Participants:
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR000744S
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01:21 He leadeth me
01:25 O blessed thought 01:28 O words with heavenly comfort fraught! 01:35 Whate'er I do, where'er I be 01:41 Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me 01:57 And when my task on earth is done 02:05 When by thy grace 02:08 The victory's won 02:14 Even death's cold wave 02:18 I will not flee 02:23 Since God through Jordan 02:28 Leadeth me 02:33 He leadeth me, 02:37 He leadeth me 02:41 By his own hand 02:45 he leadeth me 02:51 His faithful follower I would be 02:58 For by his hand 03:02 he leadeth me 03:09 O let me walk 03:14 With thee, my God 03:18 As Enoch walked 03:22 In days of old 03:26 Place thou my trembling hand 03:33 In thine 03:36 And sweet communion 03:41 with me hold 03:45 E'en tho' the path 03:49 I may not see 03:55 Yet Jesus, 03:59 let me walk 04:06 With thee 04:20 He leadeth me 04:24 He leadeth me 04:28 By his own hand 04:32 He leadeth me 04:37 His faithful follower 04:43 I would be 04:46 For by his hand 04:51 He leadeth me 04:58 For by his hand 05:04 He leadeth me 05:28 Amen. 05:35 Morning, everyone. 05:38 It's time for our first members in action segment of the day. 05:42 And this morning I have the Oft family with me 05:45 from Arizona, Daryl, Mary Jo, and their son Joby. 05:49 And I'm gonna ask them to tell you a little bit about 05:51 what they've been doing lately. 05:53 First of all, Daryl, tell us 05:54 what your ministry you're engaged in 05:56 and a little bit about that. 05:58 Good morning. 06:00 We're very happy to be here this morning. 06:01 Our ministry is Living Waters International. 06:04 We're based out of Payson, Arizona. 06:07 And currently we are working on a five-year project 06:10 in Rusinga, Kenya. 06:12 This is a little island in Lake Victoria. 06:15 We're working with five priorities over there, 06:18 bringing clean sustainable water 06:20 to the people of Rusinga there, who have no clean water. 06:23 We're working with providing medical supplies 06:26 and medical assistance, 06:27 we're putting in drip irrigation systems 06:29 so that they're able to grow their own gardens, 06:32 so that they won't be starving to death. 06:34 We are working with educational programs 06:36 and educational assistance with supplies. 06:39 And we're working with approximately 06:41 1,000 orphan children. 06:42 Okay, you said something 06:44 I want to target on here a little bit. 06:45 The name of your ministry is? 06:47 Living Waters. Living Waters. 06:49 And there's a reason for that. Now you said this is an island? 06:52 That is correct. 06:53 So there's no lack of water. 06:55 There's no lack of water. 06:56 Lake Victoria is approximately 06:58 the size of the state of Arizona. 06:59 There's plenty of water around, 07:01 the water looks very clean and fresh. 07:03 And yet if you drink the water, it will kill you. 07:06 It will kill you. Okay. 07:08 So one of your priorities 07:10 is getting clean water to the people. 07:12 Now I want to find a little bit out about 07:14 how you got involved with this work. 07:17 And if you could tell us a little bit about 07:20 how did you get into this particular ministry? 07:24 Well, it was all God. 07:26 Over a year ago, 07:27 Daryl and I have been praying about 07:29 what church we should even be going to 07:31 whether it was one in the valley, 07:33 or one in our hometown at Payson. 07:36 And finally, in frustration, Daryl just said, 07:38 "Lord, I'll just go wherever You want me to go." 07:41 And the next week was a Sabbath, June 4, 07:46 we were not expected to be in church in Payson that day, 07:50 but we finished the hike we were doing early. 07:53 And we thought, 07:54 "Well, we'll go ahead and try to make it 07:56 to church in Payson." 07:58 So we did. We got there in time. 08:00 There was a potluck that day. 08:02 And the guest speaker was our conference president, 08:04 Dwayne McKee. 08:06 I'm gonna interrupt you a little bit there. 08:07 Any of you know Dwayne McKee? 08:09 Yeah, a few of you out there know. 08:11 Go ahead. Tell us about the McKee. 08:12 Well, they were there as a guest speaker, 08:15 and they stayed for the potluck. 08:17 And we were helping with the potluck. 08:19 So when it was time to sit down, 08:21 there were only two seats left to sit. 08:24 And they were next to Dwayne and Kathy. 08:27 We didn't know them at the time. 08:29 And it wasn't in our nature 08:31 to choose to sit next to a conference president. 08:35 But nevertheless, we sat down next to them 08:37 and had a great conversation with them. 08:40 And when the afternoon was finished, 08:42 and we were all getting ready to leave, 08:44 Dwayne turned to Daryl and said, 08:46 "I would like to invite you to go to Africa 08:49 and preach for three weeks." 08:52 And we were just totally shocked. 08:55 Not anything we ever dreamed about. 08:57 And we had lots of objections. 08:59 The first thing Daryl said was, 09:01 "Well, I don't see how I could possibly 09:03 get all those sermons ready. 09:05 It's only four weeks away." 09:07 There were a lot of other roadblocks. 09:09 But Dwayne said, well... 09:11 He said, "It's okay, it's all on PowerPoint. 09:14 It's all ready for you." 09:15 So there was that objection. 09:17 We have a business, 09:18 we had to worry about taking care of that. 09:20 If we can even get airplane tickets in that short of time 09:24 was going to be very questionable. 09:26 So lots of things had to be done. 09:28 But God opened all the doors, and we ended up going. 09:32 Now you said that it was June 4 was the Sabbath 09:35 that you met the McKees and had this conversation. 09:38 Now you said you ended up going, when was that? 09:40 We actually went in July, 2005. 09:43 Just a few weeks later, and you said... 09:45 Yes. 09:46 Now I'm gonna back up a little bit. 09:47 You said that you had a business. 09:49 What is your business? Tell me a little about that. 09:50 Our business is occupational health. 09:52 We have an office in our hometown of Payson 09:54 and then another office 100 miles away. 09:57 Okay. 09:58 So again, lay people in ministry, 10:01 we love to see that. 10:02 And so the next step is 10:04 you went to this island in Kenya. 10:08 And tell me more. 10:10 Well, we went, we share Him 10:12 and did a campaign for the village of Kaswanga, 10:16 Daryl and I together. 10:17 And there were 67 people baptized. 10:20 As we shared all of the Bible truths 10:23 that we had basically known all of our lives, 10:26 it did something to us 10:28 because we began to learn 10:31 and understand the things in the Bible, 10:34 and to believe them really for ourselves. 10:37 Amen. Amen. 10:39 I know that many have had that experience, haven't you? 10:41 When you start teaching others, you'll learn a lot yourself. 10:45 So you had this experience in that. 10:47 Did I hear you say 67 baptisms? Yes. 10:50 But I don't think that's the most exciting part 10:52 of what happened on this trip. 10:53 That was just the beginning for us. 10:55 We were so changed by the experience, 10:58 and we talked before we left Kenya together, 11:02 and we said, "You know, 11:03 we don't want to lose this experience. 11:05 We do not want to go back home and ever be the same 11:08 as we were before this experience." 11:11 And we knew ourselves 11:12 that we needed to make definite plans 11:14 and hit the ground running when we got back home 11:17 so that we would continue with evangelism. 11:21 Okay, so you made definite plans. 11:22 But while you were there, 11:25 the specific need is what struck you, 11:26 is that correct? 11:28 That's correct. 11:29 We were there on a Sabbath morning 11:31 and our programs generally started about 8 o'clock 11:33 on Sabbath morning. 11:34 Now you have to remember, we are below the equator. 11:37 The temperatures there are very hot, 11:39 the sun is very bright. 11:40 And we had bottle of water with us 11:43 and on Sabbath morning 11:44 and there was approximately 2,500 people 11:46 that were sitting out in this field, 11:48 no shade, the sun was burning down on us. 11:51 And we realize that nobody was drinking any water. 11:55 We were there for 13 hours that Sabbath 11:58 and nobody had any water except for us. 12:01 And that started doing something to us going, 12:04 there's something very wrong with this picture. 12:07 Nobody is drinking any water. 12:09 And so then, your solution? 12:12 Our solution was to come back and pray to God and ask Him 12:15 how He could direct us to be able to go back 12:18 and help the people of Kaswanga and Wanyama 12:20 to be able to bring fresh water to them. 12:23 So what we did is we came back, 12:24 we started putting some presentations together. 12:27 We went to different churches to different organizations. 12:30 We went to a Rotary clubs, Lions clubs, 12:33 we went to California, to Washington, to Oregon 12:37 and started sharing our story 12:39 and doing our presentations and raising money 12:42 so that we would be able to go back 12:43 and take some fresh water to Kaswanga. 12:45 Take fresh water. 12:47 Now you didn't just take water, you actually took what? 12:51 Boy, this is really hard to do it, 12:52 two minutes left. 12:53 But we put together a water purification system. 12:56 It was providential 12:58 that God had had us meet two days 13:00 before I left in April to go back, 13:03 we were just gonna go back and assess 13:04 what the needs were 13:06 and how we can take care of those. 13:08 And a gentleman heard our story, 13:10 he provided us with a fresh water purification system 13:13 that requires no electricity, 13:15 because there's none on the island. 13:18 We were able to take that back and install it. 13:21 The one school where we installed it, 13:23 they had four young men 13:24 that were on their deathbed from typhoid, 13:27 75 percent of the school had dysentery. 13:30 And when we were back there 13:31 this last week to install our second system, 13:34 all of typhoid has been cleared up 13:36 and almost all the dysentery has disappeared. 13:38 Amen. Amen. 13:40 So you went there to evangelize, 13:43 but you saw a need. 13:45 Now something you told me, 13:46 there had been other missionaries 13:47 before you, correct? 13:49 Yes, the villagers told us this, "As you know, 13:51 we've seen a lot of other missionaries 13:53 come through from different churches, 13:55 but what is different is you have come back." 13:58 And we've had our third trip. 13:59 We just came back two days ago, 14:01 and this was our third trip in a year. 14:03 And this has made a lot of difference 14:05 because now 14:06 those that have given their life to Jesus 14:08 and those that are Adventists 14:09 are able to bring non-Adventists and say, 14:11 "Look at what is happening here for us. 14:15 Not only that they come and share the good news, 14:17 but they've come back to help meet our needs." 14:19 Excellent. 14:21 And that is the difference, isn't it? 14:22 I want to talk to Joby for just a little bit. 14:25 We'll come back for a little more. 14:27 But first, Joby, 14:28 this trip that your father mentioned 14:30 you just came back from was your first trip 14:32 over to the area, is that correct? 14:34 Yeah, that's correct. 14:35 And why did you go over? 14:36 Well, I'm a senior at Pacific Union College 14:38 studying public relations. 14:40 And for that particular degree, you have to have an internship. 14:44 So I figured I'd come along with these guys 14:47 and do photo journalism and document the project. 14:50 And so that's why I came along this summer. 14:52 But that wasn't all you ended up doing, was it? 14:54 No, I mean, you can only take so many pictures, 14:57 and I started to get bored. 14:58 So I started helping out with the project 15:00 and ended up 15:02 kind of taking charge of the drip irrigation units 15:04 and distributing those to the community. 15:06 The drip irrigation unit 15:08 so that they can raise their own food. 15:10 Yeah, hunger is a big issue there, 15:12 and it helps sustain a family throughout the whole year, 15:15 one drip irrigation system. 15:16 So brings on a bunch of those. 15:19 Excellent. Now that inspired you? 15:21 Oh, yeah, definitely. 15:22 It was really great to mingle with the people 15:25 and learn about the culture. 15:27 And through that experience, 15:28 I'm planning to come back to school this year 15:31 and gather a group of students 15:32 and then go back to install 100 of them 15:35 if we can get them sponsored. 15:36 Amen. 15:38 Get some of your friends together from PUC, 15:40 heading back over, 15:41 putting another 100 systems. 15:43 Now I would like you to address 15:45 a little bit of the impact this has had. 15:46 Because the only impact hasn't been over 15:48 on an island on Lake Victoria, has it? 15:51 Tell me about some of the other areas 15:53 that this has had an impact on? 15:55 Well, first and foremost, 15:57 it has impacted our lives incredibly 15:59 with the Holy Spirit just changing our lives, 16:01 and we can only praise God for that. 16:04 That has been an incredible impact. 16:06 The second impact is it has revitalized 16:08 our church in Payson, Arizona. 16:10 It's a very small church 16:11 with a few elderly people there. 16:14 And this is just really had a positive impact 16:17 with God working through us to help revitalize our church. 16:21 So later they become part of the missionary group there? 16:23 Absolutely. 16:25 Our church has become a mission-minded church. 16:27 We figured just before we left in the last year, 16:30 now we have had around 30 percent of our people 16:34 that are currently on are going on mission trips 16:37 out of our church. 16:38 Amen, amen. 16:40 Well, I want to thank you for sharing with us 16:41 this morning. 16:42 And God bless you and your ministry. 16:44 Dan, last thing I would like to say very quickly is 16:46 thank you so much. 16:47 You know, this is not about what we are doing 16:50 and the projects that we're doing, 16:53 this is all about Jesus Christ 16:55 and how we're able to share the good news to other people. 16:58 And we just praise God for that. 17:00 So thank you so much for your time. 17:01 Amen. Thank you. 17:10 Next we have Claus Nybo from LifestyleTV 17:13 with a couple friends of his. 17:15 And we'll just begin by asking a little bit about LifestyleTV. 17:20 Tell us what that is, where it is, 17:22 and what you're doing. 17:23 Well, LifestyleTV is a new TV ministry 17:27 that is based in Scandinavia. 17:29 And Scandinavia is over in Europe, 17:31 northern part of Europe, 17:33 covering Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. 17:36 And we are reaching out there through TV to one of the, 17:40 you could say most hardest areas to reach in the world. 17:44 The UN, I understand consider Sweden 17:47 as the most secular country in the world. 17:51 And less than two percent of people 17:54 they actually go to church. 17:55 So this is a very hard area to reach 17:57 that the Lord have given as a burden 17:59 to try and reach in to the homes of people 18:02 and reach their hearts. 18:04 I was surprised to hear that. 18:05 We think of countries like Africa and India, 18:07 but you're telling me 18:08 that Sweden is the most secular country. 18:10 That's what the UN has said. By the UN standards. 18:12 Very good. 18:14 Now, tell me a little bit about the station. 18:16 How long have you been on the air? 18:19 Well, we have been on air for almost seven months now. 18:23 So we're failing you, but the Lord have blessed, 18:26 and it's been an amazing trip to get there. 18:28 Maybe we should show. 18:30 I think we have a video clip here 18:31 if we can get them to show that 18:33 and that gives a little overview 18:35 to your ministry there at LifestyleTV. 20:41 Claus, I noticed quite a few young people 20:44 in the production photos, 20:45 and we're gonna come back to that in a little bit. 20:47 But first, I'd like you 20:48 to tell us a little bit about the vision for this. 20:51 You said it's a very new ministry, 20:53 what was your background 20:54 and what led you into LifestyleTV? 20:58 Well, you know, Dan, it's amazing that 21:00 when I think back about four years ago, 21:02 I was sitting in ASI convention like this. 21:06 That was my first ASI. 21:08 And working in the media, we had our own business, 21:11 my wife and I would design 21:13 and consulting in graphic design. 21:16 And I was sitting, and I was watching the cameras, 21:18 and being in media was very interested in that. 21:21 And I just never had any idea 21:24 that the Lord would call us into this kind of ministry. 21:26 But I remember being very intrigued 21:28 by what was happening. 21:29 A year after that, 21:31 I got an invitation from 3ABN 21:33 to come and work for a year as a producer. 21:35 And then from there, 21:37 the Lord just started opening doors 21:38 and laying a burden on our heart 21:40 that we should use the talents 21:42 we had to reach out to people 21:44 and to get right into their homes 21:46 and share the gospel that He has given us. 21:50 That took quite a process as I understand it 21:52 from just the vision to actually being on the air. 21:56 Tell us about that. 21:57 We decided to pick up the phone and call them. 21:59 And as I'm talking to the other company, 22:01 the first response they're giving is 22:02 "No, we're not interested. 22:04 We're commercial network. 22:06 We're not interested in anything 22:07 like a religious channel." 22:09 And I kept talking, kept praying. 22:11 And pretty soon the guy says, 22:13 "Well, if He had to consider anything like that, 22:15 you'd have to give us some really good agreements 22:17 for why I should go on a... 22:22 I mean, I should take in a network like that." 22:24 And then we kept talking. 22:27 And over later, he says, "Well, when can you meet?" 22:30 And I was quite surprised by that 22:32 'cause he just said he was not interested. 22:33 So I flew over to meet him. 22:35 And as we had a meeting within half an hour, 22:37 he turns to me, Dan, and he says, 22:38 "What do we need to do to get an agreement?" 22:40 And he was offering us both 22:42 to get on the satellite to get in the packets, 22:44 the base packets 22:46 that everybody's receiving together 22:47 with all the other big channels 22:49 and to be part of their promotional material. 22:53 And so here we tried 22:55 for half a year to work this out, 22:56 and in half an hour, 22:58 the Lord did what we could not do. 22:59 Amen. 23:01 And that was just amazing to just to see that. 23:03 And so essentially then you signed a contract with them 23:06 and LifestyleTV is on with CNN and BBC 23:11 and all the other main programs that this satellite provides. 23:14 We have right in the main packets 23:16 and the base tier of the satellite 23:19 that is the biggest in Scandinavia, 23:21 reaching over 5 million people, 23:23 which is over 20 percent of the population. 23:29 So that is a huge potential that the Lord has given us. 23:33 And we have to share with people about Jesus Christ. 23:38 And reaching a couple different areas, 23:40 first of all, how about the people 23:41 in your own staff, in your own studio? 23:43 Well, among the team that we have, 23:46 we like to work with young people. 23:48 And so we brought with us 23:49 a couple of the ones our student missionaries, 23:52 Janna and Christine. 23:53 They've been with us for one year, 23:55 working along with a TV team. 23:57 And Janna, 23:59 what is your experience been in Sweden? 24:00 Well, I can honestly say I had a lot of fun. 24:03 I mean, it was a lot different than I expected. 24:05 But I had a lot of fun. 24:06 And I think for me, the biggest thing was just 24:09 being able to work with a ministry 24:10 that's on the front lines of sharing the gospel. 24:13 And that was just really exciting for me to be there 24:15 and to use my skills in that. 24:18 And I do encourage any young person 24:20 who's thinking of doing mission service 24:22 to check it out and definitely go over there 24:25 and spend years would be year well worth your time. 24:29 What about you, Christine? 24:31 Well, during this year, I have really realized that 24:34 you don't have to go to the other side of the planet 24:37 to be a missionary. 24:38 I'm a Swede, 24:39 and I'm a missionary in Sweden, so... 24:41 Amen. 24:43 We have had them a year, 24:44 and we have really enjoyed having these two young people. 24:47 And what we see is education 24:50 as being one of the important things 24:51 alongside with our broadcasting, 24:53 so train young people to be involved in this. 24:55 And, you know, the couple of months ago, 24:57 we got an interesting request from somebody in Malaysia, 25:01 and they were wanting to start a Chinese network. 25:03 And they said, "Can we send two students 25:05 to you to train to do TV?" 25:07 At first we thought, "Well, 25:09 we can't handle to train anymore. 25:10 We're having enough as we are." 25:12 And then we thought, "Well, the Lord trained us, 25:16 the Lord helped give us a mission, 25:17 how can we turn somebody else down?" 25:19 And so this fall, we're getting two young men 25:22 that are gonna learn how to do TV 25:24 and then go start a Chinese network 25:27 from Malaysia. 25:28 Fantastic. 25:29 So you're impacting the young people 25:31 that are working there. 25:32 Do you know... 25:34 Are you reaching the people out in the community? 25:35 Do you have any evidence of that? 25:37 That's probably one of the biggest questions 25:39 we get when we travel around in the churches, 25:41 people come up and say 25:42 "What is the response that you've gotten?" 25:44 And I remember distinctly I was just in Norway, 25:46 sharing with a church of the ministry, 25:49 and they ask that question. 25:50 I said, "Well, you know, 25:52 we're just been on air for three months. 25:53 You got to just give the Lord a little time. 25:55 It's coming. 25:57 We are getting response from people, 25:58 but things takes time." 26:00 I came back from Norway. 26:02 And that same week, 26:03 Audrey Anderson that is here with us, 26:05 he came up to me and said, you know, 26:08 somebody called the union last week. 26:10 And that was a view of LifestyleTV. 26:13 They call up the union. 26:14 Don't know how they got the phone number. 26:16 And they said, "We've been watching LifestyleTV, 26:19 and I want to get Bible studies, 26:21 and I'll get baptized." 26:23 And just a month ago, the pastor came, says, 26:25 "I've been giving this man Bible studies, 26:28 and he's gonna get baptized now in a few weeks 26:30 when we get back home." 26:32 Amen. 26:33 And I was just confounded with what the Lord can do 26:36 and our faith sometime how little it is 26:38 that here we thought that it takes much longer time, 26:41 and then the Lord after three months of being on air, 26:44 reach to somebody that had never had contact 26:46 with Adventist before, 26:47 and he's ready to get baptized. 26:49 Amen. 26:50 Well, thank you for sharing this with us. 26:51 And God bless you and your work. 26:53 Thank you. 27:01 I have with me here Steve Peden from Project Steps to Christ. 27:05 Now, Steve, tell us 27:07 what is Project Steps to Christ all about? 27:10 Well, Project Steps to Christ is a layman's ministry 27:14 instituted and designed to take the gospel 27:17 to every home in the United States. 27:19 That's 125 million homes 27:21 through the mass mailing of truthful literatures, 27:23 that's a Steps to Christ. 27:25 Now Steps to Christ the only thing? 27:27 No, we do an abridged version of the Great Controversy called 27:31 On the Edge of Time. 27:32 Okay. 27:34 So this has been your project for how long? 27:37 I've been with the project for 10 years. 27:38 But if you're been around in the church for a while, 27:41 it's been around for about 33 years. 27:43 About 33 years you've been doing this? 27:44 Yes. 27:46 But there's a unique project 27:47 that you just have been working on over the past year. 27:49 I'd like you to tell us about that. 27:51 Yes, in April 2005, 27:54 I was invited to the San Francisco 27:56 Central Church to do a seminar about Project Steps to Christ. 28:00 And at the end of the seminar, I challenged the church 28:03 to consider to do a mailing to all of San Francisco, 28:06 which was about 400,000 homes. 28:09 And praise the Lord, they accepted the challenge. 28:12 And so as I left San Francisco that weekend, 28:16 flying over the city, 28:18 I claimed that city for the Lord. 28:19 And we went back to our home in New York, 28:22 and we began to plan this rate, 28:25 mass mailing to all of San Francisco. 28:27 Can you tell me why you chose San Francisco 28:29 and why now? 28:30 Well, I believe the Lord chose San Francisco 28:32 was all His timing. 28:34 And as we talked there at the church, 28:36 we recognize 28:38 that the churches of San Francisco had 28:40 the opportunity of a lifetime to reach that city 28:43 as the following year, April 2006. 28:46 This year, San Francisco 28:48 would be celebrating the 100th anniversary 28:50 of the Great San Francisco Earthquake. 28:53 So that anniversary was when? 28:56 April 18, 2006. 28:59 2006. Yes. 29:00 So when did you send out your mailing? 29:03 Well, beginning in January all the way through February, 29:07 we began to print and address these 400,000 books. 29:11 These were printed and mailed at the Review and Herald. 29:14 And then about the middle of March, 29:17 the Review and Herald loaded up 29:18 two tractor trailer loads of books. 29:21 Those were taken to a rail station 29:23 nearby in Hagerstown, Maryland, 29:25 loaded on flatbed rail cars 29:27 and trucked all the way across the country to San Francisco. 29:30 And then the books began delivery 29:32 or the post office began delivery 29:34 to the humps in San Francisco 29:35 beginning March 30 throughout the month of April. 29:39 Excellent. 29:40 Now you said that this particular version 29:42 of Steps to Christ was unique in its cover and... 29:45 Well, actually, we didn't mail Steps to Christ. 29:47 Oh, that's right. 29:49 We actually mailed an abridged version 29:50 of the Great Controversy. 29:53 I thought we would mail Steps to Christ. 29:54 But then as we began to pray 29:56 and study about what we might share, 29:59 the Lord spoke to my heart as well as the pastor there 30:03 from the Spirit of Prophecy. 30:05 And I'd like to just share one quote 30:06 from Review and Herald, May 24. 30:08 "The Lord is soon to come in fire 30:10 and flood and earthquake, 30:12 He is warning the inhabitants of this earth 30:14 of His soon approach. 30:16 O that the people might know 30:17 that the time of their visitation! 30:19 We have no time to lose. 30:20 We must make more determined efforts 30:22 to lead the people of the world 30:23 to see that the Day of Judgment is near at hand. 30:26 Carefully prepared literature 30:28 on the significance of the scenes 30:29 we are now witnessing is to be circulated everywhere." 30:33 And so we were impressed that we needed to share 30:35 with the people of San Francisco 30:37 a warning message, 30:38 urging them to prepare for the things 30:40 that are coming upon the earth. 30:42 And if you are a subscriber to the National Geographic, 30:46 in April of this year, 30:48 what was it all about earthquakes in California, 30:51 and so it was an appropriate time 30:52 to bring that message out. 30:55 So right over this anniversary time, 30:57 people are receiving this abridged version 30:59 of Great Controversy in their mailboxes. 31:01 Has it had any impact? 31:02 Can you tell us if there's been any results from this? 31:05 Yes, in the first month of April, 31:07 we received 500 responses. 31:10 And then since then 31:11 we've been getting about an average of 10 cards per week 31:13 from people in San Francisco who are reading the book. 31:16 Now keep in mind, 31:17 even as far back as the late 1800s, 31:20 Ellen White said that San Francisco 31:21 and Oakland were a literal Sodom and Gomorrah. 31:24 And we know that 31:26 out of the inhabitants of Sodom, 31:28 only Lot and his family were saved. 31:30 So we rejoice that even in San Francisco, 31:32 there were 800 people that responded so far. 31:34 Absolutely. I believe that significant. 31:36 San Francisco is not an easy city 31:38 to evangelize, is that? 31:39 No. 31:40 In fact, for years, 31:42 the Central California Conference 31:43 has scratched their heads wondering 31:44 what they could do for that city. 31:46 They had a hard time uniting the churches 31:47 in a unified effort. 31:50 And so this was historic for the conference 31:52 as well as they saw the whole city reached 31:55 and all the churches working together to make that happen. 31:57 Amen. Amen. 31:59 So you've had 800 responses up today there... 32:02 Today, yes. From San Francisco. 32:04 What's next? 32:05 What's next? Good question. 32:07 That's the name of our book, "What's Next? 32:08 Are You Prepared?" 32:10 Well, as people began to learn about our project, 32:14 the Northern California Conference learned 32:15 what we were doing in San Francisco. 32:18 And so by the end of April, 32:20 they had committed to doing a whole, 32:21 the entire city of Oakland, California, 163,000 city, 32:25 I'm sorry, 163,000 homes in Oakland, 32:27 which we just completed the end of July. 32:31 And like fire in the stubble, now the churches in Novato, 32:37 which is Marin County, just north of the city, 32:39 they're doing 119,000 homes there, 32:41 south of San Francisco, 32:43 about 195,000 in San Mateo County as well. 32:47 Amen. And is that all? 32:49 And that's not it. 32:51 Word got around the country, and right now in Santa Fe, 32:55 there's a small church in Santa Fe 32:56 that has a vision now to cover all of Northern New Mexico 32:59 from Albuquerque all the way to the Colorado border. 33:02 And so they are now mobilizing troops 33:05 to coordinate that mailing. 33:08 Rochester, New York, about 463,000 homes. 33:12 We're working with the Breath of Life church there 33:14 and mobilize the churches. 33:15 In Dallas, 33:16 the Dallas International Church has caught the vision. 33:20 And they have developed 33:21 a steering committee of five churches. 33:24 And we're gonna be having a big rally next month 33:26 to initiate a mass campaign 33:28 to reach all of Dallas-Fort Worth, 2,096,000 homes. 33:31 Praise the Lord in all of Dallas 33:33 for Great Controversy. 33:35 Amen. Amen. 33:36 Now just briefly tell us 33:38 how people can get in touch with you 33:39 and find out more about Project Steps to Christ? 33:42 Well, while you're here, I am located at the Review 33:45 and Herald booth just next door to them. 33:48 So we have samples of this free book. 33:49 We have literature, we have information 33:52 on how your local church can get involved 33:54 in either covering in your entire city 33:56 or just doing your neighborhood. 33:58 Amen. 34:00 Well, thank you, Steve. 34:01 I appreciate you telling us about your project here. 34:04 Anything else you'd like to share 34:05 before we stop this interview? 34:08 Yes, I'd like to just encourage you 34:10 to read page 612 in the "Great Controversy." 34:13 It's speaks about the results of our seed sowing now, 34:16 and I think you'll be blessed by that promise. 34:19 At times, we get discouraged 34:21 that we're not seeing any results from our labors. 34:22 But there's a beautiful promise there 34:24 that will greatly encourage you in your labors. 34:26 Amen. Thank you. Thank you. 34:35 Next person I'd like you all to meet is Sebastian Tirtirau. 34:40 And I hope I said that right. 34:41 He's from Pilgrim Society. 34:43 And, Sebastian, I'd like you to tell us briefly 34:46 what is Pilgrim Society all about? 34:49 Pilgrim Society is a nonprofit missionary society 34:51 established in Canada, US, and Australia, 34:55 designed to reach only the most remote tribes 34:58 on the planet. 34:59 The most remote tribes on the planet. 35:02 Can you give us an example of those... 35:05 Which types of people you're trying to reach? 35:07 Well, for the past 10 years, 35:08 I've been working with the Kalahari Bushmen 35:10 of the Kalahari Desert Southern Africa, 35:12 the Amazonian tribes in South America, 35:14 the Arctic in with 35:15 we just started a mission couple years ago there, 35:17 Congo pygmies, Papa New Guinea and so forth. 35:20 Okay. 35:22 So the Bushmen of the Kalahari, 35:24 you've been working with the longest, 35:25 is that correct? 35:26 That's right. 35:28 In 1996, I established that mission. 35:29 In 1996, you established that mission. 35:32 Now I want to talk a little bit about 35:35 how you got into this particular ministry. 35:38 Why the most remote? 35:40 What led you to this particular mission? 35:43 It has to do with my training before I became a Christian. 35:47 Before you became a Christian. 35:48 You haven't always been a Christian? 35:50 No, I became a Christian, 35:51 Seventh-day Adventist Christian at the age of 22 years old. 35:53 I was a rock and roll singer 35:55 and a professional dancer before that. 35:56 A singer and a dancer. 35:58 I think you have another profession as well. 36:00 Yes, I was a history teacher. A history teacher! 36:02 Now you had a remarkable student 36:03 that came into your life at that time. 36:05 That's right. I was an atheist. 36:07 My parents are professors of philosophy. 36:09 I grew up in an atheist environment. 36:11 But at the age of 22, besides my nightlife, 36:14 I was a history teacher. 36:16 I had a teaching history in grades five to eight. 36:19 And in one of my grade 5 classes, 36:20 I had a 10-year-old girl student 36:23 who gave me Bible studies. 36:24 A 10-year-old girl gave you Bible studies. 36:27 Why? 36:29 How did that come about? 36:30 Everybody around called me the beast. 36:31 That was my nickname in the school 36:33 because I had long hair, earrings, 36:35 cut jeans, and so forth. 36:37 And everybody, even in her own family, 36:39 people said that this man is lost. 36:42 But she said that even 36:44 this man by the grace of God can be saved. 36:46 So a 10-year-old girl thought she could save you? 36:49 A 10-year-old girl showed me what history is all about, 36:52 while I was a history teacher. 36:54 Amen. Amen. 36:56 Now also, you had some experiences 36:59 that you said prepared you 37:00 for the work you're doing now during that time in your life. 37:04 I was a professional soldier at the age of 14 to 17 37:07 when my brother fled the country 37:09 to Sweden illegally. 37:10 I was put in prison on behalf of him 37:13 to take the punishment for him. 37:15 For 18 months in prison, I was beaten, starved. 37:18 I was allowed to sleep two hours a night, 37:19 every night for nine months. 37:21 Four or five times a day they were beating us 37:22 with all sorts of tools to brainwash us. 37:27 That's why I met. 37:29 Actually, first time I asked God, 37:30 although I didn't know there is one. 37:32 I pointed out to heaven one night and I said, 37:34 "Why did you put me in here?" 37:36 So your brother's the one who committed the crime, 37:38 but you did the time. 37:40 I still don't consider that the crime. 37:42 Okay. 37:44 In their eyes, it was a crime. 37:45 In their eyes, it was a crime. Yes. 37:46 And I took the punishment for him. 37:49 But in this unit, in this prison, 37:51 God opened my heart to Him 37:53 to show me that He exists 37:55 and that there is nothing that can stop Him. 37:57 Later on when I became a Christian, 22 years old, 38:00 I left for Africa as a missionary. 38:02 I studied theology in Cape Town. 38:05 And I became a missionary to this very remote tribe, 38:08 to the Bushmen tribe of the Kalahari. 38:10 Only in the Kalahari, God showed me 38:12 why He allowed those experiences in my life 38:15 to train me silently for places 38:18 that nobody else wants to go. 38:20 So what you're saying is that after all these experiences, 38:22 you're talking about beating, starvation in prison 38:26 that God allowed that 38:28 to prepare you for what you're doing now? 38:30 That's right. 38:31 Nothing can be worse than I experienced, 38:33 maybe except the North Pole. 38:35 Okay. It comes close. 38:37 Now that brings us to a couple of the areas 38:39 that particularly you've been working in recently. 38:42 Can you tell us, 38:43 just highlight those two areas for us? 38:45 We have major work in the Kalahari Desert 38:47 with the Bushmen in Namibia and Botswana. 38:49 And we just started work with the Arctic 38:51 and with in Northern Canada, Northern Greenland, 38:53 where we distributed a few thousand Bibles 38:55 to the people of the Arctic. 38:57 I have some pictures to show you. 38:58 Okay. 39:00 Just before you do that, 39:01 I just want to call people's attention to something 39:02 because it caught my attention. 39:05 What are these two places have in common 39:07 The Kalahari Desert 39:09 and the Inuit tribes up in the Arctic Circle? 39:12 Seems about as different as night and day 39:14 until you told me 39:16 that God prepared you for the work 39:18 with those in the remote areas through this experience. 39:21 Tell us about now that works specifically, 39:23 as you said, you've got some pictures 39:24 to share with us. 39:26 I started the mission in Africa in 1996. 39:27 And we go from place to place in the jeep. 39:30 We sleep with the people in huts. 39:33 And in 1996, 39:34 I left there to the Kalahari knowing no language, 39:38 no translator, I didn't know what we're gonna do. 39:40 So what I did, 39:42 I prayed for one week for a mentor 39:43 that speaks English in Bushmen language 39:45 because they speak the Ju/'hoansi language, 39:47 which is a clicking language. 39:48 And the Lord gave me a man who speaks 14 languages, 39:53 not only English, but 14 languages. 39:55 A man that today is the pastor for five churches 39:57 in the Kalahari Desert. 39:59 And in the past 10 years, I've been there 16 times. 40:02 We go from place to place, and we build churches 40:05 as you see in the next picture here. 40:07 We build churches very remote in the bush, 40:09 either by with the straw roof or brick buildings. 40:14 Then we move from place to place 40:16 in very difficult conditions. 40:17 The next picture we'll show, 40:19 we go through deep swamps and mud 40:22 and sand and so forth. 40:24 It's a mission from scratch. 40:26 It's a mission that... You don't see a hotel. 40:29 As a matter of fact, tomorrow night, 40:30 it is written, it's gonna have few words about that 40:32 because Saturday night 40:34 I'm leaving for the Kalahari with them. 40:36 There are partners with me right now in doing this, 40:39 so I'm gonna make sure 40:41 they really experience the Kalahari 40:43 at the worst level. 40:47 The Bushmen are extremely poor. 40:48 They die in great numbers, 85 percent of the children die 40:52 before the age of 5 40:53 because of malaria and starvation. 40:56 There is no water surface. 40:58 While in the Kalahari, we installed water systems 41:00 powered by solar technology today. 41:01 We have over 25 water systems 41:03 that we installed till date powered by solar technology. 41:06 We have five churches. 41:07 We have an orphanage, a clinic in a place 41:09 where people didn't know who Christ is 10 years ago. 41:12 Over 2,000 members come to church today 41:15 but my translator Kambasi tells me 41:17 that at least half of the population of Bushmen 41:19 which is 65,000 know about the Adventist faith. 41:23 So it's moving extremely fast in this area. 41:27 Fantastic. We'll continue on with the... 41:30 The next project we started was two years ago, 41:33 where I left, you can see here. 41:36 This is not Kalahari, it's the Arctic. 41:39 I was bundled up. 41:41 And you can see the next picture here, 41:42 the Inuit dressed me as an Eskimo myself. 41:45 They gave me this polar bear and caribou fursuit. 41:49 I had six pairs of pants under those pants by the way. 41:53 Minus 60 degrees, 41:54 I traveled by dog sled from place to place 41:56 to deliver Bible to very remote villages 41:58 up to 84 degrees latitude north. 42:02 And I met with people 42:05 that all didn't know who God is, 42:07 like this man, Ian Natalino. 42:09 Natalino was my guide and the hunter in the Arctic. 42:13 And this man not only accepted me like a brother 42:16 and saved my life in a snowstorm, 42:18 where we were buried in an igloo 42:19 for three days and three nights. 42:21 He delivered Bibles to people around the villages. 42:25 He went to the village and to the places then he said, 42:28 "Please take this Bible" 42:29 although he didn't know what that is. 42:31 Now let me interrupt here a little bit. 42:33 That was essentially your motive to go there, 42:35 is that correct? 42:37 Was to take Bibles to the people? 42:38 That's right. 42:39 Did you have Bibles in their language? 42:41 Yes, Canadian Bible Society translated this Bible 42:43 into Inuktitut language, 42:46 but it was sitting in their warehouses 42:47 because nobody took it up there for them. 42:50 Sitting in their warehouses, not doing anyone any good. 42:53 And so your mission was... 42:54 So I called them and I said, "I'd like to buy some." 42:57 And I bought few hundred last year 42:59 and this year with the help of it is written I took up there. 43:02 We bought 5,000 Bibles to deliver to the people, 43:04 which the first 3,000 were already delivered. 43:06 I just came from there. 43:08 Amen. 43:10 Now... 43:12 to get them there, 43:14 you didn't just get on a plane 43:16 and fly them up there, right? 43:18 Well, I flew in a cargo plane with the... 43:20 Which was the most interesting experience 43:23 because the captain, 43:24 he was dressed in a normal overalls. 43:26 And when we got in... 43:28 The only safety information 43:30 we got is that the survival pack is in that cupboard, 43:32 when it crashes, you just take it and survive. 43:35 That's how it was. 43:37 So the captain was an interesting person. 43:39 We flew over the Arctic 43:41 and where you can see the curvature of the ground 43:43 on each side as the end of the world. 43:47 Actually the captain said, 43:48 "Welcome to the end of the world." 43:49 So we were at the end of the world. 43:51 And then from there, I put them on dog sled 43:53 because the villages are so far apart. 43:55 We can't go by ski doo. 43:56 We have to go by dog sled. 43:58 So your chartered a dog sled 43:59 to get the bibles to these people. 44:01 We charted the dog sled, there were 14 dogs, 44:02 and we slept in igloos in between the villages 44:04 because there's no other place to sleep in there. 44:06 Yeah, there are so many extreme sports out there. 44:08 Have you ever heard of extreme mission? 44:10 This man's an expert in the field. 44:12 Go ahead. 44:14 Then in the next picture we have, 44:15 let me show you a little bit here. 44:18 It's a mission school that we're building right now 44:20 because we open up so many remote places. 44:23 There is a great need for me to train young people 44:26 to go to remote places. 44:28 And we're establishing there now two mission stations, 44:30 one in northern Romania in the mountains 44:32 where we have a property that you can see here, 44:34 it's already almost finished. 44:36 And for six months, 44:38 we're gonna train young people to go to the remote places 44:41 where I've been, so I can open new ones. 44:43 And then we start a new one in the Kalahari, 44:45 where we're gonna have an orphanage 44:47 or hospital for the Bushmen 44:48 because the Bushmen have no medical care, no education. 44:51 And we're gonna have a boarding academy, 44:53 mission school, and a farm, and hospital, and orphanage. 44:57 Now you mentioned a little bit ago, specifically, 44:59 you're going with the "It Is Written" team 45:01 immediately following this convention. 45:03 That's right. Saturday night. 45:04 What is your purpose there? 45:06 What are your plans for this particular trip? 45:07 Right now, we're gonna deliver small iPods. 45:09 Actually, they call them God pods 45:11 in which we put the Bushmen Bible, 45:13 spoken Bible on these iPods 45:16 that are solar-powered, 45:18 and we give them to the Bushmen villages 45:19 to listen to the Word of God. 45:20 Now I want you to just imagine for a second, 45:23 the Bushmen in skins, 45:25 hunting with poison arrows with the headphones, 45:28 listening to the Bible from an iPod. 45:31 So only God can do this. 45:33 Amen. Amen. 45:39 One other thing that you mentioned to me, 45:40 it isn't only the Bible, 45:42 you have a project underway translating... 45:44 We're gonna translate... 45:46 My translator Kambasi that, 45:48 I told you, he speaks 14 languages. 45:50 He's coming with me to North America in August. 45:53 He's gonna translate the first book 45:56 ever translated in Bushmen language 45:58 of Ellen White which is "Steps to Christ." 46:00 So we're gonna put it on this iPod as well. 46:02 Amen. 46:03 You said that's not only the first, 46:06 it's the first ever book... 46:08 First ever book. In the Bushman language... 46:10 That's right. 46:11 Is "Steps to Christ." 46:13 And God chose Ellen White to do that. 46:14 Amen. Amen. 46:16 Well, I really appreciate you telling us about this. 46:18 Sebastian, now people might want to find out a little more. 46:20 How can they find out more about your project? 46:23 Easiest way is, "It Is Written" speaking tomorrow night 46:25 to get more information there 46:26 and also they can go to our website. 46:28 That's PilgrimSociety.com. 46:30 Did you catch that? 46:31 PilgrimSociety.com 46:33 if you want to learn more about 46:35 what Sebastian is doing in his mission. 46:37 Thank you for your attention this morning. 46:53 Abide in me and I in you 46:56 Father, please today 47:00 I'll not allow one trial to come 47:04 Except I shall go away 47:08 Just trust in me to do the things 47:11 I promise I will do 47:15 If you will just abide in me 47:20 And I abide in you 47:25 I will abide though darkness storm has threatened 47:33 Obscure the way in me 47:36 I praise the Lord for me 47:40 I'll ask for nail scarred hand stretch out to save me 47:47 My helpless soul cries out 47:51 I will abide 47:57 Abide in me and I in you 48:00 He's tend to me 48:04 The flowers grow not by their care or their anxiety 48:12 I am the everlasting light 48:15 For all the world to see 48:19 As flowers turn to sun for strength 48:24 Will just abide in me 48:30 I will abide 48:33 Though darkness storm has threatened 48:37 Obscure the way in me 48:40 I praise the Lord for me 48:43 I'll ask for nail scarred hand stretch out to save me 48:50 My helpless soul cries out 48:55 I will abide 49:01 For you I went to Calvary 49:05 For you into the test 49:08 Just come to me O troubled soul 49:12 And I will give you rest 49:16 The final peace I leave with you 49:20 No world can take away 49:24 Receive me and your life will change 49:28 Abide with me today 49:34 I will abide 49:38 Though darkness storm has threatened 49:42 Obscure the way in me 49:45 I praise the Lord for me 49:49 I'll ask for nail scarred hand stretch out to save me 49:56 My helpless soul cries out 50:02 I will abide 50:09 Amen. 50:32 Give me ears to hear Your Spirit 50:38 Give me feet to follow through 50:43 Give me hands to touch the hurting 50:49 And the faith to follow You 50:58 Give me grace to be a servant 51:04 Give me mercy for the lost 51:09 Give me passion for Your glory 51:15 Give me passion for the cross 51:21 And I will go where there are no easy roads 51:27 Leave the comforts that I know 51:32 I will go and let this journey be my home 51:38 I will go 51:41 I will go 51:43 I will go 51:59 I'll let go of my ambition 52:04 Cut the roots that run too deep 52:09 I will learn to give away 52:15 What I cannot really keep 52:20 What I cannot really keep 52:28 Help me see with eyes of faith 52:35 Give me strength to run this race 52:42 And I will go where there are no easy roads 52:48 Leave the comforts that I know 52:53 I will go and let this journey be my home 52:58 I will go 53:01 I will go 53:04 We will go 53:06 Lord where Your glory is unknown 53:10 We will live for You alone 53:16 We will go because our life is not our own 53:22 I will go 53:25 I will go 53:27 We will go |
Revised 2020-01-08