Participants: Gary Krause (Host), Ishmael Rabatho
Series Code: GMS
Program Code: GMS000069A
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00:01 Tokyo is a marvelous mix of modern and postmodern living
00:05 high-tech slick gadgets, 00:07 highly refined social manners and cutesy cartoon mascots. 00:12 It's extremely crowded and busy, 00:14 yet it can be strangely quiet. 00:17 Here you see religious shrines 00:19 side by side with capitalist businessmen. 00:22 You see beautiful intricate creatively produce lanterns 00:26 and a complex massive transit system. 00:31 This city of all cities reminds us of the huge challenge, 00:35 the complex challenge of urban mission. 00:45 Just before He went up to heaven, 00:47 Jesus gave us a command. 00:50 He gave us a mission. 00:53 Jesus said, "Go, go unto all the world, 00:58 telling them of His love." 01:01 This is our mission. 01:03 This is our Global Mission. 01:11 Hello and welcome to Global Mission Snapshots 01:13 coming to you from Tokyo, Japan. 01:16 When you think of Japan, 01:17 different images probably come to mind. 01:19 You may think of the intricate tea ceremonies, 01:22 the ancient art of bonsai growing 01:25 or perhaps you might think of the beauties, 01:27 the intricate beauties of Japanese gardens 01:30 or simply the millions and millions of businesspeople, 01:34 who everyday head to the office 01:36 for a very, very long days of work. 01:39 Social standing, status and age play a very important role 01:44 in and how people treat each other 01:45 and interact with each other, 01:47 it seems that everyone is aware of each other's age in Japan 01:50 because that's very important in things such as 01:53 the order in which tea is handed out in the tea ceremony, 01:57 the way that disks are allocated in the classroom. 02:00 How close you stand to somebody 02:03 even how you address that person, 02:05 very dependent on the age of the person. 02:08 These kinds of things are helpful to know 02:10 when you're interacting with such a respectful 02:13 and highly organized people, 02:15 but even if you don't know every rule of etiquette, 02:17 if you don't know every custom, 02:19 there's still an approach 02:20 that will break down every barrier, 02:22 but we'll talk more about that later. 02:24 First stop, let's travel to Botswana 02:26 and meet Ishmael, a Global Mission pioneer. 02:34 The challenge to spread 02:35 the message of Christ is evident. 02:39 There are many countries, many languages, 02:41 places still not entered by even our civilization. 02:45 When you think of the primitive tribes of the Amazon, 02:48 Eskimos in Polar Regions 02:50 or even the multitudes of people in the 1040 window 02:54 who never even once heard the powerful name of Jesus? 03:00 The challenge is unquestionably larger 03:02 than what we can overcome by ourselves, 03:04 yet God touches the heart of simple men and women 03:08 who become brave and zealous 03:10 for fulfilling the commission of God, 03:12 to take the gospel to every tribe, 03:15 language and people. 03:19 We become people, people like David 03:23 who faced a true giant. 03:29 Meet a modern hero, his name is Ishmael, 03:32 he is a Global Mission pioneer. 03:34 A pioneer is a person who is answering God's call. 03:37 A pioneer's soul is filled with compassion 03:40 overflowing with love and dedication for others. 03:44 A pioneer pauses his or her life 03:46 to tell people about Jesus within their own culture 03:49 often in remote areas far from the coziness of home 03:54 away from friends, family or church, 03:56 he lives much like Jesus did. 03:59 Here Ishmael sacrifices his comfort 04:01 to serve the Basarwa Tribe. 04:03 Daily he visits chief Cagosi 04:06 to pray for God's blessing upon this village, 04:09 then he visits the clinic staff and patients 04:12 and lastly the Basarwa children at school. 04:15 A pioneer uses the resources at hand 04:18 to bless the lives of those he comes in contact with. 04:21 On our visit we brought him a bag of oranges, 04:24 this is a sweet treat here in the Kalahari Desert. 04:29 Almost as soon as Ishmael receive them, 04:32 he decided to share them with the children. 04:34 The children were elated. 04:37 By blessing the children, 04:38 Ishmael touches the heart of the parents 04:40 and the entire village. 04:42 His selfless dedication is a fresh and sweet sermon 04:45 that comes to life. 04:47 Through Ishmael's labors, 04:48 God is gaining the interest of the Basarwa people. 04:51 The villagers have invited the Bible into their homes 04:54 and in the community hall. 04:55 A Seventh-day Adventist Church has been set up here. 04:59 Thanks to God's love 05:01 drunkards, robbers, prostitutes, 05:04 gang members and others have their lives changed. 05:08 I used to be a gang member 05:09 and engage in lots of evil activities 05:12 against this village. 05:13 I was addicted to alcohol and tobacco as well. 05:17 I drink heavily, smoked and I got into fights often, 05:21 but after I joined this church, 05:23 I received power to leave all of this behind. 05:28 Since Ishmael came to this village, 05:29 we have seen remarkable change, 05:31 because of his preaching 05:33 a lot of social ills have been alleviated here. 05:36 This used to be a dangerous place 05:38 where people would often be killed. 05:39 Now we feel we are free to speak the truth. 05:44 There is still a lot of work to do here in Bere 05:47 and many neighboring villages to face this giant. 05:51 Ishmael's main weapon is prayer 05:54 Some other people, 05:57 they don't welcome me in the homes. 06:02 When I reach their places, 06:03 some they go out of their homes, 06:07 they move away, some they don't listen to me. 06:10 But I am always praying for them, 06:12 and I have seen some changes, 06:14 when other people continue to pray for them 06:18 as I continue to go into their places. 06:21 So some they have already started to welcome me 06:24 to study with them and to pray with them. 06:27 Prayer is the most effective tool. 06:29 It links the heart of a pioneer to the heart of God. 06:33 It brings change that can only come from above. 06:36 Thank you for your prayers and support of mission 06:39 and Global Mission Pioneers working around the world. 06:49 In the past 20 years or so 06:51 Global Mission Pioneers have planted 06:54 thousands of Seventh-day Adventist congregations 06:57 in un entered areas around the world. 06:59 They have led tens of thousands of people 07:01 to come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior. 07:04 Pioneers live sacrificially 07:06 and Christ has used them to touch people with his love. 07:10 Next stop, let's travel to Botswana, 07:13 where Priscila Simon is talking with Ishmael, 07:15 a Global Mission Pioneer. 07:18 Thank you, 07:19 we're here in the South Botswana Conference 07:22 with Pastor Ishmael. 07:24 Welcome, pastor. 07:25 You're welcome. 07:26 Tell us you're Global Mission Pioneer 07:29 in South Conference of Botswana. 07:31 Tell us about your interaction with the community? 07:35 I'm working with this community in Bere, 07:38 so they are highly welcome me 07:41 and we are working together hand in hand 07:44 in the ministry and they love me, 07:49 they love to read with me, 07:50 and they like the duty that I'm doing here. 07:55 Yeah. 07:56 What were some challenges that you had 07:58 when you first got here into the village? 08:00 It was very hard, when I reached this place. 08:06 The first thing was a language barrier. 08:09 So even today we are still having a language barrier, 08:13 but they-- 08:16 by the time when I arrived 08:18 they didn't accepted the message, 08:20 but when we come to the end of the first year of my arrival 08:26 as we're now I see some more people 08:29 stay into corresponded to the will of God. 08:33 It came clear to them 08:35 as I've been baptizing some people 08:37 a few some two months back. 08:40 Wow. Yeah. 08:41 It's so amazing. 08:42 Well, and I heard you have some special privileges 08:46 that a chief of the village has given you. 08:48 What are some of them? 08:50 Sometime when the chief called the meetings at their Kgotla, 08:56 they're also inviting me, 08:58 totally in different difference 09:01 that I've been here at their Kgotla. 09:03 The chief is always calling me 09:05 to come there and start the Bible, 09:07 we do a prayer or by reading the verse, 09:09 so that when we start the meetings all, 09:11 whatever it will be done on that Kgotla. 09:15 I'm also presented there. 09:17 So what's the importance of the main hut here for the-- 09:19 in this community? 09:22 The important thing here in the community, 09:27 they love to gather-- 09:28 gather together in some special events, 09:34 they used to read together, 09:37 sometimes they even called it to the Kgotla 09:40 for some special meetings 09:42 and some other ceremonies, they did the Kgotla, 09:45 so they love that and they always come in, 09:49 in higher numbers to attend to that. 09:52 And as far as I understand it's not that easy for, 09:56 for a Christian leader to come into the mean hut 09:58 right so the chief has given you special privileges, 10:02 if we can say that? 10:03 Yeah. Right? 10:04 Yes, he has given me opportunity. 10:08 And is it-- are that houses close by, 10:11 what are some challenges they face when you-- 10:12 you visit the people in different places? 10:15 I used to walk, 10:17 I walk when they went into the clinic 10:19 to the school event to their Kgotla, 10:21 even to the places I used to walk 10:26 some other places, I can't reach them, 10:30 more especially the places like the fields 10:34 I can't reach them due to the distance, 10:37 but there're some other people I meet to some other people 10:39 from those fields 10:41 then they are willing to know the way to our God 10:44 and the only problem that we have 10:47 is only transport to reach those places, 10:50 so which means 10:52 I used to meet those who are in the village only, 10:56 those who are outside is challenging, 11:00 yes, and some other people, 11:04 they don't welcome me in their homes. 11:09 When I reach the places, 11:11 some they go out of the homes, 11:14 they move away, some they don't listen to me, 11:17 but I'm always praying for them 11:19 and I have seen some changes, 11:21 when the other people listen, continue to pray-- 11:24 pray for them as and continue to go into the places, 11:29 so some they have already started to welcome me 11:32 to study with them, 11:33 and to pray with them, yeah. 11:35 Pastor Ishmael, tell us a bit, 11:37 some of your challenges that you face 11:39 that people at home can pray for you, 11:41 can pray for your minister 11:42 as a global mission pioneer here in Botswana? 11:44 Yes, they can pray for us 11:51 for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, 11:53 so that the Holy Spirit may be poured out of the people 11:56 that we reached each and every time 11:58 because some of them, 12:00 they are willing to know the way to of God. 12:04 But they have some problems on their places, 12:09 so we need to pray for them, 12:10 so that they go out you can guide them 12:12 and so that God can give them heart 12:15 that they need so that they can see. 12:17 The other thing is they may pray for-- 12:22 because on other places we meet to their the language barrier, 12:27 so maybe they can pray for us so that 12:31 the Holy Spirit may become our translator 12:36 on the way to of God 12:38 and also to pray for us as the Adventist Mission Pioneers, 12:42 so that we can be-- 12:46 so that we can do the work of God 12:48 without the any-- any problems, 12:52 so anything that will hint us to do the work of God. 12:58 Pastor Ishmael, I don't think the work here 12:59 in this community is done 13:01 here in the South Conference of Botswana, 13:04 what else is there to do here? What more can be done? 13:07 With support, how can you get 13:08 that will help you in this work? 13:10 Yes, we need some more funds 13:16 because we have so many un-entered areas in Botswana. 13:20 So we need some more funds, so that we can do the work, 13:24 we need also some motorbikes 13:28 to reach some different places, around us. 13:34 So the other thing that we need in some other places 13:39 we meet with many children 13:41 so they need to re-learn about God. 13:45 So we need some more materials for the children, 13:48 we need more materials for the elderly people, 13:51 some more materials for the Adventist Mission Pioneers 13:56 like the motorbikes and some other things 14:00 that will help them 14:01 to reach more people in different places. 14:07 Thank you very much for being with us 14:09 You are highly welcome. 14:11 After the break we'll hear from Pastor Antonio Montero, 14:15 who tell us something of his experience 14:17 of 22 long months in a Togo jail. |
Revised 2015-03-26