Participants: Gary Krause (Host), G. T. Ng, Aaron Sartin, Sally Sartin
Series Code: GMS
Program Code: GMS000012
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00:01 Just the single encounter with another human being
00:03 can make all the difference in someone's life. 00:07 What people have impacted your life? 00:10 Let's find out how one man's life 00:11 was completely changed by an encounter 00:14 with an Adventist missionary many years ago. 00:16 That's coming up next on "Global Mission Snapshots." 00:24 Just before He went up to heaven, 00:26 Jesus gave us a command. 00:29 He gave us a mission. 00:32 Jesus said, go. 00:34 Go unto all the world, 00:37 telling them of His love. 00:39 This is our mission. This is our "Global Mission." 00:49 Hello and welcome to "Global Mission Snapshots." 00:51 I'm Gary Krause. 00:53 Imagine packing your bags 00:54 and moving half way around the world 00:57 leaving your friends and family right behind. 01:00 Now imagine moving to a country 01:01 where the culture, customs, foods, 01:04 languages are all vastly different 01:07 from what you are used to. 01:09 Now depending on your personality 01:10 that could either sound scary or exciting. 01:13 But every year hundreds of Adventist missionaries 01:16 and volunteers answer God's call to serve us 01:19 and they do exactly that. 01:21 They aren't all from North America 01:23 or Europe or Australia, 01:25 they come from all over the world 01:27 but they all have one thing in common, 01:30 they're answering God's call to serve us. 01:33 On today's program we will meet 01:35 two missionary doctors serving in Nepal, 01:37 a land locked country sandwiched between India and China. 01:41 And we'll talk to G. T. Ng, the executive secretary 01:45 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 01:48 A long time advocate of mission 01:50 Dr. Ng served in Cambodia, Malaysia, 01:53 the Philippines and his native Singapore. 01:56 But first up, let's meet a teacher in India 01:59 whose life was completely changed 02:02 by an Adventist missionary and an Adventist school. 02:07 In moments like these I sing out a song 02:13 I sing out a love song to You 02:18 Today is a normal day 02:19 like any other at this Adventist school. 02:22 Parents drop off their children and students 02:24 gather in the courtyard for morning worship. 02:28 This is the Busy Bee Adventist School in Goa, India. 02:34 While most of Indian was under British rule, 02:36 Goa was one of the few areas colonized by the Portuguese. 02:40 Goa gained independence from Portugal in 1961 02:44 and this heavily catholic area 02:45 became India's 25th state in 1987. 02:50 But that seems like ancient history 02:52 to the young students in the school today, 02:54 as they start another day of classes. 03:00 Just as he does on any other day, 03:02 Reuben Doddamani goes about his business 03:05 as the first assistant principal of the school. 03:09 Like the students he teaches, 03:11 Reuben was once a Student 03:12 at a Seventh-day Adventist school. 03:15 Reuben was a young boy 03:16 when his father learned about Seventh-day Adventists. 03:19 My father heard the messages 03:25 that were broadcasted on the radio-- 03:30 so he was able to listen 03:31 to these messages of Seventh-day Adventists 03:34 and he corresponded with them, 03:35 he was enrolled for the Voice of Prophecy. 03:38 Reuben's father invited an Adventist missionary 03:40 to come to the village to hold meetings. 03:43 When the missionary left, he took Reuben, 03:46 his brother and three other children 03:48 to the Adventist school in Bangalore. 03:51 Leaving home at such a young age was hard on Reuben. 03:55 I was missing my mother and my parents, father also 04:01 but my father would tell us 04:03 that you be near the gate I'll come back 04:05 with some chocolates and he would go away 04:08 and so we would be in the hostel. 04:11 Thinking back to that time 04:13 Reuben knows how hard it was for his father 04:14 to let him go and how he was misunderstood 04:17 by others in the village. 04:19 Other accused him for selling the children 04:22 but now they praise him 04:23 for the good work that he has done. 04:26 As Reuben grew so did his love for Jesus. 04:29 He was baptized when Pastor Gordon Jensen 04:32 another Adventist missionary came into his life. 04:36 This was the year 1980, 04:38 when Pastor Jensen came to Lowry Memorial College 04:41 where I was studying 04:43 and he conducted week of prayer 04:45 and I felt that God has-- the right time 04:48 He has called me to be part of His church 04:51 so I decided to take baptism. 04:54 After finishing high school, 04:56 Reuben longed to become a minister. 04:58 But he didn't have the money to go to seminary. 05:00 So he became a teacher. 05:03 Today, Reuben realizes that God had another plan for his life, 05:07 a plan that had him ministering to students. 05:11 I feel that God has chosen me for this ministry. 05:15 And so through this institution 05:17 I can be a witness for Him. 05:19 The children are our future citizen. 05:22 And it is, here we can teach them 05:25 about the love of Jesus. 05:27 Even outside of school, 05:28 Reuben still ministers to others. 05:31 He visits families, talking with them 05:33 and sharing his faith in practical ways. 05:37 One family lives on the beach 05:38 and fishes for a living 05:39 from their round basket boats. 05:50 We have some fishing communities 05:52 which come from other states, 05:54 Karnataka, during this off seasons 05:57 where they do fishing at the coastal areas. 06:00 And we do visit them 06:02 and have prayer with them and talk to them. 06:03 They are illiterates, they do no know 06:04 to read and write. 06:06 But we talk to them about the love of Jesus 06:09 and how He died for us 06:10 and how He is coming back again. 06:12 In his own way and in his own place 06:16 Reuben is doing his part 06:17 to tell the world about Jesus' love. 06:20 I've chosen the right path. 06:22 I'm so happy that during that early age 06:25 my parents were able to send me to the boarding school. 06:30 So I'm so thankful God has chosen me to be 06:33 in His vineyard to serve Him, 06:35 in the capacity of teacher in this school. 06:38 As he goes about his daily work, 06:40 Reuben is thankful 06:42 that Adventist missionaries came to India 06:44 and made a profound difference on his life. 06:47 Their work lives on through Reuben 06:49 and their work lives on in the lives of the students 06:52 he is teaching to love Jesus. 06:55 Thank you for your faithful prayers 06:57 and support of the mission offering. 06:59 To learn more about mission, 07:01 please visit AdventistMission.org. 07:08 I'm happy to welcome, Dr. G.T. Ng, 07:10 the executive secretary of the General Conference 07:13 to talk with us today. Welcome, Dr. Ng. 07:15 Thank you. 07:16 You know, as we look 07:17 at the mission challenge that faces 07:19 the Seventh-day Adventist Church 07:20 we think of the 10/40 Window, 07:22 we think of the growing secular and postmodern populations, 07:27 but we also look at the big urban areas. 07:31 What sort of a challenge are the cities to us today. 07:37 Statistics have shown that more and more people 07:41 are migrating to urban centers in the world. 07:48 People from Africa migrating to Europe and America, 07:53 people from Asia are migrating to Australia. 07:58 But even within countries, 08:00 people having internal migrations. 08:02 You know, China, for example rural area 08:06 many peasants are moving to cities 08:08 because lives are better or perceived to be better. 08:12 They can find job, they have conveniences all there 08:15 and so internal migration is a very real part 08:19 of different countries around the world. 08:21 India is a same thing. 08:24 Brazil having the same experience as well. 08:28 As a church our previous missionary strategy 08:34 has been to work 08:35 among the villages and the islands. 08:39 For 50 years, for 60 years, for 100 years, 08:43 we have been concentrating on those areas which is fine. 08:49 Villagers and islanders they need to be won 08:53 to the kingdom of God, no question about it. 08:55 But in doing so we have been neglecting 09:00 people living in cities 09:03 and as we witness in the world situation today, 09:07 more than half of the world's population live in city 09:09 and what do we do as a church 09:12 which almost with that exception. 09:15 When we go to a certain country 09:17 you go to the capital city 09:18 for example, you find 09:20 very few Seventh-day Adventist Churches 09:22 with exception of Jakarta, for example, 09:25 which has 110 or 112 churches right now. 09:30 This is a rare exception. 09:33 Sao Paulo is another rare exception. 09:36 One of the highest concentration 09:38 of Seventh-day Adventist believers in any one single city 09:42 but aside from that 09:44 we have very weak presence in cities 09:47 and we have to do something about it. 09:49 Is that because Adventists just like to live in the country? 09:52 Why have we neglected the cities? 09:54 There are many reasons for that. 09:56 Number one, we tend to concentrate 09:59 our mission strategy in areas that has the least resistance. 10:03 That's easier. 10:04 Money can go a long way in villages, 10:08 you just pitch a tent 10:09 and people will come for evangelistic meeting 10:11 but not in cities. 10:14 It calls for different methodology 10:16 and is expensive and when money is tight, 10:20 you tend to spend 10:21 where money goes a longer way. 10:23 Right. 10:24 You know, so that's one reason. 10:27 Another reason is because of our publications in the past. 10:31 We used to publish from the white estate. 10:36 You know, the beauty of country living 10:39 and which is fine. 10:42 You know, there's no question 10:44 that city has many evils. 10:49 Ellen White has a lot to say about 10:52 city being areas where young people 10:57 should not find themselves if they can help it, you know. 11:01 Even evangelist people who work in cities 11:04 they have to be specially chosen, 11:06 because they may be subject to temptation in cities. 11:09 Cities are just like evil and we cannot deny that. 11:14 But-- and so because of all this different philosophies 11:19 we tend to neglect cities. 11:21 So, as we look at the challenge 11:23 and we feel the need to respond. 11:26 What methodology, what approach 11:28 should we be considering 11:30 when we talk about ministry in cities. 11:32 We have thought about this question many, many times. 11:36 I used to teach a course in urban mission. 11:40 I now wrestle, I wrestle with the best models 11:46 that we can find. 11:47 So I sculpted the world, I read all that I could read 11:51 and of course we do have successes 11:53 in different corners of the world. 11:55 You know, where they have been very good 11:59 in reaching people living in cities. 12:02 Australia is one, Brazil is another one, 12:07 but there are very few models for us to follow. 12:12 And so I've come to the conclusion 12:14 that the most defective methodology 12:20 of reaching people in city 12:21 is total mobilization of our membership. 12:25 I think that's a key to success. 12:28 Many times we look for the silver bullet. 12:30 We say, what is that methodology 12:36 that I can adopt that will win people in the city? 12:38 It's just not there. 12:40 The silver bullet is just not there. 12:42 We have to mobilize our membership 12:46 making sure that everyone 12:48 is a working member of the church. 12:50 We ask the question, where is the church on Sabbath? 12:53 The church is in the sanctuary on Sabbath. 12:57 Where is the church on Monday? Where is it? 13:01 Members say, I don't know. 13:04 But little have they realized that they are the church. 13:07 They represent the church in the workplace 13:10 during the week days. 13:11 So what have we done to train them? 13:13 And I think this is one key components 13:16 without that link to the world 13:19 we are getting nowhere. 13:20 So to me, members are absolutely critical 13:25 in the success of urban mission. 13:26 They have to bring friends and relatives 13:30 and their loved ones and their colleagues 13:33 to the church because we as ministers, 13:37 we cannot depend on public evangelism to do the trick. 13:42 It's just not going to work. 13:44 And we're reminded of Ellen White 13:46 talking about Christ messages of the holistic method, 13:50 long term on the ground commitment. 13:52 So it is a long term process. 13:56 It is not a drive by night kind of venture. 14:02 So the traditional public evangelism is not gonna work. 14:05 I just came back from Zambia two weeks ago and thank God 14:10 we have 800,000 members in Zambia. 14:13 And evangelistic method is still working there. 14:18 You pitch a tent, people will come 14:20 and you can baptize people by the hundreds, 14:22 is still working there. 14:23 But that's not true elsewhere around the world. 14:27 So we need to have many different approaches 14:29 and we need church members involved. 14:32 Certainly, certainly. Yeah. 14:33 Dr. Ng, thank you so much for sharing with us today. 14:34 It's my pleasure. 15:14 My guests are Aaron and Sally Sartin 15:16 who are missionaries to the country of Nepal 15:19 and with them we have a young man 15:21 here by the name of Caleb. 15:23 And who is this precious little bundle in your arms, Sally? 15:27 This is Hannah. 15:28 Hannah looks to me like she is not very old. 15:32 Nope, she is 16 days old. 15:34 Sixteen days old 15:35 and I guess she is an American, born right here. 15:38 Yes. 15:39 So you just came back from Nepal 15:41 for some short vacation and to have the baby. 15:46 Little Hannah is now going to be traveling 15:49 to the country of Nepal with you. 15:50 Looking forward to that I'm sure that plane trip. 15:55 Tell me you are in Nepal, 15:56 how long have you been serving there? 15:59 We have been serving there, 16:00 we started the first of May 2011, 16:02 so little over 13 months or so. 16:04 Okay so you are both medical doctors, 16:07 and you're at Scheer Memorial Hospital. 16:09 Tell us little bit about the hospital. 16:12 The hospital Scheer Memorial, it started all from the work 16:16 of an Adventist physician missionary, 16:19 a first missionary to Nepal, Stanley Sturges. 16:22 He and his family were there, 16:25 just shortly after Nepal actually opened up. 16:27 Nepal is a kingdom for a long time 16:29 and around 50's or so opened up to outside help. 16:32 Before that there were no hospitals 16:33 or anything in the country. 16:35 So he approach the king, it was a kingdom at that time 16:38 and the king told them to go to a certain district 16:41 to set up a clinic. 16:43 And at that time that was the only medical--medical care 16:48 that people receive at that time. 16:49 And from that his clinic 16:51 eventually more work was established 16:54 and in time donations to the Scheer family, 16:57 the hospital was started and that was in 1960. 16:59 And it's continue to grow since then, 17:00 now it has 150 licensed beds 17:04 and it provides a whole range of services 17:07 to the people in that area. 17:08 Okay, so you both trained at Loma Linda 17:11 and you both shared a vision that we want to be involved 17:16 in mission, overseas mission. 17:18 What is the most-- 17:20 Up or down. 17:21 Yeah, Caleb, up or down whatever you want. 17:24 What's the most rewarding aspects 17:26 of what you were doing in Nepal. 17:27 How many up or down. Up, down. 17:29 I think the rewarding things are seeing 17:33 whatever sign of appreciation the people have. 17:35 Yeah. 17:37 And the people in Nepal are extremely friendly. 17:40 They live a very difficult life as the average, you know, 17:44 salary per person is less than $1.25 a day. 17:47 So it is still third world country in many respects. 17:50 We're just seeing certain patients 17:52 that you do your duty as a medical professional, 17:55 hopefully you're also planting seeds for the gospel. 17:57 But then you see their appreciation at the end 18:00 and so we just give glory to God for that. 18:02 Yes. 18:03 Now what about challenges that you face? 18:06 What are the major sort of challenges 18:08 to your work, Sally? 18:09 You're up and down. Up and down. 18:13 Well, I would say one of the major challenges 18:17 that I've seen just over the last year 18:20 would be just having updated medical equipment 18:24 for example supplies and things like that, 18:27 that, the hospital needs to provide 18:31 the best idea of care we can. Yeah. 18:34 As a mission hospital. That's right. 18:37 To effectively reach our patients in anyway 18:42 we can, you know, introduce the gospel to them. 18:44 Yeah. 18:46 Now, can you tell me an example, Sally, 18:48 you've been able to-- Yeah, 18:51 where you've been able to touch the life of somebody 18:53 or Aaron may be you could share. 18:56 Sure. 18:57 I think of one particular patient 18:58 who had come into our hospital, he was on a medical ward, 19:01 he came up with the diagnoses of pneumonia 19:03 and we on x-ray we saw that he had fluid around the lungs 19:07 which were required removing that through a needle 19:10 and we did that procedure, 19:11 he got better in a few days and went home. 19:13 I remember that in subsequent probably some months 19:16 or two later he was back again with the same problem. 19:19 And he was seen very discourage that his condition had worsened 19:23 and we treated him with the antibiotics 19:25 and we removed the fluid again. 19:27 And he felt after that 19:28 removing fluid second time we did-- 19:30 he felt significantly better in his breathing. 19:33 And I don't remember him having a smile on his face 19:36 the first time he was in the hospital, 19:37 he had a big smile 19:38 and he was very appreciative telling the nurse 19:41 who translate for us 19:42 how much he was thankful for feeling better. 19:45 And for me I was just doing-- 19:47 the first time didn't seem to work for him that well. 19:50 But then now he is so appreciative and thankful, 19:52 I thought hey, that's the great opportunity 19:53 to share and plant a seed 19:55 and so we actually had some literature, 19:58 I went back where we live, our living quarters 20:01 and then I brought back that book 20:03 which just tells about Jesus Christ. 20:05 And he was very happily accepted this. 20:07 So I was very thankful to be able to share in that situation. 20:11 Now because of course in Nepal the majority of people are 20:15 what like Hindu and Buddhist, is that correct? Yeah. 20:18 Probably about 80, 90% are Hindu 20:20 and the rest are Buddhist 20:21 and then Christianity is very, very a small minority there. 20:25 And then the Adventist church is even smaller still. 20:28 Yeah, but making a tremendous impact 20:31 through Scheer Memorial Hospital. 20:34 Can you tell me what are the one of the most challenging 20:37 cases that you've had with treating patients? 20:43 Oh, that's--that would be quite a long list 20:44 if we go through all those. 20:47 We've had a lot of situation where we just have to do it, 20:50 things we haven't seen before. 20:52 We weren't trained at medical school 20:53 for like lightning injuries. Yeah. 20:56 Well, it seem to have a lot of those 20:58 and there's lightning around but in Nepal over the-- 21:03 just in the few months before 21:04 we came on our annual leave we had storms 21:06 and at least in one week may be four or five lightning strikes 21:09 who come with burns and so we have to-- 21:12 how do we really treat this, you know. 21:14 And our general surgeon at the time 21:16 and they're having a surgery 21:18 complication from the lightning strikes. 21:19 So he learned also to treat that effectively so. 21:23 Yeah. 21:24 So people who might be watching this program 21:27 and they think yeah, I think 21:29 I might like to get involved in mission service 21:31 but I'm not sure what advise would you give them, Sally? 21:35 One thing for sure is if you're interested in mission service, 21:40 it's definitely a commitment. 21:42 You'd have to have passion and a vision, 21:45 those two things for sure 21:47 and then a little bit of maybe a sense of adventure in you. 21:53 But I would encourage as many people 21:57 especially if you're in your young age still 22:02 and anybody could be a missionary. 22:04 But if you have the stamina, 22:08 if you feel like you have the stamina 22:09 and the commitment and the passion for mission, 22:12 for sure definitely we would need all the help 22:16 we can get out in the third world countries especially. 22:20 We certainly need stamina to take a new born 22:23 and a two-year-old back to Nepal. 22:25 Thank you so much for joining us today. 22:27 Thank you. Thank you. 22:28 And to our viewers back home, 22:30 I want to thank you so much for your continuing prayers, 22:33 your personal involvement and our financial support 22:37 for mission around the world. 22:39 Yes, the Seventh-day Adventist Church 22:41 still does send missionaries. 22:43 Yes, missionaries still need your prayers, 22:46 they still need your support. 22:48 And thank you so much for keeping mission 22:51 a number one priority in your life. 23:41 Oh the sweetness of being here with You 23:48 All of the day, Oh I pray 23:53 Help this wandering heart to remain 23:57 In You I am blessed 24:01 In You so content 24:05 Guide my feet 24:07 Cause them to keep 24:10 Walking in Your perfect way 24:16 Your perfect way 24:20 Your loving selfless way 24:30 Let me not negotiate 24:34 With the old man that I now hate 24:38 Let him be nothing else but dead 24:42 That I might exist as alive 24:45 Only in Christ I am free 24:50 Only in Christ so happy 24:54 Refining fire, healing my mind 24:58 Mould me into the image of Love 25:05 The image of Love 25:08 Beautiful image of You 25:13 Who is Love 25:35 Here is the life 25:38 That I longed for 25:40 Here is the place that I adore 25:44 I'm not in prison anymore 25:48 For you've brought me out into Your marvelous light 25:53 Come my friend let me remind you again 26:00 Forget the dark places you've been 26:05 For now you are a child of His 26:11 A child of His 26:15 A recreated child of His 26:41 At the end of each program 26:42 we like to offer a small gift to our viewers in North America. 26:46 Today is a bit different 26:48 because this gift isn't for everyone, 26:51 but we know that many who watch our program 26:53 are former Adventist missionaries. 26:55 So if you've ever served or are currently serving 26:58 as an Adventist missionary or student missionary, 27:01 we'd like to send you a special Adventist missionary pin. 27:05 So please call and tell us where and when you served 27:08 and we'll send you an Adventist missionary pin 27:12 while supplies last. 27:14 If you have served or are currently serving 27:16 as an interdivision Adventist missionary or volunteer, 27:21 please call our toll free number, 1800-648-5824 27:27 or visit our website and ask for the Adventist Missionary pin 27:31 or offer number 307. 27:33 And don't forget to clearly state your name and address. 27:37 Tell us when and where you served 27:40 and be sure to mention missionary pin or offer 307. 27:45 Well, that's it for today's program. 27:46 Thank you again for your continuing support 27:49 of Global Mission with your prayers 27:51 involvement and finances. 27:54 I'm Gary Krause 27:55 and I hope you can join me next time 27:57 right here on "Global Mission Snapshots." |
Revised 2014-12-17