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>>John Bradshaw:
This is "It Is Written."
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I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
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If it's anything at all,
the Bible is a missionary book.
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Most Bibles have a
section in the back
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showing Paul's
missionary journeys.
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The first, Paul and Barnabas
left Antioch, went to Cyprus,
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then Asia Minor,
what today we call Turkey.
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On his second missionary
journey, Paul traveled
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from Antioch, which
is in southern Turkey
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near the border with Syria,
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sailed across the
northeastern Aegean to Greece,
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then went to Philippi
and Berea, down to Athens,
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over to Corinth, then
back across the sea to Ephesus
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before crossing the
Mediterranean to Israel,
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then back to Antioch.
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His third missionary
journey covered similar ground.
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But, of course,
Paul was a missionary.
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Shortly after his
Damascus road experience,
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God spoke to
Ananias about Paul and said,
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"He is a chosen vessel
unto me, to bear my name
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before the Gentiles, and kings,
and the children of Israel."
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God placed His hand upon Paul
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for the purpose of
him being a missionary.
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But isn't that the way?
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The question isn't, "Does God
call people to mission service?"
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We know the answer to
that already. Yes, He does.
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The question is, "How do I
make that real in my life?"
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The woman at the
well, she encountered Jesus
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and immediately
went into the city
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and told people about Jesus.
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She was so
focused on telling others
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that she left
her water pot behind.
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The demon-possessed
man in Decapolis,
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who was delivered by Jesus,
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asked Jesus if he
could follow Jesus.
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But Jesus sent him to
his home to tell others
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what God had done for him.
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And the man did that
work, with the Bible saying
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at the conclusion of
that story in Luke's gospel,
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"And it came to pass,
that, when Jesus was returned,
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"the people gladly received Him:
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for they were
all waiting for Him."
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Converted, and a
missionary right away.
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The disciples--
missionary workers--
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it's believed
Thomas, "doubting Thomas,"
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was the first
missionary to India.
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There have been some famous
missionaries down through time.
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David Livingstone from Scotland,
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the missionary to
Africa and an abolitionist,
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whose work was so impactful
he became a national hero
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back in Britain and was
buried in Westminster Abbey.
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Can you imagine a missionary
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being buried in
Westminster Abbey today?
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William Carey, considered
the father of modern missions,
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he founded the
Baptist Missionary Society
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and was a missionary to India.
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Adoniram Judson, an American,
who spent 40 years in Burma;
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Hudson Taylor, who spent
more than 50 years in China;
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Eric Liddell, the rugby-playing,
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Olympic
gold-medal- winning Scotsman,
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who was portrayed in
the award-winning movie
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"Chariots of Fire," he
was a missionary to China.
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John Paton, another Scotsman,
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was a missionary to what
was then the New Hebrides.
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Before going he was warned
that cannibals might eat him.
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His response?
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"It [doesn't matter] to me [if
my body is] eaten...by worms"
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or "by cannibals."
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He didn't die, but his
wife and newborn son did,
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less than a year
after they arrived.
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And life was difficult for
missionaries back in that day--
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before creature
comforts and before telephones,
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before the internet.
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Illness was a huge
challenge, and so was isolation.
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If you were to read the
account of Paton's father
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farewelling his son,
ooh, it's heartrending.
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At It Is Written we
are committed to missions.
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Some years ago I took a team
of physicians and others with me
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to a foreign country, and It
Is Written Missions was born.
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Since then we've been
to numerous countries,
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as well as locations
within the United States,
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for the purpose of
investing in people's lives
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and sharing the love of God
and the message of the Bible.
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Joining me is Wes Peppers,
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who coordinates It
Is Written Missions.
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So, Wes, why
missions? Why should we do it?
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>>Wes Peppers: Well, firstly,
the Bible says to do missions.
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Jesus said, "Go
[into all the world]
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and make
disciples of all nations."
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And so, that's
one reason we do it,
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'cause it's a biblical
mandate and Jesus commanded it.
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But really, the second reason
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is because it changes
lives. >>John: Whose lives?
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>>Wes: It
changes everybody's life.
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You know, a lot of times
people think when they go
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on a mission trip,
"Well, I'm gonna go down there.
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"We're gonna go as a group,
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and we're gonna
impact all these people."
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But really, the lives of the
people who do the mission trip
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are transformed as well.
>>John: What have you seen?
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You've led
numerous mission trips.
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You don't lead all of the
It Is Written Missions trips,
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and neither of us
go on all of them;
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we just go on one
or two here and there.
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Um, but in the many mission
trips that you've been part of
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and that you've
led, what kind of change
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do you see in people's lives?
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>>Wes: You know,
it's, it's amazing to see
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the lives of people transformed.
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They go there,
they have an impact,
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they see God work miracles,
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and every day they're
having daily devotions.
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They're reaching out and
touching those individuals
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in the medical clinics.
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They're building
churches, knowing that people
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are gonna be worshiping
in those churches very soon.
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They're preaching evangelistic
meetings, and they're hearing
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the Word of God being preached
right from their own mouth,
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and it is just transformative.
And their lives are changed.
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>>John: Yeah. Now,
we were both in Ethiopia
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together with a
large mission team:
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physicians and dentists
and a wide variety of people.
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And it was a, a challenging
place in some certain respects,
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but God did great things.
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I want you to
take a look at this.
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It Is Written Missions impacts
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some of the most
remote locations on the globe.
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A team of volunteers recently
answered the call to serve
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in Ethiopia, the second-most
populous country in Africa.
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Ethiopia's average
annual income is only $900,
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meaning many people endure
hardships that deprive them
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of many of life's necessities.
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Over two weeks the It Is Written
team brought help and hope
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to thousands who have little.
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Medical and dental clinics
took place in three locations.
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Partnering with a
general hospital, health care
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and education were provided
to more than 15,000 people,
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most of whom would not have been
able to find help elsewhere.
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Emergency
surgeries saved many lives.
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One Muslim patient said,
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"I thought the world had
forgotten about Ethiopia,
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"but the Christian God sent
you to reveal His love to us.
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I want to follow your Jesus."
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God miraculously sped up
procedures that normally take
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two to three times longer,
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enabling more
patients to be seen.
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The team of selfless volunteers
worked long days and nights
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to ensure that all could
get the care they needed.
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Almost every patient
welcomed the offered prayer
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that accompanied treatment.
Many even requested prayer.
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Two thousand years
after Philip the apostle
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baptized the Ethiopian eunuch,
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the gospel is still
saving lives in Ethiopia.
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Over 7,000
people attended meetings
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to hear the Word of God,
more than had ever attended
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in any of the
meeting locations before.
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The gospel penetrated hearts
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even in the secular
city of Addis Ababa.
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As the Word of God was preached,
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appeals were made,
and hundreds responded,
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accepting Jesus and
the message of the Bible.
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More than 3,500
people were baptized,
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every name entered
into the Book of Life.
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Before his baptism, one man
said, "All my life I was Muslim.
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Today, I follow Jesus."
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God is using It Is Written
Missions to bring the gospel
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to the farthest
parts of the globe.
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Because of your
prayers and support,
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thousands and thousands will
experience eternity with Jesus.
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Thank you for giving healing to
the sick, love to the unloved,
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and hope to the hopeless.
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You know, I
remember one lady there
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who was connected with
by our medical evangelists,
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our medical missionaries
before we got there.
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She was very ill. Long story
short, she was unable to walk
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because she was an
elderly lady, mid-to-late 80s.
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She started to
attend the church.
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"But, boy, do I join this
church, or do I remain Orthodox?
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"What do I do?
I'm hearing truth.
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I'm seeing Jesus
like never before."
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She prayed a
prayer, and her prayer was,
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"Lord, if You want me to
be part of this new church,
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You have to heal me."
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That was a big
prayer, not a small prayer.
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The next morning she wakes up.
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She's able to walk;
she's able to feed herself;
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she's no longer
dependent on anybody.
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It was an out-and-out miracle.
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I met the lady. She
was baptized in Addis Ababa
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while I was there. She
has a smile that if you could
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just connect it to the grid,
it would power an entire city.
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So you see
miracles like that--you say,
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"I want to be
part of mission work."
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>>Wes: Awesome
stuff. And, you know, we saw
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a number of miracles
like that with people
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that, uh, came to
our medical clinics,
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and God would just do
miraculous things for them.
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They would be, uh, just
experiencing the healing that
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our team was bringing to their
hearts, but also their soul.
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You know, there was
one lady who was a Muslim,
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and she was volunteering
as a nurse in our clinic.
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She was working at the
hospital, and she said,
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"I wanna help you guys," and
as she watched our team impact
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so many people, she said,
"I wanna know about your God."
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Another man said, "I
thought that God had forgotten
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"about Ethiopia, but the
love that you're bringing here
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to our country reminds me
that God hasn't forgotten us."
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>>John: Of course, you
can experience miracles
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here at home, of
course. >>Wes: Sure.
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>>John: And, and
I hope people do.
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You get out into the
mission field, uh--you know,
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you take resources that in the
mission field they don't have.
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>>Wes: That's right.
>>John: You can bring expertise
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that they don't have. We
take teams of medical people.
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Oftentimes, the
people we're ministering to
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simply cannot have or
find access to medical care.
00:10:03.80\00:10:08.87
So, it's truly life-changing.
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Another place where we saw
lives change was Costa Rica.
00:10:10.94\00:10:14.08
And it was in Costa Rica
where God did great things,
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even impressed the team
with miracles that He worked.
00:10:17.85\00:10:22.12
See for yourself some of
what God did in Costa Rica.
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>>Dr. Brad Emde: So, I'm an
optometrist, and so I have been
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on mission trips
with It Is Written before,
00:10:29.56\00:10:31.46
like to Moldova and Mongolia.
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And they, uh, are great
to work with because usually
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everything is already
organized and ready to go,
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and all I have to worry about
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is organizing the
vision clinics themselves.
00:10:41.74\00:10:44.27
>>Angela Emde: So, It Is
Written helped us plan a trip
00:10:44.31\00:10:46.84
to French Polynesia. And we
were going to go spring 2020.
00:10:46.88\00:10:51.01
Of course, the pandemic hit,
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and we had to, uh, wait
until the spring of 2021.
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And so we were geared up,
we were getting ready to go
00:10:58.89\00:11:01.09
to French Polynesia, we were
getting everything lined up,
00:11:01.12\00:11:04.13
and then I received some news:
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We can't go to French Polynesia
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because the
borders had been closed.
00:11:07.46\00:11:09.93
>>Kiran Finley: It
was getting really close
00:11:09.96\00:11:10.90
to when we were gonna leave,
00:11:10.93\00:11:12.13
like a couple months before,
and Miss Emde was saying, um,
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"There's no way that we're gonna
be able to have a mission trip,
00:11:16.14\00:11:19.14
unless God just
drops one right in my lap."
00:11:19.17\00:11:23.01
>>Angela: It's not like God's
going to drop a mission trip
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out of the sky
onto my desk at school.
00:11:25.51\00:11:28.72
And yet that's
exactly what happened.
00:11:28.75\00:11:30.65
Within 24 hours, we had a
mission trip to Costa Rica
00:11:30.69\00:11:34.36
that was planned.
00:11:34.39\00:11:35.56
>>Dr. Emde: So It Is
Written already had a trip
00:11:35.59\00:11:38.43
to Costa Rica planned, and
that time that we had allotted
00:11:38.46\00:11:42.30
would be a
perfect time to follow up
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and maybe help finish the church
that they were constructing.
00:11:44.60\00:11:47.50
>>Katie-Jane Emde: In this
community they were meeting
00:11:47.54\00:11:49.04
in small, little house churches.
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And the house, um, that
my team was preaching at
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was the head elder's house,
and he had built a little shed
00:11:54.24\00:11:57.28
on the side, and that was their
church with some benches in it.
00:11:57.31\00:12:00.75
We had the goal
of pouring the floor,
00:12:00.78\00:12:03.15
getting the floor
done and the walls up
00:12:03.18\00:12:05.09
so they could put the roof on.
00:12:05.12\00:12:06.65
>>Jesse Felan: We were
working, and as the day went on,
00:12:06.69\00:12:08.82
we could see the
clouds rolling in.
00:12:08.86\00:12:11.03
And we saw them rolling
in from this side, this side,
00:12:11.06\00:12:13.93
and this side, this
side, you know, everything;
00:12:13.96\00:12:16.30
the storm was building.
00:12:16.33\00:12:17.67
We really prayed
specifically, you know,
00:12:17.70\00:12:19.07
"Lord, hold the rain back
until we get the floor poured,
00:12:19.10\00:12:22.57
until we're
finished." And He did just that.
00:12:22.60\00:12:25.54
As soon as we pulled away, we
were finished and pulling away,
00:12:25.57\00:12:29.31
it dumped just a
massive amount of rain.
00:12:29.34\00:12:33.55
>>Dr. Emde: I had
never experienced God working
00:12:33.58\00:12:36.32
and controlling the weather like
He did that was so, so real.
00:12:36.35\00:12:40.56
Uh, so that, I would have missed
out on, on that experience
00:12:40.59\00:12:44.83
had I not gone on this
trip with It Is Written.
00:12:44.86\00:12:46.70
¤[soft reflective music]¤
00:12:46.73\00:12:47.66
>>Kiran: The biggest
blessing for me is that
00:12:47.66\00:12:50.40
on the last two days, Katie-Jane
and I worked on the baptistry
00:12:50.43\00:12:54.87
and worked building it, and we
had three baptisms that Sabbath,
00:12:54.90\00:12:58.21
and so we got to see,
like, people being baptized
00:12:58.24\00:13:00.74
in something we helped make.
00:13:00.78\00:13:03.71
>>Angela: I don't
care what age you are;
00:13:03.75\00:13:06.11
going on a mission trip
will be the most impactful thing
00:13:06.15\00:13:09.15
that you have ever
done in your entire life.
00:13:09.18\00:13:11.72
You will go on this trip
expecting to do great wonders,
00:13:11.75\00:13:16.32
but what actually will happen is
00:13:16.36\00:13:18.89
you will have great
wonders done in your heart.
00:13:18.93\00:13:22.06
God will come into your life.
00:13:22.10\00:13:23.80
He will show you
miracle after miracle.
00:13:23.83\00:13:26.80
He will show you
lives transformed.
00:13:26.84\00:13:29.90
Giving these
students the opportunity to go
00:13:29.94\00:13:31.64
on this mission trip is the
greatest gift that any parent,
00:13:31.67\00:13:35.98
any school, any organization
00:13:36.01\00:13:38.01
could ever give
to their students.
00:13:38.05\00:13:41.28
To, to be able to be
a part of a mission trip
00:13:41.32\00:13:45.62
is incredibly impactful
on students and adults alike.
00:13:45.65\00:13:49.79
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:13:49.82\00:13:51.83
>>Announcer:
Everyone talks about love.
00:13:53.86\00:13:55.70
We love people, pets,
hobbies, and even food.
00:13:55.73\00:13:59.17
But there is a
love that goes deeper.
00:13:59.20\00:14:01.27
Find out how to
discover this love
00:14:01.30\00:14:03.17
by requesting today's free
offer, "The Greatest of These."
00:14:03.20\00:14:07.21
To receive your copy,
00:14:07.24\00:14:08.31
call us at 800-253-3000
00:14:08.34\00:14:11.38
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:14:11.41\00:14:14.65
Learn how God models love for
us in "The Greatest of These."
00:14:14.68\00:14:18.22
Call 800-253-3000
00:14:18.25\00:14:20.99
or visit iiwoffer.com.
00:14:21.02\00:14:23.46
>>John Bradshaw: You know, for
some years we've been conducting
00:14:24.36\00:14:26.33
an initiative
here at It Is Written
00:14:26.36\00:14:28.30
called Eyes for India.
00:14:28.33\00:14:30.30
In India there are more
than 15 million blind people.
00:14:30.33\00:14:34.30
Many of them, if they
could get cataract surgery,
00:14:34.34\00:14:38.04
their blindness
would be reversed.
00:14:38.07\00:14:39.37
In fact, it would go away.
00:14:39.41\00:14:41.04
And so we're working with
an ophthalmologist in India
00:14:41.08\00:14:43.68
named Dr. Jacob Prabhakar,
who has, over the years,
00:14:43.71\00:14:47.72
successfully
treated thousands of people.
00:14:47.75\00:14:53.02
It's a miracle.
00:14:53.05\00:14:54.49
I mean, I don't wanna overuse
that word, but it's incredible.
00:14:54.52\00:14:58.79
You've seen him at
work. What's impressed you?
00:14:58.83\00:15:01.13
>>Wes Peppers: You
know, it's really amazing,
00:15:01.16\00:15:02.46
and I've seen
in the surgery room
00:15:02.50\00:15:04.97
Dr. Jacob
performing these surgeries,
00:15:05.00\00:15:07.04
and just to watch the, the
efficiency of what he does--
00:15:07.07\00:15:11.11
and you can tell that
God is guiding that hand,
00:15:11.14\00:15:13.64
and to be able to see a person
come in being led by someone
00:15:13.68\00:15:18.45
who--because they can't
see-- and being able to go out,
00:15:18.48\00:15:21.15
able to see-- >>John: Yeah.
00:15:21.18\00:15:22.32
>>Wes: ...truly it
is a modern miracle.
00:15:22.35\00:15:23.65
>>John: Yeah. Yeah, you see
people that, that are being led,
00:15:23.69\00:15:25.42
and two days
later, three days later,
00:15:25.45\00:15:27.12
the bandages come off.
Life has absolutely changed.
00:15:27.16\00:15:30.43
And in India, the
people we're ministering to
00:15:30.46\00:15:32.43
are the poorest of the poor,
00:15:32.46\00:15:33.70
who cannot get this
treatment. >>Wes: That's right.
00:15:33.73\00:15:35.46
>>John: So you may be
blind in your mid-30s.
00:15:35.50\00:15:37.37
And sometimes
that's what happens--
00:15:37.40\00:15:38.70
these, these, these, what
we call hyper-mature cataracts,
00:15:38.73\00:15:41.44
not cataracts like
grandma had but bad cataracts.
00:15:41.47\00:15:45.21
And lives are absolutely
changed due to the ministry
00:15:45.24\00:15:49.81
of Eyes for India.
00:15:49.84\00:15:52.15
¤[soft music]¤
00:15:52.18\00:15:54.82
Since 2013, It Is Written's Eyes
for India has been following
00:15:54.85\00:15:59.82
the example of Jesus and
giving sight to the blind.
00:15:59.85\00:16:03.86
Eyes for India has
given the gift of sight
00:16:03.89\00:16:06.43
entirely free of charge
00:16:06.46\00:16:08.30
to thousands who
cannot afford medical care.
00:16:08.33\00:16:11.73
Eyes for India, part
of It Is Written Missions,
00:16:11.77\00:16:15.27
is made possible by It Is
Written donors and supporters.
00:16:15.30\00:16:19.11
Earlier this year, a
healing initiative was held
00:16:19.14\00:16:21.91
in northeast India.
00:16:21.94\00:16:23.61
Ophthalmologist
Dr. Jacob Prabhakar
00:16:23.65\00:16:25.95
led a dedicated medical team,
00:16:25.98\00:16:28.62
working long hours to
give sight to the blind.
00:16:28.65\00:16:32.29
Three thousand people
received cataract surgery,
00:16:32.32\00:16:35.36
thanks to God's blessing
on this exciting project.
00:16:35.39\00:16:38.39
Patients were prayed with,
received Christian literature,
00:16:40.53\00:16:44.13
and were treated with
dignity by a team dedicated
00:16:44.17\00:16:47.67
to the uplifting of humanity.
00:16:47.70\00:16:49.87
God restored what
disease had taken away.
00:16:49.90\00:16:54.64
There are still countless
others in desperate need
00:16:54.68\00:16:57.45
of life-changing surgery.
00:16:57.48\00:16:59.65
And it is you, our dedicated
It Is Written supporters,
00:16:59.68\00:17:03.28
who make this happen.
00:17:03.32\00:17:05.49
Thank you for supporting
It Is Written by impacting
00:17:05.52\00:17:08.82
so many lives
through Eyes for India.
00:17:08.86\00:17:12.23
God's blessing
through this life-changing,
00:17:12.26\00:17:14.60
Spirit-led initiative
00:17:14.63\00:17:16.30
is transforming
lives around the world:
00:17:16.33\00:17:20.00
Eyes for India, brought to
you by It Is Written Missions.
00:17:20.04\00:17:24.47
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:17:24.51\00:17:28.08
Your donation of only $75 sees
to it that somebody receives
00:17:28.11\00:17:33.98
life-changing eye surgery.
00:17:34.02\00:17:36.05
And that covers more than the
surgery and materials but also,
00:17:36.08\00:17:40.02
in many cases, accommodation
and travel and materials
00:17:40.06\00:17:44.89
and witnessing materials.
It is an absolute blessing.
00:17:44.93\00:17:49.96
To support It Is Written
Missions, we encourage you
00:17:50.00\00:17:53.37
to give us a call
now at 800-253-3000,
00:17:53.40\00:17:56.54
800-253-3000.
00:17:56.57\00:17:58.61
You can contact It Is
Written any time at all.
00:17:58.64\00:18:01.08
You can call
right now: 800-253-3000.
00:18:01.11\00:18:04.45
Now, Wes, when somebody
supports It Is Written Missions,
00:18:04.48\00:18:06.85
what is it that they're
enabling or facilitating?
00:18:06.88\00:18:09.35
>>Wes: Really, it's
amazing what you're supporting.
00:18:09.38\00:18:11.49
When you support an It
Is Written mission trip,
00:18:11.52\00:18:13.49
you are supporting
evangelism, number one,
00:18:13.52\00:18:15.79
the preaching of the gospel
to people who need to know
00:18:15.82\00:18:17.99
about Jesus and find
hope in their hearts.
00:18:18.03\00:18:20.46
Secondly, you're helping to
support the medical missions
00:18:20.50\00:18:23.13
that we do there: buying
equipment, buying supplies,
00:18:23.16\00:18:26.20
and all the
different things that we need
00:18:26.23\00:18:27.57
to perform those medical clinics
00:18:27.60\00:18:29.57
that literally will
transform someone's life.
00:18:29.60\00:18:32.01
You're supporting
children's ministry.
00:18:32.04\00:18:34.21
We host VBS programs every night
00:18:34.24\00:18:36.75
during the
evangelistic meetings.
00:18:36.78\00:18:38.51
You're also helping to
build churches and dig wells
00:18:38.55\00:18:41.98
and Eyes for India, these
types of humanitarian projects
00:18:42.02\00:18:45.62
that we do on
almost every mission trip.
00:18:45.65\00:18:47.42
So really, it's a wide
variety of things that provide
00:18:47.46\00:18:50.93
a life-transforming experience
00:18:50.96\00:18:53.19
for the people
that receive them.
00:18:53.23\00:18:54.50
>>John: And, of course,
someone's watching us right now,
00:18:54.56\00:18:56.13
and they're thinking,
"You know what, I need to be
00:18:56.16\00:18:57.97
on a mission trip." So,
what should that person do
00:18:58.00\00:19:01.97
if they'd like to
find out how to be part
00:19:02.00\00:19:03.30
of an It Is Written
Missions mission trip?
00:19:03.34\00:19:04.91
>>Wes: Sure, you
can go to our website,
00:19:04.94\00:19:06.54
itiswritten.com/missiontrips,
00:19:06.57\00:19:09.84
and you'll see all the trips
00:19:09.88\00:19:11.48
that are upcoming
for the next year.
00:19:11.51\00:19:13.45
Any time you
can apply for those.
00:19:13.48\00:19:15.18
You can call us
here at the office
00:19:15.22\00:19:16.52
and request more
information as well.
00:19:16.55\00:19:18.32
>>John: Now, over the years
we have been to India, Mongolia,
00:19:18.35\00:19:22.72
Siberia, which I know is not a
country, but it's in, in Russia.
00:19:22.76\00:19:25.93
Uh, we've been to
Bolivia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua,
00:19:25.96\00:19:29.80
numerous places,
South Africa, Ethiopia,
00:19:29.83\00:19:32.43
and many, many, many
that I have not mentioned.
00:19:32.47\00:19:34.87
And one place we went
recently--and you were there,
00:19:34.90\00:19:38.21
Dominican Republic--
yeah, how was that experience?
00:19:38.24\00:19:40.51
>>Wes: Oh, it was
really miraculous.
00:19:40.54\00:19:41.84
It was an awesome experience.
00:19:41.88\00:19:43.08
You know, we saw
the hand of God moving,
00:19:43.11\00:19:45.25
serving over 1,300
people in medical clinics,
00:19:45.28\00:19:48.45
many of whom would not find
medical treatment anywhere else.
00:19:48.48\00:19:52.02
We preached more than
40 evangelistic meetings
00:19:52.05\00:19:55.02
all across the country. Those
were aired on national radio.
00:19:55.06\00:19:59.36
And it was just
fantastic, and God blessed:
00:19:59.39\00:20:01.93
More than 1,500 people
came to Jesus and were baptized.
00:20:01.96\00:20:05.67
>>John: Here is a
little of what happened
00:20:05.70\00:20:07.67
during the It Is
Written mission trip recently
00:20:07.70\00:20:10.27
in the Dominican Republic.
00:20:10.31\00:20:11.81
¤[soft music]¤
00:20:11.84\00:20:13.51
>>Narrator: If I could
summarize this mission trip
00:20:13.54\00:20:15.34
in one word, I would say...
00:20:15.38\00:20:17.21
>>Girl: Extraordinary.
>>Man 1: Humbling.
00:20:17.25\00:20:19.21
>>Woman 1: Enlightening.
>Woman 2: Heartwarming.
00:20:19.25\00:20:21.32
>>Man 2: Prayer power.
>>Woman 3: Transforming.
00:20:21.35\00:20:23.35
¤[soft
instrumental music continues]¤
00:20:23.39\00:20:25.82
>>Darin Lewis: Prior to the
trip, I was learning Spanish,
00:20:25.85\00:20:28.82
and I'm, I'm
nowhere near fluent,
00:20:28.86\00:20:31.16
still have a lot to learn,
but after a while, I just,
00:20:31.19\00:20:34.56
I just said to myself,
"Hey, the little bit I do have
00:20:34.56\00:20:38.20
is more with God than if
I was 100 percent fluent."
00:20:38.23\00:20:42.84
Believe it or not,
I've been, you know,
00:20:42.87\00:20:44.81
helping the different
departments and pharmacy,
00:20:44.84\00:20:48.08
registration,
helping to translate.
00:20:48.11\00:20:50.48
I'm praying with
people in Spanish.
00:20:50.51\00:20:52.55
It's just taught me that, hey,
when you rely upon God's Spirit
00:20:52.58\00:20:55.62
and not just your strength,
we can truly do miracles;
00:20:55.65\00:20:58.62
we can do mighty things.
00:20:58.65\00:21:01.32
>>Mr. Bautista:
She's a physical therapist,
00:21:01.36\00:21:02.66
but she hasn't
worked for 19 years;
00:21:02.69\00:21:04.76
also dealing with her
cough and some GI issues
00:21:04.79\00:21:07.20
that she got here, she wasn't
sure if she could anything.
00:21:07.23\00:21:10.23
>>Mrs. Bautista: And I would
feel sick up until I started
00:21:10.27\00:21:13.10
putting my hands on somebody
and just working on them.
00:21:13.13\00:21:16.40
I was like, "Lord, Your
hands, these are Your hands;
00:21:16.44\00:21:19.31
I can't do anything unless
You give me Your strength."
00:21:19.34\00:21:22.41
So, really, it's all God.
00:21:22.44\00:21:24.91
>>Valerie Mitchell: We are
from different backgrounds,
00:21:24.95\00:21:27.25
different
ethnicity, different locations,
00:21:27.28\00:21:31.72
and what I've noticed
is the working together.
00:21:31.75\00:21:35.02
>>Man 3: Everyone was
working at the clinic.
00:21:35.06\00:21:37.26
Um, everyone was helping
at the evangelistic meetings.
00:21:37.29\00:21:39.39
It felt like no one was more
important than anybody else.
00:21:39.43\00:21:42.96
>>Marteal Lamb: It was
like we had a real team concept;
00:21:43.00\00:21:46.07
you know, we're all here
united by the same purpose.
00:21:46.10\00:21:48.60
>>Woman 4: This was one of
the trip what I saw for myself
00:21:48.64\00:21:51.91
and experienced how people
could really come together
00:21:51.94\00:21:54.81
when they're working for God.
00:21:54.84\00:21:56.85
[speaking Spanish]
00:21:59.01\00:22:00.35
[speaking Spanish]
00:22:18.67\00:22:19.83
[speaking Spanish]
00:22:35.02\00:22:36.18
[speaking Spanish]
00:22:59.51\00:23:00.68
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:23:10.22\00:23:11.85
>>John: God did
some amazing things
00:23:11.89\00:23:14.02
on that mission adventure.
00:23:14.06\00:23:15.69
Wes, something you don't
have to contend with everywhere,
00:23:15.72\00:23:18.43
but you did in the Dominican
Republic, was a tropical storm.
00:23:18.46\00:23:21.80
>>Wes: That's right. Tropical
storm Franklin hit us hard.
00:23:21.83\00:23:24.47
We were right in the
center of that, and it closed
00:23:24.50\00:23:27.10
the entire country down for two
days, but God still enabled us
00:23:27.14\00:23:30.77
to be able to broadcast,
and more than 25,000 people
00:23:30.81\00:23:34.21
were watching those two
programs on those two nights.
00:23:34.24\00:23:36.31
It was phenomenal.
People were-- >>John: Mm-hmm.
00:23:36.34\00:23:37.98
>>Wes: ...tuning
in from everywhere,
00:23:38.01\00:23:39.45
hearing the gospel
still being preached
00:23:39.48\00:23:41.68
right in the middle
of a tropical storm.
00:23:41.72\00:23:43.18
>>John: Altogether,
more than 1,500 baptisms.
00:23:43.22\00:23:45.52
>>Wes: Yes. >>John:
In Ethiopia last year,
00:23:45.55\00:23:47.16
something like
3,600. >>Wes: Yes.
00:23:47.19\00:23:49.32
>>John: It's not just
about the numbers, is it?
00:23:49.36\00:23:50.96
Well, it's about one
number, and that number is one.
00:23:50.99\00:23:52.96
>>Wes: That's right.
>>John: One Savior Jesus
00:23:52.99\00:23:54.63
came to this world, and He
would have done it for one,
00:23:54.66\00:23:57.20
and we're grateful for
every one that is baptized,
00:23:57.23\00:24:00.94
every one that is
exposed to the gospel.
00:24:00.97\00:24:03.10
>>Wes: Every one is a
precious one, and those ones
00:24:03.14\00:24:05.54
add up to many, and
we praise God for those.
00:24:05.57\00:24:07.98
We don't boast in the
numbers, but we praise God
00:24:08.01\00:24:10.28
for that precious soul
that have, has found Him.
00:24:10.31\00:24:12.81
>>John: Now, the person
who wants to see one more
00:24:12.85\00:24:14.62
come to Jesus, they can
call us, 800-253-3000, and say,
00:24:14.65\00:24:18.65
"I wanna support It
Is Written Missions."
00:24:18.69\00:24:20.89
And your support will be
greatly appreciated. We need it.
00:24:20.92\00:24:23.73
We want to do more and not less.
00:24:23.76\00:24:25.86
Or you might like to say, "I
can't go, but I wanna support
00:24:25.89\00:24:29.00
someone who can go in my
place," and help us that way.
00:24:29.03\00:24:32.77
To find out about our It Is
Written mission trips, go to
00:24:32.80\00:24:35.04
itiswritten.com/missiontrips.
00:24:35.07\00:24:37.47
We'd love to have you there.
00:24:37.51\00:24:38.61
Wes, great
mission adventures await.
00:24:38.64\00:24:40.48
>>Wes: Amen. Praise the Lord.
00:24:40.51\00:24:41.68
>>John: Thank you for being
part of It Is Written Missions
00:24:41.71\00:24:44.45
and helping It Is Written to
reach the world with the gospel.
00:24:44.48\00:24:47.82
¤[upbeat music
swells and ends]¤¤
00:24:47.85\00:24:54.86
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:24:57.49\00:24:59.56
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:24:59.59\00:25:02.96
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:25:03.00\00:25:06.20
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:25:06.23\00:25:10.44
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:25:10.47\00:25:11.94
to the address on your screen,
00:25:11.97\00:25:13.41
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:25:13.44\00:25:17.25
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:25:17.28\00:25:20.08
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:25:20.12\00:25:24.25
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:25:24.29\00:25:27.29
>>John: We remember the
Bible is a missionary book.
00:25:27.96\00:25:31.46
The Great Missionary, the first
missionary, is God Himself.
00:25:31.49\00:25:36.50
The Bible tells us
that "God so loved the world
00:25:36.53\00:25:39.00
that He gave His
only begotten Son."
00:25:39.03\00:25:42.10
When Adam and Eve
sinned in the Garden of Eden,
00:25:42.14\00:25:44.41
God came after them,
not to castigate or condemn
00:25:44.44\00:25:48.98
but to save them. That's God.
00:25:49.01\00:25:52.05
And He invites us
into that same work.
00:25:52.08\00:25:54.58
Jesus said in
the great commission,
00:25:54.62\00:25:56.38
"Go therefore and make
disciples of all...nations,
00:25:56.42\00:26:00.56
"baptizing them in the name
of the Father and of the Son
00:26:00.59\00:26:03.02
"and of the Holy Spirit,
00:26:03.06\00:26:04.46
"teaching them to
observe all things
00:26:04.49\00:26:06.16
"that I have commanded you;
and lo, I am with you always,
00:26:06.19\00:26:09.26
even to the end of the age."
00:26:09.30\00:26:11.40
If God is calling you to work
in your family, your community,
00:26:11.43\00:26:15.44
or in another part of the world,
00:26:15.47\00:26:17.37
I encourage you
to answer that call.
00:26:17.41\00:26:19.44
If you can't go, I want
to encourage you to support
00:26:19.47\00:26:22.71
It Is Written Missions so that
we can go, our teams can go,
00:26:22.74\00:26:26.72
and proclaim the
everlasting gospel.
00:26:26.75\00:26:29.45
With your help, "this gospel
of the kingdom shall be preached
00:26:29.48\00:26:33.69
"in all the world for
a witness to all nations,
00:26:33.72\00:26:38.09
and then shall the end come."
00:26:38.13\00:26:40.96
>>Announcer:
Everyone talks about love.
00:26:42.20\00:26:44.23
We love people, pets,
hobbies, and even food.
00:26:44.27\00:26:47.54
But there is a
love that goes deeper.
00:26:47.57\00:26:49.64
Find out how to
discover this love
00:26:49.67\00:26:51.54
by requesting today's free
offer, "The Greatest of These."
00:26:51.57\00:26:55.58
To receive your copy,
00:26:55.61\00:26:56.68
call us at 800-253-3000
00:26:56.71\00:26:59.75
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:26:59.78\00:27:03.02
Learn how God models love for
us in "The Greatest of These."
00:27:03.05\00:27:06.72
Call 800-253-3000
00:27:06.76\00:27:09.36
or visit iiwoffer.com.
00:27:09.39\00:27:11.89
>>John: Let me
pray with you now.
00:27:12.93\00:27:14.36
Our Father in heaven,
00:27:14.40\00:27:15.66
we thank You that You
are the Great Missionary
00:27:15.70\00:27:18.30
and for the privilege of joining
with You in mission service.
00:27:18.33\00:27:21.07
And right now there's
somebody considering a call
00:27:21.10\00:27:23.10
to a distant part of the world
00:27:23.14\00:27:24.84
or perhaps a call to
share Jesus at work, at school,
00:27:24.87\00:27:28.31
at home, across the street.
00:27:28.34\00:27:30.71
Let Your people rise up
as a great missionary force.
00:27:30.75\00:27:34.68
Let each one of us be part
of this great work of taking
00:27:34.72\00:27:37.52
the gospel to the world,
far away or near to home.
00:27:37.55\00:27:42.52
Thank You for the assurance
that You are with us in this.
00:27:42.56\00:27:45.19
We thank You, and we
pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
00:27:45.23\00:27:50.00
Thanks so much for joining me.
00:27:50.03\00:27:51.07
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:51.10\00:27:53.00
Until then, remember:
00:27:53.03\00:27:54.34
"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:27:54.37\00:27:57.44
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:27:57.47\00:28:01.61
¤[dramatic,
triumphant theme music]¤
00:28:01.64\00:28:05.65
¤[music ends]¤¤
00:28:25.83\00:28:27.84