Global mission
pioneers in the city of Bangkok
00:00:01.06\00:00:03.52
and mission service in
Sri Lanka and the Philippines
00:00:03.55\00:00:06.64
that and much
more coming up next
00:00:06.67\00:00:09.13
on Global Mission Snapshots.
00:00:09.16\00:00:12.48
Just before He
went up to heaven,
00:00:22.04\00:00:24.41
Jesus gave us a command.
00:00:24.44\00:00:27.74
He gave us a mission.
00:00:27.77\00:00:30.52
Jesus said, go.
00:00:30.55\00:00:32.91
Go unto all the world,
telling them of His love.
00:00:32.94\00:00:37.81
This is our mission.
00:00:37.84\00:00:39.75
This is our "Global Mission."
00:00:39.78\00:00:43.24
Hello and welcome to
"Global Mission Snapshots."
00:00:47.08\00:00:49.60
I'm Gary Krause.
00:00:49.63\00:00:51.01
On today's program
we will be talking with
00:00:51.04\00:00:52.83
Rick Kajiura communication
director for Adventist Mission
00:00:52.86\00:00:56.40
who recently visited
Global Mission pioneers
00:00:56.43\00:00:59.55
who are planting new groups of
believers in Bangkok, Thailand.
00:00:59.58\00:01:03.94
We will also talk
with another Rick,
00:01:03.97\00:01:05.45
Rick McEdward whose
family served as missionaries
00:01:05.48\00:01:08.31
in Sri Lanka
and the Philippines.
00:01:08.34\00:01:10.85
Dr. McEdward has a
passion for mission and today
00:01:10.88\00:01:13.79
directs our Global
Mission study centers.
00:01:13.82\00:01:16.41
We'll also visit a
Global Mission pioneer
00:01:16.44\00:01:18.68
working in the
highlands of Sri Lanka.
00:01:18.71\00:01:21.77
But first stop,
let's go back a few year
00:01:21.80\00:01:24.32
to a video we produced looking
00:01:24.35\00:01:26.08
at challenges and
plans for Bangkok.
00:01:26.11\00:01:29.57
We called it Hope for Bangkok.
00:01:29.60\00:01:32.73
The cities are a huge challenge,
00:01:34.34\00:01:37.15
they represent postmodernism
and all the various elements
00:01:37.18\00:01:41.38
that come from around the world.
00:01:41.41\00:01:43.33
Today I happened
to be in Bangkok,
00:01:43.36\00:01:44.77
Thailand, it's
the city of 12 million
00:01:44.80\00:01:47.29
and over the past
100 years we established
00:01:47.32\00:01:50.11
about five churches
that were in the process
00:01:50.14\00:01:52.76
of putting in 18 new churches.
00:01:52.79\00:01:56.68
Located in the
heart of Southeast Asia,
00:01:56.71\00:01:59.42
the kingdom of
Thailand is a tropical country
00:01:59.45\00:02:02.19
with a rapidly growing economy.
00:02:02.22\00:02:04.75
Major exports
include textiles, footwear,
00:02:04.78\00:02:07.38
automobiles and computers.
00:02:07.41\00:02:09.19
But the main stay
of the country is rice.
00:02:09.22\00:02:12.14
Thailand is the world's
number one exporter of rice,
00:02:12.17\00:02:15.37
exporting enough
annually to feed over
00:02:15.40\00:02:17.14
44 million people
for an entire year.
00:02:17.17\00:02:20.90
Domestically Thai
cuisine is accompanied
00:02:20.93\00:02:23.62
predominantly by
rice, lots of rice.
00:02:23.65\00:02:26.48
A typical person in
Thailand consumes over
00:02:26.51\00:02:29.07
100 kilograms
of rice every year.
00:02:29.10\00:02:32.51
At this Buddhist
temple a large group
00:02:32.54\00:02:34.23
has gathered for
mid morning worship.
00:02:34.26\00:02:36.35
They brought food to
be blessed by the monks
00:02:36.38\00:02:38.52
and then given as an offering.
00:02:38.55\00:02:41.19
About 95% of the
population of Thailand
00:02:41.22\00:02:43.86
practices Theravada Buddhism.
00:02:43.89\00:02:46.36
This traditional or early form
of Buddhism has been interwoven
00:02:46.39\00:02:49.89
with the belief of animism
across much of the country.
00:02:49.92\00:02:53.26
Over time this
syncretistic religious system
00:02:53.29\00:02:56.41
has been ingrained into
00:02:56.44\00:02:57.64
the cultural DNA
of the Thai people.
00:02:57.67\00:03:00.43
Many homes and businesses
have miniature temples
00:03:00.46\00:03:03.24
known as spirit houses
place on their property.
00:03:03.27\00:03:07.09
Animism teaches that
booth good and evil spirits live
00:03:07.12\00:03:10.30
in many of the
objects of everyday life.
00:03:10.33\00:03:13.32
Offerings of food
and incense are left
00:03:13.35\00:03:15.58
in the ornate miniature
temples to appease the sprits
00:03:15.61\00:03:18.81
and keep the family out of harm.
00:03:18.84\00:03:21.15
Recently Gary Krause, director
00:03:21.18\00:03:23.12
of the Office of Adventist
Mission talked with Pat Gustin
00:03:23.15\00:03:26.20
who served as a missionary
in Thailand for 17 years.
00:03:26.23\00:03:30.41
Buddhism is a
very tolerant religion
00:03:30.44\00:03:33.87
that opened many new ideas.
00:03:33.90\00:03:36.06
It's a gentle
religion in which people feel
00:03:36.09\00:03:39.63
that they can
believe many different things
00:03:39.66\00:03:42.02
and still be good Buddhist.
00:03:42.05\00:03:43.45
And so I'd sense
it's not hard for them
00:03:43.48\00:03:45.63
to be covered of Christianity
but then to move away
00:03:45.66\00:03:49.34
from that and to become
totally--give total allegiance
00:03:49.37\00:03:53.12
to Jesus or to Christianity,
that's a big challenge.
00:03:53.15\00:03:56.97
This challenge was met
in 2006 with the launch
00:03:57.00\00:04:00.65
of Global Missions
Hope for Bangkok church
00:04:00.68\00:04:02.89
planting
initiative, Global Mission
00:04:02.92\00:04:04.98
is the frontline mission on
Adventist mission and office
00:04:05.01\00:04:08.20
of the Seventh-day Adventist
churches world headquarters.
00:04:08.23\00:04:11.64
Since 1990 Global
Missions helped to establish
00:04:11.67\00:04:14.54
new congregations in previously
unreached areas of the world.
00:04:14.57\00:04:19.26
These include everything
from North American communities
00:04:19.29\00:04:22.16
with no Adventist
presence to unentered
00:04:22.19\00:04:24.48
countries in the 10/40 Window.
00:04:24.51\00:04:28.87
Bangkok is Thailand's
capital and largest city
00:04:28.90\00:04:31.81
with more than 12 million
people living and working
00:04:31.84\00:04:34.54
in extremely cramped conditions.
00:04:34.57\00:04:37.21
Gridlock consumes the maze of
streets almost 24 hours a day,
00:04:37.24\00:04:41.18
heavy investment in
mass transit system,
00:04:41.21\00:04:43.62
strain to move the
huge and rapidly growing
00:04:43.65\00:04:46.22
metropolitan
population of Bangkok
00:04:46.25\00:04:48.42
to and from work everyday.
00:04:48.45\00:04:51.24
Doug Venn, an
Adventist missionary
00:04:51.27\00:04:53.46
coordinates to Hope
for Bangkok initiative.
00:04:53.49\00:04:56.21
With the Hope for
Bangkok project and support
00:04:56.24\00:04:59.05
from the world field, we
started 10 new church plants.
00:04:59.08\00:05:02.74
Now these are, you
know, from small groups
00:05:02.77\00:05:05.68
to now some
have even grown into,
00:05:05.71\00:05:08.38
we have some
baptism and truth from God
00:05:08.41\00:05:10.72
of how He changed lives
and so but then the layman,
00:05:10.75\00:05:14.57
this is exciting thing is
that the layman have just seized
00:05:14.60\00:05:17.13
the work and so our
investment of 10 and think
00:05:17.16\00:05:21.47
the sacrifice
of the world church
00:05:21.50\00:05:23.26
has now blossomed
and so another eight more
00:05:23.29\00:05:25.73
have started and
actually this month
00:05:25.76\00:05:27.58
we are going to
start on our 19th one.
00:05:27.61\00:05:30.01
Today, 69 Thai people have
accepted Jesus through baptism
00:05:30.04\00:05:33.77
at the nine church
plants across the city.
00:05:33.80\00:05:36.97
The project is
finding much of its success
00:05:37.00\00:05:39.29
by using friendship evangelism.
00:05:39.32\00:05:41.93
People from non
Christian background
00:05:41.96\00:05:43.77
to become a Christian,
the majority will become
00:05:43.80\00:05:46.32
Christians because
of the relationship
00:05:46.35\00:05:48.80
with the loving Christian.
00:05:48.83\00:05:50.50
More than
doctrine, more than teaching,
00:05:50.53\00:05:52.94
more than any of these
things ultimately obviously
00:05:52.97\00:05:54.73
we do have to teach people
and give them good answers
00:05:54.76\00:05:57.84
to their question of life.
00:05:57.87\00:06:00.02
But, first of all
friendship and relationship
00:06:00.05\00:06:03.67
and building bridges
with people as friends
00:06:03.70\00:06:06.65
is got to be the foundation.
00:06:06.68\00:06:11.65
One story of friendship started
when Nung decided to leave
00:06:11.68\00:06:15.38
her career as a
dancer in one of Thailand's
00:06:15.41\00:06:18.39
well known cultural theaters.
00:06:18.42\00:06:22.62
I first met God when I
started working as a teacher
00:06:22.65\00:06:25.40
at Ramkhamhaeng
Advent International School.
00:06:25.43\00:06:28.48
This is one of the
Adventist schools in Bangkok.
00:06:28.51\00:06:31.29
I started teaching after I
quit working at Siam Naramit
00:06:31.32\00:06:34.76
as a Thai cultural
dancer in this theater.
00:06:34.79\00:06:39.35
Shortly after she began work
at the school Nung met Pheem,
00:06:39.38\00:06:43.69
a Seventh Day
Adventist teacher at the school.
00:06:43.72\00:06:49.82
We developed a
close relationship
00:06:49.85\00:06:51.87
and I started to trust her.
00:06:51.90\00:06:53.74
I got to know her
way of living even more
00:06:53.77\00:06:55.98
which is a Christian Seventh-day
Adventist way of living.
00:06:56.01\00:06:59.18
I was impressed and
learned about a life
00:06:59.21\00:07:01.57
that is truly simple and happy
that motivated me to learn more
00:07:01.60\00:07:06.26
about who God is, what
God is and how He works.
00:07:06.29\00:07:10.46
This is the reason why I
wanted to learn more about God.
00:07:10.49\00:07:18.04
A year later following
the Holy Spirit's leading Nung
00:07:18.07\00:07:21.05
was baptized after attending
evangelistic reaping meetings
00:07:21.08\00:07:24.60
with Pastor
Scott Griswold, hosted
00:07:24.63\00:07:26.96
at the Ekamai Thai
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:07:26.99\00:07:30.65
Through the love of
this caring Christian family,
00:07:30.68\00:07:33.52
Nung was drawn to its
source, the living God.
00:07:33.55\00:07:37.83
Adventist Mission operates
five global mission study centre
00:07:37.86\00:07:40.82
in key locations
around the world.
00:07:40.85\00:07:43.00
Their purpose is to
build bridges of understanding
00:07:43.03\00:07:45.59
and friendship with people from
00:07:45.62\00:07:47.36
major world
religions and philosophies.
00:07:47.39\00:07:50.50
These study centers research
and experiment with ways
00:07:50.53\00:07:53.60
to more effectively
share with people from
00:07:53.63\00:07:56.03
profoundly
different world views.
00:07:56.06\00:07:59.16
Scott Griswold is
director of the Study Center
00:07:59.19\00:08:01.84
for ministry among Buddhist.
00:08:01.87\00:08:04.07
Every Sabbath Scott and
his family open their home
00:08:04.10\00:08:07.00
to friends the had met
while working in the community
00:08:07.03\00:08:10.57
despite the deeply religious
culture of the country,
00:08:10.60\00:08:13.80
sharing a Christian
message has been difficult.
00:08:13.83\00:08:16.96
I was trying to figure
out how on earth do I say
00:08:16.99\00:08:18.79
about the Cross
with the people who say,
00:08:18.82\00:08:21.04
ooh, he must have had
that power to suffer like that.
00:08:21.07\00:08:23.76
I was trying to
figure out how to share
00:08:23.79\00:08:25.37
when a Buddhist
himself said to me,
00:08:25.40\00:08:28.21
whenever I'm angry, I think
00:08:28.24\00:08:30.53
about Jesus on the cross.
00:08:30.56\00:08:32.53
I said why do you do?
00:08:32.56\00:08:33.99
And he said,
yes, He was so kind,
00:08:34.02\00:08:35.86
He was forgiving His enemies,
He kept Himself under control
00:08:35.89\00:08:38.69
and when I think about it,
all my anger just melts away.
00:08:38.72\00:08:41.39
Isn't that beautiful.
00:08:41.42\00:08:42.49
And it suddenly hit
me in the cross of Jesus
00:08:42.52\00:08:44.53
is something that
would draw all people to Him.
00:08:44.56\00:08:46.83
But, sometimes we have to
look for that specific piece
00:08:46.86\00:08:50.18
that will be attracted to him.
00:08:50.21\00:08:54.67
The Hope for Bangkok team
has the goal of establishing
00:08:54.70\00:08:57.41
eight new churches by
the end of 2010 because
00:08:57.44\00:09:01.51
they are sharing the
gospel through programs
00:09:01.54\00:09:03.55
such as teaching
English for spiritual purposes,
00:09:03.58\00:09:06.67
conducting health programs to
serve the needs of the community
00:09:06.70\00:09:09.92
and other methods that
make it easy for some one
00:09:09.95\00:09:12.39
from a Buddhist
background to learn about Jesus,
00:09:12.42\00:09:14.82
they are finding success.
00:09:14.85\00:09:17.28
Thank you for
supporting Hope for Bangkok
00:09:17.31\00:09:19.69
through your
prayers and thank you
00:09:19.72\00:09:21.45
for your financial
support of Global Mission
00:09:21.48\00:09:23.51
and the mission offerings.
00:09:23.54\00:09:25.61
Here to talk more about
the challenge of mission
00:09:36.23\00:09:38.75
in Bangkok in cities
generally is Rick Kajiura,
00:09:38.78\00:09:42.82
Rick thanks for joining us.
00:09:42.85\00:09:44.03
It's good to be here, Gary.
00:09:44.06\00:09:45.60
Rick, the Seventh-day
Adventist Church at the moment
00:09:45.63\00:09:47.65
is very strongly emphasizing
00:09:47.68\00:09:50.62
the challenge of
cities, why is that?
00:09:50.65\00:09:53.23
You know for many
years we have done very well
00:09:53.26\00:09:55.20
as a church in rural areas
but the cities have increasingly
00:09:55.23\00:09:59.42
become the challenge,
they have always been difficult
00:09:59.45\00:10:02.38
but more and more people
are moving into the cities,
00:10:02.41\00:10:04.90
the cities are getting
bigger than more of them,
00:10:04.93\00:10:06.93
and so the challenge
of the cities is something
00:10:06.96\00:10:09.14
that we need to focus on.
00:10:09.17\00:10:11.06
You know, I remember
years ago I was out driving
00:10:11.09\00:10:13.23
in a rural area and
there is a small town
00:10:13.26\00:10:16.29
that we went through in.
00:10:16.32\00:10:17.42
I was passing
churches and I wanted to know
00:10:17.45\00:10:19.08
is there's an
Adventist Church here.
00:10:19.11\00:10:20.73
And I thought
about, I saw the population
00:10:20.76\00:10:22.98
sign it was about 200
people in the small town
00:10:23.01\00:10:25.74
I thought you know, we can have
00:10:25.77\00:10:27.25
one apartment complex in
the city that has that kind
00:10:27.28\00:10:30.60
of population and what are
we doing to reach those people.
00:10:30.63\00:10:33.21
Yeah, I can remember
driving through China
00:10:33.24\00:10:36.82
with these brand new
freeways and whole towns,
00:10:36.85\00:10:40.66
whole cities are being created
of high rises and each high rise
00:10:40.69\00:10:44.30
has may be thousand
people and say you could
00:10:44.33\00:10:47.41
plant a church in each
one of those high rises.
00:10:47.44\00:10:49.65
Yeah, and they were
doing that in [1045]
00:10:49.68\00:10:51.17
recognizing that you
know, there was a new city
00:10:51.20\00:10:54.18
coming up around factories
and so they purposely planted
00:10:54.21\00:10:58.29
a church in that area before
the population moved in there,
00:10:58.32\00:11:01.41
so we are ready
when the people come.
00:11:01.44\00:11:03.87
Now, we just saw a video
that from the few years ago
00:11:03.90\00:11:07.20
talking about the
challenge of Bangkok and I know
00:11:07.23\00:11:09.85
that this was an intentional
Global Mission initiative.
00:11:09.88\00:11:14.93
What has happened in Bangkok?
00:11:14.96\00:11:17.62
We know Bangkok is
a very difficult city,
00:11:17.65\00:11:20.09
it's a population
of about eight million
00:11:20.12\00:11:21.83
if you're conservative and
don't look at the outlying areas
00:11:21.86\00:11:25.33
and yet it's a city
with very few Christians.
00:11:25.36\00:11:29.81
And, you know, lot of people
and they think about mission,
00:11:29.84\00:11:31.84
they think about
poor villages you know,
00:11:31.87\00:11:35.04
but you are talking
about a modern city here
00:11:35.07\00:11:36.90
with the high rises,
luxury automobiles, restaurants,
00:11:36.93\00:11:41.95
you know this electrical power
00:11:41.98\00:11:44.17
everywhere,
technologies everywhere.
00:11:44.20\00:11:46.39
So what do you do to
try and reach these people
00:11:46.42\00:11:48.89
and so several years
ago we put an emphasis
00:11:48.92\00:11:51.66
on Bangkok
called Hope for Bangkok.
00:11:51.69\00:11:54.11
And its part of what
they are doing there,
00:11:54.14\00:11:56.49
they had small church
plants in different areas,
00:11:56.52\00:11:58.97
very challenging to start
church plants in those areas.
00:11:59.00\00:12:03.68
And you know, we reach people
00:12:03.71\00:12:05.95
but it's difficult to
reach the Thai, Thai people.
00:12:05.98\00:12:10.11
You know, it's
much easy to reach
00:12:10.14\00:12:11.70
the foreigners who come
in and things like that.
00:12:11.73\00:12:14.33
I may interrupt you
because for more than 100 years
00:12:14.36\00:12:17.46
the Adventist
churches had a presence
00:12:17.49\00:12:19.11
there but before
this initiative began,
00:12:19.14\00:12:22.08
there was probably about
four or five Adventist churches
00:12:22.11\00:12:24.53
and everyone of
them was aimed at people
00:12:24.56\00:12:28.23
who are not
indigenous Thai people,
00:12:28.26\00:12:29.88
so you did not, you
have may be Chinese people,
00:12:29.91\00:12:33.15
you had expats but
actually Thai local Thai people
00:12:33.18\00:12:36.31
they just weren't to be seen.
00:12:36.34\00:12:37.67
Sure and there is
a church in Bangkok
00:12:37.70\00:12:39.43
that is as big as the church
that I attend here in the US
00:12:39.46\00:12:43.28
and it's a
basically a Chinese church
00:12:43.31\00:12:46.93
and they are mission minded.
00:12:46.96\00:12:48.32
Oh, we're thankful for that.
00:12:48.35\00:12:49.47
You know they try to reach out
00:12:49.50\00:12:50.94
but it's just
challenging to reach
00:12:50.97\00:12:53.15
the indigenous Thai people.
00:12:53.18\00:12:55.80
Okay, so these new
groups were started.
00:12:55.83\00:12:59.74
Yeah, these new
groups were started
00:12:59.77\00:13:01.45
and one of the
ones that I visited was,
00:13:01.48\00:13:04.07
was one with a global
mission pioneer named Addison
00:13:04.10\00:13:07.76
and he is actually from
the Philippines originally
00:13:07.79\00:13:10.39
and he is has been
there for a number of years
00:13:10.42\00:13:14.56
and he has got a church plant
there but this church plant,
00:13:14.59\00:13:18.48
you know, when I visited
00:13:18.51\00:13:19.58
it was primarily Filipinos
who are living there in Bangkok
00:13:19.61\00:13:24.15
who to come to this church.
00:13:24.18\00:13:25.57
And it had a wonderful service,
00:13:25.60\00:13:27.05
you know, singing
but they introduced
00:13:27.08\00:13:29.28
me to two women who are
Thai people and one is a member
00:13:29.31\00:13:33.39
there and another one is
someone from the neighborhood
00:13:33.42\00:13:37.09
who they have invited there.
00:13:37.12\00:13:38.66
And she has been
attending church regularly
00:13:38.69\00:13:41.35
and I spoke with her and I said,
00:13:41.38\00:13:43.23
you know, what is
that you like about them?
00:13:43.26\00:13:45.65
Oh, I'm not a member yet,
I'm not a member yet you know,
00:13:45.68\00:13:47.88
but I just like coming
here, I like the people, I like,
00:13:47.91\00:13:51.51
you know, and we have to realize
that it takes time for people
00:13:51.54\00:13:55.68
to make such a radical
transition in their lives
00:13:55.71\00:13:58.77
from not believing
the God we believe in,
00:13:58.80\00:14:01.30
not believing the Bible
and making those baby steps
00:14:01.33\00:14:04.75
toward becoming a Christian
and she is taking those steps.
00:14:04.78\00:14:08.66
And I hope people will
pray for people like this woman
00:14:08.69\00:14:12.30
who are just
getting that first interest
00:14:12.33\00:14:15.29
and coming and learning more.
00:14:15.32\00:14:17.42
You know when I
watch them, they're sitting
00:14:17.45\00:14:18.81
in the Sabbath school
class on a little round table
00:14:18.84\00:14:21.60
just outside the church
plant building and there is Tay
00:14:21.63\00:14:26.38
who is a young
Thai man who was leading
00:14:26.41\00:14:29.27
the Sabbath school lesson,
00:14:29.30\00:14:31.07
so you know those first
few people begin to grow.
00:14:31.10\00:14:38.14
Too often we think of
mission as been quick fix,
00:14:38.17\00:14:42.77
quick turnaround
living to an area,
00:14:42.80\00:14:45.08
running series of
meeting, hold of baptism
00:14:45.11\00:14:47.24
but it's not going to work like
that in a place like Bangkok,
00:14:47.27\00:14:49.37
it's going to be a
long, long time as people
00:14:49.40\00:14:54.00
make that transition
that you're talking about
00:14:54.03\00:14:56.65
and we need to
face that as a reality.
00:14:56.68\00:15:00.49
Yeah, and you know, I
think this is something
00:15:00.52\00:15:02.65
that church leadership has
to recognized too in those areas
00:15:02.68\00:15:06.08
because they, they like those
00:15:06.11\00:15:07.88
quick fixes too
because it's in the books,
00:15:07.91\00:15:10.30
but you know if
you really wanted.
00:15:10.33\00:15:12.17
I remember years ago driving
in Australia on the coast road
00:15:12.20\00:15:16.47
and seeing the
arches the rock arches
00:15:16.50\00:15:20.12
there and thinking, you
know, wow how long does it take
00:15:20.15\00:15:23.27
for these arches to
form, they are beautiful.
00:15:23.30\00:15:25.96
And I thought about, you
know, those waves hitting
00:15:25.99\00:15:28.23
the rock faces and
over time eventually
00:15:28.26\00:15:31.35
there is a one little tiny hole
00:15:31.38\00:15:33.64
which grows into
a beautiful arch.
00:15:33.67\00:15:35.67
But until that
first little hole is made,
00:15:35.70\00:15:38.24
you know, there
is nothing happening.
00:15:38.27\00:15:39.49
Once that first little hole
is made and it begins to happen
00:15:39.52\00:15:42.51
faster and you get
this beautiful rock bridges.
00:15:42.54\00:15:46.65
Well now there are more
than 20 of these beautiful
00:15:46.68\00:15:51.72
new groups scattered
all over Bangkok city.
00:15:51.75\00:15:54.73
Yeah, and there is one story
that they shared with me about
00:15:54.76\00:15:56.94
a young man who came to
study English and he was showing
00:15:56.97\00:15:59.83
an interest and so they
gave him a New Testament
00:15:59.86\00:16:02.00
which he read very quickly.
00:16:02.03\00:16:03.45
He was studying in
law, he was a law student.
00:16:03.48\00:16:05.69
And then he, he
asked for an entire Bible
00:16:05.72\00:16:10.21
and his sister saw him
reading the Bible and said,
00:16:10.24\00:16:12.24
you know, are you interested
in becoming a Christian?
00:16:12.27\00:16:14.86
And he said yes, I'm
and so the parents found out
00:16:14.89\00:16:17.49
and they weren't
happy, and they said, well,
00:16:17.52\00:16:19.48
we want you to become a
monk for two years before
00:16:19.51\00:16:23.02
he make any decisions
and he kept reading the Bible
00:16:23.05\00:16:26.42
and he finally
came and said my mother
00:16:26.45\00:16:27.89
has changed her
mind, I can become
00:16:27.92\00:16:29.55
a Christian and he was baptized.
00:16:29.58\00:16:31.16
Wow, good story.
00:16:31.19\00:16:33.69
Well, Rick, thanks
so much for sharing
00:16:33.72\00:16:35.36
with us a little bit about
what's happening in Bangkok
00:16:35.39\00:16:37.35
which is an ongoing project.
00:16:37.38\00:16:39.89
It is an ongoing project
00:16:39.92\00:16:41.35
and I hope people
will pray for them.
00:16:41.38\00:16:42.51
Well, thank you.
00:16:42.54\00:16:43.57
And please remember
to pray for Bangkok,
00:16:43.60\00:16:46.28
pray for the Global Mission
pioneers who are starting
00:16:46.31\00:16:49.56
these new congregations,
this is difficult work,
00:16:49.59\00:16:52.26
this is challenging work.
00:16:52.29\00:16:53.65
Sometimes it can be lonely,
sometimes it can be discouraging
00:16:53.68\00:16:56.93
but we are just so glad
to see so many people's lives
00:16:56.96\00:16:59.93
been touched by the Gospel.
00:16:59.96\00:17:01.74
I'm delighted to
welcome my colleague
00:17:47.08\00:17:48.99
Dr. Rick McEdward
who is the director
00:17:49.02\00:17:50.68
of the Global
Mission Study Centers.
00:17:50.71\00:17:52.45
Welcome, Rick.
00:17:52.48\00:17:53.57
Thanks, Gary
00:17:53.60\00:17:54.71
Rick, you are directing
00:17:54.74\00:17:56.17
the Global
Mission Study Centers,
00:17:56.20\00:17:57.94
for our viewers who may
not have heard of them before,
00:17:57.97\00:18:00.19
what do they do?
00:18:00.22\00:18:02.02
Well Global Mission
Study Centers really
00:18:02.05\00:18:04.05
are there to equip
Christians, church members
00:18:04.08\00:18:08.37
to be able to
reach out to people
00:18:08.40\00:18:12.16
of variety of
faiths and traditions.
00:18:12.19\00:18:15.26
It could be people who
are next door neighbors
00:18:15.29\00:18:17.49
or in other part of the
world but to try to help people
00:18:17.52\00:18:20.80
to know what they understand
and how to touch their lives.
00:18:20.83\00:18:25.50
Now, how many
centers do we have?
00:18:25.53\00:18:27.21
Currently we have six.
00:18:27.24\00:18:28.94
Okay and they would be?
00:18:28.97\00:18:32.03
You know, we just
started our latest one,
00:18:32.06\00:18:34.18
it's the urban ministry centre.
00:18:34.21\00:18:35.89
We have also a
Hindu ministry center,
00:18:35.92\00:18:38.75
a one for Islam, one
for Buddhism, Judaism,
00:18:38.78\00:18:45.28
secular postmodernism as well.
00:18:45.31\00:18:47.88
So, these are spread
in only North America?
00:18:47.91\00:18:51.50
We have a nine staff members
spread out all over the world
00:18:51.53\00:18:55.51
only a couple of them
live here in North America.
00:18:55.54\00:18:58.62
Now, Rick you and your
family served as missionaries
00:18:58.65\00:19:01.42
for some time in Southeast Asia.
00:19:01.45\00:19:03.71
And I know that you
were living in Sri Lanka,
00:19:03.74\00:19:06.66
then you were
living in the Philippines,
00:19:06.69\00:19:08.37
but you traveled
to many different
00:19:08.40\00:19:10.34
territories in your work.
00:19:10.37\00:19:11.87
Describe some of
the different context
00:19:11.90\00:19:14.44
that you have to work in.
00:19:14.47\00:19:15.76
Well, you know, it's interesting
00:19:15.79\00:19:17.64
as I traveled around
over the last ten years
00:19:17.67\00:19:20.72
of doing mission,
different kinds of mission work.
00:19:20.75\00:19:25.74
I have seen the poorest
and the wealthiest of context.
00:19:25.77\00:19:29.17
You go to a place
like Dhaka, Bangladesh
00:19:29.20\00:19:31.56
and you go to a
place like Singapore.
00:19:31.59\00:19:33.60
They are radically
different although both in Asia.
00:19:33.63\00:19:37.66
You see a Buddhist
context which tend to be around
00:19:37.69\00:19:42.93
surrounding the temples
and the context of sacrifice
00:19:42.96\00:19:47.42
in the temples with the
lambs and different things.
00:19:47.45\00:19:49.51
And you go to the Muslim context
00:19:49.54\00:19:51.29
where there is a
different kind of devotion,
00:19:51.32\00:19:53.64
praying five times
a day and very strong
00:19:53.67\00:19:56.72
spiritual connection with God
there and so these wide contexts
00:19:56.75\00:20:01.37
really provide us
opportunity to understand
00:20:01.40\00:20:04.13
people in a different way.
00:20:04.16\00:20:05.45
You also had territories
that were communist governments?
00:20:05.48\00:20:09.20
Military governments,
communist governments,
00:20:09.23\00:20:12.53
very secular
places, some countries
00:20:12.56\00:20:17.33
that are Islamic
republics where we have been
00:20:17.36\00:20:22.76
and not to focus on
that but we visit these place
00:20:22.79\00:20:26.63
because
sometimes we have friends
00:20:26.66\00:20:28.09
and others that
live in these context.
00:20:28.12\00:20:30.95
Now Rick when you--when you look
at all these different contexts,
00:20:30.98\00:20:34.73
how do we even begin to
witness to Jesus Christ in a way
00:20:34.76\00:20:40.84
that is meaningful to
these different traditions,
00:20:40.87\00:20:43.96
I mean where do we start?
00:20:43.99\00:20:45.24
Well, you know, where
we have typically started
00:20:45.27\00:20:47.28
is we typically share
Christ with other Christians
00:20:47.31\00:20:51.47
and I think that
doesn't fully represent
00:20:51.50\00:20:55.72
the commission
Jesus has given us.
00:20:55.75\00:20:58.06
So what I like to say
is begin with the person
00:20:58.09\00:21:01.47
who is closest to you,
begin with your neighbor,
00:21:01.50\00:21:03.86
begin with somebody who
you can start associating with,
00:21:03.89\00:21:07.18
that's the place to start.
00:21:07.21\00:21:09.15
Now, you went to Sri
Lanka from North America,
00:21:09.18\00:21:13.62
this was your,
you'd lived overseas
00:21:13.65\00:21:16.30
before as a child but
this is your first experience,
00:21:16.33\00:21:19.80
what did you learn
from that experience?
00:21:19.83\00:21:22.69
You know, I came in
as a--thinking I knew
00:21:22.72\00:21:25.78
a lot and finding out
that I knew very little.
00:21:25.81\00:21:29.36
It was a country
that was divided.
00:21:29.39\00:21:32.99
We know from the
stories Sri Lanka
00:21:33.02\00:21:34.43
that there is a
civil war going on there.
00:21:34.46\00:21:36.55
And I lived in this really
incredible Buddhist community
00:21:36.58\00:21:40.87
where people were so loving,
so friendly and who accepted us
00:21:40.90\00:21:46.23
even though we were
foreigners into their midst.
00:21:46.26\00:21:50.70
What I found out is that people
are people and a lot of times
00:21:50.73\00:21:56.01
others will respond to
kindness or friendship,
00:21:56.04\00:21:58.94
some love, some service
00:21:58.97\00:22:01.15
where we think its complicated.
00:22:01.18\00:22:03.86
Share an experience of
how you were able to engage
00:22:03.89\00:22:06.53
in somebody's life
when you were over there?
00:22:06.56\00:22:08.79
One of, one of the experiences
I like to tell is about my wife.
00:22:08.82\00:22:13.87
She like to go
around the community
00:22:13.90\00:22:18.37
and share some of the holiday
goodies at Christmas time
00:22:18.40\00:22:22.44
or some of the
local holiday time.
00:22:22.47\00:22:24.60
And as that happened,
people opened up their lives.
00:22:24.63\00:22:28.68
They began to invite her.
00:22:28.71\00:22:31.13
She was a nurse, so
she would go to their home
00:22:31.16\00:22:33.74
at times of
distress or sickness.
00:22:33.77\00:22:35.79
She go to
funerals in the community.
00:22:35.82\00:22:37.50
My children
began teaching English,
00:22:37.53\00:22:39.39
they were just small at the time
00:22:39.42\00:22:40.98
teaching English
in the community.
00:22:41.01\00:22:42.77
And you know over
time it really meant a lot
00:22:42.80\00:22:46.62
when we visited
there after moving away.
00:22:46.65\00:22:50.86
People stood in the
alleyway outside the house
00:22:50.89\00:22:54.22
for three or four
hours, some of them coming up
00:22:54.25\00:22:56.18
and stroking my wife's
cheeks and hugging my children
00:22:56.21\00:23:00.57
and I knew that my
wife and my children
00:23:00.60\00:23:03.49
while I was
traveling around the country,
00:23:03.52\00:23:05.09
were able to make deep
impact into the lives of people.
00:23:05.12\00:23:09.52
So, looking at that
experience on the ground,
00:23:09.55\00:23:13.49
in the field with your work now.
00:23:13.52\00:23:16.50
How do you see
that marrying together?
00:23:16.53\00:23:19.10
You know, I think
we have to come out
00:23:19.13\00:23:21.44
a witness as learners.
00:23:21.47\00:23:23.70
I have just
because I'm the director
00:23:23.73\00:23:25.61
of the study
centers, it doesn't mean
00:23:25.64\00:23:26.77
I have to stopped learning
and as we learned in the field,
00:23:26.80\00:23:30.32
we can then talk with others
may be do a little coaching,
00:23:30.35\00:23:35.20
find some
principles of similarities,
00:23:35.23\00:23:37.50
commonalities between
how do we share with people
00:23:37.53\00:23:40.88
of this background and
how do we share with others
00:23:40.91\00:23:44.07
and I like to think over this
a time of trying to find ways
00:23:44.10\00:23:50.70
of getting behind the iron
walls that people have put up.
00:23:50.73\00:23:54.67
Now, Rick, when we look
at Seventh-day Adventist,
00:23:54.70\00:23:59.62
do you find that we have
more in common with people
00:23:59.65\00:24:04.12
from say an Islamic
tradition that many of us
00:24:04.15\00:24:08.83
would have first thought.
00:24:08.86\00:24:10.61
You know, I find
incredible bridges
00:24:10.64\00:24:14.57
that we have as Adventist
that virtually every other
00:24:14.60\00:24:18.57
Christian
church wishes they had.
00:24:18.60\00:24:21.42
And some of this
has to come because
00:24:21.45\00:24:23.49
of our belief in
the second coming.
00:24:23.52\00:24:25.07
Some of has to do with
the Sabbath or the way we eat.
00:24:25.10\00:24:27.76
All of these have
provided for us a rich ability
00:24:27.79\00:24:32.24
to reach out and help
people understand who God is.
00:24:32.27\00:24:37.29
Tell us about
this new study center
00:24:37.32\00:24:39.59
for urban mission just briefly?
00:24:39.62\00:24:41.37
The Study center for
urban mission is really geared
00:24:41.40\00:24:44.19
for understanding the cities.
00:24:44.22\00:24:46.56
How do we reach out in
this complicated urban setting,
00:24:46.59\00:24:49.67
that's really what it's about.
00:24:49.70\00:24:51.02
Fantastic, thanks
for joining us, Rick.
00:24:51.05\00:24:53.60
And viewers at
home, please remember
00:24:53.63\00:24:55.18
the Global Mission
Study Centers in your prayers.
00:24:55.21\00:24:59.02
It's a challenging task to
find ways that we can be more
00:24:59.05\00:25:03.09
effective in building bridges
to our brothers and sisters
00:25:03.12\00:25:07.01
who come from vastly different
00:25:07.04\00:25:08.88
faith
traditions to what we have.
00:25:08.91\00:25:10.69
Meet Raja, a
global mission pioneer
00:25:30.60\00:25:33.33
in the hill
country of Sri Lanka.
00:25:33.36\00:25:36.60
Several times a week he
meets with the small group
00:25:36.63\00:25:39.39
here in a small meeting room
00:25:39.42\00:25:41.14
attached to one
corner of his house.
00:25:41.17\00:25:43.66
The service is
simple yet meaningful.
00:25:43.69\00:25:48.08
This is the
second group of believers
00:25:48.11\00:25:49.92
that Raja has helped to
establish in the past four years
00:25:49.95\00:25:54.09
in this region
there are no large halls
00:25:54.12\00:25:56.39
to host evangelistic meetings.
00:25:56.42\00:25:58.81
Cars are luxury that
few people can afford.
00:25:58.84\00:26:02.02
Most people walk or
travel by public transportation
00:26:02.05\00:26:05.48
getting from place
to place can take hours.
00:26:05.51\00:26:09.11
This makes public and
personal witnessing difficult.
00:26:09.14\00:26:13.82
This pearl shaped
island nation some 20 miles
00:26:17.24\00:26:20.30
of Indian's south eastern
coast also has strong ethnic
00:26:20.33\00:26:24.19
and religious
divides that cause people
00:26:24.22\00:26:26.45
to be vary of Christianity.
00:26:26.48\00:26:29.16
As a result,
the Adventist Church
00:26:29.19\00:26:31.45
has grown slowly
over the past century.
00:26:31.48\00:26:34.57
Then ten years ago
Global Mission started
00:26:34.60\00:26:37.56
an imitative to send frontline
pioneers to meet people
00:26:37.59\00:26:41.49
where they live,
Global Mission pioneers
00:26:41.52\00:26:44.77
like Raja
understand the culture,
00:26:44.80\00:26:47.50
they speak the language and they
are able to breakdown prejudice.
00:26:47.53\00:26:51.85
Raja is just one of some 2,500
00:26:51.88\00:26:55.16
global mission
pioneers around the world.
00:26:55.19\00:26:58.20
These lay church
members typically spend
00:26:58.23\00:27:00.74
at least two years
working to establish
00:27:00.77\00:27:03.26
a new congregation
within their culture.
00:27:03.29\00:27:07.39
Global Missions work of
intentionally reaching people
00:27:07.42\00:27:10.34
where they live is paying off.
00:27:10.37\00:27:12.87
Over the past decade the number
of Adventist congregations
00:27:12.90\00:27:16.02
in Sri Lanka has
gone from 28 to nearly 50,
00:27:16.05\00:27:20.14
a growth rate of more than 50%.
00:27:20.17\00:27:27.91
Thank you for your
support of Global Mission
00:27:27.94\00:27:30.94
and your mission offerings
that help reach God's children
00:27:30.97\00:27:33.87
in the tea estates of Sri Lanka.
00:27:33.90\00:27:37.58
To learn more
about Global Mission,
00:27:37.61\00:27:39.82
please visit,
global-mission.org.
00:27:39.85\00:27:44.10
If you care about mission
and love the peoples' cultures
00:27:46.81\00:27:50.29
and places of the world.
00:27:50.32\00:27:51.95
And if you like good food,
we like to send you a free copy
00:27:51.98\00:27:55.51
of a taste of travel,
this beautifully illustrated
00:27:55.54\00:27:58.90
vegetarian cook book
features soups and stews
00:27:58.93\00:28:02.25
from more than 130
countries of the world.
00:28:02.28\00:28:06.12
And Nancy Kyte,
Adventist Mission's
00:28:06.15\00:28:08.12
marketing
director personally taste,
00:28:08.15\00:28:10.61
tested each one of the recipes.
00:28:10.64\00:28:12.68
Recipes such as sweet
mango soup from Jamaica,
00:28:12.71\00:28:16.52
tomato basil soup from Latvia
00:28:16.55\00:28:18.70
and sweet potato
stew from Guyana.
00:28:18.73\00:28:22.24
So if you live in
North America and you like
00:28:22.27\00:28:24.14
a free copy of this book,
please call our toll free number
00:28:24.17\00:28:27.22
1-800-648-5824 or visit our
00:28:27.25\00:28:32.17
website and ask for your copy
00:28:32.20\00:28:34.03
of a taste of travel
or the soup cook book
00:28:34.06\00:28:37.77
if you don't remember the title.
00:28:37.80\00:28:39.92
But hurry because supplies
are limited and please remember,
00:28:39.95\00:28:43.16
clearly state your
name and address and mention
00:28:43.19\00:28:46.81
the cook book.
00:28:46.84\00:28:48.18
Well that's about
it for today's program
00:28:48.21\00:28:50.25
and I hope it inspires
you to pray for the people
00:28:50.28\00:28:53.46
and places you will see.
00:28:53.49\00:28:55.14
And a special thank
you to those viewers
00:28:55.17\00:28:57.35
who call or go online
at www.adventistmission.org
00:28:57.38\00:29:03.37
to financially support
Global Mission projects.
00:29:03.40\00:29:07.20
For the office of
Adventist Mission,
00:29:07.23\00:29:09.01
I'm Gary Krause and I
hope you can join me next time
00:29:09.04\00:29:11.74
right here on
Global Mission Snapshots.
00:29:11.77\00:29:14.48