Welcome back, my
guest is Charlotte Ishkanian
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who for many years was editor
of the Mission Quarterly's.
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Editing and writing
stories for children for adults
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collecting thousands I guess
during that time Charlotte,
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and I'm interested today to talk
about some of the Global Mission
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Pioneers stories
that you've encountered
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because you've
met many pioneers.
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I have.
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Did you ever estimate
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how many countries of
the world you've visited?
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I haven't counted
but it's close to a 140.
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Okay, so that's a
last of mission projects
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you've visited.
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Yes, it is.
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Now when you visit pioneers
and you see them in action,
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how do they affect you?
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What is your response to them?
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You know the one
thing I notice the most,
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is the most pioneers
are converts themselves.
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They have discovered the
beauty of following Jesus
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and they are on fire for God.
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And usually under very
challenging circumstances.
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Oh, yes. Yeah.
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Now Charlotte, I
always asks you for a story
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so tell me a story
of about a pioneer?
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Okay, I would like to
introduce you to Natho
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who lives on the border
between Bhutan and India.
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He is Bhutanese.
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Now Bhutan for those
of you who don't know
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lies between Northern
India and Tibet or China.
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It's a mountainous country
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but it also has some
very one warm valley's in it.
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It's a beautiful place.
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Well, Natho and
his clan of people,
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his tribe lived
in those mountains,
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in those
foothills, they were farmers
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and they were eventually
chased from their land
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because they were
cutting down trees
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to farm on government lands.
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That was their
means of livelihood
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and so they fled
into Northern India
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where they setup a small village
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up in the hills to live
as they had lived for years.
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They had no modern
conveniences just simple homes
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that they made with their hands.
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And one day most everyone
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in the little
village became ill.
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And Natho's family
got sicker and sicker.
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And Natho went to the
local priest of another religion
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and that priest said
you must sacrifice an ox
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and some other
animals to the idol.
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Natho didn't have
the money for this
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and so he gave up and decided
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I guess we're was
just going to have to die.
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That night he had a
dream and in his dream
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he saw a man dressed in
white pointing to a pathway.
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And the man said "if
you follow that path,
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you will find health
and peace and happiness."
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Now when Natho
awoke he I didn't know
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who that man was but
he sensed it was God.
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Later he met some Christians
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who told him
"God is calling you."
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And they introduced into Jesus.
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Now the nearest
Church that where he lived
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was several hours away.
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And so when he
could he and his wife
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went to that Church.
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They loved God and they learn
to worship in a certain way.
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But Natho felt that
something was missing.
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So one day he went down
the mountain to the village
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where he needed to go
for supply's occasionally.
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He met a man who gave
him a tract a pamphlet.
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He stuffed it in his pocket
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and decided I will
read this on my way home.
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And on his way home he
took it out and he began reading
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and it was all new to him,
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it was about
something called the Sabbath.
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And he though I've never
heard of the Sabbath before
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and the pamphlet explained
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that the Sabbath was not Sunday.
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So when Natho went home, he
looked up in his little Bible
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every text he could find
and that was not easy for him
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because he
didn't know his Bible.
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But he looked up
every text and found
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that this little
pamphlet had truth
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that he'd never heard before.
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So he prayed that God
would show him greater truth.
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The next time he went
down the mountain side
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to that
village, he found the man
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who'd given him the pamphlet
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and asked him to come teach him.
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What is this about God?
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And so the man
came and thought Natho
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and his family and
they were baptized.
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But they didn't keep a
secret what they were learning
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they taught
everyone in that village.
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And in time every member
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of that
village, nine bigfamilies
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became Seventh-day
Adventist Christians.
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And then they had a new problem,
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they have big families and here
were 49 school aged children
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without any way
of going to school.
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And so his friend
from the village came
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into that little
town and told Natho
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and his family we
can probably help you
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there is an Adventist
School about a 130 miles away
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that might be able
to take your children.
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Today all 49 of those children
from that Bhutanese village
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on the border with India
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are studying in
an Adventist school.
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And Natho has this to
say and I'm going to quote.
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"There aren't many
Adventist Christians
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among the Bhutanese people
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I'm glad my children are
going to an Adventist school.
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There, they're
learning to be missionaries.
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They will be the people
to take the gospel to Bhutan.
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Now today Natho is a
Global Mission Pioneer.
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He and his family and
some of the other villagers
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have led 20 more families
250 peoples to Jesus Christ
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and saving grace
because of what he believes
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and what he has
learned from the dream
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and the pamphlet.
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Wow, now Charlotte,
you met him in person?
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I did. Describe him?
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Well, he is probably
around 40-45 years old
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very, very simple man.
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I don't know how many
years of education he has.
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Not seminary trained.
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Not seminary
trained but a gentle person,
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gentle by the
influence of Jesus on his life.
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Now, do these
pioneers get paid a wage?
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If you can call it a
wage, it's a very small stipend.
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He still farms with his fellow
villagers, he still farms.
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He helps to leave
the church in that area,
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just the small
membership that they have
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but he gets enough to help
him by the supplies he needs
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to lead others to Jesus.
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Charlotte, thank you, so
much for joining us today.
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My pleasure.
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Let's go back to Southern Asia
to see more missions in action.
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About two hours outside
of Thailand's capital city
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Bangkok lies the
town of Sriracha.
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The Seventh-day Adventist
Church is growing here.
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This is a Global
Mission Pioneer a church planter
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dedicated to sharing God's love
with the people in this area.
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This Global Mission
Pioneer and another Thai pastor
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visit people in their
homes to teach them about Jesus.
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This small group
is just a handful
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of those interested
in studying God's Word.
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Many who attend these
small groups are not Christians.
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They ask questions
because in their hearts
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they see the truth of the
Bible and want to know more.
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When some
Buddhists they are interested
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and they like to and learn
more about Christianity actually
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we feel so very happy
even they're not so much
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but just only one, two
people only but we feel like
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they're
interested and we thank God.
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Not long ago, this
church and community center
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were built in Sriracha.
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The Global Mission Pioneer
and church members reach out
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to the
community in various ways.
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They run language classes,
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play soccer and
hold Bible studies.
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And people have
responded positively.
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We would like to provide this
place for the community here
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around the people here
but they are nonbeliever
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and then we like to
say other congregation
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by having school, having soccer,
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soccer ball field
and also at sometime
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we have a center to
service the community.
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Seventh-day Adventist
Church members around the world
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help fund this
church and community center.
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These buildings have a great
impact on reaching the needs
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of the people in Sriracha.
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Just a few hours from Sriracha
in the city of Ayutthaya
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another recent project
funded by your mission offerings
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actively works to
reach the community.
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Ayutthaya is the city
known for its ancient temples
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and vast history.
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Here centuries
ago, the Burmese armies
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destroyed this city leaving
behind remains of destruction.
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Now the church here is growing.
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The project here
is a church building.
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The church here is creating
a foundation of members.
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On this Sabbath the
pastor leads and worships
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and the members
take part in the service.
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It is a special
Sabbath because on this day
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they were participates
in communion service.
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Members humbly
wash one and others feet
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and pray together.
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As they reenter the church
their thoughts are with God.
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The members ask God
for forgiveness and courage
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to serve him each and everyday.
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They eat the bread
and drink the juice
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that represents the
body and the blood of Jesus.
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This congregation has
a passion to serve God
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and share Him with others.
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This congregation would
not have a place to worship,
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if it was not for your faithful
support of mission offerings.
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People all over Thailand
are eager to learn about Jesus.
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With the help of
Adventist pastors
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and Global Mission Pioneers,
they will come to know Him.
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Please pray for
these small projects
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located throughout
Thailand and thank you,
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for your support of the mission
00:10:26.18\00:10:28.42
of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:10:28.45\00:10:30.45
through your 13th
Sabbath Offerings.
00:10:30.48\00:10:32.78
It's a wonderful thing to see
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Global Mission
Pioneers in action.
00:10:41.96\00:10:44.35
We some times say that
pioneers are Adventist missions
00:10:44.38\00:10:47.10
best kept secret
and they shouldn't be.
00:10:47.13\00:10:50.22
Global Mission
Pioneers are local people
00:10:50.25\00:10:53.20
who commit use of their
life to plant new groups
00:10:53.23\00:10:56.66
of believers in unentered areas.
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They receive a
small living stipend
00:10:59.35\00:11:01.49
and then they go and
they live among the community
00:11:01.52\00:11:04.83
so they can reach out
to people and share Jesus.
00:11:04.86\00:11:09.02
As we focus on the cities,
00:11:09.05\00:11:10.52
our dream is to send
more Global Mission Pioneers
00:11:10.55\00:11:13.98
in the city
neighborhoods to establish
00:11:14.01\00:11:17.03
centers of influence
and to share God's love.
00:11:17.06\00:11:20.11
If you like to
learn more or to support
00:11:20.14\00:11:22.17
Adventist Mission
work around the world,
00:11:22.20\00:11:23.98
visit AdventistMission.org.
00:11:24.01\00:11:26.27
There you'll find
so much information,
00:11:26.30\00:11:28.57
pictures, videos stories.
00:11:28.60\00:11:31.86
Thank you, so much
for joining us today.
00:11:31.89\00:11:33.95
I'm Gary Krause and I
hope you can join me next time
00:11:33.98\00:11:37.01
right here on
Global Mission Snapshots.
00:11:37.04\00:11:39.78