A blind woman ministering
to other blind people,
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a center of influence
in Germany using the arts,
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and a man in the Middle East
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who hated
Christians, coming up next.
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Hello and
welcome to Mission 360.
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I'm Gary Krause.
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Today's program is coming to you
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from the city of St.
Petersburg, in Russia.
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And behind me you
can see the iconic church
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known as the Church of
the Savior on Spilled Blood.
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And this church was
actually the last church
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that was constructed in Russia
before the Russian Revolution.
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After that, across the country,
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hundreds and hundreds
of churches were destroyed.
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This church was only saved
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because of the coming
of the Second World War,
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and during that
war it became a morgue
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where dead bodies were kept.
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Well, on a more positive topic,
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we'll be looking at
mission around the world
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as lives have been changed
for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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But first up, let's
travel to San Paulo,
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Brazil, to meet a blind woman
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who overcame the obstacles
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she faced, and
is now ministering
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to other blind
people in her community.
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In Taubate, a small city
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on the outskirts
of Sao Paulo, Brazil,
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we meet a resilient woman.
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Regiane is blind,
but not from birth.
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When a band of
thieves attempted robbery,
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she was caught in the
middle of a tense situation
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and shot in the head.
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From that day forward,
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Regiane's life
changed completely.
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After the incident,
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she determined to
adapt her lifestyle
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to her new reality.
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Now, Regiane is
able to use a computer,
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type text, and
update a calendar.
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But adapting her
everyday tasks to her blindness
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is only a small part of
the skill she has learned.
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More important than acquiring
these skills is the ministry
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she developed
because of her blindness.
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Now Regiane
reaches out to others
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who are also visually impaired.
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Being blind doesn't prevent her
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from showing Jesus'
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love to those who don't see Him.
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On this Sabbath
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at the Adventist
Church in Taubate,
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Regiane preaches to her guests.
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This is one of her
favorite activities.
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Her guests love
to hear her stories,
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especially those about children.
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So today, Regiane also
conducts a children's choir.
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She has tactfully chosen
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these activities to
accomplish her mission.
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Through the Real Vision Project,
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Regiane participated
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in building a
space for the blind.
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Here people can
join a Bible study group
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for the blind in a friendly
and accommodating environment.
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The visually impaired people
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of this community feel connected
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and are thankful to participate
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in events suited
to fit their needs.
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We begin by giving praises
through songs and prayer.
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We always invite guest speakers
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to talk about topics of interest
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with a spiritual focus.
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We also get together
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for refreshments
after the meetings.
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It's a privilege
for me to know that
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despite our
limitation and weakness,
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God can use me in this
ministry with this group.
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He can empower
and work through us.
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This is a
privilege He has given us.
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We started with approximately
five to seven people.
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One of the joys of this work
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is that today we
have 30 people coming
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to our meetings
with some 40 people
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having already
come through our center.
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Today we cherish a spirit.
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I can speak for
myself, a spirit of love,
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affection, and
friendship toward each other.
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And our focus is
always God centered.
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I thought I
couldn't do anything at all,
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but then I saw I was wrong.
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And now I see that
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my disability
shouldn't prevent me
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from doing things.
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I grow more and
more as I trust in God.
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He is a priority in my life.
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I am only
involved in this ministry
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because I have
become visually impaired.
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Now my ministry in this world
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is to influence blind people
with the message of the gospel.
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It's my joy and privilege to be
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used by God to do this work.
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At Real Vision,
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the visually
impaired accept Jesus
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as their personal Savior.
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They become disciples
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who actively invest their
time and talents for mission.
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They are waiting
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for the great
day Isaiah described
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when he wrote,
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"The eyes of the
blind shall be opened
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and the ears of the
deaf shall be unstopped."
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Please pray for
total member involvement.
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It's only when we
all take part in mission
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that the gospel message
will reach the entire world.
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My guest is Pastor Evgeny,
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who is the pastor of the Central
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St. Petersburg Church
here in the Russian Federation,
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and he's also
the Adventist Mission
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coordinator for the
Northwest Conference.
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Thanks so much for
joining us, Pastor.
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This is a beautiful church here.
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How many church
members do you have?
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Okay, wonderful.
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And it's a beautifully
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maintained
building about 20 years old.
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What sort of ministry
is this church engaged in,
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in the community?
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Wonderful.
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Now in this conference
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you have some church
planting taking place.
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Can you describe that?
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Here in Russia,
society has gone through
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many changes very quickly.
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What sort of challenges
or even obstacles do you face
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when you try to be a witness
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in the community here in Russia?
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Now you are a young
pastor, what is your background,
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why did you decide
to become a pastor?
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Now can you give me an example
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of someone whose
life has been changed
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through ministry
here in the conference?
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Well, thanks for sharing that.
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Now when you look to the future,
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what are your
hopes for the church,
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not just this church
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but the church
in the conference,
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what are your
hopes for the future?
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Well, thank you so much, Pastor,
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for sharing with us today
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and God bless
you in your ministry.
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Thank you very much.
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And viewers at home,
please pray for the church
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here in Russia.
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Pray for the city
of St. Petersburg,
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this wonderful city
full of culture and history,
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but many people who
are living their lives
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totally independent
of any reference to God.
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Please pray for ministry
here that God will continue
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to grow His kingdom.
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We'll be right
back after this break.
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