Participants:
Series Code: MTS
Program Code: MTS002502A
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00:07 A climbing gym helps connect people
00:10 to the church in Thailand. 00:12 A 10k run helps plant a church in Ecuador 00:15 and a unique church in Spain. 00:18 All of this and much more coming up next. 00:52 Hello and welcome to Mission 360°. 00:54 I'm Gary Krause. 00:55 Today's program is coming to you 00:57 from the city of Chicago in the United States, 01:00 and it was right here back in the late 1800s 01:03 that the Chicago Medical Mission 01:05 was established. 01:07 The story goes that Dr. John Harvey Kellogg 01:09 came down from Battle Creek, 01:11 spoke to the police chief 01:12 and said please take me to the dirtiest, 01:14 most wicked part of the city. 01:16 And that's where he established the mission, 01:19 and it had all sorts of activities 01:21 to help the poor, the needy, alcoholics, prostitutes, 01:25 the unemployed, the homeless, and they did a wonderful work. 01:28 But Ellen White became increasingly concerned 01:31 in the way that it was advocating medical mission 01:34 above normal mission, 01:36 the way that it was downplaying 01:37 the name Seventh-day Adventist, the way that it was putting 01:41 all the resources into one place. 01:44 And so eventually this wonderful ministry folded, 01:48 but the ministry of centers of influence 01:50 still has life. 01:51 And Ellen White constantly talked about the need 01:54 to have various types of small centers in urban areas 01:58 to serve as a spring board 02:00 for putting Christ's method of ministry into practice. 02:03 And we'll be looking at all types of mission 02:05 on today's program. 02:06 The first stop, let's travel to Quito in Ecuador. 02:12 In Quito, Ecuador's capital city, 02:14 a 10 kilometer race 02:16 was just what a group of young Adventists needed 02:18 to help them plant a church. 02:22 The idea came from a small group of youth. 02:24 We used to gather together here in my living room, 02:27 and we used to say, 02:29 besides just being together 02:30 and learning from each other's experiences, 02:33 we need to do something else. 02:37 They decided they were going to plant a church 02:39 in an unentered part of the city. 02:41 This is a small valley, 02:43 but we have a couple of churches. 02:46 And this neighborhood was isolated. 02:50 So we decided that this neighborhood 02:52 that is it's alone, they need their own church. 02:57 We knocked on doors and asked, 02:58 "Do you want to study the Bible?" 03:00 It was a bad idea. 03:01 The people responded, "No, we don't even know you. 03:04 Who are you? What do you want?" 03:06 So we got together again, 03:08 and we plan how we could reach the people. 03:11 And we start asking the community 03:12 about their needs. 03:14 And we found a lot of problems. 03:18 One of the most important necessities was health. 03:22 So we plan to have a free consultations, 03:24 lab test and a health fair. 03:29 After much planning, 03:31 the group calculated the cost of a health fair 03:33 and found it would be about $3000 USD, 03:36 but the group of young people and students 03:38 couldn't afford to contribute that much. 03:41 Every Wednesday they went jogging together 03:43 as a group activity. 03:44 As they prepared for the weekly jog, 03:46 someone came up with the idea to use their activity 03:49 as a way to raise funds. 03:52 They began organizing a 10 kilometer race 03:54 where people can register and pay a small fee to enter. 03:58 Any earnings from the race 03:59 could go towards the cost of the health fair. 04:02 We started like just young people making plans. 04:06 And we started like, you are going to do this, 04:08 you're going to do this and I felt like 04:12 I was doing something big for Jesus. 04:15 I took that as a big responsibility. 04:18 I thought that is a good, is a big job, 04:20 it's a great opportunity to do something useful 04:23 for the Lord. 04:25 We have never done any race like this before. 04:27 We didn't even know where to start. 04:30 Well, we decided to do it and set a date in one month. 04:34 I don't know how God helped us through this, 04:36 because the permits to close the streets, 04:38 many times you need a year to get permission, 04:41 but we did it. 04:50 As a result of the race, 04:52 they raised the money to conduct a health fair 04:54 and start their church plants. 04:56 And they also kept contact 04:57 with many of the race participants. 04:59 Each participant received a book 05:01 included in their registration called the Power of Hope. 05:05 These events opened doors to the community. 05:07 And they studied the Bible 05:09 with anyone who showed interest. 05:11 They found a building to rent for church 05:13 and were finally ready to open their own doors. 05:16 And we opened the first Sabbath. 05:18 And it was only us, 05:19 but we continued with the Bible studies, 05:22 and we began seeing people come little by little. 05:25 Noemi and Miguel own a bakery next to the church. 05:28 Sometimes during the week, people from the church 05:30 went to buy things from their store, 05:32 and one day Noemi asked them about the church. 05:35 She was invited to study the Bible with them 05:37 the next Sabbath. 05:39 As her faith grew, 05:40 she prayed that Miguel would go to church with her, 05:43 but he showed no interest. 05:45 After a few months as a birthday gift, 05:47 he agreed to join her for one Sabbath only. 05:52 My first impression was that I didn't know anybody, 05:55 but everybody knew me. 05:57 They called me by name and said, "Miguel, welcome." 06:01 I felt an immense love. 06:03 Miguel wanted to learn more. 06:05 So he and Noemi 06:07 asked for Bible studies at home. 06:08 Eventually they gave their hearts to Jesus 06:11 and were baptized. 06:12 Their bakery is now closed on Saturdays. 06:15 But business has doubled on Sundays. 06:17 It's a radical change. 06:19 When we were not baptized, 06:21 when we didn't know the church, 06:22 we had a lot of problems. Now it's different. 06:25 We studied together, go to church together, 06:28 sing, and pray to God. 06:31 Miguel and Noemi's family is just one example 06:34 of those who have come to know the love of Jesus, 06:37 and they're excited to share what they've learned. 06:39 In my house we have a small group 06:42 that meets once a week. 06:43 Our goal as a family is to share God's Word 06:45 with other families 06:47 so they can know God as we know Him. 06:50 About 10 people have been baptized as a result, 06:53 and now Global Mission is helping 06:55 this new church plant in this major city. 07:00 Church members pray that their efforts 07:02 through total member involvement 07:04 will continue to spread God's love 07:06 throughout the community. 07:09 The dream is that this church can grow 07:11 and we can all see each other in heaven. 07:14 I feel satisfied with my work in here, 07:17 I feel very grateful with God 07:20 because I see how I can make a difference in this place, 07:24 but I can serve Him. 07:27 It feels good to serve Jesus. 07:30 Please pray for mission to the cities 07:32 which focuses on reaching people 07:34 in the largest cities in the world. 07:37 Thank you for your support 07:38 of Global Mission church planting projects 07:40 in urban areas like Quito. 07:46 My guest is Dr. Manuel Alva 07:48 who is here at a Center of influence 07:51 in the suburbs of Chicago. 07:52 Dr. Alva, thanks so much for joining us. 07:55 Now this is quite a Center. 07:56 Can you describe where we are and what this is? 07:59 Yes, right now we're on the middle 08:01 of the Adventist Community Services thrift store. 08:05 Yes. It's called Treasure Hunt. 08:08 Jesus is our best treasure and the Word of God 08:10 is but to people outside, 08:12 they can come here and find bargains. 08:15 Good quality clothing 08:17 and home utensils at a cheap price, 08:21 they got a friendly staff and something to read, 08:25 something to take home and read. 08:26 And they want to know why is this closed on Sabbath 08:28 since it's the day of most activity? 08:31 And we let them know why. 08:33 They get invited to come to church meetings, 08:36 and the potlucks that we have here every Sabbath. 08:38 Right. 08:40 So we're in a thrift store here, 08:42 which is like the store-front but as we go through here, 08:44 the Center has many different aspects. 08:47 So let's go and have a look through here. 08:50 So this is on a very busy road here. 08:52 That's old route 66. 08:54 The one that run from Chicago to here. 08:55 Yes, yes, yes. 08:57 And so we come through here and now we're into the clinic. 09:00 Yes. 09:01 So this connects, 09:03 the two are connected in so far 09:04 as you have the same vision, you have the same purpose. 09:09 Now describe this clinic to me. 09:11 Well, you came here because other doctors sent you. 09:14 You usually a member of the Hispanic community 09:17 around here 09:18 and you come to check your insides, 09:22 your stomach or your bowels. 09:23 We don't do that here, we just interview them here. 09:26 Yes. 09:27 And we do 09:28 a lot of a big component of health education. 09:32 If you know that a lot of people 09:34 in our community, 09:35 especially Hispanics in this country 09:37 have fatty liver cirrhosis, high cholesterol, diabetes, 09:42 high blood pressure. 09:44 So by just coming 09:46 and being interviewed for a colonoscopy, 09:49 we avoid these problems and we just tell them, 09:52 "Do you want to change your health or not?" 09:54 Many respond to the challenge. 09:55 They come to listen to the health lectures 09:58 or to the cooking classes, 10:00 or when they have a severe illness 10:04 is when they remember and then they come. 10:06 So it's just a matter of patience then? 10:08 Reminding them that their solution 10:10 for their daily health problems. 10:11 Yes. 10:13 Now, Doctor, you're a gastroenterologist. 10:17 What gets you involved in the Center of influence? 10:19 Why aren't you just off to the hospital 10:21 somewhere making a lot of money? 10:23 Well, I will just want everyone in this neighborhood, 10:26 in this community to meet Jesus 10:29 and to have enjoy better health. 10:33 To be rid of all this malaise, and fatigue, and illnesses 10:38 are attacking our community rampantly. 10:41 I was sick myself. 10:43 I know how it feels to be sick with high cholesterol, 10:47 high blood pressure, and depression, and asthma. 10:50 And thank God by applying 10:51 the easy principles of health, I'm a different person. 10:56 And I have to recognize every day 10:57 and I like to share one or two, 11:00 and I get lot of patients that come here 11:02 and thank God they're responding. 11:05 Fantastic. 11:06 So you have a clinic here, 11:07 we have treatment rooms around those corner. 11:09 And is at the evening 11:11 that you have like your seminars 11:13 and your cooking demonstrations? 11:14 Yes, in the weekends, 11:16 and some evenings we have demonstrations here 11:19 in the auditorium. 11:20 Okay, let's move in here. Look at this. 11:22 After you, Doctor. This is the auditorium. 11:25 Yeah. 11:26 So we have the thrift store, 11:28 Adventist Community Services, 11:29 we have the clinic with all the seminars, 11:32 everything that are connected, 11:33 and this is the auditorium. 11:35 What happens here? 11:36 Here we have lectures, 11:38 we have a screen for audio visual, 11:39 and we have a sound. 11:42 It's usually better at night 11:43 when there's not a lot of light. 11:44 So we conduct held lectures here. 11:48 There's a group that meets weekly here 11:50 called Neurotics Anonymous. 11:51 Neurotics Anonymous? Neurotics Anonymous. 11:54 There is like Alcoholics Anonymous, 11:55 but for people with depression, anxiety. 11:59 The most common things 12:00 that affect neighborhoods here. 12:02 And they can come and share their histories 12:04 and learn about these 12 steps 12:08 which are really biblical steps. 12:10 How you recognize your problem, 12:12 recognize that you can't do anything about it, 12:15 recognize that there's a higher power 12:17 ready to help you. 12:18 And then you ask this higher power, 12:20 please help me. 12:22 And then He helps you recognizing your failures, 12:26 more than what you thought originally. 12:29 You can ask for forgiveness to people you have offended. 12:32 And you learn in humility to live with other people 12:34 and participating in that because all of us 12:36 are not immune to anxieties and stresses of modern life. 12:41 So it's becoming a great help. 12:43 Wonderful. 12:44 And on Sabbaths you have a worshipping group 12:46 here at church plant. 12:48 Yes. Fantastic. 12:49 Yes, about 30 or 40 people that mean we have more chairs 12:52 inside utilize right now for the clinic. 12:55 So yeah, we have a wonderful time 12:57 and we surely have every Sabbath since we started, 13:00 we have a potluck. 13:02 And it's a healthy potluck. That's good. 13:06 No one has gotten sick, thank God. 13:08 Come here and we get healthy food 13:10 that actually heals your gastritis, 13:13 dilates your blood vessels, 13:15 your blood pressure goes down. 13:17 So it's a good advertisement for our patients that come. 13:21 Or people walk through the store 13:23 that obviously have health problems. 13:25 They're invited to come and just give it a try. 13:28 Many do. 13:29 Some of them never come back. 13:31 But the seed is planted. 13:33 And we know that very soon that seed is going to germinate 13:35 and give fruit for the glory of God. 13:36 Terrific. 13:38 Speaking of which, 13:39 can you tell me a story of someone 13:40 whose life has been changed by coming here? 13:43 Yes, I wish she was here. 13:44 Angelica is the manager of our store right now. 13:47 She had health problems, came to the clinic. 13:52 She realized that there was more 13:53 in the clinic than just health. 13:57 Our chaplain, pastor at that time 13:59 got interested in her and visited her home, 14:01 discovered that she was related 14:03 to Seventh-day Adventist people. 14:05 He started studying the Bible with her. 14:08 She was baptized. 14:09 And then she wanted to serve in some capacity. 14:14 We asked people that come in, what are you good for? 14:17 What is your experience? 14:18 She said, "Well, I have managed a store before." 14:21 We needed someone like that. 14:23 So she's the manager of the store, 14:25 and she's in fire for Christ 14:27 and she will tell everyone that works there. 14:29 You know, give her, give them a pamphlet, 14:31 tell them that they're welcome to come in on the Sabbath 14:33 and enjoy the fellowship and the meal. 14:35 Especially if you're alone in this community, 14:37 if you have no one to look after you, 14:39 no relatives, no friends, here's a place. 14:41 Fantastic. 14:43 Thank you so much for what you're doing here. 14:45 Appreciate what you're doing and may God bless you. 14:48 And viewers at home, 14:49 please pray for this Center of influence. 14:52 Please pray for Dr. Manuel and his wife Dr. Esther 14:55 who is working here as well and the whole team 14:57 as they make a difference 14:58 as they put Christ method of ministry 15:00 into practice right here in this neighborhood. 15:02 We'll be right back after this break. |
Revised 2020-04-29