Adventist World Radio is
serving millions of people
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all over this world.
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Travel with me as
I visit the remote
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mountain villages of Nepal,
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the vast plains of Africa,
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through the
bustling cities of Japan
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and the beautiful
country of Argentina.
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Discover how lives
are being transformed
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by the everlasting gospel.
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This is AWR360A°.
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Sandwiched between two giants,
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India and China lies a land
that is distinct in culture.
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From its crowded streets
to its peaceful mountains,
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this is a country
that is teeming with color
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and full of exotic flavors.
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Yet, it is filled with hopeless,
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poverty stricken people.
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Steeped in superstition,
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81% of this population is Hindu
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9% Buddhist, 5% Muslim
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with sadly only 1% Christian.
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God is at work though
and light is beginning
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to pierce the darkness.
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We are in Nepal
and this is AWR360A°.
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I have come to
Nepal to see for myself
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how God is working in the
lives of the Nepali people
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through Adventist World Radio.
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Today, we are in search of
the remote mountain village
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of Sanachok, home
to the Chepang people.
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The past 10 hours, we
have travelled by jeep
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on treacherously
steep and windy roads.
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At the town of Manahari,
you leave the jeep for a bus.
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This bus takes us
up a flooded river bed.
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It's a strange feeling
to see water rushing by
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outside my bus seat window.
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The bus takes us as
far as it is able to go.
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And now, we must walk.
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For over two hours we trek,
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crossing streams and hiking
through terrace fields of corn,
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higher and
still higher we climb.
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Finally, we reached
the village of Sanachok.
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It was with a
feeling of amazement
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and relief that I
catch my first glimpses
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of these precious people
that I've heard so much about
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and come so far to find.
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They lead simple yet
rigorous isolated lives,
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cooking basic
meals over open fires,
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living in thatched huts
and daily working in fields,
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carved into the mountainside.
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Because many
cannot read or write,
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the radio is
their primary window
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to the outside world.
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One day, I turned
my radio to a station
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I had never heard
before called Ashako Bani
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or Voice of Hope.
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I listened closely as health,
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family life and
the Christian faith
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were being discussed.
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As the program ended,
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I quickly took down
AWR's contact information.
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Surendra and the
pastor at the AWR studio
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began talking
on a regular basis.
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Sometimes, several times a day.
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Surendra began to share
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what he was
learning on the radio
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with his fellow
villagers and family,
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particularly his father,
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the community's
spiritual leader.
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I was once the witch
doctor for our village.
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But I realized its limitations
when my two sons died.
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I tried everything
in my power to heal them
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with my witchcraft.
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Pralad became
depressed and discouraged,
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until one day a man
visited their village
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and taught him about Jesus.
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Ever since then, he has been
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seeking truth from God's Word.
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I am so grateful to be out
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from under the
spells of witchcraft
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and be freed by Bible truth.
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I thank God everyday
that my son introduced me
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to Adventist World Radio.
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It has changed my spiritual walk
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to become a
Seventh-day Adventist.
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Through Adventist
World Radio, God transforms.
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He not only changes
the village spiritually,
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God improves all
aspects of one's life.
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When we listen to the radio,
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we not only
learn about the Bible,
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we also learn about health,
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cleanliness, and
family life principles.
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This has been a
great blessing to us.
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I now realize that my
body is a temple of God,
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He wants me to keep my
body clean inside and out,
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as well as my
home and surroundings.
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Adventist World Radio
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not only provides
the gospel message,
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but the local staff also
supplies basic food items
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during
particularly difficult times,
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like the devastating earthquake
that struck Nepal in 2015.
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Most importantly, today,
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due to your generous
donations to AWR's broadcast,
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there is a growing
community of believers
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who are eager to be baptized
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and are preparing
for Jesus' soon coming.
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So far we have 31
families, including 17 families
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from our own small village
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who are preparing for baptism
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into the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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As we began our
descent down the mountain,
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I cannot help but seeing
Nepal's 29 million people
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scattered among the hills
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and valleys of
this beautiful land.
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There are only 5000
Adventists in Nepal,
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but there are countless others
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who are longing to know more
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about Jesus if they
only have the chance.
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Jesus is coming soon
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and the doors of opportunity
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are open today
that soon may close.
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Now is the time to be involved
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in spreading the
gospel like never before.
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Will you continue helping us
to spread this gospel message
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to countries like Nepal?
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Thank you for your
prayers and support.
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Come with me to
the continent of Africa
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as I'm tracing
the stories of those
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being reached
through the broadcast
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of Adventist World Radio.
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Welcome to Zambia, a
land of smiling faces,
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impressive waterfalls,
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wide expanses, and wild animals.
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I am here to document
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the work of
Adventist World Radio
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and how the Lord
is using our broadcast
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to touch the
lives of people here.
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Hi, I'm Cami,
and this is AWR 360A.
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Today, we are
travelling out of town
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on bumpy dirt roads
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to find Debby
and hear his story.
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Debby lives in a mud hut
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surrounded by
fields and gardens.
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Several of his
children and grandchildren
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live nearby
adding joy to his days.
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It is very peaceful here
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and Debby tells us with a grin
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that this is his
favorite place to be.
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After showing us
his beloved radio,
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Debby begins to tell his story.
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I attended a
Catholic school growing up
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and soon became
a devote Catholic.
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Time passed.
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Debby married and ten
children were born to them.
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After years in
the Catholic Church,
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Debby began questioning
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some of the
foundational doctrines
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he had been taught.
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As he began to study
the Bible for himself,
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Debby saw in
the Ten Commandments
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that God forbids
the worship of idols.
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This and other beliefs
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caused Debby to
question his Catholic faith.
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And before long,
he left the church.
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In search of truth,
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Debby joined one
denomination after another,
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always leaving with
unanswered questions,
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unsatisfied with
the interpretations
00:08:57.60\00:08:59.57
of scripture he found.
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One day, while
listening to the radio,
00:09:03.51\00:09:05.57
Debby stumbled
across an AWR broadcast.
00:09:05.61\00:09:09.54
He listened eagerly
00:09:09.58\00:09:10.98
as a Bible based
message was preached.
00:09:11.01\00:09:14.85
Maybe this was
what he was looking for.
00:09:14.95\00:09:16.92
I was so intrigued
00:09:23.29\00:09:24.66
with the Adventist
World Radio program
00:09:24.69\00:09:27.03
and every day after listening,
00:09:27.10\00:09:29.03
I would go to my Bible
and study for myself to see
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if what I heard was true.
00:09:32.63\00:09:34.94
As Debby continued
listening and studying,
00:09:38.97\00:09:41.48
he came to understand new truths
00:09:41.51\00:09:43.95
and his many questions
were finally being answered.
00:09:44.05\00:09:46.28
To his surprise,
Debby learned that
00:09:49.72\00:09:51.49
the day of worship was changed
00:09:51.59\00:09:52.95
by the Catholic Church
from Saturday to Sunday
00:09:52.99\00:09:55.86
and that the seventh day Sabbath
00:09:55.89\00:09:57.33
was created as a
memorial of creation
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and kept holy by Jesus
00:09:59.93\00:10:01.93
and His disciples
as an example for us.
00:10:01.96\00:10:05.17
The law of God
wasn't changed after all.
00:10:05.20\00:10:08.34
Debby soon found
00:10:08.37\00:10:09.70
a local
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:10:09.74\00:10:11.37
and began attending
regularly with his children.
00:10:11.47\00:10:14.34
After years of
searching and visiting
00:10:14.38\00:10:16.31
so many different churches,
Debby finally felt at home.
00:10:16.34\00:10:21.68
Before long, Debby
00:10:21.72\00:10:23.05
and seven of his
children were baptized
00:10:23.08\00:10:25.15
in the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:10:25.19\00:10:27.32
They happily attend
church together every Sabbath
00:10:27.36\00:10:30.16
and Debby is now a deacon,
serving his church faithfully.
00:10:30.19\00:10:34.63
Having finally
found Bible truth,
00:10:34.66\00:10:36.56
Debby loves to share with others
00:10:36.60\00:10:38.23
what he has learnt.
00:10:38.27\00:10:40.67
He hopes that one
day soon, his wife,
00:10:40.77\00:10:43.24
other children and many friends
would join him in the faith.
00:10:43.27\00:10:46.68
Debby shared with us
00:10:49.88\00:10:51.28
that one of his
favorite verses is John 8:32
00:10:51.31\00:10:54.15
which reads
00:10:54.25\00:10:55.85
"You shall know the truth
00:10:55.88\00:10:57.52
and the truth
will set you free."
00:10:57.62\00:11:02.06
I'm so thankful for the
work of Adventist World Radio
00:11:02.09\00:11:05.96
and for the Bible messages
that lead me to the truth
00:11:05.99\00:11:09.26
and set me free.
00:11:09.30\00:11:13.47
Will you join us in
spreading the gospel message
00:11:13.50\00:11:15.70
filled with peace and
hope to countries like Zambia?
00:11:15.74\00:11:18.77
Please pray for the
work of Adventist World Radio
00:11:18.81\00:11:21.01
and consider contributing today.
00:11:21.11\00:11:22.64
Follow me as I
travel to hear the story
00:11:26.28\00:11:28.92
of one specific
couple, living in Romania,
00:11:28.95\00:11:32.22
whose lives were impacted
00:11:32.25\00:11:33.76
by the work of
Adventist World Radio.
00:11:33.79\00:11:36.42
It all started one day at work.
00:11:43.33\00:11:45.53
As I was switching
lines at the train yard,
00:11:45.57\00:11:48.04
I saw a co-worker listening
to the radio on his cell phone.
00:11:48.14\00:11:51.91
I reached for my phone
and began searching too.
00:11:51.94\00:11:55.01
That was when I
found Adventist World Radio
00:11:55.04\00:11:57.65
and became a faithful listener.
00:11:57.68\00:11:59.38
I heard
preaching from the Bible,
00:12:02.55\00:12:04.62
learned about the Sabbath
and many other new things.
00:12:04.72\00:12:07.79
A strong desire for
truth from God's Word
00:12:07.89\00:12:10.19
was born in my soul
and my prayer became...
00:12:10.23\00:12:12.96
I want to know more, God.
00:12:12.99\00:12:15.40
Peace began to fill my heart.
00:12:15.43\00:12:17.77
But my home was in turmoil.
00:12:17.80\00:12:21.64
My wife and two
daughters were confused
00:12:21.67\00:12:23.97
since I had taught my
family to Pentecostal faith,
00:12:24.01\00:12:26.98
but was now bringing home
new and contradicting truths.
00:12:27.01\00:12:30.41
My wife refused to even visit
an Adventist Church with me.
00:12:30.45\00:12:34.22
So I went alone
that first Sabbath.
00:12:34.25\00:12:37.09
I was welcomed so warmly
and felt genuine Christian love
00:12:37.12\00:12:40.59
unlike I had ever
experienced before.
00:12:40.62\00:12:43.86
Eventually, my family
agreed to let the pastor visit
00:12:43.89\00:12:46.63
and help answer their questions.
00:12:46.66\00:12:49.03
As soon as he arrived,
the questions began to flow.
00:12:49.06\00:12:52.93
Before long, our whole
family began baptismal classes.
00:12:52.97\00:12:56.67
Ended May of
2015, my wife and I,
00:12:56.71\00:12:59.64
along with our oldest
daughter were baptized
00:12:59.67\00:13:01.94
into the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:13:01.98\00:13:04.15
A few days ago,
our younger daughter
00:13:04.18\00:13:05.85
was finally baptized.
00:13:05.88\00:13:07.42
We are praising God.
00:13:07.52\00:13:12.09
Since being baptized,
00:13:12.12\00:13:13.46
I had become very
active in our local church,
00:13:13.49\00:13:16.26
even preaching occasionally.
00:13:16.29\00:13:18.43
I continued to spread the word
about Adventist World Radio.
00:13:18.46\00:13:22.20
My wife says, I
can't keep quiet about it
00:13:22.23\00:13:24.53
and it's probably true.
00:13:24.63\00:13:26.63
Thanks to the work of AWR,
00:13:26.67\00:13:28.40
we are now a united family
00:13:28.44\00:13:30.01
waiting for the soon
return of Christ, our Lord.
00:13:30.04\00:13:32.91
I grew up in Indiana,
00:13:39.78\00:13:41.18
and I've been a
farmer all my life.
00:13:41.22\00:13:44.25
My father, every
time we'd plant a field,
00:13:44.29\00:13:47.62
when we got through,
00:13:47.66\00:13:48.99
we'd always kneel
down and have prayer.
00:13:49.02\00:13:50.79
We'd done our part,
now the Lord would do His,
00:13:50.83\00:13:53.76
and He always come through.
00:13:53.80\00:13:55.50
After praying about it,
00:13:59.30\00:14:00.84
my wife and I
decided to do a gift annuity
00:14:00.94\00:14:03.64
through Adventist World Radio.
00:14:03.67\00:14:05.97
It goes to people that
normally is not going to hear.
00:14:06.01\00:14:10.08
And that's what our
00:14:10.11\00:14:12.28
three angels'
message is all about,
00:14:12.31\00:14:13.85
to every nation,
kindred, tongue and people.
00:14:13.88\00:14:18.25
When you're a farmer,
00:14:18.35\00:14:19.69
you don't have
a retirement plan.
00:14:19.72\00:14:22.29
It was a good way to
supplement our retirement.
00:14:22.32\00:14:25.73
It's been a blessing to us.
00:14:25.76\00:14:27.56
And I know it's
gonna be a blessing
00:14:27.60\00:14:28.90
to those others
around the world.
00:14:28.93\00:14:31.30
I'm headed to one of
the largest urban centers
00:14:37.54\00:14:39.81
on the planet to see
00:14:39.84\00:14:41.61
how God can set a nation on fire
00:14:41.64\00:14:44.68
for sharing the
gospel in their own country.
00:14:44.71\00:14:47.45
Consisting of
nearly 7,000 islands
00:14:54.69\00:14:57.19
and home to the largest
city on earth, Japan is a nation
00:14:57.23\00:15:02.03
full of rich
history and culture.
00:15:02.06\00:15:04.40
As I explore the
city, I am amazed
00:15:11.64\00:15:14.01
by not only its huge population
but also its affluence.
00:15:14.04\00:15:19.25
Of this nation's
127 million people,
00:15:19.28\00:15:22.68
an estimated 91%
of the population
00:15:22.72\00:15:25.35
considers themselves Shinto
00:15:25.39\00:15:26.99
or Buddhist even if
they rarely visit the temple.
00:15:27.02\00:15:30.03
As little as 2% claim
00:15:34.03\00:15:36.03
some form of
Christianity and among them,
00:15:36.06\00:15:39.03
the Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:15:39.07\00:15:40.40
has a membership of only 14,000.
00:15:40.44\00:15:42.94
And the sobering
reality is that as of late,
00:15:46.91\00:15:49.94
this number has been
declining, not growing.
00:15:49.98\00:15:54.15
AWR is committed
to using our resources
00:15:54.18\00:15:56.95
to help bring revival to Japan
00:15:56.99\00:15:58.95
and the stories
like Pastor Obara's
00:15:58.99\00:16:01.42
that give us great
courage and hope along the way.
00:16:01.46\00:16:06.26
My father Esau grew up in
the northern part of Japan.
00:16:06.29\00:16:09.96
His family were farmers.
00:16:10.00\00:16:11.77
But my dad got
tired of the country life
00:16:11.87\00:16:14.07
and moved to
Tokyo when he was 20.
00:16:14.10\00:16:16.64
He got a good paying job,
00:16:16.67\00:16:18.31
but unfortunately
spent all his money
00:16:18.41\00:16:20.38
on cigarettes and alcohol.
00:16:20.41\00:16:23.88
Smoking and drinking
took its toll on Esau's body
00:16:23.91\00:16:27.92
and soon he found himself
sick and in the hospital.
00:16:28.02\00:16:31.99
There was nothing to do,
00:16:32.02\00:16:33.36
but lay in bed and
listen to the radio.
00:16:33.39\00:16:36.02
My father loved
listening to Japanese pop music,
00:16:39.13\00:16:42.00
but one day when he
was tuning his radio,
00:16:42.03\00:16:44.73
he heard a
different kind of music.
00:16:44.77\00:16:46.94
It was strange
music and it drew him in
00:16:46.97\00:16:49.14
and he wanted to hear more.
00:16:49.17\00:16:53.61
After being
released from hospital,
00:16:53.64\00:16:55.78
Esau continued
listening to this new station
00:16:55.81\00:16:58.85
and soon he heard about
00:16:58.88\00:17:00.42
an upcoming evangelistic meeting
00:17:00.45\00:17:02.88
at a nearby Adventist Church.
00:17:02.92\00:17:05.99
My father faithfully
attended those meetings,
00:17:06.02\00:17:08.66
and at the end of that series
00:17:08.69\00:17:10.56
my father made a
decision to be baptized.
00:17:10.59\00:17:14.66
But his new
commitment to Jesus would force
00:17:14.73\00:17:17.27
Esau to make some
significant sacrifices.
00:17:17.30\00:17:21.40
Japanese highly value work
00:17:21.50\00:17:23.30
and taking Sabbath
off was not an option.
00:17:23.34\00:17:26.47
Either my father
could keep the Sabbath
00:17:26.51\00:17:28.54
or keep his job, but not both.
00:17:28.58\00:17:31.51
He chose the Sabbath.
00:17:31.55\00:17:33.62
But sadly, this brought shame
00:17:33.65\00:17:35.38
and embarrassment to his family.
00:17:35.42\00:17:37.62
They could not understand
his new diet, way of life,
00:17:37.65\00:17:41.12
and why he would quit his job.
00:17:41.22\00:17:44.06
Esau stuck to
his new convictions
00:17:44.09\00:17:46.29
in the face of adversity though,
00:17:46.33\00:17:48.33
and the Lord honored him for it.
00:17:48.43\00:17:52.80
Soon, Esau was offered a job
00:17:52.83\00:17:54.57
as a janitor at
the Adventist hospital,
00:17:54.67\00:17:56.97
which he gladly accepted.
00:17:57.01\00:17:59.01
After further training,
00:17:59.04\00:18:00.44
Esau went from
janitor to working
00:18:00.48\00:18:02.61
in the physical
therapy department,
00:18:02.64\00:18:05.01
a job he thoroughly
enjoyed until his retirement.
00:18:05.05\00:18:09.62
My father loved to
tell people about Jesus.
00:18:09.65\00:18:12.45
And through his
influence led more than
00:18:12.49\00:18:15.12
20 different patients
to Christ during his years
00:18:15.16\00:18:17.99
working at the hospital.
00:18:18.09\00:18:19.83
He had a positive influence
on many lives including my own.
00:18:19.86\00:18:25.40
If it wasn't for my
dad and the Lord working
00:18:25.43\00:18:27.70
through Adventist World Radio,
00:18:27.74\00:18:29.87
I definitely
would not be a pastor
00:18:29.90\00:18:32.47
or especially a
conference president
00:18:32.51\00:18:34.51
here in Japan today.
00:18:34.61\00:18:35.94
Isn't it amazing
how the Lord works.
00:18:41.15\00:18:43.59
He took Obara's father
who was a young drunkard
00:18:43.62\00:18:46.32
and through the
Holy Spirit and AWR,
00:18:46.35\00:18:49.12
now his son his helping to
lead the work here in Japan.
00:18:49.16\00:18:54.20
A few months ago, Pastor Obara
00:18:54.23\00:18:56.30
preached his very first
00:18:56.33\00:18:57.67
evangelistic
series in partnership
00:18:57.77\00:19:00.04
with AWR on the Island of
Mindoro, in the Philippines.
00:19:00.07\00:19:04.27
He joined in baptizing
over 1,400 precious souls.
00:19:04.31\00:19:09.78
Because of this experience,
00:19:09.81\00:19:11.15
Obara along with many
other pastors remaining
00:19:11.18\00:19:14.42
are excited to see
how God will impact Japan.
00:19:14.45\00:19:17.72
The spirit of
revival has been sparked
00:19:20.66\00:19:23.19
and now more than
ever before, Japan is ready
00:19:23.22\00:19:26.46
for the final push of evangelism
00:19:26.49\00:19:28.50
before Jesus comes.
00:19:28.53\00:19:30.23
Will you join
us in this mission?
00:19:30.27\00:19:32.33
There are two things you can do.
00:19:32.37\00:19:34.74
First, pray.
00:19:34.77\00:19:36.27
Pray for the work here in Japan
00:19:36.30\00:19:38.31
and other
difficult to reach places.
00:19:38.34\00:19:40.28
And second, visit awr.org
00:19:40.31\00:19:43.31
where you can help expand
the reach of AWR's broadcast
00:19:43.35\00:19:46.38
by your generous donations.
00:19:46.41\00:19:50.02
Will you join us in
continuing this spark of revival
00:19:50.05\00:19:53.15
here in Japan
and around the world?
00:19:53.19\00:19:56.89
Thank you for your
prayers and support.
00:19:56.93\00:19:59.13
As Christians, our
family is much larger than
00:20:08.90\00:20:11.77
our immediate biological family.
00:20:11.81\00:20:13.68
In fact, we have
brothers and sisters
00:20:13.71\00:20:15.24
that live in more
than 200 countries
00:20:15.34\00:20:17.05
all around the world.
00:20:17.08\00:20:20.95
We want to remember
them in our estate plan.
00:20:20.98\00:20:23.85
We can help you
with that process.
00:20:23.89\00:20:25.52
Just call 800-337-4279 toll free
00:20:25.55\00:20:30.03
or log on to awr.org.
00:20:30.06\00:20:32.56
Journey with me
as I travel half way
00:20:38.90\00:20:41.37
around the world to explore
how God is working through
00:20:41.40\00:20:44.54
Adventist World Radio
to advance His kingdom.
00:20:44.57\00:20:50.05
When we landed in
beautiful Argentina
00:20:50.08\00:20:52.88
to film specific
people's testimonies
00:20:52.91\00:20:55.98
on how Adventist World Radio
00:20:56.02\00:20:57.45
had changed and
impacted their lives.
00:20:57.49\00:21:00.16
We had no idea how, God
was about to surprise us
00:21:00.19\00:21:03.93
on our very first Sabbath there.
00:21:03.96\00:21:06.06
I love God's surprises.
00:21:06.09\00:21:09.23
Upon arriving in Cordoba,
00:21:09.26\00:21:11.13
Argentina's second-largest city,
00:21:11.17\00:21:13.27
we were excited to meet out
00:21:13.30\00:21:14.67
with the local broadcasters
00:21:14.70\00:21:16.30
and see firsthand the
work of AWR's Nuevo Tiempo.
00:21:16.34\00:21:21.04
We learned that there
are Nuevo Tiempo churches
00:21:21.08\00:21:23.51
scattered across this city.
00:21:23.55\00:21:25.38
The contact information
for six local churches
00:21:25.41\00:21:28.05
is given on the radio broadcast
00:21:28.15\00:21:29.95
and people are
encouraged to visit.
00:21:29.98\00:21:32.75
This is proven effective
00:21:32.79\00:21:34.32
and many listeners
show up each Sabbath.
00:21:34.36\00:21:37.46
This Nuevo Tiempo
Church has seen dramatic growth
00:21:37.49\00:21:40.46
in its two year existence.
00:21:40.50\00:21:42.50
Over 60 people crowd
in each Sabbath morning.
00:21:42.53\00:21:45.63
The majority of whom
initially came to church
00:21:45.67\00:21:48.14
from hearing
about it on the radio.
00:21:48.17\00:21:50.04
Members actively follow up
00:21:53.94\00:21:55.38
with Bible studies
and baptisms follow.
00:21:55.41\00:21:58.35
Everyone is involved
00:21:58.38\00:21:59.71
and their rains
of joy and harmony
00:21:59.75\00:22:02.25
seldom felt in churches today.
00:22:02.28\00:22:05.82
We were warmly
welcomed with smiles
00:22:05.85\00:22:07.52
and kisses and were
thrilled to soon realize
00:22:07.56\00:22:10.49
there would be a
baptism that day.
00:22:10.53\00:22:12.63
We watched as the vows were said
00:22:12.66\00:22:14.46
and two teenagers were
lowered into the water.
00:22:14.50\00:22:19.20
When the young man arose,
and with tears in his eyes,
00:22:19.23\00:22:22.24
began embracing the
other tearful church members.
00:22:22.27\00:22:25.21
We knew there must be
a story behind this one.
00:22:25.24\00:22:27.98
So we invited
Laotaro over to tell us more.
00:22:31.55\00:22:34.38
At 17 years of age,
Laotaro lives at home
00:22:44.26\00:22:47.50
with his parents
and younger brother.
00:22:47.50\00:22:50.00
Though the family
considered themselves Catholic,
00:22:50.03\00:22:52.37
Laotaro does not remember
Jesus ever being spoken of.
00:22:52.40\00:22:58.37
My life was a mess.
00:22:58.41\00:23:00.74
Boxing, parties and
dancing consumed me.
00:23:00.78\00:23:04.28
I wasn't happy though.
00:23:04.31\00:23:05.65
I felt bad about
my life and myself.
00:23:05.68\00:23:09.02
And anger often
raged in my heart
00:23:09.05\00:23:11.35
which led to
fighting with others.
00:23:11.39\00:23:15.06
Something happened though
00:23:15.09\00:23:16.42
that would change
Laotaro's life forever.
00:23:16.46\00:23:21.23
Members of the Nuevo
Tiempo Church invited Laotaro
00:23:21.26\00:23:24.37
and his mother to a small
group Bible study in their home.
00:23:24.40\00:23:29.24
I listened to the Bible
study and I was fascinated
00:23:29.27\00:23:32.27
by the things,
they were sharing.
00:23:32.31\00:23:35.24
When they invited me to church,
00:23:35.34\00:23:36.81
I went and met
other youth of my age.
00:23:36.85\00:23:41.08
I felt a peace inside
and wanted to learn more.
00:23:41.12\00:23:43.99
But trials were about
to befall this teenage boy.
00:23:47.56\00:23:50.59
If my father found
me studying the Bible,
00:24:03.57\00:24:06.34
he would give me a
bunch of chores to do.
00:24:06.37\00:24:09.78
He wasn't happy about me
00:24:09.81\00:24:11.15
attending the Adventist Church
either and tried to keep me
00:24:11.18\00:24:13.92
from going by giving
me a long list of work
00:24:13.95\00:24:16.69
that had to be done
00:24:16.72\00:24:18.05
in his mechanic shop on Sabbath.
00:24:18.15\00:24:21.92
In attempts to
obey his earthly father
00:24:21.96\00:24:24.09
and his heavenly father,
00:24:24.13\00:24:25.93
Laotaro would wake up
extra early on Sabbath mornings
00:24:25.96\00:24:28.83
and work quickly
00:24:28.86\00:24:30.20
to accomplish
everything on the list
00:24:30.23\00:24:31.80
so he could go to church.
00:24:31.83\00:24:33.47
Laotaro hated to
break God's Sabbath.
00:24:36.57\00:24:39.27
While he worked,
he would talk to God
00:24:39.31\00:24:41.21
and ask for His forgiveness.
00:24:41.24\00:24:45.68
While attending church
and studying the Bible,
00:24:45.71\00:24:48.35
I was convicted
about many things
00:24:48.38\00:24:50.39
and had lots to give up.
00:24:50.42\00:24:54.26
Boxing was my passion.
00:24:54.29\00:24:56.46
But I realized,
for the first time,
00:24:56.49\00:24:58.26
that my body is a temple of God.
00:24:58.36\00:25:00.66
And that I was harming myself
and others through fighting.
00:25:00.70\00:25:05.83
I also had to say no
to parties and dancing.
00:25:05.87\00:25:09.07
My old friends don't understand.
00:25:09.10\00:25:10.64
They try even
harder to get me join them
00:25:10.67\00:25:13.04
in doing drugs
and other bad things.
00:25:13.07\00:25:15.81
But I had found a better life.
00:25:15.84\00:25:17.41
Laotaro has experienced
a complete transformation.
00:25:22.45\00:25:26.32
Now instead of fighting
with his parents and siblings,
00:25:26.35\00:25:29.22
he enjoys helping
them home doing laundry,
00:25:29.26\00:25:32.36
washing dishes, cooking
00:25:32.39\00:25:33.93
and playing with
his little brother.
00:25:33.96\00:25:36.03
He also finds ways
to help his neighbors
00:25:36.06\00:25:38.03
and others in need.
00:25:38.07\00:25:42.24
Laotaro is happy
instead of angry now.
00:25:42.27\00:25:45.51
He longs to share
Christ's love and the testimony
00:25:45.61\00:25:48.18
of his
transformed life with others.
00:25:48.28\00:25:51.95
Not only have I changed,
but my family is changing too.
00:25:52.05\00:25:55.72
My mother and brother
are also doing Bible studies.
00:25:55.75\00:25:58.59
And my father is
softening as well.
00:25:58.62\00:26:02.32
Laotaro's father did not come
to his baptism last Sabbath,
00:26:02.36\00:26:05.86
but he hopes and
prays that one day soon,
00:26:05.89\00:26:08.40
his whole family will
attend church together.
00:26:08.43\00:26:11.10
My baptism was so special.
00:26:14.64\00:26:17.54
I feel like a new person now.
00:26:17.57\00:26:20.04
I would like to say
to other young people
00:26:20.08\00:26:22.18
that life is not
all about sports,
00:26:22.21\00:26:24.41
parties or dancing.
00:26:24.45\00:26:25.95
There is something better.
00:26:25.98\00:26:28.42
True peace and
happiness comes only
00:26:28.52\00:26:31.02
from knowing
and following Jesus.
00:26:31.05\00:26:35.76
My heart was touched as I
listened to Laotaro share.
00:26:35.79\00:26:39.13
And I had tears in my eyes
as he talked of the sacrifices
00:26:39.16\00:26:42.26
he has made simply to
attend church each Sabbath.
00:26:42.36\00:26:47.94
I think about
those I know back home.
00:26:47.97\00:26:50.31
I think about myself
what sacrifices do we make.
00:26:50.34\00:26:55.74
The story of
Laotaro has also given me
00:26:55.78\00:26:57.78
a deeper
understanding of the work
00:26:57.81\00:26:59.61
of Adventist World Radio.
00:26:59.65\00:27:02.15
It goes far
beyond the one person
00:27:02.18\00:27:04.65
who listens and
is later baptized.
00:27:04.69\00:27:07.09
For that one person goes
on to share with other people
00:27:07.12\00:27:10.19
and the influence
widens in listening.
00:27:10.23\00:27:15.66
Thank you for supporting
Adventist World Radio.
00:27:15.76\00:27:18.93
Your donations and prayers
00:27:19.03\00:27:21.47
literally change lives.
00:27:21.50\00:27:25.17
From broadcast to baptism,
00:27:25.21\00:27:27.41
to baptism to baptism,
00:27:27.44\00:27:30.58
this is AWR360A°.
00:27:30.61\00:27:33.38