Hi, my name is Ricky Oliveras
00:00:07.68\00:00:09.42
and I recently moved
here to Washington DC.
00:00:09.45\00:00:12.16
Well, I've had to go
through some really big changes
00:00:12.19\00:00:14.98
but that was nothing
compared to a few years ago
00:00:15.01\00:00:17.48
when I lived in the
country of Thailand.
00:00:17.51\00:00:19.67
We will talk
more about that later.
00:00:19.70\00:00:21.67
Welcome to Global
Mission Snapshots.
00:00:21.70\00:00:23.52
Just before He
went up to heaven,
00:00:28.19\00:00:30.65
Jesus gave us a command,
00:00:30.68\00:00:33.65
He gave us a mission.
00:00:33.68\00:00:36.40
Jesus said, go, go
unto all the world,
00:00:36.43\00:00:41.12
telling them of His love.
00:00:41.15\00:00:43.76
This is our mission,
this is our Global Mission.
00:00:43.79\00:00:47.79
Hello, I'm Gary Krause
00:00:53.19\00:00:54.49
and welcome to
Global Mission Snapshots.
00:00:54.52\00:00:57.05
Every year, hundreds of
Adventists, young and old
00:00:57.08\00:01:00.79
answer the call to
mission service as volunteers.
00:01:00.82\00:01:04.85
Some may remember this
00:01:04.88\00:01:06.04
as the old student
missionary program.
00:01:06.07\00:01:08.68
Today, it's known
00:01:08.71\00:01:09.74
as Adventist
Volunteer Services or AVS
00:01:09.77\00:01:13.67
because you don't
have to be a student
00:01:13.70\00:01:15.39
to serve as a volunteer.
00:01:15.42\00:01:17.65
But you do have to be willing
to answer that call to service.
00:01:17.68\00:01:21.96
AVS calls include
everything from teaching,
00:01:21.99\00:01:25.25
to physical education,
from working on websites,
00:01:25.28\00:01:28.64
to creating videos.
00:01:28.67\00:01:30.42
On today's program,
two former volunteers
00:01:30.45\00:01:33.47
will share some
of their experiences.
00:01:33.50\00:01:36.32
We'll also be talking
with pastor Tom Evans,
00:01:36.35\00:01:38.72
who directs Adventist Church
planting through North America.
00:01:38.75\00:01:42.90
Pastor Evans lives and
breathes church planting
00:01:42.93\00:01:46.81
and I think you will find
his enthusiasm is contagious.
00:01:46.84\00:01:50.35
But first up, let's visit
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a community
near Atlanta, Georgia
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where pastor Bill
Levin and his wife Jan
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step outside the
church's four walls
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to be salt and
light in their community.
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We were holding
it in people's house
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and then we're
holding it here, outdoors,
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when it was nice out.
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I usually drive a pick-up.
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It's in for repair,
so I've got a rental car.
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And I bring the
battery and the power inverter
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and run the light,
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we'll meet about
10:30 in the evening.
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I'm divorced. My
parents are dead.
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My sister is in Savannah.
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I'm pretty much alone
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and so this is something I
look forward to every week.
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We didn't come in
here to tell them anything
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or do it with our own agenda.
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Our agenda was to hear them
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and to hear
where their heart was,
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what their hurts
are, their struggles are
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and what was
going on in their lives.
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We're here in a
community just north of Atlanta
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and pastor Bill
Levin and his wife Jan
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have a ministry to the
people in this community.
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Bill for many years has helped
coordinate church planting
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and evangelism
throughout the district,
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but he had felt a
special call to ministry
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and he and his wife came here,
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they didn't know what
God wanted them to do,
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they just walked the streets,
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they prayed and
slowly doors started to open.
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They've started
making friendships
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and from there, he has
built something quite beautiful
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as lives have been
changed through their ministry.
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We were looking for
where God was leading us
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and so we started praying.
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And we felt convicted
that we needed to look
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for different
avenues in this community,
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in Forsyth County
because we live here.
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One of the areas was
this area, Crystal Cove.
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When I was
riding with a policeman,
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he identified this area
as a troubled neighborhood
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and as he was
talking about Crystal Cove,
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we said, well, we've
nicknamed as Crystal 'Meth' Cove
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because we've busted
so many drug labs here,
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and there's so many
challenges in the neighborhood.
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He said most
people in the homes here
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have been in jail
at one time or another.
00:04:17.67\00:04:22.44
Today, this small ministry
has been given a vacant plot
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in the neighborhood
by the county government.
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We'll end up with probably
about 30-40 people tonight
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who come here for
song, for fellowship
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and then we get into a
study and just sharing the Word.
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And the study is
about drawing the people out
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and letting them
tell their story,
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tell what's
going on in their life;
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tell their struggle,
their issue and being heard
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and being prayed
over and loved on
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and the people know
that we're here to love them.
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One of the first
people Bill and Jan
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met during their
prayer walking was Priscilla
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and she's now a
vital part of the team.
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I had never seen
anybody care that deeply
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about doing anything for
the kids in this community
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because they were
looked down on so bad.
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They were going to meet
on the next Friday night
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for a unique style of church.
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Well, my husband had gotten
turned away from the church.
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He didn't want
anything to do with it,
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so at that time I was
desperately seeking for God
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to get us back into church
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and 'cause we were
about to go through a divorce
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and I was begging
God to get us back
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to where we needed to be,
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so that that
divorce wouldn't happen.
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I had never seen
church done that way.
00:05:44.98\00:05:47.50
But it was the most
beautiful thing, too.
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It just-- I
absolutely was drawn to it
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from that first Friday night.
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As I talked with Priscilla,
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she told me more about
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the mental, physical and
sexual abuse in the community
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and the resulting drug
and alcohol addictions.
00:06:03.35\00:06:09.45
Everybody that I met
are-- is just chained down.
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And from what I found out,
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after meeting them
and talking with them,
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is this has happened three and
four and five generations down,
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that these abuses are
rampant in these families.
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This community to me is
like Esther in the Bible.
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It's like, this Crystal
Cove community is the Esther
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that He has risen up
to bring His favor down on
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and to break the
curses, the chains,
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and the boundaries
that are holding them.
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Because it seems like
everybody that I've met
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is just chained down.
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God has just
brought all of us together
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and He's bonded us
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because we are from
the same background.
00:06:48.69\00:06:50.55
And He is showing us
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truly what Isaiah 61
and Luke Chapter 4 is,
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that "He's come to
heal the broken-hearted."
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The church needs to be
doing the work of Jesus.
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The church needs to be
the hands and feet of Jesus.
00:07:04.54\00:07:07.05
We need to be salt and
light in our communities.
00:07:07.08\00:07:10.43
Crystal Cove is one
community amongst thousands.
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If the church
would be out doing this,
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what a difference we can make.
00:07:17.88\00:07:19.34
The Seventh Day Adventist Church
00:07:35.12\00:07:36.85
began as a church
planting movement,
00:07:36.88\00:07:39.49
it has grown as a
church planting movement
00:07:39.52\00:07:42.03
and it will
only continue to grow
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as it remains a
church planting movement.
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Do you think that's
pretty close to the truth, Tom?
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I think that's very accurate,
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in fact, there is a
quote from Ellen White,
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"This is upon all who believe
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God has placed a burden
of raising up churches."
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Yeah, so it's not something
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that we just pass
off to the experts,
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it's something that we
should all be involved in.
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Yes, absolutely.
00:08:00.13\00:08:01.16
Now, Tom, you
had a church planting
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for the North American division
00:08:03.62\00:08:05.13
of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:08:05.16\00:08:07.19
How central is church planting
to the mission of the church?
00:08:07.22\00:08:11.24
Oh, I think some
studies have indicated
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that those denominations
that are going to grow
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are those that are
planted in churches.
00:08:16.69\00:08:18.72
And so it's been
part of how we started.
00:08:18.75\00:08:22.25
In fact, we were
church planting movement
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and we became
distracted on the--
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in that call and became
focused on settling pastors
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over churches and so on.
00:08:30.82\00:08:31.85
But the initial pastors were
Evangelist and church planters.
00:08:31.88\00:08:36.09
And so they would
start the new congregation
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and make sure it was established
00:08:38.23\00:08:39.26
and then quickly move on
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and let the lay
people care for it.
00:08:40.35\00:08:42.64
Now how did you begin getting
involved in church planting?
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When I attended seminary,
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I enjoyed a
class by Russell Brown
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where church
planting was one of the topics
00:08:52.09\00:08:54.68
and yet when I got
engaged in ministry,
00:08:54.71\00:08:57.73
many of the demands of
ministry became forefront
00:08:57.76\00:09:01.35
and some how, church planting
didn't make it to the front.
00:09:01.38\00:09:05.35
And so, at one point,
I got a call from Texas
00:09:05.38\00:09:09.35
to go and plant a
church in North Dallas.
00:09:09.38\00:09:11.85
And so I went
ahead and felt like
00:09:11.88\00:09:14.29
God was leading me to go
and interview for that call
00:09:14.32\00:09:16.58
and went down and
accepted a position
00:09:16.61\00:09:18.81
to plant a
church in North Dallas.
00:09:18.84\00:09:21.11
Now did you go
to a church planting
00:09:21.14\00:09:22.72
training school before you went?
00:09:22.75\00:09:25.07
No, just basically what
I had learned at seminary.
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One of the characteristics
of a church planter
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is kind of an
entrepreneurial spirit
00:09:32.35\00:09:34.48
and I knew that,
that was something
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that was part of my
makeup, my DNA so to speak.
00:09:35.71\00:09:38.68
So it was very attractive to me.
00:09:38.71\00:09:39.75
I was always thinking about
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where can we start something new
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and so that was
a good fit for me.
00:09:42.70\00:09:45.97
Now tell us how
the experience went
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and how did you start?
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What did you do?
00:09:49.16\00:09:50.19
Well, it didn't go as I planned.
00:09:50.22\00:09:53.40
Somehow, it had been
veiled for me that the church
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that was going
to be giving birth
00:09:56.24\00:09:57.90
to this congregation was not
actually very excited about it.
00:09:57.93\00:10:01.74
I don't know how I missed that,
00:10:01.77\00:10:02.91
when I went
down and interviewed.
00:10:02.94\00:10:04.56
But I began to visit
with the elders of the church
00:10:04.59\00:10:07.33
and it was after
a couple of visits,
00:10:07.36\00:10:09.10
I met with an elder who told me,
00:10:09.13\00:10:10.81
I don't want to hear another
word about church planting.
00:10:10.84\00:10:13.94
So that was quite a
devastating thing for me
00:10:13.97\00:10:15.93
because I just
approved to myself and my family
00:10:15.96\00:10:18.38
and had relocated to Texas
00:10:18.41\00:10:20.37
thinking I was going
to be planting a church
00:10:20.40\00:10:22.93
and so that became a process of
working with that Mother church
00:10:22.96\00:10:27.25
to create a climate of
condition in the church
00:10:27.28\00:10:29.39
that was conducive to launching
without a congregation.
00:10:29.42\00:10:33.85
And so, you
worked with that church
00:10:33.88\00:10:35.68
and then you did start to
plant some new ones right.
00:10:35.71\00:10:39.18
We, in fact yeah, we did
make some excellent progress.
00:10:39.21\00:10:41.97
About 14 months
later in an elders meeting,
00:10:42.00\00:10:45.12
the same elder
walked out of the meeting,
00:10:45.15\00:10:46.55
he said this will be first of
many church plants that we do.
00:10:46.58\00:10:50.84
And so we were able to
launch our first church plant,
00:10:50.87\00:10:53.63
in an opening Sabbath, we
had 550 people in attendance.
00:10:53.66\00:10:57.50
That's pretty impressive.
00:10:57.53\00:10:58.84
Well, it was a miracle
really because the Mother church
00:10:58.87\00:11:02.41
decided to close
down on Sabbath morning
00:11:02.44\00:11:05.23
to celebrate the birth of
their daughter congregation.
00:11:05.26\00:11:07.49
Isn't that great? It
was a very high Sabbath.
00:11:07.52\00:11:09.46
Fantastic. So what
happened from there?
00:11:09.49\00:11:12.04
I think we have some photos
of some other church plants
00:11:12.07\00:11:15.43
that came from there.
00:11:15.46\00:11:17.57
In fact, in a period of 11 years
00:11:17.60\00:11:21.75
that particular church
planted four congregations.
00:11:21.78\00:11:24.93
In addition, there
were other churches
00:11:24.96\00:11:26.46
that were
influenced in the area to plant
00:11:26.49\00:11:29.72
and very soon we had 11
new churches in the area.
00:11:29.75\00:11:33.63
Fantastic.
00:11:33.66\00:11:35.65
So what happens
is it catches on,
00:11:35.68\00:11:37.99
it's almost
contagious in the growth.
00:11:38.02\00:11:39.61
Yes.
00:11:39.64\00:11:40.96
Now tell me-- share
an experience of someone
00:11:40.99\00:11:44.67
who came to know Jesus
through the church plant.
00:11:44.70\00:11:47.29
I remember a lady,
00:11:47.32\00:11:48.35
this is a very unusual
circumstance that happened.
00:11:48.38\00:11:51.68
One of our pastors
was visiting in her home
00:11:51.71\00:11:54.12
and all of a sudden
there was another voice
00:11:54.15\00:11:55.76
that began to speak in the room
00:11:55.79\00:11:57.71
and they realized that
there was some demonic activity
00:11:57.74\00:12:00.05
that was going
on with this lady.
00:12:00.08\00:12:02.79
They purposely
scheduled her baptism
00:12:02.82\00:12:04.52
as the very last
baptism of the day,
00:12:04.55\00:12:07.49
just to make sure that
nothing would happen that way
00:12:07.52\00:12:09.54
but she had
actually been convinced
00:12:09.57\00:12:12.26
that she needed to kill
her own children, by the devil.
00:12:12.29\00:12:16.84
And by her this
church plant happening,
00:12:16.87\00:12:20.01
her responding to
evangelism the church was doing,
00:12:20.04\00:12:22.26
her life was
completely transformed by Jesus.
00:12:22.29\00:12:24.95
And it was
really exciting to see
00:12:24.98\00:12:26.58
when Jesus got a
hold of her heart.
00:12:26.61\00:12:29.11
Oh yeah, wow.
00:12:29.14\00:12:30.87
Now church plants,
the statistics show us
00:12:30.90\00:12:34.45
that they tend to
go a whole lot faster
00:12:34.48\00:12:36.55
than established churches.
00:12:36.58\00:12:38.36
Tell us about that.
00:12:38.39\00:12:40.25
One of the interesting
things that we noted,
00:12:40.28\00:12:42.23
we began to do some studies
00:12:42.26\00:12:43.52
to see what was the result
00:12:43.55\00:12:44.87
that was taking place
from this church plants
00:12:44.90\00:12:47.49
that we were
doing and we discovered
00:12:47.52\00:12:49.61
over that eight
year period of time
00:12:49.64\00:12:52.92
that we had a 11.6
percent annual conversion group,
00:12:52.95\00:12:57.10
baptismal growth
over a 1,000 people,
00:12:57.13\00:12:59.81
almost 1,100 people baptized
during that period of time.
00:12:59.84\00:13:03.07
And I believe it's
because church planting
00:13:03.10\00:13:05.86
when it's done in a healthy way
00:13:05.89\00:13:07.99
is really focused on reaching
the harvest, on growing.
00:13:08.02\00:13:12.37
And many times in
our established churches,
00:13:12.40\00:13:14.14
we get focused on maintaining
00:13:14.17\00:13:16.44
and just continuing
what we have been doing
00:13:16.47\00:13:18.90
and when you are
focused on growing,
00:13:18.93\00:13:20.39
on reaching the
harvest, reaching lost people,
00:13:20.42\00:13:22.94
I believe God blesses
that in powerful ways.
00:13:22.97\00:13:25.58
When you are
starting a new congregation,
00:13:25.61\00:13:27.59
you don't have to
worry about fights
00:13:27.62\00:13:30.49
among the church members
or divisions or maintaining
00:13:30.52\00:13:34.38
what you have got
but you got nothing
00:13:34.41\00:13:35.63
or let's say, you're
100% on the community.
00:13:35.66\00:13:37.61
Yeah, well, the
devil will still attack.
00:13:37.64\00:13:39.51
Church planting has
plenty of challenges
00:13:39.54\00:13:41.65
that come in each direction
00:13:41.68\00:13:43.60
simply because you're
going into enemy territory.
00:13:43.63\00:13:46.92
Well, it's also very stressful
for the church planter,
00:13:46.95\00:13:50.71
this is not a easy work.
00:13:50.74\00:13:51.99
No, it's not and you
need a prayer support team
00:13:52.02\00:13:54.70
and you need to be
grounded spiritually yourself
00:13:54.73\00:13:57.32
and realize that
it is God's work,
00:13:57.35\00:13:59.74
it's not about us.
00:13:59.77\00:14:01.19
God is the one that sustains
you and strengthens you for it,
00:14:01.22\00:14:04.18
because you will be challenged.
00:14:04.21\00:14:06.32
Now is this only for pastors
00:14:06.35\00:14:08.54
or can lay people get
involved in church planting?
00:14:08.57\00:14:11.02
Oh, it's I believe we
want to do all the above.
00:14:11.05\00:14:14.34
We need to plant
a lot of churches
00:14:14.37\00:14:15.86
and so, I'm for
pastors planting churches
00:14:15.89\00:14:17.90
and for lay
people planting churches
00:14:17.93\00:14:20.14
and for us working together
00:14:20.17\00:14:22.26
to see a jet of light
in every city and village.
00:14:22.29\00:14:25.10
Fantastic.
00:14:25.13\00:14:26.42
Tom, thank you very
much for joining us today.
00:14:26.45\00:14:28.83
And viewers at home,
00:14:28.86\00:14:31.45
please pray for those who
are involved in church planting.
00:14:31.48\00:14:34.17
It is a challenging,
difficult mission field
00:14:34.20\00:14:37.64
to start a new congregation
and also pray to see,
00:14:37.67\00:14:41.02
maybe God is calling you
to be involved in some way
00:14:41.05\00:14:44.22
in starting up new
groups of believers for Him.
00:14:44.25\00:14:47.24
I'd like to
welcome Ricky Oliveras.
00:15:25.21\00:15:26.82
Welcome, Ricky. Thank you.
00:15:26.85\00:15:28.39
Now, Ricky, you're
usually behind the camera
00:15:28.42\00:15:30.55
rather than in front
00:15:30.58\00:15:31.95
as a video producer
for Adventist Mission.
00:15:31.98\00:15:34.95
Mission is important to you,
it's been part of your life.
00:15:34.98\00:15:38.71
Why is mission important to you?
00:15:38.74\00:15:41.02
Mission is very
important to me because I've--
00:15:41.05\00:15:43.86
it's something that
I've learnt to kind of grasp
00:15:43.89\00:15:46.68
as I've as I've
know gotten older,
00:15:46.71\00:15:48.15
it's something that and my
church was really important
00:15:48.18\00:15:51.38
and members kind
of implanted into me
00:15:51.41\00:15:53.50
and as I've done it
more, I've seen the value in it
00:15:53.53\00:15:56.79
and how reaching the people,
00:15:56.82\00:15:58.59
you know, in
various parts of the world
00:15:58.62\00:16:00.23
and even in US is important.
00:16:00.26\00:16:02.63
You know, we're
supposed to lead people to God,
00:16:02.66\00:16:05.01
it's our call from God.
00:16:05.04\00:16:06.98
Now, when you
are a college student
00:16:07.01\00:16:08.95
you decided that
you would accept a call
00:16:08.98\00:16:11.78
to service to go to Thailand.
00:16:11.81\00:16:15.10
What made you
decide to start to do that?
00:16:15.13\00:16:16.81
I mean, I'm sure you had a
fairly comfortable existence
00:16:16.84\00:16:19.16
as a college student?
00:16:19.19\00:16:20.41
Yeah, I enjoyed
college very much.
00:16:20.44\00:16:22.87
I felt very comfortable there
00:16:22.90\00:16:24.23
and somebody mentioned you
know being a student missionary
00:16:24.26\00:16:27.70
to me one time
00:16:27.73\00:16:28.76
and to me that was
something I was like
00:16:28.79\00:16:31.94
oh, you know that will be cool,
00:16:31.97\00:16:33.03
but I don't know if I
really want to do that.
00:16:33.06\00:16:35.42
But I decided to pray about it
and the more I prayed about it,
00:16:35.45\00:16:38.72
the more I was convinced that
00:16:38.75\00:16:40.54
you know God really
wants me to go out there
00:16:40.57\00:16:42.09
and do this thing.
00:16:42.12\00:16:44.02
I'm really glad that I did it,
it had a huge impact on my life.
00:16:44.05\00:16:47.83
In what way?
00:16:47.86\00:16:49.69
I think the biggest way
that it had an impact on me
00:16:49.72\00:16:52.27
is I went over to Thailand
00:16:52.30\00:16:54.20
thinking I was gonna be
doing video production you know
00:16:54.23\00:16:58.24
because that's where the call
was for and God worked on me
00:16:58.27\00:17:03.49
and kind of broke my focus
in a way and showed me that--
00:17:03.52\00:17:08.54
yeah, I was going
to do video production
00:17:08.57\00:17:10.11
but also God wanted
me to do different things
00:17:10.14\00:17:12.89
like medical missionary work
00:17:12.92\00:17:14.98
which by no means I have
any kind of qualifications for,
00:17:15.01\00:17:18.10
you know, God is
the one who qualifies
00:17:18.13\00:17:20.45
you to do all these things
and just I'm not a preacher
00:17:20.48\00:17:25.00
but God wanted me
to speak His words
00:17:25.03\00:17:27.56
to the people of Thailand.
00:17:27.59\00:17:28.62
So I found myself really
doing more than I thought
00:17:28.65\00:17:33.34
I was gonna do
and if I had known
00:17:33.37\00:17:36.06
that before I would have
been very nervous about it
00:17:36.09\00:17:38.01
but at the time, it
was really a blessing to me
00:17:38.04\00:17:41.47
to come back knowing that
I'm capable of doing anything
00:17:41.50\00:17:45.12
that he calls me to do.
00:17:45.15\00:17:46.53
Excellent, now I saw you working
in the rice fields there,
00:17:46.56\00:17:50.01
tell us about that.
00:17:50.04\00:17:51.42
Yeah, like I said there
are a lot of different ways
00:17:51.45\00:17:55.03
that we witness to people
00:17:55.06\00:17:56.47
and one of the
ways was just going
00:17:56.50\00:17:59.47
and working in the
fields with the people
00:17:59.50\00:18:02.01
and just kind of getting
on their level and saying,
00:18:02.04\00:18:04.48
you know, I'm
not better than you.
00:18:04.51\00:18:06.60
I am willing to come out
here and just work with you
00:18:06.63\00:18:10.42
and just be there
and spend time with you.
00:18:10.45\00:18:13.15
So that's one way
of reaching people
00:18:13.18\00:18:16.42
is just spending time with them,
00:18:16.45\00:18:18.17
getting to know them,
you know mingling with them.
00:18:18.20\00:18:20.96
Fantastic.
00:18:20.99\00:18:22.02
Now did you have the opportunity
to see anybody accept Jesus
00:18:22.05\00:18:27.13
or see anybody's lives
change while you were there?
00:18:27.16\00:18:30.38
Absolutely.
00:18:30.41\00:18:31.94
We saw definite work
in the people of Thailand.
00:18:31.97\00:18:37.91
Sometimes, you go
somewhere and you plant a seed
00:18:37.94\00:18:41.03
and you don't really
see the result of the seed
00:18:41.06\00:18:42.92
which is which is fine,
00:18:42.95\00:18:44.48
you know, you
have to be patient,
00:18:44.51\00:18:45.79
you know God is
working in His time.
00:18:45.82\00:18:48.07
But I was fortunate enough
to see people accept Jesus
00:18:48.10\00:18:52.29
and even a few
people were baptized
00:18:52.32\00:18:55.09
and that's
extremely rewarding to see
00:18:55.12\00:18:58.62
that type of work being done.
00:18:58.65\00:19:00.28
The result of your work
where people decide that
00:19:00.31\00:19:04.15
Jesus is their savior
and they accept Him for that.
00:19:04.18\00:19:08.78
Somebody watching
this program may think--
00:19:08.81\00:19:10.81
maybe I should
try being a volunteer.
00:19:10.84\00:19:12.44
What would you say to somebody
who asked you, should I do it?
00:19:12.47\00:19:17.29
I would, my first
suggestion is to pray about it,
00:19:17.32\00:19:20.51
pray a lot about it and
God is calling everybody
00:19:20.54\00:19:23.78
in some way or another
00:19:23.81\00:19:25.03
and so if, if you
feel that that is the way
00:19:25.06\00:19:28.25
that God is
calling you, pray about it
00:19:28.28\00:19:30.63
and you know, talk
about it to somebody else
00:19:30.66\00:19:34.45
and go to the
Adventist Mission website
00:19:34.48\00:19:38.14
and look for information
00:19:38.17\00:19:39.93
and see how
they can get involved
00:19:39.96\00:19:42.23
in different parts of the world
00:19:42.26\00:19:43.61
or even in
their-- in their area.
00:19:43.64\00:19:46.87
Now, in the intro to
this program you mentioned
00:19:46.90\00:19:49.51
how you moved to Washington DC
00:19:49.54\00:19:50.98
and there was a cultural
change but was nothing like
00:19:51.01\00:19:53.58
when you went to Thailand,
00:19:53.61\00:19:54.64
what sort of
cultural adjustments
00:19:54.67\00:19:56.89
did you have to make?
00:19:56.92\00:19:58.35
Yeah, there were so many
different cultural adjustments
00:19:58.38\00:20:01.01
to go through
because Thailand and the US
00:20:01.04\00:20:03.66
are completely
opposite countries.
00:20:03.69\00:20:06.32
There's food, there's
little cultural things
00:20:06.35\00:20:10.19
that you need to be
aware of when you go such as--
00:20:10.22\00:20:13.82
you are not supposed to
point your feet at somebody
00:20:13.85\00:20:16.14
or something little
like that can offend people
00:20:16.17\00:20:18.62
so you need to kind
of do your research,
00:20:18.65\00:20:21.95
look to see how you
can relate to the people
00:20:21.98\00:20:25.63
and see what the
best way to reach them is,
00:20:25.66\00:20:29.32
but there are so many
different cultural differences
00:20:29.35\00:20:32.15
you know, we're not used to--
00:20:32.18\00:20:33.83
to their life style and
so it takes time to adjust
00:20:33.86\00:20:37.13
but it's also a thrill in a
way to be able to get to know
00:20:37.16\00:20:42.08
the people there
and how they live
00:20:42.11\00:20:44.47
and after, after being there
00:20:44.50\00:20:46.72
you know I
learnt to really love it
00:20:46.75\00:20:48.19
and appreciate their
culture in different ways,
00:20:48.22\00:20:51.81
so I enjoyed it very much.
00:20:51.84\00:20:54.08
Yeah, often I talk to people
00:20:54.11\00:20:55.19
who've been
involved in mission service
00:20:55.22\00:20:56.55
and they talk about
yes, I was able to minister
00:20:56.58\00:20:59.17
but the people ministered
to me as well, I learnt.
00:20:59.20\00:21:02.44
What did you learn
from the people in Thailand?
00:21:02.47\00:21:04.45
Oh, I learned many things.
00:21:04.48\00:21:06.23
I learned patience, it
was a one big thing you know
00:21:06.26\00:21:09.24
because not
everybody is on time.
00:21:09.27\00:21:12.58
So we have to wait for people
and that was one big thing
00:21:12.61\00:21:15.71
but I just learned you
know the people of Thailand
00:21:15.74\00:21:18.24
are extremely kind
00:21:18.27\00:21:20.71
and it's nicknamed the
land of smiles for a reason,
00:21:20.74\00:21:24.82
people are very kind
and so, they taught me,
00:21:24.85\00:21:27.03
you know, I can be very--
I can be friendly to people
00:21:27.06\00:21:31.89
I don't even know.
00:21:31.92\00:21:32.95
You know, I grew up
in the New York area
00:21:32.98\00:21:35.54
so to me people
are on the go, busy,
00:21:35.57\00:21:38.65
you know, back and
forth all the time,
00:21:38.68\00:21:40.98
not really paying attention
to the people around them
00:21:41.01\00:21:43.23
but going over there,
complete strangers smile at you,
00:21:43.26\00:21:48.19
they are friendly and it was
just really nice thing to learn.
00:21:48.22\00:21:53.23
Fantastic.
00:21:53.26\00:21:54.29
Ricky, thank you so much
for sharing with us today.
00:21:54.32\00:21:56.87
Thank you.
00:21:56.90\00:21:58.31
And to our viewers at home,
00:21:58.34\00:22:00.26
maybe after listening to Ricky
talk about his experiences,
00:22:00.29\00:22:03.95
you maybe asking perhaps,
perhaps I could be a volunteer.
00:22:03.98\00:22:08.66
Well, perhaps you could.
00:22:08.69\00:22:09.82
Go to adventistmission.org,
00:22:09.85\00:22:12.03
have a look at the
various opportunities
00:22:12.06\00:22:14.16
that are
available around the world.
00:22:14.19\00:22:16.49
It may be teaching English
as a second language in Korea,
00:22:16.52\00:22:19.44
and maybe going
to South East Asia.
00:22:19.47\00:22:21.74
Maybe God has some experience
00:22:21.77\00:22:23.58
that He wants you to
be involved in for Him.
00:22:23.61\00:22:26.39
And while you're at our website,
00:22:26.42\00:22:27.52
make sure that you take time
00:22:27.55\00:22:28.84
to look at the videos,
the photos, the stories,
00:22:28.87\00:22:31.34
the inspiration of volunteers,
missionaries, church planters,
00:22:31.37\00:22:34.88
Global Mission Pioneers
00:22:34.91\00:22:36.55
and please pray for
volunteers around the world.
00:22:36.58\00:22:40.65
It can be lonely,
it can be discouraging,
00:22:40.68\00:22:43.00
it can be very challenging
00:22:43.03\00:22:44.55
but it's very
encouraging for them
00:22:44.58\00:22:46.03
to know that there is a family
of people around the world
00:22:46.06\00:22:49.33
who are praying for
them in their mission.
00:22:49.36\00:22:52.21
She used to
convince her friends,
00:22:54.61\00:22:57.20
you know, not
to go to the center
00:22:57.23\00:22:59.20
or not to go to church
00:22:59.23\00:23:00.46
you know when the
teacher would invite them.
00:23:00.49\00:23:03.89
Kelly McClurg was a social
work graphic design student
00:23:19.53\00:23:23.04
at Southern Adventist
University in Tennessee
00:23:23.07\00:23:25.35
when she decided
to go to Thailand
00:23:25.38\00:23:27.87
as a student missionary with
Adventist Volunteer Services.
00:23:27.90\00:23:31.49
I actually didn't decide,
00:23:31.52\00:23:34.07
God kind of decided
that for me, you can say.
00:23:34.10\00:23:36.77
Kelly had friends who
were going to Thailand
00:23:36.80\00:23:38.97
and they kept
asking her to go with them.
00:23:39.00\00:23:41.18
No, I would see
them every so often,
00:23:41.21\00:23:42.96
but they would ask me,
00:23:42.99\00:23:44.02
'Kelly, do you want to come
to Thailand with us next year'
00:23:44.05\00:23:47.06
and 'I think you should come.'
00:23:47.09\00:23:49.85
But Thailand was a long
way from school and home
00:23:49.88\00:23:53.11
and Kelly wasn't sure
00:23:53.14\00:23:54.29
that's where God
wanted her to be.
00:23:54.33\00:23:56.90
I guess I couldn't really say no
00:23:56.93\00:23:59.03
because I hadn't
actually prayed about it,
00:23:59.06\00:24:01.33
and I didn't know for sure
if God didn't want me to go.
00:24:01.36\00:24:04.79
So as I started
praying about it,
00:24:04.82\00:24:07.15
God kept revealing
to me in subtle ways
00:24:07.18\00:24:09.47
and then not so subtle ways
00:24:09.50\00:24:11.20
that this is where
He wanted me to be.
00:24:11.23\00:24:13.46
So I said, okay, I'll go.
00:24:13.49\00:24:16.74
Kelly ended up in Bangkok
00:24:16.77\00:24:18.47
at an Adventist
outreach center in Thonburi.
00:24:18.50\00:24:21.34
That's where she met Yuwi.
00:24:21.37\00:24:23.09
Yuwi's parents ran a shoe store
00:24:23.12\00:24:24.84
and were well
known in the community.
00:24:24.87\00:24:26.96
Yuwi used that influence to try
00:24:26.99\00:24:28.72
and stop her friends
from going to the center.
00:24:28.75\00:24:31.66
Sometimes, she would
even come on Sabbaths
00:24:31.69\00:24:34.01
and you know or during
school and, and just to see,
00:24:34.04\00:24:38.83
you know, who came to class.
00:24:38.86\00:24:40.31
So that after they left,
then she would go talk to them
00:24:40.34\00:24:43.33
and say, you know, the center
is not really a good place.
00:24:43.36\00:24:45.94
Maybe you
shouldn't be going there.
00:24:45.97\00:24:47.92
But the Holy Spirit
and people like Kelly
00:24:47.95\00:24:50.03
were having an
effect on Yuwi's heart.
00:24:50.06\00:24:53.02
But for some reason,
she would keep coming.
00:24:53.05\00:24:56.94
And but also every
time she would come,
00:24:56.97\00:24:59.72
like if she came
to church you know,
00:24:59.75\00:25:02.05
she would keep hearing the Bible
00:25:02.08\00:25:04.00
and hearing you know
Jackson teach about God.
00:25:04.03\00:25:07.52
And she would hear the
sermons and then she would also
00:25:07.55\00:25:11.02
you know, feel
the love around her
00:25:11.05\00:25:13.00
of the other church
members and the people
00:25:13.03\00:25:15.22
and so you
know, we have all seen
00:25:15.25\00:25:19.53
a huge change in
her life and her heart.
00:25:19.56\00:25:22.53
Kelly and Yuwi became friends.
00:25:23.78\00:25:26.17
They enjoy talking
together, shopping, just walking
00:25:26.20\00:25:29.21
and their
favorite, eating ice cream.
00:25:29.24\00:25:31.58
Since I'm a people
person, I've really enjoyed
00:25:31.61\00:25:35.16
just getting to know
people across the city.
00:25:35.19\00:25:38.47
You know, and different types
from different parts of Thailand
00:25:38.50\00:25:42.25
and from, you know,
different backgrounds,
00:25:42.28\00:25:45.01
every person is so different.
00:25:45.04\00:25:47.14
While in Thailand,
Kelly's job was to visit people
00:25:47.17\00:25:50.10
whose lives have been changed
00:25:50.13\00:25:51.58
by the various church planting
projects across Bangkok.
00:25:51.61\00:25:55.18
Kelly would write their stories
00:25:55.21\00:25:56.68
to share with
others so they could see
00:25:56.71\00:25:58.28
how the Holy
Spirit was touching hearts
00:25:58.31\00:26:00.62
and changing
lives in this vast city.
00:26:00.65\00:26:04.31
Kelly returned to her home
and school in the Untied States
00:26:04.34\00:26:07.37
and Yuwi, her story
is still being written.
00:26:07.40\00:26:10.85
Please pray for
Yuwi and people like her
00:26:10.88\00:26:12.96
in Bangkok and around the world.
00:26:12.99\00:26:15.77
Most Adventist
volunteers would tell you
00:26:20.58\00:26:22.86
that their time of
service was life changing.
00:26:22.89\00:26:26.35
And maybe it
could be for you too.
00:26:26.38\00:26:28.95
To see currently
available volunteer positions
00:26:28.98\00:26:32.06
all around the world,
just visit adventistmission.org
00:26:32.09\00:26:36.04
and choose serve and
then volunteer openings.
00:26:36.07\00:26:39.88
Among your own outsight,
00:26:39.91\00:26:41.17
be sure to look at all
the resources and stories
00:26:41.20\00:26:44.58
for making mission come
alive for your church or family.
00:26:44.61\00:26:48.55
Each quarter,
Adventist Mission produces
00:26:48.58\00:26:50.83
an inspiring collection
of video mission stories
00:26:50.86\00:26:54.88
and reports for the
Adventist Mission DVD.
00:26:54.91\00:26:58.48
If you live in North America
00:26:58.51\00:26:59.84
and you would like a
free sample copy of this DVD,
00:26:59.87\00:27:02.95
just call or visit our website
00:27:02.98\00:27:05.43
and ask for
Adventist Mission DVD
00:27:05.46\00:27:08.19
or Offer Number 303.
00:27:08.22\00:27:10.92
Don't forget to clearly
state your name, full address
00:27:10.95\00:27:14.50
and be sure to
mention Adventist Mission DVD
00:27:14.53\00:27:17.70
or Offer 303.
00:27:17.73\00:27:20.22
Again to receive
your free sample copy
00:27:20.25\00:27:23.03
of the Adventist Mission DVD,
00:27:23.06\00:27:25.26
just call the toll free number
on your screen 1800-648-5824
00:27:25.29\00:27:31.89
and ask for the
Adventist Mission DVD
00:27:31.92\00:27:34.65
or Offer 303.
00:27:34.68\00:27:36.71
Or you can just
visit our website
00:27:36.74\00:27:38.34
at
adventistmission.org/offer 303.
00:27:38.37\00:27:43.15
Well, that's it
for today's program
00:27:43.18\00:27:45.20
and I hope that
you've been inspired
00:27:45.23\00:27:47.05
and maybe even challenged
by what you've seen and heard.
00:27:47.08\00:27:50.98
Thank you again for
your continuing support
00:27:51.01\00:27:53.83
of Global Mission
with your prayers,
00:27:53.86\00:27:55.90
your financial support
and your personal involvement.
00:27:55.93\00:27:59.95
Until next time, I'm
Gary Krause, God bless.
00:27:59.98\00:28:03.55