Participants:
Series Code: MTS
Program Code: MTS002506A
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00:08 A Global Mission pioneer
00:09 starts new work near Mount Ararat. 00:13 A woman decides to become a missionary 00:15 after watching Mission 360 stories 00:17 and an urban center of influence in Chile 00:20 helps a suicidal woman, 00:21 all this and much more coming up next 00:24 on Mission 360. 00:58 Hello and welcome to Mission 360. 01:00 I'm Gary Krause. 01:01 Today's program 01:03 is coming to you from Panama City, 01:05 in the country of Panama. 01:07 And this is a beautiful country covered with rainforests, 01:09 so many different varieties of wildlife, 01:11 and the church has grown astronomically here. 01:14 In fact, almost one in 50 people in Panama 01:17 is a Seventh-day Adventist. 01:19 But of course, they still face many challenges 01:21 to reach different classes of people. 01:24 And they have the challenge of the city behind me, 01:26 Panama City. 01:27 But this is a very lay directed movement 01:31 here in Panama as it is in much of inter-America. 01:34 Pastors here usually care for at least six churches 01:37 so they focus very much on training lay people 01:40 for ministry and when somebody is baptized, 01:43 they are discipled into mission. 01:45 We will be talking a lot about mission 01:47 on today's program. 01:48 First up, let's meet 01:50 a Global Mission pioneer in Armenia. 01:59 Many people believe Noah's Ark 02:00 settled on Mount Ararat after the flood 02:03 in what is modern day Turkey. 02:05 It's a beautiful sight from almost any angle. 02:08 But one of the best views of the mountain can be seen 02:10 from across the border in Armenia. 02:13 Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity 02:16 as its official religion in the year 301 AD. 02:20 Although Christianity spread here a long time ago, 02:23 Adventists in the capital city of Yerevan 02:26 have been praying for opportunities to share 02:27 a unique message with the people 02:29 of this large city. 02:32 Our main goal is to spread 02:35 the three angels' message here 02:37 during this area of Yerevan to serve people 02:42 through health ministry. 02:45 After working in this neighborhood 02:46 as a Global Mission pioneer for 2.5 years, 02:50 Vigen started this small group of believers. 02:53 This group is excited to share the Adventist message 02:56 and found that health ministry 02:58 is the best way to connect with a community. 03:01 Over the last year, 03:02 they put on small health expos featuring lifestyle seminars 03:05 like the breathing free program for people who smoke, 03:09 healthy cooking classes are a favorite 03:11 among community members. 03:13 They love learning new recipes 03:14 and tasting the food in a social setting. 03:18 Some of the members started a colporteur ministry, 03:20 knocking on people's doors. 03:22 As their group became more known in the neighborhood, 03:25 they decided to hold a series of Bible meetings 03:27 in their small rented space. 03:29 They mailed and passed out dozens of invitations 03:32 to these upcoming meetings. 03:34 But just before the day of the event, 03:36 they were kicked out of the building. 03:39 It's very difficult and expensive 03:40 to rent space in this part of the city. 03:43 So the members did the only thing 03:45 they could at that point, they prayed. 03:47 And after a few days' prayers, we find the building 03:52 in the same street, two homes after, 03:56 it was very near. 03:58 And for us, it was really unbelievable miracle 04:02 that God did. 04:04 Taking this as a sign from God, 04:06 the meetings went on as planned. 04:08 Karine received an invitation from a friend. 04:11 She was willing to try anything to fill a feeling of emptiness 04:14 she couldn't explain. 04:17 About two years ago I met Vigen. 04:20 When I heard him speaking, it touched my heart. 04:23 I began to understand the Bible, 04:26 and that empty space was filled. 04:29 Karine was baptized 04:31 and is now a very active member of the Adventist Church. 04:36 I became like a new person. 04:39 I'm more faithful to God now. 04:41 Wherever I go, I feel a peace 04:44 and a comfort that wasn't there before. 04:48 Mission work in cities like Yerevan 04:50 can be extremely difficult. 04:51 Church planting can seem like an impossible task at times. 04:55 But through prayer and God's power, 04:57 new groups of believers can start. 05:00 Global Mission pioneers like Vigen have found that 05:03 by using Christ's method of ministry, 05:06 they can break barriers that they couldn't otherwise. 05:09 To show people that we are loving them, 05:12 we are interested in them, 05:16 and we are prepared to help them 05:21 to solve their everyday problems. 05:25 And I think it's gospel is the answer 05:29 to the many problems of the people. 05:31 Thank you for supporting Global Mission 05:33 through financial contribution and prayer. 05:36 Your support is helping pioneers plant new churches 05:39 in un-entered areas around the world. 05:42 I would like to ask you to pray that 05:46 people could know believing a God 05:49 and that they could find 05:51 the rest and peace in Christ alone. 06:24 I'm standing outside a Seventh-day Adventist Church 06:27 here in Panama City in Panama, and my guest is Yuzara. 06:31 Thank you so much for joining us, Yuzara. 06:35 Can you please describe for me the neighborhood 06:37 where this church is, describe this area? 06:42 Well, we are really here 06:43 at our Mount Moriah Adventist Church, 06:46 located at the Avenue [inaudible] 06:48 Calidonia, Panama City. 06:51 We're here enjoying this wonderful plan. 06:53 It's a missionary plan that aims to bring love 06:55 through this project 06:56 that we call the missionary soup. 06:58 Our goal is to provide not only physical nourishment, 07:01 but also spiritual food. 07:03 We want to serve our neighbors. 07:05 This desire comes from the great example 07:07 that Jesus left us. 07:15 The type of people who come here are poor people. 07:19 They come here from everywhere, from a variety of places. 07:22 This spot is quite a strategic place that 07:24 the Lord has given us to work. 07:27 We hope that many people can find here the love of God. 07:37 So, Yuzara, tell me about the ministry 07:39 that you've been involved in today? 07:47 This idea came from 07:48 the Metropolitan Conference of Adventists. 07:52 Every month 2,000 soups are distributed. 07:57 Today 2,000 people of all walks of life 07:59 have received the missionary soup. 08:03 And it's a plan that we're carrying out 08:04 as a church to reach people who are in need. 08:14 Now, why are you involved in this ministry? 08:20 Well, the main reason I'm here is 08:22 because the Lord called me to work as Director of 08:24 Personal Ministries Department in the Mount Moriah Church. 08:32 Now can you tell me some experiences of some people 08:34 whose lives have been touched through this ministry? 08:42 Well, we have a lot of experiences 08:43 as we give out soup. 08:46 Brothers and sisters tell stories of people 08:48 who have heard the Word of God 08:49 as they receive the missionary soup. 08:52 We have been able to serve them this food at moments 08:54 when they had nothing else to eat. 08:57 Others who feel all alone have also been fed 08:59 with this meal to satisfy their hungry stomachs. 09:02 We've given them the opportunity 09:04 to have something warm and tasty to eat. 09:06 Through this we have shared 09:08 the love of God and His Word with them. 09:17 Yours t-shirt, what does it say in English? 09:25 This t-shirt was made by a local Adventist Conference 09:28 and was given to the brothers and sisters 09:29 who participate in this project. 09:31 It shows the logos of both personal ministries 09:34 and women's ministries. 09:40 Wonderful, now can you tell me what effect does this ministry 09:45 have on the people who are involved? 09:52 Well, it has made a huge impact. 09:57 Working here really affects the people 09:58 who are involved in this project, 10:01 because this project allows us 10:02 to live out the love of God, 10:04 to show love to street people, and to meet their needs. 10:07 Not only the need for physical food, 10:09 but also the need for spiritual food. 10:12 The Lord has called each of us to share that spiritual food 10:15 through this missionary work. 10:22 Now you provide this service on a Sunday, 10:27 what about on Sabbath? 10:31 During the week we prepare 10:32 for the coming activities in our church 10:34 and the Adventist Conference. 10:38 Every Sabbath after worship ends we provide a meal. 10:42 It serves to not only church members 10:44 but to anyone who is hungry. 10:47 Sabbath after Sabbath 10:49 we prepare for the wonderful opportunity 10:51 to share a meal with others by giving them a plate of food. 10:55 It makes a positive impact in the community on Sabbath. 10:59 On Sundays we serve the missionary soup. 11:02 But there are some churches 11:03 that only do this activity on Sabbath. 11:06 Remember, this is a conference wide project. 11:17 That's great, Yuzara. 11:18 Thank you so much for sharing with us today. 11:20 And here are some of the volunteers. 11:23 Gracias. 11:26 And viewers at home, 11:28 what a wonderful ministry 11:29 this is in the heart of the city 11:30 here in Panama, 11:32 blessing the people of the community. 11:33 We'll be right back after this break. |
Revised 2020-05-14