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 for sharing
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just a little
of your day with us
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to thank you as
always for your love,
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your prayers, your support
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of Three Angles
Broadcasting Network,
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as together we seek to
lift up the name of Jesus
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and to let the world know that
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Jesus is coming very, very soon.
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I'm excited today
because of the subject matter
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and because of my guest.
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I was always one who
loved mission stories
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as I was growing up
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and I always had this
secret envy for people
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who are serving
in the mission field,
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never got a chance to go.
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But today we're
gonna talk with someone
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who got a definite call
to go to the mission field.
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And as we look at his life
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and he's got a
really interesting life.
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You know, God, many times that
we've seen this happen before.
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God takes you through
a number of experiences
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that become part of your resume,
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part of your catalog,
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and then there comes a
time when all of those things
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that He's taken you through
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become a skill set
that He causes you to use
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at a certain point in your life
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and that is
certainly true of my guest,
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who is Dr. Verlyn R. Benson.
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Good, doctor, good
to have you here, man.
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Nice to be here.
Thank you very much.
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Punch line.
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He is the President of
the Adventist University
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of Central Africa.
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So he's on loan to us
for just a little while.
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And my understanding is,
soon after doing this program,
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he's going to be
heading back to Central Africa
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which is in
Rwanda near the city of?
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Kigali. Kigali.
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Which is a city of
some size, I'm told.
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It is. It is. Yeah. Yeah.
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He's doing a great work.
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This is exciting
stuff and I kind of...
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I hope we have time to
get through all of this stuff.
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We were talking
just a little bit
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before the program
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and God has given him
a wealth of experience
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and information that he,
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all of which he is using to do
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what God has called
him to do in Africa.
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Before going to Africa
you were on the faculty of?
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Andrews
University. Andrews University.
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So what makes a leap
from Andrews University
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all the way
across Atlanta to Africa,
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we're gonna
talk about that leap.
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And before Andrews University...
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It was Pacific Union College.
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Okay, so when you move
you don't move next door.
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You don't go
even one state over.
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You go from West
Coast to mid America,
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from Middle America,
all the way to Africa
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and God has
called you to each place.
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And this last
call, you made certain
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that it was a call from
God and I don't blame you
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and we're going to
talk about that also.
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Before we go to our
music, just a little back
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and you were born where?
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I was born in
Northern California.
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Grew up in
Adventist home? I did.
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Brothers and
sisters? Yes, I have.
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Adopted sister,
three normal brothers,
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and half brother
and two half sisters...
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Big family. Oh,
wow, fairly big family.
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Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Northern California?
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Northern
California. Near what town?
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Near Pacific Union College.
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Okay, now you told me your wife
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actually is
from California also,
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but southern part of the state.
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Southern, yes. Yeah.
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And you didn't meet
her till quite a bit later
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and that's kind of
interesting story too.
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There's a lot of
sidelines in your life
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that we want to
kind of get into.
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But you were now
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the President of University
of Central Africa in Rwanda.
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And of course when
we think about Rwanda,
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we think about the genocide
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that's going back
20 years now or more.
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23. 23 years, yeah.
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But still on the minds of some.
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Now the school that
you are president of,
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is not on the same campus
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as it was back
23 plus years ago?
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No, it's not.
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No, the campus
was destroyed during
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and shortly after the genocide.
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So that's become a
government military outpost
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and we have a relatively
new campus near Kigali.
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In fact two, one near
the international airport
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where my office is
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and then we have
the beautiful science
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and technology building
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which is closer
to downtown Kigali.
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And then we
have a nursing campus
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and we have Mugonero Hospital,
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clear out to the West Lake Kivu.
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Now here's what is sad,
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I don't want to
wear your appetite
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just a little bit
before we go to our music.
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Dr. Verlyn has been
called to Rwanda to perform
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a specific task at the behest
of the Rwandan government.
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That is correct.
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So this is, this
is, this is big stuff.
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This is not any little thing.
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The government sees
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what Adventism
brings to the table
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and has asked
the Adventist church
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to do something specifically
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that they can not do
or have not been doing.
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And the person, the
cherry on the Sunday
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of that whole ice
cream is the good doctor.
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So that's the story that
we've got to sort of unpackaged
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and unwrapped for you,
because it's an exciting one
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and God has done
some marvelous thing.
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And it's good to
know that governments
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are now seeing value
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in what the
Adventist church teaches
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or what it believes
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and the way it prosecutes
its faith in the real world.
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And so that's what
we're gonna be talking about
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because they've
called Dr. Verlyn
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over to do
something very, very special
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and we want to talk about that.
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Before we do that,
before we un-package the story,
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we want to go to our
music, which is coming to us
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from our dear friend from
down under Sandra Entermann,
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who fairly recently received
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an award herself
from the government.
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You know, she is a glazier.
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She works in that industry
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and has done
some remarkable things
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that have gotten her noticed
by the Australian Government.
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But we know her and
love or as a great singer
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and she's got a very
beautiful song to sing.
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Sandra sings with
pathos and with the love of God
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and you're gonna be blessed.
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In the beginning, I never knew
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Just how much I
really needed you
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More than a friend,
someone I could talk to
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You've changed
me, in so many ways
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Nobody knows me like you
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You put your arms
around me, you bring me through
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There's many times,
I don't know what to do
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Though some know me well,
still nobody knows me like you
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All of my
secrets, to you, I tell
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You saw each time
that I slipped and fell
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And all of my faults,
yes, you know them well
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But you've never turned me away
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Nobody knows me like you
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You put your arms
around me, you bring me through
00:08:02.58\00:08:06.51
There's many times I
don't know what to do
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Though some know me well
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Still nobody knows me like you
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Walking in your
presence is where I want to be
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You said in your word
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You said that you would lead me
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Yes, I love you,
oh, I really love you
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I'd go anywhere
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As long as I
know you'll be there
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All of those
nights that I was afraid
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I stood on the
promises you have made
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The way that I act,
sometimes I am ashamed
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But you never turned me away
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No, no, no
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Nobody knows me like you
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You put your arms
around me, you bring me through
00:09:01.34\00:09:05.21
And there's many times
I don't know what to do
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Though some know me well,
still nobody knows me like you
00:09:09.08\00:09:15.12
Nobody knows me
00:09:15.15\00:09:17.29
Nobody knows me like you
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You put your arms
around me, you bring me through
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And there's many times
I don't know what to do
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Though some know me well,
still nobody knows me like you
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Though some know me well,
still nobody knows me like you
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Though some know me well
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Still nobody knows me like you
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Thank you very much,
Sonia... Sandra Entermann.
00:10:09.87\00:10:13.88
And she was accompanied by
Sanja Kitevski on the piano
00:10:13.91\00:10:17.55
and also doing vocals with her.
00:10:17.58\00:10:20.68
A great
combination, we love them
00:10:20.72\00:10:22.05
when they come over
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and always have a
good time together.
00:10:23.45\00:10:25.29
My guest is Dr. Verlyn R. Benson
00:10:25.32\00:10:27.82
and I hasten to make note
00:10:27.86\00:10:31.06
that the doctor is
not an MD, it's a PhD.
00:10:31.09\00:10:33.50
Correct.
00:10:33.53\00:10:34.86
And we need to make
that note when we talk about
00:10:34.90\00:10:36.23
what you've been assigned to
do because one would think MD,
00:10:36.26\00:10:39.87
but God put a PhD, in-charge,
00:10:39.90\00:10:43.71
and it's the perfect
fit as God always does.
00:10:43.74\00:10:46.04
Now, we talked about you
growing up Adventist home,
00:10:46.07\00:10:48.44
it is one thing, good doctor,
who grew up in Adventist home.
00:10:48.48\00:10:51.85
It is another to be in Christ.
00:10:51.88\00:10:54.98
When did that
call come in your life,
00:10:55.02\00:10:57.75
one on one with Jesus?
00:10:57.79\00:10:59.62
Actually, I was in college.
00:10:59.65\00:11:02.42
I was encouraged to
go to Texas A&M, MIT,
00:11:02.46\00:11:08.86
some of the big
degree institutions.
00:11:08.90\00:11:12.10
My doctorate is actually
00:11:12.13\00:11:13.47
a Doctorate of
Industrial Technology.
00:11:13.50\00:11:16.07
So my career is a very
practical industrial career
00:11:16.10\00:11:21.11
and I wanted to
choose Pacific Union College
00:11:21.14\00:11:24.15
because I wanted a
spiritual component
00:11:24.18\00:11:26.85
and it was in college
that I drew close to Christ.
00:11:26.88\00:11:30.75
Well, with that
doctorate one would suspect
00:11:30.79\00:11:35.16
that you're kind of a left brain
00:11:35.19\00:11:36.73
logical kind of
sequential kind of guy.
00:11:36.76\00:11:38.76
Yeah. And was the...
00:11:38.79\00:11:44.83
Coming to the Lord a sudden
kind of thing or was it a,
00:11:44.87\00:11:48.74
you know, over a period of time,
00:11:48.77\00:11:50.11
or can you like point to a day
and a time when you really...
00:11:50.14\00:11:53.14
No, actually
there were two points.
00:11:53.17\00:11:54.84
I was in about fourth grade
00:11:54.88\00:11:56.44
and I went to an
evangelistic series
00:11:56.48\00:11:58.91
and that was the first step.
00:11:58.95\00:12:02.02
I committed my life to
God in that evangelist series.
00:12:02.05\00:12:05.22
And I can remember praying,
"If I commit my life to You,
00:12:05.25\00:12:08.96
can I have an exciting life?"
00:12:08.99\00:12:11.59
I'm not gonna try drugs,
I'm not gonna do all the,
00:12:11.63\00:12:15.16
the things, but I'd
like an exciting life.
00:12:15.20\00:12:18.43
And so that went through academy
00:12:18.47\00:12:23.27
and yes, I did have
some exciting times,
00:12:23.30\00:12:25.31
I have to agree.
00:12:25.34\00:12:26.88
But then in college, I
began a very close study.
00:12:26.91\00:12:33.35
I won't go into that
story, but I can remember
00:12:33.38\00:12:35.32
specifically a
Wednesday night prayer meeting.
00:12:35.35\00:12:37.92
It was a turning point.
00:12:37.95\00:12:39.95
As I began to look at,
you know, a future life
00:12:39.99\00:12:43.02
and who I marry
00:12:43.06\00:12:44.39
and so it was a prayer meeting
00:12:44.43\00:12:47.30
on dating to marriage
that particular night.
00:12:47.33\00:12:50.07
And from that point, I
began reading the Bible
00:12:50.10\00:12:52.83
and the Spirit of Prophecy
like I'd never read before,
00:12:52.87\00:12:55.97
because the point of that
00:12:56.00\00:12:58.81
was instead of
looking for the right wife,
00:12:58.84\00:13:02.61
you want to be preparing
to be the right husband.
00:13:02.64\00:13:04.65
Amen, well said.
00:13:04.68\00:13:06.01
And that's why I got
into the study of God's word
00:13:06.05\00:13:08.52
and that's where I
drew close to Christ.
00:13:08.55\00:13:10.25
Praise the
Lord. Praise the Lord.
00:13:10.29\00:13:11.69
Our story is sort of parallel.
00:13:11.72\00:13:13.05
I gave my heart to the Lord,
joined the Adventist Church,
00:13:13.09\00:13:14.49
at nine I was
baptized, only one of my family.
00:13:14.52\00:13:17.43
But then really came to
know the Lord in college
00:13:17.46\00:13:21.40
and I can trace it
back to a prayer meeting
00:13:21.43\00:13:24.10
to a Wednesday night,
to Wednesday night service.
00:13:24.13\00:13:26.50
And was re-baptized
00:13:26.53\00:13:28.54
and then sort of
running ever since.
00:13:28.57\00:13:29.90
Now let's jump
since we talked about
00:13:29.94\00:13:32.41
praying for husbands and wives.
00:13:32.44\00:13:35.48
Tell me how you met your wife
who is now in ministry with you
00:13:35.51\00:13:38.31
and that's a kind
of a curious start,
00:13:38.35\00:13:39.91
then I want to go
back to this ministry
00:13:39.95\00:13:41.28
because there's so much to say.
00:13:41.32\00:13:42.65
Sure.
00:13:42.68\00:13:44.25
Both of us accepted calls,
00:13:44.29\00:13:46.05
we felt the Lord was leading us.
00:13:46.09\00:13:49.09
My wife Anita accepted a call
00:13:49.12\00:13:51.13
to be a surgical nurse to Zambia
00:13:51.16\00:13:55.26
and so she left to do that.
00:13:55.30\00:13:57.87
I clearly felt God's
leading for me to teach
00:13:57.90\00:14:02.14
and I went to
Platteville Academy
00:14:02.17\00:14:03.94
in the Midwest
00:14:03.97\00:14:05.31
where I began
my teaching career.
00:14:05.34\00:14:06.68
We never met.
00:14:06.71\00:14:08.61
So it was through a
new teacher that came,
00:14:08.64\00:14:12.15
that is a long
story, we can't tell it now,
00:14:12.18\00:14:15.88
but it was through
that I began writing her.
00:14:15.92\00:14:18.59
And after a year
and a half of writing,
00:14:18.62\00:14:21.02
we met at this
Chicago, O'Hare Airport
00:14:21.06\00:14:22.89
for the first time and, and...
00:14:22.92\00:14:25.46
Oh, that's romantic.
00:14:25.49\00:14:27.80
There is a romantic story, yes.
00:14:27.83\00:14:29.16
So she was in
Zambia the whole time...
00:14:29.20\00:14:30.53
Just writing back and
forth? She was. That's correct.
00:14:30.57\00:14:32.43
Well, did you
send her some pictures
00:14:32.47\00:14:33.80
so, you knew, kind of
knew where you're getting?
00:14:33.84\00:14:35.40
Oh, yes. Praise the Lord.
00:14:35.44\00:14:36.77
But, you know, those pictures
weren't the normal pictures,
00:14:36.81\00:14:39.17
all dressed up for
church and everything.
00:14:39.21\00:14:41.01
They were just
the common pictures.
00:14:41.04\00:14:42.64
And I have to admit,
when I saw her at the airport,
00:14:42.68\00:14:45.31
I go speechless literally.
00:14:45.35\00:14:46.98
Her mother was
there and she said...
00:14:47.02\00:14:48.52
"Well, do you see
her?" And I said...
00:14:48.55\00:14:49.98
Yeah, I recognized
her from the pictures.
00:14:52.99\00:14:54.59
I mean, just...
00:14:54.62\00:14:55.96
To me she was
glorious, she was so beautiful.
00:14:55.99\00:14:59.09
I will never forget that.
00:14:59.13\00:15:00.46
Praise the Lord. Yeah.
00:15:00.50\00:15:01.83
How long after or how
long into relationship
00:15:01.86\00:15:03.87
that occurred to you,
this may be the one that
00:15:03.90\00:15:05.43
I want to share my life with?
00:15:05.47\00:15:09.24
Ten days. Okay!
00:15:09.27\00:15:11.24
That's 10 days
after O'Hare Airport?
00:15:14.64\00:15:16.48
Yes. Okay, good man. That's...
00:15:16.51\00:15:18.15
You know, I
tried to be responsible
00:15:18.18\00:15:20.08
that the General
Conference had called,
00:15:20.12\00:15:23.08
or Ted had
talked to me and said,
00:15:23.12\00:15:24.45
"You know, she's on furlough."
00:15:24.49\00:15:25.82
I said, "Yeah, so
what are my options?"
00:15:25.85\00:15:27.19
Yeah.
00:15:27.22\00:15:28.56
"Can I even talk
to her, you know?
00:15:28.59\00:15:29.92
She's going to
Mission Institute.
00:15:29.96\00:15:31.43
She hadn't had a chance to go.
00:15:31.46\00:15:33.06
Can we, can we talk about this?"
00:15:33.09\00:15:34.93
And they said, "Yes, you
have one month to decide."
00:15:34.96\00:15:37.90
And but for me
there's more to the story.
00:15:37.93\00:15:42.90
I felt that, I
heard a voice from God
00:15:42.94\00:15:47.54
before I started writing.
00:15:47.58\00:15:49.34
"Be careful, this is the
girl you will someday marry."
00:15:49.38\00:15:51.85
Wow! I can't go into the story.
00:15:51.88\00:15:54.25
But it is impressive as
you see how God leads together.
00:15:54.28\00:15:58.15
And I wish our young
people today realize God cares
00:15:58.19\00:16:00.62
that much about their life.
00:16:00.66\00:16:01.99
Agree, yeah.
00:16:02.02\00:16:03.36
Because God is
willing to, even in social,
00:16:03.39\00:16:05.66
romantic relationships,
God is willing to guide,
00:16:05.69\00:16:08.53
bring together
00:16:08.56\00:16:09.90
and that has been a
part of my life, I treasure.
00:16:09.93\00:16:13.17
So pray, pray, pray.
00:16:13.20\00:16:14.54
So now she's already
in the mission field.
00:16:14.57\00:16:16.04
You're not there,
you're still teaching.
00:16:16.07\00:16:18.07
Would you, were you
gonna have to pull her back
00:16:18.11\00:16:20.04
or you of a mission mindset,
how did you nail those two?
00:16:20.08\00:16:23.95
Yeah. I was
called a sheep stealer.
00:16:23.98\00:16:25.61
But the one who is
directing the Mission Institute
00:16:28.28\00:16:31.35
at the time, he married us.
00:16:31.39\00:16:33.56
So he agreed that
God was leading, yes.
00:16:33.59\00:16:35.86
Okay, okay.
00:16:35.89\00:16:37.23
So obviously you
haven't regretted
00:16:37.26\00:16:39.03
that little part of your
life and we praise the Lord.
00:16:39.06\00:16:41.70
So she's fully
invested in mission work
00:16:41.73\00:16:43.73
because she's, you know,
00:16:43.77\00:16:45.10
that's part of her
DNA now at this point.
00:16:45.13\00:16:47.04
So you move on,
00:16:47.07\00:16:48.40
you're PC teaching
for how many years?
00:16:48.44\00:16:50.07
Well, and before that
she was convicted that
00:16:50.11\00:16:53.21
I need to try a
little mission service too.
00:16:53.24\00:16:55.64
So it's two years
after we were married
00:16:55.68\00:16:57.98
that we accepted a call
to Bolivia, South America.
00:16:58.01\00:17:00.62
Oh, okay, you kind of put your
toe in the water a little bit?
00:17:00.65\00:17:02.48
We did, six years,
almost six years total.
00:17:02.52\00:17:06.09
That's more than
toe in the water.
00:17:06.12\00:17:07.46
Yeah. Yeah.
00:17:07.49\00:17:08.82
And our two
children were born there.
00:17:08.86\00:17:11.36
So we decided if
we're gonna have children,
00:17:11.39\00:17:13.83
we were 25 and 26
when we got married
00:17:13.86\00:17:17.00
and said, if we're
gonna have children,
00:17:17.03\00:17:18.47
it's gonna have to
be in the mission field.
00:17:18.50\00:17:20.24
And as a surgical
nurse, she was well prepared.
00:17:20.27\00:17:23.20
I can never
remember missing anything
00:17:23.24\00:17:25.24
for our children
since they were born.
00:17:25.27\00:17:27.08
She came
prepared with everything
00:17:27.11\00:17:28.78
to take care of them properly.
00:17:28.81\00:17:30.18
Amen. Oh, she's
a wonderful mother.
00:17:30.21\00:17:32.28
Yeah, yeah, I see you
smiling when you say that.
00:17:32.31\00:17:34.22
So it's coming
from the heart. It is.
00:17:34.25\00:17:36.08
So sometime in Bolivia,
you came back to the States,
00:17:36.12\00:17:38.59
then to PUC?
00:17:38.62\00:17:40.09
To PUC. Uh-uh! For?
00:17:40.12\00:17:41.56
Well, I did a
masters degree in between.
00:17:41.59\00:17:43.46
Okay. Nine
months, I was motivated.
00:17:43.49\00:17:46.13
I needed that degree.
00:17:46.16\00:17:47.50
I had no income, then
on to PUC for 16 years.
00:17:47.53\00:17:52.17
Teaching? Teaching
industrial technology.
00:17:52.20\00:17:54.30
Okay. Yes.
00:17:54.34\00:17:56.00
A lot of math in that, yeah.
00:17:56.04\00:17:58.01
Yes, and a lot of skills too.
00:17:58.04\00:17:59.94
Yeah, lot of
skills, lot of skills.
00:17:59.97\00:18:01.68
Then from PUC to?
00:18:01.71\00:18:03.38
To Andrews
University for 12 years.
00:18:03.41\00:18:05.28
For 12 years,
teaching? Teaching...
00:18:05.31\00:18:07.42
Well, I was called to be
00:18:07.45\00:18:08.92
the Dean of the
College of Technology.
00:18:08.95\00:18:10.62
Okay, okay. So I
was Academic Dean.
00:18:10.65\00:18:13.36
So you're safely
ensconced at Andrews University,
00:18:13.39\00:18:17.06
your children are growing,
if not grown, they're growing,
00:18:17.09\00:18:19.66
wife with you,
working obviously.
00:18:19.69\00:18:25.23
Was it a bug and
itch that, or call?
00:18:25.27\00:18:29.97
You're doing good,
you're serving the Lord,
00:18:30.01\00:18:31.91
you're at Andrew University,
00:18:31.94\00:18:33.27
you are dean of a
particular school,
00:18:33.31\00:18:35.94
so you're doing nice,
you're doing all right.
00:18:35.98\00:18:39.75
Rwanda?
00:18:39.78\00:18:42.52
Walk us through that, that call.
00:18:42.55\00:18:44.92
You know, I had actually planned
00:18:44.95\00:18:47.96
on retiring there at Andrews.
00:18:47.99\00:18:51.36
And we're just settling there
and have a nice retirement,
00:18:51.39\00:18:56.20
but God doesn't always have
the same plans that we have.
00:18:56.23\00:18:59.47
Amen and amen.
00:18:59.50\00:19:00.84
And so to answer
your first question,
00:19:00.87\00:19:05.41
I had just gone
through liver cancer
00:19:05.44\00:19:08.04
and I praise God
for saving my life.
00:19:08.08\00:19:12.31
I had been given
1% chance of survival.
00:19:12.35\00:19:15.02
Oh, my soul.
00:19:15.05\00:19:16.38
1%. Wow!
00:19:16.42\00:19:17.75
In fact, if you
look at the records,
00:19:17.79\00:19:19.39
there are virtually no survivors
00:19:19.42\00:19:21.22
of that type of Intrahepatic
cholangiocarcinomas.
00:19:21.26\00:19:24.59
It's a deadly disease.
00:19:24.63\00:19:27.00
And because I had recovered,
I was praising God and saying,
00:19:27.03\00:19:31.10
"if You lead me
someplace else, where is that?"
00:19:31.13\00:19:33.94
And so there was
a call to Rwanda.
00:19:33.97\00:19:37.91
And I said, "Praise the Lord."
00:19:37.94\00:19:40.08
If this is from the
Lord, let us test Him
00:19:40.11\00:19:44.08
and let's use
people to speak for God."
00:19:44.11\00:19:48.35
Now, let's just put a pin there
00:19:48.38\00:19:49.72
because I suspect at
this point in your life,
00:19:49.75\00:19:51.25
you're kind of accustomed
00:19:51.29\00:19:52.62
to hearing the voice of the Lord
00:19:52.65\00:19:53.99
and suddenly calling upon Him
00:19:54.02\00:19:55.36
because we're
talking 1% survival,
00:19:55.39\00:19:57.86
that's almost an infinitesimal,
00:19:57.89\00:19:59.73
you know, who gets on a plane
00:19:59.76\00:20:01.10
there's one
percentage of safe landing.
00:20:01.13\00:20:02.83
You know, as it should.
00:20:02.86\00:20:04.47
So God has already shown
Himself powerful in your life.
00:20:04.50\00:20:07.50
You can trust Him now,
00:20:07.54\00:20:08.87
because He's proven
Himself trustworthy.
00:20:08.90\00:20:10.34
Amen. Yeah, yeah.
00:20:10.37\00:20:11.84
But I need a voice. Right.
00:20:11.87\00:20:13.38
I need some confirmation.
00:20:13.41\00:20:15.14
So I said, when I
received the call,
00:20:15.18\00:20:18.28
"I'll be happy to
accept the position.
00:20:18.31\00:20:20.25
I don't even know
what the position is,
00:20:20.28\00:20:22.02
but I'm willing to
move forward with that,
00:20:22.05\00:20:24.59
but I also need to
have a medical checkup
00:20:24.62\00:20:27.56
and I would like the
doctors to give counsel."
00:20:27.59\00:20:30.13
And so I went to my doctor.
00:20:30.16\00:20:32.79
After the checkup,
they did another CT scan.
00:20:32.83\00:20:36.00
They said, "No,
you're free of cancer,
00:20:36.03\00:20:38.17
your blood is good."
00:20:38.20\00:20:39.63
So my question to you is
then, "Can I go to Rwanda?"
00:20:39.67\00:20:43.61
"Oh, sure, sure, go
and when you get back,
00:20:43.64\00:20:45.94
I want to see all the pictures,
the game parks and everything."
00:20:45.97\00:20:48.81
I said, "No, no,
no, moving to Africa."
00:20:48.84\00:20:51.28
Yeah.
00:20:51.31\00:20:52.81
Then the
question you just asked me
00:20:52.85\00:20:55.12
was based on your health.
00:20:55.15\00:20:56.95
Is your health
good enough? Yeah.
00:20:56.99\00:20:59.52
And, you know, this
is where it's exciting,
00:20:59.55\00:21:01.29
because when you ask
for an answer to God,
00:21:01.32\00:21:04.29
He will sometimes
make it very clear.
00:21:04.33\00:21:06.06
Yes.
00:21:06.09\00:21:07.70
My doctor was a lady
and she said, "Go, go, go."
00:21:07.73\00:21:13.13
And she threw
her hands out like,
00:21:13.17\00:21:14.77
"What's wrong with you? Go."
00:21:14.80\00:21:16.20
All right!
00:21:16.24\00:21:17.57
So your fleece was a
positive medical report
00:21:17.61\00:21:21.01
from your doctor
and that did it for you?
00:21:21.04\00:21:23.48
Yeah. Absolutely!
00:21:23.51\00:21:24.85
And "go, go, go,"
that's, that's pretty positive.
00:21:24.88\00:21:26.58
That was very positive.
00:21:26.61\00:21:28.72
Your wife was
already mentally prepared
00:21:28.75\00:21:30.45
to make the switch I suspect.
00:21:30.49\00:21:32.09
Absolutely. Absolutely.
00:21:32.12\00:21:33.79
And your children have
grown? Our children are grown.
00:21:33.82\00:21:36.76
Okay, so that's not
a, that's not a concern.
00:21:36.79\00:21:38.89
No, but they were concerned.
Yes, well, yeah, yeah.
00:21:38.93\00:21:41.36
Dad, although
you've been through,
00:21:41.40\00:21:42.76
you're sure this is right?
00:21:42.80\00:21:44.13
Yeah, I'm very
concerned for you.
00:21:44.17\00:21:45.50
I'm sure that
would... I'm sure they will...
00:21:45.53\00:21:47.54
See, the Lord is
already telling you,
00:21:47.57\00:21:48.90
so it's not a concern for you,
00:21:48.94\00:21:50.54
but I'm sure it will
be a concern for them.
00:21:50.57\00:21:52.07
Right. Yeah.
00:21:52.11\00:21:53.44
But they have,
they have also accepted
00:21:53.48\00:21:55.24
and they believe God
has called us to Rwanda.
00:21:55.28\00:21:58.61
The call is not just for me.
00:21:58.65\00:21:59.98
My wife is fulfilling
extremely important role
00:22:00.02\00:22:04.59
and she's there right
now holding down the fort,
00:22:04.62\00:22:08.42
while I'm here
and we talk daily.
00:22:08.46\00:22:11.29
She has a very important role.
00:22:11.33\00:22:14.56
Now let's, let's
begin to un-package
00:22:14.60\00:22:18.00
what this call is?
00:22:18.03\00:22:20.04
Because this is,
this is unique stuff.
00:22:20.07\00:22:24.01
You were called to
go to Rwanda to do what?
00:22:24.04\00:22:29.74
Well, I didn't know for a
month after I had received...
00:22:29.78\00:22:34.02
We're putting in all His
places and God is saying yes,
00:22:34.05\00:22:35.88
to do what?
00:22:35.92\00:22:37.25
It's like Abraham.
00:22:37.29\00:22:38.62
I've been called, I
don't know where I'm going.
00:22:38.65\00:22:39.99
Finally, I was like, "Oh,
really, no one's told you?"
00:22:40.02\00:22:42.42
I said, "No, but it
doesn't really matter.
00:22:42.46\00:22:44.69
If this is from the
Lord, it doesn't matter.
00:22:44.73\00:22:46.53
I'll take any
position." Praise the Lord.
00:22:46.56\00:22:48.56
And, yeah, it was to be
00:22:48.60\00:22:50.10
the president
of the institution.
00:22:50.13\00:22:52.23
There it's called
the, the vice chancellor
00:22:52.27\00:22:55.60
or I'm daily called the Rector.
00:22:55.64\00:22:59.37
Interesting that they
used that terminology, Rector.
00:22:59.41\00:23:01.84
Well, you know,
Rwanda, just a few years ago
00:23:01.88\00:23:04.08
was French speaking. Yes.
00:23:04.11\00:23:05.75
And then they switched
all the official languages.
00:23:05.78\00:23:08.48
Now English, all instruction
has to be in English,
00:23:08.52\00:23:11.15
but that's a carry
over from the European term.
00:23:11.19\00:23:15.36
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
00:23:15.39\00:23:16.93
so you're called to be
00:23:16.96\00:23:18.53
the president of the
university there at Rwanda,
00:23:18.56\00:23:22.06
but not just the president,
00:23:22.10\00:23:25.17
the president with a
little hook added to it,
00:23:25.20\00:23:27.87
and what is that?
00:23:27.90\00:23:29.30
That's correct.
00:23:29.34\00:23:30.67
And, you know, I
feel so humble to realize.
00:23:30.71\00:23:34.38
God, God saved me
to be a part of this.
00:23:34.41\00:23:37.38
This is to be a
little part in building
00:23:37.41\00:23:40.42
a state-of-the-art
medical school in Rwanda
00:23:40.45\00:23:42.88
at the request
of the government.
00:23:42.92\00:23:44.45
Okay, hit a pause
button, say that one more time.
00:23:44.49\00:23:48.99
To build a state-of-the-art
medical school in Rwanda
00:23:49.02\00:23:52.96
at the request of
the president himself.
00:23:52.99\00:23:55.66
Okay, so this request is coming
00:23:55.70\00:23:57.83
from the
President of the country
00:23:57.87\00:23:59.77
for the "Adventist"
00:23:59.80\00:24:02.40
to do a state-of-the-art
medical school, why?
00:24:02.44\00:24:09.24
They have a national university,
00:24:09.28\00:24:11.45
they have a medical school,
00:24:11.48\00:24:13.25
but it's not producing
enough doctors and nurses.
00:24:13.28\00:24:16.25
Just take nurses for example.
00:24:16.28\00:24:18.39
For every nurse that represents
00:24:18.42\00:24:22.02
17,000 patients.
00:24:22.06\00:24:26.59
So there's no way a
nurse can take care of that.
00:24:26.63\00:24:28.10
Yes. Way understaffed.
00:24:28.13\00:24:29.90
They don't have
near enough doctors.
00:24:29.93\00:24:31.83
And the medical
instruction that they have,
00:24:31.87\00:24:34.80
it's the best they can do,
00:24:34.84\00:24:36.30
but it is
definitely not state-of-the-art
00:24:36.34\00:24:38.57
and about 80% are
failing the national boards.
00:24:38.61\00:24:42.18
So they want quality education.
00:24:42.21\00:24:45.81
They learned about Loma
Linda, they realized that
00:24:45.85\00:24:49.15
with the emphasis on
the spiritual aspect,
00:24:49.18\00:24:53.15
there is another
component that would make
00:24:53.19\00:24:56.19
this medical school
very, very different.
00:24:56.22\00:24:59.26
I made a
presentation to a bank president
00:24:59.29\00:25:01.66
and she said, "Well, we
have our own university.
00:25:01.70\00:25:03.87
Why would you be
building another university?
00:25:03.90\00:25:05.93
Why would you need
financial assistance,
00:25:05.97\00:25:09.10
a place to store money,
00:25:09.14\00:25:11.01
a place to
borrow money etcetera,
00:25:11.04\00:25:13.04
you want good relations,
why would you do that?"
00:25:13.07\00:25:15.81
And I gave her a little
testimony of my experience
00:25:15.84\00:25:18.61
and how valuable it is to
have God in this triangle,
00:25:18.65\00:25:22.48
a good doctors, good nurses,
00:25:22.52\00:25:25.05
I mean, the best you
can get in this world,
00:25:25.09\00:25:27.42
the personal involvement
00:25:27.46\00:25:29.72
in being part of
that healing process,
00:25:29.76\00:25:32.66
but then having a God
who can create miracles,
00:25:32.69\00:25:35.50
a God who can forgive sins,
a God that can give you peace,
00:25:35.53\00:25:39.57
and knowing that you
can get through this.
00:25:39.60\00:25:43.44
Or if your life is short,
00:25:43.47\00:25:45.17
knowing that
there is a resurrection
00:25:45.21\00:25:46.88
that there is a,
there is life eternal.
00:25:46.91\00:25:48.74
This, this triangle, this
part of medical education.
00:25:48.78\00:25:54.15
She said, "I cannot believe it.
00:25:54.18\00:25:56.62
I've never heard
anything like it.
00:25:56.65\00:25:58.05
We need this right
here in Rwanda, right now.
00:25:58.09\00:26:00.59
By all means I will support."
00:26:00.62\00:26:02.32
And she just gave
us, just before I left,
00:26:02.36\00:26:04.93
she gave us the
lowest borrowing rate
00:26:04.96\00:26:07.86
that I had heard of in Rwanda.
00:26:07.90\00:26:09.50
Amen, praise God, praise God.
00:26:09.53\00:26:11.80
So this is why at
the very beginning
00:26:11.83\00:26:13.77
I took pains to note that,
00:26:13.80\00:26:15.94
that Verlyn's
doctorate is not an MD,
00:26:15.97\00:26:19.04
although he's
been called to work on
00:26:19.07\00:26:23.71
and to help build and help lead
00:26:23.75\00:26:25.31
a state-of-the-art medical
institution there in Rwanda.
00:26:25.35\00:26:28.95
But now we're gonna
see how the skill level,
00:26:28.98\00:26:32.05
the skill set
that God has given him
00:26:32.09\00:26:34.12
is perfectly tailored and suited
00:26:34.16\00:26:36.56
to what God has
called him to do.
00:26:36.59\00:26:37.93
And this is
where it becomes fun,
00:26:37.96\00:26:39.39
because you see how God does
all these things through that,
00:26:39.43\00:26:41.66
become part of your resume
and then at the appointed time,
00:26:41.70\00:26:44.07
you could pull that
stuff out of your bag of tricks
00:26:44.10\00:26:46.00
and God's got
the skill level there
00:26:46.03\00:26:48.00
and you're part of that,
you know, that whole scenario.
00:26:48.04\00:26:52.21
So you're
president of the university,
00:26:52.24\00:26:54.84
but this, your baby is
this new medical institution.
00:26:54.88\00:26:58.78
And you've been there now,
00:26:58.81\00:27:00.15
you told me just several months,
00:27:00.18\00:27:01.98
it's not a long,
and long in process
00:27:02.02\00:27:06.02
and God has
already beginning to work
00:27:06.05\00:27:07.86
miracle upon
miracle upon miracle.
00:27:07.89\00:27:09.36
Absolutely! Absolutely!
00:27:09.39\00:27:11.06
Yeah, first of
all, how you're feeling,
00:27:11.09\00:27:12.43
your health is good?
00:27:12.46\00:27:13.80
Oh, excellent! You look great.
00:27:13.83\00:27:15.16
Thank you. So we
praise the Lord for that.
00:27:15.20\00:27:16.53
Praise God. We
praise the Lord for that.
00:27:16.56\00:27:17.90
I wish you had a
picture of your wife.
00:27:17.93\00:27:19.27
You should have
brought a picture
00:27:19.30\00:27:20.64
of your wife with you,
but when you come back,
00:27:20.67\00:27:22.00
you can bring it with
you, or bring your wife.
00:27:22.04\00:27:23.37
Absolutely!
00:27:23.41\00:27:24.74
So you're running a school,
how big of a school is it?
00:27:24.77\00:27:26.11
We have 3,000
students. Good size school.
00:27:26.14\00:27:27.81
Yes. Good size school.
00:27:27.84\00:27:29.64
And several deferent departments
00:27:29.68\00:27:31.41
and you're turning out nurses.
00:27:31.45\00:27:33.18
We're turning out nurses
in our campus to the west.
00:27:33.21\00:27:36.22
We have IT graduates,
graduate and undergraduates.
00:27:36.25\00:27:41.62
We have school of
business, the same.
00:27:41.66\00:27:44.39
We have our
theology and our nursing.
00:27:44.43\00:27:47.60
This is the main four
areas that we are teaching.
00:27:47.63\00:27:50.87
Well, very good.
Let me ask you this.
00:27:50.90\00:27:52.57
And this of course is
just your opinion, Verlyn.
00:27:52.60\00:27:56.97
How familiar is the
government with Adventism
00:27:57.01\00:28:01.14
and what kind of standing
00:28:01.18\00:28:02.78
does the Adventist
Church hold in that country?
00:28:02.81\00:28:05.45
And I say that for
a particular reason
00:28:05.48\00:28:06.82
which I'll get to
you in just a moment.
00:28:06.85\00:28:08.52
Well, nobody,
nobody can deny the fact
00:28:08.55\00:28:11.55
that Adventists are well-known.
00:28:11.59\00:28:13.66
Every time I go and
meet with a bank official,
00:28:13.69\00:28:15.72
it doesn't matter
which bank, they tell me,
00:28:15.76\00:28:18.13
"You know, all of our IT people,
00:28:18.16\00:28:20.63
the programmers
of our computers,
00:28:20.66\00:28:22.43
they're all graduates
from your university."
00:28:22.46\00:28:24.07
You know that, right?
00:28:24.10\00:28:25.80
When we go to the immigrations,
the customs, at the airport,
00:28:25.83\00:28:31.01
many of the
agents are Adventists.
00:28:31.04\00:28:35.44
Recently, there was
over 1,00,000 baptisms
00:28:35.48\00:28:39.48
in just one year in Rwanda.
00:28:39.51\00:28:41.78
So they are well-known.
00:28:41.82\00:28:44.65
But there's another way
that Adventists are known.
00:28:44.69\00:28:48.19
We go to church
on Saturday. Yes.
00:28:48.22\00:28:50.16
The third, the last Saturday
of the month is Umuganda.
00:28:50.19\00:28:55.60
Umuganda is a day
00:28:55.63\00:28:57.33
where everyone
stops in the morning
00:28:57.37\00:28:59.57
and cleans up the country.
00:28:59.60\00:29:01.54
Rwanda is the cleanest
country of all of Africa.
00:29:01.57\00:29:04.04
You never see trash
anywhere, it's always picked up.
00:29:04.07\00:29:07.14
Once a month, it is the day.
00:29:07.18\00:29:09.08
And so on that Saturday,
even the president himself
00:29:09.11\00:29:11.81
goes out and picks up trash,
00:29:11.85\00:29:13.55
because he wants to
set a personal example.
00:29:13.58\00:29:16.22
So the Adventists...
00:29:16.25\00:29:18.42
"How do you go to church?"
00:29:18.45\00:29:19.79
Because you can't drive a car
without a permit on that day.
00:29:19.82\00:29:22.82
Oh, wow!
00:29:22.86\00:29:24.19
So how do you give that
many permits to Adventists?
00:29:24.23\00:29:27.83
So the government
00:29:27.86\00:29:30.50
has authorized
the police to look
00:29:30.53\00:29:33.77
if there's a Bible on
the seat, that's their pass.
00:29:33.80\00:29:37.11
If there's an Adult
Sabbath School lesson quarterly
00:29:37.14\00:29:39.84
or even a photocopy
of that lesson quarterly,
00:29:39.87\00:29:43.14
that is their pass
and they go on to church
00:29:43.18\00:29:45.48
and then the
Adventists on Sunday clean them.
00:29:45.51\00:29:48.45
So obviously
the Adventist Church
00:29:48.48\00:29:49.82
is in fairly good standing,
00:29:49.85\00:29:51.92
has a good report
among government officials.
00:29:51.95\00:29:54.92
Absolutely, yes. Yeah. Yeah.
00:29:54.96\00:29:56.29
Yeah. That's correct.
00:29:56.32\00:29:57.66
So that, how then
did the brethren...
00:29:57.69\00:30:00.53
How do I put this?
00:30:00.56\00:30:01.90
Lay hands on you
in particular to do?
00:30:01.93\00:30:04.50
I can see why the
government would say,
00:30:04.53\00:30:06.74
"Let's go to the
Adventists because they have
00:30:06.77\00:30:08.70
the track record,
they have the history,
00:30:08.74\00:30:11.27
they certainly have the
health standing to do this."
00:30:11.31\00:30:14.01
Why you?
00:30:14.04\00:30:18.11
That's a really good question.
00:30:18.15\00:30:19.88
Sometimes we don't know
why God calls individuals
00:30:19.91\00:30:24.15
and sometimes I question.
00:30:24.19\00:30:26.05
"How does God know about me
00:30:26.09\00:30:27.59
and lead me to
these different things?"
00:30:27.62\00:30:30.09
But, of course, we know
God is so knowledgeable,
00:30:30.13\00:30:32.79
but the skill set that I had,
00:30:32.83\00:30:35.83
I can see how God
has been preparing me
00:30:35.86\00:30:38.63
for many, many
years in a humble sense.
00:30:38.67\00:30:41.47
And this is not
to be prestigious,
00:30:41.50\00:30:44.57
this is just to do
the humble little things.
00:30:44.61\00:30:47.18
The weekend that I
arrived, we had no water
00:30:47.21\00:30:51.68
and so I tried to find out
why the water wasn't working.
00:30:51.71\00:30:56.58
And, of course,
there was a broken valve
00:30:56.62\00:30:58.72
and I had to splice a pipe
and there was no thread cutter
00:30:58.75\00:31:02.12
and I had to make
my own thread cutter.
00:31:02.16\00:31:04.63
Now how do you
make a thread cutter?
00:31:04.66\00:31:06.73
Those in the technical field
know that that's a challenge.
00:31:06.76\00:31:09.83
In the spur of the
moment, what do you have?
00:31:09.86\00:31:11.70
There's no thread
cutting devices there.
00:31:11.73\00:31:14.44
So how do you
make a thread cutter?
00:31:14.47\00:31:16.74
God gave me wisdom to do that.
00:31:16.77\00:31:18.77
And I told the boys that
were watching me, I said,
00:31:18.81\00:31:21.68
you know, I said,
"I haven't done this,
00:31:21.71\00:31:23.58
but I think God has given
me the wisdom to do this."
00:31:23.61\00:31:26.65
And after it was
successful, the boys wrote
00:31:26.68\00:31:29.58
in their poor English,
"God, You bless Your work."
00:31:29.62\00:31:34.96
And that to me was
just, there is God witnessing
00:31:34.99\00:31:38.26
through just
these humble things,
00:31:38.29\00:31:40.26
that He is
blessing us in Africa.
00:31:40.30\00:31:43.06
The day I left Rwanda,
I couldn't take a shower
00:31:43.10\00:31:46.13
because we were without water.
00:31:46.17\00:31:49.57
The generator that we
have for generating electricity
00:31:49.60\00:31:53.54
had failed, the water
pump, the bearing went out.
00:31:53.58\00:31:57.08
And while I've
been in the States,
00:31:57.11\00:31:58.45
I was able to have a part
flown from the factory in Korea,
00:31:58.48\00:32:02.78
it came two hours
before my flight left
00:32:02.82\00:32:05.89
and I was able to
bring that part with me
00:32:05.92\00:32:08.32
and I will take it
back and repair that.
00:32:08.36\00:32:10.43
So there are
critical things that sometimes
00:32:10.46\00:32:13.33
in a foreign
country you need expertise,
00:32:13.36\00:32:16.77
you need people that know
how to do some of these things.
00:32:16.80\00:32:19.03
Yeah, a lot of things you
kind of make up on the fly
00:32:19.07\00:32:20.94
as the need comes.
00:32:20.97\00:32:22.30
Yes.
00:32:22.34\00:32:23.67
Now speaking of that,
it's not so much on the fire
00:32:23.71\00:32:25.84
because God gave you a skill set
00:32:25.87\00:32:28.18
going back from
early on in your nimiety.
00:32:28.21\00:32:30.41
Tell me about
the drill, drilling,
00:32:30.45\00:32:34.58
the water drilling
license that you have.
00:32:34.62\00:32:36.75
Well, one would not
think, this is a guy,
00:32:36.79\00:32:38.12
he's a professor in college.
00:32:38.15\00:32:39.49
What are you doing
with a drilling license?
00:32:39.52\00:32:40.86
But you have one.
00:32:40.89\00:32:42.22
You know, go back to
those days in college.
00:32:42.26\00:32:43.59
As I was reading
through the Spirit of Prophecy,
00:32:43.63\00:32:44.96
I ran across a quote that
suggested that each of us,
00:32:44.99\00:32:49.73
when we start
going out on our own,
00:32:49.76\00:32:51.57
we have a little piece of
property out in the country
00:32:51.60\00:32:53.90
that we could call our own.
00:32:53.94\00:32:55.44
So shortly after I left college
and paid off my school loans,
00:32:55.47\00:33:00.58
I bought a piece of property.
00:33:00.61\00:33:02.08
It about killed me to
just make the purchase price
00:33:02.11\00:33:06.55
and it took years to pay it off.
00:33:06.58\00:33:07.92
In fact, I think
I owned it 10 years
00:33:07.95\00:33:09.58
before I even
walked on the property.
00:33:09.62\00:33:12.09
It was isolated, no road
and I wanted to drill a well.
00:33:12.12\00:33:15.16
This is in California?
00:33:15.19\00:33:16.52
This is in California. Uh-huh.
00:33:16.56\00:33:17.89
And so I decided that I
would just go to the county
00:33:17.93\00:33:23.47
and request a permit.
00:33:23.50\00:33:25.13
And they said, "No, we
can't give you a permit,
00:33:25.17\00:33:28.44
you have to be a
licensed driller."
00:33:28.47\00:33:30.41
I said, "No, no, no, I
just want to do this myself.
00:33:30.44\00:33:32.61
I will not hire anyone.
00:33:32.64\00:33:34.24
This is on my own property,
00:33:34.28\00:33:35.74
this is not
commercial, this is..."
00:33:35.78\00:33:37.41
"No, you can't do it."
00:33:37.45\00:33:39.05
So I wrote to the State
of California and they said,
00:33:39.08\00:33:42.75
"Eventually,
yes, you can do that,"
00:33:42.78\00:33:45.15
but in the meantime I just said,
00:33:45.19\00:33:46.52
"Why am I waiting,
00:33:46.55\00:33:47.89
let me just go
and get my license."
00:33:47.92\00:33:49.39
But once I got my license,
there were so many people
00:33:49.42\00:33:52.19
wanting wells
drilled that I actually began
00:33:52.23\00:33:55.13
during the summer time,
while I was working as PUC,
00:33:55.16\00:33:58.10
I was not teaching classes,
00:33:58.13\00:33:59.80
so I began drilling
wells for other people.
00:33:59.83\00:34:01.77
I love the outdoors.
00:34:01.80\00:34:03.30
There's nothing so nice
than to see gushing water
00:34:03.34\00:34:06.68
and, and that.
00:34:06.71\00:34:08.04
So today, I'm right now
negotiating for a contract
00:34:08.08\00:34:12.85
to drill two
wells on our campus,
00:34:12.88\00:34:15.12
so that we will have
our own water on our campus.
00:34:15.15\00:34:16.92
Praise the Lord.
00:34:16.95\00:34:18.29
A medical school is gonna have
to have water and a lot of it.
00:34:18.32\00:34:20.49
Right now the institution
is a day institution.
00:34:20.52\00:34:23.83
Those 3,000 students
are coming and going,
00:34:23.86\00:34:26.43
except for our nursing program.
00:34:26.46\00:34:28.50
And so we are right now
building two dormitories,
00:34:28.53\00:34:31.73
men and women's, a guest
house for visiting professors
00:34:31.77\00:34:35.77
because we expect to have
many coming from Loma Linda,
00:34:35.80\00:34:38.61
we are partnering
with Loma Linda to do this.
00:34:38.64\00:34:42.84
We have a cafeteria
that's under construction
00:34:42.88\00:34:46.18
and we are frantically
working to get the plans
00:34:46.21\00:34:49.05
for the state-of-the-art
medical school laboratory
00:34:49.08\00:34:52.45
to be, be built.
00:34:52.49\00:34:54.12
Wow! So you are
gonna need a lot of water.
00:34:54.16\00:34:55.96
Oh, this is not just my
effort, this is a team effort.
00:34:55.99\00:34:58.93
And so we have a
working committee
00:34:58.96\00:35:01.56
with over 20 members and
consulting the best ideas.
00:35:01.60\00:35:05.53
This has to be an
exemplary institution.
00:35:05.57\00:35:09.77
You know, if you're
a third rate engineer
00:35:09.80\00:35:12.57
and yet you're very
spiritual, you know,
00:35:12.61\00:35:14.78
your focus is on spiritual value
00:35:14.81\00:35:19.28
but you're not
putting your heart
00:35:19.31\00:35:21.88
into what you're doing.
00:35:21.92\00:35:23.95
Who's gonna want
to know what your,
00:35:23.99\00:35:26.69
what you spiritual life is like?
00:35:26.72\00:35:28.06
Yeah, yeah, yeah, sloppy
work undercuts the strength
00:35:28.09\00:35:29.42
of your spiritual witness, yeah.
00:35:29.46\00:35:30.79
Absolutely.
00:35:30.83\00:35:32.16
So if we put together
00:35:32.19\00:35:33.53
a
state-of-the-art medical school,
00:35:33.56\00:35:35.16
the government is
going to say, "Look at this."
00:35:35.20\00:35:38.10
And now look at the
other coupling of God,
00:35:38.13\00:35:41.27
the holistic healing,
pulling this together,
00:35:41.30\00:35:44.54
this is going to
be a game changer
00:35:44.57\00:35:47.51
for all of Africa.
00:35:47.54\00:35:48.88
Because it's
not just for Rwanda,
00:35:48.91\00:35:50.98
there are already plans to have
00:35:51.01\00:35:53.31
from the
East-Central Africa division
00:35:53.35\00:35:55.62
which is, which is
sponsoring this medical school.
00:35:55.65\00:35:58.59
They are the ones that
are helping to fund this,
00:35:58.62\00:36:02.42
that's going to be
sending out to 11 countries,
00:36:02.46\00:36:07.16
medical doctors.
00:36:07.20\00:36:08.53
So, not just
Rwanda, but all of...
00:36:08.56\00:36:09.90
Yeah.
00:36:09.93\00:36:11.27
So they were bringing
in students from across
00:36:11.30\00:36:12.93
the face of Africa I suspect.
00:36:12.97\00:36:14.30
That's correct. Yeah. Yeah.
00:36:14.34\00:36:15.67
Yes, and what a way to
change medical education.
00:36:15.70\00:36:18.04
Yeah, what a marvelous witness.
00:36:18.07\00:36:19.44
You'd be sending guys out
who have the technical skills
00:36:19.47\00:36:22.04
but also have the
spiritual undergirding
00:36:22.08\00:36:23.98
to turn their
medical work into ministry
00:36:24.01\00:36:26.72
and that's exciting
and to be part of that.
00:36:26.75\00:36:29.52
What is your wife
doing there now in Africa
00:36:29.55\00:36:32.62
'cause she is a surgical nurse?
00:36:32.65\00:36:33.99
She is a surgical nurse.
00:36:34.02\00:36:35.36
Is she teaching at all
00:36:35.39\00:36:36.73
or she
practicing her trade there?
00:36:36.76\00:36:38.09
Right now in Rwanda,
00:36:38.13\00:36:39.46
there is no course
for basic life support.
00:36:39.49\00:36:44.77
Even the doctors and nurses...
00:36:44.80\00:36:47.60
There was an incident
00:36:47.64\00:36:48.97
where a man was
not feeling well,
00:36:49.00\00:36:52.84
he went in to
seek medical attention
00:36:52.87\00:36:55.31
and there in the
office, he passed out.
00:36:55.34\00:36:58.81
And the doctors and nurses
just kind of stood around.
00:36:58.85\00:37:01.55
"Well, what's gonna happen next?
00:37:01.58\00:37:02.92
Is he gonna revive?
00:37:02.95\00:37:04.45
Is something gonna happen?"
00:37:04.49\00:37:05.85
I mean, these
are critical moments.
00:37:05.89\00:37:07.92
And so teaching the
steps to do right then
00:37:07.96\00:37:11.63
is what needs to be done.
00:37:11.66\00:37:14.00
I met with the
minister of health, she said,
00:37:14.03\00:37:17.17
"I am thrilled to
know that your wife
00:37:17.20\00:37:20.00
is going to be
teaching this basic life support
00:37:20.04\00:37:23.07
to the nurses.
00:37:23.10\00:37:24.44
And as they go in
to do their clinicals
00:37:24.47\00:37:26.27
at the hospitals,
they will actually have
00:37:26.31\00:37:28.54
a superior knowledge
for basic life support
00:37:28.58\00:37:31.75
than what the nurses
00:37:31.78\00:37:33.11
who work there on a daily basis.
00:37:33.15\00:37:34.62
And already twice
this first aid training
00:37:34.65\00:37:38.79
has been beneficial."
00:37:38.82\00:37:40.16
Wow!
00:37:40.19\00:37:41.52
So not only is she
teaching some of the first,
00:37:41.56\00:37:45.33
the basic life
support courses, she certified
00:37:45.36\00:37:48.40
with the American
Heart Association,
00:37:48.43\00:37:50.17
which also gives these
international students,
00:37:50.20\00:37:52.37
"Wow!
00:37:52.40\00:37:53.74
I am certified with a card
00:37:53.77\00:37:55.27
from the American
Heart Association."
00:37:55.30\00:37:57.31
It gives them some credibility
as they go for their clinicals.
00:37:57.34\00:38:00.94
And so she is also assisting
me as my executive assistant.
00:38:00.98\00:38:07.28
Praise the Lord.
00:38:07.32\00:38:08.65
She is... She is
keeping things going
00:38:08.68\00:38:10.39
when I am not there.
00:38:10.42\00:38:12.05
And writing letters,
00:38:12.09\00:38:13.56
communicating and
she's got a big smile.
00:38:13.59\00:38:17.39
You'll see
someday when you meet her.
00:38:17.43\00:38:19.23
She welcomes people,
00:38:19.26\00:38:20.60
but then tries to
get the daily work done.
00:38:20.63\00:38:22.93
Right now we're
planning for a graduation
00:38:22.96\00:38:25.70
which is September 8, 9 and 10,
that's our annual graduation.
00:38:25.73\00:38:31.11
So a lot of irons in the fire.
00:38:31.14\00:38:33.34
Have you broken ground on
the medical school as of yet
00:38:33.38\00:38:36.75
or that's still to come?
00:38:36.78\00:38:38.81
We have broken ground
on those four buildings,
00:38:38.85\00:38:41.75
the dormitories, the
cafeteria, and the guest house,
00:38:41.78\00:38:46.45
a 21 unit
guesthouse, two-storey.
00:38:46.49\00:38:48.82
Yeah. Yes.
00:38:48.86\00:38:50.19
Because that we are
going to be using that,
00:38:50.23\00:38:52.26
we are looking
for Maranatha workers,
00:38:52.29\00:38:55.20
not just volunteers,
we want skilled tradesmen.
00:38:55.23\00:38:58.63
As soon as we have
the plans approved,
00:38:58.67\00:39:00.97
we want Maranatha to
bring waves of teams...
00:39:01.00\00:39:03.94
Oh, okay.
00:39:03.97\00:39:05.31
To stay in the guest house
00:39:05.34\00:39:06.68
and quickly build the
state-of-the-art building.
00:39:06.71\00:39:08.68
We want top-notch technicians.
00:39:08.71\00:39:11.41
So this building
is truly exemplary
00:39:11.45\00:39:14.18
of what the
Adventists Church can do.
00:39:14.22\00:39:15.55
Your teaching staff
for the anticipate hospital
00:39:15.58\00:39:18.35
is going to come from where?
00:39:18.39\00:39:20.39
We will have
some local teachers.
00:39:20.42\00:39:21.89
We already have
two in place. Okay.
00:39:21.92\00:39:24.66
One is Rwandan, a
very, very fine doctor.
00:39:24.69\00:39:30.23
We also just have another one
00:39:30.27\00:39:31.97
that has come
just a few months ago.
00:39:32.00\00:39:35.84
He was trained in the US
00:39:35.87\00:39:38.87
and he comes
with vast experiences.
00:39:38.91\00:39:42.54
So right now is...
00:39:42.58\00:39:44.28
Remember, just
because I'm the president,
00:39:44.31\00:39:46.61
that does not mean
I'm all with the brains,
00:39:46.65\00:39:48.72
just one little piece.
00:39:48.75\00:39:50.09
And so bringing these
professionals together
00:39:50.12\00:39:53.92
and then listening
to the medical needs
00:39:53.96\00:39:56.12
and working with Loma
Linda, I spent last week,
00:39:56.16\00:40:00.50
with meetings at Loma
Linda and then meetings with
00:40:00.53\00:40:03.33
three world-famous
architectural firms.
00:40:03.37\00:40:06.94
We're right now working
with one architectural firm
00:40:06.97\00:40:10.01
that has constructed
10, they've designed 14,
00:40:10.04\00:40:13.91
but they've
worked in constructing
00:40:13.94\00:40:16.61
10 new medical
schools since the year 2000.
00:40:16.64\00:40:20.92
This is a very, very advanced
00:40:20.95\00:40:23.95
state-of-the-art
architectural firm
00:40:23.99\00:40:25.92
specifically for medical school.
00:40:25.95\00:40:27.66
And we've had the
privilege of working with them.
00:40:27.69\00:40:29.76
So working with these
doctors that are coming in,
00:40:29.79\00:40:32.79
working with
experience from Loma Linda,
00:40:32.83\00:40:36.46
with the General Conference,
00:40:36.50\00:40:38.30
with
East-Central Africa Division,
00:40:38.33\00:40:41.80
we're pulling all the
brightest minds together
00:40:41.84\00:40:44.54
and trying to build
this state-of-the-art.
00:40:44.57\00:40:47.61
Is the government
putting any funding into this
00:40:47.64\00:40:50.95
or this is mostly the division?
00:40:50.98\00:40:53.88
The division
and donations. Okay.
00:40:53.92\00:40:57.12
Right now,
the... Or let's go back.
00:40:57.15\00:40:59.92
In the '70s, 1970s,
00:40:59.95\00:41:02.29
I believe that Rwanda had
two kilometers of paved roads.
00:41:02.32\00:41:08.73
Since this, the
1970s, we have paved roads
00:41:08.76\00:41:12.80
from border to border.
00:41:12.83\00:41:14.44
Oh, okay. Very good.
00:41:14.47\00:41:15.80
They have been
working frantically.
00:41:15.84\00:41:18.27
You mentioned
earlier the size of Kigali.
00:41:18.31\00:41:20.68
Kigali will triple in size
between now and the year 2030.
00:41:20.71\00:41:25.91
Oh, wow!
00:41:25.95\00:41:27.28
So this is a
very progressive city.
00:41:27.32\00:41:29.92
Skyscrapers going up everywhere.
00:41:29.95\00:41:31.29
Yeah, and I was gonna...
00:41:31.32\00:41:32.65
When I've seen
it shocked me about
00:41:32.69\00:41:34.02
this sort of economic
00:41:34.06\00:41:35.39
because Rwanda is
not sort of a dirt,
00:41:35.42\00:41:37.99
poor, third world
kind of a situation,
00:41:38.03\00:41:39.89
it's a little more
progressive than, than that.
00:41:39.93\00:41:41.93
No, it is the
cleanest of all countries.
00:41:41.96\00:41:44.60
It is the safest.
00:41:44.63\00:41:47.14
Wow, you make a
trip to Rwanda just once
00:41:47.17\00:41:50.54
and you'll realize
how safe the country is
00:41:50.57\00:41:53.04
and it's very, very progressive.
00:41:53.07\00:41:54.91
So the government
has wonderful relations.
00:41:54.94\00:41:58.88
The president has just
been reelected recently
00:41:58.91\00:42:03.92
with a
landslide 98% of the vote.
00:42:03.95\00:42:07.49
This is, this is tremendous
and there are no corrupt polls.
00:42:07.52\00:42:10.23
I mean, this country
has thrown away corruption.
00:42:10.26\00:42:13.90
They are really working well.
00:42:13.93\00:42:16.77
So they don't have the money
00:42:16.80\00:42:19.43
to just give us to
build a medical school.
00:42:19.47\00:42:22.04
I mean, we're
talking about 50, 60 million
00:42:22.07\00:42:25.27
is what I'm, what I'm
looking at in the end.
00:42:25.31\00:42:27.74
Where's that money coming from?
I'm not worried, God knows.
00:42:27.78\00:42:31.25
Yes, I mean, yes.
00:42:31.28\00:42:32.61
He's gonna
touch the right people
00:42:32.65\00:42:33.98
in the right time.
00:42:34.02\00:42:35.35
But we do have the agreement
that any of the containers
00:42:35.38\00:42:39.19
for medical supplies
00:42:39.22\00:42:40.56
and construction
of the medical school,
00:42:40.59\00:42:42.16
that's gonna be coming
in from now on tax-free.
00:42:42.19\00:42:45.26
Oh, praise God. So no duty.
00:42:45.29\00:42:46.93
Yeah, they could soak you
just on duty 'cause, I mean...
00:42:46.96\00:42:49.16
Absolutely.
00:42:49.20\00:42:50.53
Import duties
can be skyrocketing.
00:42:50.57\00:42:52.00
They almost put
their, their price on it,
00:42:52.03\00:42:53.54
you need the
material, you got to get it in.
00:42:53.57\00:42:55.10
You know, I'll
just, I'll just give you
00:42:55.14\00:42:56.47
just one little example.
00:42:56.50\00:42:57.84
I'm seeing on a,
on a weekly basis,
00:42:57.87\00:43:00.74
just evidences
of God's blessing.
00:43:00.78\00:43:02.48
This is what I'm,
why I'm so excited
00:43:02.51\00:43:04.28
about God's call to Rwanda,
00:43:04.31\00:43:06.68
because I see daily the
things that are happening.
00:43:06.72\00:43:09.65
When I first went there,
00:43:09.68\00:43:11.02
of course, I
don't know anything.
00:43:11.05\00:43:12.49
You know, I'm
supposed to be the president
00:43:12.52\00:43:13.96
but I don't know anything.
00:43:13.99\00:43:15.36
And so the chair of
the board is electing,
00:43:15.39\00:43:20.63
voting in a vice president
for public relations for me.
00:43:20.66\00:43:24.43
And I lean over and I
say, "I don't need him.
00:43:24.47\00:43:27.17
I need a year to get
my feet on the ground.
00:43:27.20\00:43:30.07
I don't need him.
00:43:30.11\00:43:31.54
Let's do some other things,
00:43:31.57\00:43:33.38
save the money
for something else."
00:43:33.41\00:43:37.08
You just be patient
00:43:37.11\00:43:38.95
and he voted him through anyway.
00:43:38.98\00:43:40.82
He didn't listen to me. So...
00:43:40.85\00:43:43.49
You're only the president, what?
00:43:43.52\00:43:44.85
Yeah.
00:43:44.89\00:43:46.22
So as the months
went by I kept saying,
00:43:46.25\00:43:48.42
"It's a good
thing he's still busy,
00:43:48.46\00:43:49.99
because I don't need him."
00:43:50.03\00:43:52.29
Months, months,
it was, it was...
00:43:52.33\00:43:54.60
It was probably seven
months after I'd been there.
00:43:54.63\00:43:58.70
One day, I came home and
I was talking to my wife.
00:43:58.73\00:44:01.60
I said, "You know, Anita,
00:44:01.64\00:44:03.44
for the first time I
need that medical doctor.
00:44:03.47\00:44:07.18
I need what he has to offer.
00:44:07.21\00:44:09.88
And, and I don't know
how we're gonna get him
00:44:09.91\00:44:11.75
because he's working
so well where he is at
00:44:11.78\00:44:15.48
and he's been so useful there,
00:44:15.52\00:44:17.55
that I don't
know when he's gonna
00:44:17.59\00:44:18.92
ever be replaced and
that's a tough assignment."
00:44:18.95\00:44:22.92
The next morning, he
walked into my office
00:44:22.96\00:44:26.09
and said, "Last
week the government
00:44:26.13\00:44:29.90
approved of another SDA
person to take my place.
00:44:29.93\00:44:34.57
I've already made
housing arrangements.
00:44:34.60\00:44:37.11
I'm here to take
whatever assignment I have,
00:44:37.14\00:44:40.74
that you have for me."
00:44:40.78\00:44:42.11
God knew. Yes. Yes. Yes.
00:44:44.31\00:44:46.05
You know, before
they call Isaiah 65:24.
00:44:46.08\00:44:51.59
Yeah. Yeah. Praise the Lord.
00:44:51.62\00:44:53.89
A couple of things before
our time gets away from us.
00:44:53.92\00:44:55.79
One, what is this
done for your spirituality,
00:44:55.82\00:44:59.83
this new challenge at
this stage in you life,
00:44:59.86\00:45:02.20
when you were at one
time contemplating retirement.
00:45:02.23\00:45:05.73
Of course, you've
gotten, you've been retread,
00:45:05.77\00:45:07.14
not retired.
00:45:07.17\00:45:08.50
What is this done
for your spirituality,
00:45:08.54\00:45:09.87
you and your wife?
00:45:09.90\00:45:11.31
Oh, let me tell you.
00:45:11.34\00:45:13.07
My wife and I are closer
and we're closer to the Lord.
00:45:13.11\00:45:17.81
There are difficulties
in the mission field.
00:45:17.85\00:45:21.82
It's not easy.
There are trying times.
00:45:21.85\00:45:27.02
There are moments
of discouragement,
00:45:27.06\00:45:29.22
but we've
learned to trust in God
00:45:29.26\00:45:31.59
and we're forced to
trust Him even more.
00:45:31.63\00:45:32.96
Amen!
00:45:32.99\00:45:34.33
So we draw closer to God,
we draw closer to each other.
00:45:34.36\00:45:37.63
Praise the
Lord. Praise the Lord.
00:45:37.67\00:45:39.30
I'm hoping you
would say because,
00:45:39.33\00:45:40.67
when you step out like this,
00:45:40.70\00:45:43.44
you really have to
depend upon the Lord.
00:45:43.47\00:45:47.11
Next question and I
put it in this order.
00:45:47.14\00:45:49.41
The biggest change as to
what you thought it might be
00:45:49.44\00:45:55.32
as to what it was when you
actually got on the ground?
00:45:55.35\00:45:58.42
You follow my question? Yes.
00:45:58.45\00:46:00.29
And, of course, every one
of us have preconceived ideas.
00:46:00.32\00:46:02.92
Yes.
00:46:02.96\00:46:04.29
Having spent six
years in Bolivia,
00:46:04.33\00:46:05.79
it's easy to say,
00:46:05.83\00:46:07.16
"Oh, you know, I've
been through that before,
00:46:07.20\00:46:08.53
I kind of know what
to expect," you never do.
00:46:08.56\00:46:13.44
It's all different.
It's very, very true.
00:46:13.47\00:46:15.34
And the challenges are unique.
00:46:15.37\00:46:18.91
I've learned
that wherever you go,
00:46:18.94\00:46:20.28
the people are wonderful.
00:46:20.31\00:46:21.64
Agree. Yeah, yeah.
00:46:21.68\00:46:23.01
The people are wonderful. Yeah.
00:46:23.04\00:46:25.35
But there's
challenges along the way.
00:46:25.38\00:46:28.48
How do you build a good
team that works together?
00:46:28.52\00:46:31.85
How do you pull
together the right resources
00:46:31.89\00:46:34.86
to make this the best it can be?
00:46:34.89\00:46:37.76
And so we need God
through all these circumstances
00:46:37.79\00:46:40.60
to guide us in tough decisions.
00:46:40.63\00:46:43.00
And through the
experiences, we're learning,
00:46:43.03\00:46:46.94
we have to even
pray and trust Him more.
00:46:46.97\00:46:49.04
Amen! Amen.
00:46:49.07\00:46:50.41
We learned that God sends people
00:46:50.44\00:46:52.77
to be answers to our prayers.
00:46:52.81\00:46:55.18
And so, you know,
I was blessed at ASI
00:46:55.21\00:46:59.38
when some people said, you know,
00:46:59.41\00:47:01.75
"Hey, here's
something to help your,
00:47:01.78\00:47:03.69
the work there."
00:47:03.72\00:47:05.05
Amen!
00:47:05.09\00:47:06.42
You know, that God
is touching people.
00:47:06.45\00:47:08.22
And as we look at
this huge project,
00:47:08.26\00:47:11.06
I'm just excited that
God can use me, little me.
00:47:11.09\00:47:15.73
Amen! Yes. Yes.
00:47:15.76\00:47:17.10
I didn't expect
three and a half years ago
00:47:17.13\00:47:19.27
that I would even
be around, you know.
00:47:19.30\00:47:21.50
With liver cancer I
was given, you know,
00:47:21.54\00:47:23.47
three to six
months maximum to live.
00:47:23.51\00:47:25.84
Yes. Yes. Yeah.
00:47:25.87\00:47:27.21
And so, you know,
you'd be on wondering,
00:47:27.24\00:47:28.98
"Wow! What have
I done in my life?"
00:47:29.01\00:47:31.15
You know life is
really short, you know.
00:47:31.18\00:47:35.15
And so now to know that
God has helped through that
00:47:35.18\00:47:39.55
and He's called you for a task,
00:47:39.59\00:47:42.02
I am passionate
in my heart to say,
00:47:42.06\00:47:46.06
"I am privileged
to be part of this."
00:47:46.09\00:47:49.06
In the beginning, you
know, when I had that cancer,
00:47:49.10\00:47:52.97
I said, "Why me, Lord?"
00:47:53.00\00:47:55.50
"I've never,
I've been a vegetarian
00:47:55.54\00:47:57.44
virtually all my life.
00:47:57.47\00:47:59.14
I've never had alcohol.
00:47:59.17\00:48:01.31
I've never
smoked, never tried drugs
00:48:01.34\00:48:03.81
I've been a
healthy person all my life.
00:48:03.85\00:48:06.21
Why me?"
00:48:06.25\00:48:07.95
Now I say, "Yeah, why me, Lord?
00:48:07.98\00:48:10.62
How is it that You
reached down from heaven
00:48:10.65\00:48:13.15
and touched me, healed me,
00:48:13.19\00:48:15.06
and sent you on
this awesome assignment?"
00:48:15.09\00:48:17.86
I mean, this is
suddenly a whole new dimension.
00:48:17.89\00:48:20.26
Oh, it is, it is
and it makes you pass
00:48:20.30\00:48:22.06
because your trial
has become a testimony
00:48:22.10\00:48:25.47
to the goodness of the Lord.
00:48:25.50\00:48:26.84
How...
00:48:26.87\00:48:28.20
You know, when
something like that happens,
00:48:28.24\00:48:30.34
you sit back and you say,
00:48:30.37\00:48:31.71
"That's got to be God,
that's nothing else but God."
00:48:31.74\00:48:35.34
So now you're
walking in the way of God.
00:48:35.38\00:48:39.11
And is there,
Verlyn, a better feeling
00:48:39.15\00:48:42.68
than to be in the
center of God's Will,
00:48:42.72\00:48:44.82
doing what God wants you to do?
00:48:44.85\00:48:46.49
Absolutely not. Yeah.
00:48:46.52\00:48:47.86
You know, you can
forget about my salary.
00:48:47.89\00:48:52.63
Which I don't
imagine is astronomical,
00:48:52.66\00:48:54.33
so we're not talking about that.
00:48:54.36\00:48:57.07
Money can never
buy satisfaction.
00:48:57.10\00:48:59.63
Amen. Amen.
00:48:59.67\00:49:01.60
One soul brought to the kingdom,
00:49:01.64\00:49:05.87
it gives a thrill that
every pastor as you know
00:49:05.91\00:49:10.45
is just thrilling to
see someone to come to God.
00:49:10.48\00:49:14.32
And when...
00:49:14.35\00:49:15.88
I have the humble position
00:49:15.92\00:49:17.75
of being a university
president trying to draw hearts
00:49:17.79\00:49:21.56
of about 50% of
our students to God,
00:49:21.59\00:49:26.09
to see them
filling the conference hall
00:49:26.13\00:49:30.37
for our church service,
00:49:30.40\00:49:31.97
to see the auditorium
filled with students listening.
00:49:32.00\00:49:37.87
It's a thrill to know that
they are hearing about God.
00:49:37.91\00:49:41.61
Here's what's exciting to me.
00:49:41.64\00:49:42.98
I need to ask you this question
00:49:43.01\00:49:44.35
and I was going to
forgot to do it before.
00:49:44.38\00:49:45.85
How much of your
student body is Adventist
00:49:45.88\00:49:47.88
and how much the non-Adventist?
00:49:47.92\00:49:49.25
About 50-50. So 50-50. Okay.
00:49:49.28\00:49:51.45
So you've got a mission field
00:49:51.49\00:49:54.02
right there in
front of you every week.
00:49:54.06\00:49:55.56
Every day. Yeah, every day.
00:49:55.59\00:49:57.13
Yeah, surely, surely,
surely, that must be exciting.
00:49:57.16\00:49:59.79
And here is something
else that I picked up from you
00:49:59.83\00:50:03.06
when we first began speaking,
00:50:03.10\00:50:06.20
that sort of emanate
under grudge your passion also.
00:50:06.23\00:50:09.70
The fact that this program
once it is up and running,
00:50:09.74\00:50:13.68
will have tentacles
throughout all of Africa.
00:50:13.71\00:50:16.51
This is much bigger than Rwanda.
00:50:16.54\00:50:18.01
Absolutely. Yeah.
00:50:18.05\00:50:19.38
This is gonna go all
out, throughout the continent.
00:50:19.41\00:50:22.22
This is a game changer. Yeah.
00:50:22.25\00:50:24.05
Precisely, well said, well said.
00:50:24.09\00:50:25.42
I can hardly wait to
see the architectural plans
00:50:25.45\00:50:28.56
that we were talking about
last week with the architects,
00:50:28.59\00:50:31.43
because there are
brand new concepts
00:50:31.46\00:50:34.03
that someday,
00:50:34.06\00:50:35.60
I'll be able to share
with others as we move forward
00:50:35.63\00:50:40.04
and quickly
establishing this brand new
00:50:40.07\00:50:42.74
state-of-the-art medical school.
00:50:42.77\00:50:44.11
Yeah. Yeah.
00:50:44.14\00:50:45.47
I'm so thankful
for the willingness
00:50:45.51\00:50:47.14
of Loma Linda to partner
00:50:47.18\00:50:48.88
and be such a
important player in it.
00:50:48.91\00:50:50.75
I'm so grateful to
the General Conference
00:50:50.78\00:50:53.11
who is supporting
this wholeheartedly.
00:50:53.15\00:50:55.15
I'm so grateful
00:50:55.18\00:50:56.52
for the East
Central Africa Division,
00:50:56.55\00:50:58.55
who has hosted
it, who is saying,
00:50:58.59\00:51:01.22
"We want this in
Rwanda, we want this to be
00:51:01.26\00:51:04.43
our division medical school,"
00:51:04.46\00:51:06.83
and it's just thrilling
to see how God is blessing.
00:51:06.86\00:51:09.26
Oh, praise the Lord.
00:51:09.30\00:51:10.63
You know, I'm thinking
00:51:10.67\00:51:12.00
and we're coming
down to our time,
00:51:12.03\00:51:14.50
we want to give the
contact information.
00:51:14.54\00:51:17.57
I ask people all the time.
00:51:17.61\00:51:18.94
"Do you think
Wintley Phipps knows
00:51:18.97\00:51:20.31
that he can sing?"
00:51:20.34\00:51:21.68
Well, of course,
he knows he can sing.
00:51:21.71\00:51:23.04
You know what he signs?
00:51:23.08\00:51:24.41
Well, he sung for
every president from,
00:51:24.45\00:51:25.78
you know, going back as
far as we're in school together
00:51:25.81\00:51:27.32
and he sung for heads of state.
00:51:27.35\00:51:30.65
You have a certain
skill set, God has given you
00:51:30.69\00:51:33.69
a good logical mind,
00:51:33.72\00:51:35.26
you gotten your
doctorate degree,
00:51:35.29\00:51:37.23
but none of that means anything
00:51:37.26\00:51:38.99
until you put it in
the hands of the Lord,
00:51:39.03\00:51:41.33
who takes your skills
00:51:41.36\00:51:43.47
and makes it ministry, you know.
00:51:43.50\00:51:45.53
So it's more than
just what you can do
00:51:45.57\00:51:48.24
is that what God can do
through you using the skill set
00:51:48.27\00:51:51.77
that He's allowed you to get.
00:51:51.81\00:51:53.14
You know, I'll never forget
when I did my Master's program.
00:51:53.17\00:51:56.01
My committee
chair asked me one day.
00:51:56.04\00:51:59.48
He said, "Verlyn, come here,
I want to ask you a question.
00:51:59.51\00:52:02.08
Where did you get
your college education?"
00:52:02.12\00:52:05.32
I said, "Well, you know,
you have all my paperwork,
00:52:05.35\00:52:07.29
it was at
Pacific Union College."
00:52:07.32\00:52:08.96
"No, no, no, certainly it was at
00:52:08.99\00:52:11.96
some big
prestigious university."
00:52:11.99\00:52:14.73
I said, "No, why do you ask?"
00:52:14.76\00:52:16.90
He said, "You've
been the brightest student
00:52:16.93\00:52:19.17
in our program for many years."
00:52:19.20\00:52:22.04
You know, to me...
00:52:22.07\00:52:23.41
Remember, I went to
PUC, why? For spiritual...
00:52:23.44\00:52:26.21
Yeah, you want
spiritual component, sure.
00:52:26.24\00:52:28.21
And always comes from God. Amen!
00:52:28.24\00:52:30.95
So God blessed my studies.
00:52:30.98\00:52:32.68
He blessed my work with him.
00:52:32.71\00:52:34.92
And I always
wondered about that.
00:52:34.95\00:52:36.99
Would I have
gotten a better education
00:52:37.02\00:52:38.39
had I gone to MIT?"
00:52:38.42\00:52:40.32
God rewarded me open
by hearing the words.
00:52:40.36\00:52:43.22
"No, you're the best
trained." Amen. Amen.
00:52:43.26\00:52:44.59
Well said. Well said. Well said.
00:52:44.63\00:52:46.73
This is an exciting project.
00:52:46.76\00:52:48.43
And as we see the hand of
God throughout all of this
00:52:48.46\00:52:52.03
and as we said,
it's gonna have tentacles
00:52:52.07\00:52:53.60
throughout all of
Africa, maybe even the world.
00:52:53.64\00:52:56.94
The Adventist
University of Central Africa,
00:52:56.97\00:52:59.61
here is the contact information.
00:52:59.64\00:53:02.84
Should you want to
know more about it,
00:53:02.88\00:53:04.55
perhaps you are being
impressed to fund some of it,
00:53:04.58\00:53:07.75
to get some
monies to this project.
00:53:07.78\00:53:09.72
I'm sure they will accept
00:53:09.75\00:53:11.09
anything that would
come to your heart to give
00:53:11.12\00:53:14.66
or just to find out more about
00:53:14.69\00:53:16.02
how you may be able
to support this work.
00:53:16.06\00:53:18.43
Here is the contact
information that you will need.
00:53:18.46\00:53:23.10
The main goal of
the Rwanda's Adventist
00:53:23.13\00:53:25.13
University of Central Africa,
00:53:25.17\00:53:27.04
is to restore the relationship
between man and his God,
00:53:27.07\00:53:30.41
thereby leading its
students to discover
00:53:30.44\00:53:32.51
and understand truth.
00:53:32.54\00:53:34.21
Visit their website
auca.ac.rw for more information
00:53:34.24\00:53:39.95
about their
programs and campus life.
00:53:39.98\00:53:42.88
If you have questions,
00:53:42.92\00:53:44.25
you may call
them at 269-208-2287,
00:53:44.29\00:53:49.59
or write to them at
the Adventist University
00:53:49.62\00:53:51.69
of Central Africa in
care of Janetta Benson,
00:53:51.73\00:53:54.96
P.O. Box, 1371,
00:53:55.00\00:53:57.83
Collegedale, Tennessee, 37315.
00:53:57.87\00:54:01.90