Meeting needs in
a refugee committee,
00:00:06.77\00:00:09.00
the story of a grandfather
killed by Joseph Stalin,
00:00:09.04\00:00:12.74
and your 13th Sabbath
Offerings making a difference
00:00:12.77\00:00:15.38
at a University in Madagascar.
00:00:15.41\00:00:17.51
All this and much
more coming up next.
00:00:17.55\00:00:19.85
Hello, and
welcome to Mission 360°.
00:00:51.48\00:00:53.35
I'm Gary Krause.
00:00:53.38\00:00:54.88
Today's program is coming to you
00:00:54.92\00:00:56.42
from the campus
of Andrews University
00:00:56.45\00:00:58.62
in Michigan in
the United States.
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And behind me here
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you can see a
sculpture of J. N. Andrews,
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after whom the
university is named.
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He's pictured here
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with his
children Charles and Mary.
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Mary was 12 years
of age, Charles 16.
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And they're at Boston Harbor
leaving as the first official
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Seventh-day Adventist
missionaries to go overseas.
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Just two years
earlier, the family had tragedy
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when Evangeline,
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John Andrews'
wife had died of TB.
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They went to Switzerland
and four years later,
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Mary succumbed
to the same disease.
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Heartbroken J.N.
Andrews continued to serve,
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but a few years later,
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he himself died of tuberculosis.
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Sacrifice for mission,
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the first official
missionaries to die in service.
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He was a
tremendously capable man.
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He was the General
Conference President.
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He was a writer.
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He was an academic,
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and reportedly
he could reproduce
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the entire New
Testament by memory.
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What a wonderful
example he is to us today.
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On today's program,
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we'll be looking at
mission around the world.
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But first up, let's
travel to the state of Georgia
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here in the United States,
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to what is reputed to
be the most diverse mile
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in the country.
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I came from Burma,
now called Myanmar.
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We knew that it
was a dangerous journey
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because the
government don't want people
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to leave the country.
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In the border
between Thailand and Myanmar,
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we were caught by the soldiers
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while we were crossing a river,
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and they were holding
guns and they told my mom
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and the other adults on the boat
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to get out of the boat
and they were pointing guns.
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The soldiers were saying
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that their duty is
to protect the border,
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so they can't let anyone escape,
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but then when they saw
me, my brother, and my sister
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we were the only kids out.
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We were young,
and we were small.
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And when they saw us,
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they let us go
through pass by and they said
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that if we can cross the river
before anyone else sees them,
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then they will let us go.
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So I think God
really answered our prayer.
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So when I started to hear
about the refugee stories,
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and the trials
and the tribulations
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that these little
kids went through,
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and it really put
a burden on my heart.
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The first time I
went to Clarkston
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and I heard their stories
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about trying to
run in the jungle
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and, you know,
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escaping from
different types of soldiers
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that was trying to kill them
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and the things that they witness
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to their own family members
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and how they saw
their houses burned down
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and how they just
lived on their feet
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and in the jungle and
in the wild basically,
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no houses or anything.
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The burden on my
heart was so great.
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I couldn't sleep
for like three nights
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when I saw a lot of our
kids that I went and I met
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were sleeping on the floor
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and there was rats and roaches
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and they didn't have a
lot of food in their pantry.
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I felt like, you
know, I'm only one person
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but I just pray to God
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and ask Him that He
would open the doors
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and as long as He opened
them, I would walk through them.
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You're like your daddy.
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Daddy, he is like his daddy.
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Yeah, he does.
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Gosh, he got so big.
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Doesn't he have
any need more clothes?
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Yeah.
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Here in Clarkston, Georgia,
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the diversity is amazing
for our refugee population.
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Time Magazine calls it the
most diversified square mile
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in the United States.
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Here we have 60 different
countries representative
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and with 120
different languages spoken here.
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Clarkston is an
area that was a army base
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during the Second World War.
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After the war was over,
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of course, there was no
need for the facilities there.
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But as the years went by,
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the UN in conjunction
with the US State Department
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decided that it
would be an ideal location
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to relocate
refugees from overseas
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because there was cheap housing,
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all be at rundown available
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and there was also
public transportation available.
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So the living
conditions here in Clarkston
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are really, really hard
for a lot of the families.
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They come here
and as you can see,
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sometimes we
forget that we're even
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in the United States, in America
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because there's trash
everywhere in the community.
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For example, here,
there was a fire here,
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and this has been
over eight months ago
00:06:03.43\00:06:05.16
and the building's still here.
00:06:05.19\00:06:07.20
For me, like, I wouldn't want
my little kid playing near that
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because if it falls down,
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obviously,
someone's gonna get hurt.
00:06:11.97\00:06:13.77
But the refugee
people, they're people,
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they don't feel like they
have a lot of entitlement.
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When you're not born in a place,
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then you're not gonna speak up,
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and they tend to
get taken advantage
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of really, really easily.
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So here you find
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that the refugees
tolerate a lot of stuff
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because they're just
thankful for being here.
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He's a good
great granddaddy at me.
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This is where a lot of the gangs
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and the drugs come into play
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because if you got
some abandoned buildings,
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they'll come in
and they'll sell drugs
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out of that building.
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And so we try to keep it clean
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'cause a lot of
our kids actually live,
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you know, here
and across the street,
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and we don't want
them to be involved
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because we want to
keep them as safe as we can.
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To relieve a
lot of the pressures
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that the refugee families
face when they enter America,
00:07:03.32\00:07:06.19
we gather furniture so
they don't have to sleep
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on the floor, mattresses,
we get rice and beans,
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some just basic
necessities that they have.
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So they feel
comfortable when they come here.
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Then we try to go
and spend time with them
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and get to know them.
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And then after they
stay approximately a year
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in an international school
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and learn a
little bit of English,
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then we will look at taking them
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and trying to sponsor them
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for education
in a private school
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so that way they have
a really good foundation.
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I'm on the campus
of Andrews University.
00:07:43.09\00:07:45.49
And my guest is
Dr. Andrew Tompkins
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who is the Assistant
Professor of World Mission
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in the
department of World Mission.
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So close enough. Close enough.
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Yeah.
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Andrew, you are
the newest staff member
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I guess faculty
member in this department.
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Why does the department
of World Mission exist?
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Well, there are a
wide variety of reasons,
00:08:03.38\00:08:05.15
but I think as a church,
00:08:05.18\00:08:06.68
we recognize that reflection
on mission is many times
00:08:06.72\00:08:11.15
as important as the
actual doing of mission
00:08:11.19\00:08:13.89
because over time,
we do different things.
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We try different things,
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but we don't always
reflect on what we're doing
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and having a department is there
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to help us think
about what we're doing.
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Good.
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Now you've just
completed a PhD dissertation.
00:08:25.63\00:08:30.04
How did going
through this process
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of reflection make
a difference for you?
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Yeah. So two ways.
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Number one, my
dissertation itself came
00:08:36.28\00:08:38.25
out of my experience in mission,
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in practical
experience, especially in India.
00:08:40.62\00:08:43.05
But by coming
here and reflecting
00:08:43.08\00:08:45.05
on that I was able to grapple
00:08:45.09\00:08:46.59
with some of the more
challenging issues I had faced
00:08:46.62\00:08:49.46
and start to think of solutions
00:08:49.49\00:08:51.59
that we can now try in the field
00:08:51.63\00:08:53.70
as we train other people.
00:08:53.73\00:08:55.06
So I think it
does help a great deal.
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Wonderful.
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Now describe the type
of students that you teach.
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Who are the
people who come here?
00:09:02.04\00:09:03.37
Yeah.
00:09:03.41\00:09:04.74
So by teaching at the seminary,
00:09:04.77\00:09:06.11
we actually get
almost all future pastors
00:09:06.14\00:09:08.01
for the North American Division.
00:09:08.04\00:09:10.01
Plus, we get a wide
variety of master students
00:09:10.05\00:09:12.45
from around the world
who choose to come here
00:09:12.48\00:09:14.98
from various backgrounds
not all will be pastors even,
00:09:15.02\00:09:18.05
and then we have
doctoral students
00:09:18.09\00:09:20.12
who will be teaching mission.
00:09:20.16\00:09:21.92
So we're getting mostly
pastors and future teachers
00:09:21.96\00:09:24.73
along with some who
will be chaplains as well.
00:09:24.76\00:09:27.93
Wonderful.
00:09:27.96\00:09:29.30
Now you mentioned that
your period of reflection
00:09:29.33\00:09:31.93
with your dissertation came
from your mission experience.
00:09:31.97\00:09:34.64
Can you tell us a
little bit about that?
00:09:34.67\00:09:36.37
Yeah, sure.
00:09:36.40\00:09:37.74
So I lived in
India, a number of years.
00:09:37.77\00:09:40.28
I did a wide variety of things,
00:09:40.31\00:09:41.98
but one of my greatest
interests and challenges
00:09:42.01\00:09:45.48
was how do we engage
00:09:45.51\00:09:46.85
with people who
don't follow Jesus,
00:09:46.88\00:09:49.45
who don't use the Bible
as a source of authority,
00:09:49.48\00:09:52.15
which there are many in India.
00:09:52.19\00:09:53.76
And as I lived there,
00:09:53.79\00:09:55.72
and those were my
neighbors, I interact with them
00:09:55.76\00:09:57.66
and I started
planting churches among people
00:09:57.69\00:10:00.50
from this background.
00:10:00.53\00:10:01.86
I was able to learn many
things about how God works
00:10:01.90\00:10:04.77
and people outside
of the church walls
00:10:04.80\00:10:06.87
before we get there.
00:10:06.90\00:10:08.30
And then how can I partner
with God in sharing my faith.
00:10:08.34\00:10:11.44
And through
that I learned a lot.
00:10:11.47\00:10:13.07
And then I've come and reflected
00:10:13.11\00:10:14.44
on some of the challenges
00:10:14.48\00:10:15.81
that were more
difficult to deal with.
00:10:15.84\00:10:18.45
When we look at
cross-cultural communication
00:10:18.48\00:10:21.18
and cross-cultural mission,
00:10:21.22\00:10:22.55
what are the
some of the key things
00:10:22.58\00:10:23.92
we need to keep in mind?
00:10:23.95\00:10:25.85
Well, there's a large
number of things obviously,
00:10:25.89\00:10:27.69
as a professor,
that's one of our most,
00:10:27.72\00:10:30.49
I don't know,
00:10:30.53\00:10:31.86
challenging issues to
bring before students is
00:10:31.89\00:10:33.70
we can't just assume everyone
00:10:33.73\00:10:35.63
will experience God the same way
00:10:35.66\00:10:37.27
that it's even
necessary for them all
00:10:37.30\00:10:39.33
to experience God the same way.
00:10:39.37\00:10:40.97
We need to recognize
00:10:41.00\00:10:42.40
that tensions
will come from people
00:10:42.44\00:10:44.01
even within the
same faith, community
00:10:44.04\00:10:46.27
like Seventh-day Adventists,
00:10:46.31\00:10:47.64
just because they
come from different parts
00:10:47.68\00:10:49.01
of the world,
00:10:49.04\00:10:50.38
they have different practices,
00:10:50.41\00:10:51.75
different ways of thinking.
00:10:51.78\00:10:53.11
And all of that
can create tensions,
00:10:53.15\00:10:55.15
but also beautiful possibilities
00:10:55.18\00:10:56.89
for thinking about God
and seeing God in new ways.
00:10:56.92\00:11:00.32
Now when you think
back on your experience,
00:11:00.36\00:11:03.59
what did you learn from,
00:11:03.63\00:11:05.79
perhaps even some
mistakes you might have made?
00:11:05.83\00:11:07.16
Sure. Yeah, I
made many mistakes.
00:11:07.20\00:11:10.20
I had to learn a lot
about patience especially,
00:11:10.23\00:11:13.64
it was a big thing.
00:11:13.67\00:11:15.57
You know, I tended to assume
I knew everything, potentially,
00:11:15.60\00:11:20.28
but at least that I
knew more than the people
00:11:20.31\00:11:22.28
I was with in
India, for example.
00:11:22.31\00:11:23.85
And oftentimes,
it was the opposite.
00:11:23.88\00:11:25.35
They knew much more about
a local situation and issue.
00:11:25.38\00:11:28.15
And I had to learn
to patiently listen,
00:11:28.18\00:11:30.59
and to allow them to teach me.
00:11:30.62\00:11:32.89
Many times we assume mission
00:11:32.92\00:11:34.52
is about us
going to teach others
00:11:34.56\00:11:36.26
which that can be
part of the journey,
00:11:36.29\00:11:38.59
but oftentimes,
00:11:38.63\00:11:39.96
you end up being someone
00:11:40.00\00:11:42.66
who receives
mission back towards you
00:11:42.70\00:11:44.93
from those
wherever you're going.
00:11:44.97\00:11:47.60
Now in popular
culture here in North America,
00:11:47.64\00:11:50.21
and many other places,
00:11:50.24\00:11:51.57
when people
think of missionaries,
00:11:51.61\00:11:53.07
it's often in
very negative terms.
00:11:53.11\00:11:55.34
And so in the
media, in literature,
00:11:55.38\00:11:58.28
missionaries are derided
00:11:58.31\00:11:59.65
because they take all
this cultural baggage,
00:11:59.68\00:12:01.85
they're
colonialist, etcetera, etcetera.
00:12:01.88\00:12:04.29
How do we defend the
missionary enterprise
00:12:04.32\00:12:08.19
in today's world?
00:12:08.22\00:12:09.79
Well, I think
part of it is admitting
00:12:09.82\00:12:11.16
there have been
mistakes in the past.
00:12:11.19\00:12:12.63
Some of those fears are valid
00:12:12.66\00:12:14.50
because things have
been done poorly at times,
00:12:14.53\00:12:17.60
where colonialistic,
imperialistic attitudes
00:12:17.63\00:12:19.67
have existed among missionaries.
00:12:19.70\00:12:21.60
So admitting that is the start,
00:12:21.64\00:12:23.84
and then really looking
at mission I use the word
00:12:23.87\00:12:26.57
even intercultural
instead of cross-cultural
00:12:26.61\00:12:28.68
because it's about
going and seeing people
00:12:28.71\00:12:31.45
and starting to
journey together.
00:12:31.48\00:12:33.25
And yes, I have a faith journey
00:12:33.28\00:12:34.62
that may be longer
than someone else's,
00:12:34.65\00:12:36.02
and so I have
something to share,
00:12:36.05\00:12:37.95
but at the same time
00:12:37.99\00:12:39.32
mission is really journeying
together with people in faith
00:12:39.35\00:12:42.06
and sharing new things,
00:12:42.09\00:12:43.96
and then
receiving back new ideas
00:12:43.99\00:12:46.03
and it's getting people to see
00:12:46.06\00:12:47.40
that can start to overcome some
of the baggage, the history.
00:12:47.43\00:12:51.13
So what are the
positive contributions
00:12:51.17\00:12:53.30
that missionaries make?
00:12:53.34\00:12:54.90
I think they often bring
an outside eye to situations
00:12:54.94\00:12:58.97
where people
within a certain community
00:12:59.01\00:13:01.04
don't recognize
what they're doing
00:13:01.08\00:13:02.61
is even an issue or a challenge.
00:13:02.64\00:13:05.31
They bring a new
understanding of God
00:13:05.35\00:13:07.38
that wouldn't be
there if they weren't there.
00:13:07.42\00:13:10.12
And so without some
sort of cross-cultural,
00:13:10.15\00:13:12.75
intercultural interaction,
00:13:12.79\00:13:14.32
all of us would
potentially be stunted
00:13:14.36\00:13:16.69
in our spiritual
growth and faith,
00:13:16.73\00:13:18.69
and then there are places
00:13:18.73\00:13:20.06
where people haven't
heard much about Jesus.
00:13:20.10\00:13:22.13
And, of course,
00:13:22.16\00:13:23.50
someone must go
there from outside.
00:13:23.53\00:13:26.00
How did you first
become involved in mission?
00:13:26.03\00:13:28.20
Why did you get involved?
00:13:28.24\00:13:30.34
Well, I don't know
that I have one moment,
00:13:30.37\00:13:32.84
but I've often had interest
in learning from other people
00:13:32.87\00:13:36.64
from cultures different
than my own background.
00:13:36.68\00:13:39.35
And out of that
along with my faith,
00:13:39.38\00:13:41.42
I think it was almost natural
00:13:41.45\00:13:42.78
that I would end up
going places and meeting people
00:13:42.82\00:13:45.55
and being involved in
cross-cultural mission.
00:13:45.59\00:13:47.76
And that happened
when I was in academy even.
00:13:47.79\00:13:50.46
So it's been a
long-time process.
00:13:50.49\00:13:53.96
How do we keep a
mission focused, Andrew?
00:13:54.00\00:13:56.43
Oh, my.
00:13:56.46\00:13:57.80
Well, having a
mission department
00:13:57.83\00:13:59.90
doesn't hurt at the seminary,
00:13:59.93\00:14:01.87
but I think ultimately,
00:14:01.90\00:14:04.24
it does come down
to us as individuals.
00:14:04.27\00:14:06.04
If we really experienced Jesus,
00:14:06.07\00:14:08.74
I don't see why
you wouldn't want
00:14:08.78\00:14:10.48
to share that with others.
00:14:10.51\00:14:11.88
And so if you're not interested
in sharing with others,
00:14:11.91\00:14:14.18
I would question even
your own experience with Jesus.
00:14:14.22\00:14:16.75
For me, it's almost
natural to want to reach out.
00:14:16.79\00:14:19.62
But it does help when you
have a community around you
00:14:19.65\00:14:21.79
who is
intentionally talking about
00:14:21.82\00:14:23.83
and demonstrating mission
00:14:23.86\00:14:25.76
that can help some of the people
00:14:25.79\00:14:27.13
who are having a harder time.
00:14:27.16\00:14:28.50
Terrific.
00:14:28.53\00:14:29.86
Thank you so much for
sharing with us today.
00:14:29.90\00:14:31.23
Thank you.
00:14:31.27\00:14:32.60
Viewers at home,
00:14:32.63\00:14:33.97
please pray for the
Department of World Mission here
00:14:34.00\00:14:36.27
as Andrew has reminded us
00:14:36.30\00:14:37.84
touching the
lives of many pastors
00:14:37.87\00:14:40.81
who will then go
out into the field
00:14:40.84\00:14:42.21
and have tremendous
influence throughout the world.
00:14:42.24\00:14:45.45
We'll be right
back after this break.
00:14:45.48\00:14:47.02