Participants: Gary Krause (Host)
Series Code: GMS
Program Code: GMS000902B
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00:10 Welcome back. My guest is Dr. Richard Hart
00:12 who is the president of Loma Linda University 00:15 in California. 00:16 Thanks for joining us, Dr. Hart. 00:17 It's good to be with you, Gary. 00:19 Now Loma Linda University is owned 00:20 by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 00:22 What's the purpose of the University? 00:24 We are, what's called an academic health science center 00:27 in this country, there's a 145 of those, 00:29 which means you've got a medical school, 00:31 a teaching hospital 00:33 and some other health science schools. 00:34 So, that's, we are the only one really in the church 00:37 of that magnitude, 00:39 that has all of those components in it 00:40 so, our duty as church is to prepare people for services 00:43 in the church from all the health professions. 00:45 Now, how does that work, do you, um, 00:49 find, areas of need in the world 00:50 and send, send staff there. 00:53 What do you do? 00:54 In the old days basically we trained people 00:57 and the church would call them and they would go out. 00:59 In more recent years, we've kind of-- I like to say, 01:01 we hold their hands as they go, in other words 01:03 we been involved with them as they go out, 01:05 because there's a lot of issues well, politically, 01:08 economically, culturally and so on. 01:10 And so our graduates feel more comfortable 01:12 maintaining tie with Loma Linda. 01:14 So we have done that in a number of ways 01:15 through an organization we started there 01:16 called Adventist Health International 01:18 or through links in other ways, 01:20 so that we can continue to work with our graduates 01:22 and support them in their activities. 01:23 What sort of areas of the world do you find 01:26 your graduates serving? 01:28 Well, it's changed a bit. 01:31 When I was going to Loma Linda, 40 years ago, 01:34 South America was the big thrust 01:36 that we all thought we go to, and India. 01:38 Now both of those countries 01:40 are pretty well self sufficient. 01:41 We do some in India. 01:42 Now it's really shifted larger to Africa, parts of, 01:45 a few parts of Asia, and parts of inner America. 01:48 So that's where most of our graduates are going. 01:51 Depending upon what their skills are, of course. 01:52 Yeah, AHI, how many hospitals 01:56 you are supervising, involved in? 01:58 We are directly involved with about 30 hospitals now. 02:01 And then what, what, 02:02 about five or six different divisions of the world field, 02:05 trying to strengthen the hospital's infrastructure, 02:08 their buildings, their equipment, 02:09 their staffing, their management, 02:11 their boards and so on. 02:12 That's a huge commitment. 02:14 Yes, it is. 02:15 And for being involved in so many activities, 02:19 to also care for that many hospitals, 02:22 how do you, how do you find getting staff, 02:24 do you find that students 02:25 are keen to involve in this sort of thing? 02:27 Yeah, my personal philosophy has always been that 02:30 the best way to strengthen spirituality, 02:33 is to a commitment to service 02:35 and so we have devised over the years 02:37 a number of service opportunities in the Loma Linda 02:39 both locally around in our own community 02:41 and internationally 02:42 so are goal is for 40 to 50% of student 02:46 be involve inn a service activities every year, 02:48 despite having curriculum, 02:49 I mean these are health professional student, 02:51 medicine done into your pharmacy, 02:53 nursing and so on, but that early to me 02:57 is a way to maintain their link to the church to commitment 02:59 and humanitarian issues and to avid the materialism 03:02 that often sets in when you're developing 03:04 your health professional career. 03:05 Yeah, very important, now, many of your staff 03:08 are involved in various opportunities too, 03:11 can you describe some of that? 03:12 We have institutes we call them at Loma Linda. 03:15 So we have a global health institute 03:16 that helps guide all of our international involvement, 03:18 of various kinds all over that world 03:20 and we have an institute for community partners 03:22 that basically coordinates all of our 03:24 domestic activities around there. 03:25 We are just in the process of building 03:27 a San Bernardino campus, downtown San Bernardino 03:29 in the city next to us, 03:30 a bankrupt city, one of the poor cities in the country, 03:33 just three miles from Loma Linda. 03:35 So we are heavily involved with that 03:36 which will be an expanded base of activities for our students 03:39 and then with our mission hospitals 03:41 and all over the world and other things, 03:43 not just in hospitals but in public health activities 03:45 and other things around the world. 03:47 Fantastic. 03:48 We set up a program now, 03:49 which I am particularly delighted with, 03:51 actually two programs, but together they allow 03:53 any Loma Linda graduate, who wants to serve abroad, 03:56 we will pay their educational debts for them, 03:58 while they go out to serve. 04:00 Wow. 04:01 So when they graduate, the biggest barrier 04:02 is the debts they have to pay, 04:04 you have to get a job to pay off the debts. 04:05 We've got a program now for any graduate 04:06 from any of our programs. 04:08 If you go abroad to serve, 04:09 we will cover your educational debts while you serve. 04:12 That's incredible. 04:13 And that's been a huge stimulus 04:14 for our students. 04:16 Now your role is obviously a lot of administration 04:20 but I know you have a personal contact 04:22 with many of your doctors, and medical professionals 04:26 who go out to serve. 04:27 Can you share a quick story of one of your graduates 04:30 who is making a difference? 04:32 Well, there is a variety of them, 04:33 of course, I could talk about. 04:35 One of the things I'm excited about now is, 04:36 well, several areas to decide where to start. 04:39 Country of Chad 10 years ago, Chad had one little 04:42 dusty hospital that hardly functioned. 04:43 Yes. 04:45 Now we've got two well functioning hospitals, 04:46 one of them is the busiest one in the country 04:47 at Bere, Chad. 04:49 And James Appel who was there, 04:50 is just now starting a new hospital 04:52 out in the Eastern Chad out in the Muslim area next 04:53 against the Sudan border. 04:55 So we are pleased with what's happened there. 04:57 Two other areas that are very exciting for me 04:59 is Malamulo hospital in Africa. 05:01 It is actually the oldest mission hospital in the church. 05:03 Started as school in 1902 and a clinic in 1915, really, 05:08 we're celebrating centennial later this year, 05:11 Malamulo, we are now making into what were calling 05:13 a Loma Linda University Field Station. 05:15 So we are putting an extra focus of development there. 05:18 We got what, four, five faculty there now, 05:21 that are based there. 05:22 We've started surgery residency program 05:24 for training specialist surgeon 05:25 and getting to start a family medicine residency program. 05:27 We've got research activities going on. 05:29 So we are taking one institution 05:31 to really develop as a training ground 05:33 for the rest of Africa 05:35 and now we're starting to do the same thing in Haiti. 05:37 Haiti has bounced back now 05:38 from the earthquake five years ago 05:40 and we are developing in into a field stations as well. 05:42 So we'll have a place for its faculty housing, 05:44 for students, for residence for faculty to go down 05:47 and do research projects another things there in Haiti. 05:49 Wonderful. 05:50 In addition to all the other places 05:52 that we are go to as well. 05:53 Yeah, yeah wonderful. 05:54 Dr. Hart, why is mission so important to you, 05:57 I know you have been involved for many years, 05:58 why is it so important to you? 05:59 Well, to me, it's where life becomes real. 06:04 I mean, I can be a good Christian in my view, 06:08 unless I'm involved in that sort of thing. 06:10 It is that service aspect that I believe 06:13 brings real satisfaction to life. 06:16 So I look at in the certain sense, Gary, 06:18 as a selfish thing. 06:20 For me to be happy, I've got to go do something 06:23 and it really gives me a satisfaction 06:25 to not only be involve myself all the emails, 06:28 50 emails I answer every night 06:30 from our graduates all over the world 06:32 managing different projects, 06:33 it's just an exciting part of life. 06:35 Viewers who want to find out more information 06:37 about Loma Linda, 06:38 what's the best way to do that? 06:40 Probably the best way is on our website LLU.EDU, 06:42 we'll give that, 06:44 you can look at the various service activities, 06:46 the schools and so on that are there. 06:48 And they keep a lot of updated projects in there, 06:50 what's going on around world. 06:51 Fantastic, thank you so much for joining us, Dr. Hart. 06:54 Thank you, it's good to be with you. 06:55 And viewers at home 06:57 please pray for Loma Linda University, 06:59 in the diverse range of various activities 07:02 their involved in, 07:03 making a difference not only in their local communities 07:06 but all around the world, touching people's life 07:09 with the hands of Jesus Christ. 07:10 Next up we'll travel to Continent of Africa. 07:18 Each Sabbath, hundreds of students gather together 07:21 to praise the Lord. 07:23 The students grab a chair 07:24 and take it to their favorite spot for Sabbath school, 07:27 a spot in the shade is highly valued 07:29 to be protected from the hot sun. 07:31 In rural Zimbabwe, 07:33 100s of students lives are being touched 07:35 by Adventist schools. 07:37 One of these schools is Solusi University. 07:40 Here students receive a Christian education 07:43 from one of the oldest Adventist schools in Africa. 07:47 These campus environments allow students to study 07:50 God's word with their friends. 07:52 Each Sabbath dozens of groups 07:54 are spread throughout the campus. 07:56 When class gets out, 07:58 they gather together in the church 08:00 to worship collectively and celebrate God's love. 08:03 Sabbath is the favorite day on campus. 08:06 The campus is made up of students 08:08 from different cultures and backgrounds. 08:11 The school's reputation has attracted students 08:14 from countries around Southern Africa. 08:17 Jeniffer is a recent graduate from Solusi, 08:20 who felt that the university environment 08:22 made a difference in her life. 08:25 I really did enjoy my stay here 08:28 because it brought about changes in my life. 08:31 I made friends from different countries 08:34 from different tribes, 08:36 so it was really interesting to be here. 08:40 When Jeniffer came here, she was not an Adventist. 08:43 She would regularly attend church 08:44 and listen to the messages with the other students. 08:47 One time while she was sitting in the church, 08:49 the pastor's words connected with her 08:52 and she knew she wanted to become an Adventist. 08:55 I really felt, well, I don't want to lose anything 08:59 when Christ comes, I want to go with Him, 09:01 I want to go home, 09:02 I want to meet Him in the clouds of heaven. 09:06 And I've seen the love 09:08 that the Seventh-day Adventist have 09:11 and it has pushed me to see that, 09:14 I can be a part of them, that we can serve this God 09:18 and we can continue to share this love. 09:21 Many students have come to know Jesus 09:24 by attending the university. 09:26 So I think the influence really came from the church, 09:30 the class room, even the cafeteria, 09:33 even when you look at the food, still spiritual, 09:36 you are eating healthy. 09:38 And students of Solusi really enjoy the food. 09:42 The kitchen staff works hard 09:43 to provide meals for all the students. 09:46 They are constantly prepping, cooking and baking 09:49 to ensure each meal is done well. 09:53 The cafeteria is the central place 09:55 for all the students come together to socialize and eat. 09:59 Unfortunately, not everyone can fit inside the cafeteria 10:02 during meal times. 10:04 It get so crowded that people have to eat out side 10:06 under the trees or anywhere they can find. 10:09 This poses a problem, when it rains 10:11 or during the heat of the day. 10:13 This quarter, a portion of your 13th Sabbath offering 10:16 will help benefit the students and staff 10:18 at Solusi University. 10:20 The cafeteria will be extended 10:23 to fit the entire campus population. 10:25 Please pray that God will continue 10:27 to bless the university 10:29 and thank you for supporting the mission 10:32 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 10:38 Well, that's about it for 10:39 Global Mission Snapshots today. 10:41 And I hope that you've been inspired and challenged by 10:43 what you've seen and heard, 10:45 from missionary doctors working to fight Ebola in West Africa 10:49 to Waldensian students in 10/40 Window, 10:53 men and women, boys and girls around world 10:55 is sharing the light of God's love 10:58 and I want to thank you for your continuing support 11:00 for mission around the world through your prayers, 11:03 through you finances 11:04 and through your personal involvement. 11:06 Before we go I'd like to send you a small free gifts. 11:09 You can see it on your screen now. 11:11 It's just a small token of thank you 11:13 for your supportive of mission. 11:15 Well, for Global Mission Snapshots, 11:17 I'm Gary Krause 11:18 and I hope that you can join me next time 11:20 right here on this program. |
Revised 2015-11-16