Putting kids first in
the country of Andorra,
00:00:06.50\00:00:09.17
expanding a
missionary school in Romania,
00:00:09.20\00:00:11.94
and a delicious recipe
from the Mission 360 Kitchen,
00:00:11.97\00:00:14.88
all this and much
more 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 from San Jose,
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the capital and the largest city
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in Costa Rica.
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When you think of Costa Rica,
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you may think of
postcard beaches,
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exotic wildlife,
beautiful birds, jungles.
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And if you'd think
that you'd be correct,
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because this is a place
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that takes its nature seriously,
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and tourists come
from all over the world
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to enjoy the
beauty of Costa Rica.
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On today's program,
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we're going to be
looking at mission right here
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in this country.
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But first up, let's travel
to the country of Andorra,
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which is sandwiched
between Spain and France.
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I have eight sons
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who would soon have
to enlist in the army
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and face serious
Sabbath challenges.
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To protect my sons
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I moved here as a
literature evangelist.
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Forty years ago,
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Juan Amigo was sent to
Andorra to work as a colporteur
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and to plant
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the first Adventist congregation
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in the nation.
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Andorra is a speck on the map,
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sandwiched
between France and Spain.
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It lies in the valleys
of a mountainous region
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where millions of tourists come
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for exciting sports
activities every year.
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This country
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was one of the last
un-entered territories
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of the inter-European division.
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At that time,
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Juan and his family
were the only Adventists
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in the country.
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Today, five of his
sons remain in Andorra
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and have leadership roles
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in the only
Adventist congregation there.
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Our church is a bit
different than other countries.
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Actually, in Andorra
there's no church registration,
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so we cannot exist as a church.
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So we created
ourselves us an association.
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And this is a way
that we can operate
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in this country.
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We are a small group,
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we have 25 members
of whom 14 are children.
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For several years
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we did many
evangelistic campaigns
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without many results.
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We decided to stop to
pray until God showed us
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where we should
focus our efforts.
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Now we are focusing our
efforts on our children,
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and our children's
friends, and our friends too.
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Putting kids first
has reshaped the style
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and flow of this
church's worship.
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On Friday evenings,
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adult members meet at
the church for vespers
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and study the Sabbath
School quarterly lesson
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ahead of schedule.
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This allows
extra time for the kids
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during regular
Sabbath morning activities.
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The study is a great way
to enter the Sabbath day.
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You know in church
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we're not used
to put kids first.
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We don't give them a
place in front, in the stage,
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for example,
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many times maybe
only once a trimester,
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so we started
focusing to do activities
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as the
pathfinders for our church,
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for our kids.
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That's actually
what every church does,
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but we also created this
place Saturday morning for them,
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where they have kind
of a sermon for kids,
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they have some activity for kids
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and also for the grownups,
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so we can interact them
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and ask and we can
learn from the kids
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and the kids can learn from us.
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This week's teacher
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presents a
message from the Bible.
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She brings visual illustrations
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and a kid friendly sermon
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that is also
enjoyable for adults.
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Afterward, the
children break into classes
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to study their quarterly lesson.
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Then the adults
enjoy a special message
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in the main hall.
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Once a month,
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a delicious potluck is served
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with a lot of
international dishes
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and flavors.
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This is a great opportunity
to grow relationships
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and nourish the body.
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The children of this church
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are catered to in a special way.
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They are put first
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because this group
wants them to take leadership
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and ownership of church life.
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They are the future
of this congregation.
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And through them
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friends and parents are
invited to many fun activities.
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Please pray
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for Adventist
children around the world
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who will lead God's
Church in the coming days.
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And thank you for your
support of the mission offering
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which helped start this church.
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My guests are two church members
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here in Costa Rica,
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Toshiro and Kathia.
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Thank you so
much for joining us.
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Toshiro, tell me,
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how did you
first become interested
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in communicating to the deaf?
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That's an interesting question.
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Well, I began many years ago,
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I was interested
to know more deeply
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the deaf culture.
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I wondered how we could
mix and mingle with them.
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I knew that I wanted
to learn sign language,
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I found it rather interesting.
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And I didn't
know God's plan for me
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but certainly,
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I could use my
hands in His service.
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So I began to invest
myself in learning to sign.
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I learned to make
contact with the deaf,
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to get to know them better.
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Now, I'm interested in
mixing more with the deaf.
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That's why I am
interested in learning more
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and developing my skills
in sign language for the deaf.
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Okay, now, Kathia,
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you the first
Seventh-day Adventist
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deaf person in this country.
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How did you first learn
about Seventh-day Adventist?
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Well, when I first came
to the Adventist Church,
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I didn't know anything about it.
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Toshiro saw me there
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that first time
and invited me in.
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I felt strange
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coming into the
Adventist Church.
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That was my very first time.
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The place was full
of welcoming people
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on this Sabbath
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and I wondered and questioned
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about meeting on Saturday.
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Where did the Bible say
anything about the Sabbath?
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I had never seen that.
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I visited the Adventists
on four consecutive Sabbaths,
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there I learned a
lot and found answers.
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Then I invited some other
deaf to come to church with me.
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So, Kathia, what
are some of the ways
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that you are sharing your faith?
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Sometimes people
from the deaf community
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have never heard
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about the
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
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so they visit the church,
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and they arrive there
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with lots of
questions and curiosity.
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I invite them in groups
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and explain to
them the scriptures
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in how I understand them.
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Sometimes, the deaf guests
do not understand the text.
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So I translated it
into sign language,
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and the teachings become clear.
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Some of the concepts,
they have never heard before.
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But we grow together
slowly, in our understanding.
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Wonderful.
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Toshiro,
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what are some of the
challenges that deaf people face
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in becoming
members of the church?
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Well, the greatest
challenge for the deaf community
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is that they
don't have interpreters.
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There aren't
interpreters in our churches
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to translate the
message into sign language.
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I think
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that the greatest
obstacle for the deaf community
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is the lack of translation
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and
interpretation in our churches.
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They need people
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who have the patience to
explain the Bible to them.
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The patience to introduce
them to a new world of ideas,
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that is found
in the Word of God.
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The deaf also suffer
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because of their
lack of knowledge
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about who God is
and who Jesus is.
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Our goal for the deaf people
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is to communicate
clearly through sign language,
00:09:26.90\00:09:30.33
and to help them to
understand who Jesus is.
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So, Toshiro,
what are your hopes,
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your dreams, your plans
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for deaf ministry
here in Costa Rica?
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Oh, what a good question.
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As I said
earlier, for many years,
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I wanted to know more
about the deaf culture.
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But now that I participate
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in the
Seventh-day Adventist Church
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with deaf members,
one of my greatest dreams,
00:10:00.40\00:10:03.87
and sometimes
00:10:03.90\00:10:05.23
I can even stop
thinking about this.
00:10:05.27\00:10:07.64
It's to be able
to start a church
00:10:07.67\00:10:10.17
for deaf
Adventists in Costa Rica.
00:10:10.21\00:10:13.51
Why?
00:10:13.54\00:10:14.88
Because they need to know
what the Bible really teaches,
00:10:14.91\00:10:18.21
especially what it
teaches about the Sabbath.
00:10:18.25\00:10:21.32
Many deaf don't
know about the Sabbath.
00:10:21.35\00:10:24.02
For generations, many
Christians used to worship
00:10:24.05\00:10:26.25
on Sunday.
00:10:26.29\00:10:27.66
But now, through interpretation,
00:10:27.69\00:10:30.06
they can learn so much,
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especially if
they come to a place
00:10:32.19\00:10:34.06
that is prepared
for the deaf community,
00:10:34.10\00:10:37.47
a place for them
to come and learn,
00:10:37.50\00:10:40.10
a place for them
to share experiences.
00:10:40.14\00:10:43.30
We want to start a congregation
00:10:43.34\00:10:45.47
that caters to the death
in the country of Costa Rica.
00:10:45.51\00:10:51.08
Thank you.
00:10:51.11\00:10:52.45
Kathia, for viewers
watching this program,
00:10:52.48\00:10:55.65
what advice would you give them
00:10:55.68\00:10:58.35
on how they can
best relate to people
00:10:58.39\00:11:01.12
in the deaf community?
00:11:01.16\00:11:02.49
How do they build bridges?
00:11:02.52\00:11:03.86
How do they make friendship
00:11:03.89\00:11:05.23
when they don't
understand the same language?
00:11:05.26\00:11:06.59
Kathia says,
00:11:12.17\00:11:13.60
"Well, I would suggest
00:11:13.64\00:11:15.14
to people
interested in engaging the deaf
00:11:15.17\00:11:17.87
to let us know
through some signs
00:11:17.91\00:11:19.64
like waving their hands.
00:11:19.67\00:11:22.34
This would let
the deaf person know
00:11:22.38\00:11:24.38
that they're interested
in some form of engagement."
00:11:24.41\00:11:27.85
Kathia,
00:11:27.88\00:11:29.22
also what would you suggest
00:11:29.25\00:11:31.02
that people do
to make new friends?
00:11:31.05\00:11:35.96
I would invite people to come
00:11:35.99\00:11:37.63
and to get to
know a deaf person.
00:11:37.66\00:11:40.00
Let us know their
names and learn ours.
00:11:40.03\00:11:44.63
The deaf are often
willing to teach some signs,
00:11:44.67\00:11:47.77
and if one is ready to learn,
00:11:47.80\00:11:49.84
this can become a
beautiful friendship.
00:11:49.87\00:11:52.21
The simple steps
00:11:52.24\00:11:53.58
would enable us to
slowly grow a friendship.
00:11:53.61\00:11:56.11
Gracias.
00:11:59.41\00:12:00.75
Toshiro,
00:12:00.78\00:12:02.12
when you were
able to lead Kathia
00:12:02.15\00:12:05.22
to become a
Seventh-day Adventist,
00:12:05.25\00:12:06.89
how did that make you feel?
00:12:06.92\00:12:11.06
You have another
interesting question.
00:12:11.09\00:12:13.60
When Kathia came
to my Adventist Church
00:12:13.63\00:12:15.96
for the first time,
00:12:16.00\00:12:17.40
I stood next to her
00:12:17.43\00:12:18.77
to interpret the
sermon to sign language.
00:12:18.80\00:12:21.47
I felt strange.
00:12:21.50\00:12:22.94
I felt like God's Spirit
was speaking to me saying,
00:12:22.97\00:12:25.87
"Now I have given you
a great responsibility
00:12:25.91\00:12:29.44
to interpret for a deaf person."
00:12:29.48\00:12:32.21
I feel I have to
share all that talent
00:12:32.25\00:12:34.15
that God has given me.
00:12:34.18\00:12:36.05
I have to share the Word of
God to all the deaf community.
00:12:36.08\00:12:39.99
But each time I
begin to think in signs,
00:12:40.02\00:12:42.99
whether I'm at
home or at the church,
00:12:43.02\00:12:45.59
when there's
something I can't translate,
00:12:45.63\00:12:47.90
it makes me want
to get more involved
00:12:47.93\00:12:49.76
with the deaf
00:12:49.80\00:12:51.13
to be able to carry this
important message to them.
00:12:51.17\00:12:55.14
It is my goal to share
the Word of God with the deaf.
00:12:55.17\00:12:59.31
There are times when
I only think in LESCO,
00:12:59.34\00:13:02.18
which is the Costa
Rican sign language.
00:13:02.21\00:13:05.58
I desire to be
among the deaf community.
00:13:05.61\00:13:08.68
My goal is to
carry this gospel message
00:13:08.72\00:13:11.19
to the beautiful deaf
community here in Costa Rica.
00:13:11.22\00:13:14.26
Thank you so much for
sharing with us today.
00:13:19.93\00:13:22.10
Thank you, Kathia.
00:13:22.13\00:13:24.10
Viewers at home please
pray for this special ministry
00:13:24.13\00:13:26.43
not just here in Costa
Rica, but around the world.
00:13:26.47\00:13:29.04
Many, many people
00:13:29.07\00:13:30.41
who sometimes
slip past our notice
00:13:30.44\00:13:33.17
who God loves so much.
00:13:33.21\00:13:34.54
We'll be right
back after this break.
00:13:34.58\00:13:36.44