Participants: Gary Krause (Host), David Trim, Andres Flores
Series Code: GMS
Program Code: GMS000026
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00:01 From Bangkok, Thailand
00:02 to Krasnodar, Russia 00:04 to Chicago in the United States Adventist Mission 00:07 today and yesterday 00:08 coming up next on Global Mission Snapshots. 00:23 Just before He went up to heaven Jesus gave us a command. 00:29 He gave us a mission. 00:31 Jesus said "Go, go unto all the world, 00:36 telling them of His love." 00:38 This is our mission. 00:41 This is our Global Mission. 00:48 Hello, I'm Gary Krause. 00:49 And welcome to Global Mission Snapshots. 00:52 I love to read and love reading history 00:55 and the biographies of great men and women. 00:57 Our next guest Daivd Trim will be sharing 01:00 that some of the inspiring early missionaries 01:04 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 01:06 David, a historian is director of Archives, 01:09 Statistics and Research 01:10 for the Seventh-day Adventist church. 01:12 And he uncovers many fascinating facts 01:15 about the history of Adventist mission. 01:18 On today's program we'll also be talking 01:20 with an urban church planter in Chicago. 01:23 But first up let's travel to Bangkok, Thailand. 01:30 About two hours outside of Thailand's capital city Bangkok 01:34 lies the town of Sriracha. 01:37 The Seventh-day Adventist church is growing here. 01:41 This is a global mission pioneer, 01:43 a church planter dedicated to sharing God's love 01:47 with the people in this area. 01:49 [Speaking foreign language] 01:54 This global mission pioneer and other Thai pastor 01:57 visit people in their homes to teach them about Jesus. 02:00 This small group is just handful 02:02 of those interested in studying God's word. 02:05 Many who attend these small groups 02:07 are not Christians. 02:09 They ask questions because in their hearts 02:11 they see the truth of the Bible and want to know more. 02:15 When somebody is interested 02:18 and like to learn more about Christianity 02:20 actually we feel so very happy-- 02:22 even they not so much but there's only one, 02:27 two people only but we feel like they are interested 02:31 and we thank God for that. 02:34 Not long ago 02:35 this church and community center was built in Sriracha. 02:39 The global mission pioneer and church members 02:41 reach out to the community in various ways. 02:44 They run language classes, 02:46 play soccer and hold Bible studies. 02:49 And people have responded positively. 02:52 We would like to provide this place 02:55 for the community here around. 02:58 The people here that they're nonbeliever 03:00 and then it will like to serve the congregation 03:03 by having school, having the soccer board field 03:08 and also at the same time we have a center 03:10 to service the community. 03:12 Seventh-day Adventist church members around the world 03:15 help fund this church and community center. 03:18 These buildings have a great impact 03:21 on reaching the needs of the people in Sriracha. 03:37 Just a few hours from Sriracha in the city of Ayutthaya 03:42 another recent projects funded by your mission offerings 03:45 actively works to reach the community. 03:48 Ayutthaya is a city known for its ancient temples 03:51 and vast history. 03:53 Here centuries ago 03:54 the Burmese armies destroyed this city 03:57 leaving behind remains of the destruction. 03:59 Now the church here is growing, 04:02 the project here as a church building. 04:04 The church here is creating a foundation of members. 04:08 On this Sabbath the pastors leaves and worship 04:11 and the members take part in the service. 04:13 It is a special Sabbath because on this day 04:16 they will participate in communion service. 04:23 Members humbly wash one another's feet 04:26 and pray together. 04:32 As they reenter the church their thoughts are with God. 04:36 The members ask God for forgiveness 04:38 and courage to serve Him each and every day. 04:41 They eat the bread and drink the juice 04:43 that represents the body and the blood of Jesus. 04:47 This congregation has a passion to serve God 04:49 and share Him with others. 04:52 This congregation would not have place to worship 04:55 if it was not for your faithful support 04:58 of mission offerings. 04:59 People all over Thailand are eager to learn about Jesus. 05:03 With the help of Adventist pastors 05:05 and global mission pioneers they will come to know Him. 05:09 Please, pray for these small projects 05:11 located throughout Thailand. 05:14 And thank you, for your support of the mission 05:16 of the Seventh-day Adventist church 05:19 through your Thirteenth Sabbath offering. 05:30 Dr. Daivd Trim joins us 05:32 periodically to share biographies 05:34 of Adventist pioneers, 05:36 Adventist missionaries who have been very significant 05:39 in the development of mission 05:40 in the Seventh-day Adventist church. 05:42 Daivd you care for archives, statistics and research 05:45 and you dig up a lot of interesting facts. 05:48 And who are we going to talk about today? 05:50 Today, Gary, we're going to talk about George Keough 05:52 and briefly about a man called Frank Oster. 05:55 Wonderful, tell us about Elder Kuo. 05:58 George D Keough 05:59 is one of the perhaps forgotten heroes of Adventist mission. 06:03 But he is the man who probably more than any other helped 06:06 to put Adventist mission in the Middle East 06:08 on a solid footing and he also experimented 06:12 with ways of what we called contextualization 06:14 of adapting of the medium of presenting the message 06:17 to local people in a way 06:18 that nobody else not the Seventh-day Adventist 06:21 but other Christians weren't doing. 06:23 He went to the Middle East in 1908. 06:25 He went to Egypt. 06:26 And he said when he arrived 06:28 there where it wish where to go out to learn Arabic. 06:30 And they said oh you don't. 06:31 You know we can't reach the local people. 06:34 It was not surprising 06:35 when they weren't speaking to the men in their language 06:37 but you know in Cairo at that time 06:38 they were only trying to reach European expatriates. 06:41 Keough learned Arabic and he went out of Cairo. 06:44 He went into the countryside with the villages were 06:47 and I have spoken to the descendents 06:49 of some of the people he worked with 06:51 and they described their fathers and grandfathers 06:53 telling them how this European came in 06:56 and sat on the dirt floors with them 06:58 and ate their food. 07:01 How he washed their feet. 07:04 Now this is the ear of empires and colonialism, Gary. 07:07 Europeans never did that. 07:08 No, no, no. 07:09 So, you know, if you can 07:10 so there is so much we could say about him 07:11 but we can say Keough modeled 07:14 what we called incarnational ministry 07:16 that is representing Christ to people. 07:18 He was Christ to ordinary people and they responded. 07:22 You know, he served in the Middle East for 20 years. 07:24 Wow. 07:25 He went back to England to teach Newbold College 07:28 for eight years. 07:29 In 1937, he got called back to the Arabic union 07:33 as it was then called where he was president. 07:35 Where things had gone things hadn't gone so well 07:38 since he left. 07:39 He put things back on a good footing. 07:40 He was called to Washington DC. 07:43 The SDA Theological Seminary had just been founded. 07:47 It's now at Andrews University. 07:48 Then it was in Washington DC. 07:50 And they had a program in Arabic language 07:53 and Islamic religion. 07:55 Gary, that was in 1944 it was founded 07:59 and it ended sadly in 1947 08:02 and there was nothing equivalent again for 40 years. 08:04 But he taught a whole group of students 08:06 including a man, many of viewers will remember 08:09 Neal Wilson the senior, former president of the GYC 08:14 who worked as a missionary in the Middle East. 08:16 And then he went back to the Middle East for a third time 08:18 when he was 65. 08:20 When most men would retire he went back again 08:22 and served for another ten years 08:24 before then starting another career in his 70s 08:27 as a teacher at Newbold way. 08:28 He influenced probably 08:29 all the leading Adventist theologians. 08:31 Just an amazing man and an extraordinary example 08:35 to us all I think. 08:37 Now when he first went to Egypt 08:38 what was his background before that? 08:40 He'd studied at-- it wasn't called Newbold in 08:43 but a college in England and he'd been inspired 08:47 by the stories of Daivd Livingston. 08:49 That's the stories of mission. 08:51 He'd been inspired 08:52 and he wanted to be a missionary. It's funny. 08:54 He was preparing in fact to go to Africa as Livingston had 08:57 and then at the last moment he got call 08:59 saying no Brother Keough was sending you to Egypt 09:01 and he writes about it later and says, 09:04 I said, but we were going to Africa. 09:07 And then they said well Egypt in Africa. 09:09 So he'd been thinking of course East Africa or somewhere. 09:13 But you know that's what the stories 09:16 of mission can do. They can inspire. 09:18 Now I'm interested he went as a very a young man to Egypt. 09:21 Now he had family with him when he went? 09:24 His children his oldest 09:25 two children were born in Egypt 09:27 and, you know, we forget the sufferings, 09:31 you know, the isolation that lot of mission families 09:33 had to endurance and still have to endure. 09:35 His wife would be left alone for weeks on end 09:38 because he traveled through Upper Egypt 09:41 where there was no communication. 09:42 Even railways were limited. 09:44 And, you know, there are extraordinary stories 09:46 of surviving on prayer. 09:47 Essentially in God working miracles to feed her 09:50 and her small children. 09:51 Wow, very inspiring. 09:53 Thanks, Daivd. 09:54 Now pastor Frank Oster. 09:56 Just briefly because our time is getting away from us. 09:59 Frank Oster is interesting. 10:00 Now he is not sort of a titanic figure like Keough 10:03 but he is significant. 10:04 He is the first Adventist missionary to Iran. 10:07 May 1, 1911 he enters Persia. 10:11 As Adventist called then and he leaves-- 10:15 he left a series of letters 10:18 which enable us to reconstruct his life 10:20 and also he wrote a series of gripping articles 10:22 for church periodicals at that time 10:24 describing his very difficult and dangerous journey 10:28 even just to get into the-- get to the border of Iran 10:31 and then across it. 10:32 But it's interesting he sets it, 10:33 you know, different example because his first year in Persia 10:38 he and his wife just studied the local language and culture. 10:40 So where as Keough mission officials 10:42 are saying oh don't worry with the local language 10:44 there you get a better model which in saying, 10:47 if you want to reach the local people 10:48 you have to know their language. 10:50 You have to able speak to them in their language. 10:52 But also of course, you have to know 10:54 something about their culture. 10:56 His wife also, you know, had an extraordinary story 10:59 when the First World War came 11:00 they had to be evacuated to Russia. 11:03 And she had just a young newborn baby 11:07 and a letter graphically describes them 11:09 riding across this mountain pass and being attacked by bandits. 11:13 And one of the bandits sees this bundle in Mrs. Osters arms 11:16 and thinks its money and ceases it and of course, 11:20 it's just a baby and lets the baby 11:21 dropping disgust and it rolls to the edge 11:23 of a precipice but no further. 11:26 So, you know, these are the experiences 11:29 that shaped our missionaries and they shaped 11:31 and created worldwide Adventist church. 11:33 Wonderful. 11:34 Thank Dr. Trim, for sharing with us. 11:36 Pleasure. 11:37 Viewers at home the Seventh-day Adventist church 11:40 began in sacrifice. 11:42 It is continued in sacrifice and it will only continue 11:46 as we wait for Jesus to come. 11:48 It will only move forward 11:49 as we continue to sacrifice for Jesus Christ. 11:53 You may feel a call 11:54 that you may be used as a missionary. 11:56 May be your children, may be your grandchildren. 11:59 Let's pray that God will continue to raise workers 12:02 because the harvest is ripe but the workers are few. 12:52 Urban mission is one of the biggest challenges 12:54 facing the Seventh-day Adventist church. 12:57 As you look at our history 12:58 we have tendered to focus on rural areas. 13:01 But there is a renewed focus today 13:04 on what can we do 13:05 to touch our lives of people in the cities? 13:07 And I'm delighted that Andres has joined me because Andres, 13:12 I'm talking about it you're involved in it. 13:15 Chicago a district where there is a wide variety of people 13:20 and you have a team that is working there. 13:24 What are the major challenges you face in urban mission? 13:28 Trying to find ways to be incarnated in the community. 13:33 To be real to a community. 13:34 To be authentic. 13:36 Not to play church 13:38 the temptation to go back into our little statistical game 13:42 so big but finding ways to be authentic, 13:47 to be real, to be incarnated in the community. 13:50 Of course, the financial issues are important 13:53 because doing some of the missions 13:56 in Chicago is very expensive. Yeah. 13:58 But we know the Lord provides 14:00 more than that is how we do that. 14:03 Well, being authentic and real 14:05 and really revealing Jesus to the community. 14:07 Yeah. 14:09 Now you have been working there for less than a year 14:10 but I know that you have already touched 14:12 the lives of various people. 14:14 Can you tell me a story of somebody's life's 14:17 who has been changed? 14:18 Sure absolutely. 14:21 I'm just going to call him Hwan. 14:22 Yes. 14:24 And he was a cage fighter. 14:27 What's a cage fighter? 14:28 Cage fighter, they basically, 14:32 it's like an alternative of boxing. 14:35 With fewer rules. 14:37 With fewer rules, it's just raw. 14:39 It's just--two weeks before he came to Epic 14:43 for the first time he was shot at several times 14:48 and not one bullet touched him. 14:52 His life was spared. 14:54 And then somehow I think through his family 14:57 he was connected to Epic church. 15:01 Every week we have been ]meeting with him 15:03 and he has been attending worship services. 15:06 And his skipping the Sabbath. 15:09 But last weekend this last Sabbath 15:12 he came back himself not even with his family, 15:16 even his family was not there. 15:18 He came back himself he worshipped. 15:20 He went to the outreach activities with us. 15:22 He went to prepare meals for children in Africa. 15:26 And at the end of the day he was expressing 15:29 to couple of the young people how blessed he was 15:32 and how his life is being transformed. 15:35 This week I'm receiving a text message 15:37 from him saying you know I'm blessed have a blessed day. 15:40 And he is really engaged into Jesus. 15:42 This is a non Seventh-day Adventist non Christian 15:45 that is he sees how his life is being turned around 15:49 for Jesus Christ in Epic church. 15:51 Cage fighter and now in church. 15:54 Now giving free hugs. 15:55 Yeah, head of security for Epic. 15:57 Yeah he becomes to be a bouncer. 15:58 Yeah. 15:59 Remind me what Epic stands for. 16:02 Every Person in Christ. 16:04 Every person in Christ. 16:05 Now I understand you've also connected 16:07 with some gang members. 16:08 Yes, of course. 16:10 Yeah, I mean we have people that used to be in gangs 16:13 now they're in the family of Jesus Christ, 16:16 bringing more ex-gang members to Jesus to Epic church. 16:20 Now how is the contact made with these people? 16:23 Through people in the core group. 16:25 Some of the people in the core group invited them 16:28 and they are really serious about reaching people 16:32 not just in the urban centers and places like weaker part. 16:37 But also in the future some of them are even planning 16:40 and doing more activities and more outreaches in places 16:45 like the ghettos in Chicago. 16:47 Okay. 16:48 Because the neighborhood where you are working 16:50 has a lot of wealthy people as well. 16:53 Yes it does. Yeah. 16:54 It's a pretty diverse neighbor. 16:56 Diverse neighborhood. 16:57 And our church matches the diversity 16:59 in the neighborhood. 17:00 So your core group of Adventist involved-- 17:04 they are finding ways to mingle and connect. 17:08 Yes. 17:10 Sorry, I know about the hug program 17:12 where you offer free hugs on the streets. 17:14 What are other sorts of things 17:16 people doing to make friendships? 17:19 Through out the week we try to establish contact with people 17:23 on the park on the Wicker Park trying to talk to them. 17:27 Sit with them. Sit by them. 17:30 Establish relationships with them. 17:32 Establish relationship with the business owners. 17:36 Letting them know where are they. 17:38 And I know it will a very important 17:39 when you've social media 17:41 where we have a social media committee. 17:44 And these guys act like electronic evangelist. 17:47 Right. 17:48 And all of them are young people. 17:50 That are connecting with people in the community. 17:53 And a couple of weeks ago 17:54 we had a family an entire family that came as a result of that. 17:59 And they live two blocks away from the church. 18:03 And they invited me to meet with them tomorrow 18:06 because they have questions about the Sabbath 18:08 and our church and Jesus. 18:11 They want to know more about this. 18:12 And their initial contact was in social media. 18:15 Their initial contact was actually through people 18:18 passing flyers on the streets 18:19 and then went to the social media 18:21 and they really love the concepts there 18:25 and they came to Epic. 18:27 Now describe for me 18:29 a typical Epic service on Sabbath. 18:31 What do you do in the service? 18:34 It's highly energetic. 18:37 We contextualize our terminology 18:41 which means we don't assume people know. 18:44 We explain what we mean by happy Sabbath. 18:48 We have hymns. 18:50 We have prayer songs. 18:51 We have worship songs. 18:53 But every person that participates 18:55 is very intentional about communicating clearly 18:59 what it means to follow Jesus 19:00 and whatever happens in the service. 19:02 And we have a very diverse crowd of people. 19:05 We have people from every ethnic background, 19:07 worship, leading worship 19:09 and participate in the service as well. 19:11 Fantastic. 19:12 Andres, thank you so much for sharing with us today. 19:15 It is my pleasure. 19:16 And viewers at home please remember 19:18 Pastor Andres his team the church members 19:22 and the community to whom they're reaching out. 19:25 Right there in the heart of Chicago. 19:29 The sunsets along the river in western Russia. 19:32 Fishermen cast their lines in the water 19:34 hoping to catch one more fish before the day ends. 19:38 The locals take a stroll across the bridge 19:40 that extends across the wide river. 19:42 Here people take the time to stop 19:44 and enjoy the warm evening air. 19:47 Next to the river a group of people are gathered 19:50 around a street performer. 19:52 He tells us stories and draws pictures on an easel. 19:55 People laugh at his jokes 19:56 and smile as he makes the connection with them. 19:59 His name is Michael 20:01 and he is a Seventh-day Adventist. 20:03 He and a team of young people from the local church 20:06 come here several times a week to do art evangelism. 20:11 Michael uses his artistic talents 20:13 to tell a story to those who will stop and listen. 20:16 A story of someone who loves them very much. 20:19 Someone who died for their sins 20:21 and wants to make their lives hold. 20:24 As Michael tells his stories 20:26 young people from the church 20:27 pass out a newspaper called the Gazette. 20:30 The paper tells readers of Christian values 20:32 and how to better their lives. 20:35 It may seem like a simple thing but it has changed lives. 20:39 It has brought new life to people 20:41 who have been looking for something new. 20:43 Something to make their lives complete. 20:48 In Russian town of Krasnodar, 20:51 the Seventh-day Adventist church 20:52 is an active part of this community. 20:55 Here lay members have taken Jesus call 20:57 to spread the gospel to heart. 21:00 Through their outreach the church is growing 21:02 and spreading Jesus love. 21:04 They found new and creative ways to reach people. 21:08 Small groups meet in homes and church members 21:11 share their faith with their neighbors and friends. 21:14 Entire families are coming into the church 21:16 and they in turn share the story of Jesus 21:19 with those they come in contact with. 21:21 Hundreds of lives have been changed 21:23 and many of them can trace it to one thing, 21:27 the Gazette newspaper. 21:29 One of these people is Leanna. 21:32 One day she found the copy of the Gazette outside her door 21:35 and decided to read it. 21:36 It changed her life. 21:39 She says that without the church her life would be empty. 21:43 [Speaking foreign language] 21:46 It would be a like darkness. 21:48 It would be like my life would not have a purpose. 21:53 Through the simple act 21:54 of sharing a printed piece of paper 21:56 to Seventh-day Adventist church in Krasnodar is changing lives. 22:00 They're directly touching people and giving them hope. 22:04 A portion of your Thirteenth Sabbath offerings 22:06 this quarter will go to build 22:08 new churches in the Krasnodar region. 22:11 These buildings will serve as houses of light 22:13 to reach even more people 22:15 and bring them out of the darkness. 22:18 Thank you, for your support of Adventist mission 22:21 and thank you, for supporting the Thirteenth Sabbath offering. 22:24 Your prayers and financial support 22:26 are making difference in peoples lives 22:28 around the world. 22:30 To learn more about mission 22:32 please visit AdventistMission.org. 22:44 Today we have a special offer on Global Mission Snapshots. 22:48 We suspect that our viewers love mission 22:50 and the different people's cultures and places 22:52 around the world. 22:53 And so if you live in North America 22:56 and also enjoy eating 22:57 we would like to send you a free copy of a cookbook 23:00 entitled "A Taste of Travel." 23:04 This lavishly illustrated book features soups 23:07 and stews from more than 130 countries 23:10 and its written by Adventist mission 23:12 marketing director Nancy Kyte. 23:15 So simply call our toll free number 1800-648-5824 23:21 or visit our website at AdventistMission.org 23:24 and ask for "A Taste of Travel" 23:27 or just mention the soup cookbook. 23:30 This book is completely free 23:32 all though if you also include a small donation 23:34 we'll be happy to receive it. 23:36 Don't forget to clearly state your name and address 23:39 and we'll send you a copy while supplies last. 23:44 Well, thanks so much for joining us today. 23:46 And a special thank you to those who call us 23:48 or go online and support Global Mission financially. 23:52 You're helping make it difference 23:54 in helping reach the unreached with hope. 23:57 Until next time I'm Gray Krause for Global Mission Snapshots 24:01 and I hope you're blessed by this music video 24:03 to finish our program. 24:16 You love me so much more Than I could ever know 24:21 Your love is deeper Than this world will ever show 24:26 And all of lives beauty shines Around this mornent now 24:31 Sky and the cliffs have seem to change my life somehow 24:37 And I will never be, will never be the same 24:43 Never be the same 24:47 I will be never be, never be the same 24:54 Never be the same ever again 25:03 Here I'm waiting Lord my life is just for you 25:08 Please unfold other plans that you would have me do 25:13 And wallowed out just a breath and nothing here to stay 25:19 And all of the love we feel will save us anyway 25:24 And I will never be, never be the same 25:30 Never be the same 25:34 I will be never be, never be the same 25:41 Never be the same ever again 26:16 And I will be never be, never be the same 26:22 Never be the same 26:26 I will never be, will never be the same 26:33 Never be the same ever again 26:41 Ever again, 26:46 ever again, 26:51 ever again 27:58 Never be the same |
Revised 2014-12-17