Hundreds of centers
of influence have been
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established in
cities all around the world,
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including here in Mexico City.
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Centers of influence,
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urban Mission and
much more coming up next.
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Just before He
went up to heaven,
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Jesus gave us a command.
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He gave us a mission.
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Jesus said, "Go."
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"Go unto all the world."
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Telling them of His love.
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This is our mission.
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This is our Global Mission.
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Hello and welcome to
Global Mission Snapshots,
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coming to you today
from Mexico City in Mexico.
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Behind me you'll see
the site of the first
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Seventh-day Adventist
Church here in this city.
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Of course, this is
not the original building
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but there's a lot
of Adventist history
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right here in this area.
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In fact, Adventist
work began in the city
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with a center of
influence in 1899.
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Pastor George Cavernous,
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who had been the principal
of the Battle Creek School,
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came to me to this
country as a missionary
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a few years earlier.
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And then with two
assistants came to Mexico City
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and started the work
with a center of influence.
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It was an
English language school.
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And at this school,
they mingled with people,
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they became friends
they showed sympathy,
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they ministered to needs.
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They won confidence
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and soon people
were following Jesus
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and joining the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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On today's
program will be focusing
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on centers of the influence,
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we'll see more
on today's program
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but first up, let's travel
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to a totally
different part of the world.
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Twenty five years ago,
the world church established
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the office of Global Mission,
with a specific mandate,
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plant new
Seventh-day Adventist churches
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in the most challenging,
unreached areas of the world.
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The church has tripled in
size since Global Mission began.
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Thousands of new churches
have been planted in new areas.
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People from hundreds
of different cultural
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and religious backgrounds
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have found hope and
joy in Jesus Christ.
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And yet, the
rapidly growing urban areas
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in all countries of the world
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continue to present a
huge and unique challenge.
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About two hundred
years ago, just three percent
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of the world population
was living in the cities.
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Now we have more than
half of the people in the world
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live in urban areas.
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In a couple of
decades, we're going to have
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three quarters of
the whole population
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in the world
leaving those major cities.
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When Global Mission
began, there were ten cities
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with more than ten
million people, mega cities.
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Today, that number has nearly
tripled and continues to grow.
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As Jesus crested that hill
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and looked at the
City of Jerusalem,
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the Bible says, "He wept."
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I want to implore
each of you to weep
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for the people of
the cities of this world.
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And do more than weep.
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Ask the Holy Spirit to
give you the power to join
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in comprehensive
urban evangelism,
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to reach these precious
souls of these many cities.
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More than 100 years
ago, Ellen White wrote,
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"We must do more than we've done
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to reach the
people of our cities.
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Over and over again
the light has been given me
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that we should establish
in all our cities small plants
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which shall be
centers of influence.
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Jesus loves the cities.
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And the reason He does
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is because that's
where people live.
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And Jesus loves people.
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In Matthew 9:35, the Bible says,
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"And Jesus went about
all the cities and villages,
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preaching in their synagogues,
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teaching and healing
the diseases of the people."
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Jesus had a comprehensive
plan of physical, mental,
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spiritual and emotional
wholeness for the cities.
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Today, hundreds of
urban centers of influence,
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including Adventist
Mission's Life Hope centers
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are putting Christ
method of ministry into action
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around the world.
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Many of these focus
on health and wellness,
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offering health
screenings, health food,
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cooking and
exercise a massage therapy.
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In Jakarta, Indonesia,
large apartment buildings
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often have a shopping
center on the ground floor.
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Here among the small
clothes stores and food shops,
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Adventists are
opening centers of influence
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in the form of health kiosks.
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Through this
shopping mall ministry,
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visitors can get an
electronic health scan,
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have a report emailed to
them and get recommendations
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on how to live a healthier life.
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Vegetarian restaurants offer
the community opportunities
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for healthier living
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and provide a
platform for holistic ministry.
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Vigana in Vaasa, Finland,
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provides a helpful
and tasty food buffet.
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But also runs Health Expos,
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Stop smoking clinics
and the Bible classes.
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Other centers of influence
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provide the
community with homework
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and after school
help for children,
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language and skills
training classes and counseling.
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In Denmark's
capital, Copenhagen,
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Adventists have
found a creative way to put
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Christ method of
ministry into practice.
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Happy Hand is a second hand shop
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on a busy thoroughfare
in the heart of the city.
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But Happy Hand offers
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more than redistributing
quality used items.
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It's a center of influence,
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providing a springboard
for Adventist to mingle,
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show sympathy,
minister to needs,
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win confidence and bid
people to follow Jesus.
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I think, I feel
that here it's more open.
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It's very public that
this is a Christian shop.
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We have Bible
verses in the walls
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and it's very clear
that this is a place
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where we are
Christians and it's very open.
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So it's easier to getting
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to those
conversations with people.
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And we also have a poster
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that says that if you
want to talk to a pastor,
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you can you can just ask.
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So yes, people do come in here
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and just want
somebody to talk to,
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maybe pray for them.
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We have a contact
with the people here
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that we get we
don't get in church.
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People can come
in from the street
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and they can sit down
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and have a cup of our
own tea or-- and just be able
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to talk to
somebody about anything.
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And we actually
reach people here
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and we can do
something for them.
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Just for having
a second hand shop
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wouldn't be enough
for me to participate
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'cause there are lots of those.
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But having this extra
aspect really makes it worth it.
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Bea just called me
one evening and said,
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"I need volunteers.
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Can you please come and help?"
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And I'm busy.
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We have four kids and
my husband is very busy
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so I said, "I
don't have the time.
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But I think it's a
very important project.
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And I think-- and I
can see the vision of it."
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So yes, I'll come and
help for three months.
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And that is about two years ago.
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Urban centers of
influence provide a platform
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to connect to community needs,
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follow Jesus's
example of ministry
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and plant new
groups of believers.
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"We are not to wait
for souls to come to us.
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We must seek them
out where they are.
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When the word has been
preached in the pulpit,
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the work has but just begun.
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There are multitudes who will
never be reached by the gospel
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unless it is carried to them."
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My guest is Pastor Raul Moscoso,
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who supervises
centers of influence
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here in Mexico City.
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Thank you for joining us, Amigo.
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And in this area
here we have a community,
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a very diverse community.
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Describe the area in
which we are standing.
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Well, we're standing here
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in the historic
center of Mexico.
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In this place, you'll find
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the most impoverished
people of this nation.
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They're basically four
types of people living here.
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And through our
center of influence,
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we're able to touch
each one of those groups.
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Group number one is
composed of street children.
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Then there's the homeless
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like the people right behind us.
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There are also prostitutes,
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they live and work
nearby and delinquent kids.
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Now what is the
center of influence doing
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to influence the community,
to help the community?
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The center of influence
is here to help the people.
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We're located in
the heart of this place.
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And we provide
the people with food,
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with clothing and
items that they may need
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during the cold days of winter
or hot summer days as well.
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Now we just made a
number of young men to hear
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what-- can you
share a story of somebody
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whose life has been
touched through the center?
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Well, we have worked
with a number of people.
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We simply help the prostitute
to come out of the streets.
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Her husband was the one
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who forced her
into prostitution.
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And when they
came into the center,
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we began building a relationship
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and helping them.
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They made a beautiful
decision to change their lives
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and today, this
lady has a daughter.
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They attend the
center of influence
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and are helping other
ladies in a similar condition,
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to come out of this work
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and stop what's causing society,
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and themselves a lot of harm.
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Wonderful. Thank you, Pastor.
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We're going to come back
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to the center later this evening
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and we're going to
see the center in action.
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Okay.
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Well, it's Tuesday evening here
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in the center of
influence in Mexico City.
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And it's alive and bustling
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and Pastor, describe
what we're seeing here.
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This is the first center
of influence in Mexico City.
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We work with the people
who live in the streets.
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Each Tuesday and Sabbaths,
we invite them in to feed them.
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For many other people here,
this is their only meal today.
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This is our mission service
00:10:52.31\00:10:54.45
towards people who
are less fortunate.
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Wonderful.
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Now, can you share an experience
00:10:58.65\00:11:01.02
of how someone's life
00:11:01.06\00:11:02.39
has been touched
through this center?
00:11:02.42\00:11:03.96
Yes.
00:11:08.10\00:11:09.43
We have good
experiences to share.
00:11:09.46\00:11:11.97
We have been privileged to
help change people's lives.
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And even to be baptized
some friends right here.
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They have accepted Jesus
and left their addictions.
00:11:19.81\00:11:23.11
Since many of them are
either drug or alcohol addicts.
00:11:23.14\00:11:27.75
The people you see
here have lost their homes
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or have been forced out of them.
00:11:30.72\00:11:32.95
So we begin a
thorough work with them.
00:11:32.99\00:11:35.39
First, by meeting
their physical needs.
00:11:35.42\00:11:37.73
We provide them
food and clothing.
00:11:37.76\00:11:40.56
Then we help them with tools,
00:11:40.60\00:11:43.00
so that they can change habits
and transform their lives.
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You will notice
that some here tonight
00:11:46.94\00:11:49.20
have already accepted Jesus
and are reshaping their ways.
00:11:49.24\00:11:52.97
They chose a new direction,
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and are living a new
phase for their own good,
00:11:55.18\00:11:58.08
but also for the
benefit of society,
00:11:58.11\00:12:00.38
and because they want to
live in the kingdom of God.
00:12:00.42\00:12:04.55
So, Pastor, can we meet
one of these people, please?
00:12:04.59\00:12:07.26
Yes, of course.
00:12:07.29\00:12:08.82
I would like to
introduce you to a friend.
00:12:08.86\00:12:11.39
He decided to change his life.
00:12:11.43\00:12:13.53
Let's ask him.
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My dear friend, what changes
have happened in your life
00:12:15.33\00:12:18.43
here at this center
00:12:18.47\00:12:19.83
and how do you feel
00:12:19.87\00:12:21.20
about the
activities we do for you?
00:12:21.24\00:12:22.57
I feel appreciative.
00:12:28.78\00:12:30.11
And I feel the
support of God in this center.
00:12:30.15\00:12:33.28
In reality, when
someone lives in the street,
00:12:33.31\00:12:36.25
one feels very
alone and unsheltered.
00:12:36.28\00:12:39.42
Society many times does
not understand our condition.
00:12:39.45\00:12:43.43
But we learn to trust
God and to rely on him
00:12:43.46\00:12:46.63
with the help of the
pastors of the center,
00:12:46.66\00:12:49.16
who encourage us to
follow the Lord at all times.
00:12:49.20\00:12:53.40
In your opinion,
00:12:53.44\00:12:54.77
does this center
help your friends
00:12:54.80\00:12:56.24
and all of the people around us?
00:12:56.27\00:12:57.61
Yes.
00:12:57.64\00:12:58.97
I believe this really helps,
00:12:59.01\00:13:00.34
especially, in supporting
us to reach our goals.
00:13:00.38\00:13:03.38
Although, hard to believe,
00:13:03.41\00:13:05.15
we also have
dreams and goals in life.
00:13:05.18\00:13:07.88
Many times
these goals seem hard.
00:13:07.92\00:13:10.42
But it's not impossible.
00:13:10.45\00:13:12.69
I know that with God,
in time we can get there.
00:13:12.72\00:13:16.42
It's hard but with
God, we keep moving.
00:13:16.46\00:13:19.96
Very well.
00:13:20.00\00:13:21.33
Pastor Gary, you have
seen with your own eyes
00:13:21.36\00:13:23.90
that the people here,
00:13:23.93\00:13:25.27
in their own way,
they love the Lord.
00:13:25.30\00:13:28.30
We also love them.
00:13:28.34\00:13:30.31
And we want to celebrate
the first Center of influence
00:13:30.34\00:13:33.68
here in Mexico City,
00:13:33.71\00:13:35.18
that is here to
support them and to help them
00:13:35.21\00:13:38.41
out of the difficult
times they are living in.
00:13:38.45\00:13:42.18
Wonderful. Gracias.
00:13:42.22\00:13:43.79
Centers of influence,
00:13:43.82\00:13:45.52
putting Christ
method into practice,
00:13:45.55\00:13:48.09
mingling, showing sympathy,
ministering to the needs,
00:13:48.12\00:13:51.19
winning confidence and
leading people to Jesus.
00:13:51.23\00:13:53.40
Don't go away
00:13:53.43\00:13:54.76
we'll be right
back after this break.
00:13:54.80\00:13:56.13