Mexico City,
00:00:11.57\00:00:12.91
one of the world's most
densely populated urban areas,
00:00:12.94\00:00:16.71
the largest Spanish
speaking city in the world
00:00:16.75\00:00:19.98
with some 22 million people
00:00:20.02\00:00:21.98
in the extended
metropolitan area.
00:00:22.02\00:00:24.89
The mission
field of Mexico City,
00:00:24.92\00:00:26.86
that and much
more coming up next.
00:00:26.89\00:00:29.12
Just before He
went up to heaven,
00:00:34.20\00:00:36.50
Jesus gave us a command.
00:00:36.53\00:00:39.57
He gave us a mission.
00:00:39.60\00:00:42.34
Jesus said, "Go,
00:00:42.37\00:00:44.84
go unto all the world
telling them of His love."
00:00:44.87\00:00:49.61
This is our mission.
This is our Global Mission.
00:00:49.64\00:00:53.72
Hello and welcome to
Global Mission Snapshots.
00:00:59.65\00:01:02.36
Coming to you today
00:01:02.39\00:01:03.73
from the huge
city of Mexico City
00:01:03.76\00:01:06.19
here in Mexico.
00:01:06.23\00:01:07.66
It is a large city.
00:01:07.70\00:01:09.03
It's growing everyday,
00:01:09.06\00:01:10.40
some 22 million people
00:01:10.43\00:01:12.67
in the greater
metropolitan area.
00:01:12.70\00:01:15.07
That's larger
than some countries.
00:01:15.10\00:01:16.81
In fact when you look at
the economy of Mexico City,
00:01:16.84\00:01:20.41
it is five times the economy
of the country of Costa Rica.
00:01:20.44\00:01:24.71
The huge influence,
the growing power of cities
00:01:24.75\00:01:28.08
as thousands of people
flooding everyday is a reminder
00:01:28.12\00:01:32.15
of the mission challenge
00:01:32.19\00:01:33.52
facing the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:01:33.56\00:01:35.76
Historically, we have
tended to be a rural church,
00:01:35.79\00:01:39.13
but now we realized
00:01:39.16\00:01:40.50
that with more than 50 percent
of the world's population
00:01:40.53\00:01:42.86
living in the cities,
00:01:42.90\00:01:44.23
we need to find new
and creative holistic ways
00:01:44.27\00:01:47.20
to share the love of
the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:01:47.24\00:01:50.31
We'll be talking a lot more
about that on today's program,
00:01:50.34\00:01:53.11
but first up,
00:01:53.14\00:01:54.48
let's travel to
Pacific Ocean to Micronesia.
00:01:54.51\00:01:57.58
I wanted to be a
student missionary
00:01:57.61\00:01:59.55
ever since I knew what
a student missionary was.
00:01:59.58\00:02:02.28
And my dad has gone to Palau,
00:02:02.32\00:02:04.39
so I decided to go somewhere
that I always wanted to go
00:02:04.42\00:02:06.86
and that's to an island,
00:02:06.89\00:02:09.02
and I wanted some
place remote with mountains
00:02:09.06\00:02:12.66
so I picked Kosrae.
00:02:12.69\00:02:14.86
Welcome to Kosrae,
00:02:14.90\00:02:16.60
one of the four
Micronesian Islands,
00:02:16.63\00:02:19.43
an exotic place
in the Pacific Ocean.
00:02:19.47\00:02:22.07
It's remote, beautiful,
full of life and exotic fruits,
00:02:22.10\00:02:27.31
the perfect place for adventure.
00:02:27.34\00:02:30.51
Awesome. Yeah, it's really neat.
00:02:30.55\00:02:33.42
Actually being in a
different country like
00:02:33.45\00:02:36.25
experiencing God
in a whole new way.
00:02:36.28\00:02:39.99
It's like, it's like I
imagined it in some ways
00:02:40.02\00:02:43.22
and yet better in others.
00:02:43.26\00:02:45.46
But why would someone
in their college years
00:02:45.49\00:02:47.56
fly across the planet
to stay an entire year?
00:02:47.60\00:02:51.23
So I teach the
fifth and sixth grade,
00:02:51.27\00:02:54.20
and I teach all the subjects
00:02:54.24\00:02:57.27
and now I'm teaching
00:02:57.31\00:02:58.94
some of the seventh
and eighth grade classes,
00:02:58.97\00:03:01.18
language, arts and then
they have science with Carissa
00:03:01.21\00:03:05.48
and I do math and social studies
00:03:05.51\00:03:08.22
and health which is
my favorite to teach.
00:03:08.25\00:03:10.95
To have the opportunity to like
00:03:10.99\00:03:13.19
do something that
you're totally unqualified for
00:03:13.22\00:03:17.63
which it is like scary
but it's also super cool
00:03:17.66\00:03:21.10
because you can
just like become intern
00:03:21.13\00:03:23.50
and to learn so much.
00:03:23.53\00:03:26.03
You're leaving
00:03:26.07\00:03:27.70
your important
scheduled life back home
00:03:27.74\00:03:31.37
to come help
people who you don't know
00:03:31.41\00:03:34.74
but like, you know,
I'm leaving my comfort zone
00:03:34.78\00:03:36.51
and I'm coming here
where I don't know anyone
00:03:36.54\00:03:39.65
but it's crazy like how
fast the bonds like grow
00:03:39.68\00:03:43.52
and they're just
your family here.
00:03:43.55\00:03:45.99
This is a work of love
00:03:46.02\00:03:48.46
that with otherwise be no school
00:03:48.49\00:03:50.46
if it wasn't for
student missionaries sent from
00:03:50.49\00:03:52.93
Adventist
churches and universities
00:03:52.96\00:03:54.60
to nearly all of the
islands in the Pacific Ocean.
00:03:54.63\00:03:58.07
These dedicated
volunteer missionaries
00:03:58.10\00:04:00.80
are changing lives.
00:04:00.84\00:04:02.20
And it isn't all work here.
00:04:08.78\00:04:10.55
They do have opportunities
for fun activities.
00:04:10.58\00:04:13.25
Like it's not all
work, it's fun to like
00:04:17.85\00:04:22.39
you can go explore,
00:04:22.42\00:04:23.76
you take the kids
with you and go explore.
00:04:23.79\00:04:26.46
They took us to the waterfall
00:04:26.49\00:04:27.83
like the first
week you were here.
00:04:27.86\00:04:29.83
And it was just fun
like getting to know them
00:04:29.86\00:04:31.80
and they were like
all going spear fishing
00:04:31.83\00:04:33.77
I was like, wow, that's awesome,
00:04:33.80\00:04:37.97
so we go out
with like metal spears
00:04:38.01\00:04:40.18
and like working under rocks
00:04:40.21\00:04:41.94
and shining the flashlights
and stepping on coral
00:04:41.98\00:04:44.85
and everything and
they're like stab it,
00:04:44.88\00:04:46.78
stab it, stab the fish,
00:04:46.82\00:04:48.15
I'm like, okay,
like stab miss, yeah.
00:04:48.18\00:04:52.15
As the volunteer missionaries
00:04:52.19\00:04:53.52
engage the children,
nature and themselves,
00:04:53.56\00:04:57.13
they create a special bond
00:04:57.16\00:04:58.76
and memories they
would carry for life.
00:04:58.79\00:05:02.23
This year nobody expected
00:05:02.26\00:05:04.53
what was just ahead.
00:05:04.57\00:05:07.00
As the student missionaries
learned the condition of Chuuk,
00:05:07.04\00:05:10.34
a neighboring island
00:05:10.37\00:05:11.71
that is several
flight hours away.
00:05:11.74\00:05:13.98
They were sad to hear
00:05:14.01\00:05:15.34
that some students
could not attend school
00:05:15.38\00:05:17.28
for lack of teachers.
00:05:17.31\00:05:19.75
Kosrae on the other
hand was fully staffed,
00:05:19.78\00:05:22.88
so Julianne and
Carissa decided to help.
00:05:22.92\00:05:26.42
So, being a student missionary
00:05:26.45\00:05:28.99
wasn't really a huge
leap of faith for me.
00:05:29.02\00:05:33.43
It's what's happening right now,
00:05:33.46\00:05:36.03
that is a huge leap of faith.
00:05:36.06\00:05:37.43
In the Bible God says to go,
00:05:37.47\00:05:39.90
and I'm taking that
literally and I'm going.
00:05:39.93\00:05:43.37
Although it's really sad
that these girls are leaving,
00:05:43.41\00:05:45.91
it's cool how they
see a need somewhere else
00:05:45.94\00:05:50.31
and God is going to qualify us
00:05:50.35\00:05:52.25
to be able to take care of
00:05:52.28\00:05:53.98
the gap that
needs to be filled here,
00:05:54.02\00:05:56.15
as they are filling the gap
somewhere else that needs it.
00:05:56.18\00:06:00.36
It took a leap of faith
00:06:00.39\00:06:01.72
to serve God in a remote island,
00:06:01.76\00:06:03.63
then a huge step in faith
to move to a more needy place.
00:06:03.66\00:06:07.40
Carissa and Julianne
were warmly welcomed in Chuuk,
00:06:07.43\00:06:10.80
and they will for sure be
remembered in the hearts here
00:06:10.83\00:06:13.54
and in the books of heaven.
00:06:13.57\00:06:15.64
I am sure by the time
00:06:15.67\00:06:17.21
I leave my perspective on
life will be absolutely torn up
00:06:17.24\00:06:22.98
and a new one will be in place.
00:06:23.01\00:06:25.55
Already it's changing so much
00:06:25.58\00:06:28.72
just for a couple of weeks here,
00:06:28.75\00:06:31.52
and I love it.
00:06:31.55\00:06:34.46
It's like the best
thing I've ever done,
00:06:34.49\00:06:38.03
like the best
choice I've ever made.
00:06:38.06\00:06:40.13
It's so worth it.
00:06:40.16\00:06:41.66
It's the most rewarding
thing you'll probably ever do
00:06:41.70\00:06:44.97
and you'll
definitely grow closer to God.
00:06:45.00\00:06:48.94
Each year hundreds
of Adventist volunteers
00:06:48.97\00:06:51.61
take opportunities
across the globe to serve,
00:06:51.64\00:06:54.61
to love and to teach
others about the love of Jesus.
00:06:54.64\00:07:00.52
You can too.
00:07:00.55\00:07:02.05
Visit Adventist Volunteers.org
00:07:02.08\00:07:04.25
The effective urban
mission is a partnership
00:07:06.09\00:07:08.42
between church leaders,
pastors and church members
00:07:08.46\00:07:12.03
and with me I
have three people here
00:07:12.06\00:07:14.33
involved in urban mission,
00:07:14.36\00:07:16.13
Pastor Kepler,
Manuel and Flavio.
00:07:16.16\00:07:20.40
And Flavio and
Manuel are church members
00:07:20.44\00:07:23.04
who have a passion for mission.
00:07:23.07\00:07:25.01
And, Flavio, tell me
what is the purpose of
00:07:25.04\00:07:27.84
what you're doing
right here in Mexico City?
00:07:27.88\00:07:30.81
You in Mexico City,
00:07:33.85\00:07:35.52
you'll find an
interesting project,
00:07:35.55\00:07:37.85
a project that
obeys the divine mandate
00:07:37.89\00:07:40.36
of Mark 16:15
that tells us to go
00:07:40.39\00:07:43.79
and preach the
gospel to all people.
00:07:43.83\00:07:46.49
The world's
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:07:46.53\00:07:48.06
has caste a vision
00:07:48.10\00:07:49.46
to reach the large
cities of our planet,
00:07:49.50\00:07:52.60
so here in Mexico City,
00:07:52.63\00:07:54.37
we launched the project
to work with the affluent
00:07:54.40\00:07:57.27
or the wealthy of the
city and of this country.
00:07:57.31\00:08:01.38
This is often
times a neglected group,
00:08:01.41\00:08:04.61
so we began to
offer Bible studies
00:08:04.65\00:08:06.85
through small groups of study.
00:08:06.88\00:08:09.45
There are currently
Adventist members meeting
00:08:09.48\00:08:11.39
in a special place
with the people and families
00:08:11.42\00:08:14.62
that are interested
in learning the Bible.
00:08:14.66\00:08:17.06
In attendance
to the small groups
00:08:17.09\00:08:19.46
are diplomats, entrepreneurs,
00:08:19.49\00:08:22.00
business
executives and many others.
00:08:22.03\00:08:25.13
We believe God
can open a door here.
00:08:25.17\00:08:27.80
There are currently
three groups working hard
00:08:27.84\00:08:30.47
to establish a
Seventh-day Adventist presence
00:08:30.51\00:08:33.07
in this part of town, in
this part of Mexico City.
00:08:33.11\00:08:36.58
Gracias.
00:08:36.61\00:08:37.95
And, Manuel,
00:08:37.98\00:08:39.31
what sort of methods are
you using for urban mission?
00:08:39.35\00:08:41.95
Our method is to
present the gospel
00:08:45.79\00:08:47.72
in its proper diamond like face.
00:08:47.76\00:08:50.66
But how?
00:08:50.69\00:08:52.23
Well, by presenting
the health principles
00:08:52.26\00:08:54.86
of physical, mental
and spiritual health.
00:08:54.90\00:08:58.40
For this our goal is to share
00:08:58.43\00:09:00.40
the beautiful truths
of the gospel with others.
00:09:00.44\00:09:03.67
And we're working with
00:09:03.71\00:09:05.04
the variety of
professionals here in the city.
00:09:05.07\00:09:08.28
Through three small
groups of Bible study,
00:09:08.31\00:09:10.95
to be able to
establish a new church,
00:09:10.98\00:09:14.02
in order to honor and
glorify the name of Jesus.
00:09:14.05\00:09:16.92
Wonderful, gracias.
00:09:22.82\00:09:24.39
And Pastor Kepler,
00:09:24.43\00:09:25.99
you're the pastor
of this big church
00:09:26.03\00:09:27.70
here in the
centre of Mexico City
00:09:27.73\00:09:30.63
and you have lay
people working with you,
00:09:30.67\00:09:33.10
what is actually
happening on the ground?
00:09:33.13\00:09:35.97
All right. We
need to work together.
00:09:36.00\00:09:39.77
We need to the blessed
00:09:39.81\00:09:41.51
and the presence of the
Holy Spirit in our life.
00:09:41.54\00:09:44.61
We need to work
with one mission.
00:09:44.65\00:09:49.08
The message is
for all the people.
00:09:49.12\00:09:50.85
God believes for all
the people in all the world
00:09:50.89\00:09:54.19
that in this city,
in this specific area,
00:09:54.22\00:09:57.89
we have not gone.
00:09:57.93\00:09:59.36
We need to go.
00:09:59.39\00:10:00.76
But we need to
do with something,
00:10:00.80\00:10:02.80
some methods
that we need to learn,
00:10:02.83\00:10:06.30
we need to do,
we need to imagine
00:10:06.33\00:10:08.87
and the Lord give us
intelligence for doing.
00:10:08.90\00:10:11.31
We need to do
friendly with these people
00:10:11.34\00:10:13.88
because they're businessmen
whose houses are a closet.
00:10:13.91\00:10:18.71
And we need to
00:10:18.75\00:10:20.35
that these people
open their houses.
00:10:20.38\00:10:22.38
How we can do this?
00:10:22.42\00:10:24.05
Only because this
people don't need food,
00:10:24.09\00:10:26.82
don't need medical service,
00:10:26.86\00:10:28.96
do not need a some help
00:10:28.99\00:10:33.09
but these people
need a real friendly.
00:10:33.13\00:10:37.50
Right, so traditional ways
00:10:37.53\00:10:40.00
that we might
reach many other people,
00:10:40.04\00:10:42.04
they're not going to
even touch these people
00:10:42.07\00:10:44.54
and so what
you're talking about,
00:10:44.57\00:10:46.07
what you're describing
to me is Christ method
00:10:46.11\00:10:48.04
where you mingle and
you make friends first.
00:10:48.08\00:10:50.75
All right.
00:10:50.78\00:10:52.48
Somebody enters
to meet these people
00:10:52.51\00:10:54.58
and I present myself like I am.
00:10:54.62\00:10:57.95
In fact, they told me--
00:10:57.99\00:11:00.16
In the beginning
they don't tell me pastor,
00:11:00.19\00:11:03.59
they tell me for my name,
00:11:03.63\00:11:04.96
hey, you're so and after
they invite me to his houses
00:11:04.99\00:11:09.06
and I invite him to my
house and they eat with me
00:11:09.10\00:11:13.44
and I eat with
them with these people.
00:11:13.47\00:11:16.77
And after I told him all right,
00:11:16.81\00:11:20.78
I'm a Christian, you
can know the Jesus Christ.
00:11:20.81\00:11:24.91
Wonderful.
00:11:24.95\00:11:26.41
What sort of friendships
have you made so far?
00:11:26.45\00:11:29.65
All right.
00:11:29.68\00:11:31.02
At first we're
studying the Bible
00:11:31.05\00:11:33.96
with the businessmen.
00:11:33.99\00:11:36.22
He works with the building
00:11:36.26\00:11:38.83
and he is
administration of building
00:11:38.86\00:11:41.73
like he is a business man
00:11:41.76\00:11:45.47
and there people
are political people
00:11:45.50\00:11:49.90
who we're working with them
00:11:49.94\00:11:51.77
because somebody
come by to my church,
00:11:51.81\00:11:54.58
somebody introduce me
00:11:54.61\00:11:56.38
and I talk to him
about Jesus Christ,
00:11:56.41\00:11:58.65
first friendly
after Jesus Christ
00:11:58.68\00:12:00.78
and many of them--
00:12:00.82\00:12:02.38
one man is a Colonel
Elio, he has helped me
00:12:02.42\00:12:08.96
because he
preached the Lord word
00:12:08.99\00:12:12.46
and when I come by other people
and some artist of the city,
00:12:12.49\00:12:16.73
I come by, I come
by you, he is my friend
00:12:16.77\00:12:19.63
and another friend
going to preach about Jesus
00:12:19.67\00:12:22.00
and he is the
council of the Brazil
00:12:22.04\00:12:24.14
and the people will say,
00:12:24.17\00:12:25.51
oh, it's so important
I can go to listen to him
00:12:25.54\00:12:28.08
and the people come.
00:12:28.11\00:12:29.44
In fact 15 days
ago somebody told me
00:12:29.48\00:12:33.35
hey, what are you doing here?
00:12:33.38\00:12:34.78
Are you diplomatic?
00:12:34.82\00:12:36.15
I told him, no,
I'm not and ask her,
00:12:36.18\00:12:39.52
are you diplomatic too?
00:12:39.55\00:12:40.89
Oh, I'm not,
00:12:40.92\00:12:42.26
I'm business
woman and I live here.
00:12:42.29\00:12:44.49
I told him you
come to pray with us.
00:12:44.53\00:12:47.23
Really, are you come to pray.
00:12:47.26\00:12:49.93
All right and she
will come with us next,
00:12:49.96\00:12:53.57
in next meeting.
00:12:53.60\00:12:54.94
Wonderful.
00:12:54.97\00:12:56.30
Pastor, thank you so much
for sharing with us today,
00:12:56.34\00:12:58.77
and thank you too
Flavio and Manuel.
00:12:58.81\00:13:01.28
Mission of the cities,
urban mission is a challenge.
00:13:01.31\00:13:04.11
It's expensive to
work in the cities.
00:13:04.15\00:13:06.82
There are places that we
can't even physically reach
00:13:06.85\00:13:10.02
unless we know
somebody in department block.
00:13:10.05\00:13:12.52
There are so many
different cultures,
00:13:12.55\00:13:13.99
so many different languages,
00:13:14.02\00:13:15.36
so many different
socioeconomic levels
00:13:15.39\00:13:18.19
and it's so
encouraging here in Mexico City
00:13:18.23\00:13:21.70
to see ministry to
people who are on the streets,
00:13:21.73\00:13:24.50
people who don't know
00:13:24.53\00:13:25.87
where their next
meal is going, coming from
00:13:25.90\00:13:27.74
and also people
who maybe more rich
00:13:27.77\00:13:30.11
and increased with goods
00:13:30.14\00:13:31.47
but still need to
know about Jesus Christ
00:13:31.51\00:13:33.78
as their savior.
00:13:33.81\00:13:35.14
Please pray for
mission to the cites
00:13:35.18\00:13:37.45
here in Mexico City.
00:13:37.48\00:13:39.15
Don't go away,
00:13:39.18\00:13:40.52
we'll be right
back after this break.
00:13:40.55\00:13:41.88