Participants:
Series Code: TDY
Program Code: TDY017080A
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00:01 I want to spend my life
00:07 Mending broken people 00:12 I want to spend my life 00:18 Removing pain 00:23 Lord, let my words 00:29 Heal a heart that hurts 00:34 I want to spend my life 00:40 Mending broken people 00:45 I want to spend my life 00:51 Mending broken people 01:07 Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn 01:09 and we welcome you once again to 3ABN Today. 01:12 And we're so thankful that you tuned in 01:15 as you do each and every day 01:17 and we want to thank you for your love and your prayers 01:20 and your financial support of this ministry. 01:23 You know, one of my favorite scriptures 01:25 is what we call The Great Commission 01:27 and this is Matthew 28 01:29 and I'm gonna start with verse 19. 01:33 Jesus says, "Go therefore and make disciples 01:36 of all the nations, 01:38 baptizing them in the name of the Father, 01:40 the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 01:43 and teaching them all things that I have commanded you, 01:46 and lo, I'm with you always, even to the end of the age." 01:51 Amen. Amen. 01:52 So thank you so much especially to those of you 01:56 who are members of the "Go" Evangelistic Team. 01:59 We always talk about the Blessing is on the Go 02:02 and we have the Blessing is on the Go Evangelistic Team 02:05 but when you think of evangelism, 02:07 we're all supposed to be part of it. 02:10 May be you can't get out actually 02:12 and do the evangelizing, 02:14 but certainly you can support it, 02:16 and when Jesus said, "All nations," 02:20 He was including the Dine and the Dine, 02:23 that is a Navajo word for the people. 02:26 Today we are going to talk about 02:29 a mission ministry to the Navajo people 02:35 and I think it's going to be very interesting. 02:37 Let me introduce our guest. 02:40 First we have with us Dorie, 02:42 let me see if I can say this right, Panganiban. 02:46 Perfect, good. 02:48 Dorie Panganiban, and is that a Filipino name? 02:52 That's a Filipino name. That's my husband's name. 02:54 Your husband's name 02:55 and you're the Outreach coordinator 02:57 for La Vida Mission. 02:59 I am. Good. 03:00 We are going to come back and get a little bit 03:01 of your history in just a minute 03:03 but thank you for being here. 03:04 Then we have Pastor Steve Gillham with us. 03:07 Pastor, we're so glad that you're with us 03:09 and you're the president and director of operations. 03:13 Is that correct? That's correct. 03:14 At La Vida Missions. 03:16 Then we've got this handsome young man on the end 03:20 whose name is Warren Begay. 03:23 And, Warren, you're a high school student 03:26 at La Vida Mission, right? 03:28 Yes. Yeah. Wonderful. 03:30 I was commenting on how pretty his hair was 03:32 and I asked him, 03:34 do Navajo men ever go bald and he said, "No." 03:39 So that beautiful thick head of black hair 03:43 will be his for life and that's a blessing 03:46 that's going to make some men envious. 03:49 Well, before we get started on our interview today, 03:53 we always like to have music 03:55 and we've got someone special with us 03:57 and that is Wintley Phipps, 04:00 and Wintley is going to be singing for us 04:03 "Near the Cross". 04:39 Jesus, keep me near the cross 04:46 There are precious fountain 04:54 Free to all 04:58 A healing stream 05:03 Flows from Calv'ry's mountain 05:10 In the cross, in the cross 05:17 Be my glory ever 05:25 Till my raptured soul shall find 05:33 Rest beyond the river 05:47 Near the cross, a trembling soul 05:54 Love and mercy found me 06:02 There the Bright and Morning Star 06:09 Shed His beams around me 06:17 Near the cross 06:21 In the cross 06:25 Be my glory ever 06:32 Till my raptured soul shall find 06:40 Rest beyond the river 07:17 Near the cross! 07:20 O Lamb of God 07:25 Bring its scenes before me 07:33 Help me walk from day to day 07:40 With its shadows o'er me 07:48 Near the cross! 07:52 In the cross 07:56 Be my glory ever 08:04 Till my raptured soul shall find 08:12 Rest beyond the river 08:42 Oh, thank you, Pastor Wintley Phipps. 08:44 You know, God has given this man 08:46 an amazing ability as far as teaching 08:50 from the Word of God but also the gift of that voice 08:54 and God has opened the doors for him 08:57 that he has had the opportunity to sing 08:59 for the last seven or eight presidents. 09:01 It's amazing. Amen. 09:02 But we are just so thankful to Wintley 09:04 and many of you know him as not only a singer and pastor 09:08 but as the host of Perfecting Me 09:10 or you will come to know him as the host of Perfecting Me. 09:14 So thank you, Wintley. 09:16 Well, this is your first trip, all three of you to 3ABN. 09:21 Right? Yes. Yes. 09:22 So when we said we were in the middle of a cornfield, 09:24 are you now convinced we are? 09:27 Yes. Here it is. 09:29 Wonderful place. 09:30 Did someone come pick you up at the airport or did you...? 09:33 We drove from New Mexico. Oh, you drove all the way? 09:37 Today he drove and we rode. 09:39 All right. That's quite a trip then. 09:42 How many miles was it, Steve? 09:44 Ah, too many. Too many? 09:47 All right. Yeah. 09:49 I don't remember the figure. It's a long ways. 09:51 It is a long ways. 09:53 How long did it take you to get here? 09:55 We left Monday morning about 8:15 09:59 and we got here yesterday about 5-6. 10:05 All right. So that's a good long trip. 10:08 Yeah. Dorie, let's start with you. 10:11 I always like to get to know 10:13 a little bit about our special guests. 10:17 Tell us how did you grow up in an Adventist family 10:22 and how God brought you to La Vida Mission? 10:27 My name is Dorie Rogado Panganiban 10:30 and I'm married to Pastor Polly Panganiban 10:34 from the Philippines. 10:35 So I'm a Filipino. Okay. 10:37 Always mistaken for a Navajo. 10:40 And my Navajo sisters and brothers call me 10:42 Navajo born in the Philippines. 10:45 Navajo born in the Philippines. Yeah. 10:47 I was born and I grew up in a Roman Catholic home. 10:53 My family was baptized when I was in the elementary 10:57 and hearing mission stories from Africa, 11:01 I love the mission stories 11:03 from different parts of the world, 11:04 especially from Africa and it kind of enticed me 11:08 to become a missionary even when I was a little child. 11:11 Then I went to college, I studied the ministry 11:15 and that's where I met my husband, 11:17 and we both served in the mission field 11:19 for 25 years together. 11:22 He was the mission president for 12 years 11:24 before we came here to La Vida 11:27 and I was many departmental directors 11:31 of different ministries in the Philippines like 11:33 woman's ministry, children ministry, 11:35 family ministry, stewardship ministry, 11:39 livelihood, philanthropic... 11:40 So you're very busy little beaver, aren't you? 11:42 She still is. Still is. 11:44 Yeah. 11:46 And I really wanted to go as missionary, 11:48 still I want to go as missionary. 11:51 I wanted to go to Africa but my Filipino friends 11:56 who are missionaries in Africa 11:57 told me that there are lots of snakes in Africa 11:59 and I was so terrified of snakes 12:01 so I said, I'm not going to Africa 12:04 but then I was praying that the Lord will lead us 12:06 to a mission field 12:08 and I was here in the United States sometime, 12:10 few years ago 12:12 and somebody mentioned about La Vida Mission. 12:14 And I said, "Where is that?" They said, "In New Mexico." 12:18 I was in California at that time. 12:20 I said, "So there is a mission field in America?" 12:24 They said, "Yeah, in New Mexico." 12:26 And, you know, it passed on 12:28 and then I went to my foster sister's house in California 12:32 and I was working on her computer 12:35 and on the side of her computer, 12:38 I saw an envelope, donation envelope 12:40 that she has for La Vida Mission. 12:43 She happened to meet La Vida Mission's people 12:45 at the GC when they had their booth, 12:48 and she was a constant supporter of LaVida Mission. 12:51 So I opened her donation envelope 12:54 and I said, "Hmm, La Vida Mission." 12:57 That was the second encounter for La Vida Mission 13:01 and before I left to the Philippines, 13:02 I asked her if I can borrow a book 13:06 to read on the plane, 13:08 so she said, "Oh, go and pick one of the books." 13:12 And I happened to pick the book of Doug Batchelor, 13:15 The Rich Caveman and I was reading it 13:18 you know, while I was in the plane, 13:20 and I read there that Doug Batchelor 13:24 was a missionary in La Vida Mission. 13:27 And it was like the third time La Vida Mission, 13:29 you know, came up in that short one week time. 13:34 I said, "Could God be calling us 13:36 to go to La Vida Mission?" 13:37 When I went back to the Philippines, 13:39 when I reached the Philippines I googled online, 13:42 you know, La Vida Mission and I said, 13:43 "Wow, this is really a mission field." 13:46 This is in the middle of nowhere 13:49 but I kept on reading and out of curiosity, 13:52 you know, I typed in an inquiry. 13:55 I said, "You know, I'm interested 13:57 to go to La Vida Mission and be a missionary 14:00 not thinking, you know, if they will respond or not, 14:02 you know, it's just on their website 14:05 and I told my husband, 14:06 I really want go as a missionary, 14:09 can we go as missionary? 14:11 And you know, he was like, 14:14 "But we're already working here, 14:15 you know, we're working in a mission." 14:18 But then after like two months, 14:23 I got an email from the director 14:26 then of La Vida Mission and said, 14:29 "Well, we are interested in you." 14:33 And he said, "Do you have visa 14:34 to come to the United States and work? 14:36 I said, "Oh, well, I have visitor's visa, 14:40 both of us have visitor's visa and I still have my J1 visa 14:45 but to work we don't have a visa 14:48 and he said, "Well, you can get a religious worker's visa 14:53 and that was February and then it stopped there. 14:56 Oh, no, April. That was April. 14:59 And then I forgot about it and then in July, 15:03 I was in the union office attending 15:06 the Women's Ministry's Director's Council meeting 15:09 and I checked my email. 15:11 Normally I don't check bulk mail or spam, 15:15 I just delete it but that night out of curiosity 15:18 I opened my bulk mail and I saw an email 15:22 from the then president of La Vida Mission and said, 15:26 "We're interested in you, would you like to come?" 15:29 It was like July. 15:33 And so I contacted... 15:35 I said, I seriously got an email from La Vida Mission. 15:39 They didn't know yet what's happening. 15:42 So to make the long story short, 15:47 that was end of July, September we were here. 15:50 Wonderful and you've been at La Vida for... 15:53 For 10 years. Ten years. 15:55 So obviously this was the mission, 15:58 the La Vida means, "The Life" right? 16:00 The Life, yes. 16:01 The Life, so God called you to the mission field 16:05 to minister to the Navajo people. 16:08 We're gonna come back to you in just a moment 16:10 but, Steve, tell us, I know that when Wintley 16:13 was singing a while ago, Pastor Phibbs, you said, 16:18 hey, I was in seminary with him. 16:19 Tell us how God brought you to La Vida? 16:24 My first contact with La Vida 16:26 was when a group was traveling in a little bus 16:31 and coming around singing at churches. 16:34 And some stayed in our home 16:36 that was on the Oregon Coast in Brookings 16:40 and we moved near, 16:43 I was living in Southern Colorado 16:45 and my church, Monte Vista went to a mission trip 16:49 twice to La Vida, 16:51 and we put on a vacation Bible school 16:53 and did some clean-up. 16:56 After that, I was asked to do a week of prayer 16:59 and then they asked me to be on their constituency 17:02 and I saw, "Well, this is fun, 17:05 maybe some day we'd like to be here." 17:09 Retirement came and we thought about 17:12 all the things that would be fun for us to do 17:17 but instead we ended up with La Vida. 17:21 In 2013, they invited me to be the president 17:25 and then later 17:28 after expressing all the reasons why I couldn't, 17:32 I ended up being the director. 17:35 Well, you know, when you said, 17:36 I bet you're having fun now too. 17:38 I'm having fun. Yeah. 17:39 You know, sometimes people will ask us, 17:42 my husband and I if we ever planned to retire 17:45 and the answer is we don't want to think about retirement 17:48 because it's so wonderful to have a life of purpose 17:51 doing something for the Lord. 17:52 Now, what are the conditions like? 17:54 You are in New Mexico on the Navajo reservation 17:58 between Farmington and Crownpoint 18:00 up in the northeastern part of... 18:03 Northwestern. 18:04 I mean northwestern, I'll get my directions right. 18:08 What are the conditions like on the reservation? 18:12 It's a desert. No snakes though, huh? 18:16 Aw, yeah, Dorie, as soon as you... 18:18 I'm from New Mexico, I know. Escape from snake. 18:23 Snakes. Went to the snake. 18:25 Went to the snake. Okay. 18:27 We had a rattlesnake right outside 18:29 the door of the school a couple of years ago 18:34 but he is not with us anymore. 18:36 No, okay. 18:39 Are the Navajo people... 18:42 Tell me a little bit about them? 18:44 What are their living conditions like 18:45 and what are their... 18:51 How receptive are they to you? 18:55 The Navajo people are wonderful people. 18:59 They're friendly. 19:02 They have encountered white people 19:04 not always to their advantage 19:07 and so they kind of wonder when they meet, 19:11 you know, is this person trustworthy. 19:14 But spending time allays that concern. 19:18 Surely. 19:20 Their living conditions are not so different 19:25 than many places except that 19:29 those who live in the rural settings 19:32 sometimes go without electricity. 19:35 That's being remedied and until recently 19:39 many did not have water and that's being remedied too 19:46 but that's rather within the last little while, 19:50 couple three years or whatever. 19:52 What is the main religion there? 19:53 Are there many Christians or, Warren, 19:58 since you're shaking your head, 20:00 Warren, I'm gonna ask you what is that? 20:02 You lived there, you grew up on the reservation, 20:04 tell us about it? 20:08 Well, where I grew up it was mostly 20:11 Baptist church on Sunday. 20:14 Okay. 20:16 On my dad's side was tradition, so I had to choose 20:19 which one I would believe in and... 20:24 So when you say tradition, what are the Navajo tradition, 20:27 their spiritual tradition? 20:30 They believe in spiritism 20:32 or they believe in spirits, right? 20:35 Yes, yes. 20:37 I was with my grandma 20:38 for maybe the beginning of like kindergarten 20:43 and my mom took me away from her so, 20:46 I see her now and then 20:47 and she tells me traditionally the stuff, 20:51 so you know, mostly Christian. 20:55 Now, you're mostly... 20:57 Your family is mostly Christian 20:58 but on the reservation in general, 21:01 are there more Christians now 21:03 or would you say it's more people 21:05 who are following the traditional spiritism 21:09 of the Navajo people? 21:12 Say there'll be... 21:16 I see more Christians now than let's say back then. 21:23 All right. 21:24 But now you're the only Adventist 21:25 presence on the reservation, is that correct? 21:29 No. Okay, tell us. 21:32 There are about 13 or 14 Adventist churches, 21:38 congregations, that meet on the rest, 21:40 may be 15... 21:42 Really? 21:44 The Navajo reservation, 21:46 you can say almost centers on the four corners area 21:50 where Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico come together, 21:57 but that's the end of the Adventist world 22:00 because the Adventist world at that point is divided into 22:05 three union conferences and four local conferences, 22:10 but there are a number of congregations 22:13 that minister to the Navajo Nation. 22:15 Wonderful. 22:17 Now, are you the only Christian school? 22:20 There are other several Christian schools. 22:23 We have other Adventist schools on the reservation 22:26 like in Waterflow... 22:27 In the New Mexico side. 22:28 In New Mexico area and even in the Arizona area. 22:31 Wonderful. 22:33 But in the part of the New Mexico reservation 22:37 between Crownpoint and Farmington, 22:39 it's just La Vida Mission. 22:40 Okay. 22:42 Tell me, you were founded nearly 60 years ago, how... 22:47 You actually brought a little video 22:49 that they put together 22:50 and would you like to start with that 22:52 so people can see who your founder was 22:54 and what the vision is. 22:55 So we're going to show you a video 22:58 that La Vida Mission has put together. 23:04 La Vida Mission is a mission field 23:07 in your backyard. 23:10 In the last days, God says, 23:11 "I will pour out my Spirit on all people. 23:14 Your sons and daughters will prophesy, 23:16 your young men will see visions, 23:19 your old men will dream dreams." 23:21 I will pour out my Spirit on both men and women. 23:26 La Vida Mission all started with a dream. 23:29 The dreamer was called by God. 23:31 Her name was Lilikai Julian Neil, 23:34 born near Crownpoint, New Mexico in 1900. 23:38 She studied with Orno and Agnes Follet. 23:40 They were the first Adventist missionaries to the Navajo. 23:44 And in 1917, she was baptized 23:48 the first Navajo Seventh-day Adventist. 23:52 Lilikai, who also became the first woman 23:54 to set on the Navajo Travel Council 23:56 had a dream. 23:58 In her dream, she saw a big circle of light 24:01 with Jesus standing in the center 24:04 clothed in shining garments. 24:06 As she listened to him in adoration, 24:08 he turned and looked at her and smiled. 24:11 Then she heard footsteps, many, many moccasin footsteps. 24:16 They were marching endlessly in the darkness, 24:18 just outside the circle of light. 24:22 Then the scene gradually changed. 24:24 Soon she saw more moccasin's feet 24:27 but this time they were young dancing feet. 24:31 Many of these smaller feet paused to turn. 24:35 Then they walked into the circle of light 24:36 where they were gladly welcomed by the smiling Savior. 24:40 Lili heard a command from Jesus, 24:42 "Teach the children." 24:45 She understood that the vision 24:46 depicted the young people and children of her tribe 24:50 as the hope of the Navajo Nation, 24:52 that many of them would turn for the old ways 24:56 into the light and happiness 24:58 surrounding the Jesus she loved. 25:01 The command she heard 25:02 was repetition of the Gospel Commission: 25:05 Go therefore, teach all nations... 25:08 Teaching them to observe all things 25:10 whatsoever I have commanded you, 25:13 baptize them in the name of the Father, 25:16 and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 25:19 From that time on all Lili's energies 25:22 were dedicated to this call. 25:25 Due to a terrible car accident 25:26 that permanently impaired her health, 25:29 Lili didn't live up to see her dream come true 25:32 but she did see the birth of La Vida Mission. 25:36 The mission was founded in 1960 and it has grown since. 25:41 It's been almost 60 years but the mission is still alive. 25:45 It's alive and continually sharing the love 25:48 and the gospel of Jesus to the Navajo people 25:52 through our school, our church, our planning, 25:55 and the numerous community service 25:57 and outreach programs. 26:00 Our school's motto is Education for Life, 26:04 Education for Eternity. 26:06 We strive to raise and maintain 26:08 a high standard for academic classes, 26:11 first grade through high school. 26:14 This is Audi. 26:16 Last year she was placed in another school 26:18 for a quarter. 26:20 Here's how she explained it, 26:22 "At the other school there is no Jesus over there." 26:27 Oh. What a poignant comment. 26:29 So she actually had been in your school 26:32 then went to another school with her sister... 26:34 She started there as a preschooler 26:37 and then she has been attending there 26:40 and then her older sister wanted to try another school 26:43 and so she has to go with her sister 26:45 but she did not enjoy it there. 26:48 Said, "They don't sing for my birthday." 26:50 Yeah, and she said, "There was no Jesus" 26:52 so she came back. And there is no Jesus there. 26:54 So they both came back with the quarter? 26:56 They both came back after quarter. 26:58 So, praise the Lord for Lilicai and for what she has started 27:03 but I love your motto: 27:07 Education for Life, Education for Eternity. 27:11 Tell us how you educate for life 27:14 other than the scholastic education. 27:16 You teach essential living skills 27:19 and tell us about 27:21 the essential living skills programs you do? 27:25 The essential living skills, we teach our practical things 27:30 that are useful to people 27:34 particularly people who have a rural life. 27:37 We teach auto mechanics even for girls. 27:40 Wonderful. 27:42 My wife and I wouldn't let our daughters 27:45 get their driver's license 27:47 until they could change her flatten and change the oil. 27:51 Good for you. 27:52 And we felt like that 27:54 these girls could profit from that too. 27:57 So we've taught what we call 27:59 powder puff mechanics just for girls. 28:03 We found that the boys were threatened 28:05 to have girls in their class. 28:06 "What are they doing here in our domain?" 28:09 But they have each, the boys are also learning 28:13 mechanic skills and welding. 28:15 Boys and girls both have learned to weld. 28:19 Warren, you've done some pretty nice projects 28:21 and the others in welding, 28:24 and we teach baking and cooking to the kids. 28:29 Now, do you have the boys teach them any of that? 28:34 No. No. 28:35 Well, the boys are there but it's not segregated. 28:40 Those areas that the boys think of their domain, 28:43 the teachers segregate. 28:45 Okay. 28:47 And is there any agricultural training or... 28:49 Yes. Yes. 28:51 Okay, all right. 28:54 But that's the education for life 28:58 but you said education for eternity. 29:00 So tell us about your spiritual development, 29:03 what are you doing to help the children? 29:06 Actually La Vida Mission's first mission field 29:08 is our student population. 29:11 So I was a dorm parent for five years 29:14 and I enjoyed it. 29:15 You know, leading these children 29:16 to the knowledge of Jesus. 29:18 So in the dorm when they wake up, 29:22 we teach them how to pray 29:25 and then we have morning worship, 29:27 family worship, and then they go to school. 29:30 They have worship in the classroom. 29:33 In the evening we have evening family worship again, 29:37 and then we have wakeup prayer. 29:39 We have weekend schools 29:41 where the kids stay there for two weeks 29:44 so they can attend church on Sabbath 29:46 and join us for worship. 29:48 And let me stop you right there. 29:50 Are most of your children boarding students? 29:53 Mostly. About maybe 90%. There are... 29:56 Okay, so typically though, as a boarding student 29:59 then they would go home on the weekends 30:01 to be with their family. 30:02 But then you have weekend school 30:04 so that they can come and go. 30:05 Normally they go home after lunch on Friday 30:09 but when there is a weekend school, 30:11 they stay there for two weeks 30:12 and they go home the next week on Thursday 30:15 instead to give the dorm parents 30:18 and the teachers some longer break 30:20 and the kids also. 30:22 But we also have a week of prayer, pathfinders, 30:25 you know, things that are really new to these kids 30:28 because most of our kids 30:30 when they come to La Vida Mission, 30:31 they're not Seventh-day Adventists, 30:33 they're not from Seventh-day Adventist homes 30:36 but they're Christians 30:37 and some of them are traditionals. 30:38 Okay. 30:40 Now, Warren, I understand that the reason 30:42 they brought you as a student, 30:45 you're a student at La Vida Mission, 30:47 and I hear you're a model student 30:49 but tell us how long you've been at La Vida 30:53 and how did you end up at La Vida? 30:58 I've been at La Vida for six years now. 31:00 All right. And... 31:03 Are you a senior in high school? 31:05 Yeah. Yes. 31:06 Eleventh grade. 31:08 And I had my cousin tell me about school 31:13 'cause I wanted to feel like a boarding school 31:16 how it was and test it out 31:19 before I go to regular school, you know... 31:23 To college? Yeah. 31:26 And so far I like it. I'm still here, I love it here. 31:30 I brought my brother and my sisters to the school. 31:34 And another cousin. Yeah. 31:36 Now your mother was a Baptist, 31:38 your father is a traditionalist. 31:40 He follows the traditional Navajo religious beliefs. 31:45 Have you or your brothers and sisters 31:47 who are attending been baptized 31:49 as a Seventh-day Adventist Christian? 31:51 Yes. All of them actually. 31:53 All of you. Wonderful. Wonderful. 31:56 Well, what has been your favorite part 32:00 of your curriculum there? 32:03 The training that you're getting? 32:05 The welding. Welding? 32:07 I love welding. Okay. 32:09 Do you have any idea of what you want to do as... 32:12 Are you still planning on going to college 32:14 or do you want to do that or become a welder? 32:17 I want to do underwater welding. 32:19 That's my dream. 32:21 Amen. Amen. 32:24 That's a high paying job. 32:29 Good ambition. Yeah. 32:31 Now, tell us how you fulfill the mission beyond the school? 32:37 I noticed in your clip that you had a clinic, 32:41 you have a church, what kind of, I mean, 32:46 what is your community outreach? 32:51 For community outreach, we have numerous of them. 32:53 Okay. 32:55 First, the church serves us a place 32:57 where people come to the funeral, 33:00 sometimes wedding, but mostly funeral. 33:03 You know, when there is a funeral 33:04 they need a bigger church, so they come to our church. 33:08 And then in the mission, within the mission, 33:11 we have what we call 33:13 as the monthly community service day 33:16 where people come 33:17 and they go through our thrift store or hogan 33:23 and they get the clothes that they need 33:26 and we also give them... 33:30 We serve them a food pantry in cooperation with partnership 33:33 with native Americans in Arizona, in Phoenix, 33:36 so they go there every last Sunday of the month. 33:41 We used to have it every Sunday and Wednesday the door, 33:44 of course, that's open. 33:47 But now we are just doing it once a month 33:49 and we also reach out 33:53 to the community doing visitation, 33:58 friendship evangelism. 34:00 We have found out that, 34:01 you know, working with our native brothers and sisters, 34:06 the method of Jesus is the most effective 34:11 because there are two things that are important 34:14 when you work with the native population, 34:16 time and trust. 34:19 The longer you stay there, 34:21 the better you can get their trust. 34:24 And it takes time to get their trust. 34:27 So if you stay there longer, you get their trust. 34:31 They feel that you really care for them, 34:34 so in our outreach, you know, we go to graduation, 34:40 we go to funeral family meeting. 34:43 They have family meeting 34:45 when somebody died in the community. 34:47 They gather all the people in the community 34:49 and they present how much the expenses is 34:53 and everybody pitch in. 34:55 And my husband and I found out 34:57 that that's one of the best way to minister to people. 35:00 We go there, you know, we bring some food to share 35:04 and sometimes I sing and share to them, 35:08 you know, the promise of Jesus, 35:10 the comfort that they need so... 35:13 In fact, Dorie, you've got several of us into singing. 35:19 We had a whole group of staff 35:21 that sang in Navajo at a funeral. 35:24 Wonderful. Wonderful Yeah. 35:26 And like there was once somebody died. 35:31 She attends our Bible study and she has not been attending 35:37 our Bible study for three days already 35:42 so we were wondering, 35:43 and my husband and I were planning to visit her 35:45 but we ran out of time so we said, 35:47 oh, we'll just visit her before Sabbath 35:49 but then Thursday, I guess, 35:51 I received a text from another lady and said, 35:54 "Do you know that sister so-and-so, you know, 35:57 was found dead in her house." 36:00 And there was no, you know, she has no immediate family. 36:04 No husband, no mother, no father, no siblings. 36:08 And so we went 36:11 and she was already at the funeral house. 36:14 Later we found out that she has some cousins 36:17 who wanted to give her a decent funeral and they said, 36:21 "We don't know even if she is attending church," 36:23 and they said oh. 36:24 Somebody said, "Oh, she is attending 36:26 the Seventh-day Adventist group." 36:27 So can we ask their help? So they asked our help. 36:30 My husband did the funeral. 36:32 Pastor Steve went with us 36:34 and the little church in Crownpoint 36:36 and we served them, you know, and also the reception 36:42 and after the service, people were saying, 36:45 "Oh, thank you. 36:47 This is the first time that we have seen 36:48 this kind of ministry from a church group." 36:51 And one of the best comment that we heard, you know, 36:54 that was told to the leader of the congregation was like, 36:58 "Oh, I was so happy to see all of you serving 37:02 with all your smiles. 37:04 You mean business. 37:05 But in all your faces we see Jesus." 37:09 And that made me... 37:10 That really made me cry. Amen. 37:13 And I thank God for that soul. 37:15 Amen. 37:16 I need to jump in, Dorie, 37:19 on what you're saying about Crownpoint. 37:23 La Vida Mission was established in 1960 37:27 but initially there was a church at the mission, 37:31 then La Vida had a part 37:34 in the starting of the Waterflow Church 37:37 between Farmington and Shiprock but more recently, 37:42 Dorie and her husband Polly have started 37:46 a congregation in Crownpoint which is south of us. 37:51 It's actually, we're eight miles 37:54 from the border between the southwestern 37:58 and the mid-America union 37:59 and Rocky Mountain and Texico Conference, 38:03 so we're now operating in two conferences. 38:06 And the Texico Conference has taken an interest 38:10 in our work and... 38:13 Well, when you first started, you were in a trailer 38:17 that had been donated by a lady, a 12x60 38:24 and, you know, a 12x60 is not that big 38:29 and you get the back half of it in small rooms, 38:32 bathroom and bedrooms and I've been there 38:36 when there were almost 40 people. 38:38 We were elbow to elbow in the trailer 38:44 and quite crowded and we didn't just sit there 38:47 and have church. 38:49 When church is over, Dorie brings out the food 38:53 and everybody eats and I was amazed 38:57 and then my first time there after they had eaten, 39:03 then they threw that plate away 39:05 and I looked and I said, what's happening 39:07 and they got a new plate and they loaded it again 39:11 and covered it with foil and Dorie sent them food home. 39:16 Oh, wonderful. Wonderful. 39:17 So you, it sounds like 39:19 when the Lord brought Dorie to La Vida 39:22 that was exactly the missionary feel 39:24 that he needed... 39:25 Here he wanted you. 39:28 I'm interested how do you interest 39:31 the people in Bible studies? 39:33 How do you get them to church? 39:34 How do you get the children to enroll in school? 39:41 Is it just this friendship evangelism that you find 39:44 and people will start studying with you 39:46 or come to church 39:47 or send their children to the school? 39:49 Yeah. 39:51 It's basically friendship evangelism 39:53 and people who have been attending our meeting, 39:55 they will tell other people. 39:57 Okay. And just the method of Jesus. 40:01 And I was talking to one lady 40:03 who was just baptized in Crownpoint 40:05 and she was eating and said, "Come, sit by me." 40:10 So I was sitting and she said, "Do you know that 40:12 I had been going to different churches. 40:16 Your church is the nicest 40:18 and when you were still at the trailer, 40:21 she said somebody told me you need to go there, 40:25 you will meet Dorie and other members 40:30 of the La Vida Mission Outreach they're nice and friendly. 40:34 So I went there and I met you and the rest 40:36 and you're really friendly and I got stuck here." 40:40 That's what she said. Praise God. Praise God. 40:42 And she got baptized and she really enjoyed it. 40:45 Tell them the difference between 40:47 when we were in the trailer and now? 40:49 Oh, yeah, now we have a bigger church building 40:53 because Texico Conference is renting their building. 40:56 It has open, the building just opened, 40:58 it was being rented by a medical supply company 41:03 for 20 years, 41:04 then they gave it up and then we were able to get it 41:07 and Texico Conference now is in full support of us 41:12 and they did not only refurbish and furnish the building, 41:17 they're paying for its monthly rent 41:19 for our ministry in Crownpoint. 41:20 Praise God. Praise God. 41:23 They still miss the trailer. 41:25 The people were telling me 41:27 when are you going back to the trailer? 41:29 Because the "home church" 41:31 is very attractive to the native. 41:33 You know, small group where we close commune, 41:36 that's very attractive to them. 41:38 Well, you are doing something right 41:39 if you had 40 people, you know, you're starting up 41:43 and you have 40 people in a hot smog trailer church. 41:45 Actually pastors did, 41:46 it did not start in the trailer. 41:48 It started in the living room 41:49 of one of the only Adventist in the town. 41:55 It was a small living room and then we grew bigger 41:59 and we so we prayed that the Lord will give us 42:01 something even we came yet 42:03 and somebody donated the trailer. 42:05 She is a friend of one of the pioneers 42:10 of La Vida Mission, Aunt Mary. 42:13 So, Steve, what are the plans for the future of La Vida? 42:17 I mean, obviously the Lord has kept you rolling 42:19 for 60 years nearly. 42:23 What do you envision for the future of La Vida? 42:27 For the future we're excited because we're getting 42:33 a medical missionary to come 42:35 which happens to be Dorie and Polly's son. 42:39 And he is landing tonight at Albuquerque 42:44 and going to be picked up. 42:46 We petitioned his immigration 42:49 as a religious worker and the clinic, 42:53 which was once a very crucial 42:57 first place of help for people 43:01 because when the mission started 43:03 the road to Farmington was a dirt road, 43:06 kind of a two-track road, you know, 43:08 where the two wheels had run 43:10 and there were no bridges over the wash, 43:13 and there are cars and busses 43:15 even that have sunk into the sand of the wash, 43:19 which is a river with no water except when it rains 43:24 and so as transportation has improved, 43:28 once we had doctors and dentists and optometrists 43:33 who flew in, we have a landing strip on the mission 43:37 and they flew in and held clinics. 43:39 Now with Indian Health Service providing much better care 43:44 and we've got excellent highways, 43:47 that phase of the clinic's usefulness has diminished 43:52 but we're wanting to make the clinic 43:54 a place of wellness training. 43:58 Oh, wonderful. 43:59 Which is prevention 44:01 and promoting a healthy lifestyle. 44:03 And healthy lifestyle and Weldon Joseph, 44:07 their son is coming and will be leading out 44:11 and that along with being a part of the rest 44:14 of the outreach team. 44:16 Now do you ever have... 44:18 I don't know what to call it, but just like 44:20 if somebody wanted to go, do a missionary trip, 44:23 just a little short term missionary trip 44:25 do you have people... 44:27 All the time. All the time. 44:29 We have that invitation out continuously. 44:32 Southern University out of Collegedale 44:36 has been for every spring. 44:39 Some of the kids come 44:40 and spend their spring break with us 44:42 for several years now. 44:44 I had a lady call up a few months ago and she says, 44:49 "I would like to go on a mission trip 44:51 but I'm not with the group. 44:52 Could you use one person?" 44:54 We said, "Sure." 44:56 So she flew to Albuquerque 44:58 and my wife and I went and picked her up 45:01 and she was there for a week and went home delighted. 45:04 We have groups from Canada, from British Columbia, Canada, 45:10 from Washington, from California, 45:14 from all over the country, actually Florida also. 45:20 So we're drawing from all these areas. 45:23 Wonderful. 45:24 So we had a video 45:25 that we're not going to be able to show 45:27 but I wanted you to tell the story about, 45:30 and I don't care who tells it 45:32 but tell us the story about Cody and Tisha 45:37 and their role that La Vida has made in their life? 45:42 Cody is my Navajo son 45:45 because when he first came to La Vida Mission, 45:47 he lived in our dorm and he told us later 45:53 when he was no longer a student, 45:55 when he was sent to La Vida, he was sent 45:57 because he was in trouble in another school, 45:59 so he was having a rough time but then he stayed with us 46:04 and one thing that really attracted him 46:08 to the dorm always when we're having dorm is about heaven. 46:12 So he would always tell me and my husband, 46:14 "Can we have worship now and talk about heaven?" 46:18 And that kind of enticed him to know Jesus 46:23 and he was baptized 46:25 into the Seventh-day Adventist church 46:27 and last May we attended 46:31 his graduation reception from high school 46:34 and he gave this little speech and he said, 46:36 "I'm so thankful for La Vida Mission 46:38 because it has done so much in my life, 46:41 it has impacted my life. 46:43 I was in a difficult situation 46:45 but then when they came to La Vida, 46:48 things has changed 46:49 and I will forever be grateful to God. 46:52 Praise God. That's so good. 46:55 His niece now is in La Vida, he is just a sweetheart. 46:59 He loves in there. 47:00 Wonderful. Now what about Kyle? 47:03 You wanted to tell Kyle's story. 47:06 Kyle was a student in La Vida Mission 47:09 several years ago. 47:12 She told us, he told us he did not have 47:14 a very pleasant experience for the two years 47:16 that he was there and then he left. 47:19 He went to another school and then after some years 47:23 he became interested in spiritual things. 47:27 In spirit what? Spiritual things. 47:28 Okay, spiritual things. 47:30 So he went to a Baptist church. 47:33 He attended that church for 10 years 47:35 but never got baptized. 47:37 And then after that he was listening on... 47:42 Oh, no he was browsing on YouTube 47:44 and he saw Doug Batchelor's presentation 47:48 and he learned about the Sabbath. 47:50 He didn't know that Doug Batchelor 47:52 was a Seventh-day Adventist and so he said, 47:57 so Sabbath is, you know. 48:00 He said, "I had better find another church to go to." 48:04 So he thought of all the churches 48:08 around the area 48:10 and then La Vida Mission flashed to him and said, 48:13 I don't know if I want to go back to La Vida 48:16 but it kept, you know, flashing through his mind 48:19 and he said, "Oh, well, I better go there and try." 48:22 So he went there and when he went there 48:25 and attended the church, 48:27 it was the first Sabbath of January. 48:30 He was with his grandmother in a wheelchair 48:32 and I was on the wheelchair too because of my accident, 48:35 so the connection was instant. 48:37 And he said, "Wow, it's so different. 48:41 I feel different coming back to La Vida. 48:45 People are also very friendly. 48:48 So we invited them to come back and they came back 48:51 and then he talked to me and my husband and said, 48:54 "Can you do Bible study at their house?" 48:57 And he gathers the Navajo people 48:59 and because he is a Navajo speaker, 49:02 he is my husband's interpreter in Navajo. 49:06 How wonderful. 49:07 And after a year of study in their house, 49:12 he gave his life to Jesus by baptism. 49:17 So he got baptized and now we're helping him 49:21 go through Southwestern Adventist University 49:25 to get his church's ministry certificate. 49:28 Wonderful. 49:29 So he is a potential Bible worker 49:32 for the Navajo. 49:33 That is one great need on the Navajo reservation, 49:36 Navajo pastors, and Navajo Bible workers 49:38 because it's hard, their language is very hard. 49:41 Do most of them not speak English? 49:44 The older people. 49:46 Oh, I see. I see. 49:47 Well, it's exciting and I just have a few seconds, Warren, 49:52 and since you're a man of few words, this will work. 49:55 What has been the reaction of your parents 49:59 when all of their children have now become 50:01 Seventh-day Adventist Christians? 50:03 Did your mother and father accept that? 50:06 Yes, they do actually. 50:08 Good. Good. 50:10 And how has this impacted your life being at La Vida? 50:14 What good did it do to your life? 50:19 What difference it has done to my life... 50:22 As I said, a man of few words. 50:25 You think about that, 50:26 we'll come back in just a second. 50:28 What we'd like to do is to put up the address 50:33 and the contact information for La Vida Mission 50:37 because perhaps the Holy Spirit is inspiring you 50:40 that you would like to go 50:42 for a short term missionary trip 50:45 and reach out to the Navajo people 50:47 or to help or maybe the Lord is impressing you 50:51 to support this ministry by prayer 50:54 and/or financial support. 50:56 Here is the information you need. 51:00 We invite you to find out more about the outreach efforts 51:03 of La Vida Mission from their boarding academy 51:06 for Navajo children to providing water, 51:09 Bible studies, 51:10 food and clothing for the Navajo Nation. 51:13 Visit their website lavidamission.org. 51:16 Find out how you can support them 51:19 or even help them as a short term missionary. 51:22 The web address again is lavidamission.org. 51:26 You may also reach them at (505) 786-3004 51:32 or write them at La Vida Mission, 51:34 PO Box 3308, Farmington, New Mexico 87499. |
Revised 2017-12-18