Participants:
Series Code: TDY
Program Code: TDY018047A
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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, 00:33 I want to spend my life 00:39 mending broken people... 00:45 I want to spend my life 00:50 mending broken people. 00:55 Music... 01:03 More music... 01:10 Hello and welcome to 3ABN today 01:13 we are so glad that you've tuned in 01:15 and just want to take this opportunity 01:17 to thank you for your prayers and your love 01:20 and your financial support of 3ABN... 01:23 the mending-broken-people network. 01:25 I want to start today by reading you a passage 01:29 and then we'll get into our interview, 01:32 this comes from Matthew chapter 25 01:34 going to begin with verse 31. 01:36 And these are the words Jesus said... and He says, 01:39 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, 01:42 and all the holy angels with Him, 01:44 then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 01:47 All the nations will be gathered before Him, 01:50 and He will separate them one from another, 01:53 as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 01:57 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, 02:00 but the goats on the left. 02:03 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 02:06 'Come, ye blessed of My Father, 02:10 inherit the kingdom prepared for you 02:12 from the foundation of the world: 02:14 for I was hungry and you gave me food; 02:17 I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; 02:20 I was a stranger and you took Me in; 02:23 I was naked and you clothed Me; 02:26 I was sick and you visited Me; 02:30 I was in prison and you came to Me. 02:32 You know, Jesus goes on to answer the question 02:36 of His disciples who say, 02:38 "When did we see you in any of these conditions?" 02:41 And He said, "When you've done this to the least of these, 02:45 you've done it to me" 02:46 and our special guest today is special... she's precious. 02:51 I want to introduce to you Kareen Wilson 02:54 who is one of the Co-Founders 02:56 of Bethesda Medical Mission Incorporated 03:00 and Kareen, we're so glad that you're here today. 03:03 Thank you, thank you for having me, 03:04 I'm excited about talking to you about Bethesda Medical today. 03:07 And then... and one... 03:09 the person who was going to be here with you today 03:12 got lost on the way to 3ABN, 03:14 we really are in a corner of a cornfield 03:17 but it's all right so, 03:19 we will muddle through without him though, however, 03:23 I'm sure it's going to be great. 03:24 Before we begin though, we have Johan Sentana 03:28 and he's a... I don't know if you've heard him play 03:30 but he is an amazing pianist and he is going to play for us 03:35 'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus. 03:39 Piano... 04:01 More Piano... 04:11 'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, 04:17 Just to take Him at His Word; 04:26 Just to rest upon His promise, 04:34 Just to know, "Thus saith the Lord. " 04:41 Piano. 04:44 Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him; 04:52 How I've proved Him o'er and o'er! 04:58 piano... 05:02 Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! 05:09 O, for grace to trust Him more! 05:15 Piano... 06:14 I'm so glad I learned to trust Thee, 06:19 Precious Jesus, Savoir, Friend; 06:25 And I know that Thou art with me, 06:32 Wilt be with me to the end. 06:38 Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him; 06:45 How I've proved Him o'er and o'er! 06:50 Piano. 06:56 Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! 07:02 Oh, for grace to 07:07 trust Him more! 07:13 Piano. 07:48 Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him; 07:54 How I've proved Him o'er and o'er! 08:01 Piano. 08:04 Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! 08:11 Oh, for grace to trust Him more! 08:18 Piano. 08:58 I'm so excited that Johan uses his talents for the Lord, 09:03 this reminds me of Isaiah 26 verse 3, 09:07 when we trust in Jesus, 09:09 it will bring you peace 09:12 and we were just discussing how soothing that piece... 09:14 or that piece of music was... how it brings peace... 09:18 but Isaiah 26 verse 3 says 09:20 that as we keep our eye focused on Him... 09:23 trusting in Him... 09:24 He promises us perfect peace 09:26 and that was beautiful, 09:28 thank you so much, Johan Sentana. 09:30 If you're joining us just a moment late, 09:34 our special guest today is Kareen Wilson 09:37 and she is a Co-founder 09:39 of Bethesda Medical Mission Incorporated. 09:42 We're talking about relief aid to Puerto Rico today 09:46 but before we jump in to 09:49 what Bethesda Medical Mission is doing, 09:51 let's get to know you a little better. 09:53 Kareen, tell us about your years growing up, 09:56 did you grow up in a church, 09:58 was your family Christian, 10:00 how did you get so interested in the Lord so early? 10:02 Yeah, so, I was... as we were discussing earlier, 10:05 I grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba 10:07 and I went to Park View Adventist Academy, 10:09 I also went to Canadian Union College 10:12 which, I believe it's called now University... 10:15 and I transferred to Loma Linda University 10:17 and finished my degree in Dental Hygiene there 10:20 and, while I was there, I met my husband 10:23 who was graduating from Dental School at that time, 10:26 and we really, really connected obviously and got married 10:30 but the other thing that was wonderful is that 10:32 we both had a passion for mission. 10:34 My very first mission trip 10:36 was when I was a Senior in High School 10:39 and it totally changed my life, 10:41 to be able to go into the island of Dominica 10:44 and help people repair their homes 10:46 and just interact with people was amazing 10:50 and I craved that... 10:51 I really wanted that to be a part of my life. 10:53 So when you say, it changed your life, 10:55 do you think you grew closer to Jesus 10:57 because... I mean, you can be born and raised 10:59 in a Christian family 11:01 but that doesn't necessarily mean it's personal to you. 11:03 Kareen: Right. 11:05 Shelley: Is that when it became personal? 11:06 Kareen: And that's when it became personal, 11:07 it's like actually on that trip... 11:09 is when I felt the connection to God and saying, 11:13 "You know, this is what I was meant to do, 11:15 this is what my passion would be 11:18 is to serve people and to be able to help people" 11:20 and I think that when you are a teenager 11:23 you see things in a totally different light, 11:26 you're seeing things... 11:27 "Well, what can I get... what can I receive?" 11:29 And when you're giving 11:31 and you're able to share with other people 11:33 especially on a level of... 11:35 these people's homes were totally devastated 11:38 by the hurricane, 11:39 they had no roof, 11:40 they had a low supply of food and things like that 11:42 and we were able to come and help them with that... 11:45 totally changed my life. 11:46 Praise God, I always tell people 11:48 and I hope if you're listening, 11:50 "If you want your child 11:52 to really get connected to the Lord, 11:54 take them on a mission trip" 11:55 because I see... I mean for years I hear stories of kids... 12:02 even troubled kids... and spoiled kids... 12:05 we are so spoiled here in the United States 12:09 and then when we go on a mission trip 12:11 and you see others who have so little, 12:14 but you're seeing their response to... 12:17 when God uses you as His hands and feet, 12:20 it's exciting... it's exciting. 12:22 Okay, so, your husband shared that same vision 12:28 now, he's a dentist, correct? 12:31 So my husband is a Dentist, Dr. Bryan Wilson, 12:33 we actually have a dental practice 12:35 in West Hartford, Connecticut 12:36 we've been there for a little over 20 years 12:39 and we... before we had our children, 12:41 we went on quite a few mission trips to different countries, 12:45 Peru, Dominica, Dominican Republic 12:49 and we really enjoyed... 12:51 we actually worked with another group 12:53 that did a lot of construction 12:54 so we were kind of like the side gig 12:56 and that's where we met Dr. Roy Kellerman 12:58 and he was a medical doctor and his wife is a nurse, 13:01 and we went on a lot of mission trips 13:02 and then after I had my girls, we took a little bit of a break 13:05 and we still felt the calling 13:08 to be able to still go on mission trips 13:10 but we just didn't know how to go about it. 13:12 So, as we were discussing earlier 13:16 is that... Dr. Kellerman was in Maryland 13:19 and he was visiting his daughter there 13:21 and he heard a sermon about the pool of Bethesda 13:24 and what it really meant 13:26 and it took him to a whole new level 13:28 when he learned that the pool of Bethesda meant mercy 13:31 and it meant serving and meant compassion 13:34 and when Jesus was there and healed that man 13:37 or he wanted... everybody wanted to touch that water 13:39 and they believed that they would be healed 13:41 it... it... it spoke to Him 13:43 so he came back to Connecticut and said, 13:45 "You know what? Let's start something, 13:47 let's... as small as it may be 13:49 let's see what we can do" 13:51 and Dr. Kellerman and my husband, Bryan 13:55 and Delores and myself, 13:57 we got together and we started thinking about 13:59 what Bethesda Medical Mission could be. 14:00 And so, as you were planning this and seeking the Lord, 14:05 how did He lead you... 14:07 I mean, I know now that Bethesda Medical Mission Inc. 14:10 is a 501c3... a non-profit 14:13 and all who are there volunteer their time, 14:17 nobody gets paid a salary from this, 14:19 so, everything that you're doing, 14:22 when the funds come in, 14:23 it goes to the relief of the needy. 14:25 Kareen: Yes. 14:26 But tell us about that planning stage 14:28 because there are people out there 14:30 who feel like God wants them to do something 14:33 but they don't know how to get started. 14:34 Yeah, so it is... it was a lot of planning in the beginning 14:38 because... and I think what jumpstarted it 14:40 was because of the immediate response that was needed 14:44 in Haiti after the earthquake, 14:45 it was so devastating that we couldn't even get in 14:48 right after the year that it happened 14:50 but we knew that... especially after the earthquake 14:53 that people needed care 14:55 and so, we said, 14:56 "Let's make it a medical professional group" 15:00 so it would be a group of people 15:01 either in the medical field or in the dental field 15:03 and let's go in and see where we could help. 15:06 So, that's what we did, 15:07 we came together with a group of people 15:09 who were like-minded, 15:11 we sent out the call to different people that we knew 15:14 that might be interested in joining us 15:16 and we were very surprised to get a lot of people 15:19 that really wanted to help 15:20 if they couldn't go on the mission trip themselves, 15:23 they decided to send money or donations to help us 15:26 and it was a blessing. 15:28 I think our first trip, we had a little over 30 people 15:30 that joined us 15:32 and we were able to provide medical and dental care 15:35 to anybody and everybody who came to our clinics... 15:38 they were mobile clinics 15:40 because we tried to move around a little bit 15:41 so that we could reach people 15:43 but it... it really was a blessing 15:44 and we saw so many wonderful things. 15:47 Wonderful... wonderful, 15:48 so, you've been back to Haiti how many times? 15:51 We've been to Haiti for five trips, 15:53 we've done five mission trips since that first trip. 15:56 Okay, now, give us a little of... 15:59 when you said there was a lot of planning 16:03 just tell us a little bit about the process of that 16:06 because once again... 16:08 we have people I know who are interested, 16:10 tell us a little of the process of that. 16:12 So, the process is... is that we had to find 16:16 a group to work with while we were in Haiti. 16:19 So, when you're going into a developing country 16:21 or going into a place that you want to serve, 16:24 it was very much an advantage to us 16:27 to know what was going to be happening on the ground, 16:30 so, we had to find someone 16:32 either we could have somebody the connection with 16:34 and so, we found somebody in Haiti... 16:36 we actually a local pastor that we worked with 16:39 actually in Connecticut 16:40 and he helped us with planning everything on the ground. 16:43 First and foremost is to make sure that everybody was safe, 16:46 making sure that we would have clinics or places 16:49 where we could go and we could set up our clinics 16:51 and to actually find a place where we could serve 16:54 and that we could do it effectively. 16:55 So, that took a lot of planning, the other thing is, 16:59 is trying to find housing for everybody. 17:01 So, that is another step of something 17:03 that takes a lot of logistics, 17:05 a lot of time and energy to get into 17:08 and then, also, the people that are going to be joining in, 17:11 what are they going to be doing 17:12 for the time frame that they're there. 17:14 Are they going to be working in an OB-GYN helping the... 17:19 or helping the Pediatrician 17:21 or helping the Dentist, 17:23 how are we going to bring all of our supplies 17:25 so in some of the pictures you'll see 17:27 is that, we had to bring a lot of our supplies 17:30 from Connecticut and get it down into Haiti 17:33 because they didn't have those things there. 17:36 So, it was a lot of packing and planning 17:40 and organizing 17:41 and making sure that everything is organized 17:44 and that everything can get there safely and effectively. 17:47 Okay, so who is this? 17:48 So, this is one of our technicians 17:51 and what we do is we do an eye-glass clinic 17:55 where we actually use a machine or a computer 17:58 that can read the person's eyes 18:00 and then it translates it to a computer 18:02 and tells us exactly what type of glasses they need 18:05 to be able to correct their vision, 18:06 this picture here is obviously us in the Dental Clinic 18:10 like I said, on those chairs, 18:12 we actually have to bring all those chairs, 18:14 bring all the supplies... 18:15 bring all the dental instruments to Haiti 18:18 and set them out to get them organized... 18:20 and get them ready to go, 18:22 This is Dr. Salius, 18:23 one of our doctors that joins us in the Dental clinic, 18:27 and she is amazing, 18:28 she's done some incredible surgeries 18:30 on some of the people there that have needed surgeries, 18:32 and like I said, 18:34 you can see all the things that need to be supplied, 18:36 this is one of our doctors, a family-care physician 18:39 who is discussing probably high blood pressure... 18:42 is very prevalent in... in Haiti 18:45 so writing her prescription 18:46 just so that you know also, 18:48 we also bring a full-fledged pharmacy with us 18:50 so, we have all kinds of meds... 18:53 everything from medicines to other supplies that we bring. 18:57 These are our two Co-Founders... 18:58 Dr. Kellerman and my husband, Dr. Bryan Wilson 19:01 and then last year we worked with Bohard 19:03 which was an Organization 19:05 that's way up in the mountains in Haiti 19:06 and that's the gentleman that you there on the left, 19:09 Shelley: Bearded gentleman okay... 19:11 Kareen: Yes... and this our pharmacy, 19:12 you can see all of the different medical supplies 19:15 and we actually count out all the meds 19:17 like you would in a regular pharmacy 19:19 that we have here in America 19:20 and we have all kinds of supplies 19:22 from medicines to High Blood Pressure meds, 19:25 whatever we can bring. 19:26 This is another picture of our Dental Clinic 19:29 and we use all kinds of different supplies 19:32 to be able to bring care to everyone. 19:34 This is another one of our whole clinic... 19:38 you can see the table in the far left there... 19:41 is all covered with all kinds of dental supplies and tools, 19:44 sterilization... 19:45 we have sterilization process that we run through, 19:48 it's a very effective clinic. 19:50 Shelley: It's been a lot of logistics... 19:52 Kareen: Lot of logistics 19:53 so, on our last... one of our trips, 19:55 we were actually able to dig a well 19:57 so that there would be water 19:58 that could be supplied to this area 20:00 so, here you see the gentleman digging down... 20:03 I don't know the logistics but getting down in there 20:05 to make sure that they are able to touch water 20:07 and be able to pump it back up 20:08 so that they could have a well, yeah. 20:10 Oh, this picture... I love this... 20:12 this is a picture of our VBS Program. 20:14 Some nights we would have over 200 children there. 20:17 Shelley: VBS stands for Vacation Bible School. 20:19 Kareen: Yeah, Vacation Bible School 20:21 and we would feed the children, 20:23 so we would have food available for all the children 20:25 and we would have a beautiful program 20:26 available for them afterwards. 20:28 Shelley: Amen. 20:29 Kareen: And this is my lovely husband, Dr. Wilson, 20:32 posing with one of the kids, 20:33 we would blow up balloons 20:35 and give out toys to all the children 20:37 and... it's just a blessing to be able to share with them. 20:40 Shelley: Oh, that's precious, now, while you were there also, 20:44 you came across an orphanage that was in dire condition... 20:48 explain what was going on at this orphanage. 20:52 So, in 2014, we were on our mission trip 20:54 and we had a gentleman who approached us 20:57 and said that he had been caring for children, 21:00 it wasn't even an orphanage yet, 21:02 he just knew that he needed to take care of these children 21:05 and he had about 15 children of various ages with him 21:08 but he had run out of food 21:09 and because he was not an orphanage, 21:12 he didn't have any way of acquiring the food 21:14 and getting better living conditions for the children. 21:17 So, he approached us... we went... 21:19 we visited where he was and we... 21:22 it just broke your heart 21:24 to see the way these children were living, 21:26 they were living... 5... 6... kids to a bed... 21:29 and it wasn't even a real bed 21:31 you know, they had run out of food, 21:34 the squander... the dirt floors... 21:36 it just... they just needed help... 21:39 and we said, "You know what? 21:40 this is something that we can take on 21:42 so, we decided, right then and there, 21:44 we approached all the people that were on our mission trip 21:47 and we asked them to donate money 21:50 and before you know it, 21:51 we had raised over hundreds of dollars 21:53 to be able to provide food for them right away 21:56 and we decided to donate a lot of medication, 21:59 we had the children visit our clinic 22:01 so that they can be seen and be treated 22:03 and then, we just said, we are going to support you 22:06 so, since then, 22:07 we have actually moved them to a new Facility. 22:10 Shelley: Praise God. 22:11 We have re-done a whole building for them 22:14 so that each of them have their own beds, 22:17 they have a play area and they have a school. 22:20 So, not only are they able to go to school 22:23 but they are able to educate the children in the area 22:27 and they have over 125 kids that come into the compound 22:30 and are educated on the compound where the... 22:33 where the orphanage is 22:35 so now we're working on 22:37 getting them to have an actual status as an orphanage 22:40 so they'll be able to have aid from Haiti 22:42 but, we'll of course... we'll continue to support them. 22:44 And, you know, it's just so amazing to me 22:47 how... when Christ is in you and you see a need, 22:50 you want to meet that need 22:53 but these children went from 22:55 perhaps, not even having one meal a day 22:58 to now they get three squares a day 23:00 plus education and a hygienic area. 23:03 Kareen: Yeah. 23:04 When you're talking about the medical professionals, 23:07 your group has grown from 30 to... what was your last... 23:11 Yeah, so, I believe on our last mission trip 23:15 we had over 70 people that joined us. 23:16 Okay, so, that's so amazing 23:19 how quickly God is... is... growing this 23:23 but are they all Adventist Christians or they... 23:26 No, that's what I love about our mission trips 23:29 is that our last trip... 23:31 we had probably about 50... over 50 medical professionals 23:35 and then we had about a little over 20 construction crew 23:39 because we do do a lot of construction work now 23:41 and that is the beauty of our ministry, 23:43 is that... there are a lot of people 23:45 that aren't Seventh-day Adventists, 23:46 we have some people that aren't even Christian 23:49 and they join us on these trips and they say, 23:51 "This is the Christ that I want to... 23:53 that I'm dying to see... a Christ who gives... 23:57 a Christ who loves... a Christ who shares... 24:00 a Christ who will not let the underserved be neglected" 24:05 and that is what we're all about, 24:07 we're all about helping those people that need help 24:10 and in Haiti... 24:12 that is pretty much what you're going to see... 24:14 you're going to see a lot of people that need help 24:16 and so, not only are we ministering 24:18 to the people in Haiti, 24:20 but we're ministering to a lot of the people 24:21 that join us on the trip 24:23 because they are so excited to see the passion of Christianity, 24:27 the passion of what Christ wanted us to do. 24:29 Amen and amen... and you know it's just... 24:31 it's amazing to me that every time... 24:33 God just has a magic formula... 24:37 and I don't want to use the word "magic" 24:38 but the blessing of the Lord is when you go somewhere 24:43 to be a blessing to someone else... 24:45 when God sends you out, 24:46 He always gives you a double portion of blessing in return. 24:51 Have you seen any... 24:53 can you tell any of the miracle stories that you've seen. 24:56 Oh, oh... miracles beyond miracles... 24:59 you have to realize that we're working with a lot of logistics 25:04 so, like we were talking earlier about logistics... 25:06 the miracles in logistics is... I... I... 25:10 every year, I always say to myself 25:12 "this is never going to work 25:13 there's no way we're going to get all these things into Haiti 25:15 and we're not going to be able to... " 25:17 Shelley: Through Customs... Kareen: Through Customs 25:19 and every year it works... 25:21 I can tell you one story where we were at American Airlines 25:24 and we were flying with all of our bins... 25:26 I wish we had a picture of all the bins that we bring, 25:28 we bring these huge heavy-duty bins 25:30 and every year, 25:32 we always are over-boarded with too many things 25:35 but we want to make sure it gets there 25:37 and I remember one year that one of the agents said, 25:40 "There's no way... " 25:41 that "we're not going to allow this to go through" 25:43 and we said, "You know what? Let's just step back and pray" 25:46 and we prayed about it... we prayed about it 25:48 and there was a... there was a... 25:50 I guess it would be a "shift change" 25:52 and the next lady that came in, I approached her again 25:57 and I said, "We're a mission group, 25:59 we just want to bring these things, 26:01 we're helping somebody" 26:03 and someone... another passenger had just yelled at her 26:06 and she screamed at her and I think... 26:08 "this poor lady is under pressure, 26:10 she is not going to listen to me" 26:11 and she turned to me and in the sweetest voice 26:14 and she said, "Let's see what we can do" 26:17 is that, I wish that a lot of people would realize 26:19 that they can get much more done with honey than with flies 26:23 you know, 26:24 and she turned to us and she said, 26:26 "Let me go talk to my Supervisor" 26:28 and did you know that that Supervisor 26:30 was from Haiti herself 26:31 and she allowed everything to go through 26:33 and she didn't even charge us. 26:35 Shelley: Praise the Lord. 26:37 Kareen: That was the hard part, I was like, 26:38 "If you charge us, I'll be happy" 26:40 but she didn't even charge us, she said, 26:42 "Just let it go through... let it go through. " 26:44 When we're in clinics in Haiti, 26:46 there are plenty of times when people come to the clinics 26:49 and we see a lot of children who have been neglected 26:53 who have wounds and who need special healing 26:57 and we have seen... 26:58 they come back to the clinic a few days later 27:00 and they're better, they're healthier, 27:03 just being able to give them the medication that they needed 27:06 and us being able to have it there for them is amazing. 27:09 I remember one time in a dental clinic 27:12 we saw a young lady who came to the clinic 27:16 and her hand was over her mouth like this 27:18 and we were like, "What's going on here?" 27:20 and she sat down in a chair 27:22 and what had happened was... is that 27:25 she had basically a double row of teeth, 27:27 she had never lost her primary teeth 27:29 but she had grown in her adult teeth into that space, 27:33 and she was very embarrassed about it, 27:37 and she was very ashamed by it 27:39 and one of the doctors says, 27:40 "You know, we can help her" 27:42 so we found her mother to ask for permission to do that 27:46 and as I sat down to do my perio therapy on my patient 27:49 I said, "Oh my goodness, what is this?" 27:52 And it was the same situation, they were twins! 27:55 and the same thing had happened 27:57 so that day we were able to do dental surgery 28:00 on both girls... and be able to give them their smiles back 28:03 and to this day I just remember 28:05 the smiles on their faces afterwards 28:07 because they would have normally had to go through life 28:10 with that embarrassment and now they were... 28:13 they were beautiful again. 28:14 Shelley: Glory to God... glory to God. 28:16 So, the Lord has really blessed this Bethesda Medical Mission 28:21 as it has gone to Haiti for the last five years in a row 28:24 but recently, Pastor Herrera from Connecticut 28:30 came to you with a new plan, 28:34 tell us about that. 28:36 So, we had always gone to Haiti everywhere... every year 28:39 and we were planning on returning to Haiti this year 28:41 but after the Hurricane in Puerto Rico, 28:44 Pastor Herrera approached our Organization 28:48 and said that what you are doing in Haiti 28:50 would very much be of benefit to what's going on in Puerto Rico 28:54 and because of the hurricane, a lot of homes were damaged 28:57 and there was a lot of help... 28:58 the construction crew that we had normally used in Haiti 29:02 would have been a great benefit in Puerto Rico 29:05 so, this year, we have decided 29:07 to take Bethesda Medical into Puerto Rico 29:10 and repair some homes that are going to be damaged 29:14 and also, to do some Health Fairs 29:16 and to do some health clinics in Puerto Rico 29:20 to help the people of Puerto Rico. 29:21 We have a tendency in the United States 29:26 that... I just say we've got the attention span of a humming bird 29:32 because whatever is on the news is what you feel like, 29:37 is going on but there is still... 29:39 there is so much suffering in Puerto Rico, it's not over. 29:43 Yes, and that's what our plan was... is that... 29:46 you know, you're right, 29:47 after a few months, it dies down 29:49 and people forget about the need that's going on 29:52 but there are many people that are still devastated... 29:54 just even to have clean water... to have their homes repaired... 29:59 to receive medical and dental attention 30:02 those kinds of things are still very much needed in Puerto Rico 30:04 so, I said, "Summer of 2018, we will be going there. " 30:09 Praise God, so, the... 30:11 Pastor Herrera, I know I heard something mentioned 30:14 or read something mentioned that he has an association with 30:20 Hay esperanza para Puerto Rico 30:23 which means, "There is hope for Puerto Rico" 30:25 and a lot of people there really were close to losing hope 30:30 or have lost hope... we have some friends who live there 30:35 and they said the suicide rate is at... 30:37 there are people who feel like 30:39 life would never get back to normal 30:40 so, explain what... do you know much about that group 30:44 or... can you give us... 30:46 I know Pastor Herrera was supposed to be with us today. 30:49 Yeah, so Pastor Herrera was supposed to be with us 30:51 to explain a little bit more about that 30:53 but from what he had explained to us is that... 30:56 there was a lot of devastation that had happened in Puerto Rico 30:59 and that a lot of things that we heard here in America 31:02 that things were much better and that things would get... 31:05 were simply not accurate... 31:08 that there were a lot of people that were still suffering 31:10 there were a lot of people that still were without their homes 31:13 that we still had a lot of issues going on 31:15 and that we needed to address that 31:17 and we needed to still send people into Puerto Rico to help 31:21 so, that would be my appeal today 31:23 is that, everybody would understand 31:25 that there are still a lot of people that are suffering... 31:27 they need financial... emotional... spiritual help 31:31 to go into Puerto Rico and be able to bless the people 31:35 that are going on there... that are still suffering there 31:38 so, I do hope that people will still realize 31:40 that we still need to be there, 31:42 we still need to be on the ground. 31:44 Amen, so, when you are not on a... 31:47 how many mission trips have you gone on? 31:48 Personally, I have been on 31:52 probably about 9 or 10 mission trips. 31:55 Okay and have you taken your daughters yet? 31:57 No, I haven't so this is the first year 31:59 that my daughters will be going 32:01 on a mission trip so exciting... 32:02 Shelley: How old are they? 32:04 My daughters are 10 and 12. 32:05 Shelley: Okay. Kareen: Yes. 32:06 Shelley: So, they'll be going along to help you with... 32:08 will you do a Vacation Bible School 32:10 while you're in Puerto Rico? 32:11 Kareen: Our plans to put together a Vacation Bible School 32:14 while we're doing our health clinics 32:15 and specially on Sabbath and on Sunday... 32:18 we will be doing larger clinics 32:19 so definitely we will be ways that we can communicate 32:21 with the children there. 32:22 That's nice, so you have the children who are... 32:24 their parents are in for the services 32:27 then we've got something going on for the children. 32:30 Kareen: Right, yes. 32:31 So, how has this changed your life personally? 32:35 It has made me much more grateful 32:40 and thankful that God has given me the ability to serve 32:45 so, of course, it's made me grateful and thankful 32:47 for the things I have in my life 32:49 but it's given me the ability to say, 32:51 "You know what? I have these opportunities 32:53 to give and to serve... " 32:55 I am so grateful for it 32:57 and the one thing that always remains in the back of my head 33:01 is that at Loma Linda... 33:03 I remember when I first arrived at the campus... 33:04 beautiful campus... 33:06 and I remember the... there's a statue at the first 33:10 it's just right outside of Prince Hall... 33:12 it's in the School of Dentistry 33:14 and it's... it shows the story of the good Samaritan 33:18 and underneath that it says, "To make man whole" 33:23 and that is what we're here to do, 33:26 I honestly believe that that story shows 33:30 how we as human beings need to have the connection 33:33 to those who are less fortunate and how we can help 33:36 and when I arrived on campus at Loma Linda, 33:39 I said, that was what my goal was going to be, 33:41 if there was any way that I could serve 33:44 and not only overseas or in developing countries 33:48 but then also in Hartford... 33:50 Bethesda Medical does a lot of Health Fairs... 33:52 we do a lot of local things to help people that are in need 33:55 and that's what I would hope that everybody can do 33:58 and it doesn't have... you don't have to be a professional 34:00 medical, dental, whatever it is, 34:02 whatever your passion is, whatever your goal is, 34:05 is to remember that story, "To make man whole" 34:08 and if everybody had a little bit of themselves in that heart 34:11 in their heart... 34:13 I think that we would definitely have a much better society 34:16 and a much better world. 34:17 And this is something that 34:19 probably has impacted your marriage as well. 34:23 Kareen: Yes... yes. 34:24 When you are... I am very blessed, 34:26 my husband is a very Godly man 34:29 and we serve together 34:31 and when... as a couple you share that passion 34:34 that purpose... and you're serving together 34:38 it... it is something, 34:40 it's a special bonding-cementing thing 34:44 and it seems to me that there is... 34:47 as families serve together 34:50 it seems that God speaks His peace into that family, 34:55 it changes the dynamics of family... period... 34:58 and I hope that your girls... 35:00 I know they're going to... to be blessed 35:03 and get to see what mummy and daddy do 35:05 and they will come back... I'm sure... 35:07 with more grateful hearts themselves. 35:09 Kareen: Right. 35:11 You know, this is what Bethesda Mission is doing... 35:16 is following the example of Christ's method of service 35:22 and it's exciting that you're reaching 35:26 not only the people that you're ministering to 35:29 but the people who you take to minister. 35:32 Kareen: Right... 35:34 You think about reach... 35:36 have you had anyone, you mentioned earlier 35:37 that some were saying... who were not even Christians, 35:41 saying, "Now I see the face of Jesus 35:43 and this is what it's all about. " 35:46 Tell us a little... kind of expound on that a little. 35:49 Well, we have had some people... 35:51 believe me, we've had not... like I said, 35:54 people that are not really Christian... 35:57 we've even had one person who was Buddhist that came with us 36:01 and she had always... she had worked with us in the past 36:05 but she had never really been able 36:06 to see what Christianity was all about 36:09 and she said that this... 36:10 "I could... I could understand this type of Christianity" 36:14 and even though... and you know that God sows seeds 36:18 you never know what's going on in her heart, 36:20 I believe that it changed her, 36:21 it changed her attitude to what Christianity could be 36:25 and how serving God can bless other people, 36:28 we've had people that are not Seventh-day Adventists 36:31 that say... they want to learn more 36:32 about the Seventh-day Adventist Church... 36:34 they want to know more 36:35 about how Maranatha and other aid groups 36:38 are going into other countries to help 36:41 so, I think that it has definitely changed them 36:44 and we've had a lot of people attend church services 36:46 when we were in Haiti too 36:48 and there's no requirement for you to have to do that 36:51 when you're on your mission trips 36:52 but a lot of the people say, 36:53 "Yes, I want to see what it's all about... 36:55 I want to see how you worship your God" 36:58 and they are moved and blessed by that too 36:59 so they love it, yeah. 37:00 Well I think you brought a couple of videos 37:02 and we'd like to show those, the first one is: 37:04 your husband and another gentleman who are speaking 37:08 and these are the two... 37:10 there were four Co-Founders... you and your husband 37:13 and then this other doctor and his wife. 37:15 Yeah, so Dr. Kellerman and my husband 37:17 are what you're going to see in this one video 37:19 just kind of doing a little bit of a wrap up 37:20 of one of our trips that we had gone on 37:23 and the other video is just one of the gentlemen 37:26 who had actually been to the clinics several times... 37:28 every year I guess he waits for us to come in 37:30 and he was just saying, "Thank you" 37:32 he wanted to express his "thank you" 37:34 and his gratitude for coming 37:36 and that's the other thing that I wanted to express too 37:39 is that... the Haitian people that we visit with... 37:41 they are beautiful people... 37:43 they are so gracious and they're so thankful 37:45 for all the services that they give to us 37:47 and especially when they're waiting in long lines to be seen 37:50 they're always polite, they're always sweet, 37:53 they're always wonderful 37:54 and we love serving in Haiti... wonderful people. 37:58 Amen, so let's look at those videos now. 38:01 Video... 38:06 We're just about over 38:09 we're used our last days of work in Movi, Haiti... 38:13 great day... we did dentures, we did fillings, 38:17 we did extractions, 38:19 we did a lot of cleaning... 38:20 we did eye care... 38:22 we did a little bit of everything... 38:25 we even rushed a little bit of soccer... 38:27 scene: boy kicking soccer ball... 38:31 Clearly we have seen possibly over 1,800 people at least 38:35 and tomorrow... 38:37 tomorrow we'll be going to an orphanage in Port Au Prince 38:43 we will provide care to I believe, approximately 30 kids 38:50 and hopefully, we'll get a chance 38:52 to go to church right after that 38:54 but it's been a day... a week of service... 38:57 and we are grateful that we had a chance to provide the service 39:04 to the people of Haiti 39:06 video ends... 39:09 Well, that's precious but now we've got one more 39:13 and this will be you talking with... 39:15 as Kareen is speaking with a French-speaking Haitian. 39:21 Video starting... 39:24 In French... 39:29 And we say, "Thank you for the good service you give us" 39:32 in French... 39:35 "Last year you gave like the same service" 39:37 In French... 39:41 This year, you again gave the same good service. 39:43 In French... 39:48 And then we say, "Thank you... 39:50 may the Lord bless all the group. " 39:52 In French... 39:55 "And may the Lord like... 39:57 make you guys have a like... a good trip... good travel. " 40:00 Merci... 40:01 "Thank you. " 40:03 Comment vous appelex-vous? 40:05 Jedson... 40:07 Aaah... see, I know a little French. 40:09 Do live here in Movi? 40:14 In French. 40:16 Yes. 40:17 Okay, all right, oh, thank you for coming again. 40:19 French... 40:21 Thank you too for coming again. 40:23 All right guys, no problem. 40:25 That's sweet, I always thought it was 40:28 Comment vous applex-vous. 40:30 It could be... he pretended that he understood. 40:34 Laughter... 40:36 Well, you know, I'm such a parrot... 40:37 if I'm in France, I can speak this much French 40:41 but I'll speak English with a French accent. 40:44 same when I get to interacting it's terrible... 40:48 so, when you are going on trips what... who... 40:53 who are you looking to join you 40:56 and what qualifications do they need? 40:59 Well, we are looking for anybody who wants to serve, 41:03 anybody who has a good attitude 41:05 and wants to serve and give of themselves... 41:07 please contact us because we can find a way to make it work. 41:12 Obviously we're a Medical and Dental professional group 41:16 so if you have any discipline in medicine or in dentistry, 41:20 we definitely can find a spot for you... 41:23 the more that we have... either medical or dental 41:27 the more we can see more people. 41:30 Medical professionals... we take OB-GYNs, Pediatricians, 41:34 emergency care meds... medications... wound healers, 41:38 wound specialists, family doctors, 41:40 anything... 41:42 in the Dental professional... 41:43 we have oral surgeons that come with us 41:45 of course, General Dentistry, 41:47 Hygienists... we love Hygienists, they're hard to come by, 41:50 but we're just looking for anybody that's willing to serve 41:52 and then... even if you have none of those disciplines, 41:55 there are so many other things that you can do on the ground. 41:58 So, we have a lot of people that help us with logistics, 42:00 either... being... making sure that food gets supplied 42:03 or things get spread out evenly, 42:06 in the clinic... we need runners in the clinic, 42:09 we need people to help in the eye glass department, 42:12 that means distributing eye glasses, 42:14 working with the computer. 42:15 We also need people to help out just... 42:19 even with the people that come to the... in line 42:23 making sure that they're in line properly 42:25 they're at the right line, 42:26 we need people to help with registration, 42:28 we need people in Pharmacy 42:30 definitely people to help out in the Pharmacy area, 42:32 and then, of course, 42:34 because we do have the construction crew now 42:36 we can have anybody who can swing a hammer... 42:39 please join us 42:40 because we love to have people for our construction crew also. 42:43 Shelley: Amen. 42:44 So basically, that includes anybody. 42:46 Amen, so, now... the donations as I said... 42:50 this is a 501c3... non-profit organization 42:55 and no person who is part of the Board 43:00 or works for the Organization 43:04 or comes to go on these trips... no one's paid... 43:08 Kareen: That's right. 43:10 So every everything... all labor is volunteer, correct? 43:12 All labor is all volunteered, 43:14 our Board Members which consist of... 43:16 I think there's eight or nine of us on the Board... 43:18 we work very hard on a regular basis 43:20 to make sure that these trips happen... 43:22 we do not take salary... 43:23 every penny goes directly to patient care 43:26 or to construction cost. 43:28 And how do you raise your funds? 43:29 That is the beautiful thing, 43:31 it is all through the generous work of... obviously God 43:35 but at the same time, everybody... 43:37 He uses people to just donate money... 43:38 sometimes we are just sitting there and we'll get a check 43:42 and we'll have money donated. 43:44 We do run a golf tournament once a year, 43:46 so the local people and the Connecticut people come 43:49 and they obviously... it's a charitable event 43:51 so that goes towards our mission trips, 43:53 but majority of it is just people... one thing at a time... 43:57 like the other day... 43:58 my daughter was working on a project 44:01 where they needed to multiply their money... 44:03 it was a project on the talents... 44:05 you know, multiplying your talents 44:07 so, they gave her a little bit of money 44:09 and she was supposed to grow that money 44:10 and give it to an Organization, 44:12 well, she decided to take that money... 44:14 she made money from that money 44:16 and she donated it to Bethesda Medical 44:18 as little as it was, it was still a blessing 44:21 and we have children that do that all the time 44:23 and they just say, "You know what? 44:25 I want to donate some money. " 44:26 So, every little dollar counts. 44:28 Amen, well, you know, I just believe that... 44:32 Kareen, when we think about how God works... 44:36 I believe that there is someone who is watching today 44:38 that would like to, perhaps, participate 44:42 in one of these upcoming trips 44:44 or maybe the Holy Spirit is inspiring you 44:48 to donate and help sponsor these trips, 44:51 so, we want to put up your address roll 44:55 to let people know how... 44:56 that they can get in touch with you 44:59 to... or with Bethesda Medical Mission 45:03 to either seek enrollment in a... 45:06 one of the mission trips or to donate 45:08 so, here is how you can get in touch with them, 45:11 Music... 45:14 If you would like to support Bethesda Medical Mission, 45:16 please pray for them 45:18 and consider giving them your financial support. 45:20 They also need personnel who will bring medical, dental 45:24 and construction help 45:25 to those who need it so desperately, 45:27 visit their website BethesdaMedicalMission. com 45:31 to find out how you can donate online or volunteer to help. 45:35 Their website again is: BethesdaMedicalMission. com 45:38 you may also call them at 860-243-5569 45:44 or write to them at 45:45 Bethesda Medical Mission 836 Farmington Avenue, Suite 215 45:51 West Hartford, Connecticut 06119 45:55 music... 45:57 And I just want to thank you in advance 46:01 for your prayers and your support for Bethesda... 46:04 which means: Mercy... Bethesda Medical Mission Inc. 46:08 Well, we wanted to bring back Johan Sentana 46:12 and he has... God has given him such a gift on the piano 46:17 and he is going to play one of my favorite songs, 46:23 this song talks about how we can wander from God 46:28 and how He brings us back and He can seal my heart... 46:32 "Lord, here's my heart, take and seal it" 46:34 and so, he will be on the piano, 46:36 you just have to... if you know the words... 46:38 you will identify this, 46:40 it is: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. 46:42 Come, thou Fount of every blessing, 46:49 Tune my heart to sing Thy grace; 46:56 Streams of mercy, never ceasing, 47:03 Call for songs of loudest praise. 47:09 Teach me ever to adore Thee, 47:15 May I still Thy goodness prove, 47:21 While the hope of endless glory 47:27 Fills my heart with joy and love. 47:33 Here I raise my Ebenezer, 47:40 Hither by Thy help I've come, 47:45 And I hope by Thy good pleasure 47:51 Safely to arrive at home. 47:55 Jesus sought me when a stranger, 48:00 Wandering from the fold of God; 48:06 He to rescue me from danger 48:12 Interposed His precious blood. 48:18 Piano... 48:52 O, to grace how great a debtor 48:58 Daily I'm constrained to be! 49:04 Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, 49:10 Bind me closer still to Thee. 49:17 Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, 49:23 Prone to leave the God I love; 49:29 Here's my heart... 49:32 O, take and seal it; 49:36 Seal it for Thy courts above. 49:42 Piano... 50:02 O, to grace how great a debtor 50:06 Daily I'm constrained to be! 50:11 Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, 50:16 Bind me closer still to Thee. 50:21 Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, 50:27 Prone to leave the God I love; 50:32 Here's my heart... O, take and seal it; 50:39 Seal it for Thy courts above. 50:45 Piano. 51:04 Here's my heart... O, take and seal it; 51:12 piano 51:20 Here's my heart... 51:26 Seal it for Thy courts above. |
Revised 2018-06-21