Participants: Gary Krause (Host), Klaus Nybo, Shreeletha Solomon
Series Code: GMS
Program Code: GMS000705B
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00:06 Welcome back.
00:07 Next up we travel to Bergen, Norway 00:09 where Rick Kajiura 00:11 is talking to Claus Nybo the president of LifeStyle TV. 00:17 Thank you, Gary. 00:19 I'm here in Norway right now 00:21 and I'm talking with Claus Nybo 00:22 who's the president of LifeStyle TV 00:25 which is based in Sweden 00:26 but you cover all of Scandinavia 00:28 with your broadcast. 00:29 What exactly is LifeStyle TV? 00:32 LifeStyle TV is a satellite and internet broadcasting 00:36 where we cover as you say all of Scandinavia. 00:38 So Denmark, Sweden and Norway and we broadcast 24 hours a day 00:43 and I've done that now for nine years. 00:46 And this is amazing to see really 00:48 the result we get 'cause this is you may know 00:50 this is a very secular area of Europe 00:53 where you have few people attending church. 00:55 People talk about somewhere down towards 00:57 even two percent of the population 00:59 attending church. 01:00 So it's a very secular area to reach 01:02 and create its own challenges 01:04 which is I think why we're choosing 01:06 the word also LifeStyle TV trying to reach 01:09 from a lifestyle approach and a strong health approach 01:12 into a secular area of the world. 01:15 Okay and you must be having people 01:18 respond to what you're broadcasting. 01:20 Can you share some of the stories of 01:22 what impact you're having on people's lives? 01:24 We do get response. 01:25 We've people who have write us in 01:27 and we've a lot of anonymous viewers 01:29 that just simply watch and watch and enjoy it 01:33 and then all of a sudden they'd contact us 01:34 and I mean we have people that will contact 01:36 like almost out of the blue come to the church and say, 01:40 "We want to get baptized. 01:42 We've gotten to learn to know about Jesus 01:45 and we want to accept Him as our personal Savior." 01:48 And those are exciting people. 01:49 I'm thinking this summer we had one 01:52 that was actually in Finland 01:54 and a viewer that had been watching 01:55 for several years on LifeStyle TV 01:58 and then got contact with a local bible worker. 02:03 It was in the Vaasa area and it was really unique 02:06 very quick as in that very area we have the church 02:09 has like a center of hope. 02:11 A restaurant that is working as a mission station 02:15 to reach people to share people 02:18 with people about healthy lifestyle 02:20 and one of their bible workers got contact 02:22 with this viewer of ours that had been watching. 02:25 And see the Christ of baptism as result of this 02:29 wanting to give her full life to Christ 02:31 and to see these connections with a local ministry 02:36 and the work they do and how they can take a contact 02:39 and follow up on a personal level 02:41 and make those connections 02:43 and then sit down with the last questions 02:45 you know on how to explain the Bible 02:47 and lead them to the point where they're ready 02:50 to give their life full to Christ. 02:52 Now, we're here in Bergen 02:53 'cause we're looking at may be a center of hope here. 02:58 But the one that's there. 02:59 Can you tell us what they're doing? 03:01 There's this a newer center there in Vaasa, Finland. 03:03 It's an area of Finland 03:05 that is partly Swedish speaking and partly Finnish speaking. 03:08 And so they have set up a restaurant 03:11 in a shopping center where they're serving 03:13 total vegetarian food six days a week. 03:17 And for about four hours there is a lunch buffet 03:20 and so they've coming in there 03:22 a little over hundred people every day that eat 03:26 then in the often in the evenings 03:28 they would have different kind of seminars 03:30 where they invite people to come in. 03:32 They'll have health lectures or social lectures 03:35 or different things that connect with lifestyle. 03:37 And so they try to give people more than just good food 03:41 but also things that can really help them 03:43 in their life to go home and make changes 03:46 and start improving their lifestyle. 03:48 And so from these things you have people that are asking 03:51 of course, you know, what is the background 03:53 why do you do this? 03:54 Right. 03:56 And then they get into the whole discussion 03:57 about their spiritual background from the church. 04:01 We know that they often use LifeStyle TV 04:03 as a reference point and so working with that 04:06 and can refer their customers to watch TV 04:10 which is a great way, 04:11 because a lot of people have spiritual interest. 04:13 Sure. 04:15 But living in an area where it's more like 04:18 taboo to talk about it you watch at home. 04:21 And so when you sit in comfort of your living room 04:24 in the privacy of your four walls 04:26 then people engage. 04:28 They would watch in internet they watch in satellite 04:30 and then they will look and they will find something 04:34 that start changing their life. 04:35 And then they may come back 04:36 and start asking more spiritual questions 04:38 and that's where these centers are so important 04:41 that can make those connections with people 04:43 because this is all sort of searching 04:46 to define spiritual meaning in their life. 04:48 And so to have people like that is gold worth. 04:52 I guess everybody in their life has questions 04:55 about the greater meanings of the life. 04:57 Now, when you talk about vegetarian restaurants, 04:59 why vegetarian? 05:02 I think especially here in Scandinavia 05:04 it's in the time, you know, 05:05 people are very health conscience. 05:08 They are environmentally conscious 05:09 and so realizing that this is a great choice 05:12 for even the environment 05:14 to go on a vegetarian diet or total vegetarian. 05:17 Those are things people are interested in. 05:19 And especially that one is one that really connects. 05:22 Animal rights are strong so how do you treat animals 05:26 and in that way also going vegetarian 05:28 that resonate to a lot of people over here. 05:30 So there is a strong room 05:31 and especially by young people to move towards that. 05:34 And so I think if restaurant like that 05:36 is very much in and in this case 05:38 the name of the restaurant is Vegana 05:41 and so already the name is strongly indicating 05:44 that here's a restaurant that focuses 05:46 on total vegetarian diet and that's something 05:49 that connects and resonate with specially young people. 05:53 Now, you've eaten at the restaurant I assume 05:56 and when people come in there, 05:58 you know, what are they expecting 06:00 and how do they think the food tastes? 06:03 I mean just sitting and observing. 06:04 I've been there twice and I love to sitting there 06:07 quiet at a table with my food 06:09 and just observing customers come in. 06:11 You see that they're enjoying it. 06:13 They're thrilled with the food. 06:14 They bring their friends, they sit and chat at the tables 06:17 and you can see in their smiles their laughter 06:20 that this is the place they like coming. 06:22 This is like a little sanctuary for them. 06:24 You know a little breathing home where they come. 06:26 And so these are the kind of people 06:28 they worked with 06:29 and it's a wonderful atmosphere. 06:31 The food is great. 06:33 They've had different kind of cooks there 06:35 but the one that is the project leader 06:37 Hulda Carlson is doing a phenomenal job 06:40 and really leading. 06:41 She is a young girl but she had a vision 06:44 and she didn't let people deter her 06:46 because when she first started sharing it 06:48 you know people was like, 06:49 "No, the restaurant is a big work. 06:50 You can't do it." 06:52 But she was like, 06:53 "Well, if God wants me to do it." 06:55 And so by faith and a lot of prayer 06:57 she and her husband Jonathan ventured out 07:00 and got people excited around them step by step 07:03 and then they moved out 07:05 and what God has done is amazing. 07:07 Well, it sounds like a wonderful partnership. 07:09 LifeStyle TV that is reaching out 07:11 at the homes in a broad way and a center of hope 07:14 that is in a local community so people can connect 07:17 and enjoy a healthier lifestyle 07:19 and also get to know some people 07:21 who can help them may be learn about Jesus. 07:25 Exactly and I think that's the synergy 07:27 we want to try and see between our media outlets 07:31 and local churches, centers of hope 07:33 different connections between people. 07:35 If we can learn to work together 07:37 we have so much we can share with people 07:39 about a new lifestyle 07:41 that's gonna help change their lives. 07:42 Claus, thank you so much for talking with us today. 07:45 And now back to you, Gary. 07:48 Well, we continue our 360 degree view of mission 07:51 around the world 07:53 with true form of missionaries to Africa. 07:55 Doctor Arthur Bergman and Dorothy Brennwald 07:58 reminisce about starting a mission hospital 08:01 in Koza, Cameroon. 08:03 A hospital that has brought hope and healing 08:06 to thousands of people through the years. 08:12 In 1950, Seventh-day Adventist church members 08:15 came together to support medical missionary work. 08:19 Through the 13th Sabbath offering, 08:21 members like you, gave to help send doctors and nurses 08:24 to the village of Koza in Cameroon. 08:27 Soon after, a hospital was built to serve the people. 08:32 Meet Dorothy Brennwald 08:33 and her brother-in-law Dr. Arthur Bergman. 08:36 In the early years, they and their spouses 08:39 worked at Koza hospital. 08:42 These were many people in the Mandarin Mountains 08:45 who had absolutely no means of medical help. 08:50 It was very sad. 08:51 We saw things here 08:53 that we never studied at all, in school. 08:58 Before we were there, 09:00 they were crying for three nights 09:03 just almost constantly 09:06 because somebody was always dying. 09:08 And that's one thing the hospital did. 09:12 I think that's one of our frustrations, 09:14 they wouldn't come at first, they were afraid of us. 09:18 And they would wait 09:22 till they get deathly sick before they'd come. 09:25 They were quite overwhelmed with Koza 09:28 because it was so fresh, so new 09:32 and they were amazed. 09:37 Yeah, they're bringing a patient in. 09:42 He came with his car. 09:44 Sometimes they came in trucks. 09:46 Yeah. 09:49 They bring their entire family, 09:51 they bring somebody to cook food for them 09:54 in case they need to stay. 09:56 They'd stay right there with them. 09:58 They would feed them, they would help them, 10:01 they never left them, they usually stayed. 10:05 Koza hospital quickly grew to an eight room dispensary 10:09 with operating room, obstetrical unit and pharmacy. 10:13 As hospital expansion took place 10:16 the reach of invaluable medical service 10:18 also crossed borders. 10:21 Sometimes Fred and I would go on our bicycles 10:24 to an area about a mile away or something. 10:27 We'd hold bush clinics. 10:31 Well, we're gonna get there pretty soon 10:35 not really many good roads. 10:41 Wasn't it once a week? I think so. 10:44 We couldn't take a lot of medication along. 10:47 We took the things we thought we would need most 10:49 and encourage them to come to the hospital 10:52 if they needed more care. 10:55 As Dorothy and Arthur spent their days 10:57 serving the people of Koza, 10:59 they had fun learning a new culture 11:01 and observing the different customs 11:03 of the local people. 11:05 That's how they dressed. 11:08 And the men wore a smile remember? 11:13 They were very gentle people. I like that about them. 11:19 That's the kind of hut that we lived in, 11:21 except we had three, three together. 11:27 And some of the walls were stone 11:29 and others just mud. 11:30 Most of them were mud I think. 11:34 When we went there, we went there for life, 11:38 until Jesus would come. 11:41 Since those early years, 11:42 many other Adventist missionaries 11:44 have taken up the challenge to support Koza 11:47 and other hospitals around the world. 11:49 Through medical mission, 11:51 people have been blessed here and now, 11:54 and for eternity. 11:56 And when we went back in 1985 and that was 25 years after 12:01 we had been there, we went back for four months. 12:06 There were tens of thousands of many more people 12:09 who had been baptized and that just thrilled me. 12:13 Your prayerful support and mission offering 12:16 continue to assist thousands with health, 12:19 truth and hope. 12:33 Well, thank you so much for joining us today 12:35 on Global Mission Snapshots. 12:37 I hope that you've been inspired and challenged 12:40 by what you've seen and heard from mission around the world. 12:43 And thank you so much for your continuing prayers 12:46 and financial support for mission, 12:48 it does make a difference. 12:50 Before we go, 12:51 we'd like to send you a special offer 12:53 as just a small thank you 12:54 for your continuing support of Adventist Mission. 12:57 It's a book called "God's Great Missionaries" 13:00 and in here you'll find 13:01 lots of different stories of mission around the world 13:03 and you'll also read chapters focused on Bible characters 13:08 and how they were involved in mission 13:10 and are an example for us today. 13:13 Well, that's it for today's program. 13:15 I'm Gary Krause for Adventist Mission 13:17 and I hope you can join me next time 13:19 right here on Global Mission Snapshots. |
Revised 2015-08-20