On today's program
Adventist schools in India
00:00:01.06\00:00:03.35
helping children
prepare for a better future
00:00:03.38\00:00:06.02
and Global Mission pioneers
00:00:06.05\00:00:07.59
in the African
nation of Botswana,
00:00:07.62\00:00:09.93
all that and much
more coming up next
00:00:09.96\00:00:12.43
on Global Mission Snapshots.
00:00:12.46\00:00:14.60
Just before He
went up to heaven,
00:00:25.84\00:00:28.40
Jesus gave us a command.
00:00:28.43\00:00:31.40
He gave us a
mission. Jesus said, go.
00:00:31.43\00:00:35.41
Go unto all the world,
telling them of His love.
00:00:36.52\00:00:40.51
This is our mission.
This is our "Global Mission."
00:00:41.66\00:00:45.50
Hello and welcome to
"Global Mission Snapshots."
00:00:51.71\00:00:53.98
I'm Gary Krause.
00:00:54.01\00:00:55.63
If you've ever visited India
00:00:55.66\00:00:57.27
you'll probably
never forget the sites,
00:00:57.30\00:01:00.30
the sounds and the
smells of the streets
00:01:00.33\00:01:03.21
with the scent of
the aromatic foods,
00:01:03.24\00:01:05.39
colorful dress and yes lots
of cars honking their horns.
00:01:05.42\00:01:10.04
And if you've
never visited India
00:01:10.07\00:01:12.19
just stay tuned and in
a few moments you will.
00:01:12.22\00:01:14.99
On today's
program we will be talking
00:01:16.11\00:01:17.63
with Ricky Alvarez about India.
00:01:17.66\00:01:20.44
According to tradition
the first Christian missionary
00:01:20.47\00:01:23.50
to the Indian subcontinent
was the Apostle Thomas.
00:01:23.53\00:01:27.28
Now whether or
not that's true today
00:01:27.31\00:01:29.70
it's an even
bigger mission field,
00:01:29.73\00:01:32.14
the second most
populated country on earth.
00:01:32.17\00:01:35.61
We will also be
talking to Laurie Falvo
00:01:35.64\00:01:37.61
about a small country in
southern Africa, Botswana.
00:01:37.64\00:01:41.86
It's a country where
famous Christian missionary
00:01:41.89\00:01:44.27
Dr. David
Livingstone lived and worked.
00:01:44.30\00:01:47.46
But first,
let's travel to India.
00:01:47.49\00:01:49.82
In 1898, William
Spicer left his home
00:01:52.60\00:01:56.19
and journeyed overseas
to the country of India.
00:01:56.22\00:01:59.56
For three years
Spicer was the only ordained
00:01:59.59\00:02:02.23
Seventh-day Adventist
pastor in all of Southern Asia.
00:02:02.26\00:02:05.85
Southern Asia
represents a large territory
00:02:05.88\00:02:08.55
with more than a billion people.
00:02:08.58\00:02:11.32
Just like our
modern day missionaries do
00:02:11.35\00:02:13.62
William Spicer had to
adapt to a whole new culture,
00:02:13.65\00:02:16.98
he tasted new food, stumble
through foreign languages
00:02:17.01\00:02:20.67
and surrounded himself
with an unfamiliar environment.
00:02:20.70\00:02:24.18
Despite the great challenges
00:02:24.21\00:02:25.54
William Spicer
did a lot to establish
00:02:25.57\00:02:27.65
Seventh-day Adventist
church in Southern Asia.
00:02:27.68\00:02:30.80
He founded the first
Adventist Periodical in India.
00:02:30.83\00:02:33.64
If you visit
India today you can stop
00:02:34.70\00:02:36.64
by the Oriental
Watchman Publishing House.
00:02:36.67\00:02:39.57
At this publish house
they produce thousands of books
00:02:39.60\00:02:42.17
and magazines everyday.
00:02:42.20\00:02:44.05
Workers feed paper
through the machines
00:02:48.85\00:02:50.87
knowing that when
the process is complete
00:02:50.90\00:02:53.54
they will have materials
containing a valuable message.
00:02:53.57\00:02:57.27
Jagdish Namey has
worked here for years.
00:02:57.30\00:03:00.03
He lost some of his fingers
in an accident a long time ago.
00:03:00.06\00:03:03.63
Although working
like this can be difficult
00:03:03.66\00:03:05.89
Jagdish Namey
doesn't let that stop him.
00:03:05.92\00:03:08.70
He works here
because he knows the impact
00:03:08.73\00:03:10.54
these books have on
the people who read them.
00:03:10.57\00:03:12.90
All of the employees
have a passion for their job
00:03:13.93\00:03:16.19
and sharing the
good news of Jesus.
00:03:16.22\00:03:18.62
William Spicer continued to work
00:03:20.11\00:03:21.65
throughout India
as a church leader.
00:03:21.68\00:03:23.82
He went on to become the
General Conference secretary
00:03:23.85\00:03:26.20
and then president.
00:03:26.23\00:03:27.64
His mark was left behind
throughout Southern Asia.
00:03:27.67\00:03:31.13
And together we will make it,
00:03:31.16\00:03:34.32
we'll complete,
we'll become His workers.
00:03:34.35\00:03:37.76
Education is an important aspect
00:03:37.79\00:03:39.85
of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church in India.
00:03:39.88\00:03:42.65
Adventist education often
plants a seed in the children
00:03:42.68\00:03:45.39
who attend the schools.
00:03:45.42\00:03:47.36
Many students who
attend these schools
00:03:47.39\00:03:49.00
are not from Christian homes.
00:03:49.03\00:03:51.40
They hear Bible
stories for the first time
00:03:51.43\00:03:53.45
and want to learn more.
00:03:53.48\00:03:55.61
Students of all
ages are inspired
00:03:55.64\00:03:57.42
by the stories
of Bible characters
00:03:57.45\00:03:59.09
and how God
worked in their lives.
00:03:59.12\00:04:02.21
Most Adventist
schools in India are full
00:04:02.24\00:04:04.34
because of
their good reputation.
00:04:04.37\00:04:06.67
They hold a high
standard of learning.
00:04:06.70\00:04:09.40
Both Adventist parents
and parents from the community
00:04:09.43\00:04:11.77
are happy to send their
children to these schools
00:04:11.80\00:04:14.44
that range from primary school
all the way through college.
00:04:14.47\00:04:17.93
Spicer Memorial
College was established
00:04:19.61\00:04:21.70
almost 100 years ago.
00:04:21.73\00:04:23.77
Named after William Spicer,
00:04:23.80\00:04:25.21
is a well-respected
institute in India.
00:04:25.24\00:04:28.60
Through the years the college
has gone through a series
00:04:28.63\00:04:30.58
of progressions to
make it what it is today.
00:04:30.61\00:04:33.35
The beautiful
campus offers students
00:04:34.96\00:04:36.86
a high standards
learning environment.
00:04:36.89\00:04:39.54
A large church
building features servers
00:04:39.57\00:04:41.72
and programs every week.
00:04:41.75\00:04:44.30
Students come
from all over the world
00:04:44.33\00:04:46.45
to attend Spicer College.
00:04:46.48\00:04:49.07
These students
go on to be pastors,
00:04:49.10\00:04:51.18
teachers, principals,
00:04:51.21\00:04:52.71
and find jobs in a
variety of other fields
00:04:52.74\00:04:54.83
throughout the
Southern Asia region.
00:04:54.86\00:04:56.62
The Southern Asia
region of the world
00:04:57.88\00:04:59.72
is made up of
only four countries.
00:04:59.75\00:05:02.05
These countries include Bhutan,
India, the Maldives, and Nepal.
00:05:02.08\00:05:06.47
More than 90
percent of the population
00:05:06.50\00:05:08.22
are Hindu and Muslim.
00:05:08.25\00:05:10.02
This is one of the fastest
growing regions in the world.
00:05:10.05\00:05:13.36
In the cities you
will have to fight your way
00:05:13.39\00:05:15.09
through overwhelming crowds.
00:05:15.12\00:05:17.42
Although there are only
four countries in this region,
00:05:17.45\00:05:20.31
it boasts a population
of about 1.2 billion people.
00:05:20.34\00:05:24.11
Of the 1.2
billion, there are about
00:05:24.14\00:05:26.87
1.6 million
Seventh-day Adventists.
00:05:26.90\00:05:30.17
That means that about
one of every 750 people
00:05:30.20\00:05:33.49
you meet might be Adventist.
00:05:33.52\00:05:35.93
There is still a
lot of work to be done.
00:05:35.96\00:05:38.29
My guest is Laurie Falvo
00:05:39.98\00:05:41.51
who is part of the
Office of Adventist Mission
00:05:41.54\00:05:43.35
here at Adventist
World headquarters.
00:05:43.38\00:05:45.52
And Laurie is one of the editors
for Mission 360 Magazine.
00:05:45.55\00:05:51.49
Thanks Gary.
00:05:51.52\00:05:52.55
You recently went to
the country of Botswana
00:05:52.58\00:05:54.95
and there you visited
some Global Mission projects
00:05:54.98\00:05:58.10
tell me about one of
the pioneers that you met.
00:05:58.13\00:06:00.94
I recently met Pastor Ishmael.
00:06:00.97\00:06:03.03
He's working in
southern Botswana.
00:06:03.06\00:06:05.25
For the past two
years he's been working
00:06:05.28\00:06:06.97
with the Basarwaor people
otherwise known as the Bushmen.
00:06:07.00\00:06:10.62
Every day he starts his day
00:06:10.65\00:06:13.01
by going to talk to
the chief in the morning.
00:06:13.04\00:06:15.84
They will talk for a while
00:06:15.87\00:06:17.63
and exchange pleasantries
and then pray together.
00:06:17.66\00:06:20.80
And then he
will go to the clinic
00:06:20.83\00:06:22.45
where he will
meet with the staff
00:06:22.48\00:06:24.08
and he'll share a scripture,
00:06:24.11\00:06:25.62
or a very short
devotional with them
00:06:25.65\00:06:27.47
and pray for them
and their ministry
00:06:27.50\00:06:29.02
with the- with the patient's.
00:06:29.05\00:06:30.58
And then he will
go into the back room
00:06:30.61\00:06:31.98
where the patients are he'll
speak with each one individually
00:06:32.01\00:06:35.18
and pray with them and ask them
00:06:35.21\00:06:36.82
for the concert- their concerns
00:06:36.85\00:06:38.18
what's weighing
heavy on my heart
00:06:38.21\00:06:39.64
and then pray with them.
00:06:39.67\00:06:41.18
And then he'll go to the school
00:06:41.21\00:06:43.33
where he will
sing with the children
00:06:43.36\00:06:45.68
and he tells- he told me that
the children just love to sing.
00:06:45.71\00:06:48.73
They love
learning songs about Jesus.
00:06:48.76\00:06:51.23
And at night as he is
walking around the village
00:06:51.26\00:06:53.61
he can hear them in their homes
00:06:53.64\00:06:54.95
singing their songs
before they go to sleep.
00:06:54.98\00:06:57.45
I was able to worship with-
there's a church plant there
00:06:58.77\00:07:02.23
and I was able to
worship with the congregation
00:07:02.26\00:07:04.67
and after worship I asked them
00:07:04.70\00:07:08.37
how important the work up
a Global Mission Pioneer is?
00:07:08.40\00:07:11.68
How would your life
personally be different
00:07:11.71\00:07:14.34
at the Pioneer had never
come to work in your village?
00:07:14.37\00:07:17.76
And one of the young
man immediately called-
00:07:17.79\00:07:21.27
said out loud I'd be dead.
00:07:21.30\00:07:24.39
And that got my attention
00:07:24.42\00:07:25.45
so I asked him to
explain what he meant.
00:07:25.48\00:07:28.07
And he said that
00:07:28.10\00:07:31.10
he like many other
people- men in the community
00:07:31.13\00:07:33.88
spent most of his time in
bars drinking and brawling
00:07:33.91\00:07:37.13
and here's this angelic face
00:07:37.16\00:07:38.87
singing hymns it's
kind of hard to imagine.
00:07:38.90\00:07:41.60
But he lived a
pretty dangerous life before
00:07:41.63\00:07:44.49
and a lot of these men
get killed in the bars.
00:07:44.52\00:07:46.33
Is it, Laurine?
00:07:46.36\00:07:47.39
Yeah, so he looked
at our Pastor Ishmael
00:07:47.42\00:07:49.86
not only as
saving his physical life
00:07:49.89\00:07:52.63
but also in helping him
to find new life in Jesus.
00:07:52.66\00:07:55.84
Fantastic.
00:07:55.87\00:07:57.08
So what sort of
challenges is he facing?
00:07:57.11\00:08:00.37
He faces quite a few, Gary.
00:08:00.40\00:08:03.24
First of all the
people that he's working
00:08:03.27\00:08:05.49
with that-
there's extreme poverty
00:08:05.52\00:08:08.16
and lot of disease
and a lot of despair.
00:08:08.19\00:08:11.99
Yeah, they have a lot
of hard knocks as a people.
00:08:12.02\00:08:15.87
And another challenge
is the language barrier.
00:08:15.90\00:08:21.13
It's a huge problem
because their language
00:08:21.16\00:08:23.89
is extremely difficult
to learn and on top of that
00:08:23.92\00:08:27.43
there are 13
dialects of the language.
00:08:27.46\00:08:30.67
So the only reason he
could communicate with them
00:08:30.70\00:08:32.78
at all is
because a few with them
00:08:32.81\00:08:34.89
speak a little of his language.
00:08:34.92\00:08:37.59
So where is he from?
00:08:37.62\00:08:39.19
He is from Botswana.
But just different area.
00:08:39.22\00:08:42.13
Yeah, a different
area and in many of these-
00:08:42.16\00:08:45.16
these other groups of people
they have their own languages
00:08:45.19\00:08:48.03
that are extremely different-
00:08:48.06\00:08:49.09
my understanding is the people-
00:08:49.12\00:08:50.98
the different people
speak a different dialects
00:08:51.01\00:08:53.31
cannot understand each other.
00:08:53.34\00:08:55.14
So there's no literature
to share with these people
00:08:55.17\00:08:57.36
to help him in his ministry.
00:08:57.39\00:08:59.16
In fact it if I have my
fax right what I've heard
00:08:59.19\00:09:03.91
is that the New
Testament of the Bible-
00:09:03.94\00:09:06.39
only the New
Testament has been translated
00:09:06.42\00:09:08.86
into language that
the Basarwaor people speak
00:09:08.89\00:09:12.51
and only one at the 13 dialects.
00:09:12.54\00:09:15.72
So his people cannot-
00:09:15.75\00:09:17.45
cannot read the Bible
for themselves at all.
00:09:17.48\00:09:19.55
And you say that there's poverty
00:09:20.65\00:09:23.87
in this area is AIDS-
HIV/AIDS a problems as well?
00:09:23.90\00:09:27.60
Yes, it is a big problem there.
00:09:27.63\00:09:30.09
And probably, you
know, his greatest challenge
00:09:30.12\00:09:32.73
is reaching the
people spiritually.
00:09:32.76\00:09:35.01
They are not a trusting people,
00:09:35.04\00:09:37.39
so he spent his first year
just trying to earn their trust
00:09:37.42\00:09:40.29
and that would involve
things like going to funerals,
00:09:40.32\00:09:43.27
playing with their children,
00:09:43.30\00:09:45.30
going to their
homes to visit the sick,
00:09:45.33\00:09:47.42
putting Christ method
of ministry into practice.
00:09:47.45\00:09:51.46
The chief there and his
wife are Seventh-day Adventist
00:09:51.49\00:09:54.78
and they became members
00:09:54.81\00:09:56.04
when a former
Global Mission Pioneer
00:09:56.07\00:09:58.74
started to church
plant several years ago.
00:09:58.77\00:10:01.34
And when that, that
pioneer left most the people
00:10:01.37\00:10:04.80
left the church as
well, they quit coming.
00:10:04.83\00:10:07.23
So through the years he sadly
00:10:07.26\00:10:08.64
watched the
congregation diminish
00:10:08.67\00:10:11.36
but he's- he has seen
a lot of change people.
00:10:11.39\00:10:16.87
He says since
Pastor Ishmael has come
00:10:16.90\00:10:19.31
the hearts of my
people have been softened
00:10:19.34\00:10:21.92
and they are a
bit more open now.
00:10:21.95\00:10:24.16
And Pastor Ishmael has helped
00:10:24.19\00:10:25.87
most of the former
members to come back
00:10:25.90\00:10:27.92
and he has
baptized eight new members
00:10:27.95\00:10:30.11
so there's a lot I
hope now in that community.
00:10:30.14\00:10:32.67
The chief says that he seen
00:10:34.34\00:10:35.56
tremendous change
in the lives of people
00:10:35.59\00:10:37.49
and he doesn't believe
this would have been possible
00:10:37.52\00:10:39.36
had a Pioneer not
come to do ministry there.
00:10:39.39\00:10:43.29
So on behalf of the congregation
00:10:43.32\00:10:45.49
and the chief I'd
like to thank everybody
00:10:45.52\00:10:48.36
who- who's watching,
who has helped support
00:10:48.39\00:10:50.21
the ministry of Global Mission
00:10:50.24\00:10:51.74
either through their
finances or the prayers or both
00:10:51.77\00:10:54.27
because it is
making a difference.
00:10:54.30\00:10:56.07
Yeah and for those
viewers who may not be familiar
00:10:56.10\00:10:58.88
with the Global
Mission Pioneer who are they?
00:10:58.91\00:11:01.64
A Global Mission
Pioneer goes to an area
00:11:01.67\00:11:04.96
where there is or
a people group in-
00:11:04.99\00:11:08.00
where the church
either has no presence at all
00:11:08.03\00:11:10.44
or has a very small presence
00:11:10.47\00:11:11.96
and its struggling
to get established.
00:11:11.99\00:11:13.65
And they will raise up
a new group of believers,
00:11:13.68\00:11:15.54
they will get Bible studies
00:11:15.57\00:11:16.75
and they will
start a church plant.
00:11:16.78\00:11:18.38
Yeah and as you say the
Christ method into practice
00:11:18.41\00:11:20.97
they live among the
people, they mingle,
00:11:21.00\00:11:23.34
they show sympathy,
they minister to the needs,
00:11:23.37\00:11:25.77
they win confidence and
they bring people to Jesus.
00:11:25.80\00:11:29.66
Just briefly in a sentence
how does it make you feel
00:11:29.69\00:11:32.13
when you meet a
Pioneer like Pastor Ishmael?
00:11:32.16\00:11:35.57
Very humbled at
their dedication.
00:11:35.60\00:11:38.10
And humbled by how much
they love and care about people.
00:11:38.13\00:11:41.43
And he told me he said
these people are just looking
00:11:41.46\00:11:45.40
for somebody to love them.
00:11:45.43\00:11:47.18
When you love them
they began to open up
00:11:47.21\00:11:49.14
and they will trust you
and then they will believe
00:11:49.17\00:11:51.26
that God loves them too.
00:11:51.29\00:11:52.66
Fantastic.
00:11:52.69\00:11:53.72
Laurie, thank you
for joining us today.
00:11:53.75\00:11:55.29
You are welcome, Gary.
00:11:55.32\00:11:56.38
Viewers at home we'd
like to give you a free offer
00:11:56.41\00:11:58.99
to remind you of Global Mission
00:11:59.02\00:12:00.81
and it is the faces a
mission Global Mission calendar
00:12:00.84\00:12:04.34
and if you go
to the August month
00:12:04.37\00:12:05.92
you'll find a picture
taken by Laurie in Botswana.
00:12:05.95\00:12:09.62
This is just to
help you remember
00:12:09.65\00:12:11.74
to pray for mission every day.
00:12:11.77\00:12:14.45
You can call
our toll free number
00:12:14.48\00:12:16.72
or you can go to
adventistmission.org.
00:12:16.75\00:12:19.37
We'll be right
back after this break.
00:12:19.40\00:12:21.38