Participants: Danny Shelton (Host), Yvonne Lewis (Host), Paul Scavella
Series Code: TDY
Program Code: TDY015079A
|
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 01:06 Hello, and welcome to another 3ABN Today program. 01:09 Thank you for joining us as you do each and everyday 01:12 and as always I always like to thank our folks 01:15 for their love and their prayers 01:16 and financial support of 3ABN 01:19 as we continue to take this gospel into all the world. 01:22 My co-host today is Dr. Yvonne Lewis. 01:25 Yeah. And may we call you Yvonne? 01:27 Absolutely. Or Sister Lewis. 01:29 Sister Lewis, no. Yvonne. 01:31 All right, we'll call her Yvonne. 01:34 Manager of Dare to Dream and we're so thankful 01:36 for what you're doing 01:37 and what God has called you to do. 01:39 Coming from the world and singing Jingles 01:41 and singing all that you've done 01:43 in the music world to coming here 01:45 and taking over the reins of Dare to Dream, 01:48 which is reaching the inner cities in America 01:50 and around the world. 01:52 It's a calling and you accepted that calling. 01:55 Thank you so much. 01:56 Well, I praise the Lord for it. It's a privilege. 01:58 It's truly a privilege. So thank you. 02:00 All right. We have a special guest today. 02:01 Have you met this gentleman? 02:03 I have. 02:04 Pastor Paul. 02:06 Pastor Paul Scavella. Scavella. 02:07 And president of the Bahamas Conference, right? 02:10 South Bahamas. South Bahamas. 02:12 Yes. In Nassau. 02:14 In Nassau, yes. What a beautiful place. 02:17 Well, I think so. Yeah. 02:19 Is that fair for people to be able to live 02:21 some where like that on this earth all the time? 02:22 I know. 02:23 Well, you know, God has a wonderful sense of humor. 02:30 And in His creative mind he thought it best 02:34 to put the best place on earth in the Bahamas. 02:42 But now you have to admit, 02:43 I drove you around out in country area here in new-- 02:48 You know what he said? What he said? 02:49 He got down, said it's so... Peaceful. 02:51 Peaceful. Yes. 02:53 He liked to. Yeah. 02:54 We went acres and acres and several miles 02:56 and showed him different 3ABN facilities, 03:00 our different buildings. 03:01 It certainly is a very nice place to be 03:05 and the quietness, you know, 03:08 where one of my favorite writers, 03:10 Ellen White talks about makes it more distinct, 03:14 the voice of God. 03:15 And certainly it's somewhere where one can focus 03:21 away from the meandering activities 03:24 of the busy city life 03:26 and really get in tune with our Maker. 03:30 So it's a joy to be here with you. 03:32 And thank you for having me. 03:34 And it's a privilege to have you 03:36 and humans, it's good that we can adapt so much, 03:38 you know, because like me, I travel around the world 03:42 but there is, not to one that coined this, 03:45 some of you have heard this term. 03:46 "There's no place like home." That's right. 03:48 I think that is Wizard of Oz or something. 03:50 Judy Garland, "No place like home." 03:52 It's first time I've heard of it anyway. 03:54 But there's always no place, 03:56 Bahamas for me a great place to visit 03:58 but, you know, this is home. 04:00 But for you, this is a nice place to visit. 04:02 But the Bahamas is home, you know. 04:04 And the weather is beautiful today. 04:05 Well, it is. It is right time now. 04:07 She was from New York but there's no place like home. 04:12 But now you've learned to get used-- 04:14 You're kind of gotten out of that 04:15 city mindset, haven't you? 04:17 I have, you know. 04:18 The last time I was in New York which-- 04:19 I love my New Yorkers and everything. 04:22 But there's a unique energy in New York 04:27 and the last time I was there, it was cold 04:31 and it was kind of frenetic and everybody is rushing out. 04:34 And I thought, Well, this is the first time 04:37 that I've gone to New York 04:39 and wanted to get back to Southern Illinois. 04:42 Just peace here and the tranquility 04:46 and just, it's just different. 04:48 It's really different here. 04:50 Yeah, it's all in what you get used to. 04:52 I still love you though, New York. 04:53 And I go to New York and I'm happy to be there 04:57 over Sabbath but like people said, 04:59 you want to stay a couple of days 05:01 and shopping-- 05:02 No I need to get back. 05:03 I want to get back to the country, you know. 05:05 It's just kind of the way we are 05:07 but beautiful part of the world. 05:08 We've been there. Thank you for having us. 05:10 Yes. 05:11 We did some programs there, last-- live actually. 05:13 Yes. And which church was that? 05:14 Where were we? 05:16 We were at the HillView Church 05:19 where we did the Wednesday night service through Thursday 05:23 and then we were at the national gymnasium 05:27 on the weekend for camp meeting. 05:29 That was great. Yes. 05:30 Wonderful there. It was. 05:31 Some great music and their great preaching 05:35 and so what time of year is that? 05:36 Any certain time of the year, is this spring? 05:38 It's usually the end of June 05:41 and the first weekend in July right after our academy closes. 05:46 We go into week of our camp meetings 05:49 and so every year it's a time of refreshing, 05:52 it's a time of focus of training 05:55 and helping prepare the membership 05:57 for more work in the field, and harvesting those persons, 06:03 who are ready to accept God's Three Angels' messages. 06:07 Amen. 06:08 If he wanted some really huge crowds, 06:11 he would have that camp meeting in January 06:13 and about half of America would show up. 06:15 That's right. 06:17 Well, that's something you need to think about it. 06:20 I'd be one to show up for sure. 06:22 Get out of this, the cold up here. 06:24 In that time of year. Yeah. 06:25 With-- we're gonna talk a little bit about 06:27 you and your background. 06:29 We are here today. We're gonna talk about-- 06:31 There was a hurricane recently. 06:32 Yes. That's why you are here. 06:33 What is the name of the hurricane? 06:35 Hurricane Joaquin passed through the Bahamas 06:39 and sat over the South Eastern Islands in the Bahamas 06:43 for about almost two days. 06:46 And quite a bit of devastation took place, 06:49 destruction of homes. 06:51 Thank God, no loss of life. 06:54 Amazing. 06:55 No loss of life. No loss of life. 06:58 Human life, that is. 07:00 There were some animals that lost their lives 07:02 but God, and it's a miracle really, 07:05 because when you surveyed the areas 07:09 where the hurricane was and see what happened 07:14 and the amount of destruction, both by water and wind 07:19 and in other areas, it's almost, 07:24 not almost, a miracle that nobody really lost their lives. 07:29 So we just give God thanks in all things 07:33 because "all things together," when you add it all up 07:36 "work for the good of those who love the Lord, 07:38 those who are called according to His purpose." 07:41 Amen. Yes. 07:43 So we delighted to be able to be here 07:46 and to be able to testify the goodness of God 07:50 through this circumstance. 07:53 Amen. 07:54 What a miracle and we're gonna be talking about 07:56 what we can do to help. 07:58 We have brothers and sisters 07:59 whose homes have been devastated, 08:01 I mean, they have their lives 08:03 but that's some of them that's all they have left. 08:05 Everything is washed away and destroyed. 08:09 We want to talk about churches and all that. 08:10 But I want to get a little bit about your background. 08:13 Tell us where you were born and raised. 08:15 Well, I was born in Nassau at the hospital there, 08:19 the hospital which is called the Princess Margaret Hospital. 08:23 And of course, you know, the Bahamas 08:25 has a British background 08:27 and so everything in the early days 08:29 had some connection to someone or some activity in Britain 08:35 and so the hospital is called Princess Margaret Hospital. 08:38 And that's the main government hospital in the country 08:42 and I was born in an Adventist home. 08:46 Okay. 08:48 My father and mother are Adventist missionaries. 08:52 My father is a pastor. 08:54 Pastor Neville Emmanuel Scavella. 08:58 I think it's Emmanuel Neville Scavella. 09:00 And my mother Olivine Scavella. 09:02 So I grew up in a pastor's home 09:03 and their parents were also Adventists. 09:07 So I'm the third generation Adventist 09:12 and had the privilege of going to Adventist school, 09:16 both in the Bahamas and then at one point 09:19 my father and mother went to La Sierra, California, 09:24 Loma Linda to do their extended education. 09:28 So I spent two years in California as a teenager. 09:31 So you were a PK. 09:34 Yes. 09:37 Still am. 09:39 My father and mother, both alive. 09:42 Oh, praise the Lord. 09:44 My father is retired, my mother is retired. 09:46 She has served in the church for most of her life, 09:52 working at the office. 09:54 And of course, that in itself gave many challenges 10:01 because people -- expectation of you 10:05 is so high, almost as if you are not human. 10:09 Yes. And-- 10:11 But the one thing that I often say to people 10:16 in regards to that is that here, 10:18 you know, sometimes PKs get a bad rap. 10:23 They are not in the church or they whatever. 10:27 I stand here as a testimony of growing up in a home 10:31 where I have parents who were Christians 10:35 and who did everything they could within their power 10:39 to give me an opportunity to also accept, 10:42 to accept Jesus as my personal savior. 10:45 And I had the joy of having wonderful Christian parents. 10:52 More than just pastor and pastor's wife, 10:56 they were Christians and so I resisted 11:03 being put in a category as a pastor's kid. 11:06 I was a kid and my parents protected us 11:11 from that as well, 11:12 giving us the opportunity to be ourselves. 11:15 And so it came to a point 11:18 when I had to make a decision for Christ for myself. 11:21 I was coming to that. Yeah. 11:23 Well, because as a-- as a PK, 11:27 you often have to go along with your parents agenda. 11:32 So at what point did you realize for you 11:35 that Jesus Christ was your savior? 11:38 Yeah, well, I got baptized and accepted Christ 11:42 as my personal savior when I was ten years of age. 11:45 But that became a process of about five to six years 11:50 because I still had my struggles 11:52 and peer pressure and all the rest of it. 11:54 And one Sabbath, my father was preaching in church 12:00 and I was sitting in the back of the church. 12:04 The central church at home where I grew up 12:08 and I was talking 12:11 and not paying attention to his sermon. 12:14 And it was as if a voice said to me, 12:18 "Why are you here distracting 12:20 other young people from hearing the gospel 12:23 that your daddy is up there? 12:25 So engaged him. 12:29 Take the same effort and energy that you are using 12:33 to lead these young people who are astray 12:36 and use it for me," To lead them to Christ. 12:40 Wow, and how old were you at that point? 12:42 I was about 15, going on 16. Wow. 12:45 Getting ready to finish high school. 12:48 And so right on the middle of the sermon, this voice, 12:52 just as clear as I'm talking to you said that to me. 12:56 And it was at that point that I realized 12:58 that God was calling me to ministry, 13:02 something which I really didn't want to be involved in. 13:06 But if I could use my efforts to distract people from Christ, 13:11 then I could use it to attract them to Christ. 13:14 All right, love it. That's good. 13:16 So you all went back, you finished, 13:18 the folks finished there in California, 13:20 you went back to the Bahamas. 13:21 We went back to the Bahamas and then I went off to school. 13:25 But I didn't enroll in theology, in ministry. 13:28 I enrolled in biology. 13:30 And did almost a whole year of biology training, 13:34 cutting up frogs in the lab and microbiology and chemistry 13:40 and all this type of stuff and-- 13:42 It was just something inside of me just saying, 13:45 the same energy that you used to distract people from me, 13:49 I need you to use it to attract people to me. 13:51 Okay. 13:52 And so after a year I came home 13:55 and one summer in an in AY, I told the church that, 14:01 when I returned to school I was gonna be doing theology. 14:04 My parents, I hadn't even told 14:06 until later on that afternoon 14:08 and I returned to West Indies college 14:11 and changed my major from biology to theology. 14:17 And from then until now God has been using me to help 14:22 to direct people to Christ and not away from Christ. 14:28 Okay, good. 14:29 Tell us about your wife and family. 14:31 Well, God has blessed me with a wonderful, lovely wife. 14:36 Her name is Joan. She is-- 14:40 We've been married now 25-- going on 25 years. 14:44 Praise the Lord. 14:45 And God has blessed us with three wonderful children. 14:49 The oldest Paul II, his-- 14:53 it is the last year of medical school 14:56 at the university of the West Indies. 14:58 My daughter Paula-Jo is graduating this coming May 15:05 from Oakwood University with a nursing degree 15:08 and my last one Jo'Paul. 15:12 He is in Oakwood as well doing a degree in engineering. 15:19 And so God has blessed us with these three 15:23 and I thank God that all of them 15:25 have been serving the Lord 15:29 and they made us very proud and we have a little niece 15:34 that we have been helping from-- 15:36 She was about, I guess three months or so. 15:39 Now she is nine called Destiny. All right. 15:42 And helping to guide her, her life as she grows. 15:45 That's great. That's wonderful. 15:47 So we're just thankful for wonderful family, 15:49 lovely wife, very supportive and in ministry, 15:53 you could ask for nothing better 15:56 than to have a supportive wife and children 15:57 who are also supportive and encourage you in the path 16:01 that God has called us to. 16:04 What steps did you take then from pastor to Bahamas, 16:08 South Bahamas president. 16:10 there, did you pastor number of different churches? 16:13 Yes. 16:15 My ministry began in 1979 as an intern, 16:20 of course, I pastored or serve as an intern 16:23 with several senior pastors in the Conference, 16:27 Pastor Roach, Pastor Hannah and Pastor Gordon, 16:33 I think, Roy Gordon and then we went on a track. 16:39 I spent 13 or 14 years in the Family islands, 16:43 where we call the Family Islands outside of the city. 16:47 Pastoring in Abaco, in Exuma, 16:52 pastoring in Grand Bahama and South Andros. 16:55 Now are these small churches, small congregations? 16:57 These are small congregations. 16:59 Most of them with a membership 17:01 of about 50 to a 100 persons 17:05 in these Family islands and so-- 17:08 After that I ended up in Grand Bahama. 17:11 Now Grand Bahama has larger churches. 17:16 I pastored three churches there in Grand Bahama. 17:19 And then I was asked to be the field secretary, 17:24 my-- served as health ministries director 17:28 and then I served as path director. 17:31 Community services, kind of covered... 17:35 Yeah, whole gamut of things. 17:37 Whole gamut of things and so God prepared me. 17:39 I've been in 30 about 34 years of ministry now. 17:42 Wow. 17:44 And about four years ago, five years ago, 17:47 I was called to be the president 17:50 of the Conference. 17:51 And just finishing the first year 17:54 in the second term of presidency, 17:57 and we thank God for the privilege 18:01 and the opportunity to serve. 18:02 Amen. 18:03 Not everybody as we all know 18:05 that serves even in ministry or people of vision so much. 18:08 A lot of people would just take care of what we got. 18:11 But I've got emails from him and all sorts of times of night 18:15 and about visions and dreams 18:17 that he has for taking the gospel to the world 18:20 and his particular part of the country. 18:22 But you are doing also with your education, 18:25 you are doing continuing education. 18:27 Well, you know, the biggest room, 18:29 my grandfather used to say from-- 18:31 I was a little boy in the world. 18:33 The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement. 18:35 Oh, I like that. That's good. 18:38 And anytime we stop learning, then we stop growing. 18:40 That's right. 18:42 And so two years ago, one of my directors, 18:46 Pastor Kent Price said to me, 18:50 "Pastor, let's go and do our doctoral program." 18:54 And I said to him, "At this stage of my life?" 18:56 You know, and he just stuck on me. 19:01 It came right down to the week that we were supposed to go 19:03 and I said to him, "I don't think 19:06 I could make this," you know. 19:08 And he got the application, he processed everything. 19:12 He said, "Pastor, I've done everything for you, 19:14 all you need to do is come." 19:16 And he said that, "If you start with me, 19:19 we will finish together." 19:21 And so we've completed two years 19:23 now of our doctoral program in ministry. 19:26 How long is the program? 19:27 It's a four year, four summers program. 19:29 So we are 50 percent finished. 19:31 Okay. 19:32 And we are writing our dissertation as we along. 19:36 And so I'm happy that he decided 19:40 to coach me into doing this. 19:43 Okay. 19:44 And I believe that is for the better. 19:46 God has a bigger plan and I just want to be 19:51 a sharp as I possibly can to help 19:54 to finish this gospel so that Jesus can come. 19:57 Amen. That's awesome. 19:59 We want to talk about the hurricane 20:02 that was there recently. 20:03 And then after that a little bit, 20:05 we would like to talk to you about 20:06 your goals and dreams and working with church members 20:10 from around the world and what do you see 20:13 and envision and these closing moments 20:15 of world's history for South Bahamas Conference. 20:17 Certainly. 20:19 But I want to talk about-- tell us a little bit again, 20:22 this hurricane and the name of it is... 20:24 Joaquin. Joaquin. 20:25 And Joaquin just set over the Bahamas 20:29 for like 48 hours. 20:31 Yeah. 20:32 And while it was setting there, 20:34 it was doing destruction, wasn't it? 20:35 It did quite a bit of damage. 20:37 I mean, you could watch it on the news. 20:40 I was actually scheduled to go there 20:41 to Long Island on the Monday 20:43 right after there about Thursday or Friday 20:45 so I called the fellow I was going with, 20:49 a pastor and said, you know, I'm looking at this weather, 20:52 I don't think we want to go there 20:54 and it looks like maybe out of there 20:57 but it still shows thunderstorms 20:58 and really bad weather. 21:00 So Long Islands is not a place 21:01 that we want to be not able to get back and forth 21:05 because of flight and not more heavy for sure. 21:08 But it was actually headed there. 21:09 So when we saw this, then we saw the devastation 21:12 and that's why we wanted to talk to you 21:14 and say can you tell us what's happening down there. 21:17 We made friends there, we have brothers and sisters 21:19 and church members and we have churches there. 21:22 So we wanted you to give us an update on the Bahamas, 21:26 on the hurricane and the damage that was done 21:29 and I know you got some pictures, 21:31 you got some video rolls. 21:33 So we're just kind of, kind of turn this over to you 21:35 to walk us through this whole terrible ordeal actually. 21:41 Well, you know, Danny, the hurricane was unusual, 21:47 first of all from the aspect that it just like popped up. 21:52 Usually, you know, you could track these things, 21:54 when you see it's coming and it's coming 21:56 but it just kind of like some thing 21:58 just sent a puff of breeze underneath something. 22:02 And so everybody was sort of taken off guard. 22:06 And then, as it started to create its wind force, 22:14 it grew from tropical depression storm 22:19 within a matter of hours. 22:21 And so people weren't really prepared. 22:26 And it started just below the South, Southern Bahamas, 22:30 down in some islands that we call Mariguana, Inagua 22:36 and then it moved right up the chain 22:38 of the Southern Islands. 22:41 And not only did it move but it moved slowly. 22:47 If I can recall, it was traveling 22:49 at about five miles an hours which is slow for hurricane. 22:53 And usually when hurricanes 22:56 come our way, you know, they will come 22:58 and just pass through very quickly. 23:02 But what created the tremendous damage 23:05 as a result of this hurricane, 23:07 hurricane Joaquin was that it just kind of hovered over 23:11 and so the category for a storm over Islands like Acklins 23:19 and Crooked Island and you know, look it up, 23:23 Google that in and you see these islands, 23:26 they are not very small islands 23:30 but the population on the islands are small. 23:33 Acklins has about 1200 maybe so people, 23:37 12 to 1400 people, Crooked Island 23:41 which is an island that my parents, 23:44 my father is from, has about 300 people or there about. 23:49 All right. 23:50 And then after Crooked Island, you have Long Island. 23:54 Yes. 23:55 And it's called Long Island because it's a long island. 23:58 But the hurricane just sat like right there, 24:01 between those three or four islands 24:02 and then out to the west of that, 24:04 I think is or to the East 24:06 of is an island called San Salvador. 24:09 It's the island that they say 24:11 Columbus discovered the new world. 24:14 And of course, in the Bahamas big 24:16 between San Salvador and Kent island. 24:19 But it just kind of hover there. 24:21 There's a pressure coming from the United States, 24:24 they just pushed it and kept it and be 24:27 and it just stayed there for almost a day and a half, 24:29 two days just churning, churning, churning. 24:31 I mean, an utter destruction. 24:35 So while it was hovering there, 24:37 was it building or was it just kind of staying 24:41 the same but just moving slowly? 24:43 It was kind of staying the same but just moving slowly. 24:46 But it didn't decrease in its energy. 24:48 That same force just kept and so we lost 24:54 all communications with these islands, 24:57 the cell towers were damaged and destroyed 25:01 and then flooding because of all the rain. 25:06 The pictures that you will see will show 25:11 the flood waters not at its maximum 25:17 and you see some of the footage there, on the TV. 25:19 The winds and of course, being there for so long, 25:24 you know, roofs started to fly off 25:27 and cars were in direction that-- 25:30 there were people who, their homes have been destroyed 25:33 and they went to seek refuge in their cars 25:35 and then the cars were destroyed, all right. 25:38 The wind was that strong that it could move a car. 25:41 Yeah, you're talking about a 140, 150 mile hour winds. 25:45 All right. 25:47 And then on top of that now, the water starts to rise. 25:51 Oh, boy. 25:52 There's a photo... 25:54 Many, many places to go and... 25:55 Some of the flooding and of course, 25:57 this is when the waters already gone down. 25:58 If you see, some of those houses, 26:00 the water is up to the roof in those houses. 26:03 So much so that people were going into their ceilings 26:09 to try and find refuge, you know. 26:12 One of our pastors, Pastor Barr, Howard Barr, 26:16 who pastors in the Crooked Island district. 26:18 He and a few other people including a lady 26:22 who had an amputation because of diabetes, 26:26 they had to take her into the ceiling of the roof. 26:28 Up in the attic. 26:29 And when they were in one section of the roof, 26:34 the water started coming in to move to another section, 26:37 and then another section and it got to the point 26:39 where they really felt, you know, what, 26:42 we don't know if we're gonna make it out of here. 26:45 You know, this could be the last. 26:47 Absolutely. 26:48 Where you gonna go, I mean, 26:49 it's gonna carry into the ocean. 26:51 That's the house right there 26:52 that they were in the ceiling that you are looking out now. 26:54 That's absolutely, to me that's amazing 26:58 that people weren't killed. 27:01 Yes. 27:02 I mean, in South Carolina we had flooding recently, 27:05 I think 17, 18 people died there. 27:08 Yes, it's amazing that... 27:09 This was, I mean, this was like a sunami 27:11 that can wash you right out in the ocean, 27:13 I mean, there's no place to go. 27:15 And when you look at it, we went to visit 27:19 several of the islands already. 27:22 Listening to the people, they explained 27:25 how there was a lull and I guess they figured that, 27:30 the eye of the storm that had come over the island, 27:33 so they tried to re-position themselves. 27:37 And then they said, all of a sudden 27:38 they heard a wind coming from the back of the island, 27:42 and this is Crooked Island at the time and rocks. 27:46 If you see the rocks that came out of the sea, 27:49 that are in the rows, there was some rows 27:51 that were completely demolished. 27:54 They disappeared, you know. 27:57 And when I went to visit I had to walk two and a half, 28:02 almost three miles 28:03 to get to one of the nearest settlements, 28:06 trying to deliver goods. 28:09 The roads, they just couldn't-- you know impossible. 28:12 And so in Long Island, in San Salvador, 28:15 in Acklins and Crooked Island, 28:18 these Islands were all devastated. 28:22 And now, the people are beginning 28:23 to emerge from the rubble as it were of destruction. 28:30 And we just thank God again 28:32 that they might have lost their homes 28:35 and their clothes and whatever else. 28:38 But they have not lost their lives. 28:40 What about any of the churches, did we lose any churches? 28:43 Yes. 28:44 On four of the islands, we have four or five churches. 28:49 In one of the islands, 28:50 the church roof went completely. 28:52 I think we have a photo of that one 28:55 and then in the other three islands, 28:56 there was damage to the roofs of the churches. 29:01 And so and one of them 29:03 we're going to probably have to re-build it 29:05 from the ground up because I was there 29:08 and the walls, even kind of shaking as a result of it. 29:12 So it'd be not wise to put a roof back on that. 29:17 And we have a large percentage 29:18 on these islands that are Adventists, right? 29:21 Well, and some of them in Crooked Island, 29:25 there's a whole settlement with Adventists. 29:27 In Acklins, we have church there, in Long Island, 29:32 Danny knows very well. 29:34 We have two churches on Long Island. 29:38 From all reports we understand that the church in the North, 29:41 the hurricane kind of stopped in the middle of the island. 29:44 It was not badly damaged. 29:46 The one in the South has some damage to it 29:49 and then in San Salvador, 29:51 the reports are that the church is pretty good. 29:54 The doors and some of the windows 29:56 and the piece of the roof was damaged 29:59 in some of those churches. 30:00 We see some of the homes of some of the members, 30:04 the roofs, the windows are blown out. 30:07 This is some of the inside destruction. 30:10 So people left the islands and they came to Nassau. 30:15 I see some of the homes on the beach. 30:17 I mean, getting to Nassau, that's not an easy job. 30:20 Some in that type and you said there wasn't 30:22 any communications for a while so you know, you don't know 30:26 how to make arrangements to go back and forth. 30:29 There's no place to go and it's like here. 30:31 You can't run down to the-- beyond Long Island. 30:33 You don't run down to lumber yard 30:34 and get all your equipment and rebuild your house. 30:37 I mean, every bit of that, that's brought from somewhere. 30:40 So this is, I mean, this is devastation 30:43 if you think about it. 30:44 Sometimes, we get a storm 30:45 and our power go out for few hours 30:47 and we are inconvenienced and like, oh, this is terrible. 30:49 Yeah. 30:51 I mean, these folks lost everything 30:52 in their homes and the churches. 30:54 So we want to help and I know our viewers 30:56 will want to help. 30:58 And with this also, and I'm thankful 30:59 for Brother Warren's watching. 31:01 You met Warren, didn't you? 31:02 Oh, yeah. 31:03 The police officer. The police officer, yes. 31:05 About six foot seven, six, six. Big guy. 31:08 They were thankful that you 31:09 and all of the other brothers and sisters 31:12 there on the island who made it. 31:13 But we are praying for you. 31:15 We want you all to know that. 31:16 And I went to the Blue Hole. Yes. 31:19 Now I want to ask you something. 31:21 Have you been to the Blue Hole? 31:23 I have not since the hurricane. 31:24 No, have you been before? 31:25 I've been there before, many times. 31:27 All right, did you jump off the top? 31:28 I have not gotten the direction from God. 31:34 Well, I probably should have waited on that. 31:37 I jumped off of that. That's a long ways down. 31:39 I got some video of it we might end up showing it. 31:42 It just takes like a split second. 31:45 That is a long ways up. 31:46 You were there, and Reg and Lady number of folks 31:50 and so it was kind of a challenges 31:52 one of those things. 31:53 And I don't know how high it is. 31:54 But when you are up above, looking down, 31:56 it's like five times as... 31:58 It's a long ways up. I know that. 32:00 So I'm with Brother Warren and he says, "Yeah, go ahead." 32:03 And I said, "Man, that is a long ways down 32:05 and you're jumping into water, 600 feet deep. 32:09 And I didn't have any life jacket, 32:10 no spotters and people there. 32:12 But Reggi says, "We can do this." 32:14 So I'm like, "Oh, boy." so he took a long time. 32:17 But once he went I had to go. Yes. 32:19 And so I said, okay, we got to jump this. 32:21 But before we go Warren is like, 32:23 "Oh, yeah, you can go." 32:24 And I said, "Let me ask you a question, 32:26 Warren, do you jump off?" 32:27 He said, "No, black people don't do that. 32:29 We know better now. 32:31 We don't do stuff like that." 32:32 So I said, "Oh, no. What's this all about?" 32:35 But someone do, of course, and so I ended up jumping 32:37 and Lord bless we made it out alive. 32:40 So next time you are over there, 32:42 you have to remember that a guy older than you 32:44 has jumped off the Blue Hole. 32:45 But at least have life jackets. 32:47 That was easy part, jumping off 32:49 as trying to swim all the way back to the other shores 32:52 where about we are out and... 32:54 Yeah, that's... You didn't think about that. 32:56 I didn't think about that. 32:57 I thought that would be the easy part. 32:59 But that was a another ordeal. 33:01 So if you do it, go over there, get your life jacket. 33:03 But wonderful people in those islands. 33:05 And we made some friends, of course, 33:07 and you know, to think of this kind of devastation 33:11 and how we're gonna help those folks. 33:13 Absolutely. And so-- 33:14 We at 3ABN, I know you have some audio, 33:16 you have a several-minute video 33:18 and when you're ready, I like for the folk 33:19 to watch that and then we... 33:22 Well, let me say that we, within the conference, 33:27 our members have already begun to rally to the support. 33:34 We already begun to share 33:38 in making available necessary items 33:43 and when you look at 33:45 some of the pleas of the people, 33:46 we have some footage of a lady from Long Island 33:51 who, you know, she just-- she's just devastated. 33:55 And she makes a impassioned plea to come and help. 34:00 I mean, this was like within the day after 34:03 or two day after the hitting of the hurricane. 34:06 And so there are needs 34:10 because these people have lost their major investments, 34:14 which are their homes, cars and so the church, 34:21 you know, there's a saying I think, 34:23 Theodore Roosevelt made a statement 34:26 that "People don't want to know how much you know 34:32 until they know how much you care." 34:35 You know, and so as a church our responsibility 34:39 is to get in there and to help them 34:41 and the good thing about the Adventist Church 34:44 is that we are worldwide organization. 34:47 And so not only are we able to help 34:49 from local funds and all the rest of it 34:52 but our world church is able to help. 34:55 And so we just appeal to the world to help us 35:00 at this time because today it's us 35:03 and tomorrow it's you and as we help each other, 35:07 we're able to continue to move on. 35:10 One of the-- Pastor Carl Johnson, 35:13 who is a pastor there in Long Island. 35:15 He was interviewed by the cable company 35:19 and he asked, you know, "What is the greatest need?" 35:24 And one of the things that he mentioned was that, 35:27 you know, people are so-- 35:28 It's like they are waking up to this reality 35:32 that their minds can't even fathom it. 35:34 I don't have a house, 35:36 I don't have a roof over my head 35:39 because this just never happened. 35:41 And it makes you sensitive to this type of thing 35:46 and so families have had to re-locate 35:51 and to find family members in other islands. 35:55 And the question is when will we be 35:56 able to get back to our home. 36:00 And so we need building materials, 36:03 plywood and other things. 36:07 Counseling is something that has to be on going 36:10 with these people. 36:12 And so we just wanted as a church to be able to do 36:17 as much as we can. 36:18 And it's not just for, I mean, 36:22 it's all of the Bahamians in these islands, 36:25 and of course, there are visitors 36:26 who are there who lived there as well. 36:28 And when we do this, 36:32 then we are carrying out the mission 36:35 that Jesus has called us to. 36:36 Absolutely. 36:37 Addressing the needs of the people. 36:40 And then we can tell them about come follow us. 36:43 And that's what we want to be able to do. 36:44 Absolutely. 36:46 Why don't we go to the video that we have right now. 37:03 My dear brothers and sisters, 37:05 who just passed through a very devastating time 37:09 with hurricane Joaquin. 37:11 The true pictures and now you emerging 37:13 from Acklins and Crooked Island 37:15 in the far Southern islands of the Bahamas 37:18 and San Salvador to our East. 37:21 And the central part of Long Island. 37:25 Today, scores of our families are without homes, 37:30 without food, without clothing and without shelter. 37:34 Your generosity has proven 37:37 to make a difference thus far in their lives. 37:40 And I come to you again tonight, 37:43 asking for additional and continued offering 37:47 that will help to restore these, 37:50 our brothers and sisters within our churches 37:53 as well as it within the communities 37:55 to help them to get back on their feet. 37:59 As you see from these pictures and these videos 38:03 that would be seen this evening, 38:04 the devastation that has ripped the lives 38:07 of many of our Bahamians and citizens of our country, 38:11 as well as our guests or visitors 38:13 who live in these islands. 38:15 And so I appeal to every member to give 38:19 and to continue to give as we seek 38:21 to ease the burden 38:23 of those who have been affected by this devastating system 38:27 that passed through our country. 38:29 Listen to this plea. 38:31 We need cleaning products, a lot of bleach. 38:35 Everything, you think of a lot. 38:37 People don't even have clothes, 38:38 they kind of went through the hurricane 38:39 which is -- closing it back. 38:41 They dig in spoons and whatever through the bush, 38:45 generators, opened current sound coming down 38:49 as far as-- 38:50 The poles are gone. 38:52 We're gonna need some sort of assistance, 38:53 and that kind of way for a long time 38:55 battery operated things. 38:57 We're gonna need I guess kerosene lamps, 39:00 battery powered radios. 39:01 A lot of people right now are functioning 39:03 with next to nothing. 39:05 Any kind of medical supplies, medication would be fantastic. 39:08 The heart pills, the diabetes- 39:12 Right now, not just prayer, come here. 39:16 Don't just take photos of us, okay. 39:18 Where we are coming from right now, 39:20 we started out at day light, 39:22 okay to get from Scrub hill to get to Junky land 39:25 and we have boat, the only boat that survived 39:28 to get here to get the aid, to get it back up there. 39:31 It burst through the cement walls. 39:35 No one can tell you what that is until you see it. 39:37 It took-- the waves came, 39:39 it came through cement walls. 39:41 It carried everything. 39:42 And the people have very little left. 39:45 It is not funny. 39:46 survived somehow in terms of infrastructure 39:50 but nothing much out South. 39:52 When we come from here to go South, 39:54 you're gonna see devastation completely. 39:56 The roofs have gone, we need everything from rafters 39:59 to nails to all the man power you can think of. 40:02 Shovels, we need bleach by the cases. 40:05 If you could think of it, Long Island needs it. 40:08 It was Theodore Roosevelt who said, 40:10 "Nobody cares how much you know, 40:12 until they know how much you care." 40:16 Do you care? 40:17 Will you join hands with your administration 40:20 to continue to help to make a difference in Crooked Island, 40:25 in Acklins, in San Salvador, in Long Island 40:29 and other affected parts of our country 40:31 until everyone is brought back to the standard of living 40:36 that they were at before this hurricane passed? 40:40 May God bless you as you give generously 40:43 from the bottom of your hearts as we together hold hands, 40:49 we will emerge from this victoriously. 40:55 You know, I can't imagine losing everything. 40:58 We take so much for granted. 41:01 But losing everything, you-- 41:04 it's just, it's hard to wrap your mind around that. 41:06 Yeah. It is devastation. 41:09 But you know, I'm so thankful 41:12 that as a church that we are taught 41:16 by Jesus to care for one another. 41:17 Yes. 41:18 You said a while ago, today it's you, 41:20 tomorrow it's us. 41:21 And we all really should think about that. 41:23 Nobody is exempt 41:25 and we all have run into problems 41:27 but sometimes devastation 41:29 comes in greater measures than others. 41:31 There's just something we could do to help. 41:33 I know that you're needing churches re-built, 41:36 people needing homes re-built, 41:38 there maybe volunteers who construction people 41:41 who want to work, they can contact you. 41:43 You'll put up an address a little bit, Brother Paul, 41:45 that want to come there, maybe some one day churches, 41:48 is there any need for one day churches down there... 41:52 Certainly, the Crooked Island church 41:55 is gonna be a long time before that gets back up 41:58 to where it needs to be and so whatever 42:03 we can get to help them getting back to worshipping 42:08 and being the salt of the earth in that part of the area. 42:13 Certainly, we are open to... Sure. 42:18 She has named all kinds of items that need to be-- 42:21 They need but I think probably money, just finances, 42:24 we'll put your address up here in a few moments 42:26 so you can prepare for that. 42:28 And you contact them so they can get, 42:31 they know what they need rather than to me to-- 42:33 well, I guess I send batteries, 42:34 if everybody send batteries, we can't have anything else. 42:37 So in some cases, I think it would be better 42:39 to send the finances 42:40 that we would spend on buying whatever 42:43 and that let you all decide to where it needs to go 42:46 and how it can be used 42:48 to build these churches up, for one thing. 42:51 And but I mean, it is an amazing 42:53 to not only lose your home, you lose your church, 42:56 basically lose everything and you are uprooted 42:58 from your place that you live in 43:00 and live in with somebody else in other island 43:02 until you can get back home. 43:04 Yes. And... 43:06 I think it's easy, you know, to-- 43:08 For us here to kind of fall back into our routine, 43:12 we watch this, we see the devastation, 43:14 we're bothered by it and then we fall back into 43:17 instead of really accepting the call to help. 43:21 And so this is something 43:23 that we can't just put on the back burner, you know. 43:26 We have to do something. Okay. 43:28 Let me tell you a little story, a miracle story. 43:32 In one of the islands there was a-- 43:35 At the end of the real intense wind, 43:39 there was no food. 43:41 And one young lady, she had 43:44 I think two pieces of a fish head 43:49 left in her freezer. 43:51 And she took it and of course, 43:54 this was in area where we had about 43:57 40 or 50 people needing something to eat. 44:01 And they were able to get a little fire going, 44:03 and cooked the fish heads 44:07 and it was like the Last Supper and started to share it 44:11 and when she went back to the pot there was more fish. 44:14 Oh, come on now. 44:15 Seem like I've heard that story before, right? 44:17 In the Bible, Jesus and the loaves and fishes. 44:20 And that happened about four of five times. 44:24 And the Lord multiplied the fish. 44:26 Amen. 44:28 He is still in the business of creating miracles, huh? 44:30 So in the midst of all of this, 44:32 you know, God was able to re-affirm 44:35 the fact that He is God. 44:36 Yes. 44:38 And "He is able to supply all of our needs 44:40 according to His wisdom and His glory." 44:43 And so in the midst of tragedy, there's triumph. 44:46 Absolutely. 44:48 You know, and they are many stories like that, 44:51 that God just came through 44:53 that people are just grateful and saw Him work. 44:56 We look forward to getting some of those testimonies 44:59 maybe later in giving them 45:00 because it is great to see God in the midst of everything. 45:03 What we'd like to do, 45:04 we're gonna put up an address in a moment 45:06 but we have Mark Trammell 45:08 that we're privilege to have Mark to sing 45:10 from time to time for us here at 3ABN. 45:13 He received in Southern Gospel music, 45:16 the awards they give, 45:18 he's a baritone singer of the year 45:21 and his group, now it's Mark Trammell Quartet. 45:24 It's always a privilege to have Mark. 45:26 We're gonna have him sing a song. 45:27 It's a medley. 45:29 Giving praise and honor to Jesus, 45:31 we call it Jesus Medley. 45:32 But right after that we're gonna put up the address. 45:35 So we want you to be thinking now 45:36 and be praying about what is it that the Lord 45:38 would have you to do 45:40 and then I know He will impress you 45:42 what can we do to help our brothers and sisters 45:45 who really through this devastation. 45:48 There's many things that he says, 45:50 everything from physical to spiritual 45:53 from counseling to the physical, 45:55 to the finances that maybe some of us here, 45:58 we can send it. 46:00 We'll find out ways to do to the Bahamas. 46:01 I'm sure Paypal and other ways too. 46:04 But right after this song, we want to put up that address. 46:06 We want you to pray. 46:08 Ask the Lord what He would have you to do 46:10 to support our brothers and sisters and the Bahamas. 46:14 Right now, please be blessed by Brother Mark Trammell. 46:29 Fairest Lord Jesus 46:35 Ruler of all nature 46:40 O Thou of God 46:44 And man the Son 46:50 Thee will I cherish 46:55 Thee will I honor 46:59 Thou, my soul's glory, joy and crown 47:16 How have my shameful failure and loss 47:24 Jesus I come Jesus I come 47:32 Into the glorious gain of Thy cross 47:40 Jesus I come to Thee 47:48 Out of earth's sorrows into Thy balm 47:56 Out of life's storms and into Thy calm 48:05 Out of distress to jubilant psalm 48:13 Jesus, I come to Thee 48:26 He drew me closer to His side 48:35 I sought His will to know 48:43 And in that will I now abide 48:51 Wherever He leads I'll go 48:59 Wherever He leads I'll go 49:07 Wherever He leads I'll go 49:16 I'll follow my Christ 49:20 Who loves me so 49:24 Wherever He leads I'll go 49:33 I'll follow my Christ 49:38 Who loves me so 49:47 Wherever He leads 49:55 I'll go 50:18 If you would like to contact Paul Scavella, 50:20 write to the South Bahamas Conference 50:23 of Seventh-day Adventists. 50:24 Post office Box N-356, 50:27 Tonique Williams Darling Highway, 50:29 Nassau, Bahamas. 50:31 That's South Bahamas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. 50:34 Post office Box N-356, 50:37 Tonique Williams Darling Highway, 50:39 Nassau, Bahamas. 50:41 You can call (242) 341-4021. 50:45 That's (242) 341-4021. 50:49 Or you can email him at president@sbcadventist.com 50:55 That's president@sbcadventist.com 51:04 Well, first of all big thank you to Mark Trammell. 51:07 That's beautiful. Wherever He leads me I will go. 51:09 And so really, that's what it's about today 51:12 and I feel blessed that you are here today 51:15 and you're giving us an opportunity 51:18 to help our brothers and sisters 51:20 who is less fortunate than we are right now. 51:22 As-- and again may come a point 51:25 that some of you or us 51:27 may need those brothers and sisters 51:29 and their back on their feet to support us 51:32 and I want to talk to you about the addresses there. 51:35 I think if you go to Paypal, 51:37 you can send money from anywhere in the world 51:40 that can get to your Conference 51:42 'cause that's what we've been doing 51:43 as people support us conversion money, 51:46 conversion overseas has always been a difficult thing 51:49 but now through going to computer 51:51 and look, going Paypal, 51:53 we are able to so people can support 51:55 your Conference anywhere 51:57 I think in the world through Paypal. 51:59 Yes, and once they make contact with us 52:03 we can give them that information 52:06 to help process, yes, any support. 52:09 We've got about a minute left before we go to our news break. 52:13 What would you want our viewers right now, 52:14 what would you like to say to them, 52:16 look in to that camera. 52:17 Well, we just believe that 52:20 it's a privilege to be a part of the family of God 52:23 and when one part of the family is hurting, 52:28 the entire family hurts. 52:30 And your efforts to support the islands 52:35 that have been affected in the South Bahamas Conference 52:38 is certainly something that you have the opportunity to do. 52:42 And it will help to advance God's kingdom 52:47 in this part of the world, 52:49 and to help to get people back on their feet 52:53 so that they can continue to serve 52:57 and to be a part of God's plan for their lives. 53:01 And so as God impresses you, please help us 53:07 there in the South Bahamas Conference 53:10 to help the peoples in these affected islands 53:13 to get back on their feet 53:16 so that they can continue their lives in service to God 53:20 and as the blessings come, 53:25 our praise will indeed be lifted. 53:29 And thank God for all that you have done 53:32 to help our people 53:34 in the South Bahamas Conference. 53:36 Absolutely. 53:37 Right now, we're gonna go to news break 53:39 and then come back with the closing thought. |
Revised 2015-11-02