Mission in rural areas
00:00:13.38\00:00:14.94
and in the increasingly
challenging mission field
00:00:14.98\00:00:18.45
of the cities of the world
00:00:18.48\00:00:19.81
such as
Vancouver, coming up next.
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Just before he
went up to heaven,
00:00:27.82\00:00:30.29
Jesus gave us a command.
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He gave us a mission.
00:00:33.36\00:00:36.10
Jesus said go.
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Go unto, all the world
telling them of his love.
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This is our mission,
this is our global mission.
00:00:43.47\00:00:47.54
Hello, and welcome
to today's program.
00:00:59.89\00:01:01.79
Coming to you
from the beautiful city
00:01:01.82\00:01:04.03
of Vancouver, in Canada.
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Vancouver is the city
of many beautiful parks.
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It has wonderful water font.
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It has people
from all over the world
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settling here,
very diverse cultures.
00:01:12.87\00:01:15.84
It's also a
tremendous mission field,
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with many secular
people, many people who have
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never even heard
the name of Jesus.
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And we'll be talking
with Pastor Kumar Dixit,
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about an exciting plan in 2016,
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to reach out in
a Holistic Ministry
00:01:28.02\00:01:30.59
to the people of this city.
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On today's program,
we'll also be talking
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about 13th Sabbath Offerings.
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These are
offerings that go to support
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special mission
projects around the world.
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And we visit one of
those projects in Uruguay,
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the center of influence
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right in the heart
of the capital city.
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But first up, let's see
your mission offerings at work
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in the city of Manaus in Brazil.
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Brazil is the largest
country in South America,
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with great ethnic
diversity and modern cities
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with
populations in the millions.
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City such as Sao Paulo,
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the third largest in
the world continue to grow,
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stretching its limits.
00:02:12.63\00:02:14.53
Much of Brazil
however is less developed
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and less affluent
than in the cities.
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This is
especially true of the Amazon
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in the northwest
region of Brazil.
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Here, tribes and other
un-reached people groups
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have lived along the river
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and in the Amazon
jungle for centuries.
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In this remote
area of the country,
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the Seventh-day
Adventist Church has established
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many types of outreach programs
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to connect with
locals and bless their lives.
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One such institution
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is the Agro-Industrial
Adventist school or IAAI
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as it's more commonly known.
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In recent years, IAAI has
undergone a transformation
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and has become
well-known in the community.
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Only students willing
to abide by the school's
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strong Adventists values,
including spiritual lifestyle,
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social and academic
standards are accepted.
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As a result, enrollment at
the academy has skyrocketed,
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growing from 100 to
more than 400 students
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in just three years.
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Hubert studies at IAAI.
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Thanks to this school,
his life turned 180 degrees.
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Hubert faced some
serious challenges
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and nearly had to leave IAAI
because of his poor behavior.
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Would spend a night
awake, causing troubles,
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playing pranks on
dormitory students,
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slamming the doors
to keep people awake.
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We turn over trash cans
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and give the dean a
hard time at school.
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I used to cheat, I
didn't like studying at all.
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At the end of the
year, Hubert did not reach
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the average grade he needed.
00:03:45.95\00:03:47.76
But as the academic committee
looked over deficient students,
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they voted to give him a chance.
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And the school
leadership pleaded with him
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to accept Jesus,
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so his life
would be turned around.
00:03:56.26\00:03:59.80
The school board was separating
the wheat from the tares.
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And I was a tare,
but thanks to God,
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I passed as wheat.
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I remember that at the time
I decided to pray and ask God,
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that if I passed,
I would turn around
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and give him my life.
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Hubert accepted the
challenge to find Christ.
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He began to fill
his time with reading,
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studying and teaching others
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about the God
he was discovering.
00:04:28.60\00:04:30.80
He repaired mistakes
he made and helped others
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overcome challenges similar
to the ones he once faced.
00:04:33.47\00:04:38.11
Today, Hubert takes active part
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in meeting the needs
of Seven Church Plants.
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These churches have been started
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by IAAI students over the years.
00:04:44.55\00:04:47.35
On Sabbaths, the
students split up
00:04:47.38\00:04:49.62
and travel to different villages
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where they have a
chance to sing, preach,
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and encourage
others with their faith.
00:04:54.09\00:04:57.06
The local villagers appreciate
this ministry very much.
00:04:57.09\00:05:01.30
The students at IAAI are
happy with the opportunity
00:05:01.33\00:05:04.07
to establish and
maintain new churches.
00:05:04.10\00:05:06.77
But they also hope to one
day have a church of their own.
00:05:06.80\00:05:10.54
Currently they worship in a hall
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used for school activities.
00:05:12.04\00:05:13.54
But their hearts long
for a church sanctuary
00:05:13.58\00:05:16.11
set aside for time with
God and where they can invite
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friends from the community.
00:05:18.68\00:05:21.32
This quarter, your 13th
Sabbath Offering will help
00:05:21.35\00:05:24.32
build a chapel for the
avid church planters in IAAI.
00:05:24.35\00:05:27.76
Please pray for
this new building,
00:05:27.79\00:05:29.62
and for the many
mission activities
00:05:29.66\00:05:31.23
undertaken at
this Adventist school.
00:05:31.26\00:05:33.73
Thank you for
supporting mission offerings
00:05:33.76\00:05:36.20
and projects like IAAI's church.
00:05:36.23\00:05:39.07
My guest is Pastor Kumar Dixit,
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who is the senior pastor of the
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Oakridge Seventh-day
Adventist Church, in Vancouver.
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And he's also the
minstrel secretary
00:05:49.88\00:05:51.45
for the conference.
00:05:51.48\00:05:52.81
Kumar, thanks for
joining us. Thank you.
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Now, you have a
button here that says,
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"Ask me about:
let's move Vancouver."
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I want to ask you
about let's move Vancouver.
00:05:59.39\00:06:03.02
Let's move Vancouver
is a new, new initiative
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that we're doing in 2016.
00:06:05.66\00:06:07.73
And, all of the
pastors and churches
00:06:07.76\00:06:09.46
in the Greater Vancouver
area are committed to doing
00:06:09.50\00:06:12.13
an entire year of evangelism
00:06:12.17\00:06:14.20
to reach un-church
people of the city.
00:06:14.24\00:06:15.74
Now, when you say,
00:06:15.77\00:06:17.34
"All of the churches
and all of the pastors"
00:06:17.37\00:06:20.18
that would be highly unusual,
00:06:20.21\00:06:21.54
wouldn't it to try
to get every pastor
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and every church on board
00:06:23.61\00:06:25.31
to a combined
initiative, is that possible?
00:06:25.35\00:06:28.15
Well, this is proof that
this is only a miracle of God.
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To get all of the area churches,
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ethnic churches,
pastors from different
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ideological background
or theological backgrounds,
00:06:35.76\00:06:38.59
every one of them
are committed to reaching
00:06:38.63\00:06:41.00
un-church people for Jesus.
00:06:41.03\00:06:42.36
And so, we've been able
to put away our differences
00:06:42.40\00:06:45.10
and say, "Okay, we're
going to focus on one thing,
00:06:45.13\00:06:47.84
and that is reaching
people, lost people for Jesus."
00:06:47.87\00:06:50.51
Fantastic, so what's the plan?
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What's going to happen in 2016?
00:06:52.87\00:06:54.64
Well, the plan is this,
00:06:54.68\00:06:56.01
we are committed to doing
an entire year of evangelism.
00:06:56.04\00:06:59.18
So, instead of
doing a 10 night series,
00:06:59.21\00:07:01.18
or a 21 night reaping series.
00:07:01.22\00:07:03.62
We're going to
do over 150 programs
00:07:03.65\00:07:06.15
throughout the entire year.
00:07:06.19\00:07:07.66
So, every church is
going to choose about 10 to 12
00:07:07.69\00:07:11.09
great outreach programs,
00:07:11.13\00:07:13.03
evangelist meetings
that they're used to doing.
00:07:13.06\00:07:15.33
And, it's all going
to be package under,
00:07:15.36\00:07:16.87
Let's Move Vancouver.
00:07:16.90\00:07:18.43
Letsmovevancouver.com
is going to be a way
00:07:18.47\00:07:20.80
that anybody in
the city is going to be
00:07:20.84\00:07:22.30
able to hear
about it and see it.
00:07:22.34\00:07:24.14
And then, we're
gonna invite people
00:07:24.17\00:07:25.51
to come to outreach
activities, Bible studies,
00:07:25.54\00:07:28.34
service opportunities,
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whatever people are
interested in doing,
00:07:29.74\00:07:31.38
it's gonna be under
the umbrella of Let's Move.
00:07:31.41\00:07:34.32
So, it's
coordinated, it's focused,
00:07:34.35\00:07:36.45
it's doing it
together, what's different
00:07:36.48\00:07:38.12
about this approach?
00:07:38.15\00:07:39.49
I mean every church does have
its own evangelistic problems,
00:07:39.52\00:07:42.49
what's different about this?
00:07:42.52\00:07:43.86
Gary, people in
Vancouver are actually
00:07:43.89\00:07:46.13
very antagonistic
towards Christians.
00:07:46.16\00:07:49.03
They do not like
Christians at all.
00:07:49.06\00:07:51.83
And so, if we were to
say, "We want you to come
00:07:51.87\00:07:53.54
to a Revelation
series about Jesus."
00:07:53.57\00:07:55.74
First of all they
don't even know who Jesus is?
00:07:55.77\00:07:57.21
So, Revelation is not
even relevant to them.
00:07:57.24\00:07:59.47
But the one common denominator
00:07:59.51\00:08:00.98
that the
Seventh-day Adventist Church has
00:08:01.01\00:08:03.24
with the City of
Vancouver is our health message.
00:08:03.28\00:08:06.15
Vancouver is one of the
healthiest cities in the world.
00:08:06.18\00:08:09.08
I like to call
them the granola crowd.
00:08:09.12\00:08:11.32
They eat very healthy,
they love going on hikes,
00:08:11.35\00:08:13.69
they love doing exercise.
00:08:13.72\00:08:15.82
And so, Let's Move
Vancouver is really based on
00:08:15.86\00:08:18.73
getting people
physically moving as well as,
00:08:18.76\00:08:20.93
as well as moving
them towards the cross.
00:08:20.96\00:08:23.33
And so, that
idea of getting people
00:08:23.37\00:08:26.47
based on the health
message, that's really
00:08:26.50\00:08:28.04
what we're going to be
focusing on during 2016.
00:08:28.07\00:08:31.07
So, what sort of health message
programming will there be?
00:08:31.11\00:08:35.04
Oh man, there's
going to be so many things.
00:08:35.08\00:08:36.81
In fact, in, in
the spring of 2016,
00:08:36.85\00:08:41.72
we're going to be
having a huge health expo.
00:08:41.75\00:08:45.99
And we're hoping to have
about 7,000 to 10,000 people
00:08:46.02\00:08:48.19
come to the health expo.
00:08:48.22\00:08:49.56
And we're gonna be
sharing lifestyle messages,
00:08:49.59\00:08:52.63
our relationship
issues, exercise, stretching,
00:08:52.66\00:08:55.96
the whole gamut
on healthy living
00:08:56.00\00:08:58.00
based on what Ellen
G. White says, about,
00:08:58.03\00:09:00.17
"If you focus on
health ministries,
00:09:00.20\00:09:02.04
people will come
to know Jesus Christ."
00:09:02.07\00:09:04.94
What is your
local church, Oakridge,
00:09:04.97\00:09:08.18
planning for next year?
00:09:08.21\00:09:09.71
Oh, man, we are, we
are so super pumped.
00:09:09.74\00:09:12.71
Yeah, we're power
planning small group ministries,
00:09:12.75\00:09:15.38
what we got, in
fact just starting
00:09:15.42\00:09:17.09
a exercise program for seniors,
00:09:17.12\00:09:18.95
there's quite a bit of seniors
00:09:18.99\00:09:20.32
that are living in
our local community.
00:09:20.36\00:09:21.92
We're going to be reaching
our young adults or youth
00:09:21.96\00:09:25.59
who are at risk and having
00:09:25.63\00:09:27.10
table tennis
matches and reaching them.
00:09:27.13\00:09:29.26
We're also gonna be doing
a lot of outdoors activities.
00:09:29.30\00:09:32.93
But, really what we
really want to focus on
00:09:32.97\00:09:34.80
is also biblical teaching.
00:09:34.84\00:09:36.64
And so, the way that
we're going to do that
00:09:36.67\00:09:38.47
is based on
answering important questions.
00:09:38.51\00:09:40.64
For example, lot of
marriages are in trouble.
00:09:40.68\00:09:43.61
And so, we're going to
be doing teaching series on,
00:09:43.65\00:09:45.91
on marriages and finances,
offering financial seminars
00:09:45.95\00:09:49.58
as well as helping people
00:09:49.62\00:09:50.95
have relevant
help in their life.
00:09:50.99\00:09:53.46
Kumar, you've had many
years as a local church pastor.
00:09:53.49\00:09:57.46
How do you involve
church members in ministry?
00:09:57.49\00:10:01.16
I mean, I don't
know, in your church,
00:10:01.20\00:10:03.16
is it just a few
who are involved?
00:10:03.20\00:10:04.93
How do you get people involved?
00:10:04.97\00:10:07.37
I usually tell people, I say,
00:10:07.40\00:10:09.60
"I want you to
raise your right hand."
00:10:09.64\00:10:11.01
Go ahead and
raise your right hand.
00:10:11.04\00:10:12.54
And I say, "Gary,
I now deputize you,
00:10:12.57\00:10:15.98
to do ministry on
behalf of the church."
00:10:16.01\00:10:18.48
And it's that simple,
the, the most important thing
00:10:18.51\00:10:21.48
is to get people into
ministry as quick as possible.
00:10:21.52\00:10:24.99
Don't wait for
the end of the year,
00:10:25.02\00:10:26.76
when nominating
committee rolls around.
00:10:26.79\00:10:28.39
As soon as people
are starting to come in
00:10:28.42\00:10:29.92
and be involved in your church,
00:10:29.96\00:10:32.09
you want to get them
involved in serving ministry,
00:10:32.13\00:10:33.96
because that's part
of discipleship for them
00:10:34.00\00:10:35.63
to actually start serving
00:10:35.66\00:10:37.17
and getting to
know who Jesus is.
00:10:37.20\00:10:38.53
So, I really, really
00:10:38.57\00:10:40.27
encourage people to
start serving in order for them
00:10:40.30\00:10:42.24
to understand what the message
00:10:42.27\00:10:44.14
and the mission of the churches.
00:10:44.17\00:10:46.24
Yeah, wonderful.
00:10:46.27\00:10:47.61
Now, if people want to
find out more information about,
00:10:47.64\00:10:49.24
Let's Move
Vancouver, how do they do that?
00:10:49.28\00:10:51.11
Well they can go to
letsmovevancouver.com.
00:10:51.15\00:10:55.15
And, on that page will
be more information about
00:10:55.18\00:10:59.69
what the entire year is about.
00:10:59.72\00:11:01.62
And, if they want to donate
to this evangelistic cause,
00:11:01.66\00:11:05.96
they can always just contact
the British Columbia Conference
00:11:05.99\00:11:08.76
of Seventh-day Adventists
and can get in touch with them.
00:11:08.80\00:11:11.27
What's your greatest hope
00:11:11.30\00:11:12.67
that will result
from this initiative?
00:11:12.70\00:11:15.44
Our greatest hope is for
people to know Jesus Christ.
00:11:15.47\00:11:18.64
I believe that
Jesus is coming so soon.
00:11:18.67\00:11:20.68
In fact, I'm hoping that
Jesus is going to be here
00:11:20.71\00:11:23.48
within the next year.
00:11:23.51\00:11:24.85
And, I want to see more people
come to know Jesus Christ,
00:11:24.88\00:11:27.32
so our hope for
Let's Move Vancouver,
00:11:27.35\00:11:29.38
is to have 500 baptisms
on top of what we normally
00:11:29.42\00:11:32.75
have and to sow 5,000 seeds.
00:11:32.79\00:11:35.79
You know, people
are coming to know Jesus
00:11:35.82\00:11:37.49
in a 21 night series
like they did 50-years ago.
00:11:37.53\00:11:40.63
But, our hope and
goal is that people,
00:11:40.66\00:11:42.83
the seeds will be
planted, and then over the years
00:11:42.86\00:11:45.27
after 2016, we're going to see
00:11:45.30\00:11:47.00
hundreds of more baptisms.
00:11:47.04\00:11:48.80
And, lost people who
now know the love of Jesus.
00:11:48.84\00:11:52.64
Kumar, just tell me quickly.
00:11:52.67\00:11:54.54
Have you any
doubt, sort of any fears
00:11:54.58\00:11:59.41
about this coming year?
00:11:59.45\00:12:01.58
I have absolutely no
fears, and let me tell you why?
00:12:01.62\00:12:05.45
Our, our budget is $1.6 million.
00:12:05.49\00:12:10.19
And guess how much
money we've raised so far?
00:12:10.23\00:12:13.26
Half a million.
00:12:13.29\00:12:14.63
$125,000.
00:12:14.66\00:12:16.46
Okay, here we go.
We're well on the way.
00:12:16.50\00:12:18.60
Okay, so I have a
lot, to go, right?
00:12:18.63\00:12:21.77
Not just budget, but volunteers,
00:12:21.80\00:12:23.51
get churches excited.
00:12:23.54\00:12:24.87
And, I have one
verse that keeps me going
00:12:24.91\00:12:26.84
and that is, "Trust in
the Lord with all your heart
00:12:26.88\00:12:29.51
and lean not on
your own understanding,
00:12:29.54\00:12:31.45
but acknowledge him, and
he will lead your paths."
00:12:31.48\00:12:34.52
I'm not doing it for me,
00:12:34.55\00:12:35.88
I'm not trying to
get all the credit.
00:12:35.92\00:12:37.25
I'm doing it for Jesus
00:12:37.29\00:12:38.62
and if Jesus is
going to bless it,
00:12:38.65\00:12:39.99
that it's his business
to bless this ministry.
00:12:40.02\00:12:42.09
Wonderful. Thanks so
much for sharing, Kumar.
00:12:42.12\00:12:44.26
I appreciate it very
much. Thank you so much.
00:12:44.29\00:12:45.79
And we'll be right
back after this break.
00:12:45.83\00:12:47.66