Participants: C.A. Murray (Host), Shelly Quinn (Host), Chongho Yang, Conrad Vine, Edward St. Fleur, Marc Coleman, Myun Ju Lee
Series Code: TDY
Program Code: TDY015087A
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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, 01:08 My name is C.A. Murray 01:10 and thank you for joining us once again 01:12 for a very special 3ABN Today broadcast. 01:16 One of the things that we often say 01:17 that we really like about going to large gatherings 01:20 of the Seventh-day Adventist church 01:22 like a General Conference or an ASI or a GYC, 01:25 meetings of that nature. 01:28 You run into and you meet a large number of people 01:31 who are doing so many different kinds of ministries 01:34 for the cause of Christ. 01:35 Some are supported directly by the church 01:37 through different organizations. 01:39 Others are independent ministries 01:41 that are supporting ministries 01:43 of the Seventh-day Adventist church 01:45 like Three Angels' Broadcasting Network, 01:46 but there are hundreds of ministries, 01:49 and some are very specific niche ministries 01:53 that if these ministers were not operating, 01:55 I doubt the gospel will be getting to that population 01:58 in just that particular way, 02:00 so we're gonna meet some of those today. 02:02 We get to meet some people 02:03 who are doing some great things for the Lord. 02:05 And first up, we want to go and... 02:08 To the country of Bangladesh as it were, 02:11 as Shelley Quinn had a chance to meet 02:13 with Dr. M. Ju Lee 02:17 and Dr. Chongho Yang. 02:21 Dr. Lee is President of the Adventist Union Mission, 02:24 and Dr. Chongho Yang is the college president there 02:28 and the seminary president there 02:30 and they've a very, very exciting story for us just now. 02:35 Again, here we are on the floor at the exhibit hall 02:38 and with us in the booth now is... 02:41 We have to gentlemen actually, we have Chung Ho Young, 02:44 Dr. Chung ho young 02:46 who is the President of the Bangladesh 02:50 Adventist Seminary and College. 02:52 And then we also have M.J. Lee, 02:56 who is the President of the Bangladesh Union Mission 03:00 of Seventh-day Adventist Church. 03:02 Gentlemen, thank you so much for being here today. 03:05 Thank you. Thank you so much. 03:06 And Dr. Lee, I would like to start with you. 03:12 Please, for our viewers, would you... 03:14 some people are not that familiar with Bangladesh 03:18 and with the area, 03:20 tell us a little of the socio-economic part? 03:25 Okay. 03:26 Bangladesh is located at 10/40 window, 03:31 exactly in the center of the land 03:34 having 160 million people. 03:39 A hundred and sixty million? Wow. 03:41 Yeah, very big population, 90 percent is Muslim, 03:47 9 percent is Hinduism, 03:50 only one percent is other religion, 03:53 but Christianity is only 0.3, very small group. 03:58 Also, economic situation, as we know, 04:01 Bangladesh is one of the very poorest countries, 04:05 there are many, many challenges. 04:08 Yeah. Yes. 04:09 And how long have you been in Bangladesh? 04:12 Oh, yeah. 04:14 By the grace of God, 04:15 now I have been serving our church about 10 years. 04:20 All right. 04:22 And you actually began with Dr... 04:26 You had Dr. Yang's position at first, 04:28 you were the president 04:29 for the Bangladesh Adventist Seminary and College 04:33 and then you became the Union President, right? 04:35 Yeah. 04:36 So you knew... 04:38 You mentioned to me that one of the goals 04:41 of the Bangladesh Adventist Seminary and College, 04:45 has been for a long time, 04:46 you knew you needed a nursing school. 04:49 Why did you feel, you needed a nursing school? 04:51 Actually, as we know, 04:53 Bangladesh is very poor country, 04:56 there are many people who are sick because of, 04:59 you know, hygienic problem, but many poor people, 05:03 they are not able to go to the hospital. 05:07 So when we establish a nursing school, 05:11 we can support many things to the poor people, usually. 05:15 Also, in Bangladesh, education is very important, 05:20 so when we produce many nursing students, 05:24 it can be also one of the center 05:27 of influences in our school. 05:29 Also, in Bangladesh one nurse, 05:34 there are three medical doctors. 05:37 It means, there are many medical doctors, 05:41 but we are lacking many nurses, 05:44 that's why from the beginning our church members, 05:48 they have been praying 05:49 to establish nursing school in our college, 05:53 but at the beginning, by the grace of God, 05:56 now we are building academic building 06:00 from General Conference, 06:01 Thirteen Sabbaths School Project, 06:05 some fund is coming, 06:06 we will establish academic building at first, 06:09 but in future, so soon we hope to establish nursing school. 06:15 Dr. Yang, this is a very exciting project. 06:19 How long have you been at the Bangladesh Seminary? 06:22 It is almost two years 06:24 since I have served as college president 06:27 for Bangladesh Adventist Seminary and College. 06:31 As Dr. Lee, our Bangladesh Union President mentioned, 06:36 there are three reasons 06:39 why we really need to establish nursing college at campus 06:44 of Bangladesh Adventist Seminary and College. 06:48 Number one, 06:50 there is a desperate need for nurses in Bangladesh. 06:55 As Dr. Lee mentioned, 06:58 three medical doctors have only one nurse in Bangladesh, 07:02 that's why... 07:04 That's amazing to... 07:06 to try to comprehend because it's quite... 07:09 it's just about the reverse ratio in United States, 07:11 one doctor will have three nurses, 07:14 but here, three doctors share one nurse. 07:16 You are right. That's amazing. 07:17 That's why Prime Minister Hasina 07:21 of Bangladesh, 07:23 some weeks ago pronounced 07:25 that our country needs 07:28 10,000 nurses every year. 07:32 So when we establish nursing college 07:35 at the campus of Bangladesh Adventist Seminary and College, 07:39 which is called BASC in short terminology, 07:44 then we can provide 07:46 many Adventist nurses to our country 07:52 which has 160 million people 07:56 and it will surely enhance the national health 08:03 and welfare of the country. 08:07 And... Go ahead. 08:08 And reason number two, 08:10 BASC has three departments 08:13 such as theology department for future pastors 08:17 and education department for future teachers 08:21 and business administration for future treasurers 08:25 and business managers and top managements, 08:30 but we don't have any science department. 08:34 So if we establish nursing college 08:38 at the campus of BASC, 08:41 it will surely enhance solid Adventist education 08:45 in 10/40 Window territory. 08:48 And number three, which is very important, 08:52 even though the former 08:55 two reasons are important as well, 09:00 this nursing college will enhance 09:03 the mission of the church in Bangladesh and beyond. 09:08 In Islam dominant country such as Bangladesh, 09:12 as Dr. Lee mentioned, 09:15 we cannot preach in the streets. 09:19 We cannot hand out tracks 09:24 and hand out Three Angels' Messages 09:27 in everywhere, no. 09:29 But in the campus 09:34 we can teach the scripture and Jesus Christ. 09:40 So when we establish nursing college, 09:44 we can train our young people 09:47 with the scriptures and Jesus Christ 09:50 and we can train them 09:51 as faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ 09:54 to our Bangladesh and beyond. 09:57 And the interesting thing is this, 10:00 the 60 percent of the total income 10:04 of the country Bangladesh is the money sent from overseas. 10:10 Sixty percent? 10:11 Sixty percent, because Bangladesh 10:13 has no little natural resources, 10:17 no traveling resources, Bangladesh has no resources, 10:23 but human resources in a small land. 10:28 So many young people go out overseas and work there 10:34 and they send the money to Bangladesh, 10:36 to their families and their loved ones. 10:41 So if we establish our nursing college, 10:45 then many nurses may work in Bangladesh, 10:50 but some nurses may go out and work, 10:55 sharing the Three Angels' Messages 10:58 in Middle East and other areas. 11:02 Remember that the total Muslims are 11:06 1.7 billion in the world. 11:11 So this has a tremendous, significant impact. 11:17 You know, we've said it several times 11:19 on these very interviews that God... 11:23 Jesus isn't going to return till we reach 11:26 every nation, tongue, and tribe, 11:29 and that includes 1.7 billion Muslims. 11:33 So you have you begun... 11:35 It's wonderful to know 11:37 where our 13th quarter offering is going 11:40 and it has gone to develop... 11:43 start the building for the nursing school 11:46 at the Bangladesh Adventist Seminary and College. 11:51 Has the actual construction begun? 11:54 Yes. Bangladesh Adventist Seminary and College 11:57 fund raised $150,000 12:02 and our Southern Asia Pacific division heard about this 12:07 and SSD made an action 12:14 to support this project from a 13th Sabbath offering 12:21 with $100,000 already 12:27 and then the total budget is $525,000, 12:33 and we are waiting for another $150,000 12:39 from SSD and GYC, 12:41 but we still need three hundred something thousand US dollars 12:46 and we firmly believe that God will provide. 12:50 Amen. Amen. 12:51 If somebody wanted to donate toward this, 12:55 what would be the website that they would go to? 12:57 Yeah. 12:59 Our well wishers around the world 13:02 can communicate with me as email address 13:06 yangchongho@gmail.com. 13:16 Or drpeteryang3004@gmail.com. 13:23 That's okay, go ahead. 13:24 drpeteryang3004@gmail.com. 13:34 Then I can give the information about the donation. 13:39 We really need our world churches' prayer 13:43 and support including financial support. 13:46 Amen. 13:47 What is your student population right now 13:50 at the Bangladesh Adventist Seminary and College? 13:53 BASC has 800 students. 13:56 That's amazing. 13:58 Yes. 13:59 We have 250 college students, 14:03 340 high school students, 14:07 and about 200 elementary school students. 14:11 Now, they obviously know 14:13 that you're a Christian organization in the area, 14:16 you're not hiding the church or the name of the church, 14:18 you're the Bangladesh Adventist Theology. 14:24 How do people in the local area receive you? 14:28 Because we provide 14:31 free medical service and dental service 14:36 from many parts of the world as volunteers, 14:41 just some dentists, and doctors, and nurses, 14:45 and the volunteers come to Bangladesh and serve, 14:49 so our local people are very much fond of BASC, 14:55 they love BASC so much 14:58 and the atmosphere is so sweet and friendly. 15:01 Oh, that's wonderful. 15:04 Well, trust me that you will have our prayers 15:08 and it's a very worthy cause. 15:10 So you've got about 300,000 more that needs to come in. 15:14 You've started the building, this construction has begun 15:17 and do you have a specific deadline 15:21 that you're looking to try to complete this 15:23 or just as the Lord provides? 15:25 Yes, that's a good question. 15:28 We are planning to finish constructing 15:31 our academic building, 15:33 which will be used for nursing college building 15:35 in the near future by the end of this year, 15:39 but at least by the end of April 2016... 15:46 Can I intervene? 15:47 Surely. 15:48 Next year, except this building 15:51 we're going to finish three multi... 15:54 auditorium, 2,000 people can be accommodated 15:58 and another is in our nursing school dormitory 16:02 and also academic building. 16:04 In the future, it'll be nursing school building. 16:09 Next year, Bangladesh will be 110 years 16:15 of Three Angels' Message in our celebration year. 16:18 Already, orally I invited G.C. President Elder Ted Wilson 16:24 to come and to inaugurate. 16:26 At that time, I think it'll be very glorious time 16:30 if we inaugurate all the things, three things. 16:34 Amen. 16:35 Well, gentlemen... Go ahead. 16:37 If Pastor Ted Wilson comes to Bangladesh 16:40 and bless our people 16:43 and give encouragement to our Bangladesh people 16:49 it will be a great spiritual heritage 16:51 to our young people 16:53 and we'll be very much encouraged. 16:56 Amen. 16:57 Well, I just want to thank you, Dr. Yang and Dr. Lee 17:00 for the work that you're doing there. 17:02 And for those of you at home, 17:04 if you would be interested 17:05 in supporting this project further, 17:08 you can contact Dr. Yang at D-R for doctor, 17:14 D-R-Peter Yang, yang@... 17:19 Oh excuse me... 17:20 and drpeteryang3004@gmail.com, 17:28 and please be praying for this project 17:30 and for all that the church is doing 17:33 throughout the 10/40 Window. 17:35 Thank you. 17:38 Wow, what a powerful, powerful testimony. 17:42 Next up, Edward Saint Fleur 17:43 operates a radio station on the island of Haiti, 17:46 only running five hours a day 17:48 because of the intermittent power blackouts, 17:51 needs a solar panel 17:52 so that it can run 24 hours and preach the gospel. 17:54 Shelley had a chance to talk with him 17:56 about precisely that. 17:59 Hi, we're coming to you again 18:00 from the convention floor here at San Antonio 18:03 and joining us in our production booth today 18:06 is Pastor Edward Saint Fluer. 18:10 He is pastoring in the Bahamas, but his ministry is in Haiti 18:15 and you're going to enjoy this story. 18:18 Edward, we actually interviewed you five years ago 18:22 at the last GC conference 18:24 and you were doing something special there in Haiti 18:29 and now you've expanded that ministry, 18:32 but before we talk about 18:34 the voice of the Three Angels' radio station, 18:37 let's get to know you just a little bit. 18:40 Where were you born 18:41 and how did you become a pastor? 18:43 Thank you very much, Shelley, for the opportunity to share 18:48 and I praise the Lord for 3ABN 18:50 and what it is doing around the world. 18:53 I was born in L'Ile de la Tortue, 18:56 Tortuga island, Haiti. 18:58 It's located in the northwest part of the country. 19:02 I migrated to the Bahamas in 1981, 19:07 but all of my life I've been a Seventh-day Adventist. 19:10 My Great grandfather was the first Adventist 19:14 on that particular island. 19:16 Wonderful, wonderful. 19:18 So you've been pastoring now for how many years? 19:21 I've been pastoring for the past 16 years 19:24 with the South Bahamas Conference in Nassau, Bahamas. 19:28 And you have two churches? 19:29 That's correct, 19:30 that's the Francophone and New Englerston 19:35 Seventh-day Adventist church in Nassau. 19:37 And he also has three beautiful girls. 19:40 That is correct. And one wife. 19:42 And one lovely wife. 19:44 Okay, now you... with... 19:47 a pastor who has two churches surely has a plate full. 19:52 How did you end up going back to your home country in Haiti 19:58 to start a ministry? 19:59 Well, every year during my vacation time, 20:05 I go to Haiti with the hope of giving back to my roots, 20:12 basically to empower and encourage 20:14 and to spread the gospel in my homeland. 20:17 It's a pleasure. 20:19 What is the population of Haiti? 20:22 It's about 10 million people living in Haiti. 20:25 And there's, what, 400,000 Adventists, I believe. 20:28 That is correct, 400,000 Adventists. 20:32 But the primary belief system of the Haitians is what? 20:38 It's between Catholicism and Voodooism. 20:42 And Voodooism, 20:43 so there's a lot of witchcraft practiced in Haiti? 20:46 That is correct. All right. 20:48 How did God call you? 20:50 I know that you heard the call of the Lord 20:54 to do something special in Haiti, tell us about that? 20:57 It was back in 2006, someone came to me and said, 21:02 the Lord is asking me to do 21:05 a fast for the country of Haiti. 21:08 My wife and I, we conducted that fast, September 26, 2006. 21:13 Subsequent to that the Lord spoke to me, 21:17 he impressed me to purchase a property 21:20 to set up a radio station 21:22 so that light could get into the country 21:24 to dispel the darkness of witchcraft. 21:27 Amen. Amen. Yes. 21:29 Now you actually went to Haiti 21:32 and performed like a medical missionary training 21:36 before the earthquake, is that correct? 21:39 That is correct. 21:40 That was 2009, 21:43 approximately six months prior to the earthquake. 21:47 A team from Wildwood Lifestyle Center accompanied me, 21:51 we spent four weeks in the country. 21:54 We conducted training for some 75 young persons, 21:57 giving them basic lifestyle training 22:01 with the acronym NEWSTART, all right. 22:04 And we conducted two small evangelistic campaign 22:07 which yielded to 11 precious souls to the glory of God. 22:10 Wonderful. 22:12 You had already purchased the land at that point. 22:17 When... after the earthquake when did you actually... 22:20 It was after the earthquake 22:21 that you actually began broadcasting, 22:23 is that correct? 22:24 Exactly. 22:25 It was July 11, 2011, 22:28 which means this is the fourth year 22:32 since we've been broadcasting in Haiti. 22:35 We're actually broadcasting in someone's home. 22:39 Our building is still under construction. 22:41 Now you're on the isle of the turtle, La Tortue... 22:48 La Tortue, you're doing well. 22:50 Tell me what is this island like? 22:53 Your signal reaches... 22:55 it has a footprint of how many people? 22:58 Did you say 2 million that your signal can reach. 23:01 Yes, we're actually broadcasting 23:04 from the island reaching Cap-Haitien, 23:06 which is in the north. 23:07 Some section in central called Bas Laleau, 23:10 and north west Mole Saint-Nicholas, 23:14 which is the place that Columbus landed 23:16 December 5, 1492. 23:19 So our signal reaches that vast territory 23:22 covering over 2 million people. 23:24 Wonderful. 23:25 And what are the results 23:27 since you've started broadcasting? 23:28 You actually do Sabbath school lessons, 23:32 you're broadcasting how many hours a day? 23:35 Presently we operate 5 hours a day, 23:38 simply because of energy. 23:40 There is no electricity on the island, 23:43 so we're using a regular generator. 23:47 And gasoline could be expensive to run a radio station. 23:52 So we're basically operating 5 hours a day. 23:55 But the result has been fantastic. 23:58 And number of persons who left the church began to return. 24:02 So that is why we keep going almost every year, 24:05 going to conduct evangelistic outreach 24:08 and encourage the brethren. 24:10 And with regards to the Sabbath school lesson, 24:13 a number of persons cannot read 24:16 are not able to purchase the quarterlies 24:18 So what we do every morning is do the Sabbath school lesson 24:22 and they listen with their battery operated radio. 24:25 So by the time they go to Sabbath school, 24:29 the teacher asks, 24:30 how many followed their daily lesson plan 24:31 and they raise their hand. 24:33 The teacher is like, how? 24:34 They say, well, we listen to the radio station, 24:37 the voice of the three angels. 24:40 We listen, so we're able to study 24:44 and to follow the daily lesson plan. 24:47 The challenge is 24:49 to stay on the air for long period of time. 24:52 And there are countries where people have access 24:55 to the Sabbath school lesson, but some do not study. 24:58 Yes. 25:00 But yet these people, only through the radio station, 25:04 they are studying, 25:05 so we want to continue that 25:07 and to grow further to spread the gospel. 25:10 Pastor St. Fleur, it's not only people 25:13 who formerly were Adventists have left the church 25:16 and returning to the church, 25:18 but you're actually seeing a lot of conversions 25:21 because of the Voice of the Three Angels radio station. 25:26 The churches are growing, people are learning, 25:30 but let's talk about where you're at as a ministry. 25:33 It's been four years now, 25:35 you're broadcasting out of someone's home, 25:39 what is it that you want to do? 25:41 You've purchased this land, 25:43 Had you begun to build it yet? 25:45 Yes, as I mentioned 25:47 we've been broadcasting in someone's home now 25:50 for the past four years. 25:52 Our building is still under construction. 25:55 Our greatest need for the present 25:57 is to equip the station with energy, 26:01 alternative means of energy 26:03 instead of using the generator. 26:06 If we could acquire 26:09 either solar panel and windmill 26:12 so that we can power up the station. 26:15 We'll be staying on the air 24/7, 26:18 that is my goal, that is my dream. 26:19 So the first thing is to equip the station with a solar panel 26:24 and the second thing 26:25 is to be able to put the roof on the building 26:28 and the furnishing so that we can move the station 26:31 from the private residence to its own location. 26:35 So you already have the building sides... 26:38 That is correct. 26:40 You just need the roof and the alternative power. 26:45 That is correct. 26:46 And if there are volunteer persons 26:48 who are interested in supporting such project, 26:52 you know, they can reach and make contact with us 26:54 and we'll be able to guide them. 26:58 In fact, some years, I'm not able to go to Haiti, 27:02 I still organize mission trip 27:05 and have persons waiting to receive them 27:08 and they just go in the territory 27:09 and begin to do their work. 27:12 Amen. I wanted... 27:14 You shared something just before we came 27:16 to sit in these seats, 27:18 about your last evangelistic effort over there 27:21 because the broadcasting 27:24 which is getting the attention of the locals, 27:26 2 million people potential audience, 27:29 but he goes over for a reaping harvest 27:32 and you actually... 27:35 This is an area 27:36 where the satanic works are going on, 27:40 there's a lot of witchcraft going on. 27:43 You actually experienced a very severe satanic attack 27:47 during your last series, didn't you? 27:49 That's correct. 27:51 It was last year August, before I went, the vision 27:53 was for me to present the Ten Commandments. 27:57 And we started August 13th, it was a Wednesday night, 28:03 to August 23rd. 28:05 Every night based on the instructions 28:08 that I felt that I received from the Lord 28:10 was to preach only one commandment. 28:12 We began with commandment number one. 28:14 When I preach on commandment number two, 28:18 which deals with graven images. 28:21 As you know, Haiti has a lot of images 28:24 and different idolatry basically, 28:28 when I preach on that commandment, 28:30 the devil was upset. 28:32 At the end of the service, 28:33 when I went home to my mother's house, 28:35 I had to walk in the dark after the service. 28:38 The devil actually came and attacked the house 28:40 where I was staying 28:42 and number of roaches came over the building 28:45 and some came inside the building. 28:47 And I just got up and killed a few of them 28:50 and the others, they just disappeared. 28:53 Don't know how they got in, didn't know how they got out, 28:58 but the Lord gave us the victory. 29:01 I know God is with this ministry 29:03 based on the victories we have experienced so far. 29:06 Amen. 29:07 I think it's precious 29:09 that you're going back to the country... 29:11 I mean the Bahamas is a beautiful area, 29:13 you're going back to an area that is also lovely, 29:17 but making a slow recovery from the earthquake 29:22 in an area of such great need 29:24 and I think it's precious 29:25 that you're going back to give back to your country. 29:28 Now we're going to give you 29:32 an email address in just a moment, 29:33 but what are some of the other things 29:36 that you have in the future. 29:38 Right now the great need 29:40 is to find the alternative power, 29:41 get a roof over this 29:43 so that you can actually start broadcasting 24/7. 29:47 But what are some of the other visions 29:49 you have for the future. 29:51 In addition to the radio station, 29:53 there are four other projects in our minds. 29:56 One is school, 30:00 to be able to provide some basic discipline, 30:04 like nursing, education, and agriculture and fisheries 30:08 that are much... 30:11 Very much needed on the island. 30:13 The other thing is the business empowerment center. 30:16 There are thousands of young people 30:20 after high school have nothing to do. 30:22 We want to be able to train them and empower them 30:26 because they need the skill 30:27 so that they can work and to feed themselves 30:31 and to support their families. 30:32 And in addition to the school, 30:34 the business empowerment center, 30:37 a clinic or healthy lifestyle center, 30:40 we would like to establish on the island 30:43 for health care purposes. 30:45 And finally, a missionary home, so when you come to the island, 30:50 you'll have a place to go 30:52 with almost some of the similar amenities 30:55 that you are accustomed to 30:57 or anybody else who wishes to come to the island. 31:01 Well, praise God for calling you there and He... 31:05 You know, the people of Haiti are precious people, 31:10 but they've been living in darkness for a long time. 31:13 And 400,000 Adventists, that's a good start, 31:17 but there's 10 million people that need to hear this message. 31:20 So we just thank you so much for the work that you're doing. 31:24 And for those of you at home 31:25 let me give you an email address, 31:27 if you would like to contact Pastor Edward St. Fleur, 31:31 you can contact him to come down on a mission trip, 31:34 maybe you can come down and help, 31:37 you know, you've got a construction background 31:39 and you can come help put a roof on this building 31:43 for the radio station, 31:45 or perhaps you know 31:47 something about alternative energy, 31:48 about solar powers, the panels and windmills, 31:52 you can contact him at E-S for his name Edward St. Fleur, 31:58 E-S la Tortue, which means the turtle, 32:02 E-S, la, 32:03 L-A-T-O-R-T-U-E@gmail.com. 32:10 And if the Lord's impressing you to support this ministry, 32:14 it is a non-profit organization 32:16 and I know that God wants to reach 32:20 the many people there in Haiti. 32:22 Thank you so much, Brother, for being here today 32:25 and thank you for the work that you're doing. 32:27 Praise the Lord, thank you for having me. 32:29 Yes. 32:31 There are many people around the world 32:33 who only receive their gospel through the radio, 32:37 as far reaching as 3ABN is and we like to accept the fact 32:42 that God has called us to reach the world, 32:44 there are many that only get their gospel through radio 32:47 and through private or personal radio stations. 32:50 So people like Edward St. Fleur 32:54 are doing a great work for the Lord, 32:56 getting the gospel out, 32:57 many times using content from 3ABN to do that 33:00 and so we're so happy to partner with them. 33:02 Up next, Conrad Vine and Marc Coleman. 33:05 We talked about niche ministries, 33:07 little ministries that target particular groups of people, 33:10 this is one, Shelley Quinn had a chance 33:11 to talk with these two men 33:13 who represent Adventist Frontier Mission, 33:16 they're building showers for refugees in Iran, 33:21 these are female refugees 33:23 and this is a very specific ministry. 33:25 This is a very interesting story. 33:30 Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn, we're coming to you 33:33 from the hall of the convention center 33:35 here at the 2015 quinquennial GC conference. 33:40 And today we have with us Conrad Vine 33:43 who is President of Adventist Frontier Missions, 33:46 we also have Marc Coleman 33:47 who is the International Field Director 33:50 for Adventist Frontier Missions. 33:52 And before we tell you of the wonderful work AFM is doing, 33:55 I just wanted to let you get to know these gentlemen 33:59 on an individual basis. 34:00 Conrad, thank you so much for being with us here today. 34:04 Please, just share with our viewers 34:06 a little of your fascinating history. 34:08 Well, it's a pleasure to be talking with you 34:10 this morning, Shelley. 34:11 I was raised in England, which explains my accent. 34:16 My father was a pastor. 34:18 I come from a family of seven pastors 34:20 and my twin brother is a pastor as well. 34:23 And God led me to serve with A.D.R.A. 34:26 for ten years in Central Asia 34:28 in places such as Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan, 34:32 it brought me a wonderful wife out in the former Soviet Union, 34:35 she was raised a communist. 34:37 When communism collapsed, 34:39 she gave her life to Jesus Christ. 34:42 And just a few years ago, her family were also baptized 34:45 into the Adventist faith. 34:46 And over the last ten years, 34:48 I've been serving as an ordained pastor 34:50 in Britain and Northern Minnesota, 34:52 and now I served with Adventist Frontier Missions. 34:55 And how long have you been with AFM? 34:58 I've been serving since 2011, so four years now. 35:02 All right, and you are president. 35:03 Well, we're very glad to have you here. 35:05 Thank you. 35:06 And Marc Coleman, tell us a little of your background. 35:09 Sure, my name, as you said Marc Coleman. 35:12 I grew up in a small town in Ohio. 35:15 I always wanted to do mission work, 35:17 just had a burden to be overseas, 35:20 to travel and to share the gospel, 35:23 something that I always wanted to do. 35:26 I'm a pastor by profession. 35:28 I've pastored in Virginia and in Pennsylvania. 35:32 But while pastoring... 35:33 actually was a Bible worker before I was a pastor, 35:36 I had an opportunity to meet refugees 35:39 where I was working door to door 35:41 actually in the city of Seattle, Washington, 35:43 and while there I was impressed 35:46 that I needed to become involved 35:47 in a more tangible way in their lives 35:50 and through prayer 35:51 and just a series of providential events 35:53 ended up in the mission field with my newly wed wife 35:58 working in refugee camps in Southeast Asia 36:01 at the end of the Indo-China war. 36:03 And we came back from five years there 36:06 and pastored for several years in the States 36:08 and ended up going back to the mission field 36:10 for ten years in West Africa. 36:12 So serving in the mission fields, 36:16 sharing the gospel is something 36:17 that's in our blood. 36:18 We have two daughters who grew up in West Africa 36:21 and just a privilege 36:22 to serve and support missionaries around the world. 36:24 Now you got your Ph.D. in missiology from... 36:28 From the school in South Africa 36:30 while we were serving in the mission field. 36:31 Praise the Lord. 36:33 So shuttled back and forth between West Africa 36:34 where we were serving in Guinea to South Africa. 36:37 Had the opportunity, kind of, 36:38 to wrestle through mission issues 36:40 while studying and actually serving in the field. 36:43 So it was really good experience. 36:44 Oh, wonderful. 36:45 We just wanted to get that little personal testimony to... 36:48 It helps us get a flavor of your ministry. 36:51 Now Adventist Frontier Missions 36:53 has an incredible refugee outreach, 36:56 please share what you're doing in Iran? 37:01 Well, thank you. 37:02 Last July, like you, I was watching the news 37:06 and the news of ISIS 37:07 conquering northern Syria and northern Iraq. 37:10 And there were pictures on our TV screens 37:12 of hundreds of thousands of Christians, Muslims, 37:16 in inner cities fleeing their homes. 37:18 And as I was watching the news, I just felt moved by God 37:21 that how can I stand by and do nothing 37:24 as God's children are suffering, 37:25 and those who bear the name of Christ 37:27 are losing everything for their faith. 37:29 So we prayed about it in AFM 37:31 and we spoke with the Middle-East Union 37:32 and with A.D.R.A. 37:34 and last August, I flew in with friends 37:36 to Erbil in northern Iraq, it's the capital of Kurdistan, 37:40 and we started meeting with refugees 37:43 and learning their needs. 37:45 We were only about 50 miles from the frontlines, 37:47 the situation was very tense. 37:50 We didn't know at nights 37:51 whether ISIS would drive down the roads 37:53 and knock at the hotel and kidnap us. 37:55 It's one of those trips where you... 37:58 I made sure my wife had a life insurance policy 38:00 before we left and I left two envelopes 38:02 for my children to be read when they were 18 years old, 38:06 if I were not to return from that trip. 38:08 But since then, by God's grace, 38:10 and with the support of many generous donors 38:12 including some of 3ABN's viewers, 38:15 we've been building shower, 38:17 and latrine blocks for women refugees 38:19 so that they can cater 38:21 for their personal hygiene needs 38:22 with privacy and in safety. 38:24 We build the blocks within the camps 38:27 so that the women do not have to leave the camps at nights 38:30 where they're in danger of being trafficked 38:33 or kidnapped or sold into sexual slavery. 38:36 And we've also been giving out many relief items 38:39 for the women and children. 38:40 And right now we have a missionary family 38:43 going through training and by God's grace 38:46 they will launch later this year 38:48 and they will be a long-term mission 38:49 presence in Kurdistan 38:51 and their job will be to work among the refugees 38:54 to share the good news of Jesus as the Prince of peace. 38:58 And what I've discovered out there is that 39:00 there are many people who... 39:01 Muslims who are hurting, 39:03 they're questioning their Muslim faith 39:05 and they're very open to Jesus as the Prince of peace. 39:08 And so beyond the relief work, 39:11 we're looking to have an ongoing missionary presence 39:14 to work with people to build trust, 39:16 to share the love of Jesus Christ 39:19 and to invite them to follow Jesus 39:21 as their Lord and Savior. 39:23 Conrad, in these camps, 39:25 now your camp is very close to Mosul. 39:28 I mean, it's... 39:30 Let's say the level of danger is exceedingly high there, 39:34 but in these camps, 39:36 what is the percentage of female versus male 39:40 and what is the percentage of Christians? 39:42 Those are very good questions. 39:43 As a general rule, 39:45 about 70 percent of the inhabitants of the camps 39:48 are women and children. 39:51 The men are either away fighting 39:53 or they were killed by ISIS. 39:55 And there are many, many women who have their household, 39:58 they have multiple children and no male relatives. 40:02 And within the camps, you have a basic split of, 40:05 some are mostly Sunni Muslim, 40:08 some camps are mostly Yazidis, 40:11 and some are Christians. 40:13 And maybe half of the refugees are Christians 40:16 and there were about 1.8 million refugees 40:19 came into Kurdistan last August, 40:21 and to put it into proportion, 40:24 there are 300 million people in the United States 40:26 and imagine if 350 million people 40:29 crossed from Mexico into United States 40:31 in a two week period, how would we house them? 40:33 How would we feed them? 40:35 How would we give them healthcare? 40:37 We met women who marched nine months pregnant 40:40 through the deserts, 40:42 they arrived in Erbil and on the streets gave birth, 40:46 but they held their babies with smiles, saying, we did it, 40:50 we survived, we made it through the crisis. 40:52 And so it's just a privilege to stand by families 40:55 who have lost everything for the name of Jesus Christ. 40:58 And to say that as a fellow Christian, 41:01 we're gonna stand by in your hour of need, 41:03 but we're also going to share 41:04 the good news of Jesus Christ with the Muslims 41:07 who are also in the camps as well. 41:09 And how receptive are they? 41:12 Actually, right now 41:14 the Spirit of God is being poured out 41:15 in a mighty way in the Muslim world. 41:18 And in Kurdistan in particular, 41:19 there are many Muslims who are open to the gospel 41:22 because they say that ISIS are salafists, 41:26 they're very strict form of Sunni Islam, 41:28 they're very conservative Muslims, 41:30 you might say. 41:32 And the people are saying, 41:33 well, if this is what strict Islam means 41:35 that you can go and behead people 41:37 and take their daughters into sexual slavery 41:40 and murder and rape at will, 41:42 then we want nothing to do with this. 41:44 And so right now while people are questioning 41:47 their Islamic heritage, 41:48 now is the time to have missionaries on the ground 41:50 sharing the good news of the soon returning Savior. 41:53 Now speaking of having missionaries on the ground, 41:56 Adventist Frontier Mission or AFM is also facilitating 42:03 what you might call a tentmaker ministry 42:05 as Paul the Apostle was a tentmaker 42:08 and out on the mission fields. 42:10 Tell us a little about your tentmaker mission. 42:14 Well, we're following the steps of the Apostle Paul 42:17 who viewed his professional skills 42:19 as an asset to ministry. 42:22 James, John, Peter, and Andrew, 42:24 they left their role as fishermen 42:26 and they left their profession behind to be disciples, 42:29 but the Apostle Paul, the greatest Apostle of all, 42:32 he uses professional skills 42:34 as an asset in the mission field. 42:35 So we have a tentmaker ministry in AFM 42:38 and we're trying to invite young professionals 42:41 or experienced professional to go to our website, 42:46 it's gotential, like potential but with a G. 42:48 Gotential.org. 42:49 Gotential, so potential with a G. 42:52 Gotential.org. 42:53 And there they can find 42:54 the biblical basis for tent making. 42:57 There are many websites there 42:58 where you can find 42:59 professional employments in the mission field 43:02 and we're encouraging people 43:04 to find professional employment, 43:05 maybe in Saudi Arabia, or China, 43:07 or Morocco, or Egypt to use your professional skills 43:11 and find a private employer. 43:13 There are thousands of jobs 43:14 going for English speaking professionals 43:16 in the mission field. 43:18 And when you've launched to the mission field, 43:20 you go there, not so much to be a professional there, 43:24 but you are using your professional skills 43:26 to give you a visa 43:27 and then you can plant a church, a house church 43:29 in which ever country or city you happen to be living in. 43:32 And even today there are churches in the Middle East, 43:35 I won't mention by name, 43:37 but there are churches in the Middle East 43:38 that were established by physicians and nurses 43:41 and physical therapists, thriving house churches 43:44 that were established by tent makers. 43:46 And so our tentmaker ministry is designed 43:50 so that nobody is AFM's employee, 43:53 there's no financial relationship with AFM, 43:55 we have a coaching and a training relationship 43:58 to encourage people. 43:59 We say, this is how you find work, 44:01 this is a check list of what you need to do 44:03 before you go, in terms of having 44:04 a well and supporting church and prayer partners, 44:08 and when you get to the field, 44:09 we can coach you in how to plant a church, 44:12 how to gain decisions for Jesus Christ, 44:15 how to lead an inductive Bible study, 44:17 common questions and answers you may have with Muslims 44:19 or with Hindus or with Buddhists. 44:21 And so this is a new ministry we've begun 44:24 and we just like to encourage all of your viewers, 44:26 if they have professional skills 44:28 and maybe they sense they've accomplished 44:30 all they want to in their home country 44:33 and they've reached a plateau in their career, 44:35 well, they sense God calling them 44:36 to be a tentmaker like the Apostle Paul, 44:38 to check out our website, gotential.org 44:41 and pray about launching as a tentmaker 44:43 to the 10/40 Mission window 44:45 and just seeing what God can do through each one of us 44:49 with our professional skills, it's a thrilling opportunity. 44:51 And I believe that the Lord has given AFM this vision 44:55 but I know He's got His call on many people here 44:59 who are hearing this message. 45:01 So if the Spirit of the Lord 45:02 is stirring your heart right now, 45:04 I encourage you to pray 45:05 and then go to the website gotential, 45:08 G-O-T-E-N-T-I-A-L.org and check this out 45:14 because God is not going to... 45:17 Christ isn't going to return 45:18 until all the people of the world 45:20 have been reached. 45:21 And this 10/40 Window, 45:23 there's still a number of people 45:25 who are looking for 45:27 and Muslims are actually looking 45:28 for the return of Christ, 45:30 they just haven't recognized him yet 45:32 as the Son of God, as the Prince of peace. 45:35 So I encourage you to do that. 45:37 Thank you, Conrad, for sharing. Thank you. 45:39 Now, Marc, you as the Director 45:42 of the International Field Activities 45:44 for Adventist Frontier Mission, 45:46 kind of give us an overview of what AFM is doing 45:51 in addition to this refugee outreach 45:54 and the tentmaker ministry? 45:55 Well, we have missionaries around the world 45:59 and our goal is to... 46:02 Our goal is to put people in places 46:04 where the church is not developed. 46:06 So we are there to plant the church, 46:09 to spread the gospel where Jesus is not known 46:12 or where the church is very small or not developed. 46:17 So what we're often doing is we're actually, 46:19 our missionaries are not only sharing the gospel 46:22 but they're having to work 46:23 without an infrastructure, without a support. 46:26 In Africa, we're planting churches 46:29 in many Muslim areas, 46:30 In Southeast Asia and South Asia 46:32 we're spreading the Gospel there 46:35 and seeing the beginnings of God 46:38 doing a movement in places 46:39 where there have never been a Christians before. 46:42 In Europe as well we are... 46:45 It's hard to imagine that Europe is a big mission field, 46:48 but in Europe we are seeing people come to Christ 46:53 as a result of our missionaries' work. 46:54 So we work in many places around the world. 46:58 One thing that we're seeing and as we talk about the, 47:02 you know, as we approach the end of time 47:03 as we see the great controversy coming to an end, 47:06 our missionaries are often working 47:07 in very challenging circumstances, 47:11 they face a number of challenges 47:15 that threaten, we can say, 47:18 threaten their work or impede their work, 47:19 but if handled in faith and prayer, 47:24 we also see that those become powerful opportunities 47:27 to gain credibility 47:29 and to even win people to Christ. 47:30 Right, now tell me a little bit about the... 47:33 as far as your language abilities, 47:37 does someone need to be multilingual, 47:39 I know you are multilingual, speaking several languages 47:42 to become a missionary in these areas, 47:45 are you looking for people who are multilingual 47:47 or what are the requirements? 47:49 We're looking for people who are first willing. 47:51 Obviously being multilingual or bilingual helps, 47:55 but AFM does give training in how to learn a language, 47:58 but most of all we could depend on the Holy Spirit 48:01 to guide us and to help us to learn a language. 48:03 So when I went as a missionary, I only spoke one language, 48:07 but God gives us the ability in the field to learn 48:10 and there may be different levels of proficiency 48:12 in learning a language, 48:13 but it is definitely something that can be learned. 48:16 And a lot of people have gifts that they don't know of. 48:19 So no, you don't have to be multilingual to be a missionary 48:22 and many people will become multilingual in their service. 48:25 Amen. 48:26 How many different churches are being planted? 48:29 Do you have a number? 48:31 We haven't kept numbers, 48:33 but I think 60-70 churches over the last several years 48:38 we've seen planted as a result of the work of AFM. 48:41 And again, I have to say that these are sometimes churches 48:44 that are working in a setting 48:47 where there is not a neighboring church 48:49 three hours away or five hours away. 48:51 These may be isolated churches. 48:53 So our missionaries often stay longer 48:55 then you'd normally expect 48:58 because they have to build up a support structure 49:00 so that the work doesn't die when they leave. 49:03 And then if I were say a... If I... 49:06 My husband and I were young and wanted to... 49:09 Felt the call of God 49:11 to do something more meaningful with our life, 49:13 if we were to come into this remote area, 49:17 does AFM help with Bible study materials? 49:20 What kind of support does AFM give the missionaries? 49:24 Very good question. 49:25 First, before missionaries leave, 49:28 they are trained and given skills 49:31 to live in an environment, to study the environment, 49:34 to study the language, to integrate with the people, 49:37 so they don't feel like total strangers when they go. 49:41 Then all during their service AFM has Field Directors 49:45 that visit them regularly, stay in contact with them 49:49 through electronic communication, 49:50 if such is available or other means of communication 49:53 and every one of their needs that we can humanly support, 49:57 we do our best to do to support. 49:59 So even though they may be in an area 50:01 where there's no church support, 50:02 they still have AFM's support. 50:04 They do. They do. Praise the Lord. 50:05 And I know, I just believe with my heart, 50:08 someone God is tugging at the heart strings 50:11 of many people to do this. 50:13 One question that I didn't ask you, Conrad, 50:16 that I do want to ask is in the refugee camps, 50:20 do you have an idea 50:22 of the populous of this refugee camp 50:24 that's just 50 miles out of Mosul? 50:27 Yes, well, the total refugee population 50:29 is almost 1.8 million in Kurdistan. 50:32 And some of the camps are run by the United Nations, 50:36 they have maybe 30 or 40,000 people in them, 50:40 but only a third of the refugees 50:41 are in formal refugee camps. 50:43 The rest of them are living 50:45 in unfinished construction sites, 50:47 waste and dumps. They're living in schools, 50:50 you go to churches 50:52 and you may have three families living 50:54 on every pew in the church. 50:56 And so the refugee camps vary in size 50:58 from 2 or 3 hundreds to 40 or 50 thousand, 51:01 the largest camps. 51:03 And some of the refugee camps 51:05 are very close to the frontlines. 51:07 And some of them are slightly further away. 51:10 But in Kurdistan, 51:12 no refugee is more than a couple of hours drive 51:14 from ISIS and to hear their stories of suffering, 51:20 to listen to an Iraqi women, a Christian lady 51:23 sharing her how on her way out of Mosul, 51:26 the ISIS fighters took her watch, her rings, 51:31 her belt, her shoes, anything of value, 51:33 and they would also take their young daughters. 51:36 And the mother knows 51:38 what those girls are going through now. 51:40 And to hear the ladies 51:42 just expressing their pain and anguish, 51:44 I understood for the first time 51:46 why in the book of Job it's said that 51:47 when Job's friends came to see him, 51:49 he saw the death and the suffering 51:51 and they were silent for seven days. 51:53 In the face of such evil, we can only be silent. 51:56 But Jesus also said in Beatitudes that, 51:59 after the final Beatitude he said, 52:00 "Blessed are you when men persecute you." 52:03 And the next teaching was, 52:04 "You shall be the light of the world." 52:06 So it's in the midst of evil 52:07 that God is causing and calling us 52:09 to Seventh-day Adventists 52:10 to stand up and say there is good, 52:12 there is a loving heavenly Father, 52:14 there is hope because 52:15 there is a soon returning Savior, 52:17 and that is why we serve in places such as Kurdistan. 52:19 Amen. 52:21 Well, this has been so exciting for me to learn about 52:24 the refugee outreach we have. 52:25 That's new for me. 52:27 And I believe so much, I want to thank you both, 52:31 Marc and Conrad, for being here today. 52:34 But I believe, just as the Lord is moving on my heart, 52:37 He is moving on your heart at home. 52:39 And if you feel that you would like to support AFM, 52:44 Adventist Frontier Mission, 52:45 you may go to AFMonline.org, is that correct? 52:51 There's no hyphen? No. 52:52 Just AFMonline.org 52:57 and you can support this refugee ministry 52:59 and you can support... 53:01 Maybe God's calling you to be like Paul and be a tentmaker, 53:04 take your profession and use that to get the visa 53:09 and start a church in one of these countries 53:12 in the 10/40 window, 53:13 or maybe you would like to be a missionary 53:16 as Marc was telling us. 53:17 I know that time is short. 53:19 I believe with all of my heart that God wants to reach 53:23 the Muslim people as well as there are so many 53:27 who have a sincere heart for God. 53:29 So God is looking for people who are willing to sacrifice, 53:34 maybe a little of their comfort, 53:36 step outside of the box, 53:38 be led by the Holy Spirit 53:40 and I just want to encourage you 53:42 to go to AFMonline.org. 53:46 Thank you so much for joining us, 53:49 and we'll have more 53:50 straight from San Antonio for you soon to see. 53:54 Thank you. God bless. 53:57 Thank you. |
Revised 2016-01-21