Participants: C. A. Murray (Host), Dr. Barry Bacon, Shelley Bacon
Series Code: TDY
Program Code: TDY015001A
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00:01 I want to spend my life
00:07 Mending broken people 00:12 I want to spend my life 00:18 Removing pain 00:23 Lord, let my words 00:29 Heal a heart that hurts 00:34 I want to spend my life 00:40 Mending broken people 00:45 I want to spend my life 00:51 Mending broken people 01:07 Hello, and welcome to 3ABN Today. 01:09 My name is C.A. Murray 01:11 and allow me once again to thank you for sharing 01:13 just a little of your no doubt busy day with us. 01:16 To thank you for your love, your prayers, 01:18 your support of 3ABN because we've realized 01:21 that we couldn't do what we're called to do 01:23 without your partnership. 01:24 So we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. 01:26 We got a very, very, very good show today. 01:29 I'm excited for a number of reasons. 01:31 I'm excited because of the subject matter. 01:33 I'm excited because mission stories always drew me 01:37 and have since I was a little child. 01:39 And I'm excited because of our guests. 01:41 They are Dr. Barry and Shelley Bacon. 01:44 Good to have you both here. Thank you so much. 01:46 And we've had a chance to a little bit 01:48 and really thrilling story. 01:51 A lot of good things happening, 01:52 a lot of miracles from the Lord, 01:54 the Lord had blessed them. 01:55 But before we go to our music, 01:57 I want to take just a moment. 02:01 You're from where? 02:02 Originally from Minnesota, 02:03 but we live in Washington State, north of Spokane. 02:06 Small town Colville, Washington. 02:08 Very good, Shelley, from the northwest also? 02:11 No, I'm all over and nowhere. 02:14 My father was a pastor and teacher. 02:16 We moved around a lot. 02:17 When did you said nowhere, 02:18 is it the army or-- the Lord's army. 02:23 And you best said. 02:24 How did you guys meet? 02:26 We were in academy back in Minnesota, 02:28 Southern Minnesota, Maplewood Academy. 02:30 So we were about 16 years old 02:32 and we liked each other, friends. 02:34 Well, it took him a while to decide 02:37 that I was more then just a friend. 02:39 Oh, I see. Not the other way around. 02:42 So from, basically from high school days? 02:45 We've been singing together and ever since got married-- 02:49 Five years after we met. That's right. 02:52 So you were married through college? 02:54 Yes. Last year of college. 02:55 Last year of college we were married. 02:56 And through medical school. Oh, I see. 02:58 Was medicine always something you wanted to do, Barry? 03:00 Since I was very young actually, 03:01 yeah, probably when I was about six years old, 03:04 the idea was planted in my head 03:06 and I explored other possibilities, 03:07 but medicine was really what I was focused on. 03:10 Was there medicine in your family, 03:11 someone else or something just kind of settled on you? 03:13 No, something that was sort of talked about early in my life 03:17 and I thought maybe this is something I could commit too. 03:22 And I think you're the first one 03:23 to finish college in your family also. 03:25 I think so to, yeah. 03:26 Where did you go to school? 03:27 I went to-- After Maplewood Academy 03:29 I went to Union College, both of us did and then 03:32 I got my medical school training 03:34 in Loma Linda University. 03:35 Loma Linda guy? Yeah. 03:37 All right, praise the Lord. 03:38 Praise the Lord. Yeah. 03:39 And Shelley, what did you study in college? 03:42 Education and I studied eliminatory education, 03:44 but most of my teaching career has been 03:46 in junior academy level which I really enjoy. 03:51 Seems like a good match. It's lasted for 40 plus years. 03:53 So I guess it was a good match. 03:56 So you both sing? Yes, we do. 03:57 Oh, praise the Lord. 03:59 Praise the Lord. Yeah. 04:00 We have to get you back, 04:01 you have to do some singing sometimes. 04:02 That will be wonderful, thank you. 04:03 But right now we're gonna talk about-- really a great effort. 04:09 You want a kind of stick by for this 04:10 because this is not only medical missionary work, 04:13 that's just a small spoonful of what we're gonna talk about 04:16 because we're gonna about conflict resolution. 04:19 We're gonna talk about stepping in to what is basically a, 04:23 a war zone and trying to bring peace 04:26 and bring the love of Christ to that situation. 04:29 So these two may look like just teacher and doctor, 04:34 but they are really marines for the Lord. 04:37 And you will understand what I mean by that, 04:39 as we sort of unpackaged their story. 04:41 But before we do that, we got special music today 04:43 and it is coming from a great friend 04:45 of this ministry Vonda Beerman. 04:47 She's going to be singing "Embrace the Cross." 04:50 All right. 05:08 I am crucified with Christ 05:12 Therefore I no longer live 05:16 Jesus Christ now lives in me 05:23 I am crucified with Christ 05:27 Therefore I no longer live 05:31 It's Jesus Christ who lives in me 05:50 Embrace the cross 05:54 Where Jesus suffered 05:58 Though it will cost you 06:02 All you claim as yours 06:06 Your sacrifice will seem small 06:11 Beside the treasure 06:13 Eternity can't measure 06:17 What Jesus has in store 06:27 Embrace the love 06:31 The cross requires 06:35 Cling to the one 06:38 Whose heart knew every pain 06:43 Receive from Jesus 06:46 Fountains of compassion 06:50 For only He can fashion 06:54 Your heart to move as His 07:00 Oh, wondrous cross our desires rest in you 07:07 Oh, Lord Jesus 07:10 Make us bolder 07:16 To face with courage the shame and disgrace 07:23 You bore upon Your shoulder 07:36 Embrace the life 07:40 That comes from dying 07:43 Come trace through the steps 07:47 The Savior walked for you 07:52 An empty tomb 07:54 Concludes Golgotha's sorrow 07:58 Endure then till tomorrow 08:02 Your cross of suffering 08:13 Embrace the cross 08:17 Embrace the cross 08:21 The cross of Jesus 08:52 Amen. Thank you, Vonda. 08:54 Very well done. "Embrace the Cross." 08:55 My guests are Barry and Shelley Bacon. 08:58 He a doctor, she a teacher. 09:01 But that's not why they are here. 09:03 They are here because God gave them 09:04 a very special burden and a very special mission. 09:07 Now you been married for a little while, children? 09:09 Yes, we do. We have four children. 09:11 Four? Two boys and two girls. 09:13 Two boys and two girls, match sets as it were. 09:17 Very, very good. 09:20 Is your degree in medicine in any particular specialty or? 09:25 After I finished medical school at Loma Linda 09:26 I went to take a residency in family medicine 09:29 at Hinsdale Hospital near Chicago. 09:32 And from there we had a chance to go Malawi for three years. 09:36 So that was a great experience too, 87. 09:39 That where he got the Africa mission bug. 09:41 And that was my next question, yeah. 09:43 Did that sort of put the bit in your mouth 09:44 as it were four missions? 09:47 Did it occur to you that at sometime 09:50 in your medical practice 09:51 you're gonna spent some time 09:52 serving outside of the United States 09:54 or you had your pyramid settle down 09:56 to sort of American standard medical deal? 09:59 No, early on in my life I wanted to-- 10:01 I realized, I wanted to do something to serve people 10:03 who can never pay any back. 10:05 And so for a portion of my life 10:06 I wanted to curve our time for those people, yeah. 10:09 And that was based on hearing mission stories back in, 10:12 way back when I was a young child. 10:13 Yeah, yeah. 10:14 Were you aware of that sort of mission fever 10:16 and did you have that also, Shelley? 10:18 I was aware of it. 10:21 And I guess it doesn't really sink in, 10:24 what that really meant. 10:26 And he never-- He mentioned that he wanted to go overseas. 10:29 He never mentioned the rest of his life. 10:31 He never said that part and I'm not sure he knew 10:34 that until he was there and felt that great calling. 10:38 And to be quite frank, when I was there in Malawi, 10:40 I learned to be okay with the idea 10:43 and I felt like we could stay there longer 10:45 but I didn't feel called to be there. 10:47 I want to raise my children where they could want of Rome 10:51 and places to go and things like that. 10:53 And we, you know, we couldn't fulfill some of those important 10:58 and also worthy dreams there. 11:00 And I said if I die there, do not bury me there, 11:02 you must bring me back here. 11:05 Anyway-- so, you know, 11:06 we had a long term plan for our children as well. 11:10 But I think as time went on and I experienced 11:12 some of the short term mission trips we did. 11:15 My heart has always been for service. 11:17 I just didn't have the same burden 11:20 to serve overseas as Barry did. 11:22 When we went Rwanda in 2011 for four months, 11:26 that changed and I became very involved 11:28 with some of the orphans there at one of the orphanages 11:30 and also some other projects like, 11:33 I was able to participate in it. 11:35 And the next year I actually went back on my own to Africa 11:40 because I had promised them I was coming back. 11:42 And very simple, we can't go back there, 11:44 but I promised, 11:45 so I went back by myself for a couple of weeks. 11:47 So what was in his heart, you sort of, 11:51 for one of a better term infected you 11:53 and you kind of picked up the bug? 11:54 Praise the Lord. 11:55 So let's go back to the beginning 11:57 of this whole deal because back in 1996, 12:00 Upper Columbia Conference is doing a mission trip. 12:02 Yes. 12:03 Now this is not something that was organized by you. 12:05 No, not at all. 12:06 You sort of just jumped onboard? 12:08 I did. Both of you went? 12:10 Shelley did not go on that trip. 12:12 Just you. 12:13 What happened on that trip? 12:15 In 1996, this was really primarily 12:18 a building project in the city of En-ginyang, 12:21 it's in Northern Kenya among the Pokot Tribe. 12:25 It really was the first opportunity 12:27 to develop a worship center, 12:29 Seventh-day Adventist worship center among the Pokot Tribe. 12:34 The plan by the Upper Columbia Conference 12:36 was to come along side 12:38 the Pokot people develop a church there. 12:40 And so really it was a primarily a building project. 12:43 We were also providing primary medical care 12:45 and dental care as a free service to people who came, 12:49 so that we could also include them 12:51 and bring attention to the building project 12:53 that we're part of. 12:54 Was there any Adventist president 12:55 among the Pokot people before previous to this? 12:58 This really-- As I understand it, 12:59 it was the first opportunity 13:02 that the Seventh-day Adventist Church 13:03 had to introduce the Adventist message to the Pokot Tribe. 13:07 Now where did the call to come from? 13:09 It didn't come from the Pokot people, no Adventist there. 13:12 Where did that start? 13:14 I believe it came from the Kenya Conference Reunion. 13:18 So the Kenya leadership sent out a message and said, 13:21 we have the opportunity to put up a structure, 13:23 begin a church project here, 13:25 would you come along side us and help us? 13:27 And the Upper Columbia Conference 13:29 had the opportunity to, to do that 13:30 and to make that reality. 13:31 The Pokot people, are you talking 13:32 about a fairly large tribe, small tribe? 13:35 You know, I think its several hundred thousand people 13:38 in remote desert area of Northern Kenya 13:42 living at a very desert-- 13:46 difficult part of the-- part of the country. 13:49 Great Rift Valley up north there 13:52 and these people have been relatively isolated 13:55 compared to some of the other tribes 13:56 that have maybe had the opportunity, 13:57 to have the gospel preached. 13:59 So you're talking about a fairly large 14:00 people group that is un-reached? 14:02 What was your experience during that time? 14:04 It's a wonderful trip. Had a great time. 14:06 Went with some relatives, our daughter, 14:08 oldest daughter had a chance to go along. 14:11 She met her future husband there on that trip, 14:14 as it turn out so it was pretty 14:15 wonderful trip for a lots of reasons. 14:17 We didn't know at that time. Indeed. 14:20 But it also sort of reinforced the difficult circumstances 14:25 that people sometimes live in, 14:27 in very remote areas of the world. 14:29 And also the transforming power 14:31 of the gospel in the Adventist message 14:34 because as we saw this whole story unfold, 14:36 it wasn't just about the building, 14:38 it was also about what the presence of the church 14:40 could do in transforming a community 14:43 because they were conflicts going on at the time in 1996. 14:45 This conflict goes back a long ways 14:47 between the various tribes, 14:49 the Turkana's and the Pokots, stealing each others cows 14:53 and taking them up to the boarder 14:54 and selling them, trading them for AK47s. 14:57 This conflict was going on at that time 14:58 and it continued on to the present. 15:02 The people who were there working with us 15:05 were transformed by the presence of the church 15:07 because the presence of the church brought about 15:10 support, technical support to invest in that community, 15:13 develop water and then the presence of water 15:16 in that community helped to transform 15:18 and so it began to feel more like a town, 15:20 like a community and that brought peace. 15:23 Like that government 15:24 was going to give them this piece of land, 15:27 but they kind of gave it 15:28 in a very inconvenient place on purpose. 15:32 They used that to guard advantage 15:34 by developing this place and putting in water 15:37 and again asking for more support, 15:38 four things like the water project. 15:40 So then they became the hub and people started coming there 15:44 to get their water and they were able to develop 15:46 many different things in that area. 15:49 The wonderful thing about that project is, 15:51 it's still going and still improving. 15:53 We have a picture of the church that was taken a few years ago 15:57 and they are still a lot of people there. 15:59 You can see pathfinders 16:00 and community service people and everything. 16:02 So the church grew from that small beginning 16:06 and continues to the state to be a very active force 16:08 in the community looking for ways 16:10 to improve gardening there 16:12 because of the dry conditions the kind of water that's there, 16:17 it's very difficult for them to water anything 16:19 because of the, the salt in the water. 16:22 So trying to find seeds that will grow there 16:26 and benefiting the whole community with their, 16:29 their research and their advancements in that community. 16:31 Yeah, so there were lot of forces working 16:33 against anything really of substance happening there. 16:36 And, plus you're kind of end up in hot zone 16:40 as far as hostility that concerned. 16:42 And yet Upper Columbia came and did 16:43 and obviously the work is paid off 16:45 because things are growing. 16:46 It's so excited to go back after this number of years 16:49 and see the number of children. 16:51 The picture showed the, 16:54 the-- Pathfinder Club for the En-ginyang Church 16:56 and so, it's so exciting to see that. 16:59 See the first ever born. 17:00 Oh, praise the Lord. So that's 1996. 17:03 Obviously something clicked in your mind 17:07 or was planted in your mind and laid there for a while 17:12 because several years later you started getting calls. 17:14 Walk me through that experience. 17:16 Shelley and I were working in Rwanda at the time in 2011 17:21 and we began to receive emails and messages saying 17:24 could you come and help us, 17:26 we've just been through two years 17:27 of very difficult conflict. 17:29 The conflict stems back to the 1990s. 17:31 It had been going on over 16 years at the time 17:34 between the two tribes the Turkana's and the Pokot's. 17:36 Now I want to stop you there, Barry, 17:38 because you're saying conflict. 17:39 And I want to be very clear. 17:40 Are you telling me people shouting bad words 17:43 at each other over the fence or writing nasty emails? 17:46 We're talking about conflict tell me 17:48 what is the nature of the conflict? 17:50 The conflict is very severe. 17:52 When we eventually went there in 2012 17:55 and they were able to tell us their stories, 17:56 we realized how difficult 17:58 circumstances were for these people. 18:00 Women would go out to just 18:01 get a bucket of water from the river 18:04 and they are risking their lives to do so. 18:06 They go out into the desert to get a few palm branches 18:08 to try to weave a basket together 18:10 and they would risk their lives literally to do this. 18:13 People were taking potshots at each other, 18:15 tremendous loss of life. 18:17 In 2010, we happened to see a document from 2010 18:21 written by the people of the Kapado community 18:24 where we we'd eventually 18:25 be working on this peace initiative 18:27 and we saw that, there were hundreds of orphans 18:30 probably about 300 at the time and this is a small community. 18:34 And of the parents who had died as a result of this conflict, 18:38 35 percent of them had died because of violence 18:41 and another20 percent because of HIV. 18:43 So this deep poverty and violence goes hand in hand. 18:47 It just brings people down to a very, very low level. 18:50 So at this point in 2000, are you living in Rwanda? 18:53 You're on a mission trip to Rwanda? 18:55 Walk me through that? 18:56 We were teaching in Rwanda at the time. 18:58 I was teaching physicians there 19:00 and Shelley was teaching deaf children 19:04 as well as some English students 19:06 and an orphan group. 19:08 Just, just volunteering the kinds of things that-- 19:10 So, Shelley, when you get converted, 19:12 you really get converted. 19:14 She is amazing. She did amazing thing there. 19:16 So you're back in Rwanda 19:17 for how long was this period of time 19:18 that you're working in Rwanda? 19:20 This was a four month period of time 19:21 that we had committed to teaching. 19:24 And that's when we started getting these messages 19:27 and our initial response was no, we're committed to Rwanda, 19:30 we're teaching here, we don't have any money, 19:32 we don't have the time. 19:33 We don't know anything about cattle wrestling. 19:35 We didn't learn about that in medical school, 19:36 so thanks, but no thanks. 19:38 That was the initial response. 19:40 So really-- I mean, there are this conflict-- 19:45 They are a lot of facets to as what I'm saying. 19:47 People being shot yet, cattle being stolen 19:49 or a lot of things are going on, 19:50 this is sort of a hot conflict. 19:53 Were you able to just sort of shut 19:54 your practice down here in the States 19:56 or step back from it and take these, these troops? 19:58 Shelley was telling me that the nature of your teaching, 20:01 you could sort of do it from anywhere 20:03 where you can internet and get a computer. 20:05 So you're pretty portable, but how were you able to take 20:07 such large blocks of time away from your practice? 20:12 What I discovered in 2011 is that, 20:14 taking four months out of the year 20:16 and scaling back my, 20:18 my practice as well as my our finances, 20:21 because that's where it has to come from, 20:24 it's not easy to do. 20:26 When I got back after the 2011 trip 20:29 I realized that my patients were unhappy with me, 20:31 my partners were unhappy with me and things, 20:34 and things in Rwanda look like we're gonna be shutting down. 20:38 That's when we realized, well, maybe we need 20:39 to be looking at this in another way. 20:41 Maybe God is trying to telling us something. 20:43 Maybe we really could curve out a month every year 20:46 and the financial support that we're going to use for Rwanda 20:48 maybe we could use that for this peace initiative. 20:52 We realized because of the conflict 20:54 and because of our experience in Rwanda 20:56 that peace is foundational. 20:57 You can't talk about development 20:59 whether you're talking about gardening 21:01 or water development, 21:02 if people are running for their lives. 21:04 So we had to make peace, the foundational aspect 21:09 and we had to make sure that all of our peace initiatives, 21:12 all of our development initiatives 21:13 were tied to a peace process. 21:15 Okay, I want to-- 21:16 Just allow me to give you flowers 21:19 while you're alive 21:20 because I'm impressed by a number of things. 21:22 One, when we step out for the Lord. 21:25 The devil knows you're doing that, so he does oppose you. 21:28 So not only is there opposition in Africa 21:31 because of the nature of the work 21:33 but things are not all rosy at home 21:35 because you're missionary zeal is impacting your practice. 21:40 So you've got pressure there. 21:42 Obviously that pressure didn't say to you, 21:45 stop what you're doing and come home 21:46 and be a standard kind of bona-fide 21:49 American doctor type guy. 21:52 You were just looking for more creative ways 21:54 to do what God has called you to do. 21:57 And one was scaling back and sort of, just adjusting 22:00 so that you could still do this work for Lord. 22:03 I salute you for you that. Thank you. 22:04 And thank you for following the calls of God. 22:06 So now you're thinking we're gonna go back to Kenya, 22:12 but it makes no sense to try to start a work 22:14 when people are shooting at each other. 22:17 So everything now is based on trying to get some peace 22:20 and some sanity to the situation. 22:22 How did you-- I mean that's a massive task. 22:24 You were not Henry Kissinger. 22:27 You know you're a doctor 22:29 and you've got skills of the doctor 22:31 and yet you got to try to establish this some sanity 22:34 before you can even do what you want to do, 22:35 so walk me through that experience if you will. 22:37 For me it was a matter of deep prayer. 22:40 I said, God, I don't know what I'm doing, 22:41 but You're calling me. 22:43 If You're telling me, You got to open the way, 22:44 You got to hold my hand, 22:46 You got to support me through this process. 22:48 So really it was a matter of deep prayer at the time. 22:50 And yet we wanted to experience what God meant when He said, 22:53 "Blessed are the peacemakers." 22:54 What does that mean? 22:55 You know, how do I step into a peace process? 22:58 This is a miraculous and divine sort of process. 23:01 This is not something that has just generated 23:03 from human power. 23:05 So I said, God, if you're serious about this, 23:07 if You want me involved, You got to open the way, 23:10 You got to make it clear to me how we're gonna make this work? 23:13 And I felt like He was. He was opening that door. 23:15 So in 2012, we had the chance to make our first trip 23:19 and we sat down with both sides 23:21 because in a conflict zone you really can't say, 23:24 well, these are the good guys and these are the bad guys. 23:26 Just because one group has the upper hand at the moment, 23:29 it doesn't mean that there has really any better or worse, 23:31 they are just human beings doing what we do as humans. 23:36 Well, we decided we're going to have 23:37 to set some ground rules for the way 23:40 that we conduct ourselves in this process. 23:43 And we recognized because of our experience in Rwanda 23:45 and because of the nature 23:47 of the transforming in the power of peace, 23:49 that we needed engage both sides. 23:51 We went to meet with the Pokot's, 23:53 we went to meet with the Turkana's, 23:54 we sat down, we listened to their stories, 23:56 we listened to the difficulties they were having. 23:59 And what we recognized in 2012 is that, 24:02 both sides were equally impoverished by this conflict. 24:05 The Turkana's were sort of hunted down in a community 24:09 where they couldn't travel any longer, 24:11 because they would have to travel 24:12 across hostile Pokot territory and risk losing their lives. 24:17 They had the hospital, they had the schools 24:21 and they have the churches, 24:23 but they didn't have access to their herds, 24:25 to water, to transportation, all of those things, commerce. 24:30 The Pokot's on the other hand had the water 24:33 and they had the land and they had all the flocks and herds, 24:36 but they couldn't access primary healthcare 24:38 and they couldn't send their children, 24:40 so it created their own sense of poverty, 24:42 both sides were equally impoverished. 24:44 What we wanted to do is, to bring the two sides together 24:47 and talk about peace. 24:49 Each of our initiatives, every part of our development 24:53 was to be tied to a peace process 24:54 and we had to engage both sides in order to do that. 24:58 And then we could talk about 24:59 what the priorities were for the tribes. 25:03 The Turkana's could set their own agenda 25:06 and the Pokot's could set their own agenda, but both sides, 25:09 both agendas would be tied to a peace process. 25:11 Peace process. 25:12 On this trip, Shelley, did you go with your husband? 25:14 No, not in their first one. 25:15 We have a picture of getting out there to the site 25:18 and you can, which doesn't, you know, 25:20 it doesn't inhabit me from going. 25:22 This picture actually makes it look lot greener 25:25 and more lush than it is. 25:26 I don't more-- If we just took about 25:28 two thirds of those trees away, 25:30 it might look a little bit more standard, 25:32 but it was difficult trip to get there. 25:35 And when I went-- 25:38 I went in 2013 for the first time 25:42 it was quite the trip. 25:44 We've been on bad African rose before. 25:45 I'm not sure these are the worst of them, 25:47 but it's a difficult place to get to 25:50 and the place was, it's inhospitable. 25:55 We value and honor those people for staying there. 25:58 I guess that's where they are living, 25:59 but when we came it was 100 degrees plus each day 26:02 and they said, we brought the cool weather 26:06 which was interesting to us. 26:07 Very hot days and the evenings were hot 26:10 and before he went Barry said, there will be running water 26:13 and they will a electricity 26:15 because of the hydroelectric project that have been 26:17 put it some finished missionaries back in the 1960s 26:22 and they left about the 90s sometimes, 26:24 so they had this guest house, 26:25 it was quite nice and some other buildings, 26:27 that had electricity and fans 26:29 and one even had an air conditioner 26:31 and had a refrigerator and everything 26:34 and the finished people had put in a sauna. 26:37 We don't why, it makes no sense. 26:39 But when I arrived there in 2013 no electricity, 26:44 no running water and it broken down. 26:46 Hydroelectric system had broken down. 26:48 And then we went back in 2014, 26:51 in the mean time we had raised some money 26:53 and they had fixed the hydroelectric system, 26:56 but by the time we went back in 2014, 26:58 it was broken again. 26:59 Yeah, so... 27:01 When Barry first went in 2011? 27:05 Sorry, 2012. 2012, 2012. 27:07 Were you worried because you know 27:08 he's going into try to settle some decade's long conflict? 27:13 Where you worried about? Not so much. 27:16 Maybe he didn't give me very many details. 27:18 Sometimes he doesn't give me all the story on purpose. 27:22 I don't know sincerely, what is the extent, you know. 27:27 But, no I wasn't aware of all of that details 27:30 and I'm not showing you all the stories of the people. 27:33 You know one of the stories that he may tell a bit later 27:35 is about a man risked his life to save some Pokot's, 27:39 he was a Turkana, he risked his life to save some Pokot's. 27:42 We didn't know those stories then, 27:43 possibly was just this well. 27:46 So obviously during one of these times 27:48 your heart became knit with this project 27:50 and with these people. 27:52 My question is since you're not living there 27:54 and we talk about this a little bit further 27:56 but how did you know that your peace platform 28:01 because everything was based on cessation of hostilities. 28:04 We got to behave like civilized people 28:06 before we can begin to build together. 28:08 How did you know that, that was being carried out 28:10 or that was even still part of the equation, 28:12 since you're here and things are going on there. 28:16 How did that play itself out? 28:18 That's really good point because, you know, 28:20 the peace initiative really ties itself 28:22 to a number of different activities simultaneous 28:25 and we'll talk about those in just a minute. 28:27 But we really have to have good partners on the ground. 28:29 We have to have Kenyan partners 28:31 who are really committed to the peace process. 28:34 We had a pastor by the name of Jacob Beles, 28:37 wonderful person, very committed individual, 28:40 who was a missionary within the country of Kenya 28:43 from another tribe brought the Adventist message 28:45 and the gospel to the Pokot's for the first time. 28:48 We met him in 1996 and we said, 28:51 this is the person that we want to partner with. 28:53 Another young man by the name of Samuel Lamar's. 28:55 Samuel is a nursing student presently 28:58 but he met us for the first time also in 1996. 29:01 A young man who is also impoverished 29:03 because of the conflict. 29:04 He lost his father at a very young age. 29:07 His father was a Pokot and were shot 29:08 by the Turkana's during this conflict. 29:11 So he lived with that legacy growing up 29:13 and when he medicine 1996, 29:16 his life began on a different journey. 29:18 He said, this, I want my life to be about this. 29:20 I see these people coming in 29:21 to try to bless people with their lives 29:23 and that's the direction I want to go with my life. 29:26 So he's a nursing student now 29:28 and he's part of our initiative. 29:29 He's actually the director of the peace initiative. 29:31 That's how we have accountability built in. 29:33 So obviously you had enough people in those two tribes 29:37 who were vary enough of conflict that you had, 29:40 you had a base of people with which to work. 29:43 Also when we go on our trips, there's always a meeting 29:46 and we try to meet with both sides, 29:48 not every trip is that possible to do so, 29:50 but there is a meeting 29:51 and we have a slide of one of those meetings 29:53 as well of the people that come together. 29:56 And of course Barry can tell you about 29:58 one of their first meetings he had there with them 30:00 that helped him know, he absolutely had to do this. 30:03 This is-- I think the picture of their first meeting. 30:05 Yes, it is. 30:07 So this is our first meeting 30:08 with the Turkana's side of the equation, 30:11 but we decided that we really needed to meet with both, 30:14 the folks in the Turkana's side told us their stories 30:17 and I broke down when I went to this first meeting. 30:20 When I heard the stories of the women 30:22 who were risking their lives 30:23 just to get a little bit of water, 30:24 to get a little bit of weaving materials 30:26 so they can make a little bit of income 30:28 for their families, I broke down. 30:29 I couldn't bear to the thought of my sisters 30:32 or my mother having to live in circumstances like this 30:36 and risking their lives 30:37 just to try to take care of their families. 30:39 I said, we've got to do something, 30:41 I don't have any-- I'm a human being. 30:43 But we have to trust that by divine intervention 30:46 and by partnership with God that we can accomplish 30:49 what we can only dream of as human beings. 30:52 They had the military there, 30:53 the Kenyan military had been stationed there 30:55 to try to elevate the stress of the conflict and everything. 30:59 And they tried many different things over the past decade 31:02 or so and nothing had been effective for the long term. 31:06 It's true. 31:07 So the first trip now-- Just to sort of I'll try this. 31:10 The first trip you went by yourself. 31:12 The next year or your in change you came 31:15 what did you feel or find by the time 31:16 you got there, Shelley? 31:17 Well, the people-- 31:19 As far as feeling about the project, 31:21 you know, this was a commitment 31:23 that we made financially to these people. 31:27 And you don't, at least we don't 31:29 make a financial commitment without great thought. 31:32 We invest in what we believe in. 31:34 And so invested in this project. 31:37 So it was rewarding to meet the people. 31:40 Very loving and welcoming people. 31:42 The first trip I did not get to meet any of the Pokot's 31:46 although there were some who came into town 31:49 and previous to this, 31:50 the Pokot's would not come into this little Turkana Island 31:52 in the middle of Pokot territory. 31:54 They didn't feel safe going there. 31:56 But by the time we came in 2013, 31:59 they were coming into town for medical care, 32:01 during the daylight hours not at night. 32:03 Of course night at that part of the world 32:04 near the equator from six till six basically. 32:08 But it was wonderful to see them come 32:11 and access medical care and walk to the village 32:14 feeling safe that they could do so. 32:16 To meet the orphans and meet the people 32:19 that are part of the peace initiative, 32:21 the main players there within the community. 32:25 It was really blessed thing to do, 32:28 despite how hot it was and dry and relatively miserable, 32:32 but it was, you don't worry about that 32:34 because you're doing something that's really wonderful. 32:35 Really wonderful. 32:36 Now and not to patch you on the back, 32:38 but this is a Lord being pleased 32:41 to smile upon your efforts 32:42 to do what the army could not do. 32:45 I mean people are stealing cattle and buying AK47s, 32:49 these are not little popguns these are assault rifles. 32:52 So you have well armed people who can do a lot of damage 32:55 and a lot of destruction and obviously had been doing, 32:57 but God was pleased to smile on your efforts 33:00 and you saw a difference of change. 33:02 Things were changing by the time. 33:04 Shelley came on that first trip in 2013, 33:08 we could see that they were measurable ways 33:09 in which peace was coming to this community. 33:11 We like to highlight a few of those pictures 33:13 if you don't mind. 33:14 And just talk about the peace projects 33:18 that are involved in peace. 33:19 So I think the next picture 33:20 is of the some of the orphans there, 33:25 we sponsor about 10 orphans 33:27 as part of this peace initiative. 33:29 They decided which ones were most worthy 33:31 and needy of some support. 33:33 And so we came along side them with orphan support 33:36 and these are the 10 orphans, these are just receiving 33:38 some guest on one of the recent trips. 33:40 Another picture the hot water waterfall 33:45 that flows down into the river from up above. 33:49 This is very, very hot water and it's very salty 33:51 so it's destructive in terms of the equipment. 33:54 Beside at there to left you can see the simple hydro plant 33:57 that was developed there by the finish missionaries. 34:00 This is that something else 34:01 that we want to try to reestablish 34:04 because it's important for income generation 34:07 and income generation is such an important part of peace. 34:10 Because people have to be able to provide 34:11 for their families in a simple way 34:13 so that they are not, they are not dealing with this conflict, 34:17 deep poverty sort of lends itself to. 34:20 Now you says, water is hot and salty. 34:21 Yes, it is. 34:22 So that's rough on any kind of malady. 34:25 Yeah, it's a challenge, yeah, yeah. 34:26 So that the same part keeps wearing out over and over again 34:29 and they have to replacing it. 34:31 And we were foolish enough-- 34:33 The first time we were there, 34:34 we Americans were both mechanical, 34:35 we're gonna fix this. 34:37 So we decide that we're gonna way across the river there 34:41 and of course just upstream is the bathing area, 34:43 so you know they have to bath, watch people walking there 34:47 and you can't walk right where the waterfall is 34:49 because it is too hot, you will scald yourself. 34:52 What kind of temperature are we talking about? 34:54 Hundred and twenty? 34:55 I think, yeah, it's more than a 120. 34:56 More than 120, it's hot. It's hot. 34:58 So we had to-- if to go downstream 35:00 at least, you know, five, ten feet or so 35:02 and it's still very, very warm and then climb up beside 35:05 and take it all the parts and here we're with our tools 35:08 and getting all greasy and everything. 35:10 Come to find out-- 35:11 They knew exactly what was wrong with it. 35:13 The ahead of time they just were too kind 35:15 to really tell us. 35:16 They knew the part there was out, 35:17 it been out before. 35:18 They had a person trained to fix it 35:21 and we were just kind of trying to look like 35:23 we knew what we're doing and getting the part out 35:27 and taking pictures and saying, we can, we can help with this. 35:30 Basically we just provided some money for them 35:32 to buy another part which broke down. 35:34 We were there within nine months. 35:35 The next trip was nine months later 35:37 and it was already broken down again. 35:39 So something has to change with the whole system. 35:40 Yes, yes. Yes, yes. 35:41 So this looks like a fairly robust flow. 35:44 I mean it's not a trickle, this is coming out pretty good. 35:46 So if you can get something 35:48 that would work this can drive it. 35:49 Exactly. 35:50 So we need technical support to try to help us, 35:52 put this back together in a way that seals the bearings 35:55 so that they don't corrode so quickly. 35:57 And we think about the income generation. 35:59 I don't know if that's the next slide, 36:00 but the, the income generation possibilities. 36:05 They are already our ladies because they are safer now. 36:08 They can go down and get the reeds. 36:10 They have two different groups develop there 36:12 and the Turkana's up there in the little town 36:14 that are weaving baskets and trying to sell them. 36:17 We'd buy some every time. 36:19 We bring them back to the States 36:21 and then we have a little tiny store 36:23 in our Adventist school in Colville, Washington, 36:27 where we sell some of these baskets. 36:30 And some of those are fairly large. 36:31 They are -- Right, we bring as many as we can. 36:34 We buy as many as we can 36:36 and 'cause we take things and leave them there 36:38 and then we have room in our suitcases. 36:40 We bring back baskets 36:41 and that's a wonderful way to support them. 36:44 You think about the other income 36:45 producing possibilities with electricity. 36:49 You extend your hours of your shops. 36:51 You can have refrigeration 'cause they have 36:53 a refrigerator there like in the guesthouse. 36:55 They put things in it. 36:56 I have no idea why 36:57 'cause it's not cold, it's not even cool, 37:00 but they put things in there. 37:01 So you can imagine. We think about ice cream. 37:03 They could make ice cream there. 37:05 And they could have charging stations for cell phones 37:08 because they do have cell phones there, 37:10 ours never work there, but they do have cell phones 37:13 and bringing the possibility of internet there 37:15 and developing-- 37:16 There's tens of thousands-- 37:17 So once you bring in electricity 37:18 I mean its limit less. I thing we should do. 37:20 So that's kind of the first thing 37:22 and electricity can also help with purifying the water, 37:25 so the water is drinkable. 37:27 I like to show a picture of hospital workers, 37:29 well if I could. 37:31 There's a couple of pictures of the hospital. 37:33 This is a delivery of a baby 37:34 that we're privileged to be a part of this past year. 37:38 This is an amazing experience in such a remote area 37:40 because they have so little equipment 37:43 and when I asked them-- 37:44 so they asked me to come and help out with this delivery 37:47 and I did come and said, 37:48 what do you have free equipment? 37:50 We don't have that. We don't have that. 37:53 You know, it's just such a difficult circumstance. 37:55 So I started making a shopping list immediately and said, 37:58 we've got to change that, we need to try to help you. 38:01 Hospital innovation, hospital equipment 38:03 is part of the peace process. 38:04 We have another picture 38:06 of doing a minor surgery on this gentleman. 38:08 I want to just elute his, this gentleman 38:11 because it's such a remarkable story. 38:12 He had a funny fatty little lump on his forehead 38:15 that he asked me to help with. 38:16 He speaks very good-- He always wear hat. 38:17 Yeah, he always wear hat. 38:18 He's one of the workers there in the hospital. 38:21 His story is amazing 38:22 because he was willing to risk his life. 38:24 He was one of the people that when violence 38:27 again erupted in January 2012, 38:30 he was willing to sacrifice his life. 38:32 He's Turkana and there were Pokot's in the hospital 38:35 who were being stoned, this is serious stuff there. 38:38 The Turkana chief was killed in January 2012 38:42 and then these people came back to town 38:46 and they began to kill the Pokot's. 38:48 Any Pokot's that they could put their hands on, 38:50 they have to kill them. 38:51 There were several in the hospital. 38:53 They were hidden by this man, locked in the laboratory, 38:55 risked his life, stones were flying, 38:57 people are being cut, 38:58 but he risked his life because he's willing 39:00 to lay down his life for the sake of his enemies. 39:02 We said these are kind of people 39:04 that we want to partner with. 39:05 Certainly, certainly, certainly. 39:06 Bless his heart. Yeah. 39:07 So you were able to take care of this thing on the head? 39:09 Yeah. 39:10 Just a simple kindness, easy to do. 39:15 Sure he's very, very, very pleased. 39:17 Yeah. So that was your 2013. 39:21 You went back again in 2014? Yes, we did. 39:24 We heard about an orphan project 39:27 or the conflict in southern Sudan 39:31 of course it's been ongoing issue 39:33 and children are fleeing, 39:35 orphans are fleeing and other refugees. 39:37 We heard about an opportunity 39:38 to come alongside some of these children 39:40 who are orphans and had ended up 39:42 in an refugee camp in Northern Kenya. 39:46 Some friends of ours called us and said, 39:47 are you willing to come and help us with this, 39:49 now your commitment to work in Africa 39:51 and we said well, who would want to turn down 39:53 an opportunity to help 600 orphan children. 39:56 And our job was to go and do a medical evaluation to see 39:59 if they were ready for the next part of their journey. 40:01 Very bleak circumstances. 40:03 Well, long story but that situation 40:07 was more difficult than we thought. 40:09 What we're doing now is to write a-- 40:11 We wrote a proposal to the UN High Commissioner 40:13 for Refugees to see 40:14 if there was a way to bring those children, 40:15 incorporate them into the peace 40:17 process in this community of Kapado. 40:20 Not an easy thing to do, 40:22 but we're working with UN to see 40:23 if that can be a reality. 40:24 We heard about some other needs at the same time. 40:27 But, so this whole peace process 40:30 is just sort of blossoming, 40:31 I'd say, where do we-- How do we curtail this thing? 40:34 Is this something a dream 40:36 that maybe some other people have in their hearts 40:38 as well to see how they can help with technical support 40:43 or ideas of orphan support? 40:45 And then we heard about a medical school 40:47 opportunity in Western Ethiopia 40:49 where there are again a number of refugees. 40:51 One of our South Sudanese friends 40:52 that we met there said, 40:54 which would be willing to help us 40:55 start a medical school in Western Ethiopia 40:57 to try to help transform 40:58 the healthcare system in South Sudan. 41:01 So it just goes on and on. 41:03 I see three specific fronts that you're working on. 41:07 First, you got the medical needs, the clinical needs, 41:11 then you've got the electrical slash mechanical deal. 41:15 You've got to get power there. 41:17 Challenges, yeah. 41:19 And then of course there's always 41:20 the spread of the gospel as you know 41:22 and/you've got a lot of children 41:27 without parents who need, who need care. 41:29 So what became, let's build a church and get out of here 41:33 has now sort of blossomed into really a lifetime commitment. 41:36 And you said you have given them 41:37 a commitment of five years. 41:38 That's correct. 41:40 I rather suspect hearing you and talking with you that, 41:43 that's gonna go on a little longer than that. 41:45 May be. 41:46 But this project sort of owns your heart, doesn't it? 41:51 Yeah. Yeah. 41:52 It just gives me such a sense of fulfillment. 41:56 When I'm going through the day-to-day work 41:58 in my American practice, 42:00 you know, these people come to my mind, 42:02 I carry them with me. 42:03 Yes. And try to find ways-- 42:06 Shelley and I have tried to find ways 42:07 to curve out a place in our lives for the care of the poor. 42:12 It's sort of like you have to set 42:13 a place for them at your table, otherwise life goes on 42:17 and you miss the opportunity to do the good things 42:19 that you could with your life 42:21 and try to bless people with your life. 42:24 I think that stepping into this kind of a life 42:26 is an opportunity to really 42:27 try to understand God's heart for the poor 42:30 and why they are so dear to Him? 42:32 And so and so doing 42:34 we have the opportunity to experience God's heart 42:36 and we're transformed in the process. 42:38 We don't do it just overseas either and that's the thing 42:41 that maybe some of the viewers will never have a chance. 42:43 Maybe they are physically or financially unable 42:46 to ever take a trip outside of their borders 42:48 or even get a passport. 42:50 But one of the things that we do is, 42:52 we have a Friday night dinner at our house 42:53 and we invite friends, 42:55 people that we gotten to know in the community 42:57 and they are gonna just lonely guys 43:00 and they are all single and we feed them soup 43:04 and bread and ice cream, 43:05 every Friday night that we're home. 43:07 Chance to eat homemade soup, 43:09 made by Shelley Bacon is an opportunity like. 43:12 And it's such an honor to serve them 43:15 and we have seen their lives transformed 43:17 as a result of unconditional love and everyone can do that. 43:20 And they are single guys, 43:21 they are just single guys in the community. 43:22 Just some people that we've met through different things 43:26 and some of them have come to our meetings in the past 43:28 and we just wanted to continue relationship. 43:31 And absolutely no strings attached 43:33 and now they have become Adventists, 43:35 but they have seen unconditional love 43:37 and that's what Jesus asked us to do. 43:39 What a neat thing to do. 43:40 Now you also told me 43:41 because you guys just have a missionary spirit, 43:43 we can hear when we talk to. 43:44 Is it a bike trail? 43:47 Walk me through that, that, I love that. 43:48 Some years back Barry discovered that, 43:51 you know, we'd see cyclists, 43:53 distant cyclists with all their bags 43:54 on their bikes riding down our road. 43:57 We live five miles out of town on a bunch of land 43:59 and, and he found out from a patient 44:03 that we were on the bike raft for adventure cycling's. 44:06 I wonder, we see so many people. 44:08 Then as we were thinking about building a house upon our hill 44:11 which is a huge place for minister. 44:13 We get to do fund raising there and all kinds of things. 44:17 He said let's put, let's put a bike hostel up there. 44:20 We said okay let's do that. 44:21 So we built, it helped us get access with some state land 44:25 and we built a four bedroom, two bath, 44:27 a little apartment that we lived in for two years 44:29 while we were building the house 44:30 and we said to the state, 44:32 we'll put this up there cyclists. 44:35 And when after we're done using it, we'll open it up, 44:38 which is exactly what we did. 44:39 So it's been opened for about five years now 44:42 and we have-- The first year was only 15 cyclists 44:45 and then it went up to 50 in last year, 44:46 89 cyclists came through and signed our guest book 44:49 and stayed overnight or sometimes two, 44:51 put a little pin on their map on the wall 44:54 and get a taste of what it means to say, 44:57 what we've is yours and we want 44:58 to share this just because we can. 44:59 Wow. Powerful, powerful. 45:02 Shelley has a gift of hospitality. 45:04 So she has opened up our home 45:05 to some more people is just really wonderful. 45:07 Sometimes it is our home as well, 45:08 'cause sometimes we invite them over for dinner, 45:10 sometimes for ice cream, sometimes-- 45:12 One time we had another group using that bike hostel 45:14 for a weekend weeding at our neighbors 45:17 and someone you know called ahead as they do and said, 45:19 we need a place to stay. 45:20 Well, we have an extra bedroom in the house, come on over. 45:23 Yeah, this is so exciting because it says 45:25 that if you have the heart and the mindset, 45:27 you can do ministry. 45:28 And it doesn't have to be in a foreign country. 45:30 It can be right in your neighborhood, 45:31 right where you are, 45:33 there is ministry is all around. 45:34 Now let me ask you this 45:35 because you told me you have four children. 45:38 You alluded to the fact that one of them 45:40 is either married or is married. 45:42 Met her husband, okay. So that burden is gone. 45:45 I'm calling it burden because children take money. 45:49 What ages are the three remaining? 45:51 Well, we have one that's 30, 45:53 one that's 25 and one's that's 22. 45:55 Okay. 45:57 If they are not gone, they are on their way out. 45:58 Okay, so what I'm saying is that, 46:00 now you have more time to devote to ministry 46:02 because the child rearing days are behind you 46:06 or about to be behind you. 46:07 So now you can kind of concentrate on doing-- 46:11 What is in your heart to do? 46:13 Next chapter, yeah. Yeah, the next-- 46:14 We do have some pretty significant responsibilities 46:16 still with some of the kids, 46:18 but that is, it is still on the way out. 46:21 Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's more rearview mirror 46:24 than in the windshield, so yeah, yeah. 46:26 What's in your heart as far as, but I want to get to-- 46:31 as far as the long-term development 46:33 of this Africa project in Kenya? 46:36 There's so much more that we like do. 46:38 We've shown some pictures of the women's income generation 46:42 and the hospital support. 46:43 There are other facets that are still kind of in the works. 46:46 The orphans still need our attention. 46:48 We put up a structure for them. 46:50 It's a brand new structure, 46:51 we were able to complete that this year 46:53 and that's an orphan shelter. 46:55 This is, we're looking at now? That's right, that's correct. 46:58 So that was the structure we were able to complete. 47:00 There's water development that we need to put in. 47:02 We're trying to find partners who are working in the area 47:04 to put in water for the Pokot's. 47:06 Water for their-- for human consumption 47:09 as well as for their livestock 47:10 and we'd like to also develop agriculture. 47:13 Their food opportunities are so very limited out 47:16 in the desert area 47:18 and yet we're convinced that the ground is fertile 47:21 and we could grow crops. 47:23 Mangoes, papayas, citrus trees grow well in this-- 47:26 There sun all the time of course. 47:28 Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. 47:29 Yeah, so we've plenty of sun, we just need water. 47:32 So we've talked to chiefs and said, 47:35 would you be willing to let us put in a ram, 47:37 couple of ram pumps down in the river. 47:38 There's a river upstream from where the salty waterfall 47:42 flows into the river, that water is fresh 47:45 and we could irrigate from the river 47:47 probably and develop a garden project. 47:50 But we think the water is fresh. 47:51 We bought back a-- Oh, you tasted it. 47:53 Yeah, we tasted it. We brought back samples. 47:54 We have been able to afford to get the samples 47:57 adequately tested yet, another project. 47:59 But we did taste it. 48:01 So we have a number of technical issues 48:03 that we need to work around, 48:05 but a lot of is just developing some of the resources 48:07 that are there and helping people to come together. 48:11 The Pokot's needs the opportunity 48:13 because they are impoverished because of their remoteness. 48:16 The opportunity for their children to have education. 48:18 They need primary healthcare. They need to hear the gospel. 48:21 We want to put a structure out in the remote areas of Akoret 48:25 or where the Pokot's live. 48:27 A structure that can be used for multiple purposes, 48:30 primary healthcare, adult education, 48:32 showing of the gospel. 48:34 We think that will create community 48:36 and it will bring about the peace 48:38 that we're looking for, once that is in the works. 48:41 We want to show a couple of other pictures 48:43 of the remote clinic sites as well. 48:47 So these are, these are great pictures 48:50 of what we're dong out in the very remote areas. 48:53 So this is a clinic? 48:55 This is a clinic that we just set up under the trees, 48:58 under the scrublands and you can tell by the faces 49:01 of these people how difficult their lives are. 49:05 These people work very hard 49:06 and the age very early in their lives. 49:08 So you can also see joy 49:09 that's written on these peoples face 49:11 and this is an opportunity to share the gospel. 49:13 Yeah. 49:15 These women, when we were leaving the area 49:17 they began to sing this beautiful song for us 49:19 and clap their hands for us 49:21 and they were singing the song that's said, 49:23 "God bless you, our guests. 49:26 You have come in peace, now go in peace." 49:28 Wonderful experience. Yeah. 49:31 They have been a lot of people 49:32 that have been able to come along side 49:33 as in some of these projects as well. 49:37 Again, not everyone can go themselves 49:39 but every year we have a fundraiser, 49:42 we call it "Music on the Menu" and we have a large home 49:45 that can accommodate a lot of people 49:47 and it was built for that purpose to do so. 49:50 We have the Upper Columbia Academy in choir leaders 49:53 who have come each year. 49:55 They provide the music. 49:56 The music is listed on the menu. 49:58 The food is free and that's the regular standard fare. 50:01 We have our local rental place that donates the rental 50:04 of all the tables and chairs for our place, 50:06 we have the furniture, 50:07 it become the nicest restaurant in town for 24 hours. 50:10 And the people come and the napkins are folding 50:12 and everything's in readiness for them. 50:14 And then they look at the menu 50:15 and for every donation of $100 or more, 50:17 they chose the song from the menu. 50:19 So we call it "Music on the Menu." 50:22 And we've been able to raise up to $6,000 in a night. 50:24 And, you know, 50:25 we're just a little people in a little town 50:27 and 5,000 people in our town 50:29 and economically depressed area, 50:32 and yet but people come 50:33 and they want to become a part in this way. 50:35 So they feel what you're doing. Let me ask you this. 50:37 What is your relationship like, 50:39 with the local conference there in Kenya? 50:41 Are they in full support of what you're doing? 50:44 We met with them on this last trip. 50:46 They invited us to come 50:48 and just have a brief meeting with them 50:49 so that we could explain to them 50:51 what we're working on and the projects. 50:53 Pastor Jacob Beles the lay pastor 50:55 that we've been working with, brought us and introduced us 50:57 to the leadership there in the Central Kenya Conference. 51:01 They were delighted with our work. 51:03 They invite us, please stop here, 51:04 every time you come though, please we want to talk to you, 51:06 we want to see how things are going, 51:08 very interested, very supportive, 51:10 although they don't have financial support to offer us, 51:13 they welcome us as part of their work. 51:16 And the trip before we also met with them 51:18 in a different location, remember? 51:19 Yes, we do. 51:20 So the last two trips we met with the conference 51:23 and in fact it's a brand new conference if I'm not mistaken. 51:26 Yes, yes, and the Karura is the headquarters now 51:27 for the new conference 51:29 where they have re-designated the conference. 51:31 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. 51:33 This is-- I'm almost speechless 51:37 because there are so many facets. 51:39 A man and woman decide they wanted to help 51:42 and then it's like when you're trying to remodel house 51:45 and you take down the wall, 51:46 you found all boarders more work here than I thought. 51:49 And it's growing and growing and growing and growing. 51:51 In a moment or two we're going to go 51:53 to their contact information. 51:56 We've tried to highlight some of the needs. 51:59 One, they are gonna need something better 52:00 help them with that, that hydroelectric deal. 52:03 And if you of anyone or if you, 52:05 yourself have those kinds of abilities-- 52:09 This is a great mission opportunity 52:11 because the train of things that will spring from them 52:15 getting electricity there is, is almost without end. 52:18 We've talked about some of them, 52:19 so that's number One. 52:20 Two, financial support for the multiplicity of projects 52:26 that are going to be taking place. 52:28 And if you're just a preacher, teacher you want to go over 52:30 and just lift up the light of Jesus, 52:32 they can use that too. 52:33 You've got a lot of young people without parents. 52:36 There are so many facets to this ministry 52:39 and this is really, I don't want to say, 52:41 more than two people can handle, 52:42 but many hands make the burden light. 52:45 And should you want to help in this really wonderful-- 52:49 Are you 501C3? 52:51 We work through our local church actually. 52:54 So people can make contributions 52:55 to the Colville Seventh-day Adventist Church, 52:58 it is designated for the Africa project. 53:00 And then you can get your tax deduction for that. 53:04 If you heard anything to say that has moved your heart 53:06 and Holy Spirit is working upon you, 53:08 here is the contact information that you're gonna need. 53:13 If you would like to support this ministry 53:15 or learn more about it 53:16 then you can write to Dr. Barry Bacon, 53:18 570 Hotchkiss Road, Colville, Washington 99114. 53:24 That's Dr. Barry Bacon, 53:25 570 Hotchkiss Road, Colville, Washington 99114. 53:31 You can email him at baconbarry@juno.com. 53:35 That's baconbarry@juno.com. 53:39 Or visit them online for stories, projects and more 53:42 at pokotturkana peaceinitiative.com. |
Revised 2015-06-25