Welcome to another Laymen Ministries program. 00:00:31.12\00:00:33.13 We're here in the beautiful woods of North Idaho. 00:00:33.16\00:00:35.67 I like to refer to this as God's studio. 00:00:35.70\00:00:38.11 I'm here with Samuel Wang and, Sam, 00:00:38.14\00:00:40.48 you've been a friend of ours for many years, 00:00:40.51\00:00:43.37 in fact, I think the first time we met was probably around, 00:00:43.40\00:00:46.34 I'm thinking 1998, 00:00:46.37\00:00:49.84 something around in there? 1997. 00:00:49.87\00:00:51.76 1997. Yes. 00:00:51.79\00:00:53.35 We want to share some of Sam's story. 00:00:53.38\00:00:54.84 We want to share little bit about 00:00:54.87\00:00:56.06 what Laymen Ministries connection with Sam 00:00:56.09\00:00:58.54 is doing right now in China, 00:00:58.57\00:01:01.15 to try to help educate Chinese people. 00:01:01.18\00:01:03.19 The first time you contacted me, 00:01:03.22\00:01:04.44 where were you living? 00:01:04.47\00:01:06.02 At the time I think I first wrote to you in 1996, 00:01:06.05\00:01:09.69 I was in Washington DC. 00:01:09.72\00:01:11.84 And I just came over from Hong Kong 00:01:11.87\00:01:14.96 arrived December of '95 00:01:14.99\00:01:18.49 and you know Maryland area 00:01:18.52\00:01:21.44 and I saw you have a China Project, 00:01:21.47\00:01:24.65 I was very interested 00:01:24.68\00:01:26.12 'cause I just escaped from China in 1995. 00:01:26.15\00:01:29.46 Yeah, you was telling me this story 00:01:29.49\00:01:31.33 about escaping from China 00:01:31.36\00:01:32.61 and I'm like is this guy really telling me the truth, 00:01:32.64\00:01:35.17 I was little suspicious 00:01:35.20\00:01:36.40 and I kept listening to your story 00:01:36.43\00:01:38.86 and how did you end up escaping from China? 00:01:38.89\00:01:43.33 What was that whole situation that took place? 00:01:43.36\00:01:45.71 Now basically just to make a long story short, 00:01:45.74\00:01:48.15 I was involved with 1989 00:01:48.18\00:01:50.44 Tiananmen Square Students Movement. 00:01:50.47\00:01:52.86 I was a graduate student 00:01:52.89\00:01:55.03 and I was studying in University in Hunan province 00:01:55.06\00:01:59.87 and I was part of the organizing, 00:01:59.90\00:02:02.99 you can call that organizing committee, 00:02:03.02\00:02:05.32 to organize the students movement back then, 00:02:05.35\00:02:08.59 but I didn't know the big picture, 00:02:08.62\00:02:11.02 I didn't know the background back then, 00:02:11.05\00:02:12.42 I only know we wanted to see 00:02:12.45\00:02:15.86 some changes in China for better. 00:02:15.89\00:02:18.14 I just started to, I was thinking 00:02:18.17\00:02:20.27 that Bible is more for political for and help, 00:02:20.30\00:02:25.05 bringing democracy and all this to China. 00:02:25.08\00:02:28.53 So even though I was studying the Bible 00:02:28.56\00:02:31.27 but really no understanding, 00:02:31.30\00:02:32.92 I vowed what we really want is 00:02:32.95\00:02:34.94 to China have probably down away with corruption 00:02:34.97\00:02:38.86 and to bring a system that will bring more varieties 00:02:38.89\00:02:43.60 and new, new way of directing people's life 00:02:43.63\00:02:49.94 or activities or you may call that a democratic system 00:02:49.97\00:02:54.91 and but the movement soon was over. 00:02:54.94\00:02:59.80 Did you become 00:02:59.83\00:03:01.73 disillusion at that point or what was your thinking 00:03:01.76\00:03:03.83 that happened after the Tiananmen Square 00:03:03.86\00:03:06.29 shootings took place and all that? 00:03:06.32\00:03:08.29 You know we were very excited 00:03:08.32\00:03:09.68 with all the people back us up and for the demonstration 00:03:09.71\00:03:13.97 and just striking, everything we saw, 00:03:14.00\00:03:16.51 wow, we're gonna help the country move 00:03:16.54\00:03:20.18 but all of sudden a few gunshots, 00:03:20.21\00:03:23.11 then every student went to quiet 00:03:23.14\00:03:26.02 and I have to run for life because I was also wanted 00:03:26.05\00:03:30.36 and so I run away for few months. 00:03:30.39\00:03:33.15 This was long time ago, in 1989. 00:03:33.18\00:03:34.24 Long time ago but it was a huge movement in China 00:03:34.27\00:03:37.82 and it affects my life 00:03:37.85\00:03:40.22 and it has a great impact ever since. 00:03:40.25\00:03:43.69 After that kind of get disillusion 00:03:43.72\00:03:45.99 then all of a sudden start looking for different directions 00:03:46.02\00:03:48.29 to try to make a change? 00:03:48.32\00:03:49.70 Yeah, I thought, well, we were almost getting it, 00:03:49.73\00:03:51.88 then all of sudden it's gone, I said what is it, 00:03:51.91\00:03:54.55 why this movement is so powerless 00:03:54.58\00:03:57.86 and it couldn't make anything. 00:03:57.89\00:03:59.56 And I'm putting all my heart into this 00:03:59.59\00:04:01.92 and then have to run for life 00:04:01.95\00:04:03.87 and all the voices that supporting the movement is gone. 00:04:03.90\00:04:07.41 And just start to question, 00:04:07.44\00:04:08.58 really, what would really bring a change, 00:04:08.61\00:04:11.35 what would really be the thing that has power in itself. 00:04:11.38\00:04:17.16 And so I come to the conclusion 00:04:17.19\00:04:19.87 that political movement may not be the answer for China, 00:04:19.90\00:04:23.73 I started to switch to searching for religious... 00:04:23.76\00:04:27.33 Like a spiritual change? Spiritual movement, yes. 00:04:27.36\00:04:32.22 I think the problem is not only with the system, 00:04:32.25\00:04:34.95 it really was with people. 00:04:34.98\00:04:36.79 So I start to search for different religions. 00:04:36.82\00:04:39.04 So what direction did you go at that time? 00:04:39.07\00:04:41.06 Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism 00:04:41.09\00:04:44.01 and at the same time I carried my Bible with me, 00:04:44.04\00:04:46.43 I had a Bible at that time. Are you serious? 00:04:46.46\00:04:49.55 And I just couldn't reconcile everything together 00:04:49.58\00:04:52.62 and everything seems to have some good to offer 00:04:52.65\00:04:56.12 but you know without a good understanding 00:04:56.15\00:04:59.48 of each one of them 00:04:59.51\00:05:01.26 and I was also kind of a guy, got confused 00:05:01.29\00:05:06.33 and it is at this time 00:05:06.36\00:05:08.72 I run into Hare Krishna devotees. 00:05:08.75\00:05:11.46 We are intrigued with what this Hare Krishna devotee would say? 00:05:11.49\00:05:13.09 What they have to say, 00:05:13.12\00:05:14.33 yes, they ask a question do you think 00:05:14.36\00:05:16.65 do you have there's a soul in the dog 00:05:16.68\00:05:19.46 and I just never thought of that, 00:05:19.49\00:05:22.04 you know, I thought only humans had soul 00:05:22.07\00:05:24.84 and a soul is eternal 00:05:24.87\00:05:26.60 if you go as according to my Christian friends, 00:05:26.63\00:05:29.53 if you believe Jesus 00:05:29.56\00:05:31.35 and when you die, you go to heaven, 00:05:31.38\00:05:34.03 if you don't believe in Jesus, 00:05:34.06\00:05:37.89 you go to hell and you suffer. 00:05:37.92\00:05:39.17 So the immortality of the soul was a big part of your...? 00:05:39.20\00:05:41.75 That's a big part of it, 00:05:41.78\00:05:42.85 I said hold on a second and in Buddhism, 00:05:42.88\00:05:45.68 there's also be divine reincarnation, 00:05:45.71\00:05:47.78 kind of like a concept that to the soul, 00:05:47.81\00:05:51.57 something is there 00:05:51.60\00:05:52.63 and that keep on, keeps life going. 00:05:52.66\00:05:56.11 Now I know better about Buddhism, 00:05:56.14\00:05:57.59 they don't really call that a soul, 00:05:57.62\00:06:00.15 but one way or another, 00:06:00.18\00:06:01.73 it seems like the life is going on 00:06:01.76\00:06:03.89 and there's no death. 00:06:03.92\00:06:07.27 We just have your phase from, 00:06:07.30\00:06:08.87 one phase of life into another one. 00:06:08.90\00:06:11.80 Did you get involved 00:06:11.83\00:06:12.86 then with the Hare Krishna movement? 00:06:12.89\00:06:14.71 I was very much attracted to begin with 00:06:14.74\00:06:17.32 and because Hare Krishna says, 00:06:17.35\00:06:19.02 no, no, no, when you die, 00:06:19.05\00:06:20.37 you don't go to hell, even if you go to hell, 00:06:20.40\00:06:23.89 the Krishna is so powerful, 00:06:23.92\00:06:25.23 he'll deliver you, give you another chance, 00:06:25.26\00:06:28.02 give you another chance until you're... 00:06:28.05\00:06:29.48 That's pretty attractive option 00:06:29.51\00:06:31.39 because with Christianity you get just one chance 00:06:31.42\00:06:33.98 and you're gonna go to heaven or hell 00:06:34.01\00:06:35.04 but with this, you actually could try over and over again. 00:06:35.07\00:06:38.54 Oh, yeah, it brings hope 00:06:38.57\00:06:41.05 because we were making improvement, 00:06:41.08\00:06:42.81 and we're not perfect this life ends in. 00:06:42.84\00:06:45.01 Its lifetime it gives more further way 00:06:45.04\00:06:47.92 to give you more chance to perfect your life 00:06:47.95\00:06:52.45 and just a much better chance 00:06:52.48\00:06:54.38 that you should, you turn on to get, 00:06:54.41\00:06:57.83 you're delivered and liberated, 00:06:57.86\00:07:00.00 so I got into Hare Krishna movement 00:07:00.03\00:07:02.90 and it was all my... heart and soul. 00:07:02.93\00:07:04.01 You told me one time you got so involved with, 00:07:04.04\00:07:06.53 you worked your way up to being like 00:07:06.56\00:07:07.81 one of the highest people in the movement, 00:07:07.84\00:07:09.72 translated the Bhagavad-Gita, is that right? 00:07:09.75\00:07:12.47 I from a part-time devotee I became a full time devotee 00:07:12.50\00:07:17.32 and initiated and the movement-- 00:07:17.35\00:07:19.87 I actually was quite successful 00:07:19.90\00:07:22.15 to start a temple in Beijing. Wow. 00:07:22.18\00:07:25.01 And attract a lot of students from Beijing University. 00:07:25.04\00:07:28.55 You really got into this. 00:07:28.58\00:07:29.88 I was quite well known in Hare Krishna 00:07:29.91\00:07:34.05 during that year in 1993 00:07:34.08\00:07:36.79 and because probably one of the best 00:07:36.82\00:07:38.87 who had brought more people to the movement 00:07:38.90\00:07:41.02 than any other one in the whole world. 00:07:41.05\00:07:42.54 Yeah, and so about this time you met...? 00:07:42.57\00:07:44.28 I translated Bhagavad-Gita into Chinese 00:07:44.31\00:07:48.51 and I wrote to my guru, 00:07:48.54\00:07:49.57 I said you know Karl Marx never came to China 00:07:49.60\00:07:52.66 but some people translated his works, 00:07:52.69\00:07:55.43 people read it and China became a communist country. 00:07:55.46\00:07:58.69 Now we got this Bhagavad-Gita translated into Chinese. 00:07:58.72\00:08:01.79 This book alone would change China, 00:08:01.82\00:08:04.15 so my guru said, 00:08:04.18\00:08:05.27 "Now you be my personal representative for China", 00:08:05.30\00:08:08.53 basically that would have put me 00:08:08.56\00:08:10.53 on the leadership position for the movement. 00:08:10.56\00:08:14.70 People who are in Hinduism or in Hare Krishna movement, 00:08:14.73\00:08:17.26 they often times look at Christians as, 00:08:17.29\00:08:20.11 this is what I've heard in India, too, 00:08:20.14\00:08:21.36 they call them dog eaters because they're not vegetarian. 00:08:21.39\00:08:24.18 And so they have a tendency to look down on Christians 00:08:24.21\00:08:26.71 because Christians are non vegetarian 00:08:26.74\00:08:29.23 and you ran into this lady Cathy... 00:08:29.26\00:08:31.11 It was about the time and I want to convert 00:08:31.14\00:08:33.44 and help Chinese to become Hare Krishna's 00:08:33.47\00:08:35.91 and the first group of people 00:08:35.94\00:08:37.07 I saw, well, we Christians did know God 00:08:37.10\00:08:39.88 and that's the goal we present, 00:08:39.91\00:08:41.30 because they don't know how to practice spiritual life, 00:08:41.33\00:08:44.42 so I tried to convert my Chinese Christian friends 00:08:44.45\00:08:47.46 and they tried to convert me, 00:08:47.49\00:08:50.61 none of us could be successful 00:08:50.64\00:08:52.62 and they introduced me to a lady 00:08:52.65\00:08:54.77 by the name of Cathy Leone 00:08:54.80\00:08:56.64 and she was English teacher in a college there. 00:08:56.67\00:08:59.82 I was very much impressed with her. 00:08:59.85\00:09:02.82 She didn't speak much but she was a vegetarian. 00:09:02.85\00:09:05.80 Every time I went to talk with my other Christian friends, 00:09:05.83\00:09:08.42 I couldn't eat their meal 00:09:08.45\00:09:09.68 but I found Cathy was perfect, I kind of... 00:09:09.71\00:09:13.39 So you could go witness to her and get a free meal, too. 00:09:13.42\00:09:16.00 Yes, I tried to convert her, I was not successful 00:09:16.03\00:09:19.49 and I gave my books to her, she doesn't want to read 00:09:19.52\00:09:21.80 but I tell, well, let me read your books 00:09:21.83\00:09:24.52 and trying to help you. 00:09:24.55\00:09:26.03 And that happened to be 00:09:26.06\00:09:27.12 the "Spirit of Prophecy" books, Ellen White. 00:09:27.15\00:09:31.29 It's one of those big volumes, those like...? 00:09:31.32\00:09:33.38 The three big rack of volumes, it was 52 books combined. 00:09:33.41\00:09:37.74 She gave you the whole works. 00:09:37.77\00:09:39.73 It took me quite a while, long time to read all of them 00:09:39.76\00:09:43.48 and but as soon as I read "Great Controversy" 00:09:43.51\00:09:47.92 and discovered that the soul, 00:09:47.95\00:09:50.67 the immortality is actually the first deception of Satan. 00:09:50.70\00:09:54.06 Immortality of the soul. 00:09:54.09\00:09:55.93 But yet that's the pillar of the Hare Krishna movement, 00:09:55.96\00:09:59.94 so in other words my faith collapsed 00:09:59.97\00:10:02.49 and the pillars gone immediately. 00:10:02.52\00:10:04.83 So it convinced you that 00:10:04.86\00:10:07.07 humans don't have an immortal soul. 00:10:07.10\00:10:09.38 It just convinced me my former understanding 00:10:09.41\00:10:11.50 about the Bible, about eternal hell 00:10:11.53\00:10:13.54 and about all of these were wrong. 00:10:13.57\00:10:15.78 And God is not a god that would punish you 00:10:15.81\00:10:19.69 forever and ever and he is loving and justly God. 00:10:19.72\00:10:23.04 So you got a whole new picture of God. 00:10:23.07\00:10:24.64 And that just overnight I read it overnight 00:10:24.67\00:10:27.80 and then they brought me back to second morning, 1994. 00:10:27.83\00:10:31.07 What do you mean you read it overnight? 00:10:31.10\00:10:33.19 I borrowed the books from her 00:10:33.22\00:10:34.86 and then I started to read it that night 00:10:34.89\00:10:36.78 and I read through Great Controversy. 00:10:36.81\00:10:39.12 You read the whole Great Controversy overnight? 00:10:39.15\00:10:41.33 The closing chapter, 00:10:41.36\00:10:43.86 my interest was trying to find out 00:10:43.89\00:10:45.73 what happened about this, 00:10:45.76\00:10:48.49 the soul and the immortality of the soul 00:10:48.52\00:10:51.33 and whether there is eternal burning hell, 00:10:51.36\00:10:54.19 that was my focus. 00:10:54.22\00:10:55.54 And I read those chapters over and over 00:10:55.57\00:10:58.33 and I was convinced that 00:10:58.36\00:11:00.86 what the Bible thought was God is a loving God 00:11:00.89\00:11:04.52 and there's no such a thing like eternal burning hell 00:11:04.55\00:11:08.51 and I just wake up the next morning, 00:11:08.54\00:11:11.47 gave my heart to the Lord. 00:11:11.50\00:11:12.84 So, Sam, we know back then 00:11:12.87\00:11:14.73 since you're here today that you are a Seventh-day Adventist, 00:11:14.76\00:11:17.70 so something happened between that time 00:11:17.73\00:11:19.67 and your time coming to America 00:11:19.70\00:11:22.34 and then working with Laymen Ministries 00:11:22.37\00:11:23.82 and being involved with ministry in China 00:11:23.85\00:11:25.85 and such, how were you baptized over there? 00:11:25.88\00:11:28.96 She gave me, when she came back from her vacation... 00:11:28.99\00:11:32.04 Who, Cathy? 00:11:32.07\00:11:33.10 Cathy and she gave me a name, 00:11:33.13\00:11:34.52 I wanted to be baptized. 00:11:34.55\00:11:36.55 She said, "I can't baptize you 00:11:36.58\00:11:37.80 but I know somebody who could." 00:11:37.83\00:11:39.83 So she gave me a name and a phone number, 00:11:39.86\00:11:42.26 David Lynn, and there was a phone number. 00:11:42.29\00:11:45.58 I called, I don't know who David Lynn was, 00:11:45.61\00:11:48.52 I called that number and I said I really wanted to be baptized 00:11:48.55\00:11:53.56 and get in touch with him and we made arrangement 00:11:53.59\00:11:57.17 and eventually I went to Shanghai, 00:11:57.20\00:11:59.50 took a train, 28 hours travel 00:11:59.53\00:12:01.90 from Hunan to Shanghai, all the way across China. 00:12:01.93\00:12:05.17 To be baptized. 00:12:05.20\00:12:06.65 But because it was illegal for Shanghai pastor 00:12:06.68\00:12:10.23 to baptize someone from another region, 00:12:10.26\00:12:12.83 so I end up being baptized in a bath tub. 00:12:12.86\00:12:15.85 In a bath tub? 00:12:15.88\00:12:16.91 In a bath tub and I think 00:12:16.94\00:12:19.46 even though there's not many eye witnesses of human 00:12:19.49\00:12:24.56 but I think the Lord is there and all of His angels are there. 00:12:24.59\00:12:27.79 And for our viewers if you don't know who Elder David Lynn, 00:12:27.82\00:12:30.49 he's passed away now about a year ago 00:12:30.52\00:12:32.37 and he's kind of like one of the patriarchs 00:12:32.40\00:12:34.91 of the Adventist church in China. 00:12:34.94\00:12:37.01 And in the 1970s and early 1980s, 00:12:37.04\00:12:40.39 I read a lot of his works that were coming out of China 00:12:40.42\00:12:42.54 and they were like very inspirational to me. 00:12:42.57\00:12:44.35 This man was theological giant in a lot of ways. 00:12:44.38\00:12:47.40 He's just somebody I really looked up to. 00:12:47.43\00:12:49.84 So you kind of started this system 00:12:49.87\00:12:52.10 and working with him there 00:12:52.13\00:12:53.91 with translation or something, right? 00:12:53.94\00:12:56.20 I started with helping up 00:12:56.23\00:12:57.74 dating the language of "Desire of Ages". 00:12:57.77\00:13:00.69 You know we can't get into all the details 00:13:00.72\00:13:02.29 about your escape from China 00:13:02.32\00:13:05.25 but just in a nutshell really quickly, 00:13:05.28\00:13:06.61 tell us how did you end up in America? 00:13:06.64\00:13:10.00 I got in touch with a lady 00:13:10.03\00:13:12.53 who was working in an orphanage 00:13:12.56\00:13:15.74 and she reported it's a very bad situation 00:13:15.77\00:13:18.98 for the orphans and needed some help, 00:13:19.01\00:13:22.07 I eventually helped to bring this case to outside of China. 00:13:22.10\00:13:27.03 So you did this to try to help a lady 00:13:27.06\00:13:28.95 who is trying to help orphan children? 00:13:28.98\00:13:31.70 Yes, and she was a physician there 00:13:31.73\00:13:34.62 and she at the time she was, 00:13:34.65\00:13:37.44 I think, in her late 50s or 60s and early 60s 00:13:37.47\00:13:42.25 and she just wanted to help the orphans 00:13:42.28\00:13:44.87 and that it was the main immediate cause, 00:13:44.90\00:13:48.52 reason for me to escape China 00:13:48.55\00:13:50.03 to trying to get international attention 00:13:50.06\00:13:52.65 to improve the situation. 00:13:52.68\00:13:55.22 And later on the Chinese government 00:13:55.25\00:13:57.10 did made some new regulations end of day, 00:13:57.13\00:14:00.33 the situation has improved. 00:14:00.36\00:14:02.59 So education has always been a big part of your life, 00:14:02.62\00:14:05.48 I mean you're in continued education 00:14:05.51\00:14:08.12 and your dream was to have a school in China 00:14:08.15\00:14:09.89 to educate people 00:14:09.92\00:14:11.07 and, tell us a little bit about your dreams 00:14:11.10\00:14:14.72 and aspirations about education. 00:14:14.75\00:14:17.07 I first just taught textile engineering 00:14:17.10\00:14:19.86 for eight years 00:14:19.89\00:14:21.23 and then I went to graduate school 00:14:21.26\00:14:23.26 to learn linguistics. 00:14:23.29\00:14:24.92 And then became a college, a university teacher 00:14:24.95\00:14:27.43 and then after I became Christian 00:14:27.46\00:14:31.44 and I was very much, in China there's a need 00:14:31.47\00:14:35.58 for to share the knowledge of the Bible 00:14:35.61\00:14:39.56 to the young people. 00:14:39.59\00:14:41.43 And in the Mainland China, there were like 00:14:41.46\00:14:44.20 17 Bible colleges in China 00:14:44.23\00:14:49.32 but none of them are advent-- belongs to the Adventists. 00:14:49.35\00:14:53.14 And so I have always had this dream 00:14:53.17\00:14:58.07 to share the truths with young people 00:14:58.10\00:15:02.22 and that gradually grew into an idea to open a school. 00:15:02.25\00:15:07.14 After I came to the States, 00:15:07.17\00:15:08.37 I went to Southern to take my master. 00:15:08.40\00:15:11.50 Southern College? Southern University. 00:15:11.53\00:15:13.51 Adventist University. 00:15:13.54\00:15:14.61 And after that I went to China to open a school, 00:15:14.64\00:15:19.18 at the time it was underground school 00:15:19.21\00:15:20.74 and it was a vocational school, 00:15:20.77\00:15:23.22 but we also taught the Bible and the mission theology 00:15:23.25\00:15:27.13 and the school have trained about 200 some students 00:15:27.16\00:15:33.88 after two years training and it was officially closed 00:15:33.91\00:15:37.86 but the progress still is on 00:15:37.89\00:15:42.04 and later when I was not able 00:15:42.07\00:15:45.65 to continue to work in China, 00:15:45.68\00:15:48.36 I came back and I finished 00:15:48.39\00:15:49.74 my doctorate degree in missiology. 00:15:49.77\00:15:52.92 So I have always had the passion for do the missions 00:15:52.95\00:15:57.37 and now in China, there are so many, 00:15:57.40\00:16:00.50 people are interested, 00:16:00.53\00:16:01.89 they want to learn, they want to be equipped 00:16:01.92\00:16:04.09 but there's no school that they really can go. 00:16:04.12\00:16:06.02 What is, there's no schools at all in China, 00:16:06.05\00:16:08.57 like Adventist schools 00:16:08.60\00:16:09.63 or Adventist seminaries at all, anything like that? 00:16:09.66\00:16:11.48 There's no official Adventist seminaries at all. 00:16:11.51\00:16:14.62 The church members and pastor, 00:16:14.65\00:16:15.89 I know this can maybe a sensitive thing to ask 00:16:15.92\00:16:18.81 but are they really grounded, 00:16:18.84\00:16:20.34 they know as much as like people in the West 00:16:20.37\00:16:22.23 as far as understanding truths of the Bible 00:16:22.26\00:16:26.70 and you know things like that? 00:16:26.73\00:16:29.62 Since there's no schools there, I'm just wondering. 00:16:29.65\00:16:32.25 The main thing, the main educator of China 00:16:32.28\00:16:35.09 is the Bible itself 00:16:35.12\00:16:36.91 and the Spirit of Prophecy books, 00:16:36.94\00:16:40.42 but we don't have a school 00:16:40.45\00:16:42.83 but in every church, in quite a few places, 00:16:42.86\00:16:46.18 there are definite efforts trying to reach people 00:16:46.21\00:16:50.14 and to help people to get trained 00:16:50.17\00:16:53.58 and to study to explore together 00:16:53.61\00:16:55.79 but the need is still much greater 00:16:55.82\00:16:57.74 than what we can, what is already there. 00:16:57.77\00:17:01.12 And so I have been thinking nowadays 00:17:01.15\00:17:04.82 with the technology and with the internet 00:17:04.85\00:17:07.82 and, so it's a great way to send, 00:17:07.85\00:17:14.37 to make education more accessible. 00:17:14.40\00:17:17.55 I was in China in 1993, now that was a long time ago 00:17:17.58\00:17:20.32 and I remember being at this house 00:17:20.35\00:17:21.97 where there was two Adventist pastors there 00:17:22.00\00:17:24.92 and some church members 00:17:24.95\00:17:26.34 and they got into a discussion about theology 00:17:26.37\00:17:30.03 and I was like in America, 00:17:30.06\00:17:32.60 I would never even hear this kind of discussion taking place 00:17:32.63\00:17:35.14 because it was a settled question. 00:17:35.17\00:17:37.52 You know the Adventist church grows very fast 00:17:37.55\00:17:41.15 from a very small fraction of members 00:17:41.18\00:17:44.91 and it is true in some places, people don't know 00:17:44.94\00:17:48.45 the Bible that well. A little bit confusion. 00:17:48.48\00:17:49.91 Yes, there's a little bit confusion 00:17:49.94\00:17:51.21 but over the years 00:17:51.24\00:17:52.93 as the association has improved quite a lot 00:17:52.96\00:17:55.76 and they are, a lot of work has been done and... 00:17:55.79\00:17:58.78 But there's no like, 00:17:58.81\00:17:59.95 any place like training centers to train lay people. 00:17:59.98\00:18:01.49 Yes, there's no official place for training. 00:18:01.52\00:18:05.22 Also there are some creating ways 00:18:05.25\00:18:07.41 of bring the training there for young people 00:18:07.44\00:18:12.99 and also for short term intensive courses. 00:18:13.02\00:18:16.57 There are some, some efforts along that line 00:18:16.60\00:18:20.06 but it is always issue of security 00:18:20.09\00:18:24.78 and you know quality and... 00:18:24.81\00:18:27.03 So what have you thought about trying to do, 00:18:27.06\00:18:28.99 to try to help remedy this situation? 00:18:29.02\00:18:31.78 And one of the ways I was thinking 00:18:31.81\00:18:33.89 is to create a website 00:18:33.92\00:18:35.68 that's specifically devoted to theological 00:18:35.71\00:18:39.91 and the missionological training for the Chinese Adventists. 00:18:39.94\00:18:44.11 And this will become a resource website 00:18:44.14\00:18:48.58 and we can now focus on giving training in theology 00:18:48.61\00:18:53.92 to have a deep understanding in the Bible. 00:18:53.95\00:18:55.93 You already had experience in websites 00:18:55.96\00:18:57.77 because I remember one time you shared with me 00:18:57.80\00:18:59.67 that you helped to get a lot of, 00:18:59.70\00:19:01.15 collect all the Ellen White writings together 00:19:01.18\00:19:03.66 that were in Chinese language and help get them publish online 00:19:03.69\00:19:06.88 and so you have some experience 00:19:06.91\00:19:07.94 already with dealing with websites. 00:19:07.97\00:19:09.00 Yeah, it's about 10 years ago 00:19:09.03\00:19:10.28 I probably was one of the earliest to, 00:19:10.31\00:19:13.77 amongst Chinese circuits 00:19:13.80\00:19:14.99 to put Ellen White's writings online. 00:19:15.02\00:19:16.44 So you think a website like what you are talking about 00:19:16.47\00:19:18.53 could reach a lot of people will really help them. 00:19:18.56\00:19:19.99 And later on I also help start to build a website, 00:19:20.02\00:19:25.14 we have more than 60,000 registered members 00:19:25.17\00:19:28.07 for this website. Wow. 00:19:28.10\00:19:29.28 And everyday, there's about 00:19:29.31\00:19:30.48 3,000 to 4,000 IP address to visit this website, 00:19:30.51\00:19:34.62 so we had some experience 00:19:34.65\00:19:36.44 and it was, the website has blessed a lot of people. 00:19:36.47\00:19:40.33 Like interactive courses and things like that, too? 00:19:40.36\00:19:43.13 It will provide education in theology 00:19:43.16\00:19:46.32 and not only in theology... Amen. 00:19:46.35\00:19:48.70 And a need to have more focus of mission, 00:19:48.73\00:19:52.09 actually, mission is a mother of theology. 00:19:52.12\00:19:55.94 Sometimes the child is grownup 00:19:55.97\00:19:57.58 and don't recognize the mother and that's the reality today. 00:19:57.61\00:20:00.93 So this will have emphasis on the mission. 00:20:00.96\00:20:03.95 Like you and I are talking about is 00:20:03.98\00:20:05.07 you can have mission but not theology, 00:20:05.10\00:20:07.48 then you have... 00:20:07.51\00:20:08.59 You lose direction. Yeah, you lose direction. 00:20:08.62\00:20:09.90 You don't know where you are going. 00:20:09.93\00:20:11.46 You have a motivation to do something 00:20:11.49\00:20:12.95 but you don't have any direction to go, 00:20:12.98\00:20:14.83 but if you're only in theology but you don't have mission, 00:20:14.86\00:20:17.28 you have all this head knowledge with no practical application. 00:20:17.31\00:20:19.81 Exactly right, the mission 00:20:19.84\00:20:21.06 and theology should go hand-in-hand 00:20:21.09\00:20:23.73 and the whole purpose of the church is that 00:20:23.76\00:20:28.08 church is for mission and therefore, 00:20:28.11\00:20:31.00 this website will put a lot of emphasis on the mission 00:20:31.03\00:20:34.50 and bent to not only knows 00:20:34.53\00:20:37.36 how to talk with those who know your terms, 00:20:37.39\00:20:39.52 but also know how to talk to let's say 00:20:39.55\00:20:42.47 a Buddhist and a Confucianist, 00:20:42.50\00:20:44.38 a Taoist, an atheist, a communist. 00:20:44.41\00:20:46.90 What would be some of the things on this website, 00:20:46.93\00:20:48.46 you say it's like a warehouse. 00:20:48.49\00:20:49.52 What some of the things on these shelves of the warehouse? 00:20:49.55\00:20:51.90 Well, would be a study in the Bible 00:20:51.93\00:20:53.81 and it's the depth study of-- 00:20:53.84\00:20:55.83 the main focus of the Bible, the main theme of the Bible 00:20:55.86\00:20:58.78 and we can have a study 00:20:58.81\00:21:00.35 and the teachings of the Spirits of Prophecy 00:21:00.38\00:21:04.46 and how to apply that to our life 00:21:04.49\00:21:06.11 and help the church and we can also have. 00:21:06.14\00:21:09.87 All of this will be both in a written format 00:21:09.90\00:21:12.48 and also as, you know, take like our course, 00:21:12.51\00:21:15.33 like introduction to the Bible, 00:21:15.36\00:21:17.18 outline of the Bible or the themes of the Bible 00:21:17.21\00:21:20.22 or the themes of the New Testament, Old Testament. 00:21:20.25\00:21:21.71 So you'd assess what you're saying is 00:21:21.74\00:21:23.12 you're creating an online seminary and is kind of? 00:21:23.15\00:21:25.53 It's more or less like that and like the mission 00:21:25.56\00:21:29.81 and the biblical ground for the mission 00:21:29.84\00:21:33.23 and like today how to do evangelism 00:21:33.26\00:21:36.83 and like a big buzzy world like contextualization 00:21:36.86\00:21:41.73 and you know how to bring the gospel, 00:21:41.76\00:21:45.64 the message into the culture, into the context. Yeah. 00:21:45.67\00:21:48.64 And how to talk with your neighbor 00:21:48.67\00:21:51.45 who knows nothing about the Bible. 00:21:51.48\00:21:53.05 I know we recently bought you a video camera 00:21:53.08\00:21:54.70 and you said you're gonna start doing 00:21:54.73\00:21:55.97 some instructional courses. 00:21:56.00\00:21:57.27 And even that would be 00:21:57.30\00:21:59.56 a classroom like, a live classroom, 00:21:59.59\00:22:02.79 you can check in and register in 00:22:02.82\00:22:04.70 and then we can see each other over the internet. 00:22:04.73\00:22:08.27 Young people in China too 00:22:08.30\00:22:09.48 right now are fascinated with electronic. Oh, yes. 00:22:09.51\00:22:12.97 And if it's situation like that 00:22:13.00\00:22:15.36 and we will also offer intensive courses, 00:22:15.39\00:22:18.81 when there's lot of people are interested, 00:22:18.84\00:22:21.03 of course they say Daniel in Revelation, 00:22:21.06\00:22:23.33 we may actually go to China and get those people 00:22:23.36\00:22:26.50 just like one or two weeks together 00:22:26.53\00:22:30.08 and actually teach intensive course. 00:22:30.11\00:22:33.82 And what is the name of the website again? 00:22:33.85\00:22:35.91 It is called Fuyintd.com, 00:22:35.94\00:22:39.04 I already registered this domain name 00:22:39.07\00:22:42.41 and we are working, we're trying to buy that. 00:22:42.44\00:22:43.99 What does that mean in? 00:22:44.02\00:22:45.22 Fuyin means gospel. Gospel? 00:22:45.25\00:22:47.13 Yeah and T means in Chinese it means heaven 00:22:47.16\00:22:50.89 and D means the earth. 00:22:50.92\00:22:54.02 It's basically a place for sharing the gospel. 00:22:54.05\00:22:59.35 And you can say the gospel campus, Fuyin 00:22:59.38\00:23:03.43 and every Chinese will identify that very well, 00:23:03.46\00:23:07.00 it's the Chinese way of saying the gospel. 00:23:07.03\00:23:09.40 And you say that there are other websites 00:23:09.43\00:23:11.00 that you've been involved with 00:23:11.03\00:23:13.33 is one of the top ten hits in China 00:23:13.36\00:23:15.16 right now for when people are searching out 00:23:15.19\00:23:17.06 questions about the Bible inserts, right? 00:23:17.09\00:23:18.88 If you search anything in that website about the Bible, 00:23:18.91\00:23:22.25 about a specific subject 00:23:22.28\00:23:24.61 and that website will come up, very high. 00:23:24.64\00:23:27.84 So this will not only be for Chinese people in China, 00:23:27.87\00:23:30.84 but it'll be for Chinese people that might be working in India, 00:23:30.87\00:23:35.13 they'd be working in Malaysia, Singapore I mean...? 00:23:35.16\00:23:38.90 Yes, we Chinese have different dialects 00:23:38.93\00:23:41.61 but the written format, it's the same, 00:23:41.64\00:23:44.45 we all write and read the same. 00:23:44.48\00:23:46.21 So what you're saying is that 00:23:46.24\00:23:47.49 the person from some other country 00:23:47.52\00:23:49.59 even though they might not speak Mandarin Chinese, 00:23:49.62\00:23:51.68 they can read the Chinese characters? 00:23:51.71\00:23:53.73 Yeah, exactly. 00:23:53.76\00:23:54.85 Wow, that means it can reach 00:23:54.88\00:23:55.91 a lot more people than just in China. 00:23:55.94\00:23:57.36 And this will be a good way 00:23:57.39\00:24:00.19 and to make the gospel be very contextualized, 00:24:00.22\00:24:05.19 people would not speak like foreign words, 00:24:05.22\00:24:10.49 Jesus will be more or less like Jesus for China. Amen. 00:24:10.52\00:24:15.23 And so this will be a culturally adapted. 00:24:15.26\00:24:19.69 You were involved with research 00:24:19.72\00:24:20.94 and wrote a book called "God and the Ancient Chinese" 00:24:20.97\00:24:24.00 and we're just about ready to reprint this book right now 00:24:24.03\00:24:26.65 and this is an amazing book. 00:24:26.68\00:24:27.71 I would encourage our viewers 00:24:27.74\00:24:29.14 to get in touch with our ministry 00:24:29.17\00:24:30.30 and go online and find this book. 00:24:30.33\00:24:32.07 But tell our viewers a little bit about the book? 00:24:32.10\00:24:34.08 This is a book to trace all historical document 00:24:34.11\00:24:37.71 to put a link that between Chinese, 00:24:37.74\00:24:39.99 modern Chinese and the ancient Chinese 00:24:40.02\00:24:42.20 but more important is how the ancient Chinese 00:24:42.23\00:24:45.36 has always be worshipping God 00:24:45.39\00:24:47.62 and this provide enough evidence for the modern Chinese 00:24:47.65\00:24:51.54 to bring them to the belief of Jesus, 00:24:51.57\00:24:54.58 and actually Jesus is not a foreign God, 00:24:54.61\00:24:56.71 he's actually, He has been the God to create a God 00:24:56.74\00:24:59.82 that Chinese has been worshipping from the beginning. 00:24:59.85\00:25:01.86 Can you give us a few examples out of the book 00:25:01.89\00:25:03.34 that you're talking about? 00:25:03.37\00:25:04.98 For instance, Chinese has always been 00:25:05.01\00:25:06.72 talking about the holy man. 00:25:06.75\00:25:08.20 A holy man who'd come 00:25:08.23\00:25:11.67 and he would teach the people with word of God 00:25:11.70\00:25:14.91 and the whole universe will surrender to him 00:25:14.94\00:25:17.60 and he was, you know, noble position 00:25:17.63\00:25:22.84 and he will assume a lower position. 00:25:22.87\00:25:26.74 And not only that the Chinese has, 00:25:26.77\00:25:28.84 in this document, we have 00:25:28.87\00:25:30.43 from Confucius writings and other classics, 00:25:30.46\00:25:32.95 there's always been the teachings of righteousness 00:25:32.98\00:25:36.05 and we can almost find every single Adventist doctrine 00:25:36.08\00:25:40.48 in all this writings including the Sabbath. 00:25:40.51\00:25:42.53 Wow, that's incredible. 00:25:42.56\00:25:44.58 And so it has been a very good resource 00:25:44.61\00:25:49.27 to open ways to reach the Chinese, 00:25:49.30\00:25:51.68 I've been using this message to hold evangelists meetings, 00:25:51.71\00:25:55.90 you know, all over the world. 00:25:55.93\00:25:57.29 And the Lord has always been blessing us with this effort 00:25:57.32\00:26:00.83 and has brought a lot of people into the church. 00:26:00.86\00:26:03.20 Praise God. 00:26:03.23\00:26:04.50 And this message, this will be one of the ways that we reach, 00:26:04.53\00:26:08.70 you know, website is to use the culturally adapted message 00:26:08.73\00:26:12.98 to educate our members 00:26:13.01\00:26:15.28 to which they follow our countrymen. Amen. 00:26:15.31\00:26:19.53 Samuel, how can people get involved 00:26:19.56\00:26:21.09 to help with this project? 00:26:21.12\00:26:22.97 Well, number one, you can pray for us 00:26:23.00\00:26:26.84 and that, this-- we will be guide 00:26:26.87\00:26:29.82 and be sensitive to the call and the lead of the Holy Spirit 00:26:29.85\00:26:34.11 and every single word will be shared on this website 00:26:34.14\00:26:36.90 and different courses that's gonna come 00:26:36.93\00:26:39.53 will be a real blessing. 00:26:39.56\00:26:40.93 It is something that we have learned of Christ first, 00:26:40.96\00:26:44.95 before we go and share with others. 00:26:44.98\00:26:47.73 And it will be at time that we can explore 00:26:47.76\00:26:50.77 and learn together 00:26:50.80\00:26:52.31 with our viewers, with our brothers, 00:26:52.34\00:26:55.05 whoever they will be, to learn together 00:26:55.08\00:26:57.92 in the school of Christ. 00:26:57.95\00:26:59.66 And this is our greatest need 00:26:59.69\00:27:01.13 I think that that's what our viewers, 00:27:01.16\00:27:03.57 we would solicit your prayers for us. 00:27:03.60\00:27:06.51 And secondly, certainly a website like this 00:27:06.54\00:27:09.63 is going to involve a lot of work for the shooting, 00:27:09.66\00:27:13.14 the preparation for the courses, these reading materials 00:27:13.17\00:27:17.87 and to have people to do correct the assignments 00:27:17.90\00:27:23.59 and to edit, to maintain the website, 00:27:23.62\00:27:28.04 and there's a lot of need 00:27:28.07\00:27:29.53 and so financially there will be some need 00:27:29.56\00:27:32.66 and I know you can, 00:27:32.69\00:27:34.19 if you can help in some way that will keep us in the air. 00:27:34.22\00:27:38.46 This is a powerful, powerful tool 00:27:38.49\00:27:40.30 for reaching a lot of people that read Chinese characters. 00:27:40.33\00:27:43.48 We really like to encourage our viewers that 00:27:43.51\00:27:45.37 if you want to be involved with this project 00:27:45.40\00:27:46.99 to help with this powerful way to reach a lot of people 00:27:47.02\00:27:50.27 who speak Chinese language. 00:27:50.30\00:27:53.64 To be able to contact our ministry at Laymen Ministries, 00:27:53.67\00:27:56.19 that's 414 Zapada Road, St. Maries, Idaho, 83861. 00:27:56.22\00:28:01.03 Or you can contact us through our website 00:28:01.06\00:28:02.83 at www.lmn.org. 00:28:02.86\00:28:06.81 Or call us on our toll free number, 00:28:06.84\00:28:08.09 if you're in Canada, United States 00:28:08.12\00:28:09.25 at 1800-245-1844. 00:28:09.28\00:28:12.70