he trust in the Lord, 07:56 and he just keep going to a number of temple to 07:59 the Lord to be able to be close to him, 08:03 and that really a trust in the Lord. 08:05 We have the Health Zone as to go straight to back, 08:08 to be the backbone of the Elementary School 08:11 unless and until it came to a point where 08:13 the Elementary School can stand on its own. 08:17 Okay, the Health Zone is a place where different 08:21 services are being provided related with 08:24 the health such as restaurant, 08:29 vegetarian restaurant, health food store 08:33 and also a Spa where the exercise and gym 08:39 sort of a services are provided 08:43 and some therapies and also some publications, 08:47 on literatures, on health, and motto and families, 08:52 and so forth. We see the people very much 08:55 with obesity and a lot of people with 08:58 high blood pressure, and cholesterol high, 09:02 and people are coming, they have been send to us 09:05 people from the hospital, they come here 09:07 and they say, well, they sent me from the hospital. 09:10 They've told me that I need to eat 09:11 what you guys have here and they also tell us 09:15 that the doctor have to tell them just to come here 09:18 and to ask us what is that they need to do, 09:22 so their cholesterol will help, that will help them 09:25 to get the cholesterol lower. 09:32 Basically, one of the most important things 09:35 we do here at the Missionary Health Center 09:37 in the Department Of Health For Living 09:39 is to teach a different lifestyle through diet, 09:41 which is very important and in specific cases 09:45 we can provide therapy, massages, 09:47 and natural remedies. 10:01 Also, we in a different circumstances, you know, 10:06 we see them improving on their health 10:08 and they go out so encouraged 10:11 to change their lifestyle, you know, they, 10:15 that we help giving them tools 10:17 so how they can implement, 10:20 so they have a different lifestyle 10:22 and so they go out and perhaps not fully in, 10:27 their, achieving their goals, 10:29 as we have people that come to lose weight. 10:31 We, thus, probably one of their main things 10:33 that we get people for. They came to lose weight 10:37 and some of them stay one week or two weeks, 10:40 one month, two months, and, but the main thing 10:44 we tell them is that it doesn't matter 10:47 how many pounds they are going to lose 10:48 when they are here, the main thing is that they 10:50 achieve a lifestyle that when they go, 10:54 they will continue gradually 10:56 getting to their way that they need to be 11:00 in and they will enjoy a lifestyle, 11:05 you know, that will give them health. 11:16 One of the most important things 11:18 about the Missionary Health Center 11:20 is that people don't just receive immediate attention, 11:23 but we try to give them the tools needed 11:26 for them to continue with the change of lifestyle 11:29 that will help them to improve their health. 11:31 We give them simple treatments 11:32 that they can continue to do in their own homes. 11:36 So, this will help them to maintain 11:37 and improve their health. 11:44 These Missionaries is a great inspiration for us 11:48 to be able to meet with other people there. 11:51 They have ministries. They are similar, 11:54 or they are, you know, just to see how God is 11:57 working in their businesses 11:59 and how God is blessing them as they share Christ 12:03 in the market place and that's very encouraging 12:07 to us. Also, there seminars has been 12:09 blessing to us and some financial support 12:14 once in a while that also has been a blessing 12:17 and I think that they are being able to 12:21 relate with other ministries. 12:24 They have the same goals that strength us 12:30 and help us to keep forward 12:33 and be able to provide a good education for children 12:37 and also to promote the health message 12:40 that both ultimate will have their 12:44 goal of sharing Christ and bringing people 12:48 to Christ through education 12:50 and through the health message. 12:52 And it's wonderful to see people tell us 12:55 why don't you go to another place? 12:56 We had been offered to go to other countries, 12:59 beautiful lands, beautiful and everything, 13:02 and so, you know, there is no better place 13:05 to be where God's will have you being 13:09 and especially there are beautiful mountains, 13:11 and beautiful ice sand over here, 13:14 and we really love it, but mainly the main reason 13:17 we love it here is to see God is working here 13:20 through the people and through the Ministry. 13:24 And ASI is made up of members 13:26 like Centro Missionario de Salud 13:29 that are reaching people for Jesus everyday 13:31 all around the world. If you would like more 13:34 information ASI including how you can become 13:37 a member call 301-680-6450 13:42 or visit www.asiministeries.org. 13:47 ASI is committed to involving Laypeople 13:50 in active outreach. LIFE, The Lay Institute for 13:54 Evangelism, is an ASI entity in Orlando, Florida, 13:57 that provides effective witnessing 13:59 and outreach training. They do this through 14:02 onsite programs in Orlando and seminars or weekend 14:05 programs at various sites. LIFE also offers 14:09 Free Evangelism Training Videos 14:11 on their website www.thelayinstitute.com. 14:16 Before I came to ASI convention, 14:19 sharing Christ in the market place or sharing 14:21 Christ just meant going out on personal ministries 14:25 field day, handing tracks, knocking on doors 14:28 that was sharing Christ. After I attended my first 14:31 ASI convention I then learned that sharing 14:34 Christ is a lifestyle. 14:46 Daryl and Mary Jo Oft, live in Payson, Arizona. 14:50 Their company Diversified Solutions provides 14:53 occupational health and safety services to clients 14:57 both locally and across United States. 15:00 They use part of their income 15:01 to support Living Waters, an organization 15:04 they founded that provides pure drinking water 15:07 to people on Rusinga Island on Lake Victoria in Kenya, 15:12 but there is so much more to their story. 15:15 Well, this is our wall of the forgotten children 15:18 of Kaswanga and this picture right up here 15:20 is the original feeding area that we found 15:22 the children eating at, before we even conceive 15:27 that we would build a Feeding Center. 15:29 We went a little further with that and we expanded 15:32 to this our area of here where we fed 48 children 15:35 for almost two years while we 15:37 continue to work on the water. 15:39 These are 68 of our new children that are, 15:43 the orphans of Kaswanga are no longer orphans; 15:46 they have a mom and papa now. 15:49 Elder McKee asked us, he asked Daryl if he would go 15:53 to Kenya and preach for three weeks. 15:56 This is like pretty shocking like 15:58 the farthest thing from our minds. 16:00 We have been very involved in business 16:02 after this time. It was about growing our business, 16:05 how we can grow more business. 16:06 We had no intensions or ideas that we would 16:10 think about becoming Missionaries 16:11 or even going on a mission trip. 16:13 We just had all kinds of objections, 16:15 but we went home that afternoon 16:16 and we talked about it, we prayed about it, 16:20 and we decided you know, if God opens the door 16:23 and wants us to do this way we will do it 16:25 and he will take care of all the needs that we have. 16:28 Four weeks later we found ourselves in Kenya 16:31 in a very remote area on a little island 16:34 in Lake Victoria called Rusinga Island, 16:36 in the village of Kaswanga. 16:38 It was so out of our comfort zone 16:40 and I think the biggest thing that we learned in 16:43 this process of putting on these meetings every night 16:46 was living by faith because you never knew if 16:49 the equipment was gonna work. 16:51 All the equipment - the computers and projectors, 16:53 had to be run by generator, which wasn't reliable. 16:57 We are constantly praying at the end of our 17:00 three weeks there, we looked at each other and we said 17:03 we never want to go back home and be the same. 17:06 So, we got down on our knees and we just asked God 17:09 please let us go home and be different, 17:11 make our lives different, and help it count for you. 17:14 This was an opportunity that had so radically 17:19 turned our life upside down changed everything, 17:22 changed our focus about work, 17:24 now our work became a means to 17:27 support our ministry. We do occupational health 17:30 services in our business. 17:33 We started it right here in Payson about 17:34 nine years ago. Our clients are employers. 17:37 We have people that come in that are often 17:40 at the fringes of society. They are coming in for 17:43 court mandated drug screens and they have 17:47 pretty much lost all hope. They have regular contact 17:50 with us and in the process we're able to invite them 17:54 to programs here. We are able to 17:56 minister to their needs, give them literature 17:59 that we think would meet an answer 18:01 to a question that they are having. 18:03 Parents have come in and said you have no idea 18:06 how you have changed the life of my adult child 18:10 who is coming for these drug screens and 18:12 how your staff has prayed with him 18:14 when they have asked him, how their life has 18:16 change around and stories like that, 18:18 that we know that we're doing exactly 18:20 what the God wants us to be doing. 18:22 The Meeting Place is probably the first thing 18:25 that happened to us and with us when we got back 18:29 from Kenya, the first trip we made over there. 18:31 This was a thing that we felt and led to do 18:34 with our pastor and with the Church 18:37 to have a place for outreach, 18:39 so people would feel like it was a neutral place 18:41 that they can come to, we could meet them 18:44 after programs, health programs, 18:46 and Evangelistic programs. 18:48 The Meeting Place is virtually a store 18:50 outreach center. It is 1200 square feet 18:53 and every month we do a community potluck, 18:57 vegetarian potluck and it's free for the community 19:00 to come into and that has been around for 19:03 three years now and we are at capacity every time 19:07 we have people that keep coming back, 19:09 the same people are the ones that were able to, 19:11 also invite to come into the Lifestyle 19:16 Educational Seminars that Mary Jo does so many of. 19:19 God has put this in front of us an opportunity 19:22 of how we cannot only share, 19:25 share the love of Jesus far in Kenya, 19:27 but near being right here at home in Payson. 19:30 The first thing that really got our eye 19:32 and that we were led to do something about 19:35 was the condition of the water there. 19:38 As we were doing our meetings, 19:39 we were looking around and we were so touched 19:42 with the incredible need, that the first Sabbath 19:45 we were there, the program lasted for like 13 hours 19:48 and we were out in the blazing sun, 19:50 there was no shade except for little shade 19:53 that have been provided for us over where we stoke 19:56 and we have bottled water, but we started looking 19:59 and nobody else was drinking any water 20:01 and they were out in the sun for 13 hours. 20:03 They have water all around them because 20:05 they live in Lake Victoria; however the water is highly 20:08 polluted with parasites and bacteria, 20:11 a clear glass of water that they are used to 20:13 drinking, can and will actually kill them. 20:15 There was an old windmill that used to pump 20:18 water up through the village that was about 20:20 two miles and it will draw water out of the well 20:23 and that's how they used to get their water. 20:25 But, because of a five-year drought 20:27 the water table had dropped so much, 20:28 the windmill was no longer functional 20:31 because all of the technicians have died 20:33 from AIDS five years before. 20:36 I thought why no one, I was raised on a farm; 20:39 I can fix the windmill. Well, in fact it took two 20:42 and half years to get that done in five trips 20:45 and about $50,000 before the water system 20:48 was complete. But when it was complete, 20:50 we had completely refurbished the windmill. 20:53 We had built the water intake system 20:55 that builds 150 feet out into the lake, 20:58 which is now 500 feet from the windmill 21:00 that draws water through a 4 inch pipe 21:03 up to the windmill. The windmill then 21:06 pushes the water two miles up through 21:08 the village where we have six major 21:10 water distributions spots, where they never had 21:13 water before. Now, they have running water. 21:15 We have changed very bearable land 21:19 into a garden that people have heard about 21:22 island's 25 miles away. 21:32 The shocking thing to me was to learn 21:35 that the children, who are left orphan, 21:37 didn't live in orphanages because 21:40 there are no orphanages. There are a group children 21:42 live alone together in these little huts 21:45 where they used to live with their families, 21:48 their mothers and fathers who have died from AIDS, 21:50 now they are alone and there are fending 21:52 for themselves, they could be from 21:54 5 to 15 children living in this home, 21:56 the oldest one however old that is could be 10 to 15, 22:00 is responsible for all the younger children. 22:02 We started getting the water system completed. 22:06 God just let us from one thing into the other and 22:09 we says we need to build a Feeding Center, 22:11 a community type center where the children 22:14 can come and be fed and be assured of a meal 22:17 at least one meal a day. We started talking about 22:19 a Feeding Center and the first Church 22:21 that we went to and we presented the idea 22:24 to that Church came up with a donation that was 22:28 equal to the "we had got to build the Feeding Center," 22:33 and one of the major contributor said go build 22:37 your Feeding Center tomorrow. 22:38 So, within a week I was on the plane going back 22:41 to Kenya and that particular year I went 22:43 to back to Kenya four times in the Calendar year 22:46 to get this Feeding Center, which finally was built. 22:49 We started to wondering how we actually gonna be 22:51 able to cook the food for all of these kids. 22:54 We got this great building that is coming together. 22:56 Now, remember we have no electricity 22:59 out where we were at. 23:00 There is very little firewood. 23:02 The other option is charcoal, 23:03 which is way too expensive. It's very unhealthy 23:06 for people to use and then there is some propane gas 23:10 that you can have trucked in, but that is completely 23:12 unrealistic and so we started doing a little 23:15 research in the solar ovens. 23:16 Within six weeks we had the entire amount 23:19 of money raised including the shipping to make it 23:23 over to Kenya and so we ordered the oven. 23:26 We had it shipped. This oven is so big it will cook 23:28 1200 meals a day. That will cook 270 loaves 23:32 of bread a day. There is nothing that wears out 23:35 and the average life expectancy is 25 years. 23:40 It's very simple to use and now we have a system 23:43 that will cook as many meals as we need to cook 23:46 for these children and it costs absolutely nothing 23:49 to maintain. Well, the connection with 23:52 the ASI really, I don't that we could 23:55 want to take how much they have done for our program. 23:59 I think our first exposure to the National Convention 24:03 we were just really highly impressed 24:05 that here is a whole organization of people 24:09 that was on fire that had a passion 24:11 for what they were doing. When we joined ASI, 24:14 it gave us a whole new view of our business 24:17 and the potential that we had in our business 24:20 of Sharing Christ with tha people come 24:22 come through the doors. When we saw what was 24:24 going in the local state chapter, 24:27 you know, wow this is pretty good. 24:28 We like what we see. Everybody here is really, 24:31 really, actively involved and wanting share, 24:34 share Christ in the Market Place and we liked that. 24:37 It seemed like a perfect fit for 24:39 what we wanted to be doing with our business. 24:42 We have learned from other ministries, 24:44 we've been exposed to new ideas on 24:46 how they do things in other places that have really 24:49 benefited us and we feel that God has allowed us 24:53 to be part of ASI, because a lot of the ASI family 24:57 is seeing what God has done in us and taken a look 25:02 at the programs that we offer and those have 25:04 become many of our faithful supporters that 25:07 the year have provided the finances to make 25:12 such an impact on this little village 25:14 of Kaswanga and Rusinga, Kenya. 25:17 It was really awesome to see the children 25:20 coming in that first Monday and to know 25:24 that the Feeding Center was actually operating 25:26 and the kids were coming for a meal. 25:29 One of the things that was hard though was because 25:31 we really got to know the kids then, 25:33 because we got see them everyday 25:36 and when we get to know them 25:37 and see them everyday we see it their other needs, 25:41 very first day that the children came and we had 25:43 68 come to the Feeding Center. 25:46 We went back that evening and we wept 25:48 because we didn't see how we could possibly 25:51 take care of what God has put before us 25:54 and we prayed about it and we just, 25:56 we were overwhelmed. Before we had left 25:59 five days later, we realized that we had 26:03 overnight become parents to 68 children 26:06 because now they were all calling us Papa Daryl, 26:09 and Mama Mary Jo, and we realized it's not 26:12 just about feeding it's about all of the needs 26:15 that the children have that are now. 26:17 We just had to remember that God had 26:20 gotten us this far. He had provided everything that 26:23 it took to get that Feeding Center built 26:26 and operational, so he would certainly not let us 26:29 down now. He will certainly provide 26:31 what we need to take care of the other needs 26:34 of the children. I will tell you that we are now 26:36 feeding half of the children; 26:38 the orphan children in Kaswanga 26:40 were up to 100 today, feeding five days 26:43 a week one meal. Our Goal is to get 26:45 so that we can feed them two meals a day, 26:47 seven days a week. We have been able to put 26:51 in place medical care for the children, 26:54 basic medical care as well as providing each of them 26:57 with a new uniform every year so that they have some 27:00 new clothes to be able to go to school. 27:02 We have found that as we trust in God 27:05 we don't have to see the end. 27:07 All we have to do is understand 27:10 that He is leading us to take the next step 27:12 and He is not let us down in three and half years. 27:16 It's exciting to see how God has used 27:18 Daryl and Mary Jo, to benefit his children. 27:21 There are so many ASI members like 27:23 Daryl and Mary Jo, who are using whatever 27:27 God has given them to bless others both 27:29 in their local communities and around the world. 27:33 To hear their inspiring testimonies, 27:35 I encourage you to come to the next ASI Convention. 27:39 Find out more at www.asiministries.org. 27:45 You've been watching ASI Video Magazine, 27:48 I am Dan Houghton. Join me next time 27:50 for more stories of ASI Members Sharing Christ 27:53 in the Market Place. God be with you. |
Revised 2014-12-17