Participants:
Series Code: GMS
Program Code: GMS000905A
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00:09 Showing God's love and compassion in Italy,
00:12 the United States and Indonesia coming up next. 00:20 Just before He went up to heaven, 00:23 Jesus gave us a command. 00:26 He gave us a mission. 00:29 Jesus said, "Go, go unto all the world." 00:33 Telling them of His love. 00:36 This is our mission. 00:38 This is our Global Mission. 00:49 Hello, and welcome to today's program. 00:52 Coming to you from Downtown, San Antonio, 00:54 Texas in the United States. 00:57 San Antonio is full of iconic tourist destination 01:01 such as the Alamo, the River Walk, 01:04 and this tower that reaches up 01:06 750 feet into the air. 01:10 On today's program, 01:11 we'll be looking at mission around the world. 01:13 We'll be talking to a missionary pilot 01:15 who works in remote areas in Indonesia. 01:18 We'll also travel to the Waldensian Valleys. 01:21 But first up, 01:23 let's go to Florida here in the United States, 01:25 where we see a Church Plant, 01:27 showing the love and compassion of Jesus 01:30 in a practical way. 01:36 Discipleship for me, I think of it a very simply 01:39 as bringing all of Jesus into all of life, 01:43 so all of Jesus, His character, His ways, 01:45 His power, into all of life, 01:47 the different spheres that we live, 01:49 our work, our family, our neighborhood, 01:52 connecting with people either through geography 01:54 or through affinity, 01:56 with common hobbies and common interests. 01:58 So it's about all of Jesus into all of life. 02:01 In Port Charlotte, Florida, Pastor Anthony, 02:03 Donna and Clarence 02:05 worked together to Church Plant, 02:06 starting a new congregation of believers. 02:09 Since Church Planting 02:10 is one of the most effective ways 02:12 to make disciples, 02:13 this group begins here 02:15 using Christ's method as a compass. 02:18 Christ mingled with people from all walks of life, 02:21 and sought to do them good. 02:23 Because of Jesus' as example, 02:25 this community has found great relief and assistance 02:28 through the selfless ministry of the people 02:30 following Jesus' way. 02:32 Yes, that's the recipe for making disciples is just 02:35 to write on them because, 02:37 Jesus will write the rules on their heart, 02:38 when the time is right. 02:40 But they have to experience God's love first 02:41 before they are willing to trust Him enough 02:43 to do the rules because they can't do them. 02:46 Through a work of love and compassion, 02:48 God has brought many gifts to the lives 02:50 of those who engage in compass communities. 02:53 The good things that He has brought to my heart 02:55 is to serve other people, 02:57 but the biggest thing is to make sure 02:58 that I have time to spend with Him, 03:00 because if I don't have time to spend with Him, 03:02 then I'm not filled with His Holy Sprit. 03:04 Then I'm doing it in my own strength instead of His. 03:07 Because of a connection with heaven, 03:09 and an appreciation of what Jesus has done, 03:12 Donna and Clarence 03:13 continue making disciples at compass communities. 03:16 One is Sonia and, spiritually an elder 03:21 and our other candidate is... 03:26 Friday evenings, they serve the best free meal of the week 03:29 as a reminder to people of God's special love for them. 03:34 On Saturday mornings members and guests 03:36 from all walks of life come to this center 03:39 for spiritual nourishment. 03:40 We minister to a group of people the... 03:42 that's totally different from other people, 03:44 we minister to the mentally ill, 03:46 the mentally challenged. 03:48 The people have vices or the... 03:50 they have a drug addiction, alcohol, porn, 03:54 all kinds of different things. 03:56 And we've, autistic kids, a lot of autistic kinds. 04:00 We actually import most of them in, 04:02 we go pick them up. 04:03 One of the things we emphasize was having a multi ethnic 04:06 and a multi economic church. 04:08 So a church has both diverse ethnicity and income levels. 04:11 And if you go there today, 04:12 you'll see people drive up in cars, 04:13 have real world jobs, you'll also see people about 04:16 literally slept in the woods the night before 04:19 and either walk or ride their bicycles there. 04:22 So to see people break those chains 04:26 and get back to the way 04:29 Christ would have them live is really neat. 04:32 And isn't this what Christ came to do? 04:35 He came to show what God is like 04:36 in practical and tangible ways. 04:39 In a manner that matters. 04:41 So we believe that the world doesn't need to see a church 04:46 that's an affinity group, where everyone's the same, 04:48 looks the same, same income level, 04:51 same background. 04:52 The world needs to see a church that's truly diverse 04:55 and in that the community says, what's going on here? 04:59 They see something different, 05:00 not just because of your theology, 05:02 but because of the diversity. 05:04 And the only thing that's drawing those people 05:06 together is Jesus Christ. 05:18 Compass Communities now has more than 50 members 05:21 who attend on a weekly basis, and are happy to be 05:24 a part of Christ's mission of disciplining. 05:27 They are asking for your prayers for their ministry 05:29 and for a new building to serve the people of Port Charlotte 05:33 in even more ways. 05:41 I'm delighted to introduce my friend Gary Roberts, 05:45 who is a pilot working in a... 05:47 an area of the world 05:49 that probably most viewers have never been to, 05:52 I have never been to this specific area. 05:54 It is West Papua, Indonesia. 05:56 Where exactly is that, Gary? 05:58 That's on the island of New Guinea, 06:00 which is just above Australia. 06:02 And the island is politically divided 06:05 so half is Papua New Guinea 06:06 and half is West Papua Indonesia. 06:09 All right, now you are a pilot 06:12 and aviation is your, in your blood, 06:15 where did your love of flying come from? 06:20 Well, I guess, I was born with it, 06:21 because my father was a pilot. 06:23 My mother was a nurse. 06:25 So I say that I'm a nurse by training, 06:27 because that's what I did in university, 06:29 a pilot by choice and a mechanic by default. 06:31 Like that. 06:33 And then you combine it all 06:34 into being a missionary as well. 06:36 Yes. 06:38 Yeah, now, Gary, where did you first start working? 06:41 I started working in South America, 06:43 in the country of Guyana. 06:44 Yes. 06:46 I was there right after college 06:47 and spent almost seven years there 06:50 doing medical aviation, nursing, flying, 06:52 mechanicing, spreading gospel into remote areas. 06:56 Then we moved to the country of Chad, 06:58 in Central Africa 07:00 and spent almost seven years there 07:02 before moving to Indonesia recently. 07:04 Wonderful. 07:06 Now I grew up fascinated in Australia 07:10 listening to stories of missionaries from the islands 07:13 talking about flying into dangerous areas, 07:16 and Pastor Led Bernard was a nurse 07:20 and a pilot just like you. 07:22 What a wonderful combination. 07:24 Absolutely, it's a phenomenal mix 07:26 and I had the opportunity 07:28 of meeting Pastor Led Bernard when I was there in Australia. 07:32 And my dad actually convinced me 07:34 to do something besides flying. 07:36 Because he said, if you're gonna be in the field, 07:38 you need to do something else as well. 07:40 And so that's where I got the idea of... 07:42 I loved helping people and so doing the medical 07:46 with the aviation is a perfect mix 07:47 because you can help them physically 07:50 and help them with the transportation needs, 07:52 and help them spiritually as well. 07:53 That's what I really enjoy. Fantastic. 07:56 So you've served in South America, Africa, Asia. 08:00 Where were you born? 08:01 I was actually born in Kenya, East Africa. 08:03 Okay. 08:05 Because my parents were missionaries 08:06 in that part of the world at that time. 08:08 I grew up in the Congo or Zaire as it known at that time. 08:11 And I spent the first... 08:12 almost first 15 part years of my life there. 08:16 When you look back at the old years of service, 08:18 tell me, what is been the most rewarding aspect 08:21 of what you've done? 08:25 I'd say, you know, telling people about God. 08:28 When you reach an area where you can see 08:30 that people have been living without the knowledge of God, 08:33 or in very difficult circumstances, 08:38 to see that God has used me to help reach those people. 08:42 You know, my dad was a missionary pilot 08:44 for almost 40 years. 08:46 And he always thought it would be cool to have 08:48 a baby born in his airplane. 08:50 Well, six moths after I went to South America, 08:52 I had a baby born in my airplane 08:53 while I was flying. 08:55 And, you know, God really gives us 08:56 the desires of our hearts. 08:58 He lets us do what we really want to do if we serve Him. 09:02 When I was a young boy, 09:03 I really wanted to be a missionary pilot 09:05 and help people and I choose to do that 09:08 and God has really blessed. 09:10 It's been an exciting experience. 09:12 But, Gary, you faced tragedy too, as it... 09:15 when you were in Chad. 09:17 How did you deal with the loss of your child? 09:22 It's always difficult when you lose your four year old son. 09:26 But, you know, God has... 09:28 God has called us to go. 09:31 He never calls us to come back. 09:33 And so it's... 09:35 it is a challenge but we have the hope of seeing him again, 09:40 and that keeps us going. 09:42 We returned to Chad after that and kept on working. 09:45 And it's amazing the advantage that it gave us, 09:49 because my wife was working with mothers and their babies 09:53 and almost every mother in Chad has lost 09:56 one, two, three or four children. 09:58 And so for them to realize that these things happen 10:01 to the foreigners as well, 10:03 it automatically gave a deeper connection 10:06 with the local people. 10:07 And helped the ministry. 10:10 And then if that weren't enough, 10:13 you recently lost your father. 10:16 What happened there, Gary? 10:19 He was killed in a plane accident 10:20 there in West Papua. 10:23 We still don't have a conclusive idea 10:25 why that happened. 10:27 But he was killed suddenly in a plane crash. 10:32 And again, to me it's a sign... 10:36 signs of the times, 10:37 'cause we told that at the end of time 10:39 some people will be called to rest before Jesus comes. 10:43 And he's been called to rest, his job is finished. 10:47 Now he is waiting for the resurrection. 10:49 And you have moved to West Papua 10:53 to take over from your father's footsteps, right? 10:56 Yes, we just moved in November of last year 10:59 and so we have the program up and operational weekend. 11:02 And we've been quite busy with many mission flights 11:05 because there was not a pilot there for a while, 11:07 but that's going well and we're already starting 11:09 to expand into some new areas also. 11:11 Fantastic. 11:13 Gary, thank you so much for the service 11:15 that you've given over the years 11:16 and the service that you're continuing to give. 11:18 I know you've been through the valleys, but I know, 11:22 God's also lifted you up to the heights. 11:24 That's right. And really it's a privilege. 11:26 It's a privilege to serve God. 11:28 Thank you so much. 11:29 And viewers, mission experiences sometimes 11:33 full of great excitement 11:34 but with wonderful things happening, 11:36 but tragedies do happen as well. 11:38 And it's so encouraging for missionaries 11:40 on the front line 11:42 to know that there is a World Church praying for them. 11:45 And this is a habit that many of us had 11:48 when we were younger to pray everyday for the missionaries 11:50 but I think sometimes that gets forgotten. 11:53 So if you would like to find out more about mission, 11:56 please go to AdventistMission.org. 11:58 There you can find stories 11:59 such as the story of Gary and his family, 12:03 and the commitment that they have for mission service. 12:07 Please remember also to support Mission 12:09 not only through your tithes and offering, 12:12 but also through your personal involvement. 12:14 We'll be right back straight after this break. |
Revised 2015-11-30