Participants: Steven Grabiner
Series Code: OCIR
Program Code: OCIR000013
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00:16 In the early 1900s Ellen White had a vision
00:19 of the council meeting. 00:21 One in authority stood before the meeting 00:24 and presented a map to the participants. 00:28 On that map were small jets of light. 00:31 Each stream of light represented in individual 00:34 who responded to the gospel. 00:37 Soon the entire map was lightened 00:40 with these beams of light. 00:42 Today, we'll be visiting in OCI ministry 00:45 that is endeavoring to make that vision a reality. 01:05 As Ellen White continued to watch the vision, 01:07 she gazed upon that map lightened up. 01:11 Unfortunately, that map was soon replaced 01:14 with one covered in darkness. 01:17 The darkness represented individuals 01:19 who refuse to reflect the light 01:21 that had shown up on them. 01:23 The Lay Institute of Global Health Training 01:27 or LIGHT for short was born with the vision 01:30 to train medical missionaries around the world. 01:33 These missionaries would carry the light 01:35 given to them to others. 01:37 In this way they would share 01:39 the message of God's love with a darkened world. 01:45 Back in the year 2003, 2004, 01:49 when I was serving as a vice president at OCI, 01:52 I got a call from a friend from Germany 01:55 who had been very active in Central Asia 02:00 supporting gospel workers. 02:03 And he said, you know, 02:04 because there only using the gospel approach, 02:07 they are having trouble getting good studies. 02:10 And we need to do medical missionary work. 02:14 Having used medical missionary work 02:15 in many different countries that surely as God said 02:18 it would work in all countries 02:20 it would work in a moderately Muslim country as well. 02:24 So I went to some of the leaders in ASI, 02:27 I said, we'd like to put together a team 02:29 we would like to put together some funds. 02:31 And some of these brothers thought about it 02:33 and they said why just do Central Asia, 02:36 why don't we try a pilot project 02:38 in several different kinds of countries, 02:40 maybe an African country, 02:41 maybe a Western European country 02:44 and a modernly Muslim country. 02:48 And so sure enough they came through with some funding 02:51 and we put together a pilot project 02:53 and when the six months was over 02:56 it was exciting to see the change it developed 03:00 in the student body that was there. 03:01 And that it was making a significant difference 03:04 in the ability of their workers to reach their population. 03:09 There's a huge need in the world 03:10 for lay training and medical missionary work. 03:14 Ellen White calls for every church member 03:16 to take hold of medical missionary work 03:17 but as I've travel around I notice a lot of lay members 03:20 don't really understand what medical missionary work is. 03:23 So we offer the four week intensive 03:26 we call the essentials of health evangelism. 03:28 And it's a full month commitment we do classes all day 03:32 but we get the church members active in outreach, 03:35 while we're working with them. 03:36 So we're both doing theory training, 03:37 we're also doing hands-on training 03:39 teaching them how to go into the community 03:41 and do health expo's, door-to-door work, 03:45 cooking classes and teach them 03:46 that evangelism is really a cycle. 03:48 It should be going on continually, 03:51 building contacts, relationships with people 03:53 and that the health message is really the- 03:55 that the best way to reach people. 03:58 Now we'd like to see that Seventh-day Adventist 03:59 are known as people that live healthy 04:02 and have a really great message to share 04:03 about how to live better and prevent disease 04:05 and even reverse some diseases. 04:07 The local church can be a powerful tool 04:10 in the hands of God 04:11 to effectively reach any community. 04:13 When you incorporate practical healthy evangelism 04:16 the church becomes a live and dynamic 04:18 and it just integrates 04:20 with all the other departments in the church 04:22 and makes it a powerful place to be. 04:26 Our primary emphasis is 04:29 in developing new training programs. 04:32 In Asia, in Africa, 04:34 in South America, Central America 04:36 we're working to develop a permanent training schools 04:40 that- that could be used to provide medical missionaries 04:43 to work in their country and in other countries. 04:46 And so we help to establish these schools. 04:51 It's a very hard when you're trying 04:52 to start a school to develop your own curriculum. 04:55 And so we have a team of health professionals 04:57 and experienced missions that refine research 05:02 keep our material up-to-date. 05:03 We have our core curriculum for our essentials course 05:06 which is our shorter program and then we also have 05:09 curriculum for our longer six-month course. 05:12 We work with lay groups, we work with churches, unions. 05:16 If anybody wants to start a lay training school, 05:18 medical missionary work where they're just to help, 05:21 they can use our material 05:22 and we don't charge anything for it. 05:24 We also translate our material in local languages. 05:28 Another thing that we do to help establish projects 05:31 is by recruiting missionary teachers to come and help. 05:34 We have a network, a growing network 05:35 of medical missionary teachers around the world 05:37 that speak multiple languages. 05:40 We do what we can but we don't run 05:42 and we don't control and we don't- 05:43 we're not on their board, we're just only there to assist. 05:48 In this kind of work, you can get so wrapped up 05:49 and so busy that it's hard to find time 05:52 to develop your project. 05:53 So we are- we are in the midst right now 05:55 of developing advanced training programs. 05:58 We have an excellent one year advanced course 06:00 that we're, that we're developing. 06:02 We also have floor plans for helping projects 06:05 develop lifestyle centers. 06:06 Business plans for developing restaurants. 06:09 Agriculture plans for developing the farm project. 06:12 We really believe that our school should follow 06:14 lucrative education that the students 06:17 not only have a theoretical training 06:18 but also a practical training. 06:20 And so we emphasize a half work, 06:23 half study day with the students. 06:25 So we have different plans and models 06:27 that institutions can use to develop their industry 06:30 and get their students involved and engaged in practical work. 06:33 What makes LIGHT unique is that it works 06:37 not only to train individuals 06:38 but it also gives them an opportunity 06:41 to network with other like-minded people 06:43 from all around the world 06:44 who have received the same type of training, 06:46 the same type of background, 06:48 who are doing the same type of work. 06:49 LIGHT is more than just training, 06:51 it's actually a network, 06:53 a body of like-minded individuals 06:54 focusing on the same direction, same goals. 06:58 We have graduated over 6,000 lay members 07:02 in the last five years 07:03 and this network of graduates 07:05 stay in touch with us 07:06 and when an institution is in need 07:09 through this network we're able to hopefully fill those needs, 07:12 staff needs, missionary needs. 07:14 In some other instance we're kind of a medical missionary 07:16 crediting body that we look at curriculum and say, 07:19 well, yeah this is definitely close enough to 07:21 what we are teaching in our school. 07:24 So somebody knows what to expect 07:26 when they get a LIGHT training 07:27 because all of our affiliate schools 07:28 have a certain level of congruency. 07:30 A graduate student from Nigeria 07:33 could link up with a graduate student 07:34 from South Africa and Zambia 07:36 and those three could come together 07:38 and work to establish a new school in Tanzania. 07:41 They'll all be on a same page 07:43 because they've all been taking the same training. 07:45 It works like that in Asia too. 07:46 So graduates from the Philippines 07:47 and graduates from Indonesia 07:49 are working together to start a school in Cambodia. 07:52 And so we realize how important our curriculum is. 07:54 So we get feedback from all of our schools 07:55 we're constantly trying to improve it, 07:57 revise it and make it the best that it can be 08:00 because we want it to be, 08:01 you know, a blessing to everybody. 08:04 I have been so blessed since I have been traveling around 08:09 the Caribbean, Central South America 08:12 to see the hunger that people have 08:14 for preventive medicine and to put into their lives 08:19 a simple principles given to us in the Bible 08:21 and the Spirit of Prophecy 08:23 that opens the doors for spreading 08:25 and planting the seeds of the gospel. 08:27 I've seen so many cases 08:28 where individuals received healing. 08:32 People's lives were changed physical 08:35 and then they gave their lives to Lord as a result. 08:39 LIGHT is also working in the United States. 08:42 Really we want to see an expansion 08:45 of medical missionary work here too 08:47 'cause this the health message 08:48 not only works in the third world 08:50 it works very much in the first world as well. 08:52 You know, North America stills is a pretty big mission field. 08:56 It's thought to be one the most religious countries in the world 08:59 yet church attendance is just plummeting 09:02 when you look at the Gallup polls, 09:04 pew forum you find that people aren't really 09:07 going to church or saying that 09:09 they're involved with religious organizations any longer. 09:13 And so the idea is we need to do something 09:16 to reach out to the people 09:17 who are interested in spiritual things 09:20 that they may say 09:21 we're just being spiritual but not religious. 09:24 I could think of no better way than health evangelism. 09:26 You meeting felt means and going over to unfelt means 09:30 in a very seamless manner the way Jesus did it. 09:34 Church training in the United States 09:35 I think is so important 09:36 and it's so easy in the US to get complacent, 09:40 get wrapped up in our jobs, wrapped up in earning money 09:44 and developing our lives. 09:45 And yeah, helping on church a little bit 09:47 but not in any real significant way 09:50 but we want to inspire church members 09:52 that they can even at their jobs make connections, 09:54 have it always in their minds that that they are soul winners. 09:58 We've had churches take responsibility 09:59 for project and raise money for it. 10:02 It gives a revival. 10:03 When we get involved in foreign missions 10:04 it also helps revive our churches at home. 10:07 Some of the OCI projects that we worked with 10:09 are in Amazon, in Brazil, 10:11 in Norway, in Africa. 10:14 One of that, that really comes to mind is 10:15 VIDA international in Honduras. 10:18 In 2007 two young guys came into our office 10:22 and said we want to start a project in Honduras. 10:24 And is there any way you can help us? 10:26 And so this is right when LIGHT was taking off 10:29 as a right, I think we can. 10:31 And so we came to Honduras 10:32 we did a one month school with them 10:34 and we had our material translated into Spanish 10:37 and they used it and the school grew 10:40 and we help find a couple missionaries 10:41 to go on and help teach at their school. 10:43 And it's just amazing to see how God has blessed our project 10:46 and in such a short time the project grew and developed. 10:49 There are many people out there that don't know Christ. 10:53 And so the main objective of the ministry is to 10:57 somehow satisfy some of these needs 11:00 that these people might have, 11:01 that they might see that there's a God out there 11:03 that cares for them 11:04 and that they might eventually come to Christ. 11:08 And also be motivated 11:10 to bring that which they have received to others. 11:16 The primary goal of the school 11:18 is to hasten the second coming of our Lord, 11:22 by providing the world, men and women of God 11:25 who are able to lead in medical missionary work. 11:30 Another example is in Brazil, 11:32 Brad Mills with the Amazon Lifesavers project 11:35 and he's been sending lay workers 11:37 out to reach these people, 11:39 people that live way back in the jungle, 11:41 they're some of them don't even speak Portuguese. 11:44 Through talking with him I realized and he also agreed 11:47 that his Bible workers didn't have much training. 11:49 So we sent two graduates down 11:52 who conducted a one month school with Brad 11:54 and started to stir some interest 11:56 and he could see the vision of it. 11:57 One of the biggest needs that we have seen 12:00 in the interior of the Amazon is more Bible workers, 12:03 more trained people that would come in 12:06 and be able to use the health message, 12:08 education, training and really teach to people basic doctrines 12:12 and study of the Bible. 12:15 In January we actually did our first one month lay course 12:18 we had some LIGHT leaders come down 12:21 and we were able to take 10 of the jungle people 12:24 that we had worked with that we had done medical work 12:27 and evangelism in their communities 12:28 and that of one month LIGHT course and it was so exciting. 12:31 And that we had such a success that we're actually 12:34 wanting to implement a full time LIGHT course 12:37 training jungle people 12:39 who are working with our local union office 12:41 of getting all the details ironed out right now. 12:43 We hope the beginning of this coming year 12:45 to start a full-time LIGHT course so we can be training, 12:49 river people bring them in, put them to a training 12:51 and then have a back out in their own villages 12:54 or to go to a new village and start doing 12:56 medical mission pioneer work in the jungle. 12:59 They've got graduates now 13:01 that are getting a more solid training 13:02 and now instead of just going out 13:04 and trying to share few Bible studies, 13:06 they're coming into these villages offering health work, 13:09 health education and once that relationship has developed 13:12 there will be church planting 13:14 and further in the work in that area. 13:16 So it's really exciting to see this that we're growing, 13:20 you know, it's almost like a wheel within a wheel 13:21 that you see somebody from Norway 13:23 linking up through us somehow 13:25 and going off to Honduras or Dominic Republic 13:26 or somewhere else. 13:29 Currently, LIGHT is holding training programs 13:32 in over 25 countries around the globe. 13:36 Their aim is to see these short one or six month courses 13:41 blossom into full-time ministry. 13:44 In a moment we'll visit one of these new ministries 13:47 active in the Philippines. 13:58 When you think of missionaries, 13:59 what do you picture? 14:00 For many people the image of a doctor, teacher or pastor 14:05 in a remote country comes to mind. 14:07 But the truth is God needs people 14:09 with many different skills in His work 14:11 both around the world and close to home. 14:14 At OCI, we're passionate about helping to connect 14:17 mission minded people with our network 14:19 with more than 80 ministries. 14:21 Each project aims to share the gospel in practical ways 14:25 and they need skilled workers of all types, 14:27 mechanics, gardeners, cooks and designers, 14:30 just to name a few 14:32 of course, they also need teachers and doctors. 14:35 If you're interested in serving at an OCI ministry 14:38 visit our website for a list of current opportunities 14:42 or call our office, we'd love to talk to you. 14:52 Better Way Foundation is a LIGHT school 14:54 located in the northern part of the Island of the Luzon. 14:58 It is currently home to 50 students, 15:01 all of them eager to catch and reflect 15:05 light that comes from God's Word. 15:08 We run two six-month sessions every year 15:11 which starts in January to June and then July to December. 15:15 And students from all over 15:16 normally coming from our one month schools come. 15:20 These one month trainings are more about filtering process 15:23 where students already learned the basics 15:26 of medical missionary work 15:28 and when they get here for the six months 15:30 they get refined 15:31 so their character is being molded in this place. 15:35 We live here pretty primitive, 15:37 we live in huts and in an environment 15:40 where we do not have electricity. 15:44 When we first arrived here the campus is really 15:48 just like a forest and jungle. 15:50 And I grew up in the city, there's no electricity, 15:54 water is a really hard during those times. 15:58 And there were several months when we were staying in tents 16:03 and now we're still here, 16:05 we're still here serving the Lord. 16:07 Here in our place we have work education program 16:12 where our students go out in the field every morning 16:17 we teach agriculture here, cooking and also construction. 16:21 And it becomes balanced because in the afternoon 16:24 they sit in the classes and we teach them 16:27 what it is to become a medical missionary. 16:31 They learn the practical things in life, 16:33 they learn farming and not only the mere farming 16:37 but they are learning humility, 16:40 especially the students who came from comfortable life. 16:44 We have three kinds of students, one that is paying, 16:47 they pay for the program. 16:49 One is step out of faith students 16:51 and one is working students. 16:53 Our working students are the one that keep 16:55 the agricultural program going 16:58 and that's where we get the additional income. 17:01 The step out of faith student 17:03 is when they don't have any money 17:05 but they do come because they believe 17:07 they come because they're called by God. 17:10 And they're here and their faith is truly tested. 17:15 And that we try to find sponsors for them. 17:18 Somehow the Lord provides, 17:20 the Lord takes care of all their needs. 17:24 Right now I had too many struggles in my family 17:26 because they are questioning me why I am here. 17:30 Why not go and work to earn your own money, 17:33 my father told me that- that money 17:35 that I am looking for it's the peace. 17:39 I went here saying, Lord, I may not have everything 17:45 but just use me. 17:48 Usually in the morning and in the evening 17:50 we have our worship and I thank God 17:54 for giving me the privilege to do opening prayer, 17:59 to lead a song service and hear some messages. 18:06 In the ministry of healing which tried for... 18:09 to those who surrendered their lives through His guidance 18:13 and through His service, 18:14 we will never be put in a position 18:17 where God does not make provision, 18:19 that's the promise of God 18:20 that I'm really holding on right now 18:24 that though there are many struggles that I'm facing 18:27 everyday in my teaching 18:30 He will be there wherever I go. 18:36 We're nearing at the end time already 18:39 and He's coming very soon 18:41 and I can't wait to see Him, face to face. 18:47 And while they're equipping us- 18:49 well, God is equipping us, teaching us a lot of things. 18:52 I believe that God is preparing us for a greater work. 18:56 And I'm so excited to see many people 19:00 going back to Christ. 19:03 I pray that it's not just me, it's not my classmates here 19:08 in this training but I pray that before God comes 19:14 everybody will be involved in this end time movement. 19:18 It is in this place that I can hear God so revealing. 19:22 He's really talking to me in the books that I read, 19:24 from the Bible, from the books of Mrs. Ellen White. 19:29 And about the staff I really love the way 19:32 they treat the students. 19:34 I really feel at home in here, 19:36 it's like a one big family. 19:40 When students graduate from this place, 19:43 we want them to keep working for the Lord. 19:46 And these different ministries that we have 19:50 they go there and relieve the ones that are there. 19:54 Also some of the students are acquired by ASI. 19:57 Also some of the students are local churches 19:59 as Bible workers 20:01 and this is where they truly grow. 20:05 'Cause I believe there's only two things, 20:06 we can take to heaven our character and souls. 20:12 By them going out and really tasting and seeing 20:17 how good God is that develops character. 20:23 As we know we need to be self-supporting 20:25 that is biblical and we have a few income-generating ventures 20:31 here in our on our campus, 20:33 one of them obviously is agriculture. 20:35 We also have vermi worms where we do organic gardening 20:39 and we sell by casting of the worms as fertilizer, 20:44 also have mushroom farming. 20:47 We're averaging now about six to seven kilos a day 20:50 and we plan to be 50 kilos per day 20:53 when we sell to the outside. 20:56 We also have bakery, so we have four 20:58 currently running at this point 21:00 in different parts of the Philippines. 21:02 Down the hill we have a bakery and in the morning 21:07 they are selling this into the community. 21:10 And the community loves this bread so much because 21:14 first it's healthy, 21:15 the same price with the other breads 21:17 and second the missionaries who are selling these breads 21:20 are very kind, friendly. 21:23 They introduce themselves as medical missionaries 21:26 and at the same time they are offering a prayers 21:29 to those families who are in need, 21:31 who needs encouragement. 21:33 If our medical missionaries will be able to see 21:35 some individuals who are sick in the family, 21:38 then in the afternoon they went back to that family. 21:41 They treat them with simple remedies 21:44 and somehow that paved the way in order 21:47 they will get the confidence of the family 21:51 and then later on they could start 21:53 a Bible study with the family. 21:55 Aside from the bakery we also have a Jeepney ministry. 21:59 It started from one 22:01 and then the Lord gave us second Jeepney, 22:03 then we now have three Jeepney's and we call them 22:06 the Three Angels Message Jeepney. 22:10 You know, Spirit of Prophecy says you need the way 22:12 to go to the city. 22:13 So we pick up passengers, it becomes a ministry. 22:18 They get on our jeeps and they get a track 22:20 and also they get- they get to listen to Godly music. 22:24 Every time that they give their fare, I told them, 22:26 wait a minute, now I have something for you. 22:29 Not only pamphlets but I also distribute 22:32 Great Controversy books, 22:33 Steps to Christ book once a day. 22:36 So it's a beautiful ministry, now we have equipped 22:41 our Jeepney with really just music. 22:44 So it's very different because the moment 22:46 that they enter into the Jeepney, 22:48 sometimes we've been hearing worldly songs 22:51 but this Jeepney is a very different, 22:53 a very unique ministry. 22:55 The Holy Spirit is working 22:57 even in the lives of our passengers. 23:00 Our relationship with the church is very good. 23:03 We have the full support of our mission president, 23:07 our union president, our district pastors 23:09 because we work with them. 23:13 We run a 24-week program, 12 weeks they're with us, 23:17 we train them how to do health talks, how to preach, 23:22 how to do Sabbath School. 23:23 And after 12 weeks during the weekends 23:26 we do deploy them to different churches 23:29 because of our pastors having 17 or 20 churches, 23:32 the work of the pastors get easier 23:35 because now we're helping. 23:38 We encourage the churches to have a vesper service. 23:41 We encourage the students 23:43 to be in-charge of Sabbath school, 23:46 divine service, AY programs 23:48 and in the afternoons they do visitations, massages, 23:52 hydrotherapy and Sundays 23:54 we encourage them to do cooking school, 23:56 so the whole church is involved. 23:59 Every weekend they go and have service in the church, 24:03 help in evangelistic crusades. 24:07 And we are really convinced that the health message 24:12 which is being taught here is the right hand 24:17 of the gospel message. 24:19 I was asked to conduct an evangelistic crusade 24:23 in one of the town's up north 24:26 and I asked who will be preparing the ground. 24:29 And when they told me 24:30 that it is the better way foundation in the LIGHT, 24:34 I was so happy because I know that God will be using them. 24:39 And truly God used them in breaking the prejudice 24:43 in the people and praise the Lord 24:45 during the crusade if there was a reaping for two weeks crusade 24:49 we have more than 70 souls 24:51 that we've brought to the foot of the cross. 24:54 This morning we had ground breaking. 24:56 And that has been a dream fulfilled for us 25:00 because we've had this vision of a lifestyle center. 25:03 Here we can integrate what we have learned 25:06 and put it where people will come. 25:09 It will be a monument of how God can transform 25:14 a place like this into a place 25:18 where His name will be glorified. 25:21 This is our prayer and this is our hope. 25:25 Jesus can come the soonest, 25:27 that this is the reason why we're here. 25:31 The people that encompass 25:34 this organization are godly men and women. 25:38 They are the ones that help moving the work 25:40 because I believe humble people is needed in the end time. 25:45 You know, if it wasn't for the core 25:47 beginning relationship with the OCI, 25:49 LIGHT would not have had such an opportunity 25:51 to grow and develop. 25:53 LIGHT is working with so many OCI institutions. 25:56 When the OCI institutions that have 25:58 medical missionary training courses 25:59 really united together with this LIGHT project 26:02 this is when it really helped to expand the work. 26:05 And now when we work to develop a new project, 26:08 let's say for example in Philippines you know, 26:10 we want to see these projects become OCI ministries. 26:13 So LIGHT is getting in the front line 26:15 it's trying to break new ground, 26:16 starting small or short training courses, 26:18 build it to a six-month course, 26:20 try to develop a team that can set up their own 26:24 nonprofit organization that will work with the 26:26 Seventh-day Adventist Church. 26:27 And then once they are established and 26:30 after about three years of LIGHT's involvement 26:31 we like to see that they're standing on their own two feet. 26:34 We encourage them then to become OCI members 26:36 and then that way they can see even a broader picture 26:38 that there's hundred ministries in the world 26:40 that are also engaging this similar kind of work and 26:43 so we fellowship together at OCI retreats. 26:45 And usually at the OCI retreats we have some little 26:47 LIGHT sub-groups meeting here and there and it's excellent. 26:50 And I'm looking for the one in Africa 26:52 because all of our LIGHT schools are gonna be 26:54 coming into the OCI retreat there 26:56 and we're gonna be networking and planning 26:58 and see who else we could work with. 27:00 So it's very helpful what OCI provides. 27:07 From the Philippines to Honduras, 27:09 from United States to Africa, 27:11 the team of LIGHT is pursuing their vision 27:14 of training medical missionaries worldwide. 27:18 Their reason for existence is to equip the chosen 27:23 to respond to God's call. 27:25 You can be a part of fulfilling the vision 27:28 of surrounding this dark world with jets of light. 27:32 If you're interested you could host a LIGHT school 27:36 or take part in one of their training programs 27:40 or make a contribution to their various needs. 27:43 If you would like to support the expanding work of OCI 27:47 and our ministries around the world, 27:49 please visit us at outpostcenters.org 27:53 or call us at 423-236-5600. 28:01 You can also find us on Facebook at OCI connects. 28:18 For OCI reports this is Steven Grabiner. |
Revised 2014-12-17