Participants:
Series Code: GMS
Program Code: GMS001102A
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00:10 The country of India,
00:11 the first official Seventh-day Adventist missionary 00:15 and mission on the mightiest river system in the world, 00:18 coming up next. 00:23 Just before He went up to heaven, 00:26 Jesus gave us a command. 00:29 He gave us a mission. 00:31 Jesus said "Go, go unto all the world 00:36 telling them of His love." 00:39 This is our mission. 00:41 This is our Global Mission. 00:49 Hello, and welcome to Global Mission Snapshots. 00:52 Coming today from the city of Manaus. 00:54 I'm Gary Krause. 00:56 Manaus is a large city 00:57 and it's the gateway to the Amazon. 01:00 But when you're in the middle of the city 01:02 surrounded by tall buildings, 01:03 you don't realize that how isolated this city is. 01:07 It's surrounded by jungle. 01:09 In fact, the only way to get here 01:11 is either by plane or by boat 01:13 or if you're adventurous by four wheel drive. 01:17 This is actually the Negro river 01:20 and bit further up river, 01:22 it joins with the Solimoes river, 01:24 and those convergence of waters are very photographed, 01:28 because you see the actual colors change in the water 01:31 and then they become the Amazon river, 01:33 the mighty Amazon river. 01:35 And on today's program, we will look at the first, 01:39 or one of the first pioneer missionaries 01:41 who braved the water of the Amazon. 01:44 But first up, we're going to meet 01:46 the first Seventh-day Adventist missionary ever send 01:51 and it was to the country of Switzerland. 01:53 William Ambrose Spicer wasn't born Seventh-day Adventist, 01:57 but he converted around 14 years old 01:59 after attending revival meetings and reading 02:00 The Great Controversy. 02:02 When he was only 16, 02:04 he had to dropout of high school 02:05 to care for his father, 02:07 who had recently endured a stroke. 02:08 Spicer needed a job 02:10 and he found one at the Battle Creek Sanitarium. 02:13 Young William worked all day 02:14 and took secretarial courses by night. 02:17 At 22, he moved to England 02:19 when former conference president 02:21 Stephen Haskell offered him a job. 02:23 Haskell was a missionary to England, 02:26 but interestingly England was sending navies, 02:29 merchants, scientists and others to the far reaches 02:31 of Africa and India. 02:33 Around the world, 02:35 Western colonialism was spreading. 02:38 Powerful countries were driven by economic and political gain, 02:42 etheric center believes about race superiority 02:45 and the thrill of exploration. 02:47 The motivation to colonized distant lands 02:49 even got mixed up with religion. 02:52 And though the reasons for missions 02:53 were muddied by some, 02:55 it's undeniable that colonialism 02:57 helped to lay the groundwork for honest 02:59 Christ centric missionaries to reach out in love. 03:08 At this point Seventh-day Adventist mission 03:10 was like a base jumper at the edge of a precipice, 03:13 so much potential ready at any second, 03:16 like a toddler learning to walk, 03:19 like a handful of Lycopodium powder 03:21 sitting next to candle, 03:22 waiting to get shaken up, primed to ignite 03:27 and William Spicer was the breeze to do it. 03:31 The Spicer wind began to blow in 1892 03:34 when he was named secretary 03:35 of the newly minted Foreign Missions Board. 03:38 Only one year later, an African prime minister 03:40 donated 12,000 acres of farmland 03:42 to the Adventist church. 03:43 This allowed Spicer to establish 03:45 the Solusi mission in Zimbabwe, 03:47 the first of hundreds of African missions. 03:51 In 1898, Spicer received two notices. 03:54 The first calls for missionary to Africa, 03:57 the second to India. 03:59 After prayer and a family meeting, 04:01 Spicer accepts the call to India. 04:03 He becomes a missionary 04:04 and editor of the first American periodical in India, 04:08 Oriental Watchman. 04:09 But Spicer didn't erupt into a gale force 04:11 until after he returned to the United States 04:13 several years later. 04:15 He would serve A.G. Daniells as secretary 04:17 during Daniells' term as conference president 04:20 and then Daniells would return the favor 04:22 once Spicer became president. 04:24 Together these two lead the church 04:26 for the first 30 years of the 20th century 04:28 and they would do for Adventist missions, 04:30 what Henry Ford did for the automobile industry. 04:33 Ford was visiting a meat packing plan, 04:35 when he realized that all the workers stood still 04:37 while the product came to them, why not do the same for cars? 04:41 Suddenly, the industrial assembly line was born, 04:45 infrastructure, groundwork. 04:47 Around the turn of the century, 04:49 it became clear that the church's top-down style 04:51 of government was failing. 04:52 While appropriate to a small localized church, 04:55 this method ceased to be effective as the church 04:57 stretched across continents and oceans. 05:00 A.G. Daniells suggested union conferences, 05:03 handing the responsibilities to locals on the ground 05:06 familiar with the specific needs of that region. 05:13 During the reign of western imperialism, 05:14 leaders like Teddy Roosevelt employed battleship diplomacy. 05:18 In the midst of a non-violent conflict, 05:20 one country's navy fleet would show up 05:22 on the other shores posturing all its power. 05:26 This showmanship was usually enough 05:28 to resolve the issue in favor of the team 05:30 with the biggest guns. 05:32 This mindset infected foreign missions 05:34 and Spicer knew it. 05:36 He raised the issue of American nationalism sank. 05:39 It does one no good to take along from America 05:41 a national feeling into the field. 05:44 Missionaries had to often erected 05:46 a barrier between himself and every soul 05:48 who is not an American. 05:50 William Spicer wrote at least eight books 05:52 and never owned a car, 05:54 he always traveled coach on trains 05:55 and we wouldn't buy anything he couldn't pay for in cash. 05:59 Our Adventist College in India is named for him. 06:02 Before Spicer in 1880, 06:04 the church had eight overseas missions. 06:06 In 1890 still only eight. 06:09 But by 1900 there were 42, then 87 in 1910, 06:14 153 in 1920 and in 1930 06:18 270 missions in over 50 countries. 06:21 That's three Adventist foreign missionaries 06:23 for every one employed state side. 06:26 Spicer stirred the air and like Lycopodium podium powder 06:28 exploded into flames. 06:31 The churches' membership was growing as numerous 06:33 as the stars. 06:35 I'm delighted to able to talk to Herber Kalbermatter 06:39 who is the regional director for the Adventist Development 06:42 and Relief Agency here in the Amazon region. 06:45 Thank so much for joining us today. 06:47 And I'm very interested to hear that the Luzerio boat 06:52 is still operating on the Amazon River. 06:55 Can you tell some of the history 06:57 of the Luzerio boat? 07:00 The history of the first Luzerio boat 07:02 begins with the arrival 07:04 of a pioneering family of missionaries. 07:07 They were Leo and Jessie Halliwell. 07:10 After deciding to design 07:11 and built the first Luzerio boat. 07:14 On 4th of July 1931, the Halliwell's launched it 07:19 and now they began to cruse the Amazon River. 07:22 They encountered many obstacles and challenges 07:24 as they navigate through the Amazon, 07:26 but they were highly motivated 07:28 and enthusiastic about this work. 07:30 They traveled from village to village serving the people 07:34 in a unique way through the health ministry. 07:37 These of course transformed lives. 07:40 Since then, 07:42 because of the Halliwell's example, 07:44 we also feel motivated to do the same work. 07:47 Today I have the privilege of directing 07:50 this legacy service that began some 85 years ago. 07:54 In essence, we do here the very work 07:57 that they begin with a lot of challenges back then. 08:01 We continue to work 08:02 with a countless communities along the Amazon River, 08:05 serving the people through health and healing. 08:09 This is how this important ministry began 08:12 here in the Amazon region. 08:14 So today the tradition continues 08:19 and the Luzerio boat travels doing what? 08:25 Today, we work from three operational centers. 08:29 We have stationed nurses on each of them 08:31 to provide emergency assistance. 08:33 We have also developed partnerships 08:35 with other institutions in much like in the past. 08:39 The modern Luzerio boats visit the villages, 08:42 bringing healing and attending the sick. 08:45 Many professionals come from all parts of the world. 08:49 They also come from nearby schools and hospitals. 08:52 Through the volunteered services 08:54 of these professionals, 08:55 we navigate to the riverside communities, 08:58 arriving at the people's front door to offer them 09:00 what they need the most. 09:03 If these doctors and nurses did not come, 09:05 the people here would have to brave the river waters 09:08 for some eight hours by boat 09:11 navigating before they could receive any medical attention. 09:14 The locals view these people 09:16 who come to serve as the white angels. 09:20 Now the Luzerio boat 09:22 has touched the lives of thousands of people. 09:26 Can you give an example of someone 09:28 who's been helped through this, through this work? 09:38 You're right, the Luzerio boat 09:40 continues to bring health and healing. 09:43 Recently we met a child who had bitten by a snake. 09:47 It was a venomous snake, 09:48 known as the pit viper or the bushmaster. 09:52 This child's family took their small boat 09:54 and traveled for five hours to reach 09:57 our operational center. 09:59 We were in the middle 10:00 of another delicate appointment. 10:02 When we met this family, they explained to us 10:04 what had happen and as we examined the boy, 10:07 we realized how serious his condition was. 10:10 So we quickly hopped in one of our smaller and faster boats 10:14 and rushed him to the hospital. 10:16 We were very concerned and all the way into town, 10:19 we prayed for the boy. 10:21 Honestly we did not expect that he would survive. 10:25 But God worked a beautiful miracle. 10:27 We arrived at the hospital some eight hours later 10:30 after he was bitten. 10:32 It was very late at night, but the hospital staff 10:34 cared for the boy and a week later, 10:37 he was released. 10:38 He returned with marks on his foot, 10:41 but he was still alive. 10:43 Experiences like this one show us, 10:45 how important this work is. 10:48 A work that is saving and transforming lives 10:51 in the communities along the Amazon River. 10:59 Herber, how long have you worked for ADRA? 11:04 I have worked for 10 years now. 11:06 Actually 12 years, two as a volunteer 11:09 and 10 years working full time. 11:12 And I must say, 11:13 it's a great joy working for ADRA. 11:15 So, why do you work for ADRA? 11:17 Why is it an important work for you? 11:28 ADRA gives us the privilege of working 11:30 as the arms and hands of Jesus. 11:32 We help people who are needy and who are hopeless, 11:36 and through our actions, we can show love 11:38 to these people in practical ways. 11:41 When we assist people, 11:43 we fulfill many of the verses in the Bible. 11:46 Verses that encourages to help others, 11:48 to cover the naked, to visit the sick. 11:51 And through the Luzerio work, we continue to touch people, 11:54 where they have the greatest need. 11:57 It is a greatest privilege and honor to serve the people. 12:01 We want to thank Leo and Jessie Halliwell 12:05 for navigating the Amazon River, 12:07 for visiting people and transforming lives. 12:11 Herber, thank you so much for sharing with us. 12:14 We will be right back after this break. |
Revised 2016-05-12