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 mountain villages
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of Nepal, 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 AWR360°.
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Sandwiched in between
two giants India and China
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lies a land that is
distinct in culture,
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from its crowded
streets with 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,
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,
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and light is beginning
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 [inaudible],
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home to the Chepang people.
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The past 10 hours,
we have traveled by Jeep
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on treacherously
steep and windy roads.
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At the town of Manahari,
we leave the jeep for a bus.
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This bus takes us
up a flooded riverbed.
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It is a strange feeling
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to see water rushing by
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
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and hiking through
terrace fields of corn,
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higher and
still higher we climb.
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Finally, we reach the
village of [inaudible].
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It was with a feeling
of amazement and relief
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that I catch my first glimpses
of these precious people
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that I have 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,
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and daily working in fields
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
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called Ashako
Bani or Voice of Hope.
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I listened closely
as health, family life,
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and the Christian
faith 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 until one day,
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a man visited their village
and taught him about Jesus.
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Ever since then, he has been
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 every day
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that my son introduced
me 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, cleanliness,
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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 broadcasts,
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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,
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including 17 families
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 begin our
descent down the mountain,
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I cannot help but think
of 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
5,000 Adventists in Nepal,
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but there are countless others
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who are longing to
know more about Jesus
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if they only have the chance.
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Jesus is coming soon.
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And the doors of
opportunity are open today
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that soon may close.
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Now is the time to be
involved in spreading the gospel
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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 been reached
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through the broadcasts
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'm here to document the
work of Adventist World Radio
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and how the Lord is
using our broadcasts
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to touch the
lives of people here.
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Hi, I'm Cami,
and this is AWR360°.
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Today, we are traveling
out of town 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 live nearby,
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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 devout Catholic.
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Time passed, Debby married,
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and 10 children
were born to them.
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After years in
the Catholic Church,
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Debby began questioning 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 in other
beliefs caused Debby
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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
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of scripture he found.
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One day, while
listening to the radio,
00:09:02.87\00:09:05.04
Debby stumbled
across in AWR broadcast.
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He listened eagerly as a Bible
based message was preached.
00:09:08.94\00:09:14.32
Maybe this was
what he was looking for.
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I was so intrigued
00:09:22.72\00:09:24.06
with the Adventist
World Radio program.
00:09:24.09\00:09:26.46
And every day, after listening,
00:09:26.49\00:09:28.46
I would go to my
Bible and study for myself
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to see if what I heard was true.
00:09:31.50\00:09:34.14
As Debby continued
listening and studying,
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he came to understand new truth,
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and his many questions
were finally being answered.
00:09:43.35\00:09:45.91
To his surprise, Debby
learned that the day of worship
00:09:49.18\00:09:51.79
was changed by
the Catholic Church
00:09:51.82\00:09:53.72
from Saturday to Sunday,
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and that the seventh
day Sabbath was created
00:09:55.49\00:09:57.46
as memorial of creation
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and kept holy by
Jesus and His disciples
00:09:59.39\00:10:02.76
as an example for us.
00:10:02.80\00:10:04.70
The law of God
wasn't changed after all.
00:10:04.73\00:10:08.04
Debby soon found a local
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:10:08.07\00:10:10.81
and began attending
regularly with his children.
00:10:10.84\00:10:13.78
After years of searching
00:10:13.81\00:10:15.14
and visiting so
many different churches,
00:10:15.18\00:10:17.35
Debby finally felt at home.
00:10:17.38\00:10:21.18
Before long, Debby and seven
of his children were baptized
00:10:21.22\00:10:24.62
at the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:10:24.65\00:10:26.82
They happily attend
church together every Sabbath
00:10:26.86\00:10:29.69
and Debby is now a deacon
serving his church faithfully.
00:10:29.72\00:10:34.13
Having finally
found Bible truth,
00:10:34.16\00:10:36.16
Debby loves to share with others
00:10:36.20\00:10:37.77
what he has learned.
00:10:37.80\00:10:40.17
He hopes that one day
soon his wife, other children,
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and many friends will
join him in the faith.
00:10:43.64\00:10:46.41
Debby shared with us that
one of his favorite verses
00:10:49.58\00:10:51.88
is John 8:32,
00:10:51.91\00:10:53.72
which reads, "You
shall know the truth
00:10:53.75\00:10:57.05
and the truth
will set you free."
00:10:57.09\00:11:01.39
I am so thankful for the
work of Adventist World Radio
00:11:01.42\00:11:05.29
and for the Bible messages
that lead me to the truth
00:11:05.33\00:11:08.73
and set me free.
00:11:08.76\00:11:12.93
Will you join us in
spreading the gospel message
00:11:12.97\00:11:15.17
filled with peace and
hope to countries like Zambia?
00:11:15.20\00:11:18.17
Please pray for the
work of Adventist World Radio
00:11:18.21\00:11:20.48
and consider contributing today.
00:11:20.51\00:11:22.08
Follow me as I
travel to hear the story
00:11:25.85\00:11:28.32
of one specific
couple living in Romania,
00:11:28.35\00:11:31.79
whose lives were impacted
00:11:31.82\00:11:33.15
by the work of
Adventist World Radio.
00:11:33.19\00:11:35.42
It all started one day at work.
00:11:42.70\00:11:45.00
As I was switching
lines at the train yard,
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I saw a co-worker listening
to the radio on his cell phone.
00:11:47.60\00:11:51.34
I reached for my phone
and began searching too.
00:11:51.37\00:11:54.44
That was when I
found Adventist World Radio
00:11:54.48\00:11:57.01
and became a faithful listener.
00:11:57.05\00:11:58.55
I heard
preaching from the Bible,
00:12:01.88\00:12:03.92
learned about the Sabbath
and many other new things.
00:12:03.95\00:12:07.06
A strong desire for
truth from God's Word
00:12:07.09\00:12:09.49
was born in my soul.
00:12:09.52\00:12:10.86
And my prayer became
I want to know more God.
00:12:10.89\00:12:14.70
Peace began to fill my heart,
00:12:14.73\00:12:17.13
but my home was in turmoil.
00:12:17.17\00:12:20.97
My wife and two
daughters were confused
00:12:21.00\00:12:23.30
since I had taught my
family the Pentecostal faith
00:12:23.34\00:12:26.31
that was now bringing home
new and contradicting truths.
00:12:26.34\00:12:29.61
My wife refused to even visit
an Adventist Church with me.
00:12:29.64\00:12:33.62
So I went alone
that first Sabbath,
00:12:33.65\00:12:36.45
I was welcomed so warmly
and felt genuine Christian love
00:12:36.48\00:12:39.92
unlike I had ever
experienced before.
00:12:39.95\00:12:43.06
Eventually, my family
agreed to let the pastor visit
00:12:43.09\00:12:45.93
and help answer their questions.
00:12:45.96\00:12:48.36
As soon as he arrived,
the questions began to flow.
00:12:48.40\00:12:52.17
Before long, our whole
family began baptismal classes.
00:12:52.20\00:12:56.00
And in May of
2015, my wife and I,
00:12:56.04\00:12:58.94
along with our oldest
daughter, were baptized
00:12:58.97\00:13:01.14
into the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:13:01.18\00:13:03.24
A few days ago,
00:13:03.28\00:13:04.61
our younger daughter
was finally baptized.
00:13:04.65\00:13:06.72
We are praising God.
00:13:06.75\00:13:08.08
Since being baptized,
00:13:11.35\00:13:12.75
I had become very
active in our local church,
00:13:12.79\00:13:15.49
even preaching occasionally.
00:13:15.52\00:13:17.59
I continue to spread the Word
about Adventist World Radio.
00:13:17.63\00:13:21.43
My wife says I
can't keep quiet about it,
00:13:21.46\00:13:23.77
and it's probably true.
00:13:23.80\00:13:25.90
Thanks to the work of AWR.
00:13:25.93\00:13:27.70
We are now a united family
00:13:27.74\00:13:29.40
waiting for the soon
return of Christ our Lord.
00:13:29.44\00:13:32.21
I grew up in Indiana,
00:13:39.01\00:13:40.35
and I've been a
farmer all my life.
00:13:40.38\00:13:43.39
My father every time
we'd play in a field,
00:13:43.42\00:13:46.96
when we got through,
00:13:46.99\00:13:48.32
we'd always kneel down and pray
00:13:48.36\00:13:49.79
that we've done our part
now the Lord would do His,
00:13:49.82\00:13:52.96
and He always come through.
00:13:52.99\00:13:54.90
After praying about it,
00:13:58.57\00:14:00.04
my wife and I
decided to do a gift annuity
00:14:00.07\00:14:02.80
through Adventist World Radio.
00:14:02.84\00:14:05.07
It goes to people that
normally is not gonna hear.
00:14:05.11\00:14:09.24
And that's what our
00:14:09.28\00:14:11.35
three angels'
message is all about
00:14:11.38\00:14:13.05
to every nation,
kindred, and the people.
00:14:13.08\00:14:17.65
When you're farmering,
00:14:17.69\00:14:19.02
you don't have
a retirement plan.
00:14:19.05\00:14:21.42
It was a good way to
supplement our retirement.
00:14:21.46\00:14:24.79
It's been a blessing to us.
00:14:24.83\00:14:26.66
And I know, it's
gonna be a blessing
00:14:26.70\00:14:28.03
to those others
around the world.
00:14:28.06\00:14:29.93
I'm headed to one of
the largest urban centers
00:14:36.67\00:14:39.07
on the planet,
00:14:39.11\00:14:40.44
to see how God can
set a nation on fire
00:14:40.48\00:14:43.91
for sharing the
gospel in their own country.
00:14:43.95\00:14:46.65
Consisting of
nearly 7,000 islands
00:14:53.79\00:14:56.32
and home to the
largest city on earth,
00:14:56.36\00:14:58.96
Japan is a nation
00:14:58.99\00:15:01.16
full of rich
history and culture.
00:15:01.20\00:15:03.70
As I explore this city,
00:15:10.61\00:15:12.17
I am amazed by not
only its huge population
00:15:12.21\00:15:15.58
but also its affluence.
00:15:15.61\00:15:18.35
Of this nation's
127 million people,
00:15:18.38\00:15:21.75
an estimated 91%
of the population
00:15:21.78\00:15:24.45
considers
themselves Shinto or Buddhist,
00:15:24.49\00:15:27.32
even if they
rarely visit the temple.
00:15:27.36\00:15:29.82
As little as 2% claim
some form of Christianity,
00:15:33.19\00:15:36.90
and among them,
00:15:36.93\00:15:38.27
the Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:15:38.30\00:15:39.63
has a membership of only 14,000.
00:15:39.67\00:15:42.24
And the sobering
reality is, that as of late,
00:15:45.97\00:15:49.11
this number has been
declining, not growing.
00:15:49.14\00:15:53.25
AWR is committed
to using our resources
00:15:53.28\00:15:56.12
to help bring revival to Japan
00:15:56.15\00:15:58.09
and it is stories
like Pastor Obara's
00:15:58.12\00:16:00.46
that give us great
courage and hope along the way.
00:16:00.49\00:16:05.19
My father Esau grew up in
the northern part of Japan.
00:16:05.23\00:16:09.00
His family were farmers,
00:16:09.03\00:16:10.93
but my dad got
tired of the country life
00:16:10.97\00:16:13.10
and moved to
Tokyo when he was 20.
00:16:13.13\00:16:15.67
He got a good-paying job
00:16:15.70\00:16:17.34
but unfortunately
spent all his money
00:16:17.37\00:16:19.47
on cigarettes and alcohol.
00:16:19.51\00:16:22.88
Smoking and drinking
took its toll on Esau's body
00:16:22.91\00:16:27.05
and soon he found himself
sick and in the hospital.
00:16:27.08\00:16:30.99
There was nothing
to do but lay in bed
00:16:31.02\00:16:33.66
and listen to the radio.
00:16:33.69\00:16:35.16
My father loved
listening to Japanese pop music,
00:16:38.29\00:16:41.06
but one day, when he
was tuning his radio,
00:16:41.10\00:16:43.67
he heard a
different kind of music.
00:16:43.70\00:16:45.97
It was strange
music and it drew him in
00:16:46.00\00:16:48.37
and he wanted to hear more.
00:16:48.40\00:16:49.77
After being
released from the hospital,
00:16:52.81\00:16:54.81
Esau continued
listening to this new station
00:16:54.84\00:16:58.08
and soon he heard
00:16:58.11\00:16:59.45
about an upcoming
evangelistic meeting
00:16:59.48\00:17:01.78
at a nearby Adventist church.
00:17:01.82\00:17:04.89
My father faithfully
attended those meetings,
00:17:04.92\00:17:07.62
and at the end of that series,
00:17:07.66\00:17:09.46
my father made a
decision to be baptized.
00:17:09.49\00:17:13.70
But his new commitment
to Jesus would force Esau
00:17:13.73\00:17:16.83
to make some
significant sacrifices.
00:17:16.87\00:17:20.34
Japanese highly value work,
00:17:20.37\00:17:22.37
and taking Sabbath
off was not an option.
00:17:22.40\00:17:25.47
Either my father
could keep the Sabbath
00:17:25.51\00:17:27.41
or keep his job but not both.
00:17:27.44\00:17:30.45
He chose the Sabbath,
00:17:30.48\00:17:32.65
but sadly, this brought shame
00:17:32.68\00:17:34.32
and embarrassment to his family.
00:17:34.35\00:17:36.58
They could not understand
his new diet, way of life,
00:17:36.62\00:17:40.02
and why he would quit his job.
00:17:40.06\00:17:43.02
Esau stuck to
his new convictions
00:17:43.06\00:17:45.29
in the face of adversity though,
00:17:45.33\00:17:47.50
and the Lord honored him for it.
00:17:47.53\00:17:51.77
Soon Esau has
offered a job as a janitor
00:17:51.80\00:17:54.30
at the Adventist hospital,
which he gladly accepted,
00:17:54.34\00:17:57.91
after further training,
00:17:57.94\00:17:59.27
Esau went from janitor
00:17:59.31\00:18:00.98
to working in the
physical therapy department,
00:18:01.01\00:18:03.78
a job he thoroughly
enjoyed until his retirement.
00:18:03.81\00:18:08.58
My father loved to
tell people about Jesus
00:18:08.62\00:18:11.39
and through his influence
00:18:11.42\00:18:13.19
led more than 20
different patients to Christ
00:18:13.22\00:18:15.92
during his years
working at the hospital.
00:18:15.96\00:18:18.59
He had a positive influence
on many lives including my own.
00:18:18.63\00:18:24.27
If it wasn't for
my dad and the Lord
00:18:24.30\00:18:26.17
working through
Adventist World Radio,
00:18:26.20\00:18:28.77
I definitely
would not be a pastor
00:18:28.80\00:18:31.34
or especially a
conference president
00:18:31.37\00:18:33.48
here in Japan today.
00:18:33.51\00:18:34.88
Isn't it amazing
how the Lord works?
00:18:39.95\00:18:42.58
He took Obara's father
who was a young drunkard
00:18:42.62\00:18:45.25
and through the
Holy Spirit and AWR,
00:18:45.29\00:18:48.12
now his son is helping to
lead the work here in Japan.
00:18:48.16\00:18:53.06
A few months ago,
00:18:53.09\00:18:54.43
Pastor Obara preached his
very first evangelistic series
00:18:54.46\00:18:58.03
in partnership with AWR
00:18:58.07\00:19:00.04
on the island of
Mindoro in the Philippines.
00:19:00.07\00:19:03.00
He joined in baptizing
over 1,400 precious souls.
00:19:03.04\00:19:08.58
Because of this experience,
00:19:08.61\00:19:10.05
Obara along with many
other pastors and laymen
00:19:10.08\00:19:13.25
are excited to see
00:19:13.28\00:19:14.62
how God will impact Japan.
00:19:14.65\00:19:19.42
The spirit of
revival has been sparked,
00:19:19.45\00:19:22.16
and now more than ever before,
00:19:22.19\00:19:24.19
Japan is ready
00:19:24.23\00:19:25.56
for the final push of evangelism
00:19:25.59\00:19:27.30
before Jesus comes.
00:19:27.33\00:19:29.10
Will you join
us in this mission?
00:19:29.13\00:19:31.23
There are two things you can do.
00:19:31.27\00:19:33.50
First, pray.
00:19:33.54\00:19:35.10
Pray for the work here in Japan
00:19:35.14\00:19:37.01
and other
difficult to reach places.
00:19:37.04\00:19:39.17
And second, visit awr.org
00:19:39.21\00:19:42.18
where you can help expand
the reach of AWR's broadcast
00:19:42.21\00:19:45.25
by your generous donations.
00:19:45.28\00:19:48.92
Will you join us in
continuing this spark of revival
00:19:48.95\00:19:52.02
here in Japan
and around the world?
00:19:52.05\00:19:55.76
Thank you for your
prayers and support.
00:19:55.79\00:19:58.06
As Christians, our
family is much larger
00:20:07.47\00:20:10.11
than our
immediate biological family.
00:20:10.14\00:20:12.17
In fact, we have
brothers and sisters
00:20:12.21\00:20:13.71
that live in more
than 200 countries
00:20:13.74\00:20:15.64
all around the world.
00:20:15.68\00:20:19.41
We want to remember
them in our estate plan.
00:20:19.45\00:20:22.45
We can help you
with that process.
00:20:22.48\00:20:24.15
Just log on to awr.org.
00:20:24.19\00:20:26.65
Journey with me
00:20:34.66\00:20:36.00
as I travel
halfway around the world
00:20:36.03\00:20:38.17
to explore how God is working
through Adventist World Radio
00:20:38.20\00:20:41.90
to advance His kingdom.
00:20:41.94\00:20:46.11
When we landed in
beautiful Argentina
00:20:46.14\00:20:48.91
to film specific
people's testimonies
00:20:48.94\00:20:51.98
on how Adventist
World Radio had changed
00:20:52.01\00:20:54.08
and impacted their lives,
00:20:54.12\00:20:56.02
we had no idea how
God was about surprises
00:20:56.05\00:20:59.69
on our very first Sabbath there.
00:20:59.72\00:21:01.82
I love God surprises.
00:21:01.86\00:21:04.96
Upon arriving in Cordoba,
00:21:04.99\00:21:06.93
Argentina's second largest city,
00:21:06.96\00:21:09.10
we were excited to meet up
with the local broadcasters
00:21:09.13\00:21:12.20
and see firsthand the
work of AWR's Nuevo Tiempo.
00:21:12.23\00:21:16.91
We learned that there
are Nuevo Tiempo Churches
00:21:16.94\00:21:19.21
scattered across this city.
00:21:19.24\00:21:21.11
The contact information
for six local churches
00:21:21.14\00:21:23.71
is given on the radio broadcast
00:21:23.75\00:21:25.81
and people are
encouraged to visit.
00:21:25.85\00:21:28.65
This has proven effective
00:21:28.68\00:21:30.09
and many listeners
show up each Sabbath.
00:21:30.12\00:21:33.36
This Nuevo Tiempo
Church has seen dramatic growth
00:21:33.39\00:21:36.32
in its two-year existence.
00:21:36.36\00:21:38.39
Over 60 people crowd
in each Sabbath morning,
00:21:38.43\00:21:41.46
the majority of whom
initially came to church
00:21:41.50\00:21:44.03
from hearing
about it on the radio.
00:21:44.07\00:21:46.57
Members actively
follow up with Bible studies
00:21:49.80\00:21:52.14
and baptisms follow.
00:21:52.17\00:21:54.18
Everyone is involved
00:21:54.21\00:21:55.61
and the rains of joy and harmony
00:21:55.64\00:21:58.01
seldom felt in churches today.
00:21:58.05\00:22:01.32
We were warmly
welcomed with smiles and kisses,
00:22:01.35\00:22:04.09
and we're
thrilled to soon realize
00:22:04.12\00:22:06.19
there would be a
baptism that day.
00:22:06.22\00:22:08.32
We watched as the vows were said
00:22:08.36\00:22:10.16
and two teenagers were
lowered into the water.
00:22:10.19\00:22:14.90
When the young man arose
00:22:14.93\00:22:16.26
and with tears in
his eyes began embracing
00:22:16.30\00:22:18.83
the other
tearful church members,
00:22:18.87\00:22:20.90
we knew there must be
a story behind this one.
00:22:20.94\00:22:23.61
So we invited
Laotaro over to tell us more.
00:22:27.31\00:22:30.41
At 17 years of age,
Laotaro lives at home
00:22:40.09\00:22:43.22
with his parents
and younger brother.
00:22:43.26\00:22:45.66
Though the family
consider themselves Catholic,
00:22:45.69\00:22:48.10
Laotaro does not remember
Jesus ever been spoken of.
00:22:48.13\00:22:51.23
My life was a mess.
00:22:54.30\00:22:56.47
Boxing, parties,
and dancing consumed me.
00:22:56.50\00:22:59.87
I wasn't happy though.
00:22:59.91\00:23:01.24
I felt bad about
my life and myself,
00:23:01.28\00:23:04.55
and anger often
raged in my heart,
00:23:04.58\00:23:06.95
which led to
fighting with others.
00:23:06.98\00:23:10.62
Something happened though
00:23:10.65\00:23:12.05
that would change
Laotaro's life forever.
00:23:12.09\00:23:16.86
Members of the
Nuevo Tiempo Church
00:23:16.89\00:23:18.89
invited Laotaro and
his mother to a small group
00:23:18.93\00:23:21.73
Bible study in their home.
00:23:21.76\00:23:24.87
I listened to the Bible study,
00:23:24.90\00:23:26.74
and I was fascinated
00:23:26.77\00:23:28.10
by the things they were sharing.
00:23:28.14\00:23:30.87
When they invited me to church,
00:23:30.91\00:23:32.47
I went and met
other youth my age.
00:23:32.51\00:23:36.64
I felt peace inside
and wanted to learn more.
00:23:36.68\00:23:39.65
But trials were about
to befall this teenage boy.
00:23:43.18\00:23:46.29
If my father found
me studying the Bible,
00:23:59.10\00:24:01.90
he would give me a
bunch of chores to do.
00:24:01.94\00:24:05.27
He wasn't happy about me
00:24:05.31\00:24:06.64
attending the
Adventist Church either
00:24:06.68\00:24:08.68
and try to keep me from going
00:24:08.71\00:24:10.55
by giving me a long list of work
00:24:10.58\00:24:12.25
that had to be done
00:24:12.28\00:24:13.62
in his mechanic shop on Sabbath.
00:24:13.65\00:24:17.45
In attempts to
obey his earthly father
00:24:17.49\00:24:19.69
and his heavenly Father,
00:24:19.72\00:24:21.46
Laotaro would wake up
extra early on Sabbath mornings
00:24:21.49\00:24:24.39
and work quickly
00:24:24.43\00:24:25.76
to accomplish
everything on the list
00:24:25.79\00:24:27.56
so he could go to church.
00:24:27.60\00:24:29.06
Laotaro hated to
break God's Sabbath.
00:24:32.13\00:24:34.74
While he worked,
he would talk to God
00:24:34.77\00:24:36.81
and ask for his forgiveness.
00:24:36.84\00:24:41.28
While attending church
and studying the Bible,
00:24:41.31\00:24:43.78
I was convicted
about many things
00:24:43.81\00:24:46.11
and had lots to give up.
00:24:46.15\00:24:49.98
Boxing was my passion,
00:24:50.02\00:24:52.09
but I realized
for the first time
00:24:52.12\00:24:53.86
that my body is a temple of God,
00:24:53.89\00:24:56.16
and that I was harming myself
and others through fighting.
00:24:56.19\00:25:01.43
I also had to say no
to parties and dancing.
00:25:01.46\00:25:04.47
My old friends don't
understand and try even harder
00:25:04.50\00:25:07.44
to get me to join them
00:25:07.47\00:25:08.80
in doing drugs
and other bad things,
00:25:08.84\00:25:11.27
but I have found a better life.
00:25:11.31\00:25:12.91
Laotaro has experienced
a complete transformation.
00:25:17.81\00:25:21.95
Now instead of fighting
with his parents and siblings,
00:25:21.98\00:25:24.75
he enjoys helping them
at home, doing laundry,
00:25:24.79\00:25:27.82
washing dishes, cooking,
00:25:27.86\00:25:29.39
and playing with
his little brother.
00:25:29.42\00:25:31.53
He also finds ways
to help his neighbors
00:25:31.56\00:25:33.66
and others in need.
00:25:33.70\00:25:35.03
Laotaro is happy
instead of angry now.
00:25:37.80\00:25:41.04
He longs to share Christ's love
00:25:41.07\00:25:42.90
and the testimony
of his transformed life
00:25:42.94\00:25:45.04
with others.
00:25:45.07\00:25:47.44
Not only have I changed
but my family is changing too.
00:25:47.48\00:25:51.21
My mother and brother
are also doing Bible studies
00:25:51.25\00:25:54.08
and my father is
softening as well.
00:25:54.12\00:25:57.75
Laotaro's father did not come
to his baptism last Sabbath,
00:25:57.79\00:26:01.39
but he hopes and
prays that one day soon
00:26:01.42\00:26:03.76
his whole family will
attend church together.
00:26:03.79\00:26:06.59
My baptism was so special,
I feel like a new person now.
00:26:10.10\00:26:15.44
I would like to say
to other young people
00:26:15.47\00:26:17.54
that life is not all
about sports, parties,
00:26:17.57\00:26:20.38
or dancing, there
is something better.
00:26:20.41\00:26:23.81
True peace and happiness
comes only from knowing
00:26:23.85\00:26:27.35
and following Jesus.
00:26:27.38\00:26:31.15
My heart was touched
00:26:31.19\00:26:32.52
as I listened
to Laotaro's share,
00:26:32.55\00:26:34.52
and I had tears in my eyes
00:26:34.56\00:26:36.26
as he talked to the
sacrifices he has made
00:26:36.29\00:26:39.03
simply to attend
church each Sabbath.
00:26:39.06\00:26:43.40
I think about
those I know back home,
00:26:43.43\00:26:45.87
I think about myself,
what sacrifices do we make?
00:26:45.90\00:26:51.21
The story of Laotaro
00:26:51.24\00:26:52.57
has also given me a
deeper understanding
00:26:52.61\00:26:54.48
of the work of
Adventist World Radio.
00:26:54.51\00:26:57.45
It goes far
beyond the one person
00:26:57.48\00:27:00.08
who listens and
is later baptized
00:27:00.12\00:27:02.45
for that one person
00:27:02.48\00:27:03.82
goes on to share
with other people
00:27:03.85\00:27:05.65
and the
influence widens endlessly.
00:27:05.69\00:27:07.82
Thank you for supporting
Adventist World Radio.
00:27:11.06\00:27:14.40
Your donations and prayers
00:27:14.43\00:27:16.80
literally change lives.
00:27:16.83\00:27:20.44
From broadcast to baptism,
00:27:20.47\00:27:22.90
to baptism to baptism,
00:27:22.94\00:27:25.94
this is AWR360°.
00:27:25.97\00:27:28.61