Coming up on Global Mission Snapshots, 00:00:01.06\00:00:02.85 mission in the Cameroon 00:00:02.88\00:00:04.38 and how to relate to other world religions. 00:00:04.41\00:00:07.43 Just before He went up to heaven, 00:00:10.91\00:00:13.48 Jesus gave us a command. 00:00:13.51\00:00:16.35 He gave us a mission. 00:00:16.38\00:00:19.20 Jesus said, Go. 00:00:19.23\00:00:21.60 Go unto all the world, telling them of His love. 00:00:21.63\00:00:26.53 This is our mission. This is our "Global Mission." 00:00:26.56\00:00:30.47 Hello and welcome to Global Mission Snapshots. 00:00:35.67\00:00:37.96 I'm Gary Krause. 00:00:37.99\00:00:39.41 On today's program, we'll talk to Pastor Rick McEdward 00:00:39.44\00:00:42.72 about how Global Mission study centers 00:00:42.75\00:00:44.99 help us better relate to other world religions. 00:00:45.02\00:00:48.42 Rick grew up in the Middle East 00:00:48.45\00:00:49.96 and he and his family served many years 00:00:49.99\00:00:52.50 as missionaries in Southeast Asia. 00:00:52.53\00:00:55.19 We'll also find out how one family 00:00:55.22\00:00:57.16 found their call to mission 00:00:57.19\00:00:58.99 in a neighborhood in their own city. 00:00:59.02\00:01:01.41 And we'll talk to an Adventist missionary couple, 00:01:01.44\00:01:03.93 Bill and Trixy Coldwell serving in the country of Cameroon. 00:01:03.96\00:01:08.69 But first, let's watch a video of them 00:01:08.72\00:01:11.12 soon after they arrived in Africa. 00:01:11.15\00:01:13.95 What do you have? 00:01:48.83\00:01:49.96 That's my customer. 00:01:49.99\00:01:52.52 Little pepper. How much it costs? 00:01:52.55\00:01:56.08 My wife and I've been here about three months now. 00:01:58.17\00:02:01.07 Neither of us-- I can't fully speak for my wife 00:02:01.10\00:02:03.86 but neither is really, you know, growing up 00:02:03.89\00:02:06.63 have a vision ourselves being "missionaries." 00:02:06.66\00:02:11.23 Personally I like in bachelor for Christ. 00:02:11.26\00:02:14.71 I started to think I wanted to be a mission doctor 00:02:14.74\00:02:17.16 after I spent six months in Tanzania, 00:02:17.19\00:02:21.02 doing mission work there 00:02:21.05\00:02:22.89 and decided that it was enjoyable, I could do it. 00:02:22.92\00:02:26.45 We're in Buea, Cameroon. 00:02:34.72\00:02:36.89 Buea is located about 90 kilometers from Douala, 00:02:36.92\00:02:40.83 the economic center of Cameroon on a foot of Mount Cameroon. 00:02:40.86\00:02:45.65 Buea is home to more than 225,000 people 00:02:45.68\00:02:50.42 but only two small hospitals. 00:02:50.45\00:02:53.41 We're currently a day kind 00:02:53.44\00:02:55.34 and we've been a day clinic since 1971. 00:02:55.37\00:02:59.65 About 12 years ago, discussion was made 00:02:59.68\00:03:02.68 to create an internal child hospital. 00:03:02.71\00:03:05.20 And it's the right thing for Buea 00:03:05.23\00:03:06.81 because we have two other hospitals in town 00:03:06.84\00:03:09.60 and additional health centers, 00:03:09.63\00:03:11.91 to find a way to or find a niche to specialize 00:03:11.94\00:03:16.73 maternal challenge is the right way. 00:03:16.76\00:03:20.37 In 2005, your 13th Sabbath Offerings provided the funding 00:03:20.40\00:03:24.72 for the expansion of a small clinic in Buea. 00:03:24.75\00:03:27.96 We visited Bill and Trixy three months after 00:03:27.99\00:03:30.55 they had arrived to the newly constructed hospital building. 00:03:30.58\00:03:34.41 Because of the heavy rainfall 00:03:34.44\00:03:35.87 Cameroon receives in the wet season, 00:03:35.90\00:03:38.11 the missionaries had some final weather proofing to do 00:03:38.14\00:03:41.33 before they could open the hospital. 00:03:41.36\00:03:43.69 Our windows are a little over a meter tall 00:03:43.72\00:03:46.80 but the awning wall come out one meter 00:03:46.83\00:03:50.28 and as it comes out it'll curves down. 00:03:50.31\00:03:52.71 And as it comes out and curves down 00:03:52.74\00:03:55.38 when the wind blows even at a 45 degree angle 00:03:55.41\00:03:58.60 and we get some pretty strong winds 00:03:58.63\00:04:00.20 during the rain that it should at least cause the wind 00:04:00.23\00:04:05.40 to blow below even these windows here. 00:04:05.43\00:04:09.96 Today, the hospital is up and running and Bill and Trixy 00:04:14.26\00:04:17.95 have started sending in photos of the work. 00:04:17.98\00:04:22.76 Christ came and as we all know spent a great deal of His time 00:04:22.79\00:04:26.44 mingling with people and in the mingling, 00:04:26.47\00:04:29.50 He won their confidence. 00:04:29.53\00:04:31.06 And it was in that sort of mingling, 00:04:31.09\00:04:32.76 that He was able to do so many, many good things for people. 00:04:32.79\00:04:37.58 Not only did He heal, of course He did preach 00:04:37.61\00:04:41.01 and the message that He preached was empowered by the fact 00:04:41.04\00:04:44.66 that He was such a kindly caring physician. 00:04:44.69\00:04:49.74 My mission as a missionary coming here to Buea 00:04:49.77\00:04:53.62 would be to share the people of Buea 00:04:53.65\00:04:56.14 the love of God, through a physician. 00:04:56.17\00:05:00.65 With the help of their small staff, 00:05:00.68\00:05:02.60 they are ministering to the people of Buea, Cameroon. 00:05:02.63\00:05:05.78 Thanks to your support of the 13th Sabbath Offering. 00:05:05.81\00:05:09.38 My guests are Bill and Trixy 00:05:17.27\00:05:19.38 who are visiting the United States of America from Africa 00:05:19.41\00:05:24.68 where they're currently working. 00:05:24.71\00:05:26.56 And thanks for joining us. Why are you here? 00:05:26.59\00:05:29.15 Well, we're on annual leave. 00:05:29.18\00:05:31.38 So you're getting a bit of rest and recuperation, yeah. 00:05:31.41\00:05:34.97 So you're working in the country of Cameroon in Africa. Why? 00:05:35.00\00:05:41.33 That's a good question we get from a lot of people. 00:05:41.36\00:05:43.83 We go flying and they see our ID cards and like, 00:05:43.86\00:05:46.93 why are you in Cameroon? 00:05:46.96\00:05:49.47 My belief is that's where God has placed us 00:05:49.50\00:05:52.00 and so when God sent us... 00:05:52.03\00:05:53.06 That's a good reason. Yes. 00:05:53.09\00:05:54.38 Comes from where, you go. Wonderful. 00:05:54.41\00:05:56.74 Now Trixy, You're working--doing what? 00:05:56.77\00:06:00.75 Oh, I'm the physician there, 00:06:00.78\00:06:02.94 so I pretty much do everything medical. Right. 00:06:02.97\00:06:06.58 So you're at Buea Adventist Hospital? Yes. 00:06:06.61\00:06:09.40 And this is located in the urban area or in a rural area? 00:06:09.43\00:06:14.65 We are technically urban. 00:06:14.68\00:06:18.19 We're at regional capital of the ten regions of Cameroon. 00:06:18.22\00:06:21.48 Buea is one of the regional capitals. 00:06:21.51\00:06:23.80 And the population estimates vary widely 00:06:23.83\00:06:26.62 to about 225,000. 00:06:26.65\00:06:31.04 So we guess that there is really about 200,000. Okay. 00:06:31.07\00:06:35.17 But it's very much in the urban setting. 00:06:35.20\00:06:37.40 So Trixy is a doctor working on the medical side. 00:06:37.43\00:06:40.66 What are you doing, Bill? 00:06:40.69\00:06:42.35 Administration. Okay. 00:06:42.38\00:06:43.91 My official title is development officer 00:06:43.94\00:06:46.37 but it's a catch all if you look 00:06:46.40\00:06:49.01 at the job description for the CEO, 00:06:49.04\00:06:51.66 that's what I'm doing. Yeah. 00:06:51.69\00:06:53.68 Now, Trixy, what sort of medical cases do you care for? 00:06:53.71\00:06:57.14 Tell us a little bit. 00:06:57.17\00:06:58.90 Well, if you were to take one day 00:06:58.93\00:07:01.39 and look at the spectrum of cases, 00:07:01.42\00:07:05.49 It's--they're broad in variety 00:07:05.52\00:07:08.61 because we live in the urban setting, 00:07:08.64\00:07:11.27 you see some of the more western diseases, 00:07:11.30\00:07:14.58 because we live in Cameroon, 00:07:14.61\00:07:16.54 where it's the tropics, you also see typical tropical diseases. 00:07:16.57\00:07:20.72 So in one day I'll see cases of malaria 00:07:20.75\00:07:25.30 and cases of gastrointestinal disorders 00:07:25.33\00:07:30.76 as well as people with diabetes, 00:07:30.79\00:07:33.46 high blood pressure, as well as you know small procedures, 00:07:33.49\00:07:41.09 as well as even you know some counseling 00:07:41.12\00:07:44.11 on healthy lifestyle and other issues, 00:07:44.14\00:07:47.60 including even some mental health issues. 00:07:47.63\00:07:50.59 So the spectrum is very, very bright. 00:07:50.62\00:07:54.23 Now you're a graduate from Loma Linda University 00:07:54.26\00:07:57.40 which is a very good medical school 00:07:57.43\00:07:59.92 but were you adequately prepared 00:07:59.95\00:08:01.84 for all these different types of cases? 00:08:01.87\00:08:05.12 Okay, ever be adequately prepared? Yeah, I'm sure. 00:08:05.15\00:08:08.66 Loma Linda gave me what I needed 00:08:08.69\00:08:13.95 because I think what you need 00:08:13.98\00:08:16.08 in order to prepare for mission hospital 00:08:16.11\00:08:19.00 is a relationship with God. 00:08:19.03\00:08:24.33 And a practice and working with people 00:08:24.36\00:08:29.53 and working with them on a basis of spiritual, 00:08:29.56\00:08:32.54 mental and physical healing 00:08:32.57\00:08:33.97 and that's what I got from Loma Linda. 00:08:34.00\00:08:36.39 Now did I learn everything I needed to know about 00:08:36.42\00:08:39.12 treating malaria and typhoid and that kind of stuff 00:08:39.15\00:08:44.25 that you just have to learn as you go. Yes. 00:08:44.28\00:08:47.64 And I'm still looking things up. I'm Sure. 00:08:47.67\00:08:50.96 Now of course your wife has a nine to five job I'm sure, 00:08:50.99\00:08:54.19 five days a week. 00:08:54.22\00:08:55.40 Five days a week, nine to five, 00:08:55.43\00:08:56.90 we're never outside of those except for births. 00:08:56.93\00:09:02.83 Yeah. Emergencies. 00:09:02.86\00:09:06.17 We try to provide some boundaries. 00:09:06.20\00:09:10.75 We are now open 24x7 so we've been a clinic, 00:09:10.78\00:09:16.62 the health center has been there since 1971 00:09:16.65\00:09:19.68 and in early 2000's construction began 00:09:19.71\00:09:23.26 with 13th Sabbath Offering to develop inpatient. 00:09:23.29\00:09:27.62 And so we had it open for a little while 00:09:27.65\00:09:29.80 and our volunteers left then we've delayed 00:09:29.83\00:09:33.86 and now just in June we opened again 00:09:33.89\00:09:36.40 and we've now just in a month, actually about three weeks, 00:09:36.43\00:09:40.39 delivered five, we, she, delivered five babies 00:09:40.42\00:09:44.20 and babies don't have a schedule. Yeah. 00:09:44.23\00:09:47.93 And so she has been tired. Yeah. 00:09:47.96\00:09:53.91 Now you are cross cultural mission workers 00:09:53.94\00:09:56.81 for the Seventh-day Adventist church. 00:09:56.84\00:09:59.16 How would you describe your mission activity? 00:09:59.19\00:10:01.86 I mean you're not over there preaching 00:10:01.89\00:10:03.73 but you are doing some sort of a ministry. 00:10:03.76\00:10:06.26 How would you describe it? 00:10:06.29\00:10:08.65 I think we might each describe it a little differently. 00:10:08.68\00:10:12.14 For me, what I had always thought of as a missionary 00:10:12.17\00:10:16.22 is not at all what we do and I'm relieved. 00:10:16.25\00:10:19.49 I like to say everything I learn, 00:10:19.52\00:10:21.41 I needed to know about being missionary 00:10:21.44\00:10:23.02 I learned in Hollywood that was my first career, 00:10:23.05\00:10:27.46 meeting people where they are, without judgment 00:10:27.49\00:10:32.10 and hopefully without showing visible shock, 00:10:32.13\00:10:36.27 to care for people and nurture them in their spiritual journey. 00:10:36.30\00:10:42.04 Most everyone we meet is already Christian, 00:10:42.07\00:10:45.28 but our emphasis and I appreciate this 00:10:45.31\00:10:47.96 on revival and reformation is huge. 00:10:47.99\00:10:51.44 We need it, our church family needs it 00:10:51.47\00:10:54.48 and our community needs it. 00:10:54.51\00:10:57.46 And we've--I have found that when I first thought about 00:10:57.49\00:11:02.97 doing mission service in Cameroon, 00:11:03.00\00:11:05.31 it would be for the Cameroonians and it is. 00:11:05.34\00:11:09.26 But where we are located, we have international volunteers, 00:11:09.29\00:11:13.13 Peace Corps, GIZ from Germany, VO-- VOS. 00:11:13.16\00:11:18.07 VOS from Britain, plus independents. 00:11:18.10\00:11:22.10 And with who we are, we become a hub 00:11:22.13\00:11:27.12 and I have found our true ministry is very different 00:11:27.15\00:11:31.28 than I would ever have expected. 00:11:31.31\00:11:32.88 Yeah, I kind of like that description. 00:11:32.91\00:11:34.58 How would you describe it, Trixy? 00:11:34.61\00:11:36.98 I have a very simple approach, 00:11:37.01\00:11:39.32 mine is to work and share love through what I do. 00:11:39.35\00:11:45.65 And so my goal is to treat the patients, 00:11:45.68\00:11:48.69 treat the clients who come. 00:11:48.72\00:11:50.81 I mean, including volunteers who come with us, 00:11:50.84\00:11:53.13 with love and to show them that you know we are here 00:11:53.16\00:12:00.87 and working out of sense of love for God, 00:12:00.90\00:12:05.85 we're not here because we want to gain position in the world, 00:12:05.88\00:12:09.37 we're not here because we're trying to make money. 00:12:09.40\00:12:11.80 And that's just a very different concept. 00:12:11.83\00:12:14.95 And so that's my witness. 00:12:14.98\00:12:18.51 Sounds kind of like Jesus' ministry 00:12:18.54\00:12:20.43 when He was here on earth. 00:12:20.46\00:12:22.03 Thank you so much for joining us today. 00:12:22.06\00:12:23.69 I appreciate very much for sharing with us. 00:12:23.72\00:12:25.88 Thank you. Thank you. 00:12:25.91\00:12:27.07 I'm happy to welcome Pastor Rick McEdward 00:13:37.18\00:13:39.54 who is the director of our Global Mission Study Centers. 00:13:39.57\00:13:42.11 Welcome, Rick. Thank you, Gary. 00:13:42.14\00:13:43.98 Now some years ago, you and your family 00:13:44.01\00:13:46.18 went as missionaries to the island of Sri Lanka. 00:13:46.21\00:13:50.41 Tell me what it was like when you arrived? 00:13:50.44\00:13:52.48 Well, you know when we arrived there had been 00:13:52.51\00:13:54.57 a recent terrorist attack there in the capital. 00:13:54.60\00:13:58.56 It's the only port of entry in and out of the country. 00:13:58.59\00:14:01.47 And so when we landed on the tarmac near there, 00:14:01.50\00:14:04.84 there was 11 or 12 airplanes that had recently been bombed 00:14:04.87\00:14:10.61 by a nationalistic movement within the country. 00:14:10.64\00:14:15.23 Was it a friendly welcome? 00:14:15.26\00:14:16.63 Yeah, it kind of gave us a shock you know. 00:14:16.66\00:14:18.67 How do we know, what, 00:14:18.70\00:14:21.25 how to minister to people in this nation? 00:14:21.28\00:14:23.44 How old were your kids? 00:14:23.47\00:14:25.13 They were four and five at the time. 00:14:25.16\00:14:26.99 Great place to be with your kids. 00:14:27.02\00:14:28.91 Now wasn't so long or later that the tsunami hit? 00:14:28.94\00:14:33.16 Yeah, it was couple of years later 00:14:33.19\00:14:35.00 there had been a lot of unrest 00:14:35.03\00:14:37.96 in the community towards Christians. 00:14:37.99\00:14:41.67 So we're already trying to balance it, 00:14:41.70\00:14:43.28 we'd had the 100 year anniversary 00:14:43.31\00:14:45.31 of the church in Sri Lanka 00:14:45.34\00:14:47.61 and the people of the church who really did so much work 00:14:47.64\00:14:52.69 leading up to that for 100 years and then not long later, 00:14:52.72\00:14:57.03 the devastating tsunami that we all were gripped by, 00:14:57.06\00:15:00.40 you know visually on the television. 00:15:00.43\00:15:03.10 Yeah, but that affected us, too. 00:15:03.13\00:15:04.44 I'm sure it will, I remember visiting you 00:15:04.47\00:15:06.72 shortly after that and nothing had prepared me for what I saw. 00:15:06.75\00:15:10.64 Well, devastating impact-- the coastline of course 00:15:10.67\00:15:13.34 was totally wiped out and we worked a little bit 00:15:13.37\00:15:17.73 with ADRA and with the church on trying to help repair 00:15:17.76\00:15:22.65 from that damage, yeah. 00:15:22.68\00:15:24.40 Now after Sri Lanka, you moved to care for Global Mission 00:15:24.43\00:15:29.25 throughout the territories of Southeast Asia. 00:15:29.28\00:15:32.89 Just describe briefly the range of people 00:15:32.92\00:15:35.99 that you have in that territory. 00:15:36.02\00:15:37.40 Well, we had the Pacific Islands which are Christian 00:15:37.43\00:15:39.51 but from anonymous background but we had some of the-- 00:15:39.54\00:15:43.24 two of the top five Islamic nations in the world, 00:15:43.27\00:15:46.43 Indonesia and Bangladesh in our territory, 00:15:46.46\00:15:49.32 very populated cities, 00:15:49.35\00:15:50.77 we had Dhaka, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Bangkok, Manila. 00:15:50.80\00:15:55.65 We had Buddhist nations of Sri Lanka, Thailand, 00:15:55.68\00:15:59.57 Cambodia, Vietnam 00:15:59.60\00:16:01.59 and we had some interesting places 00:16:01.62\00:16:04.58 that it's hard to get into because of government military 00:16:04.61\00:16:09.77 or communistic governments. 00:16:09.80\00:16:11.57 So there was a lot going on and not even to mention 00:16:11.60\00:16:15.49 the Hindus and the other faith groups that are there 00:16:15.52\00:16:19.87 that really made our work interesting and challenging. 00:16:19.90\00:16:23.23 And you had large cities. Yeah. 00:16:23.26\00:16:26.27 And places like Singapore 00:16:26.30\00:16:28.24 where people are secular and post modern as-- 00:16:28.27\00:16:31.70 And wealthy. And wealthy. 00:16:31.73\00:16:33.14 Yeah, sure. So poverty to wealth. 00:16:33.17\00:16:36.53 So this was actually a very good preparation 00:16:36.56\00:16:38.86 for your current job where we recalled you to be 00:16:38.89\00:16:41.08 the director of the study centers 00:16:41.11\00:16:43.28 and what is your role now? How do you describe that? 00:16:43.31\00:16:46.35 Well, as the director of the Global Mission Study Centers, 00:16:46.38\00:16:49.04 we have five study centers, a sixth one is beginning. 00:16:49.07\00:16:53.62 One focusing on each of the world religions, 00:16:53.65\00:16:57.49 one on Hinduism, Buddhism, 00:16:57.52\00:17:00.48 Islam, secular and postmodernism, 00:17:00.51\00:17:03.02 and Judaism and then we have a new one starting up 00:17:03.05\00:17:05.75 with the church's emphasis on urban ministry. 00:17:05.78\00:17:07.75 We have an urban study center beginning now. 00:17:07.78\00:17:10.00 Now, the way we've been talking about 00:17:10.03\00:17:12.29 this study centers probably not the best way to describe 00:17:12.32\00:17:15.40 what these centers do because it's not like 00:17:15.43\00:17:17.20 you're sitting in a library all day 00:17:17.23\00:17:18.58 reading up about something. 00:17:18.61\00:17:19.82 They're really ministry centers. Ministry centers. 00:17:19.85\00:17:21.36 But in essence, when we're communicating 00:17:21.39\00:17:23.65 with the outside world study centers is often 00:17:23.68\00:17:26.00 a easier thing to talk about. Right. 00:17:26.03\00:17:28.32 You know when I'm talking to a Buddhist or a Hindu, 00:17:28.35\00:17:30.50 I don't really want to tell them 00:17:30.53\00:17:31.62 that I'm there to try to evangelize. Yeah. 00:17:31.65\00:17:35.40 So the equipoise to find ways 00:17:35.43\00:17:40.29 to build friendships, to build bridges? 00:17:40.32\00:17:43.11 You know, the study centers are all about 00:17:43.14\00:17:45.70 a holistic witness 00:17:45.73\00:17:48.61 that is culturally adapted to the audience. 00:17:48.64\00:17:52.54 So often we give a one size fits all message. 00:17:52.57\00:17:56.64 We use the same methodology in one place 00:17:56.67\00:17:59.33 as we would use in another. 00:17:59.36\00:18:01.50 And when we approach people of other backgrounds 00:18:01.53\00:18:04.17 that kind of methodology may not work 00:18:04.20\00:18:07.81 or may need to be greatly adapted 00:18:07.84\00:18:10.43 and of course we encourage relationships 00:18:10.46\00:18:12.90 and friendships cross culturally, within culture 00:18:12.93\00:18:16.31 so that people can see the beauty of who Jesus was. 00:18:16.34\00:18:19.62 So these centers are watering down the message, 00:18:19.65\00:18:21.85 they are compromising the message? 00:18:21.88\00:18:23.27 Oh, not at all. 00:18:23.30\00:18:24.54 In fact, they are very strong 00:18:24.57\00:18:26.54 in presenting the Adventist message, 00:18:26.57\00:18:29.10 but doing in a way that a listener may understand 00:18:29.13\00:18:31.98 what has been presented. 00:18:32.01\00:18:34.32 Now I believe there's a biblical basis for this. Sure. 00:18:34.35\00:18:38.62 Jesus Himself who spoken in parables, 00:18:38.65\00:18:41.71 spoke differently to different audiences, the Apostle Paul. 00:18:41.74\00:18:45.63 Where are these study centers located? 00:18:45.66\00:18:48.12 Well, we have study centers in various places. 00:18:48.15\00:18:50.86 We have Islamic study center actually has three branches, 00:18:50.89\00:18:56.38 one in London, one in Nairobi 00:18:56.41\00:18:59.20 and one here in the United States. 00:18:59.23\00:19:02.22 We have a Jewish study center that was recently relocated 00:19:02.25\00:19:05.36 to Paris, France where there's a sizable Jewish community. 00:19:05.39\00:19:10.28 Our Hindu specialist is currently located in Trinidad 00:19:10.31\00:19:15.38 and then we have a study center for Buddhism 00:19:15.41\00:19:19.21 that is really in the heart in Thailand 00:19:19.24\00:19:23.28 and it has a branch also in Taiwan. 00:19:23.31\00:19:26.52 Now, Rick, there may be somebody viewing this program, 00:19:26.55\00:19:29.62 who says, well, you know I've got people 00:19:29.65\00:19:31.56 living in my street, in my neighborhood 00:19:31.59\00:19:33.81 who come from different religious backgrounds, 00:19:33.84\00:19:36.83 I'm not even sure how I should start relating? 00:19:36.86\00:19:38.82 What should I say, what shouldn't I say, 00:19:38.85\00:19:41.09 how--where can they get help? 00:19:41.12\00:19:43.43 You know, this is a common problem. 00:19:43.46\00:19:45.23 I hear it every day, people call to my office. 00:19:45.26\00:19:47.58 You know, I say the best thing to do is 00:19:47.61\00:19:49.10 take them a plate of cookies, show them friendship, 00:19:49.13\00:19:52.03 invite them over to your house. 00:19:52.06\00:19:53.91 You know, there's a commonality and by listening 00:19:53.94\00:19:58.30 we can understand more and learn and adapt 00:19:58.33\00:20:01.63 how to present it by doing that. 00:20:01.66\00:20:03.85 But there are resources from each of the study centers 00:20:03.88\00:20:07.59 to help make that bridge. 00:20:07.62\00:20:09.27 Start with the easy but there are study resources 00:20:09.30\00:20:13.03 and we have it on our Adventist Mission websites. 00:20:13.06\00:20:15.41 Some of the resources are available or contacts for us 00:20:15.44\00:20:18.75 and so we want our study centers to be available for people 00:20:18.78\00:20:21.82 to touch base with us to know how to reach us. 00:20:21.85\00:20:25.32 Just quickly before we go, 00:20:25.35\00:20:27.73 Marcia's influence in your neighborhood 00:20:27.76\00:20:29.80 when you lived in Sri Lanka, just tell us about that? 00:20:29.83\00:20:32.32 We lived in a largely Buddhist neighborhood. 00:20:32.35\00:20:35.72 It was a neighborhood that wasn't necessarily 00:20:35.75\00:20:39.22 looking at Christian or an Adventist very positively. 00:20:39.25\00:20:42.93 And when we moved in, Marcia and the kids 00:20:42.96\00:20:46.66 decided that they wanted to be friends with people. 00:20:46.69\00:20:49.06 So my children started inviting people over 00:20:49.09\00:20:51.06 for English language classes. 00:20:51.09\00:20:52.91 They were little kids but all the neighborhood kids 00:20:52.94\00:20:55.22 wanted to learn so they came and little by little, 00:20:55.25\00:20:58.95 Marcia became acquainted with all the parents. 00:20:58.98\00:21:01.25 At holiday time Marcia would take a gift of the traditional 00:21:01.28\00:21:05.32 biscuits and cookies and what not to people. 00:21:05.35\00:21:09.14 At Christmas time, we do it again 00:21:09.17\00:21:10.70 for the Christian holiday. 00:21:10.73\00:21:12.74 And little by little people began opening up their hearts 00:21:12.77\00:21:16.43 and their homes to Marcia. 00:21:16.46\00:21:18.44 She began attending their bedside when they were sick, 00:21:18.47\00:21:21.98 being there when they died and attending funerals. 00:21:22.01\00:21:26.18 People began reaching out to Marcia to be a touch point 00:21:26.21\00:21:30.56 for who we were, why we were there. 00:21:30.59\00:21:34.30 And I believe that the love she showed the neighborhood 00:21:34.33\00:21:37.31 really opened up the hearts of the community to our family 00:21:37.34\00:21:41.04 in a way that we found very special. 00:21:41.07\00:21:42.90 They--still when we go back and visit, 00:21:42.93\00:21:45.06 they open up their arms to us and we talk long 00:21:45.09\00:21:48.03 and we believe there are seeds planted. 00:21:48.06\00:21:50.31 The end isn't yet written but the seeds are planted. 00:21:50.34\00:21:53.37 Rick, thanks so much for sharing with us today. 00:21:53.40\00:21:56.48 Love speaks all languages, crosses all cultures 00:21:56.51\00:21:59.82 and speaks to all religions. 00:21:59.85\00:22:01.66 If you want more information about the study centers, 00:22:01.69\00:22:04.40 just go to AdventistMisison.org. 00:22:04.43\00:22:07.44 And please remember the study centers in your prayers. 00:22:07.47\00:22:10.17 When the city of Atlanta was preparing 00:22:20.37\00:22:22.61 for the 1996 Olympic Games, 00:22:22.64\00:22:25.81 they looked at the unsightly tenement buildings 00:22:25.84\00:22:28.66 around Centennial Park in downtown Atlanta. 00:22:28.69\00:22:32.21 And they just decided they are gonna 00:22:32.24\00:22:33.63 knock down all those buildings 00:22:33.66\00:22:34.85 and they dislocated the urban poor 00:22:34.88\00:22:36.77 and they built new condominium developments 00:22:36.80\00:22:39.47 out where the land was cheap out toward the airport, 00:22:39.50\00:22:43.20 near the freeway and just brought the people in here 00:22:43.23\00:22:46.01 away from their homes, their heritage, 00:22:46.04\00:22:49.21 their backgrounds and that's where 00:22:49.24\00:22:51.41 that landed them in places such as this. 00:22:51.44\00:22:53.78 Our neighborhood for the zip code, 00:23:03.53\00:23:06.15 has the highest child abuse rates. 00:23:06.18\00:23:09.39 It has some of the highest crime rates. 00:23:09.42\00:23:11.95 When we picked this area we partially picked it 00:23:11.98\00:23:14.02 because we actually came with some policemen 00:23:14.05\00:23:16.30 who were traveling around and we said you know, 00:23:16.33\00:23:18.92 we just kind of want to know what this area is like 00:23:18.95\00:23:21.21 and they said are you serious here now? 00:23:21.24\00:23:23.72 I said yeah. 00:23:23.75\00:23:24.91 He said, it's the only area in Atlanta 00:23:24.94\00:23:27.20 that has a continuous police presence. 00:23:27.23\00:23:32.45 We said that's where we need to be. 00:23:32.48\00:23:35.08 I tell him if you see Rusty out then you can come out 00:23:35.11\00:23:39.82 but other than that he doesn't come out. 00:23:39.85\00:23:43.46 And it's unfortunate because he's a boy 00:23:43.49\00:23:46.91 so he should be able to be, you know, 00:23:46.94\00:23:49.15 run, tumble and jumping, 00:23:49.18\00:23:50.57 whatever in a given moment but because 00:23:50.60\00:23:54.78 where we are he can't do that, you know. 00:23:54.81\00:23:59.37 Such a gated community but you still-- 00:23:59.40\00:24:02.74 Nothing gates the view. 00:24:02.77\00:24:04.27 It's Sabbath morning and we're in a apartment complex 00:24:07.97\00:24:12.01 in the suburbs of Atlanta, 00:24:12.04\00:24:14.65 where young Seventh-day Adventist family 00:24:14.68\00:24:16.64 are following the example of Jesus 00:24:16.67\00:24:19.04 and following His incarnational ministry there 00:24:19.07\00:24:23.04 living among the people there to use their phrase, 00:24:23.07\00:24:27.30 hanging help to the people and ministering to them, 00:24:27.33\00:24:29.92 showing Jesus' love and becoming part of the community 00:24:29.95\00:24:33.79 and building bridges, 00:24:33.82\00:24:35.71 building friendships and making an impact. 00:24:35.74\00:24:38.91 Now we moved into an apartment 00:24:42.46\00:24:44.13 that from the outside everything looks good. 00:24:44.16\00:24:48.06 If I was a missionary and I went overseas, 00:24:48.09\00:24:51.52 people would applaud me left and right, that's great. 00:24:51.55\00:24:54.90 You can put your life in untold danger over there, all you want. 00:24:54.93\00:24:59.15 You can sit at home and never leave the church 00:24:59.18\00:25:02.31 and put yourself in moral danger and people are good with that. 00:25:02.34\00:25:05.59 But when you start to cross the lines of race and economics, 00:25:05.62\00:25:10.94 these barriers that are build up and you just go to it, 00:25:10.97\00:25:15.10 50 miles south of where you used to live 00:25:15.13\00:25:17.15 to the other side of tracks people think you're crazy, 00:25:17.18\00:25:21.24 that you're putting your kids life in danger, 00:25:21.27\00:25:23.46 and it's just stupid. 00:25:23.49\00:25:26.78 If God has told me to go there, there isn't safe, 00:25:26.81\00:25:28.96 and if I stayed in buckets around my couch, safer. 00:25:28.99\00:25:33.04 And the myths and the fears that we had of people 00:25:36.94\00:25:42.08 that look different and were color different than us 00:25:42.11\00:25:45.27 but didn't have what we thought we had. 00:25:45.30\00:25:48.35 They were just that myths, fears. 00:25:48.38\00:25:55.68 We're all taught to be afraid of each other, 00:25:55.71\00:26:00.66 and the truth that matters, maybe one percent of the people 00:26:00.69\00:26:03.72 that are in areas like this side are out for bad, 00:26:03.75\00:26:07.24 the rest are just like us, they just 00:26:07.27\00:26:10.11 they're trying to figure it out. 00:26:10.14\00:26:13.05 As an act of faith, Rustin and his wife Stacey 00:26:17.76\00:26:21.36 along with their three children left their comfortable home 00:26:21.39\00:26:25.09 in a fashionable Atlanta neighborhood 00:26:25.12\00:26:28.14 and they moved into this community 00:26:28.17\00:26:30.67 to put Christ's method of outreach into practice. 00:26:30.70\00:26:34.68 Recently they received a small appropriation 00:26:34.71\00:26:37.20 from Global Mission to help them expand their ministry. 00:26:37.23\00:26:41.57 Thank you for your continuing support of Global Mission 00:26:41.60\00:26:45.51 and your weakly support of world budget and mission offerings. 00:26:45.54\00:26:49.77 Well, that's about it for today's program. 00:26:57.90\00:27:00.31 But before we go, we have a small gift 00:27:00.34\00:27:02.55 for our supporters in North America, 00:27:02.58\00:27:04.90 an Adventist mission tote bag. 00:27:04.93\00:27:07.41 To obtain your tote bag, free as long as stocks last 00:27:07.44\00:27:10.57 simply call our toll free number, 00:27:10.60\00:27:12.92 1-800-648-5824 or visit our website 00:27:12.95\00:27:18.21 and ask for the Adventist Mission tote bag or offer 306. 00:27:18.24\00:27:23.52 Don't forget to clearly state your name and address 00:27:23.55\00:27:26.79 and be sure to mention the tote bag or offer 306. 00:27:26.82\00:27:32.27 Well, thanks for joining us today. 00:27:32.30\00:27:33.75 I hope you've been blessed 00:27:33.78\00:27:34.86 by the stories of frontline mission. 00:27:34.89\00:27:37.41 We'd love to hear from you, so please give your feedback 00:27:37.44\00:27:40.25 at www.AdventistMission.org/3ABN 00:27:40.28\00:27:46.21 And thank you for your continuing support 00:27:46.24\00:27:48.72 of Adventist Mission through prayer, 00:27:48.75\00:27:50.91 personal involvement and your finances. 00:27:50.94\00:27:54.04 For Adventist Mission, I'm Gary Krause 00:27:54.07\00:27:56.10 and I hope you can join me next time 00:27:56.13\00:27:58.14 right here on Global Mission Snapshots. 00:27:58.17\00:28:00.99