Participants: Steven Grabiner
Series Code: OCIR
Program Code: OCIR000014
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00:15 Across the world
00:16 different regions, countries and ethnicities 00:20 are known for their unique style of cooking. 00:24 In the southern part of the United States 00:27 the food is stereo typically deep fried, 00:30 full of fat, good to the taste 00:33 for those that enjoy it but harmful to the health. 00:37 This diet along with other lifestyle factors 00:41 has combined to give the State of Alabama 00:44 one of the poorest health standards in the nation 00:48 and yet it's in this region that one of OCI's ministries 00:52 is making dramatic changes in people's lifestyle. 00:56 Not just here for the local community 00:59 but across the country. 01:14 In the 1970s Doctor Agatha and Calvin Thrash 01:19 had a providential experience 01:21 which led them to yield their life to Jesus Christ. 01:25 In harmony with their new found faith 01:28 they desired to learn how to practice the healing art 01:32 from God's perspective. 01:35 This led them to go to Wildwood Lifestyle Center and Hospital. 01:40 Upon completion of their time at Wildwood 01:43 the Thrash's were lead to start a center 01:45 of Health and Healing in the State of Alabama. 01:50 God directed them to purchase this 200 acre farm 01:54 and thus Uchee Pines Institute was born. 02:02 Uchee Pines is a religious educational facility 02:08 where we have also a live in facility 02:10 called a Lifestyle Center. 02:12 A Lifestyle Centre is a place 02:14 where people can come to learn how to live. 02:18 Everybody knows something that's good health. 02:21 People know they shouldn't smoke, 02:22 they know they should get more exercise, 02:24 probably, they eat too much. 02:26 But if we can increase 02:28 the awareness of certain types of factors 02:31 that will help people to live longer 02:33 and more healthy and productive lives 02:35 that's what we want to do. 02:36 So it's an educational facility 02:38 and we do believe that there is a God 02:41 and that He has something in mind for us. 02:44 Our purpose at the lifestyle center 02:46 here at Uchee Pines is to teach individuals 02:49 how to live their lives in such a way 02:52 that they can experience the best health possible. 02:56 And that health is not only on a physical level 03:00 which is why most people come here 03:03 but it's a mental and a spiritual level as well. 03:08 I decided to come here to Uchee Pines 03:11 because I was very sick. 03:14 For the last year and a half I was in severe constant pain. 03:20 I actually every day sort of asked God 03:24 before I went to bed 03:26 if He could just put me into rest 03:28 because it was enough. 03:29 It was time to make a change 03:33 and I couldn't do it on my own, 03:35 so I decided to come to Uchee Pines. 03:39 A typical program for a guest 03:41 who comes to the Lifestyle Center includes them 03:45 seeing the physician the first day. 03:48 The lifestyle counselor will meet with them, 03:50 the physicians meet with them we put together a program 03:54 that we think will work best for them. 03:56 Obviously, the main things are Lifestyle change 03:58 so getting people on a healthy plant based diet, 04:02 wellness principle, water, exercise, living temperately, 04:05 lot of fresh air and nutrition, 04:07 entire trust in God, sunshine and sufficient rest. 04:10 We have lectures for them. 04:12 Stress managements we have medical lectures 04:14 and talk about different aspects of it. 04:16 We have nutritional lectures. 04:18 They have hands on nutrition class 04:20 where they learn how to bake bread, 04:21 they learn how to make healthy foods. 04:23 And we also try to get people outside in the garden too. 04:27 So we've got a patient garden. 04:29 So it's an overall program 04:31 that we put together to give them tools 04:35 that is relatively easy for them to maintain 04:39 in their home environment as well. 04:43 The typical complaints 04:44 that individuals present with are things like diabetes, 04:48 high blood pressure, cholesterol issues, 04:51 cardiovascular disease, overweight and obesity, 04:55 autoimmune and inflammatory diseases different arthritities 04:59 and on cancer as some of our main components 05:03 but we have individuals of all sorts of things. 05:06 Basically, you name it 05:08 if they find out about Uchee Pines 05:10 and want to learn how to live a new 05:13 better lifestyle to give them 05:15 the best health possible within the context 05:18 what they have then they come. 05:20 I can tell you that I know for a fact that God is here 05:26 and the people that are here are His angles. 05:30 He uses them and it's like they never get tired 05:35 and they just go, go, go 05:37 and trying to make you comfortable. 05:40 As their counselor they are your priority. 05:45 They kind of look to you as, a mentor, 05:48 not only physically but spiritually most of all 05:52 because they come looking for something 05:54 and they see something different 05:56 when they come here and they want to have that. 05:59 They don't just want to see it they want to experience it. 06:02 And when you show them those things 06:05 it's this relationship that builds up. 06:08 You know, some of them even call you their angles. 06:11 You know, and it's just such a privilege to be God's hands. 06:17 One thing that we find with most guests that come here is that 06:22 they profoundly notice a spiritual benefit 06:26 and a spiritual blessing. 06:29 To me I know its God. 06:31 My health has changed so much 06:35 that I can now walk and at this moment 06:38 I can tell you there is not one part of my body that hurts, 06:43 not one and I been praising God constantly 06:48 because its a miracle. 06:51 The joy that I feel I can't even explain, 06:53 it makes me want to cry. 06:56 The more I read scripture 06:57 the more I read Spirit of Prophecy 06:59 the more I have been convicted personally 07:01 in regards to be involved in a work 07:02 that involves education, changing their behaviors 07:07 and making changes for eternity. 07:09 And while we recognize the physical things 07:13 and while we deal with the physical things 07:14 we're always looking for at the heart. 07:16 We're always looking for the spiritual things 07:19 because you can heal somebody 07:21 and they can have a few more years of life 07:24 but if you give them hope of eternity 07:26 and if they, if they have that realization in Christ 07:29 that they are in His care that they can trust in Him 07:32 and that they can hope in eternity. 07:34 Wow. 07:37 We are told that the health work 07:41 should be linked with the gospel ministry. 07:45 So right now our goal in life 07:48 is to reunite the medical and the ministerial. 07:57 Country Life actually began before Uchee Pines did. 08:01 We started with a little health food store and restaurant 08:05 outside of my parent's office building there 08:08 where they practice medicine in Columbus, Georgia. 08:10 We had a store, a store front 08:13 and at that time we called it Tree of Life. 08:16 And people came and they bought those very same things 08:19 that I was preparing in my own kitchen. 08:22 And so it began as part of the health outreach 08:26 just that we were doing 08:27 as part of their medical practice. 08:30 In those early days even we had a lot of people 08:33 who would come from the store to the institute. 08:37 And when they came here we incorporated them 08:40 into everything that we were doing. 08:41 So the country store 08:44 became a principle avenue of evangelism for us 08:49 and a lot of those people who came from the store to here 08:53 were to become fully committed to the Lord 08:57 when they were with us. 08:59 As we've progressed of course the lifestyle center 09:02 is now the main focus here at Uchee Pines 09:05 but the restaurant is something that you can go to everyday. 09:09 And the health food store 09:10 is where you can find the resources 09:11 that you need in order to be 09:12 able to live the healthy lifestyle. 09:16 People come to eat a healthy meal. 09:18 They come there to pickup supplies 09:22 and in the process they walk into an environment 09:26 that people have described just being in oasis. 09:29 The atmosphere changes to quieter place. 09:32 We have some soft Christian music playing. 09:34 So you're kind of in a way 09:35 bridging between the health aspect 09:38 and over into the more spiritual aspect. 09:41 People come to Country Life 09:43 and ask some of the most interesting questions. 09:46 We had one individual that came in and asked 09:49 just as they were going through the checkout, 09:51 what happens to a person when they die? 09:53 And then there was another whole group of individuals 09:55 that wanted to know the same question 09:57 but they wanted to know from the Bible. 09:58 What did the Bible answers? We know you know. 10:01 And so they came to us and asked that questions 10:03 we were able to put together few Bible texts for them. 10:06 And sometimes you have people 10:07 come in and ask a health question 10:10 but as you speak to them 10:11 you realize what they really want 10:13 is that they just need someone to talk to. 10:15 Sometimes they need to have somebody 10:16 who will pray with them. 10:17 Although we've been telling you 10:19 I know you are a Christian would you mind praying with me? 10:22 And that's in my mind 10:24 were you have a real success story. 10:29 The staff at Uchee Pines 10:31 attempts to cease every opportunity offered 10:34 both through the Lifestyle Center 10:36 and the restaurant to improve the life and health 10:40 of those with whom they come in contact. 10:42 In order to keep the vision growing and strong, 10:46 Uchee Pines has a Lifestyle Educator Training Program. 10:52 This course offers an opportunity 10:54 to learn first hand 10:56 the health principles that have made Uchee Pines 10:59 the Institute it is today. 11:05 We have two main training programs. 11:07 Here we have a Lifestyle Educator Program 11:09 the Lifestyle Counselor Program. 11:11 The Lifestyle Educator Program 11:12 is a six months missionary program 11:14 that is designed to teach people these principles 11:17 that we've been talking about, about lifestyle and how to live 11:20 so that they can teach it to other people. 11:22 So there is an emphasis on public education 11:24 and public health training. 11:27 The Lifestyle Counselor Program 11:29 is little bit more intensive and lasts longer. 11:31 It goes for a year. 11:32 It focuses really more on 11:34 working directly with Lifestyle guests 11:37 in whatever area of need they may have. 11:40 And they're the person who is with them 11:42 through that period of time 11:43 through the 18 days or 17 days that they are here. 11:47 And that counselor helps to get them over the hump 11:50 so to speak so hopefully they will 11:52 start a new habit pattern 11:54 and they will be able to do that at home. 11:56 When I first came I went directly 11:59 into the Lifestyle Educator Course 12:01 which is the six month prerequisite 12:04 for the Lifestyle Counselor Course 12:05 and we learned a little bit of anatomy and physiology 12:09 and we compared it to the sanctuary. 12:12 And so seeing that physical 12:14 but spiritual aspect as well was very eye opening, 12:18 I had never seen things like that before. 12:20 We learned how to give presentation 12:22 on the Eight Laws of Health. 12:24 And how to go to Churches and present those. 12:27 And then seeing it work 12:28 when they would try it in the testimonies 12:30 that they would give after it was amazing 12:34 because and they were medical missionaries as well 12:36 and they'd go and share those things as well. 12:39 Going canvassing, I take the students canvassing 12:41 and I love hearing their testimonies afterwards, 12:44 you know, like on the way there 12:47 it's like completely silent, you know. 12:50 It's all, it's like a bus driving to war zone. 12:53 You know everyone is quite and contemplated 12:56 and if you drop a pin in the bus and you can hear it. 12:58 From on the way to back you can't get them be quite. 13:00 They are just so excited about the experience 13:02 that they have had and got to share with some, 13:05 they got to pray with someone. 13:06 How someone was praying about something 13:08 and we showed up and offered a book on health 13:11 or on spiritual principles that person was longing for. 13:15 And that, that gets you really excited. 13:18 Medical missionary work is one of God's means 13:21 for communicating His care and compassion to a world 13:25 that is desperately in need. 13:27 The staff at Uchee Pines is committed 13:31 to sharing God's love with the student's, 13:34 restaurant customers and Lifestyle guests 13:37 that visit their institution. 13:39 If you would like to be part of the on going work 13:43 of OCI around the world please visit our website 13:48 or feel free to give us a call. 13:52 We share this globe with about seven billion people, 13:56 that's a lot of people 13:58 and standing here in this busy city. 14:01 It's easy to feel small and insignificant. 14:04 After all I am only one person what difference can I make? 14:08 But the fact is each of us can make a difference. 14:12 God is calling us to turn our lives 14:15 and our skills over to Him. 14:18 Around the world the individual workers 14:20 at OCI ministries are letting God use them 14:24 to bring hope and healing one person at a time. 14:28 You can make a difference too. 14:31 When you connect to OCI 14:33 you connect to more than 80 ministries worldwide. 14:38 If you are interested in getting involved 14:41 in the Global Ministry of OCI 14:43 visit our website or call our office 14:46 we would love to talk to you. 14:56 Throughout Latin America the City Square 14:59 has traditionally been the center of community life. 15:03 This open space is surrounded by important buildings 15:07 such as the church and government offices. 15:11 It provides a place for the people to congregate 15:13 and relax after a day's labor. 15:17 Yet, as with many places traditions change. 15:21 This is no more true that in a country a Bolivia. 15:25 Recent economic growth brings with it advancement 15:29 and yet also stresses on the traditional way of life. 15:33 Today, we will be visiting a new OCI Ministry, 15:37 Instituto Quebrada Leon. 15:40 There aim is to help people through this time of transition. 15:45 Their main focus is about serving and bringing 15:49 healing to the people in their community. 15:56 We are here almost two hours from the city of Santa Cruz. 16:00 The city of Santa Cruz has almost a million people. 16:04 It's like any other big city, lot a big buildings, 16:07 lot of traffic, lot of people. 16:09 And then as we come closer and closer to our place 16:13 you'll notice less houses, less cars. 16:17 The pace of life here is much slower. 16:21 We feel very blessed to be able to live here. 16:24 We are 18 kilometers from the main highway 16:28 and we have more than 400 acres for the work of training 16:34 young people to be medical missionaries. 16:39 Twelve years ago we were on an airplane crash 16:41 that got my attention from the world 16:43 and began to think about meaning of life. 16:47 I was convicted at this point that Jesus was coming soon 16:50 and so I began to ask God what do You want me to do. 16:53 Then He began to put this thought in my mind 16:55 and so I said to my family 16:58 I believe God is warning us to go be missionaries 17:00 what do you think and my whole family said yes. 17:06 When we told people we're gonna move to Bolivia, 17:09 people would pull me aside and say, you know, 17:13 how did your husband get did you do this? 17:16 I think we both came to the decision 17:18 at the same time. 17:20 The thing that was missing 17:21 in our life was that we needed to minister. 17:25 We needed to follow in the example of Jesus. 17:27 We needed to help others to find Christ. 17:31 And as we began to do that we realized this is lot of fun. 17:35 And we got the kids involved. 17:37 My youngest is 14 and he is in charge of the bakery. 17:41 My oldest is in charge of the electricity, 17:44 he is our driver and he preaches, he teaches, 17:48 he is my translator and to me 17:51 that it's been the biggest blessing 17:53 to work together as a family. 17:58 One of most inspiring things about being here in Bolivia 18:02 is to see the change that God can bring 18:06 in the hearts and minds of the people. 18:09 We had our discouragements but when you see 18:14 God touching people's hearts and really stirring, 18:17 craving in them, a desire in them, 18:20 a thirst in them it's wonderful. 18:24 The spiritual life of our students is most important. 18:28 And so we really emphasize lot of prayers, 18:32 worships morning and evening. 18:34 We emphasize personal devotional life of the students. 18:38 We see them grow. 18:39 It's a time to be away from things to really focus 18:42 on spiritual classes, on health classes 18:44 but even all the health classes are integrated spiritually. 18:48 You know, that's our focus 18:49 why it's important to share to be a missionary. 18:52 We thought when we came here 18:53 that we would have students mainly from Bolivia 18:57 better that turned out this year 19:00 we have students from Panama, Guiana 19:03 one from Germany, four from Peru, 19:06 three from Argentina, a bunch from Columbia 19:08 and then about half from Bolivia. 19:11 So it's much more international mix than I expected. 19:17 I am very happy. 19:20 I'm so thankful to God 19:22 because he brought me to this place 19:23 that is a little heaven on earth to me. 19:28 In reading Ellen White. 19:31 She really emphasis how the physical labor 19:34 is just as important as the mental labor 19:38 in the class room, how people need to work physically, 19:41 how it goes hand in hand, how you can learn 19:44 how the gardening is ABCs of education. 19:46 You know, some times you get tired and it's hot 19:49 and full of mosquitoes but I think you learn a lot. 19:52 God has so many lessons in the garden in growing- 19:56 you know you have to do things on time, 19:58 you have to weed, you had to take care of it. 20:01 So we really wanted to integrate that here. 20:04 Half day they have classes and half day they have work. 20:08 They can work in the kitchen, 20:10 the bakery, carpentry as well as construction. 20:15 Right now we actually don't have any body 20:17 in charge of the kitchen 20:18 but the students are running the kitchen. 20:20 So we have divided them up into groups and they cook. 20:24 So they're not only learning how to cook hopefully 20:27 but learning how to run a kitchen 20:29 and cook for 50 people. 20:31 We also have a lifestyle center 20:33 and because we have so many students this year 20:37 we did not have rooms for lifestyle guests. 20:41 All of the rooms are full of students with tents outside 20:46 but hopefully in a short amount of time 20:48 we'll be able to accept patients. 20:51 Currently we have 26 students 20:54 and our goal for our students 20:56 is that they have a personal relationship with God 21:01 that their lives are transformed first, 21:04 that they have spiritual revival in their lives 21:08 and as we teach them how to share their faith 21:12 with others that they would learn 21:14 how to use medical evangelism 21:16 to reach others for Jesus Christ. 21:19 The Education that the students receive in the classroom, 21:23 the practical work and the daily life experience 21:27 is not the ultimate aim of the staff 21:30 at Instituto Quebrada Leon rather their desire 21:35 is that students receive a love for service. 21:39 They accomplish this through their Bible work 21:43 and their medical missionary outreach. 21:46 One of the key areas for our student's education is 21:51 that they experience for themselves 21:54 the joy of going out and sharing with others. 21:57 So we have these health expos 21:58 where we set up booths for each of the Eight Laws of Health. 22:02 Like an exercise that actually make them get up 22:03 and do little bit of exercising and rest. 22:06 They get a little bit of massage 22:08 and trust in God that the each get five minutes 22:11 of individual counseling one on one 22:13 and they get prayed with. 22:14 And those have been extremely well received 22:17 some people have said "I didn't know 22:20 that I was supposed to drink water." 22:22 Something it's so very simple especially 22:24 when we go out to the country they just have no idea about 22:27 what you can do to maintain your health 22:29 and prevent disease. 22:31 So we've actually gotten requests 22:33 from the mayor of the town, 22:35 from the doctors that are in charge of districts 22:39 and we are very upfront with the government saying 22:41 "this is not just about health but unless the person 22:44 is whole spiritually they'll still get sick. 22:47 So if we are gonna do this we're going to present 22:48 spiritual health as well we're going to talk about God 22:51 and we've never had any resistance from anybody. 22:55 People here don't have access to clean water 22:59 or to a variety of foods. 23:01 So we go, we share the message of health 23:04 and we do just as Jesus did. 23:08 He won peoples trust. 23:10 He was nice to people 23:12 and then when He had healed them 23:15 He told them follow Me. 23:16 We always ask them would you be 23:18 interested in Bible studies. 23:19 In the last 20 days we got over 100 people 23:23 saying they would be interested in having Bible studies. 23:27 That's why we want the churches to do them. 23:28 So they can do in their local community 23:30 and then take these interests and grow their churches. 23:33 Every Saturday night we come back 23:37 and have a time of testimony. 23:39 We go around sharing our experiences 23:41 that we had during the day in our church 23:44 and day afternoons we get Bible studies. 23:47 To me this is a greatest blessing 23:49 to see our students get excited about sharing the Gospel. 23:53 We've had a few non-Adventist students 23:57 and last year one of our students got baptized. 24:01 Her background is from Assembly of God Church 24:06 and her family is one of the pillars of that church. 24:09 The father Jhosseline father he was so interested 24:12 he wanted to learn about the Bible 24:14 he was just to open and he just had this thirst 24:17 for the health and the gospel message. 24:23 The pastor of their church considers my dad 24:25 one of its fundamental pillars. 24:27 And he is worried 24:28 that my father is abandoning the church. 24:32 But my dad wants to share what he has learned about 24:34 keeping the Sabbath. 24:38 The desire of my family 24:40 is that their whole congregation would accept the message. 24:46 You know, now that I've lived in Bolivia for three years 24:51 I know that my thinking has changed. 24:54 I know that this experience 24:55 has been wonderful for me and my family. 24:58 I know that my boys are different 25:01 through the experience. 25:02 Our life that we used to live in States 25:04 was in my little bubble 25:07 and there're so many people out there, 25:08 they're hungering and thirsting 25:11 for what we think is so simple. 25:14 When God was calling us to come to Bolivia 25:19 I didn't know how this was going to work 25:22 and I had a certain amount of money 25:25 that in my calculation it would last three, four, 25:28 five years may be if we were careful. 25:31 And how hoping by then Jesus would come 25:33 and there would be non-issue. 25:35 It didn't take long for us to use up the money that we had. 25:39 Our intension was to have some small project 25:42 that our family can do but God saw fit that 25:45 we have this bigger piece of property. 25:48 And up to that point 25:49 we had may be 300 dollars in donations that whole time. 25:54 But the month we used up all the money 25:59 that's when donations began to come in. 26:02 I realized God will move on people 26:04 in different areas, different places 26:06 as we need- have the need 26:09 and our job is to use that fund faithfully. 26:15 People ask us how they can get involved. 26:18 We're always looking for volunteers 26:20 whether its evangelism, construction 26:22 or health work or projects 26:25 that help us to sustain ourselves, 26:28 groups that are willing to come to help 26:30 in specific projects for one or two weeks at a time. 26:34 God needs people to be willing 26:36 to step out of their comfort zone. 26:39 And so yes, I'll go live in a place, do something 26:42 that may be I wasn't even trained for. 26:44 But Lord if You train me, 26:46 If you send me the people to help me 26:48 if You show me what to do I'll do it. 26:51 The biggest lesson that I've learned here 26:53 is that God calls us to be all missionaries 26:58 not to be a missionary for one day or one year 27:01 but for your whole life 27:03 and that is giving your life to God 27:05 and letting Him work His will through you. 27:09 Both me and my husband are not doing 27:11 when we went to college to do 27:14 but I feel like I'm so much more useful here 27:18 and I am making a difference. 27:20 God has a place for every person in His vineyard 27:24 for every Christian for every member of His church 27:27 and we should find out from Him where is that place. 27:33 In the book Ministry of Healing, 27:35 Ellen White describes a scene 27:37 in which she saw God on His throne. 27:39 She writes that "from His great and calm eternity 27:43 God orders that which His providence sees best." 27:48 It is that divine providence that has brought workers, 27:51 equipment and donations 27:54 to Instituto Quebrada Leon at just the right time. 27:58 If you are interested in learning more 28:00 about the ongoing work of OCI 28:03 or being involved in this exciting ministry 28:06 please visit our website or feel free to contact us. |
Revised 2014-12-17