Over the past sixty years
there's been a massive decline
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in foreign missions.
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I'm sharing the gospel
through Church Planting.
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In the 1930's if somebody gave
$10.00 in tithe, they'd give an
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additional $6.00 in foreign
missions; today just 28 cents.
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We're doing the best
we can with what we have,
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but I'm still not satisfied.
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God's crazy in love with
the Thai people, and I sense His
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Spirit hovering over the city.
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I've come to Bangkok,
Thailand to discover the truth
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about foreign missions.
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Come with me as I follow my
good friend, Pastor Doug Venn,
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in his everyday life as
a front line missionary.
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I prayed for God's
biggest dream, and He gave me
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this city of 12 million.
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Welcome to my world.
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Alright guys, before we go
let's have a word of prayer.
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Dear Gracious Heavenly Father,
first and foremost we want to
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thank You for
being a wonderful God.
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Lord, for being a
God who has blessed us
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with more than we need.
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Lord may Your Spirit shine
through our actions, through our
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deeds, through our words.
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May we interact with love
and the grace of Jesus Christ.
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Lord we thank You that
we're able to serve You
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and, Lord, just do a little bit.
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May this point to Your
Kingdom, and to Your love.
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In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
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Jonathan. Yeah.
What is this all about?
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What are you guys doing here?
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Well, we just
wanted to do a rice drive.
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We wanted to pick up a
staple food item for a community
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within our own city.
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And so our school
decided to do that.
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And we picked up some rice.
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We got a little
over one ton of rice.
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Then we partnered up with
Hope for Bangkok to help them
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with their communities;
knowing that they're doing their
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outreach in their ministry.
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So we started to
partner up with them,
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and spread a little
love through God's grace.
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You know, we came
out here last year.
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I don't know very well, but I
know it's a working community;
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a bunch of day
workers for the most part.
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And so there's also
support elderly couples out,
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elderly folks
within the community that
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don't get out much.
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And we pass out a bunch of rice.
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It's interesting to
see their reaction to rice.
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Mine would be like, Oh,
there's a truck of rice.
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There's was,
There a truck of rice!
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So it was a bit different.
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Then going into the community
really impressed me the most.
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Okay, you know, seeing
some of the poor houses,
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and just seeing how
dirty it was, and all the ways
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we could help them.
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Oh no, no, no. They're
definitely from the upper crust.
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And so most of them haven't
even seen the inner parts
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of a community
like this. Oh, really?
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And so it will probably
be a surprise to some of
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them, and interesting.
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Oh, five, maybe
less. Really? Yeah.
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So that's an outreach.
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Yeah, about 70% of
them are Buddhists.
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We're getting
formula ready for the babies.
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We box them up for families.
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It was donated by a
doctor working at a hospital.
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They said, Here
can you use these?
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And they said, Sure!
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Well, yeah.
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Our Thai Church
Planter, _ is right now
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over here in this room.
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Because what they're going to
do is he's going to be sharing
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kind of a New
Year's Blessing sermon,
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because this is a Thai New Year,
and then that way he can give
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the hope that we
have in Jesus Christ.
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It's going to go out
over the PA system over this
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entire slum community.
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Kungwalpai right now is sharing,
asking during this Thai New Year
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to ask God to bless the people.
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And so part of that blessing
that Kungwalpai is right now
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is that he's going
over the Ten Commandments.
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And so then that way how when
we worship God alone He gives us
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blessing, and then also when
we honor our father and mother
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that He then gives us a long
life when we follow God's law.
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So that's what he's
preaching right now.
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Other people listening,
so we just pray the Lord...
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Can I take your picture?
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Her name is _.
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She's 75 years old.
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So she's seen that we've
earned a lot of merit because
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we're giving rice away.
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Are you guys Thai?
Can you help me translate?
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Because I'm
slaughtering it. Okay.
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Well, she's just saying that
when you tried to speak to her
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Yeah, she's saying that...
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Anyway, she asked
if I have an accent.
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And I said, No, you're just
being polite, or giving me _.
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Ah, Thai, yeah. I
have a good heart.
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So the question is...
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So she was 70, and
she's what, 75 now? Yeah
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Do you have any prayer
requests that we can ask God?
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So she's trying now,
she's explaining what is prayer
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to Grandma right now.
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Have you ever met someone like
this who just doesn't have...
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Yeah, like those people, I
have been to like other part of
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Bangkok, and I have talked to
some people, and I've seen like
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this, yeah, quite a lot.
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Okay, it's the Buddhist
philosophy that you do good
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and then that way you can then
earn merit, so that way you can
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then have good received back.
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And so it's a circle of karma.
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So if I'm evil in my
life then in the next life I
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will then receive evil.
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And so that's where we try
to encourage them over time to
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think that it's not our
merit, but it's Christ who is
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righteous, or it's
His merit that saves us.
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I can't do
anything good on my own.
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It is Christ who
is our righteousness.
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It is Christ who gives
me the heart to help others.
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It is Christ who
then helps us to care.
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Honestly, I didn't
really understand what
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was happening here.
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I thought that the only way to
share the gospel was in straight
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preaching to the crowds.
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And here we are just handing
out rice and singing songs.
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But then the reality hit me.
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Most of these people have
probably not known a single
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Christian in their entire life.
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And the truth is that they've
probably never set foot in a
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Christian gathering
before, and most of them
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probably never will.
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And even if they did, they
probably wouldn't understand
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the Christian words being used.
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You know the likelihood of
one of them going to a church on
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Sabbath to listen to a sermon
is about as great as you or I
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going to a temple to
shake out some fortune sticks.
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But they do understand
a kind gesture, a smile,
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a gift of rice,
and a personal offer of
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goodwill and friendship.
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This they are open to.
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So we must bring Jesus to
them, and we must use a language
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they can understand, a
visual language of kind service
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prompted by nothing
but the love of Christ.
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She said, Welcome, come again.
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This is brother Vinai, and
what we're doing is he's helped
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organize with the
community leader this activity.
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So we've given,
distributed the rice already.
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Vinai what are
we going to do next?
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Then there's another
group here with the kids.
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Okay, so now they've loaded
up the leftover rice onto this
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wheelbarrow, and we're
going to head into the slum.
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I'm not sure what
to expect in this slum.
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Will the people be friendly?
00:14:44.51\00:14:45.95
Are there big mangy dogs
there ready to tear my legs off,
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or murderous thugs in there?
00:14:49.35\00:14:50.69
I really don't know.
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But have you noticed how we
as humans tend to operate only
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in the realm of what we
know, what we've already done,
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where we've already been?
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How much are we missing by
not venturing out a little bit?
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How many good friends do we not
have because we stayed at home?
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So I'm going to put my concerns
aside, and I'm going to invite
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you to come with me as
we go do some exploring.
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You live there? You live there.
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Can I walk down
there? Yeah, okay.
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This is your house?
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Are you by yourself?
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Do you have a husband?
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Would you like to live in one
of these homes here at the slum?
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Well, not really. No,
it's not a nice place to be.
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It's kind of dirty
around here, so maybe not. Yeah.
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What are your name?
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My name is John. John. John.
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What is your name? Sam. Sam.
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Galo. Glad to meet you.
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Nice to meet you.
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Okay, bye bye. By. See ya!
00:18:15.46\00:18:17.79
Hey, where are you going?
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Where did those kids go?
00:18:19.96\00:18:21.30
Hello, woops! Oh, here they are.
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Hi. It's so hot!
00:18:23.37\00:18:27.07
Bangkok is built on a
swamp, and it's sinking
00:18:27.10\00:18:29.74
a little bit every year.
00:18:29.77\00:18:31.11
Though all their construction
methods are very different from
00:18:31.14\00:18:34.24
what I'm used to, this
fascinated me because I used
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to work in the
construction industry.
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Okay, we finally
caught up to the team
00:18:56.97\00:18:58.93
that's handing out rice.
00:18:58.97\00:19:00.97
It looks like they
don't have much left.
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I just was visiting
with _ here and asking _,
00:19:17.35\00:19:20.66
you know _, what's your story?
00:19:20.69\00:19:22.42
You're an EIS student
and you've come to help here.
00:19:22.46\00:19:25.33
But is this your first
time in a community like this?
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You grew up in a
community like this. Yes.
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And so you were saying
that these communities were
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all around Bangkok.
00:19:47.72\00:19:49.05
Yes, I mean like...
00:19:49.08\00:19:50.79
What was it that helped
change your family and this
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situation with your family?
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What's your faith background?
00:20:18.55\00:20:20.15
Right. Wow, that's great!
00:20:32.29\00:20:33.66
And so do you think that as a
Seventh-day Adventist Christian
00:20:33.70\00:20:37.63
that, you know, what's our role,
or what's our opportunity as a
00:20:37.67\00:20:43.41
Thai coming to these
neighborhoods and sharing Jesus?
00:20:43.44\00:20:46.98
Should we be doing that?
00:20:47.01\00:20:48.44
Jesus loves me this I
know, for the Bible tells me so.
00:21:15.47\00:21:24.95
Little ones to Him belong,
they are weak but He is strong.
00:21:24.98\00:21:35.56
Yes Jesus loves me, Yes Jesus
loves me, Yes Jesus loves me
00:21:35.59\00:21:50.11
the Bible tells... We're now at
the next house, and we've been
00:21:50.14\00:21:55.74
working with the
community leader.
00:21:55.78\00:21:58.25
And when we're doing the rice
distribution at registration
00:21:58.28\00:22:02.65
we were collecting
for the prayer requests.
00:22:02.68\00:22:04.95
And so we're now going
with a community leader.
00:22:04.99\00:22:07.49
He's got the map here to this
slum area, and so we're going
00:22:07.52\00:22:10.63
to each house in the area.
00:22:10.66\00:22:13.03
And we're now praying.
00:22:13.06\00:22:15.40
So we're going to
pray. Let's join them.
00:22:15.43\00:22:17.53
We're on our way to the
last house to go and pray.
00:22:40.56\00:22:43.73
The van's already loaded and so
we've just got to meet a blind
00:22:43.76\00:22:49.60
man who has no work.
00:22:49.63\00:22:51.20
And we ran out of rice.
00:22:51.23\00:22:52.73
And no one's caring for him.
00:22:52.77\00:22:55.74
And so the students took
up an offering to help him
00:22:55.77\00:23:00.24
with his need right
now, so that was good.
00:23:00.28\00:23:03.55
So I'm going to catch up
with the rest of the group.
00:23:06.01\00:23:08.42
now, so that was good.
00:23:08.45\00:23:09.78
We're nearing the end of
our time here, and to be honest
00:23:16.86\00:23:20.00
with you, I'm really
wanting to stay longer.
00:23:20.03\00:23:22.26
I've seen things here today
that I've never seen before.
00:23:26.00\00:23:28.90
I've met people that I'd
like to get to know better.
00:23:28.94\00:23:31.77
Maybe I ought to
start learning Thai.
00:23:32.01\00:23:34.18
I wonder if they
have something online?
00:23:34.88\00:23:37.21
I just sense there are doors
here that open, and ways to
00:23:40.52\00:23:44.29
connect with people, and
it's easy to make friends
00:23:44.32\00:23:47.32
and form associations.
00:23:47.36\00:23:49.72
I just wonder what kind of
opportunities God would open
00:23:49.76\00:23:52.29
up if I came here and lived
here, I moved in with these
00:23:52.33\00:23:55.66
people and lived like
them, and became like them.
00:23:55.70\00:23:58.80
For most of them I'd be the
only Christian they'd ever know.
00:23:58.83\00:24:02.14
But isn't that what
Christ did to reach us?
00:24:02.50\00:24:05.11
Alright! Looks good! Good job.
00:24:05.14\00:24:11.81
What do you think of this place?
00:24:13.35\00:24:16.42
It's very wonderful.
00:24:16.45\00:24:19.02
Coming here helping
people out, it's very inspiring,
00:24:19.05\00:24:23.89
and it's a good
experience. Okay.
00:24:23.93\00:24:28.46
The kids are
asking for _ phone number
00:24:29.56\00:24:31.83
so they can talk to her.
00:24:31.87\00:24:33.37
Jesus Christ tells us to go
into all the world and to spread
00:24:54.26\00:24:59.43
the gospel, and that includes
places like we were just at
00:24:59.46\00:25:03.33
in the slum community.
00:25:03.37\00:25:04.70
I know that many would say
that missions is more than just
00:25:04.73\00:25:10.04
giving rice, and passing out
tracts, or playing with kids.
00:25:10.07\00:25:14.81
But we find that in these
ways that we build the bridge of
00:25:14.84\00:25:21.32
friendship, and then through
that bridge of friendship that
00:25:21.35\00:25:24.75
Jesus Christ can be shared.
00:25:24.79\00:25:26.32
Well, we're back
now to the school.
00:25:26.35\00:25:28.29
And we had a great
time this afternoon.
00:25:28.32\00:25:31.69
Their response from
the community leader,
00:25:31.73\00:25:34.06
as well as from the other
families, they said that there's
00:25:34.10\00:25:36.90
several people who are ready
now to learn more about God.
00:25:36.93\00:25:41.57
And so, in fact, actually
I got a phone number and name
00:25:41.60\00:25:44.64
that I've got to pass on to
one of our Thai Church Planters.
00:25:44.67\00:25:47.81
This lady has been
studying with this pastor here.
00:25:47.84\00:25:52.61
And she moved away
and hasn't been to church
00:25:52.65\00:25:55.32
in about five months.
00:25:55.35\00:25:56.69
And so it was a divine
appointment today that we got
00:25:56.72\00:25:59.35
to meet her and get the contact
information so that way our
00:25:59.39\00:26:06.19
Thai Church Planters can
then follow up. And so...
00:26:06.23\00:26:08.53
We're, I'm just full of joy.
00:26:10.30\00:26:12.57
I do wish that we could give
the opportunity for more people,
00:26:12.60\00:26:16.44
whether it's the students here,
who have never had a chance
00:26:16.47\00:26:19.87
to see how other people live
their lives, as well as then to
00:26:19.91\00:26:28.52
make a difference by sharing
the gospel in practical ways
00:26:28.55\00:26:32.49
like what we did today.
00:26:32.52\00:26:34.52
Because it's just so neat that
when people pray God's power
00:26:34.56\00:26:39.89
and His Spirit is unleashed, and
able to then change their lives.
00:26:39.93\00:26:45.03
And so that to me brings so much
joy, because I've seen God work
00:26:45.07\00:26:51.84
in the lives all across this
city when people just try God.
00:26:51.87\00:26:56.68
You know, they may not
have a complete understanding of
00:26:56.71\00:27:01.48
who He is, but when they
try Him, and He steps into their
00:27:01.52\00:27:05.32
lives and opens ways, and
they get to see and experience
00:27:05.35\00:27:09.39
His love, then their
lives are transformed.
00:27:09.42\00:27:12.69
And then that's the bridge
of curiosity that we can then,
00:27:12.73\00:27:16.67
are able to follow
up with Bible study.
00:27:16.73\00:27:19.13
So that way people then
can find out who is this God
00:27:19.17\00:27:22.50
that has changed my life?
00:27:22.54\00:27:23.91
Wait! There's
more to this story.
00:27:54.24\00:27:55.74
Let's back up a bit.
00:27:55.77\00:27:57.21
Okay, here we go. See
that lady in the background?
00:27:58.04\00:28:00.68
That's Mrs. Watkina.
00:28:00.71\00:28:02.04
When she was a child she went
to see the Ten Commandment movie
00:28:02.08\00:28:05.21
with Charlton Heston,
and had felt in her heart
00:28:05.28\00:28:07.45
that this was truth.
00:28:07.48\00:28:08.82
The next time she heard the Ten
Commandments was thirty years
00:28:08.85\00:28:11.82
later when Pastor Kungwalpai
read them over the loudspeakers.
00:28:11.85\00:28:15.12
Her heart was again stirred,
and she requested Bible studies.
00:28:15.16\00:28:18.49
Volunteers began coming every
week, and now she's a baptized
00:28:18.53\00:28:21.83
believer and a true
light in her community.
00:28:21.86\00:28:24.97
The question is how many others
are out there just waiting?
00:28:25.00\00:28:30.11
Did you know that 92% of
Christian giving goes to 8%
00:28:31.74\00:28:37.98
of the world
that speaks English?
00:28:38.01\00:28:39.61
It's quite incredible.
00:28:39.65\00:28:41.02
And 3 billion people have
never heard the gospel before.
00:28:41.05\00:28:44.65
You can make a difference.
00:28:44.69\00:28:46.69
As you contribute to the
Sabbath School Mission Offering,
00:28:46.72\00:28:50.19
your offerings go
to provide materials,
00:28:50.23\00:28:54.53
and missionaries
around the world.
00:28:54.56\00:28:56.56
If you want to learn more go to:
00:28:56.63\00:28:58.60