I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Removing pain,
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Lord, let my words
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Heal a heart that hurts
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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Hello, and
welcome to 3ABN Today.
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My name is CA Murray,
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and allow me once
again to thank you
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for sharing
just a little of your
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no doubt busy day with us.
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So thank you once again
for your love, your prayers,
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your support of this ministry
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for assisting us in
doing what we're called to do.
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And that's take the
gospel around the world
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to every man, woman,
boy and girl, so thank you.
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I'm very excited
about today's program,
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because I'm in
the presence of people
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that are automatically
honored, because they can do,
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and are doing what
I've never been able to do.
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And they are doing it
well, and they are doing it
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in the power of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
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We're gonna talk
about literature ministry,
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we're gonna talk about...
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what they used to call
back in the day colporteuring
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which is now
literature evangelism,
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which is really a
much more apt term,
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because that's what
these men and women are,
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they are literature evangelist.
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I tried it when
I was in college,
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and was a apocalyptic failure.
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So when I hear about
the stories that they have,
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it gives me hope,
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because God gives
each of us ministries,
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and this one was not
mine, but it is theirs,
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and are doing it well.
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And they've got great stories,
great, great stories to tell us
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about how God is
blessing their ministry
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and changing lives,
changing not only their lives,
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but changing the lives of those
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that they share
the literature with,
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and many, many people
have been brought to the Lord.
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Before we go to our music,
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I want to introduce them to you.
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Kamil Metz is the
literature ministries,
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director for the
Michigan Conference.
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Kamil, good to
have you here man.
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It's good to be here.
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He comes from a long way.
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We're gonna mine that
story in just a little bit.
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But the accent
may bespeak the fact
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that he wasn't born in Michigan.
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But he is living in Michigan now
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and working in
Michigan Conference.
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And then someone whose
family I actually know.
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This is Michelle Odinma.
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I think I married
your uncle and aunt.
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Oh, wow.
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In fact, I'm almost sure
that I performed their wedding,
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one of them is back in the...
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it is '80's or '90's,
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they've been married
a little while, yeah.
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When I saw the name
Odinma, I know your uncle Piyus,
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we used to call him Chikay.
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Okay.
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And I know your dad. Yes.
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So I know the family
when I saw the name Odinma,
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I said, "I got to know them."
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They are from
originally Ghana? No, Nigeria.
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Nigeria, Ghana, I
know it was one of the two.
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And I pastored that family
back at the Ephesus Church
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in Manhattan for
many, many years.
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So it's good to have you
here, it's like old home week.
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Thank you.
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And then Daniel Punyo.
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David Punyo.
David, I said Daniel.
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David Punyo.
Yes, that's correct.
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Forgive me, David.
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We've actually met before, I
know you've been here before,
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I've seen the face before.
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So you're all involved
in literature ministry.
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You are the head guy,
David is your assistant,
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and Michelle is
part-time literature minister,
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and part-time
singer, songwriter.
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Teacher. And part-time teacher.
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And in your spare time,
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walk on water or
something like that.
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Exactly, exactly.
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That's not a thing.
Good to have you guys here.
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And, Kamil, I
want to start with you,
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because you are the...
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How long have
you been the director
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of literature
ministries in Michigan?
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I've working for the
Michigan Conference, 13 years.
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Ah, been there while.
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Excellent.
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Where you're from originally?
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Well, I was born and raised
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in the communist Czechoslovakia,
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in a home of a communist father,
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and a mother who
became an Adventist,
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when I was a little boy.
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Ah, I was gonna ask you.
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So you grew up in a
semi Adventist home,
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because you have Adventist
mom, non-Adventist dad.
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Was there are a lot of conflict,
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or did your dad allow your mom
to kind of practice her faith?
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Religion was not
allowed in the home.
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But my mother was very
strong, she was on fire for God.
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And even though
religion was not allowed,
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we had morning
and evening worships.
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Wow.
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So if you can imagine,
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we're living in
an apartment complex,
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and we just knew when
dad would be coming home.
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And when we hear
the elevator stop,
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we quickly prayed,
put the books away,
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hid them behind the clothes,
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and then we
would welcome our dad.
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Bless you heart.
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How did your mother find
out about the Adventist church?
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What's interesting is when
my oldest brother was born,
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there was an
argument about my brother
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being baptized as a
baby in the Catholic church,
00:05:08.90\00:05:11.54
because my father was
raised in the Catholic church.
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And so there was an argument,
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and at the end, my
dad actually left her,
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like he was gone
for couple of weeks.
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So she went on a walk,
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and she was walking
around mile away from our house.
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There was a lady who
stopped her and said,
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"How you're doing?"
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And said, "I'm doing fine."
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And the lady said,
"Why don't you come in,
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let's talk."
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And they began to talk,
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and she began
to share her faith,
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the Adventist faith.
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She shared the
Sabbath message with her,
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and my mom saw it right away,
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she says, this is
biblical, and that's how
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she was introduced to
the Adventist message.
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So in
Czechoslovakia, in those days,
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religion was not totally banned,
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there was some, you know,
some religion that was allowed.
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Yeah, in the '50's of course,
the churches were closed,
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they were sealed, the
property was taken away.
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In the '70's, '80's
it became more tolerant.
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So we were able to go to church,
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but we were required to
go to school on Saturday,
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you know, so we have to
work through that as well.
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Wow.
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Did your dad ever
become a believer or not?
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He... there was a short time
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when he began to
attend the church,
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like he was very
convicted by the message.
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And, you know,
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he was never
asked to be baptized.
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And so after six months,
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he began to drink again
and walk away from the church.
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Wow, wow. He's not pretending.
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But your mom stayed faithful?
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Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
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She's been winning soul.
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She's been
bringing people to church.
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Praise the God. She's
still on fire for God.
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Oh, praise the Lord.
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Is she here in
States or in Czechoslovakia?
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No, she lives in
the Czech Republic now.
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The Czech
Republic, yes, yes, yes.
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And you have one brother?
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I have two
brothers and four sisters.
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Oh, wow.
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Now where are you in that line?
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I'm number five.
Yup. Number five.
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Ah, down to the back end. Yeah.
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Are the rest of your siblings
in the church, in the message?
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Excellent, excellent.
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In fact, six of us have
done literature evangelism,
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out of seven.
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So that's kind of in the DNA.
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All right, so obviously
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you came from
Czech Republic to here.
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When did you leave...
European comes to the States.
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Came in May of 1997.
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I came with the goal
of studying English here.
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I want to go back home
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and study
International business, okay.
00:07:23.74\00:07:25.74
So I began to study English,
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I had a roommate, he was asking,
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"So what do you
want to do in your life?"
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I told him,
"Business, study business."
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And he began to ask
questions, like really,
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"We're living in the last days,
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that's what you
want to invest in."
00:07:36.82\00:07:38.42
And I began to pray,
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"So Lord, what is it
really that you want me to do?"
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Till then, it was
my plans for my life.
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Yeah, your agenda.
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And then it's like,
"God, what you want me to do?"
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And it was
couple of months later,
00:07:48.56\00:07:49.90
I began to
canvas with the group,
00:07:49.93\00:07:51.60
with the
school, training school,
00:07:51.63\00:07:53.60
and I have done ever since.
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Well, praise the
Lord. Praise God.
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Okay, excellent.
00:07:58.54\00:07:59.87
Michelle, I want to come to you,
00:07:59.91\00:08:01.31
because before we go
into that actual ministries,
00:08:01.34\00:08:02.84
just get a little history.
00:08:02.88\00:08:04.55
Adventist home growing up?
00:08:04.58\00:08:06.01
Yes.
00:08:06.05\00:08:07.48
I grew up with my mother,
00:08:07.55\00:08:09.22
and my mom
always instilled in us
00:08:09.25\00:08:13.92
that church and
spirituality was first.
00:08:13.99\00:08:17.29
And so she made
sure we were there,
00:08:17.36\00:08:19.29
we were involved,
pathfinders all of those things
00:08:19.33\00:08:21.53
and so I was
raised in Adventist home.
00:08:21.56\00:08:23.40
Okay.
00:08:23.47\00:08:24.80
Now it is one thing to
do the Adventist thing,
00:08:24.83\00:08:27.74
it is another
thing to know Jesus.
00:08:27.77\00:08:29.17
Right.
00:08:29.20\00:08:30.54
When did being
raised in an Adventist home
00:08:30.61\00:08:32.24
translate into personal
relationship with Christ?
00:08:32.27\00:08:34.71
Well, I had always
been a very spiritual kid,
00:08:34.74\00:08:38.18
someone very interested
in religion and faith.
00:08:38.21\00:08:41.25
And so I was baptized initially
when I was twelve at a seminar
00:08:41.28\00:08:46.32
at a evangelistic meeting
in Grand Rapids, Michigan,
00:08:46.35\00:08:49.89
put on by David Asscherick
00:08:49.92\00:08:51.36
in Mission
College of Evangelism.
00:08:51.39\00:08:52.73
Okay.
00:08:52.76\00:08:54.10
And later as I grew,
I went to public school,
00:08:54.10\00:08:56.93
and I had a lot of
different people around me
00:08:56.97\00:09:01.84
that influences,
00:09:01.87\00:09:03.54
and so I kind of steered away
from my initial convictions.
00:09:03.57\00:09:06.91
In the wilderness
time, that's what we call it.
00:09:06.94\00:09:08.74
Exactly. Exactly.
00:09:08.78\00:09:10.11
Yeah, yeah,
little wilderness years.
00:09:10.18\00:09:11.51
So it wasn't until college
at Michigan State University,
00:09:11.55\00:09:15.82
the student group there,
00:09:15.85\00:09:17.32
they kind of ran after
me and chased after me.
00:09:17.35\00:09:20.29
That wasn't until my...
00:09:20.32\00:09:21.79
towards the end of
my first year of college
00:09:21.82\00:09:24.59
that I decided to
come back to the Lord.
00:09:24.63\00:09:27.46
This was an
Adventist student group?
00:09:27.50\00:09:30.77
Adventist student
group in the public campus.
00:09:30.80\00:09:32.90
So it touched once
again in your heart.
00:09:32.93\00:09:34.27
Yes. They did. Okay.
00:09:34.30\00:09:35.70
And through a series of events,
00:09:35.74\00:09:37.91
the Lord had
actually been preparing me
00:09:37.94\00:09:40.28
prior to them
reaching out to me.
00:09:40.31\00:09:41.88
I was thinking a lot
more about the end times,
00:09:41.91\00:09:45.51
things that I knew I
was having different dreams.
00:09:45.55\00:09:48.85
And it was, it was making
me think about the future.
00:09:48.88\00:09:53.79
And I went to GYC in 2006.
00:09:53.86\00:09:57.33
And I... they made a call,
and I heard them preaching.
00:09:57.36\00:10:01.30
And I thought, you know,
00:10:01.33\00:10:03.20
I can't waste my life, I
need to do something today.
00:10:03.23\00:10:07.00
And so I went back to my campus,
00:10:07.04\00:10:08.94
and I decided to
become more involved.
00:10:08.97\00:10:10.77
But I still hadn't fully
committed to being 100 percent.
00:10:10.81\00:10:15.94
And so what happened
was the students there,
00:10:15.98\00:10:18.95
they asked me, and they said,
hey Michelle, we think that
00:10:18.98\00:10:22.35
you could teach a
Bible study in your dorm.
00:10:22.38\00:10:25.59
And I said...
00:10:25.62\00:10:27.36
That's kind of putting,
tossing you in the deep end.
00:10:27.42\00:10:28.89
Yeah, they just
threw me right in there.
00:10:28.92\00:10:31.19
And I said, you know
what, let me think about it.
00:10:31.23\00:10:34.50
And I went, I thought
about it and I prayed,
00:10:34.56\00:10:36.70
because I knew that
if I decided to do that.
00:10:36.73\00:10:39.10
I had to be, all
the way, all or nothing.
00:10:39.13\00:10:41.40
Oh, yeah.
00:10:41.44\00:10:42.77
And hypocrisy was a thing
00:10:42.80\00:10:44.14
that I had seen
a lot in my life.
00:10:44.17\00:10:45.57
And I didn't want to be someone
who continue that pattern.
00:10:45.61\00:10:48.34
And so I
decided, okay, I'll do it.
00:10:48.38\00:10:51.58
So I started a weekly
Bible study in my dorm room.
00:10:51.61\00:10:54.88
And every week,
00:10:54.92\00:10:56.82
I would invite
people and share with them.
00:10:56.85\00:10:59.52
And through that process,
00:10:59.55\00:11:00.96
the Lord was
teaching me about my faith.
00:11:00.99\00:11:02.62
Yeah, one of the best
ways to strength your own faith
00:11:02.66\00:11:04.23
is to try to help someone
else or teach someone else,
00:11:04.26\00:11:06.80
because you find
that there is this
00:11:06.83\00:11:08.13
reciprocity kind of
bounces right back to you,
00:11:08.16\00:11:10.47
and makes you
stronger in the Lord.
00:11:10.53\00:11:11.87
Exactly. Good deal.
00:11:11.90\00:11:13.23
Exactly.
00:11:13.27\00:11:14.60
David? Yes.
00:11:14.64\00:11:15.97
Who I called Daniel. All right.
00:11:16.00\00:11:17.71
But you are David.
00:11:17.74\00:11:19.07
You're from? I'm from Bolivia.
00:11:19.11\00:11:20.84
From Bolivia originally? Yes.
00:11:20.88\00:11:22.21
Adventist home growing up? Yes.
00:11:22.24\00:11:24.15
My dad
actually, he was a pastor,
00:11:24.21\00:11:26.92
he left the church and...
00:11:26.98\00:11:28.68
Well, he is in the
process of coming back right now
00:11:28.72\00:11:30.45
by God's grace.
00:11:30.49\00:11:31.82
Oh, praise the Lord. My
grandfather was a pastor.
00:11:31.85\00:11:33.82
So I was raised in this
pastor's kids environment.
00:11:33.86\00:11:38.19
Yes.
00:11:38.23\00:11:39.56
What happening is like,
00:11:39.59\00:11:41.36
that fact that you were
born in an Adventist church,
00:11:41.40\00:11:43.23
it doesn't mean
that you'll automatically
00:11:43.30\00:11:44.77
know Jesus personally.
00:11:44.80\00:11:46.13
Very true, very true.
00:11:46.17\00:11:47.77
It took me a while
until I was 26 years old,
00:11:47.80\00:11:51.77
that's when I
personally met Jesus
00:11:51.81\00:11:53.84
for the first time in my life.
00:11:53.91\00:11:56.21
Two years later, I
was joined in a school,
00:11:56.24\00:11:58.45
and I know that God wanted
me to be trained to serve Him,
00:11:58.48\00:12:02.82
but I didn't know which area.
00:12:02.85\00:12:04.85
And that's when I got a call,
00:12:04.89\00:12:07.16
and I was ready to go to school,
00:12:07.19\00:12:08.72
and I called to that people
in charge and I asked them.
00:12:08.76\00:12:12.86
What do I need to do in
order to join that school,
00:12:12.89\00:12:14.96
and they send me to
canvas or colporteur ministry
00:12:15.00\00:12:18.03
or literature evangelism.
00:12:18.07\00:12:20.04
And that was a quite experience,
00:12:20.10\00:12:22.37
I didn't know that
my training was going
00:12:22.40\00:12:27.04
to be main and focused
in literature ministry,
00:12:27.08\00:12:29.88
because that's... I mean
00:12:29.91\00:12:31.25
the best experiences that I have
00:12:31.28\00:12:33.92
and the best stories
that I have in my life
00:12:33.98\00:12:35.75
seeing God working,
00:12:35.78\00:12:37.15
it has been in
literature ministry.
00:12:37.19\00:12:38.52
Praise God. Praise God.
00:12:38.55\00:12:40.32
Growing up in an Adventist home,
00:12:40.36\00:12:41.69
being a pastor's child,
00:12:41.72\00:12:43.06
pastor's child
of a pastor's child.
00:12:43.09\00:12:45.23
Did you always kind
of stay with the Lord
00:12:45.26\00:12:47.23
or did you have your
own set of wilderness years,
00:12:47.30\00:12:49.53
were you always kind of with him
00:12:49.56\00:12:50.90
or did you wandered little bit?
00:12:50.93\00:12:53.20
What I can say is, I
always went to church.
00:12:53.27\00:12:56.27
But my heart was all the way...
00:12:56.30\00:12:58.57
I live my life from...
00:12:58.61\00:13:01.11
you say like six
days a week in the world,
00:13:01.14\00:13:04.88
deep into the world,
00:13:04.91\00:13:06.25
but one day I will go to church.
00:13:06.28\00:13:08.95
So it was in a double
life experience you can say.
00:13:08.98\00:13:13.76
That's when until I met
Jesus for the first time.
00:13:13.79\00:13:16.59
I mean the Bible became
a different book for me,
00:13:16.62\00:13:19.13
I was hungry for it.
00:13:19.16\00:13:20.96
And I did want to
know more about Jesus
00:13:20.96\00:13:23.26
something that
transformed me as...
00:13:23.33\00:13:25.47
young people that was committed.
00:13:25.50\00:13:27.24
Young people was committed.
00:13:27.30\00:13:29.44
Shook my worldview basically,
and I decided to join them.
00:13:29.47\00:13:33.34
Praise the Lord.
00:13:33.38\00:13:34.71
And that led me to
literature ministry actually.
00:13:34.74\00:13:36.08
Praise the Lord.
00:13:36.11\00:13:37.45
You know I'm
listening to all of your stories
00:13:37.48\00:13:38.81
and when you meet people,
00:13:38.85\00:13:40.88
you tend to put
them in an age bracket.
00:13:40.92\00:13:44.09
I've got to push
everybody's ages up,
00:13:44.15\00:13:45.62
because I'm
listening to your stories.
00:13:45.65\00:13:47.32
I figure, you guys all
are older than you look.
00:13:47.36\00:13:50.73
So it occurs to me
00:13:50.79\00:13:52.83
that selling
literature keeps you young.
00:13:52.86\00:13:55.23
You know it does
something to your skin,
00:13:55.26\00:13:57.70
and something going on
here that, that I miss,
00:13:57.73\00:14:00.47
I need to go out
and sell some books,
00:14:00.54\00:14:02.44
because in
listening to your histories,
00:14:02.47\00:14:05.91
they belie your years.
00:14:05.94\00:14:07.94
So you're all
older than you look.
00:14:07.98\00:14:10.85
So that means that
00:14:10.88\00:14:12.68
sharing of
literature keeps you young,
00:14:12.71\00:14:14.75
it's like the fountain of youth.
00:14:14.78\00:14:16.42
So if there's anybody out there
00:14:16.45\00:14:18.12
and your start
to see some wrinkles
00:14:18.15\00:14:19.89
that you don't like.
00:14:19.92\00:14:21.32
Share some literature
and you look like these guys,
00:14:21.36\00:14:24.13
because these guys look great.
00:14:24.16\00:14:27.00
And I'm really happy about that.
00:14:27.03\00:14:28.53
I want to go to our music.
00:14:28.56\00:14:29.90
Then I want to lock
down on the minister
00:14:29.93\00:14:31.40
because you've got
some great stories.
00:14:31.43\00:14:33.50
And God is really
blessing the work.
00:14:33.54\00:14:35.60
Our music ministry today comes
from our good friend ET Everett
00:14:35.64\00:14:39.74
who is in charge of
our sound center here
00:14:39.77\00:14:42.18
on the campus here at 3ABN.
00:14:42.21\00:14:44.11
Wonderful person,
wonderful producer.
00:14:44.15\00:14:46.28
She produced my CD and
just about everybody here,
00:14:46.31\00:14:48.98
she's had a hand
in doing their work.
00:14:49.02\00:14:51.49
But she's also a great pianist.
00:14:51.52\00:14:53.32
And she's going to be
playing 'Jesus loves me'.
00:14:53.36\00:14:56.39
Well, that is ET Everett, a
good friend of this ministry.
00:17:36.69\00:17:39.12
We've got Kamil
Metz, David Punyo,
00:17:39.15\00:17:41.72
and the lady Michelle Odinma.
00:17:41.76\00:17:44.89
And we're talking
about youth ministry.
00:17:44.93\00:17:46.39
I want to get to you, Kamil,
00:17:46.43\00:17:47.76
'cause you're kind
of the head guy here.
00:17:47.76\00:17:49.30
How long has the
Michigan conference
00:17:49.33\00:17:52.30
had this focus on
youth literature evangelism,
00:17:52.33\00:17:54.84
you know per se,
00:17:54.87\00:17:56.20
because growing up in
Northeastern Conference
00:17:56.24\00:17:58.07
in New York we had
literature evangelism.
00:17:58.11\00:17:59.61
But there was no particular
focus on youth LE work.
00:17:59.64\00:18:03.88
And how long has Michigan
Conference been doing that?
00:18:03.91\00:18:06.11
Yeah, it's interesting,
because we are talking about
00:18:06.15\00:18:08.08
the maga book ministry.
00:18:08.12\00:18:10.05
And that really
started in Michigan.
00:18:10.12\00:18:11.45
Yeah.
00:18:11.49\00:18:12.82
The conference
president, Glenn Aufderhar,
00:18:12.85\00:18:14.86
he was reading a
quote from Ellen White
00:18:14.89\00:18:17.66
where she talks
about how she has written
00:18:17.69\00:18:19.69
Christ's Object
Lessons, that book,
00:18:19.73\00:18:21.60
specifically for young
people to earn money for school.
00:18:21.63\00:18:24.63
So he was reading that quote,
00:18:24.67\00:18:26.27
and then he
walked down to the ABC,
00:18:26.30\00:18:28.30
talk to the manager about it.
00:18:28.34\00:18:30.01
Like what can we do
to have our young people
00:18:30.04\00:18:33.11
start earning money
for school using that book.
00:18:33.14\00:18:35.64
He says, "Well, Dick
Thomas happens to be here.
00:18:35.68\00:18:39.08
He works at the
Review and Herald,
00:18:39.11\00:18:40.45
he's visiting his
brother here today.
00:18:40.52\00:18:41.95
You should talk
to him about it."
00:18:41.98\00:18:43.39
So he walked
over to Dick Thomas,
00:18:43.42\00:18:44.85
read the quote to him,
and then he looked at it,
00:18:44.89\00:18:47.19
and he says, "What are
you gonna do about it?"
00:18:47.26\00:18:50.13
And few months later,
00:18:50.16\00:18:52.46
Dick Thomas came up
with the first maga book.
00:18:52.49\00:18:54.96
And now maga book
is not spelled M-E-G-A,
00:18:55.00\00:18:57.93
its spelled
M-A-G-A, because back...
00:18:57.97\00:19:01.27
before they were
selling magazines.
00:19:01.30\00:19:03.64
Now they would use a
book that is a magazine size,
00:19:03.67\00:19:06.74
so maga book.
00:19:06.81\00:19:08.94
And of course we have the
very first maga book here.
00:19:08.98\00:19:12.65
I did not know I
had this in my library.
00:19:12.68\00:19:15.32
I didn't know this
was the very first one.
00:19:15.35\00:19:17.52
But it is a book
that is magazine size.
00:19:17.55\00:19:20.82
So it is a maga book.
00:19:20.89\00:19:22.49
And this book
was printed in 1987.
00:19:22.52\00:19:26.73
Jesus Taught Love,
or rather He Taught Love
00:19:26.76\00:19:28.90
and Jesus Lessons for Living.
00:19:28.93\00:19:31.43
So this was the
very first maga book.
00:19:31.47\00:19:33.17
And, of course, there's been
many, many, many since then.
00:19:33.20\00:19:35.64
So the ministry
came out of some work
00:19:35.67\00:19:37.41
by the late Glenn Aufderhar,
someone I knew very, very well.
00:19:37.44\00:19:41.71
And started, I
did not know it began
00:19:41.74\00:19:43.35
in the Michigan Conference.
00:19:43.38\00:19:44.95
Yeah, and of
course, now it's spread
00:19:44.98\00:19:46.31
across the division.
00:19:46.35\00:19:48.18
Yeah, God knows the timing,
00:19:48.22\00:19:49.85
there was a
school, Edenvin school.
00:19:49.88\00:19:52.39
And they had it,
it was a small school,
00:19:52.42\00:19:55.46
and they were
like $30,000 in debt.
00:19:55.49\00:19:58.33
So they were talking
about closing the school.
00:19:58.36\00:20:00.43
And then, Dick Thomas
was... he grew up in that area.
00:20:00.50\00:20:03.73
And so even though he
lived in Maryland now.
00:20:03.77\00:20:06.63
He came back, he
brought some people
00:20:06.70\00:20:08.24
from the
conference and community.
00:20:08.27\00:20:10.17
And they used this book
00:20:10.21\00:20:12.17
to basically
get rid of the debt.
00:20:12.21\00:20:15.21
Wow.
00:20:15.24\00:20:16.58
And in ten days
they raised $30,000.
00:20:16.61\00:20:19.68
There is a term
that we used to use
00:20:19.71\00:20:21.85
during my aborted
attempt at LE work.
00:20:21.88\00:20:24.62
Big books.
00:20:24.65\00:20:26.29
Define what is the difference
00:20:26.32\00:20:27.66
between big
books and maga books?
00:20:27.69\00:20:29.59
Okay, so we talked about
the magazine size maga book,
00:20:29.62\00:20:32.49
that's a maga book.
00:20:32.53\00:20:34.36
But prior to that
of course or even now
00:20:34.36\00:20:36.23
we're using also
the hardcover books.
00:20:36.26\00:20:37.63
Right.
00:20:37.67\00:20:39.00
Like the Conflict
of the Ages series,
00:20:39.03\00:20:40.37
and bedtime
stories, Bible stories.
00:20:40.40\00:20:43.27
Those are hardcover
books, we call them big books.
00:20:43.34\00:20:45.81
Big books, okay.
00:20:45.84\00:20:47.54
Maga books tend to sell
00:20:47.58\00:20:49.71
better than big
books, is that not true?
00:20:49.74\00:20:51.75
Well, it's cheaper.
00:20:51.78\00:20:53.78
People give a
donation of around $10.
00:20:53.85\00:20:56.92
While the hardcover set may be
00:20:56.95\00:20:58.55
two, three,
four hundred dollars.
00:20:58.59\00:21:01.96
In the Michigan
conference do you have
00:21:01.99\00:21:03.53
a large number of young people
that are part-time, full-time?
00:21:03.56\00:21:06.39
How does that work?
00:21:06.43\00:21:07.76
Well each summer we have
our 90 young people to do this.
00:21:07.76\00:21:10.73
And so like for
example last two summers...
00:21:10.77\00:21:12.57
What's great
about this program is
00:21:12.60\00:21:15.34
the conference
gives my department money,
00:21:15.37\00:21:18.87
we hire young people, and
they earn their own money.
00:21:18.91\00:21:22.48
Okay, so you could,
what you could do is,
00:21:22.51\00:21:23.95
you could give
them just scholarships
00:21:24.01\00:21:25.35
and they can go to school.
00:21:25.38\00:21:26.72
Michigan
believes that young people
00:21:26.75\00:21:28.32
can earn their own money.
00:21:28.35\00:21:29.72
Last two summers
00:21:29.75\00:21:31.65
they raised for the
education over $500,000.
00:21:31.69\00:21:36.69
So it's a great, great thing.
00:21:36.73\00:21:38.46
Now, David, you
are the associate.
00:21:38.49\00:21:42.13
What are your
specific responsibilities?
00:21:42.16\00:21:45.13
I'm actually working
with the literature department
00:21:45.17\00:21:47.60
in Michigan Conference
00:21:47.64\00:21:49.20
which involves
different ministries
00:21:49.24\00:21:51.44
and part of that
is glow ministries
00:21:51.47\00:21:54.04
which is small pamphlet,
so we passed out in the area.
00:21:54.11\00:21:57.58
But also literature
ministries and maga books
00:21:57.61\00:22:00.32
sort of canvassing
what, that's what it's called.
00:22:00.35\00:22:02.65
And this is beautiful,
00:22:02.68\00:22:04.22
because I actually
started working with him
00:22:04.29\00:22:07.76
as the leader in
the canvassing programs.
00:22:07.79\00:22:11.16
Last year I worked in,
in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
00:22:11.19\00:22:13.80
Yes.
00:22:13.83\00:22:15.13
So I'm doing part of everything
00:22:15.16\00:22:16.73
about literature
ministry with young people.
00:22:16.77\00:22:19.77
Praise the Lord.
You know I didn't ask.
00:22:19.80\00:22:22.07
Kamil, are you married?
00:22:22.10\00:22:23.47
I'm married, yes. Children?
00:22:23.51\00:22:24.91
One wife, two children.
One wife, two children.
00:22:24.94\00:22:27.04
That's the way to do it,
00:22:27.08\00:22:29.11
better than the
other way around.
00:22:29.14\00:22:31.38
David married? No.
00:22:31.41\00:22:32.78
No. Michelle? No.
00:22:32.81\00:22:36.08
Okay.
00:22:36.12\00:22:37.59
We've got two good
looking LEs on the block.
00:22:37.62\00:22:39.49
Praise the Lord.
00:22:39.52\00:22:42.19
Just keep that in mind.
00:22:42.22\00:22:43.59
Okay. Let's move on.
00:22:43.63\00:22:46.13
So you've been, you've
been working since 1997?
00:22:46.16\00:22:50.30
And, Michelle, part-time since?
00:22:50.33\00:22:52.80
Well, I don't work for
00:22:52.83\00:22:54.17
the literature
department currently,
00:22:54.20\00:22:56.34
but I started
canvassing in 2007,
00:22:56.37\00:22:58.77
so 2007 to 2011.
00:22:58.81\00:23:01.81
Okay. And sing a
song, what you said.
00:23:01.84\00:23:03.95
Correct. Are you any good.
00:23:03.98\00:23:05.65
Well, if I said I was
bad... that wouldn't help me.
00:23:05.68\00:23:09.98
Then we
wouldn't invite you back.
00:23:10.02\00:23:11.35
Exactly, exactly. Very good.
00:23:11.39\00:23:13.49
And David not
married? Not married.
00:23:13.56\00:23:15.09
Okay. And speak two languages.
00:23:15.12\00:23:16.83
Oh, yes. Praise the Lord.
00:23:16.86\00:23:18.19
Okay.
00:23:18.23\00:23:19.56
Let's talk about the
experience of selling,
00:23:19.59\00:23:21.36
because as I said.
00:23:21.40\00:23:22.73
I was sharing literature.
00:23:22.76\00:23:24.13
Better put it that
way because I tried it
00:23:24.17\00:23:25.50
and it just didn't
work so well for me.
00:23:25.53\00:23:27.94
But it is obviously
working well for you.
00:23:27.97\00:23:30.57
What... And all these
kind of ontological questions
00:23:30.61\00:23:34.14
we ask every now and again.
00:23:34.18\00:23:35.51
What is the best thing
00:23:35.54\00:23:36.88
about selling or
sharing literature?
00:23:36.91\00:23:42.02
Anybody?
00:23:42.05\00:23:43.39
I think it's the package.
00:23:43.45\00:23:45.75
It's what it does to
the people in the community,
00:23:45.79\00:23:48.02
it impacts their lives.
00:23:48.06\00:23:49.79
What it does to the young people
00:23:49.82\00:23:51.73
for the spiritual
life, but in the same time,
00:23:51.76\00:23:54.10
it provides the finance
for them to go to school.
00:23:54.13\00:23:58.37
Do you find that
sharing literature
00:23:58.40\00:24:02.44
does something
specifically for the person...
00:24:02.47\00:24:05.24
We know that if you put
it in the hand of someone,
00:24:05.27\00:24:07.18
they're going to be blessed.
00:24:07.21\00:24:08.54
But the person who is selling,
00:24:08.58\00:24:09.91
the person who is sharing,
00:24:09.94\00:24:11.28
do you see a
change in their life?
00:24:11.31\00:24:12.65
Because it occurs to me
00:24:12.68\00:24:14.05
that knocking on
doors, going door to door.
00:24:14.12\00:24:17.29
One, you can't be
easily offended, you know,
00:24:17.32\00:24:20.36
if the door gets
slammed in your face,
00:24:20.39\00:24:21.72
you've got to just blow that off
00:24:21.76\00:24:23.22
and go to the next house.
00:24:23.26\00:24:24.76
I on the other hand
tend to carry that with me
00:24:24.79\00:24:26.59
which I think was
part of my problem.
00:24:26.63\00:24:28.03
But I think that,
00:24:28.06\00:24:29.73
there is a special
kind of faith that it takes
00:24:29.76\00:24:32.67
to make your living
00:24:32.70\00:24:34.04
or to make money
sharing literature.
00:24:34.10\00:24:36.07
Do you find that in
the lives of young people
00:24:36.10\00:24:37.47
that you're working with?
00:24:37.51\00:24:38.84
Well, there is
something we call...
00:24:38.87\00:24:40.21
it's called canvassing amnesia.
00:24:40.24\00:24:42.18
Uh-huh. I like that.
00:24:42.21\00:24:43.81
So something that happens
at the door, you forget it.
00:24:43.85\00:24:45.88
The second thing we tell
them is run to the next door,
00:24:45.91\00:24:48.35
because you don't have
time to think about this.
00:24:48.38\00:24:50.55
But you know, it does
something to your character.
00:24:50.59\00:24:52.15
I remember, I worked
with Adriana one day,
00:24:52.19\00:24:54.96
one of the students,
00:24:54.99\00:24:56.42
and she was little
stubborn with the Lord.
00:24:56.46\00:24:58.49
You know, she just
want to do it her way.
00:24:58.53\00:25:00.56
And she's going door to
door and it's not happening.
00:25:00.63\00:25:02.76
She's not able to
place books in the homes
00:25:02.80\00:25:04.77
and she's getting
angry with the Lord.
00:25:04.80\00:25:08.44
Finally she calls
on a two way radio.
00:25:08.47\00:25:11.31
I was in the van, and she
calls and said "I need books."
00:25:11.34\00:25:14.18
So we came over.
"So what happened?"
00:25:14.21\00:25:17.35
She said, "I finally gave
up, I went down on my knees.
00:25:17.38\00:25:19.38
Said, Lord, you take over now.
00:25:19.41\00:25:21.88
And the moment
she did, she said,
00:25:21.92\00:25:23.25
"I went to the next door."
00:25:23.28\00:25:24.62
And people started
being receptive to the books.
00:25:24.65\00:25:28.29
So you fight with the Lord
and finally when you give up,
00:25:28.32\00:25:31.39
when you say,
"Lord you take over."
00:25:31.43\00:25:32.89
Things happen. Yeah. Yeah.
00:25:32.93\00:25:34.36
I see Michelle is
nodding yes, yes, yes...
00:25:34.36\00:25:35.86
True, very true.
00:25:35.90\00:25:37.23
You had that experience?
I have had that experience.
00:25:37.27\00:25:39.33
In 2009 I was big booking,
00:25:39.37\00:25:41.27
and I was a decent
00:25:41.30\00:25:45.31
maga book sharer.
00:25:45.34\00:25:48.51
And, but I found that
00:25:48.54\00:25:50.35
when I
transitioned into big books,
00:25:50.41\00:25:52.21
I was having a difficult
time, which I didn't anticipate.
00:25:52.25\00:25:55.52
And so for the first
whole half of the summer,
00:25:55.55\00:25:58.45
I was not able to get
any of those big books out.
00:25:58.49\00:26:02.79
And so finally I had to give up.
00:26:02.82\00:26:05.09
So I took my 2002 Malibu,
00:26:05.13\00:26:08.16
and I pulled it over on
the side of a cornfield.
00:26:08.20\00:26:10.97
I said "Lord, what do you want?"
00:26:11.00\00:26:14.87
That's just where
he wanted to be too.
00:26:14.90\00:26:16.81
Lord, what do you want,
00:26:16.84\00:26:18.17
that's exact spot,
he wants you to be in.
00:26:18.21\00:26:19.54
Exactly and so,
00:26:19.57\00:26:20.91
right there I prayed,
and after my lunch break,
00:26:20.98\00:26:23.85
my pitiful lunch
of a PB&J sandwich,
00:26:23.88\00:26:28.05
and some chips
and water I got out.
00:26:28.08\00:26:30.59
And the first door I hit,
I knocked, the lady bought
00:26:30.62\00:26:34.29
two sets of the
Conflict of the Ages series.
00:26:34.32\00:26:35.86
Oh, well, praise the Lord.
00:26:35.89\00:26:37.23
I went to the
next door, another set,
00:26:37.26\00:26:39.09
went to the next
door, half set, last door,
00:26:39.13\00:26:41.46
another half
set, end of the night.
00:26:41.50\00:26:43.63
And I said,
"Okay, I understand now."
00:26:43.67\00:26:45.50
Praise the Lord.
That's how it's done.
00:26:45.53\00:26:47.14
That's out it's done.
00:26:47.20\00:26:49.14
Now, I want to
give you each a second,
00:26:49.17\00:26:50.91
want you to think
about your best LE story,
00:26:50.94\00:26:53.74
The one that
thrills you the most,
00:26:53.78\00:26:55.11
the one that is your most
encouraging and 'cause we...
00:26:55.14\00:26:58.68
My fear is, we're
going to run out of time,
00:26:58.71\00:27:00.15
so you got some good stuff.
00:27:00.18\00:27:01.52
So let's start with David.
00:27:01.55\00:27:04.32
Okay.
00:27:04.35\00:27:05.69
I have many stories.
00:27:05.72\00:27:07.42
One of the ones
that impacted my life.
00:27:07.49\00:27:09.16
You were talking
about, what is it in LE work.
00:27:09.19\00:27:12.76
I studied theology.
00:27:12.79\00:27:14.86
But you read the theory
on the books in the classes
00:27:14.93\00:27:18.80
and all that, but
when you're in the field,
00:27:18.83\00:27:21.17
that's when you
see the practical.
00:27:21.20\00:27:22.74
That when you're in the
field is when you see that,
00:27:22.77\00:27:24.47
if God is really real.
00:27:24.51\00:27:26.04
Yes.
00:27:26.07\00:27:27.41
And you see that
through the... like you says,
00:27:27.48\00:27:29.24
there might be doors
that will slam on your face.
00:27:29.28\00:27:32.81
But when you have these
experiences with God Himself.
00:27:32.85\00:27:35.72
Yes.
00:27:35.75\00:27:37.09
It helps you to
realize, you know,
00:27:37.12\00:27:38.45
the God actually exist.
00:27:38.49\00:27:40.06
The God that opened the Red Sea,
00:27:40.09\00:27:41.59
the God, that same God
00:27:41.62\00:27:43.29
is working in your
life and through you.
00:27:43.32\00:27:44.66
And it's amazing,
00:27:44.69\00:27:46.03
because it fortifies your faith.
00:27:46.06\00:27:47.40
Yes.
00:27:47.40\00:27:48.73
And one of the times I also...
00:27:48.76\00:27:50.13
Remember I was in
Texas, I was knocking doors.
00:27:50.17\00:27:52.13
And as I knocked the door,
one of the ladies, she was...
00:27:52.17\00:27:56.54
She answered the door.
00:27:56.57\00:27:57.91
Well, she
didn't answer the door.
00:27:57.94\00:27:59.27
She opened, she
looked at me by the window
00:27:59.31\00:28:02.51
that was right next to the door.
00:28:02.54\00:28:04.45
And I show her a maga
book, actually that's called
00:28:04.48\00:28:07.98
Peace Above the Storm
which is Steps to Christ.
00:28:08.02\00:28:09.92
Oh, yes.
00:28:09.95\00:28:11.29
And I showed her,
you know, this is book,
00:28:11.32\00:28:12.65
it's going to
help you to, you know,
00:28:12.69\00:28:14.02
to be free from guilt,
all the worries, distress.
00:28:14.09\00:28:16.39
And when she heard the
word distress and problems.
00:28:16.42\00:28:19.46
She opened the door immediately
00:28:19.49\00:28:21.03
and she grabbed
the book right away.
00:28:21.06\00:28:23.16
I was like, "All right."
00:28:23.20\00:28:25.20
And she was like,
"Yes, I need help."
00:28:25.23\00:28:28.17
And she started telling me...
00:28:28.20\00:28:29.60
She told me, "I need
this book, I need this book."
00:28:29.64\00:28:32.34
And I told her, "You can
keep the book today actually."
00:28:32.37\00:28:35.64
But what happened?
00:28:35.68\00:28:37.08
She mentioned to me
that five days before
00:28:37.15\00:28:39.48
that when I was meeting her,
00:28:39.51\00:28:41.65
her husband left
her for another woman.
00:28:41.68\00:28:44.85
And she has been begging
her husband to be back home.
00:28:44.89\00:28:49.19
And the husband
will not want to do that.
00:28:49.22\00:28:52.23
And for the last four days,
00:28:52.26\00:28:53.90
she has been
crying in her house,
00:28:53.93\00:28:55.70
not going out at all.
00:28:55.73\00:28:57.27
So she will come
up from her room,
00:28:57.33\00:28:59.23
just clean her
face and feed her child,
00:28:59.27\00:29:02.94
and go back to her
room and keep crying.
00:29:02.97\00:29:06.17
So in that process,
as she, it got to a point
00:29:06.21\00:29:09.81
that she was really, really,
she hits really, really bottom,
00:29:09.84\00:29:12.68
like she was
completely destroyed.
00:29:12.71\00:29:15.35
And that's when she realized,
I need to plead to God.
00:29:15.38\00:29:18.99
So she knelt and she
said, "Lord, please I need help.
00:29:19.02\00:29:23.69
Can you send
someone that can help me?
00:29:23.76\00:29:27.40
Please Lord."
00:29:27.46\00:29:28.93
And the moment that
she said that prayer,
00:29:28.96\00:29:31.10
and when the moment
when she said, "Amen."
00:29:31.13\00:29:33.54
I was ringing the bell.
00:29:33.57\00:29:34.90
Oh, wow.
00:29:34.94\00:29:36.27
I was ringing the bell,
00:29:36.30\00:29:37.64
that's when she came
out and she's like what...
00:29:37.67\00:29:39.07
And she was telling me,
"David, this is from God,
00:29:39.11\00:29:41.84
because this is a
straight up answer to prayer.
00:29:41.88\00:29:44.38
I know that God loves me."
00:29:44.41\00:29:46.28
Amen. "I know
that God cares for me."
00:29:46.31\00:29:48.95
And she opens the
book and she opens a book
00:29:48.98\00:29:52.49
on the page where it
says, "Broken heart."
00:29:52.52\00:29:55.19
She opens right
there in that page.
00:29:55.22\00:29:57.33
And she shows me,
00:29:57.36\00:29:58.69
"I'm telling you
this is from God."
00:29:58.73\00:30:00.20
Amen.
00:30:00.23\00:30:01.53
It has to be from God
00:30:01.56\00:30:02.90
and that led me to realize, wow.
00:30:02.93\00:30:04.53
I mean, she was fully
blessed, and she said Lord..."
00:30:04.57\00:30:08.24
You know, David,
00:30:08.27\00:30:09.60
I'm gonna clean
my house right now
00:30:09.64\00:30:10.97
and start reading this book.
00:30:11.01\00:30:12.34
Amen. "I know God loves me."
00:30:12.37\00:30:13.88
So she was super blessed,
00:30:13.94\00:30:15.54
but to me, I was
like, God is real,
00:30:15.58\00:30:19.88
God is working miracles today.
00:30:19.91\00:30:22.55
Amen. Amen. Praise the Lord.
00:30:22.58\00:30:24.42
Michelle, I'm gonna to tell you
00:30:24.45\00:30:25.79
which story I
want to hear from you.
00:30:25.82\00:30:28.89
You don't get to pick.
00:30:28.92\00:30:30.29
I'm gonna tell you,
00:30:30.33\00:30:31.66
I want to hear the pastor story.
00:30:31.69\00:30:33.03
Okay.
00:30:33.06\00:30:34.36
Because it's a
really good story.
00:30:34.40\00:30:35.73
It is a good story. Yeah.
00:30:35.76\00:30:37.10
That same summer
when I was big booking.
00:30:37.13\00:30:38.50
I knocked on a
door in Holt, Michigan.
00:30:38.53\00:30:41.94
And it was coming
to the end of the day,
00:30:41.97\00:30:43.34
it was very
hot, and I was tired.
00:30:43.37\00:30:46.37
And I knocked on the door,
00:30:46.41\00:30:47.74
and this nice
Hispanic lady invited me in,
00:30:47.78\00:30:50.48
my friend and another,
another big booker as well.
00:30:50.51\00:30:53.05
And she fed us,
gave us cake, water.
00:30:53.08\00:30:55.92
And so we had a
great conversation,
00:30:55.95\00:30:58.02
she treated us like
we were her children.
00:30:58.05\00:30:59.92
And so I said, "Oh,
this is a wonderful."
00:31:00.06\00:31:01.39
So I showed her
some of our books,
00:31:01.42\00:31:03.19
and she said, "Oh,
I love these so much,
00:31:03.22\00:31:04.96
these are wonderful.
00:31:04.99\00:31:06.33
But do you have
them in Spanish?"
00:31:06.36\00:31:07.86
And I said, "No, but I can
give them for you in Spanish.
00:31:07.93\00:31:10.63
And so I made an
appointment to come back
00:31:10.67\00:31:13.00
and deliver books
to her in Spanish.
00:31:13.03\00:31:15.44
So then, the
following time I came,
00:31:15.47\00:31:17.01
unfortunately I
didn't have them in Spanish.
00:31:17.07\00:31:20.04
But I felt convicted.
00:31:20.08\00:31:21.41
Usually sometimes
people will schedule
00:31:21.44\00:31:23.04
an appointment with you,
00:31:23.08\00:31:24.41
and then when you go
back, it falls through.
00:31:24.45\00:31:26.68
But I decided, you know
what, something told me,
00:31:26.72\00:31:28.82
go back and just tell this lady
00:31:28.85\00:31:30.85
you're going to
get the books for her.
00:31:30.89\00:31:32.42
So I go back a second time,
00:31:32.45\00:31:34.12
chat with her,
and I meet her son,
00:31:34.16\00:31:36.46
and get to chat
with him a little bit.
00:31:36.49\00:31:38.43
And he said, he had
planned to become an actor
00:31:38.46\00:31:42.03
in California, was
planning to move to LA soon.
00:31:42.06\00:31:44.93
And so I connected
with him a little bit,
00:31:44.97\00:31:46.50
told him about
myself, and how I sang,
00:31:46.53\00:31:48.67
and some of my family
members, they sing too,
00:31:48.70\00:31:50.27
since he was in the
entertainment industry
00:31:50.34\00:31:52.17
and I left.
00:31:52.21\00:31:53.81
So I made an appointment
to come back a third time.
00:31:53.84\00:31:55.98
And the third time, I
had Spanish maga books.
00:31:56.01\00:31:58.71
We weren't able to get
the big set in Spanish,
00:31:58.75\00:32:01.28
but we had Spanish maga book.
00:32:01.32\00:32:02.68
So I took a stock of
those and I headed over
00:32:02.72\00:32:05.39
with my leader
Sebastian Braxton.
00:32:05.42\00:32:07.16
When we come to the door,
00:32:07.19\00:32:08.52
and
unfortunately she wasn't there,
00:32:08.56\00:32:10.53
but her son was there.
00:32:10.56\00:32:12.19
And so we started
talking to him at the door.
00:32:12.23\00:32:14.00
He asked us what we
did, what we were doing.
00:32:14.00\00:32:15.96
We shared with him,
00:32:16.00\00:32:17.33
oh, we're
Christians, we're missionaries.
00:32:17.37\00:32:18.70
Shared some
different experiences we had
00:32:18.73\00:32:20.30
traveling around the
world and sharing the gospel.
00:32:20.34\00:32:22.17
And his eyes just
started lighting up.
00:32:22.20\00:32:25.31
And he said, wow, and
he started sharing with us
00:32:25.34\00:32:27.08
what he was doing
in his local church.
00:32:27.14\00:32:29.24
And so he said,
"Hey come on in."
00:32:29.28\00:32:31.71
So he invited us in
and just that moment
00:32:31.75\00:32:34.35
that the mom pulls up.
00:32:34.38\00:32:35.75
And so I start talking to her,
00:32:35.78\00:32:37.15
sharing the
Spanish books with her.
00:32:37.19\00:32:38.69
And at the same time
my leader is answering
00:32:38.72\00:32:40.72
some theological questions,
that this young man had.
00:32:40.76\00:32:44.93
And he was so mind
blown, he was like,
00:32:44.96\00:32:47.36
"How can I get more of this?"
00:32:47.40\00:32:49.70
So at that moment
I turn around I said,
00:32:49.73\00:32:51.70
"We can have Bible studies."
00:32:51.73\00:32:55.37
Oh, amen.
00:32:55.40\00:32:57.34
The good news was that
Holt, Michigan was near campus.
00:32:57.37\00:33:00.91
It's a Michigan
State, East Lansing,
00:33:00.98\00:33:02.44
so it's right next door.
00:33:02.48\00:33:03.85
So that same week, that Friday,
00:33:03.88\00:33:06.72
we had our first Bible
study on Daniel chapter 2
00:33:06.75\00:33:09.82
in Kamil's
backyard, on his back porch.
00:33:09.85\00:33:12.62
And I remember what he
said after the first lesson
00:33:12.65\00:33:15.02
he said, "Wow.
00:33:15.06\00:33:16.59
That was good for today."
00:33:16.62\00:33:18.53
And I... And then after
that every week after that,
00:33:18.56\00:33:21.80
every Friday at
six in the morning,
00:33:21.83\00:33:24.27
myself and my
friend Cynthia Salinas,
00:33:24.30\00:33:26.47
we would go over and we
study the Bible with him.
00:33:26.50\00:33:29.20
Well, that's not
where the story ends.
00:33:29.24\00:33:31.61
So we continue doing that.
00:33:31.64\00:33:33.78
And as canvassing
ended for that summer,
00:33:33.84\00:33:36.31
we transition
into the school year.
00:33:36.34\00:33:38.25
And so he started
coming out to church
00:33:38.28\00:33:39.65
started coming out to events.
00:33:39.68\00:33:41.52
And what ended up
happening was he got baptized.
00:33:41.55\00:33:44.42
Amen.
00:33:44.45\00:33:45.79
He got baptized,
but not only him,
00:33:45.82\00:33:48.19
then his mother came in.
00:33:48.22\00:33:49.56
Praise God.
00:33:49.59\00:33:50.93
And then his brother
came in, his younger brother.
00:33:50.96\00:33:53.56
And then his father also goes to
00:33:53.60\00:33:55.26
the East Lansing Church as well.
00:33:55.30\00:33:57.63
And so his aunt got baptized,
00:33:57.67\00:33:59.37
I mean, it was
just, it was in the water.
00:33:59.40\00:34:05.04
Literally and figuratively.
00:34:05.07\00:34:08.64
After that he himself became
00:34:08.68\00:34:10.65
a colporteur and
a canvassing leader,
00:34:10.68\00:34:12.58
because he wanted to
share in the experience as well.
00:34:12.61\00:34:15.38
He said, "Someone reached
me through knocking on my door.
00:34:15.42\00:34:17.65
I want to knock on
other people's doors."
00:34:17.69\00:34:19.49
So he did that, he
also did campus ministries,
00:34:19.52\00:34:23.09
the program was a
missionary for a year.
00:34:23.12\00:34:24.99
And then after that he went
to Southern to study theology
00:34:25.03\00:34:28.30
and he is now
currently a pastor in...
00:34:28.33\00:34:31.07
I believe Buffalo, New
York, pastoring two churches.
00:34:31.10\00:34:34.34
So we praise God for that.
00:34:34.37\00:34:35.70
How does it make you feel
00:34:35.74\00:34:39.71
to know that the Lord
use you to have a part
00:34:39.74\00:34:42.84
in not only
bringing entire family,
00:34:42.88\00:34:44.65
but getting a
pastor in the bargain,
00:34:44.68\00:34:47.72
that must make
you feel pretty good.
00:34:47.75\00:34:49.45
Oh yeah, it's
kind of mind blowing.
00:34:49.48\00:34:52.05
And also it just
reminds me that, you know,
00:34:52.09\00:34:54.49
no child of God
nothing happens by chance
00:34:54.52\00:34:56.73
for child of God, you know.
00:34:56.79\00:34:58.33
And God divinely
orchestrates our pass,
00:34:58.36\00:35:01.50
so that we can
meet people on the way,
00:35:01.53\00:35:03.50
who also need to come.
00:35:03.57\00:35:04.90
And so it's just,
I'm just thankful,
00:35:04.93\00:35:06.74
if that was the only door
I had knocked on that summer,
00:35:06.77\00:35:09.24
would have been a good summer.
00:35:09.27\00:35:10.61
Oh, very much so.
00:35:10.64\00:35:11.97
You know, you pile the
stories one on top of the other.
00:35:12.01\00:35:17.08
David, a woman is
left by her husband,
00:35:17.15\00:35:20.85
as she gets off her
knees, from the prayer,
00:35:20.92\00:35:23.82
knock on the door and
God's got something for her.
00:35:23.89\00:35:27.36
You go to
house, knock on a door.
00:35:27.39\00:35:29.96
Years later we've got a pastor,
00:35:30.03\00:35:31.39
and a whole family in,
you know, in the message.
00:35:31.43\00:35:34.96
And we praise the Lord for that.
00:35:35.00\00:35:36.33
I want to stop right
here, before I go to you Kamil,
00:35:36.36\00:35:38.03
talk about this
book a little bit.
00:35:38.07\00:35:39.57
Because this is a collection
of stories, is it not?
00:35:39.60\00:35:42.44
Tell me about this book?
00:35:42.47\00:35:44.07
Well, you know, for years
I would sit with young people
00:35:44.11\00:35:47.71
that would tell stories
00:35:47.74\00:35:49.28
and I would just
look around like,
00:35:49.31\00:35:50.65
"Man, I wish my
conference president
00:35:50.71\00:35:52.21
or my union president
00:35:52.25\00:35:53.58
were here to listen to what God,
00:35:53.62\00:35:55.08
how God is using
our young people.
00:35:55.12\00:35:57.05
And so finally I
shared that vision
00:35:57.09\00:35:59.62
of putting a book together
00:35:59.65\00:36:01.29
with the stories
of our young people
00:36:01.32\00:36:04.06
with a Joint
Conference publishing leader.
00:36:04.09\00:36:06.56
And he says, "Why don't
you put the book together."
00:36:06.59\00:36:08.83
And so I work
with him and thankfully
00:36:08.86\00:36:11.93
this book was
published just a year ago.
00:36:11.97\00:36:13.77
Praise God.
00:36:13.84\00:36:15.17
It's called, 'The Open Door',
00:36:15.20\00:36:17.21
and it is a
collection of stories
00:36:17.24\00:36:20.28
of LE work from young people.
00:36:20.31\00:36:23.04
Yeah. Yeah.
00:36:23.08\00:36:24.41
Where can this we've gotten.
00:36:24.45\00:36:26.01
Well, currently, it's available
at the Lake Union ABCs.
00:36:26.05\00:36:30.09
And also on our
website theopendoorbook.com.
00:36:30.12\00:36:33.36
theopendoorbook.com.
00:36:33.39\00:36:34.72
Very, very good.
00:36:34.76\00:36:36.09
Now, I don't know if
you wanted me to have this,
00:36:36.12\00:36:38.53
but it is in my hand.
00:36:38.56\00:36:40.70
And as such by
default, it becomes mine.
00:36:40.73\00:36:44.80
So the only thing that's left
you to do is sign this for me.
00:36:44.83\00:36:46.80
Sure.
00:36:46.84\00:36:48.17
And then, 'cause
I want to read this,
00:36:48.20\00:36:49.54
this kind of stuff excites me.
00:36:49.57\00:36:50.91
And this is meat
for the soul. Yeah.
00:36:50.94\00:36:53.98
Now, Kamil, as a leader
you've got many, many stories.
00:36:54.04\00:36:57.11
So regale us
with one if you want.
00:36:57.15\00:36:58.75
Well, let me tell you a
story or two from this book.
00:36:58.78\00:37:01.28
Yes.
00:37:01.32\00:37:04.15
Arielle was married lady
00:37:04.22\00:37:06.59
and she was
showing her cookbook,
00:37:06.62\00:37:08.69
we usually start
with the cookbook
00:37:08.72\00:37:10.09
to make friends with people.
00:37:10.16\00:37:11.63
And then she went on to
show her the Great Controversy.
00:37:11.66\00:37:14.66
The lady grabbed and she says,
00:37:14.73\00:37:16.20
"This is the
book, this is the book."
00:37:16.23\00:37:18.27
Of course I didn't want to know,
00:37:18.30\00:37:19.63
"What are you talking about?"
00:37:19.67\00:37:21.57
And so she began
to explain, she says,
00:37:21.60\00:37:23.41
"I got it last year
from another young person.
00:37:23.44\00:37:26.17
I read it and it
changed my life."
00:37:26.21\00:37:29.24
And then she thought,
"If I gave my life to Jesus.
00:37:29.28\00:37:32.91
Why is my husband still
treating me the way he is?"
00:37:32.95\00:37:36.38
So she thought, if
that book changed my life,
00:37:36.42\00:37:38.82
it can change his life too.
00:37:38.85\00:37:40.66
So she thought
about how can I get him
00:37:40.69\00:37:42.02
to read the book.
00:37:42.06\00:37:43.39
Yeah, yeah.
00:37:43.43\00:37:44.76
So what she did, she
took the Great Controversy,
00:37:44.79\00:37:46.13
she put it on a
table in the living room,
00:37:46.16\00:37:48.23
hoping that her husband
will pick up and read it.
00:37:48.26\00:37:50.57
One day while she was away,
00:37:50.63\00:37:52.77
her husband picked
it up and began to read.
00:37:52.80\00:37:54.70
But he was very
catholic and now he's reading
00:37:54.74\00:37:56.34
a little bit about the history
of the church and, you know,
00:37:56.37\00:37:59.77
some of the things
they have done in the past.
00:37:59.81\00:38:02.04
He was filled with
anger when he read that.
00:38:02.08\00:38:04.51
He was so angry
that he walked to
00:38:04.55\00:38:06.21
the burning fireplace
and he threw the book in.
00:38:06.25\00:38:09.28
Wow.
00:38:09.32\00:38:10.65
Couple of hours
later his wife comes home.
00:38:10.72\00:38:12.82
And she finds him in a
chair with tears in his eyes
00:38:12.85\00:38:18.33
and book,
00:38:18.36\00:38:19.69
the Great
Controversy in his hands.
00:38:19.73\00:38:21.53
He said, "This
book must be from God,
00:38:21.56\00:38:24.20
because it will not burn."
00:38:24.27\00:38:27.17
Praise God. And
God changes life too.
00:38:27.24\00:38:29.54
Praise the lord.
00:38:29.57\00:38:30.91
That is
powerful, that's powerful.
00:38:30.94\00:38:32.51
And that's one of
the stories in the book.
00:38:32.54\00:38:33.88
That's one of the
stories. That is excellent.
00:38:33.91\00:38:36.61
Give us another.
00:38:36.64\00:38:38.01
Okay, I'll tell you one
of my, one of my, you know,
00:38:38.05\00:38:39.48
you ask them for
their stories, right?
00:38:39.51\00:38:40.85
Yeah.
00:38:40.92\00:38:42.25
I'll tell you one
of the stories that,
00:38:42.28\00:38:43.62
my story that's in the book.
00:38:43.65\00:38:45.52
Ellen was one of my students.
00:38:45.55\00:38:47.26
And I was the
driver, I was the leader
00:38:47.29\00:38:48.66
and suddenly she calls
me to a radio and she says,
00:38:48.69\00:38:51.16
"Mobile one, "
that's how, you know,
00:38:51.19\00:38:52.83
we used to send codes.
00:38:52.86\00:38:54.36
She's asked me to
come pick her up right now.
00:38:54.40\00:38:56.83
And it was urgent, so
I drove over immediately.
00:38:56.87\00:38:59.27
And I said, "Hop in."
00:38:59.30\00:39:00.77
I said, "What's happening?"
00:39:00.80\00:39:02.30
She says, "I
cannot do this anymore."
00:39:02.34\00:39:05.07
I said, "Tell me
what's happening?"
00:39:05.11\00:39:06.57
She says, "I went to a
door, showed them a cookbook
00:39:06.61\00:39:09.21
and then the next book I
show, and its Great Controversy,
00:39:09.24\00:39:11.65
and she said at that moment,
"I felt a pain in my stomach."
00:39:11.68\00:39:14.75
She said was
like a knife stabbing,
00:39:14.78\00:39:17.82
you know, stabbing me.
00:39:17.85\00:39:19.35
And she says,
00:39:19.39\00:39:20.72
So I...she
couldn't talk, you know.
00:39:20.79\00:39:22.39
Suddenly she's like
00:39:22.42\00:39:23.76
"this is the Great Controversy,"
00:39:23.79\00:39:25.13
she couldn't talk any more.
00:39:25.16\00:39:26.49
And the lady is
like, "are you okay,?
00:39:26.53\00:39:27.86
Are you okay?" and she's
like "I'm okay, I'm okay."
00:39:27.86\00:39:30.70
The lady got the
Great Controversy
00:39:30.77\00:39:32.27
and signed in for
personal Bible studies.
00:39:32.30\00:39:34.67
At that moment
the pain went away.
00:39:34.70\00:39:36.64
Wow, wow.
00:39:36.71\00:39:38.04
She went to the next door
and she showed the cookbook
00:39:38.07\00:39:39.84
and here's the
Great Controversy,
00:39:39.87\00:39:41.81
and she couldn't talk.
00:39:41.84\00:39:43.85
You know because
of the so much pains,
00:39:43.88\00:39:45.35
and like "are you okay?"
00:39:45.38\00:39:46.82
"I'm okay."
00:39:46.85\00:39:48.18
But she was not of course.
00:39:48.22\00:39:49.98
The lady got the
Great Controversy,
00:39:50.02\00:39:51.65
and she also signed
for personal Bible studies.
00:39:51.69\00:39:53.49
Wow. At that moment.
00:39:53.56\00:39:54.99
Ellen, she's 60
years old, you know.
00:39:55.02\00:39:57.53
She's like "I
can't do this and more".
00:39:57.56\00:39:58.93
So she called me.
00:39:58.96\00:40:00.30
Now she's sitting in the
van next to me and thinking
00:40:00.33\00:40:02.33
"Man, I'm just a
college kid, you know,
00:40:02.36\00:40:04.77
and I don't
have all the answers,
00:40:04.80\00:40:06.13
I'm like, "I wish Mark Finley
or Doug Batchelor were here.
00:40:06.17\00:40:08.37
Now they have all the answers.
00:40:08.40\00:40:10.47
Well, I was there
alone, but you know what,
00:40:10.51\00:40:13.34
the Lord will teach you things.
00:40:13.38\00:40:15.61
At that moment I remember
a quote that I memorized
00:40:15.64\00:40:18.65
from colporteur
ministry it says,
00:40:18.68\00:40:20.58
"No sooner the name of Jesus
00:40:20.62\00:40:22.95
is mentioned in
love and tenderness,
00:40:22.98\00:40:25.72
then angels of God draw near
00:40:25.75\00:40:27.42
to soften and subdue the heart."
00:40:27.46\00:40:30.69
And I said, "Ellen,
what you have to do is,
00:40:30.73\00:40:33.29
when you show the
Great Controversy,
00:40:33.36\00:40:34.76
you must use the name of Jesus
00:40:34.83\00:40:36.70
as soon as you can
lovingly and tenderly.
00:40:36.73\00:40:39.97
Because then angels
of God will draw near,
00:40:40.00\00:40:42.30
and evil angels
will have to flee.
00:40:42.34\00:40:44.84
We prayed together,
she went to the next door.
00:40:44.87\00:40:47.31
Showed a cookbook,
00:40:47.34\00:40:49.18
and here is the
Great Controversy,
00:40:49.21\00:40:50.81
and she couldn't talk,
00:40:50.88\00:40:52.21
and then she said
the name of Jesus.
00:40:52.25\00:40:53.58
She said at that moment
00:40:53.62\00:40:54.95
the pain went away
and never came back again.
00:40:54.98\00:40:57.92
Wow.
00:40:57.95\00:40:59.29
It's amazing.
00:40:59.32\00:41:00.76
Attack of the enemy.
00:41:00.79\00:41:02.12
See, the devil
knows that something good
00:41:02.16\00:41:03.49
is about to happen,
even though we don't.
00:41:03.53\00:41:04.86
Exactly.
00:41:04.89\00:41:06.23
You know, that's a
powerful, powerful witness.
00:41:06.26\00:41:09.93
As you look back over
the numbers of young people
00:41:09.96\00:41:12.63
that you've had a chance
to help through this program.
00:41:12.67\00:41:15.87
Is there one that stands out
00:41:15.90\00:41:17.27
in your mind as
being particularly,
00:41:17.31\00:41:20.14
I'll just say hard headed,
00:41:20.18\00:41:21.94
who the spirit just touched
and really changed their life?
00:41:21.98\00:41:25.15
I thought you were
gonna ask the opposite
00:41:25.18\00:41:26.88
who is the best
worker you ever had.
00:41:26.92\00:41:30.19
I think I like
David to talk about
00:41:30.25\00:41:31.99
an experience that
happened this past summer
00:41:32.02\00:41:33.52
with somebody like that.
00:41:33.56\00:41:34.89
But let me tell you
00:41:34.92\00:41:36.26
the best colporteurs I ever had.
00:41:36.29\00:41:37.63
Okay.
00:41:37.66\00:41:38.99
The best canvasser
I ever had, my wife.
00:41:39.03\00:41:41.03
You know we were
dating, and she was my student.
00:41:41.06\00:41:43.53
And, you know, as
a leader I drive by,
00:41:43.60\00:41:45.83
deliver books and I'm driving by
00:41:45.87\00:41:47.40
and I'm hoping
she will, you know,
00:41:47.47\00:41:49.60
just look at me and
waive and smile, none of that.
00:41:49.64\00:41:53.64
You know even when I
was at the door with her.
00:41:53.71\00:41:56.18
She knew this may be the
only chance they will get,
00:41:56.21\00:41:59.55
there's no time for...
00:41:59.58\00:42:01.02
So you're... now your wife was
00:42:01.05\00:42:02.55
at one time one of your student?
00:42:02.58\00:42:03.99
Oh, one of the best colporteurs.
00:42:04.02\00:42:05.52
Oh, so little side
benefit of you job.
00:42:05.55\00:42:09.22
Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
00:42:09.26\00:42:10.63
Lord tossed a little
bone there, all right.
00:42:10.66\00:42:13.13
When she would be at the door,
00:42:13.16\00:42:14.46
it was a 100
percent for this couple,
00:42:14.50\00:42:17.33
because it was
all about their souls.
00:42:17.37\00:42:19.67
I did not exist
when I was next to her.
00:42:19.70\00:42:21.74
But praise God, you know.
00:42:21.77\00:42:23.10
So she was, she was
focused. She was very focused.
00:42:23.14\00:42:24.77
And you were focused to,
just on two different things.
00:42:24.81\00:42:27.24
Well, praise the Lord.
00:42:27.28\00:42:28.61
But David got a
good story I think.
00:42:28.64\00:42:30.01
Yeah, actually one
of the beautiful parts
00:42:30.05\00:42:32.58
of this ministry
is like you outreach,
00:42:32.61\00:42:34.35
you see people
compare by the ministry.
00:42:34.38\00:42:35.98
Yes.
00:42:36.02\00:42:37.35
Also this inner
reach, when young people
00:42:37.39\00:42:39.02
themselves sort
of benefit out of it.
00:42:39.05\00:42:41.26
Last summer we have a young man,
00:42:41.29\00:42:44.13
16 year old actually
and he had a rough past.
00:42:44.19\00:42:47.76
I mean, he ended up
living on the streets
00:42:47.76\00:42:49.90
in such a young
age, surviving his own.
00:42:49.93\00:42:53.37
And he ended up in an academy.
00:42:53.40\00:42:56.27
And among them, a lot of things
00:42:56.30\00:42:57.87
he had to pay himself
to the academy actually.
00:42:57.91\00:43:00.58
He ended up canvassing with us.
00:43:00.61\00:43:01.94
He ended up joining the program.
00:43:01.98\00:43:04.15
And when he came, he
came with this mentality,
00:43:04.18\00:43:07.15
he told me that
the last past year
00:43:07.22\00:43:09.05
he has tried to commit suicide,
00:43:09.08\00:43:11.39
because his life
has been so hard on him
00:43:11.42\00:43:13.39
and he will look at
the mirror and he will say.
00:43:13.46\00:43:15.46
He will repeat to
himself for many hours,
00:43:15.49\00:43:17.79
"I hate my life.
00:43:17.83\00:43:19.39
I hate my life. I hate my life.'
00:43:19.43\00:43:21.16
And he will repeat it to himself
00:43:21.20\00:43:22.53
and he will be always,
you know, anger with life.
00:43:22.56\00:43:25.90
So he came to the program.
00:43:25.93\00:43:27.50
I remember we
received him, "Hey, welcome."
00:43:27.54\00:43:30.27
And just
automatically we love him,
00:43:30.31\00:43:32.61
because he was the youngest,
00:43:32.64\00:43:34.51
one of the youngest
students and we love him.
00:43:34.54\00:43:37.41
We embrace him.
00:43:37.45\00:43:38.78
And he told me later
on that he was planning
00:43:38.81\00:43:40.42
to run away that very night
00:43:40.48\00:43:42.62
because he's
living in the streets.
00:43:42.65\00:43:43.99
So it was nothing new for him.
00:43:44.05\00:43:45.39
Yes.
00:43:45.42\00:43:46.76
So he was planning to do that,
00:43:46.79\00:43:48.12
but something told him
to stay here, stay there
00:43:48.16\00:43:49.76
so he decided to stay.
00:43:49.79\00:43:51.36
And he was telling me
that he was anger with us
00:43:51.39\00:43:53.66
because we were happy.
00:43:53.70\00:43:56.06
And we're happy in
Jesus, that was the best part.
00:43:56.10\00:43:59.13
And he was like anger,
because he thought this people,
00:43:59.17\00:44:02.57
they don't know what life is.
00:44:02.60\00:44:04.44
They don't know what bills are,
00:44:04.47\00:44:05.81
and I have to pay all
of this and all of that.
00:44:05.84\00:44:07.58
But suddenly as he...
00:44:07.61\00:44:09.24
We have
worships in the programs.
00:44:09.28\00:44:11.41
So as he listen to worships,
00:44:11.45\00:44:13.28
as he started experiencing
this God in his life.
00:44:13.31\00:44:17.32
As he saw all of
that, weeks later
00:44:17.39\00:44:20.76
is when he started
giving his life to God.
00:44:20.79\00:44:23.43
His life changed totally.
00:44:23.46\00:44:25.89
And in the week six and seven,
00:44:25.93\00:44:28.66
this young man, he was
shy, he will not speak.
00:44:28.70\00:44:32.23
But in the middle of the
week, he started changing.
00:44:32.27\00:44:34.34
Like, he was like,
00:44:34.37\00:44:35.70
he will be always
happy singing with us
00:44:35.74\00:44:38.04
and he told me, "David,
after I gave my life to Jesus,
00:44:38.07\00:44:43.55
I can smile for the first time
00:44:43.61\00:44:45.21
and not will be faking about it.
00:44:45.25\00:44:46.78
Amen.
00:44:46.82\00:44:48.15
So it changed his life totally.
00:44:48.18\00:44:49.52
And he became,
actually one of our
00:44:49.55\00:44:51.05
like boldest colporteurs,
00:44:51.09\00:44:52.42
because he will be at the
door saying he will be like,
00:44:52.45\00:44:54.96
"Sir, This is the book."
00:44:54.99\00:44:56.36
And we will be "No, no,
no, I'm not interested."
00:44:56.39\00:44:58.09
One time he did that
actually, "I'm not interested."
00:44:58.13\00:45:00.23
He's like, "Sir, are you
ready for what's coming?"
00:45:00.26\00:45:03.10
And he's like, "What's coming?"
00:45:03.13\00:45:05.73
This book is gonna help you.
00:45:05.77\00:45:07.37
So his life has changed totally.
00:45:07.44\00:45:09.37
Praise God.
00:45:09.40\00:45:10.74
And he's now one of
the spiritual leaders
00:45:10.81\00:45:12.71
in his academy.
00:45:12.74\00:45:14.08
I mean this is
total change for his life
00:45:14.11\00:45:16.61
and that's one of the
beauties of this ministry.
00:45:16.64\00:45:20.32
Because as a group of students,
you support each other.
00:45:20.35\00:45:23.15
You give Bible
studies to each other.
00:45:23.18\00:45:25.59
And you never know,
00:45:25.62\00:45:27.82
you can embrace
mighty spiritual giants.
00:45:27.86\00:45:30.46
Excellent.
00:45:30.53\00:45:31.86
Kamil, I want to just focus
on you for just a little bit.
00:45:31.89\00:45:36.20
Can people from
outside of the conference
00:45:36.23\00:45:38.30
come under your umbrella
00:45:38.33\00:45:39.67
and work in the
Michigan Conference?
00:45:39.70\00:45:41.44
Are you accepting young people?
00:45:41.47\00:45:42.80
Maybe someone hearing
00:45:42.84\00:45:44.17
this particular
program or seeing this program.
00:45:44.21\00:45:47.54
And doesn't have this
program in their conference,
00:45:47.58\00:45:48.94
but wants to get
involved in this.
00:45:48.98\00:45:50.61
Can they make
application and come
00:45:50.65\00:45:52.61
for vacation or summer
or, that kind of thing,
00:45:52.65\00:45:54.38
how does that work?
00:45:54.42\00:45:55.75
They can, but we
really encourage them
00:45:55.78\00:45:57.15
to go back to their own fields.
00:45:57.19\00:45:59.12
You know, if
you're from California,
00:45:59.15\00:46:00.79
you can relate to
the people in California.
00:46:00.82\00:46:03.56
One reason I put
this book together
00:46:03.59\00:46:06.36
is to inspire young people
to be part of the ministry.
00:46:06.39\00:46:09.16
And then our website, it
has a map of the United States
00:46:09.20\00:46:12.07
and they can click
on their own state.
00:46:12.10\00:46:14.24
And will show
them how they can join
00:46:14.27\00:46:16.10
the work locally so.
00:46:16.14\00:46:18.11
I would say the best they can do
00:46:18.14\00:46:19.47
is go back to their own field
00:46:19.51\00:46:21.18
to support
their own conferences.
00:46:21.21\00:46:22.58
Do most
conferences to your knowledge
00:46:22.61\00:46:24.25
in North American division
have an analogous program,
00:46:24.28\00:46:26.65
something like
this or close to this?
00:46:26.72\00:46:28.15
I would say around half of them.
00:46:28.18\00:46:30.59
For those who
don't have a program,
00:46:30.62\00:46:32.05
of course they can join us.
00:46:32.09\00:46:33.56
Oh, praise the Lord.
00:46:33.59\00:46:34.92
Praise the Lord. Now forgive me.
00:46:34.96\00:46:37.36
We're gonna go to
our contact information.
00:46:37.43\00:46:41.70
But indulge the romantic
in me for just a little bit,
00:46:41.73\00:46:45.80
because you
touched on something.
00:46:45.83\00:46:49.10
So you got this student.
00:46:49.14\00:46:51.81
At one point in your
relationship with her,
00:46:51.84\00:46:54.41
your professional
relationship with her.
00:46:54.44\00:46:56.95
Did it occur to you,
"Hey this may be somebody
00:46:57.01\00:46:59.38
I want to spend forever with."
00:46:59.41\00:47:01.48
You know at what point
did that kind of germinate
00:47:01.52\00:47:03.75
in your mind?
00:47:03.82\00:47:05.15
Well my first...
00:47:05.19\00:47:06.52
very first time
I was canvassing,
00:47:06.55\00:47:07.89
my mother happen
to be cooking for us.
00:47:07.92\00:47:10.19
And Annette was actually
in the kitchen helping her.
00:47:10.26\00:47:13.63
And so she's
like my mom came to me
00:47:13.66\00:47:15.23
and she's like, "She is the one.
00:47:15.26\00:47:18.57
And I said, "Mom,
I came here to work,
00:47:18.60\00:47:22.34
I'm not
interested in relationships.
00:47:22.37\00:47:24.54
I'm gonna stay focused."
00:47:24.57\00:47:25.91
But of course I was very
impressed by her work ethics
00:47:25.94\00:47:28.31
and devotion to God.
00:47:28.34\00:47:29.78
And took around
a year and a half
00:47:29.81\00:47:31.21
when I finally
sort everything out
00:47:31.25\00:47:33.92
and then we began to talk.
00:47:33.95\00:47:36.45
But you had been in
her company for that time,
00:47:36.48\00:47:38.25
because you were working.
00:47:38.29\00:47:39.62
We went to school
together. Oh, okay.
00:47:39.65\00:47:40.99
We canvass together
and we also worked...
00:47:41.02\00:47:42.36
went to school together.
00:47:42.39\00:47:43.73
So the idea appeared in
your mind first before hers?
00:47:43.76\00:47:48.96
I think there was a
mutual thing we happened...
00:47:49.00\00:47:50.83
the following summer we
left together, we work together.
00:47:50.87\00:47:54.00
One Saturday afternoon
we are having Bible study.
00:47:54.04\00:47:56.10
It's just me and her.
00:47:56.14\00:47:58.04
Everybody else was resting,
and she began to think wow.
00:47:58.07\00:48:01.34
When born a wonderful one day
00:48:01.38\00:48:02.84
to study the
Bible with my husband.
00:48:02.88\00:48:04.81
So but, you know, I
was trying to stay focused.
00:48:04.85\00:48:07.65
Not to blame her
that she was not,
00:48:07.68\00:48:09.25
she was very focused too,
00:48:09.28\00:48:10.72
but you know we
took our time to this.
00:48:10.75\00:48:13.49
So when it sort of
came to the surface,
00:48:13.52\00:48:15.96
it was a mutual kind of thing.
00:48:15.99\00:48:17.36
Yes. Praise the Lord.
00:48:17.39\00:48:18.86
That's the way it should happen.
00:48:18.89\00:48:20.43
And it's always good
when you find someone
00:48:20.46\00:48:22.03
who is like minded and,
who loves the Lord like you do.
00:48:22.06\00:48:26.33
So it wasn't a stretch.
00:48:26.37\00:48:27.90
So I suspect your mom was happy.
00:48:27.94\00:48:29.60
She was very happy.
00:48:29.64\00:48:33.14
If not taking credit for that.
00:48:33.17\00:48:35.58
Give me one more
story from the book?
00:48:35.61\00:48:37.28
Okay.
00:48:37.35\00:48:40.42
Kayla visited three businesses
and when she was walking out.
00:48:40.45\00:48:44.45
There was a man
sitting under a tree.
00:48:44.49\00:48:46.35
And she walked to him and
he ended up getting a book
00:48:46.39\00:48:48.72
and he says, "Now you
went to these businesses,
00:48:48.76\00:48:50.93
did anybody get any books?"
00:48:50.96\00:48:52.39
She's not really,
says "let's go back."
00:48:52.43\00:48:54.30
They went back
inside the businesses
00:48:54.36\00:48:56.26
and he pointed
at one man, he says,
00:48:56.30\00:48:58.70
"you give her ten dollars,
she'll give you a book."
00:48:58.73\00:49:00.47
And then he would point
different people like that,
00:49:00.50\00:49:02.24
okay.
00:49:02.27\00:49:03.64
Then they went over to
another set of three businesses
00:49:03.67\00:49:06.24
and again he
would do the same thing,
00:49:06.27\00:49:07.61
he could even speak Spanish.
00:49:07.64\00:49:08.98
But it was obvious that
he didn't know those people.
00:49:09.01\00:49:12.11
Because they ask,
"Is that your father?"
00:49:12.15\00:49:14.28
And she says, "No
that's just my friend."
00:49:14.35\00:49:16.38
They walked up
out of the businesses,
00:49:16.42\00:49:18.55
and he gave her a brief
hug and tell "God bless you."
00:49:18.59\00:49:22.76
And then she went ahead of him.
00:49:22.79\00:49:24.89
And then she turned
around to just tell him
00:49:24.93\00:49:26.29
how much she
appreciated his help.
00:49:26.33\00:49:29.10
He was nowhere to be found.
00:49:29.13\00:49:31.60
So we believe he was an angel.
00:49:31.63\00:49:33.74
And in that book we
have a chapter called
00:49:33.77\00:49:36.07
"Angels among us," and
there are stories about
00:49:36.10\00:49:38.24
people bringing
two bottles of water
00:49:38.27\00:49:40.68
and they would
say this is for you,
00:49:40.71\00:49:42.21
and this big
bottle is for your friend.
00:49:42.24\00:49:44.75
And they would say,
"Where did your friend go?"
00:49:44.78\00:49:46.25
So you know, Ellen
White does talk about
00:49:46.28\00:49:49.35
how angels are
waiting to cooperate with us.
00:49:49.38\00:49:52.75
So when we work for God,
angels are working with us.
00:49:52.79\00:49:55.09
Yes, yes. Praise God.
00:49:55.12\00:49:56.49
That is a
wonderful, wonderful story.
00:49:56.52\00:50:00.83
Again the book
can be gotten where?
00:50:00.90\00:50:02.96
The opendoorbook.com.
00:50:03.00\00:50:05.17
The opendoorbook.com.
00:50:05.20\00:50:06.74
Because they don't have
that on the contact information.
00:50:06.80\00:50:09.04
But I think,
this is a great book.
00:50:09.07\00:50:10.41
And it's one that you really
want to add to your library
00:50:10.47\00:50:13.24
and it will
encourage you, you want to read
00:50:13.27\00:50:14.68
encouraging literature,
00:50:14.71\00:50:16.04
this is the kind of book
that will do precisely that.
00:50:16.08\00:50:20.48
In the summer, when you
have large groups of people,
00:50:20.52\00:50:23.45
do you attack
like a particular city,
00:50:23.49\00:50:25.09
do you spread them
out across the conference.
00:50:25.12\00:50:26.49
How does that work?
00:50:26.52\00:50:27.86
Yeah, we divide
them into groups around
00:50:27.89\00:50:29.22
20 per location.
00:50:29.26\00:50:30.59
So we, let's say go
to Detroit, Grand Rapids,
00:50:30.63\00:50:33.16
Lansing, you know,
Flynn, we divide them
00:50:33.19\00:50:36.30
because we found it's
easier to handle smaller group,
00:50:36.33\00:50:38.80
you can really
mentor them better than
00:50:38.83\00:50:40.37
having a large
one, one large group.
00:50:40.40\00:50:42.87
When it comes
to time management,
00:50:42.90\00:50:44.24
it's hard to
manage a large group
00:50:44.27\00:50:46.27
so we divide
them in groups of 20.
00:50:46.31\00:50:47.64
Yeah. Let me ask this question,
00:50:47.68\00:50:49.01
where do they
stay, how do they...
00:50:49.04\00:50:51.38
Are they
responsible for housing?
00:50:51.41\00:50:52.75
Do you do that for them? We...
00:50:52.78\00:50:54.15
You know if I've got a child,
00:50:54.18\00:50:55.52
I want to send them
where they want to go.
00:50:55.55\00:50:56.89
I want to
release my child to you,
00:50:56.92\00:50:58.25
so walk me through some of that?
00:50:58.29\00:50:59.62
They either stay in our
local school or local church.
00:50:59.65\00:51:02.52
And then we provide,
00:51:02.56\00:51:03.93
of course we
provide breakfast for them,
00:51:03.96\00:51:05.99
we have shower
facilities for them and.
00:51:06.03\00:51:08.16
They spend the summer
it's like a mission trip,
00:51:08.20\00:51:09.90
everybody having sleeping bag.
00:51:09.93\00:51:11.30
Yeah, yeah.
00:51:11.33\00:51:12.67
So there is oversight.
00:51:12.70\00:51:14.20
And there's someone
that's running that group
00:51:14.24\00:51:16.44
that is responsible for them.
00:51:16.47\00:51:18.17
We train our leaders
and they oversee the group,
00:51:18.21\00:51:20.04
but it's a ministry
where young people train
00:51:20.08\00:51:24.21
other young people
through the ministry.
00:51:24.25\00:51:26.21
I just mentor the young people.
00:51:26.25\00:51:28.22
What's your low, your low
age, your low end age limit?
00:51:28.25\00:51:31.45
Sixteen. Sixteen, Up to?
00:51:31.49\00:51:33.96
Up to 30.
00:51:34.02\00:51:36.06
Okay. All right.
00:51:36.09\00:51:37.43
Excellent, excellent.
00:51:37.49\00:51:38.93
This is the kind of thing
00:51:38.96\00:51:40.56
that you really
want to be involved in.
00:51:40.60\00:51:42.30
If you're a young
person that you see maybe
00:51:42.33\00:51:45.80
getting a little
lax, maybe a little loose,
00:51:45.83\00:51:47.87
you want to put
him in something.
00:51:47.90\00:51:49.24
You don't
necessarily want to send him
00:51:49.27\00:51:50.64
to a foreign country.
00:51:50.67\00:51:52.01
He can have a rich
mission type experience
00:51:52.04\00:51:55.41
right here in your
home and across it.
00:51:55.44\00:51:56.78
If you're in the
Michigan Conference,
00:51:56.81\00:51:58.28
this is your daily work.
00:51:58.31\00:52:00.22
This is your mission field.
00:52:00.25\00:52:01.68
And this is something
that we can highly recommend
00:52:01.72\00:52:03.89
and endorse.
00:52:03.92\00:52:05.25
Should you want to
make contact with Kamil
00:52:05.29\00:52:07.36
or the Michigan Conference
00:52:07.39\00:52:08.72
or the Youth Literature
Evangelism Department,
00:52:08.76\00:52:11.36
here is how you
can do precisely that.
00:52:11.39\00:52:16.43
If you would like to
know how you can get involved
00:52:16.46\00:52:18.17
with Youth Rush
00:52:18.20\00:52:19.53
or if you'd like
more information,
00:52:19.57\00:52:21.24
then you can
write to Youth Rush,
00:52:21.27\00:52:23.47
320 West St. Joseph Street,
00:52:23.51\00:52:26.11
Lansing, Michigan 48933.
00:52:26.14\00:52:29.08
That's Youth Rush.
00:52:29.11\00:52:30.81
320, West St. Joseph
Street, Lansing, Michigan 48933.
00:52:30.85\00:52:36.48
You can call 866-356-0832.
00:52:36.52\00:52:40.46
That's 866-356-0832
00:52:40.52\00:52:44.29
or you can visit them
online for stories, missions
00:52:44.33\00:52:47.20
and more at theopendoorbook.com.
00:52:47.23\00:52:50.40
The opendoorbook.com.
00:52:50.43\00:52:53.27
Call or write to them today.
00:52:53.30\00:52:54.90
They'd love to hear from you.
00:52:54.94\00:52:56.84