Participants:
Series Code: MTS
Program Code: MTS002304A
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00:05 A Rohingya refugee family seeks away home.
00:09 The Adventist Development and Relief Agency 00:11 distributes food in Bangladesh, 00:14 and mission work in Southern Asia, 00:15 all this and much more coming up next. 00:52 You have tuned into Mission 360. 00:54 I'm Gary Krause. 00:56 Today's program is coming to you 00:57 from Babcock University in Nigeria. 01:00 Babcock University is a very influential university, 01:04 not only here in Nigeria, 01:06 but throughout Africa 01:07 and in other parts of the world. 01:09 It began back in 1959 01:11 as the Adventist College of West Africa. 01:14 Today, it boasts more than 10,000 students, 01:18 and we'll be learning a lot more 01:19 about Babcock in this program. 01:21 But first up, let's travel to Southeast Asia 01:24 and meet a Rohingya refugee family, 01:27 struggling to find a way home. 01:34 Yasmin clutches her infant daughter Hasina to her chest 01:39 as she makes her way home. 01:41 She arrives at a makeshift shelter 01:43 made of tarpaulin 01:44 where she and her family are staying as refugees. 01:49 Yasmin belongs to a minority tribe in Myanmar 01:52 called Rohingya, 01:54 which has been targeted for their Islamic beliefs. 01:57 Early one morning in September, 2017, 02:01 Yasmin woke to the loud roar of a helicopter 02:03 circling her village in Myanmar. 02:07 The next thing she heard was machine guns 02:10 strafing the buildings. 02:12 Together with her husband, 02:14 Yasmin grabbed her four children 02:16 all under the age of five and rushed toward the sea. 02:21 The screams and gunfire faded behind them as they ran. 02:25 And by the time they reached the coast, 02:27 the only sound that remained was the lapping of the waves. 02:31 Still, the family was afraid. 02:35 Hasina then just a newborn survived those eight days 02:39 on breast milk with a piece of cloth for shade. 02:42 Finally, Yasmin and her husband decided that capture 02:46 was better than starvation. 02:49 On the morning of the ninth day, 02:50 the family fled toward Bangladesh. 02:53 After an arduous journey, 02:55 they ended up in a refugee camp called Camp Leda 02:58 in Southeast Bangladesh. 03:00 The Adventist Development and Relief Agency 03:03 or ADRA is one of several humanitarian organizations 03:07 providing basic necessities at the camp. 03:10 Although life in the refugee camp 03:12 is relatively safe, it's not always easy. 03:16 Access to latrines is limited. 03:18 Private bathing is nearly impossible to find 03:22 and schools are non-existent. 03:25 As a Rohingya refugee in Bangladesh Yasmin's options 03:28 for food are also limited. 03:31 So twice a month, she gathers her youngest child 03:34 and sets out for her allotted portion of rice, 03:37 lentils, salt, sugar, and oil. 03:45 Yasmin's husband was a successful shopkeeper 03:48 and homeowner in Myanmar before the attack. 03:51 With the income from his dry goods store 03:54 and the shelter from his two story wood house, 03:56 her husband provided for all his family's needs, 03:59 but now they have no choice, 04:01 but to accept aid and wait. 04:05 Yasmin and her family 04:06 are part at the 800,000 Rohingya refugees 04:09 living in Bangladesh, 04:11 yearning to return home to Myanmar. 04:14 Until then ADRA and other humanitarian organizations 04:18 are working to meet their needs. 04:20 Your support of ADRA, 04:22 and the mission offerings makes a tangible difference 04:25 for people like Yasmin and her family. 04:29 My guest is Pastor Matthieu, 04:31 who is the secretary of the Benin Mission. 04:33 Pastor Matthieu, thank you so much for joining us today. 04:35 Oh, happy to meet you. 04:37 Meet me again, 04:38 because I have to give a little bit of history here 04:40 because more than 20 years ago, Elder Mike Ryan, 04:43 who was then the director of Global Mission 04:45 for the General Conference and I, 04:48 who was his communication director, 04:50 traveled to West Africa. 04:52 And it was my first ever trip for Global Mission. 04:56 And when we were in Burkina Faso, 04:58 we found a very, very small church. 05:00 I'm guessing that perhaps there may have been 50 members 05:02 in the entire country. 05:04 But we were visiting global mission pioneers 05:06 who were starting new groups of believers there. 05:09 And this is where I met Pastor Matthieu. 05:12 And by, by surprise today, 05:15 I met him again here in Nigeria. 05:18 And Pastor Matthieu actually came from Togo to Burkina Faso 05:23 because he was the close culturally, I guess. 05:26 Yes. 05:27 Similar language? 05:29 Not similar. 05:30 - You had to learn? - Yeah, it's... 05:31 I learned the language there. 05:33 Yeah, so he was a Global Mission pioneer missionary 05:36 came to Burkina Faso. 05:38 Now tell me, what did you do while 05:40 you were there as a pioneer? 05:42 When I was there as pioneers, 05:45 I was sent it to a territory where there is none, 05:50 no Adventist Church no, not one Adventist. 05:55 And then we start groups, and at first at a Koudougou, 06:01 and then we went back to Yaramoko. 06:04 Yaramoko we start another new group in Gundi. 06:10 During 10 years, 06:13 I has the grace to start 12 groups in Burkina Faso. 06:18 Today, some of them has become a very big churches 06:23 with many members. 06:24 I thank God for that. 06:26 Oh, yes. 06:27 And today I was showing Pastor Matthieu, 06:29 an old photo that I have of when we visited. 06:31 And he is there praying with a group of believers 06:35 that he started. 06:36 And that was a beautiful day. 06:37 Yes, that day I was a very... 06:40 Today for me, it's a beautiful day 06:42 because it reminds me that day where we were together. 06:49 In fact, what's happened that day 06:51 is that we are starting a small group 06:56 and then we are praying, 06:58 after the message we make a call 07:02 and then we are praying for those 07:04 who accepted Jesus. 07:06 And there is a little boy who was there observing 07:10 what is happening. 07:12 And then after that little boy 07:15 decided to give himself to Jesus. 07:19 God since that time was touch, has touched this little boy. 07:23 And today he grew up. 07:25 He gave his life since that time to Jesus. 07:28 He pulls his father and his family 07:31 to come to church. 07:33 And then that small boy you and decide today 07:37 to serve God as a pastor. 07:40 He went to Cosendai at Cameroon to study 07:44 and come back to serve as a pastor. 07:47 Beautiful story. 07:48 What a blessing. 07:50 Now, Pastor Matthieu, when you went there, 07:52 what approach did you take when you moved into a new area? 07:56 What did you do to start a new group of believers? 07:59 The real method is that I used to study 08:04 the culture of that group of people and find 08:09 what can be a link that I can use to approach them 08:14 through the... 08:15 with the Bible. 08:17 So I make, I familiarize with them. 08:21 I try to find out what they use 08:26 and then for Yaramoko, for example, 08:30 I find that there is some group 08:35 of idol worshipers, [indiscernible], 08:39 and the same is in Togo and then they gathered 08:43 and then they sing and then after they sing 08:46 they make their sacrifice. 08:49 So, I think I can use that method. 08:53 So, I tried to find how can I use the same... 08:59 The Word of God to translate to there was to a song. 09:05 And then we sing and then people coming out 09:09 and then when they are out and then we preach to them, 09:13 we talk to them as Jesus, as Jesus used to do. 09:17 And we preached the gospel and they were an interest. 09:23 Is that method I used in Burkina Faso at Yaramoko. 09:27 When I went to another area 09:30 where they use to... 09:36 The young people used to drink coffee. 09:40 So, the method I use that, I gather the young people, 09:47 and then instead of use coffee, 09:50 I found something that is good for the health. 09:55 And then we gather, and we drink together. 09:58 And then when we drink, 10:00 it will be good occasion to share the gospel with them. 10:05 Thank God, it worked. 10:07 God used many... 10:10 I think that is the orientation of the Holy Spirit 10:14 by using the method of Jesus Christ, 10:17 mingling with people, have their confidence, 10:22 find something in their culture, 10:25 and then with that, it's a bridge to reach them. 10:28 That's why we use. 10:30 Beautiful. 10:31 Matthieu has just described 10:33 what Global Mission is all about 10:34 following Christ's method of ministry and finding leaks, 10:37 bridges to the culture, not, 10:39 not to become like that culture, 10:41 but to speak the language they understand. 10:43 Yeah, it's true. 10:45 So, how does it make you feel 10:46 when you know that 12 new groups 10:48 were established and that the church 10:50 has continued to grow? 10:51 How do you feel? 10:52 Very, very happy, very happy. 10:54 Then in two weeks, in one week, 10:57 I will go to Burkina Faso. 10:59 Wonderful. 11:00 Because I heard that there is a church 11:03 that we established that people today many has gone. 11:09 It's paining me full, but if I... 11:13 If I had a good news, 11:15 that the group that we established today 11:17 became a very big church. 11:19 It make me very happy. 11:21 Wonderful. 11:22 Because God sent me to... 11:26 So, and He himself 11:29 is making grow this fruit 11:33 that was sowed. 11:35 Beautiful. Wonderful. 11:36 I was very happy, very, very happy. 11:39 It made me very happy. 11:40 Pastor Matthieu, God bless you and your family 11:42 and your ministry in Benin. 11:43 Amen. 11:45 And as you also care for Burkina Faso. 11:46 Yeah, thank you. Thank you very much. 11:48 Thank you also, because I like mission work 11:53 and then I find that in you, and I was very happy for you. 11:58 Thank you very much. 11:59 And please pray for Matthieu. 12:01 Pray for the church throughout West Africa, 12:03 many challenges, but God is blessing 12:06 and new groups are being planted 12:07 and are growing to His glory. 12:09 We'll be right back after this break. |
Revised 2021-03-12