Australia is
unique in many ways.
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It's the only nation to
comprise an entire continent
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and an island at that.
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Over 200 nations are represented
in the 22 million inhabitants
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that live in Australia.
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Much of its
wildlife, birds and flowers
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are unique to this country.
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Australia has much
stunning beauty as well.
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Ayers Rock, the
Great Barrier Reef
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and many of its
beaches are well known.
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Today, we'll be
exploring two OCI Ministries
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and we'll begin by a visit
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to Kangaroo Valley
in New South Wales.
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Australians are
historically known
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for their independent spirit,
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their deep sense of
justice and fairness,
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as well as a
love for the outdoors.
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Yet despite this
traditionally active lifestyle,
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many of them are affected
by the same lifestyle diseases
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that are so widely
found in Western Society.
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Coronary heart
disease, cancer, depression,
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and addictions
are all on the rise.
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Diabetes and obesity
is increasingly becoming
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a major health problem,
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even outpacing their
growth in the United States.
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The program at Cedarvale
Health and Lifestyle Retreat
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is designed to combat the
inroads of these diseases.
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For over 20 years,
the team at Cedarvale
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has been introducing
Australians to a new beginning.
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Their aim is to give
their guests better health
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through a better lifestyle.
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Cedarvale Health
and Lifestyle Retreat
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is a country
retreat. We have 150 acres.
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And a primary task here
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is to offer a
live-in lifestyle center.
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So guests come from many areas,
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particularly around
Sydney and Canberra,
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which is the main
population areas in Australia.
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And so we have this property
here where they can come
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and stay for 5, 12
and 19-day programs,
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and we take care of them
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and hopefully get
their health back on track.
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We're about one-and-a-half
hour south from Sydney,
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very convenient, but
we're a million miles away
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from all the stress of the city.
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We're in corner of valley
here called Kangaroo Valley
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and we have 150 acres
amongst the rainforest,
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with lots of bush walking trails
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and the guests really enjoy
and seeing lots of wildlife.
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They say it really is
a very beautiful setting.
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Some of the
wildlife we have here,
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would be of course kangaroos.
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We have lots of wallabies,
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we also have an
amazing amount of bird life,
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you know, people
really enjoy that.
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The capacity here at
Cedarvale is for ten people.
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We have six rooms, some double
rooms and some single rooms,
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and all the rooms
have their own bathrooms.
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Most of the health problems
that our guests come with
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would be stress,
depression, obesity,
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and also along with that
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they have some of the
associated conditions such as,
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diabetes, high blood pressure,
you know, heart disease.
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Some of our big focus is
on changing people's thoughts.
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We see so much in the way of
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people who have diets
that are highly processed,
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very high on meat.
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They're low on things
like fruits and vegetables
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and whole grains
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and that plays a key
role in people's lifestyle
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related diseases
whether it's diabetes,
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whether it's
affecting their mental health.
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Another key aspect to the-
the care while they're here,
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is really focusing
on exercise aspects.
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And fortunately, we have
a beautiful rainforest here,
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about six kilometers or so
beautiful rainforest walks.
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And it's the guests wanted a
real privilege to get outside
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and experience the
fresh air and sunshine.
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And by the end of the week,
they're feeling very relaxed.
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The walks have been lovely.
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We've been down to the,
you know, the waterfalls
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and the little...
well, it's like a village.
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It's just the quietness.
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But we did get a shock.
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There's no TV. That was-
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We didn't- hadn't
thought about that.
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And we had no use
of our mobile phones.
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And, you know, that was a bit,
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it depends on us
too, because I'm-
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It's good to do
without them, yeah.
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Yeah.
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Being a Health
and Lifestyle Retreat,
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people come here initially
because they have health issues,
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but often realize
that, it's their lifestyle
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that has helped to contribute
to the health problems.
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So while they are here,
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everybody is able
to have the opportunity
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to develop a lifestyle
program when they got home.
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When they go home,
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they can live what
they've learnt here.
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You know, continue
to eat healthfully,
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develop an exercise
program, for example.
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And so, it really is
a lifestyle approach.
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It is very
important for the guests
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to experience the
wholesome lifestyle
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in which nutrition plays
one of the very important roles.
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And as part of everything else,
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it really creates a
healthy environment for them
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and they get to
enjoy everything around,
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and once they're feeling
good from the inside out.
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We'd like to take our
guests on supervised walks.
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We actually supervise
two walks a day at least,
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sometimes three.
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And they need that supervision
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because people
often need a little prod
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to just get moving.
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As the group
starts to mold together
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as more of a family unit,
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what one does they've all got
to do, so that kind of helps.
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Shortest length of
stay for the guests here
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would be five days,
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but it is interesting that
even within those five days,
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we see huge improvements
in the way they feel,
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in the way they
act toward each other
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and each person comes
with a different need,
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with different
baggage and you can tell
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that there is something
going on in their lives.
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Not only physically
in terms of their health,
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but also mentally as well.
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We see that the way we
behave toward them the-
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When they see how
much we cared for them,
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and how when we meet
their physical needs.
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They're so open to
anything we share with them.
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Before I came here, I was angry.
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I was very stressed out.
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Here I have found something
I cannot- It must be the food,
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the people, the
live that I've been-
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No television, no radios,
no mobile which is lovely.
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I feel young.
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I feel like a
two-year-old. I've come alive.
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And I've lost weight.
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Since I came here and
I've been eating this food,
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I feel much better. I'm at peace
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and I want to get
to know more about
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the Seventh-day Adventists here.
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They're all very
happy, they are at peace.
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And I said, "This is what I want
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in my life now, you know."
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Beautiful place,
beautiful. Beautiful people.
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We do a lot in terms
of breaking down barriers.
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People arrive here and
they're sort of wondering about
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what kind of people are
these people who run this place.
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But when they stay
there, the barriers are breaking
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and they're
asking questions of us.
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And they're feeling
a lot more comfortable
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with Seventh-day Adventists.
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And that's one
of our biggest goals
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is to break down those barriers.
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The people put up towards
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not only
Christianity, but also God.
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In Australia here, we
have a very secular society.
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And so people are very
reserved towards Christianity.
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And we find
through the health message,
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through having
our guests stay here,
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nursing to their needs,
relieving pain, helping them,
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you know, with
their lifestyle issues.
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Hearts are opened up
and they become very open
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to hearing about the gospel
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through the
practical Christianity
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that we're able to provide.
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My goal for the guests here
is to- I would really like them
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to catch a vision of something
better than they've come from.
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So yes, it is about
improving their health.
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Yes, it is about
unplugging from the social
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and high technological
world that we live in,
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that just stresses people
and hypes them up so much.
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I like them to
catch that sense of peace
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that we try to create here.
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And we want these people to know
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that this is a special place.
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And when they
have the exit consults,
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many times they don't
even really know what it is.
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And if you just
gently say to them, you know,
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is it the fact that
staff get on so well together,
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is it the fact that it
doesn't matter how busy it is,
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they still seem to be
composed and at peace.
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Could it be, you know,
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that these people are
really working with Jesus.
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And they actually sense that.
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It doesn't take very long.
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I mean, you could
create well people,
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but we want to create
more than that in people.
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We want them to be well, sure,
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but also to know that
they've been in a place
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that does model
what Jesus gave us.
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In addition to
running the lifestyle program
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which introduces their
guests to better health,
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Cedarvale also
offers a training program.
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The students that come
have an opportunity to work
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in every facet in
the health retreat.
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When they graduate,
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they're able to take
the skills they've learned
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and apply them in a new setting
wherever God may lead them.
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We started a training
program here at Cedarvale
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about one year ago.
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We really saw the need to train
staff to do this kind of work,
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not only for our own center,
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but also could help establish
other centers here in Australia.
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The students here now
in our traineeship program,
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they learn massage,
hydrotherapy, nutrition,
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anatomy physiology.
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They also learn how
to work in the office.
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And so we get a good,
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you know, around the
experience in all the areas
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of the operation
of a health center,
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so when they go,
they can actually start
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a health center
if they wanted to.
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I'm doing a Health
Ministry Traineeship here.
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And it's really
a general course.
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It's like we get experience
with massage, hydrotherapy,
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doing cooking demonstrations,
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helping out in the kitchen,
helping out in the office.
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So we're learning different
skills in all those areas.
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And same the simple basic
health principles in action.
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Cedarvale has been operating
for I think 20 years now
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and it's always a very
solid and well-established
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and highly reputable
live-in health retreat.
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And we have a really good
team of experienced people.
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And we need something
like this in Australia.
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We need a place to
send our young people.
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I try to create a team
spirit where we work together,
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but the first half
of the training program
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is learning the theory.
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It's working in the kitchen,
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in the
housekeeping, and in the office.
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It's shadowing
myself in the actual
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therapy with the guests,
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then as we go into the
second half of the program
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by then coming and
actually start doing
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the treatments on the guests.
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The focus of our program
here is really to train up
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a true medical missionary.
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As I've grown up, my brothers
had a lot of health problems
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and through those
experiences we've been,
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I guess led to really
such a spirit of prophecy
00:12:07.40\00:12:11.94
in the natural health messages.
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And so because
of that background,
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it really gave me an
interest and an appreciation
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for the health message.
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I've seen God work in powerful
ways of healing in my heart.
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And yes, just give
me a passion for it.
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And so that's- Well,
that's primary reason
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I wanted to come here.
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Also, the fact that
Mrs. White says that,
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"Every one of us should
be medical missionaries."
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The health ministry work
is largely a seed sowing work,
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so you don't
always see the fruit.
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And well, sometimes that
can be a little frustrating.
00:12:44.97\00:12:47.29
We've actually
seen over the years
00:12:47.32\00:12:49.52
that that seed has borne fruit.
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Some do attend our church,
00:12:51.95\00:12:54.03
and so that's
really encouraging.
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So we never know
how the seed will grow.
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And God calls us to be
faithful to sow the seed
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and leave the results to Him.
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We do, try and facilitate
follow-up and we prep them
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and we see some good results.
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The aim of Cedarvale staff
is to help everyone they meet
00:13:09.86\00:13:14.15
find a new beginning.
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In a moment, we'll be
visiting another OCI Ministry
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that is reaching
out to a secular society
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with the
message of Jesus Christ.
00:13:23.69\00:13:26.09
When you think of missionaries,
what do you picture?
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For many people,
the image of a doctor,
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teacher or pastor in a
remote country comes to mind.
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But the truth
is God needs people
00:13:44.70\00:13:46.78
with many
different skills in His work,
00:13:46.81\00:13:48.84
both around the
world and close to home.
00:13:48.87\00:13:51.19
At OCI, we're
passionate about helping
00:13:51.87\00:13:54.46
to connect mission-minded people
00:13:54.49\00:13:56.33
with our network of
more than 80 ministries.
00:13:56.36\00:13:59.11
Each project aims to share
the gospel in practical ways
00:13:59.15\00:14:02.72
and they need
skilled workers of all types,
00:14:02.75\00:14:05.34
mechanics,
gardeners, cooks and designers,
00:14:05.37\00:14:08.44
just a name of few.
00:14:08.47\00:14:09.64
Of course, they also
need teachers and doctors.
00:14:09.67\00:14:12.24
If you're interested in
serving at an OCI Ministry,
00:14:13.11\00:14:16.22
visit our website for a
list of current opportunities
00:14:16.25\00:14:19.40
or call our office.
00:14:19.43\00:14:21.16
We'd love to talk to you.
00:14:21.19\00:14:22.28
All over the world,
people are suffering
00:14:29.97\00:14:32.60
from the variety of afflictions.
00:14:32.63\00:14:35.16
And while these
pains and sorrows
00:14:35.19\00:14:37.69
are hidden in the
cities of the first world,
00:14:37.72\00:14:40.81
they are nevertheless very real.
00:14:40.84\00:14:43.06
Lisbon, a capital of Portugal
00:14:44.12\00:14:46.35
with its over three million
inhabitants is a prime example.
00:14:46.38\00:14:51.31
Join us as we explore the
growing ministry at VitaSalus.
00:14:51.90\00:14:56.86
When we came to Portugal,
00:15:13.30\00:15:14.54
we had the idea of having a
lifestyle center in a country.
00:15:14.57\00:15:17.15
You know, after spending
a few years at Wildwood,
00:15:17.18\00:15:20.06
we also visited
Herghelia and other institutions
00:15:20.09\00:15:23.47
and those with
the models we have.
00:15:23.50\00:15:25.42
So when we
came, we thought well,
00:15:25.45\00:15:28.36
that's what we're gonna
do, develop a lifestyle center.
00:15:28.39\00:15:31.57
We didn't want
to live in a city,
00:15:33.62\00:15:35.19
but that's what
we ended up doing.
00:15:35.22\00:15:37.04
So we have this medical practice
or medical consultation rooms
00:15:38.24\00:15:42.51
in downtown that is right
in the middle of the city.
00:15:42.54\00:15:45.40
In Lisbon, we've
started with consulting rooms
00:15:48.74\00:15:52.45
and we opened a section
00:15:52.48\00:15:55.21
where we were able to do
some simple hypnotherapy,
00:15:55.24\00:15:58.47
and we've been able to
study some close friendships
00:15:58.50\00:16:02.92
and it's been a blessing to
be able to work with the people.
00:16:02.95\00:16:06.29
You know, Lisbon has just
over three million people.
00:16:08.78\00:16:11.17
And there is another city
in the north called Portugal
00:16:11.20\00:16:14.10
which has about
two-and-a-half million people.
00:16:14.13\00:16:16.05
So just seeing these two cities,
00:16:16.08\00:16:17.86
you have close to
six million people.
00:16:17.89\00:16:20.28
We need to be
where the people are.
00:16:20.31\00:16:23.07
These are the children of God.
00:16:23.10\00:16:25.70
We all want healing.
00:16:26.60\00:16:29.20
We all want to be
free from suffering.
00:16:29.23\00:16:32.02
Human suffering is universal.
00:16:32.05\00:16:34.70
I'm a general practitioner,
you know, a family doctor,
00:16:34.73\00:16:37.70
but I would say that
probably 40% of my patients
00:16:37.73\00:16:40.43
come to me
because of depression.
00:16:40.46\00:16:41.89
We spend a lot of
time with our patients.
00:16:43.16\00:16:45.89
First time consultations
are usually two hours
00:16:45.92\00:16:48.48
that we sit aside,
00:16:48.51\00:16:50.06
and we don't
necessarily always use it,
00:16:50.09\00:16:52.13
but many times we
use more than that.
00:16:52.16\00:16:54.55
And I think people realize
that they are really cared for
00:16:54.58\00:16:59.28
and that we are
really trying to help them
00:16:59.31\00:17:02.93
and giving ourselves to them.
00:17:02.96\00:17:04.98
We also have a strong emphasis
00:17:06.63\00:17:08.89
on how lifestyles
affect health and disease.
00:17:08.92\00:17:13.67
So we spend a lot of time
with patients talking to them
00:17:13.70\00:17:16.89
about their
nutrition, their exercise,
00:17:16.92\00:17:19.13
their stress level the rest.
00:17:19.16\00:17:22.24
I believe that it
is through the love
00:17:22.27\00:17:25.88
that the Lord has
given us and through us
00:17:25.91\00:17:31.27
and directly through
the workings of the spirit.
00:17:31.30\00:17:34.78
Healing can start taking place.
00:17:34.81\00:17:36.93
A healing of the
relationship with Him,
00:17:36.96\00:17:40.83
a healing of the relationships
00:17:40.86\00:17:42.54
that they have with other people
00:17:42.57\00:17:44.07
and many times the
healing of the body as well.
00:17:44.11\00:17:47.11
As a doctor, I
interest is always
00:17:48.42\00:17:50.73
to be able to help people.
00:17:50.76\00:17:52.68
As an Adventist doctor,
our interest is even deeper
00:17:52.71\00:17:56.04
to be able to help him
physically and spiritually.
00:17:56.07\00:17:59.21
And so to be here is
always with the possibility
00:17:59.24\00:18:02.82
of being able to
reach somebody for heaven.
00:18:02.85\00:18:05.78
And to be able to bring them
closer to God and to help them
00:18:05.81\00:18:09.50
to know that God loves
them and cares for them.
00:18:09.53\00:18:12.04
And of course, as
we're working with the people
00:18:13.64\00:18:16.47
and they are blessed
by our physical ministry,
00:18:16.50\00:18:20.26
they're also more open,
and willing to be able to hear
00:18:20.29\00:18:23.58
what you have to say about God.
00:18:23.61\00:18:25.46
And I've never heard
anybody that I've asked,
00:18:26.24\00:18:29.91
do you mind if I pray with you?
00:18:29.94\00:18:31.31
I've never heard anybody saying
no I'd rather, you didn't.
00:18:31.34\00:18:34.10
They almost always say
thank you, that's lovely.
00:18:34.13\00:18:37.06
You know, God
is in all of these.
00:18:38.12\00:18:40.55
We don't have
medical consultation.
00:18:40.58\00:18:42.77
You know, we go to biblical
consultation or Bible say,
00:18:42.80\00:18:46.71
you know the whole consultation
00:18:46.74\00:18:48.46
should be based
on God's principles
00:18:48.49\00:18:51.90
of love, of
understanding, of respect.
00:18:51.93\00:18:54.51
That's the Bible study.
00:18:54.54\00:18:55.94
Medical missionary work has
long been an affective means
00:19:00.01\00:19:03.37
of restoring
health to individuals
00:19:03.40\00:19:05.43
as well as introducing
them to Jesus Christ.
00:19:05.46\00:19:08.86
In the early 1900s,
00:19:09.65\00:19:12.01
Madison College
started a lifestyle center.
00:19:12.04\00:19:15.31
This rural lifestyle
center attracted attention
00:19:15.34\00:19:18.42
of people in the
surrounding community.
00:19:18.45\00:19:20.88
Individuals from the
community were so interested
00:19:20.91\00:19:23.98
in being treated
in these natural ways
00:19:24.01\00:19:26.60
that they came and
camped out on the porch
00:19:26.63\00:19:29.35
before
construction was completed.
00:19:29.38\00:19:32.17
VitaSalus faces a
similar situation.
00:19:32.20\00:19:35.33
Many eager
individuals are longing to come
00:19:35.36\00:19:38.71
to this country lifestyle center
00:19:38.74\00:19:41.04
even before the
facilities are finished.
00:19:41.07\00:19:43.98
We want to be and we need
to be where the people are,
00:19:47.09\00:19:49.68
and this way we
give consultations.
00:19:49.71\00:19:51.25
We are in Lisbon two days a
week and we see patients there.
00:19:51.28\00:19:54.98
But we live here, so the
other five days we spend here.
00:19:55.26\00:19:58.30
And many of our
patients then come over
00:19:58.80\00:20:01.57
and they spend a week
or two or three with us
00:20:01.60\00:20:04.09
to recover from
there ill health.
00:20:04.12\00:20:06.43
At the moment we're
starting with phase one
00:20:06.46\00:20:10.89
which is just to get some
rooms ready for the patients.
00:20:10.92\00:20:14.18
We have not been
able to advertise openly
00:20:15.11\00:20:18.08
because we officially are still
in the process of building,
00:20:18.11\00:20:22.15
but people by word of mouth hear
00:20:22.18\00:20:25.50
that we are here
and so people come here.
00:20:25.53\00:20:28.32
We don't have a room to
do hydrotherapy, for example.
00:20:28.35\00:20:31.39
We use one of
the consulting rooms.
00:20:31.42\00:20:32.95
We move the furniture
out and we do it there.
00:20:32.98\00:20:35.44
And we tell them, "Look,
this is the building site."
00:20:35.47\00:20:37.85
You know, some of the
rooms are almost ready,
00:20:37.88\00:20:39.53
but they are not ready.
00:20:39.56\00:20:40.59
Says, but doctor
it doesn't matter,
00:20:40.62\00:20:42.03
you know, I want to come.
00:20:42.06\00:20:43.23
So this is happening now,
00:20:43.26\00:20:44.92
but we need to
have accommodation
00:20:45.45\00:20:47.01
as soon as possible.
00:20:47.04\00:20:48.20
We need to have facilities
where we can treat the people.
00:20:48.23\00:20:50.76
We have been doing these
types of programs in the hotel,
00:20:51.03\00:20:55.10
and I hope is that
within a short period of time,
00:20:55.13\00:20:58.86
we will be able to
open the doors locally.
00:20:58.89\00:21:01.75
We need the buildings ready
so that we can stop renting
00:21:01.78\00:21:04.75
at the hotel and we
can run them right here,
00:21:04.78\00:21:07.43
and onsides which I think
00:21:07.46\00:21:09.15
is gonna be a greater
blessing for everyone.
00:21:09.18\00:21:11.25
God has been able to
use us to help these people.
00:21:11.28\00:21:14.10
And it's just
wonderful to be able to see
00:21:14.84\00:21:16.71
how these people even feel
00:21:16.74\00:21:18.26
that they are
part of this family,
00:21:18.29\00:21:20.36
that we have here and
come and help as volunteers.
00:21:20.39\00:21:24.86
I think probably most of them
know that we are Adventists.
00:21:25.61\00:21:28.64
They probably don't know
what Adventist is at this stage,
00:21:28.67\00:21:33.06
but they are
embracing the value,
00:21:33.09\00:21:35.38
they feel that we
are embracing them
00:21:35.41\00:21:37.42
and they are embracing us.
00:21:37.45\00:21:39.61
And it's wonderful
to have this bridge.
00:21:39.64\00:21:42.30
Just recently,
there was an opportunity
00:21:42.70\00:21:44.60
to teach at the local what
they call the Senior University,
00:21:44.63\00:21:49.13
and the seniors of the community
00:21:49.16\00:21:50.80
come to theses
classes every week
00:21:50.83\00:21:52.30
and they invited us to
teach health and well-being.
00:21:52.33\00:21:55.37
I think of Enoch who
lived up in the mountain
00:21:55.40\00:21:58.83
and he went down to the city
00:21:58.86\00:22:00.59
and he mingled with the people
and he you brought a few up,
00:22:00.62\00:22:03.66
but he also helped
the ones who stayed there.
00:22:03.69\00:22:05.79
The final product
will be a lifestyle center
00:22:07.24\00:22:11.18
with about 50 beds,
physical therapy center,
00:22:11.21\00:22:16.08
a school of
health and evangelism
00:22:16.11\00:22:18.81
for about 10 to 15 students
and a center of activity
00:22:18.84\00:22:23.62
in these
communities and in the country.
00:22:23.65\00:22:25.71
A little over four years ago,
00:22:26.64\00:22:28.02
the buildings had
no doors, no windows,
00:22:28.05\00:22:30.45
had been abandoned, they've
been vandalized repeatedly
00:22:30.48\00:22:35.05
and look pretty
much like a disaster.
00:22:35.08\00:22:37.56
Some people come here and say,
00:22:38.18\00:22:40.36
"Well, it's going so slowly,
but if you look at the pictures
00:22:40.39\00:22:44.78
of how it was
before, you can see- Okay,
00:22:44.81\00:22:48.16
something has
really being done here."
00:22:48.19\00:22:50.18
As you can see, we've
got doors, we've got windows,
00:22:50.48\00:22:52.90
we've got one
building about 85% complete,
00:22:52.93\00:22:56.08
and we got the two houses
done and we're on our way now.
00:22:56.11\00:22:59.81
To the third large building
00:22:59.84\00:23:01.22
where we're
gonna have guest rooms
00:23:01.25\00:23:03.28
for patients and health guests.
00:23:03.31\00:23:05.41
We've got a dental practice,
00:23:06.48\00:23:07.66
and we never
planned in having one,
00:23:07.69\00:23:10.61
but one day this friend of mine
a dentist came to me and says,
00:23:10.64\00:23:14.97
"I'm willing to
donate to the project,
00:23:15.00\00:23:17.19
all my dental equipment, if you
have a place for me to work."
00:23:17.22\00:23:22.15
So if there's
been a great blessing.
00:23:22.18\00:23:24.71
He is a very accomplished
dentist and he said,
00:23:25.21\00:23:28.51
"This is the nicest dental
consulting room he's ever had."
00:23:28.54\00:23:31.69
Building is
expensive in this country.
00:23:33.52\00:23:35.25
It's very
different from building
00:23:35.28\00:23:37.24
in a developing country.
00:23:37.27\00:23:39.00
We've had a lot of
volunteer work here,
00:23:39.03\00:23:41.85
from Portugal and from overseas.
00:23:42.52\00:23:44.84
Maranatha Groups have come
00:23:44.87\00:23:46.63
and they've
helped us tremendously.
00:23:46.66\00:23:48.34
Having the cash on
hand to purchase materials
00:23:50.63\00:23:54.12
would open the door to
get volunteer labor again
00:23:54.15\00:23:57.58
in the form of a Maranatha team
00:23:57.61\00:23:59.87
and that really
gives a big push forward
00:23:59.90\00:24:01.94
to the building projects.
00:24:01.97\00:24:03.12
You know, we're
going as God provides,
00:24:04.32\00:24:06.94
we've never stopped working.
00:24:06.97\00:24:08.00
God has always been
so faithful in providing
00:24:08.03\00:24:10.95
money for the work to continue.
00:24:10.98\00:24:12.48
It hasn't gone
fast, but it has gone.
00:24:12.51\00:24:16.24
We thankful that we
don't have debts with the bank
00:24:18.52\00:24:21.50
or debts with any
major institutions.
00:24:21.53\00:24:24.56
We also very
thankful for many volunteers
00:24:24.59\00:24:27.04
who've come to help us because
by doing that they decreased
00:24:27.07\00:24:30.71
the amount of money we
need to spent on labor.
00:24:30.74\00:24:33.21
I've seen here in this
property as well as in my life
00:24:34.55\00:24:38.25
that God can make
wonders with very little things.
00:24:38.80\00:24:42.58
Six, seven years ago,
00:24:42.61\00:24:45.13
we started doing small
health expo's in the community.
00:24:45.17\00:24:49.46
So they started to know us
even before work started here
00:24:49.49\00:24:54.27
then when the project started
about three, four years ago
00:24:55.08\00:24:58.22
that intensified many little
health expo's, health clubs.
00:24:58.25\00:25:03.28
As in the market and
we go there every month
00:25:05.17\00:25:08.15
and we do to the health expos
00:25:08.18\00:25:09.63
and we also do
health expo for kids
00:25:09.66\00:25:12.24
in the schools nearby here.
00:25:12.27\00:25:14.42
We have this project when where
we go to the village nearby
00:25:14.45\00:25:18.80
and helps old people with
carrying wood for the winter.
00:25:18.83\00:25:23.08
We are pretty much
doing what Jesus did.
00:25:23.11\00:25:27.60
Go, see what people
need and try to help them.
00:25:27.63\00:25:31.17
Jesus lived to blessed others.
00:25:31.63\00:25:33.85
And so that's
really what we like
00:25:33.88\00:25:35.69
to instill the joy of service
00:25:35.72\00:25:37.57
and the
experience of how to do that
00:25:37.60\00:25:39.22
with the young
people that are with us.
00:25:39.25\00:25:40.69
I just praise God and
then give him, hallelujahs
00:25:41.86\00:25:46.65
because I'm here because of Him.
00:25:46.68\00:25:49.16
He chose me. He
called me to be here.
00:25:49.19\00:25:53.46
Being hear in the school,
00:25:53.49\00:25:55.71
I can really understand
what Ellen White says.
00:25:55.74\00:25:58.64
When she says that, "All
the members of the church,
00:25:58.67\00:26:01.37
everybody in the church
00:26:01.40\00:26:02.96
should have medical
missionary preparation."
00:26:02.99\00:26:05.67
It opened my eyes to the real
needs of people in the world.
00:26:05.70\00:26:10.60
Just give sometime
to the Lord, completely,
00:26:10.63\00:26:12.93
100% and life will change.
00:26:12.96\00:26:16.30
We have been
privileged and greatly blessed
00:26:17.02\00:26:19.86
by having been
invited by the local union
00:26:19.89\00:26:23.22
to start this ministry.
00:26:23.25\00:26:25.38
The first thing
we did even before
00:26:25.41\00:26:27.28
we opened the consulting room
00:26:27.31\00:26:28.66
was helping the church
was organized health expo's.
00:26:28.69\00:26:30.84
In fact, over 5,000 volunteers
00:26:32.26\00:26:33.81
from the church
and participated.
00:26:33.84\00:26:35.36
And that's the
church with 10,000 members.
00:26:36.31\00:26:38.35
We are here to serve people.
00:26:39.23\00:26:41.08
We're here to really
work together with the church,
00:26:41.11\00:26:45.15
not a separate entities.
00:26:45.18\00:26:47.05
We're here
really to work together.
00:26:47.08\00:26:49.65
This projects connection to
OCI was started in its infancy,
00:26:50.42\00:26:55.42
in the concept of it and
it was really through OCI
00:26:55.45\00:26:59.57
and its network of people
and donors that we work with
00:26:59.60\00:27:04.37
that appreciates
supporting ministries
00:27:04.40\00:27:06.25
that this ministry came about.
00:27:06.28\00:27:08.97
It's just been
connected very strongly.
00:27:09.00\00:27:12.07
And OCI has pride
in support, in nurture,
00:27:12.10\00:27:14.97
in every way to make
this project a reality.
00:27:16.90\00:27:20.03
Whether it's their
ministry in the city
00:27:21.34\00:27:23.28
or their
country lifestyle center
00:27:23.31\00:27:26.48
or in the training of students,
00:27:26.51\00:27:28.82
VitaSalus uses a
variety of practical means
00:27:28.85\00:27:32.63
to try to bring hope
to those who have none.
00:27:32.66\00:27:35.98
I encourage you to
consider what you can do
00:27:36.76\00:27:39.70
to help the expanding
work of OCI around the world.
00:27:39.73\00:27:43.70
We deeply value your support.
00:27:43.73\00:27:45.97
Please, visit us
at outpostcenters.org.
00:27:46.97\00:27:50.75
To learn more about
the worldwide work of OCI
00:27:50.78\00:27:55.13
and our member ministries,
00:27:55.16\00:27:56.74
such as
VitaSalus here in Portugal.
00:27:56.77\00:28:00.29
To contact us, email
info@outpostcenters.org.
00:28:00.32\00:28:06.53
Or call us at 423.236.5600.
00:28:06.56\00:28:12.90
We would love to hear from you.
00:28:12.93\00:28:14.42
For OCI reports,
this is Steven Grabiner.
00:28:15.90\00:28:19.54