Participants:
Series Code: GMS
Program Code: GMS000060B
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00:01 In 2007 and 2011 your mission offerings
00:05 helped fund two schools projects in India, 00:08 both Raymond Memorial School and Lasalgaon Adventist School 00:12 benefited from your generous supports 00:14 of the mission offerings. 00:16 We are very happy to have this building 00:19 on the campus and because of the, 00:22 the world contribution, world church contribution 00:25 towards this new classroom building, 00:28 the face lifting of the campus 00:31 has gone very high. 00:33 And there are so many students who have enrolled, 00:38 newly enrolled for the school 00:41 and the admission has increased. 00:46 These classrooms would not have been possible 00:47 without your faithful giving. 00:50 Student smile fill the classrooms 00:52 to learn a variety of subjects. 00:54 There smiles are a testament to how grateful they are. 00:58 At Raymond Memorial School this boys dormitory building 01:01 was also built as a result of your giving. 01:04 It gives students a safe place to live. 01:07 The school is even adding on to the dorm 01:09 due to the increase of enrolment. 01:11 The students and faculty at Raymond Memorial 01:14 and Lasalgaon are so thankful for your contribution. 01:18 And we are thankful to God 01:21 that He has given us this opportunity 01:24 to spread the Word of God through education. 01:30 And therefore, this is such a nice thing 01:34 to stand and tell and witness 01:36 about the new building which is come up. 01:41 Thank you so much. 01:48 Well, we just saw a past 01:50 13th Sabbath Offering project in India 01:52 and I'm glad that Charlotte Ishkanian 01:54 has joined us to tell us more about this project. 01:57 How did it touched some lives, Charlotte. 02:00 You know, we never know 02:01 when we're building something how it will impact people. 02:06 But God has a way. 02:08 I would like to tell you story of a mother named Usha. 02:12 She is very poor. 02:13 She lives in Mumbai in the, in the ghetto. 02:17 She makes her living selling garlic 02:19 and little bits of rubbish that she can pick up, 02:21 cleaning peoples houses anything. 02:24 Her husband was an alcoholic 02:27 and he took everything he earned 02:30 and bought alcohol and if that wasn't enough 02:33 he took her earnings as well 02:34 and if she resisted he'd beat her. 02:37 Sometimes she actually came home and found 02:39 that he had gone through the meager basket of clothing 02:42 and sold their cloths to buy alcohol. 02:45 All this alcohol eventually killed him 02:47 leaving this woman with three small children 02:51 and no way to make life better for them. 02:54 Her dreams of sending them to school wore dust. 02:59 Then one day she is outside her home 03:01 and she hears singing. 03:03 She shies so she doesn't go 03:06 and look for the source of the singing. 03:08 But after two or three days 03:10 she feels led and goes next door to another little hut 03:14 where she is invited in and is asked to sit 03:18 and listen to stories about Jesus. 03:20 And there she learned how much Jesus loves her. 03:23 And she gave her heart to God. 03:26 Now she is still with poor and she is still struggling 03:29 and she still doesn't have a dream for her children. 03:31 But one day her pastor comes to talk to her. 03:34 And says I want to talk about your children. 03:37 I want them in an Adventist school. 03:40 Usha hung her head 03:42 because she could not afford an Adventist education. 03:45 She couldn't even afford the local language schools. 03:48 But the pastor said there is a way. 03:51 We can get your children a half scholarship 03:54 if you can pay the other half. 03:58 And with hope in her heart Usha said, let's try. 04:02 So she and he went together and enrolled her children 04:05 in the Adventist School that we just saw Lasalgaon 04:09 and they began living there learning about Jesus, 04:14 studying in English. 04:16 She is the thrilled today because her children 04:20 are learning to love God in a school 04:23 that will teach them to be good citizens, 04:26 will teach them good occupations for their future 04:29 and they're learning English 04:31 so that they have a head start over anyone else. 04:34 Now the beauty of our schools is 04:37 they don't just appeal to the poor. 04:39 They have the rich students, 04:40 they have Christians and non Christians 04:43 because teaching in an English language is very deserved. 04:48 We can't know what our offerings 04:52 will do for a school or a church 04:54 or whatever we're building until we examine the individuals 04:58 whose lives are being changed. 05:01 And Gary, in India probably nothing has affected 05:06 the work we're doing as much as Adventist education. 05:11 It's reached across our borders. 05:13 Now Charlotte, when we see a video like 05:16 that we see the hard way. 05:18 You're saying the people behind the story. 05:20 Yes. 05:21 So when people give their mission offerings 05:25 what can they expect will happen with those offerings? 05:29 We divide those offerings up amongst 05:32 the projects that are being featured 05:34 on the back of mission quarterly, 05:36 the back of our lesson quarterly to that tells what they are. 05:41 We divide that funds up. 05:42 And whatever we have given for projects goes directly 05:46 to those schools, those churches, those hospitals 05:49 for the project that was specified 05:52 and it is our obligation here in Adventist Mission 05:56 to follow up and make sure 05:58 that everyone of those is fulfilled completed 06:03 and is making a difference in people's lives. 06:05 Now, I saw the classroom block at Lasalgaon 06:10 before they rebuild it. 06:12 It was sad. 06:13 It was broken down, the roof was leaky, 06:17 it was a dangerous building to be in. 06:20 Today, it is a clean, modern, safe building. 06:24 The school is able to, to handle hundreds more students 06:28 who've been wanting to go but couldn't 06:31 because now they have the classrooms 06:33 to make it possible. 06:34 So portion of that offering goes to this specific projects 06:37 then the rest goes toward helping with missionaries 06:41 with schools, hospitals, a broad range of mission work. 06:45 Everything that our tithe doesn't cover 06:47 our mission offering has to cover. 06:50 And that's why it's so important 06:52 that we continue giving our mission offerings 06:55 every week or every quarter methodically. 06:58 Do you have to be a Seventh-day Adventist 07:01 to give a mission offering? 07:02 Oh, no. Okay. 07:03 Oh, no. 07:04 Yeah, so Adventist can give it at 07:06 that in church but people can go online 07:09 to AdventistMission.org 07:10 and can donate by credit card 07:12 to make a difference in people's lives. 07:14 Yes, and it does make a difference. 07:17 Thank you, Charlotte, so much for joining us today. 07:19 Thank you. Appreciate it. 07:20 And viewers at home, there is so much happening 07:23 in mission around the world 07:24 and you can go to AdventistMission.org, 07:27 there you can find videos that you can download. 07:30 You can find pictures, you can find missionary blogs, 07:34 you can find stories, everything you need to know about mission. 07:37 Let's go back to Southern Asia 07:38 to see more missions in action. 07:41 Because of the size of India there are Adventist schools 07:44 scattered throughout the country. 07:46 Flaiz Adventist College is just one of these 07:49 growing Adventist institutions. 07:52 On the campus of Flaiz students are focused on learning. 07:56 The theology department is especially full. 07:58 Students travel from all over India 08:00 to study theology here. 08:02 The professors make the lessons clear and easy to understand. 08:07 With open Bibles students are eager 08:09 to learn as much as they can. 08:11 Many of them want to become Adventist pastors 08:13 to take up the mission 08:14 of the Seventh-day Adventist church. 08:16 Students and faculty know that we are here 08:19 to share the Gospel with the whole world. 08:22 Many students have to travel great distances 08:24 from home to get to Flaiz. 08:26 Some students travel for more than a week 08:28 on buses and trains to get here. 08:31 With the study increase in students 08:33 Flaiz is running out of space to house them. 08:36 This quarter's project at Flaiz 08:38 is to build a mens housing facility 08:40 for theology students. 08:42 Currently, they live in spare rooms 08:44 wherever they can be found. 08:45 Mixed in with the primary and secondary students 08:48 they need a place they call home for the school year. 08:51 They have already begun construction 08:53 of this new space because of the urgent need. 08:59 Please pray for these students 09:01 as they continue to answer God's call. 09:06 Along the India-Bhutan border 09:08 a congregation sings praises to Jesus. 09:11 In Bhutan less than 50% of the population is literate. 09:16 They rely on songs and stories 09:18 to teach about Jesus. 09:20 Those who can read share the words 09:22 from the Bible with those who cannot read. 09:25 This congregation has been gradually 09:27 adding members to their church 09:29 in this very challenging area. 09:33 Along with most of India there are few Christians here. 09:37 A variety of world religions dominate this region. 09:41 In Bhutan, Christians have been persecuted 09:43 and mistreated because of their beliefs. 09:46 Although this congregation stands strong in their believes. 09:49 They know the challenges 09:51 that exist right across the border. 09:54 The Himalayan Mountain range runs straight through Bhutan 09:57 creating a beautiful yet dangerous landscape. 10:01 Bhutan's terrain and legal restrictions make it 10:03 one of the least evangelized countries in the world. 10:07 There is a hunger for the gospel 10:08 that is crying out from the Bhutanese people. 10:12 Because of the challenges anyone interested 10:15 in Christianity has to come to India 10:17 or come into contact with a lay member. 10:19 The Bhutanese people have no place 10:21 to meet for worship, meetings and programs. 10:26 This quarter part of your 13th Sabbath Offering will go 10:28 to a building a meeting hall 10:30 on the border of Bhutan and India. 10:32 This will be a place to educate 10:34 and train more laypeople from Bhutan. 10:37 They need this building to continue 10:39 to reach the thousands 10:40 who have never even heard the name of Jesus. 10:43 In addition to helping share the message with Bhutan 10:46 your 13th Sabbath Offering will go toward 10:49 building classrooms in Kollegal. 10:51 It will also go toward building a mens dormitory 10:54 for theology students at Flaiz Adventist College. 10:57 Please pray for these projects. 10:59 Pray that God will use that everyone involved 11:02 to advance His work. 11:04 And thank you for supporting the mission 11:06 on the Seventh-day Adventist church. 11:15 A recent article in Christianity Today Magazine 11:18 featured the work of Robert Woodberry 11:20 a sociologist who worked on a statistical study 11:23 of the connection between protestant missionaries 11:26 of the past with the, "current health of nations." 11:30 According to this fascinating article 11:33 areas where protestant missionaries had a significant 11:36 presence in the past are on average 11:39 more economically developed today 11:42 with comparatively better health 11:44 and lower infant mortality and less corruption. 11:49 Although Dr. Woodberry has identified multiple factors 11:52 one of the most important is higher educational attainment 11:56 especially for women and greater literacy. 12:00 To learn more about Adventist missionaries, 12:02 Adventist Mission and other opportunities 12:05 to support mission work 12:07 please visit our website at AdventistMission.org. 12:11 Well, thanks for joining us today 12:12 and thank you so much for your prayers 12:14 and your continuing financial support 12:16 of mission around the world. 12:19 I leave today with this music video called "Morning." 12:22 Until next time, I'm Gary Krause 12:25 for Global Mission Snapshots, God bless. |
Revised 2014-12-17