(uplifting orchestral music)
00:00:00.63\00:00:03.70
- Hello and welcome
to Jesus for Asia Now.
00:00:21.48\00:00:23.85
I'm Natalie Wood and today
I've got a special guest with me
00:00:23.85\00:00:26.42
that's working in Asia, and
he's got some amazing stories
00:00:26.42\00:00:30.56
about what God is doing there.
00:00:30.56\00:00:32.43
So I'd like you to welcome
with me elder Eugene Prewitt,
00:00:32.43\00:00:35.46
welcome to the show
Eugene. - Thank you Natalie.
00:00:35.46\00:00:37.63
- So glad you could be here.
00:00:37.63\00:00:38.97
- I'm glad to be here too,
00:00:38.97\00:00:40.27
even though we're not
in Asia at the moment.
00:00:40.27\00:00:41.60
- No, we're not, but that's okay
00:00:41.60\00:00:43.10
'cause we have
stories from Asia, right?
00:00:43.10\00:00:45.37
Now you and your
lovely wife Heidi are working,
00:00:45.37\00:00:48.78
where are you working
and what are you doing?
00:00:48.78\00:00:50.41
- So we're
planted in Southeast Asia,
00:00:50.41\00:00:52.75
which is a term for
Myanmar, and Thailand, Malaysia,
00:00:52.75\00:00:57.69
Brunei, Indonesia,
Lao, Cambodia, Vietnam,
00:00:57.69\00:01:01.89
we're in that region,
00:01:01.89\00:01:03.59
central there and
training missionaries.
00:01:03.59\00:01:06.16
- Okay, so you have a
training center there?
00:01:06.16\00:01:08.23
- We do. - Okay, so Eugene,
00:01:08.23\00:01:10.57
do you have any
stories for us today?
00:01:10.57\00:01:12.37
- I'm always full of stories,
00:01:12.37\00:01:13.87
and let me just tell you
one that was interesting to me.
00:01:13.87\00:01:16.54
I live at a health center
on a mountain full of monkeys.
00:01:16.54\00:01:20.11
We have an orchard
there, we planted 2,000
00:01:20.11\00:01:22.58
banana trees recently,
and one day in that cafeteria
00:01:22.58\00:01:25.71
I was watching a troop
of monkeys moving across the
00:01:25.71\00:01:29.62
ground. You know, when
monkeys move on the ground
00:01:29.62\00:01:31.09
they go single file, kinda
equal distant from each other,
00:01:31.09\00:01:34.09
and they were moving
from our banana orchard
00:01:34.09\00:01:36.69
right to the jungle, so you know
00:01:36.69\00:01:38.36
that they have
full bellies, right?
00:01:38.36\00:01:40.43
So I'm watching them there,
I'm eating, they're done eating,
00:01:40.43\00:01:43.77
and I saw one that
was behind all the rest.
00:01:43.77\00:01:46.53
He was slow, he
wasn't paying attention,
00:01:46.53\00:01:48.97
he reminds you of those five
foolish virgins in Matthew 25.
00:01:48.97\00:01:52.54
And there came a point
when most of the monkeys
00:01:52.54\00:01:54.78
were up in the tree, and
he was still only half way
00:01:54.78\00:01:57.55
to the jungle when
one of our big dogs
00:01:57.55\00:02:00.58
came around the
corner of our health center.
00:02:00.58\00:02:02.32
His name is Jackie,
it's a he with a girl's name.
00:02:02.32\00:02:05.82
Jackie is a black dog
that loves to chew monkeys,
00:02:05.82\00:02:09.79
and when he saw the monkey
on the ground he began to run.
00:02:09.79\00:02:14.56
He was so excited, he wasn't
barking, he wasn't growling,
00:02:14.56\00:02:17.87
and that poor monkey
wasn't payin' attention,
00:02:17.87\00:02:19.63
so it didn't
know it was happening.
00:02:19.63\00:02:21.34
By the time the monkey
saw Jackie it was too late,
00:02:21.34\00:02:25.97
and that dog just
bit into that monkey.
00:02:25.97\00:02:30.61
Well, I thought I was
gonna see a monkey die,
00:02:30.61\00:02:32.75
and that's when I saw
something interesting.
00:02:32.75\00:02:35.55
I saw Jackie look up in the
jungle tree in front of him,
00:02:35.55\00:02:40.06
and when he did
that I looked up too.
00:02:40.06\00:02:42.76
And what I saw there was
every monkey in that tree
00:02:42.76\00:02:47.00
was coming down quickly,
00:02:47.00\00:02:49.50
and as soon as
Jackie saw them coming
00:02:49.50\00:02:51.73
he let go of that monkey,
he turned and he ran away.
00:02:51.73\00:02:54.94
I've thought about
that so many times Natalie.
00:02:56.14\00:02:58.07
I've thought, the
monkeys, they have it together
00:02:58.07\00:03:01.38
better than we do.
00:03:01.38\00:03:03.04
Just think about local churches.
00:03:03.04\00:03:04.55
Let's say that
someone in that church
00:03:04.55\00:03:05.98
ends up getting pregnant,
or making a big mistake,
00:03:05.98\00:03:09.65
or something goes wrong there.
00:03:09.65\00:03:12.09
I imagine those
monkeys in that tree,
00:03:13.05\00:03:16.06
imagine if they
were just sitting there,
00:03:16.06\00:03:17.83
saying uh oh,
look, the dog is coming.
00:03:17.83\00:03:21.90
That monkey is so
slow, what's wrong with him?
00:03:21.90\00:03:25.07
Why isn't he up here?
00:03:25.07\00:03:26.53
I'm so glad we're in the tree,
00:03:26.53\00:03:28.20
it's safe up here in the tree,
00:03:28.20\00:03:29.84
I don't wanna
look, it's gonna be bad.
00:03:29.84\00:03:32.37
You know, if the
monkeys had talked that way,
00:03:32.37\00:03:34.64
certainly that monkey that
made the mistake would've died.
00:03:34.64\00:03:38.11
And I've thought
about us, that here we are,
00:03:38.11\00:03:41.85
members of Christ's body,
and when someone makes a mistake
00:03:41.85\00:03:45.45
it's so easy for us to
talk to each other in the tree.
00:03:45.45\00:03:48.86
Did you hear about, did you see,
00:03:48.86\00:03:50.89
do you know what's goin' on?
00:03:50.89\00:03:52.49
I can't believe the
mistake that he made,
00:03:52.49\00:03:54.56
how could he do that,
what was she thinking?
00:03:54.56\00:03:57.10
But that doesn't save a monkey.
00:03:57.10\00:03:59.30
If we would get out of our tree,
00:03:59.30\00:04:00.94
I think that we
could be missionaries
00:04:00.94\00:04:02.14
right here in
our local churches,
00:04:02.14\00:04:03.77
just as we are missionaries
there in Southeast Asia.
00:04:03.77\00:04:05.97
- Mmm, that's a
powerful picture,
00:04:05.97\00:04:09.71
to care for our fellow
men like that, yeah, wow.
00:04:09.71\00:04:13.52
- I was walking in
Indonesia a few weeks ago.
00:04:13.52\00:04:15.92
That's not where
our training center is,
00:04:15.92\00:04:17.92
but we're opening
a new branch there.
00:04:17.92\00:04:19.99
And so I was walking there
00:04:19.99\00:04:21.62
when a motorcycle
stopped beside me.
00:04:21.62\00:04:24.23
And my wife Heidi was with me,
00:04:24.23\00:04:25.69
we walk together
early in the morning.
00:04:25.69\00:04:27.76
The man was named
Alub, he is still named Alub,
00:04:27.76\00:04:30.70
and he asked me
where are you going?
00:04:30.70\00:04:33.34
Asia doesn't have as
much privacy as North America,
00:04:34.50\00:04:36.57
and people seem to feel
like they deserve to know
00:04:36.57\00:04:40.34
whatever it is you might
have that you could tell them.
00:04:40.34\00:04:42.38
And so I didn't
have any secrets,
00:04:42.38\00:04:44.41
but I also
wasn't headin' anywhere,
00:04:44.41\00:04:45.95
I was walking for exercise,
I said we're goin' that way,
00:04:45.95\00:04:47.92
he said where?
00:04:47.92\00:04:49.05
That way, and he asked us
to stop at his house, we did,
00:04:50.19\00:04:53.66
and this is what I discovered.
00:04:53.66\00:04:56.42
I found that seven years
ago, Alub was a searching man.
00:04:56.42\00:05:01.23
He became very
dissatisfied with Islam,
00:05:01.23\00:05:05.67
that was the
religion of his parents.
00:05:06.97\00:05:09.27
He became irritated
because a mosque was built,
00:05:09.27\00:05:11.74
and it
encroached on his property,
00:05:11.74\00:05:14.01
and he felt like
that was thievery,
00:05:14.01\00:05:15.64
and it just
bothered him so much.
00:05:15.64\00:05:17.85
And when he began
searching to find the truth,
00:05:17.85\00:05:21.95
he first visited
a Protestant church,
00:05:21.95\00:05:25.29
and then a Catholic
church, and then a Hindu temple.
00:05:25.29\00:05:29.32
And then finally, well
it was a Buddhist temple
00:05:29.32\00:05:31.86
because the Hindu temple,
he ended at the Hindu temple
00:05:31.86\00:05:34.23
because that's when
he had some interaction
00:05:34.23\00:05:36.30
that was supernatural.
00:05:36.30\00:05:37.77
And so today Alub,
at least three weeks ago
00:05:37.77\00:05:41.07
he self-identified as a Hindu.
00:05:41.07\00:05:43.51
And this is what I
was thinking, Natalie.
00:05:43.51\00:05:45.71
I was thinking what a tragedy
00:05:45.71\00:05:47.11
that seven years
ago we weren't there.
00:05:47.11\00:05:49.48
If we had been
there seven years ago,
00:05:50.48\00:05:53.31
God would've led Alub to us.
00:05:53.31\00:05:56.05
We would've had light for him,
00:05:56.05\00:05:57.82
we coulda solved that perplexity
that bothered him so much,
00:05:57.82\00:06:01.16
but now it's gonna
be an uphill struggle,
00:06:01.16\00:06:02.59
because he's had seven years
of supernatural experiences
00:06:02.59\00:06:06.13
with
spiritualism, and his daughter,
00:06:06.13\00:06:08.60
she's kinda stuck
between two, you know?
00:06:08.60\00:06:11.03
She goes to the mosque
on Friday with her mom,
00:06:11.03\00:06:13.27
and then goes to the
Hindu temple with her dad
00:06:13.27\00:06:15.50
whenever they're
having festivals.
00:06:15.50\00:06:17.44
And I asked her,
what do you think?
00:06:17.44\00:06:19.44
Do you think your dad's
right, or your mom's right,
00:06:20.54\00:06:21.98
or is it confusing?
00:06:21.98\00:06:23.55
She said to me, she
said it's confusing.
00:06:23.55\00:06:26.72
And Natalie, what I did
was I sat down with her,
00:06:26.72\00:06:28.98
and later with her dad,
and I went through Daniel 2,
00:06:28.98\00:06:32.45
Daniel 7, Daniel 8, Daniel
9, and I showed her evidence
00:06:32.45\00:06:37.33
that the Bible is a
source of light and truth.
00:06:37.33\00:06:41.26
They were so thankful.
00:06:41.26\00:06:42.83
Alub said to me, God
arranged for you to meet me.
00:06:42.83\00:06:46.63
And I'm sure of that,
but why seven years late?
00:06:47.74\00:06:51.21
So what I'm trying to
do, I'm trying to establish
00:06:51.21\00:06:54.11
little training centers
all over Southeast Asia.
00:06:54.11\00:06:57.21
We've been
training missionaries now
00:06:57.21\00:06:58.78
to go and start those, one
will be starting in January,
00:06:58.78\00:07:01.82
another started
three months ago.
00:07:01.82\00:07:03.55
We're looking to
do one in Thailand
00:07:03.55\00:07:05.05
maybe in the next 12 months.
00:07:05.05\00:07:06.69
This is what we're aiming at,
00:07:06.69\00:07:07.82
to get these
little schools everywhere
00:07:07.82\00:07:09.46
to be lights in their community.
00:07:09.46\00:07:10.73
- Mmhm, to get
trained people out there
00:07:10.73\00:07:13.90
to meet people like Alub.
00:07:13.90\00:07:15.56
- When you talk
about trained people,
00:07:15.56\00:07:17.17
let me just preach at you
for a minute, if you don't mind.
00:07:17.17\00:07:19.60
- [Natalie] Okay.
00:07:19.60\00:07:21.10
- I know that there
was a time in my life
00:07:21.10\00:07:23.37
when I envisioned
North American Adventist
00:07:23.37\00:07:26.31
as being the educated ones.
00:07:26.31\00:07:28.24
We know about the sanctuary,
00:07:28.24\00:07:29.84
we know about
the day of atonement,
00:07:29.84\00:07:31.21
we know about 1844, you know,
00:07:31.21\00:07:33.92
we know about Ellen
White, and we have her books,
00:07:33.92\00:07:36.45
they fill up one-and-a-half
shelves in our bookshelf.
00:07:36.45\00:07:41.02
And I thought about
people in a lot of other places
00:07:41.02\00:07:43.79
as kind of a step below in
terms of knowledge of doctrine.
00:07:43.79\00:07:48.33
Not our students in our
mission training program.
00:07:48.33\00:07:51.33
They know more
than our theologians,
00:07:51.33\00:07:53.67
they can sit down
and give a Bible study
00:07:53.67\00:07:55.94
on the mark of the
beast and the seal of God
00:07:55.94\00:07:57.71
using just a Bible,
and prove their point well.
00:07:57.71\00:08:01.61
These are young people
who understand, really,
00:08:01.61\00:08:04.01
what's going on, and when
they're doing mission work
00:08:04.01\00:08:07.18
they're not just trying to
bring people up from Hinduism
00:08:07.18\00:08:10.12
to knowing that the
seventh day is a worship day,
00:08:10.12\00:08:13.79
they're aiming
for the full message,
00:08:13.79\00:08:15.66
they want them to
know the three messages,
00:08:15.66\00:08:17.46
the three angels' messages
well enough to teach them
00:08:17.46\00:08:20.26
to themselves become teachers.
00:08:20.26\00:08:22.50
That's what training is
doing in Southeast Asia.
00:08:22.50\00:08:24.83
- Oh, praise the Lord,
and introducing them to Jesus,
00:08:24.83\00:08:28.44
who's the reason
for all the doctrines,
00:08:28.44\00:08:30.47
and the reason
for all the knowledge.
00:08:30.47\00:08:32.94
- Jesus has made
room for himself in Asia.
00:08:32.94\00:08:35.78
You know,
Buddhists respect Jesus,
00:08:35.78\00:08:37.45
and Hindus respect Jesus,
and Muslims respect Jesus.
00:08:37.45\00:08:41.05
What they don't know is power.
00:08:41.05\00:08:43.79
So it's interesting,
both Buddhism and Islam,
00:08:43.79\00:08:47.06
those are the
two major religions
00:08:47.06\00:08:49.09
in the areas where I
work, Buddhism and Islam.
00:08:49.09\00:08:51.86
Both of those religions
would say you're better off
00:08:51.86\00:08:54.50
not to smoke, and yet when
you travel around those regions
00:08:54.50\00:08:58.90
and you see the men, the men,
00:08:58.90\00:09:01.60
almost to a man
sometimes, are smoking.
00:09:01.60\00:09:04.97
Think about that,
the religion says don't,
00:09:05.91\00:09:08.51
but the people do.
00:09:08.51\00:09:10.31
So when I sat down
with Alub for example
00:09:10.31\00:09:12.38
and with someone else in his
community, I used that point.
00:09:12.38\00:09:15.85
I said listen, our
religions on the surface
00:09:15.85\00:09:19.29
looks somewhat similar.
00:09:19.29\00:09:21.32
Jesus says it's
best not to smoke,
00:09:21.32\00:09:23.36
Muhammad says
you shouldn't smoke,
00:09:23.36\00:09:25.13
Buddha says you shouldn't smoke,
00:09:25.13\00:09:27.03
that they look somewhat similar.
00:09:27.03\00:09:28.60
But a big difference is
our religion has power in it,
00:09:28.60\00:09:33.64
that's why these students you're
meeting, they don't smoke.
00:09:33.64\00:09:36.97
They've quit, the ones that
used to, there's power there.
00:09:38.17\00:09:41.01
Alub told me he was
gonna try using this religion,
00:09:41.01\00:09:44.51
he was gonna try
Jesus because Hinduism
00:09:44.51\00:09:47.45
wasn't doing it for him,
least not that one thing,
00:09:47.45\00:09:50.72
victory over sin, yeah.
00:09:50.72\00:09:52.35
Jesus has given
us not just theories
00:09:52.35\00:09:55.99
that compete with theories,
00:09:55.99\00:09:57.76
but he's given us power and love
00:09:57.76\00:10:00.20
that has no just competition.
00:10:00.20\00:10:02.70
There really
isn't anything like it.
00:10:02.70\00:10:05.03
And where it has a
chance to show itself,
00:10:05.03\00:10:07.04
there's power there.
00:10:07.04\00:10:08.27
Forgive me Natalie
for talking too much--
00:10:09.64\00:10:11.34
- No, that's
alright, that's alright,
00:10:11.34\00:10:14.28
it's a interesting
education, it's good to apply
00:10:14.28\00:10:18.25
and see the
differences in culture,
00:10:18.25\00:10:20.58
and see the
differences in the religions.
00:10:20.58\00:10:22.45
- Can I tell you
about some of the things
00:10:22.45\00:10:23.65
that we're trying to do?
00:10:23.65\00:10:24.79
Because I've been
telling you stories.
00:10:24.79\00:10:27.89
The largest country in Southeast
Asia by far is Indonesia.
00:10:27.89\00:10:31.69
If you take the populations
of the other countries
00:10:31.69\00:10:33.90
and put them together, it's
gonna be similar to Indonesia
00:10:33.90\00:10:36.97
by itself, and the way
it works in Southeast Asia
00:10:36.97\00:10:41.04
is they have a pretty free
travel between those countries,
00:10:41.04\00:10:44.81
but usually it
comes with a 30 day visit.
00:10:44.81\00:10:48.11
30 or 60, and
that's not long enough
00:10:48.11\00:10:51.85
for the kind of
education that we need to do
00:10:51.85\00:10:53.82
in our day and age,
so we really need schools
00:10:53.82\00:10:56.38
in all these places.
00:10:56.38\00:10:57.95
We've found a piece of property
00:10:57.95\00:10:59.32
in the island called Sulawesi.
00:10:59.32\00:11:01.46
We've purchased that property,
00:11:01.46\00:11:03.12
and now we need to build a
campus there for a new school.
00:11:03.12\00:11:06.16
We need to build staff houses,
they cost about $25,000 each.
00:11:06.16\00:11:10.17
That same house
here in Chattanooga area
00:11:10.17\00:11:12.50
would probably cost $130,000.
00:11:12.50\00:11:15.04
Same quality, although there
they're not using so much wood,
00:11:15.04\00:11:18.31
because why would you use wood
00:11:18.31\00:11:19.44
when there's so
much rain and termites?
00:11:19.44\00:11:21.28
But anyway, good,
quality, solid buildings.
00:11:21.28\00:11:23.68
We need to build dorms for
like 30 to 35 students per dorm,
00:11:23.68\00:11:27.38
that's about $150,000.
00:11:27.38\00:11:29.98
We need to raise
that kind of money,
00:11:29.98\00:11:32.12
and we're gonna
be opening that maybe
00:11:32.12\00:11:34.02
as early as this January in the,
00:11:34.02\00:11:37.56
it's not the, I
almost said the garage,
00:11:38.43\00:11:40.96
but it's not a
garage, it's the downstairs
00:11:40.96\00:11:42.80
of someone who has a home there.
00:11:42.80\00:11:44.90
But we don't
wanna stay in a facility
00:11:44.90\00:11:47.60
that's for five
people, we want to be able
00:11:47.60\00:11:49.27
to have enough room
for 30, 60, 90 students.
00:11:49.27\00:11:52.64
Then we wanna
start also something
00:11:52.64\00:11:54.31
for the Thai people of Thailand,
00:11:54.31\00:11:57.35
that when people are
doing mission work in Thailand,
00:11:57.35\00:11:59.21
and there's a lot of mission
work going on in Thailand,
00:11:59.21\00:12:02.05
but a lot of that mission
work is for non-Thai people.
00:12:02.05\00:12:07.06
The Karen people
for example there
00:12:07.92\00:12:09.16
along the border with Myanmar.
00:12:09.16\00:12:11.49
And there are a lot
of Adventists in Thailand
00:12:11.49\00:12:13.66
but most of them are Filipinos,
00:12:13.66\00:12:15.63
so we want to do
something to teach Thai people
00:12:15.63\00:12:18.53
to work with Thai people,
00:12:18.53\00:12:20.07
to raise up that kind of
courageous missionary activity
00:12:20.07\00:12:23.10
that we're doing right now.
00:12:23.10\00:12:24.64
And it's important to me
that we raise up some money
00:12:26.07\00:12:29.34
for our refugees
that are being trained,
00:12:29.34\00:12:32.55
because the
refugees in some countries
00:12:32.55\00:12:35.52
don't have freedom
to go door-to-door.
00:12:35.52\00:12:38.85
One of my
students named Kai-Kai,
00:12:38.85\00:12:40.82
last year was going door-to-door
when policemen stopped him.
00:12:40.82\00:12:45.23
They put him in a car, drove
him out into the countryside,
00:12:45.23\00:12:49.73
they beat him up, they
took his phone and all his money
00:12:49.73\00:12:53.44
and they left him there
in the middle of the jungle,
00:12:53.44\00:12:56.20
not knowing where he
was, no way to contact anyone.
00:12:56.20\00:12:58.91
That's the way that
some countries harass.
00:13:00.51\00:13:03.71
They harass their
refugees, hoping the word
00:13:03.71\00:13:06.55
will prevent people
from trying to come.
00:13:06.55\00:13:08.88
You know, what
we're doing at the border
00:13:09.78\00:13:11.55
to kind of
discourage people coming,
00:13:11.55\00:13:14.56
well we're not the only country
00:13:14.56\00:13:15.62
trying to
discourage people coming,
00:13:15.62\00:13:17.76
but beating people
up is a little worse.
00:13:17.76\00:13:20.66
And, well I don't
mean to say what's worse,
00:13:20.66\00:13:24.07
but it's bad enough, so
Kai-Kai experienced that.
00:13:24.07\00:13:26.60
What I would like
to do is to have funds
00:13:26.60\00:13:28.84
so that Kai-Kai
and those like him
00:13:28.84\00:13:31.24
can work on campus
at our help center,
00:13:31.24\00:13:33.98
doing the work that
won't put them in danger
00:13:33.98\00:13:36.24
of life and limb,
while their fellow students
00:13:36.24\00:13:39.15
are out doing
that work door-to-door,
00:13:39.15\00:13:40.75
not facing that
same kind of issue.
00:13:40.75\00:13:42.65
- Mmm, yeah.
00:13:42.65\00:13:45.15
- And I don't
need to raise any money
00:13:45.15\00:13:48.72
for the
operations of our schools.
00:13:48.72\00:13:50.96
Our schools fund themselves
through the call porter work,
00:13:50.96\00:13:55.53
but one thing we do need
to do is to raise some money
00:13:55.53\00:13:58.50
for translation
and printing of books.
00:13:58.50\00:14:01.37
Natalie, I'm careful with money,
00:14:01.37\00:14:02.67
so I raised money last
year to translate and to print
00:14:02.67\00:14:06.54
The Great Controversy
and Ministry of Healing.
00:14:06.54\00:14:08.94
I've printed those now
in English and Chinese,
00:14:08.94\00:14:11.98
and I'll never need to
raise money for that again.
00:14:11.98\00:14:14.58
Because when we
sell them we make sure
00:14:14.58\00:14:17.25
we keep enough margins,
00:14:17.25\00:14:18.49
so that if we
printed 3,000 the first time
00:14:18.49\00:14:20.99
we'll have enough money
to print 5,000 the next time,
00:14:20.99\00:14:23.53
and then seven, and then 10.
00:14:23.53\00:14:25.46
So I only have to raise
money for the first printing.
00:14:25.46\00:14:28.26
And so I want to
raise some more money
00:14:28.26\00:14:29.86
to print in Thai and
to print in Indonesian,
00:14:29.86\00:14:32.57
and to print some more in Malay,
00:14:32.57\00:14:35.07
but once we get those
first funds we manage that money
00:14:35.07\00:14:39.01
so that our schools can
operate purely on the basis
00:14:39.01\00:14:41.78
of the call porter work.
00:14:41.78\00:14:43.14
And there's a special project
that might sound so strange
00:14:44.35\00:14:47.12
to people who have a
hard time to understand it,
00:14:47.12\00:14:49.58
but there are completely
unentered cities in Southeast
00:14:49.58\00:14:54.09
Asia. Cities where just
no one is doing anything.
00:14:54.09\00:14:57.26
Well and we want to go and work.
00:14:58.13\00:15:00.96
If we're going to a
city that has Adventist,
00:15:00.96\00:15:03.90
maybe we can
stay in their house,
00:15:03.90\00:15:05.93
maybe we can stay in the church,
00:15:05.93\00:15:08.07
but what if we're going
to a city that has nothing?
00:15:08.07\00:15:11.37
- Then you gotta stay somewhere.
00:15:11.37\00:15:13.04
- This company,
Airbnb that's kinda famous
00:15:13.04\00:15:15.78
here in North
America, it exists in Asia now.
00:15:15.78\00:15:18.45
And we experimented with
this just a few months ago,
00:15:18.45\00:15:20.88
we went into a
city of 125,000 people,
00:15:20.88\00:15:23.45
no Adventist presence.
00:15:23.45\00:15:25.15
We rented a house
there for three weeks
00:15:25.15\00:15:27.89
and were able to
visit every business
00:15:27.89\00:15:30.06
and most of the homes in
that city, but it costs money.
00:15:30.06\00:15:34.56
That cost about
$1,000 to do that,
00:15:34.56\00:15:37.47
because we weren't
renting a little home,
00:15:37.47\00:15:38.93
it had to be a
home for 20 people.
00:15:38.93\00:15:40.90
So we wanna raise
some money for that too,
00:15:42.10\00:15:44.64
to help us enter brand
new areas, to rent facilities.
00:15:44.64\00:15:48.28
I found out that in towns
that aren't as rich as that one,
00:15:48.28\00:15:51.65
we could probably rent
a similar size facility
00:15:51.65\00:15:53.88
for three or $400, that was
because of its industrial center
00:15:53.88\00:15:57.72
that made it more pricey.
00:15:57.72\00:15:59.85
So you know
this, but let me say it
00:15:59.85\00:16:02.12
to those who are watching.
00:16:02.12\00:16:03.63
If you give money to our
program with Jesus for Asia,
00:16:03.63\00:16:07.96
you can find Eugene
Prewitt Southeast Asia,
00:16:07.96\00:16:09.96
you'd find it there.
00:16:09.96\00:16:11.40
If you do that,
please would you specify
00:16:11.40\00:16:14.20
what you're giving for?
00:16:14.20\00:16:15.67
I wanna know, is this for
Airbnb houses for new areas?
00:16:15.67\00:16:19.97
Is this for refugee support?
00:16:19.97\00:16:22.14
Is this to build
staff homes in Sulawesi,
00:16:22.14\00:16:24.71
or to build a dormitory there?
00:16:24.71\00:16:26.45
Is this because
you wanna help us
00:16:26.45\00:16:27.78
start new work in Thailand?
00:16:27.78\00:16:29.62
Is this to help Joshua
whenever we get something
00:16:29.62\00:16:32.52
going in
Myanmar, up in his area?
00:16:32.52\00:16:34.72
Would you please tell us?
00:16:34.72\00:16:36.12
Don't say it's for the
operation of the schools,
00:16:36.12\00:16:38.49
we don't need that,
that's our call portering.
00:16:38.49\00:16:42.03
But if it's for
translation we want to know.
00:16:42.03\00:16:44.47
- Yes, for sure,
well that's good to know,
00:16:44.47\00:16:48.37
and it's good to reiterate that
00:16:48.37\00:16:49.64
because it
really does help to know
00:16:49.64\00:16:51.81
where it's
supposed to go. - Amen.
00:16:51.81\00:16:54.34
- Okay, so you've
shared a few stories,
00:16:54.34\00:16:57.08
do you have some
more? - I have so many.
00:16:57.08\00:16:59.78
- Okay, we've got
a few more minutes,
00:16:59.78\00:17:01.98
I think we've got
time for one more.
00:17:01.98\00:17:03.52
- Again, when I was in
Indonesia just recently,
00:17:03.52\00:17:06.39
I was walking another road
when I saw a man who I thought,
00:17:06.39\00:17:10.63
he had that look of
someone I wanna talk to.
00:17:10.63\00:17:13.19
He was an older man, he
had white hair, a white beard,
00:17:13.19\00:17:16.30
and he had the
wrinkled, working face,
00:17:16.30\00:17:18.67
and he was a farmer,
and he was in his garden.
00:17:18.67\00:17:22.07
And I just know farming
is good for the character.
00:17:22.07\00:17:25.51
'Scuse me,
farming makes good people.
00:17:25.51\00:17:28.11
So I tried to talk to him and--
00:17:28.11\00:17:31.61
- You didn't speak his language?
00:17:31.61\00:17:33.08
- I'm trying to
learn Malay right now
00:17:33.08\00:17:34.58
but at that point I
knew about 300 words,
00:17:34.58\00:17:36.99
and you need about
8,000 to communicate well,
00:17:36.99\00:17:39.35
and it was not happening.
00:17:39.35\00:17:41.59
And he didn't know English,
and so we could just say hi,
00:17:41.59\00:17:45.29
that's similar in both
languages and that was it,
00:17:45.29\00:17:48.06
I couldn't talk to him.
00:17:48.06\00:17:49.63
But on my last weekend
there, one of the young ladies
00:17:49.63\00:17:53.27
that was studying at our school,
00:17:53.27\00:17:54.70
she wanted to talk to Heidi
and I about some personal issue.
00:17:54.70\00:17:58.27
And so we went on
a long walk with her,
00:17:58.27\00:18:00.74
and I always
take my wife with me
00:18:00.74\00:18:02.11
when I talk to girls
about personal issues.
00:18:02.11\00:18:04.51
And so we had a good
talk, but there came a point
00:18:04.51\00:18:06.58
where I thought we've said
as much as we can usefully say,
00:18:06.58\00:18:10.99
the rest of this is
just, it's time to turn around,
00:18:10.99\00:18:13.92
we turned around.
00:18:13.92\00:18:15.32
And on the way back
there wasn't as much to say,
00:18:15.32\00:18:18.66
and that's when I noticed
noble farmer beside the road.
00:18:18.66\00:18:21.83
And God reminded me, this
young lady knows Indonesian.
00:18:21.83\00:18:26.57
I said sister, would you
help me out for a minute?
00:18:26.57\00:18:29.37
And she did, and now
noble farmer and I could talk.
00:18:29.37\00:18:33.48
He invited us into his home,
00:18:33.48\00:18:35.51
he gave us water
from his fountain,
00:18:35.51\00:18:38.21
we pray that it was good for us,
00:18:38.21\00:18:40.28
and we ended up
talking to him, and his wife,
00:18:40.28\00:18:43.49
and his granddaughter
that was right there,
00:18:43.49\00:18:45.55
excuse me, his wife, and
daughter, and granddaughter.
00:18:45.55\00:18:47.42
His wife is quite
ill, she wasn't there.
00:18:47.42\00:18:49.92
And as we talked to them I found
out that his smoking habit,
00:18:49.92\00:18:54.40
he even smokes
indoors with the children.
00:18:54.40\00:18:57.30
Now here in America I
don't think many people do that,
00:18:57.30\00:19:00.04
would smoke inside
the home with children,
00:19:00.04\00:19:01.87
somehow that strikes us as cruel
00:19:01.87\00:19:03.74
and unusual
treatment of children.
00:19:03.74\00:19:06.57
But there I felt
many men, who even though
00:19:06.57\00:19:09.68
they seem to know
that, it doesn't stop them.
00:19:09.68\00:19:13.55
They're right in
there, smoking with the kids
00:19:13.55\00:19:15.68
all around the place,
and I began to talk to him
00:19:15.68\00:19:19.12
and asked him if
he would like to quit.
00:19:19.12\00:19:21.29
He said the same
thing Alub had said,
00:19:21.29\00:19:23.02
he said I would love
to quit, I can't do it.
00:19:23.02\00:19:25.63
He said my son
would like to quit,
00:19:25.63\00:19:27.00
my son-in-law
would like to quit.
00:19:27.00\00:19:29.06
And I asked if I could arrange
00:19:29.06\00:19:31.43
to have a stop smoking seminar
00:19:31.43\00:19:33.10
right here in your living room.
00:19:33.10\00:19:35.17
If I could arrange that, would
you be willing to host that?
00:19:35.17\00:19:38.34
He was so ready to do it,
he was excited about that,
00:19:38.34\00:19:40.78
that maybe he
could learn to quit.
00:19:40.78\00:19:43.01
And so I don't know
if it's been done yet,
00:19:43.01\00:19:45.38
because as soon as
I left those students
00:19:45.38\00:19:47.05
went on a canvassing campaign,
00:19:47.05\00:19:48.92
but somehow when they get back
00:19:48.92\00:19:50.29
they're be doing a stop
smoking seminar in his home
00:19:50.29\00:19:53.32
for him, his
son, his son-and-law,
00:19:53.32\00:19:55.59
and of course that's
gonna open their eyes
00:19:55.59\00:19:57.36
to these noble farmers, they're
gonna see here's a power,
00:19:57.36\00:20:00.86
here's a savior, not just
a savior from a hereafter,
00:20:00.86\00:20:04.60
but a savior
from a here and now,
00:20:04.60\00:20:06.70
from sin that controls and
enslaves, I'm glad for that.
00:20:06.70\00:20:11.57
- Yes, that'll be a blessing,
we'll have to look forward
00:20:11.57\00:20:14.78
to hearing an
update on that story.
00:20:14.78\00:20:17.78
- Courage is what makes,
00:20:17.78\00:20:19.65
I don't say
courage makes a Christian,
00:20:19.65\00:20:21.28
Natalie, but it shows one.
00:20:21.28\00:20:23.28
I really don't
believe in this weak, sloppy,
00:20:23.28\00:20:27.69
messy, fake Christianity that
is just afraid of persecution.
00:20:27.69\00:20:32.89
I don't see how you
can be a real believer
00:20:34.00\00:20:36.60
and be afraid of death.
00:20:36.60\00:20:38.40
You might not
know, but in the country
00:20:38.40\00:20:41.74
where I'm living right
now, it happened in 2017,
00:20:41.74\00:20:45.84
that three of the most
prominent missionaries there,
00:20:45.84\00:20:48.31
none of them were Adventist.
00:20:48.31\00:20:50.11
Three of the most
prominent missionaries there
00:20:50.11\00:20:51.85
were kidnapped,
two of them publicly,
00:20:51.85\00:20:54.02
and they
haven't been seen since.
00:20:54.02\00:20:56.08
No one knows where they are,
00:20:56.08\00:20:57.62
but many people supposed
that they've been killed.
00:20:57.62\00:21:00.19
And that kind of
experience is enough
00:21:00.19\00:21:04.43
to petrify fake Christianity.
00:21:04.43\00:21:07.86
That didn't petrify
anyone in the book of Acts.
00:21:07.86\00:21:10.83
In the book of Acts,
when Paul gets beat up
00:21:10.83\00:21:13.10
and left for dead,
as soon as he wakes up
00:21:13.10\00:21:15.40
he gets back to work,
there's none of this idea
00:21:15.40\00:21:18.04
that we have to
protect our skin somehow.
00:21:18.04\00:21:21.04
- Yeah, comfort. - Yeah.
00:21:21.04\00:21:22.64
- So do you have
any other projects,
00:21:22.64\00:21:23.98
or stories that you
wanna share with us?
00:21:23.98\00:21:25.98
- I do, and I'm kinda
nervous about this one Natalie,
00:21:25.98\00:21:28.62
but I'm gonna tell you.
00:21:28.62\00:21:29.92
If there's any
obstacle between us
00:21:31.59\00:21:34.82
and finishing the work on Earth,
00:21:34.82\00:21:37.13
it is the
Muslims of this planet.
00:21:37.13\00:21:39.89
They are good
people, many of them,
00:21:39.89\00:21:42.33
but they don't know
the three angels' messages.
00:21:42.33\00:21:45.63
And frankly, there's
danger in giving it to them.
00:21:45.63\00:21:49.40
That's the way it is, so
I have students right now
00:21:49.40\00:21:51.87
that have spent jail
time for example in Brunei,
00:21:51.87\00:21:55.34
and I have one that
right now is in Iran,
00:21:55.34\00:21:59.05
and I have others that
are working in Lebanon,
00:21:59.05\00:22:02.35
and some that were in Egypt
recently, and Malaysia also,
00:22:02.35\00:22:05.99
I have them
working in these countries.
00:22:05.99\00:22:08.52
And I and a friend of
mine, Christopher Crump,
00:22:09.46\00:22:12.09
came up with a
project three years ago
00:22:12.09\00:22:14.30
that it was to write a
series of Bible studies
00:22:15.23\00:22:19.10
that would introduce a Muslim
00:22:19.10\00:22:21.94
to the prophets
that he's heard about
00:22:21.94\00:22:23.57
all his life, Jesus, and
Moses, and Soloman, and David,
00:22:23.57\00:22:28.78
the whole bunch of them, Isaiah,
00:22:29.44\00:22:30.85
and a few others that he
doesn't know he hasn't heard of,
00:22:30.85\00:22:33.62
but especially
Daniel, starting with Daniel.
00:22:33.62\00:22:36.35
I wrote a
series of Bible studies
00:22:36.35\00:22:37.79
that take them from the
prophet Daniel and Moses,
00:22:37.79\00:22:41.99
and over time
builds them all the way
00:22:41.99\00:22:44.76
to knowing all three
of the angels' messages,
00:22:44.76\00:22:46.93
the three angels' messages.
00:22:46.93\00:22:48.50
It's done in sections, so that
when they finish one section
00:22:48.50\00:22:51.33
they can take a test,
and when they pass the test
00:22:51.33\00:22:54.80
they can take the next
section, and then the next test.
00:22:54.80\00:22:58.07
So no one can jump
ahead and see what's coming.
00:22:58.07\00:23:01.04
So for the first two
sections they would have no idea
00:23:01.04\00:23:04.48
that what they're getting
to might not be something
00:23:04.48\00:23:07.38
by something who
believes very much like them,
00:23:07.38\00:23:10.55
they just wouldn't know.
00:23:10.55\00:23:11.92
Although we never use
the Quran in our lessons.
00:23:11.92\00:23:14.56
I'm not a Muslim, I don't
feel I should use the Quran.
00:23:14.56\00:23:17.66
I'm using Proverbs they've
heard about the whole time.
00:23:17.66\00:23:20.20
So we wrote this series, and
now we're having it translated
00:23:20.20\00:23:24.13
into the languages of the world.
00:23:24.13\00:23:27.67
Farsi, Indonesian,
Malay, other languages.
00:23:27.67\00:23:32.87
We need to raise
money for translation,
00:23:33.74\00:23:37.08
and then also
to hire individuals
00:23:37.08\00:23:40.25
who are going to be
doing follow-up work in those
00:23:40.25\00:23:43.99
countries. That's gonna be
some of the most dangerous work
00:23:43.99\00:23:45.49
anyone has ever done, to
follow-up on those studies.
00:23:45.49\00:23:48.99
- Wow, yeah.
00:23:48.99\00:23:50.26
- So our very
first contact like that,
00:23:50.26\00:23:53.16
I flew to his
place in Saba last year.
00:23:53.16\00:23:57.70
I bought a
ticket, flew to meet him,
00:23:57.70\00:23:59.87
and for all I knew he
might be a radical person
00:23:59.87\00:24:02.14
posing as a
convert, well he wasn't.
00:24:02.14\00:24:04.27
He's a convert,
his name is Rojie.
00:24:04.27\00:24:06.88
And Rojie, his
wife has left him,
00:24:06.88\00:24:10.28
he's lost his
job over the Sabbath,
00:24:10.28\00:24:12.45
he's ended up suffering
a great deal of resentment
00:24:12.45\00:24:15.65
and rejection in his home area,
00:24:15.65\00:24:18.09
but he is faithfully
reading his Bible every day,
00:24:18.09\00:24:21.12
and in just a few weeks
he's gonna join our group
00:24:21.12\00:24:23.63
in Indonesia who are
studying to be missionaries.
00:24:23.63\00:24:26.76
He's older, but he's gonna
join them and learn how to work.
00:24:26.76\00:24:29.93
We're gonna have maybe hundreds
of Rojies in the future,
00:24:31.03\00:24:33.87
but what we need is
money for translation,
00:24:33.87\00:24:36.71
money to hire follow-up,
and then how much money
00:24:36.71\00:24:40.01
do we need for this third thing?
00:24:40.01\00:24:41.78
There's no way to say how
much, it's advertising money.
00:24:44.15\00:24:46.95
So what people, when we
advertise we're paying per
00:24:46.95\00:24:50.95
click. That means if one
interested person clicks on it
00:24:50.95\00:24:53.42
we'll pay a few cents, if
10 click we might pay 40 cents.
00:24:53.42\00:24:58.29
We're gonna pay per click,
and if we have two dollars
00:24:58.29\00:25:01.86
we'll advertise for 20 clicks.
00:25:01.86\00:25:04.53
And if we have $2,000
then we'll get 20,000 clicks,
00:25:04.53\00:25:07.64
and if we have $2,000,000 then
we'll get 20,000,000 clicks.
00:25:07.64\00:25:11.04
I mean that we will use
every dollar we get for that
00:25:11.04\00:25:14.08
to advertise in these countries
00:25:14.08\00:25:16.08
to let people find the truth.
00:25:16.08\00:25:18.05
We're gonna have these videos,
00:25:18.05\00:25:20.68
we're recording
videos in Germany.
00:25:20.68\00:25:23.05
We're obscuring the
face of the presenters
00:25:23.99\00:25:25.95
who are doing the translation.
00:25:25.95\00:25:27.22
So the Bible
studies are gonna be written
00:25:27.22\00:25:28.92
but have a video beside it.
00:25:28.92\00:25:30.93
Most people watch the video,
00:25:30.93\00:25:32.33
then they can get the
transcript if they want it.
00:25:32.33\00:25:34.60
After the video
they can take the test,
00:25:34.60\00:25:36.40
they'll have the questions.
00:25:36.40\00:25:37.83
The video's going to be in
English and their own language.
00:25:37.83\00:25:41.14
It's a large
project that can be operated
00:25:41.14\00:25:43.64
in many places at
once, and because it's hosted
00:25:43.64\00:25:46.68
out of Germany it
can't be shut down.
00:25:46.68\00:25:50.25
And so we have volunteer labor,
00:25:51.75\00:25:54.62
the programming is done,
the URLs have been purchased,
00:25:54.62\00:25:57.99
we've done the writing, we
already have people who are
00:25:57.99\00:26:01.06
ready to fly there
and make the videos.
00:26:01.06\00:26:03.89
All we're needing
now is to get some money
00:26:03.89\00:26:07.03
for the translation, and
some money for advertising.
00:26:07.03\00:26:10.80
And if no one gives us a
penny we're gonna do it anyway.
00:26:10.80\00:26:13.80
But boy, the more we
get the more we're gonna do.
00:26:14.77\00:26:16.87
- Right, wow that sounds
like a powerful tool, wow.
00:26:16.87\00:26:21.84
Well Eugene I'm sure you
have more stories to share,
00:26:21.84\00:26:25.81
and I'm sure we could continue
probably the rest of the day
00:26:25.81\00:26:29.62
with what you've learned
over there, what you've seen,
00:26:29.62\00:26:32.15
what your students
have learned and seen.
00:26:32.15\00:26:34.09
- Even if it was only
stories that are ongoing
00:26:34.09\00:26:35.99
we could talk for hours. - Yeah.
00:26:35.99\00:26:38.33
- We don't need to go back,
we can talk about right now.
00:26:38.33\00:26:41.00
- Wow, well I just praise the
Lord because you're out there,
00:26:41.00\00:26:44.57
and you're working,
and you're giving Christ
00:26:44.57\00:26:46.50
to these people,
to your students.
00:26:46.50\00:26:49.40
It's, yeah, the need is huge.
00:26:49.40\00:26:51.77
Thank you so much
Eugene for joining us,
00:26:51.77\00:26:53.64
and for sharing this
opportunity, all these
00:26:53.64\00:26:57.18
opportunities, and this burden
with us and with our viewers.
00:26:57.18\00:27:00.35
And I wanna invite you
to be a part of God's work.
00:27:00.35\00:27:03.79
Ask him how he would
like you to be involved,
00:27:03.79\00:27:05.89
there's a lot of
opportunity out there.
00:27:05.89\00:27:07.99
There's
opportunity where you live
00:27:07.99\00:27:10.09
to support your fellow
men, and encourage them,
00:27:10.09\00:27:12.46
and learn from these monkeys,
00:27:12.46\00:27:13.83
that story we heard at
the beginning of the show.
00:27:13.83\00:27:16.40
And also you can
learn from the example
00:27:16.40\00:27:18.80
of the other
stories Eugene has shared.
00:27:18.80\00:27:21.30
Be brave, be courageous for God.
00:27:21.30\00:27:24.01
Don't be afraid to
share him with our fellow men,
00:27:25.91\00:27:29.61
wherever we are.
00:27:29.61\00:27:30.98
And he might send us to
the other side of the world,
00:27:30.98\00:27:33.68
but if he does he's right there,
00:27:33.68\00:27:36.02
and he will help us
to reach out to those,
00:27:36.02\00:27:38.35
even those that we
can't speak to at first,
00:27:38.35\00:27:40.76
he'll provide a way
for us to speak to them.
00:27:40.76\00:27:43.19
If you would like to
be a part of this work
00:27:44.13\00:27:46.73
you can send your
tax-deductible love gift
00:27:46.73\00:27:48.83
to Jesus for Asia, PO BOX 1221,
00:27:48.83\00:27:52.67
Collegedale Tennessee, 37315.
00:27:52.67\00:27:56.17
Call us at 423-413-7321,
00:27:56.17\00:27:59.87
or visit our
website at Jesus4asia.org.
00:27:59.87\00:28:03.68
May God richly bless you
until we see you next time
00:28:03.68\00:28:06.41
on Jesus for Asia Now.
00:28:06.41\00:28:08.72
(uplifting orchestral music)
00:28:08.72\00:28:12.69