Welcome back to Panama City.
00:00:08.94\00:00:11.07
Panama is a beautiful country,
00:00:11.11\00:00:12.57
covered with rainforest,
teeming with wild life.
00:00:12.61\00:00:15.78
And the country takes
very seriously the environment,
00:00:15.81\00:00:18.38
so they're banning the use
of all single use plastics.
00:00:18.41\00:00:22.52
Next up, we
travel to Cusco in Peru.
00:00:22.55\00:00:25.35
Hello, I'm Jeff Scoggins
00:00:25.39\00:00:26.72
and I'm here in the
city of Nuevo Huasao,
00:00:26.76\00:00:30.03
which is just
outside of Cusco in Peru.
00:00:30.06\00:00:32.59
And I'm here at a church
that has been build recently,
00:00:32.63\00:00:36.60
and I'm with a gentleman
00:00:36.63\00:00:38.00
by the name of
Ruben, who is an engineer
00:00:38.03\00:00:41.57
and he has been actively helping
00:00:41.60\00:00:43.97
to build the
churches in this area.
00:00:44.01\00:00:46.84
And so we
wanted to talk with him
00:00:46.88\00:00:48.28
for a little while.
00:00:48.31\00:00:49.64
Ruben, tell me, first of all,
00:00:49.68\00:00:52.01
a little bit of your background?
00:00:52.05\00:00:53.95
You became an Adventist
when you were little bit older.
00:00:53.98\00:00:57.02
Tell me your story?
00:00:57.05\00:00:59.02
Yeah.
00:00:59.05\00:01:00.46
No, I'm Adventist
from like 20 years old,
00:01:00.49\00:01:06.16
when I was 20 years old.
00:01:06.19\00:01:08.93
My mother was
Adventist first, yeah.
00:01:08.96\00:01:12.07
But my father was
never an Adventist.
00:01:12.10\00:01:15.00
Yeah.
00:01:15.04\00:01:16.37
And so we went to,
00:01:16.40\00:01:18.87
like child don't go
to the church and so,
00:01:18.91\00:01:21.44
but when I was 15 years old
00:01:21.48\00:01:27.52
my father go out,
00:01:27.55\00:01:29.72
yeah, leave my mother.
00:01:29.75\00:01:32.05
They don't go out
for my whole life,
00:01:32.09\00:01:34.06
but from this time we
have time to go to the church
00:01:34.09\00:01:37.96
with my mother, you know.
00:01:37.99\00:01:39.49
So when I was
training I got baptized.
00:01:39.53\00:01:43.00
You were not interested
in church for a while though?
00:01:43.03\00:01:45.13
Yeah. At first, yeah.
00:01:45.17\00:01:47.34
At first, but then...
00:01:47.37\00:01:48.70
Because my father don't
send us to the church, yeah.
00:01:48.74\00:01:51.51
Yes, yes.
00:01:51.54\00:01:52.87
But after that I
go into the church.
00:01:52.91\00:01:54.71
Okay, fantastic.
00:01:54.74\00:01:56.28
Now, your work.
00:01:56.31\00:01:57.88
Describe to me
what your work is?
00:01:57.91\00:02:00.72
After that I decided to study,
00:02:00.75\00:02:04.09
yeah, in university
00:02:04.12\00:02:05.59
and I studied for
civil engineering.
00:02:05.62\00:02:08.29
Civil Engineering? Okay. Yeah.
00:02:08.32\00:02:10.13
I had but I have
a lot of problems
00:02:10.16\00:02:12.26
to finish the college.
00:02:12.29\00:02:15.13
Things, no more money to
make it go to the college,
00:02:15.16\00:02:19.30
I work at the night.
00:02:19.33\00:02:21.17
No, but I was going
to the church this time.
00:02:21.20\00:02:24.11
Yeah.
00:02:24.14\00:02:25.47
When I finish a
job, I finish the...
00:02:25.51\00:02:28.14
I know I worked
in a lot of places.
00:02:28.18\00:02:30.38
Yeah.
00:02:30.41\00:02:31.75
First I worked, for
example, in Puerto Maldonado.
00:02:31.78\00:02:34.68
And there is a place
00:02:34.72\00:02:36.52
in Puerto Maldonado in Inambari.
00:02:36.55\00:02:39.05
For example for
these guys, I make project.
00:02:39.09\00:02:41.79
Yeah, to make a church.
00:02:41.82\00:02:43.46
I don't know if
this church was built...
00:02:43.49\00:02:45.99
Oh, okay. Yeah.
00:02:46.03\00:02:47.36
But I make these.
00:02:47.40\00:02:48.73
After that when
I come into Cusco,
00:02:48.76\00:02:51.20
yeah, and I think 2015.
00:02:51.23\00:02:55.14
Yeah.
00:02:55.17\00:02:56.50
I go into
Church Maranatha. Yeah.
00:02:56.54\00:02:59.74
And Maranatha have
this land, yeah, long time.
00:02:59.77\00:03:04.08
Yeah.
00:03:04.11\00:03:05.45
And was making
money putting money
00:03:05.48\00:03:08.55
to make this
built, yeah, this church.
00:03:08.58\00:03:12.32
So no money, no
money to make the church.
00:03:12.35\00:03:15.99
And coming from
the United States
00:03:16.02\00:03:18.89
and some brothers from
Shenandoah Valley Academy.
00:03:18.93\00:03:21.53
Shenandoah Valley Academy.
00:03:21.56\00:03:22.90
Yeah. Yeah.
00:03:22.93\00:03:24.27
So they asking the mission
00:03:24.30\00:03:28.20
what the church
need or have some money
00:03:28.24\00:03:31.97
or land to make a church, yeah.
00:03:32.01\00:03:35.34
And Pastor Tito say,
Maranatha have a land.
00:03:35.38\00:03:38.51
Yeah, yeah.
00:03:38.55\00:03:39.88
And they come
here when there was no,
00:03:39.91\00:03:42.65
anything or the church.
00:03:42.68\00:03:44.02
Yeah.
00:03:44.05\00:03:45.39
And they decide to
help these brothers
00:03:45.42\00:03:48.19
to make the church.
00:03:48.22\00:03:49.56
And so, this is the result,
00:03:49.59\00:03:50.93
this church
behind us is the result.
00:03:50.96\00:03:52.39
Yeah, very nice.
00:03:52.43\00:03:53.76
I make the plans.
00:03:53.80\00:03:55.13
I saw everything.
00:03:55.16\00:03:56.50
Good.
00:03:56.53\00:03:57.93
These brothers have
small amount of money,
00:03:57.97\00:04:00.24
like $4,000,
00:04:00.27\00:04:03.20
but it's not enough to
make this church, yeah.
00:04:03.24\00:04:06.37
Now I understand
that your ministry
00:04:06.41\00:04:09.38
has become very
important to you.
00:04:09.41\00:04:14.55
I think.
00:04:14.58\00:04:15.92
You are starting a
church in your own house, yeah?
00:04:15.95\00:04:19.02
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:04:19.05\00:04:20.39
Tell me what is happening there?
00:04:20.42\00:04:22.16
Yes, we live in
San Sebastian in Cusco.
00:04:22.19\00:04:25.76
San Sebastian is in
middle place, not middle,
00:04:25.79\00:04:29.80
it's in the middle
of the city school.
00:04:29.83\00:04:31.33
In the middle of the city, yes.
00:04:31.37\00:04:32.70
Yeah, but there isn't church
in these parts of the city.
00:04:32.73\00:04:36.60
So we have a dream
00:04:36.64\00:04:40.88
to have a church in this place.
00:04:40.91\00:04:43.18
Yeah.
00:04:43.21\00:04:44.55
And we're
trying to make a church
00:04:44.58\00:04:46.85
so we have a little group.
00:04:46.88\00:04:50.19
We are together on
Fridays and Saturday
00:04:50.22\00:04:54.72
in my house, yeah.
00:04:54.76\00:04:56.93
Not it's only my house, yeah.
00:04:56.96\00:04:59.56
Is for my mother and
my other friends, yeah.
00:04:59.59\00:05:02.50
My other friend, my
other brothers, yeah.
00:05:02.53\00:05:04.90
So we plan to try
00:05:04.93\00:05:07.94
to make one
church in this place.
00:05:07.97\00:05:10.91
Now, but you plan to get
bigger than your house, yeah?
00:05:10.94\00:05:14.21
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:05:14.24\00:05:15.58
So what will you do then?
00:05:15.61\00:05:17.35
We tried to have,
to get a land first.
00:05:17.38\00:05:20.25
Yeah, yeah, but the land
is so expensive in Cusco.
00:05:20.28\00:05:24.02
Yeah, yeah.
00:05:24.05\00:05:25.39
But we hope our God.
00:05:25.42\00:05:28.26
But you were
telling me about a school?
00:05:28.29\00:05:30.43
Yeah, yeah, there
is a sister in Cusco
00:05:30.46\00:05:34.13
who has a
school, who has a school,
00:05:34.16\00:05:38.10
who offered us to,
00:05:38.13\00:05:41.14
we can go to this
school to make a church, yeah.
00:05:41.17\00:05:44.34
Okay.
00:05:44.37\00:05:45.71
To have a group
to make a church,
00:05:45.74\00:05:47.08
yeah, in the next month.
00:05:47.11\00:05:51.08
When we was better
organized in our church,
00:05:51.11\00:05:55.72
probably we
know, we are sure to go
00:05:55.75\00:05:58.52
and to make a
church on this lands, yeah.
00:05:58.55\00:06:01.16
Okay, good. This is our purpose.
00:06:01.19\00:06:02.82
Now, you are an engineer
so you work each day, yeah?
00:06:02.86\00:06:06.16
Yeah.
00:06:06.19\00:06:07.53
How much time do you think
00:06:07.56\00:06:08.90
that you give to
working for the church?
00:06:08.93\00:06:11.83
Ah...
00:06:11.87\00:06:13.20
In a week, in one week maybe?
00:06:13.23\00:06:14.80
In one week.
00:06:14.84\00:06:18.64
I go in to meet the, be
together with our brothers.
00:06:18.67\00:06:24.48
So this is my time.
00:06:24.51\00:06:25.85
But you're
making plans, would not?
00:06:25.88\00:06:27.22
Yeah, when somebody came here,
00:06:27.25\00:06:29.78
come to me to say me,
00:06:29.82\00:06:31.65
we need some plans for
church, something like that.
00:06:31.69\00:06:34.86
I... You give your time.
00:06:34.89\00:06:36.49
Yeah, I give my time, yeah.
00:06:36.52\00:06:37.96
Oh, that's wonderful.
00:06:37.99\00:06:39.33
When we make this
church for example.
00:06:39.36\00:06:40.70
Mm hmm.
00:06:40.73\00:06:42.06
I was in bad situation
with my boss in my work.
00:06:48.34\00:06:52.11
So in this time,
00:06:52.14\00:06:53.74
when Shenandoah
Valley come in, I decide to.
00:06:53.78\00:06:56.81
You just stopped working.
00:06:56.85\00:06:58.18
Yeah, I stopped to work.
00:06:58.21\00:06:59.55
Come to make this, to help this,
00:06:59.58\00:07:02.12
to help this, to
make this church.
00:07:02.15\00:07:03.85
Yeah.
00:07:03.89\00:07:05.22
Well, thank you for
your dedication, Ruben.
00:07:05.25\00:07:06.65
It's been a
pleasure talking with you
00:07:06.69\00:07:08.22
and meeting your group
and the people that are here.
00:07:08.26\00:07:11.59
It's been just a
wonderful experience.
00:07:11.63\00:07:13.96
So thank you for that.
00:07:14.00\00:07:15.46
All of this is for God.
00:07:15.50\00:07:16.83
Absolutely.
00:07:16.87\00:07:18.20
And we will see the results
00:07:18.23\00:07:19.57
more and more in heaven one day.
00:07:19.60\00:07:21.97
So thank you. Thank you.
00:07:22.00\00:07:23.37
Thank you.
00:07:23.41\00:07:24.74
Thanking for you.
00:07:24.77\00:07:26.17
I'm Jeff
Scoggins for Mission 360°.
00:07:26.21\00:07:28.41
Pray for the groups
00:07:28.44\00:07:30.01
that are starting here in
Cusco and around in the area.
00:07:30.05\00:07:34.02
Keep them in your prayers,
00:07:34.05\00:07:35.38
and we hope to see
many people in heaven
00:07:35.42\00:07:37.19
because of what's
happening in these places.
00:07:37.22\00:07:40.06
Next, we traveled to Vietnam,
00:07:40.09\00:07:42.06
where a missionary couple
00:07:42.09\00:07:43.43
revisits the place they went to,
00:07:43.46\00:07:45.53
after being
evacuated from Cambodia.
00:07:45.56\00:07:48.46
Remembering their
time as young missionaries
00:07:52.37\00:07:54.50
in war torn Southeast Asia,
00:07:54.54\00:07:56.57
GT and Ivy are in Vietnam,
where they were evacuated.
00:07:56.60\00:08:01.04
Ho Chi Minh City
used to be called Saigon
00:08:01.08\00:08:03.61
during the time
of South Vietnam.
00:08:03.65\00:08:06.31
It was the capital
city of South Vietnam.
00:08:06.35\00:08:08.92
And this is the city
00:08:08.95\00:08:10.29
where we were
evacuated to the first time.
00:08:10.32\00:08:14.26
Ralph was the president
of Southeast Asia Union,
00:08:14.29\00:08:17.26
ordered all to the missionaries,
00:08:17.29\00:08:19.59
and both of us to
get off the country.
00:08:19.63\00:08:21.83
Good morning, Pastor
Wass. How are you doing?
00:08:27.54\00:08:29.74
Good morning, Pastor Wass.
00:08:29.77\00:08:31.31
I'm doing fine.
How are you doing?
00:08:31.34\00:08:33.58
Great, great.
We're fine, thank you.
00:08:33.61\00:08:34.94
We are right here in Saigon.
00:08:34.98\00:08:36.75
Yeah, you mentioned that.
00:08:36.78\00:08:38.11
What a privilege
it is to talk to you
00:08:38.15\00:08:39.71
when we are still in Saigon.
00:08:39.75\00:08:42.25
I'm holding in my hand right now
00:08:42.28\00:08:44.29
Ivy and GT,
00:08:44.32\00:08:46.22
a picture of a very
handsome young couple
00:08:46.25\00:08:49.96
that was taken in March of 1974.
00:08:49.99\00:08:54.26
There's a
picture of the two of you
00:08:54.30\00:08:56.40
with your bicycles in out there.
00:08:56.43\00:08:58.60
You were able to get
00:08:58.63\00:09:00.77
some Bible studies
going, weren't you?
00:09:00.80\00:09:02.64
Yeah, many Bible studies
came as a result of the ministry
00:09:02.67\00:09:05.77
of the English
Language Institute.
00:09:05.81\00:09:08.18
And out of that, we
baptized many of them.
00:09:08.21\00:09:11.95
So before we left the country,
00:09:11.98\00:09:14.05
there were 33
believers in that church.
00:09:14.08\00:09:16.62
There are lot.
00:09:16.65\00:09:17.99
And there were virtually
none when you came there.
00:09:18.02\00:09:20.16
That's right. Very few.
00:09:20.19\00:09:21.52
We did a lot of
refugee relief work
00:09:33.37\00:09:35.40
because the population
of Phnom Penh in the 1970s
00:09:35.44\00:09:40.04
was about 700,000.
00:09:40.08\00:09:42.28
And during the
war, when we were here,
00:09:42.31\00:09:44.38
it was easily more
than 2 million people.
00:09:44.41\00:09:47.72
And so this hotel had
become a refugee center,
00:09:47.75\00:09:51.15
where they were housed.
00:09:51.19\00:09:52.52
We visited some of the rooms,
00:09:52.55\00:09:54.76
and there were no
electricity at that time.
00:09:54.79\00:09:58.59
So we saw many
people crowded in rooms.
00:09:58.63\00:10:02.43
It was dark.
00:10:02.46\00:10:03.80
It was filled with smoke.
00:10:03.83\00:10:05.67
Women, men, children,
00:10:05.70\00:10:07.84
maybe 15-17
people in a small room.
00:10:07.87\00:10:12.84
They did the best they could,
00:10:12.87\00:10:14.21
providing refugees
bales of clothing and rice.
00:10:14.24\00:10:17.51
But the situation
continued to get worse.
00:10:17.55\00:10:20.12
GT, Ivy and the
student missionaries
00:10:20.15\00:10:22.68
were evacuated
several times to Vietnam.
00:10:22.72\00:10:25.45
But each time they
returned to Cambodia,
00:10:25.49\00:10:27.82
only to have conflict resumed.
00:10:27.86\00:10:29.92
So we had the F-111
bombardment during the day,
00:10:29.96\00:10:35.10
and during night, it
was B-52 fighter bombers.
00:10:35.13\00:10:38.47
Many a times we
would be sleeping,
00:10:38.50\00:10:40.64
we were shaken out of our bed.
00:10:40.67\00:10:43.57
You know, it was
more than a bad dream.
00:10:43.61\00:10:46.68
So we just prayed to the Lord
00:10:46.71\00:10:48.74
that even though
1000 may fall by the side
00:10:48.78\00:10:52.78
10,000 on your right hand,
00:10:52.81\00:10:54.65
but God will spare
our life for some reason.
00:10:54.68\00:10:57.92
So after Sabbath was
over as per our usual custom,
00:10:57.95\00:11:02.92
one of us, either
the missionaries or us
00:11:02.96\00:11:05.69
will cycle to the
central post office
00:11:05.73\00:11:08.93
about three kilometers away
00:11:08.96\00:11:12.07
to pick up our mail.
00:11:12.10\00:11:13.97
That evening,
00:11:14.00\00:11:15.60
one of the
student missionaries went
00:11:15.64\00:11:17.41
and he came back
with a bunch of letters,
00:11:17.44\00:11:19.57
plus a telegram.
00:11:19.61\00:11:21.14
The telegram was
sent from Bangkok.
00:11:21.18\00:11:25.05
And the telegram said,
00:11:25.08\00:11:27.35
"All five get out immediately."
00:11:27.38\00:11:30.99
They were three
missionaries left,
00:11:31.02\00:11:33.56
plus two of us,
so they were five.
00:11:33.59\00:11:35.82
So it was sent by
the education director
00:11:35.86\00:11:38.66
of Southeast Asia Union Mission,
00:11:38.69\00:11:41.06
Pastor Milton Foreman.
00:11:41.10\00:11:43.30
Milton Foreman was
in Bangkok visiting,
00:11:43.33\00:11:46.57
and he had the
impression on the Sabbath
00:11:46.60\00:11:49.90
that something ought to be done
00:11:49.94\00:11:51.57
for those
missionaries in Phnom Penh.
00:11:51.61\00:11:53.94
So on his own accord,
00:11:53.98\00:11:55.61
without committee
action from Singapore,
00:11:55.64\00:11:58.35
he ordered us out.
00:11:58.38\00:12:00.52
And so, on the airport,
00:12:00.55\00:12:02.82
we had to hide
ourselves in the bunkers.
00:12:02.85\00:12:06.99
So we will run from
one bunker to the next
00:12:07.02\00:12:10.29
until we got close
enough to the aircraft
00:12:10.33\00:12:12.96
then we will run to that.
00:12:12.99\00:12:15.60
We landed in
Bangkok several hours later.
00:12:15.63\00:12:20.34
So whenever there was a
thunderstorm in Bangkok,
00:12:20.37\00:12:22.80
we hit the floor,
00:12:22.84\00:12:24.17
because
instinctively for two years
00:12:24.21\00:12:27.24
we had trained
ourselves to do that.
00:12:27.28\00:12:31.18
Two weeks later, the
Khmer Rouge marched in
00:12:31.21\00:12:33.55
and took control of
Phnom Penh and Cambodia.
00:12:33.58\00:12:37.72
Under their brutal regime,
00:12:37.75\00:12:39.49
an estimated 2
million people died in prisons
00:12:39.52\00:12:42.49
or in the killing fields.
00:12:42.52\00:12:43.93
Oh, this is such
a memorable place.
00:12:51.80\00:12:56.27
This brings a lot of memories.
00:12:56.30\00:12:57.94
Many of our
believers were killed
00:13:02.91\00:13:05.25
as a result of
their walking experience
00:13:05.28\00:13:08.75
from Phnom Penh to
the border with Thailand
00:13:08.78\00:13:11.65
or to the border with Vietnam.
00:13:11.69\00:13:14.29
Oh, that is a sad
chapter of the history...
00:13:14.32\00:13:17.66
Very sad.
00:13:17.69\00:13:19.29
Of not only of
the Adventist Church,
00:13:19.33\00:13:22.60
but it's sad chapter
in the history of society
00:13:22.63\00:13:25.93
over the last 60-70 years.
00:13:25.97\00:13:30.97
I received this letter from one
of our former church members,
00:13:31.01\00:13:35.94
who managed to
escape from Phnom Penh.
00:13:35.98\00:13:39.08
I'm praying day and night,
00:13:39.11\00:13:40.85
not asking God to
grant me any selfish request,
00:13:40.88\00:13:44.05
but simply pleading with Him
00:13:44.09\00:13:46.69
that somehow every
single member in Cambodia
00:13:46.72\00:13:51.03
may gather together.
00:13:51.06\00:13:52.56
What a joy it's going to be,
00:13:52.59\00:13:54.73
and what a
rejoicing it's going to be
00:13:54.76\00:13:56.93
when Jesus comes again,
00:13:56.97\00:13:58.60
so we'll be able to
see all 33 of our members
00:13:58.63\00:14:01.30
who were baptized,
00:14:01.34\00:14:02.67
and we remain
faithful to Him until the end.
00:14:02.70\00:14:05.61
And so the church,
00:14:05.64\00:14:06.98
a new church
emerged from that tragedy.
00:14:07.01\00:14:09.98
And today we have a
strong Cambodian Church.
00:14:10.01\00:14:12.65
We even have a mission
00:14:12.68\00:14:14.05
with school
with many activities.
00:14:14.08\00:14:16.92
So we just thank God
00:14:16.95\00:14:18.85
for the
opportunity of serving Him.
00:14:18.89\00:14:20.86
Well, thank you so much
00:14:40.91\00:14:42.24
for joining us
on today's program.
00:14:42.28\00:14:44.38
And I hope that
you've been inspired
00:14:44.41\00:14:46.55
and challenged by
the 360 degree view
00:14:46.58\00:14:49.82
of mission around the world.
00:14:49.85\00:14:52.25
We've been reminded of
the courage of missionaries
00:14:52.29\00:14:54.92
as we've seen
the Ng's in Cambodia.
00:14:54.96\00:14:57.73
We've been
reminded of the challenge
00:14:57.76\00:14:59.16
of mission in Peru,
00:14:59.19\00:15:00.80
and right here in Panama City.
00:15:00.83\00:15:04.63
We see the growing
numbers of people in high rises
00:15:04.67\00:15:08.57
who need to learn about the love
00:15:08.60\00:15:09.94
of Jesus Christ for them.
00:15:09.97\00:15:11.31
And I want to thank you
for your continuing support
00:15:11.34\00:15:13.88
of Adventist Mission
through your prayers,
00:15:13.91\00:15:16.95
through your giving,
00:15:16.98\00:15:18.31
and through your
personal involvement,
00:15:18.35\00:15:19.91
and it does make a difference.
00:15:19.95\00:15:22.18
Well, for Adventist
Mission, I'm Gary Kraus.
00:15:22.22\00:15:24.79
And I hope that you
can join me next time
00:15:24.82\00:15:26.99
right here on Mission 360°.
00:15:27.02\00:15:29.16