Participants: Gary Krause (Host)
Series Code: GMS
Program Code: GMS000901A
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00:12 The Alamo Mission sight of battles
00:15 and missionary work, cruelty and love. 00:17 The sights and sounds of San Antonio, 00:19 Texas coming up next on "Global Mission Snapshots." 00:28 Just before He went up to heaven, 00:31 Jesus gave us acommand. 00:33 He gave us a mission. 00:36 Jesus said go, 00:39 "Go, go unto all the world telling them of His love." 00:43 This is our mission, this is our Global Mission. 00:54 Hello, and welcome to the program 00:55 coming to you today from downtown San Antonio in Texas. 01:00 Behind me is the Alamo, 01:02 it's an iconic historical spot in American history. 01:06 This was the place where the Battle of the Alamo 01:09 took place in 1836. 01:11 It began as an early Spanish mission 01:14 but, you know, by 1793 01:16 it had been secularized and eventually was abandoned. 01:20 And today well, it's become a tourist place, 01:22 it's a museum. 01:24 Around the world today we've seen many churches 01:27 that were to the glory of God that now had been changed 01:30 into restaurants, cafes, bars. 01:33 We see many institutions that were once set up 01:36 to be Christian education institutions 01:38 that have totally lost their vision. 01:40 And is a reminder to us 01:42 that we must keep the mission vision strong 01:46 and we will see that on today's program. 01:48 First up let's visit a Global Mission pioneer. 01:53 I think this people are really, you know, 01:56 thirsty for the Word of God, 01:58 especially for the true Word of God. 02:00 Global Mission pioneers are church planters 02:03 working to start new congregations of believers 02:06 often in difficult areas. 02:08 The Southern African Indian Ocean region of the world 02:11 has Global Mission pioneers throughout its territory. 02:14 These pioneers face many challenges 02:16 but also earn the reward of seeing people 02:19 give their lives to Christ. 02:21 Some pioneers like Lesley in the country of Botswana 02:25 have not been in their communities very long, 02:27 and need your prayers to help them spread the gospel 02:29 to the people around them. 02:31 I've only been here for a month now. 02:34 When you first get here, you get mixed feelings 02:38 because it's an area that is known 02:41 for worst-case scenarios, alcohol abuse, substance abuse, 02:48 all kinds of abuse and you wonder 02:50 how are you going to achieve the work of the Lord here. 02:54 I think the people here have had it tough in life 02:58 and they're actually looking for someone who can, you know, 03:02 intervene in that trial, in their daily struggles. 03:06 And therefore, if you come in and you only want to offer them 03:10 the Word of God, they, you know, 03:12 they don't see you making any impact in their lives. 03:18 I simply brought a loaf of bread 03:22 and one liter juice, and I brought it to the family. 03:25 And, you know, they gladly received me. 03:29 So, I think it makes a difference in their lives 03:32 when you constantly show them that you actually 03:34 care more than for their spiritual needs, 03:37 but also for their physical needs, 03:40 you also care for them. 03:41 They are now willing to listen, they are now willing to listen 03:45 and they are wondering, "Are you really sure 03:48 what you're teaching us is Christianity 03:49 because all we think" 03:51 is that you want us to go to church 03:53 and that is just you only care about us going to church. 03:56 And when they see that you are more than interested, 03:59 you know, in their spiritual needs 04:01 you are also interested in how they live, 04:03 you know, and also their ambitions. 04:06 They really get encouraged and they marvel at this 04:10 being branded as the Gospel of Christ. 04:13 So, I think it's very encouraging 04:15 when we could, you know, 04:17 be able to bless these programs into their lives. 04:22 It's life changing. It's life changing. 04:27 This is my community. 04:29 I work here, and everyday 04:31 I look forward to coming to this place 04:33 and interacting with the people who lives here 04:36 and, you know, offering them the message of hope. 04:39 And to, you know, 04:41 watch their lives be transformed daily 04:44 and, you know, seeing the fruits of our work 04:48 that it's not really in vain. 04:51 Even after just one month, 04:52 Lesley is working with local leaders 04:55 to improve this community 04:56 and meet the needs of the people. 04:58 Recently, he has spent a lot of time volunteering 05:01 at a local daycare. 05:02 He teaches the kids, tells them stories, 05:05 and even prays with them. 05:06 His goal is to improve the daycares conditions, 05:09 and help them in any way he can. 05:12 One thing that I ask the Global Church 05:14 to pray for is availability of people 05:18 who are willing to be partakers in this way. 05:22 You do not need to have a theology degree. 05:26 What qualifies you the most is availability, 05:30 it's for you to be available 05:31 and to be willing to be used by God, 05:33 and for you to see the need of changing people's lives. 05:39 I just yearn to see the lives of people being changed 05:43 because I know (that) there's a lot 05:45 that God wants to do here in the lives of so many people 05:48 just like He has impacted my own life. 05:50 So, that is what is keeping me, you know, going day and night. 06:00 I'm delighted to introduce to you 06:01 some guests to talk about 06:03 Adventist AIDS International Ministry, 06:06 Doctors Giordanos the directors of the ministry 06:10 and also Godfrey 06:12 who is involved in this ministry in Kenya. 06:14 Thank you so much for joining us. 06:16 Now, Godfrey, you are dressed slightly differently 06:20 to the Giordanos please tell me about your ethnic heritage. 06:23 Where do you come from? 06:25 I come from Kenya. I'm a Maasai. 06:28 I'm the coordinator for Adventist AIDS 06:31 International Ministry in the Maasai region. 06:34 Now how big a challenge is this health, 06:37 health issue in your area? 06:40 Is a big challenge because 06:42 one is that many people are polygamous. 06:46 Another thing is that many people are not able 06:49 or cannot agree to be tested 06:52 and most of them there is a lot of stigma. 06:55 So people not ready to take medicine 06:58 so many people are dying with HIV and AIDS 07:00 because of ignorance. 07:02 Okay, are you finding that the ministry 07:04 you are involved in is starting to make a difference? 07:06 Yeah, it really is making a lot of difference 07:09 because it have brought a lot of seminars 07:13 to and has prevention of HIV and AIDS, 07:16 to make people aware that HIV exist 07:19 and at least to reduce stigma and ignorance among the people 07:23 and people are now agreeing 07:25 to be tested as well as taking drugs. 07:29 So it is really brining great and great and great change, 07:33 yes. 07:35 Let me ask you a question, how did you become 07:36 a Seventh-day Adventist believer? 07:39 One is that, 07:41 when they Adventist SDA church was first built 07:46 it was built very close to our home 07:49 and my father influenced me to join it 07:52 because they really finished in time 07:54 and they were teaching very simple 07:57 and, you see, very simple teachings. 08:00 So I became and Adventist by just-- I don't know, 08:04 I just joined the church as a young man. 08:06 Okay. Yeah. 08:07 Wonderful. 08:09 Now, Doctors Giordanos, 08:11 we have been friends for many years 08:12 and I know that you have given a significant 08:17 portion of your life to the continent of Africa. 08:19 Why is Africa so special to yous heart? 08:22 Africa is so special to our hearts 08:25 because we believe God called us 08:27 and next October we will be 25 years 08:30 that we have been missionaries. 08:33 So Africa is so special because it's in our hearts. 08:36 We love them and we feel they loved us. 08:39 And I'm sure that's true. 08:40 Now you have been in Africa during some 08:43 very challenging times, 08:45 tell me a little bit about the time 08:47 when you were there in Rwanda. 08:51 Rwanda was our first assignment, 08:54 is the first place that we arrived. 08:59 I still remember from the plane looking down at the trees, 09:04 at the jungle and dreaming 09:07 about the work we were going to do. 09:10 It was a wonderful experience. 09:13 If not for the sad part of it 09:18 the war in 1994 if not for that 09:21 we may still be there. 09:25 A wonderful, wonderful people, wonderful country 09:29 and then from there we moved to other countries. 09:31 We the church gave us opportunities 09:36 in other countries so we from Rwanda... 09:39 We went to Burundi, from Rwanda to Burundi 09:42 and then from Burundi Oscar went some times 09:45 I hear those days Congo today 09:47 and then from there 09:49 we went to work to the Indian Ocean, 09:50 the islands. 09:52 We were based in Madagascar, we spent nine years there 09:55 and now we are for the last 12 years 09:57 we are based in Johannesburg 09:59 but we work for the 3D Visions in Africa 10:02 with HIV and AIDS prevention. 10:04 Tremendous challenge 10:06 but what has been the most rewarding part of being 10:08 involved in the AIDS work? 10:10 Well, the most rewarding part is that you know this person 10:15 that is going to die 10:19 and through love and compassion 10:22 and care and support you see this person recovering, 10:28 going back to life, going back to the family, 10:31 back to the society and the community 10:34 and that is very, very rewarding because 10:39 God has given us opportunity to see many of those people. 10:45 So we know that love and compassion, 10:50 a relationships, care and support 10:55 we have income generating activities in our ministry 10:57 many things and especially the support groups 11:00 that are created in our churches 11:02 all over Africa that makes a big difference. 11:05 We have seen it with our own eyes. 11:09 Now 25 years coming up of mission service in Africa 11:15 has it been worth it? 11:16 Oh, yes. Yes. 11:18 If I will have to start all over again 11:20 I will never change. 11:22 And, you know, there were many challenges, 11:24 it's not that everything, you know, easy and simple 11:28 but we found that walking holding Jesus hand 11:34 we can be in the valley but we are not alone. 11:37 And then we just wait a little bit 11:39 and then we are up in the hill again. 11:41 So I think it was the highlight of our life 11:44 was being a missionary. 11:46 Fantastic. 11:48 Godfrey, want has been the most rewarding part 11:52 for you of being involved in this ministry? 11:55 The most rewarding part is that 11:57 at least I can see people being saved. 12:00 I can see orphans being cared and I can see change coming, 12:05 people accepting to be tested, people accepting to live. 12:09 That is the most thing that I feel as a reward. 12:14 Well, if I can presume to speak on part of-- 12:17 on behalf of the World Church 12:19 thank you so much for the tremendous work 12:21 that you have done, the ministry, 12:23 the way that you have given off yourselves 12:25 for the people of Africa 12:27 this will be counted in eternity. 12:29 Amen. Thank you very much, Gary. 12:31 And viewers please pray for missionaries 12:34 such as the Giordanos, 12:35 pray for Godfrey and his Maasai people. 12:39 Tremendous challenges 12:40 but we see the changes are taking place. 12:42 We see that lives are being changed 12:44 and we know that prayer changes things as well 12:47 and with who had a testimony here 12:50 of how prayer has sustained Giordanos through the years. 12:54 So thank you for your continuing support 12:55 for mission (around the world) 12:57 and we will right back after this break. |
Revised 2015-11-09