Participants: Kathy Smith
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR000745S
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01:00 What you're about to hear
01:03 will change your life. 01:05 It'll inspire and strengthen your faith in God. 01:09 Some of you have heard sirens 01:11 and have seen flashing lights on your way 01:14 to the emergency room like I have. 01:18 Many of you have been confronted with 01:20 or will be confronted with serious challenges 01:23 to your very existence. 01:27 Kathy Smith was born 01:29 in a remote logging and lumber camp 01:31 in Northern British Columbia, 01:33 of her Auld Jacobson family. 01:37 She grew up with two older brothers, 01:39 and a hard working yet loving parents. 01:43 God abundantly blessed that family 01:46 and her mother and dad heard the call of God 01:50 and they chose to move from financial success 01:53 into real significance. 01:56 The family went on to Eden Valley Institute 02:00 where they took six months of training, 02:03 and then began establishing 02:05 medical and educational institutions 02:08 in Northern British Columbia. 02:11 Kathy studied and then graduated 02:14 from Fairhaven Academy, 02:16 and then went on to Weimar College. 02:19 After marrying Stan Smith, 02:23 their family was blessed with two lovely daughters, 02:25 one of whom you saw a little earlier this morning. 02:28 It appeared that their lives were ideal almost storybook 02:34 until a tragic, tragic event took place 02:37 just four years ago. 02:40 Kathy, come and tell us this morning 02:43 how God hears and answers prayers. 02:47 Thank you. 02:57 Toward the end of King Nebuchadnezzar's life. 03:01 He wrote to all the people in his kingdom. 03:04 And he said, "It's my pleasure to tell you 03:07 about the miraculous signs and wonders 03:09 that the Most High God has performed for me." 03:13 And this morning that is what I want to do. 03:15 I want to share with you a special answer to prayer 03:18 that happened to me four years ago, 03:21 and the ASI family played an integral part. 03:25 In the book, the Patriarchs and Prophets, 03:27 we are told that, 03:29 "The Christian should often review his past life 03:32 and recall with gratitude the precious deliverances 03:36 that God has wrought for him, 03:38 supporting him in trial, 03:40 opening ways before him 03:42 when all seemed dark and forbidding, 03:44 refreshing him when ready to faint. 03:47 And he should recognize them 03:48 as evidences of the watchcare of heavenly angels." 03:53 July 8, 2002, was a lovely summer day 03:58 and I awoke with a headache, which is unusual for me. 04:01 It was Sabbath, 04:03 and I have responsibilities at church. 04:05 So before getting ready for church, 04:07 I went for a walk to help clear my head. 04:10 I had just recovered from one of the worst coughs 04:13 that I've ever had. 04:15 And I was actually acting very tired at church. 04:18 And my husband suggested 04:19 that I should drive home and have a rest. 04:22 And as I was having trouble concentrating anyways, 04:25 I followed his advice and drove home and had a sleep. 04:30 After church when we were preparing lunch, 04:32 I started to mix up my words 04:34 and lose some of the coordination 04:36 of my right side. 04:37 This alarmed Stan, 04:39 and he had once drove me to a hospital, 04:41 which was about 20 minutes away. 04:44 By the time I arrived there, 04:46 I had lost my ability to basically talk 04:50 and some of my mobility on my right side, 04:53 and was mentally confused. 04:56 After preliminary testing, 04:58 they decided to transfer me by ambulance 05:00 to a larger hospital that's about two hours away. 05:04 And by the time I got there, 05:06 I could no longer speech and was basically, 05:09 on my right side was not working very well at all. 05:12 And then Roland just said, 05:14 he said, "You are having a severe stroke." 05:17 And they said that an MRI scan 05:19 would probably tell us the reason why, 05:21 but that none would be available 05:23 for several days. 05:25 I continue to worsen throughout the evening. 05:28 And by midnight, 05:29 I was completely paralyzed on the right side 05:31 and unable to speak. 05:34 The following day, I continue to deteriorate, 05:36 and the right side of my face drooped 05:38 and I continue to not be able to speak and was hemiplegic. 05:43 Previously, my father had had several small strokes. 05:46 So I was familiar with strokes, 05:48 and I knew that the one I was having was severe. 05:52 And I was scared. 05:53 What was happening? Why was it happening to me? 05:55 And I always been so careful with my diet and exercise 05:58 and I was committed to a healthy lifestyle. 06:02 And what would have caused it? 06:04 And how bad was it gonna be? 06:06 Was there gonna be more? 06:09 Was I going to be an invalid? 06:12 Three weeks before I had had my 40th birthday, 06:15 and although I felt old, I wasn't ready for this. 06:22 I wasn't afraid of dying. 06:24 But I did have a lot to live for. 06:26 So I really wanted to live. 06:28 And after evaluating me on the day after the stroke, 06:31 the neurologist stated 06:33 that I would have permanent damage 06:34 and although only time could tell how much, 06:37 the outlook was very discouraging, 06:40 difficulty walking and talking would probably be permanent. 06:44 And I should expect permanent effects 06:45 on my appearance such as drooping 06:47 on the right side of my face. 06:48 Now you're all trying to think which is the right side, right? 06:53 Stroke statistics in the North America indicate 06:57 that strokes are the third leading cause of death. 07:01 And that every 45 seconds 07:03 somebody in the US has a stroke. 07:07 However, my case didn't fit the profile 07:09 of a typical stroke victim. 07:11 And the doctors were limited with the speed 07:14 which were taken or the tests 07:15 that would actually tell us what was really happening. 07:18 And our inability to have answers 07:23 started my husband Stan, 07:25 looking to the hospitals in the United States. 07:29 At this point, I need to tell you 07:31 about our experience with ASI. 07:34 We joined ASI when the National Convention 07:37 was held in Toronto, Ontario, and that was 1993. 07:43 And Tony Montes Dear actually traveled to Lillooet, 07:46 trying to recruit us as members and to encourage us 07:50 to attend the convention especially as it was in Canada. 07:54 We attended that year and haven't missed one since. 07:58 When we attended, Sondra was our daughter 08:01 and she was about six years old and Alana was eight. 08:04 And they loved ASI. 08:06 And they look forward to it every year. 08:09 In fact, at the time of my stroke, 08:11 Alana was in Columbus, Ohio 08:14 for the ASI Youth for Jesus event 08:15 that was happening there. 08:18 And news travels fast 08:19 and within only a few hours of my stroke, 08:23 Dwight Hildebrandt, the Secretary Treasurer of ASI 08:26 at that time called to the hospital 08:28 to encourage us and to tell us 08:30 that the ASI family was praying. 08:33 And as any of you 08:35 who attend the convention regularly know 08:38 that ASI family is like extended family. 08:42 And it was that extended family network 08:45 that made the difference. 08:46 Beginning in 2000, 08:48 Stan had served as an ASI officer 08:50 when the ASI evangelism event 08:54 was happening in the Philippines. 08:55 You've heard them talk about that. 08:57 And we went and we actually met Dr. Peters Mars, 09:01 a friend of Denzel and Donna McNeilus. 09:04 And he was from Rochester, Minnesota 09:07 and head of cardiology for the Mayo Clinic. 09:11 On the day after my stroke, 09:13 Denzel McNeilus the ASI President at the time 09:16 called to encourage us 09:18 and suggested to Stan that I go to the Mayo Clinic, 09:21 and he reminded us that Dr. Smars was there 09:24 and he offered to talk to him. 09:26 It was Sunday 09:28 and Dr. Smars was horseback riding 09:30 in a very rural location. 09:33 And Denzel called him just a short time 09:37 when he was in self-service. 09:39 And he was also riding with the individual 09:42 who is responsible for transportation 09:44 from the Mayo Clinic. 09:47 So within a very short time, there was an air ambulance 09:50 that was on his way to Canada to pick me up. 09:53 And the timing was more than coincidence. 09:56 I don't remember arriving at the Mayo Clinic, 09:59 but I was given a care 10:01 that is synonymous with the Mayo Clinic. 10:05 And within hours of testing was completed 10:08 that showed that my stroke was caused from the tear 10:11 on the carotid artery, a very rare occurrence. 10:15 And while it was a relief to have the facts, 10:18 it didn't change the damage that had been done 10:21 and I was still paralyzed and I still couldn't speak, 10:24 and visions of being permanently 10:26 in a wheelchair loomed in my mind. 10:28 And it was so hard to see 10:30 my husband's concern look on his face 10:32 and I couldn't communicate with him. 10:35 And you have to know that for me 10:37 losing my speech is very important. 10:40 I love to talk, not up here, but I love to talk. 10:45 And I rightly earned the endearing name of yip yap 10:49 when I was a little kid. 10:50 And even though I have observed people 10:54 who have had a stroke, and I understood 10:56 the physical limitations of paralysis 11:00 and speech impediment so and so forth. 11:03 I always thought it was simply the inability 11:05 to make the sounds of talking. 11:07 What I never knew was 11:09 really that the damage can actually be at the point 11:11 where the thought and speech is actually formulated, 11:14 not just the ability to make the right sound. 11:18 In my case, even though I had the use of my left hand, 11:22 I could still not communicate even by writing 11:24 or drawing through pictures. 11:26 When trying to get a point across 11:28 to stand making gestures, 11:30 he gave me a pad of paper and a pen. 11:32 And I fully expected to be able to communicate that way. 11:36 But nothing I wrote made any sense. 11:39 And I was also incapable of solving 11:42 even the simplest mathematical equations 11:44 such as five minus three. 11:46 You should have seen his face on that one. 11:50 And I knew that I knew the answers, 11:53 but I just couldn't open the door 11:55 in my mind where that was, 11:56 and it was so frustrating. 12:00 A few days after arriving in Minnesota, 12:03 Pastor Louis Torres came to the hospital. 12:05 And he was on his way to Columbus 12:07 to the ASI Youth for Jesus event. 12:10 And he had prayer with me and I was anointed. 12:12 And he was so encouraging. 12:15 And I will never forget what he said 12:16 when he left the room. 12:18 He says, "We'll see you at the National Convention." 12:21 Just blew me away, I thought, "That's impossible." 12:24 That's only a few weeks away. 12:26 And I remember thinking, 12:28 wouldn't it be awesome to be like in Bible times, 12:31 where you just walk out the hospital door 12:33 and be healed. 12:35 But, you know, recovery is still a miracle 12:37 even if it isn't instant. 12:40 And in the book Counsels on Health, it says, 12:42 "God is working, day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment, 12:46 to keep us alive, to build us up and restore us. 12:50 When any part of the body sustains injury, 12:54 a healing process is at once begun. 12:57 Nature's agencies are set at work to restore soundness. 13:01 But the power working through these agencies 13:04 is the power of God. 13:06 All life-giving powers from Him. 13:09 Sickness, suffering, and death 13:11 are the work of an antagonistic power. 13:14 Satan is a destroyer. 13:15 And God is the restorer." 13:19 The Mayo Clinic started me on rehabilitation right away. 13:22 And I had great therapists that kept encouraging me. 13:25 And even though it was hard work, 13:27 and their progress seems so small, 13:29 my hope of recovery began to soar. 13:32 I remember how excited I was 13:33 just to see my thumb move just a little. 13:36 And I be able to make sounds that were sort of speech 13:39 she couldn't really understand them, 13:41 but the peace and quiet was over my speech 13:43 was coming back. 13:46 And my husband Stan 13:47 was such an encouragement to me. 13:49 Every single day he would read to me 13:51 from the well-known book, The Desire of Ages, 13:55 especially the stories of Christ's healing. 13:58 And one evening when I was rather down, 14:01 he showed me a small stone. 14:04 And right away I knew where it was from. 14:06 The previous summer we had taken a trip 14:08 to the Waldensian Valleys in Italy. 14:11 And while there he picked up a small stone 14:13 from the floor of the cave 14:15 where the Waldensians had met to worship. 14:18 And where many of them had died 14:19 when they were betrayed and discovered. 14:22 And that stone reminded me how we are to remain faithful, 14:26 even though times are hard, 14:28 and you don't understand 14:29 why things are happening the way they are. 14:33 I remember the day that Stan took me out to eat, 14:36 I was able to leave the hospital 14:37 for just a few hours. 14:39 And my therapist had showed me 14:41 how to do the car wheelchair transfers and so forth. 14:43 So I was all set. 14:46 But I burst into tears 14:47 as we drove out of the parking lot. 14:49 It was just too much to handle. 14:52 Life was gonna go on 14:53 and I was gonna be able to be a part of it. 14:56 We take so much for granted until it's taken from us. 15:01 It's a huge blessing, you know, to have a supportive family 15:05 and my husband was so amazing. 15:07 He was always there beside me encouraging me 15:10 and making me feel like his princess 15:12 and my girls are the best speech pathologists 15:15 in the world. 15:16 And that we've had so many good laughs 15:18 of the words that I can mess up on 15:20 and believe me there are many. 15:22 And they always find new words 15:24 that I can't say and keeping at me 15:26 until I say it right. 15:28 But, you know, you have no idea 15:31 how encouraging it was to know that you, 15:33 all of my ASI family was praying for me. 15:37 I got so many encouraging letters, 15:39 and cards, and flowers from so many of you 15:42 and it meant the world to me. 15:44 And then McNeilus family 15:46 went the extra mile in visiting me 15:47 and making me feel at home in Minnesota, 15:50 and their friendship and hospitality 15:52 was a huge encouragement. 15:56 Our home is on the campus 15:57 of Fountainview Academy in British Columbia. 16:00 And after my stroke, the school family there 16:02 met together every morning and evening 16:05 to pray for my recovery. 16:07 And to know that your church family 16:09 is praying for you is awesome. 16:12 And when someone calls me now, 16:14 and tells me about something that I need to pray for someone 16:17 has whole new meaning 16:19 because I know the power of prayer. 16:21 And I know what it means 16:23 to have someone praying for you. 16:26 As I was preparing my thoughts to share with you, 16:29 I went through all the cards and letters 16:31 that were so encouraging to me. 16:34 And there was one in particular that was significant. 16:37 It was from Jeffrey. 16:39 He was a student 16:40 at Ouachita Hills Academy at the time. 16:42 And he wrote to tell me how nine months previously, 16:46 he had been paralyzed on one side 16:48 and had been unable to talk as well. 16:51 And while he was in the hospital, 16:53 he had received a letter from someone 16:55 who he had never met that really encouraged him. 16:58 As she had been in the same situation 17:00 and it had a miraculous recovery. 17:03 The night after he heard about me, he could not sleep. 17:07 And he got up in the night 17:09 to write to me and encouraged me 17:11 by telling how God had healed him, 17:14 and that God is not limited by a doctor's prognosis 17:17 and to have faith in God's promises. 17:20 And his letter meant the world and I hope to meet him someday. 17:26 After one week in the neurology department, 17:28 I was scheduled to go to rehabilitation. 17:32 And at the neurology department at the Mayo Clinic, 17:35 there's a group of doctors that are caring for you, 17:38 and they would come together to discuss my case and with me. 17:42 And on my final day, in neurology, 17:45 the group of doctors came to my bedside, 17:48 and after completing their work, 17:50 they said goodbye and wished me well 17:51 in the rehabilitation. 17:53 And after they left, 17:55 one doctor came back into my room and she said, 17:59 "We know that you have lots of people praying for you. 18:02 And we want you to know 18:03 that we have never seen someone recover 18:05 as quickly as you have. 18:06 And we doubt we'll ever see it again. 18:09 We believe this is a miracle. 18:11 And from our opinion, 18:12 your prayers have been answered. 18:14 We know you don't get 18:15 to see things like this like we do. 18:17 And so we feel this is pretty amazing. 18:19 And we feel that you will have a very good recovery. 18:22 We won't be working with you now. 18:24 And so I just wanted to tell you this." 18:27 That meant the world to me 18:28 because at this time, I was still in a wheelchair 18:30 and I couldn't even eat with my right hand. 18:33 And I was only aware of how much I wanted to recover 18:37 and here the doctor had seen a miracle already 18:39 and I was unaware of it. 18:42 I was so encouraged. 18:44 After one week in rehabilitation 18:47 at the Mayo Clinic, 18:48 I returned to Canada and returned, 18:50 I mean, I went back 18:51 to the physical and occupational 18:53 and speech therapies and massage. 18:57 Unfortunately for me, my brain was affected 18:59 not where you forget people at least. 19:02 And as I said before, 19:04 I was having trouble with the math sheets. 19:05 And so I had to do grade one math sheets 19:08 and learn to read out loud again. 19:11 But I have continued to improve steadily. 19:14 And I'm still seeing improvements. 19:16 And I was able to master the math 19:18 and continue working as a church treasurer 19:20 for the church. 19:21 Now that's pretty scary, isn't it? 19:26 A very special highlight for me that summer 19:29 was being able to attend the ASI National Convention. 19:32 And it was only after a month after my stroke. 19:35 And although I had a cane and a wheelchair, 19:38 three weeks earlier, 19:39 such a trip was a total impossibility. 19:42 And the prayer and friendships that I've had 19:44 with so many of you ASI people, 19:47 has continued to be 19:48 a wonderful encouragement to me. 19:51 I've always been committed to serving the Lord, 19:54 but my heart was overflowing with gratitude to God 19:57 for life and for His care for me. 20:00 And I realized as never before, 20:02 that all I am and all I do is His, 20:05 and I'm willing to do whatever He asks 20:07 because of what He has done for me. 20:09 And every morning when I wake up, I think, 20:11 "Wow, He's given me another day." 20:14 And life is never really viewed ever the same again. 20:19 My right side is still not what it used to be yet. 20:22 And as for me, this is what I call a bookmark 20:25 to remind me every day what God's done for me 20:27 and not to take it for granted. 20:30 And I don't know why I had a stroke. 20:32 And sometimes I'm afraid that I may have another one, 20:34 I mean, to be honest, 20:37 but every day I hear of pain and heartache 20:40 that somebody is going through. 20:43 And if by some stroke of luck you haven't had any, 20:46 yours is coming because that's just life 20:47 in this whole world. 20:49 That is our common denominator as people on this world. 20:54 Some people think that Christianity is protection 20:57 from hard times, 20:58 but hard times and difficulties are designed 21:01 and intended by God for two purposes, 21:04 to develop our faith, and to display our faith. 21:08 When I was in rehabilitation, 21:09 my husband brought to me my attention to the verse 21:13 in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. 21:18 It's a great verse and it says, 21:20 "Therefore we do not lose heart. 21:23 Though outwardly we are wasting away, 21:26 yet inwardly we're being renewed day by day. 21:30 For our light and momentary troubles 21:32 are achieving for us an eternal glory 21:34 that far outweighs them all. 21:36 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, 21:39 but what is unseen. 21:40 For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 21:46 And in the book Ministry of Healing, it says that, 21:49 "All experiences and circumstances 21:51 are God's workmen whereby good is brought to us." 21:55 It's hard to believe sometimes, 21:57 but tough times get our attention 21:59 and our focus like nothing else can. 22:03 And that's what's really important. 22:05 God's more interested in inward qualities 22:07 than an outward circumstances. 22:10 And in addition to what hard times 22:12 can do for us, often we forget like Job 22:16 that we are on the stage of the universe. 22:19 And God is looking for people that will trust them 22:21 even when times are hard and unexplainable. 22:26 The morning devotional book, My Life Today says, 22:29 "Life is not all made up with pleasant pastures 22:32 and cooling streams. 22:34 Trial and disappointment overtake us, privation comes, 22:38 and we are brought into trying places. 22:41 Conscience-stricken, we reason 22:43 that we must have walked far from God, 22:46 and that if we had walked with Him, 22:47 we would not have suffered so. 22:50 God does not always bring us to pleasant places. 22:53 He permits trial and disappointment to come 22:56 that we may realize our helplessness, 22:58 and learn to call upon Him for aid." 23:01 And faith can be distinguished best 23:04 when things are difficult. 23:06 When our actions are consistent with our faith, 23:09 even when we experience loss and pain, 23:12 God can use us as an exhibit of true Christianity. 23:16 God allows hard times so that our faith 23:19 can be recognized by the world and by the universe. 23:22 So when we experience a trial, when you just think of it 23:25 as God's vote of confidence in us. 23:28 He's trying to use us to show the power of faith. 23:32 Ellen White says it this way, 23:34 "God leads His children by a way they know not. 23:38 He permits trials to assail His people, 23:41 that by their constancy and obedience 23:44 they themselves may be spiritually enriched, 23:46 and that their example may be a source of strength to others. 23:51 We are to show to the heavenly universe 23:53 and to the world that we are willing 23:55 to make any sacrifice for Christ." 23:59 It's been easy for me in the past to assume 24:02 that serving God protects you from crises like this. 24:06 But one of my favorite chapters is Psalms 121:7, it says, 24:12 "The Lord will keep you from all harm." 24:15 But I've learned that harm and God... 24:17 My definition and God's are two different things. 24:21 The book the Mount of Blessing says, 24:24 "That which you look upon as disaster 24:26 is the door to highest benefit." 24:30 When something disastrous happens to us 24:32 or to someone we know, it's usually so hard 24:35 to see where there can possibly be any good. 24:38 And we find it difficult to believe 24:39 that we have a heavenly father who's caring for us, 24:43 but about the Christianity is promised 24:45 that nothing can touch them 24:47 except by the Lord's permission. 24:49 And that all things are permitted 24:50 to work together for good to them that love God. 24:54 That means that God wade the stroke 24:57 before it came to me. 24:59 He meant for it to bring good to me, 25:01 and faith in God's love and overruling provenance 25:04 makes difficulties easier. 25:08 Some of you may be in the middle 25:09 of something very painful right now. 25:13 But every time that we have an experience 25:15 where we can recognize God's care for us, 25:19 individually, it gives us more faith. 25:23 And someday we will know the complete story. 25:27 We need to encourage each other 25:30 because we have nothing to fear for the future, 25:32 except that we forget 25:34 the way the Lord has led us in the past. 25:37 In Nahum 1:7 it says, 25:40 "The Lord is good, 25:41 a stronghold in times of trouble." 25:53 Good morning. 25:56 I'm Walter Wright, President of the Lake Union. 25:58 And I brought with me some friends today 26:00 that I'd like to introduce to you. 26:03 This is Sandy Miller, and she's President 26:04 of the Lake Union Chapter of ASI. 26:07 This is Fred Miller of Miller Construction. 26:10 You might guess there Ken. 26:12 This is their spouses, of course. 26:15 This is Ken Denslow, 26:16 President of the Illinois Conference. 26:18 And this is Viorel Catarama, 26:20 who is the ASI National Vice President for Evangelism. 26:25 These are good buddies of mine. 26:27 And we've got something to tell you today. 26:30 I get very excited when I hear about a mission trip 26:33 that's going somewhere to build a church or a school. 26:36 But I become ecstatic when it comes home 26:38 to the Lake Union. 26:40 And that's what we wanna talk about 26:41 for the next few moments. 26:42 The Princeton Illinois Project. 26:46 Ken, I can imagine when you heard these people 26:47 were coming in your territory to work on building a church. 26:52 You send some negative messages, right? 26:54 Right. 26:56 No, this church in Princeton, 26:58 they've been meeting in the sanctuary 27:00 that wasn't a third of the size of this platform. 27:04 And they had purchased the building used in 1908 27:08 and moved it to the site that it was at... 27:10 It was just not functioning well for them. 27:12 And yet this little congregation 27:15 was never going to be able on their, 27:17 just on their own to be able to build a new sanctuary. 27:21 I think what I hear you saying is, 27:23 it would have been just as needed, 27:26 and just as unlikely 27:28 that they would have been able to accomplish this project 27:31 as any of those places we go in the mission field. 27:33 Absolutely. 27:35 This is exciting. 27:36 Viorel, you got involved 27:39 with some young people as well in this project. 27:42 Is that right? 27:44 Could you tell us a little bit about it? 27:45 Yes, Elder Wright, we've been blessed last night 27:48 to see this beautiful young people Youth for Jesus 27:52 giving us a report of what they do 27:54 right here in Dallas. 27:56 We have Youth for Jesus at the ASI 27:59 at the national level for the past eight years. 28:03 And I cannot think of another project 28:05 more important to that. 28:07 Probably 'cause I'm biased, 28:08 I have two children in that division. 28:12 So a suggestion has been made 28:14 that we might implement the Youth for Jesus 28:17 at every chapter. 28:19 So Lake Union Chapter 28:21 has been the first one to start this. 28:24 So we took this opportunity to build a church, 28:29 and to have an evangelist series in Princeton, 28:31 held on by young people. 28:34 So you're telling me, 28:35 this was not just about a building? 28:37 This was about also building souls 28:40 for the kingdom of heaven? 28:42 What good would be to have a building 28:43 without people to fill them? 28:45 Amen. 28:47 You know, I think that anyone that has ever done evangelism 28:50 recognizes that it is absolutely critical, 28:54 essential that we have good Bible workers 28:57 and you did a little search, 28:59 and how many Bible workers did you come up with 29:02 for the Princeton Project? 29:04 Well, we intended to have four Bible workers, 29:06 but we ended up only with one Bible worker, 29:09 a young lady full of energy. 29:13 I've seen this young lady, she's unbelievable. 29:15 And also, you might say, in this day in time, 29:19 a rather unusual situation. 29:23 If we were doing the choosing, 29:25 we may not have picked Katrina Lubinski. 29:29 But what an awesome young woman she turned out to be for God. 29:33 He made her something special in this area. 29:36 Absolutely. 29:38 I think people may have been just taken aback. 29:39 Now I got to tell you, you could never guess 29:43 from the name Katrina Lubinski that she's African-American. 29:48 And this little lady, this little young woman, 29:51 so slight of built, 29:53 went into the homes in this territory 29:57 and was received with great joy. 30:02 Tell me about that one instance when she showed up 30:04 and it looked like they were having a big party? 30:07 I was visiting with Katrina regularly. 30:09 So she was in my car driving and praying 30:12 into the streets for the people of Princeton. 30:14 And she told me, "Mr. Catarama, do you see that building? 30:17 I had a Bible study there. 30:19 And at the appointed time, I just ring the doorbell, 30:23 the people of the house opened the door, 30:26 and the house was full of people." 30:29 And she said, "Oh, excuse me, do you have a party? 30:32 I might be back tomorrow, perhaps next week." 30:35 And they said, "No, no, no, we have a Bible study." 30:38 Why so many people here? 30:40 They said, "Well, it was so good 30:41 that I invited all my friends or 10 families were there 30:44 for a Bible study invited by them." 30:47 Amen. 30:49 I got to say, hallelujah to that. 30:53 Sandy, I came out there and to enjoy 30:57 this Princeton Project under construction. 31:01 And it was something to see. 31:03 Also there were a lot of volunteers, of course, 31:06 and we wanna talk a little bit about them. 31:08 But there was a portable kitchen 31:09 out there in the tent, 31:11 and I ate franks and beans. 31:13 And they were good. 31:15 But tell me something, Sandy, 31:17 something else happened in that kitchen beside cooking. 31:22 Could you talk about the day 31:23 we were gonna nail up the plywood on the roof? 31:26 Yes, it was. 31:29 We had as Elder Wright said, we had this make, 31:31 this kitchen which was really awesome 31:33 because we had two refrigerators 31:34 and two stoves and we had it all set up 31:36 and it was really nice. 31:37 We had a lot of help. 31:38 And we were feeding, you know, 31:40 sometimes as much as 80 people at a meal. 31:43 And this one time when we were cooking, 31:48 the wind, it was just so strong. 31:50 It was just very, very strong. 31:52 And as we looked over on the building site, 31:55 we've seen these men on the roof 31:56 that were just struggling with the plywood, 31:58 trying to hold the plywood with the wind. 32:01 And so we decided that we were going to pray, 32:03 we were gonna form a circle and pray, 32:05 so we did. 32:06 We did that. 32:08 And unbelievable, within 10 minutes, 32:11 the wind just calm down, just down to nothing. 32:15 It was just amazing 32:17 to actually see God answer a prayer so quickly 32:22 that the wind was so strong 32:24 and in 10 minutes, there was no wind at all. 32:26 I can imagine there was a lot more interest 32:28 in that kitchen after that for things besides cooking? 32:30 Yes, there was. 32:31 It really impressed a lot of the ladies there 32:33 that God really does answered prayer. 32:36 And there had been just a lady there 32:39 a couple that had been helping on the church, 32:43 and they had just become members 32:45 of the church just two months before that. 32:48 So this really impressed this lady and said, 32:50 "I had no idea that God could perform 32:53 this kind of miracle." 32:54 I love it. 32:56 Anytime you can turn the cooks into the prayer warriors, 32:58 that's got to be a good thing. 33:00 Everybody taking part, for the day I was out there, 33:02 you were up on the roof. 33:04 And you were building this... 33:06 Oh, what do you call it? 33:07 I guess it's the drive-through where you... 33:09 Now I don't mean a drive-through like McDonald's, 33:11 I mean, a drive-through 33:13 where you can drop off your passengers 33:15 if it's bad weather. 33:17 Yeah, it's a portico on front of the church. 33:18 Portico? Yeah. 33:20 See their portico, a builder would know that. 33:22 Fred, it was exciting to see you fellows working there. 33:25 How many people actually came to work? 33:29 We had roughly about 200 volunteers 33:32 that worked on this project for us. 33:34 I think the problem is 33:35 you probably didn't have 200 all at once 33:37 on any one given time? 33:38 No, we did not have 200 all at once. 33:41 But they came from various places. 33:44 Could you give us an idea about that? 33:45 We had young children from schools, 33:47 we had retired people. 33:49 We had everybody in the spectrum of life. 33:52 Wait a minute, you had retired people? 33:55 What was the oldest person that worked on this building? 33:57 Can you remember? 33:59 I think it was 80 some years old. 34:00 Eighty some years old. 34:02 And what would be the youngest? 34:04 Well, they were down pretty, you know, 34:05 just probably four or five years old. 34:07 Isn't that awesome? 34:09 God can use anybody in this work. 34:12 All we need to do is be willing to be used by Him. 34:16 And He will come and get it done. 34:17 Now I know that ASI is a marvelous organization. 34:23 And, you know, but I got to tell you what, 34:27 this was a miracle, 34:29 even though it's that normal thing that ASI does. 34:32 This was a miraculous thing. 34:36 It still takes some money. 34:39 Who can talk about money? Viorel can or the Denslow. 34:42 No, they wouldn't talk about it. 34:43 Would you talk about money? 34:45 Because they won't wanna brag on themselves, 34:46 but at the spring fellowship two years ago, 34:49 the Lake Union Chapter Board voted this project, 34:52 the next day an offering was taken 34:55 without a previous announcement. 34:56 An offering was taken, Sandy, maybe 200 people present? 35:00 Yes, 150. 35:01 Hundred and fifty people present. 35:03 And they took up an offering on the spot for $25,000 35:07 for the project. 35:08 Since then ASI both with Lake Union Chapter 35:11 and other people within the national 35:13 have contributed over 50,000 that's recorded. 35:17 There's a lot more that's gone into it 35:19 that never got turned in for receipt. 35:21 So not only they come out and work, 35:23 they help the church pay for it. 35:25 And in the end, the church was built 35:27 for about $50 a square foot 35:29 which is phenomenal in our state. 35:31 Hallelujah. 35:32 In the few seconds I have left, 35:33 I got to tell you there is a church in Princeton. 35:36 There is a beautiful church in Princeton. 35:38 And already the membership is beginning to grow. 35:42 Even the Sabbath School class 35:43 now we've got children where we had a couple of kids. 35:46 Now we've got two classes, how many people there, Viorel? 35:49 In the Sabbath School for the children 35:51 there are 13 children. 35:53 And they have two divisions now. 35:55 And for many years, they have only two children. 35:57 Last week when we visited them, 35:59 they were excited 36:01 and few families join with them. 36:02 They had two baptism 36:04 and they are clearing up two other more 36:05 for the baptism. 36:07 This is so exciting. 36:09 And on to Wisconsin, right? 36:11 ASI is moving on to Wisconsin. 36:14 Wisconsin...? 36:15 Wisconsin Rapids. 36:17 We're building a church in Wisconsin Rapids. 36:18 Building a brand new church there. 36:20 It's almost finished. Yes. 36:21 Hallelujah. 36:23 I wanna stay with ASI. 36:24 How about you? Amen. 36:25 Amen. Thank you very much. 36:43 Well, Shawn, it was just one year ago 36:46 here at the ASI Convention 36:47 that we stood in front of these people 36:49 and asked them to support 36:51 a very exciting project in India. 36:53 I can't believe what has happened 36:54 in the last year 36:56 and that year has gone by already 36:58 is unbelievable to me. 36:59 It was a very eventful 12 months. 37:01 It certainly was. 37:02 Let's go back 12 months very quickly, 37:06 and look at what we asked these people to support, 37:09 on the screen. 37:11 We can provide Bibles, 37:13 we can provide an evangelistic campaign, 37:14 we can provide a worker, 37:16 we can provide a building 37:17 for an entire village for how much? 37:19 Well, $14,000 per village 37:20 or for your whole campaign, about $700,000. 37:23 Seven hundred thousand? 37:25 But think about it. 37:26 You'll probably have 25,000 to 40,000 people 37:29 at the meetings 37:30 and if what's happened in the past holds true 37:33 you'll probably baptize 10,000 to 15,000 people. 37:36 For $700,000 and they have a church 37:38 and a pastor and the Bible again. 37:39 Long term. Long term. 37:41 It's fantastic. Only 700, only 700. 37:45 Could you hear that? 37:48 Could you hear what was on the screen? 37:52 What happened since that time is really exciting. 37:56 Shawn, when you got to India, what did you see? 37:59 Well, the first thing I saw was a lot of road. 38:03 A lot of very bumpy road. 38:04 We were in a little place called Ravulapalem, 38:06 just outside of Vishakhapatnam. 38:08 And by just outside, 38:09 I mean, four and half hours outside of Vishakhapatnam. 38:12 And we had a field 38:15 that was assigned to us for our meetings. 38:18 And on the first night, Don, it was very exciting. 38:21 We had all about 5,000 people come to the meeting 38:24 on opening night. 38:25 You know, it's a challenge you go over to India, 38:30 and you are hoping 38:32 that some people will come to this meeting, 38:34 you send out some trucks, 38:35 and you pray that God will send people 38:38 to hear about the message. 38:40 Sure, and 5,000 came on opening night. 38:42 And I thought, 38:43 "Well, hey, I'd be really happy with 5000 anywhere." 38:46 Don, the next night, there were 8,000. 38:48 And the night after that 10,000, 38:50 and the night after that 12,000, 38:51 the night after that 14,000, 38:53 the night after that about 17,000, 38:55 you know, where I lost count 38:57 was somewhere after 25,000 people. 38:59 Did you hear that? Twenty-five thousand people. 39:02 Now that's really exciting. 39:07 The other unique, very unique part 39:09 about this program 39:11 was that included a number of ministries. 39:13 Absolutely. 39:15 You know, God really can bless 39:17 when we're linking arms together, 39:18 It Is Written engaged in this project. 39:21 It was for our 50th anniversary. 39:23 This is why we went to 50 villages, 39:25 we linked arms with Maranatha, 39:26 we linked arms with ASI, with Gospel Outreach, 39:29 with the Southern Asian Division. 39:31 And when we do that, things go remarkably well. 39:35 Absolutely. 39:36 In fact, what we saw was something 39:39 that we did not even expect. 39:41 We'd like to show you, 39:43 we'd like to take you, do you wanna go to India? 39:45 It's a lot easier in getting on the airplane, 39:47 I can tell you that. It's a lot shorter too. 39:49 I think it was 54 hours on the way over there. 39:51 So... Fifty-four hours? 39:52 Yeah. 39:54 We wanna take you right into the middle of the crowd 39:56 about halfway through the program. 39:58 Watch the screens. 40:01 Tonight we want you to see with your own eyes 40:02 what your vision and your dream has done. 40:05 We're standing here together in this field in Ravulapalem, 40:08 where you can see thousands of people. 40:10 Don, we haven't even counted them all. 40:11 No, there's well over 10,000 here tonight, Shawn. 40:14 And we've just opened up the sidewalls, 40:18 and the back walls to make room for the people tonight. 40:20 It's unbelievable what God is doing. 40:22 Every night this crowd 40:23 gets bigger and bigger and bigger. 40:25 We don't even know where we're gonna house them all. 40:26 At this stage, man, we're only partway through. 40:28 That's right. We're only halfway through. 40:29 And God is doing an amazing thing here. 40:32 We just wanna thank everybody that participated in this ASI 40:35 that took up the major offering that's made this possible. 40:38 It's wonderful. 40:40 This is such a wonderful partnership 40:41 that made this possible. 40:42 ASI, It Is Written, Gospel Outreach, Maranatha, 40:47 all working together in harmony. 40:48 Thank you for your dream. Thank you for praying. 40:51 Thank you for making this possible. 40:52 These people are finding Jesus because of you. 40:54 Thousands of people coming to the kingdom of God 40:56 and that's what it's all about. 40:58 I can't wait till heaven, 40:59 the crowds gonna be a lot bigger than this area. 41:00 It's hard to imagine, but this is about 41:02 as big as it gets it seems. 41:03 These people, 41:04 you're gonna meet them in heaven. 41:06 Look at that. 41:07 Thousands of people, they're saying thank you. 41:09 Thank you for what you've done for them. 41:11 That's all they're thank you. 41:12 Thank you for leading them to Jesus in the kingdom of God. 41:17 Remarkable, look at that crowd, Don. 41:19 It still gives me goosebumps. 41:21 And they wear such nice colors. 41:22 It's a sea of color out there in front of you. 41:25 But more importantly, it's a sea of hungry souls. 41:27 These people, many of them have never heard 41:29 the name of Jesus Christ and they eat up every word. 41:33 Well, they certainly do. 41:34 What was it like for you, Shawn, 41:35 to stand up in front of that crowd? 41:37 You saw what the folks here saw in pictures, 41:41 to stand up in front of them and talk, how did you feel? 41:44 It's utterly amazing. 41:46 These people, many have never read a Bible, 41:48 many have never heard the name of Jesus Christ. 41:51 And as you open it and we begin to explain 41:54 that there is a one true Creator God 41:56 and that He sent His Son to die for them 41:59 and that their sins are forgiven. 42:01 They don't need to beat themselves 42:02 or punish themselves. 42:04 As the lights go on for them, it's remarkable. 42:07 As a matter of fact, 42:08 it nearly causes a riot every night. 42:10 Exactly. 42:11 Really what we're doing this morning 42:13 is saying thank you for your commitment 42:17 to help these projects take place 42:19 because if it wasn't for what you believe, 42:22 you believe that it's important 42:24 to reach out with the message of Jesus Christ 42:27 all the way over to India, 42:28 and their souls will be in the kingdom. 42:30 Now, just in case somebody wasn't here, Don. 42:32 Let me just review the project a little bit. 42:34 We did more than just preach... Yes. 42:35 In conjunction with Maranatha, 42:37 with Gospel Outreach, and so on. 42:38 This was in celebration of our 50th anniversary, 42:41 we wanted to touch 50 villages for Christ. 42:43 And so in addition to the meetings, 42:45 we built 50 churches. 42:47 Those churches, by the way, Shawn, are now done. 42:49 Yeah, 50 churches. 42:51 Can you imagine the last 12 months, 42:52 50 brand new churches, 42:53 50 brand new congregations? It's unbelievable. 43:00 We also supplied everybody with a Bible 43:02 if you can imagine all those people 43:04 with the Bible, 43:05 and we've supplied pastors for those churches. 43:08 Shawn, would this be a good time 43:10 to tell the people how many people joined? 43:13 Well, you know, a lot of people came to Jesus, 43:16 I think last year you told me, you know, Shawn, 43:17 you might have 10,000 who accept Christ. 43:21 And I hate to tell you, Don, we didn't have 10,000. 43:23 Well, if you didn't have 10,000, Shawn, will you close? 43:27 Well, you know, 43:28 it wasn't 8,000 or 5,000 either. 43:30 And I was really hoping for 10,000. 43:33 We didn't get 10,000, we didn't get 8,000, 43:34 we didn't get 5,000. 43:36 I think at last count, we got 15,882. 43:46 You know, those are big numbers. 43:48 And what's important for Shawn and myself 43:51 and I noticed for you that supported this project, 43:54 is it those are people that will be 43:56 in the kingdom of God. 43:57 Isn't that good news? 43:59 We're excited about it. 44:01 Now, Shawn, you went to villages. 44:03 And I watched you go into those little humble homes 44:07 and pray with those people. 44:08 It's a remarkable experience as you go into those villages, 44:11 and I know one or two here have been to India. 44:14 As you walk into those villages, 44:16 they don't stay in their homes, they flood the streets 44:18 because a representative of Jesus Christ 44:20 has come to their town. 44:21 And they're that excited. 44:23 They flood the streets, 44:24 they wait in line for you to pray for them. 44:26 And here's what's remarkable. 44:28 It really is like visiting the Book of Acts. 44:31 God honor simple faith, 44:32 and these people are seeing miracles 44:34 of biblical proportion in their villages. 44:36 We saw healings. 44:37 I remember one boy with a diseased eye. 44:40 It was a ruined eye. 44:41 And it was running and diseased. 44:43 And we prayed for him. 44:45 And the next night I was introduced to a boy 44:46 and I didn't recognize him. 44:48 And shame on me for not recognize him. 44:49 But the mother brought him to me, 44:51 the eye was completely healed. 44:52 It was absolutely healed. 44:54 And it happened for all of our team. 44:57 Almost every day we saw miracles like that, 44:59 people recovering from their deathbeds. 45:01 Well, God's doing something that isn't typical. 45:04 We don't see very much of that here in North America. 45:07 But you do see it over there. 45:09 Now after the meetings, 45:11 what happened that was a little unusual? 45:14 After the meetings? Yeah. 45:15 Oh, at night, you mean when the... 45:16 I'll tell you what? 45:18 When you get 20 some thousand people in a field 45:19 and they all want prayer, you better be ready for it. 45:22 They will, the crowd crushes you, 45:24 they run for the front and they nearly lift you off. 45:26 If you can imagine, lifting me off my feet. 45:29 They carried me up off my feet 45:30 and were moving me around the crowd. 45:32 They want a prayer. 45:33 They wanna prayer so desperately. 45:34 We actually had to build a corral. 45:36 It was a shame to do it, 45:38 but just so that nobody got trampled. 45:39 We had to build what kind of look like, 45:42 I hate to call it, a cattle chute. 45:44 But it was my prayer corral. 45:46 And the people would come through there, 45:47 and it would last for another hour and a half 45:49 after the meeting. 45:51 You just be praying over folks. 45:53 Have you ever had 25,000 people come to you 45:56 and ask you to pray for them? 45:59 Shawn experienced that. 46:00 And the rest of the team also had the opportunity 46:02 to stand out in the middle of those people. 46:05 What they do is they come over and they grab your hand, 46:09 and they put it on top of their head 46:10 and they say, pray, pray. 46:13 They know already the power that prayer has in the life. 46:18 And it's something that we can learn from them. 46:20 Absolutely. 46:21 I came home learning great lessons of faith. 46:24 The people there have nothing 46:25 but they seem to be so much happier then, 46:28 you know, the children in particular. 46:29 My wife gave a children's story every night, 46:31 and she was in the villages. 46:33 She said to me one night, 46:34 these kids have nothing 46:36 and they're so much happier than the kids back home. 46:38 So much happier than the kids back home, 46:41 but they have simple faith. 46:42 They're a kind, gentle, loving people, 46:44 and you add Jesus Christ to that mix 46:46 and explosive things begin to happen. 46:48 How did all these people get to the meetings, Shawn? 46:51 We had 127 lorries or trucks like a flatbed truck, 46:56 bringing them into the meeting every night. 46:58 And it's really something to watch, 46:59 127 trucks arrive one after the other. 47:02 You know, some of these people came 47:04 from as far as 50 miles away every night. 47:05 They had to work the fields all day 47:07 from six in the morning till six at night. 47:09 And then they would come 50 miles to the meeting, 47:11 stay and stay for prayer and then drive home those 50. 47:14 Now 50 miles doesn't take an hour in India. 47:16 It takes a long time. 47:17 It sure does. 47:19 Well, that's basically, 47:22 what we're doing is saying thank you. 47:25 And we want you to know that your offerings here at ASI 47:29 make a difference for the kingdom of God. 47:31 We have a gift for you. 47:32 This afternoon, you can come 47:33 to either the It Is Written booth 47:35 or the Maranatha booth. 47:37 And we have a DVD that has the pictures 47:40 that we showed you this morning 47:41 and some other things about India. 47:43 So you can remember what is happening in India 47:46 because this is still happening over there. 47:49 Please continue to pray for India. 47:51 Absolutely. 47:52 The moment is now, 47:53 this country has come wide open. 47:55 For some who might not know a generation ago 47:57 you could go to India and nothing would happen. 47:59 You know, you would work all your life 48:01 and find 5 or 10 people, 48:02 but now we go for two weeks 48:03 with this program of building churches 48:05 and teaching in the villages and supplying pastors, 48:07 16,000 people nearly out at this point in two weeks. 48:11 God's moving in a special way. 48:12 Now it's the time to go. 48:14 Praise the Lord. |
Revised 2020-01-08