Participants:
Series Code: MTS
Program Code: MTS002104A
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00:08 A blind woman ministering to other blind people,
00:11 a center of influence in Germany using the arts, 00:14 and a man in the Middle East 00:15 who hated Christians, coming up next. 00:41 Hello and welcome to Mission 360. 00:43 I'm Gary Krause. 00:45 Today's program is coming to you 00:46 from the city of St. Petersburg, in Russia. 00:50 And behind me you can see the iconic church 00:52 known as the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. 00:55 And this church was actually the last church 00:58 that was constructed in Russia before the Russian Revolution. 01:03 After that, across the country, 01:05 hundreds and hundreds of churches were destroyed. 01:08 This church was only saved 01:10 because of the coming of the Second World War, 01:12 and during that war it became a morgue 01:15 where dead bodies were kept. 01:17 Well, on a more positive topic, 01:19 we'll be looking at mission around the world 01:21 as lives have been changed for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 01:24 But first up, let's travel to San Paulo, 01:26 Brazil, to meet a blind woman 01:28 who overcame the obstacles 01:30 she faced, and is now ministering 01:33 to other blind people in her community. 01:36 In Taubate, a small city 01:39 on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Brazil, 01:42 we meet a resilient woman. 01:45 Regiane is blind, but not from birth. 01:50 When a band of thieves attempted robbery, 01:52 she was caught in the middle of a tense situation 01:55 and shot in the head. 01:58 From that day forward, 02:00 Regiane's life changed completely. 02:03 After the incident, 02:04 she determined to adapt her lifestyle 02:06 to her new reality. 02:08 Now, Regiane is able to use a computer, 02:11 type text, and update a calendar. 02:15 But adapting her everyday tasks to her blindness 02:18 is only a small part of the skill she has learned. 02:22 More important than acquiring these skills is the ministry 02:25 she developed because of her blindness. 02:28 Now Regiane reaches out to others 02:31 who are also visually impaired. 02:33 Being blind doesn't prevent her 02:35 from showing Jesus' 02:36 love to those who don't see Him. 02:43 On this Sabbath 02:45 at the Adventist Church in Taubate, 02:47 Regiane preaches to her guests. 02:50 This is one of her favorite activities. 02:53 Her guests love to hear her stories, 02:55 especially those about children. 02:58 So today, Regiane also conducts a children's choir. 03:02 She has tactfully chosen 03:03 these activities to accomplish her mission. 03:06 Through the Real Vision Project, 03:09 Regiane participated 03:10 in building a space for the blind. 03:13 Here people can join a Bible study group 03:15 for the blind in a friendly and accommodating environment. 03:19 The visually impaired people 03:21 of this community feel connected 03:24 and are thankful to participate 03:25 in events suited to fit their needs. 03:30 We begin by giving praises through songs and prayer. 03:37 We always invite guest speakers 03:40 to talk about topics of interest 03:42 with a spiritual focus. 03:46 We also get together 03:48 for refreshments after the meetings. 03:53 It's a privilege for me to know that 03:55 despite our limitation and weakness, 03:58 God can use me in this ministry with this group. 04:01 He can empower and work through us. 04:04 This is a privilege He has given us. 04:08 We started with approximately five to seven people. 04:13 One of the joys of this work 04:15 is that today we have 30 people coming 04:18 to our meetings with some 40 people 04:21 having already come through our center. 04:27 Today we cherish a spirit. 04:30 I can speak for myself, a spirit of love, 04:34 affection, and friendship toward each other. 04:38 And our focus is always God centered. 04:42 I thought I couldn't do anything at all, 04:44 but then I saw I was wrong. 04:47 And now I see that 04:49 my disability shouldn't prevent me 04:50 from doing things. 04:53 I grow more and more as I trust in God. 04:57 He is a priority in my life. 05:01 I am only involved in this ministry 05:04 because I have become visually impaired. 05:07 Now my ministry in this world 05:10 is to influence blind people with the message of the gospel. 05:15 It's my joy and privilege to be 05:17 used by God to do this work. 05:21 At Real Vision, 05:22 the visually impaired accept Jesus 05:25 as their personal Savior. 05:26 They become disciples 05:28 who actively invest their time and talents for mission. 05:31 They are waiting 05:32 for the great day Isaiah described 05:34 when he wrote, 05:36 "The eyes of the blind shall be opened 05:38 and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped." 05:42 Please pray for total member involvement. 05:46 It's only when we all take part in mission 05:49 that the gospel message will reach the entire world. 05:55 My guest is Pastor Evgeny, 05:57 who is the pastor of the Central 06:01 St. Petersburg Church here in the Russian Federation, 06:04 and he's also the Adventist Mission 06:05 coordinator for the Northwest Conference. 06:08 Thanks so much for joining us, Pastor. 06:10 This is a beautiful church here. 06:12 How many church members do you have? 06:18 Okay, wonderful. 06:19 And it's a beautifully 06:21 maintained building about 20 years old. 06:23 What sort of ministry is this church engaged in, 06:28 in the community? 07:10 Wonderful. 07:11 Now in this conference 07:14 you have some church planting taking place. 07:17 Can you describe that? 08:00 Here in Russia, society has gone through 08:04 many changes very quickly. 08:07 What sort of challenges or even obstacles do you face 08:11 when you try to be a witness 08:13 in the community here in Russia? 09:17 Now you are a young pastor, what is your background, 09:21 why did you decide to become a pastor? 09:55 Now can you give me an example 09:57 of someone whose life has been changed 10:00 through ministry here in the conference? 11:27 Well, thanks for sharing that. 11:29 Now when you look to the future, 11:31 what are your hopes for the church, 11:34 not just this church 11:35 but the church in the conference, 11:37 what are your hopes for the future? 12:38 Well, thank you so much, Pastor, 12:39 for sharing with us today 12:40 and God bless you in your ministry. 12:42 Thank you very much. 12:43 And viewers at home, please pray for the church 12:46 here in Russia. 12:47 Pray for the city of St. Petersburg, 12:49 this wonderful city full of culture and history, 12:53 but many people who are living their lives 12:56 totally independent of any reference to God. 12:58 Please pray for ministry here that God will continue 13:01 to grow His kingdom. 13:03 We'll be right back after this break. |
Revised 2020-07-23