Participants:
Series Code: GMS
Program Code: GMS000904B
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00:02 Welcome back to Mexico City.
00:04 Next up, we travel to Lusaka, Zambia 00:07 and a couple of missionary doctors 00:09 share their experience 00:11 of running a dental and medical clinic. 00:22 When I came out here to Zambia, I realize that... 00:27 We are interdivision employees working through the G.C. 00:31 station out in the country of Zambia. 00:33 Lusaka is the capital and we are both here 00:36 and providing dental services to the community at large here 00:41 and my wife is an ophthalmologist 00:43 and I let her explain what she is doing out here. 00:46 So, yeah, we are medical missionaries 00:50 through the General Conference as he mentioned. 00:54 And as an ophthalmologist, I run the Lusaka Eye Hospital. 00:59 I'm the medical director there and I have multiple duties, 01:06 one being administrative, 01:08 and the other being a physician, 01:12 providing eye care, 01:13 doing the whole range of a ophthalmic surgeries, 01:16 lasers as well as consultations. 01:19 And I'm then overseeing our optometry department. 01:23 You know, we both, Janie and I 01:25 we've done quite a bit of mission trips, 01:27 mainly short term mission trips, 01:29 it could be a week or a couple weeks 01:31 throughout different parts of the world. 01:32 So we thought this was, you know, 01:34 something that we were just kind of slide right into. 01:38 Obviously, we were kind of surprised 01:40 that it was completely different 01:42 than what we had expected. 01:44 It had-- we knew it would be challenging. 01:46 We knew it'd be different. 01:48 However, when we got here, we realize that it was not 01:50 like your typical short term trips 01:52 where you just go and do good 01:54 and just return home feeling good. 01:56 We were assigned to these two institutions 01:59 and we had to carry the institutions financially. 02:04 We had to make sure that payroll is met. 02:06 We have fixed expenses. 02:08 These were things that really, we didn't expect to do. 02:10 We didn't know we had to be administrators 02:12 and to run the institution itself. 02:15 We mainly thought we would carry on, 02:18 providing service and do good and feel good about it 02:20 and help bring hope and healing to, 02:22 you know, those we serve. 02:23 But-- so it was quite a different experience 02:26 and we've grown a lot. 02:28 And we are at a better place after almost two years now. 02:32 And I must say that both institutions 02:35 were struggling financially when we did arrive. 02:39 And so, it was just a matter of doing a bit of research, 02:44 trying to figure out 02:46 what went wrong and what we can do 02:48 to help our health institutions 02:51 out in the in the mission field. 02:53 Survive and thrive and although we're not quite there yet, 02:58 I think we're on track to really helping 03:02 these institutions get back on their feet, 03:05 so that they can really be 03:07 a prominent health care institutions in the country. 03:11 And people can look to it and say, 03:13 "Yes, that is a Seventh Day Adventist institution." 03:16 And our church members can be a part of it 03:18 and they can be a witness 03:19 to those who don't know anything about our church. 03:23 So, why come and be a missionary? 03:25 Wasn't it easier to stay at home? 03:26 Yeah, I mean, you're perfectly right, I mean, 03:29 that would be the easy thing to do, 03:31 stay home and live your cookie cutter life of, 03:35 you know, your house, 03:37 white picket fencing, you know, for car garage, whatnot. 03:40 But in our case, you know, 03:41 we independently had a desire to serve 03:44 and become missionaries before we started 03:45 our respective programs, before we even met. 03:48 So it was very special that, you know, 03:50 we had an opportunity through Loma Linda, 03:52 where they had a special program 03:54 called Deferred Mission's Appointees 03:55 and we signed up for that. 03:58 And that kind of allowed us or that gave us an opportunity 04:02 to actually follow through with our, I guess, 04:05 childlike dream of one day becoming a missionary, 04:08 because before we started on this path 04:10 we were a little younger. 04:13 And you know, our dreams and goals may have been 04:15 very naive and very childlike to many. 04:18 But that was what truly motivated us 04:21 into our respective health care professions. 04:23 And at the end we wanted to stay true 04:26 to that deep desire to serve. 04:29 And I think it was kind of a long journey 04:32 to finish our respective programs 04:33 but ones we were done, 04:34 we still had that in our hearts. 04:36 We stay focused, we wanted to do what we committed to doing. 04:40 And we want to follow through with that. 04:41 You know, we believe that it was a covenant between 04:44 God and us and or-- 04:46 And we wanted to stay true to that and follow through in. 04:49 And I think that was one of the best decisions we've made, 04:52 you know. 04:54 We feel like the life that we're living is, is amazing. 04:58 It is very raw organic. 05:00 You can't make up 05:01 some of the stuff that we experience. 05:03 And I think with time we will know that, you know, 05:07 we made a right decision and it's amazing. 05:11 For me, I wanted to be a medical missionary 05:14 since I was sixteen and I knew in my heart. 05:17 And when I got into medical school, 05:20 it was basically God saying, 05:22 "You can get into medical school 05:24 if you decide to serve me, 05:26 and I've given you this opportunity." 05:29 And when I got into ophthalmology residency, 05:32 God was saying, "I'd let you get into this residency 05:36 if you decide to use your skills to serve me." 05:38 And when I got into my cornea fellowship, 05:41 it was the same thing. 05:42 "You're going to use these skills to serve me 05:44 someday in the mission field." 05:46 And so it was very clear in my mind 05:49 that that God was opening all of these doors. 05:53 So that ultimately I could serve him. 05:56 And I think, if I had-- 05:59 if I had run the other direction 06:02 and said I want to live 06:03 my conventional life in the U.S. 06:05 and I want to make the money 06:08 that an ophthalmologist can make, 06:10 married to a dentist who could make the money 06:12 a dentist could make in the US, I think that, 06:17 I know that that would have been the wrong decision. 06:20 And we would not be as fulfilled 06:22 as how we feel now. 06:25 Yeah, you know, although, 06:27 because I'm so involved in the medical side, 06:30 I don't get the joy of seeing, you know, 06:33 the fruits of the labor many times. 06:36 But you know, we do have a chaplain here 06:38 at our eye hospital. 06:40 And even yesterday in our morning devotion-- 06:45 after our morning devotion 06:46 he was making an announcement about two individuals 06:51 who gave their life to Christ, 06:55 recently after our outreach event in that community. 07:00 And he made a particular comment that was interesting. 07:02 He said, "Yes, in that area, 07:06 the people have been very stubborn. 07:09 But after this outreach event, you know, 07:11 their hearts were softened 07:13 when they saw the good 07:14 that our eye hospital was doing." 07:16 And so I think even though I don't often get to hear of, 07:20 you know, all of the fruits 07:22 and all of the fruits of the labor, 07:27 I know that there's a lot going on 07:29 after we've gone through an area, 07:31 after we've done screenings or outreach events, 07:34 there have been people giving their lives to Christ. 07:36 There are occasionally through the year, 07:40 combined with our eye camp, 07:42 we'll do a combined evangelistic series. 07:45 And during those times, 07:48 you can actually see many people getting baptized 07:51 and giving their lives to Christ. 07:53 So it's pretty amazing. 07:57 It gives a break from just the medical aspect of it 08:00 to hear those stories. 08:03 Next up, an Adventist pastor takes ministry to the beach. 08:08 With the ocean as his classroom, 08:10 he connects with people wanting to learn how to serve. 08:14 At the same time, he teaches them from the Bible, 08:17 his waterproof Bible. 08:19 You'll enjoy this amazing story 08:21 as people literally soak up the word. 08:35 You can't deny, 08:36 all good things start with a connection above. 08:40 Unless we sit at the feet of Jesus to learn His ways, 08:44 we cannot live like Him. 08:47 His love is in us, propels us forward, 08:51 like a wave moves a surf board. 09:06 On first contact, we present what's most familiar to them. 09:10 And that is the ocean and the waves. 09:12 We tell them that God creates the waves. 09:14 They are in His Hands. 09:16 Then they see that God thought of them. 09:18 And when they realize that God thought of them, 09:20 it begins to make sense 09:22 that they are part of God's creation. 09:24 It then becomes easier to accept 09:26 that God made us and loves us. 09:29 The language needs to be simple. 09:31 It needs to be something that they understand. 09:33 So I call them bros. 09:35 So they know that God is a friend, 09:36 a true friend who is beside them. 09:39 God cares for us 09:40 and we communicate that to their heart. 09:43 It's more than just saying it. 09:45 We have to live it. 09:46 Hey, Brother, come here for a sec. 09:49 That's good wave, huh? 09:54 Check this out, a waterproof Bible. 09:59 You got a Bible in the water. That's awesome, Bro. 10:05 This one is the women's version but I have one for you. 10:09 Come closer, let's do a short reading. 10:13 I don't immediately tell them I'm a pastor. 10:16 People don't want to know what our profession is 10:18 but rather who we are. 10:19 Then with time, they find out 10:22 and begin to truly understand this ministry, 10:24 to be in the water with them and relaxed in unique way 10:27 with a waterproof Bible. 10:28 Sometimes it's hard because people think 10:30 that there is only one way to preach. 10:32 And it's only in their way. 10:33 But Jesus was never like this. 10:35 He preached in His unique way with His own language. 10:39 The Pharisees, many times charged him 10:41 with preaching in the wrong way. 10:42 Saying, He preaches to the uneducated and the poor. 10:46 But Brother, Jesus knew the language of people. 10:50 What gets us sometimes, 10:51 is trying to put everyone in a box, 10:53 as if this is possible. 10:55 Well, I really like to say this 10:57 because it was what Jesus said when people asked. 11:00 "Where is your kingdom?" 11:02 The answer, "My kingdom is neither here nor there. 11:05 It's unseen. 11:07 My kingdom is inside people." 11:10 When we understand this, 11:11 we begin to see that our ministry 11:13 is inside each person. 11:15 If one surfs, then I need to surf to be with them. 11:18 If I'm gonna talk to a sower, 11:20 then I need to sow next to that person. 11:21 If I'm going to speak to a street worker, 11:23 who lives around homeless people, 11:24 I must experience that for myself. 11:27 Then and only then, 11:28 I can see how that person lives and what he needs. 11:33 As Pastor Vini gets ready to teach surfing, 11:35 he pauses to talk to the students 11:37 about the Creator of the ocean and the waves. 11:40 He begins each class with a small worship 11:43 and a waterproof Bible reading. 11:45 In the summer, 11:46 there are so many requests for classes 11:49 that he has to limit the number of participants. 11:51 And the results are astonishing. 11:55 The baptismal results are fantastic. 11:57 There are beautiful stories of people who, 11:59 otherwise may never have heard about Jesus. 12:01 But here at the beach, in the ocean, 12:03 they begin to discover Jesus in nature. 12:06 And in time, they come to me and say, 12:09 "Brother, I want to learn more. 12:11 Please tell me more about this God." 12:13 Then we study more systematically, 12:15 visiting their house and bringing them to church. 12:18 They participate in praise, worship, intercessory prayer, 12:22 making the request. 12:23 And they begin to have a true connection with God. 12:34 Remember to read your Bible. 12:36 Yeah. 12:44 Well, that's about it for today's program. 12:46 I hope that you've enjoyed. 12:47 And also been challenged by what you've seen and heard 12:50 on today's program. 12:52 Around the world today 12:53 there are many mission challenges. 12:55 Urban challenges like here in Mexico City, 12:58 rural areas where people have never even heard 13:00 the name of Jesus Christ. 13:02 But the light of God's love 13:04 is being shared by faithful men and women 13:06 who take seriously, 13:08 the great commission to "go into all the world." 13:11 Thank you, for your continuing prayerful support 13:14 of mission around the world. 13:15 It does make a difference. 13:17 Before I go I'd like to send you 13:19 a small gift as a thank you 13:21 for your continuing support of mission. 13:23 If you live in North America, and you would like to receive 13:26 the Mission Spotlight DVD, we'll send you a free copy. 13:30 It's chock-a-block full of mission stories 13:33 like you see on today's program. 13:36 Well, for Adventist mission, I'm Gary Krause. 13:38 And I hope that you can join me next time, 13:40 right here on Global Mission Snapshots. |
Revised 2015-11-30