Participants: Steven Grabiner
Series Code: OCIR
Program Code: OCIR000004
|
00:07 Every nation, society and culture
00:10 struggles with inequality 00:12 and disparity in social standing. 00:15 But love is a powerful motivator 00:18 to overcome these divisions. 00:21 Today, we will be visiting an OCI Ministry 00:24 that is motivated by love 00:27 to restore harmony to a fractured society. 00:45 Among other things, the Taj Mahal is a testimony 00:49 to the restorative power of love. 00:52 In the 1600s Shah Jahan 00:55 first met his future bride Mumtaj Mahal. 00:59 He lived in the palace, 01:01 she sold goods in the marketplace. 01:04 But even as teenagers, it was as often said, 01:08 love at first sight. 01:10 She became his favorite wife 01:12 even accompanying him on military campaigns. 01:16 When she died in childbirth, the Shah was grief-stricken. 01:21 As a testament to his love for his wife, 01:23 he had the Taj Mahal constructed. 01:26 But more than that, the Shah envisioned 01:29 the Taj as a place of asylum. 01:31 He wrote that, "If the guilty should seek asylum here 01:35 that they would be as one pardoned, 01:38 freed from the guilt of their sin." 01:41 Truly in this world there is only one tomb 01:45 from which flows forgiveness of sin 01:48 and it is an empty tomb, the tomb of Jesus Christ. 02:03 India is a nation with a rich cultural history 02:06 and a very ethnically diverse population. 02:09 Unfortunately, for many years 02:12 the cast system has borne sway in Indian society 02:16 with the Brahmin caste at the pinnacle, 02:18 and the untouchables at the bottom. 02:22 These untouchables where often considered 02:24 disposables by the wider society. 02:28 But this is not unique to the nation of India. 02:32 Nations all around the world segregate 02:35 their population according to wealth, 02:38 social status or power. 02:41 Fortunately, there have been 02:42 many women throughout history 02:45 who have endeavored 02:46 to overthrow these structures and minister to everyone. 02:51 Mother Teresa stands out 02:53 as an iconic figure in India's histories. 02:57 At the age of 18 she was convicted 02:59 with the desire to give her life 03:01 to reach the lowest of the low, the poorest of the poor. 03:09 Living Springs Overseas Missions 03:12 is an OCI ministry 03:14 that has the same spirit of compassion 03:16 to reach out to the poorest of the poor. 03:19 Their aim is to minister to the most vulnerable 03:22 members of the Indian society, 03:25 children who are often neglected, 03:27 abused or cast off by their families. 03:31 Lois and I have been working here in India 03:34 for a little more than 20 years. 03:37 But we first came to India 38 years ago 03:40 and established a couple of orphanages 03:44 and then a couple of Bible seminaries 03:47 where we're training young men and women 03:50 and then we established a midwifery training school here 03:54 for training village midwives. 03:57 One of the things that we've seen 03:59 all along in our work here 04:01 are so many children that have no education, 04:06 many that have no home and even if they have a home, 04:09 even if they have parents, many are drunken parents 04:13 and the children are greatly abused, 04:16 especially the girls are greatly abused. 04:20 Kidnapping is very prominent here 04:22 so as soon they're- they reach their puberty 04:26 they will be married off or they are kidnapped. 04:30 So we had a real burden 04:32 to take some of these children in 04:34 and try to help them and give them an education 04:38 and help them to find Jesus in their life. 04:41 We started off with just a few children 04:46 but it didn't take long 04:47 till everyday they were coming to the door 04:50 bringing orphan children, semi orphaned children 04:53 and some children that have parents 04:55 but have no way to really care for their children. 04:59 So we started taking the children in 05:02 and we have now somewhere around 150 and more children 05:06 and we have total care about them. 05:08 We have to supply their food, 05:10 their clothes everything they have, 05:13 we have to supply for them. 05:15 They have no support from anyone. 05:17 It's a big expense. 05:18 And there's a lot of teachers and a lot of salaries to pay 05:21 and the cloths and the education, 05:23 the books and everything else 05:24 that runs up to a lot of money. 05:26 Our work would be impossible without the donations. 05:29 It would be absolutely impossible. 05:32 And so we've been able to save 05:33 a lot of children in a lot of lives 05:35 with the donations that have come to us 05:37 and we appreciate it so much. 05:40 Uncle Bill, he is such a great man. 05:43 He has struggled very hard to gather 05:48 some money to buy this land 05:49 and provide a school here 05:51 so we can come here and learn about God 05:55 and give us some good education. 05:57 And I hope I can be like Uncle Bill one day 06:03 and help God. 06:06 When I came here I got love from him 06:10 because after my father died 06:14 nobody loved me like him. 06:17 I hug him and he's like my daddy, you know. 06:24 Many of our children have experienced severe traumas. 06:28 I- when I first came there were two boys here 06:31 whose father had been killed by a tiger. 06:34 I think more traumatic 06:36 are parents they have been murdered. 06:40 We have one or two girls they came to us 06:43 almost straight from a brothel at about the age of 13. 06:49 I would say sexual abuse is very, very common 06:52 not spoken about much though. 06:54 The children don't talk about it 06:56 but you can see evidence of it. 07:00 Jesus is the great healer 07:03 and I believe that introducing these hurt children to Him 07:07 will help to heal their wounds. 07:09 I also believe that providing them with 07:12 something that they can do to be a benefit to their society 07:16 and make a better place for their children 07:20 will help them feel better and heal. 07:25 I think that our vocational program is good for that. 07:28 Our girls are learning to sew and to bake 07:31 and do many things. 07:35 The children from the time they are seven years old 07:38 or younger they are learning to wash their own clothes, 07:41 make their own bed, care for their own things 07:45 and older children help the younger ones. 07:48 Everybody just works together as a team. 07:50 Every morning they work together 07:51 to keep the campus clean, it's like a family. 07:55 My friends are like my brothers, sisters. 07:58 This is like my family. 08:00 This has been the greatest joy in my life 08:02 is having all of these children. 08:05 Many of them growing up right with us, 08:08 they're like our own sons and daughters 08:10 they act like our own sons and daughters. 08:12 They love us like they were or own sons and daughters 08:15 and we love them 08:17 as if they were our own sons and daughters. 08:19 I just don't understand why there aren't 08:21 so many more people out 08:22 doing the same thing that we're doing. 08:24 It's the greatest joy in the world. 08:27 It's been really amazing to see 08:29 how much the children have changed. 08:32 They just grown up so much 08:34 and many of my girls are making plans for marriage, 08:38 whishing to be married. 08:40 They start feeling that pressure 08:42 very early actually probably 15, 13. 08:48 So their whole outlook on life is different 08:53 but I see that many of them 08:55 have developed a sense of self-worth 08:57 and they are excited about it. 09:00 Eunice is very special. 09:04 The family was very poor, the father was a hopeless drunk 09:09 her mother was Christian 09:11 but the father sold her to a Muslim family down south. 09:15 We were quite disturbed to say the least. 09:19 We sent the president of our school Springs of Love. 09:22 He contacted the lady who was the go between. 09:25 He spoke and said we want this girl back. 09:27 She was very upset. 09:29 She said you have to pay a redemption price 09:31 is what they call it a redemption price 09:33 and what it cost for getting her back 09:36 with going there and paying to get her back was about $150 09:41 which was more than more than well worth it. 09:44 We were Christian but my father was drinking alcohol 09:49 and so I don't know much 09:51 but I used to go to church 09:52 but not knowing so much about God. 09:55 So after I come here only I came to know about God. 09:59 The value of a child in India depends, 10:02 one thing on their gender, 10:04 of course, the boys are a lot more valued than girls are. 10:08 Some families really love their children 10:12 and really care for them, they mean everything to them. 10:15 In India, if you don't have children 10:18 you're really looked down on as a family. 10:21 There are many children that are from very poor families 10:25 that really have nothing. 10:27 Of course, in the cities they're on the streets 10:30 out in the villages they're in the fields working. 10:34 Children are treated as slaves some of them. 10:38 And the little girls are really abused very badly. 10:43 And so we have had a great desire 10:46 to take these little children 10:48 and put them in a safe environment 10:51 where they can get an education 10:52 and training to do all types of useful labor 10:57 and trade so that they are able to- 10:59 they're able to make a go over in the world. 11:02 When I came here, I was so happy, 11:05 so I was praying, "Lord, please help me 11:08 that if can pass 10th standard whatever You'll say I'll do." 11:13 So I finish my 10th standard God gave me more than that. 11:16 Because I said only the 10th standard 11:18 but now I am doing 12 also. 11:20 And I did midwifery and seminary also. 11:22 So God gave me more than what I want. 11:26 Many girls are trained in tailoring 11:28 and boys are trained in mechanics, 11:31 welding and electrical work. 11:34 There are so many educated people 11:36 in this country but with no job 11:38 but if you are trained in location arts 11:42 they can survive on their selves 11:43 when they leave this place. 11:46 The most educational systems 11:48 you take children out of villages, 11:50 you put them in a school in dormitories. 11:53 The only thing they do is study, study, study, study 11:58 but they never really learned to support themselves with work. 12:02 So when they finish their education 12:04 they can't go back to their village and work 12:07 because they don't know how to harvest rice, 12:09 they don't know how to plant, they don't know how to farm 12:12 and they don't have any desire for it anymore. 12:15 So I've been very much against all about 12:19 and I have really desired 12:20 for our children to learn to work 12:23 and make a living in a village setting 12:26 and if they choose to go to a city 12:29 then they can still go. 12:31 If they choose whatever they choose 12:32 but they have in their mind the practical skills 12:36 of being able to support themselves with their hands. 12:39 We have given each child a garden 12:44 they have sense of ownership, they feel good about it 12:47 when they can care for their own garden. 12:50 And we see them out early in the morning 12:52 and especially in the evening attending their plants 12:56 and sometimes we buy the food from them 13:00 and serve it in the cafeteria. 13:02 You know, the other kids in different groups 13:04 and their group makes the money together. 13:07 You know, it teaches them about business. 13:11 It'll teach them the value of work. 13:15 They grow their own vegetables 13:16 and they sell them in our cafeteria. 13:19 We buy them and they use the money for offering 13:22 or for buying their own personal needs. 13:26 You know we've had our children now for many years, 13:30 since about 1995 we've started our first orphanage. 13:34 And many times I refer to them as my diamonds. 13:39 We have a whole building full of diamonds, 13:42 of male and female diamonds, 13:45 of boys and girls. 13:47 You know, it's such a joy to work with these children, 13:50 such a joy to just be a part of this program. 13:57 Living Springs ministers to children 13:59 that are otherwise unwanted, 14:02 endeavoring to show them the love of Christ 14:04 in practical and tangible ways. 14:08 In a moment, we'll see what this ministry is doing 14:11 to help children even before they are born. 14:16 We share this globe with about seven billion people, 14:20 that's a lot of people and standing here 14:23 in this busy city it's easy to feel small and insignificant. 14:28 After all, I'm only one person 14:30 what different can I make? 14:32 But the fact is each of us can make a difference. 14:36 God is calling us to turn our lives 14:39 and our skills over to Him. 14:42 Around the world, the individual workers 14:44 at OCI Ministries are letting God use them 14:48 to bring hope and healing one person at a time. 14:52 You can make a difference too. 14:55 When you connect to OCI, 14:57 you connect to more than 80 ministries worldwide. 15:02 If you're interested in getting involved 15:05 in the global ministry of OCI, 15:07 visit our website or call our office, 15:10 we would love to talk to you. 15:16 Every five minutes, a woman dies in childbirth 15:19 in the country of India. 15:21 This is frequently due to poor prenatal care 15:25 or the unsanitary conditions in which the birth occurs. 15:30 Almost 80 percent of all childbirths 15:33 take place in a local village, 15:35 frequently among unhygienic conditions. 15:39 To help remedy this situation, 15:41 Living Springs is training a small army of midwives 15:46 whose focus is to help these women 15:48 deliver strong and healthy babies. 15:54 Our midwifery program actually started here on- 15:57 at our Bible seminary on the same property 15:59 with the Bible seminary. 16:02 My wife Lois started that program 16:05 and we didn't have much space but there we- 16:09 everybody crowded up a little tighter 16:11 and we took in the girls 16:13 and started a midwifery program 16:15 and that has grown to where now 16:18 we've graduated 73 girls as midwives. 16:22 And they're out in villages, in hospitals, 16:26 many of them have gone back to their own villages 16:28 and they're delivering babies, caring for mothers, 16:31 working with people in their own villages. 16:35 I had been a midwife for decades 16:38 and I always wanted to do a training program 16:41 because I see a need in America 16:44 as well as here for the training of young women. 16:48 We were here, and they asked me 16:50 if I could help with an auxiliary 16:52 nurses training program 16:54 and this just sounded too big for me 16:56 because I'm really not a nurse so to speak. 17:00 I'm a medical missionary who specializes in midwifery. 17:04 And so then they said well, 17:06 could you just teach midwifery and my heart just jumped 17:10 and I said, wow that would be a wonderful opportunity. 17:14 And we really didn't know if it would be acceptable. 17:18 We didn't know how it would fit this, 17:20 this culture but it has just proven 17:22 to be a wonderful blessing to me, 17:25 to our students and to the women. 17:27 They really do want natural childbirth. 17:31 When I was small, that time only I was thinking 17:34 that my goal was to become doctor. 17:37 The first time I did delivery, 17:38 first time I was afraid after that I was- 17:43 I did nicely, I did 80 deliveries, 80 births I did. 17:49 God has helped me so much. 17:52 I was afraid but He gave me courage to do this work. 17:56 By His grace, I am able to do this work. 18:03 We tried a place our graduates in areas 18:06 where they can observe natural childbirth 18:09 and there are some hospitals 18:11 where this is offered and our midwives are working 18:15 in those hospitals promoting the natural childbirth theme. 18:19 This little clinic was started six years ago, 18:22 there was an old church that was falling in 18:25 and they had moved the congregation to a new church 18:28 and they were thinking, well, what should we do with this 18:30 and immediately as I looked inside the church, 18:33 I said this would make a wonderful place 18:35 for birthing center. 18:36 And it's just actually a church sanctuary small 18:41 but divided into two sections 18:43 and then utility room in the back. 18:45 We'd try to provide in the clinic 18:48 things for intervention or for the safety of the mother 18:52 or the baby, such things as oxygen, 18:56 medicines for hemorrhage if that should happen. 19:00 The other thing is we have hot water and heat, 19:03 which many homes don't have out here in the country. 19:08 We have a generator if we need lights at night 19:11 and we do have an ambulance 19:15 that we can transport a mother if she needs help. 19:18 That's really one of the biggest problems 19:21 out in the village is getting transportation 19:25 if you have an urgent situation. 19:28 The general practice in the village 19:31 for having a homebirth, 19:34 it was carried on by the village Di, DICOM 19:38 we call it the work of the Di. 19:41 And they have many wonderful customs 19:43 but then there are other customs 19:45 that are definitely detrimental. 19:48 It's a widespread custom in this area 19:51 to starve the baby out, 19:54 so they cut down on the rice 19:56 and you can eat other little things 19:58 but they really don't want that baby to get big, 20:02 plus they don't understand 20:03 the brain is developing at a tremendous rate, 20:07 you know, its just one of the worst things 20:09 that they could do. 20:11 They believe if you eat pumpkin, 20:15 you said if you eat pumpkin, you get joint pain, 20:18 you get body pain and when you become old, 20:22 you won't be able to, you know, work. 20:25 You know they believe that, you know. 20:28 We see so many children 20:30 who's having night blindness 20:32 because they don't eat yellow vegetables. 20:36 We started our work over here in 2006 20:41 and after the baby out delivered we cut the cord. 20:47 And mothers and relatives and village Di's, 20:50 they don't allow us to cut the cord before, you know. 20:55 And their belief is that if you cut the cord 20:58 the placenta will go up in your chest 21:02 and the patient is going to die. 21:04 That's what they believe. 21:06 And since we are working with them, 21:10 we teach them ahead to the mother 21:12 before they deliver, 21:13 you know, this is what procedure 21:15 we are going to do and you all think that this is, 21:18 you are believing, it's- no, it's superstition 21:21 you are thinking about. 21:23 The midwifery has impacted 21:26 the lives in a very positive way. 21:30 So in the community our reputation 21:32 is for saving lives 21:35 and for caring about mothers. 21:40 Sometimes our midwives are out 21:42 by five or six in the morning 21:43 if they have mothers who are pregnant 21:46 and they can't check them any other time, 21:48 they'll get up and go out to the village 21:50 and people notice these things. 21:55 We just had a graduation. 21:56 There were 600 people who came 21:59 and I would say at least a third of them 22:02 were mothers with babies 22:04 and they were just beaming to see 22:05 these young women progressing in life. 22:09 And our statistics and that which we've done 22:12 has been so transparently good, 22:16 everyone is like, yup, 22:18 your girls are saving lives and helping people. 22:24 We teach our children as they get older 22:27 how to help other people 22:28 of a medical missionary type work 22:32 and many of our children say 22:34 when we finish high school, 22:36 we want to go to the Bible seminary 22:39 and we want to do medical missionary work. 22:42 We have, you know, three phases in the spiritual, 22:45 in the scholastic academics and also in vocational. 22:50 We want them to be able to support themselves financially. 22:53 As Paul was a tentmaker and supported himself 22:55 and was able to give the gospel, 22:57 that's our main thrust 22:59 and we want everyone to have that ability. 23:02 Now some people were going to full time conference work 23:06 and we were happy for that. 23:08 We want them to still have that trade 23:10 if they can fall back on and then we know 23:13 that they're gonna be some people that 23:14 well not really do much of all the spiritual 23:17 but at least they're not gonna be begging for a hand out, 23:21 they know how to take care of themselves. 23:23 And we believe later on, they're gonna say hey, 23:26 you know what I got there when I was a child, 23:28 that was when I was happiest and I want to get that back. 23:33 Most of them were quite poor 23:36 and they probably would go on to college 23:38 if they were able but they're not able. 23:41 They have no possibility of doing that 23:44 and we've taken in these young men and women 23:47 and we're trying to give them 23:49 a very practical training for one 23:52 so that they can do welding 23:56 and tailoring and all types of practical skills 24:00 as well as we give them 24:02 a good medical missionary training program 24:05 where they learn hydrotherapy, massage, nutrition. 24:10 We teach them of course the Bible 24:12 and the writings of Ellen White. 24:14 We get our young people out visiting homes 24:17 and they've done tremendous amount of good 24:21 just even in our local village, in our local area. 24:24 We're just beginning to get some better picking up 24:27 on setting up their own practical skill program 24:30 to be self-supporting missionaries. 24:33 We also are gonna do teaching as a trade 24:38 and our hope in that is that 24:40 some of the students were going to village 24:43 where they can start their own school 24:46 and we want to teach the Christian principles, 24:48 you know Christian education 24:50 which is to restore them to the image of God. 24:55 I had the privilege of being a part 24:58 along with a few men that started OCI 25:02 and being a part of a family like OCI 25:05 helps the church at large 25:07 to understand that our supporting ministry 25:10 of the church is a legitimate ministry 25:14 that we're trying to work with the church 25:16 as a team to accomplish God's work, 25:20 the mission for the Church. 25:22 You know the work is going to be finished 25:25 by lay people not by the church workers, 25:28 that I truly believe it. 25:32 We have a very close relationship 25:34 with the Seventh-day Adventist Southern Asia division 25:37 and with all of the local sections and union. 25:41 We work very closely with our church, 25:43 with our leadership and always have. 25:46 I know Bill Dull from the time 25:48 that I came to know him. 25:51 I feel that he is really an apostle to India. 25:57 His life has really touched 25:59 the heart of our people and his ministry. 26:03 He's humble and mingling 26:05 with all classes of people freely. 26:10 He's a true missionary to India 26:13 and we know that God has blessed him 26:15 and he has been an instrument 26:17 in hand of God to reach out to the, 26:20 we don't know how many, but I believe that 26:23 reaching to the millions of people in India. 26:26 And I believe that this is the kind of work 26:29 that is going to finish the work in India. 26:32 I truly believe it. 26:34 Our leaders are really behind us 26:36 and they're doing everything they can to help us. 26:39 We have several people that we have found 26:41 to be very dedicated supportive men 26:45 that are part of our board and part of our leadership 26:49 for our direction of our program. 26:52 So we're very happy for that 26:53 and we're thankful to be able to work with the church. 26:57 Through their ministry to the poor, 26:59 Living Springs Overseas Missions 27:02 is ministering to Jesus Christ 27:04 in a very real way 27:06 through their orphanage school 27:08 which helps children 27:10 who have been castoff by their families, 27:12 to the midwifery program 27:14 which is helping to bring healthy babies into this world. 27:18 And then their Bible seminary program 27:20 which is training young men and women 27:22 to carry the vision of service for Christ 27:26 throughout the country of India. 27:28 Would you consider assisting this heartfelt ministry 27:32 that is ministering to the poor of India 27:35 in real and concrete ways? 27:39 Please visit us at outpostcenters.org 27:42 to learn more about the growing worldwide work of OCI, 27:46 and our member ministries 27:47 such as Living Springs Overseas Missions, 27:51 to contact us, email info@outpostcenters.org 27:56 or please call us at 423-236-5600. 28:02 We would love to hear from you. 28:06 We deeply value your support. 28:09 I encourage you to consider what you can do 28:11 to help the expanding work of OCI around the world. 28:17 For OCI reports, this is Steven Grabiner. |
Revised 2014-12-17